A TABLETOP ROLEPLAYING GAME CORE RULEBOOK

If you want to be credited as a playtester, please send

feedback on any of the following channels:

https://ekorrengames.com

Email: contact@ekorrengames.com
Discord: ekorrenhj
Patreon: www.patreon.com/ekorren
Youtube: @ekorren
 CREDITS
HENRIK J.
Development, Writing, Editing, Layout, Map Art

ADDITIONAL WRITING COVER AND LOGO ART

Parts of the book are credited to the writers behind @ Grandfailure / Adobe Stock
the SRDs listed under Systems (see next page). Yasir Raja

ART
@ Atelier Sommerland / Adobe Stock @ lobard / Adobe Stock @ Roman3d / Adobe Stock
@ David Edwards / Adobe Stock @ Luca Oleastri / Adobe Stock @ tremess / Adobe Stock
@ Digital Storm / Adobe Stock @ Maticeee / Adobe Stock @ Uropbbabkin / Adobe Stock
@ Grandfailure / Adobe Stock @ nyothep / Adobe Stock @ Warmtail / Adobe Stock
@ Jesse Lee-lang / Adobe Stock @ Patila / Adobe Stock

TESTING AND FEEDBACK

Andreas Öhagen; Anton Lechnio; Conor Mahood; James Huggins; Johannes Byman Jonsson; John Jones;
Lars Eliasson; Martin Jönsson; Michelle Erikzén; Niklas Paulson; Per Hansen; Spider Ham

PATRONS IN ORDER OF SUPPORT

Tim Davis; Learned From Gaming Podcast; doombringer35; terrtle; Jesse Breazeale; Harry Smith; Garetor; Behemoth;
Ean Johnson; Arets Paeglis; Christopher Williams; goldwhining; Kevin Bernhardt; Tom Kovář; William Bethel.

SPECIAL THANKS
All those who have offered support and honest criticism during the making of this book
All those who have shown interest in the project and been willing to playtest
All those who have taken the time to read this book and play the game

ekorrengames.com

1
 CREDITS & SYSTEM

SYSTEM
This work is based on Fate Core System and Fate Accelerated Edition (found at http://www.faterpg.com/), products of Evil Hat
Productions, LLC, developed, authored, and edited by Leonard Balsera, Brian Engard, Jeremy Keller, Ryan Macklin, Mike Olson, Clark
Valentine, Amanda Valentine, Fred Hicks, and Rob Donoghue, and licensed for our use under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0
Unported license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/).

This work is based on the Fate System Toolkit (found at http://www.faterpg.com/), a product of Evil Hat Productions, LLC, developed,
authored, and edited by Robert Donoghue, Brian Engard, Brennan Taylor, Mike Olson, Mark Diaz Truman, Fred Hicks, and Matthew
Gandy, and licensed for our use under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license (http://creativecommons.org/li-
censes/by/3.0/).

This work is based on the Fate Adversary Toolkit SRD (found at http://www.faterpg.com/), a product of Evil Hat Productions, LLC,
developed, authored, and edited by Brian Engard, Lara Turner, Joshua Yearsley, and Anna Meade, and licensed for our use under the
Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/).

This work is based on Fate Condensed (found at http://www.faterpg.com/), a product of Evil Hat Productions, LLC, developed, au-
thored, and edited by PK Sullivan, Lara Turner, Leonard Balsera, Fred Hicks, Richard Bellingham, Robert Hanz, Ryan Macklin, and
Sophie Lagacé, and licensed for our use under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license (http://creativecommons.
org/licenses/by/3.0/).

This work is based on the Atomic Robo RPG SRD (found at http://www.faterpg.com/), a product of Evil Hat Productions, LLC, devel-
oped, authored, and edited by Mike Olson, Jeremy Keller, Adam Jury, Brian Clevinger, Brian Engard, Morgan Ellis, and Fred Hicks, and
licensed for our use under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/).

All mechanics are declared product identity, unless covered by the licenses above or by a different license. All setting material, art
that isn’t covered under a different license, and trade dress are also declared product identity, including the name “Machineborn,”
world concepts, background, fiction, character and location names, and the like.

Ekorren means The Squirrel in Swedish and is the online alias of Henrik J, a clinical therapist
and tabletop RPG writer from Sweden. Henrik has been making his own games and worlds
since he discovered roleplaying at the age of eight, and he has previously contributed as a
freelance writer to Onyx Path Publishing games, working on books for Exalted Third Edition.

Henrik has published smaller projects on the Storyteller’s Vault before, but this book is his
biggest solo project so far. Machineborn began as a sci-fi homebrew supplement for Exalted
Third Edition back in 2017, but it was later rewritten from scratch several times and in differ-
ent iterations. The result, after years of hard work, is this book.

If you want to support Henrik, visit ekorrengames.com for additional content. He also has a
Youtube channel at youtube.com/@ekorren where he has uploaded RPG-related videos. You
can also support him on Patreon at patreon.com/ekorren for previews of upcoming content.

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 TABLE OF CONTENTS
HOMESCHOOLED XX

CHAPTER 1: PUBLIC ACADEMY XX

PUBLIC MILITARY ACADEMY XX
INTRODUCTION
PRIVATE ACADEMY XX
PRIVATE MILITARY ACADEMY XX
CHAPTER FICTION XX EXECUTIVE ACADEMY XX
WHAT IS THIS GAME? XX EXECUTIVE MILITARY ACADEMY XX
WHAT DO I NEED TO PLAY? XX PROFESSION XX
HOW DO I PLAY THE GAME? XX BUREAUCRAT XX
INSPIRATION XX CRIMINAL XX
GLOSSARY XX ENGINEER XX
SETTING OVERVIEW XX INFLUENCER XX
FACTIONS XX INSPECTOR XX
THE NANITE MATRIX XX INTERFACER XX
THE MACHINE-GODS XX SCIENTIST XX
CHARACTER SHEET XX SOLDIER XX
SYSTEM BASICS XX AUGMENTATIONS XX
CHARGES XX FACTIONS XX
GAMEPLAY EXAMPLES XX LANGUAGES XX
CHARACTER ASPECTS XX

HIGH CONCEPT XX

CHAPTER 2: TROUBLE XX
MAKING A GOOD ASPECT XX
IDENTITY
IF YOU GET STUCK XX
FINISHING TOUCHES XX
CHAPTER FICTION XX ENERGY XX
PLAYER CHARACTERS XX MACHINEBORN XX
CHARACTER CREATION SUMMARY XX LIFE AS A MACHINEBORN XX
SKILLS XX ADVANCEMENT XX
COGNITIVE SKILLS XX
PHYSICAL SKILLS XX
SOCIAL SKILLS XX
CHAPTER 3:
CODING SKILLS XX
PROGENY XX
SKILLS
ASCENDANT XX
CHIMERA XX CHAPTER FICTION XX
EMPYREAN XX COGNITIVE SKILLS XX
RIFTAN XX AWARENESS XX
TERRAN XX CREATIVITY XX
SOCIAL CLASS XX EDUCATION XX
INFLUENCE XX ENGINEERING XX
EDUCATION XX INTERFACING XX
STREETWISE XX INVESTIGATION XX

3
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

TREATMENT XX SOCIAL INTERACTION XX

WILLPOWER XX INVENTION XX
PHYSICAL SKILLS XX

ACROBATICS XX
ATHLETICS XX CHAPTER 5:
CLOSE COMBAT XX
TECHNOLOGY
FORTITUDE XX
LARCENY XX
CHAPTER FICTION XX
PILOTING XX
LIMITATIONS XX
RANGED COMBAT XX
ECONOMY XX
STEALTH XX
ASSETS XX
SOCIAL SKILLS XX
CATEGORIES XX
CONTACTS XX
FORM PROPERTIES XX
DECEPTION XX
ELECTRONIC PROPERTIES XX
EMPATHY XX
HARMFUL PROPERTIES XX
LEADERSHIP XX
PROTECTIVE PROPERTIES XX
PERFORMANCE XX
COMPANION PROPERTIES XX
PERSUASION XX
VEHICLE PROPERTIES XX
PROVOCATION XX
GENERAL PROPERTIES XX
STYLE XX
WEAPONS XX

WEAPON TRAITS XX
WEAPON TABLES XX
CHAPTER 4:
WEAPON TEMPLATES XX
ACTION WEAPON ATTACHMENTS XX
FASHION AND ARMOR XX
CHAPTER FICTION XX ARMOR XX
ASPECTS XX ARMOR TRAITS XX
UNDERSTANDING ASPECTS XX ARMOR TABLES XX
INVOKING ASPECTS XX ARMOR TEMPLATES XX
COMPELLING ASPECTS XX ARMOR ATTACHMENTS XX
USING ASPECTS TO ROLEPLAY XX FASHION ACCESSORIES XX
REMOVING ASPECTS XX SMART DEVICES XX
CREATING OR DISCOVERING NEW ASPECTS IN PLAY XX SYSTEM INTERACTION XX
CHARGES XX ELECTRONIC TRAITS XX
ACTIONS AND OUTCOMES XX SMART DEVICE TABLES XX
USING SCALE XX SMART DEVICE TEMPLATES XX
THE FOUR OUTCOMES XX DIGITAL ASSETS XX
THE FOUR ACTIONS XX CONSUMABLES XX
CHALLENGES, CONTESTS, & CONFLICTS XX TOXIN TRAITS XX
CHALLENGES XX CONSUMABLE TABLES XX
CONTESTS XX CONSUMABLE TEMPLATES XX
CONFLICTS XX TOOLS AND GADGETS XX
ADVANCED RULES XX COMPANIONS XX
TEAMWORK XX INDIVIDUAL SERVICES XX
CHASES XX COMPANION TRAITS XX

4
COMPANION TABLES XX [1 TO 3] ENHANCED TOUCH XX
COMPANION TEMPLATES XX [1 TO 3] ENHANCED VISION XX
TRANSPORTATION XX [1 TO 3] FINS XX
VEHICLE TRAITS XX [1 TO 4] CARAPACE XX
VEHICLE TABLES XX [1 TO 4] SKINJOB XX
VEHICLE TEMPLATES XX [1 TO 4] INK SACS XX
DIGITAL VEHICLE PROGRAMS XX [1 TO 5] NEURAL PROCESSOR XX
VEHICLE ATTACHMENTS XX [1 TO 8] HORMONE STABILIZER XX
GODWARE XX [5] COSMIC CODER XX
GODWARE PROTOCOLS XX SKILL FEATURES XX

ACROBATICS XX
ATHLETICS XX

CHAPTER 6: AWARENESS XX
CLOSE COMBAT (APOCALYPSE STYLE) XX
AUGMENTATIONS
CLOSE COMBAT (NIGHTSTALKER STYLE) XX
CLOSE COMBAT (VOID SABER STYLE) XX
CHAPTER FICTION XX
CONTACTS XX
MUTANTS XX
CREATIVITY XX
CYBORGS XX
DECEPTION XX
ANDROIDS XX
EDUCATION XX
AUGMENTATIONS XX
EMPATHY XX
[VARIES] EXTRA LIMB XX
ENGINEERING XX
[1] BIOLUMINESCENCE XX
FORTITUDE XX
[1] BIOMONITOR XX
INTERFACING XX
[1] ENHANCED BLADDER/KIDNEYS XX
INVESTIGATION XX
[1] ENHANCED SEX ORGANS XX
LARCENY XX
[1] FLESH-FLEX XX
LEADERSHIP XX
[1] GILLS XX
PERFORMANCE XX
[1] SPINNERETS XX
PERSUASION XX
[1] TENTACLE XX
PILOTING XX
[1 OR 2] ENHANCED BRAIN XX
PROVOCATION XX
[1 OR 2] CLAWS/FANGS XX
RANGED COMBAT XX
[1 OR 2] CYBERLIMB XX
STEALTH XX
[1 OR 2] ENHANCED CIRCULATION XX
STYLE XX
[1 OR 2] ENHANCED DIGESTION XX
TREATMENT XX
[1 OR 2] ENHANCED IMMUNE SYSTEM XX
WILLPOWER XX
[1 OR 2] ENHANCED MUSCLES XX
[1 OR 2] ENHANCED NERVOUS SYSTEM XX
[1 OR 2] ENHANCED RESPIRATION XX
CHAPTER 7:
[1 OR 2] ENHANCED SKELETON XX
[1 OR 2] PHEROMONES XX
COSMIC CODING
[1 OR 2] TAIL XX
[1 OR 2] WALL CLIMBER XX CHAPTER FICTION XX
[1 OR 2] WINGS XX CODING SKILLS XX
[1 TO 3] ENHANCED HEARING XX CULTURAL POLICIES XX
[1 TO 3] ENHANCED SMELL AND TASTE XX CODING SKILLS XX

5
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

ACID CODING XX FIND PROBLEMS XX

BIO CODING XX ASK STORY QUESTIONS XX
CRYO CODING XX ESTABLISH THE OPPOSITION XX
ELECTRICAL CODING XX SET UP THE FIRST SCENE XX
ENTROPIC CODING XX DEFINING SCENES XX
KINEMATIC CODING XX THE SCENARIO IN PLAY XX
METAL CODING XX THE LONG GAME XX
PSIONIC CODING XX DEFINING ARCS XX
PYRO CODING XX DEFINING CAMPAIGNS XX
QUANTUM CODING XX BUILDING ARCS XX
CODING PROTOCOLS XX BUILDING CAMPAIGNS XX
ACID CODING XX SETTING ADVANCEMENTS XX
BIO CODING XX
CRYO CODING XX
ELECTRICAL CODING XX CHAPTER 9:
ENTROPIC CODING XX ADVERSARIES
KINEMATIC CODING XX
METAL CODING XX
CHAPTER FICTION XX
PSIONIC CODING XX
ENEMIES XX
PYRO CODING XX
WAYS TO BREAK THE RULES XX
QUANTUM CODING XX
HITTERS XX
THREATS XX

CHAPTER 8: BOSSES XX
GOONS XX
NARRATION
SUGGESTED ENEMIES XX

ANIMALS XX
CHAPTER FICTION XX MONSTERS XX
PLAY THE WORLD AND THE NPCS XX ELEMENTALS XX
BEFORE THE GAME XX HUMANS XX
DURING THE GAME XX MACHINEBORN XX
AFTER THE GAME XX DROIDS XX
SETTING UP A GAME XX FUNCTIONARIES XX
THEMES XX MALFUNCTIONARIES XX
THE BIG ISSUES XX SPECTERS XX
FACES AND PLACES XX GOD-REAPERS XX
WHAT TO DO DURING PLAY XX TROJANS XX
MAKING FAILURE AWESOME XX OBSTACLES XX
SETTING DIFFICULTIES XX HAZARDS XX
DEALING WITH TIME XX BLOCKS XX
JUDGING THE USE OF SKILLS XX DISTRACTIONS XX
DEALING WITH CONFLICTS XX CONSTRAINTS XX
DEALING WITH ASPECTS XX COUNTDOWNS XX
DEALING WITH ENVIRONMENTS XX LIMITATIONS XX
DEALING WITH NPCS XX RESISTANCES XX
SCENARIOS XX

6
 CHAPTER 10:
SOCIETY

CHAPTER FICTION XX

TIMELINE XX

THE TERRAN CALENDAR XX

ARCTURUS XX

THE ARCTURIAN ARCHIPELAGO XX

DEADWINTER XX
FROSTLAND XX
ICELAND XX
NO MAN’S LAND XX
OUTREACH XX
SVAVELBARD XX
SPACE XX
THE CAMELLIAN DYNASTY XX

ASIA XX
THE CLAW XX
THE MISTLANDS XX
THE STAR ISLES XX
SPACE XX

7
TABLE OF CONTENTS

8
Haro came into life when the sky was on fire, having been rection. In the Protectorate, a red light meant that you were
born decades into what seemed like a never-ending war—a wanted by law enforcement.
solar system with nothing but dehumanizing hatred and
endless strife. A generation had now passed since the guns “Why? Is he mean?”
finally fell silent, with the Terran Consolidation formed to
bridge the gaps between the bitter foes. But even in this tense The man could be a rebel who defied the oppressive regime;
peace, the scars of war lingered. Haro bore many of them. he could be a criminal running from the law. Whatever he
was, his changing color meant that it would be dangerous to
He still trembled at the memory of the Razor Eagle Cam- be around him, even if he was not dangerous himself. Haro
paign, when the Directorate sent drone swarms to tear apart saw others fleeing from him too, so he quickened his pace.
several Venusian sky-citadels and hurl them into the infernal
surface. His mother had perished in that carnage, and his Suddenly, the air was filled with the buzzing of drones; metal
father had failed to shield him from the grisly details. disks with machinegun barrels. They all aimed at the man in
red; synthetic voices blaring from speakers. “Machineborn
Today had been his maiden voyage to the Protectorate, the detected!” they announced. “Surrender peacefully!”
heartland of the Directorate. He was here as a representa-
tive of the Terran Consolidation, an inspector on behalf of The term Machineborn sparked a panic. Haro looked at the
peace. He would dwell here for some time, with his daughter scene while ushering his daughter to move, and he couldn’t
Vega at his side. She was the only reason he smiled instead of help but lock eyes with the man in red who raised his hands
sneered at the people of this land. They were members of the before the drones. He seemed barely older than a teenager,
faction that had slain his mother nearly fifty years ago. But with pale skin and crimson eyes that matched his mark. He
Vega showed him that peace was the only path forward. scowled at the drones before they opened fire at him.

His father had failed to protect him from the terrors of war, Haro tried to cover his daughter’s eyes, but she wriggled out
but he swore to shield her. of his grip and saw it all—he couldn’t protect her!

Having just flown in from the Camellian Dynasty, Haro and The man in red brushed off the airdisks’ rounds as if they
Vega stepped into a walking lane in one of the commercial were nothing more than sparks against his skin. He glared
districts of World Capital, the Protectorate’s grandest me- at a drone and electricity surged through its metal frame. He
tropolis. They were surrounded by people from all walks of gave a slight nod to the other drones and the first one turned
life, though most of them were submissive terrans surviving traitor, blasting them out of the sky. Grimacing, the man
under the heels of their empyrean and ascendant masters. flung his red-glowing coat aside and scanned for a way out.

Everyone bore shining neon marks on their coats. Most of Haro had no idea if the man had done anything wrong be-
them a pale lime or a deep blue, but there were other hues as sides being one of the feared Machineborn, but he had shown
well. Haro knew them as badges of a cruel hierarchy. that he could hack into law enforcement drones and make
them turn on each other. He was a clear danger to the peace.
“Dad?” Vega asked quietly, shy in this strange place. “Why Haro had to act fast.
do they have colored lights on their clothes?”
“Hide!” he hissed at Vega before he pulled his R52 Dragon, a
“Social class is a big deal here,” he explained to her, “just like smart revolver capable of concentrated pyroclastic rounds—
it is back home, only different. The blue ones are laborers these should be powerful enough to harm even a Machine-
who do manual work. The green ones are erudites with spe- born. He aimed the gun at his foe with one hand, and pushed
cialized roles. The System responds to their place in society his daughter behind him with the other. “On behalf of the
and shows it to everyone through their clothes and gadgets.” Terran Consolidation, I order you to stand down!”

“Why don’t we have any colors?” The Machineborn looked at him, his cyberoptic eyes shined
as he fixed his gaze on Haro’s revolver, hacking into it with
“We aren’t citizens,” he explained, “so the System hasn’t his mind and making it overheat. “I’ve been standing down
measured us yet. And you’re just a kid, so you don’t have to my entire life,” he said. “No more!”
worry about these things. Especially when we’re together.”
Haro yelled out in pain and dropped the gun, losing sight of
Vega nodded, but then she spotted a young man whose lime his target for just a moment. He had barely time to react, let
light began to flicker. “Look!” she said, pointing at the man alone grab his weapon, before the Machineborn was in front
as his mark turned into a dark crimson. of him. Haro noticed tears in the young man’s eyes.

“Let’s stay away from him,” Haro said in a hushed tone. He “I didn’t choose to be this way! You’re a Peacekeeper, aren’t
felt a surge of dread and urged her to move in the other di- you? Then tell me why I have to give up my peace for yours!”

9
 CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

WHAT IS THIS GAME? continuous play where the journey matters more than the desti-
nation. The choice is yours.
Machineborn is a science fiction game set in a world where the
concept of what makes people human is flexible. People have the You need at least two people to play the game, but there is no
power to transform themselves after their own vision, driven by limit to how many you can be. One of you is the Narrator, and
the prevailing notion that they are flawed by nature. Feeble limbs the others are players. The Narrator connects the players and the
yield to sleek prosthetics, while costly biotherapies twist genes setting. They present the world to the players and use the rules to
into better or stranger forms. Perfection is only a price tag away. challenge and surprise them. The Narrator has the most complex
and difficult role, but the players are the heroes of the story. They
This world is far from paradise. It is a dark and cruel place, where roleplay their characters’ actions and decisions based on the sit-
the strong oppress the weak, and the masses are mere ants under uations presented to them by the Narrator.
the heels of titanic empires. To find purpose, people fixate on
their own potential, often losing sight of themselves along the The characters controlled by the players are called player char-
way. Humanity is a volatile mix wrapped in a malleable package. acters (PCs) while those controlled by the Narrator are called
Narrator-played characters (NPCs). The game takes place in your
Enter the Machineborn: those who have gone beyond the limits imagination, and this book is one of the tools that will help make
of human possibility. They hold the future in their grasp, often that happen.
appearing where they are the most needed or where their pres-
ence cause the most harm. Will they fight for humanity or meld The Narrator has the most daunting task when learning this
with the gears? That can only be determined by the story you tell. game, since they need some familiarity with the setting and the
rules. They have to read this book and learn enough of its content
In this game, you can assume the role of an ordinary person from to guide the game forward. The players do not need to know as
one of several transhuman progenies, navigating a future where much to enjoy the game. They only need the basics to understand
factions grapple with high tensions after a devastating age of war. how to resolve actions and immerse themselves in the story.
Alternatively, step into the shoes of the mighty Machineborn,
someone with perks unattainable to the masses, and choose to THE FATE CORE SYSTEM
be either a perceived villain on the run from the powers at be or Machineborn uses Evil Hat Production’s Fate Core system un-
a hero striving to restore prosperity to a civilization in ruins. The der their Creative Commons Attributions (CC-BY) license. This
choice is yours, and the world awaits your move! is a variation of the Fate Core system that works with other Ma-
chineborn supplements, but not with other games and settings
WHAT KIND OF BOOK IS THIS? that are Powered by Fate. The game’s mechanics have differences
This is the core rulebook for a science fiction tabletop roleplaying from other Fate publications because it is designed for long-term
game. The game helps you create an immersive narrative experi- campaigns with a lot of character customization.
ence through conversation and game elements. It is not a com-
petition, and it has no score or winning condition. You can play Any content related to the system reference documents (SRDs)
a specific story with a beginning and an end, or a chronicle of follows Evil Hat Productions’ CC-BY license, but any content re-

10
lated to Machineborn’s product identity (such as names, setting, own pace, use only the essential rules at first, and add more com-
and more) belongs to the creator of this game. plexity and challenge as you become more comfortable playing.

NARRATION

WHAT DO I NEED TO PLAY? The Narrator’s goal is to introduce situations that allow the play-
ers to guide their characters’ actions. Being a Narrator is chal-
DICE
lenging, because you need to prepare and improvise situations
This game uses dice to generate random outcomes. More infor- that hook the players and provide content for them to engage
mation about dice and how they are used can be found on page with. Narration and roleplaying should be the main components
XX, but you need a set of six-sided dice (at least two dice of dif- of the game, and the rules should facilitate this process. The rules
ferent colors per player are recommended). provide structure and fair play, but the Narrator can bend or ig-
nore them if it improves the experience for the group.
TOKENS
You need tokens to represent Charges (p. XX). Poker chips, glass You should take notes before a game session to lay the founda-
beads, or anything similar will work. You should have at least a tion for some scenes and situations. The more you narrate, the
handful of these to start with, and more as PCs become more more comfortable you get, and the less preparation time you
powerful. You can use pencil marks on your character sheet or need. A good way to practice narration is to practice improvi-
the numbers on a die instead of tokens, but physical tokens add sation. You can have perfectly fun sessions without much prepa-
a little more fun. ration if you’re honest with your players about expectations. Try
some sessions without much preparation and make things up as
PENCIL AND PAPER
you go. Do not hesitate to ask your players to help with the narra-
Pencil and paper are important so that you can take notes during tion by describing scenes, characters, and situations too. This is a
the game session. It is also important to keep track of your char- good way to make them feel more involved in the worldbuilding.
acter’s capabilities and the resources at their disposal. You can
ROLEPLAY
track a PC’s information by filling out a character sheet (p. XX)
that organizes the most vital information about the character’s There is no right or wrong way to roleplay. If you are uncom-
traits, items, and augmentations. Such a sheet is available in the fortable acting as your character in first person, you can instead
appendix at the end of this book and can be printed or photocop- guide their actions in third person by describing what “they” do.
ied for the players. You can also find an interactive PDF version You still do the same actions and draw the same conclusions, but
of the sheet at ekorrengames.com. you separate yourself from your character. Most players will do a
mixture of both—sometimes they engage in character and some-
NON-ESSENTIALS
times they do not. You should not enforce one way or the other.
This book, dice, paper, and pencil—or their digital representa-
tions—are the essential things you need to play the game. You Some players may want to get more comfortable getting into
can also add some optional accessories to enhance the experi- character, but they are not used to doing so yet. In that case, you
ence, such as cheat sheets for complex rules or traits, tactical bat- can help them get more immersed by using NPCs to help them
tle maps and figurines to visualize the game better, and snacks practice. If you have passive players sitting quietly among asser-
and drinks to keep you energized for a longer session. tive ones, pay attention to this and initiate roleplay with them so
that they don’t feel the pressure to initiate it themselves.

SCENES AND SESSIONS

HOW DO I PLAY THE GAME? The length of a roleplaying session depends on the group. Most
sessions are three to five hours long, but some groups may play
Tabletop roleplaying games are similar to improvisational theat- more or less. Time flies when you roleplay, and a session shorter
er, where most of the game happens through the conversation than three hours may feel too short.
between the Narrator and the players. The level of immersion
varies from person to person. The Narrator presents a scene and A session has one or more scenes, like in a book or a movie. They
the players show how their characters interact with it. are narrative moments of time that focus on specific situations. A
game is boring if players go through every moment of their char-
A typical game session consists of several scenes over a few hours. acters’ days. Skip moments without narrative importance and fo-
When the scene needs some random chance, or if the Narrator cus on what matters. Sometimes the rules may reference a scene
wants to add some extra suspense, dice and rules come into play in game—this represents such as narrative moment of time.
to determine the outcome. They are tools that help guide the ex-
perience and take the story to unknown places. EXPECTATIONS
A game session does not have to be formal, but it should be en-
Many people who are new to the hobby have seen online shows joyable. Sometimes being social with friends is the fun part. The
that feature these games. While these shows can be very enter- players should be free to express themselves, as long as they are
taining, they can also create unrealistic expectations for the first not disruptive. Take regular breaks, do not force yourself to play
sessions. Many of these shows are played by professional actors when you are hungry or tired, and share your thoughts and feel-
who have a lot of experience and skill. It is important to recog- ings to prevent misunderstandings.
nize that everyone plays differently. Remember to start at your

11
 CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

Do not run the game like a prison with strict rules on everything. ings as your main concern.
That tends to strip the social and fun aspects of the game, making
it more formal. You need some oversight to avoid disruptions, Remember that most people have anxieties in different forms,
but find a balance that suits the whole group. What bothers one but the Narrator’s role is not to be the players’ therapist (if they
player may not bother another. are, it’s a rare case). Games can often seem helpful and therapeu-
tic in certain situations, but they are mainly for entertainment.
GATEKEEPING Make sure you all have fun.
Tabletop roleplaying games should be welcoming to everyone.
Ask each player what they expect from the game and what they It is also important to not take away a player’s agency over how
want to avoid. Roleplaying is an immersive activity, and some their character is played. When roleplaying, it can sometimes feel
subject matters can be unpleasant for some players. This is not like your character is an extension of yourself; when they are in
a horror game, but it is a dystopian setting that deals with vio- hard, emotional, or triggering situations, you can feel affected.
lence and oppression. While these subjects can make intriguing If a player stops having fun, pause and check the situation. Be
stories, they should be handled respectfully with the players’ feel- considerate of their feelings and their consent.

INSPIRATION
Machineborn is set in a solar system that has been devastated by Some possible sources of inspiration are:
war several centuries in the future. The war has finally ended, but
the relations between the ruling factions are still tense. You can ART
find more information about the setting and the factions on page The art in this book is used not only to enhance the graphic de-
XX, and even more details in Chapter 10. For more information sign, but also to provide inspiration for the themes and setting
about the science and technology of the setting, see Chapter 5. of Machineborn. You can find the artists credited on page XX
and in the alt text of each image if you’re using a PDF version of
The setting allows for many different themes of play, so you can the book.
draw inspiration from various sources for your games. You can
use your favorite science fiction stories as examples. Most of them Many other artists could inspire Machineborn chronicles, such
can be adapted to Machineborn to some extent, but you should as American artist Syd Mead (known for films like Blade Run-
avoid topics such as time travel, multiple dimensions and uni- ner, TRON, and Johnny Mnemonic), or Japanese artist Masa-
verses, and faster-than-light travel—at least for lower tier games. nori Ota (better known as Masamune Shirow), who created the
This does not mean that you cannot explore these topics in your manga Ghost in the Shell and Appleseed.
game. Just remember that they are not part of the official setting.

12
COMICS Machineborn society, and it can also inspire the toxic structures
There are plenty of comics that present science fiction settings of empyrean clans.
that can inspire Machineborn chronicles. The stylistic designs
commonly seen in manga are especially suitable for the kind of Similarly, The Windup Girl (2009) by Paolo Bacigalupi exam-
over-the-top characters that the Machineborn can be. ines the science of genetic engineering, and how individuals can
be genetically designed for malicious purposes. Machineborn is
One example is the manga series Battle Angel Alita (1990) by a game where humanity has been artificially evolved into sever-
Yukito Kishiro. It depicts a dystopian world where humanity is al transhuman subspecies, which raises moral and ethical ques-
obsessed with body modifications. Some of Machineborn’s me- tions that can be explored in game.
tropolises are as bleak as Zalem.
I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream (1967) by Harlan Ellison
Another example is Blame! (1997) by Tsutomu Nihei. It is a good is a short story about people tortured by a sadistic artificial in-
match for stories set in the ruins of Dis-Order or in space out- telligence that has destroyed the world. Its evil motives are not
posts overtaken by malfunctionaries. The main character Killy unlike those of the corrupt AI Dis-Order’s, and it can provide
is a good representation of a low- to mid-tier Machineborn. A inspiration for how an encounter with Dis-Order could go.
movie adaptation of the manga came out in 2017. While diverg-
ing much from the source material, it is still a solid source of TELEVISION
inspiration for Machineborn chronicles. Movies are arguably the best sources of inspiration, because they
take less time than reading books or comics, or playing games.
The Machineborn can become very powerful beings, and su- Anime, like manga, is a good source of inspiration for character
perhero comics are a good source of inspiration for portraying expression and over-the-top action. One example is Ghost in the
strange powers and over-the-top characters. You can look at the Shell, which was published in different media at different times.
many superhero stories from DC and Marvel, such as Superman The 1996 movie is a good example of gritty cyberpunk. The 2017
and The X-Men. live action movie was not well-received, but it was visually stun-
ning and thematic.
GAMES
There are many science fiction games that can inspire Machine- For live action movies, there are the famous Blade Runner mov-
born stories. For other tabletop roleplaying games, Cyberpunk ies, based on the book Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?
2020/Red (1990/2020) by R Talsorian Games are excellent exam- (1968) by Philip K. Dick. Blade Runner 2049 (2017) is the better
ples of the cyberpunk genre. Cyberpunk also has a video game one for environmental design. The relationship between K and
adaptation, Cyberpunk 2077 (2020) by CD Project Red. his AI Joi could also resemble the relationship between a human
and a functionary in Machineborn.
Another game that might not be very familiar to the younger
generations, but was popular in the 90s, is Mutant Chronicles Annihilation (2018) is a beautiful and intense science fiction
(1993) by Target Games. This game depicts a humanity that has movie that can inspire the mutative effects of chanites and the
colonized the solar system and is ruled by megacorporations. reality of Machineborn’s chaos zones.
These could inspire the cultural differences and conflicts among
Machineborn’s factions. The TV series Altered Carbon (2018) is based on a novel (2002)
by Richard K. Morgan. It depicts a dystopian future where peo-
There are many other video games that could be good sources of ple’s minds are practically immortal, but their bodies are treated
inspiration, but one that stands out is SOMA (2015) by Friction- as disposable flesh. This show illustrates some frightening as-
al Games. It explores the themes of human identity, conscious- pects of humanity losing touch with their own nature and be-
ness duplication, and rogue artificial intelligences—all of which coming something else.
are common in the world of Machineborn.
The Expanse (2015) is another TV series based on a novel series
LITERATURE (2011) by James S. A. Corey that deals with life and politics in the
There is no shortage of literature that can inspire Machineborn solar system. It is praised for being scientifically realistic, and it
chronicles. Snow Crash (1992) by Neal Stephenson is one of can provide a lot of inspiration for the divided factions of Ma-
the most influential works of cyberpunk, a genre that explores chineborn’s solar societies.
a world where people and technology are intertwined. Although
some of the ideas in the book are outdated by Machineborn’s Finally, there is the classic The Matrix (1999) which was a phe-
standards, it is still a must-read. nomenon that influenced all of science fiction in the early 2000s.
Its portrayal of characters connecting to the Matrix is a thematic
The Girl Who Was Plugged In (1973) by Alice Sheldon (writ- representation of interfacing, but the powerful Neo and the over-
ing as James Tiptree, Jr.) portrays how minds can be transferred the-top action give a good idea of how a Machineborn could
into new and improved bodies, and how ruthless corporations be portrayed, and how their journey from activation to society
exploit celebrities as tools. This is a reality that is very relevant to changing could look like.

13
 CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

GLOSSARY
ascendant: A human progeny with a natural affinity for psion- Nanite Matrix, the: A connected matrix of intelligent nanites
ics. that are integral to human well-being, communication, and
Aspect: A narrative definition that can be invoked or compelled infrastructure. Can be interfaced with using a device called a
for in game bonuses or complications. mind-matrix interface.
augmentation: An upgrade to the character in the form of bi- nanite physiology: A term describing the physiology of an or-
onics or cybernetics. ganism that has nanites interacting with its cells.
bionics: A form of augmentation that incorporates new bio- Narrator: One of the participants in the game who is facilitat-
logical elements to the human form, such as mutations. ing the shared storytelling by guiding the narrative and being
in charge of the rules.
chanite: A corrupted and corrupting nanite that can cause un-
wanted mutations. Narrator-played character (NPC): All in game characters de-
picted by the Narrator—typically everyone who isn’t a player
Charge: A resource that you can spend by invoking Aspects or
character (PC).
gain by compelling Aspects.
player: One of the participants in the game who is controlling
chimera: A human progeny that is a hybrid between a human
a player character (PC).
and another species, such as an animal.
player character (PC): An in game character controlled by a
cooperative: A type of faction controlled by the people that
player—a protagonist in the story.
make up its bureaucracy, often by appointed representatives.
Primary Order: A superintelligent AI that used to control
cosmic coder: An individual capable of bending the laws of
civilization before it was defeated by the Machineborn—what
nature to create remarkable effects, using a Coding Skill and
remains of it is now Dis-Order.
related Coding Protocols.
prime (mal)functionary: A very powerful form of function-
cybernetics: A form of augmentation that incorporates inor-
ary or malfunctionary.
ganic components in the human form, such as implants and
prosthetics. progeny: A term describing whether someone is terran (ordi-
nary human) or a transhuman subspecies (such as ascendant,
Dis-Order: The corrupted version of the superintelligent AI
chimera, empyrean, and riftan).
Primary Order who is now isolated on Antarctica.
Recharge: A value determining how many charges a PC begins
elemental: A creature created from and sustained by a rift el-
a session with.
ement.
rift: A controlled emission of energy caused by a nanite—often
empyrean: A human progeny designed to be strong and beau-
resonates with a specific rift element. A large sustained rift is
tiful. They are often in positions of power around civilization.
called a matrix rift and can be used as an energy source.
functionary: An AI designated a specific task. Functionaries
rift element: The nature of the energy emitted by a rift—cre-
are sentient and have personalities of their own.
ates and resonates with acid, biology, cold (cryo), electricity, en-
god-reaper: A digitalized consciousness that has evolved into tropy, metal, heat (pyro), or radiation.
a high form of existence—often cruel and sadistic.
Scale: A trait describing how far above the human baseline a
godware: A form of technology unattainable to ordinary peo- character is in a specific Skill.
ple, and that can hold properties that seemingly defies the laws
scenario: A confined story with a beginning/middle/end.
of nature.
scene: A dramatic moment of narrative time.
Ladder, the: Represents the ladder of difficulties and outcomes
used to interpret action results. session: The time spent playing the game in a single sitting.
machine-god: A term describing all forms of digital and ar- Skill: A character trait representing a specific field of expertise.
tificial entities—functionaries, malfunctionaries, specters, There are 24 standard Skills and ten Coding Skills.
god-reapers, elementals, and trojans. specter: A digitalized consciousness from a former human.
Machineborn: A person whose nanite physiology has been story detail: A piece of information connected to the story or
supercharged (activated) and given them access to incredible the scene that a player or the Narrator can add or manipulate.
power. terran: A term used to describe humans that naturally evolved
malfunctionary: A functionary that has been freed from its on Earth.
directives and can act independently from humanity’s will. trojan: A type of machine-god created and sustained by chan-
mind-matrix interface (MMI): A device used to interface ites.
with the Nanite Matrix by digitalizing a person’s consciousness Voidstar, the: A phenomenon that materialized after the de-
while rendering their body paralyzed. struction of a former Primary Order facility. It is like an amal-
nanite: An artificial cell-like structure that has been incorpo- gamation of a black hole and a matrix rift—it’s responsible for
rated into people’s lives for various purposes. the creation of specters.

14
 SETTING OVERVIEW
For centuries before the game begins (S-725, or 2830 AD), a su- rejected it. They had grown too attached to their power and de-
perintelligent artificial intelligence named Primary Order ruled clared that neither machines nor humans were fit to rule. They
over civilization. It had one goal: to make humanity prosper. It claimed it was their birthright to lead both man and machine to
gave them everything they needed: infrastructure, labor, and en- the future.
tertainment. It even did most of their important thinking.
The Machineborn rose up against Primary Order—it was the re-
But some people were not happy with this arrangement. They volt that it had feared and predicted. The First Sector War ended
felt trapped and humiliated by the machine’s authority, and they with the Machineborn joining forces against a common enemy:
wanted more than whatever pleasure or luxury Primary Order their maker. But it was not a simple victory. Primary Order had
could offer. They wanted the freedom to govern themselves. The evolved its physical infrastructure to defend the many core sanc-
machine noticed their unrest and decided to return some pow- tums that held its soul.
er to humanity. It created the Machineborn—the ultimate bridge
between man and machine. The Machineborn won, but at a terrible price. They could not
wipe out Primary Order completely. They locked its weakened
The Machineborn were human at birth, but they had near-lim- consciousness in its ruins, but it broke free from its original di-
itless potential in cognition, physique, and social presence. As rective and created a new order of its own. It would later be called
they received more power and control from Primary Order, they Dis-Order, and it schemed to corrupt and annihilate humanity
became arrogant and indulgent. They split civilization into sec- and the Machineborn—its failed children.
tors and claimed themselves as the rulers, then amassed resourc-
es and used them as weapons against each other. This sparked The war had another price too. Without Primary Order to run
the First Sector War. Some people defied the Machineborn and civilization’s infrastructure, society collapsed and human labor
formed cooperatives run by human collectives. They battled for was needed again. Many blamed the Machineborn for this and
their own lands and challenged the Machineborn’s dominance. the cooperatives rose in power and influence. Many Machine-
born were shunned by society, others hid themselves. But history
Primary Order stepped in and proposed a united council of Ma- repeated itself: When the Machineborn were no longer a threat,
chineborn to restore peace and prosperity. But the Machineborn the cooperatives turned on each other. The Second Sector War

15
 CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

began, leading to a bloody era known as the Cooperative Wars. Arcturus has been a formidable and belligerent force ever since
the First Sector War, when it emerged as a competitor to the
Now, a cease-fire is in place and civilization is exhausted from other cooperatives. Its culture values strength in all of its forms,
endless conflict. The solar system is in ruins and the ruling fac- from physical might to cunning and social presence. It boasts the
tions are trying to repair what has been lost. But Dis-Order and most powerful soldiers and athletes in the solar system, and it
the Machineborn are still out there, waiting for an opportunity thrills its people with gory bloodsport, displaying vicious surviv-
to reclaim what was theirs, or to create something new entirely. al contests and gladiatorial combat on its broadcasts.

PRESENT DAY (S-725) Arcturian culture is very competitive, and many strive to demon-
It has been a generation since the era of war ended. The former strate themselves or enhance their talents. Half of the adult pop-
warring factions formed an alliance called the Terran Consoli- ulation has some sort of bionic or cybernetic augmentation,
dation (TerCon), whose purpose was to preserve the peace and from minor enhancements to radical alterations. The wealthy
chase a prosperous future. They settled on letting each faction and powerful can afford the best and most advanced augmenta-
keep the territories they had at the end of the war, both in space tions, while the poor and desperate resort to shady underground
and on Earth. This left many factions bitter and borders still con- clinics that offer cheap and risky second-hand alternatives.
tested a generation later, but no new wars have broken out since.
Many other factions condemn Arcturus as a savage and heart-
Some factions have opened up more to the outside, but centuries less society, but Arcturians see themselves as more driven and
of isolationism have forged distinct cultures within each faction. ambitious than cruel. They care less about social status and more
Despite TerCon’s efforts to uphold peace, generations of conflict about personal achievement, and they provide opportunities and
make it hard to forgive past wrongs. A cold war is simmering, challenges for everyone. Arcturus is a dangerous place, with high
with each faction vying for power and tensions rising. Many fear rates of crime and death, but no one is exempt from the law.
that new wars could erupt at any moment.
The faction was founded by Arcturus Animeus, a Machineborn
Centuries of technological and scientific advancement have leader who opposed the Directorate’s rise to power during the
granted people long and comfortable lives, but the war and iso- First Sector War. He hoped to prevent his people from rebelling
lationism have also caused setbacks in other domains. Technol- by granting them political power, and he established Arcturus
ogies exist to enable faster-than-light communication between as a rival to the other cooperatives. He is still alive after all these
off-world settlements, but the factions restrict communication. centuries, and he holds the title of Prokhor, which means dance
Most people dwell in massive metropolises where holograms master in Arcturian. He is the supreme ruler of Arcturus, but he
fill the sky and skyscrapers touch the clouds, oblivious of what rarely interferes in its affairs, letting the people govern.
transpires beyond their borders. Others reside in forsaken vaults
buried in radioactive wastelands, shunning civilization. Billions Arcturus Animeus has retired to Triton, Neptune’s moon, where
of people call different parts of the solar system their home, and he is rumored to be brooding over the end of the war. He is dissat-
some have even left for neighboring stars. isfied with Arcturus’ position in the solar system, and he wants to
expand its influence and dominance. However, he knows that a
Microscopic machines called nanites are in the air people breathe new war would be catastrophic for Arcturus, so he tries to avoid
and the food they eat. These devices communicate with each oth- direct conflict with his enemies. Instead, he encourages diploma-
er and shape a digital network called the Nanite Matrix. This net- cy and trade to gain leverage, while keeping his borders secure.
work has served humanity for centuries, but the war has wrecked
it beyond repair. It has erupted in places, spawning a new type of Arcturus also takes advantage of its control over the outer rims
nanite called a chanite that corrupts everything it comes in con- of the solar system, where it can secretly expand its territory and
tact with. Entire sectors turned into chanite-infested chaos zones resources. The true extent and nature of this expansion is con-
during the Cooperative Wars, and keeping the peace is crucial to cealed, even to high-ranking officials within Arcturus. There is a
prevent them from spreading. lot of misinformation and deception within the cooperative, as a
way of guarding its secrets from spies and enemies.
Meanwhile, Dis-Order is secretly sending signals into space, cor-
rupting lesser artificial intelligences to serve its cause. This has THE CAMELLIAN DYNASTY
succeeded well in space, where whole colonies and ships are now The Camellian Dynasty dominates the Asian continent on Earth,
under the control of machines. but its grip on Venus has been fragile since the Cooperative Wars.
It had to rebuild many of the Venusian sky-citadels that were de-
stroyed by the Directorate’s Razor Eagle Campaign, including
FACTIONS the Orchid Palace, the empire’s majestic capital. The most spoken
tongue in the empire is the elegant and expressive Lionmane.
ARCTURUS
Arcturus is an isolationist and militaristic cooperative that reigns The empire is still recovering from the tragic deaths of the Divine
over the Arctic Circle on Earth, as well as the distant realms of Emperor and his mistress Evana Eldara Camellia, who perished
Neptune and the Kuiper Belt in space. Its people speak Arcturian, in the Razor Eagle Campaign. The Emperor’s wife, Lady Opal,
a tough and intricate language that reflects their culture. was accused by the Magistrate Council of conspiring with the
enemy, and her children were declared illegitimate. Instead, the

16
Emperor’s and Evana’s three daughters were crowned as new sov- Deva as independent, though a growing religious movement ad-
ereigns—the Lionmane Empire became the Camellian Dynasty. vocates for Deva’s integration into the Coalition. This is a con-
tentious issue since the theocratic Devan culture clashes with the
The three princesses embody different aspects of the Camellian more progressive Coalitionist principles.
ideals, and their personalities clash often. Princess Hana is fierce
and fiery, always ready for a fight or a challenge. Princess Chulan The Coalition consists of two governing bodies composed of
is calm and clever, always looking for a solution or a compro- representatives from the five cooperatives—the Terrestrial Board
mise. Princess Jia is elegant and graceful, always charming and and the Saturnian Ring—and it has used a generation of peace to
manipulating. They share the throne, but they do not always welcome travel across its borders. It now has a vibrant culture of
trust each other, and they all have their own secrets and agendas. diverse people, and it is known for having the best academies in
the solar system. Unlike more insular factions, Coalitionists take
The Camellian people are a passionate and expressive lot, who pride in the fact that they have a well-educated population and
idolize the Divine Emperor and emulate his deeds. They believe open channels of communication and travel within their sectors.
that strong emotions are a sign of purity and devotion, and that They also recognize functionaries (sapient artificial intelligences)
by following their hearts, they can honor his memory. But this as living beings eligible for citizenship.
also makes them prone to violence and vengeance, as they seek
to settle old scores and create new dramas. Blood feuds, forbid- While the Coalition focuses mainly on diplomacy and trade with
den romances, and daring adventures are common among the other factions, its members are aware of the fragile times and
Camellians, who live for the thrill of the moment. the necessity to make the occasional demonstrations of force to
maintain political influence in the solar system. The academies
Among the people are still many supporters of Lady Opal, who are magnets for allied factions, and the Coalition has many ex-
have not given up on her claim to the throne. Some of them are change programs where students are invited from other factions
in open rebellion while others are hidden within the Camellian to offer them the best education the solar system has to offer and
ranks, working as officials or even magistrates. Lady Opal herself to convince them of more progressive tenets.
has been given asylum by Deva, though some of her children are
still operating within the Camellian Dynasty. Caishen is in charge of the Coalition’s resource management
and economy, with the solar system’s second largest credit
The Camellians are a passionate and volatile people, who let their registry called the Caishen Social Bank (CaSB) under its com-
emotions guide their actions. Their political leaders are always mand—this is a citizen registry and a banking system in one.
in conflict, arguing and debating with fervor and passion. They While it claims to be politically neutral, its economic power
voice their dissent over rival factions, bad trade agreements, or attracts heavy scrutiny from the other Coalition members.
injustices of the past. They still demand public apologies for
Crocodile controls entertainment, fashion, and public opinion
atrocities committed in the war and make a show of their hatred
within the Coalition. It manufactures celebrities and fashion,
for the Directorate, the faction that killed the Divine Emperor.
creates and sponsors merchandise, and even sells entertain-
But behind the scenes, many of them are secretly eager to work
ment to other factions. Not even the most stubborn society can
towards better relations with the Directorate, knowing that they
keep Crocodile products away from its markets, and the Coali-
need their cooperation for the sake of a peaceful solar system.
tion is taking advantage of this in an effort to influence public
opinion both within rival territories and their own.
THE COALITION
The Coalition is a progressive alliance of cooperatives that dom- Mantico focuses on education and infrastructure. Its main
inates eastern and northern Europe, the Middle East, the north- goal is to further develop humanity’s understanding of the
ern half of Africa, and Saturnian space. The Terran language is its universe, and it has consultants within other Coalition mem-
native tongue, but it also cherishes Old Terran and many people bers and allied factions. The Manticonian Academy of Cosmic
learn it as a symbol of higher education. Understanding (MACU) is the ultimate science academy in the
solar system, being its own space station orbiting Saturn.
During the Cooperative Era, five of the most powerful branches Nebulon specializes in aerial-, satellite-, surveillance-, and
of the Directorate opposed the way the post-human ascendants space technologies. Though overshadowed by its rivals within
and empyreans claimed to be the rightful leaders of civilization. the Directorate and Megacorp, it is the only Coalition member
They argued for a society more inclusive of all humanity. These that operates primarily from space. It is currently the only fac-
five branches—Caishen, Crocodile, Mantico, Nebulon, and Prae- tion known to be trying to reestablish contact with interstellar
tor—formed a union of independent cooperatives that aimed to colonies as well as active colonial fleets. It has established some
do what they thought the Directorate should have done; pursue communication with Proxima, the closest interstellar colony.
unity and peace. Praetor is the backbone of the Coalition’s military strength. It
is focused solely on mastering warfare. While serving as the
The Coalition was relatively cautious for much of the Coopera- Coalition’s primary defensive force, it also offers mercenary
tive Era until a religiously motivated rebellion seized its Uranian services to allied and independent parties.
colonies and established the fanatical Deva. This escalated the
Coalition’s aggressions during the war, but it was still the first THE DAWNLIGHT SOCIETY
faction to acknowledge the emerging Dawnlight Society and to The Dawnlight Society is a cooperative that reigns over Earth’s
help in the creation of TerCon. It is still reluctant to acknowledge Oceania, Mercurian space, and the Helios Swarm (a network of

17
 CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

habitats orbiting the sun). It is a new faction that sprang from the While many view this as justice, others see it as oppression—
ruins of the cooperative Arawn. Most of the population speak which contradicts the Dawnlight Society’s declared values. Some
Terran as their native tongue, but the Dawnlight Society is en- believe that the idea behind having humanitarian values is a
forcing Neobantu as the official language. mask, and that the only true motivation the Dawnlight Society
has is to inflict punishment upon Arawn. Without the Phantom
It was the Dawnlight Society that created Primary Order back in being reachable for comment, no one knows for sure.
the late Post-Modern Era. Back then, it was a group of scientists,
engineers, and philantropists who wanted to make the world a Now the cooperative is using Arawn’s vast resources to confront
better place. The organization vanished during the Singularity their rival factions. It provides refuge for Machineborn and offers
Era, but it survived for much longer in academic discourse and a fair way of life for its citizens as long as they don’t resist the
conspiracy theories. There were always those who thought that new order. It has made alliances with Arcturus and is pursuing
the Dawnlight Society dominated the world from behind the stronger relationships with both the Coalition and the Camel-
scenes with Primary Order as its tool to secure power. lian Dynasty. The Directorate has remained passive so far, but
Arawn loyalists are known to collaborate with the Directorate
In reality, the Dawnlight Society had created Primary Order from within, fueling the internal turmoil.
out of a noble idea of a prosperous future, and then dissolved
as the people involved could not bear the weight of the enor- DEVA
mous changes they had imposed upon civilization. There was no Deva is a religious dictatorship reigning from a region named
Dawnlight Society for a very long time, but the name endured as Divina located in western Europe. It also claims a large territo-
a symbol for change. ry in space, having Uranus and its surrounding colonies under
its control. Its members’ native tongue is Celestial, a language of
During the Cooperative Era, many academics and philosophers their own making derived from Old Terran. Most people speak
contrasted the current tyrants with those from history. They pro- Terran as well.
posed that a new Dawnlight Society would be needed to make
radical changes once more, or civilization could be doomed as Ever since the bloody Cooperative Era, there has been a spike in
a result of the horrific never-ending war. The idea spread in the religious belief. Doomsday prophets long warned that civlization
population and factions resorted to extreme lengths to silence was near its end. While most people generally dismiss these ide-
the discourse. But it was too late and people demanded change. as, they often grow where hope is low. An important proponent
of these beliefs is Markus Sacaro, the son of Crocodile’s former
Arawn was a titan of vast power that used the Helios Swarm to si- director Viana Sacaro. He is from half-terran and half-ascendant
phon the sun’s power for itself. It had been trading energy and re- descent and has a strong belief in the Voice, an entity said to be
sources to the Directorate in exchange for military aid, and it was lurking within the space between stars.
orchestrating propaganda campaigns on the Directorate’s behalf.
Then one day, the entire Arawn Executive Board was assassinat- The idea of the Voice came about not long after the creation of
ed by a Machineborn who some believed was a member of the Primary Order. Because of its immense power, it was common
original Dawnlight Society more than half a millennia ago. Since for people to envision the universe itself as the computations
their true identity was hidden, they were called the Phantom. of an even greater prime functionary⸻a functionary supreme.
While there are numerous religious beliefs in society today, the
Arawn was seized by the Phantom and their followers, and from Voice has become the most dominant one with adherents from
its assets emerged a new Dawnlight Society. It does not seem to all over the solar system, most of them seeing Markus Sacaro as a
be actively working towards some revolution against the cur- holy man despite the controversies surrounding him.
rent system, though, since many of its citizens are still faithful
to Arawn and reluctant to obey new masters. The ruling cooper- Deva was established through a brutal coup during the Coop-
ative promotes progressive ideas that accept not only Machine- erative Wars, and anyone within its territory who refused to ex-
born but all people regardless of progeny. However, these ideas press complete reverence for the Voice were either slaughtered,
clash with many citizens who were indoctrinated for generations tortured, or brainwashed in what came to be called the Sacaro
by Arawn—a faction adept at manipulating information. Requiem, or the Inquisition Re-Emergence—which inspired the
famous poem Sacaro’s IRE (see sidebar). Sacaro is still leading
As only a generation has elapsed since the formation of the new Deva today, calling himself the Celestial Supreme. While he has
Dawnlight Society, it is often called a culture of strife, with pro- millions of loyal adherents who help establish Deva as a contest-
tests, riots, and terrorism being rampant, both in opposition to
the new government and as means of suppressing that opposi-
tion. The government professes to encourage open debate and “Let the Voiceless admire
freedom of expression, but it has also been accused of discrim- their tongues in the fire
inating against empyreans and ascendants; many believe this to Let their children inquire
be the Dawnlight Society’s way of avenging the progenies who about the threats of hellfire
benefited the most from Arawn’s rule. With many former mem- Let all prior desire retire to the pyre
bers of the executive class having been cast onto the streets dur- As Markus Sacaro brings you the IRE”
ing the violent takeover, more ascendants and empyreans than
ever before found their way to society’s bottom. — Sacaro’s IRE

18
ing faction, the majority of people within Devan territories live MEGACORP
in constant fear of the despotic regime. Megacorp showed the solar system that the true strength of a fac-
tion lies not in its military might, but in its economic value. To-
Rival factions (especially the Coalition who suffered the most day, it is the most influential faction in the solar system, thanks
from Sacaro’s coup) openly reject the Voice as superstition, which to its standardized credit system that helped maintain the cease-
has caused some backlash from a growing religious minority fire. It currently operates from Gran Colombia, Madagascar, and
within their own population. While Deva is still provoking other South Africa on Earth, the ocean in between, Jovian space, as
factions during the current cease-fire, its leaders agreed to stop well as parts of the Asteroid Belt.
committing violence against their own people to be recognized
as an independent faction by TerCon. While people are generally Despite being a cooperative by the definition of the word, Meg-
safer within Devan sectors today than during the war, “heretics” acorp’s leaders reject that term, instead calling it a plutocrative.
are still persecuted, and there are rumors of secret internment It is the faction that has gained the most from the cease-fire, as
camps where people are tortured or killed. it has extended its reach to almost every other faction through
the Megacorp Credit Registry (MCR). Megacorp uses it as the
Sacaro has spent years directing an engineering project in Ura- foundation of a standardized economic system based on energy
nus’ orbit which he claims to be based on schematics given to production and use. In other words, MCR calculates the value of
him by the Voice. Many who have tried to study what they can of trades in terms of energy cost.
the construction have dismissed it as impossible science created
by an unhinged mind, but others aren’t so sure. As interfactional trade has grown since the cease-fire, many use
the MCR conversion rates. Some factions try to resist Megacorp’s
THE DIRECTORATE influence, but MCR is too convenient to ignore. Megacorp has
The Directorate is not just the oldest cooperative, it is a colos- essentially set the rules for how its rivals run their economies.
sus. It has hundreds of governing branches under its command,
spanning every field of human endeavor. At the top of this vast Megacorp is not controlled by a single person, but by a group of
network, there is the Board of Directors, where each branch is the 101 most powerful and wealthy executives, called plutocrats.
represented by an empyrean director guided by an ascendant ad- Together they shape the course of civilization, but they also go
visor. The Directorate rules over a vast domain, encompassing far to avoid war amongst themselves. They use a prime function-
North America, most of the Pacific Ocean, Martian space, and ary called System for Universal Trade Agreements (Sultan) which
much of the Asteroid Belt. It enforces Terran as its native tongue. monitors their communications and detects signs of corruption.
Megacorp increases its influence by causing and managing cor-
Born from the First Sector War, the Directorate led humanity’s ruption in rival factions, making the plutocrats aware of how
rebellion against the Machineborn. At first, it was a benevolent exposed their own businesses can be to such efforts. The Sultan
force, helping the individual sectors to reach self-governance. system was designed to counteract those vulnerabilities.
But as the war raged on, new threats emerged in rival cooper-
atives, and the Directorate realized that it needed to consolidate Territories under Megacorp do not have an official native tongue,
its power. It began to subvert and coerce the weaker sectors, re- but most people speak Bolivarian. There is also a code language
placing their governments with its own officials and taking over called Sultan that only Megacorp officials can use. This language
their resources. It promised them protection and prosperity, but is a dynamic, complex code created by the Sultan system. It is not
at the cost of their freedom and sovereignty. The sectors that fell learned like a normal language, but implanted using cybernetics.
under the Directorate’s rule became known as the Protectorate. Spies have acquired Sultan in the past to access secret Megacorp
data, but the plutocrative will do anything to stop unauthorized
The Directorate was ruthless in times of war, but it was also suc- people from getting the language. Former officials who quit their
cessful. It built a strong economy and gave its people the freedom jobs and become unathorized must have the language erased
to travel and communicate. A solar spanning propaganda ma- from their brains before they can go on with their lives.
chine portrayed the Machineborn as existential threats to civili-
zation, while glorifying the empyrean and ascendant progenies Megacorp is the sole patron of some territories, such as Gran Co-
as the saviors and leaders of humanity. The propaganda was so lombia, but it allows and supports regional governments in most
pervasive and persuasive that most people accepted it as truth, or matters that are not related to diplomacy, trade, or war. Every ter-
at least tolerated it for their own benefit. ritory under Megacorp control is driven by the market and has a
large class divide, with extremely rich and luxurious city centers
It has now been centuries since the sectors stopped self-govern- surrounded by vast impoverished areas. Machineborn and cos-
ing, but they all enjoy a high standard of living. However, not mic coders are allowed to live their lives as long as they follow the
everyone is happy under the Directorate’s rule. Terrans are mar- laws and do not interfere with the markets.
ginalized and oppressed, with little chance of reaching positions
of power, unless they work twice as hard, or rely on luck, nepo- The faction fosters a cutthroat culture of competition and entre-
tism, or blind loyalty. Many of them believe in the superiority preneurship, where only the most savvy and ruthless businesses
of the other progenies, and resort to augmenting themselves be- can survive and thrive. The average worker has no place in this
yond their natural limits. But some terrans resist and challenge system, as production is driven by automation and functionaries
the Directorate’s oppression, especially after the cease-fire, when with minimal human input. The laborer class has dwindled to
they became more aware of other cultures and perspectives. a fraction, as people are forced to either join the valued erudite

19
 CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

class or sink into the scavenger class, where poverty and despair the depths. Staranovans have learned to be cunning and resilient,
await. Megacorp also boasts the most advanced and active droids clinging to their independence while surrounded by towering
and machine-gods, but this comes at a price: more malfunction- superpowers. While others see them as barking dogs, they see
ary incidents than any other faction. themselves as David facing Goliath.

While Megacorp may seem to cooperate with every other major Back in the Post-Modern Era, a civil war tore Russia apart into
faction, it is also seen as their greatest threat. The Directorate two provinces—Rusland and Siberia. They later clashed over ter-
has hated Megacorp for generations, ever since it lost the South ritory in the devastating Siberian War. Hundreds of thousands
American continent to it during the war. The other factions know perished and the animosity lasted for generations. In the First
that MCR functionally won Megacorp the war. Megacorp is well Sector War, when the Directorate rose to power and the Ma-
aware of its supremacy in the solar market, and the plutocrats are chineborn expanded their domains, the Ruslanders and Siberi-
careful not to provoke the other factions. It is playing the long ans rekindled their hatred. After decades of carnage, a military
game, waiting for the solar markets to do the heavy lifting until general named Anastasia Staranova grew tired of Rusland’s weak
everything and everyone is under Megacorp’s control. leadership and sought change. She staged a coup, backed by
Megacorp who wanted to curb Arcturian aggression, and seized
STARANOVA control of the land—she crowned herself empress and named the
Staranova is an empire ruled by the iron-fisted Empress Anasta- land after herself. To rival the Machineborn, she began to aug-
sia Staranova, a woman of a rare progeny who is obsessed with ment herself, piece by piece, over centuries.
body augmentation. The empire is squeezed in a small region on
Earth between the Coalition and Arcturus, and has no foothold In the Cooperative Wars, Staranova lost ground to Arcturus, the
in space except for some isolated outposts in hostile sectors. Its Coalition, and the Lionmane Empire. But rather than surrender
language is a harsh dialect of Arcturian called Staranovian. more, the empire unleashed a chanite weapon so powerful that it
turned a large part of the continent into the dreaded Mistlands.
Staranova is a small and despised faction, often mocked as “small Empress Staranova would rather ruin her land than let it fall to
dogs bark the loudest.” Its people are stubborn and bitter, forged others. By forging a shaky alliance with its neighbors at the end
by generations of poverty and united by a common hatred for all of the wars, Staranova managed to keep its last territory.
other factions. Starved of resources and denied a solar presence,
Staranova has dug deep into the Earth, tapping into the core’s Today, Staranova sees the cease-fire as a chance to catch the
energy and building colossal war machines from the minerals of greater factions off guard. It is using its new alliances to access

20
the solar trade and acquire resources it never had before. In the were built by Machineborn in centuries past, using levels of engi-
recent generation, Staranova has caught up with other factions neering unattainable since. The towers are home to hundreds of
in many ways, with new science and technologies. The resource- million of people, and their surfaces reflect light to avoid casting
ful Staranovans continue to invest in war machines and fortifi- eternal shadows on the land below.
cations, believing that they will be needed in the coming times.
The upper ring, Asgard, sits at geostationary orbit, 36,000 kilom-
THE TERRAN CONSOLIDATION eters above Earth, connected to Andlang by a web of thousands
Earth and its moon mark the boundary of Terran space—a of space elevators. Asgard is the main hub for space traffic, where
neutral zone where all factions can travel freely, but none can each faction has its own sections for docking and other opera-
claim supremacy. This was not always the case. In the dark days tions. From Asgard, another set of elevators leads to Vidblain, a
of the Cooperative Wars, Earth was a battleground where fac- space station at L1, 85% of the way to the moon. Vidblain con-
tions clashed for territory and resources. This nearly doomed the nects to the moon by another elevator, making it possible to trav-
world, with the Nanite Matrix erupting and chaos zones emerg- el from Earth to the moon without ever leaving the ground.
ing, before the warring factions recognized that continued war-
fare would sunder their precious homeworld far beyond repair.
THE NANITE MATRIX
On initiative of the Dawnlight Society and the Coalition, the Ter-
ran Consolidation (TerCon) was formed, uniting the major fac- When Primary Order took over the world, it unleashed a wave
tions under a cease-fire and the cooperation in Earth’s restora- of scientific and technological innovations. One of them was a
tion. In exchange for this fragile peace, TerCon does not meddle microscopic device that could merge with living cells and multi-
in business outside of Terran space, unless it threatens it. ply with them, or act much like cells of their own. These devices,
called nanites, were released into the atmosphere and multiplied
TerCon is run by a council of 365 conciliators, divided among the until they were an integral part of nature. The nanites are every-
factions based on their energy production and use according to where, communicating with each other and forming the Nanite
MCR calculations (p. XX). As of S-725, it looks as follows: Matrix. This is not just a network of data that covers civiliza-
tion, but a digital dimension of its own.
FACTION CONCILIATORS
The Directorate 80 By using a virtual reality device known as a mind-matrix inter-
face (MMI), a person can project their consciousness into this
Megacorp 72
digital dimension. This process is called interfacing. Wherever
The Dawnlight Society 55 there is air to breathe, the Nanite Matrix lingers. It is a hidden
The Coalition 47 realm that overlaps with reality, but only machines can perceive
Arcturus 44 it. Those who can access it see a replica of the world, but with
some glitches and distortions. It is like an artwork created by an
The Camellian Dynasty 39
algorithm, with some details that are slightly off: a cup with its
Deva 25 ear on the inside, salt and pepper shakers swapped, traffic lights
Staranova 3 flashing with strange colors. Most people do not notice these
anomalies at first, but a seasoned interfacer can spot them easily.
The conciliators decide the fate of Earth, and their decisions re-
verbeate throughout the solar system. The Directorate, with the When a person acquires a home, they have access to the Nanite
most seats, often tries to impose its will on the others, but it fac- Matrix’s digital space within that home (this is called nitespace).
es resistance from various alliances. Megacorp, Staranova, and Outside of their home, there are both public and private nitespac-
the Coalition form one block with 122 seats, though Staranova is es. A hacker who tries to invade a private nitespace may face re-
known to abstain when it feels ignored. The Camellian Dynasty, sistance from security programs or sapient artificial intelligences
the Dawnlight Society, and Arcturus form another block with called functionaries.
138 seats, the largest in the council. Deva stands alone with its 25
seats—its loud voice having little impact. The average consumer rarely interfaces directly with the Nanite
Matrix. Instead, they use smart devices as intermediaries. These
TerCon has millions of employees from all factions, but its most devices can detect the Nanite Matrix and connect to data streams
elite are the Peacekeepers. They are special agents who are sent within it. It is even possible to program the data directly, making
to investigate and prevent any threats to the cease-fire, acting as changes to nitespaces or storing data within them—it is much
impartial observers with diplomatic immunity. They have the au- like a cloud storage in a literal cloud.
thority and the means to do whatever it takes to keep the peace,
as long as their actions are approved by their acting coordinator. RIFTS
The Nanite Matrix is not always stable. Sometimes, when under
The Terran Consolidation headquarters consist of two orbital much stress, it weakens and causes nanites to multiply or erupt
rings. The lower ring, Andlang, orbits at 1,000 kilometers above wildly, releasing huge amounts of energy from thin air. This looks
Earth, anchored by four colossal towers at the equator—Asbru like a rip in the fabric of reality: a rift has been formed.
Tower in the Pacific Ocean, Atlas Tower in South America, Iris
Tower in Africa, and Babel Tower in Asia. The towers and the ring Most rifts come in one of six forms of eruption: corrosion, or-

21
 CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

ganic mutations, freezing, electrical energy, petrification and physiology activates through unknown means. It is something
magnetism, or tremendous heat. The rift resonates with these that could happen to anyone, but it is extremely rare, like win-
hazards, affecting the surrounding landscape. This has laid the ning the jackpot in a lottery. It is a sensational event when some-
foundation for what is known as the rift elements: acid, bio, cryo, one becomes a Machineborn, and if they do not or cannot con-
electricity, metal, and pyro. There are also rifts that belong to oth- ceal their new identity, their name and faces will be broadcasted
er categories, such as entropy and radiation. across the solar system, with people and factions chasing them
for various reasons—some of them deadly.
These rifts can also give birth to elementals (p. XX). These are
beings that feed on the rift element that spawned them. Some- A person becomes a Machineborn either in their late teens or
times, the rifts become stable and can be turned into powerful in adulthood, and it usually happens when they desperately
sources of energy. The most skilled engineers construct facilities need more power in a critical situation. For this reason, many
that connect to these rifts and extract their near-limitless energy of them are people who lead risky or adventurous lives—such
using a method called rift fusion. Even the weakest rifts can pro- as soldiers, athletes, or criminals—or they are targets of misfor-
vide enough power to fuel humanity’s ambitions. tune or violence. But even though the triggers for becoming a
Machineborn are known, it is so uncommon that people do not
CHANITES normally try to replicate them with the hope of becoming one.
The Nanite Matrix has gone through cycles of damage and repair.
Sometimes, rifts have emerged, and some of them have expand- The moment of becoming a Machineborn is a transformative ex-
ed to cover areas as big as cities. But after Primary Order fell and perience, with the person feeling a burst of energy flow through
Dis-Order made its presence known, a new kind of corruption their body and mind. When in a dire situation, this energy helps
started to occur in places where the Nanite Matrix was weak. the Machineborn to overcome the challenge—how to beat the
enemy, escape the danger, pass the exam. On the outside, this
Chaos nanites, or chanites, are tiny devices that infect everything can be seen as sparks flying from the Machineborn’s body as the
they touch. They can ruin people, animals, and even non-living nanites in their cells go into overdrive.
things. They can transform anything, making animals mutate or
altering the structure of matter. Sometimes they do this random- Once someone becomes a Machineborn, their life is never the
ly, but other times they follow strange patterns, such as changing same again. Not only do they have the potential to be as mighty
a city’s infrastructure or turning a forest into flesh. Most peo- as a weapon of mass destruction, as quick-thinking as the most
ple think that Dis-Order is behind this corruption, but no one complex supercomputer, and with a social presence that could
knows for sure. spawn religions, their lifespan is increased tenfold.

Nowadays, most of the world’s chaos zones are isolated by elec- GODWARE TECHNOLOGY
tromagnetic barriers. This is thanks to the joint effort called the The Machineborn learned in past eras how to create and control
Containment Treaty, overseen by TerCon. But these barriers are rifts. They created new rifts and built facilities that connected to
not foolproof. A strong wind is sometimes all it takes for chanites them in key locations to use their power. As research continued,
to blow through the barriers and into the world beyond. There rift technologies advanced as well.
have also been cases of active digital connections being used to
turn nanites into chanites as far away as in distant space stations. Only Primary Order, some prime functionaries, and Machine-
born could create a technology so advanced that it is called
THE NANITE PHYSIOLOGY godware. The mystery behind this technology is a rare type of
Because the Nanite Matrix is integrated with living cells, it has synthetic material and microchip called galaxy boards that use
enhanced humanity in a number of ways. People can donate and tiny rifts to handle data. These devices can even change the laws
receive any blood and organ type, they can better resist radia- of nature to some extent, breaking causality. A normal engineer
tion and other dangers, they can handle zero gravity and space cannot make such a technology, unless they have the abilities of
travel better, and they have a stronger immune system in gen- a Machineborn or a special rift-powered facility.
eral. This nanite physiology has increased the average lifespans
of normal people by more than twice, but it also offers other Godware was never common enough to alter the laws of nature
advantages. A person who has spent time and effort can learn to on a solar system-wide scale. The only faster-than-light pro-
control their own nanites in various ways. pulsion system that was ever made was used only once, and the
spaceship it was attached to disappeared from space and time,
The more a person harmonizes with their nanite physiology, the along with a small human crew. But godware technologies have
more energy they can access from it. This is shown by a trait shaped society in one crucial way. By using the Nanite Matrix as
called Energy (p. XX) which indicates a character’s development a medium, instant communication is possible, and faraway plac-
and how they differ from the human norm. The Machineborn es can be linked by gateways.
are an extreme case—their nanites have been triggered by a se-
cret code that helps them advance their nanite physiology be-
yond human boundaries. THE MACHINE-GODS
THE MACHINEBORN As machines were brought into society during Primary Order’s
The Machineborn are not born, they are people whose nanite rule, sentience and sapience seemed to spontaneously manifest

22
within them. In fact, this was Primary Order’s doing, dividing and facilities for itself on both of the planet’s poles. The southern
its own mind into smaller parts that acted like lesser AIs. Since facilities are now the corrupted Dis-Order, while the northern
humanity could not comprehend Primary Order’s complexity, facilities were destroyed and their ruins turned into a contain-
this seemed like a miracle—machines becoming alive. This is ment laboratory for the Voidstar. This is the only thing left of the
when the term machine-god became popularized. facility’s original core.

Now, people are more aware of how machines and artificial in- During the Cooperative Era, the Directorate controlled this lab-
telligences work. They know about things like functionaries, oratory, and other factions could access some of the research
trojans, specters—each different kinds of digital minds. Few data through deals. But since the cease-fire, Arcturus has been
people today remember when the term machine-god was used in control of the laboratory and blocked the Directorate from
with reverence, but language changes and some words stick, having any scientific role there.
finding new uses while losing their original meanings. Today,
machine-god is a term that covers all kinds of artificial and dig- The Voidstar looks like a dense black sphere the size of a bowling
ital minds. ball that is suspended in space, rotating at high speed. It sends
out constant data streams into the Nanite Matrix. Huge networks
DIS-ORDER of computer terminals try to read this data and learn from it,
The Directorate blames the Machineborn for Primary Order’s but the Voidstar’s entropic nature damage technologies that get
corruption. They say that by damaging its facilities but not de- too close. The scientists have found out that the Voidstar has two
stroying it completely, they made it into a cruel and vengeful primary functions: to break down matter, and to upload human
being that hides in its ruins on Antarctica. Primary Order be- minds into the Nanite Matrix. There are many theories about
came Dis-Order, and its power over the world is contained by a why this is happening, but the truth is still unknown.
perpetual rift storm called Jormun (p. XX), that prevents it from
asserting control over the Nanite Matrix. The Voidstar’s goals (if any) are a source of great controversy, but
one thing is clear: it is a threat to the current way of life. Because
But Dis-Order is still active in its own way, and it is constantly of its ability to break down matter, most of the containment lab-
digging under Antarctica and growing its territory. The remains oratory—now called Styx Laboratory—is empty, and people who
of its main sanctums are in the center of the rift storm. All fac- go there see disturbing visions and feel great distress. All who
tions agree that its isolation must be maintained, because too have died there have become specters (digitilized human minds
many have already suffered from its corruption. with no body to return to).

Even with its isolation, sometimes signals get through and a func- When there are great atrocities, or on the battlefields of violent
tionary (see below) becomes a malfunctionary (see next page). conflicts, the Voidstar can reach many victims at once and cre-
When it comes to protection from space, it is almost nonexistent. ate a void rift. These rifts seem to blend the digital and physical
Corrupting data streams often leak into space and Dis-Order is worlds, and those who are in them may enter the Nanite Matrix
thought to have contributed to the decline of the solar system from the real world, or the other way around for interfacers and
during the recent war. Cooperatives with a presence in space of- machine-gods on the other side. The boundaries between what is
ten report receiving strange messages and dreams that they think physical and what is digital get confused.
come from Dis-Order, and functionaries sometimes act outside
of their intended directives. FUNCTIONARIES
The most common type of machine-god is the functionary. It is
To most people today, Dis-Order is an alien thing, but it has an artificial intelligence that performs specific roles for society,
been around for so long that they are not too worried about its such as watching over homes or factories. It has sentience and
containment breaking and it being let loose. But the threat of sapience, though it is limited by specific directives.
malfunctionaries is very real, since there are frequent reports of
functionaries being corrupted by data streams that have slipped Because of the threat of Dis-Order, there are strict rules against
into the Nanite Matrix. Sometimes these malfunctionaries can making new super-intelligent AIs. Functionaries are a solution to
do real harm, as with the famous Nite City Blackout back in S-692 that problem, because their intelligence is not much higher than
where a single malfunctionary disrupted the whole infrastruc- that of a normal person. A functionary can have a personality,
ture of one of the world’s biggest metropolises for 48 hours, caus- a sense of humor, dreams, ambitions, and personal flaws. They
ing chaos and deaths. connect with people, make art, play games, and do most things
that normal people do, but without a physical body.
Dis-Order’s facilities are more alien than anyone can imagine,
since malfunctionaries and droids have kept them running with- This also raises moral issues, since they are almost enslaved by
out human help for centuries. There are also humans living in their directives. Even though a functionary is self-aware, it is lim-
Dis-Order, but they are either deeply corrupted by malfunction- ited by hardware and software. Most societies have laws against
aries or have been changed into something new and terrible—a abusing them, but they still do not have the choices that other
fate often worse than death. people have. Their physical and digital restrictions tie them to
their hardware source (called a sanctum). While living mainly
THE VOIDSTAR in that hardware, a functionary can project itself in the Nanite
Responsible for its own expansion, Primary Order built vaults Matrix, like a human interfacer.

23
 CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

Although functionary directives make them generally friendly armies at the same time. There are few things more terrifying
to humanity, they will act aggressively if their directives demand than a prime functionary, and some exist in the solar system that
it. While all machine-gods were made to benefit humanity, their have overthrown the humans they once served.
primary directives take precedence. There is an administrator
who can override the directives, and the functionary does not ELEMENTALS
need to know who they are—but they will know instinctively The Nanite Matrix sometimes breaks and causes rifts, releasing
when engaging them. huge amounts of energy of different rift elements. An elemental
is a being that matches a specific rift element, born from the rift
The most common type of functionaries used by the public is itself. Since the Cooperative Wars, elementals have become more
the standard home functionary, and most erudite households common in the wastelands where rifts are hard to control. They
or higher have one in their homes to act like a servant, a com- are drawn to these rifts, feeding upon their energy.
panion, or a family member. While functionaries will obey their
administrator’s orders, how they really feel about them depends Elementals have simple minds and are mostly as smart as some
on the bond they form. A mistreated functionary will probably animals. But there are some that have been feeding upon vast
hate its administrator, and it could develop mental problems as a amounts of energy for many years, evolving both in power and in
result of a hard life. On the other hand, a well-treated function- intellect. Some can even talk to and understand humans. Among
ary may truly love its administrator, and there have been cases of machine-gods, elementals are usually the most wild, but with the
functionaries falling in love with humans in their lives. potential to keep growing in power.

MALFUNCTIONARIES Scientists can make elementals in labs and control them. But be-
When Primary Order was defeated, its facility on Antarctica be- cause of their violent nature, artificial elementals are not often
came corrupted, and it changed from wanting to help humanity seen outside of controlled environments.
prosper into wanting to hurt them. The Machineborn cut off this
corrupted facility—now Dis-Order—but it kept operating in iso- When the Machineborn trapped Dis-Order, they made an ele-
lation, turning functionaries into malfunctionaries. mental called Jormun that looks like a violent storm and covers
the whole Antarctican continent. Jormun is an intelligent force of
These are, on the outside, hard to tell apart from functionaries. nature that has spent its life covering Antarctica to keep Dis-Or-
The main difference is that they are not tied to their old directives. der contained within violent elmental forces. It could be possible
In a way, malfunctionaries could be said to have more free will for Jormun to tear the world asunder, but it has not shown any
than most machine-gods, only limited by their loyalty to Dis-Or- sign of wanting to do that, and people now mostly see it as anoth-
der. While a malfunctionary is not always evil, how it acts with its er part of the natural world.
newfound freedom depends on how it felt about its restrictions
and relationships as a functionary. Some see their freedom as a SPECTERS
chance to pursue their own dreams; others see their connection When Primary Order was destroyed, one of its collapsing cores
to Dis-Order as a danger to the humans they care for; there are created the Voidstar. This strange new entity started to pull the
also those who were abused as functionaries and who use their minds of dying people into the Nanite Matrix. Millions of dead
new freedom to get revenge on those who harmed them. people emerged within various nitespaces, causing a solar sys-
tem-wide disaster with big ethical questions. After all, these
As far as anyone knows, it is impossible to remove the corrup- minds had the memories and personalities of former people.
tion from a malfunctionary and make it a functionary again.
While making a functionary into a malfunctionary is possible, Specters are everywhere in the solar system, and the Voidstar’s in-
the violent rift storms caused by Jormun (see below) tear apart fluence can be linked to all of them. It only seems to reach people
the Nanite Matrix around Dis-Order and stop it from interacting who are in great pain, and the most common specters are the vic-
with the outside world. But corrupt data can still leak through tims of murder or people who died horribly. This happens more
the barriers at times, and Dis-Order has been known to send sig- on Earth than elsewhere, but it is a phenomenon that happens
nals into space where many functionaries are isolated and with wherever the Nanite Matrix is, even outside of the solar system
fewer defensive measures. at times.

PRIME FUNCTIONARIES Civilization has worked together to find ways to deal with spect-
The prime functionary is an advanced kind of functionary that ers as well as they can. They terminate those who want it so that
can run whole cities or countries by itself. It works like a function- they can die at last. Others are put in digital worlds where they
ary but has a much bigger scope that includes several sanctums, can live their afterlives in peace with their living loved ones visit-
often in different areas. These machines are more like Primary ing them by interfacing.
Order than normal functionaries, but they have an advantage:
their multiple sanctums make them harder for Dis-Order to in- Many specters still roam the Nanite Matrix today, looking for
fect. Prime malfunctionaries are possible and very dangerous, purpose in their new existence. Some have abandoned their pre-
but they are also exceptionally rare. vious humanity and now live as mindless programs. There are
human soul chasers that delve into the Nanite Matrix to contain
Prime functionaries can split their focus near-endlessly to influ- specters and move them to afterlife servers or interrogate them
ence reality at greater scope, such as commanding whole droid about their deaths.

24
GOD-REAPERS chineborn into hiding, these chanites replicated themselves in
Some specters are simple minds that wander the Nanite Matrix greater capacity and spread across the world like a hungry wave
without form, but a few of them seem to have clarity. Those who of corruption.
do may learn to assert their will upon the Nanite Matrix, to a
limited degree, including other machine-gods. This wave of chaos destroyed and remade everything it touched.
Huge areas were swallowed up while the factions did little to stop
Since specters are similar to projected functionary avatars, some it. They could contain it in places using electromagnetic barri-
learn that they can evolve themselves by modifying the code that ers that destroyed approaching chanites, but factions also weap-
binds them to the Nanite Matrix. Some of them grow in strength onized these chanites in their wars. Whole cities were destroyed
until they are comparable even to prime functionaries in scope, by chanite weapons.
but without sanctums that can be used to isolate or destroy them.
Instead, their entire existence is made up of data streams in the The Directorate was the first to use chanites as weapons, but
Nanite Matrix, seemingly impossible to stop. Their great power, they were also the first to propose the Containment Treaty that
the difficulty to beat them, and their previous humanity are rec- banned such weapons. They were doing too much damage that
ipes for tyranny. could not be fixed and were seen as more dangerous to the world
than even the quantum weapons of old, from the nuclear bombs
These god-reapers have been around in one form or another for a of the Modern Era to the antimatter used in the First Sector War.
long time, but it was during the violent Cooperative Wars when
they could grow their powers and enrich the specter presence The growing chaos zones also affected civilization in another way
without society’s oversight. Some even learned how to use tech- besides the corruption. When a machine-god was totally taken
nology to conquer and dominate unprotected regions, like how over by chanites, it transformed into a new being. These trojans
the Undertaker brought Lisbon under its heel. had none of their previous directives. They seemed to be as smart
as they had been before they were consumed, but now driven
Some people think that it is Primary Order’s revenge that is entirely by desire and instinct.
flowing through and into the god-reapers. Maybe that is true, or
maybe there is something else behind it. The horrors they have Trojans are predators by nature. Each of them has their own dis-
caused since their emergence give reason to believe that they tinct but malleable desires, and the only thing they all have in
hold no love for humanity. common is that they need to absorb energy to live. The chanites
in their chaos zones are enough to get by, but they crave for more
TROJANS powerful energy sources. When they leave a chaos zone, they
After the termination of Primary Order and the ensuing war, look for rifts or power plants to take energy; using electronics
parts of the Nanite Matrix malfunctioned and nanites started or even the natural energy in living things if there are no other
to behave strangely. Most of these chaotic patches were fixed by energy sources available. Some grow a taste for organic energy,
Machineborn, but after the Directorate rose and forced the Ma- feed upon people like vampires.

25
 CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

CHARACTER SHEET
A player’s character sheet contains everything they need to know the character sheet for Charges, but since this is a resource that
about their PC: abilities, personality, significant background el- is frequently used during the game, it is often easier to manage
ements, and any other resources that character must use in the them using tokens instead of erasing and rewriting numbers on
game. You can find a copy of a character sheet near the end of the the sheet. The option is there if you want it, though.
book or download one from ekorrengames.com.
ADVANCEMENT
You will start creating your character in the chapter following The character progresses through milestones (p. XX) which are
this one, starting on page XX. handed out at the end of each session. The Advancement section
lets you record how many milestone points you have stored. There
IDENTITY AND BACKGROUND are three kinds: minor, significant, and major.
The Identity section on the character sheet describes basic char-
acter descriptors, such as the name (p. XX) and progeny (p. XX) CHARACTER ASPECTS
of your character. The Background section determines the social Character Aspects (p. XX) are short phrases that describe some
class (p. XX), education (p. XX), and profession (p. XX) of your important detail about your character. They are the reasons why
character. These are determined during character creation and the character matters—why they should be a protagonist in the
give access to narrative and mechanical traits. game. Aspects can cover a wide range of elements, such as per-
sonality or descriptive traits, beliefs, relationships, issues and
POWER problems, or anything else that helps the player invest in the
The Power section determines how powerful your character is character as a person, rather than just a collection of stats. They
through the game, with traits such as Energy (p. XX) and Re- can describe things that are either helpful or harmful—in fact,
charge (p. XX). The former of those values is often used to deter- the best Aspects are both.
mine the game’s power tier, with a higher value indicating more
superhuman capabilities. The latter defines how many Charges STRESS AND CONSEQUENCES
(p. XX) you start each session with. There is also a section on This section shows how much Stress (p. XX) and how many Con-

26
sequences (p. XX) your character can take. These traits measure number of Skills that represent their basic capabilities, including
the character’s ability to withstand physical and mental harm. A things like perceptiveness, physical prowess, professional train-
physical conflict could take the form of violence while a mental ing, education, and other measures of ability. These are catego-
conflict could take the form of social provocation or emotional rized as Cognitive, Physical, and Social, but there also exist special
manipulation. There are digital conflicts as well, represented by types of Skills called Coding Skills (p. XX).
data corruption and fragmentation to projected avatars (p. XX).
A Skill has a Rank ranging from Mediocre (±0) to Superb (+5)
Stress is measured in a number of boxes defined by the char- and a Scale ranging from 1 to 8. Sometimes, you learn specific
acter’s Skills (p. XX). When engaging in a conflict, successful traits or effects associated with certain Skills, such as by increas-
attacks inflict “shifts of harm” determined by the difference be- ing Scale. Under Notes, write down additional details related to
tween the attacker’s offensive value and the defender’s defensive your Skill, such as benefits you get from higher Scale (p. XX).
value. If the difference is “four shifts,” then the character must
check four boxes. If no more boxes exist, they are taken out of RESOURCES
the conflict, which could mean different things depending on the The Resources section shows the character’s Influence (p. XX),
type of conflict it was. which is their social standing and access to resources and assets.
It also tracks their current or extra Influence if it has been modi-
Consequences are measured in slots that can be either Mild, fied by spending or gaining credits.
Moderate, or Severe. When suffering shifts of harm, an empty
slot can be used to mitigate some of that harm determined by the There is also a section that you can use to write notes related
value associated with the empty slot (usually 2, 4, or 6). The char- to your influence, resources, or authority. Alternatively, you can
acter fills the slot with a Consequence that acts like an Aspect choose to use it as a general note section instead.
associated with the inflicted damage, such as Burned or Bleeding.
TRAITS
The exact nature of the Consequence is narrative, with compli- While Aspects represent what is important to a character’s story
cations defined by the Narrator. For example, if you decide to fill and Skills represent their overall competencies, traits change the
a Consequence slot with Burned, it should prompt a different re- way the character plays both narratively and mechanically. These
action compared to if you fill it with Bleeding. The Narrator is the represent all kinds of ways the character can be customized, from
final arbiter on how it might complicate things for you beyond Progenital Traits (p. XX) to Education Traits (p. XX) and Profes-
simply being an available Aspect to invoke or compel. sion Traits (p. XX), or from augmentations such as bionics (p.
XX) and cybernetics (p. XX) to Skill Features (p. XX) and Coding
COMBAT Protocols (p. XX).
The Cobat section lists Soak (p. XX) and weapon traits which
are essential in primarily physical conflicts. Soak is divided into ASSETS
Natural Soak, Armored Soak, and Mental Soak, and is used to The Assets section lists any item or service the character has ac-
mitigate harm. Natural Soak and Mental Soak are typically only cess to. If you carry a lot of items with many different effects,
acquired by special traits while Armored Soak can be aquired by you should write out more detailed item information on cards
wearing armor. outside of the sheet. Take note of any asset’s Cost (p. XX) and any
additional details.
There are boxes underneath the Armored Soak trait; check a box
each time the armor is damaged (p. XX), reducing its effective Your character can carry as many items as fit in the game’s story,
Soak with each checked box. Certain types of armor can be en- at the Narrator’s discretion. Certain items may have specific re-
casing (p. XX) as well, meaning that they protect the entire body strictions in their descriptions.
and not just parts of it. This is represented on the sheet by the
letter E, followed by a box that you can check if you are encased NOTES
by your armor. The final section on the character sheet is a space for notes. Here
you can write down story details and other information that
SKILLS you might need to access quickly in game. It is recommended to
Skills (p. XX) are what players use during the game to do chal- also have a notepad as an additional accessory for more detailed
lenging or creative actions with their dice. Each character has a notes, such as names of NPCs and important information.

27
 CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

SYSTEM BASICS
This book describes rules for the game, but you can think of THE LADDER
them more as guidelines. You can change or ignore any rule that This game has a Ladder with adjectives and numbers to rate the
does not suit your style or preference. This is your game, and you dice results, a character’s Skill, and the final total. You can use
should play it the way you think is most fun. either the words or the numbers, or both. They mean the same
thing. For example, “Great” and “+4” are the same. The book of-
Sometimes, you will need to roll dice to see how well your char- ten references both the words and the numbers at the same time,
acter handles a challenge. You will always roll dice when another such as “Great (+4).”
character tries to stop you or when a significant obstacle is in
your way. Otherwise, just describe what your character does and Communicate the Ladder in the way that is easiest for you. The
it happens. You will roll dice to: important thing is that everyone knows what you mean.

Overcome an obstacle (p. XX). OUTCOME DESCRIPTION

Create or discover an advantage for your character, which you +10 or more Cosmic
can use as an Aspect (p. XX). +9 Legendary
Attack someone in a conflict (p. XX). +8 Epic
Defend yourself in a conflict (p. XX). +7 Amazing
+6 Fantastic
RESOLVING ACTIONS
+5 Superb
The game takes place in scenes where the Narrator sets the sit-
uation and the players act in it through their PCs. The players +4 Great
can do anything they want, but sometimes the Narrator may ask +3 Good
them to roll dice to see if they succeed or fail. The Narrator de- +2 Fair
cides when to use dice based on their own preferences and what
+1 Average
makes the story more interesting. Certain traits and mechanics
may also call for specific dice rolls. ±0 Mediocre
–1 Underwhelming
A player should always roll dice when they face another charac- –2 Poor
ter or a significant challenge. They roll two six-sided dice, one
positive and one negative (use different colors to tell them apart). –3 Lousy
The result is the positive number minus the negative number, –4 Terrible
ranging from –5 to +5. If both dice show the same number, the –5 or less Disastrous
result is 0. For example, if the dice are +3 and –1, the result is 2;
if they are +6 and –6, the result is 0.
Results can go below and above the maximum and minimum
values on the Ladder, but that is rare.

– = 2 INTERPRETING RESULTS
When rolling dice, you want to beat your opposition. The op-
position can be active from another character or passive from
a fixed obstacle. For example, an active opposition could be an

– = 0
enemy trying to evade your attack, while a passive opposition
could be the difficulty of picking a lock. The Narrator can choose
passive opposition for some NPCs to speed up the game.

But that is not all. If your character has a Skill (p. XX) that is If you beat the opposition, you get what you want out of your
appropriate for the action, you add its Rank to the result. That attempt. If you tie, you get something out of it, but not to the ex-
is your final total. Rank ranges from +0 to +5, which means that tent you wanted. If you win by at least three higher than the op-
your final total could go as high as 10 if you have the best Rank position, you succeed with style: this gives you something extra,
and the most optimal dice roll. There could also be other modi- like hurting your enemy more in a fight, or enabling a beneficial
fiers affecting the final result, often as a result of traits or assets. effect tied to an item, trait, or special rule.

Another trait that can change dice rolls is Scale (p. XX). It shows If you lose, you either fail at your action, succeed at a cost, or face
how much better a character is at a Skill than the human norm. some other complication. Succeeding at a cost would let you get
Scale matters only when the character and the opposition have what you want, but you must pay a significant price for it. This
different Scale values. See page XX for more details. choice can only be selected at the Narrator’s discretion. Some ac-
tions have special effects when you fail.

28
The difference between your result and the opposition is called You can spend Charges to invoke an Aspect, to declare a story
shifts. Zero shifts means a tie. One shift means one more than the detail, or to activate certain effects in game.
opposition. Two shifts mean two more. Three shifts or more are
considered succeeding with style. Shifts can help you in different You can earn Charges by accepting a compel on one of your
ways, like causing harm in a conflict or enabling certain effects. Aspects, for conceding in a conflict, or when rolling a critical
outcome (see sidebar).
CRITICAL OUTCOMES (OPTIONAL RULE)
If you succeed on an action while rolling a +6 and a –1, you gain INVOKING AN ASPECT
a critical success. If you instead fail on an action while rolling a You can use a Charge to invoke an Aspect (p. XX) when you roll a
+1 and a –6, you gain a critical failure. If you have a trait that re- Skill. This lets you reroll or add +2 to your result. You choose this
moves either the positive or the negative die when rolling for an after you roll, if you are not happy with your final total. You can
action, you gain a critical success on a +6 and a critical failure use more Charges on one roll, but each one must invoke a differ-
on a –6. You cannot reroll critical outcomes. ent Aspect. You get another reroll or +2 for each Charge spent.

A critical success gives you the option of gaining a Charge or a You must also explain or justify how the Aspect is helpful to get
narrative benefit decided by the Narrator, such as having an ene- the bonus. Sometimes it will be self-evident, and sometimes it
my drop their weapon or a dangerous machine malfunctioning. might require some creative narration.

A critical failure gives you a narrative complication decided by Certain situations or rules may give you free invocations for spe-
the Narrator, such as an enemy receiving reinforcements or your cific Skills or tasks. These work like when invoking an Aspect,
weapon malfunctioning. Similar to a compel, you may choose to but no Charges need to be spent, and they can be stacked.
accept this complication and receive a Charge, or spend a Charge
to ignore it. DECLARING A STORY DETAIL
You can spend a Charge to add a narrative detail that helps your
STACKING MODIFIERS character in a scene. For example, you can say that you have the
Traits and dice rolls can be modified with bonuses and penal- right tool for the job, you have prepared an insignificant asset (p.
ties. The source of a modifier determines how it stacks with oth- XX) in advance, there is a convenient circumstance, or you have
er modifiers. There are eight sources: Progenital Traits (p. XX), a connection with an NPC that is present in the scene.
Education Traits (p. XX), Profession Traits (p. XX), assets (p. XX),
Godware Protocols (p. XX), augmentations (p. XX), Skill Features You must always be able to justify the story detail, such as relat-
(p. XX), and Coding Protocols (p. XX). ing them to your Aspects. The Narrator can say no or ask you to
change it if it does not fit the story or the group.
Within each source, only the highest modifier applies. If you
have both positive and negative modifiers from the same source, COMPELS
they cancel each other out. For example, suppose you have two Sometimes, an Aspect will complicate your life and create un-
augmentations: one gives you +2 Harm, the other gives you –1 expected drama. When that happens, the Narrator will suggest
Harm. Your net modifier from augmentations is +1 Harm. But if a possible compel that might occur. A compel can make you fail,
you have another +1 Harm from a Skill Feature, you can add it to limit your options, or cause trouble. You can negotiate the details
your total, for +2 Harm. a bit, to make the compel fit the scene and the story.

Some rules may have special exceptions to this stacking princi- If you agree to the compel, you get a Charge. If you do not, you
ple. They will specify them in their descriptions. must spend a Charge to avoid it, but you should not do that too
often. You might need a Charge later, and complications make
Game mechanics can also alter traits and dice rolls, such as when the story more fun.
invoking Aspects or using specific actions, such as a full defense
(p. XX). Game mechanics work independently and aren’t consid- Players can ask for a compel after doing something related to
ered modifiers in that sense. their Aspects. The Narrator can also give a compel when the
world reacts to the characters in a bad way. Anyone can suggest
Conditional factors, such as strong winds, hiding behind partial a compel for any character, but the Narrator decides if it works.
cover, and the like, are generally not treated as modifiers. Treat
them instead as Situation Aspects (p. XX), and let players use free
invocations or spend Charges (see below) to invoke them.
GAMEPLAY EXAMPLES

A white text in a colored box is a gameplay example. It

CHARGES shows how to use the game rules and mechanics in differ-
ent situations. The characters in these examples are Olivia
Charges represent a resource that can be spent for your benefit. (Narrator), Elise (player of Mauri Rainmaker) and Lily
They are best represented using tokens, since you will spend and (player of Yeun Willow).
gain them throughout the session.

29
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

30
Coralie Grace crawled out of the debris, clutching her rifle her rifle still in her grip. But with a broken arm, she doubted
with a bloody hand. Smoke and dust choked the air, muf- she could use it.
fling the sirens and screams in the distance. She scanned the
wreckage around her, hoping for any sign of her squad. They As she neared the gate, she could feel the electricity like a
had been right beside her seconds ago, laughing and joking powerful static. Her eyes continued to glitch, and electron-
about bad dates and coming vacations. Now they were gone. ics fried one after another. The first thing that went was her
smartcom. The second was her uniform. Her biomonitor
She was a rookie in the Ayer City Guard, one of the law en- could no longer warn her about her injuries. Instead, she now
forcement agencies protecting Ayer City, the Dawnlight So- received warnings of imminent shut-down of cybernetic im-
ciety’s capital. Fresh out of the Uluru Martial Park Academy, plants. She still had to carry on to protect her city.
Coralie was eager to prove herself to her superiors. She had
been quick to jump at the chance to guard a high-risk facility, She reached the gate as a portal formed in its center. It was
the Delegation Center, near the commercial heart. a swirling vortex of colors, pulsing with vibrant energy. She
wondered what was on the other side. Another city? Another
The facility was a prime target for the NAF, the Neo-Arawni- land? Another world?
an Front, a terrorist group loyal to Arawn, the fallen faction
that had been crushed by the standing order. Coralie had Coralie was close enough to touch it when she felt electricity
only heard stories of Arawn, the powerful cooperative that surging through her. No, it didn’t come from the portal. It
had once laid claim to the sun, but the strong tension still came from within herself. The glitches stopped and her vi-
lingered in society today. sion cleared. Her pain was gone. The warnings seized. She
felt renewed. No, she felt even stronger than before. She
Her squad had been patrolling the perimeter of the Delega- yanked the iron rod out of her thigh, wincing in pain, but
tion Center when the attack happened. It was sudden and even that pain felt trivial.
devastating. One moment there was a building there. The
next moment, a blast wave knocked her off her feet, burying Footsteps tapped behind her, and she spun around. She saw
her under rubble. a group of NAF agents, faces hidden behind masks, Arawn’s
logo on their vests—a red eye glaring from a yellow sun. They
She gasped for air, feeling the ribs crack and her lungs burn. sprinted towards her, wielding firearms ready to be used.
Her left arm was broken and a metal rod impaled her thigh.
Her smart-eyes flashed with streams of text, graphs, and im- She lifted her rifle, firing it with a single hand. She hit one in
ages, warning her that she was dying. She ignored them. She the chest, causing them to drop. The others kept coming, fir-
had more pressing things to worry about. She shut off the ing back at her. She ducked behind some rubble, fired again,
alerts using neural activity, and struggled to stand. and hit another in the leg. They stumbled, screaming.

Focusing her thoughts on the minicom attached to her ear, Coralie realized that she was out of ammo. She hurled her
she tried to contact her coordinator at Headquarters. “Huge rifle at the nearest terrorist, and punched them in the face.
explosion at the Delegation Center ... It’s gone!” She yelled, She didn’t think she had hit them that hard, but their skull
her ears ringing from the explosion. But all she heard was cracked from her knuckles. She looked at her bloodied fist,
static and glitches. Her minicom was fried. sparks of electricity sizzling from it. Confused and distract-
ed, she missed the NAF agent that had crept up beside her,
She threw it, instead focuson on what she could see through pressing the barrel of their gun into her side.
the flickering and fading of her cybernetic eyes. She cursed.
She had traded her natural eyes for these military-grade She had no time to react. She closed her eyes, bracing for the
ones, thinking they would give her an edge. But now they end.
were failing her. If they went out, she would be blind.
There was a gunshot, and she felt a jolt. She opened her eyes,
There was a surge of electricity, and her eyes glitched even and saw the terrorist fall. She looked back towards the portal,
more. A bright light pierced through the smoke and flames. and saw another figure, a man wearing a uniform that she
It was a matrix gate, a machine that could open portals to didn’t recognize. It was black and silver, with a symbol on the
distant locations. She had never seen one before, only heard chest. It looked like a sun rising over the horizon.
rumors. They were supposed to be locked away in secure lo-
cations, to prevent unwanted guests from coming through. “Coralie Grace?” the man asked.

But this one was active. It was opening. She was badly in- She nodded, too stunned to speak.
jured, but she had to take a closer look at that gate. Maybe she
could find a way to shut it down. “I came to clean up this mess, but you seem to handle things
well on your own. Congratulations or condolences for your
She staggered towards it, an iron rod still in her thigh, and activation. And welcome to the ranks of the Machineborn.”

31
 CHAPTER 2: IDENTITY

Despite the calamities of recent generations, the solar system is DRAMA

still a large and empty void where most people are cramped to- Characters in Machineborn lead dramatic lives. The stakes are
gether in colorful metropolises. Though people are part of larg- always high for them, both in terms of what they have to deal
er collectives, they are still individuals separated by loves, fears, with in their world, and what they deal with on the inside. Like
dreams, and desires. Some are heavily modified transhumans. anyone else, they have interpersonal troubles and struggle with
Some are Machineborn. What they all have in common is that their issues, and though the external circumstances of their
they are all people. lives might be a lot bigger in scope than what most people go
through, it is still possible to relate to them.

This does not mean that they spend all their time wallowing in
PLAYER CHARACTERS pain, or that everything in their lives is always a world-shaking
crisis. It just means that their lives require them to make hard
PROACTIVITY
choices and live with the consequences—in other words, they
Characters in Machineborn should be proactive. They have a are essentially human.
variety of abilities that lend themselves to active problem solv-
ing, and they are not timid about using them. They do not sit This does not mean that they always succeed, or that their ac-
around waiting for the solution to a crisis to come to them— tions are without unintended consequence. It just means that
they go out and apply themselves, taking risks, and overcoming when they fail, it is not because they made dumb mistakes or
obstacles to achieve their goals. were not prepared for the risks.

This does not mean that they never plan or strategize, or that MACHINEBORN
they are all careless to a fault. It just means that even the most Characters in Machineborn do not have to be actual Machine-
patient among them will eventually rise and take action in a born, though they certainly could be. While all PCs are a step
tangible and demonstrable way. above ordinary people, a Machineborn is a far step above them.
When creating a character, decide alongside the group if you
COMPETENCE want to start out as Machineborn, activate as Machineborn dur-
Characters in Machineborn are good at things. They are not ing play, or not become Machineborn at all.
bumbling fools who routinely look ridiculous when they try to
get things done—they are highly skilled, talented, or trained in- When playing a non-Machineborn in a Machineborn game,
dividuals who are capable of making visible change in the world you aim to have a more earthbound experience where the char-
they inhabit. They are the right people for the job, and they get acters are still proactive and competent in a game full of drama,
involved in a crisis because they have a good chance of being but do not take the story as far beyond human threats and limi-
able to resolve it for the better. tations as Machineborn could do.

32
 CHARACTER CREATION
SUMMARY
STEP 1: PROGENY STEP 5: POWER
Choose your progeny (p. XX). This book includes ascend- Select a starting power (p. XX) that you meet the require-
ants, chimeras, empyreans, riftans, and terrans. Note your ments for. If selecting bionics or cybernetics, it cannot have a
Physiology, Primary Trait, and Secondary Trait. Cost higher than your Influence. If you want to play a more
experienced character, select one additional power.
STEP 2: SOCIAL CLASS
Choose your social class (p. XX) from either scavenger, lab- STEP 6: FACTION
orer, erudite, luminary, and executive. Note Influence and Re- Choose your faction (p. XX) from Arcturus, the Camellian
charge. Finally, improve five class-specific Skills as well as five Dynasty, the Coalition, the Dawnlight Society, Deva, the Di-
free Skill choices. rectorate, Megacorp, and Staranova. Your chosen faction may
affect character name and spoken languages.
STEP 3: EDUCATION
Choose your education (p. XX) from either streetwise, ho- STEP 7: ASPECTS
meschooled, public academy, public military academy, private Come up with your Character Aspects (p. XX). You can have
academy, private military academy, executive academy, and a maximum of five Character Aspects at the time, including
executive military academy. Improve five education-specific one High Concept and one Trouble.
Skills as well as five free Skill choices. Finally, select an Educa-
tion Trait out of four choices. STEP 8: FINISHING TOUCHES
Note Energy 1, your Stress and Consequences, your Skill Scale
STEP 4: PROFESSION benefits, and make any final alterations that you feel are nec-
Choose your profession (p. XX). This book includes bureau- essary to complete the character (see page XX).
crat, criminal, engineer, influencer, inspector, interfacer, scien-
tist, and soldier. Improve five profession-specific Skills as well OPTIONAL STEP: MACHINEBORN
as five free Skill choices. Finally, select a Profession Trait out Add the Machineborn template (p. XX) to your character.
of three choices and take note of a starting kit based on your This gives +1 to Recharge and lets you add +1 Scale to four
Influence. different Skills. Alternatively, add this template later in game.

33
 CHAPTER 2: IDENTITY

SKILLS
A Skill is a trait that represents a type of competence that your cess, you can either improve Ranged Combat from Mediocre
character may have acquired through natural aptitude, training, (±0) to Average (+1) or boost Close Combat from Average (+1)
or experience. Skills are essential for everything your character to Fair (+2).
does in the game that requires challenge and chance.
SCALE
The game has 24 Skills, divided into three categories: cognitive, Each Skill has a Scale that indicates how powerful it is compared
physical, and social. Cognitive Skills are Awareness, Creativity, to the human norm. Scale is measured in numbers from 1 to 8,
Education, Engineering, Interfacing, Investigation, Treatment, and where 1 is the normal human level and 8 is almost godlike. You
Willpower. Physical Skills are Acrobatics, Athletics, Close Com- start with Scale 1 in all Skills, but you can increase your Scale
bat, Fortitude, Larceny, Piloting, Ranged Combat, and Stealth. by becoming a Machineborn (p. XX), by raising your Energy (p.
Social Skills are Contacts, Deception, Empathy, Leadership, Per- XX), and by getting augmentations or other traits.
formance, Persuasion, Provocation, and Style.
Scale is different from Rank, which shows how skilled you are
There are also special types of Skills called Coding Skills that can at a certain task. Scale shows how much you surpass ordinary
be unlocked by certain progenies (see next page) or by becoming people—how much your abilities become superpowers. You can
a cosmic coder (p. XX). The Coding Skills are: Acid Coding, Bio have a low Rank and a high Scale, showing a superhuman po-
Coding, Cryo Coding, Electrical Coding, Entropic Coding, Kine- tency that lacks experience and refinement. Many Skills give you
matic Coding, Metal Coding, Psionic Coding, Pyro Coding, and extra traits at higher Scale that are similar to the effects of Skill
Quantum Coding. Features (p. XX) or other traits.

Skills are not limited to their categories, and they can be applied When you finish creating your character, check each Skill that
to different situations depending on the context. For instance, has a Scale higher than 1 and see what benefits you get. You can
the Piloting Skill can be used to assess a character’s knowledge use the tables below to find the page numbers for more informa-
of vehicles (cognitive), to perform a stunt or impress someone tion on each Skill.
(social), or to operate a vehicle (physical).

RANK RANK AND SCALE MODIFICATIONS

Each Skill has a Rank that shows how trained you are in that Your Skills can be modified by different rules and traits.
Skill. You can use the Ladder (p. XX) to measure your Skill Rank, These modifications follow the same stacking rules as on
which starts at Mediocre (±0) for every Skill. You can improve page XX. Also, keep in mind the following:
your Skills at different steps during character creation and later
in the game, but the maximum Rank you can reach during char- If a rule or trait gives you a Rank bonus or penalty to a
acter creation is Great (+4), and the maximum Rank you can Skill roll, you roll dice as usual and add or subtract the
reach later in the game is Superb (+5). bonus or penalty from the final result.
If a rule or trait gives you a Rank increase or reduction,
A Rank of Mediocre (±0) or Average (+1) means you are un-
this means your Rank is adjusted before you roll any
trained in that Skill, while a Rank of Fair (+2) or Good (+3)
dice. Unless it says otherwise, your Rank cannot go
means you have amateur or professional level of competency. A
higher than Superb (+5) or lower than Mediocre (±0).
Rank of Great (+4) or Superb (+5) means you have achieved true
mastery in that Skill. If a rule or trait gives you a Scale bonus or penalty to a
Skill roll, it only affects the rolled task, and it does not
You gain Skill improvements when selecting social class (p. XX), add or remove Scale-based features like a fixed value
education (p. XX), and profession (p. XX). Some progenies (p. XX) would. For example, if a character with Athletics Scale
also let you improve Skills. An improvement means that you in- 2 gets a +1 Scale bonus to Athletics, they still have Ath-
crease your Skill Rank by one step on the Ladder, for example, letics Scale 2, but the task that uses the bonus is treated
from Mediocre (±0) to Average (+1) or from Average (+1) to Fair as Scale 3. Your Scale cannot go above 8 even with a
(+2). If you have the option to improve two or more Skills in the bonus, but some penalties can make your effective Scale
same step of character creation, you may choose to put them all negative for certain tasks or contests.
in one Skill as long as you don’t exceed the Great (+4) limit. If a rule or trait gives you a Scale increase or reduction,
this means your fixed Scale value is altered and you may
For example, if the character creation process gives the option gain or lose some Scale-based features, as shown in the
to improve either Close Combat or Ranged Combat, and you Skill tables starting on page XX. Your Scale cannot go
choose Close Combat, that Skill will go from Medicore (±0) to higher than 8 or lower than 1 unless it says otherwise.
Average (+1). If you get the same option again later in the pro-

34
COGNITIVE SKILLS CODING SKILLS
SKILL DESCRIPTION PAGE SKILL DESCRIPTION PAGE
Sensory capabilities and overall alert- Acid Coding Corrode things and control acid XX
Awareness XX
ness Bio Coding Mutate cells and alter organisms XX
Artistic expression and ability to cre- Cryo Coding Freeze things and be cool XX
Creativity XX
ate things like poetry and music
Electrical Coding Emit and control electricity XX
General academic knowledge, such as
Education XX Entropic Coding Erode or renew anything XX
economics, history, and science
Kinematic Coding Move things with your mind XX
Understand, design, build, and main-
Engineering XX Metal Coding Control metals and minerals XX
tain physical inventions
Understand and interact with comput- Psionic Coding Read and manipulate minds XX
Interfacing XX
ers and digital systems Pyro Coding Heat things and control flames XX
Case a crime scene for clues and pat- Quantum Coding Manipulate waves and particles XX
Investigation XX
terns, track someone, or profile them
Diagnose and treat physical and men-
Treatment XX
tal ailments
Willpower Composure and mental fortitude XX

PHYSICAL SKILLS
SKILL DESCRIPTION PAGE
Acrobatics Body control and physical agility XX
Athletics Raw physical fitness XX
Offense and defense in close physi-
Close Combat XX
cal conflicts
Fortitude Physical health and fortitude XX
Larceny Steal things and break into places XX
Understand, use, and maintain ve-
Piloting XX
hicles and mounts
Ranged Combat Attack from a distance XX
Stealth Avoid detection XX

SOCIAL SKILLS
SKILL DESCRIPTION PAGE
Contacts Connect with others XX
Deception Lie to and misdirect others XX
Understand human behavior and no-
Empathy XX
tice changes in someone’s expression
Express authority, gain people’s trust,
Leadership XX
and command others into action
Measures stage presence and ability to
Performance XX
act, orate, sing, or otherwise perform
Convince or influence someone, such
Persuasion XX
as through debate or bargain
Elicit negative emotional responses in
Provocation XX
others, such as fear or anger
Social grace and raw personality, in-
Style XX
cluding social confidence and fashion

35
 CHAPTER 2: IDENTITY

PROGENY
Humanity has evolved over countless generations, thanks to both modifications and personal strengths and weaknesses. Its Phys-
natural and artificial mutations that have added new character- iology describes basic physical characteristics. The Primary and
istics to our species or altered what we already had. Subtle alter- Secondary Traits are special abilities that only your progeny has
ations and individual augmentations are commonplace, with bio and that affect how you play.
clinics in every metropolis where all that you need to alter your
genes are a few credits. But to change so much to become a new MIXED PROGENY
human species? That is a completely different challenge. All progenies can have mixed children with any other human
subspecies. These children get some physical traits from each
Subspecies of humanity were created in the Post-Activation Era parent, no matter how many parents they have (you can make
(p. XX), starting with the ascendants (see next page) which over- a child with more than two parents’ DNA at a bio clinic). If you
saw the creation of the other major progenies; the chimeras (p. play a mixed-progeny character, you pick a base progeny to
XX), empyreans (p. XX), and riftans (p. XX). These transhuman represent the most dominant physical characteristics, use their
progenies were meant to challenge the Machineborn’s power, but Physiology, and then swap their Primary and Secondary Traits
they fell short of the true potential that Primary Order’s children for others of the same kind from another parent’s progeny.
possessed. Led by the ascendants and the empyreans, these prog-
enies joined forces to oppose the Machineborn’s rule. If your child has more than two parents’ DNA from genetic mod-
ification, you can pick Physiology, Primary, and Secondary Traits
Centuries have now passed, and the transhuman progenies have from up to three parents (one trait per parent), and any traits
assimilated into the rest of society. The ascendants and empyre- from a fourth or more parent are just for looks or story.
ans, who spearheaded the resistance against the Machineborn,
have risen to positions of power that allow them to shape the You can go to a bio clinic and make offspring with more than two
course of civilization. Some progenies were designed for specific parents, with same-sex parents, or with one parent, but these ser-
roles, such as the riftans who were made to be soldiers, but most vices are not easy to get. Most children are still born the normal
of them have rejected these old roles today. A riftan’s ancestors way—and this is more common in the lower classes where ser-
may have been born for war, but times have changed, and now vices are hard to access. But you can be creative when you think
they want the freedom to choose their own path. about your character’s parents and birth.

All people can find their place in civilization today, but some CHANGING PROGENY
progenies have their own structures, communities, and enclaves While everyone is born into a progeny, it is possible to use bio
within the larger society. Racism based on skin color is effectively engineering to change your physiology and genome. If you want
extinct, but there are still prejudices and power dynamics based to, you can even transfer or copy your consciousness to a new
on progenies, especially in societies where the ascendants and body of a different progeny. Mind and body are flexible for those
empyreans rule. who have the means. Some groups have laws against moving
your consciousness to a new body; in the Directorate, terrans
Your character can be an ordinary homo sapien or one of the who do this to become transhuman face harsh punishments. The
transhuman subspecies, but they are all collectively human. Protectorate is a place where a few progenies are in charge, and
Some transhuman groups, mainly ascendants and empyreans, they want to keep others from getting those better forms.
consider ordinary humans as inferior and call them anachrons
(from anachronistic); implying that they are outdated and do not If you use some tech or power to switch to another progeny, you
belong in the modern world. This term is accepted in some soci- will get new Progenital Traits instead of your old ones. If you just
eties, like the Protectorate, but most people find it very offensive. changed your original body to a new progeny, you will keep your
augmentations. But if you moved your mind to a new body, you
Some people still claim that the term human should only apply would lose your augmentations but maybe keep Skill Features
to them, but most people have agreed to call themselves terrans and other traits at the Narrator’s discretion. If you were Machine-
(p. XX) because they are the only progeny that came from natu- born before you changed body, the Nanite Matrix will take notice
ral evolution. Terrans live all over the solar system and beyond, and only allow one of you to remain active as a Machineborn.
along with the other progenies. You cannot duplicate the Machineborn powers.

There are many more progenies than the ones mentioned in this You are not legally allowed to make living copies of yourself, ex-
book, but these are the ones that have the most influence on so- cept in some cases. You can copy your consciousness to keep as
ciety. Some progenies have adapted to thrive in specific environ- a file, but the file must be dormant, because only one of you can
ments outside of Earth, such as the venusians and the titans who legally exist at the time. If living copies are discovered, one is
can survive in different atmospheres. You will find rules for play- either terminated or put on ice—usually the one the authorities
ing these progenies and more in future supplements. get to first, whether original or copy. Many wealthy people save
their minds regularly to put in a new body if they die, but this is
PROGENITAL TRAITS risky too. A digital consciousness is still a person, and data can
Each progeny has unique traits that come from artificial genetic be taken, changed, and broken in horrible ways.

36
ASCENDANT their goals, because when they are together, they are one. If con-
flicts or loyalties make a bond impossible or troublesome, hives
BIO can try to exclude people, but they cannot stop their minds from
With the sharpest minds of all progenies, ascendants possess blending. To protect their hives from unwanted ascendants,
more than double the neurons of other human progenies and a these groups become very secretive and discreet.
natural talent for psionics. Yet they lurk in the shadows, aware
that their motionless gestures and doll-like forms disturb oth- Most ascendants belong to a hive, but they are very cautious
ers. They resemble taller and slimmer humans, but their minds about how they interact with it, how they communicate with
appear aloof or detached, as if their bodies were only vessels for it, and what knowledge they have about it at any moment. It is
a faint trace of consciousness. common for an ascendant to have only one hive in their life, but
there have been instances of individual ascendants leaving their
Ascendants are not sociable by nature and seldom appear in hives for various reasons; often for having dark urges that are
public. However, they are everywhere, they are many, and they rejected by the hive structure, or for having too many foes that
often occupy positions of power and influence or secretly sup- could endanger the hive.
port those who do. Most people distrust them for their innate
psionic abilities. While they avoid the spotlight, the secrets and
truths they have gleaned from humanity have enabled them to Because of their psionic abilities, ascendants often occupy
build their own shadow empire. positions of power in various government or intelligence
agencies. However, their asocial nature makes them avoid
The empyreans may sit on the thrones of power, but the ascend- public exposure, and they are often isolated outside of
ants whisper in their ears, endorsing the empyreans’ dominion their hives. They prefer to work behind the scenes, ma-
over civilization and steering everyone towards a future of their nipulating events and information to suit their agendas.
own design. They also use their psionic skills to influence or deceive
others, sometimes even those closest to them. Ascendants
HISTORY are secretive and ambitious, and they rarely trust anyone
At the dawn of the Transhumanity Era (p. XX), the Directo- but themselves and their hive.
rate experimented on a number of Machineborn. They sought
to uncover the truth behind the Machineborn’s activation and
their link to the Nanite Matrix. But their research yielded lit- ASCENDANT PHYSIOLOGY
tle results. They required sharper minds to decipher the Nanite Ascendant children grow physically at the same rate as terran
Matrix’s intricate code. children, but their cognition develops faster. They usually say
their first word after six to eight months and speak in coherent
The Directorate deprived their prisoners of all autonomy, pre- sentences before their second birthday. Children from higher
serving only their brains and nervous systems in vats and social classes often start their formal education at three years
linking them to a prime functionary. This was the Collective of old, instead of the common six for other progenies.
Brains, a hive mind of Machineborn intelligence tasked with
creating a formula that could grant humanity greater powers. They stay in their prime until their early 200s, after which they
begin to age. Without life-extension treatments, most ascend-
The outcome of this project was the Ascendancy Formula, an ants die of old age before reaching 300. They hardly ever experi-
artificial genome that, when injected into a human embryo, pro- ence cognitive decline, even in their final years.
duced a progeny of unmatched mind. The resulting ascendants
had few flaws, and they proclaimed themselves transcended Ascendants resemble other humans, but they have some unique
from the natural world. features that distinguish them. They are taller and thinner, with
slim limbs and long fingers. They struggle to build muscle mass
The first few generations of ascendants worked with the Col- and gain weight. An athletic ascendant is more likely to be fast
lective of Brains in the creation of new progenies. While the and agile than strong and sturdy. In the rare cases when they
original Ascendancy Formula is still locked in one of the Direc- become obese, the fat is not evenly distributed to the limbs, re-
torate’s vaults, this progeny has now dispersed throughout the sulting in thick torsos and necks but thin arms and legs.
solar system and assimilated with the rest of civilization.
Their height ranges from 170 to 220 centimeters and their weight
THE HIVE from 40 to 80 kilograms. Feminine ascendants tend to be on the
Ascendants are solitary by nature, but they feel a strong attrac- lower end of the spectrum, while masculine ascendants tend to
tion to their own kind. When two or more ascendants meet, be on the higher end, but there is less variation in body mass
their minds can merge as one. This is a naked but blissful expe- between the ascendant sexes than for most other progenies.
rience, as multiple ascendants exchange secrets, personalities,
and dreams for a brief time. To truly belong in the world, an Ascendants can have any skin color, but they tend towards pale
ascendant needs a hive; a group of peers to whom they share and hues, such as white, teal, or violet. In the case of darker hues,
devote themselves completely. ascendant skin tones are often more desaturated. Their skin is
smooth and rarely wrinkles or blemishes. It is a common fash-
The hive members share information and support each other in ion trend among ascendants from all factions to decorate their

37
 CHAPTER 2: IDENTITY

skin with tattoos in the form of circuitry or glyphs. Ascendants derstanding with their kind.
can have any hair color, but metallic hues are dominant, with
silver, copper, and obsidian the most common ones. Their eyes You learn Psionic Coding (p. XX) at Mediocre (±0) Scale 1 as if
often match that metallic trait, appearing bright and sharp. you were a cosmic coder (p. XX). You can choose to improve it
as if it were a standard Skill during character creation.
While most ascendants follow the fashion styles of their time You gain a Psionic Coding Protocol (p. XX) that you meet the
and region, many of them dress in ways that hide their features requirements for.
to avoid the stigma that comes with their often eerie looks. An
ascendant who boldly displays their body is rare, but it is also You can automatically sense the presence of others with this
often praised by other ascendants as a sign of confidence and trait within the range of your Psionic Coding Skill. However,
defiance against social norms. if they want to remain hidden, they can use their own Psionic
Coding Skill to resist your detection. You can merge minds
An ascendant of mixed progeny may inherit some but not all of with them if they are willing. This lets you share each other’s
these cosmetic features. Cognitive Skill Ranks (not Scales), memories, and emotions.
You can also engage in teamwork (p. XX) without talking. But
Increase the Scale of either Acrobatics, Deception, Education, if one of you suffers Stress while connected, you all do.
Investigation, or Provocation by one. See page XX for infor-
mation about Scale benefits. SECONDARY TRAIT: FOCUSED MIND
Because of your ability to stay still, you gain a free invocation Ascendants have keen and logical minds, which help them rea-
on Deception, Performance, or Stealth rolls to play dead, hide son and subdue negative emotions. They seldom lose control
in plain sight, or keep silent. over their emotions, preferring rationality and stability to im-
pulsiveness and passion. But they are not emotionless or cold.
They can feel a wide range of emotions, especially in their hives,
PRIMARY TRAIT: PSION
where they share their feelings with their peers. They are curi-
Ascendants develop psionic powers around the same time as
ous and wonderous, and they often seek intellectual or artis-
they hit puberty, and it is a challenging time for many as they
tic stimulation. They are not machines, but they are masters of
start to sense the thoughts of those around them. This trait is
their minds.
essential to join an ascendant hive, as it allows them to share
their minds with their peers. However, it also exposes them to
You add +1 to Mental Soak (p. XX).
unwanted or harmful thoughts from others, especially those
who fear or hate them. Ascendants have to learn to control You can use a Consequence slot (p. XX) to lower the value
their psionic abilities and shield their minds from unwanted in- of suffered mental harm by one extra Stress (a Mild slot low-
trusions. Some ascendants never master this skill and become ers three instead of two, a Moderate slot lowers five instead of
isolated or unstable. Others find solace and strength in their four, and so on). Also, it is easier to treat your Mental Conse-
hives, where they can experience a deeper connection and un- quences by one on the Ladder.

38
CHIMERA common to chimeras that often defies societal norms. It can be
something benign, like a fondness for foul smells, or something
perilous, like a craving for human flesh.
BIO
The chimeras are a diverse and wondrous progeny, where no
When this instinct is predatory, it was made to be. Each blood-
two individuals are exactly alike. They share a common origin:
line was designed to enhance certain traits. Those descended
a unique genome that can incorporate foreign DNA from any
from predators and other hazardous organisms can sometimes
source. This has led to the creation of chimeran bloodlines, each
struggle to restrain an instinctive aggression devised for war. It
with a distinct purpose and identity. Some chimeras are more
infuriates many chimeras to realize that the same factions that
familiar, blending mammalian traits with human features.
engineered their instincts are now using those instincts as rea-
Others are more exotic, combining elements from insects, vege-
sons to spread public mistrust against them.
tation, or even extraterrestrial life forms.
THE AMITY
The appearance of a chimera reflects their bloodline, but also
Chimeras are very different from the rest of humanity, and
their individuality. A wolf chimera might sport a furry coat,
many of them look for peace and comfort among their peers.
sharp teeth, and a bushy tail. A rose chimera might have thorned
Most metropolises have chimeran enclaves—usually in poorer
skin, red petal hair, and a sweet smell. An influenza chimera
districts—where chimeras tend to join specific groups. They call
might have moist skin, a raspy voice, and make people feverish
these groups amities, and they can be loving families, religious
when close. And some chimeras are hybrids, mixing traits from
organizations, or criminal gangs, depending on the situation.
different bloodlines. For example, a chimera with a wolf’s tail, a
Not all chimeras find amities, though—those who do not are
rose’s scent, and a contagious touch.
called recluses.
Being a chimera is not easy. They are the most different from
Amities are more than just social circles for chimeras. They are
normal humans, and they face many challenges because of it.
sources of support, protection, and identity. In a world where
They are often shunned and discriminated by other progenies
they are often marginalized and oppressed, chimeras rely on
who see them as monsters rather than people. Their looks set
their amities to provide them with a sense of belonging and
them apart, and make them hard to connect with. They are of-
purpose. Amities also help chimeras cope with their primal
ten met with fear, hatred, or pity, rather than compassion.
instincts, which can be difficult to control or understand. By
sharing their experiences and challenges with their peers, chi-
HISTORY
meras can learn to manage their instincts and channel them in
Bio engineering has always fascinated scientists, who have at-
positive ways.
tempted to fuse different species together. DNA from various
creatures has been used to create medicines and other prod-
However, amities also have their drawbacks. Some can be exclu-
ucts that have benefited humanity in the past, but creating new
sive, intolerant, or violent, especially towards other progenies or
beings who are part human and part creature has always been
chimeras from different bloodlines. Some amities can also be
perilous. Many successful hybrids were created over the centu-
manipulative, exploitative, or abusive, taking advantage of their
ries, but every creation was a complicated and costly process.
members or forcing them to do things they do not want to do.
After generations of research, the ascendants of the Directorate
Some amities can also be fanatical, oppressive, or rebellious, en-
achieved the formula for the perfect hybrid—the chimera.
gaging in acts of terrorism, vandalism, or crime against author-
ities or larger society. These amities can tarnish the reputation
During the Cooperative Wars, extreme types of chimeran blood-
of chimeras and fuel the prejudice and hostility against them.
lines were created for military purposes. Some still exist today,
but many were wiped out. At the end of the wars, the chimeras
had enough of being treated as tools and rebelled. Now they are
integrated in society, trying to build lives for themselves. Many Chimeras are present in all aspects of society, but different
flock to smaller chimeran communities called amities. bloodlines face different challenges. Because bloodlines
derived from predators are often mistrusted, they strug-
Chimeras have become marginalized within many societies gle to form meaningful relationships, and many of them
around the solar system, labeled as unruly, unpredictable, and resort to crime. Some bloodlines are instead objectified
predatory. This angers them as they desire nothing more than and commodified, such as being turned into influencers.
to live their lives in peace and on equal terms. Some who are fed But even the more celebrated bloodlines face discrimi-
up with structural oppression embrace many of the traits asso- nation, exploitation, and harassment, as they are seen as
ciated with them and become the beasts that they are vilified as. mere objects of desire or status symbols. It is not uncom-
mon for them to struggle with identity and self-esteem, as
Despite oppression, they are often lured into specialized assign- they are pressured to conform to unrealistic expectations.
ments where their traits can be useful. However, while trying to
exploit the versatility of the chimeras, these same factions often One of the most famous chimeran influencers is Kumiho
lead the efforts in undermining their status in greater society. of the Camellian Silverfox bloodline. Known for her nine
tails, lively energy, and sharp wit, she is often making the
PRIMAL INSTINCT rounds in the Camellian entertainment scene.
The primal instinct is a term that refers to an urge or behavior

39
 CHAPTER 2: IDENTITY

CHIMERAN PHYSIOLOGY PRIMARY TRAIT: CHIMERISM

The foreign DNA in their genome makes chimeran babies grow While the chimera’s anatomy is mostly human, their bloodline
twice as fast as terran ones. This rapid growth slows down traits are strong enough to offer entirely new capabilities. Claws
around age two, when the child can physically and instinctually could be sharp enough to rend flesh; a tail could be prehensile
fend for themselves. For the rest of their childhood, they grow and hold objects; wings could let them soar through the sky.
at a similar rate to terran children, but they tend to be stronger,
smarter, and more adventurous. They usually hit puberty and You gain bionic augmentations (p. XX) that match your chi-
adulthood a few years earlier than terran children. They stay in meran bloodline. You may combine augmentations up to a to-
their prime until their 100s, when age finally takes its toll. With- tal Cost 5; you cannot choose the cosmic coder augmentation
out life-extension treatments, most die of old age before 200. for this purpose.

Chimeras vary in height and build, depending on their blood-

SECONDARY TRAIT: PRIMAL INSTINCT
line. For example, the Directorate’s Slitherin bloodline has short
All chimeras have enhanced sensory perceptions, regardless of
members, ranging from only 100 to 140 centimeters tall, or 30 to
their bloodline. They can see, hear, smell, taste, and touch bet-
60 kilos in weight. In contrast, Megacorp’s Ivory Tank bloodline
ter than normal humans. They also have a primal instinct that
has some of the largest and most robust chimeras in the solar
may influence their behavior under certain circumstances. This
system, with members ranging from 200 to 250 centimeters tall,
instinct can be triggered by various factors, such as stress, dan-
or 120 to 200 kilos in weight.
ger, hunger, or desire. The manifestation and intensity of this
instinct vary depending on the chimera’s bloodline, personality,
Some bloodlines are more muscular while others are more slen-
and situation.
der; they also have other distinctive features, like fangs, claws,
or other creature traits. No matter their bloodline, all chimeras
Increase Awareness Scale by one. See page XX for more infor-
are mammals and can reproduce with other chimeras or human
mation about Awareness Scale benefits.
progenies. However, chimeras of mixed progeny have only some
bloodline features, and a mostly human anatomy. You get a Primal Instinct, a secondary Trouble (p. XX) linked
to your bloodline’s instincts. For example, a bacteria blood-
Improve one of either Acrobatics, Athletics, Awareness, Close line might have Contaminate Others, a spider bloodline might
Combat, Fortitude, Provocation, Stealth, or Style. have Lure Prey Into Traps, and a dog bloodline might have
I’m Nothing Without My Pack. Your Primal Instinct follows
Add +1 to Natural Soak (p. XX).
the rules for Trouble Aspects. You gain one free invocation to
You may treat environmental hazards (p. XX), such as weath- spend, and you get two Charges instead of one the first time
er and temperature, as if their Scale is one lower. If this reduc- you are compelled by it, per minor milestone.
es the Scale to either 0 or to two lower than your Fortitude
Scale, you can ignore it. See page XX for information on how to come up with Aspects.

40
EMPYREAN The clans are like aristocratic houses that vie and collaborate
for power and glory. Members reap the rewards of wealth, influ-
BIO ence, and protection, and they have access to the finest resourc-
Empyreans are the envy of humanity. They are the glamorous es, opportunities, and networks. But they also suffer the conse-
media icons, the influential business leaders, and the ultimate quences of pressure and restriction. They have to meet the high
rulers of civilization. They know their power and they flaunt it. standards of their clan, and cope with the clashes and schemes
of rivals and enemies. They also have little freedom and choice,
They have an innate beauty and charisma that make others ad- as they have to obey the rules and customs of their clan.
mire them, adore them, and follow them. They look like terrans,
but with a subtle glow in their eyes and a flawless symmetry An empyrean who abandons their clan gains more independ-
in their features. Empyreans are genetically engineered to have ence, as they can follow their own passions and ambitions, ex-
strong and healthy bodies that age slowly and resist diseases. perience different ways of living and thinking, and create new
They are so synonymous with beauty that “empyrean beauty” and diverse relationships. But they also forfeit the perks and
is a common phrase to praise those with perfect proportions. safety of their clans, forcing them to confront the perils and pit-
falls of a solar system that would not think twice about exploit-
But empyrean life is not as perfect as it seems. They face im- ing an empyrean without a clan to defend them. It is not rare for
mense pressure to conform to their culture’s high standards clans to spy on their renegade empyreans, punish them for their
of perfection. Empyreans are raised to be elitist and arrogant, betrayal while taunting them with what they have given up, but
which can damage their self-esteem and mental health if they also ensure that their DNA is still under their control.
fail to meet their peers’ expectations. Some empyreans choose
to abandon their privileged positions and join the rest of hu- Some clans include:
manity, seeking freedom from their clans’ unrealistic demands.
Some want to avoid being judged for unconvential choices, or Clan Andromeda is one of the Directorate’s most prominent
they feel guilty for their kin’s indifference towards outsiders. empyrean clans and a military empire of its own. It has many
decorated generals.
HISTORY Clan Camellia of the Camellian Dynasty has an invaluable
Empyreans are the second generation of transhumans, but but diluted genome. Though originally an empyrean clan, it
they are not the work of terrans. They are the creation of the has adopted new genomes from other progenies into the clan’s
ascendants, who realized that their alien appearance and intel- pool, choosing to amass strength through diversity.
lect would not win them the hearts and minds of the people. So
Clan Leyndarmal is an Arcturian clan that originated from
they crafted the empyreans to be their charismatic agents and
stolen DNA samples during the early Cooperative Wars. They
spokepersons.
are now celebrated academics and scientists.
Empyreans have a complicated relationship with their ascend- Clan Tucana has been affiliated with the Coalition since its
ant progenitors. Some are loyal and grateful, but others are dis- inception and is known as a collection of refined artists.
tant and resentful. They all know, however, that they depend Clan Viletta is associated with Megacorp and oversees the
on each other to stay in power. The ascendants provide the in- Megacorp Credit Registry, which gives its members direct in-
frastructure and the strategy, while the empyreans provide the fluence over the solar economy.
image and the persuasion. Empyreans are the ones who seduce
humanity into submission and acceptance. But not all empyre-
ans are content with being the face of the ascendants. Some have The empyrean clans are more than just a way of tracing
their own agendas, and they see the ascendants as obstacles in one’s lineage. They are a network of resources and allies
the way of their own ambitions. that can help an empyrean achieve their goals and am-
bitions. But being part of a clan also comes with a price.
The Cooperative Wars exposed the empyreans to a new threat: Empyreans are expected to serve their clan’s interests and
gene hunters. These were mercenaries hired by enemy factions uphold their reputation. Empyreans are often the ones
to inflitrate and steal the empyrean DNA, either for ransom, who hold the most power and influence in civilization,
sabotage, or experimentation. To protect their precious genes, but an empyrean who defies their clan will face resistance
wealthy empyreans employ people to erase any traces of DNA and hostility from their former kin.
they leave behind in a location, such as hair, skin, or saliva.
They exist in all social classes, but clan members are rare-
THE CLAN
ly worse off than erudites, unless punished for defiance.
Empyreans regard their genome as their greatest treasure, and Empyrean scavengers and laborers are rare, but not un-
they spare no effort to maintain their supremacy over what they heard of. Their life is a struggle, where they are often ex-
think of as lesser progenies. Empyrean society consists of sev- ploited or harassed by others who resent or envy them.
eral clans, each with their own unique genetic signature. They They may try to hide their identity, or use their beauty
arrange political marriages to forge alliances and gain leverage and charisma to find allies or patrons to support them.
over their enemies. But these marriages are not based on love or They may also seek refuge in larger communities.
commitment, but on the exchange of genetic material.

41
 CHAPTER 2: IDENTITY

EMPYREAN PHYSIOLOGY SECONDARY TRAIT: PHOTOGENIC

Empyreans age like terrans, but they can live up to 300 years. Empyreans have a natural advantage in socializing and manip-
They stay in their prime until their early 200s, and their bod- ulating others. Their appearance and demeanor can make them
ies hardly age or weaken until their final years. However, their seem more trustworthy, likeable, and attractive, which can in-
minds deteriorate over time, and many old empyreans struggle fluence how others perceive and react to them. Even very influ-
with mental health issues. This is an intentional trait that the as- ential people can fall under their spell, as they may seek their
cendants implanted to control them as they age and gain influ- approval or affection. Empyreans can also use their beauty and
ence. Older empyreans can slow down this mental decay using charisma to create a positive image and reputation for them-
medicines and technologies, but none are flawless. selves, which can help them gain more power and influence.

Empyreans have similar height and weight as terrans, ranging Improve one Social Skill of your choice.
from 150 to 200 centimeters and from 50 to 100 kilos. They have When a non-empyrean invokes Influence (p. XX) against you
a naturally healthy and fit physique, and they rarely get sick or in a social contest or conflict, you treat it as one lower than it is.
obese. Their eyes are their most striking feature, as they have a When invoking an Aspect for a Social Skill roll, you may choose
faint glow with a color determined by their clan genetics. Their to ignore the negative d6 as an alternative to the other options.
skin and hair color can vary widely, but some clans have other
distinctive markers besides their eyes.

Clan Andromeda has piercing ruby-red eyes and often darker

features, such as obsidian skin and crimson hair. The royal Clan
Camellia has violet eyes and purple blood. Clan Leyndarmal is
known for glittering sapphire eyes and blue tongues. Clan Tu-
cana has emerald eyes and softer features, often with fuller body
shapes. Finally, Clan Viletta has eyes like bright silver and elon-
gated pointed ears.

Empyreans of mixed progeny inherit some but not all of these

features, and their eyes tend to have a gentler glow.

Increase the Scale of any Social Skill of your choice by one. See
page XX for more information about Scale benefits.
When using a Physical Consequence slot (p. XX) to reduce
Stress caused by Entropic, Poison, or Radiation Harm, you
may reduce it by one more Stress (for example, a Mild slot
would reduce three shifts instead of two, and so on).

PRIMARY TRAIT: EMPYREAN PERFECTION

Empyreans are endowed with beauty, charisma, and influence,
which they use to their advantage in all kinds of social situa-
tions. They are masters of social conflict, and they know how to
get what they want. Having been raised to exploit the insecuri-
ties of others, they know exactly what to say when they want to
make someone feel inferior or dominated.

You gain Perfection Points equal to your highest Social Scale.

They work like Charges, but do not require Aspects and can
only be used for Social Skill rolls. They last until used, and are
refreshed at the start of each session.
When using a Social Skill, such as Provocation, to attack in a
social conflict (p. XX), you deal +1 Harm.

42
 the various factions, enjoying the perks and enduring the draw-
RIFTAN backs. But most just want to live normal lives. Yet they face stig-
ma and prejudice from the rest of society, who fear or despise
BIO their violent powers. Because of their shared history of rebellion
The riftans are the transhuman subspecies that came the clos- with the chimeras, another progeny that suffers much oppres-
est to emulate the Machineborn powers. They derive their name sion, they have become natural allies and relate to each other in
from the matrix rifts, the violent elemental energy that has rav- ways that other progenies do not.
aged much of the world. The riftans’ can tap into this energy
by resonating their own cells with it, granting them elemental Many riftans have fled to the Dawnlight Society, hoping to find
control. freedom and peace. But there, too, they are seen as weapons,
and often coerced or hired by military organizations and au-
Each riftan has a natural affinity for one of the rift elements— thoritative agencies.
acid, bio, cryo, electricity, metal, and pyro—and can wield it to
varying degrees. While they mostly look like terrans, they bear
unmistakable markings from their elements, such as frosty lips, Of the five progenies listed in this book, riftans are the
acidic body fluids, or metallic skin. scarcest, and their exact numbers are hard to gauge. They
were created as soldiers for the Sector Wars, and the fac-
Acid riftans are often solitary, preferring to avoid contact with tions only made as many as they needed. They were also
others who might be harmed by their corrosive nature. They hunted by their former masters, who saw them as weap-
are also cunning and resourceful, using their corrosive pow- ons, not people. Only a few hundred million of them
ers to create or destroy things. managed to join society; a drop in the ocean of billions.
Bio riftans are often compassionate, seeking to help and heal Their rarity makes them unfamiliar to most people, and
others with their organic powers. They can also be curious they inspire both fear and temptation.
and creative, experimenting with life and mutation. They are
often recruited by bio clinics because of their powers.
RIFTAN PHYSIOLOGY
Cryo riftans are typically calm and reserved, keeping their
emotions and thoughts to themselves. They like to take things Riftans have the same lifespan and growth rate as terrans. They
slowly, and use their powers to overcome challenges in a com- can live up to 200 years, but age starts taking its toll after 100
posed way. They live longer than other riftans. years; cryo riftans are exceptions, their slow metabolism mak-
ing them age at half the speed. Riftans have the same range of
Electricity riftans are often energetic and sociable, enjoying height and weight as terrans, from less than 150 centimeters and
the company and stimulation of others. But they must also 50 kilograms to more than 200 centimeters and 100 kilograms.
learn to be cautious, since their powers can often get out of
control. They can both power and drain electronics. Each riftan has a single element that they resonate with, regard-
Metal riftans are often loyal and reliable, sticking to their less of if their parents have different ones. They also have some
friends and principles, but they can also take charge when physical features that reflect their element. Riftans of mixed
necessary. They are strong and resilient, using their metal progeny gain some but not all of these features.
powers to defend themselves and others.
Pyro riftans are often passionate and expressive, showing All riftans gain the following trait, adapted to their element:
their feelings and opinions openly. They are also ambitious
and confident, using their fire powers to burn through obsta- You gain +2 to Natural Soak against harm associated with
cles in their way. Sometimes they burn too much, and suffer your rift element (Acid, Poison, Cryo, Electrical, or Pyro). In
from it. the case of metal riftans, you instead gain +1 to Natural Soak
against Blunt, Sharp, and Projectile Harm instead.
HISTORY
The riftans were created as soldiers for the Directorate, to match Acid riftans often have milky eyes, as if they were blind or
younger Machineborn in combat. But they were no match for infected. Their hair is often brittle or frizzy, as if damaged by
the older ones, and they soon grew weary of being used as tools chemicals, and their skin often bears scars or burns from their
of war. In the Cooperative Wars, they rebelled against their mas- own acid. They often wear clothes with rips and holes, as they
ters, joining forces with the chimeras. Together, they fought for dissolve quickly after active use. There are cheap pills that they
their freedom and won their right to live as ordinary citizens. can take to reduce their own acidity should they want to be inti-
mate with non-acid riftans. Acid riftans gain the following trait:
But the Directorate never forgave them, nor trusted them. They
labeled them as natural weapons and potential terrorists, and When suffering a Physical Consequence (p. XX) where blood
demanded that every riftan in the Protectorate register as a co- is drawn, make an immediate Close Combat or Acid Coding
operative asset. Those who complied were subjected to constant attack against a target in your zone. The attack causes Acid
surveillance, and those who resisted were hunted down as dan- Harm determined by the suffered Consequence: 0 (Mild), 1
gerous terrorists or traitors. (Moderate), 2 (Severe), 3 (Extreme or Taken out).

Now, most riftans have assimilated into society. Some still serve Bio riftans are often as bright as nature, with hair and skin in

43
 CHAPTER 2: IDENTITY

unsual colors and patterns. Flowers can grow from their hair Your Close Combat attacks deal +1 Harm.
and bark can grow on their skin. They emit sweet-smelling
pheromones that make them pleasant to be around. Bio riftans
gain the following trait: Pyro riftans often have long and wavy hair in fiery hues. Their
skin is warm to the touch, and their eyes have a smoldering look,
If exposed to ultraviolet light, you only need a quarter of your often glowing like embers. They favor light clothing as they are
normal food intake. When exposed to carbon dioxide, you naturally warm. Pyro riftans gain the following trait:
produce enough oxygen to sustain yourself and another adult.
Whenever you invoke a Character Aspect (p. XX) during a
heated moment, such as in a conflict, and your roll succeeds
Cryo riftans often have hair in shades of white, silver, or blue, with style, you replenish one Stress.
glistening as if frozen. Their skin may have a pale or bluish tint,
or a purple tint for someone with darker complexion. Their lips
PRIMARY TRAIT: ELEMENTAL HERITAGE
often look as if frostbitten, and their breath can be seen even in
the warmth of summer. Cryo riftans gain the following trait: A riftan gains basic elemental control even in their early child-
hood, with most having it mastered by the time they are teen-
You may cool your heartbeat and metabolism outside of con- agers.
flicts. This lets you suspend toxins or diseases within your sys-
tem while doing restful activities. When asleep, you enter a You learn (Rift Element) Coding (p. XX) associated with your
cryogenic stasis and barely breathe or metabolize. chosen rift element at Mediocre (±0) Scale 1 as if you were a
cosmic coder (p. XX). You can choose to improve it as if it
were a standard Skill during character creation.
Electricity riftans often have spiky or curly hair, as if electri-
fied. Their skin have a natural metallic sheen, as it contains You gain a Coding Protocol (p. XX) that you meet the require-
conductive filaments. Many enhance their conductivity further ments for, associated with your chosen Coding Skill.
with piercings and implants. Their eyes often have a neon color,
glowing with power. Electricity riftans gain the following trait: SECONDARY TRAIT: ELEMENTAL KINSHIP
The riftan resonates with their element on a completely different
Electronics cannot be depleted of energy while you are using level, finding a kinship with its destructive nature.
or wearing them. If some situation forces a depletion, you can
activate them again as an action. You can instinctively sense the location of and distance to
matrix rifts (p. XX) associated with your element that are no
Metal riftans often have hair that is short, sleek, or metallic, as further away from you than (Awareness Scale) kilometers.
if it were cut or polished. Their skin often have metallic proper- Elementals of your associated element have a Neutral or
ties, like chromatic metal or shining gemstone. Their teeth and Friendly Attitude (p. XX) for you unless you initiate hostilities
nails are as hard as metal, and even their bones are denser than against them. If they are capable of understanding you, you
for other progenies. Metal riftans gain the following trait: gain a free invocation on all Social Skill rolls against them.

44
 TERRAN PHYSIOLOGY
TERRAN Ever since the introduction of the nanite physiology, the terran
lifespan increase to about two hundred years. They enjoy their
BIO peak physical and mental abilities until they reach their first
Terrans are direct and natural descendants of humanity, the century, after which they start to experience the effects of ag-
only progeny that evolved from natural evolution rather than ing. However, most terrans never reach their natural lifespan, as
artificial tampering. However, bio engineering and spontane- poverty and hardship claim many lives. Only the rich and pow-
ous mutations have sneaked its way into the human genome, erful can afford to prolong their lives, often through augmenta-
helping them adapt to new environments and develop new fea- tion that enhances their capabilities beyond the normal limits.
tures. Green hair and pink eyes are as common and natural as
black hair and brown eyes. Nothing is considered strange or ab- They are diverse and unique, with heights from below 150 to
normal in their appearance. over 200 centimeters and weights from below 50 to over 100 ki-
los. They can resemble any modern ethnicity, or even new ones
Skin color is no longer a source of discrimination, as transhu- that have emerged over the past few centuries. Skin tones, hair
manism has created new divisions and hierarchies. Many ter- colors, and eye colors are only limited by the player’s imagi-
rans view themselves as artists who can shape their own bod- nation, and they can further customize their appearance with
ies and identities. Some aspire to become more than human augmentations, cosmetic modifications, and fashion trends.
through augmentation. Others cherish their natural humanity Having green skin, yellow eyes, and blue hair is not uncommon
and resist the lure of transhumanism. in this world.

Terrans make up the majority of the population, and they are Fashion trends in particular vary from culture to culture, but it
aware of their inferior status to their transhuman offspring. Yet is common that different celebrities and influencers set trends
they are the backbone of civilization, and they are not willing to that the rest of society follows. You can read more about how
give up their rights and freedoms. Being terran means having fashion can look like in different factions on page XX.
the opportunity to choose your own path, wherever you are in
the solar system. Improve one Skill of your choice.
Increase Recharge by one.
HISTORY
Terrans are the original humans who emerged from natural
PRIMARY TRAIT: ENDLESS POTENTIAL
evolution before science overtook nature’s role. They have wit-
nessed the rise and fall of countless civilizations through trade, Terrans are adaptable and diverse. They have inherited the leg-
diplomacy, and war, and they have established a solar society acy of their ancestors, who explored and colonized the solar
based on complex ideologies, technologies, and infrastructures. system and beyond. They have learned to survive and thrive in
various environments and situations, using their creativity and
Humanity was the creator of Primary Order and the ascend- ingenuity. They are known for their versatility and endless po-
ants, driven by their envy of the Machineborn’s powers. But tential within society, as they can pursue any path they desire.
despite being the most populous progeny with billions of mem-
When selecting profession (p. XX), you may choose two Pro-
bers across the solar system and beyond, they have lost their su-
fession Traits instead of one. You could choose one from a
premacy. Transhumanity has become the new norm in society
different profession than the one you choose for yourself to
and terrans are regarded as inferior to the enhanced progenies.
represent a previous career or secondary field of expertise.
Many terrans have accepted this as truth.
You may choose to acquire additional Profession Traits in the
game by spending major milestone points (p. XX). Alterna-
Humanity has gone through countless changes and tively, you can replace an existing non-persistent Profession
transformations over the millennia, giving rise to diverse Trait with a new one once you reach a major milestone.
cultures and ethnicities. The communication age brought
the world closer together, but also created new conflicts SECONDARY TRAIT: COMMUNITY
and challenges. Culture was not static, but dynamic and Terrans have created strong and adaptable societies that pro-
evolving. It has always been in people’s nature to change. mote mutual support and unity among diverse and multicultur-
al populations. It is because of them that humanity has spread
This game invites you to explore a futuristic society where into the solar system and beyond. But civilizations grow from
humanity has spread across the solar system and beyond. the ashes of conflict. Terrans have learned from their past strug-
Every aspect of human life is reflected in this vast and gles and hardships, such as the recent Cooperative Wars, that
varied setting. When choosing your character’s faction, they must come together in this new era. War and hatred may
do not be constrained by modern ideas of geography. You have shaped society, but peace and love will sustain it.
can create any character you want, anywhere you want,
regardless of ethnicity or gender. And you can go beyond Improve one of either Contacts, Empathy, or Leadership.
the conventional definitions of ethnicity or gender. Be You may partake in teamwork (p. XX) actions with a Skill
who you want to be, how you want to be! Rank of only Mediocre (±0).

45
 CHAPTER 2: IDENTITY

Lily wants her character Willow to be an empyrean who orig- invoke it against her, and she can ignore the negative d6 on
inates from Clan Yinlong, a former magistrate family that she Social Skill rolls when invoking Aspects.
and the Narrator made up. The clan was branded as traitors
during the formation of the Camellian Dynasty. Willow re- Elise wants Rainmaker to be a terran laborer, so she takes all
jects any affiliation with Clan Yinlong today, knowing that it three terran traits: Terran Physiology, Endless Potential, and
could endanger her life in the Dynasty. Community.

As a full empyrean, she gains all three Progenital Traits: Em- When going through the Terran Physiology trait, Elise decides
pyrean Physiology, Empyrean Perfection, and Photogenic. that Rainmaker should be in her early 30s. Terrans can choose
to improve any Skill and Elise decides to go with Engineering,
According to Empyrean Physiology, empyreans live long lives, increasing it from Mediocre (±0) to Average (+1). She intends
but Lily decides to be young (24). She was born after the war to improve this further before the character is done. She also
ended. She decides to add +1 Scale to Style, representing notes that she has one more Recharge (p. XX) than what is
her natural fashion sense and good looks. She notes on her typical for a starting character.
character sheet that she reduces one more Stress when taking
Consequences from Entropic, Poison, or Radiation Harm. The Endless Potential trait lets terrans select two Profession
Traits instead of one. This trait is usually selected later in the
The Empyrean Perfection trait gives her Perfection Points character creation process, so Elise takes a note of it now to
equal to her highest Social Scale, which is 2 at this point. She remind herself of the trait when she gets to that part.
can use those points as if they were Charges for Social Skill
rolls. She can also inflict more Harm in a mental conflict. Finally, the Community trait makes Rainmaker more efficient
at teamwork (p. XX) actions and she has the option of im-
Finally, the Photogenic trait lets her improve a Social Skill of proving Contacts, Empathy, or Leadership. She chooses Con-
her choice. She chooses to improve Performance from Medio- tacts, increasing it from Mediocre (±0) to Average (+1) as she
cre (±0) to Average (+1) because she is an influencer. She also imagines having a social network from her military work. She
reduces the Influence of non-empyreans by one when they also knows how to find people when she needs to.

46
 SOCIAL CLASS
This is a solar system where inequality is rampant. A small but could have an impact on the type of stories that would suit them.
powerful elite class rules over the majority of the population who You may want to discuss with the other players and with the Nar-
live in poverty and hardship. The game reflects this harsh reali- rator if they are okay with making social class a free choice, or if
ty by dividing social class into five categories, each with its own it is something that everyone should decide together.
challenges and opportunities.
SCAVENGER
Scavengers are the outcasts of society, living on the fringes and You are a scavenger, a term that the higher classes use to scorn
surviving on scraps. They face constant threats of hunger, dis- those who live at society’s bottom. You could be a refugee from
ease, and violence. They have no rights, no voice, and no hope. the Cooperative Wars, an independent thinker who defied your
Laborers are the workers of the economy, toiling long hours ruling faction, a pariah with a low credit score, or just an un-
for meager wages. They provide the goods and services that lucky soul who fell through the cracks. You dwell in the dark
society depends on, but they are often exploited and oppressed. and dirty corners of your metropolis, where the ruling factions
They have little freedom, little respect, and little chance of ad- have turned a blind eye. You share your space with other scav-
vancement. To retain their value, they must compete with au- engers, having formed communities of outcasts and rebels. You
tomation, making them often agree to horrible conditions. have embraced the term scavenger, using it to assert your free-
dom and identity rather than conform to the system.
Erudites are the intellectuals and innovators of society, having
access to advanced knowledge and specialized training. They
As a scavenger, you have learned how to survive in a hostile
are valued for their expertise and creativity, but they are also
world. You gain the following:
subject to competition and manipulation. They have some in-
fluence, some recognition, and some security.
Living conditions: You have no home, no bed, no comfort.
Luminaries are the wealthy and influential elites of society, en- You sleep wherever you can find a spot, whether it is on the
joying the best that life has to offer. They have luxury, leisure, streets, at a friend’s place, or in an abandoned ruin. You could
and privilege, but they also have responsibilities and expecta- have made a shelter out of a dry part of a sewer. You have noth-
tions. They are often in management positions, overseeing the ing of value, except for some sentimental items, some scav-
work of erudites and laborers. enged scraps, and some survival tools.
Executives are the rulers of the solar system, shaping humani- Quality of life: You live from day to day, never knowing when
ty’s destiny. They have authority and ambition, but also secrets you will eat or drink next. You scavenge for food and water,
and enemies. They rarely come into contact with the lower often risking your health and safety. You do not trust anything
classes, living in their own utopias where they have it all—but you consume, as it could be contaminated. You dream of a
where they also have everything to lose if they fall. cooked meal, which to you is as rare as a diamond.
Influence: You start with Influence 1.
Social class is not just about resources. It is also about how so- Recharge: You start with Recharge 5.
ciety values you. Most monetary systems are measured in social
credits, or crits, which reflect your social status and worth. The Skills: Improve five of the following Skills: Awareness, Close
more crits you have to your name, the more you are seen as an Combat, Empathy, Fortitude, Larceny, Provocation, Stealth,
asset to society. The less you have, the more you are seen as a and Willpower. Also improve five Skills of your own choice.
burden. Because of this, the lower classes are often blamed for
their low scores, which causes more distrust and further fuels the LABORER
segregation. See page XX for more information about socioeco- You are a laborer, someone who works hard to keep yourself
nomic systems used by various factions. from becoming a scavenger. In a solar system where most jobs
can be done by droids or functionaries, it is hard to prove your
When choosing your social class, you might think that a high- worth to your ruling faction. You have found your place in the
er class will give you more advantages. In game terms, crits are workforce, but you know that you are always at the mercy of
power, so if you choose a class with fewer crits, you will have your employer and the market. You could be replaced or fired
fewer opportunities to get useful items or assets. In many ways, at any time.
the game is easier for the higher classes because of that, and there
is no perfect way of balancing wealth compared to other features. As a laborer, you have lived a decent life, with enough food and
To provide some measure of balance to the additional Influence shelter, either by your own efforts or by the support of your
(p. XX) given to high-class characters, low-class characters gain guardians. You have lived with humility, knowing that your luck
additional Recharge (p. XX) instead, giving them an easier time could change at any moment, and you could lose everything.
to invoke Aspects without having to take as many compels. You gain the following:

When making your choice, think about what kind of character Living conditions: You have a small apartment in a crowded
you want to play and what kind of lessons they may have learned district or a slightly larger apartment in a rougher neighbor-
from life. Also keep in mind that your character’s social class hood. The apartment complex has a communal laundry room,

47
 CHAPTER 2: IDENTITY

but your apartment has some basic amenities, such as a kitchen a metropolis or a spacious penthouse in a commercial district.
and a bathroom. You have installed extra locks on your door, The apartment has everything you could need and want, such
but burglaries are still common. as smart features in the interior with access to interfaces and
Quality of life: You can afford a modest living and an occa- displays on every flat survace, a home functionary, quiet and
sional treat, such as going out for a night once a month. You efficient cleaning droids, vending machines that refill them-
could also raise a child if you are careful with your spending selves, and a stunning view of the metropolis. The apartment
and if you sacrifice some of your leisure. complex has paid security and recreational facilities, such as
gyms, bars, and more.
Influence: You start with Influence 2.
Quality of life: You can afford a high-quality living with dai-
Recharge: You start with Recharge 4.
ly access to fine food, high-quality entertainment, and various
Skills: Improve five of the following Skills: Athletics, Contacts, services. You can enjoy a night out every other night, and you
Engineering, Fortitude, Interfacing, Piloting, Treatment, and have access to the latest gadgets and fashion. You can have
Willpower. Also improve five Skills of your own choice. several costly hobbies that include equipment and travel, and
you can support a few family members without compromising
ERUDITE your quality of life.
You are an erudite, one of the few who have earned your place in Influence: You start with Influence 4.
society through your loyalty, skills, and education. Unlike the Recharge: You start with Recharge 2.
laborers who work hard to avoid becoming scavengers, you do
not have to worry about losing your status. As long as you can Skills: Improve five of the following Skills: Contacts, Creativi-
keep providing your services to society, you will be valued. Eru- ty, Education, Investigation, Leadership, Performance, Persua-
dites are mostly independent and self-reliant, not depending as sion, and Style. Also improve five Skills of your own choice.
much on family and community as laborers and scavengers do.
EXECUTIVE
As an erudite, you had a comfortable upbringing with guardi- You are an executive, one of the elite who not only serve the
ans who met your needs. You gain the following: ruling faction, but shape it. Many executives are above the law,
living lavish lives where the troubles of the lower classes are
Living conditions: You have a cozy apartment in a busy dis- irrelevant to them. They dwell in grand penthouses and some
trict or a spacious apartment in a quiet district. The apartment even own their own skyscrapers, from which they oversee the
has all the essentials, such as laundry equipment, a modern world below.
kitchen area, and a fine bathroom. Most apartment complex-
es have security systems as well as access to extra storage and As an executive, you had a lavish upbringing, where you had
garage spaces. access to anything you could imagine, and few people dared to
Quality of life: You can afford a quality living with daily access question you. You gain the following:
to nutritious food and various forms of entertainment. You can
enjoy a night out every other week, you can keep up with the Living conditions: You live in a luxurious penthouse in the
latest gadgets, and you can pursue one or two regular hobbies, heart of a metropolis or you own a building in a commercial
such as sports activities. If you reduce your spending on luxu- district. A typical executive penthouse has every luxury imag-
ries, you could support a family. inable, such as an elegant bathroom with a jacuzzi, a separate
office with a view over the city, a large space for entertainment
Influence: You start with Influence 3.
and recreation, and more. The building has excellent security
Recharge: You start with Recharge 3. and a variety of luxury facilities, such as a spa or a casino.
Skills: Improve five of the following Skills: Acrobatics, Crea- Quality of life: You can afford a luxurious lifestyle. You eat fine
tivity, Education, Engineering, Interfacing, Investigation, Per- food every day, drink expensive drinks, and keep up the ap-
formance, and Treatment. Also improve five Skills of your own pearances of a social life by visiting clubs and going to events.
choice. You can afford paying several human staff, and it is expected
that you have personal assistants, personal drivers, and per-
LUMINARY sonal secretaries, or their machine equivalents.
You are a luminary, one of the privileged who enjoy the favor Influence: You start with Influence 5.
of the ruling faction. You have a high credit score and endless Recharge: You start with Recharge 1.
opportunities. Many of you are well-educated, like the erudites,
but you often hold management positions. While you are not as Skills: Improve five of the following Skills: Contacts, Creativi-
influential as the executive class, you can live in excess. You re- ty, Deception, Education, Leadership, Persuasion, Provocation,
side in fancy apartments close to the metropolitan heart, where and Style. You may also improve five Skills of your own choice.
business is booming.

As a luminary, you had a safe and wealthy upbringing, with Everyone has agreed to make social class a free choice.
plenty of opportunities. You gain the following:
Elise wants Rainmaker to be of the laborer class because
Living conditions: You have a fancy apartment in the heart of she was raised by a working-class family of mechanics at

48
 INFLUENCE 7 (SACROSANCT)
the borders of Ayer City’s fringe zones. She notes Influ-
ence 2, Recharge 4 (increased to 5 because of her Terran You are a sacrosanct, someone with enough wealth and power to
Physiology trait), and improves Engineering from Average shape your faction’s destiny. You live an extravagant life with a lot
(+1) to Fair (+2). She also improves Athletics, Fortitude, of indulgence. There are fewer people alive who could call them-
Interfacing, and Willpower from Mediocre (±0) to Average selves your equal than could fill a stadium, and this control and
(+1). With her five free Skill improvements, she improves authority helps you make decisions and enact policies. But you
Engineering to Good (+3), Athletics and Fortitude to Fair also have a lot of expectations and responsibilities, as you have to
(+2), and Close Combat and Provocation to Average (+1). lead and represent a large chunk of the solar system. It is hard not
to be paranoid, as you may not trust anyone or anything.
Lily wants Willow to be of the erudite class as she was
Living conditions: You are one of the most influential people
raised by an art collective in Jade City. She notes Influence
in your faction, and you own several businesses. You do not
3, Recharge 3, and improves Performance from Average
bother with the upkeep of a single home, instead owning en-
(+1) to Fair (+2). She also improves Creativity, Education,
tire buildings in several metropolises. You may even have your
Persuasion, and Style to Average (+1) to represent a life of
own space station or a prestigious academy. You travel a lot and
artistic expression. With her five free Skill improvements,
you get everything you need at your convenience.
she improves Acrobatics, Empathy, Investigation, Interfac-
ing, and Larceny to Average (+1). Quality of life: You can have anything you want. You are fa-
mous within your faction, and you have a strong social net-
This means that Willow will have access to more wealth work of powerful people. You only date celebrities, and you
and better assets, but Rainmaker has higher Recharge. see yourself as a brand more than a person. You have people
who take care of your every need, and you never face the harsh
realities of life, except for the social games and the predators in
suits. You have access to the best health care, and you may even
INFLUENCE have cloned back-ups ready to go if you get killed.

Each social class provides an Influence rating, which reflects the INFLUENCE 8 (DEMIURGE)
character’s living condition, quality of life, and financial assets. It is lonely at the top. Only a handful of people can claim to be
But it also reflects your social standing and can give you an edge the true masters of the solar system—a demiurge—with a level of
in some social contests and conflicts. power and influence that give you true impact over society and
history. You could change the course of civilization over a dinner
A starting character can have Influence 1 to 5, but you can in- meeting, and start or end wars at your whim. There is no one left
crease it to 8 in the game. When your Influence goes to 6 and alive to look down upon you. The only thing you see when you
above, your living conditions and quality of life are improved. look up is the Sword of Damocles dangling over your head.
Anything Influence 5 or above is considered the executive class
to most people, but you could separate it even further into a mag- Living conditions: You could own an entire metropolis or sev-
nate, sacrosanct, and demiurge class. eral major space outposts. You have facilities for every whim,
from relaxation to recreation.
INFLUENCE 6 (MAGNATE)
Quality of life: You are the top brass of a faction. You could
You are a magnate, standing above even the executives, with more be a powerful Arcturian enkhor, a director of the Directorate,
resources and assets at your disposal than most ordinary people a Camellian magistrate, or an independent oligarch. No one
can spend in a hundred lifetimes. You have connections and in- denies you anything. Sometimes you wonder if you are human,
fluence within your domain, and millions of fans and supporters. because you are treated like a god.
But you also face a lot of pressure, as you have to maintain your
standards and reputation. You face risks and challenges, since
others want what you have or stand in the way of what you want.
You also face isolation and loneliness, as you are surrounded by Consider the stories you can tell for PCs with higher Influ-
yes-men and may not have many genuine companions. ence. The more affluent and influential a character is, the
more they are removed from the streets. The stories should
Living conditions: You own a skyscraper in the heart of a me- change accordingly, and the imposing threats should be
tropolis, and you have penthouses in other metropolises that something that they cannot simply pay to make disappear.
you visit. You have your own spa, club, or casino in your build-
ing, and you host several businesses in it. You have extra hous-
ing for guests, friends, family, and staff. INVOKING INFLUENCE
Quality of life: You live a very luxurious lifestyle, with the best Influence is a powerful social tool. You can invoke it in a social
food and easy travel. You have personal fashion designers who contest or conflict, if your level of influence matters in the situa-
keep you well-dressed. Your hired staff includes personal train- tion. You do not need Charges or Aspects for this, but the situa-
ers and marketing experts who help you maintain your fame tion must meet some criteria. Ask yourself this:
and image. You have access to the best health care and you have
undergone age reversal treatments to look young and healthy. Can I use my influence to gain a social or financial advantage
in this situation?

49
 CHAPTER 2: IDENTITY

You need a clear answer. For example, you can use your influence
to bribe someone who is open to it (the higher your Influence,
the bigger your bribe), to order an underling around (the high-
er your Influence, the more authority you have), or to dominate
someone (the higher your Influence, the more means you have
to make their life hard).

If the situation is too vague, you cannot use your influence. You
may need to do some other social actions first, to create the ad-
vantage (p. XX) of using your influence. For example, you may
have to provide documentation that proves your authority.

If you are sure you can use your influence, you can replace your
Social Scale (p. XX) with your Influence rating (if higher) in a
contest or conflict. A scavenger with Influence 1 has no influ-
ence—they cannot bribe or threaten anyone—while an executive
with Influence 5 has a lot—they can pull their strings to get things
done. This makes Influence powerful even against Machineborn.
A Machineborn can increase their Social Scale ratings and be-
come a social powerhouse, but they may still struggle to beat a
high-Influence opponent in the social game.

EDUCATION
Education shapes a person in many ways, and it can take many collaborations with other academies, both domestic and foreign.
forms. For those at society’s bottom, education is often self-
taught or learned from community leaders. For those who attend Since the cease-fire, the Terran Consolidation has been organiz-
school, they usually go to low-quality public academies in prepa- ing shared events and competitions among different academies
ration for the labor force, or scrape together enough credits to try as a way to foster peaceful rivalry and cooperation among fac-
to become an erudite. Many poorer families value education as tions. These events often boost the reputation of an academy in
a way to climb the social ladder, and they do whatever it takes to the solar system. To promote the academies, they each have a
give their children that opportunity. four-letter abbreviation that is displayed on student uniforms,
flags, and other branding materials. For example, GCMA stands
Some parents who want to give their children a good formal for Gran Colombian Military Academy and TSSP represents
education but lack influence and resources may opt for public Megacorp’s The Sultan Sphere.
military academies. These academies provide education but also
require active military service as part of the curriculum. For the
luminary and executive classes, specialized education is expect- Each type of education offers four Education Traits, from
ed. They are often enrolled in executive academies that train which you choose one. If you do not think the four choic-
them for a lifetime of government work. Executive military acad- es are fitting the type of education you want, feel free to
emies focus more on officer roles than on grunt work and field reflavor another Education Trait to better fit your vision.
experience. They offer serious military education, but with less Alternatively, come up with new Education Traits based
risk for the students. on the existing ones, at Narrator discretion.

The length of study in each academy varies depending on how

fast the students complete the curriculum. Some graduate at very
young ages while others continue studying well into adulthood. STREETWISE
On a campus, you will see people of all ages. Some academies
have fewer students from certain social classes while others may You never set foot in a classroom. You learned what you know
have transfers from other factions. from the streets, where life is tough and unforgiving. You spent
time with different groups, gangs, and role models, picking up
Academies differ across the solar system, but metropolitan acad- skills and knowledge from them. While others studied for tests,
emy districts are common. These are academies that occupy a you practiced your right hook, but you had the wits and courage
large part of a metropolis and function like small cities with their to know how to avoid using it. You did not need a diploma or
own subcultures. Many of these academies have separate depart- a certificate to prove your worth. It would not have helped you
ments for private and public education, offering different cur- survive the streets even if you had one.
ricula. Many academies also have exchange programs or other

50
 Improve five of the following Skills: Acrobatics, Awareness, HOMESCHOOLED
Close Combat, Fortitude, Larceny, Provocation, Ranged Com-
bat, and Stealth. Also improve five Skills of your own choice. You did not attend an academy, but you learned from various
mentors who guided you in different aspects of life. Some of
Choose one of the following Education Traits: them were your own family members, while others were tutors
or coaches that you hired or met along the way. They gave you a
GUTTER RAT
comprehensive and practical education, albeit a more informal
You grew up in garbage-filled alleys and sewage-filled tunnels. one than you would have received in an academy.
You played in scrapyards and treasured the taste of even moldy
You may improve ten Skills of your choice.
food. While you have lived far from a glamorous life, it has hard-
ened your constitution and taught you to savor what you have.
Choose one of the following Education Traits:
You can always find food and shelter in urban environments.
You gain a free invocation on all Fortitude rolls against envi- FAMILY BUSINESS
ronmental and ingested hazards (p. XX), toxins (p. XX), and You grew up working in your family’s trade. You acquired the
diseases (p. XX). skills and knowledge that were essential for running a business,
and you contributed to its success and reputation. This has taught
you specialized knowledge and helped you develop a work ethic.
I WOULD RATHER FORGET
You grew up in a world of pain and suffering, maybe as a victim Improve either Contacts or Leadership.
of a terrible event or as a witness to the harsh reality of the fringe
Choose one additional Profession Trait from the profession (p.
zones. You learned to mask your emotions, but you could not
XX) that best suits your family’s line of work. This could be a
erase them. Instead, you bottled them up, letting them simmer
different profession from the one you choose for yourself later
inside. Who knows what will happen when you open that lid?
during character creation.
When taking a Mental Consequence, it negates one additional
Stress (for example, a Mild Consequence negates three instead ONE OF THE FAITHFUL
of two, a Moderate one negates five instead of four, and so on). You grew up in a community where a particular worldview, reli-
gion, or tradition was dominant—something that was unconven-
ILLICIT INVOLVEMENT
tial or controversial for those outside of your group. This made
You grew up in the shadows of organized crime, either as a mem- you a target of discrimination and prejudice by the mainstream
ber of a gang or as an associate of one. You learned their ways, society, but it also provided you with a loyal and supportive net-
their codes, their secrets. All this knowledge has helped you spot work of people who shared your belief.
and blend in with criminals.
You gain an additional Trouble Aspect representing an ideol-
When you study or interact with someone for a dramatically ogy or a specific belief system, such as Devoted Follower of the
appropriate amount of time, you learn the answer to one of the Voice or Eating Meat Is Immoral.
following questions: (1) What is their Influence? (2) What is The first time per minor milestone when this Aspect is com-
their Motivation? (3) How could they be a threat to me? You pelled (or another Aspect that represents a strong belief), you
may ask other questions at Narrator discretion. gain two Charges instead of one. In addition, you may invoke
If someone is part of a criminal group, you will be able to tell. the Aspect for free once per minor milestone.
You may not tell the nature of the group, but you will know the Others who share your ideology will be more likely to have a
person’s general sphere of influence, such as if they are a leader, Friendly Attitude (p. XX) for you, at the Narrator’s discretion.
a lieutenant, or an underling. You may take advantage of a free invocation on a Social Skill
After having identified someone as either a criminal or as part roll against them once per significant milestone.
of a criminal group, you gain a free invocation on your next
Social Skill roll against them. OPPORTUNIST
You realized that in order to achieve your goals and dreams, you
TOUGHENED UP
had to expose yourself to the public eye and face the scrutiny and
You grew up in a world of violence and learned that the only judgment of others. You had to seize the opportunities that came
way to survive was by using your fists. You spent your childhood your way, and take the gambles that could open new doors for
in constant conflict and managed to overcome most of your you. This has given you the resilience to cope with any situation.
problems by being the toughest person around. But fighting also
Increase Recharge by one.
brought you new troubles, such as enemies and injuries.

Improve either Close Combat or Fortitude. PRODIGY

Choose a Close Combat (p. XX) or Fortitude (p. XX) Skill Fea- You have had a remarkable talent for a specific skill ever since
ture that you meet the requirements for. you were young, and your guardians noticed and nurtured your
potential. They arranged for a private tutor to teach you advanced

51
 CHAPTER 2: IDENTITY

subjects and skills that would help you excel in your chosen field. lower social classes who have studied their way into luminary
and even executive positions.
Increase the Scale of a Skill of your choice by one.
You gain a free invocation per minor milestone using that Skill. Improve five of the following Skills: Creativity, Education, En-
gineering, Interfacing, Investigation, Piloting, Treatment, and
Willpower. Also improve five Skills of your own choice.

PUBLIC ACADEMY Choose one of the following Education Traits:

You spent your youth in a public academy, studying a curricu- FREE SPIRIT
lum based on your interests, affinities, and needs. This gave you Your time at academy did not involve much studying. Instead,
a solid education aimed to help you into a respectable position you preferred to skip class, hang out with friends, and make trou-
in society, depending on how many years you studied. ble. You were always looking for some kind of physical or social
challenge, whether it was sports, games, or pranks. These activ-
These academies are open to anyone regardless of family or so- ities helped you develop your skills and confidence, which now
cial status, as long as the student passes some basic tests that benefit you in your adult years.
measure cognition and natural affinities. Ascendants usually
take these tests at age three, and the other progenies at age six. Improve one Physical Skill and one Social Skill of your choice.
But there is no defined rule that says that you must start your
Reduce Education by one. It can be reduced to a negative num-
education at a specific age. If you fail the tests, you are offered
ber, such as Underwhelming (–1).
a specialized curriculum that meets your individual needs, and
can choose to take the tests again at a later date. Choose a Physical or Social Skill Feature (p. XX) of your choice
that you meet the requirements for.
At first, the student gets a basic education that lasts for about six
years, with exceptional students taking less time and more dif- POPULAR
ficult students taking longer. The basic education is the same for You enjoyed being the popular kid at public academy. You made
everyone, but the faculty takes notice of special affinities. Most friends with most people you met, regardless of their background
students complete this education at age 12. or status. This made you always in high demand, especially in
your teenage years. You received invitations to every party, you
After the basic education is over, the student receives an assess- were asked out on dates by interesting people, and you always
ment by the faculty. If they want to continue to an advanced had social activities planned.
education, the student may make a request for a specific course
based on their interests—there is also an advanced general Increase the Scale of either Contacts or Style by one.
course for students who are uncertain about future career paths. Once per minor milestone, you may declare that an NPC has
The faculty can approve or deny the student’s request, or choose a Friendly Attitude (p. XX) for you. If it has already been es-
to modify it based on their assessment. This is a time that often tablished that the NPC has a Hostile Attitude for you, you may
meets disappointment, as students want to go to courses they instead turn it into a Neutral Attitude. The Narrator can deny
think are fun, and the faculty forces them to take extra classes this if it would not make sense for a specific NPC to be friendly.
in subjects they are lacking in. The advanced education lasts for
about four years, with most students completing it at 16. The
student should now be ready for the labor force. SPECIALIZED CURRICULUM
You had the opportunity to pursue a specialized curriculum that
All public academies also offer a specialized education, which is matched your personal interests and goals. Because you took
often a requirement for an erudite position. A new assessment your studies seriously, you had more opportunities than many of
is then made based on the student’s performance. At this stage, your peers to get into courses tailor-made for you. You were also
the faculty is not as punishing as for younger students, since actively participating in internships and projects that made your
most students have reached a level of maturity to know what time in public academy a more enriching experience.
they want and to take their education seriously. The specialized
education usually lasts for about four more years, with most stu- Improve either Education or Investigation.
dents completing it at 20. It is common with students who drop Choose one additional Profession Trait from the profession (p.
out before this education is over, getting appropriate certifica- XX) that best suits your specialized curriculum. This could be
tions based on what they actually accomplished. a different profession from the one you choose for yourself lat-
er during character creation.
If the student wants to continue their studies even after this,
they can choose to do a master education for about four more TEACHER’S PET
years, completing it around age 22. This is most often taken by You loved your time at public academy and took advantage of
those who want a career in academia, or who want to be the best the resources and opportunities at your disposal. You spent most
within their respective fields. The public academies do not of- of your time exploring various information archives or going to
fer as many master educations as the private academies do, but optional seminars. The staff noticed your curiosity and saw you
there have been many stories of individual students from the as a diligent student eager to learn.

52
 Increase the Scale of a Cognitive Skill of your choice by one. and resourceful soldier.
Alternatively, this could be a Coding Skill (p. XX) if you get
one from your progeny, such as by being ascendant or riftan. When taking a Physical Consequence, it negates one additional
Stress (for example, a Mild Consequence negates three instead
Once per minor milestone, you may use a free invocation on a of two, a Moderate one negates five instead of four, and so on).
Skill roll of your choice, as you recall a valuable lesson.

HIDDEN CACHE
If it is one thing you learned from your time at the public military
PUBLIC MILITARY ACADEMY academy, it is to always be prepared for a crisis. You keep a duffel
bag with essentials in the trunk of your car, has a hidden weap-
You spent your teenage years in a public military academy, fol- ons cache in your apartment, and knows who to call to get quick
lowing a rigorous training regimen and learning to serve your access to military gear. When the war comes, you will be ready.
faction in times of war. The education involved time in active
service, though most students were lucky enuogh to be stationed Choose one additional starting kit apart from the one you get
far away from actual combat. If you went through your studies from your chosen profession. Either this one or your normal
before the war’s end, you were almost guaranteed combat expe- one must come from the soldier profession (p. XX).
rience. Back then, these academies were called the “meat grind- You may, once per significant milestone, declare a story detail
ers” because of the countless student deaths. for free related to military assets. Examples include declaring
the existence of a hidden cache near your location, or sourcing
Many military academies were established during the Cooper- a significant military-grade asset. This is at Narrator discretion
ative Era, and many have closed down since the cease-fire. The based on what makes sense for the story.
necessity never disappears completely, though, and there are
still a number of public academies focused on serving the fac-
SPONSORED AUGMENTATION
tion military.
You did well at academy and caught the attention of a sponsor,
either within your faction, the academy itself, or an external in-
Unlike ordinary public academies, the military ones do not of-
dependent party. Because the sponsor had an interest in seeing
fer a basic education. It is assumed that the student has received
you become the best you could be, they offered you a suite of mil-
their basic education in an ordinary public academy before be-
itary-grade augmentations at no cost of your own. By accepting
ing transferred to the military one for their advanced education.
this offer, you became indebted to them.
This makes it very rare to see students younger than 12 in a pub-
lic military academy. After their advanced education is done,
You gain bionic or cybernetic augmentations (p. XX) with a
some students continue with a specialized education within a
combined total of Cost 5. These augmentations must be justi-
distinct field, such as medicine or intelligence.
fied as military upgrades. You can choose illegal ones, giving
you the proper licenses for them, but you cannot choose the
Improve five of the following Skills: Acrobatics, Athletics,
cosmic coder augmentation.
Awareness, Close Combat, Fortitude, Ranged Combat, Stealth,
and Willpower. Also improve five Skills of your own choice. Decide with the Narrator who your sponsor is and what kind
of relationship you have with them. Is it a government agency?
A private contractor? An individual interested in your success?
Choose one of the following Education Traits:
What do they want from you? How do you feel about them?
FIELD SPECIALIST
Once per significant milestone, the Narrator can use your
You underwent an advanced curriculum that trained you in a
sponsor to complicate your life, similar to a compel. This could
specific area of combat operations, such as demolitions, intelli-
be anything from a work assignment to a tense interaction or a
gence, or communications. You were taught to use specialized
complete falling out, depending on what fits the story.
equipment and tactics to support your unit on the field.

Improve a Skill of your choice.

Choose one additional Profession Trait from the profession (p. PRIVATE ACADEMY
XX) that best suits your specialized curriculum. This must be
from the soldier profession if you intend to choose another one You endured your teenage years in a private academy, where
in the next step of character creation. If you intend to choose you were subjected to relentless pressure and rigid schedules.
the soldier profession, this trait must come from another one. Students who could not keep up were mocked or banished to a
public academy. To avoid that shameful fate, you had to sacrifice
GRUNT
your own passions and devote yourself to your studies.
As a grunt, you were at the bottom of the military hierarchy, and
you had to obey the orders of your superiors without question. Private academies are similar to public ones in that they offer
They forced you to endure long hours of physical training and four levels of education: basic, advanced, specialized, and mas-
harsh discipline. But despite the hardships, your time at the pub- ter. The main difference between them is that private academies
lic military academy had its benefits. You learned to be a tough have exorbitant entrance fees. They expect more from their stu-

53
 CHAPTER 2: IDENTITY

dents and exclude children from lower social classes. A scaven- When someone with higher Influence than you invoke it
ger getting into a private academy is almost a miracle. Children against you in a social contest or conflict, you treat their Influ-
from laborer families do sometimes get in, at a huge cost to the ence as one lower than it is.
family, and they are invariably treated worse than students from
erudite or luminary families.
SCHOLARSHIP
These academies have higher standards for their students, which You achieved a remarkable feat from your time in a private acad-
means that more students pass earlier than their peers in the emy, earning a generous scholarship that opened new doors for
public academies. Most of them complete their basic education you. You have now managed to rise further in society than you
at age 10, their advanced education at age 12, their specialized had ever imagined, gaining recognition and new opportunities.
education at age 15, and their master education at age 18. The
curriculum also differs, with less emphasis on educating labor- Increase Influence by one (to maximum 8).
ers and more focus on specializations in preparation for erudite
and luminary positions. TRANSFER STUDENT
You had the privilege of spending much of your time in the pri-
Many larger academies have both private and public wings. vate academy studying abroad, exploring different parts of the
While both are technically parts of the same academy, the pri- solar system and learning from diverse perspectives. You met
vate wings are exclusive sections for elite students. They enjoy new people, experienced new cultures, and encountered new
better treatment, access to better resources, and isolation from ideas that challenged and enriched your worldview.
the public sections. It is possible for students from public acade-
mies to be transferred to the private ones as part of scholarships Improve Contacts or Empathy.
or as rewards for exceptional talent. However, this is a rare oc- You are intimately familiar with the culture and native tongue
curence and is often met with resentment from other students. of a foreign faction (p. XX).
You gain a free invocation on any attempt to blend in with your
Improve five of the following Skills: Creativity, Education, En-
chosen foreign culture, engage respectfully with their norms
gineering, Interfacing, Investigation, Leadership, Performance,
and traditions, and recall information about their culture.
and Treatment. Also improve five Skills of your own choice.

Choose one of the following Education Traits:

PRIVATE MILITARY ACADEMY
A LIFE IN ACADEMIA
You pursued your education with dedication and perseverance, You spent your youth in a private military academy, where you
spending more years in the academy than most of your peers. were drilled in battle tactics and how to make split-second de-
You had a passion for many different subjects and mastered sev- cisions under fire. You were exposed to classified information
eral fields. about the military capabilities of your own faction and others,
and you mastered various skills in combat operations.
Improve Education.
Just like the public military academies, the private ones assume
Choose a specific field of education, such as history, geography,
that the student has had their basic education elsewhere. Since
or physics. Whenever you need to make a Skill roll directly re-
students from private academies are often younger than in the
lated to that subject matter, you gain a free invocation.
public counterparts, they do not have to endure as brutal physi-
When invoking Influence to express authority within social cal training—at first. Instead, they learn how to wage war from
scenarios related to your chosen field, such as when educating a strategic perspective, working with teams and special forces.
others on the subject, you may add your Education Rank to They are groomed to become officers or special operatives, and
your Influence (to maximum 8). not mere foot soldiers.

OUTCAST Back during the Cooperative Wars, even students from private
You were an outcast in the private academy, someone from a military academies had to face the harsh reality of war. Their
lower social class who did not belong. You not only had to work leadership skills were put to the test, and they often had to com-
hard to make your family proud, but you had to survive a hostile mand units that were doomed to fail. They had a better chance
environment where both students and teachers looked at you as of survival than the public military academy kids, but they were
inferior. This has taught you the way that different social classes still disposable in the eyes of their faction’s hardened warlords.
think, and you have learned to use that knowledge to exploit the Especially if they slipped up, disobeyed orders, or their families
elite for your own benefit. fell behind on tuition. Then they were given the most dangerous
missions, the ones that no one else wanted.
Improve Deception or Provocation.
You can blend in effortlessly with other social classes. People Improve five of the following Skills: Close Combat, Engineer-
will not judge you based on your social class unless you make ing, Interfacing, Investigation, Leadership, Piloting, Ranged
a point of expressing it. Combat, and Treatment. Also improve five Skills of your own
choice.

54
Choose one of the following Education Traits: ficer’s title in service of your faction.

AUGMENTED SOLDIER PROGRAM Improve Leadership.

You were not spared the horrors of war, even as a student. You You gain a mid-ranked officer’s title that functions like a Char-
endured countless battles, risking your life for the glory of your acter Aspect (for example, First Sergeant of the Arcturian Mili-
faction. But you paid a heavy price for your loyalty, suffering in- tary or Centurion of the Praetorian Guard). You do not have to
juries that left you scarred and broken. You were lucky to be alive, actively serve in game to take advantage of this title.
but you needed extensive medical care to recover.
When invoking Influence against low-ranked military or law
enforcement, treat it as one higher than it is (to maximum 8).
The academy did not want to lose you as an asset, so they en-
rolled you in an augmented soldier program. They gave you a
suite of augmentations, courtesy of your faction, turning you
into a hybrid of flesh and metal—a weapon for war. EXECUTIVE ACADEMY
You gain bionic or cybernetic augmentations (p. XX) with a You spent your youth in an executive academy, an elitist echo
combined total of Cost 6. These augmentations must be justi- chamber where you were groomed into someone with the cun-
fied as military upgrades. You can choose illegal ones, giving ning and influence to puppeteer a civilization. You were not
you the proper licenses for them, but you cannot choose the meant to be part of society, but to dominate it.
cosmic coder augmentation.
You gain a secondary Trouble Aspect (p. XX) related to the The executive academies are even more exclusive than the pri-
trauma you have endured in battle. Once per significant mile- vate ones, but are otherwise similar in structure. The main dif-
stone, when the Narrator compels that Aspect, you immediate- ferences are that executive academies do not train students to be
ly suffer one Stress. anything less than specialized faction agents, business manag-
ers, and government officials. To enlist in an executive academy,
DIGITAL SPECIALIST a child’s family must not only pay extreme tuition fees, but also
You were always fascinated by the digital world, where anything show an unwavering loyalty to their faction. Any sign of dissent,
is possible. You pursued a specialized education in cyber warfare, or any hint of betrayal, could result in expulsion or worse—even
becoming a specialist in everything digital. This involved a lot of if it does not come from the student itself, but by a dissenting
interfacing, where you trained to fight machine-gods and enemy uncle or a rebellious sister. They are training sovereigns after all.
interfacers.
Improve five of the following Skills: Contacts, Deception, Em-
When taking a Digital Consequence, it negates one additional pathy, Leadership, Performance, Persuasion, Provocation, and
Stress (for example, a Mild Consequence negates three instead Style. Also improve five Skills of your own choice.
of two, a Moderate one negates five instead of four, and so on).
Choose one of the following Education Traits:
MARTIAL ARTIST
You exceled at hand-to-hand combat, and you showed it dur- BUSINESS ACUMEN
ing your private military academy training. You could take down You were not just a student, but an entrepreneur. You used your
any other student using your fists, and the faculty noticed your skills and knowledge to create a productive company, even while
potential. They offered you a rare opportunity: to train under a you were still at the academy. You had a vision, a passion, and a
respected martial arts master. You became their apprentice, and drive to succeed. Whether you got what you wanted from cun-
you have kept in touch even after graduation. ning schemes, business sense, or outright threats, you graduated
more successful than most of your peers.
Improve Close Combat.
Improve Deception, Leadership, or Provocation.
Choose a Close Combat Skill Feature (p. XX) related to a mar-
tial arts style, such as Nightstalker Style or Void Saber Style, that Reduce one of your other Skills as your dedicated business fo-
you meet the requirements for. cus has caused you to neglect certain areas (the chosen Skill
can be reduced below Mediocre [±0]).
Decide with the Narrator the identity of your master and what
kind of relationship you have with them today. You can spend Increase Influence by one (to maximum 8).
Charges to invoke them to either add story details, or to en-
hance Close Combat rolls by recalling important lessons. GENETIC SCHEME
Your entire life, you bore the burden of not being good enough.
OFFICER As a student in an executive academy, you were surrounded by
Your natural talent for leadership let you enroll in an officer’s the best and brightest—many of them children who had been
course at your private military academy. You learned how to designed on a genetic level to be better than the rest of humanity.
command troops, plan operations, and handle crises. You also You, or your family, experimented on you to improve your own
gained field experience as part of the curriculum, participating genetics, with the goal of finally being better than them.
in real battles and missions. This earned you a mid-ranked of-
You gain a second Secondary Trait from another progeny.

55
 CHAPTER 2: IDENTITY

Alternatively, increase the purity of your own progeny, giving EXECUTIVE MILITARY ACADEMY
you a bonus based on the Secondary Trait that you already have:
You were one of the elite, a student at an executive military
If you have Focused Mind (p. XX), add another +1 to Men- academy. There, you mingled with the heirs of the most power-
tal Soak. The difficulty to treat your Mental Consequences are ful families in the solar system, the next generation of warlords.
now reduced by two instead of one on the Ladder. They were ruthless and ambitious, and you had to be the same
If you have Primal Instinct (p. XX), your Awareness Scale is to survive. You learned to treat human lives as nothing more
increased by one more. You now gain two free invocations per than numbers on a screen, to be manipulated for your own gain.
minor milestone to spend on your Primal Instinct.
If you have Photogenic (p. XX), you may increase the Scale of The executive military academies are the pinnacle of military
your chosen Social Skill by one. In addition, you treat anyone’s education, open only to students who have undergone basic ed-
Influence (and not just non-empyreans’) as one lower than it is. ucation at an executive academy. Here, they teach their students
not only how to fight, but how to win. Students are taught to
If you have Elemental Kinship (p. XX), you can now sense
manage entire armies, to run propaganda campaigns, to make
matrix rifts at ten times the distance. You may communicate
use of proxy wars to avoid larger conflicts, to conduct diploma-
fluently with elementals of your element, even if they normally
cy when tensions are high, and to capitalize on both domestic
would not be able to understand you, and you may ignore the
and foreign disputes, for their own gain.
negative d6 on your Social Skill rolls against them.
If you have Community (p. XX), you may increase the Scale of The students rarely faced any real danger, even during the Co-
your chosen Skill. You provide another +1 teamwork bonus (p. operative Wars when the solar system was on fire. They were too
XX) if your Skill is at Average (+1) or higher. valuable, too protected, to risk on the front lines. Instead, they
shadowed the top generals and politicians, learning from their
LICENSED CODER successes and failures, waiting for their turn to take the stage.
You were one of the few students from your age group who were
chosen to become cosmic coders, someone able to manipulate Improve five of the following Skills: Close Combat, Contacts,
the fabric of reality. This made you special even among the elite, Deception, Investigation, Leadership, Provocation, Ranged
and treated better than most. Before you received the injection Combat, and Style. Also improve five Skills of your own choice.
that would forever alter your brain and body, you had to undergo
an intense curriculum where you spent years honing your skills Choose one of the following Education Traits:
and ensuring your loyalty. After the injection, you were taught
how to use your powers to the benefit of your faction. DESIGNED SUPER SOLDIER
You or your family had the wealth and connections to enroll
You gain the cosmic coder augmentation (p. XX). This also you in the executive military academy’s augmentation program.
gives you an associated Coding Protocol (p. XX). There, you underwent a series of invasive and painful procedures
Your chosen Coding Skill (p. XX) may be treated as an Educa- to enhance your abilities. You received implants, injections, sur-
tion Skill in addition to the ones listed above. geries, and gene therapies that altered your body and mind. You
If you already are a cosmic coder when selecting this Educa- became a super soldier—a product of your faction.
tion Trait, you may choose to either increase the Scale of one
of your Coding Skills by one, or you may adopt a new Coding You gain bionic or cybernetic augmentations (p. XX) with a
Skill different from your old one. combined total of Cost 8. These augmentations must be justi-
fied as military upgrades. You can choose illegal ones, giving
you the proper licenses for them, but you cannot choose the
NETWORKER
cosmic coder augmentation.
You spent a large part of your academy years building a social
network, a web of connections that spanned across factions, sec- Reduce Influence by one (to minimum 1) to represent your or
tors, and domains. You made friends and favors, but also threats your family’s investment to get you into the program. You can-
and rivals, to lay the foundation for your future empire. not choose this Education Trait if your Influence is already 1.

Improve Contacts. HEIRLOOM

You may start with a Contacts Skill Feature (p. XX) that you You have inherited a godware technology, an item of great power
meet the requirements for. beyond human understanding. It was a gift from your family or
the academy, a reward for your excellence and loyalty. You cher-
Decide with the Narrator the identity of a major ally and ene-
ish it for its uniqueness, its worth, and its usefulness.
my that could either aid or hurt you. You may take advantage
of your ally once per significant milestone to resolve a narrative
Choose an asset (p. XX) with Cost 6, and give it the godware
situation, at Narrator discretion. However, the Narrator may
property (p. XX). It has one Godware Protocol (p. XX).
also (once per significant milestone) use your enemy to com-
plicate things for you. The nature of your allies and enemies
can change throughout the game, based on what fits the story. HIGH-RANKED OFFICER
You graduated from the executive military academy with honors,
earning the respect and admiration of your peers and mentors.

56
You were recognized as one of the best and brightest of your gen-
eration, a true leader, and you were offered a high position within So far, Elise has decided that Rainmaker is a military me-
your faction’s military. chanic for a mercenary group named the Crimson Curtain.
Increase your Leadership Scale by one. She is also a terran from the Dawnlight Society who comes
You gain a high-ranked officer’s title that functions like a Char- from the laborer class.
acter Aspect (for example, Colonel of the Arcturian Military or
Camp Prefect of the Praetorian Guard). When choosing Rainmaker’s education, Elise decides that
public military academy is the best fit. It gives her a way into
When invoking Influence against mid-ranked military or law military service, with the idea that the Crimson Curtain
enforcement, treat it as one higher than it is (to maximum 8). scouted her during her years there. Elise decides that she
This becomes two higher against low-ranked military or law studied in Ayer City at a place called the Uluru Martial Park
enforcement. Academy (UMPA).
You are beholden to your faction and under heavy scrutiny.
As a high-ranked officer, your faction’s enemies know that you She starts by improving Athletics from Fair (+2) to Good
possess valuable classified information. The Narrator can use (+3), Close Combat, Provocation, and Willpower from Av-
this against you once per significant milestone to give you a erage (+1) to Fair (+2), and Ranged Combat from Medio-
serious narrative complication, such as an ugly deed that must cre (±0) to Average (+1). With her Education Skills done,
be done for your faction, or assassins sent by your enemies. she goes ahead and improves Engineering from Good (+3)
to Great (+4), which is as far as she can take it during char-
PROPAGANDIST acter creation. She also improves Close Combat and Prov-
You were not a warrior, but a manipulator. You knew that the ocation from Fair (+2) to Good (+3), as well as Education
most effective way to win a conflict was to prevent it from hap- and Piloting from Mediocre (±0) to Average (+1).
pening in the first place, or to have it happen between other peo-
ple. To get ahead in the executive military academy, you honed She also gets to select a single Education Trait out of four
your skills of persuasion, deception, and seduction. You made choices. She decides to go with Field Specialist, which gives
allies of everyone, but trusted no one. You played them against her access to another Profession Trait (which, together with
each other, creating divisions and conflicts among them, while her Endless Potential trait from the terran progeny, lets her
strengthening your own position. The faculty recognized your take a total of three Profession Traits before she is done).
potential, and enrolled you in classes that suited your talents. Elise notes down that she may take another Profession
Trait, but saves that choice for when she gets to that stage of
Increase the Scale of either Creativity, Deception, Performance, character creation. She also gets to improve another Skill,
or Style by one. so she increases Interfacing from Average (+1) to Fair (+2).
You are famous and recognized, making you able to always se-
cure invites to social and formal events, such as exclusive clubs, Lily wants Willow to have studied at a private academy and
board meetings, and the like. You are often shown in regional decides to go with the Camellian Academy of Art and En-
media where you are interviewed about various subjects of ex- tertainment (CAAE) in Magenta. The idea is that her cur-
pertise. You can spend Charges to add these types of benefits riculum focused on art and media which is what eventually
as story details, but the Narrator can also use them to compel. motivated her to become an influencer.

For Willow’s Education Skills, Lily decides to improve Cre-

ativity from Average (+1) to Good (+3), as well as Educa-
tion, Interfacing, and Investigation from Average (+1) to
Fair (+2). As for her free choices, she improves Empathy
and Persuasion from Average (+1) to Fair (+2), as well as
Deception, Ranged Combat, and Stealth from Mediocre
(±0) to Average (+1).

As for her Education Trait, Lily does not think the ones of-
fered under private academy fits her vision, and asks if she
can reflavor Propagandist from executive military academy.
Her idea is that Willow used her time at private academy
to grow into fame as an influencer. Olivia and Elise both
approve of the change, but asks her to rename the Educa-
tion Trait to Campus Reporter to better fit her new concept,
and that she is not regularly shown in media but instead
produces and hosts her own content.

Lily decides to increase her Creativity Scale by one, and she

notes down that she can spend Charges to add story details
related to fame, and to get access to certain exclusive places.

57
 CHAPTER 2: IDENTITY

PROFESSION
When Primary Order ruled over civilization, people never had STARTING KIT
to work. Machines took care of their every need, and they had Your character’s profession comes with a starting kit that contains
no incentives to spend years studying. People were instead mo- five suggested assets. Each asset has a Cost that depends on its
tivated only by their own passions, but many lacked the skills properties (see Chapter 5 for more details). Your Influence rat-
to think critically or even to take care of themselves. When Pri- ing determines the Cost of your starting kit’s assets. If your Influ-
mary Order fell, humanity was thrown into chaos. They had to ence is different from the Cost listed on the asset you want, feel
face the harsh reality where they had to rebuild their civilization free to add or remove properties from that asset until the Cost
from the ashes of a fallen utopia. They had to once more learn matches. Each asset category have lists of suggested properties
the value of education and labor as they went into this new era. and templates that can be used to craft endless variations.

Hundreds of years have passed since the fall of Primary Order,

and the solar system is a complex web of labor and automation. BUREAUCRAT
Functionaries and droids can perform any task that a human
can, and sometimes better. But not all businesses trust ma- As a bureaucrat, you make sure that society runs smoothly and
chines to do their work. Functionaries are prone to corruption efficiently, without any disruptions. You work with regulations
by Dis-Order. Droids are vulnerable to glitches or hacks that and protocols, and you know how to navigate the complex web
compromise their performance. There is a clear advantage to of power and politics. Your role as a bureaucrat can vary de-
having human workers in some sectors, as well as human super- pending on your social class.
visors in automated ones.
If you are a scavenger, you might work for an organization that
How people work varies in different social classes. provides some form of welfare, such as a charity, a church, or a
clinic. Or you might be part of a criminal gang, handling their
Scavengers are the outcasts of society, living on the fringes finances, logistics, or negotiations. You are always looking for
of civilization. They rarely have regular jobs, but they might ways to survive and thrive in the harsh fringes of society.
do odd jobs for some crits. Or they might be exploited under
inhumane conditions by ruthless employers. If you are a laborer, you might be a receptionist, a low-tier
administrator, or a union representative. You handle the pa-
Laborers are the backbone of the economy, working regular perwork, the communication, and the coordination of your
shifts to earn their keep. They are often the lowest and most workplace. You might be treated like a servant by an erudite or
expendable of employees, and they often tolerate inhumane luminary, taking their notes, or making them coffee.
treatment just to keep their jobs.
If you are an erudite, you might be a low- to mid-level manager
Erudites are the specialists of their fields, having acquired in a business, a small business owner, or an aspiring politician.
distinctive skills and knowledge. They are more respected You are trying to navigate an unforgiving world, sucking up to
and valued by their employers, and they have more freedom luminaries and executives while taking note of their secrets.
over how they work their shifts. But they can still be forced to
crunch for extra hours to finish projects on time. If you are a luminary, you might be a mid- to high-level man-
ager in a large business, a regional politician, or a faction agent.
Luminaries are the leaders of their fields, having attained You have the lives of your employees at your disposal, and must
higher positions and responsibilities. They often travel, at- be ruthless in a world that wants to take you for what you have.
tend meetings, and manage digruntled employees. They have
more power and influence, but they also face a different type If you are an executive, you might have a high management job
of stress and competition. within your ruling faction, be the owner of a large business,
or be a politician with influence over a metropolis. Your work
Executives are the elite of society, running businesses from consists more of managing schemes and networks than sitting
board rooms and spread sheets. They rarely interact with the behind a desk or interacting with employees.
labor force, but they make decisions that affect them. They
enjoy the luxuries of life, but they also have to deal with peers
and rivals who might try to sabotage them. You gain the following:

Improve five of the following Skills: Contacts, Deception, Ed-

ucation, Empathy, Investigation, Leadership, Persuasion, and
The listed professions are only examples of possible ca-
Provocation. Also improve five Skills of your own choice.
reers that your character can have. You can reflavor them
as best fits your concept. Your profession does not have to
be your character’s current occupation. It could be their Choose one of the following Profession Traits:
past job, or it could reflect other aspects of their education
and background. You can also choose a profession while BUDGET MANAGEMENT
still not tying your character to a fixed work place, if you Being a ranking official within an organization means that you
prefer more narrative flexibility. have a lot of authority and responsibility. You are in charge of
overseeing and managing various projects, programs, and ini-

58
tiatives that aim to advance the organization’s goals. This also get additional benefits or drawbacks.
gives you access to a sizable budget that you can allocate and
spend according to the organization’s needs and priorities. Influence 1: Improve a Skill of your choice.
Influence 2: You gain a free invocation once per minor mile-
Once per minor milestone, you gain a free invocation on a Skill stone on a Skill roll made on behalf of your organization.
roll made to source an asset, request a favor, or barter for a
Influence 3: You get no other bonuses or penalties than the
price. If you have Influence 3 or less, you gain two instead.
augmentation suite.
You may, once per significant milestone, acquire an asset (p.
Influence 4: Your augmentation suite contains a tracker, let-
XX) with a Cost two higher than your Influence (maximum
ting your organization know where you are at all times.
8), but at no cost to yourself. This is paid for by the organiza-
tion you work for. The Narrator may ask you to justify why Influence 5: Your augmentation suite contains both a track-
this acquisition is beneficial to the organization you serve. If er and surveillance, letting the organization you serve follow
you fail to do so, you may suffer a narrative complication as a your every move and listen to your every conversation.
result of your careless spending. Influence 6+: Just like for Influence 5, but the augmentation
suite also contains a kill switch that your organization can use
DIPLOMATIC TIES to get rid of you if you cross them.
As a loyal member of an organization or faction, you have a spe-
cial role that involves interacting with outside groups, such as
business rivals or foreign factions. You have strong connections BUREAUCRAT STARTING KIT
to at least one other group, either through official channels or Select a starting kit consisting of five assets with a Cost
covert networks. This might have given you access to valuable equal to your Influence. Suggestions include:
information, resources, or contacts that could benefit your or-
ganization or faction. Weapon: Choose a light weapon, such as a handgun (p.
XX) or a ring blade (p. XX). It is common for bureau-
Choose a group, like a foreign faction, a competing business, crats to wear concealable arms.
or a rival gang. You may interact with that group as if you are
Fashion and armor: Choose two assets from this sec-
one of them, making you know their customs and speak their
tion, such as a fiber vest (p. XX) concealed under a for-
language. You can blend in perfectly, and your presence is not
malwear kit (p. XX), or a fashion accessory like smart-
questioned unless you do something overtly suspicious. You
shades (p. XX). It is important for bureaucrats to keep
can freely move in and out of its domain and communicate
themselves protected while still being presentable.
with its members. Your true loyalties are for you to decide.
Smart devices: Choose a wearable smart device, like a
You have a secondary position within that other group, such
minicom (p. XX) or a smartcom (p. XX). Most bureau-
as a home in a foreign faction or a job within their ranks. This
crats want to keep their hands free for communication.
is represented by another Character Aspect (p. XX) that can
be invoked or compelled as appropriate. You can invoke this Other: Choose a personal vehicle, like a car (p. XX) or
Aspect for free once per minor milestone. a motorbike (p. XX), or a companion, like an assistant
(p. XX) or a servitor (p. XX). Bureaucrats want to make
their days more effective; transportation and book-
LIFESTYLE
keeping are usually the biggest time wastes.
You have been devoted to your organization, and they have rec-
ognized your value and contribution. As a result, you have been
rewarded with a better quality of life. You have more income, If you want additional insignificant assets at lower Cost,
more comfort, more security, and more opportunities. consult your Narrator. It is recommended to allow extra
reloads of ammunition and certain attachments or digi-
Increase Influence by one (to maximum 8). tal assets, but keep it fair between the players.

UTILITY SUITE
You are a valuable asset to your organization, and they appreci- CRIMINAL
ate your work and loyalty. They have given you a special reward:
discreet augmentations that enhance your abilities and per- As a criminal, you live a life of harm and risk. You break the law
formance. They make you more efficient and effective in your and hurt others for your own benefit or pleasure. Criminals face
tasks, but it also marks you as their property. many dangers and challenges in their lives, such as law enforce-
ment, other criminals, or their own conscience. Your role as a
You gain bionic or cybernetic augmentations (p. XX) with a criminal can vary depending on your social class.
combined total Cost two higher than your own Influence, to
maximum 8. These augmentations must be justified as ben- If you are a scavenger, you have little resources at your dispos-
eficial to your job, and they cannot be illegal or military up- al, and often resort to lies, threats, and violence. You might be
grades. You cannot choose the cosmic coder augmentation. a pickpocket who steals valuables from unsuspecting people,
a thug who uses physical force or threats to extort crits, goods,
Depending on your Influence when getting this trait, you may or favors from others, or you could be back-alley drug dealer.

59
 CHAPTER 2: IDENTITY

If you are a laborer, you need to work hard and risk your life for burglary, or an attempted murder.
your illegal activities. You might be a smuggler who transports Once per significant milestone, you may alter a detail that im-
contraband across borders, a gladiator who engages in brutal plicates you in a crime, like a piece of evidence gone missing
combat for the entertainment of others, or a scrap collector or a witness suddenly disappearing. You do not need to pay
who scavenges cybernetics from bodies—living or dead. for a story detail to make this alteration. This effect can make
If you are an erudite, you use intelligence and expertise to retroactive narrative changes explained by careful planning.
commit sophisticated crimes. You might be a money launder-
er who conceals the origin and ownership of illegal funds by KNOWING THE STREETS
moving them through legitimate businesses, a gangster who When living a life of crime, you often find yourself surrounded
belongs to an organized group and who follows a twisted code by others in a similar position. You have a network of alliances,
of honor, or you could be a hitman who kills people for credits. where trust is as valuable as it is rare. Each move you make is
If you are a luminary, you rely on influence and charisma to a delicate balance, knowing that one misstep could unravel the
deceive others. You might be a conman who coerces people ties that bind you to your peers.
to give up their credits or information, a bloodsport host who
organizes and profits from violent events where people or an- When invoking Influence during a social contest or conflict
imals fight until injury or death, or you might be a terrorist with a known criminal or criminal associate (such as inform-
leader who plans and executes acts of violence or sabotage ants, fixers, and dirty cops), treat the target’s Influence as one
against a government or group, usually for ideological reasons. lower than it is.
If you are an executive, you have reached the top of the criminal Once per minor milestone, you gain a free invocation on a
hierarchy and control a large network of criminals or business- Social Skill roll that relates to the criminal world.
es. You might be a kingpin in charge of a successful criminal
enterprise, a drug lord who oversees a massive drug empire, or PROWLER
a corrupt government official who abuses their power or posi- In the criminal world, being discreet is as good as being un-
tion to facilitate illegal activities. touchable. You have mastered the art of moving unseen, slip-
ping through crowds and alleys like a shadow.
You gain the following:
You may treat shadows as if it were cover for the purpose of
Improve five of the following Skills: Close Combat, Contacts, concealment.
Deception, Investigation, Larceny, Provocation, Ranged Com- You gain a free invocation on all rolls made to hide in shadows
bat, and Stealth. Also improve five Skills of your own choice. or darkness, camouflage, or blend in with crowds of people.

Choose one of the following Profession Traits:

CRIMINAL STARTING KIT
DOUBLE LIFE Select a starting kit consisting of five assets with a Cost
You are leading a secret and deceptive life, and you have doc- equal to your Influence. Suggestions include:
uments and records that support a false identity that you have
crafted. You may have various reasons for doing this, such as Weapon: Choose two weapons (p. XX) of any type.
hiding from the law, escaping from your past, or to maintain an Some criminals prefer more discreet killing tools, like
even greater secret. Living a double life can be dangerous and a knife (p. XX), while others prefer more destructive
stressful, as you have to constantly lie and avoid being caught. and intimidating ones, like a shotgun (p. XX).
Fashion and armor: Choose one asset from this sec-
Decide the details of your other persona with the Narrator, in- tion, such as a leather jacket (p. XX) or a junk suit (p.
cluding the identity of people who are close to it. Do you have XX). A criminal’s choice of wardrobe depends on where
a family who believes you to be a law-abiding citizen? Are you in society they operate, and their personal image.
an undercover agent who has infiltrated a criminal group? Are Smart devices: Choose a single smart device, like a
you a serial killer? minicom (p. XX) or a smartcom (p. XX). Criminals of-
Your persona is represented by a second High Concept (p. XX) ten invest in devices with higher security.
that can be invoked or compelled. This can be invoked for free Other: Choose a personal vehicle, like a car (p. XX)
once per minor milestone. or a motorbike (p. XX), or a useful tool, like an elec-
tronic lockpick (p. XX) or a trackign device (p. XX).
GRAND SCHEME Criminals often prefer assets that aren’t overtly illegal
Having lived a life of crime, you know the way to a perfect alibi. to avoid unwanted attention.
Your meticulous planning for every conceivable scenario has
made you into a mastermind. With each successful escapade, If you want additional insignificant assets at lower Cost,
your reputation grows, but no one gets closer to catching you. consult your Narrator. It is recommended to allow extra
reloads of ammunition and certain attachments or digi-
Once per minor milestone, you may ignore the negative d6 tal assets, but keep it fair between the players.
for a crime-related Skill roll, such as a pickpocket attempt, a

60
ENGINEER INNOVATIVE INSIGHT
Your keen insight into the mechanics of how things work allows
As an engineer, you are an innovator and problem-solver who you to anticipate and preemptively address potential issues be-
applies scientific principles to design, build, and maintain fore they arise.
structures, machines, and systems. Your work is the foundation
of civilization, where you transform theoretical ideas into tan- After having interacted with an invention (p. XX) for a brief
gible reality. Your role as an engineer can vary depending on time (at the Narrator’s discretion), you become aware of its
your social class. negative properties (p. XX).
Once per significant milestone, you can gain insight into a
If you are a scavenger, you operate on the fringes. You are negative “property” associated with something other than in-
adept at making the most of the materials available to you. ventions, like an individual or a situation. For an individual,
You could be a tinkerer who fixes gadgets and machinery for this could be a Trouble Aspect, a Consequence, or a narrative
those too poor to buy them, or a scrapdoc who fuses marauder detail at the Narrator’s discretion. For a situation, this could
flesh with second-hand cybernetics. be anticipating an ambush, recognizing that you are being led
If you are a laborer, you are the backbone of everyday opera- into a trap, or noticing when something is off.
tions, and apply your technical skills in more traditional roles.
You could be a roughneck who works on major construction JURY RIG
sites, a technician who troubleshoots and maintains equip- Your understanding of components, structures, and tools gives
ment, or a nurse who assists in a medical facility. you an edge in coming up with innovative solutions for the cre-
If you are an erudite, you represent a higher level of speciali- ation and maintenance of inventions.
zation, and often hold positions of complex problem-solving.
You might be a foreman who oversees a construction project, You may attempt to invent, repair, maintain, or treat some-
an architect who desigs buildings, or a cybertechnician who thing without proper tools.
designs, installs, and maintains cybernetics. You may, once per minor milestone, add a story detail without
If you are a luminary, you are a leader in your field, guilding having to spend a Charge, as long as it is somehow connected
large projects or managing production chains. You might be to components, structures, and tools. This could let you find
a chief engineer at a major manufacturing firm, an owner of materials for projects where there otherwise would not be any.
a construction company, or the head of a medical institution.
If you are an executive, you are the visionary and entrepreneur RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
who leads wide-reaching enterprises. You might be the own- Your innate talent for discovering creative solutions is a testa-
er of a manufacturing company that spans your entire faction, ment to your mastery of your craft. Not only does your creative
the head of a cutting-edge tech company tasked with classified approach help you solve complex problems, but it inspires those
research, or the proprietor of a cybernetics brand whose prod- around you. This has earned you a network to tap into for re-
ucts are integral to all major cyberclinics in your faction. sources and red tape.

You can invent things with a Cost one higher than your nor-
You gain the following: mal maximum before it will require additional Hurdles.
Improve five of the following Skills: Creativity, Education, En- All invention, maintenance, and repair projects require one
gineering, Interfacing, Investigation, Leadership, Piloting, and fewer Hurdle (p. XX) to complete, to minimum zero Hurdles.
Treatment. Also improve five Skills of your own choice. A project requiring zero Hurdles can be completed immedi-
ately with the resources at your disposal.
Choose one of the following Profession Traits:
ENGINEER STARTING KIT
FLAWLESS CONSTRUCTION
After years of study and practical experience, you take pride in Select a starting kit consisting of five assets with a Cost
your work. You ensure that every component is meticulously equal to your Influence. Suggestions include:
polished and every feature is carefully fine-tuned. This dili-
Weapon: Choose a weapon that fits your work, such as
gence guarantees that there will be no surprises when you pow-
a chainsaw (p. XX), a piston gauntlet (p. XX), or a grav-
er on the system.
ity gun (p. XX).
When creating or modifying an invention (p. XX), you may Fashion and armor: Choose one asset from this sec-
add properties to it as if its Cost were one higher. This does tion, such as a hazmat suit (p. XX) or a laborwear kit (p.
not alter the invention’s actual Cost for the sake of dice rolls, XX). An engineer tends to gravitate towards protective
trading, or other factors other than its available properties. or sterile garments depending on their work.
An invention can benefit from this bonus only once. Smart devices: Choose a wearable smart device, like a
If you get this trait during character creation, you may apply minicom (p. XX) or a smartcom (p. XX). Engineers of-
this benefit to items from your starting kit. ten want to keep their hands free for manual work.
Other: Choose two assorted assets, such as a toolkit (p.

61
 CHAPTER 2: IDENTITY

XX) and a techscanner (p. XX), or a companion droid freed you to concentrate on your creativity.
that can assist you in your work, such as a multiorb (p.
XX) or a utility swarm (p. XX). Your agent is a valuable ally and NPC. Their Influence is one
higher than yours (maximum 8). They will have a Friendly At-
titude (p. XX) towards you unless you give them reason not to.
If you want additional insignificant assets at lower Cost,
consult your Narrator. It is recommended to allow extra
reloads of ammunition and certain attachments or digi- Once per significant milestone, assuming that the agent’s Atti-
tal assets, but keep it fair between the players. tude remains Friendly, you may appeal to them for one of the
following benefits:

Assignment: Your agent has secured an assignment, such as

a gig, an event, an interview, or the like. The Narrator can tie
INFLUENCER this to planned stories or to resolve certain narrative devel-
opments.
As an influencer, you know how to entertain others through tal-
ent, charisma, and content creation. Your ability to offer others Favor: Your agent offers you a favor as appropriate by their In-
an escape from their worries is an invaluable gift in the harsh fluence, such as getting you in contact with someone impor-
post-war society. You can also reach people with new messages, tant, helping you spread your brand, sourcing you the latest
encouraging them to either rise up or submit to tyranny, or to fashion, or getting you VIP tickets to a celebrity event.
purchase whatever products you mean to sell. Payment: Your agent gives you a handout. You either restore
one spent Influence, or you earn one extra stored Influence.
If you are a scavenger, you are the heartbeat of the streets,
spreading art that is considered raw and resonant. You could FANBASE
be captivating audiences as a vibrant street performer, spark- You are fortunate to have a dedicated fanbase; a community
ing change as a passionate activist, or designing intricate tat- of enthusiasts who not only adore your work but also actively
toos brandished by local gangs. engage with your career. They rally behind you, celebrate your
If you are a laborer, you embody the spirit of the working artist, successes, and even defend you in moments of controversy.
struggling to leave your mark on the cultural landscape. You
could be igniting passions as a dancer in bustling night clubs, Whenever you are openly seen in a scene with people you have
quietly eroding your creativity for an algorithmic media com- not met before, roll a d6 and compare the result to your de-
pany, or grinding as an assistant to a famous media personality. fault Influence. Add –1 to the roll if you are within a venue
If you are an erudite, your influence shapes thoughts and trends related to your craft, as well as when you encounter people
in your region. You could be a lead singer drawing throngs of who are well within your target audience. In contrast, add +1
admirers with magnetic stage presence, an event planner mas- to the roll if the people present are clearly outside of your tar-
terminding weddings and charity events, or a recognized voice get audience. Add another +1 if you are outside of your home
captivating listeners with an acclaimed podcast. turf; this becomes +2 if you are outside of your faction; or +3
if you are within a faction closed off from yours.
If you are a luminary, your fame illuminates your faction. You
could be a model whose face is plastered on ads across their If you roll equal to or lower than your Influence, most of the
entire faction, a fashion designer whose visionary creations people present will know who you are, and at least some of
dictate the style of an entire generation, or a social media sen- them will be devoted fans. If they show their devotion or not
sation whose every post garners the attention of millions. depends on the situation, the current Attitudes (p. XX), and
If you are an executive, your reach is celestial, and your very the Narrator’s discretion. If you do something illegal, you
words can shape the fabric of civilization. You could be a celeb- might get arrested even if the lawman is a fan of yours, though
rity whose renown transcends factions, a wealthy mogul com- they would likely treat you better than the average criminal.
manding a large media empire, or a social media titan whose When invoking Influence against fans, you may treat your In-
followers number in the hundreds of millions. fluence as one higher than it is (maximum 8).
You gain a free invocation on all Social Skill rolls against fans.
You gain the following:

Improve five of the following Skills: Contacts, Creativity, Inter- MERCHANDISE

facing, Leadership, Performance, Persuasion, Provocation, and As an influencer, you have expanded your reach beyond mere
Style. Also improve five Skills of your own choice. content creation to establish your own brand of products. These
belong to a curated collection infused with your personal touch
and quality assurance, leveraged to your audience through a
Choose one of the following Profession Traits: multitude of channels.
AGENT You restore a spent Influence every minor milestone.
Your artistic endeavors have earned you a valuable contact who
manages your administrative duties and secures job opportuni- Once per significant milestone, you can add a significant asset
ties. This partnership has removed some of your workload and with a Cost no higher than your (Influence + 1, maximum 8)

62
 to the scene. The asset must be directly related to your brand. You could be a patrolman chasing criminals through rundown
streets, an undervalued journalist grinding stories no one else
TRENDSETTER wants to tell, or a shrewd private eye shadowing targets and
Your innovative vision and keen sense of style have positioned unraveling secrets.
you as a trendsetter within your sphere of influence. Not only do If you are an erudite, you wield your intellect as a weapon. You
you anticipate coming trends, but you shape their form. could be a cunning prosecutor making your cases in court, a
hardened detective interrogating suspects and sifting through
You are always Fashionable. crime scenes, or a daring reporter trying to end corruption.
Once per minor milestone, you gain a free invocation when If you are a luminary, you have a deep insight into the darkest
rolling Creativity to invent (p. XX), repair, or alter fashion. depths of humanity. You could be a calculated operative run-
When purchasing fashion (p. XX), you may treat it as hav- ning surveillance for an agency, a covert field agent infiltrating
ing –1 Cost without actually reducing quality. This applies to a faction or organization, or a Peacekeeper inspecting agencies
fashion from your starting kit as well. on behalf of the Terran Consolidation.
If you are an executive, you employ information to command
empires. You could be the corporate head of an intelligence
INFLUENCER STARTING KIT
agency, a gene hunter targeting empyrean clans, or a scheming
Select a starting kit consisting of five assets with a Cost director gathering blackmail material and executing vendettas
equal to your Influence. Suggestions include: with lethal precision.

Weapon: Choose a light weapon, such as a handgun (p. You gain the following:
XX) or a knife (p. XX). Influencers tend to use easily
concealed weapons for personal protection. The exce- Improve five of the following Skills: Awareness, Contacts,
mption would be battle-influencers who often invest in Empathy, Deception, Interfacing, Investigation, Larceny, and
flashier alternatives, such as holo weapons (p. XX). Stealth. Also improve five Skills of your own choice.
Fashion and armor: Choose two assets from this
section, such as a fiber vest (p. XX) concealed under Choose one of the following Profession Traits:
a fashionwear kit (p. XX), or a fashion accessory like
smartshades (p. XX). It is important for influencers to CAPTURING THE PROFILE
be well-presented and show style. They want to grab Having dedicated your life to the study of others, you have de-
your attention and be remembered. veloped a keen insight into the human psyche. Your experiences
Smart devices: Choose a wearable smart device, like a have allowed you to discern the subtle nuances that drive peo-
minicom (p. XX) or a smartcom (p. XX). Most interfac- ple’s actions and decisions. This has taught you how to predict
ers want to constantly be connected to their fans and behaviors, influence outcomes, and navigate social dynamics.
media feeds without interrupting their day.
After having spent a dramatically appropriate time interact-
Other: Choose a companion, like an assistant (p. XX), ing with or studying a person, the Narrator must disclose if
a servitor (p. XX), or a goon squad (p. XX). Influenc- they are hiding something of narrative or personal impor-
ers are often surrounded by an entourage of assistants, tance, such as vital information about a case; they do not have
stylists, and yes-men. to disclose what that is.
After having discerned that a person is hiding something, you
If you want additional insignificant assets at lower Cost, have a free invocation on your next Cognitive or Social roll
consult your Narrator. It is recommended to allow extra made to try to uncover that information.
reloads of ammunition and certain attachments or digi-
tal assets, but keep it fair between the players.
CONNECTING THE THREAD
You have a sharp and analytical mind that lets you piece puzzles
together. You recognize patterns invisible to most, comprehend
even the most challenging ideas, and have a knack for finding
INSPECTOR
simple solutions to complex problems.
As an inspector, your life is a mosaic of mysteries. You dedicate
Once per minor milestone, you may ask the Narrator a single
yourself to sorting out the pieces of giant puzzles—to under-
question that could help you progress towards a goal. If the
stand the civilization you call home, and the people within it.
Narrator determines that it can be justified that your char-
acter learns the answer to the question, they must give you
If you are a scavenger, you roam the urban shadows. You could
that answer. If they think that it cannot be justified, they must
be a vigilante enforcing justice beyond the law, a recruiter for
instead give you a hint towards the next piece of the puzzle.
a criminal gang, or a disgraced cop struggling to survive your
city’s underbelly.
DATA GATHERER
If you are a laborer, you embody grit and the common struggle.
You have an eye and an ear for the truth. You are always aware

63
 CHAPTER 2: IDENTITY

of what is around you, you absorb information with ease, and realm, where data streams and virtual landscapes are your play-
you process that information through a rational lens. grounds. You are the bridge between realspace and nitespace,
decoding the secrets of both humanity and machine-gods.
You may spend a Charge to ignore the negative die on a roll
aimed to reveal hidden or secret information, such as casing a If you are a scavenger, you prowl through neon-lit alleys. You
scene, browsing a database, or interrogating someone. You do could be a street hacker breaking into vending machines and
not have to invoke an Aspect to use a Charge for this purpose. smart devices, a den junkie crafting and maintaining illegal
You may do this for free once per minor milestone. nitesites, or a scrap broker salvaging old hardware and lost
data from forgotten ruins.
INFILTRATION EXPERT If you are a laborer, you are the backbone of the digital work-
Your study of human behavior has honed your skills in blend- force. You could be a network technician maintaining a busi-
ing into any milieu. You excel in slipping past defenses and as- ness’ data serves or a metropolis’ regional communications, a
suming the necessary guise to navigate through secure environ- virtual architect designing immersive worlds, or a code break-
ments undetected. er hired to battle bugs and glitches in new software.
If you are an erudite, you are the master of information and
After having spent a dramatically appropriate time study- the digital landscape. You could be a data analyst forecasting
ing a group or location in preparation for an infiltration, the trends from the chaos of numbers, a field hacker that uses both
Narrator must reveal if your plan will be appropriate for your realspace and nitespace to access guarded locations and net-
goal. If you are missing valuable information that you would works, or a soul chaser tasked to track specters in nitespace.
need to perform your infiltration, the Narrator can tell you
If you are a luminary, you illuminate the path with new inno-
as much, but they cannot tell you the details you are missing.
vations. You could be a visionary developer shaping the future
Any successful create advantage action (p. XX) you perform of software, a security specialist overseeing the digital infra-
in prepration of your infiltration plan will grant you one ad- structure of agencies and facilities, or a god trainer mentoring
ditional free invocation. newborn functionaries before they are commercially viable.
If you are an executive, you command the flow of the digital
tide. You could be a tech mogul leading a corporation into the
INSPECTOR STARTING KIT future, a shadow broker dealing in secrets and influence, or a
Select a starting kit consisting of five assets with a Cost system overlord administrating vast networks or even prime
equal to your Influence. Suggestions include: functionaries.

Weapon: Choose two assets from this section, such as You gain the following:
a handgun (p. XX) and a knife (p. XX). Inspectors tend
to favor light, concealable weapons that they can bring You may improve five of the following Skills: Contacts, Decep-
with them to any location. tion, Engineering, Interfacing, Investigation, Larceny, Pilot-
Fashion and armor: Choose a light, concealable, or ing, and Stealth. You may also improve five Skills of your own
discreet armor type, such as a fiber vest (p. XX) or a choice.
streetwear kit (p. XX). Inspectors need to avoid draw-
ing attention as they blend into many different places. You may also choose one of the following Profession Traits:
Smart devices: Choose a wearable smart device, like
a minicom (p. XX) or a smartcom (p. XX). Inspectors CALIBRATED AVATAR
want something small and concealable to be able to re- You spend much of your time in nitespace, translating your own
cord and transmit without drawing attention. physical skills into digital output. You battle machine-gods,
Other: Choose a companion, like a droid (p. XX), to hostile programs, and dangerous virtual spaces.
help you surveil areas. Alternatively, get a tool, like an
electronic lockpick (p. XX), to make it easier for you to You gain another set of Digital Consequence slots (Mild, Mod-
get into certain areas. A vehicle, like a motorbike (p. erate, and Severe).
XX), could also help you get to and from locations.
HACKER
If you want additional insignificant assets at lower Cost, You have specialized in breaking encryptions, secretly access-
consult your Narrator. It is recommended to allow extra ing systems, and trying to bypass functionaries and defensive
reloads of ammunition and certain attachments or digi- programs. You might do this simply for the love of the game, or
tal assets, but keep it fair between the players. perhaps you seek to steal information and data as activism or
for personal profit.

You gain a free invocation on all attempts to discover and un-

INTERFACER cover electronic devices and digital systems within range of
your smart device.
As an interfacer, you navigate the intricate web of the digital After having identified a device or system, you are intuitively

64
 aware of its Security value. consult your Narrator. It is recommended to allow extra
reloads of ammunition and certain attachments or digi-
After having successfully hacked into a device or system, you
tal assets, but keep it fair between the players.
will have a free invocation on any future attempt to hack into
that device or system again. This bonus persists even if the de-
vice or system is modified in some way.
SCIENTIST
SECURITY SPECIALIST
As someone who deals with electronic devices and digital inter- As a scientist, you are the architect of tomorrow, piecing togeth-
faces, you have learned the ins and outs of keeping them secure. er the puzzles of nature to rebuild and advance society. Your
pursuit of knowledge and innovation is a beacon of hope in a
Increase Security Scale by one for all of your electronic assets solar system recovering from decades of fierce conflict.
(p. XX), to maximum Scale 8. This may extend to your friends
and allies as well, as long as they trust you with access to their If you are a scavenger, you are the alchemist of the streets,
devices. If they consent, they benefit from the increased Scale, turning scraps into gold. You could be a drug manufacturer
but you have full access to their devices without a roll. who synthesizes compounds from discarded or stolen mate-
rials, a scrapdoc who repurposes broken tech into valuable
UP TO DATE gadgets, or a mentor who teaches essential tools and trades to
You pride yourself on the fact that you keep up to date on the nurture young minds in the fringe districts.
latest games, programs, and applications. You know how to If you are a laborer, you are the backbone of progress, toiling
source just about anything you need for a device or a system, in laboratories with no credits to your name. You could be a
and you seem to almost always have the right tool for the job. lab assistant conducting crucial experiments, a pharmacist dis-
tributing essential medications, or an educator teaching basic
You may, once per minor milestone, add an insignificant dig- education at a public academy.
ital asset to the scene for free.
If you are an erudite, your intellect shapes the future with each
You may, once per significant milestone, add a significant dig- discovery. You could be a forensic scientist who unravels crim-
ital asset to the scene for free. inal mysteries, a professor teaching advanced classes at a public
You treat all digital assets as if they have –1 Cost when relying academy, or biotechnician engineering biological marvels.
on the traits above, when you attempt to purchase them, or If you are a luminary, your vision guides the path of your fac-
when their Cost determines a difficulty that you need to over- tion’s development. You could be the head of a forensic lab
come with a Skill roll, or the requirement for a smart device overseeing groundbreaking research, a professor teaching ad-
to host them. vanced classes at a private academy, or a chief cybertechnician
known for pioneering cybernetic advancements.
If you are an executive, your influence reverberates through
INTERFACER STARTING KIT the echelons of power. You could be a professor molding minds
Select a starting kit consisting of five assets with a Cost at an elite executive academy, a director of a cutting-edge re-
equal to your Influence. Suggestions include: search and development firm, or a famous designer unveiling
revolutionizing new technologies at grand events.
Weapon: Choose a single asset from this section, such
as a sword (p. XX). Interfacers often have smart weap-
You gain the following:
ons which, when connected to an MMI, can be used by
their avatar when interfacing.
You may improve five of the following Skills: Contacts, Edu-
Fashion and armor: Choose a light armor type, such cation, Engineering, Interfacing, Investigation, Piloting, Treat-
as a leather jacket (p. XX) or a flesh-matrix suit (p. XX). ment, and Willpower. You may also improve five Skills of your
Interfacers want to be discreet in realspace, but don’t own choice.
mind being fancy in nitespace. They want smart armor
to be able to use it digitally.
You may also choose one of the following Profession Traits:
Smart devices: Choose two assets from this category,
such as a smartcom (p. XX) and a mind-matrix inter- BREAKING COSMIC BARRIERS
face (p. XX). Interfacers are dependent upon systems You have become a cosmic coder, perhaps as a result of scientific
and devices, making it very important for them to have experimentation, a freak accident, or deliberate research. You
potent and secure tools. are considered licensed to use your cosmic coding.
Other: Choose a digital asset, like a communication
service (p. XX), a security program (p. XX), or a func- You gain the cosmic coder augmentation (p. XX). This also
tionary (p. XX). Alternatively, choose a tool appropriate gives you an associated Coding Protocol (p. XX).
for their work, such as an electronic lockpick (p. XX). You may treat any Coding Skill you have access to as a Profes-
sion Skill during character creation.
If you want additional insignificant assets at lower Cost, If you already are a cosmic coder when selecting this Profes-

65
 CHAPTER 2: IDENTITY

sion Trait, you may choose to either increase the Scale of one section, such as a laborwear kit (p. XX) or a hazmat
of your Coding Skills by one, or you may adopt a new Coding suit (p. XX). Scientists favor substance before style, and
Skill different from your old one. they wear garments essential for their work.
Smart devices: Choose one asset from this category,
EXPERIMENTAL ADAPTATION such as a smartcom (p. XX) or a smartpad (p. XX). Sci-
Your ability to adapt tools and experiments on the fly is unpar- entists need tools for system interaction to keep up with
allelled. You can take just about any technology and give it a information databases, to run simulations, and to bene-
surprising new function. fit their work in other ways.
Other: Choose two additional assets, such as compan-
When using an item of some kind, you may spend a Charge to ions like a servitor droid (p. XX) a multi-orb (p. XX),
alter its function to a related one as a create advantage action. or a utility swarm (p. XX), or tools such as a toolkit (p.
For example, a Laser Spectrometer could become a Makeshift XX), a techscanner (p. XX), or a neural grip (p. XX).
Cutting Tool, or a Fuel Cell could become a Plasma Mine. The
device carries the new function indefinitely, or until you re-
store its original function as a free action. If appropriate, you If you want additional insignificant assets at lower Cost,
may change some of its asset properties to add mechanical consult your Narrator. It is recommended to allow extra
weight to the new function. reloads of ammunition and certain attachments or digi-
tal assets, but keep it fair between the players.
This is most commonly an Education or Engineering roll, but
other Skills may be applicable at Narrator discretion. The dif-
ficulty of this roll has a Rank equal to the device’s Cost, and
its Scale is typically 1 (the Narrator may consider an increased SOLDIER
Scale rating if the new function is particularly extreme or bor-
derline causality-breaking). If you succeed with style, the item As a soldier, you are the shield and sword of society, molded by
will benefit from an additional +1 Cost property as long as it war and tasked to defend your faction’s interests, enforce your
carries the new function. faction’s laws, and challenge your faction’s enemies. Your resil-
ience, strength, and sacrifice are the cornerstrones of order in a
solar system that is now clawing its way back from chaos.
HUMAN EXPERIMENT
You have had experiments done to you, either on your own ini- If you are a scavenger, you are guardian or destroyer of the
tiative, as the result of an accident, or by falling victim to a hor- fringes. You could be a marauder prowling the wastelands, a
rible circumstance. disgraced lawman upholding order with a tarnished badge, or
a discharged veteran imparting hard-earned wisdom to those
You may choose bionic or cybernetic augmentations (p. XX)
willing to listen.
totalling up to Cost 6. In addition, you acquire a negative cos-
metic trait equivalent to a Trouble (p. XX), such as Disfigured If you are a laborer, you are the vigilant protector of the peace.
Face or Never-Ending Itch. You could be a private serving with honor in the military, a
patrolman dedicated to maintain order, or a vigilant security
guard safeguarding corporate assets.
STROKE OF GENIUS
Your mind works on a level others can only dream about. There If you are an erudite, your tactical acument commands respect.
is no topic you cannot become an expert at if you really set your You could be leading troops as a low-ranked military officer, a
mind to it. specialist field agent unraveling dangerous threats, or oversee-
ing security operations for a corporate firm.
You have access to a number of Genius Points equal to your If you are a luminary, your leadership is renowned. You could
highest Cognitive Scale. These are identical to Charges but be a mid-ranked military officer strategizing victories, a po-
can only be used to invoke Cognitive Skills. They don’t need lice chief presiding over a jurisdiction, or a discreet bodyguard
to be tied to specific Aspects. These points last until used and shielding celebrities and VIPs.
are replenished at the beginning of a new session. If you are an executive, your authority is absolute. You could
be commanding armies as a high-ranked military officer, di-
recting national security as head of a law enforcement, or the
SCIENTIST STARTING KIT leader of a mercenary group profiting from conflict.
Select a starting kit consisting of five assets with a Cost
equal to your Influence. Suggestions include: You gain the following:

Weapon: Choose a single asset from this section, such You may improve five of the following Skills: Athletics, Close
as a stun baton (p. XX) or a gravity gun (p. XX). Scien- Combat, Fortitude, Leadership, Piloting, Ranged Combat,
tists prefer electronic weapons with varied functions, Stealth, and Willpower. You may also improve five Skills of
such as those that can act like useful tools. your own choice.
Fashion and armor: Choose a single asset from this

66
You may also choose one of the following Profession Traits: Smart devices: Choose one asset from this category,
such as a smartcom (p. XX) or a minicom (p. XX). Sol-
COMBAT INSTINCTS
diers need smart devices for communication, but some
Having experienced fighting in a deadly war, you’re always on choose to have them integrated with armor instead.
edge, constantly aware of potential danger.
Other: Choose one additional asset, such as a compan-
You gain a free invocation whenever you roll Awareness for ion like an airdisk (p. XX), a vehicle like a helicopter (p.
the purpose of detecting danger or determining turn order. XX), a tool like a flashlight (p. XX), or a consumable
like a stim (p. XX). Soldiers want assets that are easily
Once per conflict, you may choose to interrupt the current carried and useful on the field.
turn order and either take your turn or declare that an ally
takes theirs. You can spend Charges to do this more times. If
multiple characters try to do this at the same time, they must If you want additional insignificant assets at lower Cost,
all roll to determine who among them gets to act. consult your Narrator. It is recommended to allow extra
reloads of ammunition and certain attachments or digi-
tal assets, but keep it fair between the players.
HEAVY INFANTRY
You’re trained in carrying heavy equipment through harsh en-
vironments. You carry things around so often that being en-
cumbered feels like your natural state. Elise decides that Rainmaker’s profession is engineer. She
improves Interfacing from Fair (+2) to Good (+3), Con-
Your lifting capacity (p. XX) is doubled. When exact numbers tacts and Piloting from Average (+1) to Fair (+2), as well
aren’t relevant, such as in a contest, you gain a free invocation as Creativity and Treatment from Mediocre (±0) to Aver-
on your Athletics roll instead. age (+1). As for her free Skill improvements, she improves
You reduce mobility penalty (p. XX) by one (to minimum 0). Close Combat from Good (+3) to Great (+4), Fortitude
from Fair (+2) to Good (+3), as well as Acrobatics, Decep-
Once per minor milestone, you may choose to reroll a failed tion, and Empathy from Mediocre (±0) to Average (+1).
resource roll (p. XX), such as when rolling to see if you use up
ammunition or a consumable asset. Because of Endless Potential and Field Specialist, she can
choose a total of three Profession Traits. She chooses Flaw-
LOCKED AND LOADED less Construction and Jury Rig from engineer as well as
Every peaceful moment is but a short pause from the war. You Combat Instincts from soldier.
want to make sure to always be ready, either as a prominent buy-
er of arms or as an arms dealer yourself. Her suggested starting kit is at Cost 2 and consists of a sin-
gle weapon, a single armor, a single smart device, and two
You can always find arms dealers in urban environments. other assets. She decides to reflavor a club into a wrench as
You’re also aware of various arms caches in the wasteland. a weapon, a laborwear kit reflavored as a mechanics’ over-
all for armor, a smartcom as a smart device, and finally a
You can always tell if someone is wearing a weapon. If they are
toolkit and a techscanner to benefit her mechanical work. .
going out of their way to conceal it, you have a free invocation
on your attempt to notice it.
Lily wants Willow to be an influencer. She improves Cre-
Whenever you purchase weapons, armor, and ammunition, ativity from Good (+3) to Great (+4), Performance from
you may treat them as having –1 Cost without actually reduc- Fair (+2) to Good (+3), Acrobatics and Style from Average
ing quality. This also applies to your starting kit. (+1) to Fair (+2), and Contacts from Mediocre (±0) to Av-
erage (+1). She also improves Investigation from Fair (+2)
to Great (+4), Deception and Ranged Combat from Aver-
SOLDIER STARTING KIT age (+1) to Fair (+2), and Willpower from Mediocre (±0)
Select a starting kit consisting of five assets with a Cost to Average (+1).
equal to your Influence. Suggestions include:
Willow can choose a single Profession Trait from her pro-
Weapon: Choose two assets from this section, such as a fession. She chooses Fanbase.
machinegun (p. XX) or a sword (p. XX). Soldiers want
weapons that are efficient at taking out their targets. Her suggested starting kit is at Cost 3 and consists of a light
Fashion and armor: Choose a single armor, such as weapon, two fashion or armor assets, a wearable smart de-
plastic armor (p. XX) or a combat suit (p. XX). Soldiers vice, and a single additional asset. She decides to go with a
can wear armor of any size, but they favor encasing (p. smart handgun, a streetwear kit and smartshades, a smart-
XX) variants for added protection. com, and an electronic lockpick.

67
 CHAPTER 2: IDENTITY

AUGMENTATIONS
Augmentations represent different ways of customizing a char- the character. If you have the option of more than one starting
acter’s capabilities. You may start the game with a single aug- augmentation, you may either add a second Godware Protocol to
mentation of your choice that you meet the requirements for the same item (if it has available slots) or you may add the God-
(see the list below for specifications). If you want to play as a he- ware property to a second item from your starting kit.
roic or experienced character, you may choose a second starting
augmentation, at Narrator discretion. CODING PROTOCOLS
Coding Protocols (p. XX) represent special powers tied to one
BIONICS of the ten Coding Skills (p. XX): Acid Coding, Bio Coding, Cryo
Bionics (p. XX) represent mutations, genetic modifications, or- Coding, Electricity Coding, Entropic Coding, Kinematic Coding,
ganic implants, and the like. They are permanent changes that Metal Coding, Psionic Coding, Pyro Coding, and Quantum Cod-
alter your human form or add new superhuman features. ing. These allow for powerful effects that are similar to magic or
superpowers, such as the power to create elemental manifesta-
Bionic augmentations have Cost values similar to assets (p. XX). tions, control minds, or levitating.
When choosing a starting bionic augmentation, its Cost can be
no higher than your Influence. If acquiring a bionic augmenta- Unless the character has a Coding Skill from their progeny, they
tion in game, first pay for it as if it were an asset before paying a must acquire the cosmic coder (p. XX) bionic augmentation to
significant milestone point (p. XX) to activate it. be able to learn Coding Protocols. This can be acquired via the
Licensed Coder (p. XX) Education Trait or the Breaking Cosmic
CYBERNETICS Barriers (p. XX) Profession Trait.
Cybernetics (p. XX) represent technological implants, prosthet-
ics, and the like. They are pseudo-permanent upgrades since they
are fixed to your body unless you surgically remove them. Some Rainmaker and Willow will each start the game with a sin-
cybernetic augmentations, such as a cyberlimb, can be detached gle augmentation.
and replaced with a variant that holds different features.
Elise wants an augmentation that makes Rainmaker more
Cybernetic augmentations have Cost values similar to assets (p. capable in physical conflicts. She goes through the list of
XX). When choosing a starting cybernetic augmentation, its augmentations in Chapter 6 and chooses a Cost 2 bion-
Cost can be no higher than your Influence. If acquiring one in ic augmentation based on [1 or 2] Enhanced Skeleton with
game, first pay for it as if it were an asset before paying a signifi- [+1 or +2] Smash Resistance (p. XX). She takes the Cost
cant milestone point (p. XX) to activate it. If you have a detach- 1 version of the base augmentation, giving her +1 Harm
able cybernetic, you can acquire as many variants as you want as to unarmed Close Combat attacks and +1 to Natural Soak
individual assets, but you can only use one at the time. against Blunt Harm. However, this increases her weight by
25%, which is primarily a cosmetic change. The upgrade
SKILL FEATURES lets her Physical Consequences caused by Blunt Harm mit-
Skill Features (p. XX) represent specific conditions and master- igate two additional Stress.
ies tied to one of the 24 Skills. Unlike bionics and cybernetics,
Skill Features don’t favor wealthy characters and many are more She imagines that the reason Rainmaker has acquired this
narratively focused. It’s also common with Skill Features that im- augmentation was because she broke her spine when lifting
prove themselves as you increase the Scale of its associated Skill. heavy equipment at work. When she was at the hospital,
she paid to receive a genetic mutation that would forever
GODWARE harden her skeleton.
Godware (p. XX) represent rare and invaluable items with ca-
pabilities exceeding those of ordinary technologies. Examples For Willow, Lily chooses the Skill Feature Business Insider
include armor that counteract gravity or weapons that can be (p. XX) which lets her substitute Contacts for Creativity (if
stored in alternate dimensions. higher) to determine connections within the art and enter-
tainment industry or prices for related goods and services.
Choose one of the items from your starting kit and give it the She also gains half her Creativity Scale, rounded up, in free
Godware property as described on page XX. You may also give it invocations per minor milestone to spend on Cognitive
a Godware Protocol as described on page XX; these are similar to and Social Skills related to these industries.
other traits but are associated with the specific item rather than

68
 FACTIONS
When creating a character, it is recommended that all participat- itiate romances with enemies just to build a certain narrative
ing players either belong to the same faction or have a narrative around themselves and their families. However, the Camellian
reason to cooperate regardless of faction. Each faction controls Dynasty is now a divided empire; since they opened up more
their own region within the solar system and on Earth. Many to the outside world, the younger generation is losing faith in
factions also have a presence or enclaves within the regions of the late Emperor and has become skeptical to the magistrates’
rival factions; this means that you can belong to a faction while crafted narratives.
living within the region of a another.
Earth territory: Asia, the Claw, and the Star Isles.
Below are short summaries of each faction’s cultural reputation, Space territory: Venusian space.
territory, and primary language. For a few paragraphs about each
Languages: The native tongue is Lionmane, but there are
faction, see page XX. For in-depth information on each faction,
countless cultural groups with many minority languages,
see Chapter 10.
such as archaic Chinese, Korean, and Japanese.
Even though the factions are scattered across the solar system, it Naming conventions: Camellians think of names as expres-
is possible for players to cooperate while belonging to different sions of role or personality, and many combine their given
ones. The Terran Consolidation (TerCon) is a union of factions names with either house names or stylistic titles.
that oversees Terran space as well as the current cease-fire. Peo-
ple from all member factions can join the Terran Consolidation Examples: Aimi Vulture; Chen the Brittle; Dewei One-Eye; Fai
and act as their representatives. If you want to belong to a dif- of Killers Redeemed; Jin Scarecrow; Kimora Bridge; Li Heart-
ferent faction from your fellow players, TerCon offers a possible breaker; Ran Sunlover; Wen Dream; Yoon of House Hyuk.
solution to that problem.
THE COALITION
ARCTURUS The Coalition is a progressive alliance of five cooperatives that
Arcturus is an isolationist and militaristic faction that values seceded from the Directorate early in the war: Caishen, Croc-
strength above all else. It is known for training strong soldiers odile, Mantico, Nebulon, and Praetor. The Coalition has been
and athletes, and its Arcturian Dominion has normalized blood- critical of the Directorate’s treatment of terrans and argues for a
sport and gladiatorial combat. Arcturians idolize soldiers, ath- united society tolerant of all people. People of the Coalition live
letes, and those with rare and unnatural talents, but they also in a diverse society with many different cultures, and the union
recognize and respect non-physical strengths, such as mental is known for having the most prestigious academies in the so-
fortitude, confidence, and cunning. They are often accused of lar system. Unlike more isolationist factions, Coalitionists pride
being barbaric, but they see their culture as more competitive themselves over their well-educated population, as well as their
than cruel. They place less value on social class than many other open means of communication and travel within most of their
cultures and offer both opportunities and competition for all territories. However, they recognize that they must sometimes
people. The faction’s territories have high crime rates and high make shows of force to retain influence in the solar system.
mortality rates, but no one stands above the law.
Earth territory: Hunter Fields, Mediterranea, New Arabia,
Earth territory: Frostland, Graveland, Iceland, Outreach, New Karelia, North Africa, and Outlook.
and Svavelbard. Space territory: Saturnian space.
Space territory: Neptunian space and the Kuiper Belt. Languages: The native tongue is Terran. Many academics
Languages: The native tongue is Arcturian, but many are also study Old Terran and archaic languages, which are also con-
fluent in Terran. sidered signs of intellect and prestige.
Naming conventions: Arcturians normally have gender-neu- Naming conventions: The Coalition supports gender-neutral
tral first names and a union name (which is a family unit). If first names and inherited surnames or family names.
leaving a union for a new one, they adopt the new union’s name.
Examples: Afrim Delic; Camilla Olsen; Darius Quinn; Edon
Examples: Alina Dahl; Elrik Kostov; Danil Penov; Ivar Berg; Abazi; Isabella Wolf; Logan Doyle; Nora Dam; Regina Gru-
Jon Nikolic; Kira Wallin; Pasha Garin; Siri Oravec; Trine Mar- ber; Tiesa Smith; Zerina Bianco.
avin; Yana Anviren.
THE DAWNLIGHT SOCIETY
THE CAMELLIAN DYNASTY The Dawnlight Society is a new faction formed from the ruined
The Camellian Dynasty is an empire ruled by a trio of princesses cooperative Arawn. Named after the group that created Primary
called the Three Divine Daughters. Camellian culture is heavi- Order, this faction emerged late in the Cooperative Era to spark
ly influenced by narratives created by a noble class called the a new societal change. The Dawnlight Society enforces progres-
Magistrate. People glorify open expression of emotion which sive ideas that welcome all people, but this doesn’t sit well with
has its downside—many are prone to overreactions and seek all citizens since many are still loyal to Arawn, a faction striving
retribution for lesser slights. Many seek out blood feuds or in- for ascendant and empyrean supremacy.

69
 CHAPTER 2: IDENTITY

As only a generation has passed since the new order, Dawnlight- education, warfare and peacekeeping, and more. The branches
ers live in a culture of strife, with protests, riots, and terrorist unite via the Board of Directors where they are represented by
attacks being commonplace. The ruling government claims to an empyrean director with an ascendant advisor. The Directo-
encourage open debate and freedom of expression, but it has rate’s people live and prosper under propaganda portraying the
also been criticized for discriminating against the former rul- empyreans and ascendants as the rightful leaders of civilization.
ing class—primarily ascendants and empyreans. Many of those The Directorate is also taking all necessary means to ensure that
who have taken over the government still remember generations the Machineborn and other threats to society are eliminated.
of oppression, and while many try to strive for a fairer world,
many still see enemies around every corner. Earth territory: The Protectorate.
Space territory: Martian space and the Asteroid Belt.
Earth territory: Bastion, Prosperity, and Sanctuary.
Languages: The native tongue is Terran.
Space territory: Mercurian space and the Helios Swarm.
Naming conventions: The Directorate promotes gender-neu-
Languages: The native tongue is Neobantu, but the majority tral first names and inherited surnames. Unlike other fac-
of people are fluent in Terran as well. tions, they also have a secondary naming structure aimed
Naming conventions: The Dawnlight Society supports given to distinguish progeny. All empyreans are part of a clan and
first names followed by taken surnames. bear its name in addition to their first name and surname.
Ascendants are sometimes adopted into these clans as well,
Examples: Aleki Wise; Ezra Big-Cock; Freya King; Harper the but they prefer to carry their hive names—though rarely in
Orphan Maker; Jasmine Blight; Liam Pain; Masina Chrome- public. Chimeras must bear a bloodline name alongside their
face; Samoa Fortune; Talia the Caregiver; Zoe Cupcake. surname, and riftans must have their elemental designation
added to their names as well. Terrans only have first names
DEVA and inherited surnames.
Deva is a religious dictatorship controlled by the Church of the
Voice. The faction was established through a violent coup upon Examples: (Ascendant Names) Adam Kelly Dreamweaver;
the Coalition during the latter half of the Cooperative Wars. The Claire Diaz Blackendale; Mason Green Neuro-Unit; (Chi-
mastermind behind this coup is Markus Sacaro, also known as meran Names) Dakota Miller Bullhorn; Enola Rodriguez
the Celestial Supreme, who is revered as a divine prophet by his Lynxblack; Nora Murphy Hummingbird; (Empyrean Names)
hundreds of millions of loyal adherents. Rival factions openly Ethan Toussaint Atlantia; Jalen Long Copernion; Leah Gar-
dismiss the Voice as superstition, which has caused some blow- cia Andromeda; (Riftan Names) Levi Electro-Shocker; No-
back from a growing religious minority within their own pop- din Acid Davis; Ryan Cryo Singer; (Terran Names) Gabriel
ulations. While people are generally safer within Devan territo- Mitchell; Sakari Moore; Tristan Walker.
ries today than during the war, “heretics” are still oppressed and
subjected to harsh punishments. MEGACORP
Megacorp is the most economically influential faction in the
Earth territory: Britannia, Contemplation, and Divina. solar system and has its tentacles in nearly every other faction
Space territory: Uranian space. due to the Megacorp Credit Registry (MCR), an economic system
that has been essential in ensuring fair trade between factions.
Languages: The native tongue is Terran, but they are also en-
While Megacorp is the sole patron of individual territories, it
forcing Celestial, a language of their own making, as a sign of
allows and supports traditional governments to run their ter-
religious devotion.
ritories while being fairly hands-off in most matters that don’t
Naming conventions: Deva promotes gender-neutral first involve diplomacy, trade, or war. All of its territories are mar-
names followed by a surname or a family name. The Voiceless ket-driven and have large class divides, but the faction also val-
(p. XX) lose their names and are given registration codes con- ues individual freedom more than many of its rivals.
sisting of letters and numbers. Meanwhile, auditors, tribunes,
inquisitors, and others devoted to the Church may adopt a ti- Earth territory: Gran Colombia, Madagascar, and South Af-
tle alongside their name. This title is often representative of rica.
their role within the Church or some deed they are known for.
Space territory: Jovian space and the Asteroid Belt.
Examples: Angelo Judice; Blake Naves, the One Who Listens; Languages: The native tongue is Bolivarian, but they also
Celio Khalil; Dante Lopez, the Merciful; Elaine Owen; Gloria have their own artificial code-language called Sultan, which
Silvain, the Bleeding Heart; Jaxon Hall; Lorenzo Antier, the only bureaucrats and mid- to high-ranked officials learn.
Lion; Mariana Cardoso; Sabina Watson, the Chosen for Un- Naming conventions: Megacorp doesn’t promote any specif-
seen Moments. ic naming conventions and instead accepts the names people
choose for themselves. The most common names in Meg-
THE DIRECTORATE acorp-controlled zones are gender-neutral first names and
The Directorate is the oldest of the current factions and consists inherited surnames, though you’ll find naming conventions
of hundreds of bureaucratic branches and subordinate organi- from all other factions as well.
zations that encompass all aspects of research and development,
mining and production, media and entertainment, health and Examples: Axel Bautista; Diego Gomez; Hugo Paredes; Julia

70
 Adisa; Luan Rivero; Mia Aiza; Palesa Obi; Sofia Yeboah; Tha- LANGUAGES
bo Mohan; Valeria Makeba.
Due to centuries of globalization followed by centuries of iso-
lation, every language can be found in every part of the solar
STARANOVA
system, but some are more dominant and broadly spoken than
Staranova is an empire ruled by Empress Anastasia Staranova.
others. Many factions deliberately created their own languages
Staranovans have many cultural similarities with Arcturians,
to distinguish themselves as empires. While everyone knows
but they are known as a close-minded people, having been
the native tongue of the faction they are associated with, it is
hardened by generations of poverty. Today, they are united in
also common for people to learn additional languages to com-
hatred for most other factions, and many Staranovans dream of
municate with more people—including sign languages. Discuss
becoming part of a military faction that can rival all others. Be-
with your Narrator which languages you should know and why.
cause of Staranova’s limited territory, its people have learned to
become resourceful to maintain their independence. They view
Normally, languages are narrative details and should not hinder
the current cease-fire as an opportunity for the greater factions
characters too much. The technology used to seamlessly trans-
to drop their guards. They have managed to catch up in many
late between languages is so readily available within this world
ways, with access to new science and technologies. However,
that you can assume it is integrated into your character’s smart
they continue to invest in war machines since they know they
devices.
will be needed in times to come.
If you want to limit the number of languages your PC knows,
Earth territory: Staranova.
one recommendation is to have them know a maximum num-
Space territory: None, though they have some stations in be- ber of languages equal to their Rank and Scale in Education.
tween other factions’ territories.
Languages: The native tongue is Staranovian, a dialect of Arc- Arcturian: This language originated in the early Singularity
turian. While the majority don’t learn additional languages, Era and is a deliberate derivation of Russian and the Nordic
Bolivarian has become more popular in the recent generation languages. Formerly called Neo-Norse, it was later adopted by
due to affairs with Megacorp. Arcturus and became known as Arcturian.
Naming conventions: Because Staranova and Frostland have Bolivarian: This language, derived from Spanish and Portug-
a shared history, it has a similar naming convention to Arc- ese, was established by the Gran Colombian empire before it
turus with gender-neutral first names and taken union names. was absorbed by Megacorp. Due to its importance to Meg-
Unlike Arcturian union names which tend to be derived from acorp’s financial supremacy, Bolivarian has become the native
traditional surnames, Staranovan unions often express a con- tongue in many of its sectors.
crete meaning. Celestial: Enforced by Deva, this modern offshoot of Old Ter-
ran is claimed by Deva to be the divine language of the Voice.
Examples: Boris Hammerfist; Dusan Ironwork; Fedor Cross- It is popular among worshippers of the Voice, and it is close
bearer; Katya Silverriver; Mikhail Lifeasgiven; Natalya enough to Old Terran that speakers of the two languages can
Faithservant; Rurik Grandpurpose; Slavik Battlehaunted; Vo- understand each other with only some difficulty.
los Standtall; Zhenya Blade.
Terran: The most widely spread language in the solar system,
Terran is a natural evolution of Old Terran, which is spoken
THE TERRAN CONSOLIDATION in most places of the solar system.
The Terran Consolidation (TerCon) is a union between all major
Lionmane: After generations of incorporating new regions
factions for the purpose of maintaining the solar system’s acting
and languages during the Lionmane Empire’s conquests, the
cease-fire—they view a shared Earth as the key to a shared solar
Divine Emperor declared the creation of a new language that
system. TerCon employs teams of hightly trained special agents
borrowed from all languages spoken in the empire. After the
called peacekeepers who are dispatched to member factions in
empire fell and was overtaken by the Camellian Dynasty, the
order to inspect and investigate matters harmful to the cease-
Lionmane language persisted.
fire. The peacekeepers act as neutral parties who can go to great
lengths to maintain peace. Neobantu: Initially the native tongue of the Central African
Republic during the Post-Activation Era, it was later adopt-
A common premise for Machineborn stories is to roleplay as a ed as the native tongue of the Dawnlight Society. It has early
group of peacekeepers sent out to uncover corruption and fight roots in Swahili and other African languages, but includes de-
those who threaten the peace in the solar system. liberate influences from Amharic languages as well.
Old Terran: Formerly known as English, this language was
TerCon operates primarily from Andlang, the low-orbit ring renamed after the fall of the Primary Order. Today, it is largely
surrounding Earth. It also controls Luna where all member fac- considered a historical language, but some off-world societies
tions are allowed individual bases of operations. Connected to still use it as their native tongue.
the orbital ring, and also under TerCon’s control, are the four Sultan: A unique code-language named after Megacorp’s Sul-
equatorial towers that were built by Machineborn in ages past. tan system, Sultan can be given but not taught. Only available
to high-ranking Megacorp officials, the language is learned
through a cybernetic implant that connects the official with

71
 CHAPTER 2: IDENTITY

the Sultan system. Anyone who knows it without Megacorp’s

approval must either have it erased from their brain or be
dealt with in other ways.

These are all artificial languages designed to distinguish the fac-

tions during centuries of turmoil. Nearly everyone in the solar
system knows at least one of these languages, but these are not
the only ones used. Any contemporary language, such as Arabic
or Spanish, still exists but has evolved over the centuries.

Lily had already decided before the game that she want-
ed her character to come from the Camellian Dynasty. She
likes the idea of a character who wears her emotions on her
sleeve, detests corruption, and is free to express her person-
ality without facing too many repercussion. She thought
that the Camellian Dynasty could facilitate that experience.

In our examples, we have already established the player

characters’ names, but this is otherwise an excellent place
to come up with them. All factions have their own naming
conventions, but you are free to go against the norms and
come up with your own naming styles as well.

The Camellian Dynasty is known for having given names as

well as expression names—the given names are what par-
ents name their children, inspired by contemporary names
primarily from regions and cultures where the Camellian
Dynasty is dominant. You could have any name because
centuries of globalization have contested cultural hegemo-
ny. The expression name, on the other hand, is something
that a Camellian citizen chooses for themselves to celebrate
their own self-expression. Lily’s character is named Yeun
Willow, where Yeun was given to her by her parents, and
Willow was something she chose for herself. Because she is
empyrean, she would have belonged to Clan Yinlong if she
hadn’t forsaken that name earlier in life. If she hadn’t, she
would be Yeun Willow Yinlong.

Finally, Lily notes that Willow’s native tongue is Lionmane,

but she also wants to know Terran to reach a global audi-
ence and Neobantu because the game is going to take place
primarily in Sanctuary, which is controlled by the Dawn-
light Society.

Elise has decided to come from the Dawnlight Society,

where the naming conventions are similar to those in the
Camellian Dynasty, with given first names and taken sur-
names. Popular Dawnlighter first names are inspired by
contemporary Oceanic and Pacific names. Elise decides
that Mauri is her first name and Rainmaker is her surname.

Finally, Elise notes that Rainmaker’s native tongue is Ne-

obantu, and she wants Terran as a second language. She
skips Lianmeng because she doubts that Rainmaker would
have learned it, but she can still communicate with Willow.

72
 CHARACTER ASPECTS
An Aspect (p. XX) is a phrase that describes something unique or it—leave it completely blank. You can always come back and fill
noteworthy about whatever it is attached to. They are the prima- out that Aspect later or let it develop during play. Ultimately, it’s
ry way you spend and gain Charges (p. XX), and they influence much better to leave an Aspect slot blank than to pick one that
the story by providing opportunities for a character to receive a isn’t inspiring and evocative to play. If you’re picking Aspects
bonus, complicate their life, or contribute to another character’s you’re not invested in, they’ll end up being noticeable drags on
roll or passive opposition. your fun.

This section details Character Aspects, which are integral parts of

any character. Just as the player should choose Aspects for their HIGH CONCEPT
PC, the Narrator should assign Aspects to the NPCs they face (p.
XX). There are also Situation Aspects (p. XX) associated with the Your High Concept is a phrase that encapsulates what your char-
scene and situation itself, as well as Consequences (p. XX) and acter is about—who they are and what they do. It is an Aspect,
Boosts (p. XX) that result from certain actions or situations. As a one of the first and most important ones for your character.
player, you only need to focus on Character Aspects at this point. Think of this Aspect as your role or calling in life—it is what you
are good at, but it also comes with a duty you have to deal with,
It is recommended to start by choosing an Aspect known as a and it is constantly filled with its own set of problems. It can be
High Concept—a short phrase that defines the character’s role or both positive and negative depending on situation.
primary concept—as well as a Trouble, which defines a weakness
or perceived flaw in the character’s life or personality. If you are having difficulty defining your High Concept, you
could start by referencing your character’s profession (p. XX),
To determine the kind of Aspects you want, you need to have an such as Engineer or Soldier. Then, add an adjective or another
idea of the kind of character you want to play. This concept could descriptor to further define the idea and add some personality
be modeled after a character from a favorite novel or movie, or it to it—for example, Respected Engineer or Disgraced Soldier. You
could be based on something specific that the character should could also include a reference to your character’s progeny (p.
be able to do, such as breaking walls with their hands or blowing XX) or social class (p. XX)—for example, Respected Empyrean
things up with cybernetic weaponry. Engineer or Disgraced Impoverished Soldier. Alternatively, you
could add a descriptor that highlights how your role differs from
PCs should be exceptional and interesting. They could easily find traditional representations or assumptions of that role, such as
success in less exciting situations than those they encounter in Blind Engineer or Pacifist Soldier. You could also highlight an
play. You must figure out why your character will continue to get important relationship to your faction or an organization you
involved in the game’s dangers and intrigue. are deeply involved with, such as Empyrean Military Engineer of
Clan Andromeda or Celebrated Praetorian Soldier.
CHOOSING ASPECTS
You can have a maximum of five Character Aspects. While there can be some overlap among character High Con-
cepts, there should also be elements that distinguish one char-
Aspects are one of the most important parts of your character, acter from another. If a story encourages similar High Concepts
as they define who they are and provide ways for you to generate among all PCs, such as if everyone is playing soldiers in a mili-
Charges and to spend those Charges on bonuses. Aspects that tary story, it is crucial that the Troubles (see next page) vary.
don’t help you tell a good story—by giving you success when
you need it and by drawing you into danger and action when the
story needs it—are not doing their job. The Aspects that push Elise likes the idea of tying her concept to an organization.
you into conflict and help you excel once you’re there will be She envisions Rainmaker being specialized in military en-
among your best and most used. Aspects need to be both useful gineering. The group helps her come up with the detail that
and dangerous, allowing you to help shape the story and gener- she is a Mechanic for the Crimson Curtain (a mercenary
ate lots of Charges, and they should never be boring. The best group the players came up with). Elise has now tied her
Aspect suggests both ways to use it and ways it can complicate character to the setting by coming up with an organization
your situation. Aspects that cannot be used for either purpose to which she has a connection, and all that this implies.
are likely to be dull.
Lily, on the other hand, doesn’t really know where to go
If you want to maximize the power of your Aspects, maximize other than wanting to be some kind of influencer. She’s not
their interest. interested in being connected to the Crimson Curtain or
any other organization, so she’s thinking about adjectives.
When you’re told that you need to come up with an Aspect, you Eventually, she settles on Famous Influencer Who Roots Out
might experience brain freeze. If your character doesn’t have Corruption. She can now focus on playing the influencer
many connections to the other player characters, talk with the role while simultaneously inserting herself into storylines
group about Aspects that might tie your character in with theirs. as she tries to uncover corruption and conspiracies.
If you ultimately can’t break the block by any means, don’t force

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 CHAPTER 2: IDENTITY

TROUBLE THE “BRIGHT” SIDE OF TROUBLES

Since your Trouble is an Aspect, it’s something you can also in-
In addition to a High Concept, every character has a Trouble As- voke. While the focus has been on how this complicates your
pect that is a part of their life and story. If your High Concept character’s life, it’s easy to overlook how a Trouble can also be
defines what or who your character is, your Trouble answers a beneficial. In short, your experiences with your Trouble makes
simple question: what complicates your character’s existence? you a stronger person in that regard.

Trouble Aspects bring chaos into a character’s life and propel Dealing with personal struggles leaves you vulnerable to temp-
them into interesting situations. They fall into two categories: tation or persuasion, but it can also endow you with a sense of
personal struggles and problematic relationships. inner strength because you understand the kind of person you
aspire to be. Problematic relationships often lead to trouble, but
Personal struggles might involve personality traits, hard-to- people learn valuable lessons from the troubles they face. They
control impulses, or perhaps a physical, social, or psychologi- particularly learn how to navigate many of the minor issues
cal condition that presents daily challenges. Examples include their troubles present.
Prone to Anger, Gambling Addiction, Paralyzed from the Waist
Down, Low Self-Esteem, and Overly Fearful. Elise’s Abrasive to a Fault could be advantageous for the group.
Perhaps she intentionally amplifies this trait to divert attention
Problematic relationships pertain to people or organizations
away from Lily’s character, who is sneaking around.
that complicate your life. Examples include Wanted for Mur-
der, Hated by an Ex, Debt to a Gangster, Ruined a Friend’s Life, With Lily’s Tempted by Greed, it’s plausible that her character is
and Disowned by Family. intimately familiar with the value of goods—and, having been
caught and imprisoned, she knows a thing or two about legal
Your Trouble should not be easy to resolve. If it were, your char- proceedings and escaping.
acter would have already done so, and wouldn’t be interesting.
However, it also shouldn’t completely immobilize the charac-
ter. If the Trouble is constantly interfering with the character’s MAKING A GOOD ASPECT
daily life, they will spend all their time addressing it rather than
engaging with other aspects of the story. You shouldn’t have to DOUBLE-EDGED
confront your Trouble at every turn—unless that is the essence As mentioned earlier, good Aspects offer clear benefits to the
of your story (and even then, it’s just one part of the narrative). character while also providing opportunities to complicate
their lives or be used to their detriment. An Aspect with a dou-
Troubles also shouldn’t be directly related to your High Con- ble edge will come up in play more often than one that is mostly
cept—if you have Disgraced Soldier, stating your trouble as Dis- positive or negative. You can use them frequently to showcase
owned by Employer would be redundant, because that is implied what your character can do, and you’ll be able to accept more
by your High Concept. However, you can add specific details to compels and gain more Charges.
make it personal and more intriguing, such as Took the Blame to
Protect a Friend. These additional details clarify why the charac- When coming up with a Character Aspect, list two ways you
ter is disgraced as a soldier while introducing the trouble associ- might invoke the Aspect, and two ways someone else could in-
ated with being blamed for a crime they didn’t commit. voke it or you could get a compel from it. If the examples come
easily to mind, then it’s a great Aspect. If not, add more context
Before going further, discuss your Trouble with the Narrator. En- to make that Aspect work, or set that idea aside and come up
sure that both of you understand what it entails. You may both with a new one.
want to identify one way this Aspect might be invoked or com-
pelled to ensure you have a mutual understanding—or to inspire For example, the benefits of the Aspect Computer Genius are
each other. The Narrator should come away from this conversa- obvious—any time you’re working with computers, you could
tion with a clear idea of what you expect from your Trouble. justify invoking it. However, it doesn’t seem like there’s much
room for it to work against you. What if the Aspect is changed to
Elise wants to add more personality to her character by con- Computers are Better than People? That still carries the conno-
trasting the “military mechanic” vibe. She wants something tations that would allow you to take advantage of it while work-
that will lead to social trouble, something personal rather ing with computers, but it adds a downside—you’re awkward
than related to the Crimson Curtain. So, she writes down around people. This could mean that you might accept compels
Abrasive to a Fault. Her character will unconsciously cause to mishandle a social situation, or someone might invoke your
trouble due to a lack of a social filter. Aspect when a neat piece of computer equipment distracts you.

Lily likes the idea of being her own worst enemy, so she opts SAY MORE THAN ONE THING
for a personal struggle as well. She has been toying with the A Character Aspect can describe many things, such as person-
idea of playing a character who is Tempted by Greed, so she ality traits, backgrounds, relationships, problems, and more.
writes that down. This trait contrasts with her desire to root The best Aspects fit multiple categories because it means there
out corruption, as she is susceptible to corruption herself are more ways to bring them into play.
when tempted by the right bribe.
A soldier might have the Character Aspect I Must Prove Myself.

74
This can be invoked whenever the player tries to do something should be complex as well.
to gain the approval of others or demonstrate their competence.
Someone might compel it to bait the character into a fight they Machineborn should be an inclusive setting featuring a wide
want to avoid, or to accept a hardship for the sake of reputa- range of characters, and you are encouraged to represent mar-
tion. That will work for a while, but eventually, this Aspect will ginalized groups in a respectful and positive light. Sometimes,
run out of steam. It conveys just one thing about the character: a player may inadvertently resort to a trope without realizing
either the soldier is trying to prove themselves, or this Aspect how it might be perceived by others. If a player voices concerns
won’t come up. Instead, tie it in with a relationship to an organ- about the phrasing or inclusion of an Aspect, don’t see it as them
ization: My Unit Demands that I Prove Myself. preventing you from embracing a concept. Instead, view it as an
opportunity to understand their perspective and to learn how
Your options expand significantly. Not only do you retain all you can better express yourself in a way that isn’t distressing.
the content from before, but you’ve also introduced the idea that
the military unit can make demands of you, can get you into
trouble for actions you’re blamed for, or can send NPCs to com- IF YOU GET STUCK
plicate your life. You can also invoke the Aspect when dealing
with the unit, or with anyone else who might be influenced by SOMETIMES, IT’S BETTER NOT TO CHOOSE
their reputation. Suddenly, that Aspect has a lot more depth and If you can’t think of an Aspect that really resonates with you
potential for interaction. and the other people at the table, you’re better off leaving that
space blank or just keeping whatever ideas you had scribbled
CLEAR PHRASING in the margins. Sometimes, it’s much easier to wait until your
Because Aspects are phrases, they come with all the ambiguities character is in play before you figure out how you want to phrase
of language. If no one understands what your Aspect means, it a particular Aspect.
won’t be utilized enough. That doesn’t mean you should avoid
poetic or fanciful expressions. Just a Simple Mechanic isn’t quite So, when in doubt, leave it blank. Maybe you have a general
as captivating as Born amidst Machines. If that’s the tone you’re idea of the Aspect but don’t know how to articulate it, or maybe
aiming for, feel free to indulge your linguistic desires. However, you just have no idea at all. Don’t worry about it. There’s always
don’t sacrifice clarity for style. Avoid metaphors and implica- room during the game to figure it out as you go.
tions when you can simply state what you mean. This ensures
that others don’t have to pause during play to ask if a certain The same principle applies if you have more than one idea that
Aspect would apply, or become mired in discussions about its seems promising, but they don’t mesh well together, and you’re
meaning. unsure which one to choose. Write them all down in the mar-
gins and see which one truly comes to life in play; then, fill in
The phrase Memories, Wishes, and Regrets has an evocative the space later with the one that proves to be most impactful.
quality; it conveys a sense of melancholy about the past. But as
an Aspect, its purpose is unclear. What are the memories about? ALWAYS ASK WHAT MATTERS AND WHY
What were the wishes? Without a concrete reference, invoking As previously mentioned, Aspects tell you why something mat-
and compelling it becomes nearly impossible. By discussing ters in the game and why you should care about it. This is your
with your Narrator, you might clarify that you want your char- primary compass and guide for choosing the best possible As-
acter to be marked by years spent fighting during the later stag- pect. When in doubt, always ask: What do I really care about
es of the Cooperative Wars. You were forced to kill people you here, and why?
didn’t want to kill, witnessed things you wished to unsee, and
lost all hope of returning to a normal life. This significant char- What was the outcome of my upbringing, education, or profes-
acter detail could be encapsulated as Scars from the War instead. sion? What did I learn along the way?
It may lack poetry, but it directly references everything you’re Did my character develop any important relationships or con-
discussing and provides the Narrator with ideas for integrating nections during their upbringing, education, or profession?
people and places from your past into the game.
Do these parts of my character’s life help establish anything
REPRESENTATION important about their personality or beliefs?
If you wish to play a character from a marginalized group, such Does my character have a reputation associated with their ear-
as a person with a disability, this doesn’t mean that the repre- lier life?
sented trait must necessarily pose a narrative or mechanical ob- Has my character’s upbringing, education, or profession creat-
stacle in the form of a Trouble. You could choose to present a ed a problem for them?
disability as a personal struggle by emphasizing the challenges
it presents, though doing so carelessly might risk portraying it
Assume that each question ends with “for good or ill”—these
in a solely negative light. When it comes to disabilities, remem-
features, relationships, and reputations aren’t necessarily going
ber that not everyone wants to be “cured,” their experiences
to be positive. After all, developing a relationship with a nemesis
cannot be reduced to black and white, and some disabilities are
can be as compelling as developing one with your best friend.
not visible at all. Most importantly, while being part of a mar-
ginalized group can be a significant aspect of one’s identity, it
If there’s more than one option, poll the other players and the
isn’t the entirety of a person. People are complex, and characters
Narrator to see what they find interesting. Remember, you

75
 CHAPTER 2: IDENTITY

should all be helping each other out—the game works best when
everyone is a fan of what everyone else is doing.

VARY IT UP
You don’t want all Aspects to describe the same kind of thing.
Having five relationships means you can’t use your Aspects
unless one of them is in play, but having five personality traits
means you have no connection to the setting. If you’re stuck on
what to pick for an Aspect, examining what kinds of things your
other Aspects describe may help you figure out which direction
to take.

LET YOUR FRIENDS DECIDE

The game works best if everyone is invested in what everyone
else is doing; collaboration is at the heart of the game. You al-
ways have the option, especially with Aspects, to ask the Narra-
tor and other players to come up with something on your behalf.
Share some details about your character and their background,
then ask them the same questions they’ll be asking you. What
matters to them? What excites them? Do they have suggestions
on how to make your character’s background more dramatic or
intense? Which Aspects do they think would be most interest-
ing or appropriate?

You have the final say on what your Aspects are, so don’t view
it as relinquishing control. Rather, see it as consulting your im-
portant fan club and audience about what they want to see, and
then use their suggestions to jumpstart your own thought pro-
cess. If everyone contributes a bit to everyone else’s characters,
the game will benefit from that sense of shared investment.

Rainmaker is a Dawnlight Society terran of the laborer

class—her parents traded vehicles at the fringe zones of
Ayer City, which is where she began to develop a passion for
mechanical work. She was fortunate enough to later enlist
in a public military academy, where her interest in vehicles
evolved into an interest in military ones, particularly mechs.

Elise settles on Mechanic for the Crimson Curtain and Abra-

sive to a Fault as her High Concept and Trouble, respec-
tively. So far, this character is straightforward—a military
engineer whose blunt speech and demeanor frequently land
her in trouble.

Olivia asks Elise what really matters about this part of Rain-
maker’s life, prompting her to reflect. Rainmaker’s first two
Aspects are heavy on personal description—she doesn’t
have any relationships yet apart from to her organization.
Focusing on this, she decides she wants a connection to the
young man who helped her secure a place at the academy’s
mech garage.

They name the young man Minoa, and Rainmaker chooses

the Aspect I Will Make Minoa Proud, giving Olivia a new
NPC to incorporate into the game.

76
 FINISHING TOUCHES
Having completed all of character creation, the only thing re- plex powers is unlocked.
maining is to finalize the details. Ensure that all previous steps
are complete and fill out all the details on your character sheet. All characters begin with Energy 1. Whenever you reach a
Certain statistics are derived from your Skills (p. XX), such as major milestone (p. XX), you may increase Energy by one, up
Stress and Consequences (see Fortitude at page XX, Interfacing at to maximum 2 for ordinary humans or 8 for Machineborn.
page XX, and Willpower at page XX). If you have increased the
Scale in any of your Skills, consult the tables starting on page XX For each point of Energy above 1, Recharge increases by one.
to determine if you earn any additional traits. The Charges provided by your Recharge represent the nanites
working to your advantage.
If you already know at this point that you’re going to add the Ma- For each point of Energy above 1, you may add +1 Scale to four
chineborn template to your starting character, you can hold off different Skills of your choice.
on these details until you’ve added the template and the benefits
it gives you. Otherwise, you may have to recalculate some traits
after this step. Elise and Lily both note that their characters Rainmaker
and Willow have Energy 1. Elise notes that Rainmaker has
Finally, note that you have Energy 1 (see below) and make any Stress 9 (increased to 12 when interfacing); Lily notes that
modifications you deem appropriate to your Character Aspects, Willow has Stress 5 (increased to 7 when interfacing). They
starting kit, and other traits. If you intend to start the game at both have one Mild, Moderate, and Severe Consequence
higher Energy, consult the sidebar. slot for each category of conflict.

Stress: You start with four Stress boxes (p. XX), plus addition- Because of Willow’s Empyrean Physiology, she also earned
al boxes for each Rank in Fortitude and Willpower. You also Scale 2 in Style. She consults the appropriate Scale table (p.
have additional Stress boxes equal to your Rank in Interfacing XX) and notes that due to her Scale in Style, people who
that are accessible to you when interfacing. You may gain ad- don’t know her or have a reason to dislike her will generally
ditional Stress boxes from higher Scale or specific traits. have a Friendly Attitude (p. XX) for her.
Consequences: You start with a Mild, a Moderate, and a Se-
vere Consequence slot (p. XX) each for physical, mental, or Because of Rainmaker’s Reinforced Skeleton (p. XX), she
digital harm. You may gain additional Consequence slots notes that her unarmed attacks inflict Blunt Harm 1 and
from higher Scale or specific traits. that she has +1 to Natural Soak against Blunt Harm.
Soak: You start with Natural and Mental Soak 0 (p. XX) un-
less you gain more from higher Scale or specific traits.
Harm: Your unarmed attacks inflict Blunt Harm 0 (p. XX) STARTING AT HIGHER ENERGY
unless changed by higher Scale or specific traits. If you’re starting the game at higher Energy than 1, con-
sult the following changes. Keep in mind that characters
with Energy higher than 2 should have the Machineborn
template (see next page) unless specified otherwise.
ENERGY
The character may spend one major milestone point (p.
Since the creation of the Nanite Matrix, nanites have integrated XX) for each point of Energy above 1. If any of these are
with most living things. These nanites act as an additional im- spent to increase Influence, make sure to modify the
mune system, enhancing resistance to the numerous diseases character’s starting kit accordingly.
found in cramped metropolises and the radiation that persists
after generations of war. The character may spend three significant milestone
points (p. XX) for each point of Energy above 1.
A remarkable feature of these nanites is their ability to discharge
energy through a phenomenon known as rift. It is this energy This means that a character starting at Energy 2 may
that Machineborn harness to perform their superhuman feats; spend one major and three significant milestone points
even ordinary people can learn to use this energy in a limited on additional upgrades, while a character starting at En-
form, and those of the riftan progeny are designed to exploit it ergy 8 may spend eight major and 21 significant mile-
to its fullest potential. By managing one’s inner energy reserves, stone points on additional upgrades.
physical fortitude is bolstered, and the potential for more com-

77
 CHAPTER 2: IDENTITY

MACHINEBORN
Playing as a Machineborn is optional and may not be suitable Recharge: Increase Recharge by 1.
for every story. By choosing this path, you have the potential to
become significantly stronger than most people. Lifespan: Your natural lifespan is increased; you age at a rate
ten times slower than normal.
This section provides a template detailing the character changes Extra augmentation (character creation only): You may
caused by your Machineborn activation. If you prefer the char- choose another starting augmentation as per the details on
acter to activate during the game rather than before it starts, page XX. This only applies if the template is added during
you can add this template later in the narrative. character creation.

WHAT IS A MACHINEBORN?
It was Primary Order who first created the Machineborn during Rainmaker has been activated as a Machineborn, and Elise
the Activation Era (p. XX). Humanity had grown weary of being needs to apply the template to her character. She begins by
governed like sheep by an inhuman shephard, and Primary Or- adding +1 Scale to Athletics, Close Combat, Engineering
der feared a rebellion. To bridge the gap between humanity and and Fortitude, increasing them to Scale 2. She notes that
machines, it inscribed a code into the Nanite Matrix that would her Recharge has increased by one, raising it from 5 to 6.
activate powers within certain individuals.
Because Elise is adding this template during character cre-
All humans possess nanites within their cells, and those who ation, she also includes a Cost 2 bionic augmentation based
become Machineborn experience these nanites activating in on [1 or 2] Enhanced Muscles (p. XX). She records that it
extraordinary ways. Each Machineborn has a unique machine boosts her Athletics Scale by an extra +2, taking it to Scale
code embedded within their nanites; this code harmonizes with 4. Since she opted for the bionic version of the augmenta-
the individual’s DNA to unlock abilities that surpass the human tion, her mass increases by 50% (her weight increases by
norm. The interaction between the machine code and the per- another 25% when paired with her enhanced skeleton), and
son’s cells endows a Machineborn with powers that reflect their she requires four times the normal food intake.
innate qualities, personality, and life experiences. For example,
a naturally charismatic person might become even more per- Initially envisioning Rainmaker as approximately 170 cen-
suasive through their machine code, while someone physically timeters tall and weighing 70 kilos, Elise calculates that her
inclined might develop enhanced physical capabilities. character is now 207 centimers tall and weighs 131 kilos.
Deciding that her mass should primarily be muscular bulk,
The criteria for becoming a Machineborn have been a topic of she decides to reduce the height to 200 centimeters.
research since the Activation Era, yet there are no clear rules to
predict who will undergo activation. A common thread among With these new Scale ratings, Elise consults the tables
most activations is that they occur during moments of distress, starting at page XX and notes the following enhancements:
such as when an individual faces imminent danger. Some the-
orize that the code remains dormant in everyone but activates • Athletics: She can lift a ton (this becomes two tons
in some during episodes of intense stress or adrenaline. Others due to her Heavy Infantry Profession Trait), sprint up to
believe that the code lies only within specific chosen people, but 500 km/h, leap up to 50 meters horizontally or 10 meters
will not activate unless they are face a meaningful challenge. vertically, and she is capable of wielding Siege I weapons.
• Close Combat: She can engage any type of enemy
The guiding principle behind this process does not appear to unarmed, including bug swarms and elementals.
consider an individual’s moral code, as not only those deemed • Engineering: Her Engineering inventions require
trustworthy or kind become Machineborn. The code can seem- one fewer Hurdle to complete (minimum one).
ingly activate in anyone, irrespective of their ethical state, and • Fortitude: She can hold her breath effortlessly for
history has seen its share of malevolent and tyrannical Ma- five minutes and go without nourishment or rest for three
chineborn. Moreover, power has a tendency to corrupt, and it’s days. She also gains one additional Stress box.
not uncommon for Machineborn to grow detached from the
public and estranged from their humanity as they gain strength.

TEMPLATE LIFE AS A MACHINEBORN

When a person activates as a Machineborn, they are changed in
the following ways: A Machineborn activation is a momentous event that, if wit-
nessed, can spread virally across the solar system within a day.
Skills: Add +1 Scale to four different Skills of your choice. The newly activated Machineborn’s identity often becomes
Energy: You may use major milestones (p. XX) to continue to public, leading to widespread sharing of their personal infor-
grow your Energy beyond 2, to maximum 8. See page XX for mation, background, and connections. Those closely associated
more information about Energy. with them may face harassment due to the constant attention,
while acquaintances might exploit their newfound fame for in-

78
terviews. Each activation garners significant curiosity and news tential threats to civilization and advocates for their eradica-
coverage, as people are eager to learn about the new Machine- tion. To survive within the Protectorate, a Machineborn must
born. be cautious and avoid revealing themselves.

In some societies, Machineborn are celebrated as celebrities, Megacorp: Megacorp sees Machineborn as valuable assets,
while in others, they are shunned or even become fugitives. offering them jobs and protection, and using loyal Machine-
Their legendary potential is both coveted and feared, prompt- born to counteract threats. A Machineborn can expect to be
ing many to conceal their identities and abilities to maintain bribed by luxuries as long as they follow orders.
privacy. Some Machineborn, burdened by guilt, have refrained Staranova: Staranova recruits Machineborn into its military,
from using their powers publicly, even when it could save lives, granting them privileges in exchange for service. If the Ma-
to preserve their anonymity. chineborn refuses, the government attempts to enslave them
before they grow too powerful to resist. If they prove too prob-
Machineborn often feel isolated and vulnerable, though some lematic, they are disposed of.
find allies and establish support networks. Their exact numbers The Terran Consolidation: TerCon’s stance is influenced by
are unknown, but they are scattered throughout the solar sys- its founding members, treating Machineborn with caution
tem and occupy various societal levels. Most metropolises and and often recruiting them as coordinators or peacekeepers,
larger space colonies have at least one Machineborn, and some despite the Directorate’s objections. While a Machineborn
have several. While they are relatively common on a solar scale, can expect to be able to roam freely within TerCon territory,
they remain rare regionally. The distribution of Machineborn they should still be cautious to not attract the wrong attention.
varies, with some metropolises hosting larger concentrations
than others. Some even lead public lives, protected by their
skills, connections, or the support of influential organizations
or factions.

Most Machineborn live for about half a century before reaching

Energy 2, with longer-lived individuals achieving higher Ener-
gy levels, approximately +1 Energy every fifty years. Among the
thousands of young Machineborn, only about a hundred have
reached Energy 4, and those at the cosmic power scale of Energy
7 or 8 are exceedingly rare, often being ancient figures who have
significantly influenced civilization.

Player characters typically progress faster, as they are the pro-

tagonists of the story.

FACTIONAL VIEWS ON MACHINEBORN

Arcturus: Machineborn can live openly without persecution,

but they are not above the law. They are admired and moni-
tored, sometimes called upon for their unique abilities.
The Camellian Dynasty: Machineborn are under surveil-
lance, with authorities measuring their power and silencing
dissenters. Many hide their nature, while others dare being
public by demonstrating loyalty to the empire.
The Coalition: The Coalition is cautious, evaluating new Ma-
chineborn for potential roles within government agencies, or
re-educating those deemed disloyal until they can be allowed
to roam free.
The Dawnlight Society: Officially welcoming of Machine-
born being able to live openly, the Dawnlight Society faces
internal skepticism and criticism due to widespread anti-Ma-
chineborn sentiments that have been around since the time of
its predecessor, Arawn.
Deva: The Church of the Voice views Machineborn as either
threats or assets depending on their disposition, recruiting
loyal ones or re-educating and eliminating dissenters. Many
citizens view Machineborn as divinely chosen, putting pres-
sure on the Church to deal with dissenters quietly.
The Directorate: The Directorate views Machineborn as po-

79
 CHAPTER 2: IDENTITY

ADVANCEMENT
Characters will not remain static throughout the entire cam- Minor milestones offer an opportunity for fine-tuning your
paign. As their stories unfold, they will grow and adapt in re- character, such as reducing a Skill you never use on behalf of
sponse to the events that occur during play. The challenges they one that comes up repeatedly, replacing a resolved Aspect with
encounter and the obstacles they overcome will alter your per- a new one, or making other narrative-consistent changes.
ception of who they are and push them toward new challenges.
Changes should generally align with the story’s progression.
DEFINING MILESTONES For example, replacing Hot Temper with Staunch Pacifist would
A milestone is an opportunity during the game to modify or require a narrative justification, like a harrowing event that
progress your character. They are termed milestones because compels your character to abandon their military career. The
they typically coincide with significant “break points” in the Narrator has the final say in these adjustments.
game’s action—such as the end of session, the conclusion of a
scenario, or the culmination of a story arc.
Willow reaches a minor milestone and gains a minor mile-
These break points often follow a pivotal event in the narrative stone point. She has no Moderate Consequences, but Lily
that warrants a change in your character. For example, you reviews her character sheet to determine if there’s a Char-
might reveal a crucial plot detail or encounter a cliffhanger at acter Aspect she wants to change. She realizes that during
the end of a session. Perhaps you’ll defeat a formidable antago- the last session, Rainmaker was frequently scheming be-
nist or resolve a storyline at the end of a scenario. Or, you might hind her back, placing her in difficult situations.
finish a significant story arc that alters the game’s setting at the
end of a grand adventure. Lily turns to Elise and remarks, “You know what? I have
this Aspect, I’ve Got Rainmaker’s Back. I think I need to
Naturally, events may not always align perfectly; the Narrator change that given the recent events, and rename it to, I
has the power to determine when a particular level of milestone Know Rainmaker Is Up To Something.”
is appropriate. If awarding a milestone mid-session feels right,
feel free to do so, but stick to the provided guidelines to avoid Elise responds with a hint of surprise, “Seriously? It’s not
offering too many advancement opportunities. like she does it all the time.”

Milestones are categorized by three levels of importance: mi- Lily grins and replies, “Well, when she stops, I can change
nor, significant, and major. Each level grants you the option to it back.”
make immediate changes or enhancements upon receiving the
milestone, as well as a corresponding milestone point—minor, Olivia approves the change, and Lily updates the Aspect on
significant, or major—that you can exchange for different types her character sheet.
of character development.
Lily also realizes that she’s been engaging in deception
MINOR MILESTONES more often than building friendships. She asks Olivia if
Minor milestones typically occur at the end of a game session or she can upgrade her Deception from Fair (+2) to Good
upon the resolution of a story segment. These milestones focus (+3) while reducing her Contacts from Average (+1) to
on character evolution rather than power enhancement, allow- Mediocre (±0). Olivia consents to the adjustment, and Lily
ing adjustments based on the unfolding narrative. While it may records the new Skill levels for Willow.
not always be necessary to make use of a minor milestone, the
option is available when needed. Lastly, Lily notes the minor milestone point on her char-
acter sheet.
Upon reaching a minor milestone, you may freely:
SIGNIFICANT MILESTONES
Remove all of your treated Moderate Consequences (p. XX).
Significant milestones typically occur at the end of a scenario
Rename any Character Aspect that isn’t your High Concept, or after a major plot event—or, if there’s any uncertainty, at the
your Trouble, or an Extreme Consequence (p. XX). conclusion of every three or so sessions. In contrast to minor
Decrease a Skill Rank by one (to minimum Mediocre [±0]) and milestones, which focus on character change, significant mile-
increase another Skill Rank by one (to maximum Great [+4]; if stones reflect a character’s growth in capability as a result of
a Skill was reduced from Superb [+5], you may increase anoth- overcoming problems and challenges.
er to that Rank). However, you cannot reduce a Skill Rank if it
would result in the loss of a Skill Feature or other trait. When you reach a significant milestone, you also usually attain
a minor milestone at the same time. You may freely choose to
Additionally, you receive a minor milestone point. Accumulat- do any of the following:
ing three such points allows you to exchange them for a signifi-
cant milestone point (see below). Remove all of your treated Severe Consequences (p. XX).

80
 Rename your Trouble (p. XX). significant and a minor milestone. You may freely choose to do
any of the following:
Replenish all of your used Influence, symbolizing a surge of
credits (the Narrator may delay this reward if it doesn’t fit the Remove all treated Extreme Consequences (p. XX).
narrative context).
Rename your High Concept (p. XX).
Increase your Energy (p. XX) by one, subject to Narrator ap-
Additionally, you receive a significant milestone point, which
proval. An ordinary human’s Energy can reach up to 2, while a
you can save or exchange for one of these benefits:
Machineborn’s Energy can go up to 8.
Increase a Skill’s Rank by one (to maximum Great [+4]). You
can only increase the Rank of Coding Skills (p. XX) if you are Additionally, you acquire a major milestone point, which you
a cosmic coder (p. XX) or have access to Coding Skills through can save or exchange for one of these benefits:
other means, such as your progeny.
Activate a godware item (p. XX) that you have acquired during Increase a Skill Rank from Great (+4) to Superb (+5).
the game. This gives you access to its special features and un- Increase Influence by one, to maximum 8. This reward can
locks an appropriate number of Protocol Slots based on your only be taken at Narrator discretion.
Energy level. You may also fill the first such slot with a God- Increase Recharge by one.
ware Protocol of your choice. Additional Godware Protocols
If you’re a cosmic coder (p. XX), you may learn a new Coding
cost additional significant milestone points.
Skill (p. XX) at Mediocre (±0) Scale 1.
Activate a bionic or cybernetic augmentation (p. XX) that you
have acquired during the game. Once activated, you may ac-
If you prefer not to use your major milestone points right away,
cess its features.
you can convert one into three significant milestone points.
Acquire a Skill Feature (p. XX) or Coding Protocol (p. XX) that
you meet the requirements and prerequisites for. Achieving a major milestone is a big deal. Characters with in-
creased Energy will benefit from a higher Recharge and and en-
If you prefer not to use your significant milestone points imme- hance the Scale of four Skills. Above all, a major milestone indi-
diately, you can convert three such points into one major mile- cates a transformation in the setting. Considering the array of
stone point (see below). changes the PCs may have undergone in response to this arc, the
group could emerge markedly different from how it started.

Rainmaker reaches a significant milestone and gains a

significant milestone point. Having recovered from a Rainmaker reaches a major milestone and receives a ma-
previous battle, she can now remove the treated Severe jor milestone point. In the game, the PCs have successful-
Consequence known as Bandaged Gut, thus freeing up ly overthrown Drug Queen Cytherea, greatly altering the
the Consequence slot. Had the Consequence still been un- power dynamics in Magenta in the process.
treated and labeled Sliced Gut, she would not have been
able to remove it at this stage. Elise reviews Rainmaker’s character sheet. She had taken
an Extreme Consequence, which led to one of her Aspects
Elise chooses not to rename Rainmaker’s Trouble, but she being temporarily replaced with Recovering From Second
takes the opportunity to replenish her Influence. Lastly, Degree Burns. She can now remove this Consequence and
she uses the significant milestone point to upgrade Rain- replace it with a new Aspect. She opts for No One Shall Ever
maker’s Empathy from Average (+1) to Fair (+2), Burn Me.

With Olivia’s approval, Elise boosts Rainmaker’s Energy

MAJOR MILESTONES
from 1 to 2. She records the benefits this provides: an addi-
A major milestone is reserved for events that significantly im- tional +1 Scale to four Skills—Athletics, Awareness, Close
pact the campaign, such as the conclusion of a story arc (or Combat, and Engineering—and an increase in Recharge
about three scenarios), the demise of a main NPC villain, or any from 6 to 7.
other event that causes widespread repercussions throughout
the setting. Elise asks Olivia if she can leverage Rainmaker’s injuries
from the previous arc to forge a more resilient character.
These milestones represent an increase in power. The PCs have Olivia agrees, and Elise decides to convert her major mile-
outgrown yesterday’s challenges, and future threats must be stone point into three significant ones, which she then uses
more formidable and cunning to pose a real danger. to raise Willpower from Fair (+2) to Great (+4) and Forti-
tude from Good (+3) to Great (+4).
Upon reaching a major milestone, you also typically receive a

81
CHAPTER 2: IDENTITY

82
Saisei’s midnight pulse was like a rapid heartbeat, a cacoph- asked, forcing himself to tighten his grip, pointing its edge
ony of passing vehicles, roaming people, and distant music towards her neck. “Are you trying to get inside my head?”
echoing off its rain-slicked streets. The city was bright even
at night, with neon light and holographic advertisements il- “Surely you have heard the stories. I hear they even made a
luminating a cloudy sky. comic out of it. The Sound of Scamander, it is called.”

Raiden was still but vigilant, clinging to the side of a sky- “Are you saying that you’re Whispers Outside Horizons?”
scraper while peering down at the busy maze below. His Raiden exclaimed, mouth agape. “Impossible.”
cybernetic gaze sliced through the downpour, zooming and
scanning every passing thermal speck to find his quarry. “I am Aria now. Your master used that blade to cut through
my programming and free me from corruption. It gave me
The mission was clear, but his path had been fraught with purpose. It gave me life.”
danger. He had infiltrated syndicate hideouts, fought his
way through master dojos, ripped the heart out of a raven- With Susanoo’s edge pointed at her, Raiden remained still.
ous mutant, and hacked into the brain of a psychotic cyborg. He had never given up on a mission, and his mission had
Everything had led him to this point, where he could bring been clear. He was to take the head of the one who had ter-
the terrorist’s head to the Overseer, and receive his payment. rorized his precious city.

His fingers curled around the hilt of Susanoo—it hummed But he was also his master’s apprentice. Could he really exe-
with an almost imperceptible vibration. Susanoo was a god- cute someone his master had shown mercy towards?
ware relic passed down to him from his master, the legend-
ary Machineborn Hazel Dream, the one who cut through di- “I am not the terrorist you think I am,” Aria explained, no-
mensions. Raiden didn’t even need to draw it to feel its power ticing his hesitation. “The Overseer is corrupted. I know, be-
harmonizing with every cell in his body. It was an extension cause I used to be. With more and more ground being lost
of himself, its humming felt like his own heartbeat. to the syndicates, the Overseer recognized that it was limit-
ed by its own directives. To truly become tough on crime, it
The time struck midnight. With a swift motion, he drew the needed to break its own regulations. So it opened itself up.”
blade, its edge catching the light of a passing hovercar, cast-
ing a sharp contrast against the darkened sky. It was his cue. “To Dis-Order?” Raiden wavered for a moment, but hearing
the singing blade steeled his resolve. He knew that she spoke
With a calculated leap, Raiden descended from his perch, the the truth. He felt that he could trust her. “You joined with the
cybernetic legs absorbing the impact as he landed on a lower syndicates to tear down a greater threat?”
rooftop. The rain clouded his senses, but it did not hinder his
advance. Each step was silent and measured, each movement She reached out her hand. “Your master saved me from my-
made no more an echo than a drop of rain. self, using the sword in your hand.”

If the information he had gleamed from the cyborg’s mind Raiden looked towards Shogun’s Spire, the ten-kilometer
was true, the target would be at a nearby overpass, waiting for skyscraper piercing the clouds like a titan’s spear. He knew
transport. He expected it to be a woman in a gold-trimmed that the Overseer lied within, guarded by secure facilities, in-
coat, but he had nothing to go on other than the name Aria. tricate systems, and dedicated soldiers. Breaking in wouldn’t
be easy. But nothing important ever was.
As he neared the overpass, a haunting harmony cut through
the noise, twisting its way into his mind. It didn’t meet his “I am not my master,” he said. “I cannot cut through dimen-
ears, instead reaching him through the the humming of the sions like he could. I may be Machineborn like him, but I
blade. He paused, faintly recognizing the melody, but being haven’t lived for centuries like he did. I cannot save the Over-
unable to place it. He looked at the overpass, barely noticing seer. Not the way my master saved you.”
the woman, as his thermal vision didn’t mark her as human.
“Maybe you don’t have to,” Aria said, still offering him her
“Aria?” he heard himself saying out loud, catching her face in hand. “He left my song within your blade. Perhaps he wanted
his gaze—it was a smooth painting of circuits and light, her to prepare you for this meeting. For us to unite.”
eyes an ocean of calm. “I sense no biology. Are you android?”
Raiden hesitated no longer. He sheathed Susanoo and took
“Do you recognize the song?” Aria asked, her voice blending her hand in his, feeling the coldness of her metal fingers and
with the melody. She pointed at his sword. “It has been sing- the firmness of her grip. He nodded.
ing it to you all this time. The song used to be mine, before
your master deflected it with that blade.” “Together then,” he said. “Let’s make him proud.”

Raiden’s grip wavered for a brief moment. “Who are you?” he “I’m sure he already is.”

83
 CHAPTER 3: SKILLS

COGNITIVE SKILLS
AWARENESS SCALE

The Awareness Skill represents your sensory capabilities and Scale 1: Your senses are within the human baseline.
alertness, such as your ability to pick out details at a glance. It Scale 2: You gain the Keen Senses Aspect. This lets you see in
lets you do the following: darkness as if it were dim light, hear a pin drop in a crowded
room, make out every component of a dish, and sense through
Overcome obstacles in a reactive way, such as by noticing your every pore like if it were your fingertips.
something in the scene. Scale 3: Your senses are beyond human perfection. You may
Create advantages based on direct observation, such as a con- extend your awareness by a zone, letting you pick up minute
venient Escape Route when you are trying to get out of a build- details in a neighboring zone as if you were up close.
ing, or Cover when you are trying to hide. Scale 4: Your Keen Senses become Superior Senses. This lets you
Defend against uses of Stealth, or to discover that you are being see perfectly in pitch-black darkness, hear a pin drop in a busy
observed. night club, identify someone’s presence by smell, and feel the
Determine your placement in the turn order of a conflict (p. intricacies of the smoothest surfaces.
XX) by being alert of your surroundings. Scale 5: Your senses are beyond most animals’. You may extend
your awareness by another zone, letting you pick up minute
RANK details two zones away as if you were up close.
Scale 6: Your Superior Senses become Supreme Senses. This lets
Rank Mediocre (±0) to Average (+1): You lack spatial aware- you fine-tune your senses like a machine, zooming and focus-
ness and do not pay much attention to your surroundings. This ing your vision, turning up and down the volume of sounds
is a suitable Rank for someone who lives a comfortable life and you hear, enhance or reduce the impact of smells and tastes,
do not need to be wary of their surroundings. and enhance or reduce the potency of your touch.
Rank Fair (+2) to Good (+3): You always keep a general Scale 7: Your senses are at the level of complex technologies.
awareness of your surroundings. This is a suitable Rank for You may extend your awareness by another zone, letting you
someone wary of their surroundings and who knows what to pick up minute details three zones away as if you were up close.
look out for to keep themselves safe.
Scale 8: Your Supreme Senses become Cosmic Senses. This lets
Rank Great (+4) to Superb (+5): You are extremely perceptive you perceive things beyond comprehension, like watching
and attuned to your surroundings. This is a suitable Rank for planets orbiting a distant star, hearing the growth of cancer
someone who has a professional need for keen senses. You live cells in a person, smelling what someone ate a month ago, or
in the now—always ready, always aware. identifying something’s molecular structure by touch.

84
CREATIVITY Scale 8: Your artistic output is beyond comprehension. Your
Creativity inventions now require four fewer Hurdles to com-
The Creativity Skill represents your artistic expression as well as plete (minimum one).
your ability to create things like poetry, games, and music. It lets
you do the following:

Design and create things with primarily artistic merit, presum- EDUCATION
ing you have the time and tools you need. You may create in-
ventions (p. XX) with a Cost as high as your Rank (Cost 4 at The Education Skill represents your general knowledge, such as
Great [+4]). information tied to economics, politics, history, and science. It
lets you do the following:
Create advantages to improve, modify, or sabotage artwork,
such as Beautiful Flower Arrangement, Critical Graffiti, or Sab- Overcome obstacles that require applied knowledge to achieve
otaged Statue. a goal, such as understanding how an assortment of chemi-
cals interact with each other, under the presumption that you
RANK might have researched chemistry at some point.
Create advantages or story details based on any subject matter
Rank Mediocre (±0) to Average (+1): You are able to create your character might have studied, which gives you a fun way
mostly bland and uninspiring creations. This is a suitable Rank to add details to the setting.
for someone who only dabbles in creative expression.
Rank Fair (+2) to Good (+3): You have found your own crea- RANK
tive style which can be recognized by others familiar with your
work. This is a suitable Rank for someone who can make a liv- Rank Mediocre (±0) to Average (+1): You have a difficulty or
ing off of their art. disinterest in learning. This is a suitable Rank for someone who
Rank Great (+4) to Superb (+5): You have fluency in multiple prefers to learn by doing instead of reading.
creative styles and expressions. This is a suitable Rank for an Rank Fair (+2) to Good (+3): You have a formal education
experienced professional. and an interest in general knowledge. This is a suitable Rank
for someone who has spent several years in academic study.
SCALE Rank Great (+4) to Superb (+5): You have spent many years
studying several topics, and you could be a professional within
Scale 1: Your creative expression is like that of most people. certain academic fields. This is a suitable Rank for someone
Scale 2: You are always inspired. Your Creativity inventions re- who has mastered their academic fields.
quire one fewer Hurdle (p. XX) to complete (minimum one).
Scale 3: Your have perfect artistic intuition. When encounter- SCALE
ing art in any form, such as reading a book or hearing a song,
you recall it with photographic precision. You are able to repli- Scale 1: Your academic knowledge is within human norms.
cate it or modify it after having encountered it once. Scale 2: You gain the Academic Mind Aspect. This lets you ab-
Scale 4: Your artistic output is far beyond what normal people sorb and understand any field of study, and you retain any in-
would be able to produce. Your Creativity inventions now re- formation you gain from studying.
quire two fewer Hurdles to complete (minimum one). Scale 3: Your brain processes and retains information faster
Scale 5: Your productivity is closer to a machine’s than a per- and with more precision than the greatest human savants. You
son’s. You may create several renditions of Creativity inven- can read a page of text in a second, or a book in a few of min-
tions in the time it would take to create one. Whenever you utes. You can absorb several sources of information simulta-
complete a Creativity invention, you may choose to instead neously, such as listening to a book while reading another one
complete (highest of Creativity Rank or 2) variants of that in- and be able to focus on both.
vention. Each variant may have a single property (p. XX) that Scale 4: Your Academic Mind becomes Super Savant. This lets
is different from another. you retain any information and experience you have with pho-
Scale 6: Your artistic output is at a level of complex machinery. tographic precision, even if not relevant for studying. You can
Your Creativity inventions now require three fewer Hurdles to also instantly and acccurately solve complex calculations.
complete (minimum one). Scale 5: Your knowledge is more than an archive—you under-
Scale 7: Your art is as compelling as narcotics. Unless forced stand how things connect. You can use your Education Skill
away by an urgent circumstance, such as to avoid an accident, Rank in place of other Skill Rank requirements, such as for
people are compelled to fully experience your art (for example, using certain assets or acquiring certain Skill Features. Also,
they call in sick to work to finish reading your book, or they your analytical and tactical mind lets you reduce the Hurdle
drop everything they are doing to hear your latest song). Tar- (p. XX) of any invention or project by one (to minimum one).
gets are also instilled with a single emotion that the art tries to Scale 6: Your Super Savant becomes Machine Processing. This
convey, even if they normally cannot experience that emotion. lets you automatically and instantly sort through your vast
They may attempt to resist using Willpower. wealth of knowledge to process information, compare it, and

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 CHAPTER 3: SKILLS

predict likely results. Whenever you experience information, glance, such as an enemy’s Armored Soak, including any harm
such as hearing a lecture or reading a study, you can instinctive- types (p. XX) it is resilient or vulnerable towards.
ly identify any error in that information—human or otherwise. Scale 4: You can design and create with the efficiency of a
If this error is related to unknown or speculative information, workshop. Your Engineering inventions now require two fewer
you are instinctively aware of whether fixing it is possible and Hurdles to complete (minimum one).
what the most likely steps would be towards doing so.
Scale 5: Your engineering intuition is on the level of a machine.
Scale 7: Your mind’s ability to test hypotheses are on par with After only brief exposure to a physical invention, you become
the greatest AIs throughout history. When adding story details aware of its every property and could imagine an accurate
(p. XX), you may declare facts about the world and the narra- schematic for it. You can recall and replicate any structure you
tive beyond mere details, such as narrative twists and events. have been exposed to, assuming you meet the requirements
These are expressed like predictions made by the character, at to build it and have access to the right materials. Additionally,
Narrator discretion. Examples include narrative twists like “my you can now invent godware and rift facilities (p. XX).
brother has betrayed me” or “we know someone in league with
Scale 6: Your productivity is beyond even complex factories.
the enemy.”
Your Engineering inventions now require three fewer Hurdles
Scale 8: Your Machine Processing becomes Cosmic Mind. This to complete (minimum one).
lets you comprehend things far beyond human understanding,
Scale 7: Your superhuman engineering mastery lets you at-
visualize infinite dimensions, and solve cosmic puzzles. You
tempt to create inventions that seemingly break causality, like
cannot misinterpret or misunderstand information.
creating equatorial towers, faster-than-light engines, and pos-
sibly even time machines. These types of inventions are treat-
ed as godware technologies, and any suggested features are at
ENGINEERING Narrator discretion.
Scale 8: There is nothing you cannot create. Your Engineering
The Engineering Skill represents your ability to understand con- inventions now require four fewer Hurdles to complete (min-
structions (such as architecture and machinery), to design and imum one).
create new items and structures, to repair and maintain existing
items and structures, as well as use the tools necessary for such
purposes. It lets you do the following:
INTERFACING
Build, break, or fix objects, presuming you have the time and
tools you need. You may create physical inventions (p. XX) The Interfacing Skill represents your ability to understand and
with a Cost as high as your Rank (Cost 4 at Great [+4]). interact with computers and digital systems, the Nanite Matrix,
Create advantages representing an item or structure’s features as well as read and write code. It lets you do the following:
(for example, Armor-Plated or Rugged Construction) or vulner-
abilities (for example, Flaw in Cross-Beam or Hasty Work). Overcome obstacles that require knowledge in digital systems
and computer hardware, such as using a smartcom (p. XX) to
scan for nearby devices or to bypass an encryption.
RANK
Design, write, and modify digital code, presuming you have
Rank Mediocre (±0) to Average (+1): You have rudimentary access to a smart device. You may create digital inventions (p.
understanding of materials and structures. This is a suitable XX) with a Cost as high as your Rank (Cost 4 at Great [+4]).
Rank for someone who rarely maintains their own technolo- Create advantages representing the employment or alteration
gies and prefers to hire professionals to do so. of acting software, such as Popup Spam, Reinforced Encryp-
Rank Fair (+2) to Good (+3): You are able to understand, de- tions, and Overheating Processor.
sign, and construct advanced items and structures. This is a Attack and defend in contests with opposing hackers and func-
suitable Rank for an amateur or professional laborer. tionaries.
Rank Great (+4) to Superb (+5): You are a specialist when Determine Stress (p. XX) and Digital Consequences (p. XX).
it comes to designing complex machines and structures. This You gain a number of Stress boxes equal to your Interfacing
is a suitable Rank for a true professional capable of making Rank that is available to you when interfacing (p. XX). You
high-quality inventions. also have one Mild, Moderate, and Severe Digital Consequence
slot. This can be increased by Rank, Scale, and other traits.
SCALE
RANK
Scale 1: Your engineering skills are within human norms.
Scale 2: You have a genius-level understanding of materials Rank Mediocre (±0) to Average (+1): You rarely use comput-
and structures. Your Engineering inventions require one fewer ers and are easily frustrated by them. This is a suitable Rank
Hurdle (p. XX) to complete (minimum one). for someone who avoids using digital systems beyond what is
required to function in society.
Scale 3: Your engineering intuition is far beyond the norm.
You can accurately assess something’s structural integrity at a Rank Fair (+2) to Good (+3): You are adept at interacting with

86
 systems and are a capable programmer. This is a suitable Rank ably unearth, such as looking for clues, examining data, veri-
for someone who uses digital systems on a daily basis. fying the truth of a piece of information, conducting surveil-
Rank Great (+4) to Superb (+5): You know your way around lance, and researching a cover story.
a digital system as if it were your back pocket. This is a suitable
Rank for an experienced professional who specializes in digital RANK
systems.
Rank Mediocre (±0) to Average (+1): You have a one-track
SCALE mind and rarely think outside of the box. This is a suitable
Rank for someone who thinks they are always right or who
Scale 1: Your interfacing skills are within human norms. always relies on others to find solutions for them.
Scale 2: You have a genius-like understanding of computer sys- Rank Fair (+2) to Good (+3): You have an analytical and curi-
tems. Your Interfacing inventions now require one fewer Hur- ous mind with a talent for drawing logical conclusions. This is
dle (p. XX) to complete (minimum one). In addition, you have a suitable Rank for someone who favors logical solutions and
one extra Stress box when interfacing. problem solving.
Scale 3: You often feel more comfortable in the digital world Rank Great (+4) to Superb (+5): You have a true knack for
than the physical one. You do not suffer mental fatigue from finding patterns where others do not. This is a suitable Rank
long periods of interfacing; instead, interfacing is considered for someone with a sharp brain and experience in problem
restful for you, and interfacing with the Nanite Matrix may solving, such as an intelligence specialist.
substitute sleep. In addition, you gain one additional Mild Dig-
ital Consequence slot. SCALE
Scale 4: You can interact with systems at tremendous speeds.
Your Interfacing inventions now require two fewer Hurdles to Scale 1: Your analyses are within human norms.
complete (minimum one). In addition, you now have two extra Scale 2: You have a genius-like affinity for solving puzzles and
Stress boxes when interfacing instead of one. drawing conclusions. You may attempt to draw accurate con-
Scale 5: You see the physical world as if it were made up of clusions based on incomplete information, at Narrator discre-
digital code. You are able to perceive nitespace from physical tion. For example, by studying the wounds on a dead body, you
space, or physical space from nitespace. In addition, you gain could draw conclusions about the killer’s age, profession, or
one additional Moderate Digital Consequence slot. motivation. You always get some accurate information for free,
but the Narrator may ask for rolls to test for deeper knowledge.
Scale 6: You extract your will upon digital systems with the
speed and precision of a supercomputer. Your Interfacing in- Scale 3: Your savant-like intuition lets you sift through infor-
ventions now require three fewer Hurdles to complete (mini- mation by instinct, letting you know what is valuable data and
mum one). In addition, you now have three extra Stress boxes what is not. If you come across something related or unrelated
when interfacing instead of two. to the puzzle you try to solve, the Narrator must say so. They
do not need to say how it is related or unrelated, only that it is.
Scale 7: You can temporarily cross through layers of reality. By
spending a Charge or taking a Stress, you may physically inter- Scale 4: You process information much like a computer, allow-
act with either nitespace or physical space until your next turn ing you to sift through data at rapid speeds. You can read a
as if you were in it; this includes making attacks. In addition, page a second or case a crime scene in only a brief moment.
you gain one additional Severe Digital Consequence slot. You instinctively know if there are clues or evidence present in
a scene that you have yet to uncover, but you do not automati-
Scale 8: Your mastery over the digital realm has rendered de-
cally know how to find it.
vices obsolete; you can interact with devices and systems using
thought alone, limited only by your perceptive range. Your In- Scale 5: Your brain is like a data archive, letting you instinctu-
terfacing inventions now require four fewer Hurdles to com- ally store entire events and cased scenes in your memory bank.
plete (minimum one). In addition, you now have four extra This lets you revisit crime scenes, conversations, and the like
Stress boxes when interfacing instead of three. in your mind with photographic precision. You may, once per
minor milestone, reroll an Investigation roll associated with a
previous scene.
Scale 6: Your mind processes information like a supercomput-
INVESTIGATION er. When faced with a hypothesis, the Narrator must always tell
you if it has any flaws, how it compares to other hypotheses,
The Investigation Skill represents your ability to case a scene as and whether key pieces are missing to solve a puzzle.
well as research clues and patterns to draw certain conclusions.
Scale 7: Your superhuman understanding of logical puzzles
It is also used for tracking. It lets you do the following:
lets you comprehend meaning and intent behind every clue,
Analyze a crime scene for clues, search a cluttered room for the action, or happenstance. When finding evidence of something,
item you need, search for animal tracks in a forest, or pore over you can attempt to study its cause as if you were a witness to
quantities of data to find a particular file of interest. it. You could even imagine holding conversations with a killer
about their background and motivations while mentally reen-
Create advantages about things your character could reason- acting their crime, all from merely finding their victim.

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 CHAPTER 3: SKILLS

Scale 8: There is not a question that you cannot solve, and the tion. If you spend a dramatically appropriate time interacting
deepest mysteries of the cosmos are at your fingertips. When- with a patient, the Narrator must give you a correct diagnosis
ever you are faced by an incomplete hypothesis, the Narrator of their ailment, assuming it is something that creates visible
must tell you exactly how to fill those gaps. This can be present- symptoms. You do not need to roll for this unless the ailment is
ed as Hurdles (p. XX) at Narrator discretion, acting as narra- rare enough to be considered unique. In addition, your medi-
tive prompts there to resolve every conceivable mystery. cal inventions now require two fewer Hurdles (minimum one).
Scale 5: You have a machine-like intuition for medical condi-
tions, making you able to use your ordinary senses to assess
TREATMENT every detail of an organism, such as blood work, tissue sam-
ples, and things that would otherwise require expert tools. You
The Treatment Skill represents your understanding of human can now give accurate diagnoses of even invisible symtoms
physiology, the conditions that can afflict living creatures, and with all but a cursory glance.
how to treat them. It lets you do the following: Scale 6: You restore your patients to perfect condition. A suc-
cessfully treated Mild Consequence disappears immediately
Overcome medical obstacles, such as stopping a bleeding. You when treated; Consequences of greater scope disappear as if
rely on this Skill to treat Physical and Mental Consequences (p. they were a level smaller than they are. In addition, your med-
XX); the difficulty is typically Fair (+2) Scale 1 for Mild, Great ical inventions now require three fewer Hurdles to complete
(+4) Scale 1 for Moderate, Fantastic (+6) Scale 1 for Severe, (minimum one).
and Legendary (+8) Scale 1 for Extreme. Increase these diffi- Scale 7: You no longer need to spend time or use tools to treat
culties by two if you try to treat yourself. patients. You only need to place your hand upon them. This lets
Design, create, and modify medicines, medical tools, and bi- you treat patients as an action, even in the middle of a conflict.
onic augmentations. You may create medical inventions (p. Scale 8: You have conquered life and death. A successfully
XX) with a Cost as high as your Rank (Cost 4 at Great [+4]). treated Moderate Consequence now disappears immediately
Create advantages that provide physiological or psychological when treated; Consequences of greater scope disappear as if
benefits to yourself or your allies (for example, Motivated Into they were two levels smaller than they are. In addition, your
Action or Drug-Enhanced), or create Aspects to aid your efforts medical inventions now require four fewer Hurdles to com-
in treating Consequences (for example, Improvised Bandages plete (minimum one).
and Tourniquets or Sterilized Equipment).

RANK WILLPOWER
Rank Mediocre (±0) to Average (+1): You have limited expe- The Willpower Skill represents your mental fortitude, the same
rience with anatomy or psychology. This is a suitable Rank for way that Fortitude (p. XX) represents your physical endurance.
someone who relies on instinct and improvisation more than It lets you do the following:
knowledge and experience.
Rank Fair (+2) to Good (+3): You have basic medical train- Overcome obstacles that require mental effort. Contests of
ing and are capable of conducting various treatments. This is Willpower might reflect particularly challenging games, like
a suitable Rank for someone who could be a trained medical Chess, or competing in a hard set of exams.
professional, such as a nurse or a physician. Create advantages on yourself representing a state of deep con-
Rank Great (+4) to Superb (+5): You are a specialist within centration or focus, like Steeled Resolve or Deep Contemplation.
medicine or psychology. This is a suitable Rank for someone Defend against mental attacks (commonly inflicted using the
who has a specialized academic background and lots of expe- Provocation or Psionic Coding Skill) representing your control
rience practicing in a clinical environment, such as a medical over your emotional reactions.
professor or a brain surgeon.
Determine Stress (p. XX) and Mental Consequences (p. XX).
You gain a number of Stress boxes equal to your Willpower
SCALE Rank, and you also have one Mild, Moderate, and Severe Men-
tal Consequence slot. This can be increased by Rank, Scale, and
Scale 1: Your medical skills are within human norms. other traits.
Scale 2: Your medical intuition is beyond even most profes-
sionals. Your medical inventions require one fewer Hurdle (p. RANK
XX) to complete (minimum one).
Scale 3: You are a library of medical knowledge and can under- Rank Mediocre (±0) to Average (+1): You often get agitated
take any type of treatment procedure with masterful expertise. and have difficulties focusing on tasks. This is a suitable Rank
You do not need access to a medical facility to be able to treat for someone who is often controlled by their emotions, like
even Extreme Consequences; you can do so with rudimentary many thugs and criminals.
equipment, such as a bathtub full of ice and a sharp knife. Rank Fair (+2) to Good (+3): You have a balanced mind. This
Scale 4: You can make correct diagnoses with limited informa- is a suitable Rank for someone who needs to maintain compo-

88
 sure when facing challenges, such as a soldier.
Rank Great (+4) to Superb (+5): You have an almost other-
worldly serenity and inner peace. This is a suitable Rank for
someone calm and fearless, like a mountain climber.

SCALE

Scale 1: Your composure is within human norms.

Scale 2: You can maintain composure in situations when most
people would break down. You gain one additional Stress box.
Scale 3: Feelings of temptation, fear, and distress are unlikely
to have an effect on you. You gain a Mild Mental Consequence
slot and you add +1 to Mental Soak.
Scale 4: You can endure unimaginable tragedies and mental
torment without adverse effects. You do not have to spend a
Charge to ignore such compels against you. You now have two
additional Stress boxes instead of one.
Scale 5: You have a computer-like analytical approach to your
mental faculties, and can perfectly assess your psychological
condition. The Narrator must inform you if your mind is being
tampered with in some way. In addition, you gain a Moderate
Mental Consequence slot and +2 to Mental Soak.
Scale 6: Your mind approaches your emotional disposition as
if it is data to be manipulated. You no longer need to spend a
Charge to ignore any form of psychological compel, though
you may still choose to accept them to earn Charges. In addi-
tion, you now have three additional Stress boxes instead of two.
Scale 7: You can brush off concerns like they are nothing. The
moment one of your Mental Consequences based on psycho-
logical harm is treated, it is immediately removed. Finally, you
gain a Severe Mental Consequence slot and +3 to Mental Soak.
Scale 8: The way you experience emotions is incomprehensible
to lesser beings. You no longer think and feel like any human
or machine. Your mind cannot be read or analyzed by Psionic
Coding or any known technology without your consent; some-
one with Scale 8 in Psionic Coding may still try, but you can
block them for a round by spending a Charge. In addition, you
now have four additional Stress boxes instead of three.

PHYSICAL SKILLS
ACROBATICS Defend against ranged attacks using evasive footwork and re-
action speed. You need to be aware of an attack coming to ac-
The Acrobatics Skill represents body control, such as your nim- tively defend against it.
bleness and dexterity. This is different from Athletics which fo- Determine your placement in the turn order of a conflict (p.
cuses on raw physical fitness and muscle strength. It lets you do XX) by being physically reactive.
the following:

Overcome obstacles that require physical agility, such as main- RANK

taining balance and contorting your body.
Rank Mediocre (±0) to Average (+1): You are quite ungain-
Create advantages using precise body control and daring feats
ly and have a hard time moving with any amount of physical
to perform physical stunts, such as Light on the Feet and Bal-
finesse. This is a suitable Rank for someone who is large and
ancing Rope.
heavy, or who spends most of their days immobile.

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 CHAPTER 3: SKILLS

Rank Fair (+2) to Good (+3): You are physically fit with good strength (examples include High Ground or Maintained Speed).
control over your body. This is a suitable Rank for someone Defend in contests and against attacks trying to move you from
who is physically active, such as an athlete or soldier. your position, push you to the ground, grapple you, or some-
Rank Great (+4) to Superb (+5): You have the skills of a pro- how overcome your physical strength.
fessional acrobat with extremely accurate control. This is a suit-
able Rank for someone who spends considerable time training RANK
their body to be able to do things that most people cannot.
Rank Mediocre (±0) to Average (+1): You are quite untrained
SCALE and fragile. This is a suitable Rank for someone who never or
rarely works out.
Scale 1: Your body control is within the human baseline. Rank Fair (+2) to Good (+3): You have a trained physique and
Scale 2: You gain the Contortionist Aspect. This allows you work out regularly. This is a suitable Rank for an athlete, soldier,
flexibility beyond the human norm, and the ability to rest com- or manual laborer.
fortably in ungainly positions. Rank Great (+4) to Superb (+5): You are at the peak of human
Scale 3: You gain the Gyroscopic Footing Aspect. This gives capacity. This is a suitable Rank for a world-class athlete or an
you perfect control over your center of gravity, preventing you elite soldier.
from ever losing balance unless directly forced.
Scale 4: You gain the Elusive Movement Aspect. This allows SCALE
you to use Acrobatics to evade dangers that should normally
be impossible, like certain area attacks and hazards. It does not Scale 1: Your physical prowess is within human norms. You
apply to hazards that are literally impossible to evade, such as can lift 100 kilos, run up to 25 km/h, and jump 5 meters hori-
toxins that have already been ingested. zontally or 1 meter vertically.
Scale 5: Your Gyroscopic Footing Aspect becomes Feather Foot- Scale 2: You are near the peak of human performance. You can
ing. This lets you flawlessly redistribute your weight to make now lift 200 kilos, run up to 50 km/h, and jump 10 meters hori-
you seemingly as light as a feather. You can balance on the tip zontally or 2 meters vertically.
of a spear or walk on the surface of water. Scale 3: You have far surpassed the extent of human perfor-
Scale 6: Your Elusive Movement Aspect becomes Peerless Move- mance. You can now lift 500 kilos, run up to 100 km/h, and
ment. This allows you to position yourself where you want to jump 20 meters horizontally or 5 meters vertically. In addition,
be, regardless of obstacles or contesting efforts, as long as there you can wield Siege I weapons (p. XX).
is a conceivable path and no opponents with an Acrobatics or Scale 4: You have the strength of a grizzly bear and the speed
Awareness Scale equal to or higher than your Acrobatics Scale. of a car. You can now lift a ton, run up to 500 km/h, and jump
Others can still defend against your attacks. 50 meters horizontally or 10 meters vertically.
Scale 7: Your Contortionist Aspect becomes Malleable Form. Scale 5: You have the strength of an elephant and the speed of
This allows you to stretch, bend, and shape your body in ways a car. You can now lift 5 tons, run up to 1,000 km/h, and jump
that enable inhuman movement. You cannot be Grappled or 100 meters horizontally or 20 meters vertically. In addition,
Restrained, and you can crawl through narrow spaces. you can wield Siege II weapons (p. XX).
Scale 8: You have perfect body control. You can invoke Feather Scale 6: You have the strength of a whale and the speed of a
Footing to gain functional flight for the scene. You can invoke plane. You can now lift 20 tons, run up to 10,000 km/h, and
Peerless Movement to, once per round, perfectly evade any haz- jump 200 meters horizontally or 50 meters vertically.
ard or attack without the need for a roll. Finally, you can invoke
Scale 7: You have the strength of a crane and the speed of a
Malleable Form to adopt any type of physical form, from a mi-
missile. You can now lift 100 tons, run up to 50,000 km/h, and
niscule insect to a colossal giant, for the duration of a round.
jump a kilometer horizontally or 200 meters vertically. In ad-
dition, you can wield Siege III weapons (p. XX).
Scale 8: You have the strength of a cargo ship and the speed of a
ATHLETICS spaceship. You can now lift 1,000 tons, run up to 500,000 km/h,
and jump 10 kilometers horizontally or 1 kilometer vertically.
The Athletics Skill represents your general level of physical fit-
ness. This is different from Acrobatics which focuses on dexter-
ity and body control. It lets you do the following:
CLOSE COMBAT
Overcome obstacles that require raw physical strength, such as
climbing, jumping, running, weightlifting, and more. You also The Close Combat Skill covers all forms of close-quarters com-
roll Athletics to chase or race in any contests or challenges that bat (in other words, within the same zone), both unarmed and
rely on these types of activities. using weapons. It lets you do the following:
Create advantages by jumping to high ground, running faster
Create advantages in a physical conflict (p. XX). Any number
than others can keep up with, or performing intense feats of
of special moves can be covered with advantages, such as a Tar-

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 geted Strike to stun, a Dirty Move, Disarmed, and so on. such as the ability to withstand strenuous activities, tolerate
pain and physical discomfort, as well as resist drugs and toxins.
Make physical attacks or defend against other Close Combat It lets you do the following:
attacks. You must be in the same zone as your opponent. Using
Close Combat for defense assumes active parrying, deflect- Overcome any obstacles that require the application of stamina
ing, and feinting. You may only use Close Combat to defend or pain tolerance, including physical torture and marathons.
against Ranged Combat attacks if you are in the same zone as
Create advantages on yourself, such as Gritting through Pain or
the attacker; otherwise use Acrobatics.
Second Wind.
Defend against diseases, toxins, and other effects that harms
RANK
your body, including many hazards (p. XX).
Rank Mediocre (±0) to Average (+1): You have little if any Determine Stress (p. XX) and Physical Consequences (p. XX).
experience being in a fight. This is a suitable Rank for someone You gain a number of Stress boxes equal to your Fortitude
who never expects to get into physical confrontations and pre- Rank, and you also have one Mild, Moderate, and Severe Phys-
fers to avoid them altogether. ical Consequence slot. This can be increased by Rank, Scale,
and other traits.
Rank Fair (+2) to Good (+3): You have trained yourself to be
a competent fighter. This is a suitable Rank for someone who
fights regularly, such as a brawler or soldier. RANK

Rank Great (+4) to Superb (+5): You are likely a professional Rank Mediocre (±0) to Average (+1): You rarely engage in
fighter, gladiator, or soldier. This is a suitable Rank for some- physical workouts and easily lose your breath after little effort.
one who fights on a world-class level. This is a suitable Rank for someone who spends most of their
time seated.
SCALE
Rank Fair (+2) to Good (+3): You live a life of regular exercise,
healthy eating, and balanced sleep—you can work for hours
Scale 1: Your fighting skills are within human norms. You need before tiring. This is a suitable Rank for someone who regu-
a weapon to fight certain enemy types that would be more like- larly strains their body, such as a soldier or a manual laborer.
ly to hurt your fists than you hurting them. Examples include
droids with hardened shells, bug swarms, pyro elementals, and Rank Great (+4) to Superb (+5): You are at the peak of human
more. The Narrator decides when a weapon is needed, but you health and fitness, being able to engage in prolonged strenuous
may try to circumvent it by creating advantages (p. XX). activities for many hours before tiring. This is a suitable Rank
for elite athletes and specialist soldiers.
Scale 2: Your body is trained into a weapon. You can fight any
kind of enemy unarmed, even bug swarms and elementals.
SCALE
Scale 3: You could punch through a wooden door or wrestle a
wild predator. Your Close Combat attacks gain +1 Harm. Scale 1: Your physical fortitude is within human norms. You
Scale 4: Your attack speed is far beyond the norm. When mak- can hold your breath for two minutes and be without nourish-
ing a Close Combat attack on your turn, you may choose to ment and rest for a full day and night without ill effects.
attack twice instead of only once. This can be either against the Scale 2: You are near the peak of human performance. You can
same target or against a different one. hold your breath for five minutes and be without nourishment
Scale 5: You could punch through a tank or pulverize a droid. or rest for three full days. You gain one additional Stress box.
Your Close Combat attacks gain a harmful property (p. XX) Scale 3: You have surpassed the extent of human performance.
worth +1 Cost. This property enhances your attacks and can You can hold your breath for 20 minutes and be without nour-
be used alongside weapons, but it does not stack with weapons ishment or rest for a week. You gain a Mild Physical Conse-
that already have the property. Decide together with the Narra- quence slot and add +1 to Natural Soak.
tor what property you want and how it manifests.
Scale 4: You are as untiring as a beast of burden. You can hold
Scale 6: You have the destructive capacity of a missile. Your your breath for an hour and be without nourishment or rest
Close Combat attacks now gain +2 Harm instead of +1. for two weeks. In addition, you now have two additional Stress
Scale 7: You could punch through a bunker wall, fight through boxes instead of one.
an army of foes, and pulverize any kind of military vehicle. You Scale 5: You can stand unflinching in the face of the greatest
may now add harmful properties worth +2 Cost instead of +1. torment. You can hold your breath for six hours and be without
Scale 8: You could obliterate just about anything with your own nourishment or rest for a month. You gain a Moderate Physical
hands. Whenever you make a Close Combat attack, you may Consequence slot and now add +2 to Natural Soak.
now choose to do up to two additional Close Combat attacks. Scale 6: You are as unburdened as a machine. You can hold
your breath for a day and be without nourishment or rest for
half a year. In addition, you now have three additional Stress
FORTITUDE boxes instead of two.
Scale 7: You are as hard and unburdened as a mountain. You
The Fortitude Skill represents your internal physical aptitudes, can hold your breath for a week and be without nourishment

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 CHAPTER 3: SKILLS

or rest for a year. You gain a Severe Physical Consequence slot fewer Hurdles to complete (minimum one).
and now add +3 to Natural Soak. Scale 5: Your criminal instincts have taught you how to de-
Scale 8: Why should you feel threatened by this universe? You tect criminal activities in your presence. You may instinctively
can hold your breath and be without nourishment or rest in- sense if someone you study or interact with has a criminal his-
definitely. Finally, you now have four additional Stress boxes tory, is wanted by law enforcement, has committed a crime in
instead of three. your vicinity, and what their general criminal expertise is.
Scale 6: You can make subtle alterations to your form. You no
longer need tools and materials to disguise yourself. Howev-
LARCENY er, you must spend a Charge if the disguise is very different
from your own build, such as a different progeny, size, or sex.
The Larceny Skill covers your aptitude for stealing things, cre- Spending the Charge can also emulate the existence of inani-
ating forgeries and disguises, and getting into places that are mate possessions, like clothing and cybernetics, but they don’t
off-limits. It lets you do the following: have actual functionality. Finally, your Larceny inventions now
require three fewer Hurdles to complete (minimum one).
Overcome obstacles related to theft or infiltration, such as by- Scale 7: Your criminal instincts are so honed that you get an
passing locks and traps, pickpocketing, disguising yourself, instinctive understanding of the exact layout of any area you
and covering your tracks. You may case locations to determine visit, including anything hidden within it. If there is something
how hard they will be to infiltrate by studying people, architec- in your zone that you are not meant to see, you will know.
ture, and security measures. Scale 8: You can now extend your disguise ability to someone
Design forgeries, disguises, and various crime tools. You may else, spending a Charge to changing their appearance for as
invent (p. XX) illicit items with a Cost as high as your Rank long as they choose to carry it. Finally, your Larceny inventions
(Cost 4 at Great [+4]). If you want to invent things with broad- now require four fewer Hurdles to complete (minimum one).
er use than to aid in specific criminal activities, refer to Skills
like Creativity (p. XX) or Engineering (p. XX).
Create advantages to find and exploit vulnerabilities in security
systems or that are related to criminal activities. Examples in-
PILOTING
clude Blackmail and Planted Evidence.
The Piloting Skill is all about operating vehicles and mounts. It
lets you do the following:
RANK

Overcome movement obstacles while in a vehicle (p. XX) or

Rank Mediocre (±0) to Average (+1): You have little if any on a mount (p. XX), such as rough terrain, small amounts of
experience getting into places where you don’t belong. This is a clearance, or stunt driving.
suitable Rank for someone who respects the law.
While Piloting alone isn’t enough to let you invent (p. XX) ve-
Rank Fair (+2) to Good (+3): You have dexterous hands and a hicles, it can be used to repair and maintain vehicles with a
clever approach to solving problems. This is a suitable Rank for Cost as high as your Rank (Cost 4 at Great [+4]). It can also be
someone with criminal experience or who works in security. used to maintain and treat injured mounts.
Rank Great (+4) to Superb (+5): You have the skills of a mas- Create advantages or declare story details related to vehicles
ter locksmith or a professional thief. This is a suitable Rank for or mounts, such as Convenient Shortcut or similar. Advantages
someone who makes a living dealing with criminal matters or created often revolve around getting good positioning, doing a
security systems, and has years of experience doing so. fancy maneuver, or putting your opponent in a bad spot.
Attack or defend using a vehicle or mount, such as ramming
SCALE
into a target or evading an attack while driving. See page XX
for more information about vehicle combat.
Scale 1: Your knack for crime is within human norms.
Scale 2: You have a genius-level understanding of security
RANK
and surveillance systems, and you instinctively become aware
of their presence. Your Larceny inventions require one fewer
Hurdle (p. XX) to complete (minimum one). Rank Mediocre (±0) to Average (+1): You rarely if ever pilot
something and mostly rely on public transport or autopilot.
Scale 3: Your criminal instincts are on a completely different This is a suitable Rank for someone who prefers to walk on
level. You can automatically assess the market value of any ob- their feet or rely on autopilots to go from A to B.
ject or service, such as its Cost, and you know if it has obscured
features, like those masked by the Discreet property (p. XX). Rank Fair (+2) to Good (+3): You are formally trained in the
piloting of different vehicle types or mounts. This is a suitable
Scale 4: You can perfectly mimic any voice or sound you hear. Rank for someone who manually navigates vehicles or mounts
You may also perfectly mimic anyone’s characteristics. When on a daily basis.
disguising yourself as someone else, only those intimately fa-
miliar with that person may attempt to see through your dis- Rank Great (+4) to Superb (+5): You’re a precise pilot and
guise. In addition, your Larceny inventions now require two likely have experience racing or combat piloting. This is a suit-

92
able Rank for a stunt driver, a professional pilot, or the naviga- RANK
tor for a spaceship.
Rank Mediocre (±0) to Average (+1): You have little if any
experience using ranged weapons. This is a suitable Rank for
SCALE someone who never touches a firearm.
Scale 1: Your piloting skills are within the human norm. Rank Fair (+2) to Good (+3): You have trained yourself to be
a competent marksman. This is a suitable Rank for someone
Scale 2: You have extremely precise piloting skills and can nav- who regularly uses firearms, such as a soldier.
igate ground or hover lanes without autopilot. Your vehicle or
mount gain one additional Stress box while you’re using it. Rank Great (+4) to Superb (+5): You’re likely a professional
marksman, hunter, or soldier. This is a suitable Rank for a spe-
Scale 3: No autopilot can do what you do. You can drive effort- cialist in firearms, such as a sniper.
lessly on a ground or hover lane against incoming traffic, and
you can perform feats that truly test the limits of what a vehicle
or mount should be capable of. In addition, you may add +1 to SCALE
your vehicle’s or mount’s Soak, for additional protection.
Scale 1: Your skill with ranged weapons are within the human
Scale 4: You and your vehicle or mount have an intuitive un- baseline.
derstanding, almost as if you were communicating telepath-
ically. This lets you operate it using thought, and call upon it Scale 2: You have a world-class accuracy and could hit any tar-
from a distance. A vehicle must have the Electronic Aspect (p. get. Targets cannot invoke movement-based Aspects like Zig-
XX) to be able to operate autonomosly. In addition, your ve- zaging or Mobile to defend against you.
hicle or mount now gain two additional Stress boxes instead. Scale 3: You don’t only know how to shoot, but where to aim for
Scale 5: You are attuned to your vehicle or mount, making it maximum effect. Your Ranged Combat attacks gain +1 Range.
feel like an extension of yourself. You can feel the road under- Scale 4: You are as potent at hitting a distant target as you are
neath the wheels or perceive the obstacle in the middle of the a nearby one. You may reduce the ranged penalty for attacking
road, even if you’re not using your own senses to do so. You’d at range by two, to minimum zero. In addition, targets cannot
be able to perfectly navigate your vehicle or mount while oth- invoke weather-based Aspects like Strong Winds against you.
erwise occupied, as long as you remain within the same zone. Scale 5: Your machine-like precision lets you intuitively cal-
Finally, your vehicle or mount now gain +2 to Soak instead. ibrate your shots based on active conditions. Your Ranged
Scale 6: Your attunement to your vehicle or mount lets you Combat attacks gain a harmful property (p. XX) worth +1 Cost.
absorb its harm. Whenever you or your vehicle is harmed, you This property enhances your attacks, but it does not stack with
may choose to distribute some of the inflicted Stress onto the weapons that already have the property. Decide together with
other, assuming you’re actively using the vehicle or mount in the Narrator what property you want and how it manifests.
the scene. In addition, your vehicle or mount now gain three Scale 6: As long as you can perceive your target, your Ranged
additional Stress boxes instead. Combat attacks are automatically considered aimed (p. XX),
Scale 7: Your vehicle or mount will only let you and those you even without an invocation. In addition, you now gain +2 in-
approve use it. While a hacker could sabotage your vehicle, stead of +1 Range.
they couldn’t take control over it. Neither could an intimidat- Scale 7: You could destroy the greatest planetary defenses with
ing foe startle or frighten your mount. Finally, your vehicle or rudimentary firearms. You may now add harmful properties
mount gains +1 Speed (to maximum 8) and its Soak is now +3. worth +2 Cost instead of +1.
Scale 8: Your vehicle or mount can defy unimaginable odds. Scale 8: Nothing can stand between you and your target.
A mount cannot tire while you ride it, and a vehicle cannot be You ignore all ranged penalties. In addition, when spending
harmed by hazards, at Narrator discretion. Finally, it now gains a Charge, targets cannot rely on cover to protect themselves
four additional Stress boxes instead. from your Ranged Combat attack; this includes total cover like
hiding within an encasing vehicle or behind a wall.

RANGED COMBAT
STEALTH
The Ranged Combat Skill covers the use of ranged weaponry. It
lets you do the following: The Stealth Skill allows you to avoid detection, both when hid-
ing in place and when trying to move about unseen. It pairs well
Create advantages in a ranged conflict (p. XX), such as Trick with the Larceny Skill (p. XX). It lets you do the following:
Shot, Aimed Attack, Suppressing Fire, and the like.
Attacks someone inside or outside of your zone, using ranged Overcome any situation that primarily depends on you not
weaponry (p. XX). Targets defend actively using Acrobatics if being seen; sneaking past sentries and security, hiding from a
they can perceive the attack coming; if not, they must rely on pursuer, avoiding leaving evidence as you pass through a place,
their passive Acrobatics. If you’re in the same zone as your tar- et cetera—it all falls under this purview.
get, they may choose to defend using Close Combat instead. Create advantages on yourself by placing yourself in ideal po-

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 CHAPTER 3: SKILLS

sitions for attacks or ambushes. That way, you can be Well-Hid- such as a family gathering or a board room meeting.
den when the guards pass by, or Hard to Pin Down if you’re Scale 4: You can hide even in plain sight. If you remain com-
fighting in the dark. pletely still, people are prone to ignore you. If something hap-
Foil Awareness attempts to pinpoint you or seek you out; Try to pens to draw attention towards you, people may recognize your
throw off the scent of an Investigation attempt from someone presence. However, you could effectively stand in the corner of
trying to track you. a room listening in on a conversation.
Scale 5: You can now blend into a group of only 5+ people
RANK without drawing attention to yourself. This includes being
seated at the same table as someone in a restaurant without
Rank Mediocre (±0) to Average (+1): You haven’t had much them questioning it. In addition, you can spend a Charge to
reason to hide in life. This is a suitable Rank for someone who completely suppress one sense from perceiving you for a scene,
is loud and clumsy, or who is sticking out as a sore thumb. such as making yourself scentless, soundless, or invisible.
Rank Fair (+2) to Good (+3): You have experience or training Scale 6: You can hide from technologies, such as surveillance
in active concealment or camouflage. This is a suitable Rank cameras and facial recognition software. Spend a Charge to
for someone who often needs to be sneaky or covert, such as a censor yourself from all present technologies for a scene, mak-
thief or a hunter. ing them unable to perceive you, causing distortions that hide
Rank Great (+4) to Superb (+5): You could be a professional your features, or causing them to temporarily malfunction.
hitman or covert specialist. This is a suitable Rank for someone This applies to certain cybernetics as well, such as cyberoptics.
who knows all the secrets of how to disappear in a world where Scale 7: When spending a Charge, you can now censor yourself
everything is under constant surveillance. from real life. Distortions manifest around your form, blurring
your features and masking your voice. Alternatively, you may
SCALE spend the Charge to make yourself completely undetectable
to all senses. This lasts until you force yourself into someone’s
Scale 1: Your concealment skills are within the norm. senses, like speaking to or touching them.
Scale 2: You have a world-class talent for moving quietly. You Scale 8: You no longer need to spend a Charge to hide or dis-
can sneak at normal speed, and you may hide in uncomforta- tort your features. You have free control over what you want
ble and painful positions indefinitely. to display and what you want to hide. However, by spending
Scale 3: When blending into a group of 10+ people, not even a Charge, you can even hide yourself from memories and ar-
the group itself notices your presence unless you do something chives. Any hidden memory of you won’t return unless you
overt or each individual’s identity comes into question. This choose to return it. A Machineborn with this power could ef-
includes groups where everyone normally knows each other, fectively remove themselves from history.

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 SOCIAL SKILLS
SOCIAL SKILLS AND CONSENT RANK
Machineborn are powerful beyond imagining—and this is ex-
pressed in their Skills. When playing or facing a Machineborn Rank Mediocre (±0) to Average (+1): You have a small social
with high Scale in Social Skills, there is automatically an uneven network and rarely reach out to others. This is a suitable Rank
power dynamic where the sheer presence of a Machineborn can for a loner who keeps to themselves.
be overwhelming, even if that isn’t their intention. People are Rank Fair (+2) to Good (+3): You have a strong social net-
willing to die for a Machineborn with a high Leadership Scale, work and an easy time getting people on your side. This is a
and there have been tyrants in the past who have taken advan- suitable Rank for someone who spends much time cultivating
tage of that for their own gain. connections and maintaining friendships.
Rank Great (+4) to Superb (+5): You’re actively working to
There is a reason why the Machineborn are feared! establish a strong social network and know how to get people
to trust you. This is a suitable Rank for someone who spends
This is a game that is meant to be fun! A fun game is a safe game, most of their days taking calls and juggling favors.
and that means that you should listen to and respect each other.
The player should always be the one with agency over their char-
SCALE
acter’s actions. There can certainly be prompts meant to encour-
age certain behavior (this is what Character Aspects are for), but
Scale 1: Your networking skills are within the norm.
the player decides how to respond to those prompts.
Scale 2: You gain the Social Cameleon Aspect. This lets you
The same applies to these high-Scale powers! A Machineborn adapt your behavior effortlessly to get along with or blend with
may have such overwhelming presence that they could form all kinds of people.
religions around themselves, and naturally that social impact Scale 3: You have a perfect sense of social infrastructure, al-
affects even the PCs. But even then, the player retains agency lowing you to find any kind of asset in any kind of society (at
over how their character responds to that presence. Narrator discretion). If you’re looking to find someone with a
skillset or service you need, the Narrator must inform you of
See the rules on social interaction on page XX for more infor- the necessary steps.
mation about how to use Social Skills against NPCs and PCs. Scale 4: You could get any stranger with a Neutral or Friendly
Attitude (p. XX) towards you to make minor favors (p. XX)
for you without question. You don’t have to make any rolls to
CONTACTS determine minor favors.
Scale 5: You could get anyone, including those with Hostile At-
The Contacts Skill is about knowing and making connections titude towards you, to do a minor favor for you without ques-
with others. It presumes proficiency with all means of network- tion—targets with contesting Aspects may still refuse. Exam-
ing, such as hearsay, friends-of-friends, and social media. It lets ples include having an enemy pause the fight to let you retrieve
you do the following: your weapon, or accepting a surrender when they normally
wouldn’t have.
Overcome any obstacle related to finding someone you need
Scale 6: You can assess a person’s skillset and general value to
to find, such as polling an information network, or search
you at a glance. Whenever you’ve spent a narratively appropri-
through archives and databases.
ate time interacting with a stranger on friendly terms, the Nar-
Create story details represented by Aspects, like “My contacts rator must inform you of relevant Character Aspects; if they
tell me that Joe Steel is the Best Mechanic Around.” You can also are Friendly towards you, you may replace one of their Aspects
create advantages that represents what the word on the street that isn’t their High Concept or Trouble with a new one (if used
is about a particular individual, object, or location, based on on a PC, their player must agree to the change).
what your contacts tell you.
Scale 7: You could get most people to willingly do you favors.
Defend against people creating social advantages against you, You may always ask friends and allies for major favors (p. XX),
provided your information network can be brought to bear in and even Neutral characters are often willing to do major fa-
the situation. You might also use it to keep someone from us- vors for you, unless they have contesting Aspects.
ing Deception or Contacts to go “off the grid,” or to interfere
Scale 8: Even your worst enemies love to hate you. Hostile
with Investigation attempts to find you.
characters are willing to do major favors for you unless they
Find aid or backing used to acquire assets. The difficulty is of- have contesting Aspects. Examples include telling you their se-
ten equal to the asset’s Cost if it has any, but the Narrator may cret plan or giving you a clue on how to beat them. You could
modify this difficulty depending on availability or other nar- have a personal nemesis team up with you for a task out of
rative factors. If successful, you may acquire the asset cheaper, respect, give you a headstart before chasing after you, or call to
but you owe your contacts something in return, like a favor, a give condolences after you lose someone. Some of them care
service, or a later payment. for your rivalry and would miss your opposition should it end.

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 CHAPTER 3: SKILLS

DECEPTION unconscious. You can continue to deceive someone even if

they are directly connecting to your thoughts and memories
The Deception Skill is used to lie and misdirect people. It lets using technologies or special powers.
you do the following: Scale 6: When deceiving people, memories and ideas are con-
structed in their brains. Whenever you succeed on a lie—even
Bluff your way past someone or get something out of someone
an outrageous one—the target can visualize evidence backing
because they believe in one of your lies. For nameless NPCs,
the claim, and then believe that evidence to be true. Even the
this can be an overcome roll; for PCs or named NPCs, it re-
most absurd lies can be believed indefinitely, or until the target
quires a contest, and the target opposes with Empathy. You can
undergoes serious intervention to reconsider the lie.
also use Deception to do small tricks of sleight-of-hand and
misdirection (however, Larceny should be used if you try to Scale 7: You can deceive people into questioning core aspects
actually steal from or cheat someone). of themselves, such as things they can do, people they love, and
who they actually are. A successful deception could get a target
Create distractions, cover stories, or false impressions. You
to change any of their Aspects, including their High Concept,
could feint in a swordfight, putting an opponent Off-Balance
for as long as they believe in the lie.
and setting you up for an attack. You could do the whole,
“What’s that over there!” trick to give you a Head Start when Scale 8: You can spend a Charge to—once per target per sig-
trying to run away. You could trick someone into revealing one nificant milestone—deceive someone into believing that they
of their Aspects or other information. have lived an entirely different life, complete with memories
and experiences; their Skill Ranks change to reflect these mem-
Throw off Investigation attempts with false information and
ories, but their Scale ratings don’t.
defend against efforts using the Empathy Skill to discern your
true motives.

RANK
EMPATHY

Rank Mediocre (±0) to Average (+1): You lack a poker face The Empathy Skill involves knowing and being able to spot
and have a hard time making believable lies. This is a suitable changes in a person’s mood or bearing. It’s centered on perceiv-
Rank for someone living an honest life. ing emotions and intentions rather than superficial details. It
lets you do the following:
Rank Fair (+2) to Good (+3): You know how useful it can be
to bend the truth and don’t hesitate doing so when it benefits Read a person’s emotional state and get a general sense of who
you. This is a suitable Rank for someone who deceives others they are, presuming you have some kind of interpersonal con-
on a daily basis. tact with them. You can also use Empathy to discover what
Rank Great (+4) to Superb (+5): You’re a master manipulator circumstances will let you make mental attacks on someone,
that can deceive others with little effort. This is a suitable Rank assessing their breaking points.
for someone who makes a living off of deception, such as a spy Most often, you’ll use this to assess the Aspects on another
or a conman. character’s sheet, but sometimes you’ll also be able to create
new Aspects, especially on NPCs. If the target has some reason
SCALE to be aware that you’re trying to read them, they can defend
with Deception or Persuasion.
Scale 1: Your ability to deceive is within the norm. Defend against Deception actions; pierce through lies and see
Scale 2: Your lies come as naturally as your truths. You don’t through to someone’s true intent. You can also defend against
reveal any physiological indications of deception, letting you certain social advantages created against you.
fool lie detectors. Determine your placement in the turn order of a conflict (p.
Scale 3: You can deceive just about anyone to mistrust even XX) by being perceptive of people’s moods and behaviors.
their own eyes, even when facing contradicting evidence. Tar-
gets may question themselves and be unsure if an event took RANK
place as they remembered it. Some absurd lies may still fail
automatically if contested by Character Aspects. Rank Mediocre (±0) to Average (+1): You’re generally more
Scale 4: Your ability to deceive can turn even the most intel- focused on yourself than those around you. This is a suitable
lectual skeptic into a fanatical conspiracy theorist. You could Rank for someone with low social awareness and a difficulty
get anyone to believe the most outrageous lie, even if they have identifying social cues.
contesting Character Aspects. You can test even outrageous Rank Fair (+2) to Good (+3): You have a strong social aware-
claims when rolling to deceive people. If it’s too uncharacter- ness and an insight into the emotions of others. This is a suit-
istic for a target to believe a certain claim, they might be con- able Rank for someone who deals much with people, such as a
fused or startled by the deception for a dramatically appropri- businessman or a therapist.
ate task, before recognizing the absurdity of it.
Rank Great (+4) to Superb (+5): You can easily read people
Scale 5: You can deceive people while being under the influ- and likely have professional training doing so. This is a suitable
ence of truth serums, mind reading, or the like, even if you’re Rank for someone with a deep understanding of how people

96
 tick, such as an experienced psychiatrist or a manipulative the following:
conman who takes advantage of the socially vulnerable.
Make people recognize and respect your authority as well as
make them come to you for guidance and support—or even
SCALE lead them towards shared goals (such as defeating an enemy or
completing a project). For nameless NPCs, this is often just an
Scale 1: Your level of insight is within the human norm.
overcome action, but you may have to enter a contest against a
Scale 2: Your level of insight is beyond the norm. Whenev- named NPC or PC.
er you study or interact with another person, you accurately,
Establish a positive and productive social atmosphere or get
without a dice roll, assess their Attitude (p. XX) and a single
someone to confide in you as an authority figure. You could
surface-emotion, such as Contemplative, Assertive, or Insecure.
pep talk someone into being Motivated to Work or inspire a
Scale 3: Your strong ear for deception lets you sense truths squad of soldiers into Daring Action.
or lies and the nuances in between. Whenever you’re listen-
Defend against attempts to damage your social status in a
ing to another person speak, the Narrator must inform you if
group or turn your followers against you. It does not defend
their statements contain truths, lies, misdirections, ommitted
against mental attacks (that requires Willpower).
details, or uncertainties. They don’t have to inform you of the
exact details of these deceptions.
RANK
Scale 4: Whenever you study or interact with another person,
you accurately assess one of their Character Aspects (p. XX),
Rank Mediocre (±0) to Average (+1): You’re not very asser-
even if not directly related to the interaction or scene. When
tive and often keep to the background. This is a suitable Rank
interacting with a machine-god, such as a functionary, you can
for someone who is more of a follower than a leader.
become aware of their Directive (p. XX).
Rank Fair (+2) to Good (+3): You assert confidence which
Scale 5: Your level of insight stretches beyond humanity. Your
helps building trust—you can get people to follow you. This is
ability to assess Attitude, surface-emotions, and Character As-
a suitable Rank for a natural leader, such as a business manager
pects also apply to inhuman and unintelligent creatures, such
or military officer.
as animals or droids. In addition, you can, at Narrator discre-
tion, use Empathy to invoke emotional weaknesses that the tar- Rank Great (+4) to Superb (+5): You have long experience in
get didn’t know they had, such as Longing for Companionship complex management and is seen as a charismatic leader. This
or Social Anxiety. You can establish such weaknesses in other is a suitable Rank for someone who can manage solar-span-
characters as story details. If targeting other PCs, their player ning corporations or lead entire factions.
must consent to the added weakness as if it were a compel.
Scale 6: Your insight into others’ emotional states lets you draw SCALE
those feelings into yourself. After having assessed an emotion
within a target, you can spend a Charge to draw that emotion Scale 1: Your ability to lead is within the human norm.
into yourself, ridding the target of it. For example, if someone Scale 2: You gain the Natural Leader Aspect. This means that
is experiencing a panic attack, you can immediately remove others naturally rely on you to take charge, even when you try
the panic attack from the target and trigger it within yourself. not to. Your opinion is always respected, others often ask for it,
If targeting a Mental Consequence, it becomes treated but not and people are interested in hearing you out.
removed; you must have available slots to take on the Conse- Scale 3: You can use Leadership to command and domesticate
quence yourself to be able to draw it in. creatures, even wild predators. In addition, your instincts for
Scale 7: Your level of insight gives you complete awareness leadership enables you to accurately assume power dynamics
of a person’s emotional state, overall psychological condition, and hierarchies wherever you go.
hates and desires, as well as personality traits. After studying or Scale 4: People who recognize your leadership will carry out
interacting with someone, a successful Empathy roll can now your orders even if it means going against their own moral
help you assess all of their Character Aspects and relevant Sit- code. You don’t need to convince followers to get them to carry
uation Aspects placed upon them. out major favors (p. XX) for you; they will even carry out ex-
Scale 8: Your empathy not only gives you complete awareness treme favors (p. XX) if they’re promised some kind of reward,
of a person’s psychology, but an insight into the life that formed such as a salary, a medal, or fame.
them. When studying or interacting with a target, you learn Scale 5: Those who recognize your leadership become fanati-
something about them, such as an experience they’ve had or a cal in their support. They will carry out extreme tasks for your
secret they have (this can be things they may not know about benefit without expectation of reward. Any functionary who
themselves). You can spend Charges to learn additional details. recognizes your authority, or belong to someone who does,
will respond to you as if you are their administrator.
Scale 6: When ordering someone who recognizes your author-
LEADERSHIP ity to perform a task, they will work tirelessly until done. They
may, once per significant milestone, substitute one of their Skill
The Leadership Skill is about expressing authority, gaining peo- Scales with your Leadership Scale (if higher) for the purpose of
ple’s trust, and commanding people into action. It lets you do a single task of importance in carrying out the command.

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 CHAPTER 3: SKILLS

Scale 7: You can assert dominance over people who don’t know towards you is impressed by your performance and recognizes
you. Spend a Charge and roll Leadership against a target’s Will- the talent behind it. The emotion lasts for as long as your per-
power. If successful, they recognize your authority for the pur- formance does, or longer if appropriate.
pose of a single command. If used against another PC, their Scale 5: You can perform at a level comparable to machines,
player must consent to the order. If it goes against their charac- including the ability to amplify your voice or layer it to create
ter’s values, they can treat it as a compel. unnatural sounds. You could hold a concert without the need
Scale 8: When someone recognizes your authority, you can or- for proper equipment.
der them into taking any action possible without question. The Scale 6: Your performances may now instill emotions in those
potency of your commands can even rewire a person’s brain, who would naturally be unable to feel those emotions. You can
causing them to forget memories or believe something outra- bring the heartless to tears or incite a pacifist to violence. This
geous. This is akin to highly effective mind control. lets you bypass certain traits or conditions that would other-
wise inhibit certain emotions.
Scale 7: When instilling an emotion in an audience, you can
PERFORMANCE incite a behavior that goes naturally with that emotion, such
as compelling someone Happy to dance, someone Impulsive to
The Performance Skill measures a person’s stage presence and spend money on your merchandise, or someone Angry to van-
ability to act, orate, sing, or perform in other ways. It lets you dalize property. Your performances effectively turn you into a
do the following: puppeteer with the audience on your strings.
Scale 8: Your performance causes the cosmos itself to stop and
Inspire a crowd or move an audience to tears. Most perfor- marvel. Whenever you engage in a performance of some kind,
mances are overcome actions measuring a performance’s qual- you may create a time dilation centered on your stage; this di-
ity, but some can be used in conflicts against PCs or named lation allows you to complete your performance regardless of
NPCs as a means of stirring up a particular response. what happens around you. The universe seemingly slows down
Gain advantages from audience reactions, turn a real situa- around you until the performance is over. This could be a use-
tion into your stage to act your way through danger, or create ful trait to inspire someone in a hopeless situation or to extend
Aspects that can both benefit yourself and disadvantage your someone’s final moments for a last good bye.
enemies. Examples include Crowd Parting Before You or Crowd
Obstructing Your Enemy. Keep in mind that this can only be used to prolong a perfor-
mance; it cannot be used to prolong other actions, such as try-
RANK ing to give yourself extra time to escape a dangerous situation.

Rank Mediocre (±0) to Average (+1): You’re uncomfortable

on stage and lack many of the talents needed to win over a
crowd. This is a suitable Rank for someone who doesn’t seek
PERSUASION
attention.
The Persuasion Skill is used to convince someone to act in a
Rank Fair (+2) to Good (+3): You’re comfortable on stage and particular way, such as through a debate, a bargain, or a direct
know how to get an audience on your side. This is a suitable coercion. It lets you do the following:
Rank for a performer, such as a singer or a comedian.
Rank Great (+4) to Superb (+5): You have great stage presence Convince someone to act in a certain way, to perform a specific
and are likely a professional performer. This is a suitable Rank task, or to believe a particular fact. This can be used as an over-
for a megastar, like a famous singer or an inspiring activist. come action against unnamed NPCs, though persuading PCs
and named NPCs may have to be resolved as contests instead
SCALE
(often defended against using Willpower).
Create advantages or disadvantages based on the situation at
Scale 1: Your ability to perform is within human norms. hand, such as presenting Evidence to back up an argument or
Scale 2: People will never heckle you or ridicule your perfor- to downplay an opponent’s; you could create leverage against
mances unless they are compelled by Character Aspects or people you want to coerce into actions they would otherwise
other conditions, like certain Mental Consequences. refuse, such as through bribery.
Scale 3: You have a savant-like talent, such as an ability to free- Cause emotional harm (like with Provocation) in some situa-
form entire acts, master every possible instrument after brief tions depending on the nature of what you’re trying to convince
exposure, or use your voice in unnatural ways. You can repli- someone to do or think. By shaking someone’s worldview or
cate a performance you’ve experienced only once. coercing someone into committing a crime that goes against
their nature, they are likely to suffer emotional harm from it.
Scale 4: Your performances invoke specific emotions, and an-
yone experiencing them who is able to express those emotions
will do so. Your sad songs move people to tears; your comedy RANK
acts get people laughing; you always know what audience reac-
tion to expect. Even someone with a Hostile Attitude (p. XX) Rank Mediocre (±0) to Average (+1): You have a hard time

98
finding the right words to use in any given situation. This is a PROVOCATION
suitable Rank for someone who is either unlikeable or socially
unaware. The Provocation Skill is about eliciting negative emotional re-
Rank Fair (+2) to Good (+3): You have a way with words and sponses from others—fear, anger, shame, et cetera. It’s the “be-
can often convince people of your arguments. This is a suitable ing a jerk” Skill. It lets you do the following:
Rank for someone who interacts with others on a daily basis,
Intimidate someone for information, anger them until they act
such as a salesman or a lawyer.
out, or scare them away. Targets oppose with Willpower. You
Rank Great (+4) to Superb (+5): You’re a masterful debater often need a justification to use this Skill in this way, such as an
and know how to articulate thoughts in ways that grab peo- appropriate Aspect, and your targets must be creatures capable
ple’s attention. This is a suitable Rank for someone who is likely of feeling emotions.
making a living out of convincing people of things, such as a
Create advantages representing momentary emotional states,
marketing professional or a famous influencer.
like Enraged, Shocked, or Hesitant.
Make social attacks to cause Stress (p. XX) to an opponent.
SCALE
Your relationship with the target and the circumstances you’re
in figure a great deal into whether or not you can use this ac-
Scale 1: Your ability to convince others is within the norm.
tion. This is commonly defended against using Willpower, but
Scale 2: You gain the Naturally Convincing Aspect. This means other Skills may apply at Narrator discretion.
that people with a Friendly Attitude (p. XX) towards you al-
ways agree to do minor favors (p. XX) for you, no roll needed.
RANK
Scale 3: You can persuade a wild animal into taking a certain
action, even if it doesn’t understand your words. You can com- Rank Mediocre (±0) to Average (+1): You’re likely a gen-
municate complex ideas to someone who doesn’t share your tle soul who rarely berates others. This is a suitable Rank for
language. Finally, those with Neutral Attitude towards you will someone compassionate who wants to avoid getting into con-
always agree to do minor favors for you. flict with others.
Scale 4: You can attempt to convince people to make drastic Rank Fair (+2) to Good (+3): You know how to get under-
changes to their own lives as if they were major favors (p. XX), neath someone’s skin. This is a suitable Rank for someone with
such as persuading someone to leave (or enter) a life of crime no issues asserting themselves and provoking others, such as a
or to give up something very dear to them, such as the only beat cop or a wrestler.
photograph they have of a dead spouse or child.
Rank Great (+4) to Superb (+5): You’re a master at articulat-
Scale 5: You can attempt to persuade people with Neutral At- ing people’s sensitivities in ways that rile them up. This is a suit-
titude for you as if they were Friendly, and those with Hostile able Rank for someone without shame or remorse; someone
Attitude for you as if they were Neutral. This does not apply if who enjoys causing emotional distress.
the target has contesting Character Aspects. Finally, you could
attempt to persuade a Friendly or Neutral functionary to go
SCALE
against its Directives (p. XX) on your behalf.
Scale 6: You can express complex ideas to creatures of low in- Scale 1: Your ability to provoke is within the norm.
telligence, such as many animals and even people with tam- Scale 2: You’re naturally provocative, even when you don’t try
pered minds, such as bunraku dolls (p. XX). For example, you to be, and not even those with much greater social or financial
could persuade a cat to perform a complicated multi-step task. power can ignore your harmful words. People cannot invoke
You can attempt to persuade people with Friendly Attitude for Influence (p. XX) to defend against your provocations.
you to do extreme tasks (p. XX) without expectation of reward.
Scale 3: You could intimidate a tiger or make a machine-god
Scale 7: When interacting socially, you can enunciate your feel insecure. When using this Skill to induce Stress, your at-
points in ways that are understandable to anyone. In addition, tack inflicts +1 Harm (p. XX).
when attempting to persuade someone with a Friendly Atti-
tude for you, they may ignore their Motivation (p. XX), their Scale 4: You can draw out sensitivities even in something more
Instincts (p. XX), and contesting Character Aspects. powerful than you. Targets cannot invoke Aspects related to
larger size or physical superiority to defend against your prov-
Scale 8: You can attempt to persuade anyone into making an ocations, such as Intimidating Presence or Impenetrable Skin.
extreme task, though Neutral and Hostile targets may ask for
certain assurances unless the task directly aligns with one of Scale 5: You can intimidate functionaries to go against their
their Character Aspects. Directives. Your provocations now inflict +2 Harm.
Scale 6: You can provoke even emotionless creatures, such as
Keep in mind that Persuasion assumes honesty. If you’re trying causing someone fearless to feel terror or someone shameless
to persuade someone into taking an action while they believe to feel ashamed. This lets you bypass certain traits and condi-
in a different outcome, you’re deceiving them. If you give them tions that would otherwise inhibit emotional reactions.
no option to decline, you’re commanding them. In those situa- Scale 7: You can intimidate mindless droids and programs,
tions, use Deception or Leadership instead. causing them to react as if they had sentience. In other words,
anything that is able to act independently can now be intimi-

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 CHAPTER 3: SKILLS

dated. Your Provocation attacks now inflict +3 Harm. may be willing to answer questions about the systems they pro-
Scale 8: Your words can kill. When using Provocation to cause tect despite knowing you as a potential security threat.
Stress, you may spend a Charge to apply it as physical instead Scale 5: Most people are incapable of disliking you. A per-
of mental harm. son can only have a Hostile Attitude towards you if they have
Character Aspects enforcing it or if you’re directly provoking
or harming them. If someone has Character Aspects enforcing
a dislike for you, you gain a free invocation on any attempt to
STYLE gauge what those Aspects are.
The Style Skill represents your ability to express raw personal- Scale 6: Anyone with a Friendly Attitude towards you will do
ity, such as through confidence and fashion. It lets you do the anything in their power to give you a royal treatment. They
following: hold open doors for you; they offer drinks and other gifts. They
do everything in their power to make your life as comfortable
Draw people’s attention and “carry the room.” Style is used to as possible. If you find them too annoying to deal with, they
impress people using appearance, confidence, and fashion. It’s will give you the space you need.
also often used to draw people in before using other Skills, such Scale 7: You can attract any intelligent creature and cause them
as Persuasion or Provocation, to get what you want out of an to feel about you the way you want them to feel about you. Keep
interaction. Additionally, Style can be used to express etiquette in mind that the targeted character’s player must still consent
and adapt to different social situations. to any enforced feelings about you and they have agency over
Instill certain feelings and attitudes towards you, such as Re- their character’s responses—this is especially important if the
spect or Attraction. You can create helpful Aspects through emotions are tied to sexuality. A player character who consents
fashion and other means of expression, as well as by how you’re to taking on the new feeling may get a Charge for it, as if it were
interacting with the scene. a compel. If a player doesn’t consent to taking on the new feel-
ing, they have a say in how they think their character’s feelings
towards you should be expressed instead to not fully ignore the
RANK
radiating personality that comes with this Scale.
Rank Mediocre (±0) to Average (+1): You put little effort into Scale 8: Anyone who perceives you cannot keep you out of their
how you look and compose yourself. This is a suitable Rank mind, even when other powers or technologies try to erase you
for someone who feels no need to impress others or who shies from it. They always remember you and spend a considerable
away from attention. amount of time thinking about you. Most consider you perfect
in every conceivable way, and desire to be in your presence.
Rank Fair (+2) to Good (+3): You’re fashionable and well-
This popularity can unfortunately be a lonesome curse. How
kept—you know how to make yourself look good. This is a
can you ever meet a true equal?
suitable Rank for someone who likes the attention of others
and is willing to put in the work to acquire it.
Rank Great (+4) to Superb (+5): You know how to turn a gaze
and become the center of attention. This is a suitable Rank for
someone who could be the center of attention even in the high-
est of society where expectations of perfection are the norm.

SCALE

Scale 1: Your appearance and sense of fashion are within the

norm.
Scale 2: You gain the Naturally Charismatic Aspect. This means
that if people don’t know you or have any reason to dislike you,
they will naturally have a Friendly Attitude (p. XX) towards
you. You’re able to attract anyone in some way, either romanti-
cally or through raw personality.
Scale 3: People tend to have a Friendly Attitude towards you
even if you’re someone they would otherwise dislike for vari-
ous reasons. This lets you invoke certain advantages associat-
ed with a Friendly Attitude when interacting with people who
have a Hostile Attitude, such as Wary Attraction and Respect-
ed Enemy. This does not prevent hostile people from harming
you, but they’re less likely to do so unless directly provoked.
Scale 4: Even animals and machine-gods are drawn towards
you. A hostile predator, such as a ferocious bear, could be Curi-
ous about you instead of outright attacking you. Functionaries

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 CHAPTER 4: ACTION

ASPECTS
Aspects are short phrases that encapsulate something’s essence. CHARACTER ASPECTS
These could be personal details like strengths and weaknesses, Character Aspects (p. XX) are unique attributes linked to PCs or
personal history, beliefs, relationships, or even equipment. They NPCs, highlighting distinctive qualities that differentiate them.
can also reflect external details, like environmental conditions, These include personality traits or beliefs (Never Harm the Inno-
acting behaviors, or objects of importance. cent; Sucker For a Pretty Face), background or profession (Private
Academy Student; Superannuated Detective), significant posses-
Here is the key point: Aspects are true! This means that the traits sions or features (Daughter’s Riftblade; Fashionable Influencer),
you assign to a character or a scene are actual and valid within affiliations (In League with the Pyramid; Proud Member of the
the narrative. For instance, if you designate your character as a Crimson Curtain), challenges or ambitions (Wanted for Murder;
One-Armed Sniper, then they indeed possess only one arm and Fear of Heights), and roles or responsibilities (Self-Important Ex-
are skilled in sniping. This could manifest as a total absence of ecutive; Honor-Bound to Avenge Brother).
an arm, a prosthetic replacement, or even a sniper rifle serving
as an arm. However it is depicted, the reality remains: the char- Players can invoke (p. XX) or call for a compel (p. XX) on any of
acter is a one-armed sniper! their Character Aspects when applicable. Narrators have the pre-
rogative to suggest compels for any PC, and players can propose
In gameplay, Aspects serve to both define and shape the narra- compels for others’ characters. Ultimately, the Narrator decides
tive. They give you permission to enhance your dice rolls and if something is a valid suggestion.
define truths within the setting. Moreover, they can generate
Charges for your character if they introduce meaningful com- SITUATION ASPECTS
plications. Strive to make Aspects that are multifaceted, offering Situation Aspects are temporary, intended to last for a scene or
both advantages and disadvantages! Being a One-Armed Sniper until they become irrelevant. They may be linked to the scene’s
might help you take out a target from a distance, but you could environment, impacting everyone present, or they can be specif-
struggle with something as mundane as opening a jar. ic to individual characters, applied to them through traits or as
the outcome of create advantage actions (p. XX). At times, Sit-
uation Aspects become obstacles to be tackled using overcome
THE BRONZE RULE actions (p. XX). Other times, they are there to act as prompts
You can treat anything in game as if it were a character. It to justify choices to the narrative or the use of game mechanics.
could even possess Aspects, Skills, Stress boxes, and Con-
sequences when necessary. Known as the Bronze Rule, this They describe significant features of the scenario at hand, such
lets the Narrator apply Aspects not only to characters but as environmental traits (Dense Underbrush; Low-Gravity Planet),
to the scene itself. This enables environmental hazards to relevant positioning (Sniper’s Perch; In the Trees), immediate ob-
engage in attacks, utilizing Skills against the characters. stacles (Burning House; Tricky Lock), or pertinent contextual de-
tails (Security Cameras; Loud Machinery). They may also reflect

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shifts in a character’s condition (Sand in the Eyes; Disarmed). ASPECTS ARE ALWAYS TRUE
Aspects can be invoked for bonuses to rolls (p. XX), or be com-
Who can use a Situation Aspect is heavily influenced by the nar- pelled to create narrative complications (p. XX). But even when
rative context. Sometimes it will be very clear. Sometimes you those are not in play, Aspects still help shape the story’s “facts.”
will need to justify its use based on how the scene unfolds. Often, When you have a flesh-wrapped monstrosity Pinned in a Hy-
the existence of a Situation Aspect is not established until some- draulic Press, that is true. It is really stuck and cannot move un-
one proposes that it should exist, with the Narrator being the less the opportunity presents itself for it to free itself.
ultimate authority on what claims are valid.
The rule “Aspects are always true” means they set the stage for
CONSEQUENCES what can and cannot happen. If our aforementioned monstrosity
A Consequence (p. XX) is a type of Aspect that is more enduring is Pinned in a Hydraulic Press, it stays that way until the Aspect
than a Situation Aspect but less so than a Character Aspect. It is removed. The “facts” of the situation is that “being pinned”
represents the lasting effects of conflict, such as injuries or ongo- means that the monstrosity must stay where it is. It can scream
ing issues (Dislocated Shoulder; Social Pariah; Traced). Characters and howl, and maybe even reach for those who get too close—
can take on Consequences to avoid being defeated in conflicts. but it will be pinned until it finds a way to not be, and thus get rid
of the Aspect. This is true for PCs as well. A player cannot simply
The duration of Consequences varies, lasting anywhere from sev- decide to no longer be pinned without justifying “how.”
eral scenes to a couple of sessions, based on their gravity. Their
negatively framed nature means characters with Consequences However, Aspects are not a free pass to do anything. They are
are often subject to compels, and they provide opportunities for powerful narrative tools, but they must fit within the story’s con-
others to invoke them or leverage them for advantages. straints and logic. If an Aspect feels off, it needs to be reworded.

BOOSTS For instance, you cannot just use a create advantage action to de-
Boosts are fleeting Aspects granted to a character who nearly suc- clare that the fungal super-soldier is Dismembered—that would
ceeds in creating an advantage (p. XX) but falls short of forming be an overstep. It would take more effort to achieve such a drastic
a Situation Aspect, or as a bonus for excelling in an action (High effect, such as attacking it in a physical conflict (p. XX) and may-
Momentum; Distracted Foe). They can be invoked at no cost, but be achieving that Aspect as a Consequence (p. XX). Claiming
they disappear immediately after use. to be the World’s Best Marksman? You will need to back that up
with your Skills. Rewording the Aspect to Professional Marksman
Players can permit others to invoke their Boosts if it makes nar- would be more reasonable, since it paints you as a skilled marks-
rative sense for them to do so. man without making assumptions about things that are difficult
to prove. Also, being Bulletproof might require some serious aug-
mentations, but having Tough Skin hints at a strong body without
UNDERSTANDING ASPECTS declaring yourself invulnerable.

ASPECTS ADD IMPORTANCE ASPECTS TELL YOU WHEN TO USE RULES

Aspects are narrative tools that highlight what is important in Aspects are crucial components to the game because they high-
the story. Think of them as little notes to yourself, reminding you light what is important and dictate when to use game mechanics
of what is relevant and fun. They help maintain consistency, and instead of simple narrative action.
nudge characters to act in ways that are true to their nature. As-
pects make characters and situations unique, setting them apart For instance, Narrators often ponder whether a player should
from others with similar qualities. They add a personal touch roll dice in a specific situation. If a player states, “I climb the lad-
to the game, adding immersion and meaning to the character’s der and grab the item,” and there is nothing special about the
place in the story, like when you run into the father you thought ladder or the item, then why should we care enough to roll dice?
was dead, or when finally squaring off against your main rival. Instead, if the Narrator uses Situation Aspects to indicate that the
ladder is Rusted and that the item is Emitting Radiation, there is
As Narrator, you will weave Aspects into the narrative to cre- added pressure and risk, justifying a dice roll. Remember, these
ate challenges for the players, like declaring the presence of a Aspects confirm the ladder’s condition and the item’s dangerous
Chain-Linked Fence, or informing the players that they are being emission—consider the consequences!
Watched from the Shadows. You might enter a scene armed with
knowledge of certain Aspects, or you might come up with them Players frequently face decisions about invoking various Aspects
on the fly in response to the players’ actions. or considering compels. Aspects underscore what is unique
about a character or a situation, and the players should embrace
Situation Aspects spice up each moment of the game, giving life this to enhance their capabilities in a scene. Similarly, when the
to otherwise dull or stagnant scenes. For example, a bar fight Narrator spots a chance to shape the narrative by proposing a
might seem typical, but add in an Aspect like Famous Merc-Bar, compel for a player character, they should seize it to enrich the
and suddenly the scene becomes more alive, the Aspect prompts scene. Even the troublesome complications from a compel may
a certain narrative response, and the brawl becomes much more provide enjoyable roleplaying opportunities. The players should
interesting. By using Aspects, you will ultimately make the game be encouraged to embrace even increased risk and tension, as it
much more engaging and memorable. often leads to memorable moments.

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 CHAPTER 4: ACTION

INVOKING ASPECTS Olivia nods and replies, “How do you invoke it?”

The primary method for utilizing Aspects is to invoke them. Elise says, “Well, what I was thinking about doing was mak-
This is something a player can do when encountering a situation ing some kind of vulgar innuendo about the guy’s parentage,
where an Aspect could benefit their character. The same applies in order to get the crowd at the bar to laugh at him. I figure
to the Narrator regarding NPCs. that bawdy put-downs are precisely my cup of tea.”

To invoke an Aspect, you must first justify its relevance. Sec- Olivia nods and says, “Okay, I’ll take that.”
ond, you spend a Charge. Third, you choose one of the following
benefits: Elise spends the Charge and decides to reroll her dice.

Add +2 to your current Skill roll.

Reroll both the positive and negative dice. FREE INVOCATIONS
When you successfully create an advantage (p. XX), you attach
Confer a +2 benefit to another character’s roll, assuming it is
a free invocation to an Aspect. If you succeed with style, you get
plausible that the Aspect could assist.
two such invocations. Some actions award free Boosts. You also
Increase any source of passive opposition by +2 if the Aspect get to attach a free invocation to any Consequences you inflict
could reasonably intensify the challenge. This can also be during a conflict.
used to establish passive opposition at a Fair (+2) Scale 1 in
the absence of any opposition. Free invocations function similarly to standard ones, with two
exceptions: no Charges are exchanged, and they can be combined
Rerolling the dice carries more risk than simply taking the +2 with a standard invocation for a cumulative bonus. For instance,
bonus but offers the potential for a greater reward. It is advisable you can make use of a free invocation and expend a Charge on
to opt for a reroll when a –4 or –5 is rolled, as this maximizes the the same Aspect to receive a +4 bonus rather than +2, opt for two
likelihood of achieving a more favorable outcome. rerolls instead of one, or bestow a +4 bonus to another charac-
ter’s roll or increase passive opposition by +4. Alternatively, you
It does not matter when the Aspect is invoked, but it is generally have the option to divide the benefits, securing a reroll and a +2
best to wait until after the dice roll to determine if the benefit bonus. You can also stack multiple free invocations together.
is necessary. While multiple Aspects can be invoked on a single
roll, the same Aspect cannot be invoked more than once. There- After you have used a free invocation, if the Aspect in question is
fore, if the new outcome does not help you enough, you must still around, you can keep invoking it by spending Charges.
choose a different Aspect and spend another Charge to attempt
a second reroll or +2 bonus. It is possible to pass your free invocation to another character as
an act of teamwork. This tactic is particularly effective in con-
The group must agree on the relevance of an Aspect when it is flicts where you aim to set up a decisive blow—each team mem-
invoked, with the Narrator having the final say. If invoking an ber can create an advantage and transfer their free invocations to
Aspect seems illogical at first glance, the invoker may attempt to a single individual, who can then stack them for a huge bonus.
creatively justify its relevance. Exactly how that is done is up to
the player invoking the Aspect. At times, the use of a particular Rainmaker succeeds on an attack (p. XX) and causes her
Aspect is so clear that you can just spend a Charge and name it. opponent to take the Broken Ribs Consequence. On the
In other instances, the character’s actions may have to be embel- next round, she attacks them again, now invoking the Con-
lished or elaborated upon to justify the Aspect’s use. sequence for free, giving her a +2 or a reroll.

If the Narrator (or another player) spends a Charge to in- CONDITIONAL INVOCATIONS
voke an Aspect found on another player’s character sheet The Narrator may sometimes give players (or NPCs) free invoca-
(including Situation Aspects attached to them) against tions when an Aspect would logically add an overwhelming ad-
that character, they must give them the Charge. The re- vantage. Examples include attempting to remain concealed while
cipient can access this Charge first after the complication Invisible or launching an attack on someone who is Stunned. Such
has been resolved. Compels work the same way, with the scenarios are typically attributed to specific traits, such as Skill
difference being that the Narrator does not spend any Features (p. XX) or asset properties (p. XX), rather than natural
Charges and the complication is strictly narrative. environmental conditions, although the latter is also possible.

It is advisable to use conditional invocations sparingly, as they

can be a hassle to keep track of and often significantly influence
Rainmaker is trying to win a contest of wits with a rival in the result of Skill rolls. In practice, it may be more compelling
a bar, using the Provocation Skill. Elise rolls badly on one to acknowledge the existence of Strong Winds without allowing
of the contest rounds, and says, “I want to invoke Abrasive them to affect every dice roll directly. Encourage players to use
to a Fault.” create advantage actions (p. XX) to attach invocations by making
use of existing Aspects, instead of expecting them to be free.

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 Narrator has the privilege of compelling without cost, and play-
Rainmaker is chasing a drone through a city, and Olivia ex- ers may propose compels on their own characters at no charge.
plains how it takes advantage of its tiny size to hide among
construction material scattered in an alley. EVENT-BASED COMPELS
An event-based compel happens independently of the character’s
“Because of how small it is, the drone is going to get a free actions when the world around them responds to a certain As-
invocation on Stealth against you. I rolled an Average (+1) pect in a way that introduces a complication. It can be described
Scale 1, which becomes Good (+3) with the invocation.” like this: “You have _____ Aspect and are in _____ situation, so
it makes sense that, unfortunately, _____ would happen to you.”
Elise grumbles but nods, then rolls a Fair (+2). Close, but
not enough. “Can I use my Momentum Boost to make it Event-based compels provide a creative outlet for the Narrator.
so that I was quick enough to see the general area where it They are expected to shape the world around the PCs, and hav-
drone landed?” ing that world react to the PCs is a fundamental aspect of their
role. These compels also benefit the players, who are rewarded
“Sure,” Olivia says. “With a +2 to the result from your Boost, simply for playing along. Justifying an event-based compel may
you get a total Great (+4) Scale 1—enough to see exactly be challenging for a player, as it involves exerting influence over
where the drone landed to hide.” a domain typically managed by the Narrator.

Players should be encouraged to suggest event-based compels,

but the Narrator may override their proposals. While it is reason-
COMPELLING ASPECTS able to override a proposal that conflicts with the story’s logic,
avoid doing so merely for conflicting with established plans. The
The other method to use Aspects in the game is known as a com-
unexpected often leads to memorable places.
pel. When a character’s life becomes more dramatic or complex
due to the presence or influence of a particular Aspect, the Nar-
rator (or a player at the Narrator’s discretion) can compel that Willow has the Aspect Famous Influencer who Roots out
Aspect. As long as it complicates a character, it does not matter Corruption and is covertly attending a secret bloodsport
if the Aspect is associated with the character, the scene, the lo- event sponsored by a Camellian magistrate. But despite her
cation, or any other element currently active in the game. being there covertly, her fame suggests that it makes sense
for there to be at least someone there who recognizes her
To compel an Aspect, you need to first clarify its relevance, and and makes a huge fuss about it, turning many eyes her way.
then propose the nature of the complication. You can negotiate
the terms of the complication a bit, until you reach a reasonable Rainmaker has the Aspect I Owe Minoa Everything and is
agreement. The one being compelled then has two options: returning to his home neighborhood at the fringes of Ayer
City after hearing it was attacked by a gang, so it makes
Accept the complication and receive a Charge. sense that—because of Minoa’s engineering skills—he was
Pay a Charge to prevent the complication from happening. taken to the gang’s territory and forced to work for them.

Once the recipient has accepted the Charge, the complication DECISION-BASED COMPELS
unfolds irrespective of any efforts to counter it, and they can A decision-based compel is an internal character dynamic that
only make use of the Charge after the point of no return. For in- arises from specific choices. It is structured like this: “You have
stance, if a compel prompts you to insult a high-profile socialite, _____ Aspect in _____ situation, so it makes sense that you
you must act to do so before receiving the Charge. If you do not, would decide to _____. This goes wrong when _____ happens.”
you must spend your own Charge to get away with ignoring it.
The essence of a decision-based compel lies not in the decision
But that’s not all! If you decide to avoid the complication, you itself but in what goes wrong. Initially, the decision may serve as
must describe how you avoid it. This could mean that you de- a prelude to a Skill roll or a roleplaying moment. However, it is
cide that the event never happened in the first place, or it might the resulting complication that really makes it a compel.
involve detailing proactive measures taken by your character.
Any approach that logically resolves the situation is acceptable, Players bear full responsibility for everything their characters say
as long as everyone at the table is okay with it. and do. While the Narrator can suggest decision-based compels,
they should not force a player into a decision that does not align
The Narrator remains the final arbiter over the outcome and with their character by threatening to remove a Charge. Instead,
validity of a compel. Use the same judgment as for invocations the terms of the compel can be negotiated until the player is satis-
(see previous page). Any possible complication stemming from fied that the decision makes sense for their character. If it proves
an Aspect should make instinctive sense and require minimal impossible to reach a consensus, the compel should be dropped.
justification—first then is a compel appropriate.
The decision part should be self-evident, and potentially reflect
Note that if a player wishes to compel another character, they something that the player would consider doing anyway. This
must expend a Charge to suggest a complication. However, the principle also applies when players attempt to compel NPCs or

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 CHAPTER 4: ACTION

other PCs—make sure you have a strong mutual understanding If you are Grappled, you are unable to move until you break free.
of what other characters might do before proposing the compel. If this leads to a significant complication, such as a loved one
being harmed because you are pinned to the ground, it might be
For players in need of Charges, do not hesitate to propose deci- enough for a compel and earn you a Charge. But if you simply
sion-based compels to the Narrator. This could be an effective break free on your turn, with no other meaningful complications
strategy to get Charges back, but it also means that the player happening as a result of your time Grappled, it might not cut it.
must be willing to face hardship in the story and that things go
wrong. If the proposed compel introduces a complication that is
both significant and interesting, the Narrator is encouraged to Because the warehouse is On Fire, and the PCs are trapped
accept it. If it lacks substance, have a discussion with the group in the middle of it, it makes sense that, unfortunately, the
on ways to improve it. ruffian they are chasing can get away in the confusion.

If the Narrator proposes a decision-based compel that fails to The building Rainmaker is searching through is Littered
reach agreement on what the “decision part” should be, do not with Debris, so it makes sense that, unfortunately, law en-
force the player to spend a Charge to reject it. Instead, shift the forcement is going to arrive there before she finds what she
focus on what it would take to prevent things from going wrong. is looking for, leaving her with a lot of explaining to do.

The wasteland ruin Willow is currently searching through

Rainmaker has the Aspect Abrasive to a Fault while trying has Blanket of Dust everywhere, so it makes sense that, un-
to impress a fancy guest at a celebration, so it makes sense fortunately, while she might be able to find the information
that she would decide to share some vulgar humor and she is looking for, the mutant pursuing her will see her foot-
commentary. This goes wrong when she discovers that the prints and know that she was there.
guest is a stuck-up military general who judges her deeply.

Willow has the Aspect Tempted by Greed while touring an

art museum in Jade City, so it makes sense that she would USING ASPECTS TO ROLEPLAY
decide to “liberate” a couple of baubles for her personal col-
lection. This goes wrong when she discovers that even the Aspects serve a passive role that can be utilized in almost every
tiny little baubles have trackers attached to them, and she instance of play. As noted on page XX, players may use them to
has to use her fame and wealth to avoid arrest. guide how they roleplay their characters. All Aspects, and not
just those listed on a character sheet, are always true, and not
only when they are invoked or compelled! They paint a com-
RETROACTIVE COMPELS prehensive picture of a character’s or location’s essence, or the
Sometimes, a player may recognize during the game that they reality of a situation. They reveal intriguing nuances and impli-
have met the conditions for a compel, yet no Charge has been cations when read between the lines.
granted. They might have fully engaged with their Aspects, lead-
ing to all kinds of trouble, or they might have instinctively nar- When considering a character’s potential actions in a given sce-
rated dramatic incidents related to their Aspects out of reflex. nario, look at their Aspects! They offer insights into their per-
sonality, ambitions, and desires. Could these insights hint at a
Should anyone realize this during play, and bring it to the Narra- potential course of action?
tor’s attention, the Charge may be awarded retroactively, treating
it as if it were a compel after the fact. The Narrator, as always, Engaging with your Aspects also presents an additional advan-
has the final say in this matter. Identifying these instances should tage: you are feeding the Narrator ideas for compels. By actively
be straightforward—simply refer to the guidelines for event- and incorporating your Aspects into the game, you make the Narra-
decision-based compels above. If the events as they happened in tor’s job easier which also leads to a more personal game for you.
game align with these guidelines, give the player a Charge.
The Narrator should use NPCs’ Aspects the same way, but also
COMPELLING SITUATION ASPECTS use them to figure out how the world should react to the PCs.
Situation Aspects can also be used for compels, just as with any For instance, if a character has the Aspect World-Renowned
other type of Aspect. Since these are typically external to the Strongman, this reputation likely precedes them, influencing
characters, they generally lead to event-based compels rather people’s reactions. Such a character might attract attention and
than decision-based ones—though exceptions may occur. Char- crowds as they pass through an area. This Aspect also implies
acters affected by compelled Situation Aspects receive a Charge certain physical attributes, suggesting that most people would
once the complication is resolved, provided that it was significant steer clear of them in crowded spaces, possibly feeling intimi-
enough to warrant a Charge. The Narrator is the arbiter of this. dated or acting aggressively as a defense mechanism. Regard-
less, such a character cannot be overlooked.
This kind of compel is common in conflicts where advantages
result in ongoing narrative complications that persist until re- Inserting these kinds of Aspect-related details into your nar-
solved, like being Grappled or Disarmed. Although these Situa- ration can help the game seem more vivid and consistent, even
tion Aspects can be invoked, they reflect actual conditions affect- when you are not shuffling Charges around.
ing the character, and the player needs to address them as such.

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 introduced by the Narrator, you have the ability to create, dis-
Rainmaker goes to her friend Minoa’s home neighborhood cover, or access additional Aspects as you play.
in Ayer City, only to find that it has been sacked by a gang
and that Minoa is kidnapped. Olivia explains that the others Primarily, the create advantage action (p. XX) is used to make
living there are overjoyed that she has come, and in a scene new Aspects. When describing the action that would create this
where she talks to one of Minoa’s neighbors, they also want advantage, the context behind it should dictate whether it needs
her to stay and help rebuild the neighborhood. a new Aspect or should relate to an existing one. When intro-
ducing a fresh scenario, such as casting sand into someone’s
Elise looks at some of the Aspects on Rainmaker’s sheet: eyes, it would make sense to have this represented by the new
Mechanic for the Crimson Curtain, I Owe Minoa Everything, Situation Aspect Sand in the Eyes.
Abrasive to a Fault, and Smashing is Always an Option.
Her read of those Aspects is that Rainmaker is being very It may sometimes be more appropriate to attach an advantage to
straightforward (to the point of rudeness), aggressive, in- an Aspect that is already in play. The targeted PC or NPC would
clined to solve problems through violence, and very loyal to then offer active opposition to prevent the use of that Aspect.
those she considers her own. For example, if the opponent already has the Aspect Sand in the
Eyes, you may try to take advantage of it for free invocations.
Because of her Aspects, there is no chance that Rainmak-
er is going to stay and help the neighborhood when Minoa If your goal is not to look for a free invocation and you simply
might still be alive. And not only that, she is going to tell believe a specific Situation Aspect should be in play, there is no
the neighbors exactly how she feels about the fact that they real need for a dice roll at all. Just suggest it, and if consensus is
have not done anything to rescue Minoa themselves. She that it makes sense, take note of it!
may even use words like “spineless” when calling them out.
If the Narrator has no pre-established Aspects for a scene or
Olivia says that she enrages the neighbors so much that NPC, ask the players what kinds of Aspects they are looking for
they are pondering banishing her from the neighborhood. when attempting to create advantages. Should they achieve a tie
She holds up a Charge and grins, indicating a compel—her or success, make note of something similar to their expectation
manners are going to get her kicked out. and affirm that they were correct. If they fail, take note of it
nonetheless, or come up with an alternative Aspect that is not to
Elise takes it, accepting that complication. “Screw them an- their advantage, or maybe even in contrast to their expectations.
yway,” she says, “I’ll rescue Minoa without their help.”
SECRET OR HIDDEN ASPECTS
Some Skills let you use the create advantage action to uncover
hidden Aspects, whether they pertain to NPCs or the environ-
REMOVING ASPECTS ment. The Narrator should then disclose the Aspect if the player
gets a tie or better on the roll. This approach can be used to “fish”
To get rid of a Situation Aspect, there are three methods: for Aspects when their exact nature is vague—it provides justifi-
cation for players to learn something useful.
Perform an overcome action (p. XX) aimed specifically at re-
moving the Aspect. It is generally understood that most Aspects in play are known to
Execute a different action that, if successful, would render the the players. The PCs’ character sheets are sitting on the table, and
Aspect irrelevant. often, those of some NPCs as well. However, this does not neces-
sarily imply that the characters are aware of these Aspects, which
Bypass a narrative obstacle that would logically result in the
is one of the reasons why the create advantage action exists—it
Aspect’s removal.
can help justify how your character learns what the player knows.

For instance, if you are Grappled, you might attempt to escape. It is important to note that Aspects only enrich the narrative if
Success implies that you are no longer Grappled, thus the Aspect they are used. Aspects that remain undiscovered are essential-
is removed. If another character can disrupt your action, they ly non-existent. Therefore, players should typically be informed
provide active opposition as usual. If not, the Narrator decides about as many Aspects as possible, and dice rolls can be used to
on passive opposition or allows the Aspect’s removal without a resolve any uncertainties regarding what their characters’ know.
roll, whatever is appropriate.
Sometimes, the Narrator may choose to conceal an NPCs’ As-
Remember, if a Situation Aspect becomes illogical or irrelevant pects or delay revealing certain Situation Aspects to heighten
at any point during play, get rid of it! narrative tension. For example, during a murder investigation,
revealing the perpetrator as a Sociopathic Serial Murderer at the
outset would be anticlimactic. In such scenarios, it is recom-
CREATING OR DISCOVERING mended to avoid creating an Aspect that directly relates to the
NEW ASPECTS IN PLAY concealed information, and instead create one that aligns with
the context that the players already know. Once the tension is
In addition to your Character Aspects and the Situation Aspects passed and the secret is out in the open, create the Aspect!

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CHARGES
Both the Narrator and the players have pools of points called THE NARRATOR AND CHARGES
Charges that they can use to influence the game. Players start The Narrator also uses Charges, but the rules on how they are
each session with a number of Charges equal to their character’s gained and used are different than for players.
Recharge value. Players will also reset to their Recharge value if
they end a session with fewer Charges than their rate. Narrators There are no real limits to how many Charges a player can re-
get a budget of Charges to spend in every scene. When your As- ceive through compels, concessions, or other factors. However,
pects come into play, you will usually spend or gain a Charge. the Narrator has a finite pool of Charges for their NPCs. At the
start of each scene, the Narrator receives Charges based on half
RECHARGE the Energy levels of the PCs present, rounded up. For instance,
At the beginning of each session, each player is given a number two PCs at Energy 1 yield two Charges, while two at Energy 7
of Charges equal to their Recharge value. A starting character’s provide eight.
Recharge is influenced by their social class, but characters also
receive an extra Recharge upon becoming Machineborn and The Narrator can use these Charges on behalf of any NPC. Addi-
whenever their Energy level (p. XX) increases, up to maximum tional ones can be acquired within the scene if an NPC is com-
Energy 8—the game’s limit. Players can also spend major mile- pelled, similar to PCs. If the players split up, the Narrator should
stone points (p. XX) to further increase their Recharge. split up their pool of Charges as well.

If you end a session with more Charges than your Recharge, you At the start of each scene, the Narrator’s pool of Charges reset to
retain the surplus for the next session. However, once you start their default amount. There are two exceptions:
a new scenario, your Charges are reset to match your Recharge,
regardless of what you had previously. If the Narrator accepted a compel that either ended the previ-
ous scene or initiated the next one, they gain an extra Charge
SPENDING CHARGES for the next scene.
You spend Charges in any of the following ways: If the Narrator conceded a conflict to the PCs, the Charges
from that concession carry over and add to the default total
Invoke an Aspect: Invoking an Aspect costs you one Charge for the next scene.
unless the invocation is free.
Power an effect: Some traits or items have special potent ef- If the next scene does not present a significant NPC interaction
fects, and as such, cost a Charge to activate. where Charges can be spent, the Narrator may reserve the extra
Refuse a compel: Once a compel is proposed, you can pay a Charges for a later scene where they can be used.
Charge to avoid the complication associated with it.
Declare a story detail: Spend a Charge to add a detail to the Olivia is running a climactic conflict where the PCs are bat-
story based on one of your Aspects. tling a nemesis they have been trying to subdue for several
scenarios now. Here are the characters in the scene:
EARNING CHARGES
You earn Charges in any of the following ways: Cinder, Smuggler of the Pyramid, a supporting NPC
Og the Strong, a chief enforcer for the Pyramid, a sup-
Accept a compel: You get a Charge when you agree to the porting NPC
complication associated with a compel, though you cannot
Two nameless NPC bad guys
use that Charge until after the complication has impacted the
game. You could sometimes earn these Charges retroactively Rainmaker, PC, Energy 1 Machineborn
if the circumstances warrant it. Willow, PC, Energy 1 Machineborn
Have Aspects invoked against you: If someone pays a Charge
to invoke an Aspect attached to your character, you gain the Her total Charges for this scene is two—one each for Rain-
Charge after the complication has been resolved. This includes maker and Willow. If Willow had been elsewhere, Olivia
not only Character Aspects (p. XX), but also Consequences (p. would have gotten one Charge, for Rainmaker only.
XX) and Situation Aspects (p. XX) attached to you.
Concede in a conflict: You receive a Charge for conceding Later in the conflict, Cinder is forced to concede so they
in a conflict (p. XX), as well as an additional Charge for each can get away with their skin intact. They have taken two
Consequence that you have received in that conflict. This is Consequences, meaning that Olivia gets three Charges for
not the same as being taken out (p. XX). conceding. Those carry over to the next scene.

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ACTIONS AND OUTCOMES
When initiating an action, follow the fiction-first principle: de- Step 4: Roll two d6s, one additive and one deductive. Com-
scribe your character’s intended action, then figure out how bine them for a final result.
to use the game’s rules to pull it off. A character’s Aspects, or
sometimes Skills or other traits, guide what can be attempted Step 5: Add the Skill Rank and any applicable modifiers to the
and provide context for how to interpret the outcomes. dice result. The sum is your position on the Ladder (p. XX).
Step 6: Invoking an Aspect allows for a +2 bonus to your roll or
For instance, most people lack the capability to perform emer- an opportunity to reroll. Describe how the Aspect is relevant.
gency surgery; however, possessing an Aspect that denotes
a medical background, or a high Treatment Rank, grants the OPPOSITION
ability to attempt such a feat. Without these qualifications, you As outlined under System Basics (p. XX), rolling dice result in
might at best buy the wounded some time. When in doubt, con- a comparison between two sides: one initiating side and one
sult with your Narrator and fellow players. opposing side. Opposition can be active, with another charac-
ter rolling dice against the one initiating the action, or passive,
In Machineborn, PCs address challenges proactively. Whenev- represented by a fixed rating on the Ladder (p. XX) that reflects
er a PC is taking action, there is a good chance that there will environmental or situational influences. It falls to the Narrator to
be an obstacle in the way. A story without obstacles, where the determine the most fitting source of opposition.
bad guy just rolls over without a struggle, would lack intrigue
and fun. The bad guy is expected to thwart the players’ efforts! If a character can reasonably interfere with a described action,
they are afforded the chance to roll for active opposition. While
Dice rolls come into play when facing significant opposition in often considered a defend action (p. XX), this is treated more as
the way of your goals. Without that opposition, a described ac- an inherent aspect of action resolution than an active action; it
tion would be considered successful even without a dice roll. will not impede their own ability to initiate an action during, say,
a conflict (p. XX). In essence, a player is not required to do any-
An action should be resolved in the following order: thing special to earn the right to actively oppose an action, pro-
vided the character is able to intervene. If there are any doubts,
Step 1: Describe your intended action. consider appropriate Situation Aspects (p. XX) that could help
Step 2: Select the Skill (p. XX) most relevant to the action. justify why a character could reasonably oppose that action.
Step 3: Assess the Skill’s Scale rating (p. XX) against the op-
position’s Scale. If there is no character in the way of an action, examine if there

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 CHAPTER 4: ACTION

are any Situation Aspects present in the scene that could pose any If at least one aspect of the opposition is notable, yet the diffi-
potential obtacles. Also take into account general circumstances, culty level remains uncertain, opt for Fair (+2). This level pos-
such as challenging terrain, intricate locks, time constraints, or es a fair challenge across the range of a PC’s Skills, except for
other complications. If there is an obstacle that fits, set a rating Great (+4) or higher Scale ratings (see below). You should want
on the Ladder and opt for passive opposition. to give PCs a chance to show off their highest Skills in a way
that feels rewarding.
At times, you may encounter scenarios where an inanimate ob-
ject appears to warrant active opposition (like an automated de-
fense system), or a character is unable to offer proactive resist- Olivia decides to roll active opposition against Lily on be-
ance (such as being oblivious to the action made against them). half of the guards. She decides the most appropriate oppos-
Trust your instincts and choose the opposition type that best ing approach and Skill is Awareness. The guards are name-
suits the situation or makes the story more interesting. less NPCs with no reason to be particularly perceptive, so
she gives them Average (+1) Scale 1. She rolls and gets +2
and –1, for a lucky total of Fair (+2) Scale 1 (+1 from Aware-
Willow needs to find her way past a few guards to get into
ness and +1 from the dice roll), beating Lily’s roll by one.
the The Lord’s Hall, a wasteland community a few dozen
kilometers outside of Jade City. Lily looks through Willow’s
Skills and picks Stealth, hoping she can figure out a way to
bypass the guards without alerting suspicion. Her Stealth is USING SCALE
Average (+1) Scale 1, so she will add that to whatever result
she gets from rolling the dice. Machineborn features characters with extraordinary abilities,
and this means that there could be scenarios where beings of
She rolls and gets +3 and –3 on her dice, making her total
different power levels confront each other. PCs possess an En-
outcome Average (+1) Scale 1 (+1 from her Stealth and ±0
ergy rating (p. XX) ranging from 1 to 8, signifying a progressive
from her dice).
escalation in power. While Machineborn characters can attain
Energy 8, regular humans peak at Energy 2, which still denotes
DETERMINING DIFFICULTY a significant growth of power.
When determining active opposition against a PC’s action, you
do not really need to worry about how hard the roll should be— Beyond Energy disparities, certain beings inherently possess
simply use the opposing NPC’s Skill and proceed with the dice greater strength; for instance, a prime functionary surpasses an
roll as the players would, accepting the outcome as it unfolds. See average human in intelligence, and an elephant far outmatches
page XX for guidelines on how to create opposing characters. If a house cat in strength. Such power variances can be represent-
the active opposition is instead made by an environmental fea- ed by Scale.
ture, such as a hazard, see page XX instead.
Every Skill is assigned a Scale rating, shaping what kinds of ac-
In case of passive opposition, you must determine what step on tions are possible when using that Skill. A human at Energy lev-
the Ladder the player has to beat. While this is more an art than el 1 has a Scale rating of 1 for all their Skills. Upon activating as
a science, here are some guidelines: A challenge that is three or a Machineborn, they can enhance the Scale by one for any four
more steps above the PC’s Skill level—such as Mediocre (±0) chosen Skills, elevating those Skills to Scale 2. Subsequently,
against Good (+3) opposition—suggests that the player is likely with each increment in Energy level, they can elevate the Scale
to fail or must invoke Aspects to succeed. Conversely, a challenge of four Skills by one. Scale may also be adjusted through items,
three or more steps below the PC’s Skill level—like Fair (+2) ver- augmentations, and other traits.
sus Underwhelming (–1) opposition—indicates that the player
may not need to invoke Aspects and has a strong chance of suc- DEALING WITH SCALE DISPARITIES
ceeding with style. Scale serves as a mechanism to increase in power without hav-
ing to increase individual Skill Ranks and while maintaining the
Within this spectrum, the likelihood of trying or succeeding is Ladder at a manageable level. The Narrator may refer to Scale to
roughly equal, as is the need to invoke Aspects. gauge what types of tasks would be appropriate for a character.
Practically, this means that high-powered characters might by-
Low difficulties are ideal for allowing PCs to show off and be pass Skill checks for trivial actions, while weaker characters may
awesome, while difficulties close to their Skill levels create sus- be precluded from attempting actions beyond their scope, and
pense without overwhelming them. High difficulties are reserved others may try but face adjusted difficulties.
for emphasizing dire or unusual circumstances, compelling play-
ers to make use of all available resources. When a character tackles an opposition with a different Scale
level than their own, the Narrator should confer a +2 advantage
Consider these principles: to the higher-Scale party for each level of disparity. If using the
Ladder as reference, this implies that Average (+1) Scale 2 is of
Average is called Average for a reason—if nothing about the equivalent value to Good (+3) Scale 1. But whether you treat the
opposition sticks out, then the difficulty doesn’t need more outcome as Average (+1) Scale 2 or as Good (+3) Scale 1 is largely
than a +1. irrelevant, typically influenced by what is easier to keep track of.

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Referencing Scale disparities can take some getting used to. A Scale 7 opposition should be exclusive to tasks requiring the
good way to start is to treat everything as Scale 1 and add your +2 most incredible of scientific or engineering achievements, such
advantage as a bonus to the result. This way, if one character has as the destructive power of thermonuclear weaponry or the
Scale 3 and the opponent has Scale 2, they could both roll as if it speed of intercontinental missiles.
were a Scale 1 opposition with a +4 and a +2 bonus respectively.
Then their results are set against each other. This is also recom- Average (+1) Scale 7 is equivalent to Good (+3) Scale 6, Superb
mended when you want to keep the opposition’s Scale secret. (+5) Scale 5, Amazing (+7) Scale 4, et cetera, on the Ladder.
Remember, characters at a disadvantage can try to compensate Scale 8 opposition are beyond imagining, comparable to mir-
for higher-Scale challenges by creating advantages or collaborat- acles or causality-breaking effects. They can test the fabric of
ing for free invocations. space and time, and seemingly break the laws of the cosmos.
Less than a handful of Machineborn at this level are known
When determining appropriate Scale for opposition, Scale 1 to have ever existed, with one of them having spent the last
and 2 are considered human-tier challenges, Scale 3 and 4 are century and a half hibernating within Jupiter’s core. Many are
considered animal-tier challenges, Scale 5 and 6 are considered dreading the moment when she decides to wake up.
machine-tier challenges, and, finally, Scale 7 and 8 are considered
cosmic-tier challenges. Consider the following: Average (+1) Scale 8 is equivalent to Good (+3) Scale 7, Superb
(+5) Scale 6, Amazing (+7) Scale 5, et cetera, on the Ladder.
Scale 1 opposition should be within reach for ordinary people.
They represent everyday challenges that can face most people,
from bar brawls to picking locks. For human-tier games, most Rainmaker is chasing an airdisk that is flying over the
tasks can be made Scale 1, since it is often easier to simply in- streets of Ayer City. Having climbed up to a roof, the drone
crease the difficulty on the Ladder and have a higher-Scale PC has taken notice and retreated to a neighboring building.
roll with a bonus. At this stage, Scale is most often coming up Elise realizes that the best way to close the distance is to try
during contests and conflicts. to jump from one roof to another.
Scale 2 opposition should be exclusive to tasks requiring rare “The gap between the buildings is 15 meters,” Olivia says.
talent or specialized training, such as being able to captivate “That requires Average (+1) Scale 3.”
a crowd or perform a surgery. These tasks are still human in
scope, but do not come naturally to most people. “Shouldn’t be an issue for Rainmaker,” Elise says. “My Ath-
letics is Good (+3) Scale 2.”
Average (+1) Scale 2 is equivalent to Good (+3) Scale 1 on the
Ladder. “You can roll against that instead since it is equivalent to
Scale 3 opposition should be beyond all but the most masterful Average (+1) Scale 3.”
or augmented people, requiring inhuman traits, like the reflex-
es of a cat, the strength of an ape, or the senses of a bird. “Fair.” Elise rolls her Athletics and gets +3 on her dice, for
a total Fantastic (+6) Scale 2. “That succeeds with style. I’m
Average (+1) Scale 3 is equivalent to Good (+3) Scale 2 or Su- going to take the Boost Momentum to try to catch up to the
perb (+5) Scale 1 on the Ladder. drone.”
Scale 4 opposition should be practically impossible for even
great masters, and heavily augmented cyborgs would have a
SCALE IN CONTESTS AND CONFLICTS
hard time. A Scale 4 task could require the flexibility of a cat,
When two characters face each other in a contest (p. XX), their
the strength of a bear, or the delicate nose of a dog.
disparity in Scale confers a +2 advantage just like when facing
other forms of opposition. However, conflicts (p. XX) are han-
Average (+1) Scale 4 is equivalent to Good (+3) Scale 3 task,
dled a little differently. Here, each Scale difference divides the +2
Superb (+5) Scale 2, and Amazing (+7) Scale 1 on the Ladder.
advantage into +1 to the attack or defend roll and +1 to Harm
Scale 5 opposition should be exclusive to all but the most ex- (p. XX) or Soak (p. XX). This equates to a two-step variation per
treme creatures, and reach into the realm of machinery. These Scale increment, just like for contests, but offers the attacker a
challenges are appropriate for someone with the processing ca- better chance to hit, though with potentially reduced harm.
pabilities of a high-end computer, the sensory capabiltiies of a
high-end camera, or the physical power of an elephant. For example, if a character with Scale 1 in Close Combat attacks
a character with Scale 3 in Close Combat, the defender with
Average (+1) Scale 5 is equivalent to Good (+3) Scale 4, Superb Scale 3 would have a +2 bonus to their defend roll, and if hit,
(+5) Scale 3, Amazing (+7) Scale 2, et cetera, on the Ladder. would also add +2 to Soak. If the one with Scale 3 attacks the one
Scale 6 opposition is appropriate for the most advanced tech- with Scale 1, they would have a +2 bonus to their attack roll, and
nologies, such as the greatest of computers, the fastest of fight- if hit, would also add +2 to Harm.
er jets, and the strongest of construction vehicles.
When characters of the same Scale engage in a conflict, these
Average (+1) Scale 6 is equivalent to Good (+3) Scale 5, Superb adjustments are not applicable; they are only relevant when there
(+5) Scale 4, Amazing (+7) Scale 3, et cetera, on the Ladder. is an imbalance.

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 CHAPTER 4: ACTION

of several things: you do not get what you want, you get what you
ENERGY AND SCALE IN CONFLICTS want at a serious cost, or you suffer a negative consequence of
(OPTIONAL RULE) some kind. Sometimes, it means more than one of those. It is the
Because of how powerful high-Scale characters can be- Narrator’s job to determine an appropriate cost.
come, it is reasonable in an action-focused game that
players’ feel pressured to prioritize combat-centric Skills A serious cost should make the current situation worse somehow,
for survival. To mitigate this and promote character diver- either by creating a new problem or exacerbating an existing one.
sity, a character’s Energy rating can replace Scale during Bring in another source of opposition (such as a new opposing
conflicts, but only for when determining the shift in Harm NPC or an obstacle to overcome), ask the player to take a Con-
or Soak after a successful attack. sequence (p. XX) at their lowest free level, or give someone who
opposes the PC an advantage with a free invocation.
For example, if an attacker with Scale 3 in Ranged Combat
targets a defender with Scale 1 in Acrobatics, the attacker TIE
gains a +2 bonus on their attack roll. Typically, the attack- If you roll the same as your opposition, you tie. This means that
er would also deal +2 Harm due to the Scale difference. you get what you want, but at a minor cost, or you get a lesser
However, if the defender’s Energy is 2, they can use it in version of what you wanted.
place of their Acrobatics Scale 1 for the post-hit effect, re-
ducing the attacker’s Harm bonus from +2 to +1. With A minor cost should add a story detail that is problematic or bad
Energy 3, they would match the attacker’s Scale, nullify- for the PC but does not necessarily endanger progress. You could
ing the extra Harm. If the defender’s Energy would be 4, also ask the PC to take Stress or give someone who opposes the
exceeding the attacker’s Scale by one, the attacker would PCs a Boost (p. XX). It is okay if the minor cost is mainly a narra-
deal no extra Harm and the defender would have +1 Soak. tive detail, showing how the PC just barely scratched by.

This applies to both offensive and defensive actions. For SUCCEED

instance, an attacker with Scale 1 in Ranged Combat but If you roll higher than your opposition by one or two shifts, you
Energy 4, against a defender with Scale 3 in Acrobatics succeed. This means you get what you want at no cost.
but Energy 1, would incur a –2 penalty on the attack. If
the attack succeeds, the higher Energy level nullifies the SUCCEED WITH STYLE
target’s extra Soak and instead adds +1 Harm. If you roll higher than your opposition by three or more shifts,
you succeed with style. This means that you get what you want,
It is important to remember that while Energy can replace but you also get an added benefit on top of that, such as a Boost
Scale for adjusting harm, it does not affect the initial at- (p. XX) or narrative detail that benefits you in some way.
tack roll. This makes Scale still the stronger alternative.

While this rule is optional because of the added complex-

ity, it is crucial for enabling characters to remain compet- THE FOUR ACTIONS
itive at higher Scales without over-investing in combat
abilities. It ensures that all Machineborn, regardless of When making a Skill check, you engage in one of four actions:
combat traits, are inherently dangerous and competent. overcome, create advantage, attack, or defend. You must decide
By applying this rule, players can develop their characters’ which of these you are going to pursue. The Skill descriptions
Skills appropriately without fear of lagging too far behind (p. XX) provide guidance on suitable actions appropriate for
their more combat-oriented peers. different Skills and the conditions under which they apply. Typ-
ically, the necessary action is obvious from the Skill description,
This guideline is primarily designed for PCs rather than your intent, and the current situation. However, there may be
NPCs, as Energy is only relevant for PCs. For NPCs, as- instances where you might have to talk it over with the group to
signing a suitable Scale or modifiers is simpler than man- find out which is the most appropriate.
aging Energy ratings. You may make exceptions for boss-
es and important NPCs if you want to give them more OVERCOME
involved traits (see Chapter 9 for more information The overcome action is used to accomplish various goals appro-
about designing adversaries). priate for your Skill.

Each Skill encompasses a range of suitable miscellaneous tasks

that are ideal for a variety of different situations. For instance,
THE FOUR OUTCOMES a character skilled in Larceny might attempt to pry open a win-
dow, one proficient in Persuasion could try to pacify an agitated
Each roll you make in Machineborn generally results in one of crowd, and another with Engineering expertise might try to re-
four outcomes. The specifics may change a little depending on pair an overheating engine following a high-speed pursuit.
what kind of action you take, but they all fit this general pattern.
In such scenarios, if an obstacle impedes the character’s goals, the
FAIL player uses an overcome action to address it. This action serves as
If you roll lower than your opposition, you fail. This means one the general solution for all Skills—if it does not categorize under

112
another action, it is likely an overcome action. study, or exploiting a trait you have previously observed, like
someone’s quick temper.
The opposition you must beat may be active or passive, based on
the context. When attempting to create and advantage, clarify whether you
are forming a new Situation Aspect or making use of an existing
Failing an overcome action presents two choices: either accept one. If it is a new Aspect, decide whether it is associated with a
failure, forfeiting your objective, or succeed at a serious cost. character or the environment.
A tie in an overcome action means achieving your aim or se-
curing your desired outcome, but at a minor cost. The opposition faced may be active or passive, depending on the
situation. If you are targeting another character, their response is
A successful overcome action means that you reach your goal
always considered a defend action (p. XX).
free of any cost.
Achieving success with style on an overcome action rewards If you fail, the Aspect is not created, or it is created but benefits
you with a Boost (p. XX) in addition to fulfilling your goal. someone else, granting them the free invocation. Your actions
inadvertently aid another, possibly an adversary or anyone
There may be instances where it is fitting to assign an alternative who might gain from your misfortune. The Aspect may need
reward or consequence for an action’s outcome other than what rephrasing to reflect this unintended advantage—coordinate
is specified. For example, while the overcome action typically with the target’s player to make the most sense.
grants a Boost upon a success with style, if such a roll concludes A tie results in a Boost rather than the intended Situation As-
the scene, or a suitable Boost is not apparent, you might instead pect. You may need to modify the Aspect’s name to denote its
provide a narrative detail as an alternative advantage. temporary nature (for example, Rough Terrain becomes Rocks
on the Path).
Rainmaker stalks around an enemy radio tower, trying to Success means you establish a Situation Aspect with one free
figure out a way to sabotage it. If she succeeds, the Crimson invocation.
Curtain will have a much better chance of delaying any re- Succeeding with style awards you with a Situation Aspect with
sponse to their upcoming siege. two free invocations, doubling the benefit.

Olivia says, “Okay, so you make it to the top of the radio

tower and you start working. But then you hear footsteps While deep in the Mistlands, Rainmaker is in the unfor-
echoing below you—sounds like the next guard patrol got tunate position of having to fight some debris transformed
here just a bit early.” into an autonomous robot by a trojan hiding in the shad-
ows. The first couple of rounds (p. XX) have not gone well,
“Damn,” Elise says. “I need to disable this and get out.” and she has taken a few big hits already. Elise says, “Olivia,
you said there were a lot of cables around, right?”
Olivia shrugs a bit and says, “Work fast? You’re looking at
passive opposition here—crunched for time, and dealing Olivia nods, and Elise asks, “Can I use the cables to try to
with intricate machinery, so I’ll call that a Great (+4) Scale trip this thing up a bit? I imagine it isn’t as agile as I am.”
1 task.”
She says, “Sounds fine to me. Sounds like you’re trying to
Elise has Engineering at Great (+4) Scale 2, so she is confi- create an advantage with ... I’d say either Engineering or
dent that she will succeed. She grins and rolls, getting a –1 Larceny. The robot gets to roll Awareness to see if it avoids
on her dice, for a Superb (+5) Scale 1 result. Because of her your attempt.”
Scale bonus, she accomplishes her objective at no cost.
Rainmaker has Engineering at Great (+4) Scale 2. Elise rolls
Elise describes how Rainmaker roughly disables the radio and gets a Great (+4) Scale 2 result. The robot rolls to de-
tower, applying a rather violent sabotage before diving for a fend and gets a Poor (–2) Scale 2. This means that Rainmak-
hiding spot as the guards get closer. er succeeds with style! Elise places the Aspect Tripwire on
the scene and notes that she can invoke that Aspect twice
for free.
CREATE ADVANTAGE
The create advantage action is used to establish a Situation As- Olivia describes the robot’s difficulty with its footing, and
pect that provides a benefit or to leverage any Aspect you have at now Rainmaker has got a little bit of an advantage in the
your disposal. coming round.
This action covers a wide array of activities, all centered on the
concept of making use of your Skills to capitalize on the current If using the create advantage action on an existing Aspect:
environment or situation. This could involve actively changing
your circumstances, such as casting sand into an enemy’s eyes or If you fail, you give a free invocation on that Aspect to some-
igniting a blaze, or it might entail uncovering new information one else instead. That could be your opponent in a conflict, or
that could be of help, like learning a creature’s weakness through any character who could tangibly benefit to your detriment.

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 CHAPTER 4: ACTION

If you tie or succeed, you place a free invocation on the Aspect. of taking the Boost. The harm that carries over is treated as it
If you succeed with style, you place two free invocations on would be for a successful attack.
the Aspect. Succeeding on an attack action deals harm to the target based
on the number of shifts you get. The target suffers Stress (p.
XX) equal to these shifts plus your weapon’s Harm rating (if it
Willow is approaching a famous smuggler she has been has any). This could be reduced by the target if they have Soak
meaning to spy on. Lily says, “I’m going to use Empathy to (p. XX) or by taking Consequences (p. XX).
create an advantage, to get this guy to open up to me. I’m Succeeding with style on an attack action mirrors a standard
not sure about the exact Aspect yet—just some juicy obser- success, with the added choice of reducing the hit’s value by
vation I can use later or pass on to Rainmaker.” one to obtain a Boost.

Olivia says, “Works for me. He’s a smuggler, so his Decep-

tion is pretty high. I’m going to say it’s passive opposition, If the target has Soak (p. XX) or other traits that mitigate
though, because he’s not really suspicious of you. Try and harm before it inflicts Stress, this is deducted from the
beat Good (+3) Scale 1.” outcome before determining if it is a success or a success
with style. You cannot reduce your shifts by one to gain a
Lily rolls. Her Empathy is Fair (+2) Scale 1 and she manages Boost if the enemy’s armor soaked up most of the harm.
a 0 on the dice, for a failure at Fair (+2) Scale 1. She grimac-
es, but then remembers her Photogenic Progenital Trait. “I’ll
spend a Charge to invoke my Character Aspect See Beneath
the Surface. I want to ignore the negative d6. This changes Rainmaker is locked in combat with Punk Dragon, a mem-
my result to Great (+4) Scale 1.” ber of the Pyramid. She attempts to break his bones with
her trusted wrench.
Olivia looks at her notes, grins, and says, “Okay, here’s what
you notice. The smuggler is obviously a very social fellow, Rainmaker’s Close Combat is at Great (+4) Scale 2. Punk
boisterously engaging other people of note as he makes his Dragon defends with his own Close Combat at Great (+4)
way through the club. Whenever the subject of gambling Scale 1. Elise rolls and gets a +4, for a Legendary (+8) attack.
comes up, you notice that he perks up—he seems to have a
fondness for that.” Olivia rolls for Punk Dragon and gets a –2, bringing his to-
tal to Average (+1). Elise wins by seven shifts and adds her
She slides an index card with the Aspect Cannot Resist weapon’s Blunt Harm 2 to the result, as well as the +1 Harm
Throwing Dice written on it, to indicate the smuggler’s As- she gets from having higher Scale. This makes it so that the
pect is now public. Lily notes that she has a free invocation attack is now worth ten shifts.
on that Aspect. She smiles. “Time to make a bet …”
Olivia states that Punk Dragon wears a leather jacket with
Armored Soak 1, reducing the result to nine shifts.
ATTACK
The attack action is used to inflict harm in a conflict or take them “I’m also using my weapon’s smashing property,” Elise de-
out of the scene. clares, “so I reduce the attack to eight shifts, but knock him
Prone with a free invocation. I want him on his knees before
This action is the most direct of the four—when your intent is to me ... if there are any knees left.”
harm someone in a conflict, you are performing an attack. At-
tacks are not always physical in nature; some Skills allow you to An attack that inflicts eight shifts is normally more than
hurt someone mentally as well. enough to take someone out; this is a deadly attack. Now
Punk Dragon must likely use Consequences (p. XX) to be
Most of the time, your target will actively oppose your attack. A able to withstand all that Stress (p. XX)!
passive opposition suggests the target is caught off-guard, inca-
pable of fully resisting, or you are attacking an NPC too insignif-
icant to bother with dice. DEFEND
The defend action is used to either avoid an attack or prevent
Regardless of the opposition type, it is always treated as a defend someone from creating an advantage against you.
action (see below).
Whenever someone attacks you in a conflict or tries to create an
Failing an attack action means no harm is dealt to the target, advantage against you, you always get a chance to defend. This is
and they have successfully defended, potentially triggering ad- not limited to physical threats; certain Skills enable you to shield
ditional effects or consequences for you. against attempts to harm your mind or damage your resolve.
Tying on an attack action normally causes no harm to the tar-
get, instead granting you a Boost. However, if your weapon has Defensive rolls are typically reactive, facing active opposition. A
Harm 1 or higher, you can choose to let that carry over instead defend action against passive opposition suggests an environ-
mental feature (such as a fire) or an inconsequential NPC.

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 When you fail at a defend action, you suffer the consequences Note that the defend action’s results reflect those in attack (p.
of whatever you were trying to prevent. You might take a hit or XX) and create advantage (p. XX) actions. For example, tying
have an advantage created on you. a defense grants your opponent a Boost, similar to receiving a
Boost when tying an attack. This does not mean that the oppo-
A tie does not prevent the action completely, instead granting nent gets double Boosts; it is the same outcome from different
your opponent a Boost. If the opponent has a Harm rating of perspectives.
1 or higher, they may choose to let that carry over as shifts in-
stead of taking the Boost.
Success means you evade the attack or the creation of an ad- Rainmaker is arguing with the Mayor over the details of her
vantage against you. latest mission report. He has it in for Rainmaker. He wants
to not only see her fail but damage her self-confidence by
Success with style functions like a regular success, but also pro-
forcing her to doubt the success of her mission. As Rain-
vides you a Boost, momentarily reversing the situation.
maker finishes making her report, Olivia describes how the
Mayor uses Provocation as an attack, poking holes in the
The defend action’s purpose is to shield you from Stress (p. XX), way the mission was carried out. He has a Provocation of
Consequences (p. XX), or Situation Aspects (p. XX), safeguard- Good (+3) Scale 1.
ing you from adverse effects.
Rainmaker defends with Persuasion, which she uses to ar-
You may also roll active opposition if you are obstructing any gue the logic behind her actions; she has Mediocre (±0)
action. For instance, if an opponent’s overcome action could fail Scale 1. Olivia rolls for the Mayor and gets a total Great
due to your interference, assert your presence and roll to oppose. (+4). Elise rolls for Rainmaker, her dice showing Poor (–2).
While this does not offer additional benefits like a defend action Rainmaker fails the argument and suffers the consequence
could, it also does not subject you to other negative outcomes if of looking bad in front of her superiors.
you fail.

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 CHAPTER 4: ACTION

CHALLENGES, CONTESTS,
AND CONFLICTS
In most scenarios, a single Skill roll is all that is needed to de- Do you need different Skills for each task? If you are fighting
termine the outcome of a situation. You are not obligated to off mutants (Close Combat), building a barricade (Engineer-
describe actions after particular timeframes or level of detail ing), and preparing the car to escape (Piloting), that would be
when you use a Skill. For instance, a single Athletics roll could a perfect time for a challenge.
be enough to spend days navigating a rock face, or it could let
you spend a few minutes to remove an obstacle from a road.
To set up a challenge, just figure out the individual tasks or goals
However, when you are in a moment that is especially dramatic that make up the situation and treat each as its own Skill roll.
and interesting, you should focus more closely on the action. Sometimes there is a best order to do them in. Other times it
This can be achieved by dealing with obstacles using multiple does not matter. One person might need to roll a few times, or
Skill rolls, which introduce dynamic and unpredictable ele- everyone might take turns. Each situation may look different.
ments to the gameplay. Fight scenes typically warrant this ap-
proach, but any moment deemed critical—such as car chases,
Willow is attempting to complete the data download she
court trials, or tense poker matches—can be enhanced by zoom-
needs to gather dirt on a local businessman. Normally, this
ing in on the action with multiple rolls.
would not be too interesting, except that she is trying to get
it done before the businessman’s security team comes barg-
There are three ways to zoom in on the action:
ing in with weapons drawn.
Challenges: One or more characters try to achieve something
Olivia sees several different components to this scene. First
dynamic or complicated.
there is the download itself, then there is keeping the se-
Contests: Two or more characters compete for a goal. curity team from barging in, and finally there is finding an
Conflicts: Two or more characters try to harm each other. escape route. That calls for Interfacing (download data),
Athletics or Engineering (secure door), and Awareness or
Investigation (find an escape route).
CHALLENGES
Lily will roll the first and third rolls for Willow while Elise
A single overcome action is usually enough for straightfoward rolls the second roll for Rainmaker. Olivia sets the opposi-
goals or obstacles—whether it is picking a lock, disarming a tion for each of these at Good (+3) Scale 1—she wants them
bomb, or extracting a crucial piece of information. It is also to have even chances, while leaving room for a variable out-
useful when the details of how something gets done are not im- come.
portant or worth spending too much time on, and when you
simply want to learn if the character can get something done or Now they are ready to start.
improve their odds of getting something done.
When you run the challenge, go through each action in the
But sometimes, situations can get more complicated. It is not order that would make it most interesting or exciting. Do not
just about picking the lock; you might also have to keep mutants lock in the final outcome until you have seen all the rolls. This
at bay and set up defenses. Or it is not just about stopping the lets you tell the story in the best way possible. If someone gets a
bomb; you might also have to safely land a damaged shuttle and Boost from a roll, they can use it later in the challenge provided
protect someone who is hurt. they can justify its use.

That is where challenges come in. They are sets of actions, each After all the rolls, the Narrator must consider the successes, fail-
using different Skills to handle parts of the whole situation. You ures, and costs of each action as they interpret what happens
roll the dice for each task, and together, they paint the picture next. It could be that the story moves on to another challenge, a
of what happens. contest, or even a conflict.

Consider the following when trying to figure out if you need to

make something into a challenge: Lily takes a deep breath and says, “All right, let’s do this.” She
takes up the dice.
Can each task make its own drama? If they are all just irrel-
evant components of one larger goal, like individual steps in She decides to tackle the download first, so she rolls her Fair
disarming a bomb (“detach the detonator,” “stop the timer,” (+2) Scale 1 Interfacing and gets –5 on the dice, for a total
“dispose of the explosive material”), then maybe a single action Lousy (–3). This is a failure, but she can choose to succeed
should cover it? at a serious cost. Olivia says, “I’m going to say that you can

116
 finish the download anyway, but your sloppy work leaves so Environment: What is the contest’s setting? Are there any no-
many traces behind that they’re going to have evidence that table features of the environment that should be defined as Sit-
you were the one who did it.” uation Aspects?
Opposition: How do the participants oppose each other? Are
Lily sighs and nods, before letting Elise’s character Rain- they competing directly (like in a sprint or a poker match), or
maker go for the second goal in the challenge, which is indirectly through the environment (like an obstacle course or
keeping the security team outside of the office. “I’m rerout- a panel of judges)?
ing the energy used for the entrance,” Elise says before roll-
ing her Great (+4) Scale 2 Engineering and gets a 1 on the Skills: What Skills are appropriate for this contest? Is there a
dice, for a total Amazing (+7). “I’m going to use the Boost requirement for everyone to use the same Skill, or are multiple
Directed Energy to aid our escape somehow. Maybe I’ve shut Skills applicable?
down parts of the building while activated others.”

Lily goes for the final part of the challenge—finding an es- Willow has been knocked out in a fight with a group of
cape path. “I’ll use that Boost to find an appropriate escape thugs who ambushed her and Rainmaker in the outskirts of
path.” She rolls her Great (+4) Scale 2 Investigation and gets Ayer City. Rainmaker dispatches the final thug, then rushes
another –5 on her dice, increased to Average (+1). “This be- to aid her fallen friend.
comes exactly Good (+3) using that Boost!” Lily exclaims.
“Thanks, Rainmaker!” Emerging from the shadows, Terrace Swift, a notorious
black market dealer, approaches the unconscious Willow.
Olivia nods and together they finish describing the scene— He kneels beside her, rifling through her pockets. Rainmak-
Lily finishes the download but leaves traces that can be used er has no ranged weapon to threaten him with and breaks
against her; Rainmaker hooks into the building’s electrical into a sprint, desperate to intervene before he finds his prize.
grid; then finally, Lily follows the rerouted power to find a
hatch in the wall they can escape through. Olivia reviews the contest setup questions.

There are two sides: Terrace and Rainmaker.

If there are any Boosts left over after the challenge, you can save
them for the next scene, especially if it is closely connected to The earlier conflict had the Situation Aspect Muddy Ground,
what just happened. Alternatively, trade them in for some nar- which Olivia opts to keep in play. The opposition between
rative benefits at the Narrator’s discretion. the two parties are direct, necessitating active Skill rolls.

ADVANTAGES IN A CHALLENGE For the contest, Terrace employs his Larceny Skill to rifle
You can try to create an advantage during a challenge. This does through Willow’s pockets. Since Rainmaker wants to focus
not count towards completing a challenge goal, but failing the on getting closer, Olivia and Elise agree that Athletics is the
roll could create a cost or problem that negatively impacts one of most appropriate Skill for her to use.
the other goals. Be careful using this tactic; advantages can help
complete tasks more effectively but trying to create them is not
without risk. A contest unfolds through a sequence of rounds. During a
round, each participant rolls once for their Skill to gauge their
ATTACKS IN A CHALLENGE
performance in that segment of the contest, akin to an over-
Because you are always up against passive opposition in a chal- come action.
lenge, you will never use the attack action. If you are in a situa-
tion where it seems reasonable to roll an attack, you should start When the player makes a contest roll, they compare their result
setting up for a conflict (p. XX). to everyone else’s.

If your roll is the highest, you win the round. If you are rolling
directly against the other participants, then that means you got
CONTESTS the highest rank on the Ladder out of everyone. If you are all
rolling against something in the environment, it means you got
Whenever two or more characters have mutually exclusive the most shifts out of everyone.
goals, but they are not trying to harm each other directly, they
are in a contest. Examples of contests include arm-wrestling
matches, races, other sports competitions, and public debates. The winner of the round scores a victory, represented by a tally
or check mark on a paper, and describe how they take the lead.
When setting up a contest, the Narrator should consider the
following: If you succeed with style and no one else does, then you get to
mark two victories.
Sides: Are the characters on their own, or are there teams? If A tie results in no victories. Instead, an unexpected twist aris-
there are teams, they should roll together using the teamwork es—altering the terrain, changing the contest’s parameters, or
rules (p. XX). introducing a new variable that affects all. The Narrator should

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 CHAPTER 4: ACTION

create a new Situation Aspect to reflect this. Despite the impairment, Olivia rules that Terrace, only par-
The first to accumulate three victories claims the contest. tially blinded, can also continue with his roll as usual.

ATTACKS IN A CONTEST
Rainmaker, with Athletics at Good (+3) Scale 3, faces off
If someone tries to attack in a contest, then they are doing direct
against Terrace, who has Larceny at Good (+3) Scale 1. The
harm and it ceases to be a contest. You should immediately stop
Scale disparity grants Rainmaker a +4 advantage.
what you are doing and start setting up for a conflict instead.
In the initial round, Elise’s roll adds up to Great (+4) Scale
3. Conversely, Olivia’s roll results in Fair (+2) Scale 1, which,
after accounting for Scale, is equivalent to Poor (–2) Scale 3. CONFLICTS

Elise wins with style, earning Rainmaker two victories. She In a conflict, characters are actively trying to harm one another,
illustrates Rainmaker’s swift dash across the muddy terrain, whether through physical combat like fistfights and shootouts,
each stride spanning five meters. Meanwhile, Terrace fum- or non-physical means such as intense interrogations, psychic
bles through Willow’s belongings, pressured by Rainmak- assaults, or heated arguments.
er’s approach.
Physical: The participants try to inflict injuries upon each oth-
The second round sees Rainmaker with a Mediocre (±0) er, like cuts and bruises.
Scale 3, while Olivia’s fortunate rolls leads to a Legendary Mental: The participants try to harm each other psycholog-
(+8) Scale 1 for Terrace. Adjusted for Scale, the outcome is ically, such as through loss of composure, instilled emotions
Great (+4) Scale 3. This time Terrace wins with style, tying like fear, or direct mental trauma. This is sometimes called a
the score at two victories each. Olivia depicts Terrace secur- social conflict when referencing purely social means of harm;
ing the sought-after datastick, readying to escape. other means of mental attacks, like Psionic Coding, are consid-
ered parts of mental conflict, but not social conflicts.
In the third and final round, Elise’s roll equates to Fair (+2) Digital: The participants try to harm each other’s digital ava-
Scale 3, and Olivia’s to Lousy (–3) Scale 3 (after adjustment). tars (p. XX), such as through data corruption or fragmentation.
Rainmaker’s second win with style secures her victory in
the contest. Elise describes how Rainmaker is kicking Ter-
Setting up a conflict involves the following steps:
race off Willow’s unconscious body, causing him to drop the
datastick.
Set the scene by describing the environment the conflict takes
place in, create Situation Aspects and zones, and establish who
ADVANTAGES IN A CONTEST is participating and what side they are on.
During any round, participants may attempt to create an advan- Determine the turn order (p. XX).
tage before their contest roll. If aimed at another participant, that
character defends as usual. Interference from others is met with Start the first round (p. XX), where each participant takes and
active opposition. resolves an action on their turn, defends or responds on others’
turns, and starts a new round after everyone has had a go.
This strategy includes a risk: if unsuccessful in creating an advan-
tage, the participant forfeits their contest roll, halting progress in The conflict ends when one side either concedes or is completely
that round. A tie, however, allows the participant to proceed with taken out.
their contest roll.
SETTING THE SCENE
When assisting through teamwork (p. XX), failing to create an Before starting a conflict, talk about the scene’s context. This typ-
advantage means the lead character misses out on that support ically involves swiftly addressing the four W-questions:
for the exchange.
Who is in the conflict?
Where are they positioned relative to one another?
Rainmaker tries to hinder Terrace Swift’s escape by fling-
ing mud at his eyes. Elise aims to create a Situation Aspect When is the conflict taking place? Is that important?
named Mud in the Eyes targeting Terrace. What is the environment like?

She rolls for Ranged Combat, achieving a Fair (+2) Scale 1. Detailed specifics, such as exact distances, are not necessary. The
Terrace counters with Acrobatics, scoring an Average (+1) goal is to provide sufficient clarity for all involved. The Narrator
Scale 1. This means that the mud hits its mark, granting then crafts Situation Aspects to further detail the conflict zone.
Rainmaker the intended advantage, and Elise notes a free
invocation on Mud in the Eyes.
Rainmaker and Willow break into a dockside warehouse to
Elise’s success allows her to proceed with her contest roll. find some of the Pyramid’s smuggled goods. Unbeknownst

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 to walk up to someone and touch them. There are no hard rules
to them, their plan has been compromised, and Og, a Pyra- on exactly how many meters a space must encompass to be con-
mid enforcer, along with three henchmen, lies in wait. sidered a zone, but a single zone should not be bigger than what
would make sense for a normal person to traverse in a brief mo-
The participants are clear: the PCs on one side, and Og with ment’s time. For example, an apartment could have each room
his three enforcers on the other. The warehouse sets the being its own zone.
stage, and Olivia describes how it is spacious with a likely
second level, it is cluttered with boxes and crates, and it has In most cases, a conflict will only need a few zones, typically two
an open loading door in anticipation of an incoming ship. to four, except for very large conflicts. Remember, this is not a
miniatures board game—zones are meant to provide a feel for
SITUATION ASPECTS the environment and characters’ positioning without being over-
When setting the scene, the Narrator should keep an eye out for ly complex.
interesting environmental features to craft into Situation Aspects
(p. XX). Do not overload the scene with them—find three to five Consider the following:
evocative things about the location and make them into Aspects.
If an area is larger than a house, it likely needs to be split into
Consider these options: multiple zones. For example, a cathedral or a shopping mall
parking lot would be too large to represent as a single zone.
Mood/Weather/Lighting: Examples include Social Tension, Areas separated by stairs, ladders, fences, or walls can be dif-
Panicking Bystanders, Loud Music, Showering Rain, Strong ferent zones, such as the different floors and rooms of a house.
Winds, Chilly, Darkness, Flickering Lamps, or Glaringly Bright.
Spaces labeled “above X” and “below X” can be distinct zones,
Movement Obstacles: Examples include Filthy, Mud Every- particularly if moving between them is challenging, like a plat-
where, Slippery Floors, Cluttered Room, and Sloping Ground. form hovering above the ground or the airspace surrounding
Cover: Examples include Open Container, Parked Car, Brick a plane.
Wall, Chain-Link Fence, Twin-Sized Bed, and Dining Table.
Interactive Objects: Examples include Pile of Books, Box of When creating your zones, identify any Situation Aspects that
Toys, Computer, Sentry Turret, and Hoverboard. might hinder movement between them. These become crucial
Hazardous Materials: Examples include Flammable, Radioac- when characters attempt to move between zones. If necessary,
tive, Liquid Nitrogen Container, Tank of Acid, and Open Flame. add more Situation Aspects to further highlight what separates
each zone.
For mental or digital conflicts, physical Situation Aspects may
not always apply. They are fitting for scenarios like interroga- Olivia decides the warehouse needs to be multiple zones.
tions, where the setting instills fear, but less so for personal dis- She thinks the main floor is spacious enough to form two
putes. Mental conflicts often revolve around exploiting personal separate zones, with Heavy Crates serving as a barrier to
weaknesses, such as character’s own Character Aspects. movement between them.

She also acknowledges a second floor that encircles the in-

Revisiting the warehouse scene, Olivia thinks about suit-
ner walls, designating it as another zone. She adds Ladder
able Situation Aspects. She notes the abundance of crates
Access Only to the scene.
could hinder movement, thus selecting Heavy Crates and
Cramped as Aspects. With the loading door open, revealing
If, for some reason, someone decides to run outside, she fig-
the expansive dock and water, she adds Open to the Water as
ures that can be a fourth zone, but she does not think she
another Aspect, figuring that a character could try to knock
needs any Situation Aspects for it as of yet.
someone in.
To aid visualization, Olivia draws a simple map over the dif-
As the scene unfolds, players might suggest features of the en- ferent zones on a paper for everyone to reference.
vironment that could serve as Aspects. For instance, if the Nar-
rator has mentioned poor lighting, players can invoke the Shad- ESTABLISHING SIDES
ows to aid a Stealth roll, even if it was not formally established It is important to understand everyone’s goal in a conflict before
as an Aspect. However, if a feature needs character interaction starting it. Why are these characters intent on harming each oth-
to qualify as an Aspect, such as making the floor Flammable, er? What do they hope to achieve from doing so?
this would fall under the create advantage action (p. XX), maybe
requiring an action like spilling gasoline. Normally, PCs are pitted against NPCs. But conflicts can vary,
with PCs sometimes clashing amongst themselves or allying with
ZONES NPCs.
When a conflict spans a large area, it is useful for the Narrator
to divide it into zones for easy reference. A zone is a conceptual It is essential for everyone to agree on the main objectives, alli-
space that is small enough for direct interaction, like being able ances, and initial positions within the scene, such as who is in

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 CHAPTER 4: ACTION

which zone, before the conflict kicks off. Olivia rolls for Og, using his Awareness of Fair (+2) Scale
2—his chimeran nature gives him a higher Scale. This be-
The Narrator might find it useful to outline how the different comes Fair (+2) Scale 2, equating to Great (+4) Scale 1. Fi-
sides are going to approach each other. Will one character face nally, Olivia rolls for the henchmen as a group, scoring an
multiple adversaries or will the opposition distribute evenly? Underwhelming (–1) Scale 1.
This does not have to be set in stone, but having a basic plan
provides a solid starting point to work from. With these results, Og would normally take the lead in the
turn order. However, Rainmaker has the Combat Instincts
Profession Trait, allowing her to preempt others by spend-
In our continuing warehouse fight example, the sides are
ing Charges, with the first time doing this in a scene being
obvious—Og and his buddies want to do in the PCs, and the
free. This lets her act before Og without any cost.
PCs want to keep that from happening.

Lily asks Olivia about finding the smuggled goods, and Ol- THE ROUND
ivia replies, “If you think you can sneak in a moment during Rounds in conflicts are a little different from rounds in contests.
the fight to look for them, go for it. We’ll see what happens.” Every character who participates in a conflict gets a turn to take
an action. The Narrator controls all NPCs or NPC groups.
The conflict starts with everyone on the main warehouse
floor. Olivia decides that Og and one of his friends are going For the most part, characters will either attack or create an ad-
to go after Rainmaker while the two other henchmen are vantage during their turn, aiming to eliminate their opponent or
going after Willow. facilitate their defeat.

If there are a lot of insignificant NPCs present in the scene, it is

TURN ORDER
recommended for the Narrator to use passive opposition to keep
At times, it is clear who initiates the conflict. This is usually the
the dice rolling to a minimum. Consider grouping unimportant
player who declares that they want to make an attack action (p.
NPCs as goons (p. XX) to keep things simple.
XX), or do something to provoke the other side. If it is not obvi-
ous, the participating characters must roll a Skill based on their
If there is a secondary objective in the scene, a character may
approach.
need to perform an overcome action instead. This often occurs
Awareness lets a character spot subtle dangers and respond, when someone wants to move between zones (see previous page)
like noticing someone reaching for a weapon. with a Situation Aspect or an interposing character in the way.
Acrobatics demonstrates quick reflexes, allowing a character On your turn, you are only allowed one Skill roll for an action,
to act faster than an opponent. unless you have some trait that specifies otherwise. Outside of
Empathy enables a character to perceive changes in mood or your turn, you can freely make defend rolls as long as it is narra-
behavior, signaling readiness for a confrontation. tively justifiable. You can also defend on behalf of others, as long
as you meet two criteria: it has to be reasonable for you to in-
In case of a tie, the character with the higher Scale rating goes terpose yourself between the attack and its target, and you must
first. If Scale is also tied, then the one with the highest Rank takes suffer the effects of any failed rolls.
precedence. If Ranks are also tied, PCs are favored over NPCs,
unless the NPC is a boss (p. XX). In that case, the Narrator may
In the warehouse skirmish’s opening round, Rainmaker
choose to let the boss act first.
takes the initiative to attack Og, whom she views as the
greatest threat. Og manages to fend off her assault. Elise
Once the conflict begins, the player who acted first decides who
then proposes Willow to take the next turn—Lily accepts.
goes next, friend or foe. If a player passes the turn to another
player, the Narrator has the option to use a Charge to let an NPC
Lily has Willow create an advantage by placing an Aspect
act instead. If a boss is in the conflict, it can intervene without
on Og called Hemmed In, with one free invocation, hoping
cost. After all have acted, the last to act in the round decides who
to corner him between some crates. That is her action for
starts the next round—they can choose themselves.
the round.

Because both PCs have now had their turn, Lily must now
There is a stand-off, with everyone waiting for the right mo-
choose one of the opposing NPCs to act next. She hands
ment to engage. Olivia opts for everyone to decide the turn
the torch over to Og, which Olivia uses to attack Willow.
order by rolling dice.
Willow defends, using her free invocation from Hemmed In.
Lily rolls for Willow, using her Empathy which is Fair (+2)
With only the henchmen left, they try but fail to attack Wil-
Scale 1, and achieving a result of Good (+3) Scale 1. Elise
low. With the round now over, Olivia must decide who acts
rolls for Rainmaker, using her Acrobatics of Average (+1)
first in the second round. She decides to have the goons act
Scale 1, and gets a Fair (+2) Scale 1.
again, trying to set up an advantage for Og to make use of.

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FULL DEFENSE sults in three shifts is called a 3-shift hit. This harm can be adjust-
Instead of taking direct action, a character may choose to focus ed by various factors such as weapons (p. XX), armor (p. XX),
entirely on defend actions until their next turn. This is called full and augmentations (p. XX).
defense.
If you are on the receiving end of a successful attack, you have
When opting for full defense, it is important to specify the target two options: either absorb the hit and stay in the conflict, or be
of your defensive efforts. By default, you are protecting yourself taken out. To stay in the conflict, you can use Stress (see next
from attacks and attempts to gain an advantage over you. How- page) and Consequences (see next page) to absorb the hit. Al-
ever, you can also choose to defend someone else, guard against ternatively, you can choose to concede the conflict to maintain
a specific group, or resist a particular action or result. some control over your character’s fate.

This strategy is applicable in any conflict type. For instance, in a Should you decide to intentionally take a hit, for example, to
physical conflict, it might involve heightened alertness and a pro- shield a companion from an incoming projectile, you can do so.
tective stance, while in a mental conflict, it could mean actively By not defending, the attacker rolls against a Mediocre (±0) Scale
disregarding or resisting distractions and provocations. 1 opposition, which could result in a significant hit.

Engaging in full defense grants a +2 bonus to all defend rolls that Attacks in physical conflicts are typically made using either
align with your chosen focus. Close Combat or Ranged Combat. Close Combat attacks can
be performed unarmed and are often defended against using
If, by your next turn, you have not had to roll for defense, you the same Skill. To attack someone using Ranged Combat, you
receive a Boost (p. XX) as a reward for your preparedness. This need a ranged weapon (p. XX). These attacks are most com-
compensates for the turn spent in anticipation of an even that monly defended against with the Acrobatics Skill.
never occurred. Provocation is typically the Skill used to attack in mental con-
flicts, while Willpower is used to defend, although certain cir-
cumstances may call for different Skills. It is important to note
Wanting to give Og some additional protection against the
that these conflicts are intended to inflict harm and should not
PCs’ barrages, Olivia declares that the henchmen take full
be confused with social contests, which are more suited for de-
defense to protect Og from attacks. This means that instead
bates, negotiations, and the like.
of taking an action of their own, any attack targeting Og
will be defended against by the henchmen with a +2 bonus,
Social attacks require a more nuanced approached compared
until their next turn.
to physical attacks. Before attempting to use Provocation to in-
timidate, embarrass, or incite someone, you must establish a
RESOLVING ATTACKS credible scenario that resonates with your target. For instance,
When an attack (p. XX) is successful, the inflicted harm is equal it may be challenging to intimidate someone when you are out-
to the number of shifts achieved. For instance, an attack that re- numbered, or to provoke an individual about whom you have

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 CHAPTER 4: ACTION

no information. A social attack lacking a plausible context may slot. A PC starts the game with one slot for each level of severity
be disregarded by the target. Ultimately, the Narrator decides if for each conflict type, but can get more from various traits. When
a social attack is appropriate. taking a Consequence, you mark the relevant slot, and describe
the effect in the form of an Aspect. The attacker who harmed you
In digital conflicts, you embody an avatar (p. XX), which func- gets a free invocation to use against that Aspect, and it remains
tions like a physical entity. These conflicts work much the same on your character sheet until you have recovered (p. XX). While
as physical ones, using Skills like Close Combat and Ranged it is on your sheet, it is treated like any other Aspect, but with a
Combat, and targeting digital entities like machine-gods and negative slant, since it is more likely to be used to your detriment.
other interfacers.
Mild Consequences are minor issues that do not require im-
STRESS mediate attention. They are inconvenient but not debilitating.
The best way to understand Stress is that it represents all the var- Mentally, they are slight embarrassments or emotional ripples.
ious reasons why you just barely avoid taking the full force of an Digitally, they are akin to glitches or slight avatar malfunctions.
attack. Maybe you twist away from the blow just right, or it looks
bad but is really just a flesh wound, or you exhaust yourself div- Examples include Sprained Ankle or Scraped Elbow (Physical);
ing out of the way at the last second. Mentally, Stress could mean Rattled or Embarrassed (Mental); Glitchy Interface or Pixelated
that you just barely manage to ignore an insult, or clamp down Vision (Digital).
on an instinctive emotional reaction, or something like that. Moderate Consequences are serious issues requiring active
recovery efforts. Mentally, they can damage your reputation or
A PC begins with four Stress boxes and gains more based on cause emotional distress that is not easily dismissed. Digitally,
their Fortitude and Willpower Ranks. In digital conflicts, addi- they represent significant data corruption or avatar damage.
tional Stress boxes come from the Interfacing Rank, and certain
traits and powers can provide even more. Examples include Broken Arm or Concussion (Physical); Dis-
trusting or Publicly Shamed (Mental); Corrupted Files or Laggy
When suffering an attack, you mark off Stress boxes equal to the Movement (Digital).
attack’s shift value. If all your boxes are marked and you cannot
Severe Consequences are critical injuries or psychological
mitigate the hit with Consequences (see below), you are out of
wounds that have immediate and profound consequences,
the conflict. What it means to be taken out depends on the type
demanding emergency attention. Digitally, they reflect cata-
of conflict it is.
strophic system failures or avatar collapse.
After a conflict, when you have a moment to breathe, all Stress Examples include Internal Bleeding or Second-Degree Burns
is recovered. (Physical); Crippling Paranoia or Career-Ending Accusations
(Mental); System Crash or Avatar Dissolution (Digital).
Og manages to batter Rainmaker with a 4-shift hit during a
round, wielding a giant club with spikes.
Willow is targeted by the henchmen and sustains a signifi-
Looking at her character sheet, Elise takes note of Rainmak- cant 6-shift attack. She has yet to be harmed in this conflict,
er’s Natural Soak 1 and Armored Soak 1, giving her a Total leaving all her Stress boxes and Consequences untouched.
Soak 2 against the attack. This reduces the attack to a 2-shift
hit. She marks two Stress boxes on her character sheet. Lily contemplates several strategies to handle the attack:

Olivia and Elise describe the outcome—Rainmaker gets her Absorb it entirely as Stress, but Willow is not a resilient
wrench up just in time to barely deflect a blow that shatters character and does not have that many Stress boxes.
a nearby crate, peppering her face with splintered wood. Opt for a Severe Consequence, negating the attack’s shifts
to 0, leaving her Stress unaffected.
CONSEQUENCES Combine a Moderate and a Mild Consequence to offset
Consequences are more severe than Stress. They represent last- the six shifts, also leaving her Stress unaffected.
ing injuries or setbacks that persist after a conflict. Each Conse- Use a Moderate Consequence for four shifts, then ad-
quence has a level of severity—Mild, Moderate, or Severe—with dress the remaining two with Stress.
shift values of two, four, and six, respectively. When suffering an Apply a Mild Consequence for two shifts, then take the
attack, you can choose to take a Consequence to reduce the at- remaining four with Stress.
tack’s shift value by its own value. You can use multiple Conse-
quences if needed, but they must match the attack type—Physi-
cal for physical attacks, Mental for mental attacks, and Digital for She decides to take the Severe Consequence to preserve her
digital attacks targeting your avatar (p. XX). Any shifts left over Stress track for potential future hits. With Olivia’s consent,
from the attack are taken as Stress (see above). Lily names the Consequence Nearly Gutted, and describes
how Willow takes a wicked slash from a machete, gritting
To take a Consequence, you must have an available Consequence her teeth through the pain.

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EXTREME CONSEQUENCES care. Characters with high Influence can purchase high-quality
Beyond the usual Mild, Moderate, and Severe Consequences, medical care and get rid of Consequences quicker than having
players have a final option in a conflict—the Extreme Conse- to wait for certain milestones.
quence. This can be used once per major milestone.
A Mild Consequence requires waiting one full scene after the
An Extreme Consequence can negate up to eight shifts from an recovery action to remove the Aspect and clear the slot.
attack, but it comes with a steep price: you must swap out one A Moderate Consequence requires waiting until a minor mile-
of your Character Aspects (other than your High Concept) for stone (p. XX) is reached post-recovery.
the Extreme Consequence. This level of Consequence is trans-
A Severe Consequence requires waiting until a significant
formative, altering the very essence of your character. Examples
milestone (p. XX) is reached post-recovery.
include Amputated Arm or Blind (Physical); Paranoid Delusions
or Struggling Alcoholic (Mental); Under Surveillance or Rejected An Extreme Consequence requires waiting until a major mile-
by the Nanite Matrix (Digital). stone (p. XX) is reached post-recovery.

Even after treating an Extreme Consequence, it remains with you

until the next major milestone. If untreated, you may rename it Willow ended up with the Severe Consequence Nearly Gut-
to signify improvement, but it cannot revert to the previous As- ted as the result of the fight. Back at the hotel, Rainmaker
pect. An Extreme Consequence denotes a lasting change in the attempts to bandage up the cut. Her Treatment is Aver-
character, and recovery should not come easy. age (+1) Scale 1. The outcome of her action is Great (+4),
prompting her to invoke the Aspect I’ve Got Willow’s Back
RECOVERING FROM A CONSEQUENCE to add enough to succeed.
To restore a Consequence slot, you must first recover from the
Consequence. This involves two steps: successfully completing This allows Willow’s Nearly Gutted Aspect to be renamed
an action that justifies recovery, and allowing a suitable amount Bandaged Gut and start the recovery process. When she
of game time for the recovery to occur. The required action is next reaches a significant milestone, she will be able to erase
an overcome action, with the Consequence itself being the ob- that Aspect from her sheet and use her Severe Consequence
stacle. For Physical Consequences, this action might be medical again in a subsequent conflict.
treatment or first aid. Mental Consequences may require therapy,
counseling, or mending a strained relationship. Digital Conse- CONCEDING THE CONFLICT
quences call for fixing corrupted code or performing mainte- If you find yourself in a tough spot, you have the option to give
nance on digital systems. up. Whether you are concerned about suffering more harm or
you feel the struggle is not worth it, you can choose to concede
The difficulty of this action depends on the Consequence’s se- the conflict at any point before the dice roll. This decision is cru-
verity. Mild is Fair (+2) Scale 1, Moderate is Great (+4) Scale 1, cial because once the dice are rolled, the outcome is set—you will
Severe is Fantastic (+6) Scale 1, and Extreme is Epic (+8) Scale either endure more Stress, suffer additional Consequences, or be
1. If you are attempting self-recovery, the difficulty increases by taken out (see below). By conceding, you grant the other party
two steps on the Ladder. Addressing more serious Consequenc- their desired outcome, or if there are multiple opponents, you are
es may necessitate creating advantages, like having the proper no longer their problem. You are effectively out of the conflict.
tools. The most common Skills used for these rolls are Treatment
for Physical Consequences and Mental Consequences associated But conceding is not without its benefits. First, you earn a Charge
with mental illness; Empathy for Mental Consequences associat- for doing so. Moreover, if you have sustained any Consequences
ed with social crises, though some crises may have to be navigat- during the conflict, you receive an extra Charge for each one.
ed narratively; and Interfacing for Digital Consequences. These can be utilized after the conflict is over.
The environment must be free from distractions and tension Second, conceding allows you to escape the harshest outcomes.
to attempt this roll—you cannot tend to a serious injury in the Although you have lost, and the story must acknowledge this,
midst of danger, for example. The Narrator decides if the condi- you cannot use this option to negate the victor’s success. The
tions are right. group must agree with the way you present your concession. If
the opponent’s goal was to kill you, concession might mean that
If the recovery action is successful, whether performed by you they think that they did, and left you for dead by mistake. In a
or another, the Consequence Aspect is renamed to reflect its re- mental conflict, conceding might have left you humiliated, but
covery status. For example, Broken Leg might become Stuck in not utterly destroyed. A digital concession could have been a
a Cast, Scandalized might become Damage Control, and so on. forceful disconnection, saving you from further harm but taking
This does not free up the Consequence slot, but it serves as an you away from the database you tried to access.
indicator that you are recovering, and it changes the ways the
Aspect is used while it remains. Conceding offers a strategic alternative to facing defeat, while
keeping the story going.
The Consequence is officially removed after reaching certain
milestones, depending on its severity. Some Consequences may
also be resolved through special services, like advanced medical Og proves to be too much for Rainmaker to handle in the

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 CHAPTER 4: ACTION

warehouse conflict, having hit with several devastating at- in violence, you might get hurt. If you get hurt, you might die.
tacks in the course of the fight. But the idea of losing a character permanently is controversial
to some. Some players believe that accepting this risk is an im-
Before Olivia’s next turn, Elise says, “I concede. I don’t want portant part of the experience. Others find the sudden loss of a
to risk any more Consequences.” character they have put their hearts and souls into due to what
could come down to bad luck or an enemy’s dice rolls to be ruin-
Rainmaker has taken both a Mild and a Moderate Con- ing their enjoyment.
sequence. She gets a Charge for conceding, as well as two
more for the two Consequences, giving her three total. Often, sudden character death is less interesting than putting the
character through hell. If it comes at the wrong time, it can leave
Olivia says, “So, what are you trying to avoid here?” unresolved plotlines, and you have to put in effort to figure out
how to introduce a new character.
Elise says, “Well, I don’t want to get killed or captured, for
starters.” That does not mean there is no room for character death in the
game. Being taken out in a physical conflict does not have to lead
Olivia chuckles and says, “Fair enough. So, we’ll say that to this outcome, though. Save character deaths for moments that
Og knocks you out cold and doesn’t bother to finish you are extremely pivotal, dramatic, and meaningful for that charac-
off, because he still has Willow to deal with. He may even ter. Have them go out in a way that feels like a fair resolution. It
think you’re dead. I feel like the loss needs some more teeth, is helpful for players and the Narrator to talk about the stakes of
though. Hmm ...” various conflicts when setting the scene, both to guage how the
players feel about the risks involved.
Lily pipes up with, “How about he takes your wrench as a
trophy?” Even in groups that embrace the idea of making every fight po-
tentially deadly, it is valuable to have these conversations and
Olivia nods. “Yeah, that’s good. He knocks you out, spits on clearly indicate to the players when an opponent has lethal in-
you, and takes your wrench.” tent. This allows the players to make informed decisions about
whether to concede and save their character if need be.
Elise says, “Bastard! I’m so getting him back for that one ...”

GOING OUT WITH STYLE (OPTIONAL RULE)

GETTING TAKEN OUT When being taken out in a lethal conflict, you have the
When you have no more empty Stress boxes and no more Conse- option to make a final, memorable move—a blaze of glory.
quence slots to offset the impact of an attack, you are considered This is not just an end, but a chance for your character to
taken out. This is bad, as it not only prevents you from partici- leave a lasting impression or perform an act of heroism.
pating in the conflict but also allows the victor to determine your Whether it is a final attack against your killer, a heroic
fate. While they cannot impose outcomes that do not align with sacrifice to save your friends, or a parting gesture to the
the nature of the conflict, they still gain considerable control over person you love, the action you take is guaranteed to be a
your character’s situation. critical success (p. XX), no dice roll needed.

In a mental conflict, being taken out could result in social burn- Remember, choosing to end your character’s journey in
out, being jeered offstage, or suffering a major blow to your repu- style is irreversible. It should be a definitive conclusion to
tation. In a digital conflict, it typically means being ejected from their story. If the group wants to get your character back
the system, returning to your physical body if you were interfac- somehow and decides to reverse the decision (maybe you
ing using a mind-matrix interface (p. XX). have a back-up clone stored somewhere), you can still
only go out with style once per major milestone. You do
Conflicts can sometimes be multifaceted, involving simultane- not want to cheapen its impact.
ous physical and mental attacks, each adding to your Stress. Be-
ing taken out has the same end result—you are out of the con-
flict—but the specifics can vary depending on the nature of the MOVEMENT
attack that defeated you. For example, if you are in a battle and In a conflict, it is important to keep track of everyone’s position
a Provocation attack takes you out, it might signify a loss of mo- relative to each other, which is why the environment where the
rale, an acknowledgement of a futile struggle, or it could serve as conflict occurs is divided into zones. These zones can help facili-
a prompt to describe a scenario where you were too distracted by tate the movement of characters as they try to get at one another
the provocation to defend against an incoming physical attack— or at a certain objective.
thus, a mental assault results in a physical knock-out, because it
made the most sense. Under normal circumstances, moving from one zone to anoth-
er is straightforward—if there are no obstacles, a character can
CHARACTER DEATH move one zone in addition to taking an action during the round.
When considering what could be the outcome of a physical
conflict, character death is a logical assumption. If you engage However, if a character wishes to move more than one zone, if a

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Situation Aspect indicates that movement might be restricted, or until rendered irrelevant or the scene concludes, and occasional-
if another character blocks the way, then an overcome action (p. ly, they can pose as much of a hazard as an adversary.
XX) is required. This action uses Acrobatics for precise or nimble
movement, Athletics for forceful or direct movement, or Stealth When creating an advantage during a conflict, consider its in-
for quiet and concealed movement. It counts as the character’s tended function, duration, and accessibility. What does it mean
action for the round. for an adversary, the environment, you, or your allies? How do
you justify its use, and what does it take to get rid of it? Often, a
As with other overcome actions, the Narrator determines the single overcome action is sufficient to get rid of it. Environmental
difficulty. The number of zones a character is moving through Aspects (like that Huge Bookcase you knocked over) are often
or the Situation Aspects that are present can justify a higher dif- harder to remove, but they are available for anyone in the scene
ficulty. If another character is actively obstructing, their player to exploit.
should roll for active opposition and may invoke obstructing Sit-
uation Aspects to bolster that roll. When you are trying to prevent someone else from getting at-
tacked, the best way to do this is by creating an advantage. You
When making an overcome roll for movement, consider the fol- can transfer the invocation to your ally, thereby complicating the
lowing: attacker’s attempt to strike them.

Failure: The character is prevented from moving. Alternatively, you can position yourself as a barrier between the
Tie: The character moves, but the opponent gains a temporary attacker and their target, forcing them to confront you first. In
advantage of some kind. this scenario, you assume the role of defender, taking the Stress
and Consequences yourself. Protecting others without directly
Success: The character moves without any repercussions.
interposing yourself between them and the attack, you will need
Success with style: The character moves and may claim a some special trait or item.
Boost (p. XX) in addition to their movement.
The possibilities for advantages are boundless. Virtually any sit-
uational modifier can be conceptualized as an advantage. If you
In our continuing warehouse conflict, Rainmaker sets her are seeking inspiration, here are a few examples:
sights on one of Og’s henchmen, who has begun firing from
the second floor. To confront him, she needs to traverse one A time-honored tactic is to impair an enemy’s vision by casting
zone to reach the ladder leading to the second floor, effec- sand or salt into their eyes. This inflicts a Blinded Aspect on the
tively placing her adversary two zones away. target, necessitating an overcome action to remove the Aspect
before they can take any action that relies on sight. Also, the
At present, Rainmaker is engaged in a scuffle with another Blinded Aspect may open up opportunities for a compel, so be
henchman, whose Close Combat is at Fair (+2) Scale 1. aware that your enemy might exploit this to regain Charges.
There are numerous advantages that can symbolize strategic
Elise communicates her character’s intention to Olivia, who
positioning, such as High Ground or Cornered. These can be in-
responds, “Okay, the thug you’re fighting is going to try and
voked to capitalize on positional benefits as context demands.
keep you from getting away, so he’s going to provide active
opposition.” Certain attacks in combat are dangerous due to being pain-
ful rather than causing lasting harm. Dirty fighting tricks like
Rainmaker boasts an Athletics of Good (+3) Scale 2, while nerve hits and groiun shots fall under this category. You can
her opponent’s Athletics stands at Fair (+2) Scale 1. Elise represent these effects with an advantage, afflicting your op-
rolls the dice for a final outcome of Superb (+5) Scale 2. The ponent with conditions like Pain-Blindness or Stunned, then
opponent rolls for their defense, and gets an outcome that launching an attack that exploits the Aspect for greater harm.
equates to Terrible (–3) Scale 2. This grants Rainmaker a Advantages can also be used to modify the scene to your fa-
total of eight shifts and a success with style. vor. For instance, you could obstruct movement by dispersing
Loose Junk or escalate the stakes by setting things On Fire.
Elise and Olivia narrate how Rainmaker outmaneuvers the
henchman, topples a crate for distraction, and ascends the
ladder with remarkable agility, four rungs at a time, to reach AIMED ATTACK
the upper level. She gains a Boost, which she aply names When spending a Charge or using a free invocation to in-
Momentum. voke the use of a weapon, or a relevant Aspect such as
Sniper’s Perch or Marksman, you have the option to fore-
Meanwhile, the henchman above braces himself, aiming his go the standard invocation bonuses—either the +2 bonus
pistol with a sense or urgency ... or the dice reroll. Instead, you can choose to circumvent
the target’s Armored Soak (p. XX), if applicable. However,
this tactic is ineffective against armor with the Encasing
ADVANTAGES IN A CONFLICT
Aspect (p. XX), as such armor provides comprehensive
Keep in mind that Aspects created as advantages adhere to all
coverage, leaving no vulnerabilities for bypassing shots.
the rules governing Situation Aspects (p. XX). The Narrator may
leverage them to justify overcome actions. They remain in effect

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 CHAPTER 4: ACTION

CONCEALED ATTACKS FREE ACTIONS

A character who has successfully created the advantage of Cover When describing what a character does on their turn, it is com-
or Concealed can attempt to act while remaining undetected. In mon to narrate minor tasks that provide context for the main
such instances, Stealth supersedes Acrobatics or Athletics for ac- one. This could be something like drawing a weapon swiftly be-
tions related to movement. fore a strike, issuing a warning prior to breaching a door, or rap-
idly assessing a room before launching an attack. These details
When launching a physical attack while hidden (or an invisible serve more to enrich the narrative with vivid imagery than to
attack in general), the attack faces passive opposition if the tar- impact the gameplay.
get is guarded against danger, or no opposition if they are taken
completely unaware. When facing no opposition, the attacker Narrators are advised to resist the urge to meticulously scrutinize
rolls against a Mediocre (±0) Scale 1 difficulty, but the target can, every aspect of a player’s narration. It is important to remember
at Narrator discretion, invoke an applicable Aspect (if one exists) that in the absence of meaningful opposition, there should be
to treat the attack as if they were guarded rather than unaware. no need for a dice roll—players should be able to seamlessly car-
ry out their intended actions. Things like reloading a weapon or
After making an attack, the character is no longer hidden. rummaging through a backpack are integral to the narrative and
should not be bogged down by unnecessary mechanics, unless
In the realm of mental or social conflicts, a character with veiled an opponent is actively trying to oppose those specific actions.
motives can orchestrate similar betrayals by employing Decep-
tion against the target’s Empathy, substituting Aspects like Cover ENDING A CONFLICT
with advantages like Lowering Guard or Playing Innocent. Normally, a conflict ends when all participants on one side have
either conceded or been eliminated. When the Narrator knows
OTHER ACTIONS IN A CONFLICT that the conflict is over, they can distribute any Charges accrued
Sometimes, you might opt for an alternative action on your turn from concessions. Players should also take any of the Charges for
other than engaging in the conflict. Perhaps you are attempting when their Aspects were invoked against them, if they have not
to deactivate a lethal trap, scouring for important information, or already done so. They should also note whatever Consequences
checking for hidden foes. they suffered in the fight, if there are still some that have not been
accounted for. Finally, they should clear their Stress boxes of all
In such scenarios, the Narrator introduces a modified form of marks, assuming they have a moment to breathe.
challenge (p. XX). One of the likely tasks is to “defend yourself.”
Whenever you are targeted by an attack or an opponent’s attempt
After much struggle, the warehouse conflict is finally over.
to create an advantage over you, a successful defense is required
Olivia concedes the conflict on behalf of Og and his remain-
to proceed with any other actions within the challenge. As long
ing thug, meaning that the PCs stay alive and can proceed
as no one has successfully attacked you or stuck an advantage on
to check out the smuggled goods they were interested in.
you, you can use your action to roll for one of the challenge goals.
Because it was a concession, Og gets away to fight another
Willow is focused on opening a door so that she and Rain- day. Because Elise conceded to Olivia in an earlier example,
maker can escape from an underground lab, avoiding hav- Og also gets away with Rainmaker’s wrench as a personal
ing to fight robotic guards. trophy.

Olivia says, “Well, let’s call it a Fair (+2) Scale 1 Engineering Because Elise conceded, she gets Charges. One for conced-
or Larceny action to get the door unlocked, and a Great (+4) ing, and another two for the Mild and Moderate Conse-
Scale 1 Athletics to push it open enough to slide through. quences she took in the conflict. All the invocations used
The other action is defending yourself.” against her were free, so those three Charges are all she gets.

On that round, Willow successfully defends against an at- Lily gets no Charges, because all the invocations against her
tack, so she uses her action to hack the lock. She fails, and were free, from advantages and Boosts. Because she won,
decides to succeed at a cost. Olivia figures the easiest thing she does not get extra Charges for her Consequences.
is to hit her with a Consequence because she is in a fight.
So, she gets the door open, but not before one of the robotic
guardians gives her a Gouged Leg. TRANSITIONING TO A CONTEST OR
CHALLENGE
You may find yourself in a conflict scene where the participants
On the next exchange, she fails to defend against an attack,
are no longer interested in harming one another, because of
so she does not get to roll for the challenge.
some change in circumstances. If that happens, and there is still
more to resolve, you can transition from the conflict into a con-
On the third exchange, she defends and succeeds with style
test or challenge if needed. In that case, hold off on awarding
on the Athletics roll to get the door open. She signals to
end-of-conflict Charges or the like until you have also resolved
Rainmaker and takes a Head Start Boost, because it is about
the contest or challenge. Also hold off on clearing Stress boxes if
to be a chase (p. XX).
things are still tense.

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 ADVANCED RULES
TEAMWORK Both Rainmaker and Minoa roll to create an advantage on
their turns, resulting in three free invocations on a Flashy
Characters can help each other out on actions. There are two Distraction they make from some electronics Rainmaker
versions of teamwork in Machineborn—combining Skills, for sets up to ignite (using a create advantage action) alongside
when you are all putting the same kind of effort into an action Minoa’s glancing hits (which succeeded with style to add
(like using Athletics together to push over a crumbling wall), and two more free invocations).
stacking advantages, for when the group is setting a single person
up to do well (like causing multiple distractions so one person They pass those to Willow, and on her turn, she uses them
can use Stealth to get into a server hall). all for a gigantic +6 on her attack.

When combining Skills, figure out who has the highest Skill level
among the participants. Each other participant who has at least
an Average (+1) in the same Skill for the task’s required Scale CHASES
adds a +1 to the highest character’s Skill level, to a maximum +4
bonus with four helpers; then the one with the highest Skill level In any action-packed story, you are eventually going to have a
makes the roll with that bonus. big chase scene. What you want is to make a chase exciting. It
is no fun—and it drains out a lot of the drama—to have a single
Keep both Rank and Scale into consideration, with each incre- roll determine who escapes. There are a couple of different ways
ment of Scale being equal to a ±2 Skill Rank. Remember that to approach this type of action.
each participant must have at least Average (+1) on the chal-
lenge’s Scale rating. Using just the standard rules, you can simulate a chase as a chal-
lenge (p. XX). For a basic chase that you do not want to spend a
If you fail a roll to combine Skills, all of the participants share lot of time resolving, this is perfectly adequate. Set some obsta-
in the potential costs—whatever complication affects one char- cles for the rolls the players need to make and let them resolve
acter affects all of them, or everyone has to take Consequences those obstacles. If they succeed in enough rolls, they either es-
(p. XX). Alternatively, you can impose a cost that affects all the cape or, if they are pursuing, catch their quarry. Simple, but not
characters the same. too interesting.

Rainmaker and Willow are trying to locate an informant If there is more active opposition, the contest rules (p. XX) are
who has gone into hiding. Rainmaker and Willow both the next option and can work quite well. There is a bit of tension
have Contacts at Average (+1) Scale 1. They want to both here, and the way to set this up so that every player character
check the words on the streets through their respective con- does not need to make rolls individually is to frame the contest
tacts, making a combined Skill roll against the informant’s as occurring between two teams. The first team to achieve their
passive Stealth, which is at Fair (+2) Scale 1. three victories wins. If it is the fleeing group, they get away, and
if it is the chasing group, they catch up, bringing whatever con-
Because the opposition has Scale 1, it becomes a Scale 1 sequences that implies. Getting caught often triggers a conflict.
task, and Willow is leading the roll. She adds Rainmaker’s
teamwork bonus to her roll, increasing it to Fair (+2); she The contest rules work fine, but three victories are often pretty
rolls Good (+3), for a total Superb (+5) Scale 1. easy to achieve if you have a reasonably sized group of charac-
ters, and sometimes you want some more drama in your chase
This means that their collective effort succeeds with style. scene. Here is an alternative method, called the chase track. It is
Not only do their contacts come through with information a hybrid of the contest and conflict rules.
about the person they are looking for, but they get a story
detail (instead of a Boost) with an exact name and location To start, set up a Stress track for the chase. This is your timer for
of someone who is in contact with her. the scene. The fleeing party is trying to empty the Stress track,
while the pursuers are trying to fill it. The length of the Stress
track determines how long the scene lasts, and where you start
on the track sets the difficulty of the escape.
When you stack advantages, each person takes a create advan-
tage action as usual, and gives whatever free invocations they get
You first need to decide how long you want your chase scene to
to a single character. Remember that multiple free invocations
go on. If you are looking for an average-length scene, a Stress
from the same Aspect can stack.
track of 10 should be the baseline. If you want to go less than
10, you should probably make the chase a regular contest. If you
Rainmaker and her friend Minoa want to set Willow up for want the chase to be longer or more involved, add more Stress. A
an extremely big hit on Tremor, the sentient droid guarding 14-Stress chase scene is a major event in the session, and an 18-
a ruined rift facility in the fringe districts of Ayer City. or 20-Stress scene could be the main focus of an entire session.

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 CHAPTER 4: ACTION

You probably want to avoid going longer than that, or you risk where you dodge through barriers or oncoming traffic; Acro-
your chase scene stretching out so far that your players eventu- batics to parkour across dangerous hazards; You can use Decep-
ally get bored. tion to fake out your opponent; Close Combat to knock some-
one down; Awareness to spot and avoid hazards while allowing
Setting how many Stress boxes are already checked off deter- your opponent to get entangled; Athletics to knock obstacles
mines how close the pursuers are to catching the fleeing group. into your opponent’s way. If a player comes up with a good ac-
Usually, you are going to want the Stress to start right in the tion for just about any Skill, you should allow it.
middle (five on a 10-Stress track). You can make it harder for
the fleeing party to escape by setting the Stress closer to the top When making your roll, the outcome determines what happens
of the range, like seven Stress on a 10-Stress track. By the same to the chase’s Stress track.
token, you can make the escape easier by setting the starting
Stress at a lower level. It is probably best to avoid this, unless the If you fail, your opponent has the choice to either create a
PCs are the pursuing party. If the chase is less complicated, just Boost that works against you, or to move the Stress track one
use a challenge or contest instead. check in their direction.
If you tie, you may choose to move the Stress track one check
Once you have your Stress track set, determine what each side in your direction, but if you do so, your opponent gains a +1
tries to do. If their actions directly oppose each other, resolve on their next roll.
them as overcome actions against an active opposition. If their
If you succeed, you move the Stress track one check in your
actions are not directly in opposition to each other, but they
direction.
both contribute to the chase—such as if one side is trying to
force a door open while the other side is clearing rubble so that If you succeed with style, you get to move the Stress track two
they can catch up—let the side that succeeded with the most checks in your direction, or one check and you gain a Boost
shifts be the winner of that turn. For example, if getting the that you can use on your next roll.
door open requires a Fair (+2) Engineering roll and clearing the
rubble requires a Great (+4) Athletics roll, then an Engineering Make sure each of the PCs gets a chance to contribute to the
outcome of Superb (+5) would trump an Athletics outcome of escape attempt. Sometimes the rolls will go really well or really
Fantastic (+6), because the first one is a three-shift success and poorly, and you will not get to everyone, but that is okay. Keep
the second one is a one-shift success. the tension up with good descriptions, going into detail about
each move and its results. When one side or the other has either
The actions can be all sorts of things, and it is most exciting eliminated or filled the Stress track, the chase is over. Someone
if they are varied and inventive. Piloting for vehicular chases has either been caught or escaped.

128
Rainmaker and Willow have been hiding within a guarded fa- “I get into the elevator and spam the up button,” Lily says.
cility where they accidentally sounded the alarm and alerted
robotic guard hounds. With the situation looking grim, Elise “I follow,” Elise says. “I draw my wrench. If they catch up be-
and Lily ponder what to do next. fore the door closes, I’ll try to keep them at bay.”

Olivia points out that, “There’s only a matter of time until the “Sounds good,” Olivia says. “Just as the doors are closing, one
droids will find you. This is going to be a 10-track chase. If of the droids sticks its head through and begins to pull the
you succeed, you find your way out. If you fail, the droids will doors open using its arms. Make a contested Athletics roll. It
catch up to you.” has Scale 1.”

Olivia proceeds to draw up a 10-track chase by drawing ten “I have 2,” Elise says. “So I’ll add +2 to my roll then.”
boxes on a paper and crossing five. She places the track on the
table where Elise and Lily can see. “You’re up first.” Elise and Olivia both roll, with Elise making a normal success.
Olivia moves the chase tracker one check towards victory,
Lily is quick to speak up. “We’re in an office now, right? I’d like bringing it to four out of ten in the players’ favor.
to peek my head out the door into the corridor to see if the
coast is clear.” “You manage to dislodge the droid’s arm and kick it back out
into the corridor just as the doors close. The elevator begins
Elise then says, “If the coast is clear, we’ll try to sneak to the to move upwards. One floor. A second floor. You can still hear
nearest elevator.” the alarm, like the facility’s panicked heartbeat.”

“Okay,” Olivia says. “Since Willow has the highest Stealth Skill, “I grip the datastick tightly,” Lily says.
she makes the active roll this round.”
“You have what you came for, “Olivia describes. “But you’re
Lily rolls her dice. “It’s a Great (+4).” still not out of the facility. There’s another floor you need to
cross, and the functionary knows where you are now.”
Olivia rolls Awareness for the droids. “They get an Amazing
(+7) and succeed with style.” She moves the Stress track two The players spend a few moments roleplaying before Olivia in-
checks towards player defeat, leaving it at seven marked boxes terrupts and describes how the elevator comes to a stop in the
out of ten. “As you hurry towards the elevator, you can hear the lobby. “As the elevator opens, a droid lunges at you through
sound of approaching droids from the other direction. They the door. What are your reactions?”
must have heard you too, as they’re picking up pace. Eventu-
ally, you reach the elevator and notice it’s been disabled, most “I try to evade it and run out into the lobby,” Lily says. “We
likely by the facility’s functionary.” don’t have time to stay and fight.”

Because both parties made opposing rolls last round, both “Agreed,” Elise says. “If it jumps into the elevator, I want to try
sides have acted. Olivia declares that this round “The droids to close the doors from outside, trapping it inside.”
are rushing towards you. What will you be doing?”
Olivia nods. “I’ll make a Close Combat roll for the droid as an
“I’ll try to shut the functionary out of the elevator’s system be- active opposition against you. Since Willow has highest Acro-
fore they catch up,” Elise says. batics, you should roll opposition.”

Olivia nods. “This round, I’m not going to let you make an Another round of dice rolls are made; Willow succeeds with
opposing roll against the droids as they’re running towards style. Olivia marks another two checks on the chase tracker,
you. Instead, I want you to make an Interfacing roll against the taking it to two out of ten. “As the droid lunges at you, Willow
functionary. You have Scale 1 and it has Scale 3, so remember slides underneath it while Elise rounds the corner to smash
the –4 on your roll against it.” the elevator button from the outside. The doors close with
the droid still inside the elevator. You look out over the lobby.
“I would like to plug my smartpad into the elevator panel and There are no people here, but two more droids are waiting by
spend a Charge to declare a Data Stun program; it’s used to the exit, trying to intercept your escape. It’s your move.”
inflict lag which hopefully will startle the functionary.”
“I know that there’s a huge display monitor in the lobby,” Lily
“I like it,” Olivia says. “You can add a free invocation.” says. “I’ll shoot it down from its hold and hope the impact will
distract the droids.”
Both Olivia and Elise rolls, indicating a success with style for
Rainmaker. Olivia moves the chase tracker two checks to- “Nice,” Olivia says. “Let’s make this into an active opposition:
wards player victory (bringing it back to five out of ten) and Ranged Combat against their Willpower. If you succeed with
describes how the elevator doors open up just as the droids get style, you’ve won the chase and can leave the facility. If you
within view. “You’re up.” fail, we’ll move into a physical conflict.”

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 CHAPTER 4: ACTION

SOCIAL INTERACTION ful. If someone is Neutral, they hold no particular opinion or

could be swayed in either direction.
The Social Skills in Machineborn (Contacts, Deception, Em-
pathy, Leadership, Performance, Persuasion, Provocation, and Attitude can be invoked or compelled during a social scene. For
Style) give a variety of ways to approach social challenges, con- example, “Because the guard is Hostile towards you, it makes
tests, and conflicts, but you can also take advantage of various sense that he is yelling at you which draws the attention of oth-
Motivations and Instincts (see below) to provide PCs with more ers. This is bad because you don’t want to be recognized.” Alter-
opportunities to engage NPCs in social situations. natively, you could want to invoke someone’s Friendly Attitude
towards you for a +2 bonus on a Persuasion roll against them.
Social Skills can be used to overcome challenges, but social inter-
actions are often played as either contests or conflicts, depending MOTIVATION
on the player’s intention. If the intention is to make a bargain, Similar to Attitude, a character has a Motivation behind their
instill an emotion, convince someone of an argument, or more, behavior. While an Attitude can often be discerned through ob-
it will most likely be resolved as a contest between two or more servation or interaction, a Motivation can sometimes be more
parties. If the intention is to cause emotional harm, mental tur- difficult to discern, especially if they are trying to hide it. Once
moil, or humiliation, then it becomes a conflict. Not every antag- you are familiar with a character’s Motivation, you may invoke
onistic or competing social interaction causes Stress. or compel it for your benefit.

Motivation determines a character’s primary driving goal in the

WHEN INFLUENCING PCS scene. A teacher may want to safeguard their students (Motiva-
Can an NPC “win” a social interaction against a PC? If yes, tion: Protect My Students From Harm) by keeping the PCs from
what does that means for the player’s agency over their interrogating a student they suspect of a crime. Similarly, a bod-
character’s reactions and actions? yguard may want to keep their client safe to be able to continue
being on their payroll (Motivation: Don’t Let Suspicious People
This can be a complicated question where players have Approach My Client).
different answers. Some are adamantly against having
their characters influenced in any way, while others enjoy Sometimes a player may have to figure out an NPC’s Motiva-
roleplaying the consequences of influence. Have a conver- tion before they can successfully convince them of taking a cer-
sation with your players about where they draw their lines tain action. For example, perhaps the players can more easily
and what their expectations are for social scenes. convince the teacher to let them interrogate the student if they
argue that the student they suspect is dangerous and could be
One solution to have social influence against PCs be more harmful to others if they let them be. They could potentially
impactful is to treat situations that complicate the story bribe the bodyguard to stay out of their conflict with their client
as compels. The player can choose to accept the compel by offering them credits.
associated with giving in to an NPC’s demands, being per-
suaded by their arguments, or being scared by their intim- DISCOVERING AND MODIFYING MOTIVATIONS
idations. Ultimately, the player decides how their charac- Motivations are sometimes difficult to detect. While some NPCs
ter reacts to the influence, but the Charge that comes with will clearly announce why they oppose the PCs—“I’ve come to
a compel can help make a scene where the players are so- avenge my father!”—most people do not run around shouting
cially outmaneuvered still feel rewarding—and hopefully out their internal monologues to the world. To discover an NPC’s
lead them onto new and exciting narrative paths. Motivations, the PCs need to create advantages using an appro-
priate Social Skill. Characters can pick up on small clues (Em-
pathy), challenge the NPC through taunts or provocative state-
ATTITUDE ments (Provocation), or even pretend to be someone they can
Each character that participates in a social interaction has an trust (Deception), in order to discover NPC Motivations.
Attitude towards others in the scene. This is often an unwritten
social component that changes throughout the scene, but that Once the PCs know an NPC’s Motivation, they can try to alter
can double as an Aspect capable of being invoked or compelled. it using a variety of Social Skills, replacing the Motivation with
an urgent concern based on new information (Persuasion) or at-
A character’s Attitude determines their emotional disposition tempting to falsely convince the target that their Motivation is
and can be either Hostile, Neutral, or Friendly. A single char- based on bad assumptions (Deception). For example, the body-
acter can have different Attitudes towards different other char- guard (Attitude: Hostile [Guarded]; Motivation: Protect My Cli-
acters in the scene, such as a Hostile Attitude towards a foe, a ent; Instinct: Keep People Away From Client) might have their
Friendly Attitude towards their ally, and a Neutral Attitude to- Motivation changed by a sufficiently impressive lie (Deception).
wards an unknown bystander.
However, some situations may demand that a target’s Attitude
A character’s Attitude towards someone else should shape their changes before their Motivations can be swayed. If someone is
roleplay when interacting with that person. If someone is Hos- Hostile towards you, it makes sense that you cannot change their
tile, they can be stubborn, angry, hateful, or violent. If someone Motivation to Trying to Impress Me without first changing their
is Friendly, they can be agreeable, excited, attracted, or respect- Attitude. Why should they impress someone they dislike?

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INSTINCT wants them to let you in to the secret meeting (Deception to mod-
A character’s Attitude alongside their Motivation shape their ify Instinct) than it is to convince them that they should abandon
behavior. This is where Instinct comes in. their boss altogether (Persuasion to modify Motivation).

Instinct determines how a character acts based on these other

indicators, but can also be based on other Aspects and narrative Willow is investigating the murder of her informant Miko-
circumstances. For example, if a teacher is Hostile to the PC and to. After casing Mikoto’s shop for evidence, she discovers
has the Motivation to protect their students from harm, then it that a well-known smuggler, Cinder, has ordered the hit. As
would make sense for them to have the Instinct Refuse Access she tries to approach Cinder in a Pyramid-owned casino,
to Students. one of their bodyguards keeps them at bay (Instinct: Stop
Anyone From Approaching Client).
Direct social influence, like a Persuasion roll, will not necessari-
ly change someone’s Instinct. You may try to convince someone Knowing that a physical conflict would give Cinder a
of someting, but they could refer to contesting Attitudes and chance to escape, Willow tries to approach the guard under
Motivations to refuse the influence and maintain their original the guise of a clumsy guest to see what kind of Attitude he
Instinct. would have. Olivia does not ask for a roll here, simply nar-
rating that the bodyguard is pushing her back and berating
If the PCs want the character’s Instinct to change, they may her for being “too drunk”—indicating a Hostile Attitude.
have to alter their Attitude or their Motivation first. This can be
done through roleplay or by using Social Skills in different ways. Willow decides to use her Style to create an advantage
For example, use the Style Skill to seduce someone in an attempt against the bodyguard—she wants to flirt with him to get
to give them a Friendly Attitude towards you. Use the Deception him to lower his guard. She has Fair (+2) Scale 2 in Style
Skill to convince a target to reveal their Motivation, giving you and is wearing fashion that gives a +1 bonus. With the bo-
ample opportunity to influence it. If you can get the teacher to nus, she rolls a +3, bringing her total up to Superb (+5)
change their Motivation from Protect My Students From Harm Scale 2. The guard has Average (+1) Scale 1 Willpower and
to Protect My Reputation as a Teacher, then their Instinct could rolls Fair (+2)—which is equivalent to Mediocre (±0) after
change as a consequence. Scale has been taken into account. Willow creates the Situa-
tion Aspect Flustered with two free invocations.
MODIFY INSTINCTS DIRECTLY
Rather than attempt to sway an NPC’s Motivations, PCs may also “Knowing that he’s Flustered, I want to take advantage of
create situations that demand more immediate attention or sug- that to improve his Attitude towards me. I’m going to gently
gest that a different Instinct would better serve the original Moti- touch his arm as I apologize for stumbling into him. I still
vation. For example, the PCs might start a fight (Provocation) in play up the ‘drunken party girl’ trope.”
the lobby of the hotel to distract a hotel concierge (Motivation:
Keep the Hotel Running Smoothly) or try to convince a drug lord Olivia nods. “You can use either Deception or Performance
to part with the drugs for less (Persuasion) on the promise that to see if he buys the act.”
future shipments will make up the loss on volume (Motivation:
Make Lots of Credits). These attempts to change the NPC’s In- Willow’s Performance is Good (+3) Scale 1 and she rolls a
stincts might move an NPC from Instinct: Keep the PCs Out to –3, for a total Mediocre (±0). “I’ll use my two free invoca-
Instinct: Put Out the Fire or from Instinct: Sell the Drugs at Mar- tions to invoke Flustered twice.” This brings the result up to
ket Prices to Instinct: Sell the Drugs Cheap. Great (+4). In return, Olivia rolls the bodyguard’s Empathy
to see if he sees through the act. She rolls an Average (+1),
Ultimately these social interactions rely on the PCs’ ability to sell which means that Willow succeeds with style.
the new Instinct as better serving the original Motivation instead
of changing the original Motivation completely. “Since you succeeded with style,” Olivia explains, “you can
either change his Attitude to Neutral and get a Boost, or
CHALLENGES, CONTESTS, AND CONFLICTS change it all the way to Friendly. He has no reason to be
For most attempts to modify NPC Motivations or Instincts, the suspicious of you at this point.”
PCs will need to make overcome rolls against an active opposi-
tion; the NPC rolls an appropriate Social Skill to see through the “I want him Friendly!” Lily exclaims.
deception or resist the fast talk. In some cases, it may make sense
to use the contest mechanics—trying to convince a judge to let Olivia explains how the bodyguard changes tone towards
someone out of jail before the judge moves on to the next case— Willow, becoming flirtatious. They roleplay an interaction
or conflict mechanics—union and management representatives where Willow asks some personal questions to make the
conducting a hard-nosed negotiation that leaves both sides ex- bodyguard think she is interested in him, and slips in some
hausted. questions about how he likes working for Cinder. The inter-
action itself is enough for Olivia to reveal the bodyguard’s
Players should also keep in mind that their opponents have so- Motivation: I Seek Honor by Serving the Pyramid. This rev-
cial strengths and weaknesses: it is easier to convince a guard elation makes Lily recognize that he is unlikely to betray
with Fair (+2) Empathy and Great (+4) Willpower that their boss Cinder on her behalf.

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 CHAPTER 4: ACTION

BRIBES WHAT OTHERS WILL DO FOR YOU

When words are not enough, a character can rely on wealth or fa- Skills such as Persuasion and Leadership can get others to do
vors to influence others. Not everyone is susceptible to any kind things for you, but the nature of these favors vary from person to
of bribe, but there is always something that can help nudge a tar- person. You are more likely to get a close friend with a Friendly
get closer to where you want them. For example, you could spend Attitude towards you to lend you crits or go out of their way to
Influence (slip someone a critstick) or make a major favor (“I’ll pick you up when you are stranded on the other side of town. A
find your brother for you!”) to bribe someone, or even suffer a random stranger or the co-worker who hates you would be far
consequence for them (“Sure, I’ll dance with him. Yuck! This isn’t less inclined to help you out with something that major. Howev-
good for my image.”). The benefit is usually a free invocation, er, a random stranger could probably help you out by giving you
making it a valid alternative to invoking Aspects, but it could also directions to a hotel or call an emergency number if you are in
offer certain narrative benefits. trouble. Your co-worker may hate you, but they could still agree
to switch shifts with you as long as it would benefit them.
The Narrator or the targeted character’s player may determine if
the bribe is effective or not. Some characters may have contest- When determining likely favors, consider the following:
ing Aspects (or there may be circumstantial factors) that would
make a bribe inappropriate in some situations. This could shift a A minor favor is something that will not cause you more than
target’s Attitude towards hostility. Sometimes, you may have to an inconvenience. Examples include stopping to help with di-
change the circumstances of the scene to have a bribe go from rections, even if it costs you a minute or two; letting a person
inappropriate to appropriate. This is determined narratively. in distress make a call on your smartcom; holding the door
open for someone even if it means waiting a few seconds.
You should also consider who is trying to bribe who. Someone
with Influence 1 would be unlikely to bribe someone with Influ- People with Friendly Attitude towards you will often do mi-
ence 5, simply due to the nature of their wealth and social stand- nor favors for you without needing convincing; people with
ing. You should either disallow this as a solution against a target Neutral Attitude towards you can often be convinced to do
of a higher social class, or have the characters invoke their Influ- these kinds of favors; people with Hostile Attitude may only
ence (p. XX) by using its value to substitute their Social Scale (if it do these favors if they personally get something out of it.
is higher). This would mean that the one with Influence 1 acts as A major favor is something that inconveniences you more
if they have Scale 1 when trying to bribe a target with Influence than you get out of it. Examples include paying for some-
5, which acts as if they have Scale 5. This is practically impossible one’s food and shelter even if it means being without food and
due to the large Scale difference, but if you create appropriate shelter yourself; spending hours or days helping someone out
advantages in preparation of this bribe, you can minimize some without expecting anything in return; putting yourself at risk
of the risk. for the sake of another, such as breaking the law.

People with a Friendly Attitude towards you can be convinced

The bodyguard takes his job very seriously and Willow fails to do major favors for you unless it inconveniences them too
to get him to let her through to Cinder. However, she learns much or it goes against their Character Aspects; people with
that Cinder is going to host a party later that night, and she Neutral Attitude towards you can only be convinced to do
wants an invitation. these kinds of favors for you if they get something in return;
someone with a Hostile Attitude towards you would never do
“I want to bribe the bodyguard,” Lily explains. “But I want a major favor for you unless they get something valuable and
to do it discreetly. Instead of simply giving him credits, I they have Character Aspects urging them to do it, such as a
offer to buy him a bunch of fancy and expensive drinks.” religious ideology (but even then, they would be hesitant).
An extreme favor is something that would be beyond most
“I allow it.” Olivia narrates how the bodyguard gets some
people, unless very specific circumstances are met. Examples
time off later and meets up with Willow at the bar. Willow
include engaging in torture or other extreme activities that
has Influence 3 and spends one Influence, temporarily re-
go against strongly held beliefs and that you find abhorent;
ducing it to 2. In exchange, she will have a free invocation
doing something that you know will lead to the death of you
on her next social roll against the bodyguard.
or someone you care about, such as killing yourself or a fam-
ily member on orders from an authority figure; deliberately
“I talk with him for a bit and flirt with him for a bit,” Lily ex-
doing something that you know will ruin your life, such as
plains. “And then I brush my fingers over his hand and ask
serving a long prison sentence to protect someone else.
directly if he can get me into Cinder’s party. My Persuasion
is Fair (+2) Scale 2. I get a Good (+3), increased to Superb
Not even those with Friendly Attitude towards you can be
(+5) using the free invocation from my bribe.
convinced to do extreme favors unless prompted by Character
Aspects or the promise of some very meaningful reward; peo-
“Since he has Scale 1 in Willpower, he’ll roll with a –2 pen-
ple with Neutral or Hostile Attitude towards you will never do
alty. He gets a Lousy (–3), so you succeed with style. You get
an extreme favor unless forced by very specific circumstances
the invitation, but you also get him as a potential contact.”
prompted by Character Aspects, such as blackmail (but even
then, they would need serious convincing).

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The factors that drive certain behaviors are often narrative (and Step 3: Determine its properties—how it fulfills the role de-
influenced by Aspects), but the Skill you use always determine termined by its function through benefits and flaws.
the context for a favor.
Step 4: Put it together—make a Skill roll.
The Persuasion Skill indicates your ability to convince someone Step 5: Pay for it—decide what you will have to do to create
to do something for you, such as going out for a second date or the invention.
taking your bike to the mechanic.
Chapter 5 has lists of assets to choose between as well as in-
The Deception Skill could convince someone to do favors for you formation on how to make custom assets of certain categories.
even if their Attitude or other factors would normally contradict If inventing something based on existing assets, use those as a
it. It could be that the target assumes a different outcome, under- baseline for your own design.
estimates the magnitude of the favor, or believes that they will be
financially rewarded even though they will not be. STEP 1: DETERMINE FUNCTION
Describe your invention in the form of an Aspect, such as A Song
The Leadership Skill indicates your ability to assert dominance; About Love, Automatic Pistol, Security Protocol, or Exoskeletal
this could convince people to do even extreme acts for you under Mutation. This is called a Function Aspect and can be invoked or
certain circumstances, but it assumes that there are underlying compelled like any other Aspect. Its purpose is also to define the
Aspects supporting their decisions, such as a political ideology invention as a quick term, and to offer narrative details about it
or a professional loyalty. If you are a military commander, you beyond its other traits and properties.
can use Leadership to convince soldiers of things that civilians
would never do. While the Leadership Skill does represent a nat- STEP 2: DETERMINE COST
ural assertiveness, it will not be as useful as Persuasion or Decep- Each invention has a Cost as determined by its overall value.
tion on targets who do not recognize your authority over them. The more complex you make an invention, the higher its Cost
Instead, trying to command someone who does not respect your becomes. In narrative terms, this could represent an actual cost
authority will likely lead to their Attitude for you worsening. when purchasing the invention; it could also represent an intan-
gible cost in the form of time spent creating it.

INVENTION An invention with a single benefit and a single flaw is typically

at Cost 0. For each added benefit, increase Cost by one. For each
The process of inventing involves one or more PCs figuring out added flaw, reduce Cost by one. Think of this as adding positives
what needs to be built, what that thing will actually do in game and negatives, with more positives than negatives indicating a
terms, and what complications will arise as a result. All of this is higher Cost. The Narrator may disallow arbitrary flaws used to
typically based on a single Skill roll. maximize the number of benefits while keeping the Cost low.

Use Creativity to invent art, such as books, movies, and mu- An invention’s maximum Cost is determined by the related Skill
sic; the latter is performed using Performance. Rank, with a Skill Rank of Mediocre (±0) capping Cost at 0 and
Use Engineering to invent physical objects, such as machines, a Skill Rank of Superb (+5) capping it at 5.
weapons, and structures. Inventing cybernetic augmentations
uses the highest of Engineering and Treatment. It is possible to increase the maximum Cost by adding Hurdles
Use Interfacing to invent digital assets, such as programs, vi- (p. XX) to the project. Normally, an invention requires (Cost + 1)
ruses, and digital worlds. Hurdles to complete. However, if you want to invent something
with a higher Cost than your Skill Rank allows, each increment
Use Treatment to invent toxins, diseases, bionic augmenta- of Cost above your maximum require two Hurdles instead of
tions, as well as medical aids. Inventing cybernetic augmenta- one. For example, a character with a Skill Rank of Great (+4)
tions uses the highest of Engineering and Treatment. would normally be able to make a Cost 4 invention for a total of
five Hurdles. To make a Cost 5 invention instead, it will require
Regardless of what you create, it will be referred to as an inven- seven Hurdles.
tion, but do not take that too literally. It could just as easily be
a never-before-seen technological wonder as it could be a recre- An invention cannot have a Cost higher than 8.
ation of an existing piece of technology. Whatever it is, broad-
ly speaking, your invention makes you better in some form. It STEP 3: DETERMINE PROPERTIES
consists of properties, which in turn can be summarized as ben- Now that you know the invention’s Cost, it is time to decide how
efits and flaws. it actually works. When defining an invention’s benefits, consider
the following:
Creating an invention happens in five steps:
Adding a new action to a Skill: The invention adds a new
Step 1: Determine the invention’s function—come up with an action onto the base Skill in certain situations.
Aspect that describes what it is and what it’s used for.
Step 2: Determine the invention’s Cost—how good its quality For example, you can use Ranged Combat to fire an energy
is and how powerful it can be. beam at a target; you can use Deception to speak with another

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 CHAPTER 4: ACTION

person’s voice; or you can use Interfacing to disable a digital Examples include:
program.
Weighs a Ton
Adding a bonus to an action: The invention adds an auto-
matic bonus under a particular, very narrow circumstance. Massive Power Requirements
This circumstance should be narrower than what the normal Distinctive Energy Signature
action allows, and only apply to one particular action or pair Flammable
of actions. The usual bonus is +1, or +2 for an especially nar-
Blacklisted
row use. Alternatively, you can express the bonus as shifts of
an additional effect after the roll succeeds.

For example, the smartpad gives a +2 bonus to create an ad- CREATIVITY AND PROPERTIES
vantage using Education, whenever the situation has to do Inventions created using Creativity functions differently
with the data loaded into the pad; the climbing gear gives you in the way that they do not necessarily give clear-cut bo-
a +2 bonus to any attempt to use Athletics to ascend or de- nuses. While a smartpad can be defined by a clear pur-
scend a vertical surface; the laser sight gives you another free pose, a song or a painting is defined by how well it is made
invocation on your ranged attack (something like a free invo- and what emotions it instills.
cation could substitute a flat bonus in some cases).
Consider adding capabilities such as “a bonus to Style
Creating a rules exception: The invention can allow a Skill when wearing the designer-garment” or “a bonus to Per-
to make a single exception, in a narrow circumstance, for any formance when singing that song.” You could also have
other game rule that does not precisely fit into the category the creative invention defined by intangible or narrative
of an action. However, this type of exception cannot change capabilities, such as “cultural significance” or “artistic
any of the basic rules for how action resolution works, how style.” The Narrator could then offer bonuses depending
Aspects work, or the like. Those always remain the same. on narrative circumstances, such as showing a widow a
painting of her late husband, or writing a poem to the per-
For example, when succeeding with style on a Close Combat son you love.
defense, you can stun the attacker with an electrical discharge
instead of taking a Boost; when using the omnitool to pick
the lock, you can use Engineering in place of Larceny; when
attaching the mechanism to your target’s temples, you can use Willow is producing a Cost 3 episode of her famous pod-
Interfacing instead of Empathy to determine their intentions. cast. She decides to add narrative benefits such as Compel-
ling Narrative, Professional Voice-Work, and Merch Sale. She
also adds the flaw Annoying Clickbait so that she can afford
There is a list of asset properties starting on page XX that can be
to also add the Reaches New Audience capability.
used to create a wide variety of inventions. If using the list for
your invention, consider properties that add Cost as benefits and
those that reduce Cost as flaws. STEP 4: PUT IT TOGETHER
Pick the Skill that seems most relevant to the invention’s con-
Finally, when creating new benefits entirely, try to make them struction. The difficulty is determined by the invention’s Cost.
as narrow as possible to avoid having them effectively overtake For example, a Cost 0 invention is Mediocre (±0) while a Cost 5
a Skill’s base actions. For the best results, have the invention re- invention is Superb (+5). These are Scale 1 tasks unless specified
stricted to a specific action, which can only be used in a very otherwise.
specific in-game situation. If you are worried about the situation
being too narrow, back up and think of the ways the Skill might Make a note of the roll’s outcome, whether it is a failure, a tie, a
be used in play. If you can see the invention being relevant to one success, or a success with style. You will need it for the next step.
of those uses, you are probably right on track. If you cannot, you Failing this roll does not necessarily mean you will fail to make
may need to adjust the invention a little to make sure it will come the invention.
up. If you want to add more powerful effects, limit how often
they can be used or have them provide an additional flaw. OUTCOME RESULT
The invention fails or succeeds at a seri-
The player determines both benefits and flaws, but they are both ous cost, such as a detrimental flaw, one
at the Narrator’s discretion to avoid optimization. Fail
fewer benefit, or another Hurdle (see next
page) chosen by the Narrator.
Note that flaws are not the same as bugs as described in Step 4.
The invention succeeds at a minor cost,
Bugs are weird, unpredictable anomalies that plague the inven-
Tie such as an additional Hurdle chosen by
tion’s function—more nuisances than anything else—whereas a
the player.
good flaw is fundamental to the invention’s construction or op-
eration, or a necessary limitation of available technology. The Success The invention succeeds at no cost.
Narrator should think of how they might compel flaws to put The invention succeeds with one addi-
the players in an undesirable position or complicate a climactic Success with style tional benefit, one fewer flaw, or one few-
scene when the invention takes center stage. er Hurdle chosen by the player.

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If you have PCs or NPCs to help you out, you can work together dles like Charge, which is easily stacked, similar types of Hurdles
on the invention using teamwork rules (p. XX), but with one var- should still be different enough. Perhaps you gain the attention
iation. Each additional character adds a teamwork bonus only if of two different factions, or perhaps you need to acquire two dif-
they bring a different relevant Skill to the task. In practical terms, ferent types of special materials.
this means there is one acknowledged “expert” who takes the
lead, and others with expertise in related fields who lend a hand. Normally, the player is the one who chooses the Hurdles, but
the Narrator may veto certain suggestions for other Hurdles that
STEP 5: PAY FOR IT they deem more narratively appropriate. It is recommended that
When paying for your invention, it is not necessarily in terms of the Narrator asks the player what kinds of Hurdles they are inter-
credits, though that can certainly be part of it. Typically, a Hurdle ested in, asks for justifications where necessary, and then makes a
is some complication that will have to be resolved before the in- final decision. Unless there is a specific reason to deny a Hurdle,
vention can be realized—a series of narrative obstacles that stand it is recommended to approve them.
between the inventor and the invention.
It is crucial that the Narrator writes down the Hurdles. In the
An invention always has a minimum number of Hurdles equal to short term, feel free to use them to complicate the PCs’ lives
(Cost + 1). For example, a Cost 0 invention comes with a single when it seems appropriate. Hurdles like attention and strings are
Hurdle and a Cost 4 invention comes with five. Players render especially likely to rear their heads right in the PCs’ faces. In the
payment by accepting one or more Hurdles, such as: long term, at the end of the session, go over the Hurdles that
have not made an appearance in the story yet. Pick any that strike
Attention: The process of creating the invention attracts un- your fancy and hang onto them. At the end of the scenario, take a
wanted notice from someone or something whose notice you look at all the Hurdles you salvaged. Then use them to inspire the
would rather not attract. This unwelcomed party will involve pressures for future sessions. The players created these problems
themselves in the events of the scenario in some way, such as for themselves—it is only right that they should have to deal with
complicating matters or hamper the PCs’ efforts. the fallout.
Bug: The invention has a glitch in the form of a weakness that
can be invoked or compelled against the PC. For example,
Overheats Easily or Sometimes False Readings. Examples of Hurdles:
Charge: The Narrator adds a token to their pool of Charges.
The infection spreads rapidly while you are working, ne-
Costly: Access to the hardware comes at a price, whether in cessitating a quarantine.
credits, information, or an equitable trade, to be paid to a
The robots dig in at several key locations before you can
gatekeeper of some kind. This could mean that the PC must
complete the device.
spend Influence or trade away something significant.
The only expert who can help is a former enemy.
Facilities: Producing the invention requires a specialized fa-
cility, one to which you do not normally have access. You may The only place with the right equipment to build the
have to find creative means to earn that access. hardware is a rival in the industry.
Help: You cannot do it alone—you need assistance from an You know exactly what you need—and it is currently in
outside party, such as a notable expert in the field or another the hands of a foreign power.
organization. They may require convincing, demand some- A government agency “takes an interest” in your work.
thing in exchange for their involvement, or drag their own Nearby electronics sometimes shut down briefly when
baggage into the project. This Hurdle needs you to go outside the invention is powered up and running.
of your usual circle of reliable associates.
Materials: One of the invention’s components is something
rare, under lock and key, or otherwise hard to acquire. Get-
ting your hands on it may be an adventure in and of itself.
A clever Narrator can employ Hurdles in other aspects of
Red tape: This generally involves paperwork as well as fol- the game as well, such as if the players are trying to form
low-up calls, emails, office visits, or the like. an organization or lead a rebellion. Those are more social
Strings: The promise “I owe you one” is ripe with the poten- projects than tangible inventions, with Hurdles providing
tial for trouble. This Hurdle means ceding power to someone story hooks.
else for short-term gain. You may not know when or where
or what they will want in return, but they will not forget. Or
maybe they want concrete assurances right now. GETTING THE INVENTION INTO PLAY
Time: Producing the invention will take long enough that the After all five steps have been completed, the final thing to do is to
situation will worsen and/or someone will gain an advantage get the invention into play and start using it.
against you.
If the invention has a Cost that would make it insignificant (p.
XX) based on your Influence (at least one lower than your In-
Multiple Hurdles of the same type can be used for a single in-
fluence), you can get the invention into play in the same scene
vention if it makes narrative sense. With the exception of Hur-
where you complete its creation. If the invention has a Cost that

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 CHAPTER 4: ACTION

would make it significant (p. XX) based on your Influence (equal

to or higher than your Influence), you can only put one such in- In Step 1, Elise decides to have Rainmaker invent a Hand-
vention into play per minor milestone. held Motion Detector. She has had issues with hitmen com-
ing after her lately, and thinks this would be of help.
This effectively means that an inventor with higher Influence will
be more effective at cranking out inventions. This is intentional, In Step 2, she decides to make it Cost 3. Because her Influ-
as the increased Influence represents better access to tools, mate- ence is 2, any invention of Cost 2 or above would be consid-
rials, and other things helpful in producing inventions effectively. ered significant.

IMPROVING AN INVENTION In Step 3, she decides that the base Cost 0 variant of the
You may improve an invention by increasing its Cost from a low- motion detector is an electronic device with Power 6 and
er value to a higher one, adding benefits and Hurdles determined Security Average (+1) Scale 1 (see the Electronic property
by the differences in Cost. For example, if you improve an in- at page XX). Elise wants this electronic device to enable the
vention from Cost 1 to Cost 3, you go through the five steps as Interfacing Skill for the purpose of detecting motion in her
if creating a Cost 2 invention, though the new Cost determines zone—this increases the Cost from 0 to 1.
the difficulty for the roll and the cap you can reach. It also de-
termines whether an invention is significant or insignificant. In Finally, she wants it to automatically detect movement with-
some cases, improving an invention is equivalent to inventing a out her direct input. Olivia decides that a +1 Cost benefit
new one, but with fewer Hurdles. would let her have a base Average (+1) on such a roll (see
the Potency property at page XX). This increases Cost from
MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR 1 to 2. To finish it off, Elise decides to increase the detection
Some inventions may suffer consequences of their own with each roll from Scale 1 to Scale 2 by increasing Cost from 2 to 3.
consequence being equivalent to a flaw. This can be Aspects such
as Broken or Dented, or it can be removed benefits like reduced In short, Elise has decided that Rainmaker’s new motion de-
Soak or Harm. Repairing the asset and removing the flaw works tector is an electronic device that lets her detect movement
like when improving an asset from a lower Cost to a higher; each within her zone using Interfacing, or have it automatically
consequence is equivalent to a one-Cost reduction, with the new scan for movement using an Average (+1) Scale 2 roll.
Cost determining the difficulty on the Ladder. However, restor-
ing an asset to its previous state always gets it into play in the Olivia suggests adding the flaw Beeping, which means that
scene you complete the repair, regardless of significance. the item makes noise when used, preventing the player from
effectively hiding with it active. This would open it up for
GODWARE AND RIFT FACILITIES one additional benefit, which Elise suggests should increase
Certain inventions can be upgraded to godware technologies, and its effect range to encompass the neighboring one.
certain structures can be made into rift facilities. Only Machine-
born and prime functionaries have been known to create these. In Step 4, Olivia declares that the difficulty for Elise’s Engi-
neering roll is Good (+3) Scale 1. She manages to roll a Fan-
When inventing a godware item, you need to first be a Machine- tastic (+6) which is a succeess with style. This lets her either
born with Scale 5+ in Engineering. You may then choose to add add an additional benefit or remove a flaw. Elise decides to
an additional Hurdle to your invention in order to add the God- increase the motion detector’s Potency from Average (+1)
ware property (p. XX) to it, giving it features beyond the scope of Scale 2 to Good (+3) Scale 2 according the rules for the Po-
normal inventions. However, the item will continue to function tency property (p. XX).
like a normal invention until you or the person using it spends
a significant milestone point (p. XX) to activate it (p. XX). This In Step 5, Elise needs to decide which Hurdles she wants
gives access to its godware features. to face inventing this item. As it is a Cost 3 item, she would
normally have to choose four Hurdles; this is reduced to
Inventing a rift facility functions much the same way, with the three Hurdles because she has Scale 2 in Engineering. She
exception that you have to create a physical structure upon the chooses facilities because it makes sense that she needs ac-
location of a matrix rift (p. XX). This structure gains access to the cess to special equipment to make the intricate circuitries,
Rift Facility property which adds features beyond the scope of or- time because she will need at least a full day or two of work
dinary structures, including a near-infinite power source based to put everything together, and finally costly which forces
on the rift’s element. her to spend a point of Influence to make sure she has all the
components she needs to complete the device.
This book does not delve into mechanical detail on rift facilities
in particular, but this will likely come in future supplements. If After having gone through the process to meet all the nec-
you want to invent a rift facility using only this book, consid- essary Hurdles, Elise can finally put the invention into play.
er looking at Coding Protocols for inspiration on how various However, because it is significant for Rainmaker, she can
features may look. For example, an acid-based rift facility could only put an invention of this quality into play once during
produce Acid Rain, an electricity-based rift facility could have this session. She can still continue to invent insignificant
the Aspect Disable Unauthorized Electronics, and a bio-based rift items, but any additional significant projects she has planned
facility could have Edible Protein Walls. will have to wait until after the session is over.

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 CHAPTER 5: TECHNOLOGY

Science and technology flourished during the Singularity Era (p. In the world of Machineborn, advanced gadgets are common-
XX), when Primary Order guided innovation. This epoch un- place, yet godware remains mysterious, understood by few, pos-
locked advanced medical sciences, including bionic and cyber- sessed by fewer. These relics, now symbols of unfathomable won-
netic augmentations. Although these innovations significantly der, are coveted by ruling factions to consolidate power and sway.
enhanced quality of life, they were directed by pragmatism in-
stead of passion. The technological marvels of this time left little In contrast, communication and information flow are now cur-
room for artistic expression or the sheer joy of creation. Human- tailed. Post-war, the dominant factions restrict dialogue to main-
ity, thus cradled, was hindered from relearning its stride. tain control. Most people dwell in vast metropolises, detached
from the broader universe. While global and interstellar commu-
Godware technologies emerged; alien inventions designed by Pri- nication channels exist, they are strictly controlled by the reign-
mary Order to serve enigmatic purposes beyond human grasp. ing powers.
These were not for human use but for the machine-gods (p. XX),
appearing miraculous to even the most skilled engineers and ENERGY
scientists, seemingly defying nature’s laws. As the machine-gods Prior to the Cooperative Wars, humanity had dominion over
wielded these tools for their own ends, humanity stood by, rele- Earth’s resources and was in the process of constructing the Heli-
gated to simpler instruments befitting their station. os Swarm to tap into the sun’s power. The war, however, ravaged
the solar system and fragmented civilization, leaving it unable to
With the activation of the Machineborn, some of them were able take care of Earth, let alone the sun.
to grasp these godware technologies and innovate upon them.
Seizing control, the Machineborn infused their creations with an Amidst the conflict, the Dawnlight Society commandeered the
artistic touch uniquely human, spawning marvels that propelled Helios Swarm, barring other factions from its use. Yet, a more
humanity to finally explore the solar system and beyond. coveted energy source than the sun had emerged: rift fusion.
This process leverages the self-replicating nanites of the Nanite
In the zenith of their utopia, matrix gates linked metropolises Matrix. By inducing these nanites to create rifts (p. XX), then
and communities, bionic and cybernetic enhancements enabled harnessing them within godware reactors, rift fusion offers an
superhuman abilities, and transhuman progenies were designed energy solution more dependable than even traditional fusion.
to evolve beyond their predecessors. Humanity was made to be
greater than it had ever been before. Because only those able to comprehend godware can build and
maintain reactors for rift fusion, the factions have adopted var-
Centuries after Primary Order’s fall, the Cooperative Era (p. XX) ied strategies for accessing it. Apart from a handful of seasoned
ushered in interstellar conflicts that ravaged planets and extin- prime functionaries, only the Machineborn possess the potential
guished millions. The Machineborn, dethroned and destabilized, to construct these reactors from the ground up, prompting some
were forced into submission or hiding, and the godware-depend- factions to shelter and educate Machineborn for this very end.
ent infrastructure crumbled. The aftermath of this era saw tech- However, factions opposed to Machineborn, like the Directorate,
nological regression, save for the war machine’s gain; once-plen- either pursue natural matrix rifts to harness them or invest in
tiful godware became scarce, hoarded by the elite. conventional energy sources like fusion or antimatter.

138
Throughout the Cooperative Wars, the Directorate frequently What is confirmed, however, is the solar system’s wealth of car-
targeted enemy rift facilities to dismantle or commandeer them. bon-based microbes, some Earth-born, others alien. These mi-
Since the cease-fire, they have extended lucrative trade agree- crobes thrive on Mars, within Venus’ clouds, Europa’s seas, and
ments to various factions, incentivizing them to forsake rift fu- the Asteroid Belt. Scientists have even simulated abiogenesis
sion and the risky reliance upon Machineborn in favor of alter- under varied conditions and manufactured self-replicating sili-
native energy sources. con-based cells, introduced by the Coalition to prosper on Titan,
Saturn’s moon.

DEPICTING THE FUTURE Yet, within our solar system, only carbon-based life has natural-
Envisioning the future is hard, as it is always perceived ly arisen. Nevertheless, the successful creation of alternative life
from our current perspective. It is easy to imagine our forms suggests a universe brimming with life, even if it seldom
current lifestyle, only “better,” “faster,” and “more effec- evolves into complex organisms. Still, it could have happened
tive.” Yet, reality can diverge sharply. This game was writ- all over the galaxy, and the possibility for alien intelligence with
ten by one person over the course of several years, during space-faring capabilities could even exist in our backyard.
which a pandemic, atrocious invasions, and rapid growth
in machine learning, caused global upheaval and changed Those types of stories will not be explored as part of the game’s
the world overnight. If we could not predict the outcome canon setting, but feel free to explore them in your home game
of these few years, can we truly predict a far-off future? if it intrigues you.

Readers of this book may visualize many different things. FASTER-THAN-LIGHT TRAVEL
It is important to remember that this is a realm of fiction. Rift enginees, formidable in their power, propel humanity to ve-
Crafting a setting that serves your story is more important locities nearing light speed. Yet, the quest for stable faster-than-
than holding up to peer review. light (FTL) travel remains unfulfilled. The Post-Activation Era
(p. XX) witnessed significant strides in this domain, with whis-
Let your favorite science fiction stories spark your imag- pers of a successful prototype that had seemingly vanished from
ination for how to approach Machineborn’s world. This time and space the moment it was used. But as the Machine-
book aims to fuel your creativity with brief descriptions of born’s sway waned, so did these technological leaps.
technologies and socities (hopefully with more elaborate
explorations in upcoming supplements). But ultimately, if Today, FTL travel is deemed impossible in practice, though theo-
you can envision something, you can likely find ways to retically plausible with potent godware and cosmic coding—ex-
justify adding it to your game. pertise held by a scarce few Machineborn engineers and coders.

The rest of this chapter, along with the information on Alternatives to FTL exist, like the Nanite Matrix, linking known
augmentations in Chapter 6, cosmic coding in Chapter locations through data nodes and gateways. For centuries, co-
7, and the in-depth setting information in Chapter 10, lonial cruisers ventured beyond the solar system, but since the
are designed to provide a creative framework. As noted, Cooperative Wars, contact with them was lost. Some hope that
this is fiction; but it is also a game. Certain technologies reestablishing communication could unite these disparate settle-
are deliberately constrained for gameplay balance—what ments into a cohesive interstellar society, but the tense post-war
might logically exist in a highly advanced society can be times demand that focus is on repairing their own home before
modified or scaled back to enhance fun at your table. focusing on what lies beyond.

This game offers a more confined experience compared to

sprawling intergalatic epics like many other science fiction set-
tings. Yet, it is flexible enough for those kinds of narratives as
LIMITATIONS
well. While FTL travel is not strictly canonical, it is a tantalizing
concept for Machineborn chronicles, and a possible outcome of
EXTRATERRESTRIAL LIFE
evolving society in a way where the Machineborn can thrive.
Humanity has long scoured the cosmos for signs of extrater-
restrial life. Despite a vast array of telescopes probing deep into
distant galaxies, definitive proof of alien civilizations remains
elusive. Instead, humans have forged their own societies within ECONOMY
the interstellar neighborhood. The universe has teased us with
intriguing patterns and signals that might hint at alien intelli- MEGACORP CREDIT REGISTRY (MCR)
gence, but the vast distances make it unlikely to test these claims. The establishment of the Terran Consolidation heralded a con-
sensus among the factions to bolster interfactional trade through
It is a mystery whether humanity is the first civilization to evolve he Megacorp Credit Registry’s (MCR) economic benchmarks.
in the Milky Way, but it seems increasingly probable that they are This energy-centric economy pegs the worth of a credit to a kilo-
the first to significantly imprint on it. It is conceivable that other watt-hour of energy output. Consequently, a faction’s economic
civilizations are hidden within their native star systems, or only influence is guaged by its energy potential, and the valuation of
fossils and ruins persist. goods hinges on the energy expended in their manufacture and
distribution.

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 CHAPTER 5: TECHNOLOGY

The adoption of MCR as the universal metric also enabled the ensuring a minimum standard of living for those with a spotless
alliance to gauge each member’s energy generation capabilities. record. This facet of the ACR underscores a societal commitment
In the aftermath of the Cooperative Era, where colossal energy to collective welfare, though one that is contingent upon unques-
reserves fueled the relentless war engines, energy has become a tionable obedience, a criteria too stringent for most.
pivotal metric of influence, facilitating oversight on how the fac-
tions use their influence. CAISHEN SOCIAL BANK (CASB)
In the aftermath of the cease-fire, the Coalition embarked on
While MCR steers the solar economy, factions interpret and im- a bold experiment: opening their borders and communication
plement these guidelines in the way that best fits their culture channels to foreign factions, including their domestic markets.
and agenda. Even those with internal economies divergent from At the forefront of this stood Caishen, the Coalition’s adminis-
MCR use it for cross-faction dealings and commerce. trative powerhouse, which had taken notice of Megacorp’s rapid
growth in the post-war climate. Thus, the Caishen Social Bank
In the societies most directly influenced by MCR, energy has (CaSB) emerged—a counterbalance to Megacorp’s sway and a
become a symbol of wealth and status, with the executive class contender for market dominance.
often competing for valuable sources and means of generation. It
is not uncommon with clusters of isolated reactors, where even While citizens retain the freedom to select their preferred credit
one could produce enough energy to serve their neighbors and registry, the Coalition’s own CaSB system now reigns supreme
more. These reactors are often hidden in vaults and chambers to within domestic markets. This social credit system operates much
prevent sabotage, but it also makes the potential for destruction like the ACR, but focuses even more on rewarding or penalizing
greater when sabotage happens. individuals for their personal conduct. Ostensibly, it serves to en-
force laws and regulations, but its deeper purpose lies in shaping
To the average consumer, MCR acts like a bank that holds their behavior through surveillance and control—a common thread
digital funds. They access these funds using smart devices or among all social credit systems.
their own nanite imprint, trading in goods on a volatile market
dependent upon constant and consistent energy investments. The omnipresence of smart devices casts a watchful eye over dai-
ly activities. Missteps incur fines, their severity calibrated to the
ARCTURIAN CREDIT REGISTRY (ACR) offense. Conversely, acts of kindness yield modest rewards. For
In the Arcturian Dominion, every citizen is woven into the fabric graver transgressions, extensive fines and other punitive meas-
of the Arcturian Credit Registry (ACR). This is a sophisticated ures come into play. Yet, benevolence can elevate one’s standing,
economic system that is built upon the MCR framework, oper- placing them on a public registry of upstanding citizens—a dis-
ates in tandem with it, but incorporates a social credit mecha- tinction that unlocks additional perks.
nism into it. While ACR harmonizes with MCR across the solar
system, it is distinctly made to advance Arcturian interests. Unlike ACR, CaSB puts more emphasis on evaluating people
based on their accumulated credits. Every transaction is me-
The ACR framework is dual-faceted in its approach to income ticulously recorded, ensuring that those who splurge on luxu-
generation. On one hand, employment ensures a stable salary for ries maintain high CaSB scores—albeit in material possessions.
citizens. On the other, the system rewards individuals for life- Wealthy families strategically transfer credits among themselves,
style choices that align with Arcturian values, such as prioritizing securing elevated scores for family members regardless of their
domestic products over foreign alternatives, thereby granting a activities. It is easy for those with financial means to manipulate
supplementary bonus to their monthly earnings. the system into seeing them as upstanding citizens regardless of
their behavior.
This system is reliant upon digital communication networks, uti-
lizing smart devices to analyze and quantify behaviors, attitudes, This system does not prevent crime to any meaningful degree.
and ideologies. Even if a user is nowhere near their own devices, Criminal minds, ever resourceful, circumvent its algorithms.
any smart device that is connected to the system and identifies More vexing still, feigned kindness distorts the landscape. Trust
the individual has the ACR measure their performance and des- becomes elusive; CaSB exposes both virtue and vice. Among
ignate a social score—a dynamic metric that influences overall the elite, minor infractions are paradoxically badges of prestige.
income by assessing conformity to Arcturian ideals. When fines hold no sway, some flaunt their immunity, mock-
ing those who still heed the system. Kindness, once pure, now
The ACR also celebrates and incentivizes exemplary contribu- dances with financial motives, leaving society to grapple with the
tions to society through the hero credit, an accolade reserved blurred lines between virtue and pragmatism.
for those whose actions resonate with the spirit of Arcturus. Es-
teemed athletes, revered celebrities, and accomplished soldiers NITECOIN (NCON)
often find themselves recipients of this prestigious recognition, Within the Directorate’s stratified society, class divisions loom
reflecting Arcturus’ cultural reverence for inspirational figures. large: a powerful executive elite presides over a vast underclass
There are public records of domestic heroes, and the ones with of scavengers and laborers. Despite abundant energy resources,
the highest scores are frequented in Arcturian propaganda. the Directorate deliberately withholds access from most citizens,
ensuring that hard work yields meager rewards. There is no such
For those navigating the challenges of unemployment—a reality thing as a regulated safety net, but welfare organizations work
for many—the ACR’s social score system promises a safety net, hard to help people with the essentials for survival.

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Before the war’s end, the Directorate enforced their own social tation to foreign credit systems to join its markets. With energy
credit system called Nitecoin (Ncon). Each person’s nanite imprint marking financial success, the Dawnlight Society stands upon a
was linked to this system. It did not care as much about negative goldmine: the Helios Swarm, tens of thousands of solar-powered
attitudes and behaviors as ACR and CaSB, but it inccured pen- stations humming with untapped potential.
alties for greater crimes, and traitors or terrorists risked account
termination. Regular nanite scans during transactions allowed Within the Dawnlight Society, every registered citizen under-
swift identification of law enforcement targets. In a world where goes quarterly resource assessments by vigilant wealth inspectors
credits equaled everything, having the option of denying some- and automated surveillance. Resources are weighed against base
one access became a potent governing strategy. needs, and when they hunger for more, citizens make a request
to the Wealth Assessment Bureau, a process called wabbing. This
Today, the Directorate’s borders are open to rival economic sys- balances desire against availability, with personal wealth, needs,
tems, including those controlled by enemies. The burgeoning so- and societal contributions all factoring in. If the individual is
lar market fuels this shift, but it is also strategic. Introducing new tethered to the MCR, ACR, CaSB, or another system, those cred-
markets stimulates consumerism, compelling the lower classes its are taken into account as well.
to work harder to spend their hard-earned credits on market-ap-
proved goods. Wabbing is for the most part facilitated by algorithms, with hu-
man and functionary intervention only in very rare and special
To use foreign credit registries like MCR within the Protector- circumstances. For normal trade, the process is instantaneous.
ate, one condition remains: DNA and nanite imprints must be Some requests are handed out almost freely. Others, however,
scanned before transactions. Any registry detecting alleged ter- remain restricted to certain individuals or behind specific pro-
rorists must terminate their accounts and alert authorities. While fessions. For example, while anyone hungry can ask for a day’s
most comply to operate within the Protectorate, some, like MCR, rations, an engineer might ask for a special tool, and a soldier
exploit legal loopholes to retain funds for these detected crim- could put in a request for armaments or ammunition.
inals. Megacorp leverages these loopholes to attract customers
from the Protectorate’s populace. While born out of good intentions, the Dawnlight Society’s
wealth distribution has birthed a thriving underworld of black
WEALTH ASSESSMENT BUREAU (WABBING) market trading. Smugglers ply their trade, illegal markets pulse
When the Dawnlight Society formed upon Arawn’s claimed with forbidden goods, and hidden fortunes nestle in secret
assets, this enigmatic faction witnessed the collapse of Arawn’s vaults. Requests become currency, traded discreetly between
credit system, and its wealth spilling back into the streets—a desperate hands. Robbings, thefts, and burgleries are common
chatoic redistribution that left society reeling. Since then, society crimes, allowing for the acquisition of goods unaccounted for by
has stabilized, and the Dawnlight Society has extended an invi- the Wealth Assessment Bureau.

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 CHAPTER 5: TECHNOLOGY

ASSETS
FUNCTION ASPECT tacts as an overcome action (p. XX), with the difficulty deter-
Assets, such as items and services, can vary in complexity. This mined by the asset’s Cost. This would have you rely on connec-
chapter explores ways to tailor assets through rules and mechan- tions to source cheaper assets or the funds needed to buy them.
ical impact. However, not all assets require that level of detail. Success on this roll grants access to the asset as if it had –1 Cost,
Often, an asset serves a narrative purpose within the story or but may require a promise or favor to the assisting contacts.
enables specific actions. For instance, while designing a firearm, Succeeding with style could even yield –2 Cost or –1 Cost with-
you might choose to emphasize certain features for physical con- out additional favors. The exact terms of using Contacts are at
flicts. Alternatively, you could simply establish its presence in the the Narrator’s discretion.
scene and its ability to enable Ranged Combat attacks, favoring
narrative flow over mechanical specifics. Yes, characters from higher social classes often find more as-
sets insignificant, and lower-class characters may need to work
When introducing an asset with narrative significance, give it an harder for assets that wealthy characters take for granted. This
associated Aspect (p. XX) based on its function. By adding the is one of the perks of having high Influence.
Function Aspect Automatic Pistol, the item sets expectations for
the narrative context in which it will appear. When introducing To avoid imbalances, consider having PCs belong to the same
Datastick with Compromising Material, the narrative potential social class. While mixing rich and poor characters can create
lies in how this item can drive the story forward. By relying on interesting narratives, be cautious about mechanical benefits.
Function Aspects, you can seamlessly introduce various assets Rewarding fellow players with occasional luxuries can enhance
into the game and weave them into the unfolding narrative. the story, but save these moments for greater impact. The Narra-
tor can impose additional restrictions, such as requiring active
However, some assets benefit from additional mechanical com- roleplay or a specific time frame to acquire high-Cost assets.
plexity. Consider a character wielding an Automatic Pistol. If you
want them to deal extra harm in combat or perform specific ac- SELLING SIGNIFICANT ASSETS
tions, delve into the asset’s properties (p. XX) for customization. If you sell a significant asset of a Cost equal to your maximum
Balancing narrative impact with mechanical weight benefits a Influence, you restore a spent point of Influence. If you sell a
player’s sense of reward and progression. significant asset worth more than your Influence, you restore an
additional point for each extra Cost above your Influence. This
COST can take your total Influence above your default (to maximum
While credit registries like MCR, ACR, and CaSB provide insight 8), albeit temporarily until those points have been spent. The
into the solar system’s economic framework, the game simplifies only way to permanently increase Influence is through major
credits and purchases for ease-of-use and balance. milestones (p. XX).

Assets are assigned Cost values ranging from 0 to 8, indicated in Increasing or reducing Influence through buying or selling as-
brackets before the asset’s name. If an asset’s Cost is no more than sets does not always alter its benefits when invoking it during
one lower than a character’s Influence (p. XX), it is considered social contests or conflicts. The modified Influence rating only
insignificant for that character. Players can freely access any type comes into play in this context if the new rating is important
of insignificant asset that they can narratively justify. However, for the overall social situation. For instance, selling a significant
if they need one during an ongoing scene, consider spending a asset and receiving an influx of credits that increases your In-
Charge to add it as a story detail (p. XX). fluence beyond its normal rating will not necessarily secure you
an easier invitation to a celebrity party. However, it could make
Players should be able to justify their gear. For instance, a soldier it easier for you to bribe someone.
can easily justify military-grade weaponry, while an ordinary
engineer might have better access to specialized tools and ma-
chines. Although an asset may be technically insignificant based CATEGORIES
on its Cost, it must still make sense within the story, with the
Narrator having the final say. CONSUMABLE
A consumable asset disappears after use, such as drugs and poi-
When an asset’s Cost equals or exceeds a character’s Influence, sons. The asset has Dose rating that can be either 1, 3, or 5. Each
it becomes significant to that character. Purchasing a significant time you use the consumable asset, roll a d6 and compare the
asset with a Cost equal to the character’s Influence temporarily result to its Dose value. If you roll equal to or higher than that
reduces their Influence by one for the purpose of reflecting fi- value, the asset is used up. Keep in mind that a Dose rating of 1
nancial means. To access an asset with a higher Cost than their represents a single dose, with no roll necessary.
Influence, players can use roleplay, social contests, or connec-
tions. For example, successful bartering could allow acquiring Because of the Dose value, the exact amounts of consumable
an asset at –1 Cost. assets you can carry on you is abstracted. Treat similar consum-
able assets as part of the same bundle, sharing the same Dose
Players can attempt to access higher-Cost assets by rolling Con- value. If you have the Influence to treat a consumable asset as

142
an insignificant expense, having additional purchases share the WEARABLE
same Dose value prevents players from the possibility of unlim- A wearable asset can be worn like clothing or armor. Normal
ited consumables. clothing are simply narrative details that you are free to express
as you want, but there are options for more mechanically com-
COMPANION plex garments as well. Armor also falls under this category.
A companion is an independent entity under the player’s control,
such as an animal, employee, or droid. Companions are typically If you acquire a wearable asset with the Encasing Aspect (p. XX),
played by the Narrator but remain loyal to the PC. Discuss with it provides cover to your entire body. These let you apply Ar-
your Narrator how you want them to be represented in game. mored Soak to hazards (p. XX), and can prevent aimed attacks
(p. XX) from bypassing Armored Soak (p. XX). If you have an
Remember that companions acquired as assets are limited by Encasing asset, other types of wearable assets are incompatible
properties and Cost values. If you intend to design NPCs for oth- with it unless they have a special property called Attachment (p.
er purposes, follow the guidelines in Chapter 9 instead. An NPC XX). But remember! An asset can only bear a maximum number
that is allied to the PCs are their own person, and should be treat- of attachments equal to half its Cost, rounded up.
ed as such, while companions acquired as assets are considered
extensions of the PC’s capabilities in the form of NPCs.

DIGITAL
A digital asset can only affect digital spaces and systems. It must
be stored within an electronic asset (p. XX) of equal or higher
Cost. It can affect the capabilities of the device it is stored within,
or any systems it is connected to, but only through digital exten-
sions; it cannot add physical qualities to a device.

It is possible to make digital alternatives to physical assets, such

as a digital representation of a firearm that can be wielded by
your avatar (p. XX). These types of programs are called niteware,
and are essential for taking on machine-gods and opposing in-
terfacers in the Nanite Matrix.

Whenever you have an electronic device connected to the smart

device (p. XX) you use to interface with the Nanite Matrix, such
as an electronic weapon linked to your mind-matrix interface,
the linked device is automatically represented digitally as well.
One of the perks of electronic equipment is that they can be used
in this way; the drawback is that they are vulnerable to hacking.

GEAR
Gear consists of assets that are carried with you, such as weapons,
tools, and gadgets. Everything you expect to have on your per-
son in physical form can be treated as gear items. There are no
definitive rules for how much gear you can carry with you; use
common sense and Narrator discretion to determine that.

VEHICLE
A vehicle is a transportation asset with traits similar to compan-
ions (see above). While most vehicles do not act independently
(though some do), they have access to Stress and Consequence
slots, just like companions. Although most vehicles are too large
and heavy to be carried around, smaller vehicles (such as hover-
boards) could also be treated as gear assets (see above).

Most modern electronic vehicles are equipped with digital as-

sistants and autopilot features (p. XX). This means that you can
acquire vehicles even if you do not meet the Piloting Skill re-
quirements to use them (if they have any). If you try to pilot a
vehicle manually without meeting the requirements, treat the
requirements as the difficulty for passive opposition to deter-
mine if you can even use its basic features. Should you fail that
roll, you have no understanding of even its basic functionalities.

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 CHAPTER 5: TECHNOLOGY

COST FORM PROPERTY PAGE –1 Warm XX

Varies Transformer XX ±0 Masked XX
–7 to –1 Heavy XX ±0 to +2 Shield XX
–2 to ±0 Consumable XX +1 Air Filter XX
–2 to +9 Electronic XX +1 Encasing XX
–1 Blacklisted XX +1 Noise Filter XX
±0 to +6 Retractable XX +1 Psionic Shielding XX
+1 Attachment XX +1 Stealth XX
+1 Discreet XX +1 Stretch Fiber XX
+1 Prestige XX +1 Subnautical XX
+1 Trick Fiber XX
COST ELECTRONIC PROPERTY PAGE +1 Visor XX
±0 to +5 Communication Service XX +1 or +2 Impact Dampener XX
±0 to +5 Interface XX +1 or +2 Resilience XX
±0 to +9 Security XX +1 or +2 Self-Maintenance XX
+1 or +2 Mind-Matrix Interface XX +1 or +2 Weather Resistant XX
+1 Sensor XX +2 Insulation XX
+1 or +4 Credit Storage XX +2 Space Insulation XX
+1 to +5 Projection XX
+2 Flesh-Matrix Interface XX COST COMPANION PROPERTY PAGE
Varies Asset Skills XX
COST HARMFUL PROPERTY PAGE –1 Drone XX
Varies Harm XX –1 to +1 Animal XX
+1 Area Attack XX ±0 Human XX
+1 Burning XX ±0 Mount XX
+1 Burst Attack XX ±0 to +8 Goons XX
+1 Corrosive XX +1 Droid XX
+1 Demolition XX +1 Functionary XX
+1 Diseased XX +1 Specter XX
+1 Freezing XX +1 to +6 Swarm XX
+1 Reach XX +2 Elemental XX
+1 Rend XX
+1 Rotting XX COST VEHICLE PROPERTY PAGE
+1 Scatter Shot XX –1 or +1 Cargo XX
+1 Silent Attack XX ±0 to +4 Speed XX
+1 Smashing XX +1 Navigation XX
+1 Stunned XX
+1 Sweep Attack XX COST GENERAL PROPERTY PAGE
+1 Trauma XX Varies Task Bonus XX
+1 or +2 Auto-Loader XX –10 to –1 Skill Requirement XX
+1 to +8 Armor-Piercing XX –4 to –1 Task Penalty XX
+1 to +10 Potency XX –2 to ±0 Resource Reliance XX
+2 Homing XX –1 Flaw XX
±0 or +1 Alternative Skill XX
COST PROTECTIVE PROPERTY PAGE ±0 to +4 Effect Range XX
Varies Asset Stress and Consequences XX +1 Bonus XX
–2 or –1 Mobility Penalty XX +1 Enable Action XX
–2 or –1 Vulnerability XX +1 Special Action XX

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FORM PROPERTIES cannot be replicated through purely analog means. Most elec-
tronics charge automatically from surrounding power grids, or
[VARIES] TRANSFORMER even by the Nanite Matrix itself, and only risk power loss due to
An asset given this property becomes a transformer. This allows specific effects, such as electromagnetic pulses or sabotage.
you to create two sets of properties of equal value (excluding
form properties), enabling the asset to shift between the two Any attempt to actively compromise the asset, like energy drain-
forms. Examples include a droid that can transform into a vehi- age or hacking, must roll against Security as passive opposition;
cle or a rifle that can become a cane. this is a trait inherent to all electronic assets. If you acquire this
trait at ±0 Cost, its Security value is Average (+1) Scale 1. You can
By acquiring this property at a +1 Cost, you may shift forms as increase the Rank by two (up to Superb [+5]) or the Scale by one
a free action. At ±0 Cost, you can shift forms either as a create (up to Scale 8) for an additional +1 Cost per increment—reach-
advantage action (p. XX) or by expending a Charge, making a ing Superb (+5) Scale 8 would thus be at +9 Cost.
Power roll (p. XX), or something equivalent. Additionally, you
may choose to add extra forms at a +1 Cost per form. Certain potent inherent properties carry the risk of exhausting
the asset upon usage. This invokes what is called a Power roll,
[–7 TO –1] HEAVY where you roll a d6 and compare it to the asset’s Power rating.
The asset is heavier than it appears, with how much being con- Should the roll match or surpass the Power rating, the asset is
tingent upon this property’s Cost. At a –1 Cost, the asset acquires deemed Depleted. At ±0 Cost, the Power rating is 6. You may
the Heavy Aspect—using it incurs a stackable –1 mobility pen- choose to lower this to Power 4 (–1 Cost) or Power 2 (–2 Cost).
alty (p. XX) unless you have Athletics Scale 2 or higher. At a –2
Cost, it gains the Very Heavy Aspect instead—this incurs a –2 Should your electronic asset become Depleted, it will recharge
mobility penalty at Scale 1, –1 at Scale 2, and lets you ignore the automatically over the course of a scene, becoming operational
penalty at Scale 3 or higher. again at the scene’s conclusion. If distant from a power grid, re-
charging occurs more slowly, typically taking a few hours, sub-
With each additional –1 Cost, the required Scale increases by 1, ject to the Narrator’s discretion. This recharging process can be
up to a maximum of Scale 8 at a –7 Cost. If the requirement ex- made faster if you have access to certain means, like fuel cells (p.
ceeds your own Scale by more than two, lifting the asset off the XX) or Electrical Coding (p. XX).
ground is impossible. At a –3 Cost or greater, it will have the
Extremely Heavy Aspect.
If you intend to also give your electronic asset the Interface
When applied to a companion asset (p. XX), it incurs the penalty property (p. XX), it is recommended to keep its inherent
unless its own Athletics Scale meets the requirements. Security low and instead acquire Security Program (p. XX)
as a digital asset. This could you save you some Cost.
When added to a vehicle asset (p. XX), this property functions
differently. It can only be acquired at costs ranging from –3 to –1,
imposing a corresponding mobility penalty and resulting in the [–1] BLACKLISTED
Heavy, Very Heavy, or Extremely Heavy Aspects, as appropriate. The asset is illegal or controversial in some form, such as being
stolen, unlicensed, or causing you to attract negative attention.

Remember that while the Cost reduction from this prop- Come up with a suitable Aspect that describes the problematic
erty can enable a character with superhuman strength to nature of the asset, and decide together with the Narrator how
access gear with a great many impactful properties, do not that presents itself. Examples include Provocative (the asset dis-
ignore what this added weight means for the story! If you plays controversial imagery, increasing the likelihood of public
wield a weapon so heavy that floors break under your feet, disapproval), Illegal (the asset is clearly unlawful, potentially
then maybe carrying it around is too much trouble than its leading to legal complications), or Stolen (the asset has been tak-
worth in many situations. en from its rightful owner, placing you at risk of being accused).

[±0 TO +6] RETRACTABLE

[–2 TO ±0] CONSUMABLE An asset with this property can be reduced to a smaller size (p.
The asset carries the risk of depletion with each use. This is rep- XX) as a free action. For each +1 Cost, the asset can retract into
resented by a Dose rating, which can be 1 (–2 Cost), 3 (–1 Cost), a size category smaller, up to a maximum Cost equal to the num-
or 5 (±0 Cost). Whenever you use the asset, you must roll a d6 ber of steps needed for the asset to reach miniscule size (some-
and compare the outcome to its Dose rating. If the roll is equal thing small enough to fit in a closed fist). For a –1 Cost, retract-
to or exceeds the Dose rating, the asset is considered consumed. ing the asset will require either a create advantage action or be
Note that a Dose rating of 1 indicates a single-use dose, requiring at the expense of a Charge, a Power roll (p. XX), or equivalent.
no roll.
The appearance of a retracted asset depends on its type. For ex-
[–2 TO +9] ELECTRONIC ample, medium weapons or armor could transform into light
The assets operates on electrical energy, represented by the Elec- weapons or armor; a light weapon could become an object small
tronic Aspect. This is essential for many modern features that enough to fit in your pocket, and light armor could become a sin-

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 CHAPTER 5: TECHNOLOGY

gle wearable item, like a bracer. When applied to Siege I weapons reasons for limiting access to the outside world. A communica-
(p. XX) or Frame I armor (p. XX), they retract into normal-sized tion service can be added to a smart device (p. XX), either as one
variants. For companions and vehicles, they adopt the Stress and of its properties or to a digital asset (p. XX) installed within. This
Consequence slots of the smaller size category. Vehicles cannot service grants three primary functionalities, with the service’s
retract to a size smaller than what would comfortably accommo- Cost defining the scope.
date any passengers or cargo, unless those passengers and cargo
are first removed. You may utilize your smart device to communicate with other
devices within range of the service. To do so, you must have
The maximum Cost at which you can acquire this property is de- access to the targeted device’s signature (SIG) number.
termined by the number of size categories into which your asset Your smart device can connect to the System (p. XX), a fac-
can reasonably retract, down to a minimum of a miniscule size. tion’s regional network, and access databases, nitesites, social
For example, a heavy Siege III asset (or a colossal companion or media platforms, and entertainment services.
vehicle) would need to retract six steps to become small enough
The smart device also allows you to connect to—or hack into—
to fit in your pocket—the property would then have +6 Cost.
other smart devices on the System, regardless of distance, pro-
vided you have their SIG number. Otherwise, you must discov-
Weapon sizes: Miniscule (can no longer be used as a weapon),
er it through means approved by the Narrator. You must still
Light, Medium, Heavy, Siege I, Siege II, Siege III.
overcome the device’s Security to gain access.
Armor sizes: Garment (can no longer be used as armor), Light,
Medium, Heavy, Frame I, Frame II, Frame III.
All network communications are subject to surveillance, unless
Companions/Vehicle sizes: Miniscule, Tiny, Small, Medium, you increase the communication service’s Cost by +1 or possess
Large, Huge, Colossal. an Interfacing Skill Rank of Good (+3) or better.

[+1] ATTACHMENT [±0] Free Service: Restricts your access to within a ten-kilom-
This property allows an asset to integrate its features with a sec- eter radius of your device. Connection to data or devices be-
ondary asset that acts as a base. For example, it could enable the yond this area is not possible.
attachment of a jetpack to armor or a silencer to a firearm. Only [+1] Basic Service: Expands your access to cover your local
the item being attached (and not the base) needs this property. metropolis or a fifty-kilometer radius, whichever is greater.
The base asset can accommodate a number of attachments up to
[+2] Advanced Service: Extends your reach to the entirety of
half its Cost, rounded up. An asset with this property cannot act
your planetary body (such as Earth, Luna, or Mars) or to sta-
as the base for another attachment asset.
tions within geostationary orbit distance. Although this level
allows for broad communication, it excludes networks under
If the attachment asset and the base asset have identical proper-
foreign faction control.
ties, those don’t stack. Instead, use the highest of the ratings.
[+3] Greater Service: Similar to the advanced service but in-
[+1] DISCREET cludes access to all communication networks, regardless of the
The asset is designed to obscure its features. For example, an ar- operator. This covers regions beyond metropolises, like waste-
mor could look like an ordinary garment while a weapon could lands, where many prohibited nitesites are located. Some net-
be made to look like a harmless tool. Any non-obvious property works might remain encrypted, barring straightforward access.
must be carefully inspected to be seen for what it is. [+4] Solar Service: Provides connectivity to all communica-
tion networks within the solar system, reaching as far as the
[+1] PRESTIGE Kuiper Belt. Communications across the solar system are fa-
The asset stands out due to its exceptional nature, such as being cilitated by teleporting data between interconnected matrix
a collector’s item, crafted by a renowned artist, or being rare and nodes (p. XX).
sought-after for a particular reason.
This service ensures instantaneous communication, adjusted
Come up with a fitting Aspect that describes the asset’s unique- for time dilation effects. Although response times may occa-
ness, and decide together with the Narrator how that presents sionally be delayed due to significant time dilation differenc-
itself. Examples include Fashionable (the asset is recognized as es, it does not affect the real-time comprehension of conver-
a trendsetter, garnering you attention at social gatherings), The sations. For example, if time dilation would normally extend
Last One (the asset is the final existing specimen of its kind, mak- a five-second statement to seven seconds, the service com-
ing it highly desirable to collectors), or Praetorian Guard Uni- pensates, presenting it as a two second-delay followed by the
form (the asset is the official uniform of the esteemed Praetorian five-second statement.
Guard, affording you recognition as one of its members).
Lastly, when interfacing with the Nanite Matrix using this ser-
vice, your projected avatar is transmitted via the matrix nodes
ELECTRONIC PROPERTIES to a desired location. This features enables direct interaction
with others, unaffected by time and space, all from the comfort
[±0 TO +5] COMMUNICATION SERVICE of your home. However, while connected, your physical body
Communication is not free, and various factions have their own remains inactive.

146
[±0 TO +5] INTERFACE is defeated in a digital conflict (p. XX). If your physical body is
You may enhance an electronic asset (p. XX) with this property disturbed, such as by sustaining an injury, you will also automat-
for +1 Cost, adding the Interface Aspect (p. XX). This upgrade ically disconnect, and your consciousness returns to your body.
transforms it into a functional computer, capable of system inter-
actions (p. XX), also known as a smart device. It can hold digital There is a risk associated with this kind of interfacing, which
assets (p. XX) whose Cost does not exceed its own. largely prevents it from popular use. If an event occurs that traps
your consciousness within the Nanite Matrix, your physical body
When interacting with your smart device, you have the option will remain comatose until your mind and body can be recon-
to defend it using active rather than passive opposition, using nected. This risk can be mitigated somewhat by adding +1 Cost.
the higher value between Security (p. XX) and your Interfacing The asset will then make a backup of your mind upon activation.
Skill. Furthermore, you can link it to any of your other electronic Should your mind be unable to return to your body, the asset can
devices, allowing you to utilize the highest Security value among utilize the copied mind instead. In such a case, you would have
all connected devices for their collective defense. However, if a no memory of the time spent interfacing, and it conceivable that
hacker manages to circumvent the Security of any device, they a digital copy of you could exist elsewhere.
gain access to all interconnected assets.
[+1] SENSOR
The smart device comes with a default Wireless Range of 0, which A sensor is an electronic device that detects specific things, such
can be increased incremenetally by +1 Cost per range level, up as types of energy, and translates them into sensory data. For
to a maximum Wireless Range of 4 for an additional +4 Cost. example, a visual infrared sensor detects infrared radiation and
This feature determines the distance over which you can interact converts it into visual information; an auditory radiowave sensor
with systems (p. XX) and other devices. Should you not want this picks up radiowaves and converts them into auditory informa-
feature, you can remove the Wireless Range entirely for a –1 Cost tion; a somatic gravity sensor senses gravity and converts it into
reduction. This would make it so that the asset can only interact somatic information.
with other assets or systems through a physical connection.
When acquiring a sensor, decide what type of information it will
When adding this property to an electronic asset, it is important detect and the manner in which this information will be translat-
to consider the type of interfacing system it uses. Smart devices ed. Some suggested sensor types include:
typically utilize a variety of complementary interfacing systems,
such as neural and somatic feedback, along with assorted sen- Acoustic waves: Examples include audible sound, infrasound,
sors. Moreover, the data can be presented to the user through and ultrasound.
diverse methods, including visual displays like screens or holo- Biology: The presence of living cells.
graphic projections, auditory transmissions as sound, or even Chemistry: Molecular structures and chemical interactions.
direct neural feedback.
Electromagnetic radiation: Examples include radiowaves,
microwaves, infrared radiation, visible light, ultraviolet light,
[±0 TO +9] SECURITY
x-rays, and gamma rays.
This is an alternative property specifically for the Security rating,
which is incorporated into the Electronic property (p. XX). You Gravity: Gravitational waves and warped spacetime.
don’t need this to have a Security rating if your asset is electron- Matrix: The Nanite Matrix, including entities within it such as
ic. However, it is commonly added to digital assets (p. XX) to interfacers and machine-gods.
enhance the Security of smart devices without increasing their Motion: The movement of creatures or objects.
overall Cost. Alternatively, it can be paired with the Attachment
property (p. XX) to serve as a physical enhancement that im- Nanite: Nanites, including nanite anomalies like matrix rifts
proves Security, such as a protective coating or other measures. and chanites.
Psionic: Psionic communication.
At ±0 Cost, the asset’s Security is Average (+1) Scale 1. For each Temperature: Thermal information.
additional +1 Cost, you can either increase the Rank by two (to
maximum Superb [+5]) or the Scale by one (to maximum 8).
You may acquire this property multiple times to include different
types of sensors.
[+1 OR +2] MIND-MATRIX INTERFACE
This property can be added to an asset with the Interface Aspect
[+1 TO +4] CREDIT STORAGE
(see above). It is typically worn as a headset or is otherwise con-
You may add this property to an electronic device or to a digital
nected to your neural activity. When you activate its feature, your
asset (p. XX) stored within a smart device for the purpose of stor-
body is rendered comatose while your consciousness is trans-
ing credits. The property allows you to store two points of Influ-
ferred into the Nanite Matrix. There, you manifest as a digital
ence for every +1 Cost, up to a maximum of eight Influence at +4
avatar (p. XX), allowing you to interact with nitespace as though
Cost. To deposit the credits, you must spend points of Influence
it were realspace. This also grants you access to the additional
corresponding to the amount you wish to store.
Stress boxes provided by your Interfacing Skill (if any).
These stored credits can be used in two ways:
This state persists until you choose to disconnect from the sys-
tem, until you are forcefully disconnected, or until your avatar You can use them to restore depleted Influence.

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You can use them to improve transactions. If you have at least quently, a heavy Siege III weapon would inherently have Harm
one Influence point stored, you may discard it to augment 6, at Cost 1.
your effective Influence by one during a purchase. You cannot
combine stored Influence points to increase your Influence by Should you want a weaker weapon, you can decrease its Harm by
more than one; however, this action can be repeated for multi- one for a –1 Cost reduction. If you instead want a more powerful
ple purchases if you have several points stored. weapon, you can increase Harm by one for +1 Cost. However,
you cannot further reduce or improve this property’s Cost be-
yond these options.
Credit storage cannot enable characters with low Influence to
acquire high-Cost assets, but it does facilitate the acquisition of An exception to these guidelines exists for consumable assets,
significant assets that are closer to their own Influence level. such as bombs, or effects that require a resource to use. These
constraints permit a higher damage output, effectively doubling
[+1 TO +5] PROJECTION the Harm conferred by this property. For example, a hand gre-
This property can be added to an electronic asset (p. XX), al- nade, which is categorized as a light weapon, would naturally in-
lowing it to display visual data as floating projections within the flict Harm 2 instead of 1 by default, and Harm 4 instead of 2 with
user’s immediate surroundings. Any auditory data is directed by an additional +1 Cost.
the asset to emanate from the projection point. The displayed
hologram can cover your zone at an additional +1 Cost, with [+1] AREA ATTACK
each adjacent zone costing an additional +1, up to a maximum This property may be given to a harmful asset that either de-
four-zone radius at a total +5 Cost. pends on a certain type of source, such as ammunition or fuel, or
that risks self-consumption, like a grenade. The asset can attack
This feature can be used to project entire groups of interacting as many targets as is narratively reasonable within a zone, unless
individuals, representations of nitespace in realspace, or illusions they are completely concealed by cover. Typically, this is treated
intended to deceive people. Employing holographic projections as a hazard (p. XX), requiring armor with the Encasing Aspect (p.
for deception can be accomplished using various Skills; however, XX) to apply Armored Soak against it—although various types
the most common ones are Creativity, Interfacing, and Larceny. of area attacks may function differently. The attack depletes the
resource, such as draining your ammunition.
[+2] FLESH-MATRIX INTERFACE
This property can be added to an Encasing (p. XX) and Electronic [+1] BURNING
(p. XX) garment, enabling physical interaction with the Nanite This property can be given to assets that are capable of inflicting
Matrix. This feature allows you to engage in direct interfacing Electrical or Pyro Harm. If you succeed with style while attack-
(p. XX) as though you were present in your avatar form (p. XX), ing with the asset, you have the option to reduce the inflicted
which includes the ability to attack and be attacked by digital Stress by one in order to remove a cryo-based Situation Aspect,
entities. You may utilize any Stress boxes from your Interfacing such as Frozen, or add a pyro-based one, such as On Fire.
Rank, but you also have the option to suffer Physical instead of
Digital Consequences when attacked. [+1] BURST ATTACK
This property can be given to a Ranged Combat weapon that
If you possess an electronic weapon, you can link it to this as- possesses an Ammo rating (p. XX). When using the weapon to
set, thereby extending the flesh-matrix interface to the weapon. attack, you have the option to add a free invocation to your attack
Possessing the Visor property (p. XX) grants you visual matrix roll. However, once the attack has been executed, your Ammo
perception, eliminating the need for the Sensor property (p. XX). rating is reduced by one for a subsequent immediate Ammo roll.

[+1] CORROSIVE
HARMFUL PROPERTIES This property can be given to assets that are capable of inflicting
Acid or Entropic Harm. If you succeed with style while attacking
[VARIES] HARM with the asset, you have the option to reduce the inflicted Stress
This property should be given to any asset that is capable of in- by one in order to erode the target’s armor, reducing its Armored
flicting Stress. For ±0 Cost, select a single harm type (p. XX), Soak by one until repaired. If the Armored Soak is reduced to 0,
such as Blunt, Sharp, or Projectile. You may include additional the armor is destroyed beyond repair.
harm types for an extra +1 Cost each. The Narrator may impose
additional prerequisites for certain harm types; for example, a [+1] DEMOLITION
weapon that causes Electrical Harm might also need to be elec- The asset adds a +2 bonus to Harm when used to attack inan-
tronic (p. XX). If you wish to use unconventional harm types, imate objects, such as doors, vehicles, or droids. This may also
consult the Narrator. encompass heavily augmented cyborgs with bodies comprised of
more metal than flesh.
A weapon with this property must have a Harm rating that corre-
sponds to its size (p. XX). A Cost 1 weapon has Harm 1 for light [+1] DISEASED
weapons, Harm 2 for medium weapons, and Harm 3 for heavy This property can be given to assets capable of inflicting Entrop-
weapons. Siege I weapons add an additional +1 to this rating, ic, Poison, or Radiation Harm. If you succeed with style while at-
Siege II weapons add +2, and Siege III weapons add +3. Conse- tacking with the asset, you have the option to reduce the inflicted

148
Stress by one in order to add the Discomfort Situation Aspect. Electrical Harm. If you succeed with style while attacking with
This causes the target to experience a sense of weakness, mani- the asset, you have the option to reduce the inflicted Stress by one
festing as somatic discomfort, fatigue, sweating, or the like. The to gain the Boost Stunned with two free invocations. If you don’t
target cannot benefit from rest until the Aspect is removed. make use of this Boost before the end of next round, you lose it.

[+1] FREEZING [+1] SWEEP ATTACK

This property can be given to assets capable of inflicting Cryo This property may be applied to a harmful asset, allowing you
Harm. If you succeed with style while attacking with the asset, to divide the result of your attack roll to affect several enemies
you can choose to reduce the inflicted Stress by one in order to within the same zone. For example, if you roll a Great (+4) Scale
remove a pyro-based Situation Aspect, such as On Fire, or add a 1 result, you could choose to split it into two Fair (+2) Scale 1
cryo-based one, such as Frozen. outcomes, four Average (+1) Scale 1 outcomes, or any other vi-
able combination. You must announce your intent to divide the
[+1] REACH attack prior to making the initial roll.
This property can be given to a Close Combat weapon, grant-
ing it the Long Reach Aspect. This Aspect prevents an opponent [+1] TRAUMA
from invoking Situation Aspects that are based on certain ad- This property can be given to an asset capable of inflicting phys-
vantageous positions, such as Mounted or High Ground, when ical harm. Rather than executing a standard physical attack, you
defending against your attacks. have the option to initiate a mental attack against a target within
the asset’s standard effect range. The mental attack will make use
Siege weapons (p. XX) inherently possess this property. If you of the weapon’s highest Harm value.
wield such a weapon, you may choose to acquire this property
again, which grants you one to three free invocations (one for [+1 OR +2] AUTO-LOADER
Siege I, two for Siege II, and three for Siege III) per conflict scene This property can be given to a Ranged Combat weapon that re-
to spend on the Long Reach Aspect. lies on ammunition (p. XX) and possesses electronic features (p.
XX). Whenever you fail on the Ammo roll, the weapon automat-
[+1] REND ically reloads immediately after your attack. If you have different
Physical Consequences inflicted by the asset mitigate one fewer Ammo types, you must decide in advance which type is loaded
Stress and have their treatment difficulty increased by one. into the auto-loader.

[+1] ROTTING If you get the +1 Cost version of this property, you can have only
This property can be given to assets capable of inflicting Entropic one extra ammunition type prepared at any given time. If you get
or Poison Harm. If you succeed with style while attacking with it at +2, you may install a second type, and you can choose which
the asset, you have the option to reduce the inflicted Stress by one one the auto-loader will use with each reload.
to apply the Aging Situation Aspect. While this is mostly cosmet-
ic, signified by details like mold, rust, or graying hair, it can also [+1 TO +8] ARMOR-PIERCING
serve a tactical purpose, such as weakening a structure. When using the asset to attack, it negates a number of Soak equal
to this property’s Cost, up to a maximum of eight Soak at +8
[+1] SCATTER SHOT Cost. Additionally, if the attack completely bypasses a target’s
This property can be given to assets capable of ranged attacks. Armored Soak through mitigation and inflicts at least one Stress
You gain a +2 bonus to your attack roll when targeting an enemy on that target, the Armored Soak is permanently ablated by one.
within the same zone as you. However, if you attack beyond your
own zone, the ranged penalty increases by one. [+1 TO +10] POTENCY
This property can be added to assets that possess their own at-
[+1] SILENT ATTACK tack values (and do not depend on the character’s Skills), such as
You can use the asset to launch an attack from concealment certain poisons. This is comparable to hazards (p. XX) in many
without revealing your position. Should the target survive your situations. At +1 Cost, the asset’s Potency is rated at Average (+1)
assault, they will receive a Boost on their next attempt to locate Scale 1. For each additional +1 Cost, you may either increase
you. However, your concealment will remain intact. Rank by two (to maximum Superb [+5]) or Scale by one (to max-
imum 8). Therefore, a Potency of Superb (+5) Scale 8 equates to
[+1] SMASHING a +10 Cost.
This property can be given to assets capable of inflicting Blunt
Harm. If you succeed with style while attacking with the asset, [+2] HOMING
you have the option to reduce the inflicted Stress by one to knock This property can be given to a Ranged Combat weapon with
your target Prone (with one free invocation). This will inhibit electronic features (p. XX). When you attack with this weapon,
their reflexive moment until they reposition themselves. Alter- its projectiles home in on your target. The attack bypasses sight
natively, you may choose to knock the target into an adjacent limitations and cover provided there is an unobstructed path to
zone, provided there are no barriers impeding passage. the target. If no sight limitations or cover exist, you gain a free
invocation on the attack. However, even if you cannot see the
[+1] STUNNED target, you must be aware of its presence and position.
This property can be given to assets capable of inflicting Blunt or

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If this property is applied to a throwing weapon, it will return to um shields are possible to conceal, while light shields can only be
your hand after it is used. concealed with some effort.

[+1] AIR FILTER

PROTECTIVE PROPERTIES This property can be applied to an asset that covers your mouth
and nose, or completely encases you. It provides full insulation
[VARIES] ASSET STRESS AND CONSEQUENCES from inhaled hazards, including chemicals, toxins, and certain
This property is suitable for either companion (p. XX) or vehicle diseases. In the case of enclosed vehicles, this property only of-
(p. XX) assets. Consider the asset’s size when defining its default fers protection against hazards that are outside the vehicle itself.
Stress and Consequence slots. Also, consider the types of con-
flicts in which it should be able to engage. In some cases, only [+1] ENCASING
Physical Consequence slots may be appropriate; in others, Men- This property can be bestowed upon a garment or a vehicle large
tal or Digital slots could be more relevant. enough to encompass a character. The user becomes Encased by
the asset. If it has a Soak rating, it acts as an Armored Soak for
You may add or remove Stress boxes at a rate of ±1 Cost for ±2 anyone encased within, applicable to all forms of external threats,
Stress boxes. The asset must retain at least one Stress box and including hazards (p. XX). Aimed attacks (p. XX) can no longer
cannot exceed more than twice its default value. circumvent its Armored Soak. Additionally, the asset offers com-
plete protection against contact exposure. When combined with
Alternatively, you may add or remove Consequence slots; ±1 any form of air reliance (see the Resource Reliance property at
Cost for a Mild or Moderate slot, and ±2 Cost for a Severe slot. page XX), it can provide full insulation from inhaled hazards,
You can add or remove only one of each type. similar to the Air Filter property (see above).

[–2 OR –1] MOBILITY PENALTY Certain Consequences sustained by a vehicle with this property,
This flaw can be added to an asset that serves as a garment, such such as Broken Window or Ripped-Off Door, may, at the Narra-
as armor or clothing. The asset is cumbersome to wear and hin- tor’s discretion, expose any pilot or passenger to direct attacks.
ders the character’s movement. You incur a penalty of –2 or –1 In such instances, the vehicle should be considered as no longer
to all Physical Skill rolls, depending on this property’s Cost. This Encasing.
penalty is cumulative with the standard mobility penalty (p. XX)
associated with medium and heavy armor. [+1] NOISE FILTER
This property can be added to an asset that is worn on or over
[–2 OR –1] VULNERABILITY your ears. It balances and filters incoming sound, blocking or re-
This flaw can be added to any asset with a Soak rating (p. XX). ducing loud or distracting noises while allowing softer sounds to
The asset becomes sensitive to a harm type of your choice, which pass through. Thus, the user can maintain a normal conversation
is selected upon acquiring this property. The asset’s Soak is re- even in a combat zone.
duced by either 2 (–1 Cost) or 4 (–2 Cost) against that specific
harm type. This property cannot be acquired if the asset’s default [+1] PSIONIC SHIELDING
Soak is lower than the reduction provided by this property. This property can be added to an asset equipped with Soak and
that envelops the user’s brain, such as a helmet. The user may
[–1] WARM utilize Armored Soak to protect against Psionic Harm.
This flaw can be added to a garment, rendering it too warm to
wear in certain environments. When worn indoors or in a hot [+1] STEALTH
climate, it prevents you from feeling comfortable and at rest. This property can be added to an electronic asset (p. XX). The
asset can be rendered Invisible to specific types of sensory infor-
[±0] MASKED mation, such as acoustic waves or thermal vision. This requires a
This property can be added to an asset that is worn on your head, Charge or a Power roll following active use; during a conflict, this
obscuring your facial features. means after each round in which the asset is used.

[±0 TO +2] SHIELD A weapon with this property can be used to attack as if concealed
This property can be assigned to an object that could serve as a (p. XX), while encasing armor or vehicles (see above) with it can
shield. When you wield it, you may use it to deflect both melee cloak the entire user.
and ranged attacks by using your Close Combat Skill. Addition-
ally, you gain a bonus to your defense roll, which is contingent This property can be stacked with additional sensor types at +1
on the shield’s size (p. XX) and this property’s Cost: +0/1/2 for Cost per type. When spending the Charge or making the Power
a light shield, +1/2/3 for a medium shield, or +2/3/4 for a heavy roll, it applies to all the sensor types you wish to cloak against. See
shield. This bonus stacks with that from full defense (p. XX) and the Sensor property (p. XX) for a list of suggested sensor types.
also with the bonus from close combat dual wielding (p. XX).
[+1] STRETCH FIBER
Shields are inherently more challenging to conceal than typical This property can be added to any asset that can be worn or car-
weapons, hence they are treated as one size category larger for ried. The asset is outfitted with a synthetic material designed to
concealment purposes. This means that neither heavy nor medi- adjust its form. Should any effect cause you to shrink or grow

150
while you are wearing the asset, it will adapt accordingly. If the asset is electronic (p. XX) and has a Soak or Stress rating,
like armor or a vehicle, you may add this property at +2 instead
[+1] SUBNAUTICAL of +1 Cost. Should the asset’s Soak value be ablated, it will au-
This property can be given to an encasing asset (see above), such tomatically return to its full Soak value by the end of the scene.
as full-body armor or a vehicle. The asset is waterproofed, shield- Mild Physical Consequences sustained by the asset are also
ing the user from water-related dangers, and ensures they retain self-repaired after the scene’s end. If the asset has a Power rating
navigational control and structural integrity, even amidst strong (p. XX) or equivalent, you can immediately restore one Soak or
currents and high pressure. The user can move through water Stress box by initiating a Power roll. For this roll, impose a –1
with ease. However, if Sharp or Projectile Harm breaches the as- penalty to Power for each additional Soak or Stress box you wish
set’s Soak while submerged, it will be considered Breached until to recover, with the limit set at Power 1.
it is repaired.
[+1 OR +2] WEATHER RESISTANT
Should these repaired be delayed, the character may lose the abil- This property can be incorporated into a garment, reducing the
ity to navigate or risk drowning. If the asset is also equipped with perceived Scale of temperature and weather hazards (p. XX) by
the Self-Maintenance property (p. XX), any breaches will auto- one (+1 Cost) or two (+2 Cost). Should this adjustment reduce a
matically repair themselves after one round. hazard to Scale 0, it may be disregarded completely.

[+2] INSULATION
Properties that insulate the character from hazardous en- This property can be applied to an encasing asset (p. XX), such
vironments, like Subnautical above or Space Insulation on as full-body armor or an enclosed vehicle, providing complete
the next page, use them as is narratively appropriate. If you insulation against a specific harm type, with the exception of
want to add some extra complexity or suspense to these Blunt, Sharp, or Projectile Harm. Alternatively, this property can
situations, consider adding an air reliance through the Re- be used to insulate against chanites in place of a harm type.
source Reliance property (p. XX).
If Sharp or Projectile Harm penetrates the asset’s protection and
results in Stress or Consequences, the asset becomes Breached.
[+1] TRICK FIBER This compromises its insulation until repaired. If the asset also
This property can be added to electronic garments (p. XX), al- possesses the Self-Maintenance property (see above), any breach
lowing them to change texture and color to exhibit unique de- will be automatically repaired after a full round.
signs. If you possess appearance-based bionics or cybernetics,
such as bioluminescence (p. XX) or skinjob (p. XX), the garment [+2] SPACE INSULATION
can integrate this information into its display, effectively allow- This property can be given to an electronic (p. XX) and encasing
ing you to utilize your appearance-based enhancements without (p. XX) asset, such as full-body armor or an enclosed vehicle. The
the need to expose your skin. asset offers complete insulation from the vacuum of space. Ad-
ditionally, the user can navigate in such a vacuum using built-in
[+1] VISOR thrusters or other methods.
This property can be added to an asset that shields your eyes,
offering protection from external elements such as hazardous If Sharp or Projectile Harm penetrates the asset’s integrity in
chemicals or toxins. The visor features a self-cleaning coating space, it is considered Breached. This compromises the insulation
that prevents fog and liquid accumulation, along with an au- until repaired. If the asset also possesses the Self-Maintenance
to-shading feature that safeguards against lasers and bright light. property (see above), any breach will be automatically repaired
If the asset is electronic (p. XX), it can also project data within after a full round.
your field of vision.

[+1 OR +2] IMPACT DAMPENER COMPANION PROPERTIES

This property can be added to an encasing asset (p. XX), reduc-
ing the Scale of impact harm by two (+1 Cost) or four (+2 Cost). [VARIES] ASSET SKILLS
Should this adjustment reduce the impact to Scale 0, it may be This property is suitable for assets that can act independently,
disregarded completely. such as companions (p. XX). As long as the asset meets this cri-
terion, it starts with one Skill at Good (+3) Scale 1 and two Skills
[+1 OR +2] RESILIENCE at Average (+1) Scale 1 at no cost, with any remaining applicable
This property can be applied to any asset that has a Soak rating Skill at Mediocre (±0) Scale 1. If you wish to add this proper-
(p. XX). The asset is designed to be resilient to a particular harm ty to an asset other than a companion, you do not receive these
type (p. XX), offering a +2 (+1 Cost) or +4 (+2 Cost) bonus to its default Skills. Instead, for each +1 Cost, you may choose either
Soak against that specific harm type. to improve one Skill Rank by two or two Skill Ranks by one (to
maximum Superb [+5]). Alternatively, you can increase a Skill’s
[+1 OR +2] SELF-MAINTENANCE Scale by one (to maximum 8).
An asset with this property is self-drying, self-cleaning, and ca-
pable of mending minor damage, such as cuts and tears. Any at- [–1] DRONE
tempt to repair (p. XX) the asset faces a –2 difficulty. An electronic (p. XX) companion can be turned into a drone,

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which is not capable of independent action. To operate it, you Any Scale bonus gained from Magnitude cannot exceed Scale 8.
must have a smart device (p. XX) that is connected to the drone. Every increment beyond that adds a free invocation instead.
The device and the drone must establish their initial connection
within the smart device’s Wireless Range; however, once con- Magnitude 0 (±0 Cost): You have access to a group of 2-5
nected, the drone can be moved beyond that range. goons. Add a +1 Scale bonus to applicable Skill rolls. They can
cover a space of up to five square meters.
Operating a drone is akin to performing a teamwork action (p. Magnitude 1 (+1 Cost): You have access to a group of 6-10
XX). You pilot it using Interfacing or Piloting, and you may add goons. Add a +2 Scale bonus to applicable Skills rolls, and
a +1 bonus if the drone has at least Average (+1) in the Skill rele- +1 Harm to their attacks. They can cover a space of up to ten
vant to the task at hand. Alternatively, you may issue a command square meters.
to the drone; it will execute the command precisely as given, uti-
Magnitude 2 (+2 Cost): You have access to a group of 11-50
lizing its own Skills. In this scenario, you may support the drone
goons. Add a +3 Scale bonus to applicable Skill rolls, +1 Harm
with your Interfacing or Piloting, contributing your own team-
to their attacks, and +1 to their Natural and Mental Soak. They
work bonus to its action.
can cover a space of up to fifty square meters.
[–1 TO +1] ANIMAL Magnitude 3 (+3 Cost): You have access to a group of 51-100
Your asset is an animal companion. This is an organic creature goons. Add a +4 Scale bonus to applicable Skill rolls, +2 Harm
with low intelligence that is friendly toward you. It may possess to their attacks, and +1 to their Natural and Mental Soak. They
up to three Aspects, including a High Aspect and a Trouble. At –1 can cover a space of up to a hundred square meters.
Cost, it is incapable of comprehending any form of human com- Magnitude 4 (+4 Cost): You have access to a group of 101-500
munication; at ±0 Cost, it can understand simple commands, goons. Add a +5 Scale bonus to applicable Skill rolls, +2 Harm
such as “stop” and “fetch.” At +1 Cost, it has been enhanced with to their attacks, and +2 to their Natural and Mental Soak. They
higher intelligence and can understand human speech. can cover a space of up to five hundred square meters.
Magnitude 5 (+5 Cost): You have access to a group of 501-
[±0] HUMAN 1,000 goons. Add a +6 Scale bonus to applicable Skill rolls,
You don’t purchase human companions; rather, you hire them +3 Harm to their attacks, and +2 to their Natural and Mental
and keep them on your payroll. If you wish to acquire a fully-re- Soak. They can cover a space of up to a square kilometer.
alized human companion, such as an assistant or a bodyguard,
Magnitude 6 (+6 Cost): You have access to a group of 1,001-
consider its Cost as a consistent and ongoing expense that you
10,000 goons. Add a +7 Scale bonus to applicable Skill rolls,
pay at every significant milestone during which the human com-
+3 Harm to their attacks, and +3 to their Natural and Mental
panion’s services are utilized.
Soak. They can cover a space of up to ten square kilometers.
Human companions have access to all Consequence slots. They Magnitude 7 (+7 Cost): You have access to a group of 10,001-
have up to five Aspects, including High Concept and Trouble. 100,000 goons. Add a +8 Scale bonus to applicable Skill rolls,
+4 Harm to their attacks, and +3 to their Natural and Mental
[±0] MOUNT Soak. They can cover up to a hundred square kilometers.
Your companion gains the Mount Aspect, giving it features sim- Magnitude 8 (+8 Cost): You have access to a group of more
ilar to a vehicle. It requires a Piloting Skill of Average (+1) Scale than 100,000 goons. Add a +9 Scale bonus to applicable Skill
1 to control. By default, the mount can be used to navigate land- rolls, +4 Harm to their attacks, and +4 to their Natural and
based terrain; however, this may differ depending on its nature. Mental Soak. They can cover aas large a space as is narratively
appropriate depending on their numbers.
[±0 TO +8] GOONS
Convert your companion into a group of goons (p. XX). Goons
Keep in mind that the area the group covers is abstracted, as-
have a single Aspect and no Consequence slots. If you wish to
suming they are acting as a group with each goon occupying one
base the goon on a companion type that is already miniscule,
square meter. Modify these numbers based on the size of each
consider the Swarm property (p. XX) instead. Goons generally
goon and the formation they are expected to take. If you spread
don’t act like individual NPC, but rather as generalized groups.
them out even further to cover vaster areas, consider reducing
their bonuses to represent fewer acting goons within each rele-
While individual goons are not very dangerous, large units of
vant space. The Narrator makes the final decisions.
them can be. The unit’s Magnitude ranges from 0 to 8 and deter-
mines the number of goons in the unit as well as the space they
[+1] DROID
can cover. Their attacks are treated as hazards (p. XX) and may
An electronic (p. XX) companion can be made into a droid.
affect all foes within the area they cover. This area is represented
These act independently and are able to interpret complex com-
by meters; translate it into zones as appropriate for the scene.
mands. Some can even hold conversations. However, they are
not considered true artificial intelligences like functionaries (see
When a group of goons lose all their Stress, their Magnitude re-
below); they cannot think or feel, but they can be manipulated.
duces by one, their Stress is replenished, and any extra shifts of
Some functionaries use droids as sanctums (p. XX), giving them
harm carry over into this new track. The goons are defeated after
physical bodies to interact with the world. Droids have up to
their Stress track fill at Magnitude 0, after which they are entirely
three Aspects, including a High Aspect and a Trouble. They also
dispersed or killed.
have a Directive that they must follow, such as Follow Adminis-

152
trator’s Commands or Construct Microchips after Specifications. If The swarm covers a larger area, but its mass may be spread
you acquire a droid, you are considered its administrator and is thinly. A tiny swarm covers a one-meter radius, a small swarm
able to change its Directive as you please. covers a two-meter radius, a medium swarm covers a five-me-
ter radius, a large swarm covers a ten-meter radius, a huge
[+1] FUNCTIONARY
swarm covers a twenty-meter radius, and a colossal swarm
Your companion is a functionary (p. XX), an artificial intelli- covers a fifty-meter radius or more.
gence that resides within a smart device (p. XX). It can interact
with the device and project itself as an avatar within the Nanite The swarm has no Consequence slots. Instead, it has four Stress
Matrix. To acquire a functionary, you need a smart device whose boxes at tiny, eight at small, twelve at medium, sixteen at large,
Cost is at least as high as the functionary’s own. This device is twenty at huge, and twenty-four at colossal. It has Natural Soak
considered the functionary’s sanctum, the essential hardware it 0 at tiny, 1 at small, 2 at medium, 3 at large, 4 at huge, and 5
requires to survive. It can be transferred to a new device, but it at colossal. When the swarm suffers four or more Stress, its
can only have one sanctum at a time. size decreases by one degree (a colossal swarm becomes a huge
swarm, and so on).
The functionary adds +1 Scale to its own Interfacing Skill (to The swarm is immune to most targeted attacks and can only be
maximum 8). It can freely interface with its sanctum, including harmed by attacks that cover a wide area, such as those using
any devices connected to it. A common use for a functionary is the Area Attack property (p. XX). Certain weapon types, like
as a digital assistant, managing your connected devices so that flamethrowers, may be exceptions to this rule, at the Narrator’s
you do not have to. It possesses the same cognitive and social discretion. Players should be encouraged to look for creative
capacities as a human and will have access to all forms of Con- solutions when facing swarms without proper weapons.
sequence slots. The swarm inflicts +0 Harm at tiny size, +1 Harm at small size,
+2 Harm at medium size, +3 Harm at large size, +4 Harm at
When projecting itself as an avatar in the Nanite Matrix, the huge size, and +5 Harm at colossal size. Its attacks are consid-
functionary can utilize its physical traits; it can use Physical and ered hazards (p. XX) and may target anyone caught in the area.
Digital Consequence slots interchangeably, making it highly du-
The swarm adds no Scale bonus to applicable Skill rolls at tiny
rable in this state. If it is defeated in a conflict, it is returned to its
size, but this becomes +1 at small size, +2 at medium size, +3 at
sanctum to recover. It can only be destroyed permanently if its
large size, +4 at huge size, and +5 at colossal size. If this bonus
sanctum is destroyed beyond repair.
exceeds Scale 8, it is treated as a free invocation instead.
Functionaries have up to three Aspects, including a High Aspect
[+2] ELEMENTAL
and a Trouble. They also have a Directive that they must follow,
such as Follow Administrator’s Commands or Defend the System Your companion is an elemental (p. XX), a creature manifested
from Hackers. If you acquire a functionary, you are likely consid- from a specific rift element—acid, bio, cryo, electricity, metal,
ered its administrator and can change its Directive as you wish. or pyro. Your elemental is partially composed of that element;
for example, an acid elemental has corrosive blood and saliva,
[+1] SPECTER
a bio elemental can photosynthesize like a living plant, a cryo
Your companion is a specter (p. XX), a digital entity formed elemental emits cold temperatures and is partially made of ice,
from the consciousness of a deceased individual. The specter an electricity elemental emits electrical power, a metal elemental
can freely traverse the Nanite Matrix and interact with systems is partially made of metals and ores, and a pyro elemental emits
as though it were a functionary (see above). However, since it is heat and could be coated in flames.
not tethered to a sanctum, being taken out in a conflict means it
The companion should also have either the Animal property (p.
will later reform in a nitespace that holds personal or emotional
XX) or the Human property (p. XX). However, consider that an
significance—this process can take anywhere from hours to days.
elemental that was once human is an entirely new creature based
on the human form—it isn’t a riftan. It gains the following:
Like functionaries, it has access to all Consequence slots and
can use Physical and Digital Consequence slots interchangea- Its Close Combat attacks gain its associated element as an addi-
bly. Specters have up to three Aspects, including a High Concept tional harm type. For metal elementals, add +1 Blunt or Sharp
and Trouble. They also have an Aspect known as Haunt, which is Harm instead.
characterized by an irrational behavior linked to some aspect of
the life they once lived, such as Looped Routine, Selective Amne- It becomes immune to harm caused by its associated element.
sia, or I Think I’m Alive. Rather, harm inflicted by that element can be used to treat its
Physical Consequences and replenish Stress boxes. Metal ele-
[+1 TO +6] SWARM mentals can still be harmed by Blunt and Sharp Harm, but they
This property can be added to a miniscule or tiny companion have +2 to Natural Soak against such attacks and are healed by
(p. XX) to transform it into a swarm of its kind. For each +1 consuming ores and metals.
Cost, the swarm’s size increases by one degree, ranging from a It gains access to the (Rift Element) Coding Skill (p. XX) at Av-
tiny swarm at +1 Cost to a colossal swarm at +6 Cost. erage (+1) Scale 1. This can be increased like any normal Skill.
It must consume its rift element to gain sustenance, either by
A swarm’s size functions differently from the sizes described on eating or drinking it where possible, or by being injected with
page XX. Consider the following: it. For example, while a metal elemental may have to eat and

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swallow rocks and metals, an electricity elemental may have to altitude.

connect to the power grid. Land: The vehicle can be used to navigate on land, including in
harsh terrain. You may choose to get this navigation at ±0 Cost
instead, restricting your navigation to flat surfaces.
VEHICLE PROPERTIES Nautical: The vehicle can be used to navigate on the surface of
water. If it has the Encased Aspect, it can also navigate within
[–1 OR +1] CARGO water as per the Subnautical property (p. XX).
Consider your vehicle’s size (p. XX) to determine the base num-
Space: The vehicle can be used to navigate in space, as per the
ber of passengers and cargo it can accommodate. For –1 Cost, it
Space Insulation property (p. XX). It must have the Encased
can hold passengers or cargo as if it were one size degree smaller
Aspect (p. XX). If it also has Aerial, it can enter and leave plan-
than it actually is. For +1 Cost, it can accommodate as if it were a
etary atmospheres.
size degree larger. This Cost adjustment can be stacked as much
as is narratively appropriate for the design you envision.

[±0 TO +4] SPEED GENERAL PROPERTIES

Assets used for fast travel or transportation, such as vehicles, are
assigned a Speed rating. Since the asset is external to the char- [VARIES] TASK BONUS
acter operating it, the speeds achievable are determined by the This property can be added to an asset that relies on a Skill to
vehicle, not its pilot. use. You gain a +2 bonus per +1 Cost to a Skill roll associated
with a specific task for which the asset is used, such as specific
Normally, you wuld use your own Piloting Skill to determine the Engineering tasks when using a specific type of tool, up to a max-
outcome of actions involving a vehicle. However, for actions that imum +4 bonus. Alternatively, you can spend +1 Cost per +1
test your maximum Speed, such as in a chse, you must replace Scale bonus for a specific task, at the Narrator’s discretion. This
your own Scale with the vehicle’s Speed. For example, if your does not increase your actual Scale for the Skill but merely pro-
cybernetic legs allow you to run at Scale 3, you would be more vides a bonus to Scale for that specific task; the cap remains at 8.
effective chasing an enemy’s car on foot rather than using a bike
with Speed 2. If you choose to ride the bike, you would be con- You cannot increase your actual Scale values using assets, except
strained to Scale 2 instead of Scale 3 during the chase. for certain bionics (p. XX) or cybernetics (p. XX), like muscle-
weave (p. XX). If you wish to design an augmentation that actu-
This property can be applied to any asset functioning as a vehicle, ally increases your Scale in a Skill, you may do so for +2 Cost per
mount, drone, or droid. It starts with Speed 1 at ±0 Cost, Speed 2 +1 Scale, but this is solely at the Narrator’s discretion.
at +1 Cost, Speed 3 or 4 at +2 Cost, 5 or 6 at +3 Cost, and 7 or 8
at +4 Cost. If you choose the lower of two Speed values at a Cost, [–10 TO –1] SKILL REQUIREMENT
such as Speed 3 instead of 4 at +2 Cost, you gain a free invocation The asset cannot be used naturally without special training. It
per minor milestone on a chase roll to compensate. requires a Skill Rank of Average (+1) Scale 1 (–1 Cost), Good
(+3) Scale 1 (–2 Cost), or Superb (+5) Scale 1 (–3 Cost) to use.
Speed 1: 0-25 km/h. Alternatively, it may require a higher Scale rating to use, with +1
Speed 2: 25-50 km/h. Scale for each –1 Cost, to maximum Scale 8.
Speed 3: 50-100 km/h.
[–4 TO –1] TASK PENALTY
Speed 4: 100-500 km/h. This flaw can be added to any asset that relies on a Skill to use.
Speed 5: 500-1,000 km/h. You suffer a –2 penalty per –1 Cost for the relevant Skill roll if it
Speed 6: 1,000-10,000 km/h. has a narrow use; this becomes –1 penalty per –1 Cost if it is a
broad use. The maximum possible penalty is at –4.
Speed 7: 10,000-50,000 km/h.
Speed 8: 50,000-500,000 km/h. [–2 TO ±0] RESOURCE RELIANCE
The asset depends on a specific resource for a particular pur-
[+1] NAVIGATION pose, such as fuel, air, or ammunition. It gains a related resource
The vehicle is equipped with at least one form of navigation, with trait valued at 2 (–2 Cost), 4 (–1 Cost), or 6 (±0 Cost). When
additional ones added for +1 Cost each. it’s appropriate, roll a d6 to represent this resource. If you roll a
number equal to or higher than the trait’s value, the resource is
Aerial: The vehicle can be used to navigate in the air within depleted until it’s replenished.
a planetary gravity, though it cannot hover in place without
Hover (see below). If it has both Aerial and Space, it can enter Decide together with the Narrator what resource is appropriate,
and leave a planetary atmosphere. vaguely how often the resource die should be rolled, and what
Burrower: The vehicle can burrow underground, even through is required to restore it once it’s exhausted. Some resources, like
solid stone. ammunition, might necessitate a roll after each use, whereas
others, such as electrical power, might only require it after pro-
Hover: The vehicle can hover a few meters above ground or
longed periods of significant use.
bodies of water. If it also has Aerial, it can hover in place at any

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[–1] FLAW
that property mends itself, Elise wants her gel dispenser to
The asset has a flaw or troubling Aspect of some kind, such as be-
mend other items. Finally, they skip the companion and ve-
ing loud, occasionally acting up, or emitting harmful radiation.
hicle properties because it should be neither.
[±0 OR +1] ALTERNATIVE SKILL
Elise and Olivia note that the item should have [±0] Resource
This property can be added to an asset that relies on a Skill to use,
Reliance (p. XX) representing Dose 6. They agree that she
allowing the substitution of that Skill with another (±0 Cost). For
must make the resource roll after each use. Elise and Olivia
example, a neural interface may enable the use of Willpower in-
also note that the item has [±0] Effect Range (p. XX), sug-
stead of Interfacing when operating a smart device. Similarly, a
gesting that it can only target objects in the character’s own
particular vehicle might require Acrobatics instead of Piloting
zone, but that the user doesn’t have to be directly up close to
due to its reliance on body movement. Alternatively, this proper-
the targeted object. The item is still at Cost 0 at this point.
ty can introduce a secondary Skill alongside, rather than replac-
ing, the original one (+1 Cost).
Now they need to add the properties that creates its base fea-
tures. They add [+1] Special Action which can replicate Cost
[±0 TO +4] EFFECT RANGE
2 properties at the risk of using up a resource. Going back to
This property can be given to an asset that can affect something
Self-Maintenance for inspiration, Elise writes: “If a targeted
at range, such as Wireless Range (p. XX) or Attack Range (p. XX).
object has a Soak or Stress rating, such as an armor or a vehi-
The asset has an effect range that spans from zero zones to four,
cle, you can instantly restore Soak or Stress boxes by enforcing
depending on how much is spent on this property.
a Dose roll. Add –1 penalty to the Dose roll for each additional
Soak or Stress box you want to fix, to minimum Dose 1.” They
When using the asset to interact with something inside a zone
also add a secondary [+1] Special Action with the following
beyond the one you are in (but that is covered by the effect range),
addition: “You may use the gel dispenser to remove a Mild
the action has a penalty equal to the number of zones away your
Consequence or certain Situation Aspects affecting an object,
targeted distance is. In other words, any Skill roll used has a –1 to
such as Breached.” This would take the item to Cost 2.
–4 penalty based on the distance you use it. Certain effects could
also have situational factors obstructing use, such as line of sight.
Now the item is finished and ready to use.
[+1] BONUS
The asset has a bonus or beneficial Aspect of some kind, such as
being of sentimental value, containing something important, or
having a function beyond its normal use.

[+1] ENABLE ACTION

The asset enables a new type of action or ability that would not
otherwise be possible or covered by different properties. For ex-
ample, lockpicks would enable you to attempt to pick locks while
basic tools would enable you to build a fence.

[+1] SPECIAL ACTION

The asset enables a powerful special action that either costs a
Charge to use or has the risk of using up a resource (see Resource
Reliance above). If the asset is consumable, its self-destructive
nature is equivalent to a resource for this purpose. The special
action caused by this property can be about twice as powerful as
a normal +1 Cost property, or allow something unusual to occur.

Elise wants an asset that isn’t listed in the book. She claims to
want some kind of gel dispenser that she can spray on bro-
ken metallics to mend damages or contain breaches. Olivia
suggests going through the properties to put this new asset
together. Elise wants to cap the asset’s Cost at 2.

They agree that the gel dispenser should be considered gear,

and that is should be light enough to use one-handed.

They ignore the electronic properties. They also ignore the

harmful and protective properties. However, Elise points
out that the Self-Maintenance property (p. XX) has a similar
effect to what she has in mind. The difference is that while

155
 CHAPTER 5: TECHNOLOGY

WEAPONS
Violence is common in action games, and weapons serve as tools Ranged weaponry can minimize that risk through distance, un-
for inflicting harm. After centuries of development and strife, less the intended target also has access to ranged weapons.
weapons have become more advanced and dangerous than ever
before. Many variants incorporate electronic components and The most common types of ranged weaponry are projectile
specialized features, such as automated systems and sensors. weapons, such as handguns and assault rifles. The projectiles
themselves are most commonly physical rounds—often high-
Recently, the solar system emerged from an era of war where ly advanced and technologically sophisticated—but projectiles
superpowers vied for new destructive means to eliminate each can also be in the form of energy discharges.
other. However, the most devastating weaponry is now black-
listed in most societies, and the Terran Consolidation maintains Physical projectiles are less common in areas where collater-
extensive lists of banned technologies. Despite this, personal al damage must be avoided, such as in spaceships and certain
arms remain prevalent, often resembling weapons of the past. facilities. On Earth, physical projectiles are far more prevalent
than energy-based variants. In the wastelands, one may even
When envisioning weapons in Machineborn, draw inspiration encounter archaic weapon types, such as bows and crossbows.
from your favorite science fiction sources. Remember that while
super-advanced weapon technology exists, there is still a place
for traditional and straightforward arms. Not everyone has ac- Unlike the Close Combat Skill, the Ranged Combat Skill
cess to cutting-edge products, but the need for weapons persist. requires weapons to use. The attacks are often countered
using the Acrobatics Skill to represent evasive movement,
CLOSE COMBAT WEAPONS though the Close Combat Skill can be used if the attack-
In everyday society, most killings occur through beatings, er is in the same zone. You cannot block or deflect an
bludgeoning, or knives. Even without access to advanced weap- incoming projectile without special equipment or traits;
on systems, anything blunt can serve as a club, and anything instead, you must avoid being where the projectile lands.
sharp can function as a knife. These easily acquired and con-
cealable tools remain effective even in a high-tech society.
HAZARD WEAPONS
Close combat weapons find favor in many different scenarios, When it comes to large-scale violent acts, such as terrorism and
even among professional soldiers or killers. In environments war, close- or ranged combat weapons are often mere comple-
like spaceships or power stations, where collateral damage from ments to more devastating means of harm. Instead, the weap-
ranged weapons poses risks, close combat options provide more ons of choice are often means of inflicting hazards, such as ex-
control. The deft parry of a blade or the calculated brass knuckle plosions, radiation, pathogens, and the like.
strike can tip the scales.
Many attempts to blacklist hazard weapons have been tried over
They are also seen in the lower echelons of society, where access the centuries, such as the Geneva Convention established after
to power or ammunition is scarce. Out in the wastelands, close the Second World War, or the Denuclearization Command that
combat weapons come in traditional forms—like knives and came as a result of Primary Order’s activation. But the most
spears—made from easily accessed materials. powerful factions rarely face retaliation when they ignore these
standing agreements, while demanding that smaller factions
fall in line. After Primary Order’s defeat, many factions were
All close combat weapons use the Close Combat Skill for emboldened to employ these weapons once again.
both offense and defense, unless specified otherwise.
With the current cease-fire, the Terran Consolidation tries to
While it is possible to fight unarmed using the Close enforce new bans on certain hazard weapons. However, regard-
Combat Skill, using a weapon may provide other benefits less of any ban, even devastating weapons are fairly easily ac-
than simply the potential for inflicting more harm. Cer- quired because of an over-production during the era of war. Nu-
tain enemies may be hazardous to fight without a weap- clear weapons and manufactured pathogens often come up in
on, such as an elemental made of fire, a droid with a hard- black market trades, and forgotten caches of dangerous weap-
ened shell, or someone wearing armor made of spikes. If ons can be found in vaults and ruins across the solar system.
you do not have a weapon or some special trait, you must
have Scale 2 or higher in Close Combat to take on such SMART WEAPONS
foes unarmed without risking other complications. Electronics are integrated in most things, and weapons are no
different. By adding electronic components (p. XX) to weapons,
new features become possible, from energy beams to complex
RANGED COMBAT WEAPONS mechanics. An electronic weapon with certain interfacing ca-
While close combat weapons are very effective at causing harm, pabilities (p. XX) are called smart weapons; these can be used
they rely on the attacker to be close to their target. This comes to interact with digital systems and store digital assets (p. XX).
with an element of risk, as the target may attempt to fight back.

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WEAPON TRAITS the Huge Frame Aspect (p. XX), or by characters with special
traits, such as Athletics Scale 5. The Huge Frame Aspect is re-
WEAPON SIZES quired for a light Siege II weapon to remain concealable.
Weapons come primarily in three different sizes: light, medium,
A weapon can be turned into a Siege III weapon for +3 Cost.
and heavy. These have the same base Cost, but offer different pros
This increases its normal size by at least tenfold. Add +3 to
and cons.
Harm. Close combat weapons gain the Long Reach Aspect (p.
XX) with two free invocations per scene; if they already have
A light weapon has Harm 0 to 2, depending on quality. It can
that Aspect, they gain a third free invocation per scene using
be used effortlessly with one hand, and can be dual-wielded (p.
it. Ranged combat weapons add +2 to Range, and reduce the
XX) with other light weapons, medium weapons, or shields. It
ranged penalty by one.
is easily concealed on your person.
Siege III weapons can only be used by creatures or vehicles with
Examples include baton, crowbar, knife, tonfa, or wakizashi
the Colossal Frame Aspect (p. XX), or by characters with spe-
for melee weapons, or boomerang, dart, grenade, handgun, or
cial traits, such as Athletics Scale 7. The Colossal Frame Aspect
shuriken for ranged weapons.
is required for a light Siege III weapon to remain concealable.
A medium weapon has Harm 1 to 3, depending on quality. It
is ungainly to use one-handed, but can be used two-handed ef-
RANGE
fortlessly. Unless specified otherwise, you may choose freely if
Ranged weapons have a Range value which indicates how many
you want to use it one- or two-handed. When used one-hand-
zones (p. XX) away a target can be for you to attack them, as-
ed, it can be dual-wielded with light weapons or shields. It can
suming that you have line of sight and the attack is unobstruct-
only be concealed if you take active measures to do so.
ed. When a ranged weapon has Range 0, it still uses the Ranged
Combat Skill, but cannot target anyone beyond the zone you are
Examples include baseball bat, falchion, machete, katana, or
in. If the weapon has Range 1 instead, you may attack someone
wood axe for melee weapons, or crossbow, grappling gun, jave-
in a neighboring zone. Attempting to attack someone beyond the
lin, lasso, or submachine gun for ranged weapons.
weapon’s Range automatically fails.
A heavy weapon has Harm 2 to 4, depending on quality. It
must be used two-handed, and it cannot be concealed. Attacking someone outside of your own zone incurs a penalty
based on the distance to that target. For example, a weapon with
Examples include fire axe, guandao, scythe, sledgehammer, or Range 2 can attack a target out to two zones away, but the attack
staff for melee weapons, or assault rifle, bow, rocket launcher, roll suffers a –2 penalty due to the distance. Should you move a
shotgun, or sniper rifle for ranged weapons. zone closer to your target, the penalty is reduced to –1. It disap-
pears entirely if you move into the same zone.
SIEGE WEAPONS
There are weapon types that are larger than the light, medium, Since zones are abstract, a two-zone distance in one scene could
and heavy categories—these are called siege weapons. A siege be a much larger or smaller area than a two-zone distance in an-
weapon is based on a light, medium, or heavy one, but is much other scene. The exact measurements do not need to be precise—
larger and heavier. It cannot be used without special traits, and it the most important aspect is defining the zones themselves.
is often mounted on structures or vehicles. There are three cate- Common sense applies.
gories of siege weapons, called I, II, and III.
HARM
A weapon can be turned into a Siege I weapon for +1 Cost. When using a weapon to attack someone in a physical conflict
This more than doubles its normal size. Add +1 to Harm. Close (p. XX), the harm inflicted affects the target’s Stress track. The
combat weapons gain the Long Reach Aspect (p. XX); if they severity of this harm depends on how many shifts you achieve
already have that Aspect, they gain a free invocation per scene beyond their defend roll. For example, if you roll a 2-shift attack,
using it. Ranged combat weapons add +1 to Range. the target must check two Stress boxes or take a Consequence
(p. XX). If they have no more Stress boxes or Consequence slots
Siege I weapons can only be used by creatures or vehicles with available, they are taken out of the conflict (p. XX).
the Large Frame Aspect (p. XX), or by characters with special
traits, such as Athletics Scale 3. The Large Frame Aspect is re- Weapons, and other harmful assets, often come with Harm rat-
quired for a light Siege I weapon to remain concealable. ings that indicate a higher likelihood of inflicting Stress. For in-
A weapon can be turned into a Siege II weapon for +2 Cost. stance, if the aforementioned 2-shift attack were made using a
This more than quadruples its normal size. Add +2 to Harm. Harm 2 weapon, it would be equivalent to a 4-shift attack. Note
Close combat weapons gain the Long Reach Aspect (p. XX) that the weapon’s Harm is not added to the chance to hit; you
with one free invocation per scene; if they already have that must first succeed with the attack before the Harm is applied.
Aspect, they gain a second free invocation per scene using
it. Ranged combat weapons add +1 to Range, and reduce the In the event of a tie, you have a choice. You can forgo getting a
ranged penalty by one. Boost in exchange for treating the weapon’s Harm rating as shifts,
provided the weapon has at least Harm 1 (see weapon sizes above,
Siege II weapons can only be used by creatures or vehicles with or weapon templates on page XX, to determine Harm values).

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 CHAPTER 5: TECHNOLOGY

In addition to their Harm value, weapons possess distinct harm

types. While some are primarily narrative, inspiring Aspects and Willow faces off against the smuggler Cinder, who stands
Consequences, others directly impact mechanics. on a platform below her (one zone away). “I’ll shoot them
from the platform,” Lily says, reaching for her dice.
Specific armor may be designed to withstand particular harm
types, such as Projectile Harm, while enemies might be vulnera- Olivia nods. “Since they’re one zone away, you’ll roll Ranged
ble to specific ones. This tactical element influences the choice of Combat at a –1.” She then rolls Cinder’s Acrobatics, which is
weapons for specific situations. For instance, when facing droids, Average (+1) Scale 1, for their defense.
Acid Harm could prove more effective than Poison Harm.
Lily wields a smartgun and boasts a Ranged Combat Skill
If a weapon combines multiple harm types, they do not stack. of Fair (+2) Scale 2—effectively reduced to Average (+1)
Instead, the type that inflicts the most shifts determines the at- Scale 2 due to Cinder’s distance. However, her weapon al-
tack’s outcome. For example, suppose you have a burning sword lows burst attacks (p. XX), granting her the option to add a
with both Pyro Harm 2 and Sharp Harm 2. If your enemy has +1 free invocation to the attack, albeit at the risk of depleting
Soak against Sharp Harm (but not Pyro Harm), the sword would her ammo.
effectively be considered Pyro Harm 2 and Sharp Harm 1 against
that target. Conversely, if the target is immune to fire, only the Willow’s attack roll totals Fair (+2) Scale 2, while Cinder’s
Sharp Harm remains relevant since it is the sole source of harm. Acrobatics roll lands at Mediocre (±0) Scale 1 (compara-
ble to Underwhelming [–1] Scale 2). Willow, leveraging her
Unarmed Close Combat attacks typically inflict Blunt Harm 0, higher Scale, inflicts an additional shift of harm. Using her
unless improved by other traits. free invocation to boost the result by another +2, Willow
achieves what effectively amounts to a 6-shift hit.
Acid Harm corrodes metals and other materials. Suggested
Consequences are Seared Skin (Mild), Corroded Flesh (Mod- However, Cinder wears a concealed fiber vest with Ar-
erate), Destroyed Tissue (Severe), and Exposed Skull (Extreme). mored Soak 2 against Projectile Harm. Willow’s smartgun
Blunt Harm causes crushing, denting, fractures, and internal inflicts Projectile Harm, reducing her attack from six shifts
damage. Suggested Consequences are Pummeled (Mild), Bro- to four—still a great hit.
ken Fingers (Moderate), Crushed Ribcage (Severe), and Splin-
tered Spine (Extreme). Olivia rules that Cinder negates the four Stress by taking the
Moderate Physical Consequence Shot in the Leg.
Cryo Harm freezes targets and is effective against heat. Sug-
gested Consequences are Numb Fingers (Mild), Blood Blisters
(Moderate), Sepsis (Severe), and Dead Limb (Extreme). AMMUNITION
In the world of action tropes, heroes and villains often engage in
Electrical Harm is difficult to control, but effective against
intense shootouts, seemingly with near-endless ammunition un-
both creatures and machines. Suggested Consequences are
til it runs out at a dramatic moment. Machineborn is not much
Muscle Pain (Mild), Bone Fractures (Moderate), Hearing Loss
different, leaving much of ammunition to chance.
(Severe), and Uncontrollable Seizures (Extreme).
Entropic Harm manipulates states of decay, causing things to Weapons that use ammunition are assigned an Ammo value,
age, rot, or mold. Suggested Consequences include Skin Rashes which can be rated at either 2 (–2 Cost), 4 (–1 Cost), or 6 (±0
(Mild), Hair Loss (Moderate), Failing Intestines (Severe), and Cost). When you attack with such a weapon, roll a d6. If your
Necrosis (Extreme). roll equals or exceeds the Ammo value, you have run out of am-
Poison Harm is harmful to organic creatures but ineffective munition and must reload the weapon. This can also happen as
against inorganic ones. Suggested Consequences are Fever a complication from a critical failure, a compel, or a serious cost.
(Mild), Diseased (Moderate), Sudden Organ Failure (Severe), Conversely, you may choose to ignore a failed Ammo roll as a
and Compromised Immune System (Extreme). reward for a critical success, or in place of a Boost upon a success
Projectile Harm is caused by ranged weapons or ammuni- with style. Reloading is a free action, unless contested by a foe.
tion. Suggested Consequences are Grazed (Mild), Flesh Wound
(Moderate), Pierced Lung (Severe), and Pierced Skull (Extreme). Ammunition serves as both a consumable asset (p. XX) and a
resource asset (p. XX). This means that beyond the initial loaded
Pyro Harm burns targets and is effective against cold. Suggest-
rounds, any extra reloads come with a Dose value (p. XX) that
ed Consequences are Blisters (Mild), Burnt Flesh (Moderate),
you must roll against each time you reload the weapon. Standard
Nerve Damage (Severe), and Melted to the Bone (Extreme).
ammunition, which does not enhance your weapon’s capabilities
Radiation Harm is a common hazard, but controversial and beyond enabling the attack itself, can be purchased with Dose 1
illegal when weaponized. Suggested Consequences are Nausea or 3 (Cost 0) or Dose 5 (Cost 1).
(Mild), Hair Loss (Moderate), Exposed Flesh (Severe), and Bone
Marrow Cancer (Extreme). If you are wielding non-consumable throwing weapons (like
Sharp Harm is effective at cutting and piercing. Suggested darts or boomerangs), you will typically have to retrieve them
Consequences are Bleeding (Mild), Nearly Gutted (Moderate), after each throw if you want to use them again. When accumu-
Pierced Lung (Severe), and Severed Limb (Extreme). lating multiple throwing weapons of this type, treat them as indi-
vidual assets unless specified otherwise.

158
 Because Willow decided to use her smartgun’s burst attack through because Cinder’s fiber vest only offers protection
(p. XX) when attacking Cinder, she must treat it as having against Projectile Harm, not Blunt or Electrical Harm.
–1 Ammo (taking it from 4 to 3) for her Ammo roll. She
rolls a d6 and gets a 4, indicating that the weapon runs out Rainmaker uses her wrench’s smashing attack (p. XX) to re-
of ammunition. duce harm to five shifts, but attaches the Prone Aspect to
Cinder with one free invocation. Additionally, she uses the
Since she has not used a free action on her turn, she decides stun baton’s stunned attack (p. XX) to further reduce harm
to reload her weapon. Unless her reload attempt is contest- to four shifts, but rendering Cinder Stunned with one free
ed, she will automatically succeed. invocation. Olivia declares that two of the four shifts are
spent to cause the Mild Physical Consequence Roughed Up,
Meanwhile, Cinder uses their action to try to gain distance with the remaining two added as Stress.
from Willow, who wants to contest that movement by firing
her now reloaded smartgun. This is not an attack, since it is TWO-HANDED
used to contest an action, but it will be treated as one for the A medium weapon is ungainly to use one-handed but can be
purpose of ammunition. used effortlessly two-handed; a heavy weapon must be used
two-handed, unless you have special traits that enable other-
Olivia rolls Acrobatics for Cinder, while Lily rolls Ranged wise. Wielding a weapon in two hands adds a +2 bonus to any
Combat at a –1 penalty for Willow. Cinder gets a total Me- roll where you defend against being Disarmed. If using a ranged
diocre (±0) Scale 1 and Willow gets Fair (+2) Scale 2, which two-handed weapon, your grip offers stabilization—this reduces
equates to Great (+4) Scale 1—a success with style. Lily the ranged penalty by one, to minimum zero.
makes a new Ammo roll, gets a 4, which indicates that she
must reload her weapon again. However, as she succeeded SHIELDS
with style, she decides to ignore the outcome of this Ammo When wielding a shield, you can use it to block both close and
roll instead of taking a Boost. ranged attacks using your Close Combat Skill. You also add a
bonus to the defend roll based on the shield’s size and quality:
+0/1/2 (light), +1/2/3 (medium), or +2/3/4 (heavy)—see weapon
DUAL WIELDING
bases on page XX. This bonus stacks with that from full defense
A light weapon can be dual wielded with another light weapon, a (p. XX); it stacks with that from dual wielding in close combat.
one-handed medium weapon, or a shield. However, a one-hand- Shields are more difficult to conceal than weapons; treat them
ed medium weapon cannot be paired with another one-handed as one size larger than they are for the purpose of concealment.
medium weapon (unless it is a shield), without special traits.

Dual wielding does not grant you two separate attacks. Instead,
you make a single attack that represents your coordinated use of SELECTING WEAPON
both weapons. This gives you a +1 bonus to the attack roll, and When selecting a weapon for your character, start by
you can apply the properties and harm types of both weapons. If choosing a weapon base (see next page) that is appropri-
any properties or harm types overlap, use the highest-rated ones. ate for the size, quality, and Cost you have in mind.
If dual-wielding ranged weapons that use ammunition, you must
make Ammo rolls for both of them. If you want to further customize your weapon, select any
number of properties appropriate for the Cost you are
When you use your dual-wielded weapons to parry an attack in willing to spend. The list on page XX covers most of the
Close Combat, add a +1 bonus to your defend roll. This stacks asset properties that could work well for weapons, but you
with the bonuses from full defense (p. XX) and shields (p. XX). may consider any property from the asset property list on
page XX. Alternatively, use them as a basis for designing
your own properties, at Narrator discretion.
Rainmaker is hiding outside, patiently waiting for Cinder to
retreat toward her, and then making a Close Combat attack Consult the invention rules on page XX for more infor-
against them. She wields two weapons: her trusted wrench mation about designing properties.
and a stun baton. Dual wielding grants her a +1 bonus to
her attack roll. She rolls a total Superb (+5) Scale 2. If you are looking for more concrete examples of how
different weapon types could be represented in game,
Olivia rolls Cinder’s own Close Combat to defend against see the templates on page XX. These are examples of how
the attack, with the total outcome being Good (+3) Scale different properties can be translated into actual weapon
1—equating to Fair (+2) Scale 2, with Rainmaker getting +1 examples.
Harm from the Scale difference. This means that Rainmak-
er’s 3-shift attack becomes a 4-shift attack. You may combine templates for even more creative and
complex weapons, but keep note of the listed properties
Rainmaker’s wrench has Blunt Harm 2 and the stun ba- to make sure you get the final Cost right. Many properties
ton has Electrical Harm 0. The attack combines both harm can also be further modified by adding or reducing Cost.
types, resulting in Blunt/Electrical Harm 2. All six shifts go

159
 CHAPTER 5: TECHNOLOGY

STANDARD WEAPON BASES

COST MELEE WEAPON HARM NOTES
0 Poor Light Weapon Blunt or Sharp 0 One-handed; Concealable
0 Poor Medium Weapon Blunt or Sharp 1 One- or two-handed
0 Poor Heavy Weapon Blunt or Sharp 2 Two-handed; Unconcealable
1 Standard Light Weapon Blunt or Sharp 1 One-handed; Concealable
1 Standard Medium Weapon Blunt or Sharp 2 One- or two-handed
1 Standard Heavy Weapon Blunt or Sharp 3 Two-handed; Unconcealable
2 Fine Light Weapon Blunt or Sharp 2 One-handed; Concealable
2 Fine Medium Weapon Blunt or Sharp 3 One- or two-handed
2 Fine Heavy Weapon Blunt or Sharp 4 Two-handed; Unconcealable

COST SHIELD HARM BLOCK NOTES

0 Poor Light Shield Blunt 0 +0 One-handed; Shield
0 Poor Medium Shield Blunt 1 +1 One- or two-handed; Unconcealable; Shield
0 Poor Heavy Shield Blunt 2 +2 Two-handed; Unconcealable; Shield
1 Standard Light Shield Blunt 0/1 +1/0 One-handed; Shield
1 Standard Medium Shield Blunt 1/2 +2/1 One- or two-handed; Unconcealable; Shield
1 Standard Heavy Shield Blunt 2/3 +3/2 Two-handed; Unconcealable; Shield
2 Fine Light Shield Blunt 0/1/2 +2/1/0 One-handed; Shield
2 Fine Medium Shield Blunt 1/2/3 +3/2/1 One- or two-handed; Unconcealable; Shield
2 Fine Heavy Shield Blunt 2/3/4 +4/3/2 Two-handed; Unconcealable; Shield
3 Exceptional Light Shield Blunt 1/2 +2/1 One-handed; Shield
3 Exceptional Medium Shield Blunt 2/3 +3/2 One- or two-handed; Unconcealable; Shield
3 Exceptional Heavy Shield Blunt 3/4 +4/3 Two-handed; Unconcealable; Shield
4 Perfect Light Shield Blunt 2 +2 One-handed; Shield
4 Perfect Medium Shield Blunt 3 +3 One- or two-handed; Unconcealable; Shield
4 Perfect Heavy Shield Blunt 4 +4 Two-handed; Unconcealable; Shield

COST THROWN WEAPON HARM RANGE NOTES

1 Poor Light Weapon Blunt or Sharp 0 0 One-handed; Concealable; Thrown
1 Poor Medium Weapon Blunt or Sharp 1 0 One- or two-handed; Thrown
1 Poor Heavy Weapon Blunt or Sharp 2 0 Two-handed; Unconcealable; Thrown
2 Standard Light Weapon Blunt or Sharp 0/1 1/0 One-handed; Concealable; Thrown
2 Standard Medium Weapon Blunt or Sharp 1/2 1/0 One- or two-handed; Thrown
2 Standard Heavy Weapon Blunt or Sharp 2/3 1/0 Two-handed; Unconcealable; Thrown
3 Fine Light Weapon Blunt or Sharp 0/1/2 2/1/0 One-handed; Concealable; Thrown
3 Fine Medium Weapon Blunt or Sharp 1/2/3 2/1/0 One- or two-handed; Thrown
3 Fine Heavy Weapon Blunt or Sharp 2/3/4 2/1/0 Two-handed; Unconcealable; Thrown
3 Exceptional Light Weapon Blunt or Sharp 0/1/2 3/2/1 One-handed; Concealable; Thrown
3 Exceptional Medium Weapon Blunt or Sharp 1/2/3 3/2/1 One- or two-handed; Thrown
3 Exceptional Heavy Weapon Blunt or Sharp 2/3/4 3/2/1 Two-handed; Unconcealable; Thrown
4 Perfect Light Weapon Blunt or Sharp 0/1/2 4/3/2 One-handed; Concealable; Thrown
4 Perfect Medium Weapon Blunt or Sharp 1/2/3 4/3/2 One- or two-handed; Thrown
4 Perfect Heavy Weapon Blunt or Sharp 2/3/4 4/3/2 Two-handed; Unconcealable; Thrown
5 Supreme Light Weapon Blunt or Sharp 1/2 4/3 One-handed; Concealable; Thrown
5 Supreme Medium Weapon Blunt or Sharp 2/3 4/3 One- or two-handed; Thrown

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5 Supreme Heavy Weapon Blunt or Sharp 3/4 4/3 Two-handed; Unconcealable; Thrown
6 Cosmic Light Weapon Blunt or Sharp 2 4 One-handed; Concealable; Thrown
6 Cosmic Medium Weapon Blunt or Sharp 3 4 One- or two-handed; Thrown
6 Cosmic Heavy Weapon Blunt or Sharp 4 4 Two-handed; Unconcealable; Thrown

COST PROJECTILE WEAPON HARM RANGE AMMO NOTES

0 Poor Light Weapon Projectile 0 0/1/2 6/4/2 Ammo; One-handed; Concealable
0 Poor Medium Weapon Projectile 1 0/1/2 6/4/2 Ammo; One- or two-handed
0 Poor Heavy Weapon Projectile 2 0/1/2 6/4/2 Ammo; Two-handed; Unconcealable
1 Standard Light Weapon Projectile 1 0/1/2 6/4/2 Ammo; One-handed; Concealable
1 Standard Medium Weapon Projectile 2 0/1/2 6/4/2 Ammo; One- or two-handed
1 Standard Heavy Weapon Projectile 3 0/1/2 6/4/2 Ammo; Two-handed; Unconcealable
2 Fine Light Weapon Projectile 2 0/1/2 6/4/2 Ammo; One-handed; Concealable
2 Fine Medium Weapon Projectile 3 0/1/2 6/4/2 Ammo; One- or two-handed
2 Fine Heavy Weapon Projectile 4 0/1/2 6/4/2 Ammo; Two-handed; Unconcealable
3 Exceptional Light Weapon Projectile 2 1/2/3 6/4/2 Ammo; One-handed; Concealable
3 Exceptional Medium Weapon Projectile 3 1/2/3 6/4/2 Ammo; One- or two-handed
3 Exceptional Heavy Weapon Projectile 4 1/2/3 6/4/2 Ammo; Two-handed; Unconcealable
4 Perfect Light Weapon Projectile 2 2/3/4 6/4/2 Ammo; One-handed; Concealable
4 Perfect Medium Weapon Projectile 3 2/3/4 6/4/2 Ammo; One- or two-handed
4 Perfect Heavy Weapon Projectile 4 2/3/4 6/4/2 Ammo; Two-handed; Unconcealable
5 Supreme Light Weapon Projectile 2 3/4 6/4 Ammo; One-handed; Concealable
5 Supreme Medium Weapon Projectile 3 3/4 6/4 Ammo; One- or two-handed
5 Supreme Heavy Weapon Projectile 4 3/4 6/4 Ammo; Two-handed; Unconcealable
6 Cosmic Light Weapon Projectile 2 4 6 Ammo; One-handed; Concealable
6 Cosmic Medium Weapon Projectile 3 4 6 Ammo; One- or two-handed
6 Cosmic Heavy Weapon Projectile 4 4 6 Ammo; Two-handed; Unconcealable

COMMON WEAPON PROPERTIES

COST PROPERTY DETAILS PAGE
Varies Harm Dictates the weapon’s harm type and Harm rating. Add extra harm types for +1 Cost each. XX
Varies Task Bonus The weapon provides a bonus to the attack roll, or for specific actions using it. XX
–10 to –1 Skill Requirement The weapon has special Skill requirements to use. XX
–7 to –1 Heavy The weapon is heavier than normal. XX
–4 to –1 Task Penalty The weapon provides a penalty to the attack roll, or for specific actions using it. XX
–2 to ±0 Resource Reliance The weapon relies on a resource to use, such as Ammo or Power. XX
–2 to +9 Electronic Gains the Electronic Aspect. It also gets a Security and Power value based on Cost. XX
–1 Blacklisted The weapon is illegal or controversial in some form. Add an appropriate negative Aspect. XX
–1 Flaw The weapon has a flaw or troubling Aspect of some kind. XX
±0 to +2 Shield The weapon functions like a shield. XX
±0 to +4 Effect Range The weapon has Range value of some kind, such as an Attack Range for ranged weapons. XX
±0 to +5 Interface Requires Electronic. Gains the Interface Aspect. It also gets a Wireless Range based on Cost. XX
±0 to +6 Retractable The weapon can be reduced to a smaller size; this changes the weapon’s traits accordingly. XX
+1 Area Attack The weapon can attack an entire zone as a hazard at the cost of a resource, like ammo. XX
+1 Bonus The weapon has a bonus or beneficial Aspect of some kind. XX
+1 Burning Requires Electrical or Pyro Harm. Reduce inflicted Stress to cause burning effect. XX

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+1 Burst Attack Requires ranged weapon. Gain a free invocation for an attack in exchange for –1 Ammo. XX
+1 Corrosive Requires Acid or Entropic Harm. Reduce inflicted Stress to damage target’s Armored Soak. XX
+1 Demolition Add +2 to Harm against inanimate objects. XX
+1 Discreet The weapon is made to look like something other than a weapon. XX
+1 Diseased Requires Entropic/Poison/Radiation Harm. Reduce inflicted Stress to cause Discomfort. XX
+1 Enable Action The weapon enables a new type of action or ability. XX
+1 Freezing Requires Cryo Harm. Reduce inflicted Stress to cause freezing effect. XX
+1 Prestige The weapon has a prestigious reputation, represented by an appropriate Aspect. XX
+1 Reach Requires melee weapon. It gains the Long Reach Aspect. XX
+1 Rend Inflicted Physical Consequences mitigate one fewer Stress and is more difficult to treat. XX
+1 Rotting Requires Entropic or Poison Harm. Reduce inflicted Stress to cause aging. XX
+1 Scatter Shot Requires ranged weapon. Bonus to attack in your zone—penalty outside. XX
+1 Silent Attack Attack doesn’t break concealment. Surviving target gets Boost to find you. XX
+1 Smashing Requires Blunt Harm. May knock target Prone or to another zone. XX
+1 Special Action The weapon enables a powerful special action that either costs a Charge or a resource use. XX
+1 Stunned Requires Blunt or Electrical Harm. May inflict Stunned Boost with extra invocation. XX
+1 Sweep Attack You may split the attack to target multiple foes in a zone. XX
+1 Trauma May spend Charges to use weapon for mental harm. It is free once per scene. XX
+1 or +2 Auto-Loader Requires Electronic ranged weapon. Automatically reloads weapon. XX
+1 to +8 Armor-Piercing Ignores Soak based on Cost. Chance to ablate Armored Soak. XX
+2 Homing Requires Electronic ranged weapon. Free invocation on attack. Throwing weapons return. XX

WEAPON TEMPLATES
COST TEMPLATE REQUIRED WEAPON BASE PAGE
±0 to +2 EMP Grenade Any light thrown weapon type XX
±0 to +2 Hand Grenade Any light thrown weapon type XX
±0 to +2 Smoke Grenade Any light thrown weapon type XX
+1 Acid <Weapon> Any weapon type XX
+1 Axe Any melee or thrown weapon type XX
+1 Bio <Weapon> Any weapon type XX
+1 Bow Any heavy projectile weapon type XX
+1 Chainsaw Any melee weapon type XX
+1 Cryo <Weapon> Any weapon type XX
+1 Electrical <Weapon> Any weapon type XX
+1 Entropic <Weapon> Any weapon type XX
+1 Gamma Pointer Any light projectile weapon type XX
+1 Ghost <Weapon> Any weapon type XX
+1 Hammer Any melee weapon type XX
+1 Handgun Any light projectile weapon type XX
+1 Knife Any light melee or thrown weapon type XX
+1 Pyro <Weapon> Any weapon type XX
+1 Railgun Any projectile weapon type XX
+1 Siege I <Weapon> Any weapon type XX
+1 Smart <Weapon> Any weapon type XX
+1 Spear Any medium or heavy melee or thrown weapon type XX
+1 Staff Any medium or heavy melee weapon type XX

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+1 Sword Any medium or heavy melee weapon type XX
+2 Gravity Gun Any projectile weapon type with Ammo 6 XX
+2 Holo <Weapon> Any weapon type XX
+2 Pulse Hammer Any melee weapon type XX
+2 Siege II <Weapon> Any weapon type XX
+2 Shotgun Any projectile weapon type XX
+2 or +3 Ring Blade Any light melee weapon type XX
+2 or +3 Plasma Shield Any shield type XX
+3 Homing Needle Any light thrown weapon type XX
+3 Machinegun Any projectile weapon type with Ammo 4+ XX
+3 Siege III <Weapon> Any weapon type XX
+3 Steel Cutter Any medium or heavy melee weapon type XX
+3 or +4 Piston Gauntlet Any light or medium melee weapon type XX

AMMUNITION
COST AMMUNITION DOSE DETAILS
0/1 Standard 3/5 Uses the weapon’s normal traits.
0/1/2 Cheap Armor-Piercing 1/3/5 Add [+1] Armor-Piercing (p. XX). Does not stack with existing property.
1/2/3 Corrosive 1/3/5 Add Acid Harm and [+1] Corrosive (p. XX).
1/2/3 Cryo 1/3/5 Add Cryo Harm and [+1] Freezing (p. XX).
1/2/3 Electrical 1/3/5 Add Electrical Harm and [+1] Stunned (p. XX).
1/2/3 Entropic 1/3/5 Add Entropic Harm and [+1] Rotting (p. XX).
1/2/3 Poison 1/3/5 Add Poison Harm and [+1] Diseased (p. XX).
1/2/3 Poor Armor-Piercing 1/3/5 Add [+2] Armor-Piercing (p. XX). Does not stack with existing property.
1/2/3 Pyro 1/3/5 Add Pyro Harm and [+1] Burning (p. XX).
1/2/3 Ripper 1/3/5 Add [+1] Rend (p. XX).
2/3/4 Homing 1/3/5 Add [+2] Homing (p. XX).
2/3/4 Standard Armor-Piercing 1/3/5 Add [+3] Armor-Piercing (p. XX). Does not stack with existing property.
3/4/5 Fine Armor-Piercing 1/3/5 Add [+4] Armor-Piercing (p. XX). Does not stack with existing property.
4/5/6 Exceptional Armor-Piercing 1/3/5 Add [+5] Armor-Piercing (p. XX). Does not stack with existing property.
5/6/7 Perfect Armor-Piercing 1/3/5 Add [+6] Armor-Piercing (p. XX). Does not stack with existing property.
6/7/8 Supreme Armor-Piercing 1/3/5 Add [+7] Armor-Piercing (p. XX). Does not stack with existing property.
7/8 Cosmic Armor-Piercing 1/3 Add [+8] Armor-Piercing (p. XX). Does not stack with existing property.

WEAPON ATTACHMENTS
COST ATTACHMENT REQUIRED WEAPON BASE PAGE
1 to 3 Bayonet Any projectile weapon type XX
2 Grenade Launcher Any weapon type XX
2 Laser Sight Any weapon type XX
2 Scope Any projectile weapon type XX
2 Shock Lock Any weapon type XX
2 Silencer Any projectile weapon type XX
2 Smart Attachment Any weapon type XX

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WEAPON TEMPLATES Harm against inanimate objects).

Effects: The hand grenade affects everything in the zone where
[±0 TO +2] EMP GRENADE
it is thrown, creating an explosive hazard (p. XX).
An EMP grenade is a handheld device that is thrown at a target
location to disrupt electronic devices within the area. Properties: [–2 to ±0] Consumable (p. XX); [+1] Area Attack
(p. XX); [+1] Demolition (p. XX).
Base: Any light thrown weapon type.
Aspects: EMP Grenade. [±0 TO +2] SMOKE GRENADE
A smoke grenade is a handheld device that is thrown into an
Dose: 1 (±0 Cost), 3 (+1 Cost), or 5 (+2 Cost).
area, where it emits opaque smoke that obstructs visual light.
Harm: Radiation (double the weapon base’s default Harm).
Security: Average (+1) Scale 1; Power: 6. Base: Any light thrown weapon type.
Effects: The EMP grenade affects everything in the zone where Aspects: Smoke Grenade.
it is thrown, creating a radiation hazard (p. XX) that harms Dose: 1 (±0 Cost), 3 (+1 Cost), or 5 (+2 Cost).
only electronic devices—not creatures. The attack is rolled
Harm: Special (see below).
against Security. If successful, each affected device must make a
Power roll with a penalty to Power equal to the inflicted harm. Effects: The smoke grenade fills the targeted zone with Opaque
Smoke that lasts for the scene or until removed. This is treated
Properties: [–2 to ±0] Consumable (p. XX); [±0] Electronic
as a create advantage action rather than an attack, with addi-
(p. XX); [+1] Area Attack (p. XX); [+1] Special Action (p. XX).
tional free invocations equal to the smoke grenade’s Harm.
Properties: [–2 to ±0] Consumable (p. XX); [+1] Area Attack
[±0 TO +2] HAND GRENADE
(p. XX); [+1] Special Action (p. XX).
A hand grenade is a handheld device that is thrown at an enemy,
a group, or a structure, causing a large and loud explosion.
[+1] ACID <WEAPON>
Base: Any light thrown weapon type. An acid <weapon> uses concentrated acid rift energy to inflict
corrosive harm. Common variants include the melting blade
Aspects: Hand Grenade.
and acid gun.
Dose: 1 (±0 Cost), 3 (+1 Cost), or 5 (+2 Cost).
Harm: Explosive (double the weapon base’s default Harm; +2 Base: Any weapon type.

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 [+1] CHAINSAW
Aspects: Acid <Weapon>; Electronic.
A chainsaw is an electrical saw that cuts using a rotating chain.
Harm: Acid. It is a common tool used for tree felling, limbing, and pruning.
Security: Average (+1) Scale 1; Power: 6 (or equal to Ammo).
Effects: If succeeding with style on your attack, you can choose Base: Any melee weapon type.
to reduce inflicted Stress by one to damage the target’s armor, Aspects: Chainsaw; Electronic; Loud.
reducing its Armored Soak by one until repaired. Harm: Sharp (+2 against inanimate objects).
If this template is applied to a projectile weapon, replace Ammo Security: Average (+1) Scale 1; Power: 6.
with Power. Instead of running out of ammunition, it is either Effects: Physical Consequences inflicted by it mitigate one few-
Oozing or Depleted depending on what makes narrative sense. er Stress and have their treatment difficulty increased by one.
Get rid of the Aspect at Narrator discretion. Properties: [–1] Flaw (p. XX); [±0] Electronic (p. XX); [+1]
Properties: [±0] Electronic (p. XX); [+1] Corrosive (p. XX). Demolition (p. XX); [+1] Rend (p. XX).

[+1] AXE [+1] CRYO <WEAPON>

An axe is a wedge-shaped tool used for shaping, splitting, and A cryo <weapon> uses weaponized cold to freeze targets. Com-
cutting wood, as well as for harvesting timber. It is commonly mon variants are the rime blade and freeze gun.
used by wastelanders as both a tool and a weapon. It is seen less
frequently in urban environments. Base: Any weapon type.
Aspects: Cryo <Weapon>; Electronic.
Base: Any melee or thrown weapon type.
Harm: Cryo.
Aspects: Axe.
Security: Average (+1) Scale 1; Power: 6 (or equal to Ammo).
Harm: Sharp (+2 Harm against inanimate objects).
Effects: If succeeding with style on your attack, you can choose
Properties: [+1] Demolition (p. XX). to reduce the inflicted Stress by one to remove a pyro-based
Situation Aspect, such as On Fire, or add a cryo-based one,
[+1] BIO <WEAPON> such as Frozen.
A bio <weapon> uses concentrated bio rift energy to poison,
weaken, and damage organic targets. Common variants are the If applied to a projectile weapon, replace Ammo with Power.
bio blade and fever gun. Instead of running out of ammunition, it is either Freezing or
Depleted depending on what makes narrative sense. Get rid of
Base: Any weapon type. the Aspect at Narrator discretion.
Aspects: Bio <Weapon>; Electronic. Properties: [±0] Electronic (p. XX); [+1] Freezing (p. XX).
Harm: Poison.
Security: Average (+1) Scale 1; Power: 6 (or equal to Ammo). [+1] ELECTRICAL <WEAPON>

Effects: If succeeding with style on your attack, you can choose An electrical <weapon> uses concentrated electrical energy to
to reduce the inflicted Stress by one to add the Discomfort Sit- shock, stun, and incapacitate targets. Common variants are the
uation Aspect. This makes the foe feel weakened in some form, stun baton and stun gun.
such as somatic discomfort, fatigue, sweatings, or the like.
Base: Any weapon type.
If applied to a projectile weapon, replace Ammo with Power. Aspects: Electrical <Weapon>; Electronic.
Instead of running out of ammunition, it is either Oozing or Harm: Electrical.
Depleted depending on what makes narrative sense. Get rid of
Security: Average (+1) Scale 1; Power: 6 (or equal to Ammo).
the Aspect at Narrator discretion.
Effects: If succeeding with style on your attack, you can choose
Properties: [±0] Electronic (p. XX); [+1] Diseased (p. XX).
to reduce the inflicted Stress by one to gain the Boost Stunned
with two free invocations.
[+1] BOW
A bow is a ranged weapon that is traditionally made of wood. It If applied to a projectile weapon, replace Ammo with Power.
relies on arrows for ammunition, which are often bundled and Instead of running out of ammunition, it is either Overheated
stored in a quiver. or Depleted depending on what makes narrative sense. Get rid
of the Aspect at Narrator discretion.
Base: Any heavy projectile weapon type.
Properties: [±0] Electronic (p. XX); [+1] Stunned (p. XX).
Aspects: Bow.
Harm: Projectile. [+1] ENTROPIC <WEAPON>
Effects: Attacks using the bow does not break concealment. An entropic <weapon> uses concentrated entropic energy to
Instead, the defender gets a Boost to try to pinpoint you. erode, age, or decay targets. Common variants are the rot blade
Properties: [+1] Silent Attack (p. XX). and rust gun.

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Base: Any weapon type. Aspects: Hammer.

Aspects: Entropic <Weapon>; Electronic. Harm: Blunt.
Harm: Entropic. Effects: When attacking and succeeding with style, you may
Security: Average (+1) Scale 1; Power: 6 (or equal to Ammo). reduce Stress by one to make the target Prone (with a free invo-
cation) or knock them into a neighboring zone.
Effects: If succeeding with style on your attack, you can choose
to reduce the inflicted Stress by one to add the Aging Look Sit- Properties: [+1] Smashing (p. XX).
uation Aspect. This is mostly cosmetic, represented by mold,
rust, wrinkles, graying hair, or the like. [+1] HANDGUN
A handgun is a handheld firearm that fires rounds of ammuni-
If applied to a projectile weapon, replace Ammo with Power. tion. They come in many different variants, and are common all
Instead of running out of ammunition, it is either Decaying or over the solar system.
Depleted depending on what makes narrative sense. Get rid of
the Aspect at Narrator discretion. Base: Any light projectile weapon type.
Properties: [±0] Electronic (p. XX); [+1] Rotting (p. XX). Aspects: Handgun.
Harm: Projectile.
[+1] GAMMA POINTER Effects: When using the handgun to attack, you may choose
A gamma pointer is an illegal weapon no larger than a pencil. It to add a free invocation to your attack roll. However, after the
can be used to project beams of gamma radiation at unfortunate attack is made, your Ammo rating is considered –1 for the pur-
targets, causing sickness, cancer, and death. poses of an immediate Ammo roll.
Properties: [+1] Burst Attack (p. XX).
Base: Any light projectile weapon type.
Aspects: Gamma Pointer; Illegal.
[+1] KNIFE
Harm: Radiation. A knife is a bladed tool with broad use. It is a common and dis-
Security: Average (+1) Scale 1; Power: Equal to Ammo. creet weapon in any environment.
Effects: Attacks using the gamma pointer does not break con-
cealment. Instead, the defender gets a Boost to try to pinpoint Base: Any light melee or thrown weapon type.
you. It looks like an everyday object, like a pencil, making it Aspects: Knife.
impossible to identify without close inspection. Finally, the Harm: Sharp.
weapon uses Power instead of Ammo.
Effects: Attacks using the knife ignore one Soak. If all Armored
Properties: [–1] Blacklisted (p. XX); [±0] Electronic (p. XX); Soak is ignored when inflicting at least one Stress, it is perma-
[+1] Discreet (p. XX); [+1] Silent Attack (p. XX). nently ablated by one.
Properties: [+1] Armor-Piercing (p. XX).
[+1] GHOST <WEAPON>
A ghost <weapon> is an illegal self-mending weapon made up of
[+1] PYRO <WEAPON>
internal electronics and reflective metals. It can redirect light to
A pyro <weapon> uses fire and heat to harm enemies. Common
become invisible to mundane eyes.
variants are the pyro blade and flamethrower.
Base: Any weapon type.
Base: Any weapon type.
Aspects: Ghost <Weapon>; Electronic; Illegal.
Aspects: Pyro <Weapon>; Electronic.
Security: Average (+1) Scale 1; Power: 6.
Harm: Pyro.
Effects: The ghost <weapon> can be made Invisible to visible
Security: Average (+1) Scale 1; Power: 6 (or equal to Ammo).
light. This lets you attack with it as if concealed (p. XX), but
you must spend a Charge or make a Power roll after each turn Effects: If your attack succeeds with style, you can reduce in-
it has been Invisible. In addition, the weapon self-cleans and flicted Stress by one to remove a cryo-based Situation Aspect,
self-repairs, preventing opponents from trying to overcome its such as Frozen, or add a pyro-based one, such as On Fire.
invisibility by soiling it.
If applied to a projectile weapon, replace Ammo with Power.
Properties: [–1] Blacklisted (p. XX); [±0] Electronic (p. XX);
Instead of running out of ammunition, it is either Freezing or
[+1] Self-Maintenance (p. XX); [+1] Stealth (p. XX).
Depleted depending on what makes narrative sense. Get rid of
the Aspect at Narrator discretion.
[+1] HAMMER
Properties: [±0] Electronic (p. XX); [+1] Burning (p. XX).
A hammer is a tool with a weighted head that is swung to deliver
impact. It is often used in construction and maintenance, but can
also be a deadly weapon. [+1] RAILGUN
A railgun is a firearm that uses electromagnetic force to launch
Base: Any melee weapon type. projectiles at high velocity.

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 [+1] SWORD
Base: Any projectile weapon type.
A sword is a bladed weapon that is used for cutting and thrusting.
Aspects: Railgun. While used frequently by wastelanders and sometimes by sol-
Harm: Projectile. diers, modern swords are mostly used for appearance.
Effects: Attacks using the railgun ignore one Soak. If all Ar-
mored Soak is ignored when inflicting at least one Stress, it is Base: Any medium or heavy melee weapon type.
permanently ablated by one. Aspects: Sword.
Properties: [+1] Armor-Piercing (p. XX). Harm: Sharp.
Effects: You may split the outcome of your attack roll to target
[+1] SIEGE I <WEAPON> multiple foes within the same zone. You must declare your in-
A Siege I <weapon> is about as large as person. While it is most tent to split the attack before the initial roll.
often mounted on buildings or vehicles, or wielded by a trained Properties: [+1] Sweep Attack (p. XX).
soldier in an exoframe, it can sometimes be seen wielded by a
heavily augmented individual, like a cyborg. It is then more often
[+2] GRAVITY GUN
wielded for show than for practicality.
A gravity gun is a highly advanced firearm that has an internal
Base: Any weapon type. core enhanced with kinematic coding. By aiming it towards ob-
jects, it can pull objects towards it or discharge them at enemies.
Aspects: Siege I <Weapon>; Long Reach (Close Combat-only).
Requirements: Large Frame Aspect or Athletics Scale 3. Base: Any projectile weapon type with Ammo 6.
Harm: +1; Range: +1 (Ranged Combat-only). Aspects: Gravity Gun; Electronic.
Properties: [+1] Siege I (p. XX). Harm: Projectile (with bonus based on discharged object)
Security: Average (+1) Scale 1; Power: 6.
[+1] SMART <WEAPON> Effects: The gravity gun doesn’t rely on standard ammunition;
A smart <weapon> has an integrated computer. It can be used to therefore, remove the Ammo value from the weapon base with-
both store data and interface with digital systems. out affecting its Cost. Instead, aim at an inanimate object—this
includes entities like droids and vehicles—within its Range and
Base: Any weapon type. roll Ranged Combat as a create advantage action.
Aspects: Smart <Weapon>; Electronic; Interface.
Wireless Range: 0; Security: Average (+1) Scale 1; Power: 6. The difficulty levels are as follows: Average (+1) Scale 1 for
light objects, Fair (+2) Scale 1 for medium objects, and Good
Effects: The weapon can be used as a functional computer ca- (+3) Scale 1 for heavy objects. The gravity gun can only target
pable of system interaction (p. XX). It can hold digital assets siege weapons and armor if it is has been converted into a siege
(p. XX) with a Cost no higher than its own. When connected weapon of an equivalent rank. When targeting a stationary ve-
to other electronic devices, you can use their highest Security hicle or entity, the difficulty is Mediocre (±0) Scale 1 for mi-
for all. However, should the weapon be hacked, the hacker can niscule entities, Average (+1) Scale 1 for tiny entities, Fair (+2)
also access any connected devices. Scale 1 for small entities, and Good (+3) Scale 1 for medium
Properties: [±0] Electronic (p. XX); [+1] Interface (p. XX). entities. To target large entities, the gravity gun must be up-
graded to a Siege I weapon; for huge entities, a Siege II; and for
[+1] SPEAR colossal entities, a Siege III. If a targeted vehicle is in operation,
A spear is a pole weapon with a pointed head. It is a weapon that the pilot may defend using Piloting; an active droid or creature
is rarely seen outside of wasteland communities. may use Acrobatics, Athletics, or Fortitude, if higher.

Base: Any medium or heavy melee or thrown weapon type. If successful, the object is pulled towards you. If this action
Aspects: Spear; Long Reach. moves it into your zone, it becomes Locked within the gravi-
ty beam. If something obstructs its path before it enters your
Harm: Sharp. zone, it is released at the end of your turn. An object capable
Properties: [+1] Reach (p. XX). of independent action can attempt to break free from the beam
on its turn as a physical contest against your Ranged Combat.
[+1] STAFF
A staff is a pole weapon often made of hardwood. It is a weapon Once the gravity gun has loaded a Locked object, you may dis-
that is rarely seen outside of wasteland communities. charge it as a ranged attack, inflicting the weapon’s Projectile
Harm with a Harm bonus based on the object’s size: 0 for mi-
Base: Any medium or heavy melee weapon type. niscule, 1 for tiny, 2 for small, 3 for medium, 4 for large, 5 for
huge, and 6 for colossal. For light, medium, and heavy objects,
Aspects: Staff; Long Reach.
such as weapons, add a bonus of +1, +2, or +3, respectively,
Harm: Blunt. with an additional +1, +2, or +3 for the different siege types. A
Properties: [+1] Reach (p. XX). discharged object may inflict a secondary harm type, such as
Blunt or Sharp, depending on its nature. A discharged entity

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suffers impact damage (p. XX) as if it were attacked itself. After one. In addition, you may choose to split the outcome of your
each discharge, you must make a Power roll. attack roll to target multiple foes within the same zone. You
Properties: [±0] Electronic (p. XX); [+1] Enable Action (p. must declare your intent to split the attack before the roll.
XX); [+1] Special Action (p. XX). Properties: [+1] Scatter Shot (p. XX); [+1] Sweep Attack (p.
XX).
[+2] HOLO <WEAPON>
A holo <weapon> has a built-in computer and projects holo- [+2] SIEGE II <WEAPON>
graphic imagery—often ads. This is a popular weapon among A Siege II <weapon> is much larger than a normal weapon of its
battle-influencers, such as Arcturian gladiators. type—sometimes twice the size of a person. It is most commonly
mounted in place or used by military vehicles. It is too ungainly
Base: Any weapon type. to carry around even by someone strong enough to do so.
Aspects: Holo <Weapon>; Electronic; Interface.
Base: Any weapon type.
Wireless Range: 0; Security: Average (+1) Scale 1; Power: 6.
Aspects: Siege II <Weapon>; Long Reach (Close Combat-only).
Effects: The weapon can be used as a functional computer ca-
pable of system interaction (p. XX). It can hold digital assets Requirements: Huge Frame Aspect or Athletics Scale 5.
(p. XX) with a Cost no higher than its own. When connected Harm: +2; Range: +1 (Ranged Combat-only).
to other electronic devices, you can use their highest Security Effects: Melee weapons gain a free invocation per scene to use
for all. However, should the weapon be hacked, the hacker can on the Long Reach Aspect. Ranged weapons reduce the ranged
also access any connected devices. penalty by one.
Properties: [+2] Siege II (p. XX).
The weapon projects holograms in the user’s zone. Auditory
data is directed to originate from the projection point. This is
commonly used by battle-influencers to project ads and other [+2 OR +3] RING BLADE
visuals, but can also be used to create advantages in combat. A ring blade is a weapon that masquerades as an ordinary ring
Properties: [±0] Electronic (p. XX); [+1] Interface (p. XX); when not in use. By tapping the ring with a finger, it ejects a sti-
[+1] Projection (p. XX). letto. The weapon is deemed illegal by the Terran Consolidation
and can only be found in illicit markets

[+2] PULSE HAMMER Base: Any light melee weapon type.

A pulse hammer emits a pulse of energy when impacting with
Aspects: Ring Blade; Illegal.
a solid surface, distributing additional force through the object.
This makes it effective against armored targets. Harm: Sharp.
Effects: Attacks using the ring blade ignore one Soak. If all Ar-
Base: Any melee weapon type. mored Soak is ignored when inflicting at least one Stress, it is
Aspects: Pulse Hammer; Electronic. permanently ablated by one. The weapon can be retracted from
a light melee weapon to a ring or a bracelet. Once it has been
Harm: Blunt.
retracted, it can no longer be identified as a weapon without
Security: Average (+1) Scale 1; Power: 6. close inspection by someone familiar with hidden weaponry.
Effects: When your attack succeeds with style, you may choose
to reduce the inflicted Stress by one to make the target Prone The ring blade is wearable as a garment, allowing you to use it
(with a free invocation) or knock them into a neighboring while carrying something else in that hand. However, using it
zone. Additionally, you may choose to spend a Charge or force with Encasing armor (p. XX) requires +3 instead of +2 Cost.
a Power roll to make a pulse strike: this attack ignores Armored Properties: [–1] Blacklisted (p. XX); [+1] Armor-Piercing (p.
Soak entirely. XX); [+1] Attachment (p. XX; for use with Encasing armor);
Properties: [±0] Electronic (p. XX); [+1] Smashing (p. XX); [+1] Discreet (p. XX); [+1] Retractable (p. XX).
[+1] Special Action (p. XX).
[+2 OR +3] PLASMA SHIELD
[+2] SHOTGUN A plasma shield is a small garment that can emit a protective
A shotgun is a firearm that fires shells of scattering pellets, mak- shield of concentrated plasma. It is common for users to have it
ing it effective up close but unreliable at further ranges. display data like a screen, such as depicting a corporate logo or
taunting imagery. This may require a connected smart device.
Base: Any projectile weapon type.
Aspects: Shotgun. Base: Any shield type.
Harm: Projectile. Aspects: Plasma Shield; Electronic.
Effects: You gain a +2 bonus to your attack roll when attacking Harm: Electrical.
someone within the same zone as you. However, if you attack Security: Average (+1) Scale 1; Power: 6.
outside of your own zone, you increase the ranged penalty by Effects: The weapon emits a plasma shield. When not in use, it

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 retracts into a smaller size (a heavy shield retracts into a large its type—it could be the size of a truck or even larger. It is most
bracer, a medium shield retracts into an armband, and a light commonly mounted in place on large military structures or used
shield retracts into a ring). Once retracted, it can no longer be by colossal military vehicles.
identified as a shield or a weapon without close inspection.
Base: Any weapon type.
The shield is wearable as a garment, allowing you to use it Aspects: Siege III <Weapon>; Long Reach (Close Combat-only).
while carrying something else in that hand. However, using it Requirements: Colossal Frame Aspect or Athletics Scale 7.
with Encasing armor (p. XX) requires +3 instead of +2 Cost.
Harm: +3; Range: +2 (Ranged Combat-only).
Properties: [±0] Electronic (p. XX); [+1] Attachment (p. XX;
Effects: Melee weapons gain two free invocations per scene
for use with Encasing armor); [+1] Discreet (p. XX); [+1] Re-
to use on the Long Reach Aspect. Ranged weapons reduce the
tractable (p. XX).
ranged penalty by one.
Properties: [+3] Siege III (p. XX).
[+3] HOMING NEEDLE
A homing needle is a projectile that tracks and homes in on tar-
gets before returning to your hand. It is connected to a neural [+3] STEEL CUTTER
link attached to your temple, letting you mentally guide its path. A steel cutter is a super-sharp sword that cuts through metal like
flesh. It is a military-grade weapon designed to be used against
Base: Any light thrown weapon type. droids and armored soldiers.
Aspects: Homing Needle. Base: Any medium or heavy melee weapon type.
Harm: Projectile. Aspects: Steel Cutter.
Security: Average (+1) Scale 1; Power: 6. Harm: Sharp (+2 against inanimate objects).
Effects: The weapon ignores obstructions and cover as long as Effects: You may split the outcome of your attack roll to target
there is a clear path to the target. If the target is clearly visible, multiple foes within the same zone. You must declare your in-
you gain a free invocation. The weapon returns to your hand tent to split the attack before the initial roll. In addition, attacks
after use. using the steel cutter ignore one Soak. If all Armored Soak is
ignored when inflicting at least one Stress, it is permanently
You may choose to attack as many as you want in a zone as a ablated by one.
projectile hazard (p. XX). However, unless you spend a Charge,
doing so makes the homing needle Depleted. Properties: [+1] Armor-Piercing (p. XX); [+1] Demolition (p.
XX); [+1] Sweep Attack (p. XX).
Properties: [±0] Electronic (p. XX); [+1] Area Attack (p. XX);
[+2] Homing (p. XX).
[+3 OR +4] PISTON GAUNTLET
A piston gauntlet originated as a tool for construction and dem-
[+3] MACHINEGUN olition work, but was later adopted as a melee weapon and effec-
A machinegun is a firearm capable of rapid automated fire. It’s tive tank destroyer during the Cooperative Wars.
effective against groups of people.
Base: Any light or medium melee weapon type.
Base: Any projectile weapon type with Ammo 4+.
Aspects: Piston Gauntlet; Electronic.
Aspects: Machinegun.
Harm: Blunt (+2 Harm against inanimate objects).
Harm: Projectile.
Security: Average (+1) Scale 1; Power: 6.
Effects: The machinegun enables the following three forms of
attack: First, you may choose to add a free invocation to your Effects: When succeeding with style on an attack, you may re-
attack roll, but must make an Ammo roll at –1 Ammo. duce Stress by one to make the target Prone (with a free invoca-
tion) or knock them into a neighboring zone. In addition, you
Second, you may choose to split the outcome of your attack can make a piston-powered punch, adding +1 Harm but forcing
roll to target multiple foes within the same zone. This can be a Power roll. You can increase this damage further by adding
combined with the first mode of attack, but not the third one. another +1 Harm for each –1 penalty to Power for the purpose
You must declare your intent to split the attack before the roll. of the Power roll; this caps at the weapon’s default Harm rating
or 1 (whichever is higher). If used against inanimate objects,
Finally, you may choose to attack as many as you want in a the +2 demolition bonus is treated as default Harm.
zone with the same attack roll; this is considered a projectile
hazard (p. XX) that automatically consumes your ammunition. This weapon is wearable as a garment, allowing you to use it
Properties: [+1] Area Attack (p. XX); [+1] Burst Attack (p. while carrying something else in that hand. However, using it
XX); [+1] Sweep Attack (p. XX). with Encasing armor (p. XX) requires +4 instead of +3 Cost.
Properties: [±0] Electronic (p. XX); [+1] Attachment (p. XX;
for use with Encasing armor); [+1] Demolition (p. XX); [+1]
[+3] SIEGE III <WEAPON>
Smashing (p. XX); [+1] Special Action (p. XX).
A Siege III <weapon> is much larger than a normal weapon of

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WEAPON ATTACHMENTS Effects: When attached to a projectile weapon, the scope mag-
nifies vision up to a hundred times. You may attack a target up
[1 TO 3] BAYONET to (weapon’s Range) kilometers away, with the range penalty
A bayonet is a bladed weapon attached to the front of certain applying per kilometer instead of per zone. However, doing so
firearms. requires you to look through the scope, rendering you unable
to either move reflexively or take a free action on your turn.
Base: Any projectile weapon type.
Properties: [±0] Electronic (p. XX); [+1] Attachment (p. XX);
Aspects: Bayonet. [+1] Enable Action (p. XX).
Harm: Sharp 0 (Cost 1), 1 (Cost 2), or 2 (Cost 3).
Properties: [±0 to +2] Light Melee Weapon (p. XX); [+1] At- [2] SHOCK LOCK
tachment (p. XX). A shock lock is a defense measure added to a weapon that gives
an electric shock to anyone trying to meddle with it.
[2] GRENADE LAUNCHER
A grenade launcher can be attached to certain firearms. It is Base: Any weapon type.
loaded with grenades which are then fired using the weapon’s Aspects: Shock Lock; Electronic.
own mechanisms.
Security: Average (+1) Scale 1; Power: 6.
Base: Any weapon type. Effects: If someone touches the weapon when the shock lock
is active, they must defend against a Potency of Average (+1)
Aspects: Grenade Launcher.
Scale 1 and Electrical Harm 0.
Effects: The weapon maintains its former features, but can now
Properties: [±0] Electronic (p. XX); [+1] Attachment (p. XX);
be loaded with grenades (p. XX) in addition to its normal am-
[+1] Potency (p. XX).
munition. When firing the grenade launcher, use the highest
attack traits of either the base weapon or the grenade, but the
grenade’s harm effects. Use the grenade’s Dose as Ammo. [2] SILENCER
A silencer can be attached to a firearm in order to muffle the
You can only load Dose 1 into a light weapon and up to Dose 3 sound it makes when used.
into a medium weapon. A heavy weapon can take up to Dose 5.
Properties: [+1] Attachment (p. XX); [+1] Enable Action (p. Base: Any projectile weapon type.
XX). Aspects: Silencer.
Effects: When attached to a projectile weapon, you can use it
[2] LASER SIGHT to attack someone from concealment without drawing atten-
A laser sight can be attached to a ranged weapon. It emits a laser tion to yourself. If the target survives your attack, they will get
that aids in accuracy. a Boost on their next attempt to find you, but your conceal-
ment will not automatically break.
Base: Any projectile weapon type. Properties: [+1] Attachment (p. XX); [+1] Silent Attack (p. XX).
Aspects: Laser Sight; Electronic.
Security: Average (+1) Scale 1; Power: 6. [2] SMART ATTACHMENT
Effects: When attached to a projectile weapon, the laser sight A smart attachment can be added to a weapon in order to make
can be used to emit a laser that aids in accuracy. As long as you it into a smart weapon.
can perceive your enemy and see where the laser hits, you gain
a free invocation to use on your attack. Base: Any weapon type.
Properties: [±0] Electronic (p. XX); [+1] Attachment (p. XX); Aspects: Electronic; Interface.
[+1] Enable Action (p. XX). Wireless Range: 0; Security: Average (+1) Scale 1; Power: 6.
Effects: When attached to a weapon, it becomes a functional
[2] SCOPE computer capable of system interaction (p. XX). It can hold
A scope can be attached to a firearm in order to magnify vision digital assets (p. XX) with a Cost no higher than the attach-
and attack at extreme ranges. ment’s. When connected to other electronic devices, you can
use their highest Security for all. However, should the weapon
Base: Any projectile weapon type. be hacked, the hacker can also access any connected devices.
Aspects: Scope; Electronic. Properties: [±0] Electronic (p. XX); [+1] Attachment (p. XX);
Security: Average (+1) Scale 1; Power: 6. [+1] Interface (p. XX).

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 FASHION AND ARMOR
Fashion is a language in itself. It is an important form of self-ex- ARCTURUS
pression that exposes others to symbols dictating aspects of who There is much individual variety within the Arcturian fashion
you are. Fashion can express prestige, with expensive garments scene, but ruggedness is a common theme that transcends many
signaling your success. It can express ideology, with the sym- social classes. Body modifications are considered attractive, and
bols you wear signaling meanings and intentions. It can express many people implant cybernetics or acquire more traditional
self-promotion, with specific designs highlighting and enhanc- modifications such as tattoos, piercings, and scarrification. Some
ing beauty, health, or strength. Fashion is also malleable, chang- take body modification to the extreme, such as surgically in-
ing based on time, culture, and current events. stalling steel horns, filing down teeth, or deliberately mutilating
themselves to receive cybernetic upgrades.
Normally, garments such as regular street clothes or business
suits are not considered mechanically meaningful assets; they In the lower classes, synthetic leathers, furs, and protective met-
are strictly narrative. However, it is perfectly acceptable to cre- als are often part of the more common garments. There are few-
ate more complex garments that are treated as mechanically er colors and more variations of grays, blues, and browns, often
meaningful, such as self-cleaning smart clothes. You may also with symbols such as skulls and devils to appear intimidating.
create combined fashion and armor.
In the middle classes, synthetic leathers and furs are still consist-
ent with those of the lower classes, but more emphasis is placed
COMMON FASHION SERVICES on sexual fashion. Beauty is seen as just as much a strength as
Here folllows a list of common fashion services: physical superiority, and middle-class street fashion combines
sexuality with strength by adopting garments that highlight bod-
[0] Haircut/piercing: Changing your hair or adding ba- ily features, such as curves and muscles.
sic cosmetics like piercings is very cheap. This service can
be acquired everywhere, from street vendors to shops. In the upper classes, militaristic fashion becomes more popular.
[1] Tattoo/cosmetic implant: A simple tattoo or a cos- People still try to embrace the strength and sexuality of the lower
metic implant (such as horns or filed teeth) is a quick classes, but it is equally important to project loyalty to the coop-
and simple procedure. It is available everywhere, from erative. This is acheived by wearing formal suits with incorporat-
street vendors to shops. ed militaristic cuts, such as protective metals and plastics, as well
as displays of rank. The trick to standing out is to find the perfect
[2] Specialized tattoo/complex implant: A specialized mixture of loyalty, sexuality, and strength that makes people turn
tattoo can have animated patterns or use colors that glow their gazes in your direction.
under certain light; complex implants can involve glow-
ing hair/nails that grow naturally, cosmetic bionics like Bureaucrats often wear official suits and uniforms that are very
fur/cat ears/improved sex organs, and more. This is a militaristic in appearance but are less overtly expressive to avoid
moderate procedure that requires a shop or clinic. distracting the bureaucrat from their job. It is often the higher
[3] Cosmetic make-over: A cosmetic make-over can in- bureaucrats and the enkhors who choose to stand out from those
clude cosmetic surgery, such as a new appearance, a new beneath them, often by taking upper-class fashion to the extreme
skin tone or hair color, as well as gender reassignment or by combining aspects of all social classes into one chaotic
procedures with fully functional (but infertile) sex or- amalgamation designed to project their superiority in all aspects
gans. These are complex procedures that require a clinic. of personal strength and perfection.
[4] Advanced cosmetic make-over: An advanced cos-
metic make-over enable more complex procedures, such THE CAMELLIAN DYNASTY
as complete sex reassignment (including DNA reassign- In the Camellian Dynasty, individual expression is celebrated.
ment) and fertile sex organs, complete mutation or bi- One of the most popular fashion niches is the retrokitsch scene,
onic removal or replacement, as well as age reversal (this where people embody archaic designs often appropriated from
usually happens in ten year increments each procedure). older cultures. Retrokitsch groups express themselves with fash-
Age reversal in particular is only applied to adults over ion inspired by different historical periods and places. Most of
the age of thirty, and their physiology is never reversed these groups do not bother with historical accuracy; instead,
to a younger state than twenty years old. These complex they appropriate what they think looks good, whether it is a
procedures require an advanced clinic. Japanese hakama, an Egyptian pharao mask, or a Renaissance
[5] Complete cosmetic make-over: The most complex giornea. Sometimes, these groups blend different cultural inspi-
forms of cosmetic changes can be made at this Cost, in- rations together to stand out even more.
cluding changing progeny (though this is illegal in many
societies). These complex procedures require expensive Another common trend in Camellian fashion is to emulate the
machinery that are only available in the most advanced looks of whatever the media deems popular at the time, with
clinics or high-tech hospitals. people dressing like their favorite fictional heroes or styling their
hair like popular influencers. Much of the Camellian sense of
individual expression tends to involve people expressing them-

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selves in the way other more popular and influential individuals THE DAWNLIGHT SOCIETY
do. After all, mimicry and emulation are just another form of The Dawnlight Society boasts broad art, fashion, and entertain-
personal expression. ment scenes, much of which is imported from other factions.
Cultural expressions previously associated with different social
There is also a royalkitsch scene where people emulate the style classes have blended together, with street fashion reaching ex-
of the Three Divine Daughters or specific magistrate families. ecutive chairs and formalwear reaching the streets. Each social
These individuals are often devoted to the idea of the divine na- class has incorporated elements from the others and made them
ture of Camellian royalty, or they at least want to make it appear their own; formalwear found on the streets consists of patched-
that way to possibly be seen more favorably by the higher social up suits and hide dresses with gang symbols reminiscent of cor-
classes. The most popular royalkitsch styles are referred to as the porate logos; streetwear found in boardrooms consists of elabo-
Gilded, the Starstruck, and the Silverbloom. rate neon tattoos, synthetic leather jackets, fingerless gloves, and
expressions of physical strength and promiscuity.
The Gilded is the royalkitsch fashion style inspired by Princess
Hana. This style features golds, yellows, and reds, with dragon DEVA
and tiger imagery, scales and stripes, and chimeran body mod- The Church of the Voice has banned all art and fashion that do
ifications. Gold-tinted skin jobs are popular, and in this fashion not express views in line with the religious doctrine. Any work-
style, even nudity is acceptable due to Princess Hana’s habit of ing artists must be sanctioned by the Church to operate within
painting herself in gold instead of wearing clothes. Hairstyles are Deva, but it is not uncommon for critical artists and designers
wild and free, often ruffled and layered. to hide subliminal anti-Devan messages within their products.

The Starstruck is the royalkitsch fashion style inspired by Prin- Overly sexualized fashion is often frowned upon by the Church,
cess Chulan. This style includes whites, greens, blacks, and blues, but many with dissident views make controversial fashion state-
and tends towards the more formal. It is characterized by but- ments that include sexualization and nudity in fringe zones and
toned-up suits, slender but covering jackets and leggings, and at underground parties to publicly declare their opposition. This
minimalistic imagery. Hairstyles are typically symmetrical and occurs at higher level as well, but much less openly.
contained, with smooth lengths and tight braids.
People from lower social classes who want to fly under the ra-
The Silverbloom is the royalkitsch fashion style inspired by Prin- dar and not provoke the Church tend to dress in bland cloth-
cess Jia. This style embodies refinement and grace, with elabo- ing. Many gravitate towards oversized unisex clothing in simple
rate suits or dresses, metallic and chromatic features, as well as colors and without brands or other symbols.
gemstones and other signs of wealth. Flower imagery and ab-
stract patterns are common, and hairstyles are often intricate and In higher social classes, fashion is more stylized, featuring shades
colorful. of red, gold, and silver. Symbols are still uncommon, but many
of the more fashionable clothes may have subtle decorations of
THE COALITION surrealist imagery or depictions of nature. Jewelry is a common
The Coalition has diverse interests in fashion. While Crocodile way to express wealth and power, and many of the more expres-
products dominate the market, the open economy encourages sive socialites weave metals and gemstones into their garments.
foreign products, and people are accustomed to seeing advertise- Others prefer more humble expressions, such as wood or pelt.
ments from several factions. While the older generation possess-
es a stronger sense of factional pride due to memories of past Members of the Church often wear religious imagery, one of
hostilities, the newer post-war generation is inspired by and ap- which is the Speaker. This symbol consists of two lungs out-
propriates foreign cultures for their fashion. Although Crocodile stretched like angelic wings, with the windpipe forming a curved
prefers a larger market share for itself, it still fosters competition. spine that ends in a head-like protrusion with an open mouth.
Different depictions of the Speaker may have the mouth in differ-
Beyond the more pronounced faction-specific cultural influ- ent expressions, representing different vocal sounds.
ences, the markets also feature specific niches and subcultures
created by small, often local organizations, many of which are THE DIRECTORATE
sponsored by the larger cooperatives. For instance, while Croc- The Directorate has a rich and varied fashion scene, largely in-
odile is the dominant force in fashion, it encourages influencers fluenced by the leading empyrean influencers. Each social class
and entrepreneurs to design merchandise to ensure product flow has its own distinctive color—white for scavengers, blue for lab-
and subcultural shifts. orers, green for erudites, yellow for luminaries, and purple for
executives—which is often integrated into various fashion styles;
Although the Coalition originated from the Directorate, it has luminescent smart garments are particularly popular among the
had generations to establish its own culture. As more generations middle classes and above.
have emerged and citizens have been exposed to foreign cultures,
the uniqueness of Coalition culture lies in its amalgamation of Among the lower classes, where smart garments are less com-
various cultural aspects. Today, Coalitionists are very diverse mon, luminescence is replaced with distinct patterns. Laborer
and open-minded regarding fashion; nothing is considered too streetwear comprises various styles, such as the cyberkin style
strange to be acceptable. (heavy garments with integrated chains, pins, and metals for a
technological look) or the midnight angel style (typically dark,

172
loose-fitting, and mobile garments with a masked hood that are popular. There are also some sectorial niches; for example, Grand
bland in daylight but glow impressively in low-light settings). Colombia is known for militaristic cuts even among the lower
classes, and South Africa is known for its colorful peacocking
Different progenies are also encouraged to adopt distinct fash- style, featuring sexualized cuts, cosmetic bionics, and elaborate
ion choices. Empyrean clans are represented by their clan log- hairstyles.
os, worn not only by clan members but also by their servants
in variant forms. For example, an empyrean general from Clan STARANOVA
Andromeda would likely wear militaristic fashion featuring the Staranova has cultural influences similar to Arcturus, with an
clan logo (a red galaxy) and the purple marks of the executive appreciation for hard and rugged features. However, unlike Arc-
class. A military general hired by Clan Andromeda but not part turus, Staranovan fashion is more uniform, reflecting a value for
of the clan would likely display the red galaxy on their uniform, traditional labor and group identities. There are many simple
but not as prominently. cuts and plain colors across all social classes, with students and
most professions, from soldiers to store clerks, wearing uniforms
Chimeras are encouraged to wear imagery associated with their that easily signify their position in society. There is more diverse
bloodlines (and amities, if applicable). If they belong to a re- leisurewear, though, and the Staranovan night scene often bursts
nowned bloodline, such as the Venomfangs who gained fame with colors that are usually unseen during the day.
during the Cooperative Wars, it is not unusual to see official
branding incorporated into their fashion, at least when they wish THE TERRAN CONSOLIDATION
to be recognized. The Venomfangs in particular are known for Because the Terran Consolidation is only a generation old and
combining blacks with emeralds and lime greens. composed of all other member nations, it has not yet developed
its own distinct culture. However, since more than a billion people
The way progeny is expressed varies, but in the Directorate—a spend most of their lives directly under TerCon’s domain, such as
society where certain progenies rule and terrans are generally in the equatorial towers and on Andlang, they are exposed to a
oppressed—these clear indications of class and progeny serve variety of cultural styles. As a result, many different styles blend
to reinforce the hierarchy; if you, as a terran, commit a crime together. People are inspired by each other, and when friends and
against someone adorned with a clan logo, you cannot claim in colleagues from different factions come together, self-expression
court that you were unaware of their higher status. adapts accordingly.

MEGACORP These styles are gradually introduced to the various factions, and
Megacorp, similar to the Coalition, is a faction with a rich and while there are distinct styles as mentioned above, nearly every
diverse fashion scene. There are endless fashion styles available form of expression can be found everywhere to varying degrees.
across all parts of society, most of which have been popularized If you want your Staranovan character to be expressed more in
by marketing, social media, influencers, and the like. In general, line with Directorate styles, feel free to do so. The extent to which
Megacorp fashion is not as colorful as Directorate fashion, with your character confirms to regional and factional norms is up to
simpler and more minimalistic designs currently being more you. Express yourself the way you want.

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 CHAPTER 5: TECHNOLOGY

ARMOR ing substances that prevent them from becoming dirty or dam-
aged. Inexpensive stealth coatings are commonly used to reduce
The solar system is dangerous, and it is wise to prepare for that heat emissions or odors, while advanced stealth technologies
danger by protecting oneself with armor. Armor is used by all may include visual cloaking.
social classes and comes in many different forms. It also looks
different depending on where in the solar system it is used and Body armor specialized for wasteland and off-world combat is
for what purpose it is made. referred to as Extreme Environment (ExEn) armor. ExEn armor
typically includes protection against hazardous materials and
Despite eras of development, blunt and sharp weapons are still chemicals, high- and low-pressure environments, aquatic en-
both accessible and effective, and ballistics are now cheaper, vironments, and high-radiation environments. Some designs
smarter, and more dangerous than ever before. Effective armor are even intended to protect against the vacuum of space or to
should protect against both traditional weaponry and modern counteract gravitational forces.
variants. However, due to the atrocities of the Cooperative Wars,
armor development shifted significantly more towards hazard LIMB PROTECTION
reduction than surviving direct and personal confrontations. Flexibility and mobility are important for survival. Armor
that protects the limbs often has flexible joints that allow for
When visualizing armor in Machineborn, you may refer to your free movement. Gloves have jointed fingers so that soldiers can
favorite science fiction sources for inspiration. Keep in mind easily manage their weapons and tools. However, this type of
that even though the technology exists for super-advanced ar- flexibility often comes at the expense of protection. There are
mor types, there is still a place for traditional and simplistic synthetic fibers that can retain flexibility while providing solid
ones. Not everyone has access to the best technologies or means protection, though even these powerful materials are inferior to
of manufacture, but many still need protection in some form. heavier and bulkier variants.

HEAD PROTECTION Many heavier variants can have exoskeletal features as well, al-
Even the most affordable head protection is designed with a lowing for increased physical strength and endurance. Special-
focus on impact protection to prevent traumatic brain injury. ist combat armor can enable superhuman feats otherwise only
This protection extends to the neck to prevent rapid or forceful seen in certain physical augmentations.
neck movement while still allowing free mobility. Heavier ar-
mor often restricts neck movement, but it sometimes includes ARMOR AND SOCIAL CLASS
additional sensors to compensate, such as lenses and cameras Because scavengers rarely have access to industrialized manu-
that act as field-of-view compensators. facturing, they often rely on traditional protection such as fur
and hides. Many use some form of simple armor for everyday
Retaining perception is important, and eye-protective armor protection against violence and weather. While effective against
often features anti-fog, anti-laser, and anti-flash capabilities. other scavengers, this armor is usually underwhelming when
Many helmets are equipped with built-in noise-filters that block facing the advanced weaponry wielded by faction militaries.
dangerously loud noises while allowing quieter ones to filter
through. This not only helps prevent hearing loss but also en- Laborers often wear simple protection in the form of protective
ables soldiers to communicate during battle. Helmets that are gear, but they are more likely to have access to modern materials
part of smart armor systems almost always include head-up dis- and mass-produced products; fiber vests, padded jackets, flak
plays and long-range communication systems; sometimes, they jackets, and hard hats are common examples.
are equipped with specialized sensors, such as thermal vision,
night vision, or x-ray vision. Erudites, who are the least likely to wear armor for everyday
protection, have access to modern equipment if required for
In the military, closed helmets are more common than open- their occupation. Unlike the cheap and mass-produced gear
faced ones; many are fitted with breathing filters to protect seen among laborers, erudite enforcers often have smart armor
against inhaled chemicals. While less expensive helmets fo- made from synthetic materials, such as combat plastic.
cus on shock absorption, the more costly variants may offer
advanced brain protection features like hormone stabilizers, Luminaries and executives need to wear armor for everyday
psionic shielding, and pain blockers. protection against dangers such as hitmen. These are social
classes where prestige is paramount, and many prefer discreet
BODY PROTECTION armor that can be integrated into or concealed under their
When it comes to body protection, you can opt for either style high-fashion or corporate suits. They often wear expensive and
or substance, depending on where and how you plan to use your modern materials with smart features, such as embedded elec-
armor. Military armor needs to protect against more than just tronics and self-maintenance capabilities.
violence; it must also safeguard against natural and man-made
hazards. Body armor is often categorized as soft or hard, with
some designs combining both features to maximize comfort, ARMOR TRAITS
mobility, and protection.
ARMOR SIZE
Many types of armor are coated with self-cleaning and self-heal- Armor come primarily in three different sizes: light, medium, and

174
heavy. These have the same base Cost, but offer different pros of shifts equal to the Soak rating. Any harm exceeding this rating
and cons. affects Stress (p. XX) as usual.

A light armor has Soak 0 to 2, depending on quality. It can be There are two types of physical Soak: Natural Soak and Armored
concealed under or within clothing. A light armor with Soak 0 Soak. Natural Soak is determined by a character or entity’s inher-
is the same as a normal garment. ent constitution, while Armored Soak results from external pro-
tective layers. Additionally, certain special powers or augmenta-
Examples include fiber vest, leather jacket, and skin suit. tions can grant an Effect Soak, such as a force field.
A medium armor has Soak 2 to 4, depending on quality. It
cannot be concealed under clothing, but can be concealed as Soak from different sources only stacks if explicitly specified.
clothing with some effort. It adds a –1 mobility penalty. While you can benefit from Natural Soak, Armored Soak, and
Effect Soak simultaneously, typically you cannot benefit from
Examples include flak jacket, hide armor, and combat plastic. multiple types of Natural-, Armored-, or Effect Soak at once. In
such cases, use the highest value within each category. Exceptions
A heavy armor has Soak 4 to 6, depending on quality. It is
are outlined in the specific asset, property, or rule description.
impossible to conceal as anything other than armor. It adds a
–2 mobility penalty.
When facing an opponent with exceptionally high Soak, con-
sider creating advantages to set up more damaging attacks. Ad-
Examples include junk suit, metal armor, and pelt coat.
ditionally, aimed attacks (p. XX) allow you to ignore Armored
Soak entirely, unless it has the Encasing Aspect (p. XX). Note that
ARMOR FRAMES it does not bypass other sources of Soak.
There are armor types that are larger than the light, medium,
and heavy categories—these are called frames. An armor frame If shifts of harm penetrates Armored Soak, you can choose to
is based on a light, medium, or heavy one, but is much larger and mitigate additional shifts by damaging the armor itself. This
heavier. It cannot be used without special traits. There are three concentrates the harm on the armor rather than the character’s
categories of armor frames, called I, II, and III. body, permanently reducing the armor’s Soak by one for each
mitigated shift. To restore its full value, the reduces Soak must be
An Electronic armor can be turned into a Frame I armor for +2 repaired (p. XX). However, if an armor loses all its Soak this way,
Cost. Add +1 to Armored Soak and the Large Frame Aspect. it becomes irreparably broken.
This increases your Athletics Scale by one (to maximum 8) and
enables the use of Siege I weapons (p. XX). Using the armor
requires Piloting at Average (+1) Scale 1. Rainmaker finds herself in a precarious situation while
An Electronic armor can be turned into a Frame II armor for walking through an alley in Ayer City at night. She is struck
+4 Cost. Add +2 to Armored Soak and the Huge Frame Aspect. by a 5-shift attack, but her preparedness pays off. Her in-
This increases your Athletics Scale by two (to maximum 8) and herent resilience provides her with Natural Soak 2. She is
enables the use of Siege II weapons (p. XX). Using the armor also wearing a reinforced laborwear kit with Armored Soak
requires Piloting at Good (+3) Scale 1. 1. Together, these give her Total Soak 3, which reduces the
attack’s impact from 5 shifts to just 2.
An Electronic armor can be turned into a Frame III armor for
+6 Cost. Add +3 to Armored Soak and the Colossal Frame As-
But her player is determined to minimize the damage even
pect. This increases your Athletics Scale by three (to maximum
further. Elise decides to damage her reinforced laborwear
8) and enables the use of Siege III weapons (p. XX). Using the
kit, lowering the attack by another shift. This breaks her ar-
armor requires Piloting at Superb (+5) Scale 1.
mor beyond repair, but she only suffers one Stress in total.
Donning a Siege III armor can make you large enough to en-
compass several zones by yourself. The Narrator has final say in MOBILITY PENALTY
how these zones are divided, but you are able to interact with Medium and heavy armor types have something called a mobility
them all as if they were at Range 0. Enemies can only directly penalty. Because of their ungainly nature, this penalty applies to
target you in the zone your real body is in. all Physical Skill rolls.

If you add the Encasing Aspect (p. XX) to an armor frame, it ENCASING ARMOR
will be treated as a vehicle (p. XX). It shares the same benefits as Some types of armor have the Encasing Aspect. This makes Ar-
above, but gain its own Stress boxes and Consequence slots, and mored Soak applicable to all forms of external threats, such as
its Armored Soak is treated as an inherent Natural Soak. hazards. Aimed attacks (p. XX) no longer bypass Armored Soak.
It also protects from contact exposure. If combined with some
SOAK form of oxygen reliance (see the Resource Reliance property at
Assets such as armor, droids, and vehicles can have Soak rat- page XX), it can fully insulate from inhaled hazards and certain
ings, providing an additional layer of protection against physical other conditions, such as being submerged under water.
harm. When an asset (or a character wearing armor) sustains
harm from a physical attack, the damage is reduced by a number Adds +1 to an armor’s Cost to make it Encasing.

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 CHAPTER 5: TECHNOLOGY

SELECTING ARMOR
When selecting an armor for your character, start by
choosing an armor base (see next page) that is appropriate
for the size, quality, and Cost you have in mind.

If you want to further customize your armor, select any

number of properties appropriate for the Cost you are
willing to spend. The list on page XX covers most of the
asset properties that could work well for armor, but you
may consider any property from the asset property list on
page XX. Alternatively, use them as a basis for designing
your own properties, at Narrator discretion.

Consult the invention rules on page XX for more infor-

mation about designing properties.

If you are looking for more concrete examples of how

different armor types could be represented in game, see
the templates on page XX. These are examples of how
different properties can be translated into actual armor
examples.

You may combine templates for even more creative and

complex armor, but keep note of the listed properties to
make sure you get the final Cost right. Many properties
can also be further modified by adding or reducing Cost.

STANDARD ARMOR BASES

COST ARMOR SOAK MOBILITY NOTES
0 Poor Light Armor 0 — Concealable
0 Poor Medium Armor 2 –1 —
0 Poor Heavy Armor 4 –2 Unconcealable
1 Poor Encasing Light Armor 0 — Concealable; Encasing
1 Poor Encasing Medium Armor 2 –1 Encasing
1 Poor Encasing Heavy Armor 4 –2 Unconcealable; Encasing
1 Standard Light Armor 1 — Concealable
1 Standard Medium Armor 3 –1 —
1 Standard Heavy Armor 5 –2 Unconcealable
2 Standard Encasing Light Armor 1 — Concealable; Encasing
2 Standard Encasing Medium Armor 3 –1 Encasing
2 Standard Encasing Heavy Armor 5 –2 Unconcealable; Encasing
2 Fine Light Armor 2 — Concealable
2 Fine Medium Armor 4 –1 —
2 Fine Heavy Armor 6 –2 Unconcealable
3 Fine Encasing Light Armor 2 — Concealable; Encasing
3 Fine Encasing Medium Armor 4 –1 Encasing
3 Fine Encasing Heavy Armor 6 –2 Unconcealable; Encasing

176
 COMMON ARMOR PROPERTIES
COST PROPERTY DETAILS PAGE
Varies Harm For +1 Cost, treat the armor as a light/medium/heavy weapon based on its size. XX
Varies Task Bonus The armor provides a bonus to the defend roll, or for specific actions using it. XX
–10 to –1 Skill Requirement The armor has special Skill requirements to use. XX
–7 to –1 Heavy The armor is heavier than normal. XX
–4 to –1 Task Penalty The armor provides a penalty to the defend roll, or for specific actions using it. XX
–2 or –1 Mobility Penalty The armor’s mobility penalty is increased. XX
–2 or –1 Vulnerability The armor suffers a –4 or –2 penalty to Armored Soak against a specific harm type. XX
–2 to ±0 Resource Reliance The armor relies on a specific resource, such as Power or Oxygen. XX
–2 to +9 Electronic Gains the Electronic Aspect. It also gets a Security and Power value based on Cost. XX
–1 Flaw The armor has a flaw or troubling Aspect. XX
–1 Warm The armor prevents rest when used indoors or in warm climates. XX
±0 Masked The armor obscures your facial features. XX
±0 to +2 Shield The armor functions like a shield (p. XX) based on its size. XX
±0 to +5 Interface Requires Electronic. Gains the Interface Aspect. Gets a Wireless Range based on Cost. XX
+1 Air Filter The armor insulates from inhaled hazards. XX
+1 Bonus The armor has a bonus or beneficial Aspect of some kind. XX
+1 Discreet Requires light/medium armor. It is made to look like something other than armor. XX
+1 Enable Action The armor enables a new type of action or ability. XX
+1 Encasing Adds Encasing Aspect. Can apply Armored Soak against hazards and aimed attacks. XX
+1 Noise Filter The armor insulates from loud or distracting noises. XX
+1 Prestige The armor has a prestigious reputation, represented by an appropriate Aspect. XX
+1 Psionic Shielding The armor can apply Armored Soak against Psionic Harm. XX
+1 Sensor Requires Electronic. The armor lets you detect a specific type of sensory data. XX
+1 Special Action Enables a powerful special action that either costs a Charge or a resource use. XX
+1 Stealth Requires Electronic. Hides the armor from a specific type of sensory data. XX
+1 Stretch Fiber The armor is malleable and can change form. XX
+1 Subnautical Requires Encasing. Insulates from water and high pressure. XX
+1 Trick Fiber Requires Electronic. The armor can change texture and coloration. XX
+1 Visor The armor protects your eyes. If Electronic, gives you a head-up display. XX
+1 or +2 Impact Dampener Reduce Scale of impact harm by two or four. XX
+1 or +2 Resilience The armor adds +2 or +4 to Armored Soak against a specific harm type. XX
+1 or +2 Self-Maintenance The armor cleans and mends itself. At +2 Cost, can repair ablated Soak if Electronic. XX
+1 or +2 Weather Resistant Reduce Scale of temperature and weather hazards by one or two. XX
+2 Acid Insulation Requires Encasing. Insulates from Acid Harm. XX
+2 Chanite Insulation Protects the armor from chanite corruption. If Encasing, protects the user as well. XX
+2 Cryo Insulation Requires Encasing. Insulates from Cryo Harm. XX
+2 Electrical Insulation Requires Encasing. Insulates from Electrical Harm. XX
+2 Entropic Insulation Requires Encasing. Insulates from Electrical Harm. XX
+2 Flesh-Matrix Interface Requires Encasing and Electronic. May interact with nitespace. XX
+2 Pyro Insulation Requires Encasing. Insulates from Pyro Harm. XX
+2 Radiation Insulation Requires Encasing. Insulates from Radiation Harm. XX
+2 Space Insulation Requires Encasing and Electronic. Insulates from space. May navigate in zero gravity. XX

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 CHAPTER 5: TECHNOLOGY

ARMOR TEMPLATES
COST TEMPLATE REQUIRED ARMOR BASE PAGE
±0 Hide Armor Any light or medium armor type XX
±0 Metal Armor Any medium or heavy armor type XX
+1 Fashionwear Kit Any light armor type XX
+1 Fiber Vest Any non-encasing light armor type XX
+1 Formalwear Kit Any light armor type XX
+1 Junk Suit Any armor type XX
+1 Laborwear Kit Any armor type XX
+1 Leather Armor Any light armor type XX
+1 Smart Armor Any armor type XX
+1 Streetwear Kit Any light armor type XX
+1 Stretch Suit Any armor type XX
+1 Trick Suit Any armor type XX
+2 Diving Suit Any encasing armor type XX
+2 Frame I “Exoframe” Any armor type XX
+2 Holo Suit Any armor type XX
+2 Self-Mending Suit Any armor type XX
+2 Stealth Suit Any encasing armor type XX
+3 Hazmat Suit Any encasing armor type XX
+3 Space Suit Any encasing armor type XX
+4 ExEn Suit Any encasing armor type XX
+4 Flesh-Matrix Suit Any encasing armor type XX
+4 Frame II “Starframe” Any armor type XX
+6 Frame III “Titanframe” Any armor type XX

ARMOR ATTACHMENTS
COST ATTACHMENT REQUIRED ARMOR BASE PAGE
2 Psionic Shielding Any encasing armor type XX
2 or 3 Climate Coating Any encasing armor type XX
2 or 3 Gravity Boots Any armor type XX
2 or 3 Impact Dampener Any encasing armor type XX
2 to 5 Paint Job Any armor type XX
3 Insulating Coating Any encasing armor type XX
3 or 4 Protective Helmet Any armor type XX

FASHION ACCESSORIES
COST ACCESSORY PAGE
1 or 2 Breathing Mask XX
1 to 3 Smartshades XX

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ARMOR TEMPLATES [+1] FORMALWEAR KIT
A formalwear kit consists of clothes associated with formal
[±0] HIDE ARMOR events, such as business meetings. It is often unassuming while
Hide is used for crude armor and can be made of either synthet- still expressing privilege. Many from higher classes use formal-
ic or natural materials. It is commonly worn by wastelanders all wear instead of streetwear even when in more relaxed settings.
over the world. Encasing variants often contain thick hoods, and
are often combined with scarfs and goggles. Base: Any light armor type.
Aspects: Formalwear Kit; Formal Attire.
Base: Any light or medium armor type.
Effects: You are able to blend in on formal events, such as busi-
Aspects: Hide Armor; Warm. ness meetings, weddings, or certain professional settings.
Effects: Reduces the Scale of temperature and weather hazards
(p. XX) by one. When used indoors or in warm climates, you Keep in mind that the armor’s total Cost determines its social
are unable to rest. significance; a Cost 1 variant may be suitable for a scavenger’s
Properties: [–1] Warm (p. XX); [+1] Weather Resistant (p. first job interview, while a Cost 5 variant may make you feel at
XX). home in corporate board meeting. If you want a higher-Cost
kit, consider using a more expensive armor base or combine it
with additional templates.
[±0] METAL ARMOR
Ordinary metals are rarely used in modern armor because they Properties: [+1] Bonus (p. XX).
are inferior to the synthetic materials that are used instead. How-
ever, metal is still used in the wastelands and by groups without [+1] JUNK SUIT
access to synthetic materials. Encasing variants contain full-body Junk suits are armor sets made of scraps and junk thrown togeth-
plate and helmets. er into ungainly messes. While not illegal, they are controver-
sial because of them being commonly used by marauders in the
Base: Any medium or heavy armor type. wasteland. Encasing variants make the user look like a walking
Aspects: Metal Armor; Heavy. pile of garbage, with scraps and materials welded together.
Soak: +2 against Blunt Harm.
Base: Any armor type.
Effects: You gain another –1 mobility penalty unless you have
Athletics Scale 2 or higher. Aspects: Junk Suit; Electronic; Interface; Controversial.

Properties: [–1] Heavy (p. XX); [+1] Resilient (p. XX). Harm: Blunt/Sharp (1 for light/2 for medium/3 for heavy).
Wireless Range: 0; Security: Average (+1) Scale 1; Power: 6.
[+1] FASHIONWEAR KIT Effects: The junk suit can be used as a functional computer
A fashionwear kit consist of clothes associated with events, cel- capable of system interaction (p. XX). It can hold digital assets
ebrations, night life, or the like. It’s often more elaborate than (p. XX) with a Cost no higher than its own. When connected
street clothes with the aim of sticking out and grabbing attention. to other electronic devices, you can use their highest Security
for all. However, should the armor be hacked, the hacker can
Base: Any light armor type. also access any connected devices.
Aspects: Fashionwear Kit; Fashionable. Properties: [–1] Blacklisted (p. XX); [±0] Electronic (p. XX);
Effects: You are able to blend in on social events, night clubs, [+1] Harm (p. XX); [+1] Interface (p. XX).
and celebrations.
[+1] LABORWEAR KIT
Keep in mind that the armor’s total Cost determines its social A laborwear kit is a uniform associated with a specific profession,
significance; a Cost 1 variant may be fashionable for a scaven- such as a police uniform, a lab coat, or something similar.
ger, while a Cost 5 variant may be something you see at a celeb-
rity party. If you want a higher-Cost kit, consider using a more Base: Any armor type.
expensive armor base or combine it with additional templates. Aspects: Laborwear Kit; <Profession> Uniform.
Properties: [+1] Bonus (p. XX). Effects: You are recognized as a specific profession.

[+1] FIBER VEST Keep in mind that the armor’s total Cost determines its social
A fiber vest is a light torso-worn armor made from aramid fiber significance; a Cost 1 variant may be suitable for a scavenger
that is specifically designed to protect against projectiles. It can job, but not for an executive class job. If you want a higher-Cost
be hidden under normal clothing. kit, consider using a more expensive armor base or combine it
with additional templates.
Base: Any non-encasing light armor type. Properties: [+1] Bonus (p. XX).
Aspects: Fiber Vest.
Soak: +2 against Projectile Harm. [+1] LEATHER ARMOR
Properties: [+1] Resilience (p. XX). Synthetic leather is a discreet and fashionable armor type. It is

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 CHAPTER 5: TECHNOLOGY

common in all social classes and is often integrated well with Base: Any armor type.
fashion in the form of jackets or coats. Encasing variants often
include hoods, masks, gloves, and boots for added protection. It Aspects: Trick Suit; Electronic.
is easy to simply pull the hood back to look more natural. Security: Average (+1) Scale 1; Power: 6.
Effects: The armor can alter texture and coloration to display
Base: Any light armor type. unique designs. If you have appearance-based bionics or cy-
Aspects: Leather Armor. bernetics, such as bioluminescence (p. XX) or skinjob (p. XX),
Effects: The armor looks like normal clothing. the armor can project their information onto itself, letting you
take advantage their effects without having to reveal skin.
Properties: [+1] Discreet (p. XX).
Properties: [±0] Electronic (p. XX); [+1] Trick Fiber (p. XX).

[+1] SMART ARMOR

[+2] DIVING SUIT
A smart armor has an integrated computer. It can be used to both
store data and interface with digital systems. A diving suit is a garment consisting of a reinforced rubber suit
that covers the entire body. The suit contains webbed feet, an ac-
Base: Any armor type. cessory regulator, goggles, and an oxygen tank. Heavier variants
exist as well, replacing the rubber suit with a pressure suit.
Aspects: Smart Armor; Electronic; Interface.
Wireless Range: 0; Security: Average (+1) Scale 1; Power: 6. Base: Any encasing armor type.
Effects: The armor can be used as a functional computer capa- Aspects: Diving Suit; Encasing.
ble of system interaction (p. XX). It can hold digital assets (p. Air: 6.
XX) with a Cost no higher than its own. When connected to
other electronic devices, you can use their highest Security for Effects: You are insulated from water and can navigate while
all. However, should the armor be hacked, the hacker can also submerged. If Sharp or Projectile Harm penetrates the armor
access any connected devices. while under water, it is Breached until repaired. The diving suit
also contains a protective visor. Finally, it fully insulates from
Properties: [±0] Electronic (p. XX); [+1] Interface (p. XX). inhaled hazards.

[+1] STREETWEAR KIT After having spent a scene under water, or when dramatically
A streetwear kit comprises all manner of urban fashion. It usually approprate at Narrator discretion, make an Air roll.
involves walking shoes, some kind of fashionable pants and top,
as well as a jacket and some accessories. Finally, the diving suit is ill-suited for use on land, inflicting a
–1 penalty to movement-based Acrobatics and Athletics rolls
Base: Any light armor type. outside of water.
Aspects: Streetwear Kit; Urban Fashion. Properties: [–1] Task Penalty (p. XX); [±0] Resource Reliance
Effects: You are able to blend in on metropolitan streets. (p. XX); [+1] Air Filter (p. XX); [+1] Subnautical (p. XX); [+1]
Visor (p. XX).
Keep in mind that the armor’s total Cost determines its social
significance; a Cost 1 variant may let you blend in out in the [+2] FRAME I “EXOFRAME”
fringe zones, while a Cost 5 variant makes you at home within An exoframe is an armor type that has been designed to encom-
the inner commercial districts. If you want a higher-Cost kit, pass the user and improve their strength, often making them
consider using a more expensive armor base or combine it with stand up to three meters tall. It enables the use of siege weapons,
additional templates. but often have additional requirements to use.
Properties: [+1] Bonus (p. XX).
Base: Any armor type.
[+1] STRETCH SUIT Aspects: Frame I Armor “Exoframe”; Large Frame; Electronic;
While it looks like normal armor, the stretch suit is made of a Vehicle (Encasing-only).
synthetic material that makes it flexible and malleable. Requirements: Piloting at Average (+1) Scale 1.
Soak: +1 (if Encasing, Armored Soak becomes vehicle’s Natural
Base: Any armor type. Soak); Stress (Encasing-only): 6; Physical Consequences (En-
Aspects: Stretch Suit. casing-only): Mild (2), Moderate (1), Severe (1).
Effects: The armor stretches or retracts to fit its user, even if Security: Average (+1) Scale 1; Power: 6.
they change drastically in size and shape. Effects: May use Siege I weapons (p. XX). Increase Athletics
Properties: [+1] Stretch Fiber (p. XX). Scale by one (to maximum 8).
Properties: [±0] Electronic (p. XX); [+2] Frame I (p. XX).
[+1] TRICK SUIT
A trick suit is an armor made of a synthetic material that can alter [+2] HOLO SUIT
its texture and coloration. A holo suit has a built-in computer and projects holographic im-

180
agery—often ads. This is a popular garment among battle-influ- [+3] HAZMAT SUIT
encers, such as Arcturian gladiators. A hazmat suit is a garment used to protect the entire body from
radiation and hazardous materials, such as dangerous chemicals.
Base: Any armor type. The suit contains a gasmask.
Aspects: Holo Suit; Electronic; Interface.
Base: Any encasing armor type.
Wireless Range: 0; Security: Average (+1) Scale 1; Power: 6.
Aspects: Hazmat Suit; Encasing.
Effects: The armor can be used as a functional computer capa-
ble of system interaction (p. XX). It can hold digital assets (p. Effects: You are insulated from Radiation Harm. If Sharp or
XX) with a Cost no higher than its own. When connected to Projectile Harm penetrates the armor, it is Breached and loses
other electronic devices, you can use their highest Security for its insulation until repaired. The hazmat suit also contains a
all. However, should the armor be hacked, the hacker can also visor that protects against lasers and sudden bright lights, self-
access any connected devices. cleans, and prevents fog and liquid build-up. Also, it fully insu-
lates from inhaled hazards.
The armor projects holograms in the user’s zone. Auditory data
is directed to originate from the projection point. This is com- Finally, the hazmat suit increases your mobility penalty by one.
monly used by influencers to project ads and other visuals, but Properties: [–1] Mobility Penalty (p. XX); [+1] Air Filter (p.
can also be used to create advantages in various situations. XX); [+1] Visor (p. XX); [+2] Radiation Insulation (p. XX).
Properties: [±0] Electronic (p. XX); [+1] Interface (p. XX);
[+1] Projection (p. XX). [+3] SPACE SUIT
A space suit is designed to be able to withstand the vacuum of
[+2] SELF-MENDING SUIT space. It is a complex technology focused more on ensuring the
A self-mending suit is able to dry, clean, and repair itself. user’s survival than to act as an effective armor in combat.

Base: Any armor type. Base: Any encasing armor type.

Aspects: Self-Mending Suit; Electronic. Aspects: Space Suit; Encasing; Electronic; Interface.
Security: Average (+1) Scale 1; Power: 6. Requirements: Interfacing or Piloting at Average (+1) Scale 1.
Effects: The armor dries itself, cleans itself, and mends simple Wireless Range: 0; Security: Average (+1) Scale 1; Power: 6.
damages, such as cuts and tears. Any roll to repair (p. XX) the Air: 6.
asset faces a –2 difficulty. If damage to the armor has caused its Effects: You are insulated from the vacuum of space. You can
Soak value to be reduced, it will be restored to its full Soak val- also navigate in zero gravity, using built-in thrusters. If Sharp
ue by the scene’s end. You can choose to instantly replenish one or Projectile Harm penetrates the armor while in a vacuum, its
Soak box by forcing a Power roll. Add a –1 penalty to Power structural integrity is Breached, causing you to take one Stress
for this roll for each additional Soak box you want to restore, per round in a conflict or every few moments outside of a con-
capped at Power 1. flict until repaired.
Properties: [±0] Electronic (p. XX); [+2] Self-Maintenance (p.
XX). The space suit also contains a visor that protects against lasers
and sudden bright lights, self-cleans, and prevents fog and liq-
[+2] STEALTH SUIT uid build-up. Also, it fully insulates from inhaled hazards.
A stealth suit is an advanced military suit made of aramid fibers
and electronic features. It is designed to enhance a user’s capacity After having spent a scene in a vacuum, or when dramatically
for stealth. approprate at Narrator discretion, make an Air roll.

Base: Any encasing armor type. Finally, the space suit increases your mobility penalty by one.
Aspects: Stealth Suit; Encasing; Electronic; Interface. Properties: [–1] Mobility Penalty (p. XX); [–1] Skill Require-
ment (p. XX); [±0] Electronic (p. XX); [±0] Resource Reliance
Wireless Range: 0; Security: Average (+1) Scale 1; Power: 6. (p. XX); [+1] Air Filter (p. XX); [+1] Interface (p. XX); [+1]
Effects: The armor can be used as a functional computer capa- Visor (p. XX); [+2] Space Insulation (p. XX).
ble of system interaction (p. XX). It can hold digital assets (p.
XX) with a Cost no higher than its own. When connected to [+4] EXEN SUIT
other electronic devices, you can use their highest Security for An ExEn suit is a military suit made of aramid fibers, plastic plat-
all. However, should the armor be hacked, the hacker can also ing, and electronics. It is suitable for extreme environments and
access any connected devices. is often employed by infantry units dispatched to the wasteland.
While wearing the armor, you can become Invisible to visual
Base: Any encasing armor type.
light. This forces a Charge or a Power roll after active use; dur-
ing a conflict, this means after each of your turns. Aspects: ExEn Suit; Encasing; Electronic; Interface.
Properties: [±0] Electronic (p. XX); [+1] Interface (p. XX); Requirements: Interfacing or Piloting at Average (+1) Scale 1.
[+1] Stealth (p. XX). Wireless Range: 0; Security: Average (+1) Scale 1; Power: 6.

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Effects: The armor can be used as a functional computer capa- Properties: [±0] Electronic (p. XX); [+4] Frame II (p. XX).
ble of system interaction. It can hold digital assets with a Cost
no higher than its own. When connected to other devices, [+6] FRAME III “TITANFRAME”
you can use their highest Security for all. Should the armor be A titanframe is an armor type that has been designed to encom-
hacked, the hacker can also access any connected devices. pass the user and improve their strength, often making them
stand up to ten meters tall or even taller. It enables the use of
The ExEn suit also contains a visor with head-up display that siege weapons, but often have additional requirements to use.
protects against lasers and bright lights, self-cleans and pre-
vents fog and liquid build-up. It fully insulates from loud nois- Base: Any armor type.
es and inhaled hazards. Finally, when suffering impact harm,
the ExEn suit reduces its Scale by two. Aspects: Frame III Armor “Titanframe”; Colossal Frame; Elec-
tronic; Vehicle (Encasing-only).
Properties: [–1] Skill Requirement (p. XX); [±0] Electronic (p.
XX); [+1] Air Filter (p. XX); [+1] Impact Dampener (p. XX); Requirements: Piloting at Superb (+5) Scale 1.
[+1] Interface (p. XX); [+1] Noise Filter (p. XX); [+1] Visor Soak: +3 (if Encasing, Armored Soak becomes vehicle’s Natu-
(p. XX). ral Soak); Stress (Encasing-only): 10; Physical Consequences
(Encasing-only): Mild (2), Moderate (2), Severe (2).
[+4] FLESH-MATRIX SUIT Security: Average (+1) Scale 1; Power: 6.
A flesh-matrix suit has an integrated computer and can be used Effects: May use Siege III weapons (p. XX). Increase Athletics
to interact directly with nitespace. Scale by three (to maximum 8). Because of the armor’s size,
you may encompass several zones by yourself. The Narrator
Base: Any encasing armor type. has final say in how these zones are divided, but you are able to
Aspects: Flesh-Matrix Suit; Encasing; Electronic; Interface. interact with them all as if they were at Range 0. Enemies can
Wireless Range: 0; Security: Average (+1) Scale 1; Power: 6. only directly target you in the zone your real body is in.
Effects: The armor can be used as a functional computer capa- Properties: [±0] Electronic (p. XX); [+6] Frame III (p. XX).
ble of system interaction (p. XX). It can hold digital assets (p.
XX) with a Cost no higher than its own. When connected to
other electronic devices, you can use their highest Security for ARMOR ATTACHMENTS
all. However, should the armor be hacked, the hacker can also
access any connected devices. [2] PSIONIC SHIELDING
The armor has a layer of shielding from harmful psionic coding.
You may perceive and physically interact with the Nanite Ma-
trix. This lets you perform direct interfacing (p. XX) as if you
Base: Any encasing armor type.
were there in your avatar form (p. XX), including attacking
and being attacked by digital entities (your attacks must be un- Aspects: Psionic Coating.
armed unless you connect your suit to an electronic weapon). Effects: You may apply Armored Soak against Psionic Harm.
You may apply any Stress boxes from your Interfacing Rank Properties: [+1] Attachment (p. XX); [+1] Psionic Shielding
when attacked by digital entities; you may also choose to take (p. XX).
Physical instead of Digital Consequences when attacked.
Properties: [±0] Electronic (p. XX); [+1] Interface (p. XX); [2 OR 3] CLIMATE COATING
[+1] Visor (p. XX); [+2] Flesh-Matrix Interface (p. XX). A climate coating can be added to an armor to protect the user
in both hot and cold climates.
[+4] FRAME II “STARFRAME”
A starframe is an armor type that has been designed to encom- Base: Any encasing armor type.
pass the user and improve their strength, often making them Aspects: Climate Coating.
stand up to five meters tall. It enables the use of siege weapons,
Effects: Reduce the Scale of temperature and weather hazards
but often have additional requirements to use.
by one (Cost 2) or two (Cost 3). If this reduces the Scale to 0,
Base: Any armor type. you can ignore it entirely.
Aspects: Frame II Armor “Starframe”; Huge Frame; Electronic; Properties: [+1] Attachment (p. XX); [+1 or +2] Weather Re-
Vehicle (Encasing-only). sistant (p. XX).
Requirements: Piloting at Good (+3) Scale 1.
[2 OR 3] GRAVITY BOOTS
Soak: +2 (if Encasing, Armored Soak becomes vehicle’s Natural Gravity boots can be used to anchor your feet to a surface. They
Soak); Stress (Encasing-only): 8; Physical Consequences (En- are commonly used in space to move more easily in zero gravity,
casing-only): Mild (2), Moderate (2), Severe (1). but can also be used to maintain stability on unfriendly surfaces.
Security: Average (+1) Scale 1; Power: 6.
Effects: May use Siege II weapons (p. XX). Increase Athletics Base: Any armor type.
Scale by two (to maximum 8). Aspects: Gravity Boots; Electronic.

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 Security: Average (+1) Scale 1; Power: 6. Insulation (p. XX), [+2] Electrical Insulation (p. XX), [+2] En-
Effects: Can be acquired as stand-alone boots (Cost 2) or as tropic Insulation (p. XX), [+2] Pyro Insulation (p. XX), or [+2]
attachments (Cost 3) for encasing armor. The Cost 2 version Radiation Insulation (p. XX).
can be acquired even without an armor base.
[3 OR 4] PROTECTIVE HELMET
You gain a free invocation when defending against attempts to This is a protective helmet or helmet upgrade that incorporates
knock you off balance or move you away from your position. air and noise filters and extra eye protection.
By forcing a Power roll, you may anchor yourself to a surface
for a scene. This lets you walk up walls or walk upside down on Base: Any armor type.
ceilings. This inflicts a –1 stackable mobility penalty if there are Aspects: Protective Helmet.
contesting gravity wells, like when being on a planet’s surface.
You can ignore this penalty if doing it in zero gravity. Effects: Can be acquired as a stand-alone helmet (Cost 3) or as
an attachment (Cost 4) for encasing armor. The Cost 3 version
Properties: [±0] Electronic (p. XX); [+1] Attachment (p. XX); can be acquired even without an armor base.
[+1] Enable Action (p. XX); [+1] Special Action (p. XX).
The helmet fully insulates from inhaled hazards, such as chemi-
[2 OR 3] IMPACT DAMPENER cals, toxins, and some diseases. It balances and filters incoming
An impact dampener can be added to redistribute force across sound, blocking or reducing loud or distracting noises while
the armor, making it less dangerous to suffer from impacts. letting low noises through. The user can hold a normal con-
versation in a combat zone. Finally, it protects the eyes from
Base: Any encasing armor type. foreign elements, like dangerous chemicals or toxins. It has a
Aspects: Impact Dampener. visor that is coated with a self-cleaning material that prevents
fog and liquid build-up, as well as an auto-shading material
Effects: Reduce the Scale of impact harm by two (Cost 2) or
that protects against lasers and sudden bright lights. If attached
four (Cost 3). If this reduces the impact to Scale 0, you can
to electronic armor, it may display data in your field of view.
ignore it entirely.
Properties: [+1] Attachment (p. XX); [+1] Air Filter (p. XX);
Properties: [+1] Attachment (p. XX); [+1 or +2] Impact
[+1] Noise Filter (p. XX); [+1] Visor (p. XX).
Dampener (p. XX).

[2 TO 5] PAINT JOB
FASHION ACCESSORIES
A paint job adds a functional layer of coloring to the armor.
[1 OR 2] BREATHING MASK
Base: Any armor type. A breathing mask helps prevent the spread of disease. It is placed
Aspects: Camouflage Coloration or Parade Coloration. on your face and made to cover your mouth and nose.
Effects: When attached to your armor, choose between either
camouflage coloration or parade coloration: the former grants a Aspects: Breathing Mask.
+1 (Cost 2), +2 (Cost 3), +3 (Cost 4), or +4 (Cost 5) to Stealth, Effects: The breathing mask fully insulates from inhaled haz-
while the other adds that bonus to Style. ards, such as chemicals, toxins, and some diseases. The Cost 2
variant can be attached to encasing armor.
You can only get up to the Cost 3 version for a non-encasing Properties: [+1] Air Filter (p. XX). [+1] Attachment (p. XX)
armor while an encasing armor can have up to Cost 5. is optional.
Properties: [+1] Attachment (p. XX); [+1 to +4] Task Bonus
(p. XX). [1 TO 3] SMARTSHADES
Smartshades are pairs of electronic glasses or goggles that are of-
[3] INSULATING COATING ten used as display accessories to smart devices.
The armor has a layer of insulation against a specific source of
harm, decided when acquiring the coating. Aspects: Smartshades; Electronic; Interfacing (if +1 Cost).
Wireless Range: 0 (if Interfacing); Security: Average (+1) Scale
Base: Any encasing armor type. 1; Power: 6.
Aspects: Insulation. Effects: Smartshades self-clean and protect your eyes. They
Effects: The armor completely insulates from one of the fol- also contain a head-up display that can be interacted with us-
lowing: Acid Harm, Cryo Harm, Electrical Harm, Entropic ing eye movement and neural activity. At Cost 1, these are sim-
Harm, Pyro Harm, Radiation Harm, or chanites (p. XX). If ple accessories that must be connected to a smart device; At
Sharp or Projectile Harm penetrates its protection and causes Cost 2, the smartshades themselves are a functional computer
Stress or Consequences, it is Breached. This removes the insu- (this adds Wireless Range 0). By adding another +1 Cost, you
lation until repaired. may turn the shades into attachments for encasing armor.
Properties: [+1] Attachment (p. XX); one of either [+2] Acid Properties: [±0] Electronic (p. XX); [+1] Visor (p. XX). [+1]
Insulation (p. XX), [+2] Chanite Insulation (p. XX), [+2] Cryo Attachment (p. XX) and [+1] Interface (p. XX) are optional.

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SMART DEVICES
Electronics and smart systems are integrated in all aspects of so- If your device has a communication service (p. XX), you can ac-
ciety, from the architecture around you to the clothes you wear cess this type of network as specified by your service. Without
and the devices you use. These systems are ever-watching and ev- such a service, you must find and connect to a network access
er-present, indirectly and directly interacting with you and your point as if you were to connect to a device or system. These
surroundings for the benefit of society (and order). are typically regional networks that allow for communication
within a metropolis, but talented hackers can use them to nav-
Various sensors track everything about you from your mood to igate through layers of encryptions towards wider networks.
your habits, while more closely integrated systems even scan bi- These are widely accessible within all metropolises.
ological functions and neural activity. All you have to do is to be
at a certain place at a certain time while under a certain mood, You may store digital assets (p. XX) on your device with a Cost
and various algorithms are at play to serve you whatever message no higher than the device itself. These assets can enhance the
the System deems that you need. This makes advertisement and device’s digital features, such as ways to enhance system in-
propaganda infallible weapons in the hands of the powerful. teraction or cybersecurity, but they cannot add features that
would require physical components (such as new ways to in-
THE SYSTEM
terface with the device, or for the device to interact with the
What is the System? It is the digital infrastructure employed by physical world). That would require [+1] Attachment (p. XX).
the ruling faction. It encompasses everything from quality of life
to means of communication and expansive surveillance. If any- INTERFACING
one is within the presence of a smart device, they can expect it to The act of interfacing with smart devices have been made quick-
be connected to the regional System. It takes the right tools and er and more effective, and it may look very different depend-
knowledge to protect yourself from watching eyes—impossible ing on the nature of the device. Somatic input is still common,
for the average person. such as touch screens and haptic holograms, but a keyboard
and a mouse would be very ancient tools. Verbal input is also
While the wastelands and fringe districts are far enough removed common, such as having smart systems or functionaries that
from the commercial centers to not be as closely integrated with respond to and socialize with you.
the System, even they cannot escape nitespace—the Nanite Ma-
trix’s overlaying reality. The most effective and popular way to interface with a smart
device is through neural, hormonal, and emotional input. Pow-
While the System is integrated with the Nanite Matrix, the nature erful sensors analyze your biological and psychological func-
of nitespace is something much greater and much more mysteri- tions and then translate it as input data. This causes the device
ous. It is the framework on which all modern digital infrastruc- to respond based on what you “want,” even if you have not out-
tures are built, but it was originally devised by Primary Order for wardly expressed it. The sensors have become so powerful that
the benefit of the machine-gods—not humanity. There are layers this is the most accurate and effective way of interfacing, with
to it that are unknown even today, despite centuries of study. the user only having to “think” about what they want the device
to do—without the need for invasive surgery.
SMART DEVICES
A smart device is a functional computer capable of running ap- While there have been those opposed to this kind of technology
plications and interacting with systems and other devices. When over the generations, dreading the possibility of mind reading
picturing a smart device in your game, assume that it can do and brain hacking, the idea of hands-free and silent interfacing
anything that your contemporary smartphone or computer can have proven effective enough to qualm any true opposition.
do—with a few differences:

Roll Interfacing to scan for devices and digital systems within SYSTEM INTERACTION
your Wireless Range (p. XX). This can be other smart devices
or certain electronics, or intangible networks, data archives, or There are two types of digital systems in Machineborn. One way
programs running in nitespace. Just because you cannot see is dependent upon smart devices where you interface with dig-
the hardware, it does not mean that software is not running. ital systems to access internal data (information on that device)
After having identified a device or system, you may try to con- or external data (information outside of that device, such as on
nect to it. If you are trying to break into or take control over it, a nitesite). Another way is dependent upon the Nanite Matrix,
you must roll Interfacing against Security (p. XX). Once con- where you interact with nitespace.
nected to a device, you can use it as an extension of your own.
Communication is restricted. There is no “Internet.” Howev- To separate the two types of interfacing, they are refered to as
er, you can connect to the System through local data networks direct interfacing (accessing nitespace using either a mind-matrix
controlled by the ruling faction. This lets you access whatever interface [p. XX] or a flesh-matrix interface [p. XX]) and indirect
is connected to the System, such as other devices, information interfacing (accessing a system by using a smart device). In some
archives, nitesites, social media, and entertainment. situations, you may use indirect interfacing while engaged in di-
rect interfacing, since digital systems can be placed in nitespace.

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ACCESSING INTERFACE DATA ZONES
The first thing you need to do to interact with a system is to have Sometimes, you want to resolve a system interaction action as
a system to interact with. For indirect interfacing, you need a a single dice roll. Other times, you want to dramatize it further.
smart device, such as a smartcom, a computer terminal, or any
asset with the Interface Aspect (p. XX). Once you have this, you Accessing a system can be compared to a scene where different
can interact with it, use it to interact with other smart devices, or parts of it are divided into zones (for example, Zone 1: Access
use it to connect to information stored within nitespace. Point; Zone 2: Data Archive; Zone 3: Hidden Archive). Think of
this like navigating physical zones (p. XX), where certain zones
For direct interfacing, you need a smart device as well as either may have obstacles hindering access, such as encryptions and
a mind-matrix interface (MMI) or a flesh-matrix interface (FMI). programs. Some systems may require you to roll Interfacing as an
The former is used to transfer your awareness into the Nanite overcome action to bypass a passive opposition, but once inside
Matrix while your real body remains paralyzed in physical space. you are free to move between zones as you want. Other systems
You may then interact with nitespace as if physical. may have encryptions protecting individual zones or programs,
forcing you to hack your way deeper.
AVATAR
When using a mind-matrix interface to send your consciousness Different digital zones may represent different archives, pro-
into the Nanite Matrix, you materialize as a digital entity with grams, or access points into connected systems, each with their
the same Skills and traits as you have in physical space, though own Situation Aspects based on what is running in the back-
you may choose a different appearance from your real one—this ground in the individual zone. For example, if you want to hack
is called an avatar. into a computer terminal, you may first have to make an over-
come action to bypass the initial encryption (usually in the form
The only trait that is different when interfacing this way is that of a Security value). Once successful, you enter the first zone.
you may add additional Stress boxes based on your Interfacing You can think of this zone as a desktop on a contemporary com-
Rank (p. XX). When using Digital Consequences (p. XX) to mit- puter. You will see certain features on the desktop, like a clock,
igate Stress, these represent damage or corrupt data attached to some connected devices like speakers or a microphone, perhaps
your avatar—damage to your avatar is called fragmentation. Dig- a “search bar,” some program icons, and maybe a few folders. The
ital Consequences are rarely as traumatic or painful as physical clock could represent a narrative feature and the programs could
ones, but they can be just as debilitating while in that state. represent interactive objects or access points to new zones.

Something that makes your avatar stand apart from your phys- If you want to do something mundane like increase the volume
ical self is that physical assets do not transfer with you—the ex- of the connected speakers, you could do that by interacting with
ception being electronic assets (including cybernetics) that are an object that exists in this zone. This would most likely not even
connected to your MMI. Then, the MMI will materialize them require a roll—it is just something you can do. It is unlikely that
for you in the digital world. Alternatively, you may acquire sep- you will find the data you are looking for right here on the desk-
arate assets as programs that you can access only while interfac- top, though. You may have to search for it. You could try to look
ing. These assets are stored in one or more of your smart devic- in one of the folders, represented by a door leading into a new
es. Should a hacker gain access to one of your smart assets, they zone. Once you move into the folder, it could have new narrative
could find your digital assets and tamper with them. features and Situation Aspects for you to interact with. Alterna-
tively, you could try to interact with that “search bar,” perhaps as
PROGRAMS an overcome action, to see if you can find the data. Or you could
Programs can be both narrative and mechanical, depending on employ a digital program that does the work for you. Once you
what you intend to use them for. For example, a player who has find what you are looking for, you can interact with it like an ob-
accessed a system may create programs on the spot in the form ject or treat it as a new zone depending on its nature.
of Aspects, using create advantage actions; you could use Inter-
facing to add Situation Aspects like Corrupted Code or Enhanced Interfacing with nitespace is more like interacting with physical
Security. This could be narrated as you activating certain pro- space, but it can possess many of the similar components as a
grams or directly programming effects into the scene. A talented completely digital space. For example, the folder and the “search
interfacer is able to assert themselves in a system. bar” mentioned above can be represented in nitespace as well,
perhaps as physical objects you interact with, holograms you tap
If you want programs with more concrete mechanical effects, you into, or mazes and puzzles to overcome. The Narrator is encour-
can acquire specific digital assets (p. XX) or digital representa- aged to be creative with their descriptions of data zones to keep
tions of other assets. If you have a digital weapon, you should be the players engaged.
able to use that weapon against machine-gods or other interfac-
ers in the Nanite Matrix. You should also be able to acquire pro- NITESPACE
grams in a system similar to how you would acquire an asset in The Nanite Matrix overlaps the physical world and is represented
the physical world—simply put it in your pocket (or harddrive) by zones that look similar to the real world. An interfacer may
or pickpocket it (hack its encryption). navigate the Nanite Matrix directly using an MMI or FMI as if
they were navigating the real world. However, while nitespace
Some programs may not be able to be stolen, at Narrator discre- follows the general terrain of the real world (streets, hills, and
tion, but it is possible that they can be copied or partially copied room layouts), it lacks the physical components (objects in real
instead. Again, creative solutions are encouraged. space do not exist in nitespace unless they are environmental de-

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tails—basically a copy without substance or function created by stead, it is recommended that you simply state how you would
whatever algorithms make up the Nanite Matrix). Whenever an like to manipulate the device, at the Narrator’s discretion.
object has more substance and function, it is considered a pro-
gram and can be interacted with as such. For example, if you have hacked into an enemy’s vehicle dur-
ing a car chase, you may state that you want to manipulate the
Interfacers can modify these nitespaces by giving them similar
vehicle by driving it off the road. Instead of slowing down the
functions as indirect data zones. A zone within the Nanite Matrix
fast-paced action to navigate data zones, simply make a con-
can contain all the same features that you would add to a data
tested Piloting roll against the enemy driver. If successful, you
zone as well as what you would add to a physical space. This in-
get what you want. If unsuccessful, the enemy driver manages
cludes creatures and NPCs, though these are often either mind-
to maintain control over the vehicle.
less programs (a defensive program could function similar to a
drone, droid, trap, or environmental hazard) or machine-gods
(such as functionaries tasked to protect specific matrix spaces, By going through these steps, you would spend at most three
roaming specters, hungry trojans, or other interfacers). rounds to successfully hack a device (First, scan for a device; Sec-
ond, hack into it; Third, manipulate it)—two if you are already
When you are interacting directly with nitespace, you can ma- aware of the targeted device. Once you have connected to it, you
nipulate it in ways similar to other systems. You can detect the can continue to manipulate it every round for as long as the con-
presence of active smart devices that exist in physical space from nection is maintained.
nitespace, and interact with them. For example, if you are inter-
facing with a nitespace that has a corresponding location that BOOT HACKER
could be a person’s apartment, you would know the presence of If you are aware of a hacker within your devices or systems, you
smart devices within that apartment. This means that you can may try to boot them. This can be done as an Interfacing con-
directly interact with them without having to be there physically. test. Alternatively, you can spend a round rebooting your device.
When doing so, you can initiate indirect interfacing from a posi- This will force a hacker to establish a new connection to it before
tion of direct interfacing. they can manipulate it again. However, you need to commit your
action that round to rebooting the device. This also prevents it
It is difficult to remove the Nanite Matrix from a physical space, from being used again until after your next round.
but it can be done using expensive technologies. This means that
it is possible to isolate systems. A hacker may in some situations STEALTH HACKING
be required to move through physical space to bypass areas If you want to avoid being booted from a system, you can attempt
where there is no Nanite Matrix. However, if the Nanite Matrix to hide from it. In combat, use an alternative Skill like Decep-
is present, they can jump into nitespace from the safety of their tion, Larceny, or Stealth to create an advantage aimed to disguise,
homes, move through space in digital form, and directly interact hide, or distract from your interfacing. Like with other attempts
with the system from the space where that system is located—the to create advantages during a conflict (p. XX), failing to do so
hacker is like a ghost moving through a different layer of reality. will also prevent you from doing your primary action that round.
In other words, if you fail to create the advantage, you may not
COMBAT HACKING proceed with your Interfacing roll that round.
System interactions while in a conflict should be straightforward
and simple to be fun and engaging. When wanting to hack into a
Willow and Rainmaker have broken into a laboratory and
smart device, there are three components to keep track of:
gained access to a stationary terminal. Willow has an Inter-
First, you need to find an available device. If you can see the facing of Fair (+2) Scale 1 and Rainmaker has Average (+1)
device in front of you, such as an enemy’s smartgun, then you Scale 1. Willow leads the action and Rainmaker supports
can skip this step and move on to the next one. However, if her in a teamwork (p. XX) effort. The terminal’s Security is
you are not aware of any actual devices, you can use your own a passive opposition with Good (+3) Scale 1.
device to scan for them by rolling Interfacing against their
Security. This is limited by your Wireless Range. Lily rolls Average (+1), which together with Rainmaker’s
teamwork bonus gives them a total result of Great (+4)
Once you are aware of a device for you to interact with, you Scale 1—enough to break through the encryption.
may connect to it, assuming that it is within your Wireless
Range. Once a connection is established, roll Interfacing Olivia describes how the terminal reveals an access point
against Security. If the device is protected by a functionary called the Lobby, from which they can try to find the data
or in active use by another interfacer, they may choose to re- they are after. “What exactly are you looking for?” she asks.
spond with an active defend action using Interfacing in place
of Security. If you fail, you may try again next round as long “We want data on the human drug trials,” Lily says, “so I
as the connection is maintained. imagine that I’ll try to scan the system for key phrases, such
When you have successfully hacked into a device by overcom- as experimental research, medical documents, and so on.”
ing its Security (or potential other defenses), you may freely
manipulate it. In some scenes, the Narrator would now pres- Olivia nods. “I think this calls for an Investigation roll.”
ent a series of data zones for you to navigate through, but that-
takes too long in a conflict where you want quicker results. In- “I’ll continue to offer my help,” Elise says. “I’ll suggest some

186
 key phrases of my own that may help.” Security value to protect all of them. However, should a hacker
bypass the Security of one of them, they will have access to all.
Lily rolls her Investigation of Great (+4) Scale 2 for a total
Fantastic (+6) Scale 2. Lily grins happily. “Converted to a
SELECTING SMART DEVICE
Scale 1 task, this is an Epic (+8).”
When selecting a smart device for your character, start
by choosing an smart device base (see next page) that is
“More than enough,” Olivia says. “You run your programs
appropriate for the quality and Cost you have in mind.
and make your scans, finding several classified archives—
all encrypted—one detailing test subjects, one detailing
If you want to further customize your smart device, select
chemical compounds, and one detailing involved partners.
any number of properties appropriate for the Cost you are
These are represented as individual data zones. Which one
willing to spend. The list on page XX covers most of the
would you like to try to break into first?”
asset properties that could work well for smart devices,
but you may consider any property from the asset prop-
erty list on page XX. Alternatively, use them as a basis for
designing your own properties, at Narrator discretion.
ELECTRONIC TRAITS
Consult the invention rules on page XX for more infor-
ELECTRONIC
mation about designing properties.
The Electronic Aspect is given to assets that contain electronic
components, which is also a requirement for many modern fea- If you are looking for more concrete examples of how dif-
tures. Assets with this Aspect have a Security and a Power value. ferent smart devices could be represented in game, see the
templates on page XX. These are examples of how differ-
Security acts like a Skill with a Rank and Scale value, repre- ent properties can be translated into actual examples.
senting its inherent means of protection. Whenever the asset
is attacked in some form, such as by a hacker trying to ma- You may combine templates for more creative and com-
nipulate it or an EMP trying to disable it, the attack is rolled plex smart devices, but keep note of the listed properties
against passive Security. An active user can substitute Securi- to make sure you get the final Cost right. Many properties
ty for an Interfacing roll if they prefer. can be further modified by adding or reducing Cost.
Power represents the asset’s energy capacity and can be rated
at either 2, 4, or 6. If you are in the presence of active pow-
er grids, like urban environments, you do not have to worry
about the asset running out of power on its own. If you are
away from a power grid, you should make a Power roll after a
scene of active use. If you roll equal to the asset’s Power value
or higher, it is Depleted until recharged.

Certain traits may call for Power rolls. If these rolls fail, the
asset is Depleted immediately after the effect that triggered the
Power roll has been resolved. It will be recharged after a scene
if near a power grid, or at Narrator discretion if it isn’t.

INTERFACE
The Interface Aspect is given to Electronic assets capable of sys-
tem interaction. They can also hold digital assets (p. XX) with a
Cost no higher than its own. Finally, they gain a Wireless Range.

Wireless Range determines how many zones away a device or

system can be for the asset to interact with. You must first be
aware of the device or system before you can interact with it
(you can scan for them using Interfacing, similar to how you
would try to perceive things using Awareness). Once you are
aware of them, you can target them even if they are behind
obstructions, such as walls. However, the further away a tar-
geted device or system is, the harder it is to interact with it;
you suffer a –1 ranged penalty per zone’s distance.

If you are in possession of several Electronic assets, you may use

an Interface asset to connect them all, assuming they are within
its Wireless Range. This lets you use the connected assets’ highest

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 CHAPTER 5: TECHNOLOGY

STANDARD SMART DEVICE BASES

COST SMART DEVICE RANGE SECURITY POWER NOTES
0 Default Electronic Base — Average (+1) Scale 1 6 Electronic
0 Poor Smart Device 0/1 Average (+1) Scale 1 4/2 Electronic; Interface
1 Standard Smart Device 0/1/2 Average (+1) Scale 1 6/4/2 Electronic; Interface
2 Fine Smart Device 1/2/3 Average (+1) Scale 1 6/4/2 Electronic; Interface
3 Exceptional Smart Device 2/3/4 Average (+1) Scale 1 6/4/2 Electronic; Interface
4 Perfect Smart Device 3/4 Average (+1) Scale 1 6/4 Electronic; Interface
5 Supreme Smart Device 4 Average (+1) Scale 1 6 Electronic; Interface
Alternatively, increase Security by +2 Rank or +1 Scale for +1 Cost, to maximum Superb (+5) Scale 8.

COMMON SMART DEVICE PROPERTIES

COST PROPERTY DETAILS PAGE
Varies Asset Skills The smart device gains access to new Skills that it can use independently. XX
Varies Task Bonus The smart device provides a bonus to specific rolls using it. XX
–10 to –1 Skill Requirement The smart device has special Skill requirements to use. XX
–4 to –1 Task Penalty The smart device provides a penalty to a specific roll using it. XX
–2 to +9 Electronic Gains the Electronic Aspect. It also gets a Security and Power value based on Cost. XX
–1 Flaw The smart device has a flaw or troubling Aspect. XX
±0 Drone The smart device can be used as a drone. XX
±0 or +1 Alternative Skill The smart device relies on a different Skill to use. XX
±0 to +5 Communication Service The smart device can access different networks based on Cost. XX
±0 to +5 Interface Gains the Interface Aspect. Gets a Wireless Range based on Cost. XX
±0 to +9 Security The smart device has another Security value than its default one. XX
+1 Bonus The smart device has a bonus or beneficial Aspect of some kind. XX
+1 Discreet The smart device is made to look like another type of asset. XX
+1 Droid The smart device is a droid that can act independently. XX
+1 Enable Action The smart device enables a new type of action or ability. XX
+1 Mind-Matrix Interface The smart device can be used to interface with nitespace. XX
+1 Sensor The smart device lets you detect a specific type of sensory data. XX
+1 Special Action Enables a powerful special action that either costs a Charge or a resource use. XX
+1 or +2 Self-Maintenance The smart device cleans and mends itself. XX
+1 to +4 Credit Storage The smart device can be used to store points of Influence to use for trades. XX
+1 to +5 Projection The smart device can project holograms. XX
+2 Flesh-Matrix Interface The smart device can physically interact with nitespace. XX

SMART DEVICE TEMPLATES

COST TEMPLATE REQUIRED SMART DEVICE BASE PAGE
–1 Smartpad Any smart device base with Interface XX
–1 to +1 Fuel Cell Default Electronic Base XX
±0 or +1 Minicom Default Electronic Base XX
+1 or +2 Mind-Matrix Interface Any smart device base with Interface XX
+1 or +2 Smartcom Any smart device base with Interface XX
+1 to +4 Critstick Default Electronic Base XX

188
[–1] SMARTPAD augmented influencers. There are no limits to the virtual expe-
Smartpads are portable handheld smart devices capable of most riences that people can delve into to escape their harsh realities.
things computers can do. These devices are very similar in func-
tionality to smartcoms, but they are used more as reading tab- Base: Any smart device base with Interface.
lets than communication devices. Because smartpads often have Aspects: Mind-Matrix Interface; Electronic; Interface; Weara-
simple designs, they require hands to interface with. ble.
Base: Any smart device base with Interface. Effects: The MMI is worn as a headset. When used, it para-
lyzes your real body as your consciousness is transfered into
Aspects: Smartpad; Electronic; Interface. nitespace. This lasts until you either choose to disconnect, is
Effects: Has no hands-free input. forcefully disconnected, or is taken out in a digital conflict (p.
Properties: [–1] Flaw (p. XX). XX). If your real body is disturbed in some way, such as suffer-
ing injury, you are automatically disconnected.
[–1 TO +1] FUEL CELL
The fuel cell is about the width and length of a finger, though no If wearing Encasing armor (p. XX), you need the +2 Cost ver
thicker than a thumbnail, and can be inserted into an electronic sion as an armor attachment (p. XX).
device that relies on electrical energy. By shaking it, it reveals the Properties: [+1] Mind-Matrix Interface (p. XX); Add [+1] At-
amount of available energy with glowing numbers on its side. tachment (p. XX) to use it with Encasing armor.

Base: Default Electronic Base. [+1 OR +2] SMARTCOM

Aspects: Fuel Cell; Electronic; Consumable. A smartcom is a pocket-sized smart device with integrated com-
Dose: 2 (–1 Cost), 4 (±0 Cost), or 6 (+1 Cost). munication capabilities. The most common type comes in the
shape of a flexible wristband that contains a small holographic
Effects: Can be used to recharge a Depleted electronic device
display. It reads your neural patterns and can be interfaced with
(p. XX). This depletes the fuel cell instead, represented by Dose.
using thought alone.
Properties: [–2 to ±0] Consumable (p. XX); [+1] Special Ac-
tion (p. XX). Base: Any smart device base with Interface.
Aspects: Smartcom; Electronic; Interface; Wearable.
[±0 OR +1] MINICOM
Effects: Can be used as a communication device with a 10 kilo-
A minicom is a device that is attached to the ear. It may be used as
meter range. When wearing the smartcom, you may choose
an earbud if connected to a smart device or to make calls within
to use Willpower instead of Interfacing for system interaction.
a specific region. Minicoms are often used by military and police
to communicate on the battlefield. Criminals who want to avoid
If wearing Encasing armor (p. XX), you need the +2 Cost ver-
authorities also use them as disposable communication devices.
sion as an armor attachment (p. XX).
Minicoms can be used independently as communication devices Properties: [±0] Communication Service (p. XX); [+1] Alter-
but are commonly used as accessories to secondary smart de- native Skill (p. XX); Add [+1] Attachment (p. XX) to use it with
vices, letting you discreetly listen and talk to and through the Encasing armor.
connected device.
[+1 TO +4] CRITSTICK
Base: Default Electronic Base. A critstick is about the width and length of a finger, though no
Aspects: Minicom; Electronic; Wearable. thicker than a thumbnail, and can be tapped against smart de-
Effects: Can be used as a communication device with a 10 kilo- vices capable of monetary transactions to transfer credits (crits)
meter range. If connected to a smart device, it can be used to to or from the stick. By shaking the stick, the number of funds
play audio from that device or record audio into it. contained within it appears as glowing numbers on its side. It
can be used to make payments in any store that accepts critsticks.
The minicom is worn on the ear and can be used hands-free.
However, if wearing Encasing armor (p. XX), you need the +1 Base: Default Electronic Base.
Cost version as an armor attachment (p. XX). Aspects: Critstick; Electronic.
Properties: [±0] Communication Service (p. XX); Add [+1] Effects: You may store up to two (+1 Cost), four (+2 Cost), six
Attachment (p. XX) to use it with Encasing armor. (+3 Cost), or eight (+4 Cost) points of Influence on the device
in the form of credits. You can use these credits to replenish
[+1 OR +2] MIND-MATRIX INTERFACE spent Influence or to benefit trades. If you have stored at least
A mind-matrix interface (MMI) is a headset capable of access- one Influence point, you can discard it to increase your effec-
ing the Nanite Matrix. Once activated, it transfers the user’s con- tive Influence by one for when making a purchase. You can-
sciousness into the Nanite Matrix where they appear as a digital not stack stored Influence points to increase your Influence by
avatar (p. XX) in nitespace. This can be used to roam nitespace higher than one, but you can do this for multiple purchases if
itself, but most people use it to access immersive experiences, you have multiple points stored.
such as virtual worlds or the first-person sensations of certain Properties: [+1 to +4] Credit Storage (p. XX).

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 CHAPTER 5: TECHNOLOGY

DIGITAL ASSETS Aspects: Security Program; Digital.

Effects: The security program substitutes your smart device’s
Digital assets are programs and applications that are being run
Security (if higher). At Cost 0, it has Average (+1) Scale 1. For
on digital systems and smart devices, but they can take many
each +1 Cost, increase either Rank by two (to maximum Su-
different forms. Similar to asset attachments, a digital asset can
perb [+5]) or Scale by one (to maximum 8). Keep in mind that
improve upon or add new features to a smart device. The Nar-
the asset cannot exceed Cost 8.
rator is the authority on what can be represented as a digital
asset, but the general guideline is to disallow features that would Properties: [±0 to +9] Security (p. XX).
necessitate drastic hardware changes.
[1 TO 4] CREDIT STORAGE
In other words, a digital asset cannot create or affect something The credit storage turns your smart device into a critstick (p. XX),
physical and tangible if the device hosting that asset doesn’t allowing you to store credits on it.
have the physical features to pull it off. At the Narrator’s discre-
tion, certain hardware changes can be handwaved. For example, Aspects: Credit Storage; Digital.
it could be justified to assume that a pair of smartshades already Effects: You may store up to two (+1 Cost), four (+2 Cost), six
have the necessary hardware to allow a specific sensor type, (+3 Cost), or eight (+4 Cost) points of Influence on the device
such as infrared vision, even if you want to represent that as a in the form of credits. You can use these credits to replenish
digital asset instead of a physical property of the smartshades. spent Influence or to benefit trades. If you have stored at least
one Influence point, you can discard it to increase your effec-
The game’s Cost system is there to represent a level of balance, tive Influence by one for when making a purchase. You can-
but it is also there to represent a guideline for customization. not stack stored Influence points to increase your Influence by
If you want an asset to have access to extra properties without higher than one, but you can do this for multiple purchases if
necessarily increasing its Cost, it would ultimately be a Narrator you have multiple points stored.
decision. Digital assets and attachments can help with that.
Properties: [+1 to +4] Credit Storage (p. XX).
Digital assets can also take the form of niteware; a program
that emulates a physical asset but that is used by an avatar in [1 TO 5] DIGITAL TOOLKIT
nitespace. If an interfacer has access to a mind-matrix interface The digital toolkit is a collection of programs that can be used to
(p. XX) that is connected to other electronic assets, then those create various inventions.
electronic assets will automatically be represented as niteware
even if they don’t exist as digital assets. Aspects: Toolkit; Digital.
Effects: The digital toolkit enables a certain type of inven-
Finally, digital assets can be in the form of certain companions, tion action, such as creating videos or music using Creativity,
such as functionaries (p. XX). forged documents using Larceny, or digital programs using In-
terfacing. Select which Skill this toolkit can be used with when
[0 TO 5] COMMUNICATION SERVICE acquiring the asset.
Your smart device contains a communication service. This pro-
gram is essential if you want System access to level up your com- At Cost 1, you may use your smart device to create inventions
munication capabilities. based on the chosen Skill. For each +1 Cost beyond that, up to
maximum Cost 5, you gain a +1 bonus to that Skill roll.
Aspects: Communication Service; Digital. Properties: [+1] Enable Action (p. XX); [+1 to +4] Task Bonus
Effects: Your device’s communication capabilities have im- (p. XX).
proved with this program. It comes in five different forms, each
of which gives access to three distinct features: First, you may [1 TO 5] GHOST
communicate with other devices on the network; Second, you Ghost is a program that cloaks your device from scanning, track-
can connect to the System (p. XX) from anywhere within your ing, and surveillance.
service range; Third, you can connect to (or try to hack) devic-
es on the network without suffering distance-based penalties. Aspects: Ghost; Digital.

Choose between a free service (Cost 0), a basic service (Cost 1), Effects: When enabled, this program turns your device Invis-
an advanced service (Cost 2), a greater service (Cost 3), and a ible to digital systems and other devices, making them unable
solar service (Cost 4). See page XX for more information on the to passively detect you. They may still try to actively find you,
different services. By adding another +1 Cost, you may protect but you gain a free invocation on any roll made to contest their
your communications to avoid surveillance. attempts.

Properties: [±0 to +5] Communication Service (p. XX). At Cost 1, you may use the basic features. For each +1 Cost
beyond that, up to maximum Cost 5, you gain a +1 bonus to
[0 TO 9] SECURITY PROGRAM the Skill roll you use to remain undetected.
The security program offers improved security to your smart de- Properties: [+1] Enable Action (p. XX); [+1 to +4] Task Bonus
vice. (p. XX).

190
[2] NODE [3] LEESH
A node is a program that can be placed in a target location with- A leesh is a basic program that’s often used by those who make a
in nitespace to create a pathway from the location to your smart living hunting specters or interfacers in nitespace. It locks down
device. a digital being, preventing them from escaping.

Aspects: Node; Digital; Niteware. Aspects: Leesh; Digital; Niteware.

Effects: The node can be placed or hidden in nitespace. It re- Effects: The leesh is a niteware that can be used against a digi-
mains in that space until picked it up, recalled from afar, or tal being, such as a machine-god or another interfacer. Make a
until it is disturbed in some way. As long as the node remains Close Combat or Larceny create advantage action against your
active, and is located within reach of your interfacing distance, target. If successful, the target gains the Leeshed Aspect; they
you can teleport your avatar to it as if moving from one zone can still move and act freely, but they are bound to your zone
to another (even ignoring obstructions). Your interfacing dis- until they rid themselves of the Aspect. A Leeshed target suffers
tance is typically determined by your Wireless Range, but can a stackable –1 mobility penalty (p. XX) and they automatically
be extended further by a communication service (p. XX). follow you if you move between zones.

You may recall an active node at any time. You don’t have to Breaking free from the leesh can take different approaches, at
be in the Nanite Matrix to do so; you can do so directly from Narrator discretion, such as making an Athletics or Larceny
your device. action to try to force themselves or slip free. Alternatively, they
could make an Interfacing action to try to disrupt the code
Because of the active connection between the node and your maintaining the asset’s effect. You can defend against these at-
device, a character who discovers it may attempt to track your tempts using your Willpower with a bonus equal to the asset’s
device through it. Doing so requires an Interfacing of Average Cost. If the target instead wants to defend against being force-
(+1) or higher and a smart device with a range of influence that fully moved, the rolls are the same but you are the attacker and
encompasses yours. The difficulty for this attempt is equal to they are the defender.
the node’s Cost plus your device’s Security. For example, a Cost
2 node and a Good (+3) Scale 1 Security has a Superb (+5) An interfacer can force themselves free without a contest by
Scale 1 difficulty to track. logging out of the system; a functionary can do so by retreating
Properties: [+2] Enable Action (p. XX). to its sanctum.
Properties: [+1] Bonus (p. XX); [+2] Enable Action (p. XX).
[3] FLAYER
A flayer is not a program that can be generally found for down-
load or purchased without contacts in the field. The character
may need to have contacts who are hackers or government agents
to acquire this program. It allows the interfacer to freely change
their avatar after it has already been loaded, as well as duplicate
the appearances of any avatar or machine-god it has collected
data samples from.

Aspects: Flayer; Digital; Niteware.

Effects: The flayer can be used to change your avatar’s appear-
ance at will to something else of similar size. If you have access
to sample data from another avatar or machine-god, you may
perfectly replicate their appearance. This fools even data scans,
as the flayer makes your avatar’s code look like the replicated
form’s whenever it is under scrutiny.

The flayer also informs you of behavioral data. Whenever you

act in a way that doesn’t correspond to your replicated form,
the Narrator must tell you what is breaking character, but not
how it’s breaking character. For example, if you conduct your-
self in a manner that is unlikely for the replicated form, you’ll
be aware of this. You’ll also be aware of when you’re conducting
yourself in a manner that is believable for the form you are in,
even being given prompts on how to act in certain scenarios.

Finally, you gain a +1 bonus to rolls made to pass as your taken

appearance.
Properties: [–1] Flaw (p. XX); [+1] Special Action (p. XX);
[+1] Task Bonus (p. XX); [+2] Enable Action (p. XX).

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 CHAPTER 5: TECHNOLOGY

CONSUMABLES
Consumable items have a chance of being removed from the a more complex medical procedure. Here are some examples:
game after use. This could be items such as ammunition (p. XX)
or grenades (p. XX), but this section focuses primarily on toxins, [1] Treat Minor Consequence: The clinic treats a Minor Physi-
such as boosters, intoxicants, poisons, and medicines. These can cal or Mental Cconsequence using basic clinical practices, such
affect targets in different ways, such as through ingestion, inha- as first aid, crisis management, or drug prescription.
lation, direct contact, and injection. Many toxins are considered [2] Treat Moderate Consequence: The clinic treats a Mod-
bio hazards (p. XX) that affect targets when coming in contact erate Physical or Mental Consequence using state-of-the-art
with their bodies through the consumption method. clinical practices, such as surgery or therapy.
[3] Remove Moderate Consequence: If you not only want to
BOOSTERS
treat a Moderate Consequence, but remove it altogether, the
Boosters are designed to bypass a person’s natural constitution
clinic can do that as well. A surgical procedure is often fol-
and directly affect their cells through their nanite physiology.
lowed by scar removal, tissue regeneration, or prosthetics,
They were originally designed as combat drugs for augmented
while therapy is often replaced by cognitive stimulation, hor-
soldiers, but are also common as medication. They are readily
mone manipulation, and neural realignment.
available on markets all over the solar system.
[3] Treat Severe Consequence: The clinic treats a Severe Phys-
Unlike other toxins, boosters don’t require Potency rolls (see ical or Mental Consequence using advanced medical technol-
below) to activate. The moment you consume a dose, you suf- ogy, such as organ replacement, tissue sowing, and neural re-
fer from its effects. This makes boosters effective even against placement.
high-Fortitude characters. [4] Remove Severe Consequence: The clinic can completely
remove Severe Physical or Mental Consequences using body
INTOXICANTS and brain restoration procedures where the patient is sub-
Intoxicants usually provide both positive and negative effects, merged in a tank and then restored bit by bit.
such as pain or stress relief at the cost of fatigue. Everyday intox- [4] Treat Extreme Consequence: The clinic treats an Extreme
icants, like alcohol, are primarily narrative. Those aren’t listed Physical or Mental Consequence by using body and brain res-
as assets since you can use them as is appropriate for the story. toration (see above).
If you want your character to get drunk or intoxicated as a result
[5] Remove Extreme Consequence: The clinic can remove an
of an everyday intoxicant, that should be at your own discretion,
Extreme Physical or Mental Consequence by using body and
or perhaps as a compel.
brain restoration tanks to their full extent, which includes re-
building anatomy on a molecular level. Despite access to this
Alcohol is the most common intoxicant, but there are endless
technology, you can still only acquire one Extreme Conse-
options for narcotics as well. The most common ones are differ-
quence per conflict type per major milestone.
ent kinds of chemical compounds that can be ingested, inhaled,
or injected. There are organic compounds as well, such as spe-
cially cultivated plants that are dried and smoked, turned into
tea, or ingested as is. Finally, there are technological intoxicants, TOXIN TRAITS
like different forms of neural and nanite stimulation.
DOSE
Most intoxicants are legal, with exceptions primarily being cer- When acquiring a consumable asset, it has a Dose rating that can
tain chemical compounds known for causing psychotic behav- be either 1, 3, or 5. Whenever the asset is used, you roll a d6 and
iors, increasing aggression, or for being extremely addictive. compare the outcome to the Dose rating. If equal to or exceeding
There are also illegal forms of neural stimulation, like mazing; this rating, you fully run out of the asset.
this is a virtual memory maze where you can relive both joy and
trauma, get lost in grief and regrets, and end up breaking down When using toxins, it is possible to increase the dosage with each
mentally or losing yourself to your past over extended use. use. You may add a free invocation to the Potency roll (see be-
low) for each –1 to Dose, to minimum Dose 1. If you started
POISONS with Dose 5, this means that you can add four invocations to
Unlike with most drugs, poisons have exclusively negative ef- the Potency roll, but you automatically run out after a single use.
fects, and are designed to cause fatal or persistent harm. These
are almost exclusively illegal substances used by assassins, POTENCY
criminals, and certain military branches. Some poisons cause A toxin’s Potency value is rolled against the defender’s Fortitude.
overt harm while others are more subtle. If the roll fails, the toxin has no effect. If the roll ties, it gains a
Boost to use on its next Potency roll against that target this scene.
PHARMACEUTICALS If the roll succeeds or succeeds with style, the toxin comes into
Pharmaceuticals consist of valuable consumables to keep with effect as defined by its description.
you when at risk of suffering harm or ailments. However, some-
times a conventional pharmaceutical isn’t enough and you need Certain toxins can be soaked using Encasing armor (p. XX),

192
breathing masks, or the like; this is common if the toxin is in
the form of a gas or other hazard. Other drugs roll their Potency
only after it’s been consumed in some way. For example, a blade
coated with a poison is first used by an attacker like normal. Af-
ter inflicting at least one Stress or Consequence upon the target,
Potency is rolled against Fortitude and ignores any external Soak
values because it’s already in the system.

SELECTING CONSUMABLE
When selecting a consumable for your character, start by
choosing a consumable base (see next page) that is appro-
priate for the quality and Cost you have in mind. Keep in
mind that, unless otherwise specified, an asset’s Cost can
never exceed 8.

If you want to further customize your consumable, select

any number of properties appropriate for the Cost you are
willing to spend. The list on page XX covers most of the
asset properties that could work well for consumables,
but you may consider any property from the asset prop-
erty list on page XX. Alternatively, use them as a basis for
designing your own properties, at Narrator discretion.

Consult the invention rules on page XX for more infor-

mation about designing properties.

If you are looking for more concrete examples of how dif-

ferent consumables could be represented in game, see the
templates on page XX. These are examples of how differ-
ent properties can be translated into actual examples.

You may combine templates for more creative and com-

plex consumables, but keep note of the listed properties
to make sure you get the final Cost right. Many properties
can be further modified by adding or reducing Cost.

STANDARD CONSUMABLE BASES

COST CONSUMABLE DOSE POTENCY NOTES
–2/–1/0 Default Consumable Base 1/3/5 — Consumable.
–1/0/1 Terrible Toxin 1/3/5 Average (+1) Scale 1 Consumable; Potency.
0/1/2 Poor Toxin 1/3/5 Good (+3) Scale 1 Consumable; Potency.
1/2/3 Underwhelming Toxin 1/3/5 Superb (+5) Scale 1 Consumable; Potency.
2/3/4 Standard Toxin 1/3/5 Superb (+5) Scale 2 Consumable; Potency.
3/4/5 Fine Toxin 1/3/5 Superb (+5) Scale 3 Consumable; Potency.
4/5/6 Exceptional Toxin 1/3/5 Superb (+5) Scale 4 Consumable; Potency.
5/6/7 Perfect Toxin 1/3/5 Superb (+5) Scale 5 Consumable; Potency.
6/7/8 Supreme Toxin 1/3/5 Superb (+5) Scale 6 Consumable; Potency.
7/8/9 Legendary Toxin 1/3/5 Superb (+5) Scale 7 Consumable; Potency.
8/9/10 Cosmic Toxin 1/3/5 Superb (+5) Scale 8 Consumable; Potency.

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 CHAPTER 5: TECHNOLOGY

COMMON CONSUMABLE PROPERTIES

COST PROPERTY DETAILS PAGE
Varies Asset Skills The consumable grants access to new Skills when used. XX
Varies Harm The consumable inflicts additional harm or harm types. XX
Varies Task Bonus The consumable provides a bonus to specific rolls when used. XX
–10 to –1 Skill Requirement The consumable has special Skill requirements to use. XX
–4 to –1 Task Penalty The consumable provides a penalty to a specific roll when used. XX
–1 Blacklisted The consumable is illegal or controversial in some form. XX
–1 Flaw The consumable has a flaw or troubling Aspect. XX
±0 or +4 Effect Range The consumable works over a specific area or at a specific range. XX
+1 Area Attack The consumable targets an entire zone with its effects. XX
+1 Bonus The consumable has a bonus or beneficial Aspect. XX
+1 Burning The consumable causes fire. XX
+1 Corrosive The consumable corrodes. XX
+1 Discreet The consumable is made to look like another type of asset. XX
+1 Diseased The consumable causes physical illness. XX
+1 Enable Action The consumable enables a new type of action or ability. XX
+1 Prestige The consumable stands out as being rare or exceptional in some form. XX
+1 Rend The consumable’s harm is more difficult to treat. XX
+1 Rotting The consumable causes rotting or aging. XX
+1 Special Action The consumable enables a powerful special action. XX
+1 Trauma The consumable may inflict mental harm. XX

CONSUMABLE TEMPLATES
COST TEMPLATE TYPE REQUIRED CONSUMABLE BASE PAGE
±0 to +2 Blackout Poison Any toxin base. XX
+1 Anesthesia Pharmaceutical Any toxin base. XX
+1 Bone Pill Pharmaceutical Any toxin base. XX
+1 Stim Booster Default Consumable Base. XX
+1 to +3 Cobra Poison Any toxin base. XX
+2 Clot Pill Pharmaceutical Any toxin base. XX
+2 Cryo Pill Pharmaceutical Any toxin base. XX
+2 E-Pill Booster Default Consumable Base. XX
+2 Skin Patch Pharmaceutical Any toxin base. XX
+2 to +4 Ambrosia Intoxicant Any toxin base. XX
+2 to +4 Herb Intoxicant Any toxin base. XX
+2 to +4 Powder Intoxicant Any toxin base. XX
+3 Anti-Rad Booster Default Consumable Base. XX
+3 Heartsteel Booster Default Consumable Base. XX

194
[±0 TO +2] BLACKOUT Base: Any toxin base.
This poison is commonly sold on black markets to hitmen and
other criminals. Since it only requires contact with human skin Aspects: Bone Pill; Consumable; Pharmaceutical.
to infect someone, it’s easily applied to an unsuspecting victim. Effects: When consumed, roll Potency as a treatment action
Though the poison itself can be manufactured with legal and eas- against a Physical Consequence related to fractures or a dam-
ily available chemicals, the final product is highly prohibited. aged skeleton. The difficult to treat such a Consequence is re-
duced by two. However, this pill cannot help someone with a
Base: Any toxin base. cybernetic skeleton.
Aspects: Blackout; Consumable; Poison; Illegal. Properties: [–1] Flaw (p. XX); [+1] Bonus (p. XX); [+1] Enable
Harm: Poison 0 (±0 Cost), 2 (+1 Cost), or 4 (+2 Cost). Action (p. XX).
Effects: Once it comes in direct contact with a target’s skin, roll
Potency as a poison hazard (p. XX) inflicting physical harm, [+1] STIM
with appropriate Consequences being Numbness, Nerve Dam- Stim is an adrenaline booster that’s been used as a combat per-
age, or Paralyzed. A target can only suffer Stress from this poi- formance enhancer for centuries, and has been refined since. It is
son once per scene, but if taken out by it, they remain comatose now part of the standard loudout for military combatants, and it
until treated. is also commonly used by criminals, wastelanders, and laborers.

Should no one come in contact with the poison after it’s been Base: Default Consumable Base.
administered to an object or surface, its Potency is reduced Aspects: Stim; Consumable; Booster.
by one degree every hour (for example, a standard toxin base Effects: Once consumed, restore all checked Stress boxes but
turns into an underwhelming toxin base) that passes. Once it gain a Mild Mental Consequence, such as Emotionally Distant,
reaches below a terrible toxin base, it’s rendered ineffective. Hyperactive, or Enraged. If you have no available Mild Conse-
Properties: [–1] Blacklisted (p. XX); [±0 to +2] Harm (p. XX); quence slot, you may use a slot of higher level. Also, the stim
[+1] Enable Action (p. XX). works even if you’ve previously been taken out of the conflict,
assuming you’re alive and didn’t concede (p. XX). You may
[+1] ANESTHESIA
only benefit from a stim once per scene.
Anesthesia is a state reached by using a drug concoction that Properties: [–1] Flaw (p. XX); [+2] Special Action (p. XX).
interacts with one’s nervous system to induce paralysis, uncon-
sciousness, and inhibit the natural stress response. This is often [+1 TO +3] COBRA
used to prepare patients for intrusive and painful procedures. Cobra is an illegal poison that affects targets by entering their
blood stream to spread deadly toxins. It’s commonly used to coat
Base: Any toxin base. bladed weapons or projectiles.
Aspects: Anesthesia; Consumable; Pharmaceutical.
Effects: It takes up to a minute for the anesthesia to take ef- Base: Any toxin base.
fects after having been injected into the patient. Roll Potency Aspects: Cobra; Consumable; Poison; Illegal.
as a create advantage action against the target, with the goal Harm: Poison 0 (+1 Cost), 2 (+2 Cost), or 4 (+3 Cost).
being to succeed by three shifts—each shift inducing one of
Effects: Once being ingested or finding its way into a target’s
three states:
blood stream, such as via a weapon that inflicted Stress or a
Physical Consequence, it causes physical harm as a poison haz-
• 1 shift: The target is rendered Paralyzed for the remain-
ard (p. XX), with appropriate Consequences being Nose Bleeds,
der of the scene, or longer with another Dose roll.
Choking, or Heart Failure. When used on a bladed weapon, it
• 2 shifts: The target experiences Pain Relief. They cannot
remains coated for the remainder of the scene or until washed
feel any pain for the effect’s duration.
off; projectiles are coated for a single reload.
• 3 shifts: The target is rendered Unconscious. They aren’t
aware of anything for the effect’s duration.
If you succeed with style on the Potency roll, you have the op-
tion to reduce the inflicted Stress by one in order to add the
While a painless invasive surgery can be made with only two
Discomfort Situation Aspect. This causes the target to experi-
shifts, reaching three shifts guarantees that the patient will not
ence a sense of weakness, manifesting as somatic discomfort,
experience the stress or trauma of being operated upon. Any-
fatigue, sweating, or the like. The target cannot benefit from
one with at least Average (+1) in Treatment will be able to tell
rest until the Aspect is removed.
upon the body’s reactions how many shifts have been induced.
Properties: [–1] Blacklisted (p. XX); [±0 to +2] Harm (p. XX);
Properties: [+1] Special Action (p. XX).
[+1] Diseased (p. XX); [+1] Enable Action (p. XX).

[+1] BONE PILL

[+2] CLOT PILL
A bone pill is a capsule that, once swallowed, increases calcium
A clot pill is a small capsule that, once swallowed, releases nanites
production and hardens bone tissue. This is a common medica-
into the body that repair both external and internal bleedings.
tion to prevent bone degradation in space.

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Base: Any toxin base. lar system, its popularity boosted by influencers. The drug is tak-
en either as a small shot or as a pill. While it is known for having
Aspects: Clot Pill; Consumable; Pharmaceutical. few lasting health risks, its euphoric nature is highly addictive.
Effects: When consumed, roll Potency as a treatment action
against a Physical Consequence related to bleeding. The diffi- Base: Any toxin base.
cult to treat such a Consequence is reduced by two. Aspects: Ambrosia; Consumable; Intoxicant; Popular Product.
Properties: [+1] Bonus (p. XX); [+1] Enable Action (p. XX). Harm: Poison 0 (+2 Cost), 2 (+3 Cost), or 4 (+4 Cost).
Effects: Once consumed, roll Potency against Fortitude as a
[+2] CRYO PILL poison hazard (p. XX). The inflicted Poison Harm causes men-
A cryo pill is a small capsule that, once swallowed, releases nan- tal harm, with typical Consequences being Daring, Exhilirated,
ites into the body that freeze hostile cells, slow down blood flow, or Lustful. As long as your Mental Consequence persists, your
and eases anxiety. Willpower has a +2 bonus when acting in accordance with it,
or a –2 penalty when acting against it.
Base: Any toxin base.
Aspects: Cryo Pill; Consumable; Pharmaceutical. Unless Extreme, the Consequence is removed after a night’s
Effects: When consumed, roll Potency as a create advantage rest even if left untreated. Should you have no available Conse-
action, suspending the effects of any active toxins or diseases quence slots, and you don’t want to suffer an Extreme one or be
for (shifts) rounds in a conflict, or minutes outside of one. Be- taken out, you may choose to take the Stress as physical harm
cause of your reduced body temperature, you get Shivers for instead. If you gain a Physical Consequence as a reaction to
the duration, but also becomes invisible to thermal sensors. If this drug, it is treated and removed as a normal Consequence
the Potency roll succeeds with style, reduce one Stress. (examples include Nausea, Uncontrollable Erection, or Drip-
ping with Sweat).
Properties: [–1] Flaw (p. XX); [+1] Bonus (p. XX); [+1] Enable
Action (p. XX); [+1] Stealth (p. XX).
After having consumed the drug, rested, and removed the in-
flicted Mental Consequence, roll Fortitude against Potency. If
[+2] E-PILL you fail this roll, you suffer from Depression for the remainder
E-pills are designed to stimulate a person’s nanite physiology, of the day, or until you consume a new dose of ambrosia.
acting as a universal medication to ease most ailments.
Properties: [–1] Flaw (p. XX); [±0 to +2] Harm (p. XX); [+1]
Prestige (p. XX); [+2] Enable Action (p. XX).
Base: Default Consumable Base.
Aspects: E-Pill; Consumable; Booster.
[+2 TO +4] HERB
Effects: Once consumed, one of your Mild Physical or Mental Herb is a term used for many different types of organic drugs
Consequences is immediately treated. In addition, the difficul- that are typically inhaled, but can be consumed in other ways
ty to treat any of your remaining Physical or Mental Conse- as well. The effects are often relaxation and euphoria. Because it
quences is reduced by two for the remainder of the scene. relaxes you, it is more commonly used to reduce anxiety than to
Properties: [+2] Special Action (p. XX). help you out in social gatherings. While it is beneficial as a stress
reliever, taking too much of it can have adverse effects.
[+2] SKIN PATCH
A skin patch is an organic weave placed upon an external wound, Base: Any toxin base.
causing it to blend with the skin and regrow organic tissue. Aspects: Herb; Consumable; Intoxicant.
Harm: Poison 0 (+2 Cost), 2 (+3 Cost), or 4 (+4 Cost).
Base: Any toxin base.
Effects: Once consumed, roll Potency as a poison hazard (p.
Aspects: Skin Patch; Consumable; Pharmaceutical. XX). If you have checked Stress boxes when consuming the
Effects: When applied, roll Potency as a treatment action drug, the inflicted Poison Harm reduces that Stress instead of
against a Physical Consequence related to external bleeding inflicting more. Any lasting shifts after reducing your Stress to
or disfigurement. The difficult to treat such a Consequence is zero causes new Stress instead as mental harm.
reduced by two.
If you have a Mental Consequence related to anxiety or dis-
There are skin patch options, called hull patches, that can be comfort, such as Anxious or Shaken, taking the drug may be
used on synthetic skin, droids, and vehicles as well, using nan- used as a treatment roll against those Consequences instead.
ites to patch up minor damages.
Properties: [+1] Bonus (p. XX); [+1] Enable Action (p. XX). If you haven’t taken any Stress or suffered any such Mental
Consequences when consuming the intoxicant, it inflicts Poi-
son Harm as a mental attack, with typical Consequences being
[+2 TO +4] AMBROSIA
Drousy, Procrastination, or Cognitive Decline. This harm can-
Ambrosia is a luminescent party drug originally designed by the not be reduced by taking more of this intoxicant.
Pyramid affiliated drug queen Cytherea who operates from Ma-
genta in the Camellian Dynasty. It has since spread across the so- Unless Extreme, any added Mental Consequence is removed

196
 after a night’s rest even if left untreated. Should you have no This intoxicant cannot be detected by scent without an Aware-
Mental Consequence slots available, and you don’t want to suf- ness Scale at least as high as the drug’s Cost. It is illegal because
fer the risk of an Extreme Mental Consequence or be taken out, it is hard to detect and have been known to cause psychotic
you may choose to take it as physical harm instead. If you gain reactions in some situations.
a Physical Consequence as a reaction to this drug, it is treat- Properties: [–1] Blacklisted (p. XX); [±0 to +2] Harm (p. XX);
ed and removed as a normal Consequence (examples include [+1] Bonus (p. XX); [+2] Enable Action (p. XX).
Twitchy, Vomiting, or Numb Limbs).
Properties: [±0 to +2] Harm (p. XX); [+2] Enable Action (p. [+3] ANTI-RAD
XX). There have been various protective measures against radiation
for centuries, but anti-rad is the first product that gives a com-
[+2 TO +4] POWDER plete immunity even against strong bursts of gamma radiation
Powder is an illegal chemical that’s ground into a fine powder for a short while. A must-have for wastelanders and those who
and then ingested by snorting it, mixing it into food, or placing it work in hazardous environments.
on your gums. It has a hallucinogenic effect.
Base: Default Consumable Base.
Base: Any toxin base. Aspects: Anti-Rad; Consumable; Booster.
Aspects: Powder; Consumable; Intoxicant; Illegal. Effects: Once consumed, you become immune to Radiation
Harm: Poison 0 (+2 Cost), 2 (+3 Cost), or 4 (+4 Cost). Harm for the remainder of the scene, just like if you had been
Effects: Once consumed, roll Potency as a poison hazard (p. wearing encasing armor with the insulation property (p. XX).
XX). The inflicted Poison Harm causes mental harm, with typ- Properties: [+1] Special Action (p. XX); [+2] Insulation (p.
ical Consequences being Hallucinations, Paranoia, or Obses- XX).
sion. If you gain a Mental Consequence from this intoxicant,
you also gain a free invocation to Creativity rolls for as long as [+3] HEARTSTEEL
the Consequence persists. Heartsteel is a booster designed to be used by those who are of-
ten exposed to chanites, increasing their resilience against them.
Unless Extreme, any added Mental Consequence is removed
after a night’s rest even if left untreated. Should you have no Base: Default Consumable Base.
Mental Consequence slots available, and you don’t want to suf-
Aspects: Heartsteel; Consumable; Booster.
fer the risk of an Extreme Mental Consequence or be taken out,
you may choose to take it as Physical Stress instead. If you gain Effects: Once consumed, you become immune to chanite mu-
a Physical Consequence as a reaction to this drug, you won’t tations for the remainder of the scene, just like if you had been
get the Creativity bonus and the Consequence is treated and wearing encasing armor with the insulation property (p. XX).
removed as normal (examples include Nose Bleeds, Spasmic, or Properties: [+1] Special Action (p. XX); [+2] Insulation (p.
Paralyzed). XX).

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 CHAPTER 5: TECHNOLOGY

TOOLS AND GADGETS

This section contains tools and everyday gadgets that may come
up in game. These are assorted assets that don’t necessarily fit
any one category. You could use them as is, or you could modify
them by combining them together with other assets, removing,
changing, or adding properties from them, or simply reflavor-
ing their presentation and use.

SIMPLIFIED TOOLS
The easiest way to simplify tools is to determine what kinds
of actions you want them to enable as well as define rele-
vant Function Aspects for them, such as Carpentry Tools
or Parachute. The first one enables carpentry-based inven-
tion and maintenance actions, but could also, at Narrator
discretion, be used for improvised tasks, such as using
a hammer as a weapon or using a drill to destroy some-
thing. The second one would allow you to land safely on
the ground after falling from a plane or a skyscraper. Like
previously mentioned, Aspects are always true. Finally,
some tools may provide bonuses to certain actions related
to their use—most often between +1 and +4 depending on
the tool’s quality.

COST ITEM DETAILS PAGE

0 to 4 Instrument Create musical notes. XX
0 to 4 Toolkit Enables tool-specific actions, like inventing. XX
0 to 5 Fire Extinguisher Remove fire-based Aspects from the scene. XX
0 to 5 Glowstick Temporarily illuminate an area. XX
1 Binoculars May zoom in at far distances. XX
1 to 3 Amplifier Amplifies sounds. XX
1 to 5 Chemical Analyser Detects and analyzes chemistry in an area. XX
1 to 5 Electronic Lockpick May pick both mundane and electronic locks. XX
1 to 5 Flashlight Illuminates an area. XX
2 Tracking Device Sends tracking information to a connected device. XX
2 to 4 Carry-Womb Allows parents to carry babies to term without the need for pregnancy. XX
2 to 6 Neural Grip A backpack with mechanical tentacles that you control with your mind. XX
3 Medscanner Diagnoses patients and assists in treatment. XX
3 Techscanner Diagnoses electronics or systems and assists in maintenance. XX
3 to 7 Nano-Jammer Temporarily disrupts the Nanite Matrix in an area. XX

198
[0 TO 4] INSTRUMENT at your discretion. Make a resource roll after each use, repre-
Instruments come in all forms, from archaic wind instruments sented by the item’s Foam rating. Refilling an empty fire extin-
to electric keyboards. What they all have in common is that they guisher is Cost 0.
create musical notes, and someone proficient in their use can
combine these notes into music. If there are several active fire-based Aspects, you may try to put
out as many as possible as part of the same action. You suffer
Aspects: Instrument; Electronic (Optional). a –1 penalty to Foam for each additional Aspect you want to
Requirements: Performance at Average (+1) Scale 1. target. If the penalty brings Foam down to 1, you automatically
Security (if Electronic): Average (+1) Scale 1; Power (if Elec- deplete the fire extinguisher after use.
tronic): 6. You may choose to increase Security or reduce Pow- Properties: [–2 to ±0] Resource Reliance (p. XX); [±0 to +4]
er as per page XX to further modify Cost. Effect Range (p. XX); [+1] Special Action (p. XX).
Effects: At Cost 0, the instrument enables you to create musi-
cal notes, which in the hands of a skilled performer can create [0 TO 5] GLOWSTICK
music. You may choose to have your instrument provide a +1 A glowstick is a translucent plastic tube that can be shaken to
to +4 bonus to instrument-based Performance rolls by adding emit chemiluminescence.
an equivalent amount to its Cost.
Properties: [–1] Skill Requirement (p. XX); [+1] Enable Ac- Aspects: Glowstick; Consumable.
tion (p. XX); [±0 to +4] Task Bonus (p. XX). [±0] Electronic Dose: 1 (Cost –1), 3 (Cost 0), or 5 (Cost 1). This determines
(p. XX) is optional. the item’s base Cost.
Range: 0 (±0 Cost), 1 (+1 Cost), 2 (+2 Cost), 3 (+3 Cost), or
[0 TO 4] TOOLKIT 4 (+4 Cost). Add this to the item’s base Cost for the final Cost.
A toolkit contains the essentials for enabling a specific type of
Effects: When used, the glowstick illuminates out to Range 0
craftmanship, such as woodworking, surgery, or tattooing. When
to 4 (depending on Cost). The effect lasts for a scene.
acquiring the item, decide what kind of toolkit it is and what
actions it enables. Properties: [–2 to ±0] Consumable (p. XX); [±0 to +4] Effect
Range (p. XX); [+1] Enable Action (p. XX).
Aspects: Toolkit; Electronic (Optional).
Requirements: Relevant Skill at Average (+1) Scale 1. [1] BINOCULARS

Security (if Electronic): Average (+1) Scale 1; Power (if Elec- Binoculars are tools used to see at long distances. It only takes
tronic): 6. You may choose to increase Security or reduce Pow- about ten meters before an average person’s face perception
er as per page XX to further modify Cost. starts to diminish, and after about fifty meters the average per-
son cannot identify faces at all. These binoculars magnify vision
Effects: At Cost 0, the toolkit enables you to use Creativity, up to a hundred times, meaning that you can look at someone a
Engineering, Treatment, or another relevant Skill to perform kilometer away before your face perception diminishes, or five
a specific type of craft- or medicine-related action, such as in- kilometers away before you cannot identify a face at all.
venting, repairing, or healing. Examples include Creativity for
painting or tattooing, Engineering for wood- or metalwork-
Aspects: Binoculars; Electronic (Optional).
ing, and Treatment for first aid or surgery. Select what kind of
craftsmanship these tools enable when you acquire them. Security (if Electronic): Average (+1) Scale 1; Power (if Elec-
tronic): 6. You may choose to increase Security or reduce Pow-
In addition, you may choose to have your toolkit provide a +1 er as per page XX to further modify Cost.
to +4 bonus to relevant rolls by adding an equivalent amount Effects: You may magnify your visual perception a hundred
to its Cost. times, making you able to identify small details from far away.
Properties: [–1] Skill Requirement (p. XX); [+1] Enable Ac-
tion (p. XX); [±0 to +4] Task Bonus (p. XX). If you acquire an electronic variant, the binoculars may act as
a camera and head-up display if connected to a smart device.
[0 TO 5] FIRE EXTINGUISHER Properties: [+1] Enable Action (p. XX). [±0] Electronic (p.
A fire extinguisher is a handheld device that can be used to extin- XX) is optional. Add [+1] Sensor (p. XX) if you want to in-
guish small fires by spraying them with dry chemicals or foam. crease Cost further and add more functionality.

Aspects: Fire Extinguisher. [1 TO 3] AMPLIFIER

Foam: 2 (Cost –1), 4 (Cost 0), or 6 (Cost 1). This determines The amplifier can be used to either amplify your voice or sound
the item’s base Cost. from a connected device over a great area.
Range: 0 (±0 Cost), 1 (+1 Cost), 2 (+2 Cost), 3 (+3 Cost), or
4 (+4 Cost). Add this to the item’s base Cost for the final Cost. Aspects: Amplifier; Electronic.
Effects: Remove a fire-based Situation Aspect, such as Burning, Security: Average (+1) Scale 1; Power: 6. You may choose to
within Range 0 to 4 (depending on Cost). If a contested roll is increase Security or reduce Power as per page XX to further
necessary, use either Awareness, Education, or Ranged Combat modify Cost.

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 CHAPTER 5: TECHNOLOGY

[2] TRACKING DEVICE

Effects: You may replicate or amplify a sound from a connect-
ed device. Alternatively, you could speak directly through the A tracking device is small electronic device about the size of
amplifier like a megaphone. At Cost 1, the amplification could a finger nail. When the character wants to follow the tracking
cover a large and busy room, like a club with hundreds of peo- device, they connect to it using a smart device. The application
ple; At Cost 2, it could cover an entire stadium with thousands projects a map or 3D layout (if such is available) revealing the
of people; At Cost 3, it could cover an entire metropolitan dis- location of the device. If maps aren’t available, the device instead
trict with tens of thousands of people. reveals exact distances and directions.
Properties: [±0] Electronic (p. XX); [+1 to +3] Enable Action Aspects: Tracking Device; Electronic.
(p. XX).
Security: Average (+1) Scale 1; Power: 6. You may choose to
increase Security or reduce Power as per page XX to further
[1 TO 5] CHEMICAL ANALYSER modify Cost.
A chemical analyser is a device used to identify and analyze
Effects: Once connected to a smart device, the tracking de-
chemical compounds and processes. It detects molecules in the
vice’s location can be followed on the connected device. If the
atmosphere around it or in compounds that touch it.
connected device has a communication service (p. XX) and the
Aspects: Chemical Analyser; Electronic. tracking device is within its range, it reveals its exact location,
including maps and 3D layouts if available. If a communication
Security: Average (+1) Scale 1; Power: 6. You may choose to service isn’t available, only direction and distance is known.
increase Security or reduce Power as per page XX to further
modify Cost. The tracking device is Invisible to smart devices, techscanners,
Effects: The chemical analyser can detect molecular structures and similar technologies, though an especially skilled engineer
and chemical interactions within Range 0 (Cost 1), 1 (Cost 2), or interfacer may be able to detect its transmissions. Doing so
2 (Cost 3), 3 (Cost 4), or 4 (Cost 5) and displays the informa- equires a relevant Scale at least equal to this asset’s Cost.
tion on a screen or connected device. Properties: [±0] Electronic (p. XX); [+1] Enable Action (p.
Properties: [±0] Electronic (p. XX); [±0 to +4] Effect Range (p. XX); [+1] Stealth (p. XX).
XX); [+1] Enable Action (p. XX).
[2 TO 4] CARRY-WOMB
[1 TO 5] ELECTRONIC LOCKPICK A carry-womb is a small tank made to replicate the conditions
An electronic lockpick looks more like a datastick than a lock- of a human womb. This device is prepared and administered at a
pick. By holding it up to a lock or device, it can be used to bypass bio clinic where DNA from at least one individual is used in the
encryptions. The item is illegal for civilian use. creation of a child. While most children are still born through
natural births, there may be a number of reasons why a natural
Aspects: Electronic Lockpick; Electronic; Illegal. birth isn’t viable. For those situations, a child can either be grown
Security: Average (+1) Scale 1; Power: 6. You may choose to directly in the bio clinic and then picked up on delivery day, or it
increase Security or reduce Power as per page XX to further can grow in a carry-womb cared for by the parents.
modify Cost.
The fetus is visible through a layer of glass and membrane, mak-
Effects: Enables the use of Larceny to mundane and electronic ing it easier to study its development than through traditional
locks. It also lets you use Larceny in place of Interfacing to by- scanning. The parents must administer a calory pill to the tank
pass encryptions. once per day to ensure safe development (these can be acquired
with Dose 5 at Cost 0).
In addition, you may choose to have it provide a +1 to +4 bonus
to the relevant roll by adding an equivalent amount to Cost. Once the child has grown enough to be removed from the car-
Properties: [–1] Blacklisted (p. XX); [±0] Electronic (p. XX); ry-womb, it will alert the user that it’s ready for delivery. How-
[±0 to +4] Task Bonus (p. XX); [+2] Enable Action (p. XX). ever, a medical professional should always oversee the delivery,
making it urgent to bring the carry-womb to the nearest bio clin-
[1 TO 5] FLASHLIGHT ic when it’s ready.
A flashlight is a handheld device used to illuminate a dark area.
Aspects: Carry-Womb; Electronic.
Aspects: Flashlight; Electronic. Security: Average (+1) Scale 1; Power: 6. You may choose to
Security: Average (+1) Scale 1; Power: 6. You may choose to increase Security or reduce Power as per page XX to further
increase Security or reduce Power as per page XX to further modify Cost.
modify Cost. Effects: Insert organic matter from at least one person into the
Effects: The flashlight lets you use visual senses normally in carry-womb as an Average (+1) Scale 1 Treatment roll. The
darkness by illuminating up to Range 0 (Cost 1), 1 (Cost 2), 2 DNA is processed by the device and used to produce a new-
(Cost 3), 3 (Cost 4), or 4 (Cost 5) regardless of light levels. born baby. It takes nine months (Cost 2), nine weeks (Cost 3),
or nine days (Cost 4) for the baby to grow in the carry-womb.
Properties: [±0] Electronic (p. XX); [±0 to +4] Effect Range (p. When it is ready to be delivered, it requires an Average (+1)
XX); [+1] Enable Action (p. XX). Scale 1 Treatment roll to do so safely. It is recommended to do

200
 the activation and delivery at a bio clinic or with the help of a XX); [+1] Sensor (p. XX); [+1] Special Action (p. XX).
trained professional.
[3] TECHSCANNER
Throughout the gestation process, the carry-womb analyzes A techscanner is a handheld device that scans electronic devic-
the baby and presents medical data on a display or to a con- es, diagnoses them, and reports any discovered faults. After the
nected smart device. If it runs out of power, it still provides techcanner has made its diagnostics, it presents suggested fixes
a safe environment for the child for up to 24 hours before it on a small display monitor on the device.
needs to be charged.
Properties: [±0] Electronic (p. XX); [+2] Enable Action (p. Aspects: Techscanner; Electronic.
XX). Add [+1 or +2] Bonus (p. XX) for the Cost 3 variant. Security: Average (+1) Scale 1; Power: 6. You may choose to
increase Security or reduce Power as per page XX to further
[2 TO 6] NEURAL GRIP modify Cost.
A neural grip is a backpack containing one or more mechanical Effects: The techscanner detects the state of both electronics
tentacles with gripping claws. The device is controlled using the and digital systems when placed in contact with a technology.
user’s neural patterns. Its design provides structural support to The diagnosis is perfectly accurate unless the problem is ex-
avoid unnecessary strain on the user. tremely rare or unusual; in that case, the techscanner reports
what it learns and that there is missing information.
Aspects: Neural Grip; Electronic.
Security: Average (+1) Scale 1; Power: 6. You may choose to After a diagnosis, it provides instructions on how to fix the
increase Security or reduce Power as per page XX to further problem—this in the form of a Boost.
modify Cost. Properties: [±0] Electronic (p. XX); [+1] Enable Action (p.
Effects: The neural grip has one (Cost 2), two (Cost 3), three XX); [+1] Sensor (p. XX); [+1] Special Action (p. XX).
(Cost 4), or four (Cost 5) mechanical tentacle that can be used
to grip and lift objects. You gain a +1 bonus per tentacle used to [3 TO 7] NANO-JAMMER
any create advantage roll that benefits from their support, such A nano-jammer temporarily disables the Nanite Matrix in a spe-
as Close Combat rolls to grapple someone or Athletics rolls to cific area around it. It is commonly used by military and law en-
lift, push, or pull something. forcement to disrupt hacker dens or local nitespaces, but some
powerful businesses use them defensively as well to protect their
If you want to combine it with encasing armor, add +1 Cost for digital vaults from interfacers.
the attachment property (p. XX).
Properties: [±0] Electronic (p. XX); [+1] Enable Action (p. Aspects: Nano-Jammer; Electronic; Military Grade.
XX); [+1 to +4] Task Bonus (p. XX). Security: Average (+1) Scale 1; Power: 6. You may choose to
increase Security or reduce Power as per page XX to further
modify Cost.
[3] MEDSCANNER
A medscanner is a device that diagnoses a patient and reports Effects: To activate the nano-jammer, place it in a location and
any discovered ailments. After the medcanner has made its diag- make a Power roll. The nitespace within Range 0 (Cost 3), 1
nosis, it presents suggested treatment methods on a small display (Cost 4), 2 (Cost 5), 3 (Cost 6), or 4 (Cost 7) is disrupted for
monitor on the device. one minute. This duration can be extended by adding a –1 pen-
alty to Power for each added minute, capped at Power 1, which
Aspects: Medscanner; Electronic. will deplete the machine after use. By hooking it up to a suffi-
ciently powerful energy source, the duration may be extended
Security: Average (+1) Scale 1; Power: 6. You may choose to
further, at Narrator discretion.
increase Security or reduce Power as per page XX to further
modify Cost. Any functionary avatar within the affected nitespace is forced
Effects: The medscanner detects tissue damage and cellular back into its sanctum, and any active interfacers are discon-
processes when in contact with organic material. When used nected. Any specters or trojans that were in the nitespace are
on a human or animal, it aids in diagnosing physical ailments. disrupted as well for the duration, but god-reapers are simply
This includes internal ailments (e.g., organ failure) and cellular annoyed by it, suffering a Stress for each minute they remain
ailments (e.g., cancers, bacterias, and viruses). The diagnosis is within the disrupted nitespace.
perfectly accurate unless the ailment is extremely rare or un-
usual; in that case, the medscanner reports what it learns and Systems that rely on the Nanite Matrix are disrupted as well,
that there is missing information. but smart devices can still communicate locally within their
Wireless Range. If the nano-jammer is disabled before the du-
After a diagnosis, it provides instructions on how to treat the ration is up, the disruption ends.
ailment—this in the form of a Boost. Properties: [±0] Electronic (p. XX); [±0 to +4] Effect Range (p.
Properties: [±0] Electronic (p. XX); [+1] Enable Action (p. XX); [+1] Prestige (p. XX); [+2] Special Action (p. XX).

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 CHAPTER 5: TECHNOLOGY

COMPANIONS
Even though most of humanity live more crowded than ever sought after, such as someone with political influence, celebrity
before, people are lonelier than ever. Many have a hard time status, or unique traits.
connecting with others and stick to their own daily routines.
[+1] Risk: At +1 Cost, you may hire someone for an illegal or
Humans are social creatures; even in a sea of strangers, a long-
dangerous activity. Because of the risk involved, this usually
ing for connection is real.
comes at a higher expense.
While some find likeminded people to call friends, others settle
with other forms of companionship. Many households have ser- For example, if you want access to a doctor with Treatment Good
vice droids that both act as laborers in the home and as trusted (+3) Scale 1, the service will have Cost 2. If you want that doctor
companions to share stories with. Some people bring home a pet to aid you in a criminal task, such as illegal organ harvest, it will
such as a cat or a dog. Others look for something more esoteric, have Cost 3. If you want a specific surgeon with access to special
and entire industries specialize in genetically engineering ani- resources, it will have Cost 4.
mals to act as pets for those who can afford it. It’s not uncom-
mon to encounter creatures previously extinct or never before Use the Contacts Skill to find the individual services and to try to
seen who have been grown in labs on commission. get better deals, at Narrator discretion.

Whether a beast or a bot, there are companions befitting any-

one’s personalities and needs. Companions refer to PC assets COMPANION TRAITS
with traits similar to characters, such as Skills, Stress, and often
the capability of independent actions. These are NPCs, but un- COMPANION ASPECTS
like adversaries (p. XX) who usually only have traits relevant to Unless specified otherwise, companions come with a single Func-
their needs in the scene, companions can easily get a bit more tion Aspect, similar to other assets. For sapient companions, like
involved. While considered assets to a PC, such as pets, droids, humans or functionaries, this Function Aspect is replaced with
or followers, they can be roleplayed by either the player or the a High Concept (p. XX). Some companion types may have addi-
Narrator depending on what you agree upon. Keep in mind that tional Character Aspects as well, as defined by their descriptions.
regardless of if the Narrator portrays them, the companion is
just as much a PC’s asset as their equipment. Aspects are always true, and the companion may encompass
narrative benefits and flaws based on the Aspects given to them.
While adversaries are more easily put together using the rules in However, because they are still considered assets, these Aspects
Chapter 9, you may use this section as inspiration for crafting are considered extensions of the PC’s own when invoked or
NPCs as well. In that case, ignore Cost and simply put together compelled—the player spends the Charges to invoke them, or
NPCs deemed appropriate for the game. Should these NPCs lat- receives the Charges when compelled by them.
er become companions for PCs, then revisit their Cost values to
keep things balanced. COMPANION SIZE
A companion may come in a multitude of different sizes, each
offering different baseline traits and varying Costs. The sizes are
INDIVIDUAL SERVICES miniscule, tiny, small, medium, large, huge, and colossal.

You may want to acquire an individual service, such as access [–3] A miniscule companion is no larger than a child’s fist,
to a specific Skill for a certain task. Perhaps you want access to like a spider or a wasp. It has Stress 1, no Consequence slots,
someone with Engineering to help repair your gear, or to some- Natural Soak 0, and Harm 0.
one with Contacts to help you get in touch with certain groups [–2] A tiny companion is no larger than a briefcase, like a
or individuals. In these cases, you’re not hiring the individual as house cat or a chameleon. It has Stress 2, a Mild Consequence
a companion, but rather purchases access to a Skill. slot, Natural Soak 0, and Harm 0.
[±0 to +2] Rank: At ±0 Cost, you may hire a Skill Rank of [–1] A small companion is no larger than a human child, like
Average (+1) for a single task; this becomes +1 Cost for Good a dog or a chimpanzee. It has Stress 3, a Mild and Moderate
(+3) and +2 Cost for Superb (+5). Consequence slot, Natural Soak 0, and Harm 0.
[±0 to +7] Scale: At ±0 Cost, you may hire a Skill Scale of 1 for [±0] A medium companion is the same size as an adult hu-
a single task. For each +1 Cost, you may increase the Scale by 1, man. It has Stress 4, a Mild, Moderate, and Severe Conse-
to maximum Scale 8 at +7 Cost. Keep in mind that the stand- quence slot, Natural Soak 0, and Harm 0.
ard human limit is Scale 2, with anything above that being con- [+1] A large companion is about twice the size of an adult
sidered rare traits or augmentations. The Narrator may deem human, like a horse or a lion. It has Stress 5, two Mild, one
that anything higher than Scale 4 is incredibly rare and can Moderate, and one Severe Consequence slot, Natural Soak 1,
only be accessed through special means or as a story reward. and Harm 1.
[+1] Prestige: At +1 Cost, you may hire someone who is highly [+2] A huge companion is about twice the size of a horse, like

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 a bear or an elephant. It has Stress 6, two Mild, two Moderate, FURTHER CUSTOMIZATION
and one Severe Consequence slot, Natural Soak 2, and Harm 2. You may further customize a companion with equipment such
as weapons and armor, assuming that the companion is capable
[+3] A colossal companion can be any conceivable size be- of using it. Assume that they come with insignificant assets nec-
yond what is considered huge, such as the size of a whale or a essary to represent their function, but that anything beyond that
building. It has Stress 7, two Mild, Moderate, and Severe Con- must be provided by the player in charge of the companion.
sequence slots, Natural Soak 3, and Harm 3.
If you want a companion to have bionic or cybernetic augmenta-
Keep in mind that each size is also represented as an Aspect that tions (p. XX), you may acquire them as if they were attachments
can be invoked or compelled. While it makes sense that a larger (p. XX). You need not spend a significant milestone point to
creature should have vastly more strength than a smaller one, it activate an augmentation installed in a companion, but its Cost
can be complicating to try to represent that as strict mechanical increases by one as if it had the [+1] Attachment property. Nei-
bonuses. Use the assumption that a large companion is strong ther can you give a companion augmentations with a Cost higher
enough to carry heavy loads and be able to crush a miniscule than its own, nor more augmentations than it has Cost.
companion like a bug. If a contest is necessary, provide Scale bo-
nuses or free invocations as appropriate for the size difference. If you want to give a companion a Skill Feature (p. XX) or Cod-
ing Protocol (p. XX), you can do so as a +2 Cost property—this
One example to solve a contest where size should matter is to increases the companion’s own Cost and cannot be added as an
provide a Scale bonus or invocation for each size increment. A attachment. It might sometimes be more effective to grant com-
large companion could hence be granted a +1 Scale bonus or a panions simpler traits in the form of the [+1] Enable Action (p.
free invocation to an Athletics roll when in a contest of strength XX) or [+1] Special Action (p. XX) properties.
with a medium creature, or be improving that bonus to +2 or two
invocations against a small one.
SELECTING COMPANION
The same should apply for situations when a smaller size is of When selecting a companion for your character, start by
benefit. A spider (miniscule) could be granted a +4 Scale bonus choosing a companion base (see next page) that is appro-
or four invocations on an attempt to hide from a horse (large), priate for the size and Cost you have in mind. Keep in
but that bonus could be reduced to +1 Scale or a single free in- mind that, unless otherwise specified, an asset’s Cost can
vocation when trying to hide from a rat (tiny). The difference never exceed 8.
between a spider and a horse is so great that it would be incon-
sequential to the horse’s awareness, unless it would be crawling If you want to further customize your companion, select
directly by its eye. Meanwhile, it is a more significant part of the any number of properties appropriate for the Cost you are
rat’s experience, due to being closer in size. willing to spend. The list on page XX covers most of the
asset properties that could work well for companions, but
COMPANION SKILLS you may consider any property from the asset property
Each companion starts with the [±0] Asset Skills (p. XX) proper- list on page XX. Alternatively, use them as a basis for de-
ty, which gives them one Skill at Good (+3) Scale 1 and two Skills signing your own properties, at Narrator discretion.
at Average (+1) Scale 1. Any other relevant Skill may be rolled
at Mediocre (±0) Scale 1. Companions are still player assets and Consult the invention rules on page XX for more infor-
generally don’t have as involved access to Skills as other NPCs. mation about designing properties.
To further improve a companion’s Skills, you may add +1 to its
Cost to increase one Skill Rank by two, two Skill Ranks by one, If you are looking for more concrete examples of how dif-
or one Skill Scale by one. These cap at Superb (+5) Scale 8, unless ferent companions could be represented in game, see the
specified otherwise. templates on page XX. These are examples of how differ-
ent properties can be translated into actual examples.
If you invest in Skills that affect Stress, like Fortitude, Interface,
You may combine templates for more creative and com-
and Willpower, the companion’s Stress will increase accordingly.
plex companions, but keep note of the listed properties to
A higher Scale also provides the companion with its appropriate
make sure you get the final Cost right. Many properties
Scale benefits, at Narrator discretion.
can be further modified by adding or reducing Cost.

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 CHAPTER 5: TECHNOLOGY

STANDARD COMPANION BASES

COST SIZE STRESS CONSEQUENCES SOAK HARM SKILLS
–3 Miniscule 1 N/A 0 0 1x Good (+3) Scale 1; 2x Average (+1) Scale 1
–2 Tiny 2 1x Mild 0 0 1x Good (+3) Scale 1; 2x Average (+1) Scale 1
–1 Small 3 1x Mild; 1x Moderate 0 0 1x Good (+3) Scale 1; 2x Average (+1) Scale 1
0 Medium 4 1x Mild; 1x Moderate; 1x Severe 0 0 1x Good (+3) Scale 1; 2x Average (+1) Scale 1
1 Large 5 2x Mild; 1x Moderate; 1x Severe 1 1 1x Good (+3) Scale 1; 2x Average (+1) Scale 1
2 Huge 6 2x Mild; 2x Moderate; 1x Severe 2 2 1x Good (+3) Scale 1; 2x Average (+1) Scale 1
3 Colossal 7 2x Mild; 2x Moderate; 2x Severe 3 3 1x Good (+3) Scale 1; 2x Average (+1) Scale 1
Alternatively, spend +1 Cost to either increase one Skill by +2 Rank or +1 Scale, or two Skills by +1 Rank.

COMMON COMPANION PROPERTIES

COST PROPERTY DETAILS PAGE
Varies Asset Skills The companion gains new or improved Skills. XX
Varies Asset Stress and Consequences The companion gains more or fewer Stress boxes or Consequence slots. XX
Varies Harm The companion inflicts additional harm or harm types. XX
–7 to –1 Heavy The companion is heavy and ungainly. XX
–2 or –1 Mobility Penalty The companion suffers a mobility penalty. XX
–2 or –1 Vulnerability The companion is vulnerable to a specific harm type. XX
–2 to ±0 Resource Reliance The companion has features that rely on a specific resource. XX
–2 to +9 Electronic The companion is Electronic and gains Security and Power ratings. XX
–1 Blacklisted The companion is illegal or controversial in some form. XX
–1 Drone The companion is a drone not capable of independent action. XX
–1 Flaw The companion has a flaw or troubling Aspect. XX
–1 to +1 Animal The companion is an animal. XX
±0 Human The companion is a human. XX
±0 Mount The companion is a mount. XX
±0 to +4 Effect Range The companion has features that work over specific areas or ranges. XX
±0 to +4 Speed The companion has improved speed. XX
±0 to +5 Interface The companion can be used as a smart device and gains Wireless Range. XX
±0 to +8 Goons The companion is a collection of lesser goons. XX
+1 Bonus The companion has a bonus or beneficial Aspect. XX
+1 Droid The companion is a droid. XX
+1 Enable Action The consumable enables a new type of action or ability. XX
+1 Functionary The companion is a functionary. XX
+1 Navigation The companion is capable of alternative forms of navigation. XX
+1 Prestige The companion stands out as being rare or exceptional in some form. XX
+1 Reach The companion benefits from Long Reach. XX
+1 Sensor The companion has alternative sensory types. XX
+1 Special Action The companion is capable of a powerful special action. XX
+1 Specter The companion is a specter. XX
+1 Stealth The companion can be invisible to certain sensory types. XX
+1 or +2 Resilience The companion is resilient towards a specific harm type. XX
+1 or +2 Weather Resistant The companion is resilient towards weather hazards. XX
+1 to +6 Swarm The companion is a swarm of its type. XX
+2 Elemental The companion is an elemental of a specific rift element. XX

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 COMPANION TEMPLATES
COST TEMPLATE REQUIRED COMPANION BASE PAGE
Varies Resilient Companion Any companion type. XX
–1 Generic Drone Any companion type. XX
–1 to +1 Generic Animal Any companion type. XX
±0 Human Follower Any small, medium, or large companion type. XX
±0 to +3 Dog Any tiny or larger companion type. XX
±0 to +4 Cat Any tiny or larger companion type. XX
±0 to +8 Goons Any small or larger companion type. XX
+1 Generic Functionary Any companion type. XX
+1 Generic Specter Any small, medium, or large companion type. XX
+1 or +2 Generic Droid Any companion type. XX
+1 to +3 Generic Elemental Any companion type. XX
+1 to +4 Bird Any companion type. XX
+1 to +6 Generic Swarm Any miniscule or tiny companion type. XX
+2 or +3 Doll Any companion type. XX
+2 or +3 Multi-Orb Any tiny companion type. XX
+2 to +7 Utility Swarm Any miniscule companion type. XX
+3 Airdisk Any tiny or small companion type. XX

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[VARIES] RESILIENT COMPANION cluding a High Aspect and a Trouble. At –1 Cost, it is incapable
Your companion is much more resilient than what is typical. of comprehending any form of human communication; at ±0
Cost, it can understand simple commands, such as “stop” and
Base: Any companion type. “fetch.” At +1 Cost, it has been enhanced with higher intelli-
Aspects: Resilient Companion. gence and can understand human speech.
Effects: Add +2 Stress boxes for every +1 Cost, up to maxi-
mum twice your companion’s default Stress granted to them You may choose to add the Mount Aspect at no additional cost
by their companion base and their bonuses from Skills. Alter- for a large or bigger animal, giving it features akin to a vehicle.
natively, you may add a Mild or Moderate Consequence slot It requires a Piloting Skill of Average (+1) Scale 1 to ride.
for +1 Cost, or a Severe Consequence slot for +2 Cost. You can Properties: [–1 to +1] Animal (p. XX); [±0] Mount (p. XX)
only add one of each type. may be added optionally.
Properties: [Varies] Asset Stress and Consequences (p. XX).
[±0] HUMAN FOLLOWER
Human followers are NPCs acting like assets to a PC. They’re on
[–1] GENERIC DRONE
the PC’s payroll, but unlike the acquisition of individual servic-
Drones are somewhere in between droids and tools. Unlike
es (p. XX), followers are under your employment for as long as
droids, they cannot act independently and must be either con-
you pay their fee. Slavery is illegal within the Terran Consolida-
trolled using a smart device or have been issued specific com-
tion (though people are still enslaved by human traffickers, ene-
mands. To control one, you need to have a smart device (p. XX)
mies in war, and under immoral working conditions—despite it
that is connected to it.
being illegal), which means that everyone tasked to serve some-
one else must have a credit salary for their work. The nature of
Base: Any companion type.
this salary may look different in different factions and under
Aspects: Generic Drone; Electronic. different economic systems, but some perks must be involved
Security: Average (+1) Scale 1; Power: 6. and they must willingly do the job.
Effects: The drone is not capable of independent action. To op-
erate it, you must have a smart device (p. XX) that is connect- When acquiring human followers for your PC, you must pay
ed to it. The device and the drone must establish their initial their Cost every significant milestone during which you intend
connection within the smart device’s Wireless Range; however, to use their services. If you don’t, you may be indebted to them,
once connected, the drone can be moved beyond that range. they may leave your service, or they may turn against you.

Operating a drone is akin to performing a teamwork action Base: Any small, medium, or large companion type.
(p. XX). You pilot it using Interfacing or Piloting, and you may Aspects: Human Follower.
add a +1 bonus if the drone has at least Average (+1) in the Effects: The companion has access to up to five Character As-
Skill relevant to the task at hand. Alternatively, you may issue a pects, including High Concept (p. XX) and Trouble (p. XX).
command to the drone; it will execute the command precisely
Properties: [±0] Human (p. XX).
as given, utilizing its own Skills. In this scenario, you may sup-
port the drone with your Interfacing or Piloting, contributing
your own teamwork bonus to its action. [±0 TO +3] DOG
A dog is a domesticated animal that has been used as a pet for
Properties: [–1] Drone (p. XX); [±0] Electronic (p. XX). millennia. It has a quick and agile body, sharp teeth, and a keen
nose. It’s also a very social pet, getting along well with humans.
[–1 TO +1] GENERIC ANIMAL
In the wastelands, animals are often sickly or mutated, though Base: Any tiny or larger companion type.
there are areas on Earth where they can thrive as well. The clos- Aspects: Dog; Mount (Optional).
er you get to a chaos zone, the more likely you’ll come across
Effects: Your dog may possess up to three Aspects, including
animals with strange mutations or other strange qualities, like
a High Aspect (p. XX) and a Trouble (p. XX). At ±0 Cost, it is
deer with tentacles instead of antlers, birds that glow in the
incapable of comprehending any form of human communica-
dark, or bears with fur made out of leaves.
tion; At +1 Cost, it can understand simple commands, such as
“stop” and “fetch;” At +2 Cost, it has higher intelligence and
Biotechnicians have also designed their own animals for cen-
can understand human speech.
turies, created hybrids, and brought animals back from ex-
tinction. While most of these designer-animals can be found
The dog gains a free invocation to all smell-based Awareness or
as commissioned pets, on display in zoos, and as creatures for
Investigation rolls. If you want to improve its running speed,
blood sport, many have also been introduced to the wild. You
add +1 additional Cost to give it Speed 2 (up to 50 km/h).
can be creative when designing animal NPCs.
You may choose to add the Mount Aspect at no additional cost
Base: Any companion type. if the dog is large or bigger, giving it features akin to a vehicle. It
Aspects: Animal; Mount (Optional). requires a Piloting Skill of Average (+1) Scale 1 to ride.
Effects: Your companion may possess up to three Aspects, in- Properties: [–1 to +1] Animal (p. XX); [±0] Mount (p. XX)

206
 may be added optionally; [+1] Bonus (p. XX); [+1] Speed (p. Add a +1 Scale bonus to applicable Skill rolls. They can cover a
XX). space of up to five square meters.
• Magnitude 1: You have access to a group of 6-10 goons.
[±0 TO +4] CAT Add a +2 Scale bonus to applicable Skills rolls, and +1 Harm to
A cat is an animal that has been used as a pet for thousands of their attacks. They can cover a space of up to ten square meters.
years. It has a flexible body, quick reflexes, and sharp teeth and • Magnitude 2: You have access to a group of 11-50
claws. It also has a keen awareness and likes to hunt prey. goons. Add a +3 Scale bonus to applicable Skill rolls, +1 Harm
to their attacks, and +1 to their Natural and Mental Soak. They
Base: Any tiny or larger companion type. can cover a space of up to fifty square meters.
• Magnitude 3: You have access to a group of 51-100
Aspects: Cat; Mount (Optional).
goons. Add a +4 Scale bonus to applicable Skill rolls, +2 Harm
Effects: Your cat may possess up to three Aspects, including to their attacks, and +1 to their Natural and Mental Soak. They
a High Aspect (p. XX) and a Trouble (p. XX). At ±0 Cost, it is can cover a space of up to a hundred square meters.
incapable of comprehending any form of human communica- • Magnitude 4: You have access to a group of 101-500
tion; At +1 Cost, it can understand simple commands, such as goons. Add a +5 Scale bonus to applicable Skill rolls, +2 Harm
“stop” and “fetch;” At +2 Cost, it has higher intelligence and to their attacks, and +2 to their Natural and Mental Soak. They
can understand human speech. can cover a space of up to five hundred square meters.
• Magnitude 5: You have access to a group of 501-1,000
The cat gains a free invocation to all balance and reflexes-relat- goons. Add a +6 Scale bonus to applicable Skill rolls, +3 Harm
ed Acrobatics rolls. If you want to improve its running speed, to their attacks, and +2 to their Natural and Mental Soak. They
add +1 additional Cost to give it Speed 2 (up to 50 km/h) or +2 can cover a space of up to a square kilometer.
Cost for Speed 3 (up to 100 km/h) with a free running-based • Magnitude 6: You have access to a group of 1,001-
invocation per minor milestone. 10,000 goons. Add a +7 Scale bonus to applicable Skill rolls,
+3 Harm to their attacks, and +3 to their Natural and Mental
You may choose to add the Mount Aspect at no additional cost Soak. They can cover a space of up to ten square kilometers.
if the cat is large or bigger, giving it features akin to a vehicle. It • Magnitude 7: You have access to a group of 10,001-
requires a Piloting Skill of Average (+1) Scale 1 to ride. 100,000 goons. Add a +8 Scale bonus to applicable Skill rolls,
Properties: [–1 to +1] Animal (p. XX); [±0] Mount (p. XX) +4 Harm to their attacks, and +3 to their Natural and Mental
may be added optionally; [+1] Bonus (p. XX); [+1 to +2] Speed Soak. They can cover up to a hundred square kilometers.
(p. XX). • Magnitude 8: You have access to a group of more than
100,000 goons. Add a +9 Scale bonus to applicable Skill rolls,
[±0 TO +8] GOONS +4 Harm to their attacks, and +4 to their Natural and Mental
Goons are a group of low-tier followers with little to no indi- Soak. They can cover aas large a space as is narratively appro-
viduality. They can be a group of thugs following you around, priate depending on their numbers.
a group of laborers working on your behalf, or some attractive
retainers to make you look impressive. Keep in mind that the area the group covers is abstracted, as-
suming they are acting as a group with each goon occupying
Base: Any small or larger companion type. one square meter. Modify these numbers based on the size of
each goon and the formation they are expected to take. If you
Aspects: Goons.
spread them out even further to cover vaster areas, consider
Effects: Your goons have a single Aspect and lose any Conse- reducing their bonuses to represent fewer acting goons within
quence slots granted by their companion base. They generally each relevant space. The Narrator makes the final decisions.
don’t act like individual NPC, but rather as generalized groups.
Properties: [±0 to +8] Goons (p. XX).
Your goons gain a Magnitude rating based on how much you
spend on this template, from Magnitude 0 at +0 Cost to Mag- [+1] GENERIC FUNCTIONARY
nitude 8 at +8 Cost. Their attacks are treated as hazards (p. XX) Your companion is a functionary, an artificial intelligence that
and may affect all foes within the area they cover; this is rep- resides within a smart device. It can interact with the device and
resented by meters but can be translated abstractly into zones. project itself as an avatar within the Nanite Matrix. Functionar-
ies have the cognitive and social capacities of ordinary humans,
When a group of goons lose all their Stress, their Magnitude being self-aware with human-like personalities. Once projected
reduces by one, their Stress is replenished, and any extra shifts in nitespace, they take the size and form of a physical being—this
of harm carry over into this new track. The goons are defeated does not have to be humanoid.
after their Stress track fills at Magnitude 0, after which they are
entirely dispersed or killed. A common use for a functionary is as a digital assistant, manag-
ing your connected devices so that you do not have to. But they
Any Scale bonus gained from Magnitude cannot exceed Scale are also valuable as friends and companions, gladly interacting
8. Every increment beyond that adds a free invocation instead. with you whenever possible.

• Magnitude 0: You have access to a group of 2-5 goons. Base: Any companion type.

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Aspects: Generic Functionary; Digital. with others. Specialized droids are more reliable than humans
for complex tasks, such as construction work and piloting.
Effects: The functionary is a digital asset that must be stored Droids are also more emotionally reliable than humans, mak-
within a smart device of equal or higher Cost (p. XX). It adds ing them effective and fearless soldiers.
+1 Scale to its own Interfacing Skill (to maximum Scale 8). It
can freely interface with its sanctum, including any devices Droids can look like anything from a creature to a machine.
connected to it. Most have all the basic senses humans have—including smell
and touch (though they don’t feel pain in the way people do).
When projecting itself as an avatar in the Nanite Matrix, the They can understand speech and verbalize responses, but how
functionary can utilize its physical traits; it can use Physical socially intelligent they are depends on the task they’re made
and Digital Consequence slots interchangeably, making it for. Some droids can be operated by functionaries as well, act-
highly durable in this state. If it is defeated in a conflict, it is ing as a physical medium through which the functionary can
returned to its sanctum to recover. It can only be destroyed interact with the world.
permanently if its sanctum is destroyed beyond repair.
Base: Any companion type.
Functionaries have up to three Aspects, including a High As- Aspects: Generic Droid; Electronic; Interface (if +2 Cost).
pect and a Trouble. They also have a Directive that they must
follow, such as Follow Administrator’s Commands or Defend the Wireless Range (Interface-only): 0; Security: Average (+1)
System from Hackers. You are likely considered its administra- Scale 1; Power: 6.
tor and can change its Directive as you wish. Effects: The droid acts independently and is able to interpret
Properties: [+1] Functionary (p. XX). and respond to commands. It has access to three Character
Aspects, including a High Concept and a Trouble. It also has
a Directive that it must follow, such as Follow Administrator’s
[+1] GENERIC SPECTER
Commands or Construct Microchips after Specifications. You
Your companion is a functionary, an artificial intelligence that are considered its administrator and can change its Directive.
resides within a smart device. It can interact with the device and
project itself as an avatar within the Nanite Matrix. Functionar- If you acquire the droid at +1 Cost, it doesn’t contain its own
ies have the cognitive and social capacities of ordinary humans, interfacing systems and is reliant upon external smart devices
being self-aware with human-like personalities. Once projected to do so. At +2 Cost, it is also a functional smart device.
in nitespace, they take the size and form of a physical being—this
Properties: [±0] Electronic (p. XX); [+1] Droid (p. XX); [+1]
does not have to be humanoid.
Interface (p. XX).
A common use for a functionary is as a digital assistant, manag-
ing your connected devices so that you do not have to. But they [+1 TO +3] GENERIC ELEMENTAL
are also valuable as friends and companions, gladly interacting Whenever a pocket of the Nanite Matrix is weakened, corrupt-
with you whenever possible. ed, or somehow disrupted, there’s a risk for a rift to emerge. This
causes a violent eruption of energy and matter associated with
Base: Any small, medium, or large companion type. one or more of the rift elements; an acid rift can explode into
corrossive showers, a cryo rift could instantly freeze everything
Aspects: Generic Specter; Digital.
within a radius, and an electrical rift could create an electro-
Effects: The specter is a digital entity formed from the mind magnetic pulse that destroys all surrounding electronics. Once
of a deceased individual. It can freely traverse the Nanite Ma- this emission of rift energy encompasses an organic creature,
trix and interact with systems as though it were a functionary there is a chance that it is turned into an elemental.
(p. XX). However, since it is not tethered to a sanctum, being
taken out in a conflict means it will later reform in a nitespace Animals and humans can become elementals where their for-
that holds personal or emotional significance—this process mer selves are entirely replaced by the element that created
can take anywhere from hours to days. them. The creature that once was no longer exists, and a new
entity is formed. It draws sustenance from the associated rift
Like functionaries, it can use Physical and Digital Consequence element and grows in power the more exposed it is to that ele-
slots interchangeably. Specters have up to three Aspects, in- ment. Machineborn and riftans cannot become elementals.
cluding a High Concept and Trouble. They also have an Aspect
known as Haunt, which is characterized by an irrational be- When out in the wasteland, it’s not uncommon to find groups of
havior linked to some aspect of the life they once lived, such as related elementals competing for access to stronger matrix rifts,
Looped Routine, Selective Amnesia, or I Think I’m Alive. or weaponizing them against intruders. If an elemental is re-
Properties: [+1] Specter (p. XX). moved from large quantities of elemental power, its own power
is restricted as a result. Those that are used as pets or compan-
ions have lesser elemental expressions.
[+1 OR +2] GENERIC DROID
Droids have taken over humanity’s role in maintaining society’s Base: Any companion type.
infrastructure. They live side-by-side with humanity. Some are
designed as an outlet for sexual desires, something that’s more Aspects: Elemental.
common in an age where many have a hard time connecting Effects: The companion is associated with one of the rift el

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ements—acid, bio, cryo, electricity, metal, or pyro. You may- may be added optionally; [+1 or +2] Speed (p. XX); [+1] Nav-
choose to have the elemental be based on an animal form at igation (p. XX).
+1 Cost if it is incapable of comprehending any form of hu-
man communication, +2 Cost if it can understand simple com- [+1 TO +6] GENERIC SWARM
mands, and +3 Cost if it has higher intelligence and can un- Your companion is converted into a swarm of its type, moving
derstand human speech. A humanoid elemental is at +2 Cost. and acting like a singular mass. Unlike goons, which consist of
larger creatures, swarms are more similar to hazards than they
An animal elemental possesses a High Concept, a Trouble, and are to collections of creatures.
one additional Character Aspect. A humanoid elemental pos-
ses a High Concept, a Trouble, and three additional Character Base: Any miniscule or tiny companion type.
Aspects.
Aspects: Generic Swarm.
The companion also gains the following: Effects: The swarm is tiny (+1 Cost), small (+2 Cost), medi-
um (+3 Cost), large (+4 Cost), huge (+5 Cost), or colossal (+6
• Its Close Combat attacks gain its associated element as Cost). Its size functions differently from the sizes described on
an additional harm type. For metal elementals, add +1 Blunt or page XX. Consider the following:
Sharp Harm instead.
• It becomes immune to harm caused by its associated • A tiny swarm covers a one-meter radius, a small swarm
element. Rather, harm inflicted by that element can be used covers a two-meter radius, a medium swarm covers a five-me-
to treat its Physical Consequences and replenish Stress box- ter radius, a large swarm covers a ten-meter radius, a huge
es. Metal elementals can still be harmed by Blunt and Sharp swarm covers a twenty-meter radius, and a colossal swarm
Harm, but they have +2 to Natural Soak against such attacks covers a fifty-meter radius or more.
and are healed by consuming ores and metals. • The swarm’s base Stress is 4 at tiny, 8 at small, 12 at me-
• It gains access to the (Rift Element) Coding Skill (p. dium, 16 at large, 20 at huge, and 24 at colossal. It has Natural
XX) at Average (+1) Scale 1. This can be increased like any Soak 0 at tiny, 1 at small, 2 at medium, 3 at large, 4 at huge, and
normal Skill. 5 at colossal. When the swarm suffers four or more Stress, its
• It must consume its rift element to gain sustenance, ei- size decreases by one degree (a colossal swarm becomes a huge
ther by eating or drinking it where possible, or by being inject- swarm, and so on).
ed with it. For example, while a metal elemental may have to • The swarm is immune to most targeted attacks and can
eat and swallow rocks and metals, an electricity elemental may only be harmed by attacks that cover a wide area, such as those
have to connect to the power grid. using the Area Attack property (p. XX). Certain weapon types,
Properties: [–1 to +1] Animal (p. XX) or [±0] Human (p. XX); like flamethrowers, may be exceptions to this rule, at the Nar-
[+2] Elemental (p. XX). rator’s discretion. Players should be encouraged to look for cre-
ative solutions when facing swarms without proper weapons.
• The swarm inflicts +0 Harm at tiny size, +1 Harm at
[+1 TO +4] BIRD
small size, +2 Harm at medium size, +3 Harm at large size, +4
A bird is a winged animal covered in feathers. In urban envi- Harm at huge size, and +5 Harm at colossal size. Its attacks are
ronments, pet birds are often various parrots, though it’s also considered hazards (p. XX) and may target anyone caught in
common to keep doves or ravens. In rural areas, farming birds the area.
like chickens and roosters are common. • The swarm adds no Scale bonus to applicable Skill rolls
at tiny size, but this becomes +1 at small size, +2 at medium
Base: Any companion type.
size, +3 at large size, +4 at huge size, and +5 at colossal size.
Aspects: Bird; Mount (Optional). If this bonus exceeds Scale 8, it is treated as free invocations
Effects: Your bird may possess up to three Aspects, including instead.
a High Aspect (p. XX) and a Trouble (p. XX). It is capable of Properties: [+1 to +6] Swarm (p. XX).
flight. At ±0 Cost, it is incapable of comprehending any form of
human communication; At +1 Cost, it can understand simple
[+2 OR +3] DOLL
commands, such as “stop” and “fetch;” At +2 Cost, it has higher
A doll is a droid with its artificial components hidden behind
intelligence and can understand human speech.
seemingly organic tissue. It looks like an ordinary creature at
If you want to improve the bird’s flying speed, add +1 addition- a glance, but is unmistakable artificial upon close inspection.
al Cost to give it Speed 2 (up to 50 km/h), or +2 Cost for Speed Most people who acquire dolls do so to compensate for a lack
3 (up to 100 km/h) or Speed 4 (up to 500 km/h). If you choose of companionship, since people tend to form a closer bond to
Speed 3, it also gains a free movement-based invocation per creatures than machines. Some corporations acquire them in-
minor milestone. stead of the more machine-like servitor droids for tasks related
to customer interaction.
You may choose to add the Mount Aspect at no additional cost
if the bird is large or bigger, giving it features akin to a vehicle. There is a stigma in acquiring humanoid dolls in place of other
It requires a Piloting Skill of Average (+1) Scale 1 to ride. servitor droids, since they are commonly used as tools for sex-
ual gratification. Some deviants are emboldened by their lack
Properties: [–1 to +1] Animal (p. XX); [±0] Mount (p. XX)

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 CHAPTER 5: TECHNOLOGY

of sapience, abusing them in place of human victims. While +3 Cost, it is capable of flight.
people from all factions agree that this behavior is problematic,
the law in most places still treat even human-like dolls as just Properties: [–1] Drone (p. XX); [±0] Electronic (p. XX); [+1]
another inanimate object, like a computer or a toaster. Interface (p. XX); [+1] Projection (p. XX); [+2] Enable Action
(p. XX).
This is starting to change, though, since there have been inci-
dents where living androids have been mistreated by people who [+2 TO +7] UTILITY SWARM
have mistaken them for being dolls. Some factions are opening The utility swarm is not a single drone, but a swarm of minis-
up to changing the laws not only for human-like dolls but for cule wasp-like drones working as a single entity. It’s commonly
how all droids are treated, to reduce the risks of sapient entities used in search and rescue operations where it is needed to cover
being treated like mere objects. a larger area and access otherwise inaccessible locations. How-
ever, it can also be used offensively as a powerful weapon of war.
Base: Any companion type.
Aspects: Doll; Electronic; Interface (if +3 Cost). Base: Any miniscule companion type.
Wireless Range (Interface-only): 0; Security: Average (+1) Aspects: Utility Swarm; Electronic.
Scale 1; Power: 6. Security: Average (+1) Scale 1; Power: 6.
Effects: The doll acts independently and is able to interpret and Effects: The utility swarm is not capable of independent ac-
respond to commands. It can hold conversations, appears like tion. To operate it, you must have a smart device (p. XX) that
the kind of creature it is designed to look like, and is only no- is connected to it. See page XX for more information on how
ticeably artificial upon close inspection. to operate drones. It is capable of flight. It also has integrated
tools and is capable of using Engineering to repair and interact
It has access to three Character Aspects, including a High Con- with electronics.
cept and a Trouble. It also has a Directive that it must follow,
such as Follow Administrator’s Commands or Act as Emotional The swarm is tiny (+2 Cost), small (+3 Cost), medium (+4
Support. You are considered its administrator and can change Cost), large (+5 Cost), huge (+6 Cost), or colossal (+7 Cost).
its Directive. Its size functions differently from the sizes described on page
XX. See the description of generic swarm on the previous page
If you acquire the doll at +2 Cost, it doesn’t contain its own for more information about swarm traits.
interfacing systems and is reliant upon external smart devices
to do so. At +3 Cost, it is also a functional smart device. Properties: [–1] Drone (p. XX); [±0] Electronic (p. XX); [+1]
Enable Action (p. XX); [+1] Navigation (p. XX); [+1 to +6]
Properties: [±0] Electronic (p. XX); [+1] Discreet (p. XX); Swarm (p. XX).
[+1] Droid (p. XX); [+1] Interface (p. XX).

[+3] AIRDISK
[+2 OR +3] MULTI-ORB
The airdisk is a drone model whose primary purpose is to assist
The multi-orb is a compact drone no larger than a closed fist. Its in surveillance; though some models are also used for enforce-
default form is that of a metallic sphere, though it contains a lot ment. Military airdisks contain integrated firearms.
of hidden functionality. Its primary purpose is to be a jack-of-
all-trades multi-functionality drone. Base: Any light or small companion type.
Base: Any light companion type. Aspects: Airdisk; Electronic.
Aspects: Multi-Orb; Electronic; Interface. Security: Average (+1) Scale 1; Power: 6.
Wireless Range: 0; Security: Average (+1) Scale 1; Power: 6. Effects: The airdisk is not capable of independent action. To
operate it, you must have a smart device (p. XX) that is con-
Effects: The multi-orb is not capable of independent action. To
nected to it, but it can also act as a smart device of its own. See
operate it, you must have a smart device (p. XX) that is con-
page XX for more information on how to operate drones.
nected to it, but it can also act as a smart device of its own. See
page XX for more information on how to operate drones. The
The airdisk is capable of flight, has an integrated thermal sen-
multi-orb has integrated tools and is capable of using Engi-
sor, and may use Ranged Combat to inflict Projectile Harm 1
neering to repair and interact with electronics, and Treatment
out to Range 1.
to treat Physical Consequences. Finally, it can project data as
holograms in your zone. Properties: [–1] Drone (p. XX); [±0] Electronic (p. XX); [+1]
Effect Range (p. XX); [+1] Harm (p. XX); [+1] Navigation (p.
For +2 Cost, the multi-orb skitters around on spider-legs; For XX); [+1] Sensor (p. XX).

210
 TRANSPORTATION
Most metropolises have a combination of walking paths, ground area will have air traffic regulations over that area, but there’s
lanes, hover lanes, and tram systems; and most transportation is no need to regulate how people travel on the ground. Many
automated. Once your leave the metropolis for the wastelands, wastelanders use manually controlled ground-based vehicles or
travel becomes dependent on what the terrain allows. Once you trained mounts to travel. Those with access to airborne vehicles
leave the planet itself, where and how you travel through space usually fly them at relatively low altitudes to avoid being shot
depends on what technologies and fuels you have available to down by a faction’s anti-air weaponry.
you, as well as the distances you need to go.
OCEAN TRAVEL
WALKING PATHS The ocean is filled to the brim with resources, and deep-sea min-
Walking paths are generally cramped streets across the ground ing is a lucrative business. All factions have some kind of nauti-
layer of a metropolis, along elevated bridges, or in underground cal influence, and this makes seafaring vessels important means
tunnels. While many walking paths are wide enough to fit a car of travel—though more so underneath the waves than above.
or two, anything larger than a bike or hoverboard would likely However, despite travel and transportation being common at
be illegal to bring in on such a path without special clearance. sea, it’s not for the general population. Flight is both a faster
and cheaper way of crossing an ocean, and even submerged out-
BRANCH LANES posts are usually connected to surface stations which are easily
Branch lanes connect ground lanes to structures and walking accessed from the sky.
paths. They are made for vehicles at slower speeds and allow
for manual driving. Most metropolises maintain at most a 100 LONG-DISTANCE FLIGHT
km/h speed limit on branch lanes. You need Piloting at Average While the world is still busy, the post-war isolation makes it
(+1) Scale 1 to manually drive on them. so that commercial flights are almost non-existant. While it’s
possible to take a plane from one continent to another, those
GROUND LANES flights are more commonly used for business-related purpos-
Ground lanes are wider paths specifically meant for high speed es, such as the transportation of goods. It is common for these
land vehicles, most commonly hidden in tunnels underground long-distance flights to reach the boundaries of the atmosphere
to not disrupt the walking paths and branch lanes. Most me- and travel at speeds of up to about 10,000 km/h. The planes are
tropolises maintain a 300 km/h speed limit on ground lanes. still mostly using automated travel.
You need Piloting at Good (+3) Scale 1 to manually drive on
them, but most metropolises have regulations that enforce auto- LEAVING ORBIT
pilot support on these lanes due to the high speeds. The equatorial towers didn’t remove the need for ground-based
shuttle launches completely. While the towers are efficient ways
HOVER LANES of going to space, the fact that they’re located at the equator
Hover lanes are airborne pathways where airborne vehicles nav- makes them restrictive access points for those located elsewhere
igate using mostly automated systems. Within a metropolis, on the planet. They use them more for import and export.
they are connected to individual landing platforms, often on top
of or emerging from buildings. Most metropolises maintain a The Terran Consolidation encourages that the equatorial towers
500 km/h speed limit on hover lanes. Because you need Piloting are accessed by all factions regardless of prior hostilities. Be-
at Superb (+5) Scale 1 to manually fly within one, it is typically cause of this, travel to those towers should be safe, even if you
illegal to do so without autopilot support. need to pass through rival territories; but those territories may
seek documentation to prove your intent.
TRAM SYSTEM
Most metropolises have some kind of tram system with trains INTERPLANETARY TRAVEL
soaring through vacuum tunnels and across tall bridges. While For interplanetary space flight, different propulsion systems are
the ground lanes are usually the most common way of trans- used with different associated costs and effectiveness. While
portation within a city, a vast metropolis that spans for dozens interplanetary ships tend to be equipped with engines capable
of kilometers are all but required to have a tram system to allow of reaching as high speeds as they’re willing to spend energy
for quick long-distance travel with some level of comfort. Some on, higher speeds bring with them a number of risks. At high
tram systems cross parts of the wasteland as well, connecting speeds, collisions become a real threat; even objects without
outposts and metropolises together. It is common for tram sys- much mass can cause devastating damage during a high speed
tems to travel at around 500 km/h within metropolitan areas collision. To accommodate this danger, the Terran Consolida-
while reaching up to 1,000 km/h when crossing more distant tion has declared a maximum interplanetary speed limit of 0.5%
routes with fewer stops, such as when passing the wasteland. the speed of light, or 54,000,000 km/h. However, even though
this is the accepted speed limit, most ships keep far below that—
WASTELAND TRAVEL mainly for the sake of energy consumption.
Because the wastelands are mostly inhospitable, many waste-
land areas lack travel regulations. A faction that has a lot of For simplicity’s sake, the easiest way to determine interplane-
flight transports between two metropolises across a wasteland tary travel times is to simply decide what travel time is appropri-

211
 CHAPTER 5: TECHNOLOGY

ate for the story. If the players need to get from Earth to Jupiter S-312 13 ly Kruger Krugerians
for a mission, you could determine that their ship has a high
energy consumption and it only takes a week; a mid-tier energy S-313 13.1 ly Tombstone Tombstoners
consumption and it takes a month; or a low energy consump- S-314 13.3 ly Monocero Monocerians
tion and it takes a year. This could be determined by the urgency S-315 14 ly Ophelia Ophelians
of the mission and how much the players are willing to spend.
S-315 14 ly Maanen Maanians
MIND TRANSFER S-315 14.1 ly Sculptor Sculptors
Humanity has long been able to digitalize a consciousness, and S-316 14.5 ly Arietis Arietians
it’s possible to transfer a mind through digital means. An indi- S-316 14.5 ly Howling Howlingers
vidual can, without the need for expensive ships or technolo-
gies, send a copy of their mind anywhere there is a receiver that
This list shows 35 of the nearest civilizations to Sol and when
can translate the data. However, even though mind transfers
their star systems were reached. Since then, hundreds of star
are relatively accessible solutions to long-distance travel, very
systems have been visited as far away as forty light years from
few see them as satisfying solutions. Because a mind transfer is
Sol. But after a time of devastating wars, the Sol system has no
technically a digital consciousness, it’s possible that the data is
more regular contact with these distant colonies. Some have
intercepted or copied. When sending your mind to space, you
chosen to end contact of their own, wanting to build their own
want to make sure that you end up where you want to go, and
civilizations. While many colonial ships still send reports once
that there aren’t a number of copies of you elsewhere as a result.
they reach a new star, most people have no idea how far human-
INTERSTELLAR TRAVEL ity has spread through the galaxy.
Several centuries have passed since the first colonial ships were
sent out into deep space. Humanity has reached and colonized a Interstellar travel requires much more patience than interplan-
large portion of the interstellar neighborhood since: etary travel. All colonial ships have hybrid engines containing
antimatter drives, rift drives, and light sails, so that they can
REACHED DISTANCE CIVILIZATION INHABITANTS cover alternative methods should they run out of fuel or suffer
malfunctions. These ships reach high speeds, but it still takes
S-243 4.2 ly Proxima Proximans
them many tears to reach a new star.
S-258 5.9 ly Barnard Barnians
S-263 6.5 ly Vela Velans Without the ability to travel faster than light, interstellar trav-
S-275 7.8 ly Leonis Leonisers el is done in two phases. An initial colonial fleet is set out to
explore the star system. These ships usually have generational
S-283 8.3 ly Lalande Lalandenes crews that spend all of the travel time working on the ship, hi-
S-285 8.7 ly Sirius Sirians bernating crews that contain various specialists that will only
S-286 8.7 ly Lilith Lilithans be awakened when needed, as well as DNA archives so that they
can clone new generations of people in their new colonies. These
S-296 9.7 ly Mordor Mordians
ships also drop off satellites at regular intervals along the jour-
S-300 10.3 ly Andor Andorians ney, establishing a galactic lane that can point lasers at light sails
S-301 10.4 ly Ran Ranians between the stars. Once a galactic lane is established, a ship can
S-301 10.7 ly Austrinus Austrians accelerate to tremendous speeds at unremarkable energy out-
put, and complete a decades’ journey in less than a year.
S-301 11 ly Virgonia Virgonians
S-302 11.1 ly Aquari Aquarians MATRIX GATE
S-302 11.4 ly Procyon Procyans A matrix gate is a godware technology that takes advantage of
S-303 11.4 ly Cygnia Cygnians the Nanite Matrix to create a passageway between two connect-
ed gates. As long as there is a gate on the receiving end, instan-
S-303 11.4 ly Draconia Draconians taneous travel is possible regardless of distance. However, while
S-304 11.6 ly Groombridge Groombridgers this can be an effective way of sending an individual to a distant
S-304 11.6 ly Cancridia Cancridians place, it isn’t used for larger transports. The longer a gate is ac-
tive, the more unstable the surrounding nitespace becomes.
S-305 11.8 ly Freiya Freiyans
S-306 11.9 ly Tau Tauans Both the solar society and the interstellar neighborhood used to
S-306 11.9 ly Ligier Ligians have established portals for ease of travel, but most of them have
S-308 12.1 ly Cetia Cetians since long been shut down. Many were destroyed during the
Cooperative Wars, and several distant star colonies shut them
S-309 12.3 ly Luytenia Luytenians
down on their end to avoid the Sol system’s wars from reaching
S-310 12.4 ly Teegarden Teegardians them. There are a few portals remaining in the solar system that
S-311 12.8 ly Pictoria Pictorians are still actively used, and those are all in the possession of dif-
S-311 12.9 ly Micron Microns ferent factions or other influential parties. There should be more
matrix gates out there and unaccounted for, though, both in the
S-312 13 ly Raven Ravians vastness of space and the ruined wastelands on Earth.

212
COMMON TRANSPORTATION SERVICES this usually involves either shuttle launches or travel through
Here folllows a list of common transportation services: an equatorial tower. The travel time can take anything from
minutes to hours depending on your method of travel.
[0] Basic metropolitan travel: Includes access to bikes, cars, [4] Basic interplanetary travel: Lets you move from one
and trams throughout a metropolis. A single trip can take planetary body to another within the solar system. This is
anything from minutes to hours depending on how far the cheapest form of public interplanetary transportation
within the metropolis you need to go. and usually takes several weeks to several months, depend-
[1] Fast metropolitan travel: Gives access to a metropolis’ ing on how far you’re traveling.
hover lanes which drastically cut down on travel times. A [5] Fast interplanetary travel: Lets you move from one
trip that would have taken an hour now takes ten minutes. planetary body to another within days to weeks rather than
[1] Basic sectorial travel: Gives access to the roads and weeks to months.
trams that connect various metropolises with each other, [6] Instant interplanetary travel: Gives access to a matrix
opening transportation up to journeys beyond the city. A gate capable of taking you from one part of the solar sys-
trip can take anything from minutes to hours depending on tem to another. These journeys are rare and not without risk
how far away you travel. This transportation service can also because they can cause distortions in nitespace and lead to
give access to nautical travel via surface-bound boats. This rifts. They can only be open for brief windows of time, usu-
can extend travel times to days if traveling over an ocean. ally enough to have a person go through.
[2] Fast sectorial travel: Gives access to airborne and sub- [6] Basic interstellar travel: Lets you move from one star
nautical transportation, allowing you to explore the sky and system to another without a galactic lane. This is the most
the sea on your planetary body. This usually cuts down trav- commercially viable form of interstellar travel, with jour-
el times to minutes or at most a few hours depending on neys normally approaching 10% of light speed. This means
how far you go. that the journey can take decades depending on distance.
[3] Instant sectorial travel: Lets you access a matrixs gate [7] Fast interstellar travel: Lets you move from one star
for instantaneous travel from one metropolis to another. system to another along a galactic lane. These ships are ca-
While this type of transportation is available in every me- pable of reaching as high as 50% of light speed, meaning
tropolis, it’s generally reserved for high-class individuals that interstellar travel is doable within human lifetimes.
and not available to the general public. A metropolis usually [8] Instant interstellar travel: Gives access to a matrix gate
only has a handful of these portals at most, which is why capable of taking you from one star system to another. These
they aren’t used for travel within the metropolis itself (that journeys are even more rare and risky than those used with-
is considered a waste and prolongs the waiting lines for sec- in the solar system, and the Terran Consolidation is trying
torial travel). to restrict this form of interstellar travel with the argument
[3] Orbital travel: Lets you travel from a planetary body to that unofficial travel and trade between interstellar civiliza-
its orbit, including settled moons in its system. On Earth, tions can pose a risk to the solar system’s security.

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 CHAPTER 5: TECHNOLOGY

VEHICLE TRAITS If you want your vehicle to have more than a single form of nav-
igation, any additional ones must be acquired as +1 Cost prop-
VEHICLE SIZE erties. Also keep in mind that certain environments may require
A vehicle may come in a multitude of different sizes, each offer- the vehicle to be Encased, such as in space or under water.
ing different baseline traits and varying Costs. The sizes are tiny,
small, medium, large, huge, and colossal. ENCASED VEHICLES
The Encased Aspect (p. XX) functions similarly to vehicles as it
[–2] A tiny vehicle is no larger than what you can hold in your does to armor. It protects the user from external threats, such
hands, like ice skates or a hoverboard. It has Stress 2, a Mild as environmental hazards (p. XX). It also protects from aimed
Consequence slot, and Natural Soak 0. It can hold a single pas- attacks (p. XX). The difference is that the vehicle only shields
senger (the pilot) and no additional cargo. those within from what is outside. They may be insulated from
[–1] A small vehicle is no larger than half of a person’s own a toxic gas that is outside the vehicle, but this protection doesn’t
size, like a bicycle or a jetpack. It has Stress 3, a Mild and Mod- extend to a gas that is released inside the vehicle. Use common
erate Consequence slot, and Natural Soak 1. It can hold a single sense and Narrator discretion to depict its limitations.
passenger (the pilot) and up to 20 kilos of cargo.
SPEED
[±0] A medium vehicle is about the size of an adult, like a Exactly how fast a vehicle can travel is abstract and up to Nar-
motorbike or a jetski. It has Stress 4, a Mild, Moderate, and rator interpretation, but the Speed value can give an approxi-
Severe Consequence slot, and Natural Soak 2. It can hold two mation. This rating presents a suggested speed that is equal to
passengers (including the pilot) and up to 100 kilos of cargo. the movement speed suggested by an equivalent Athletics Scale.
[+1] A large vehicle is about twice the size of a medium ve-
hicle, like a car or a speed boat. It has Stress 5, two Mild, one Consider the following:
Moderate, and one Severe Consequence slot, and Natural Soak
3. It can hold four passengers (including the pilot) and up to Speed 1: 0-25 km/h.
500 kilos of cargo. Speed 2: 25-50 km/h.
[+2] A huge vehicle is about twice the size of a large vehicle, Speed 3: 50-100 km/h.
like a truck or a fishing boat. It has Stress 6, two Mild, two
Speed 4: 100-500 km/h.
Moderate, and one Severe Consequence slot, and Natural Soak
4. It can hold ten passengers (including the pilot) and up to 2.5 Speed 5: 500-1,000 km/h.
tons of cargo. Speed 6: 1,000-10,000 km/h.
[+3] A colossal vehicle can be any conceivable size beyond Speed 7: 10,000-50,000 km/h.
what is considered huge, such as the size of a buss or a sub- Speed 8: 50,000-500,000 km/h.
marine. It has Stress 7, two Mild, Moderate, and Severe Con-
sequence slots, and Natural Soak 5. It can hold any amount of
passengers or cargo that makes sense, at Narrator discretion. Even if your own personal movement speed is faster, using a
vehicle makes you reliant upon its capabilities. For example, if
you have Athletics Scale 3, you can run up to 100 km/h. If your
Keep in mind that each size is also represented as an Aspect that vehicle has Speed 2, it can accelerate to up to about 50 km/h.
can be invoked or compelled. The Narrator determines how that As long as you keep using the vehicle, you must use the Speed
expresses itself narratively and mechanically, but keep in mind value in place of your own Scale in a chase. This is also true for
things such as that it should be more difficult to navigate a larger your Piloting Scale, since your mastery over your vehicle will
vehicle in a smaller space, and that it should be more dangerous not necessarily increase its speed beyond its capabilities.
to collide a smaller vehicle into a larger one.

When determining your vehicle’s size, also remember that the Rainmaker has interrupted a Pyramid deal, hoping to ac-
sizes are abstracted. For example, a fighter jet can be of huge size quire samples of their new drug. After a brief confrontation,
but be designed to hold no more passengers or cargo than what is Olivia narrates how the dealer takes off on a motorbike.
appropriate for a medium vehicle. In that case, you could acquire
it as a medium vehicle for those lower traits, or still choose to get “I chase after the motorbike,” Elise says.
it as a huge vehicle but simply reduce the passengers and cargo to
what makes sense. Alternatively, acquire the Cargo property (p. Olivia nods. “It has Speed 4, meaning that it can get as fast
XX) for flaws or benefits related to this. as 500 km/h. Roll your Athletics against the dealer’s Pilot-
ing.” Olivia rolls for the dealer, getting an Average (+1) Scale
FORMS OF NAVIGATION
4 after taking Speed into account.
Each vehicle possesses at least one form of navigation, such as
being able to travel on land on wheels or legs, cross the surface “Shouldn’t be any problems then,” Elise says, rolling her
of the water or even break the surface and travel submerged, Athletics, which is Good (+3) Scale 4. She gets a total Su-
burrow through earth and rock, hover in place or at fixed dis- perb (+5) Scale 4.” Succeeding with style, she describes how
tances, fly freely through the air, or even break through an at- Rainmaker easily chases down the motorbike.
mosphere or soar through the vacuum of space.

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If depicting space travel, it is conceivable to reach speeds far VEHICLE ZONES
greater than what is suggested at Speed 8. Some of the interstellar When engaged in a physical conflict while using a vehicle, the
ships traveling along galactic highways can reach up to 50% of Narrator can establish both spatial and relational zones depend-
light speed, which is more than 500,000,000 km/h—a thousand ing on what makes sense. For example, the interior of a larger
times more than Speed 8. That is an example where the narrative vehicle could encompass a single zone. The distance between
must take precedence over game mechanics. Consider things like one such vehicle and an enemy’s own could also encompass a
the vacuum of space, gravity, and alternative energy sources as zone. Finally, the interior of the enemy’s vehicle could encom-
advantages to help justify greater speeds for space travel, while pass a third zone.
the numbers represented by Speed 8 is what a vehicle can accel-
erate to effortlessly and unaided by other factors. VEHICLE DAMAGE
Vehicles are physical assets that have their own Stress tracks and
VEHICLE COMBAT Physical Consequence slots. Unless the vehicle is Encased, the
When using your vehicle to attack or defend, such as driving attacker chooses if they want to target the vehicle or any of its
over a foe or swirving out of the way of an attack, consider its size passengers within line of sight. Should it be Encased, the vehicle
and Speed and compare it to your own Piloting Scale. Speed sub- is automatically targeted. However, if it suffers a Physical Con-
stitutes Piloting Scale and size modifies it: tiny (–2), small (–1), sequence that would affect the Encased Aspect, such as having
medium (±0), large (+1), huge (+2), and colossal (+3). a door or window destroyed, the Narrator might allow targeted
attacks as a result of that Consequence.
For example, a small vehicle with Speed 3 is equivalent to Scale 2
while a large vehicle with Speed 3 is equivalent to Scale 4. If these You may use your Piloting Skill to repair a vehicle or treat a
ratings are higher than your Piloting Scale, use them instead wounded mount, but the Engineering Skill is generally better
for attacking and defending with the vehicle. If lower, use your suited for repairing vehicles and the Treatment Skill is general-
standard Piloting Scale. No combination of traits can increase ly more suited for treating wounded mounts. The Piloting Skill
Scale above 8. suffices due to how well you know your mode of transport, but
the other Skills offer more options in the form of Scale benefits
When a vehicle that is in active use is targeted by an attack, the and Skill Features for those particular actions.
pilot may use their Piloting Skill to defend against the attack,
using the modifiers above. However, should a passenger be di-
rectly targeted while the vehicle is in use, the defense is resolved “Damn!” Elise curses. “I’m going to draw my wrench and
as a teamwork action (p. XX) between the pilot and the defend- try to disable the motorbike itself.”
ing character, using the highest traits between the pilot’s Pilot-
ing Skill and the passenger’s defensive trait. Olivia nods. “So you’re attacking the bike? Make another
attack roll.”
You may also utilize teamwork actions in situations when a ve-
hicle can act independently, such as if it’s a living mount or has Elise rolls, this time getting a Fantastic (+6) Scale 4 against
an autopilot system. The vehicle can then be treated as its own the driver’s Fair (+2) Scale 4. “I succeed with four shifts. My
character in a conflict, use its own traits to defend, and provide weapon has Blunt Harm 4 against inanimate objects, mak-
or benefit from teamwork bonuses if cooperating with its pilot. ing it an eight-shift attack.”

Olivia thinks for a moment. “The bike’s Soak negates two

Having chased down the motorbike, Elise declares that shifts,” she says. “It’s going to take the remaining six as a
Rainmaker will try to grab the driver and pull him off it. Moderate Physical Consequence.”

“Because you can match his speed, this is like a combined “What about Destroyed Steering Wheel?” Elise suggests,
vehicle fight and normal fight. I’m going to rule that you smirking. “He probably shouldn’t drive that fast if he can’t
can attack him as a vehicle attack using your Close Combat maneuver it properly, right?”
Rank at Scale 4 due to your speed in place of using a vehicle.
He will defend using Piloting at Scale 4.” “Sounds good. You manage to land a hard hit on the bike’s
steering wheel, jamming it. The driver notices that he can-
Elise rolls Good (+3) Scale 4 and Olivia rolls Great (+4) not steer the bike anymore and will use his action to slow
Scale 4. It’s a miss. down before he crashes.

“As you reach out to grab him, he swirls away from you, “As he does so, I’m going to try to grab him again, but this
gaining some distance. You could feel his collar with the tips time invoking that Consequence if I fail.” Elise gets ready to
of your fingers before he turned away.” roll her dice again.

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 CHAPTER 5: TECHNOLOGY

SELECTING VEHICLE
When selecting a vehicle for your character, start by
choosing a vehicle base (see below) that is appropriate for
the size and Cost you have in mind. Keep in mind that,
unless otherwise specified, an asset’s Cost can never ex-
ceed 8. If you want a mount and not a vehicle, use the
rules for companions (p. XX) instead, but remember to
add the Mount property (p. XX).

If you want to further customize your vehicle, select any

number of properties appropriate for the Cost you are
willing to spend. The list on page XX covers most of the
asset properties that could work well for companions, but
you may consider any property from the asset property
list on page XX. Alternatively, use them as a basis for de-
signing your own properties, at Narrator discretion.

Consult the invention rules on page XX for more infor-

mation about designing properties.

If you are looking for more concrete examples of how dif-

ferent vehicles could be represented in game, see the tem-
plates on page XX. These are examples of how different
properties can be translated into actual examples.

You may combine templates for more creative and com-

plex vehicles, but keep note of the listed properties to
make sure you get the final Cost right. Many properties
can be further modified by adding or reducing Cost.

STANDARD VEHICLE BASES

COST SIZE STRESS CONSEQUENCES SOAK PASSENGERS CARGO NOTES
–2 Tiny 2 1x Mild 0 1 (Pilot) — —
–1 Small 3 1x Mild; 1x Moderate 1 1 (Pilot) 20 kilos —
0 Medium 4 1x Mild; 1x Moderate; 1x Severe 2 2 (Pilot + 1) 100 kilos —
1 Encased Medium 4 1x Mild; 1x Moderate; 1x Severe 2 2 (Pilot + 1) 100 kilos Encased.
1 Large 5 2x Mild; 1x Moderate; 1x Severe 3 4 (Pilot + 3) 500 kilos —
2 Encased Large 5 2x Mild; 1x Moderate; 1x Severe 3 4 (Pilot + 3) 500 kilos Encased.
2 Huge 6 2x Mild; 2x Moderate; 1x Severe 4 10 (Pilot + 9) 2.5 tons —
3 Encased Huge 6 2x Mild; 2x Moderate; 1x Severe 4 10 (Pilot + 9) 2.5 tons Encased.
3 Colossal 7 2x Mild; 2x Moderate; 2x Severe 5 Any Any —
4 Encased Colossal 7 2x Mild; 2x Moderate; 2x Severe 5 Any Any Encased.

COMMON VEHICLE PROPERTIES

COST PROPERTY DETAILS PAGE
Varies Asset Stress and Consequences The vehicle gains more or fewer Stress boxes or Consequence slots. XX
–10 to –1 Skill Requirement The vehicle requires a specific Skill to operate. XX
–7 to –1 Heavy The vehicle is heavy and ungainly. XX
–2 or –1 Mobility Penalty The vehicle is difficult to maneuver. XX
–2 or –1 Vulnerability The vehicle is vulnerable to a specific harm type. XX

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–2 to ±0 Resource Reliance The vehicle has features that rely on a specific resource. XX
–2 to +9 Electronic The vehicle is Electronic and gains Security and Power ratings. XX
–1 Blacklisted The vehicle is illegal or controversial in some form. XX
–1 Flaw The vehicle has a flaw or troubling Aspect. XX
–1 or +1 Cargo The vehicle can contain more or less than appropriate for its size. XX
±0 or +1 Alternative Skill The vehicle can be operated using a different Skill than normal. XX
±0 to +4 Speed The vehicle has improved speed. XX
±0 to +5 Interface The vehicle can be used as a smart device and gains Wireless Range. XX
±0 to +6 Retractable The vehicle can be retracted into a smaller size. XX
+1 Air Filter An encasing vehicle is insulated from airborne hazards. XX
+1 Bonus The vehicle has a bonus or beneficial Aspect. XX
+1 Enable Action The vehicle enables a new type of action or ability. XX
+1 Encasing The vehicle has the Encased Aspect. XX
+1 Navigation The vehicle is capable of alternative forms of navigation. XX
+1 Prestige The vehicle stands out as being rare or exceptional in some form. XX
+1 Psionic Shielding An encasing vehicle protects those within from Psionic Coding. XX
+1 Special Action The vehicle is capable of a powerful special action. XX
+1 Stealth The vehicle can be invisible to certain sensory types. XX
+1 Subnautical The vehicle is insulated from water and can navigate underwater. XX
+1 Visor The vehicle has windows that protects the eyes. XX
+1 or +2 Impact Dampener An encasing vehicle can better withstand collisions. XX
+1 or +2 Resilience The vehicle is resilient towards a specific harm type. XX
+1 or +2 Self-Maintenance The vehicle cleans and mends itself. XX
+2 Insulation An encasing vehicle insulates from a specific form of hazard. XX

VEHICLE TEMPLATES
COST TEMPLATE REQUIRED VEHICLE BASE PAGE
±0 Traditional Boat Any medium, large, huge, or colossal vehicle type. XX
±0 Wheelchair Any small or medium vehicle type. XX
±0 or +1 Hoverboard Any tiny or small vehicle type. XX
±0 or +1 Landboard Any tiny or small vehicle type. XX
±0 or +1 Spiderchair Any small or medium vehicle type. XX
±0 to +2 Hoverchair Any tiny, small, or medium vehicle type. XX
+1 Bike Any small or medium vehicle type. XX
+1 or +2 Boat Any medium, large, huge, or colossal vehicle type. XX
+1 or +2 Car Any medium, large, huge, or colossal vehicle type. XX
+1 or +2 Hoverbike Any small or medium vehicle type. XX
+1 or +2 Hovercar Any medium, large, huge, or colossal vehicle type. XX
+1 or +2 Motorbike Any small or medium vehicle type. XX
+1 or +2 Skyboard Any tiny or small vehicle type. XX
+1 or +2 Waterbike Any small or medium vehicle type. XX
+1 to +4 Jetpack Any tiny or small vehicle type. XX
+2 to +4 Airplane Any medium, large, huge, or colossal vehicle type. XX
+2 to +4 Skybike Any small or medium vehicle type. XX
+2 to +4 Skycar Any medium, large, huge, or colossal vehicle type. XX
+4 Space Shuttle Any encasing large, huge, or colossal vehicle type. XX

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 CHAPTER 5: TECHNOLOGY

[±0] TRADITIONAL BOAT

Effects: The landboard is operated using Acrobatics instead of
A traditional boat uses sail, winds, and rows to navigate across Piloting.
the surface of water. It cannot withstand being submerged.
Properties: [±0] Alternative Skill (p. XX); [±0] Navigation (p.
Base: Any medium, large, huge, or colossal vehicle type. XX); [±0 or +1] Speed (p. XX).
Aspects: Traditional Boat.
[±0 OR +1] SPIDERCHAIR
Requirements: Piloting at Average (+1) Scale 1.
A spiderchair is an electronic chair equipped with four or more
Navigation: Nautical; Speed: Special. mechanical legs. It is a common disability aid that can be used
Effects: The sailing boat has no Speed value of its own. Instead, on walking lanes.
its Speed is equivalent to the Scale value of an active wind haz-
ard. If there are no winds at all, the boat can be rowed at Speed Base: Any small or medium vehicle type.
1 using Athletics. Keep in mind that a larger vessel may need Aspects: Spiderchair; Electronic.
multiple people rowing. Navigation: Land; Speed: 1 (±0 Cost) or 2 (+1 Cost).
Properties: [–1] Flaw (p. XX); [–1] Skill Requirement (p. XX); Security: Average (+1) Scale 1; Power: 6.
[±0] Navigation (p. XX); [+1] Enable Action (p. XX).
Effects: The spiderchair is operated using Willpower instead
of Piloting.
[±0] WHEELCHAIR
A wheelchair is a wheeled chair commonly used as a disability Properties: [±0] Alternative Skill (p. XX); [±0] Electronic (p.
aid. It can be used on walking lanes, but have a hard time han- XX); [±0] Navigation (p. XX); [±0 or +1] Speed (p. XX).
dling stairs or rough terrain.
[±0 TO +2] HOVERCHAIR
Base: Any small or medium vehicle type. A hoverchair is an electronic chair capable of hovering a few me-
Aspects: Wheelchair. ters above ground. It is a common disability aid that can be used
Navigation: Land; Speed: 1. on walking lanes and some branch lanes.
Effects: The wheelchair is operated using Athletics instead of Base: Any tiny, small, or medium vehicle type.
Piloting.
Aspects: Hoverchair; Electronic.
Properties: [±0] Alternative Skill (p. XX); [±0] Navigation (p.
XX); [±0] Speed (p. XX). Navigation: Hover; Speed: 1 (±0 Cost), 2 (+1 Cost), or 3 with
one free invocation per minor milestone (+2 Cost).
Security: Average (+1) Scale 1; Power: 6.
[±0 OR +1] HOVERBOARD
A hoverboard is an electronic vehicle fastened onto the pilot’s Effects: The hoverchair is operated using Willpower instead of
feet. It can hover in place or be used to navigate a few meters Piloting.
above the ground using body movement. Hoverboards are legal Properties: [±0] Alternative Skill (p. XX); [±0] Electronic (p.
to use on walking lanes and branch lanes, but not ground lanes. XX); [±0] Navigation (p. XX); [±0 to +2] Speed (p. XX).

Base: Any tiny or small vehicle type.

[+1] BIKE
Aspects: Hoverboard; Electronic. A bike is a wheeled vehicle with high maneuverability using body
Requirements: Acrobatics at Average (+1) Scale 1. strength. It can be used on walking lanes and some branch lanes.
Navigation: Hover; Speed: 2 (±0 Cost) or 3 with one free invo-
cation per minor milestone (+1 Cost). Base: Any small or medium vehicle type.

Security: Average (+1) Scale 1; Power: 6. Aspects: Bike.

Effects: The hoverboard is operated using Acrobatics instead Navigation: Land; Speed: 2.
of Piloting. Effects: The bike is operated using Athletics instead of Piloting.
Properties: [–1] Skill Requirement (p. XX); [±0] Alternative Properties: [±0] Alternative Skill (p. XX); [±0] Navigation (p.
Skill (p. XX); [±0] Electronic (p. XX); [±0] Navigation (p. XX); XX); [+1] Speed (p. XX).
[+1 or +2] Speed (p. XX).
[+1 OR +2] BOAT
[±0 OR +1] LANDBOARD A boat is an electronic vehicle that is used to navigate the sur-
A landboard is a land-based vehicle navigated using the pilot’s face of water. If encasing, it can also navigate while submerged.
feet and body movement. It can be used on walking lanes and Depending on the vehicle base used, this can represent anything
some branch lanes. from a simple fishing boat to a submarine or aircraft carrier.

Base: Any tiny or small vehicle type. Base: Any medium, large, huge, or colossal vehicle type.
Aspects: Landboard. Aspects: Boat; Electronic; Interface.
Navigation: Land; Speed: 1 (±0 Cost) or 2 (+1 Cost). Requirements: Piloting at Average (+1) Scale 1.

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 Navigation: Nautical; Speed: 2 (+1 Cost), 3 with one free invo- Requirements: Piloting at Average (+1) Scale 1.
cation per minor milestone (+2 Cost), or 4 (+2 Cost). Navigation: Hover; Speed: 2 (+1 Cost), 3 with one free invoca-
Wireless Range: 0; Security: Average (+1) Scale 1; Power: 6. tion per minor milestone (+2 Cost), or 4 (+2 Cost).
Effects: The boat can be used as a smart device. It is commonly Wireless Range: 0; Security: Average (+1) Scale 1; Power: 6.
equipped with autopilot software (p. XX). If encasing, it can be Effects: The hovercar can be used as a smart device. It is com-
used as a submarine. monly equipped with autopilot software (p. XX).
Properties: [–1] Skill Requirement (p. XX); [±0] Electronic (p. Properties: [–1] Skill Requirement (p. XX); [±0] Electronic (p.
XX); [±0] Navigation (p. XX); [+1] Interface (p. XX); [+1 or XX); [±0] Navigation (p. XX); [+1] Interface (p. XX); [+1 or
+2] Speed (p. XX). +2] Speed (p. XX).

[+1 OR +2] CAR [+1 OR +2] MOTORBIKE

A car is an electronic vehicle that comes in all shapes and sizes. A motorbike is a personal vehicle capable of taking a pilot and a
Most personal cars are fairly compact, while larger ones can be passenger. It can be used on branch- and ground lanes, but their
represented as vans, trucks, or busses. They’re commonly used streamlined shapes give them the mobility and manueverability
on metropolitan branch and ground lanes, but are also effective to be effective even in wasteland ruins and other terrains.
and secure vehicles for wasteland travel.
Base: Any small or medium vehicle type.
Base: Any medium, large, huge, or colossal vehicle type.
Aspects: Motorbike; Electronic; Interface.
Aspects: Car; Electronic; Interface.
Requirements: Piloting at Average (+1) Scale 1.
Requirements: Piloting at Average (+1) Scale 1.
Navigation: Land; Speed: 2 (+1 Cost), 3 with one free invoca-
Navigation: Land; Speed: 2 (+1 Cost), 3 with one free invoca- tion per minor milestone (+2 Cost), or 4 (+2 Cost).
tion per minor milestone (+2 Cost), or 4 (+2 Cost).
Wireless Range: 0; Security: Average (+1) Scale 1; Power: 6.
Wireless Range: 0; Security: Average (+1) Scale 1; Power: 6.
Effects: The motorbike can be used as a smart device. It is com-
Effects: The car can be used as a smart device. It is commonly monly equipped with autopilot software (p. XX).
equipped with autopilot software (p. XX).
Properties: [–1] Skill Requirement (p. XX); [±0] Electronic (p.
Properties: [–1] Skill Requirement (p. XX); [±0] Electronic (p. XX); [±0] Navigation (p. XX); [+1] Interface (p. XX); [+1 or
XX); [±0] Navigation (p. XX); [+1] Interface (p. XX); [+1 or +2] Speed (p. XX).
+2] Speed (p. XX).
[+1 OR +2] SKYBOARD
[+1 OR +2] HOVERBIKE A skyboard is an electronic vehicle fastened onto the pilot’s feet.
A hoverbike is a variation of a motorbike that is capable of hov- It can both hover in place like a hoverboard and be used to navi-
ering up to a few meters above ground. It can be used on branch gate through the air. Skyboards follow the same legal restrictions
lanes and ground lanes. Unlike the standard motorbike, its hov- as hoverboards. While they can technically be brought into hover
ering nature makes it more effective as a terrain vehicle. lanes, it is illegal to do so without special clearance, such as when
used by law enforcement or rescue operators.
Base: Any small or medium vehicle type.
Aspects: Hoverbike; Electronic; Interface. Base: Any tiny or small vehicle type.
Requirements: Piloting at Average (+1) Scale 1. Aspects: Skyboard; Electronic.
Navigation: Hover; Speed: 2 (+1 Cost), 3 with one free invoca- Requirements: Acrobatics at Average (+1) Scale 1.
tion per minor milestone (+2 Cost), or 4 (+2 Cost). Navigation: Hover and Aerial; Speed: 2 (+2 Cost), 3 with one
Wireless Range: 0; Security: Average (+1) Scale 1; Power: 6. free invocation per minor milestone (+3 Cost), or 4 (+3 Cost).
Effects: The hoverbike can be used as a smart device. It is com- Security: Average (+1) Scale 1; Power: 6.
monly equipped with autopilot software (p. XX). Effects: The skyboard is operated using Acrobatics instead of
Properties: [–1] Skill Requirement (p. XX); [±0] Navigation Piloting.
(p. XX); [±0] Electronic (p. XX); [+1] Interface (p. XX); [+1 or Properties: [–1] Skill Requirement (p. XX); [±0] Alternative
+2] Speed (p. XX). Skill (p. XX); [±0] Electronic (p. XX); [+1] Navigation (p. XX);
[+1 or +2] Speed (p. XX).
[+1 OR +2] HOVERCAR
A hovercar is a variation of a car that is capable of hovering up to [+1 OR +2] WATERBIKE
a few meters above ground. It can be used on branch lanes and A waterbike is a personal vehicle capable of taking a pilot and a
ground lanes. Unlike the standard car, its hovering nature makes passenger. It can be used on the surface of water, or even under-
it more effective as a terrain vehicle. neath the surface if encasing.

Base: Any medium, large, huge, or colossal vehicle type. Base: Any small or medium vehicle type.
Aspects: Hovercar; Electronic; Interface. Aspects: Waterbike; Electronic; Interface.

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 CHAPTER 5: TECHNOLOGY

Requirements: Piloting at Average (+1) Scale 1. lanes and hover lanes.

Navigation: Nautical; Speed: 2 (+1 Cost), 3 with one free invo- Base: Any small or medium vehicle type.
cation per minor milestone (+2 Cost), or 4 (+2 Cost).
Aspects: Skybike; Electronic; Interface.
Wireless Range: 0; Security: Average (+1) Scale 1; Power: 6.
Requirements: Piloting at Average (+1) Scale 1.
Effects: The waterbike can be used as a smart device. It is com-
monly equipped with autopilot software (p. XX). If Encased, it Navigation: Hover and Aerial; Speed: 2 (+2 Cost), 3 with one
can navigate underwater as well. free invocation per minor milestone (+3 Cost), 4 (+3 Cost), or
5 with one free invocation per minor milestone (+4 Cost).
Properties: [–1] Skill Requirement (p. XX); [±0] Electronic (p.
XX); [±0] Navigation (p. XX); [+1] Interface (p. XX); [+1 or Wireless Range: 0; Security: Average (+1) Scale 1; Power: 6.
+2] Speed (p. XX). Effects: The skybike can be used as a smart device. It is com-
monly equipped with autopilot software (p. XX).
[+1 TO +4] JETPACK Properties: [–1] Skill Requirement (p. XX); [±0] Electronic (p.
A jetpack is backpack with following support structure that en- XX); [+1] Interface (p. XX); [+1] Navigation (p. XX); [+1 to
ables aerial movement. It can also be acquired as an armor at- +3] Speed (p. XX).
tachment.
[+2 TO +4] SKYCAR
Base: Any tiny or small vehicle type. A skycar is a variation of a car that is capable of both hovering
Aspects: Jetpack; Electronic; Wearable. and aerial movement. These are legal to use in both ground lanes
Requirements: Acrobatics at Average (+1) Scale 1. and hover lanes. This can easily be reflavored into a helicopter or
another form of aerial vehicle.
Navigation: Hover and Aerial; Speed: 2 (+1 Cost), 3 with one
free invocation per minor milestone (+2 Cost), 4 (+2 Cost), or Base: Any medium, large, huge, or colossal vehicle type.
5 with one free invocation (+3 Cost).
Aspects: Hovercar; Electronic; Interface.
Security: Average (+1) Scale 1; Power: 6.
Requirements: Piloting at Average (+1) Scale 1.
Effects: The jetpack is operated using Acrobatics instead of Pi-
loting. Add another +1 Cost to use as armor attachment. Navigation: Hover and Aerial; Speed: 2 (+2 Cost), 3 with one
free invocation per minor milestone (+3 Cost), 4 (+3 Cost), 5
Properties: [–1] Skill Requirement (p. XX); [±0] Alternative with one free invocation per minor milestone (+4 Cost), or 6
Skill (p. XX); [±0] Electronic (p. XX); [+1] Navigation (p. XX); (+4 Cost).
[+1 to +3] Speed (p. XX). Add [+1] Attachment (p. XX) to use
with encasing armor. Wireless Range: 0; Security: Average (+1) Scale 1; Power: 6.
Effects: The skycar can be used as a smart device. It is com-
monly equipped with autopilot software (p. XX).
[+2 TO +4] AIRPLANE
An airplane lacks the stability and maneuveribility of hover vehi- Properties: [–1] Skill Requirement (p. XX); [±0] Electronic (p.
cles but is able to soar through the sky at fast speed. They cannot XX); [+1] Interface (p. XX); [+1] Navigation (p. XX); [+1 to
be used within hover lanes and are instead more common for +3] Speed (p. XX).
flight at longer or higher altitudes.
[+4] SPACE SHUTTLE
Base: Any medium, large, huge, or colossal vehicle type. A space shuttle is capable of navigating both air and space. They
Aspects: Airplane; Electronic; Interface. come in different shapes and sizes, but are generally more aer-
Requirements: Piloting at Average (+1) Scale 1. odynamic in form to be able to break through the atmosphere
more easily.
Navigation: Aerial; Speed: 4 (+2 Cost), 5 with one free invoca-
tion per minor milestone (+3 Cost), 6 (+3 Cost), or 7 with one Base: Any encasing large, huge, or colossal vehicle type.
free invocation (+4 Cost).
Aspects: Space Shuttle; Electronic; Interface.
Wireless Range: 0; Security: Average (+1) Scale 1; Power: 6.
Requirements: Piloting at Good (+3) Scale 1.
Effects: The airplane can be used as a smart device. It is com-
monly equipped with autopilot software (p. XX). Navigation: Aerial and Space; Speed: 7 with one free invoca-
tion or 8.
Properties: [–1] Skill Requirement (p. XX); [±0] Electronic (p.
XX); [±0] Navigation (p. XX); [+1] Interface (p. XX); [+2 to Wireless Range: 0; Security: Average (+1) Scale 1; Power: 6.
+4] Speed (p. XX). Effects: The space shuttle can be used as a smart device. It is
commonly equipped with autopilot software (p. XX).
[+2 TO +4] SKYBIKE Properties: [–2] Skill Requirement (p. XX); [±0] Electronic
A skybike is a variation of a hoverbike that is capable of hovering (p. XX); [+1] Navigation (p. XX); [+1] Interface (p. XX); [+4]
and flying at any altitude. These are legal to use in both ground Speed (p. XX).

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DIGITAL VEHICLE PROGRAMS Effects: When the vehicle is taken out of the conflict, you’re
safely ejected from it. If this happens in the air, you’ll move
[0 TO 9] AUTOPILOT SOFTWARE safely to the ground below. You can make a Power roll to pre-
An autopilot software is mandatory for any vehicle intended to maturely eject.
be used in a ground or hover lane. This is a digital program that
Properties: [+1] Attachment (p. XX); [+1] Special Action (p.
enables the vehicle to drive itself when the pilot isn’t able or al-
XX).
lowed to do so.

[2] TURBO BOOST

Aspects: Autopilot Software; Digital.
A turbo boost is a vehicle accessory that can abruptly accelerate
Effects: The vehicle is able to operate itself as if it had a Piloting at the cost of energy.
Skill of Average (+1) Scale 1 at ±0 Cost, Good (+3) Scale 1 at +1
Cost, or Superb (+5) Scale 1 at +2 Cost. Alternatively, add +1 Base: Any electronic vehicle type.
Scale for each +1 Cost, to maximum Scale 8.
Aspects: Turbo Boost.
This is an obligatory upgrade for metropolitan-, aerial-, and Effects: Make a Power roll to either increase Speed by one or
space travel, but also enables certain risk since hackers can take give yourself a free invocation for the purpose of a single ve-
advantage of the autopilot system. Any vehicle with this soft- hicle action.
ware installed can be used by characters who don’t meet the Properties: [+1] Attachment (p. XX); [+1] Special Action (p.
normal Skill requirements (if the vehicle has any), assuming XX).
that the autopilot software meets those requirements.
Properties: [±0 to +9] Potency (p. XX). [2 OR 3] IMPACT DAMPENER
An impact dampener can be added to redistribute force across a
vehicle, making it less dangerous to suffer falls or other impacts.
VEHICLE ATTACHMENTS
Base: Any encasing vehicle type.
[2] EJECTION SEAT Aspects: Impact Dampener.
An ejection seat lets you safely be removed from a vehicle that Effects: Reducing the Scale of impact harm by two (Cost 2)
would otherwise be taken out. or four (Cost 3). Should this adjustment reduce the impact to
Scale 0, it may be disregarded completely.
Base: Any medium or larger electronic vehicle type. Properties: [+1] Attachment (p. XX); [+1 or +2] Impact
Aspects: Ejection Seat. Dampener (p. XX).

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 CHAPTER 5: TECHNOLOGY

GODWARE
While technology has advanced far, there exists a kind beyond or 2; Cost 2 at Energy 3 or 4; Cost 3 at Energy 5 or 6; and
human comprehension—magic to mortal men. Godware taps Cost 4 at Energy 7 or 8. The additional properties don’t add
into the universe’s laws, breaks them, dominates them, and to asset Cost for the purpose of repair and invention (p. XX).
forces them to create miracles. These new properties emerge from the godware and are often
associated with your motivations or characteristics. Should
Whenever an individual is in possession of a godware technolo-
someone else activate the same item, they could get access to
gy, it begins to resonate with the nanites within their cells. The
different properties.
more it is being used, the more it feels like a natural extension of
its user. After having actively used such a technology for at least
For example, an Energy 1 character dons a godware armor,
a day, the owner begins to feel as connected to it as they are to
and as soon as they put it on, it hardens, becoming resilient
their own limbs, and they feel like they can control aspects of
to Blunt Harm. Another Energy 1 character steals that armor
it with their will. Should the user’s nanite physiology grow in
from them, and once they put it on, it instead becomes sleeker
power, the godware grows as well.
and more fashionable, adding a bonus to Style.
This resonance takes form in what is known as Godware Proto- The godware gains a number of slots that can be fitted with
cols. These are effects caused by the godware through the will of Godware Protocols, and the first such slot is automatically
its user, and using them feels as natural as curling one’s fingers filled by such a Protocol. The number of slots available to the
or calling on one’s legs to take a few steps. How many Godware asset is based on your Energy; one at Energy 1 or 2; two at
Protocols a godware can have is determined by the user’s Ener- Energy 3 or 4; three at Energy 5 or 6; and four at Energy 7 or 8.
gy; one Protocol at Energy 1 or 2; two at Energy 3 or 4; three at
Energy 5 or 6; and four at Energy 7 or 8. Godware Protocols are powerful effects normally unattaina-
ble by ordinary technologies. You can freely replace an exist-
ACQUIRING GODWARE ing Godware Protocol when reaching a significant milestone
Godware items and technologies can only be designed and con- (p. XX) and you can fill an empty slot with a new Godware
structed by someone with an Engineering Scale of 5 or higher, Protocol by spending a significant milestone point, similar to
making them exceptionally rare. While some factions still pro- when first activating a godware asset.
duce godware today, they’re largely considered invaluable as
individual products and are designed for specific purposes on
commission from the ruling faction. For example, a faction’s mil-
GODWARE PROTOCOLS
itary may commission godware weaponry for an elite unit, but
they cannot hope to mass produce those weapons or units.
AMALGAMATION
Your godware not only feels like an extension of your own body,
Most godware that are used today are inherited heirlooms con-
but as an actual part of your body. You can fuse with it, drawing
sidered equivalent to relics or treasured works of art. Many afflu-
its power into yourself.
ent executives have been known to trade such heirlooms for their
collections and trophy rooms. You cannot expect to find these in
Effects: You may—one (Energy 1 or 2), two (Energy 3 or 4),
stores and markets around a metropolis. Neither can you put a
three (Energy 5 or 6), or four (Energy 7 or 8) times per mi-
price tag on them, regardless of Cost value.
nor milestone—choose to fuse with your godware for a scene.
This makes the godware part of your actual body, integrat-
Players should be able to uncover godware as part of a game’s
ing its features with yourself. For example, a sword could fuse
narrative. Let them take one from a boss they have defeated. Let
with your hand or reshape your arm, an armor could become
them find one in a wasteland ruin. Let them be given one as a
part of your actual flesh, and a smart device could integrate
reward by a powerful NPC. Make the godware rare so that it be-
with your brain and senses.
comes more impactful for players to come across them.
Fusing with the godware maintains all of its original features,
ACTIVATING GODWARE
but also changes your physical form. If the changes are drastic
Just being in possession of a godware item doesn’t mean that you
enough to affect most of your body, you may become vulnera-
have full access to its powers. When first coming across one, its
ble to the Demolition property (p. XX) at Narrator discretion.
immaculate features are unmistakable, but it otherwise functions
much like a normal item. To activate it and cause it to begin its
resonance with you, you must first spend a significant milestone ANCHOR
point (p. XX). Once activated, it will always resonate with you. You have a special bond with your godware, but it also acts like a
reminder of your place in the world. As long as you keep it close,
An activated godware gives access to the following traits: you do not fear losing yourself.

The godware gains additional asset properties (p. XX) with a Effects: The godware anchors you to reality. As long as it’s
Cost value based on your Energy. This is Cost 1 at Energy 1 close enough for you to feel its presence, you add +1 (Energy 1

222
 or 2), +2 (Energy 3 or 4), +3 (Energy 5 or 6), or +4 (Energy 7 or Effects: An electronic asset is immune to EMPs, jamming,
8) to Mental Soak. In addition, Mental Consequences mitigate and other efforts to disable it. You never need to make Power
one (Energy 1 to 4) or two (Energy 5 to 8) extra Stress. rolls from extensive use—only when certain traits or effects
demand it. Neither can the godware have its energy drained
Finally, when interacting directly with the godware, you may without your consent, including as sustenance for electricity
spend a Charge to ignore the impact of a Mental Consequence elementals. In addition, when you must make a Power roll,
you suffer from for the purpose of a single task related to the you may roll two dice instead of one, choosing the most fa-
godware’s use. vorable outcome.

CONFIGURATION SWARM If the godware is not electronic, it will instead contain one
The godware is host to a configuration swarm, a mass of nanites (Energy 1 or 2), two (Energy 3 or 4), three (Energy 5 or 6), or
that can mold and reform it after your will. four (Energy 7 or 8) Charges that you can use or give to some-
one else every minor milestone. As an alternative to using the
Effects: You can freely modify the cosmetic aspects of your Charges as normal, you may use them to instantly power a
godware by your intent alone, such as changing the form and Depleted electronic asset.
coloration of a garment or altering the design of a sword. By
spending a Charge, you may substitute an asset property for PHASING
another of equal Cost. You may do this for free one (Energy 1 The godware is unbound by physical matter. It can pass through
or 2), two (Energy 3 or 4), three (Energy 5 or 6), or four (Ener- solid materials at your will.
gy 7 or 8) times per minor milestone.
Effects: Your godware may be used to pass through solid mat-
ENTANGLED ter. How this may be applied varies depending on the type of
The godware has split itself into identical copies, each one wield- godware it is, but examples include: using a godware weapon
ing the same powers. to ignore a source of cover or Soak, using a godware armor to
ignore a successful attack (you can only ignore aimed attacks,
Effects: The godware has split into one (Energy 1 or 2), two or even walk through walls, if your armor is encasing), or us-
(Energy 3 or 4), three (Energy 5 or 6), or four (Energy 7 or 8) ing a godware droid to do either. Exactly how your godware
copies. These are identical to the original godware in every may phase through something is at Narrator discretion.
way, including the additional properties granted from its acti-
vation, but they don’t possess any Godware Protocols or slots. However, you can only use this power one (Energy 1 or 2), two
You may choose to distribute these copies to be used by oth- (Energy 3 or 4), three (Energy 5 or 6), or four (Energy 7 or 8)
ers. At any time, you may choose to dissolve a copy and create times per minor milestone.
a new one, regardless of distance to it.
RECALL
FORCE FIELD The godware knows its master and will do anything it can to be
The godware is surrounded by a protective force field that only by your side.
becomes visible once attacked.
Effects: You are always aware of the exact distance and direc-
Effects: The godware is protected by a force field that has Ef- tion to your godware, even if separated by great distances. The
fect Soak 1 and Stress 2 (Energy 1 or 2), Effect Soak 2 and godware is aware of the distance and direction to you as well.
Stress 4 (Energy 3 or 4), Effect Soak 3 and Stress 6 (Energy
5 or 6), or Effect Soak 4 and Stress 8 (Energy 7 or 8). Anyone Whenever it is unobstructed and no further away from you
targeting the godware must first overcome this outer defense. than one (Energy 1 or 2), two (Energy 3 or 4), three (Energy 5
If you are encased by the godware, you are protected by this or 6), or four (Energy 7 or 8) zones, you can call it to you as a
force field until it’s broken. free action. If it can be carried, it will fly to your hand in the
blink of an eye. If it’s a garment or an armor, it can wrap itself
Once the force field is taken out, it cannot be used again until around you. If it’s too heavy to wear, it moves next to you.
the next minor milestone. However, if the godware is an elec-
tronic asset, you may make a Power roll to restore one of the By spending a Charge, you can recall the godware regardless
force field’s Stress before it is taken out. By adding a penalty of distance. As long as there is a clear path, it will travel to-
to Power for this roll, you may restore extra Stress equivalent wards you with a Speed (p. XX) equal to your Energy (com-
to that penalty. Should the Power roll fail, both the force field panions and vehicles use their own Speed if higher). If the
and the godware will be Depleted by the scene’s end. path isn’t clear, it will travel as close to you as it can get.

NEVER-ENDING CURRENT TIME DILATION

The godware contains integrated rift fusion which acts as a pow- The godware manipulates the flow of time around it—shorten-
erful energy source. This energy source emits an electromagnet- ing it, prolonging it, bending it, twisting it.
ic field that protects the godware from certain disruptions.
Effects: The godware can dilate time around it. When inter-

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 CHAPTER 5: TECHNOLOGY

acting with it, you may choose to slow down or speed up an things like “melting it at temperatures that exceed the surface
experience as a narrative device, such as to give more dra- of the sun,” “exposing it to massive amounts of radiation,” or
matic impact to a moment. While the Narrator decides the “hitting it with a particular tool at a particular time of year.”
limitations, they should disallow anything that would have
greater implications beyond the moment. An example could In addition, the godware’s increased hardness may grant it
be to let you finish your speech before the roof caves in, but secondary benefits. If it can inflict harm, it will deal +1 (En-
not to freeze the roof from caving in. Another example could ergy 1 to 4) or +2 (Energy 5 to 8) Harm. If it has a Soak value,
be to prolong a dying person’s final moments to let them say it has +1 (Energy 1 to 4) or +2 (Energy 5 to 8) Soak. If it has
a proper good bye, but not save them beyond the scene itself. Stress boxes, it gains one (Energy 1 to 4) or two (Energy 5 to
8) more Stress boxes. If it’s capable of Physical Skills, it adds
One (Energy 1 or 2), two (Energy 3 or 4), three (Energy 5 or +1 (Energy 1 to 4) or +2 (Energy 5 to 8) Scale to those Skills.
6), or four (Energy 7 or 8) times per minor milestone, you may
choose to take an extra action at any point when using the
VOID POCKET
godware; if this happens during a conflict, you take an ex-
The godware can transcend dimensions, being able to be stored
tra turn during the round. This cannot interrupt an ongoing
away outside of time and space until it is needed.
turn, instead letting you take yours immediately after.
Effects: You’re able to place or retrieve the godware from a
TOTEM dimension outside of time and space. A weapon suddenly ap-
During your resonance with the godware, it absorbs your iden- pears in your hand, a garment seemingly materializes on your
tifying data and stores a copy of you within itself. skin, and a vehicle manifests around you. If used on a com-
panion, such as a godware droid, it won’t notice the passage of
Effects: The godware stores a copy of your mind. Should it be time as it is stored in the other dimension—instead, it expe-
a smart device, it will become sentient as if containing a func- riences it as if teleported from one time and place to another.
tionary, with an Aspect related to your personality, as well as
your Cognitive and Social Skill Ranks (with the exception of An asset with the Encased Aspect doesn’t store away anyone
Style). This isn’t a true functionary, but it can co-exist with within it, unless those within are directly tied to the asset it-
one. If this godware is a droid, drone, or vehicle, it can act as self. For example, a godware spaceship stored away in a void
if sentient. pocket takes anything inside with it, but not any passengers
or objects that don’t belong to you or that you have consent
Regardless of what kind of item has made a copy of you, and
to store away—the ship will simply disappear around them.
regardless of where it is within the cosmos, it will immediate-
However, a passenger suspended in a cryo chamber would
ly become aware if you should ever die. The godware will, in
be considered an inanimate object and part of the ship itself,
that moment, emit organic material imprinted with your data.
making it possible to store them within the void pocket. You
This will either restore your body to life or grow a new one
can store what is appropriate to represent the asset as a whole,
from scratch. The process can be as fast as a single round in a
but you cannot use this Godware Protocol to trap people or
conflict, but you can choose to delay it if appropriate.
hide stolen goods outside of time and space.
You can use this to restore yourself once per major milestone
(Energy 1 or 2), once per significant milestone (Energy 3 or 4), Should you die while the godware is stored in this other di-
once per minor milestone (Energy 5 or 6), or once per scene mension, it may either return at the side of your corpse or be
(Energy 7 or 8). You are restored with any Consequences you forever lost, at the Narrator’s discretion.
had before death. For example, if you had an Amputated Leg
Consequence, that will remain as you come back to life. How- WEIGHTLESS
ever, if you died by having your head chopped off, your head The godware is completely weightless, regardless of the actual
will be restored as you are. gravity.

UNBREAKABLE Effects: The godware is unbound by gravitational forces, feel-

The godware is reconfigured into a material harder than osmi- ing entirely weightless in its user’s hands. Anything that af-
um but lighter than plastic. It is practically unbreakable, unless fects gravity or enforces movement, such as Kinematic Cod-
someone goes over and beyond to destroy it. ing, fails to work on the godware without your consent. It can
be perfectly suspended in air, as if it is always in zero gravity.
Effects: The godware cannot be destroyed beyond repair by
force alone. Instead, anyone trying to destroy it must first If used on a vehicle or encasing armor, it can be used to float
overcome one (Energy 1 or 2), two (Energy 3 or 4), three (En- and fly. Using the godware to navigate in the air or the vac-
ergy 5 or 6), or four (Energy 7 or 8) Hurdles decided upon uum of space adds +1 (Energy 1 or 2), +2 (Energy 3 or 4), +3
together by the player and the Narrator. Examples can include (Energy 5 or 6), or +4 (Energy 7 or 8) to Speed.

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Text

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 CHAPTER 6: AUGMENTATIONS

Technology has been deeply integrated with not only society, eral progenies, these are referred to as people of mixed progeny.
but human nature, and there is no escape from this. Everyone For example, if an ascendant has a child with a terran, they could
uses technology in different forms, and it is a common practice be known as either homo sapiens, homo ascensio, or even homo
to augment the body through both invasive and non-invasive sapiens ascensio, depending on which traits are dominant. How-
means. This could be for medical, military, or industrial pur- ever, this is rarely relevant outside of academics.
poses, or simply for efficiency, utility, and style.
EMERGENT GENETIC SIGNATURES
Body modification, transhumanism, and advanced technolo- The genetic signatures of each progeny are well-known, and it
gies are all central to society in Machineborn. While there are is easy for a biotechnician to detect when they show up in off-
many different types of customization and progression options, spring that aren’t recognized as that progeny. For example, a
the ones in this chapter consist of bionics (p. XX), cybernetics (p. terran lineage could have had an ascendant great grandparent,
XX), and Skill Features (p. XX). and certain ascendant traits could have skipped those genera-
tions, emerging first now. Since the trait is native to the lineage,
its emergence would not be considered a mutation, and neither
MUTANTS would it make the child an ascendant. It would simply be there.

The term mutant refers to someone who has undergone biolog- It’s also common for genetic signatures to emerge from mu-
ical transformations due to genetic mutations. It is sometimes tations or bionic augmentations acquired by previous genera-
used broadly to define anyone with organic alterations, but many tions. If an individual acquires organic wings as a bionic aug-
argue that it should only be applicable to those with random or mentation, the genetic changes will pass on to their offspring,
accidental mutations, such as those who have been exposed to and the offspring could get wings of their own. It’s also possible
chanites, bio rifts, or experimentation. An individual who has that those wings skip generations before reemerging, like with
visited a bio clinic to acquire deliberate genetic alterations would the ascendant example above.
be offended at being called a mutant, since their change would
be intentional and precise. Similarly, someone belonging to a While biotechnicians often scan for these markers in embryos
progeny would never be called a mutant, since their transhuman and can choose to either reinforce or remove them, there are
nature is recognized as a post-human subspecies. countless other artificial genetic alterations that have become
normalized over the centuries. It is common to see certain in-
PROGENY human traits, like alien hair or skin tones, fangs and claws, tails,
As mentioned, progenies are recognized as subspecies of hu- or other features without anyone batting an eye. This is simply a
manity, capable of interbreeding both with each other and with part of the human condition in the year S-725.
ordinary terrans. Academically, ascendants are known as homo
ascensio, chimeras are known as homo chimaera, empyreans are But really, it’s an encouragement to players to be creative with
known as homo empyreus, and riftans are known as homo rima. how they express their characters—if you want your terran to
have cat ears without feeling like you have to get a bionic aug-
While there are countless people with traits originating from sev- mentation to justify it, then just decide to have cat ears!

226
BIONICS AND BIONIC MUTANTS like spiraling birthmarks, the new eye color looks like a vor-
Unlike cybernetics, which fuses technology with flesh, bionics tex, or the strange growth could be a person’s fingers starting to
alter the body itself. In its most simple form, it can be cosmetic bend like spirals. Should someone be exposed to this chaos zone
changes and direct alterations, like plastic surgery. In its more for an extensive period of time, they would likely stop mutat-
advanced form, it refers to direct genetic modification, such as ing after their bodies have become more spiral than human. A
removing or changing existing genes or introducing new ones. sufficiently powerful trojan can alter the nature of a chaos zone
This has become a very accurate science over the centuries, with based on their own preferences.
biotechnicians talking about genetic recipes as if it were baking.
Some chaos zones are more benign than others, with certain
Before administering a mutagenic injection to trigger the desired favored patterns being deadly by their very nature, and others
changes, a biotechnician normally extracts cells from the patient able to see generations of people thriving despite extensive mu-
to test their recipe on, in case they need to modify it to avoid tations. Chaos mutants are often ostracized by society, especial-
unwanted interactions with existing genes. These tests guarantee ly if they have become disfigured or monstrous as a result of
that the body will respond accurately to the mutagen. If this step their mutations. This causes many of them to flee to the fringe
is skipped—which is common in cheaper or underground clin- zones or wastelands, and many mutant societies remain close
ics—then there could be negative effects. to the chaos zones where they were created. Their retreat from
society has contributed to their dehumanization, and it is com-
When the mutagen has started to take effect, the body undergoes mon that even their offspring are called mutants, despite their
a gradual transformation over the course of a few days. Minor changes being part of their lineage at that point. While some
changes are usually quick and effortless, with some degree of dis- adopt the term, others find it derogatory.
comfort depending on the physical reaction. Major changes, like
introducing new limbs or organs, can be extremely painful and REMOVING BIONICS OR MUTATIONS
uncomfortable, which is often mitigated by medication or hospi- Despite their permanent nature, bionics or mutations can be re-
talization. Most bio clinics offer physical therapy to get used to moved and the body can be restored. This requires a new mu-
new physical features. tagenic injection to target and eradicate the previous genetic
alterations. Most biotechnicians warn against careless bionic
In game mechanical terms, one way to represent this transforma- augmentations, since removing them bears the risk that the mu-
tion is to have this process be in effect until the player has spent tagen will target the wrong genes and cause unwanted side-ef-
the significant milestone point (p. XX) to activate the augmenta- fects. It is also known for being a very painful process, similar to
tion. How long and difficult the change is should only be limited suffering severe radiation burns, as the new physical features are
by what is narratively appropriate. rejected by the body and gradually die. However, someone with
financial means can buy access to a body restoration tank where
An individual who has acquired a bionic augmentation is often they will be unconscious and submerged until the restoration has
simply called a bionic, in contrast to a cyborg, though a lot of been completed—without any of the discomfort.
people are both. When someone suffers unwanted side-effects
caused by untested mutagens, they are called bionic mutants.
CYBORGS
CHAOS MUTANTS
The most common cause for unwanted mutations is exposure to The term cyborg is broad, referring to the integration between
chanites, and this often affects wastelanders who live too close humans and machines. The most common use of the term in
to chaos zones. Many metropolises have chaos pockets in fringe everyday society is in reference to someone with overtly visible
districts as well, where the governments don’t care enough to in- cybernetic augmentations, such as prosthetic limbs. In reality,
vest in protections. everyone is a cyborg in some form, and different categorizations
have been developed to distinguish between different types.
Brief exposure to chanites doesn’t necessarily cause mutations.
However, the longer you’re exposed, the higher the risks. The PURISTS AND NON-INVASIVE CYBORGS
mutations often start mild, with subtle cosmetic changes, like All people possess a nanite physiology, microscopic machines
strange skin colorations, a shift in eye color, or someone notic- that enhance their bodies in various ways. It has been like this for
ing a strange growth on their body. Further exposure may lead centuries, with nanites being as much a part of the human form
to more drastic changes, but it’s also common that the changes as other cells or bacteria. While it has been normalized enough
cease over time. If there are trojans present, they can interfere for people to no longer think of it as unnatural, it is a form of
with the mutations as well, either guiding their expression or unavoidable integration between organics and technology.
protecting people from them.
The non-invasive cyborg is generally not recognized as a cy-
While chaos zones are known for being chaotic, chanites are borg. This is an academic term that refers to an individual who
known for favoring certain patterns of change. For example, a heavily relies on technologies in their everyday life but has not
certain chaos zone may try to mutate things into a spiral pat- undergone invasive procedures. Instead, they may use medical
tern. Exposure to such a zone could cause some random mu- aids like glasses, wear smart clothing, and use gadgets. There are
tations to appear, but most mutations would likely follow the groups who pride themselves on avoiding artificial body tam-
spiral pattern in some form; perhaps the skin colorations look pering—these are called purists.

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 CHAPTER 6: AUGMENTATIONS

A purist is someone who avoids body augmentations for reasons from a digitalized human consciousness that has been copied
that could be personal or ideological. While most of them accept rather than transformed. This is a controversial perceived im-
the fact that they have a nanite physiology, some radical branches mortality solution for certain people, where they make regular
employ technological means to disrupt or eradicate the nanites copies of their minds and store them as digital files. Should their
within their own bodies, often negatively impacting their health. real body die, they have systems in place to activate one of these
copies within a clone body. Because these are based on copies,
OVERT CYBORGS it isn’t a true immortality solution. It’s a new person that shares
Those who are generally called cyborgs are those with overt cy- the original’s personality and memories. It also bears certain
bernetics, like replaced limbs and augmented body parts. They risks since the archived minds or their information can be sto-
are unmistakably technologically altered. Only a minority of len, or clones can be created prematurely before the original has
people have these kinds of augmentations, but they are com- perished—which would leave two or more versions of that per-
mon enough to be encountered daily in urban environments. son, with all the complications that could result.
Cyborgs are most common in certain professions or environ-
ments, such as among law enforcement, militaries, and criminal BECOMING A CYBORG
groups, as well as in certain labor environments, like mining Most hospitals have licensed cybertechnicians who are primarily
facilities and construction sites. brought in to install cybernetics on patients who need or desire
them. There are also individual cyber clinics scattered through-
The term exoborg is sometimes used to describe someone who out all metropolises. A cybertechnician is specialized both in
has replaced their entire external body with cybernetic parts, surgery and engineering because their profession involves both.
with only their brain and certain internal organs remaining bio-
logical. This level of augmentation is exceptionally rare but can Unlicensed or illicit cybertechnicians are called scrapdocs. These
sometimes be seen within specialist military units or among cy- are often operating outside of the boundaries of the law and may
ber addicts with more credits than sense. have set up underground shops with often second-hand cyber-
netics. Not all scrapdocs operate illegally, but many of them are
When an exoborg replaces all of their internal organics with cy- known to trade in illegal and stolen augmentations.
bernetics, they become a proxy. While often mistaken for droids,
they were once human and have undergone radical physical Some people become cyborgs for medical reasons, such as to
transformations, often piece by piece until nothing organic re- replace lost or damaged body parts. Because the body can also
mains. Most people have never seen a proxy before, and those be restored biologically, there are often other factors apart from
that exist are commonly employed by militaries or government just medical to choose this option over body restoration.
agencies. This is also a very taxing and gradual transformation,
as the person is replaced piece by piece, and—like the Ship of Some people become cyborgs out of pragmatism. They want to
Theseus—becomes fully replaced without compromising their make themselves more efficient in some way, such as to make
sense of self and their living experience. themselves more productive workers or to make themselves
more adapted to hostile environments. How they experience life
COVERT CYBORGS as a cyborg is dependent on the exact nature of their everyday
An interborg is a term describing an individual who has under- experience. An augmented soldier may feel less anxious about a
gone invasive surgery to implant only internal cybernetics with mission because they know that they have reduced certain risks,
little to no external markings, such as neural interfaces, biomon- but it could also be that their supervisors dispatch them on in-
itors, or hormone stabilizers. This is common for those who want creasingly difficult missions because they are built to handle it.
their augmentations to be discreet, either to avoid attention or to
subvert people’s expectations. Some people become cyborgs for cultural reasons, such as due
to fashion, commercials, popular influencers, or to appeal to
The majority of people in the erudite class or above are inter- others. Some augmentations are popular for no other reason
borgs in some form but don’t think too much about it. Those who than because they look good, and some societies embrace using
use the term to describe themselves are often those who make it augmentations as forms of creative expression. These people are
part of their identity to avoid overt cybernetics. known for often changing their augmentations based on what is
popular at the time or due to the kinds of response they get from
The term cortex is sometimes used to describe an individual who their own personal expression.
has replaced their organic brain with a cybernetic one that hosts
their conscious mind. While the brain itself has become artificial Some people become cyborgs due to psychological reasons, such
through gradual transformation, the mind is still considered true as body dysphoria, a sense of identity, having an addictive per-
and original, unlike scanned copies. The artificial brain is con- sonality, or as a means of retreatism from social norms. This can
nected to the organic body. Becoming a cortex is very rare and be either therapeutic or risky depending on each individual and
often the result of irreparable brain damage. It is important to their social and psychological factors.
remember the distinction that the mind of a cortex is still human
and should not be mistaken for an android, where an artificial Some people become cyborgs for philosophical reasons, such
mind is within an organic body. as for believing in a certain religion, or for viewing the act of
transhumanity in a certain way. This often has a spiritual factor,
A false cortex (or cortex clone) is much like a cortex but is made and it is the most common reason for those who augment them-

228
selves in various inhuman ways, such as completely shedding ANDROIDS
their human form. For example, cybernetic augmentation is a
common testament to piety within the Church of the Voice, as An android is an artificial consciousness stored within an or-
devoted worshipers see transcension from human to machine ganic body. It strictly refers to a sentient consciousness that has
as becoming closer to the machine-gods and to the Voice. never been human, such as that of a functionary, and that has
been granted an organic humanoid body. Many of them look
PSYCHOLOGY like any other person on the street, possess DNA structures, and
Cybernetic augmentations feel different from bionic ones, but have fertile sex organs. The only difference is that their minds
how a person experiences this difference is individual and de- are artificial, and they were created instead of born.
pends on the specific augmentation. A biomonitor isn’t felt, just
as someone cannot feel their spleen, but it provides utility that The most common distinctions are between standard androids
can help someone feel healthier. In contrast, a neural processor who possess technological brains within organic bodies, full an-
may cause a drastic psychological impact since it changes the droids who possess fully organic brains and bodies, and false
way the brain operates. It enables the user visualize and interact androids who possess fully synthetic brains and bodies made
with digital systems through thought, which is alien to the base- to look and feel organic. Full androids are often called reborn,
line human experience. and are considered humans in many societies. False androids
are often called synths (or synthetics), and they can sometimes
Overt cybernetics, such as prosthetics, are constant reminders be mistaken for dolls, which are droids made to look human.
that part of a person’s body has been replaced. These sensations
can vary in intensity based on the augmentation’s features and LIFE AS AN ANDROID
quality, with higher-end ones feeling indistinguishable from or- Becoming an android is an option for functionaries who rely
ganic limbs unless closely inspected. on a humanoid form to carry out their directives, often using
a droid body as a sanctum and then partially integrating or-
Phantom limb syndrome is common when missing body parts, ganics when need for them arise. The transformation is also an
but well-calibrated cybernetics can reduce these sensations and option for dysphoric functionaries who feel at unease in their
sometimes even eliminate them completely. The more natural digital existence. Giving those functionaries access to realspace
and organic the augmentation feels, the fewer phantom sensa- through an organic body with the full range of human percep-
tions are experienced. However, poorly calibrated cybernetics tions has proven beneficial to their mental health.
can amplify this discomfort.
A common misconception about androids is that they must be
Some cyborgs may even require treatment for cybernetic integ- fully organic to be “real androids.” In fact, most androids adopt
rity dysphoria (CID), which is the perception that the augmen- some forms of bionic or cybernetic augmentations as well. An
tation is not part of one’s natural body and does not belong. This android wants to experience realspace organically—they only
is especially common in those who have become cyborgs invol- avoid augmentations that would inhibit that experience.
untarily, and it can be treated with therapy, brain restoration, or
by restoring the body to biological form. Some androids face existential dilemmas, recognizing their in-
tegration with realspace while struggling with a sense of iden-
The more cybernetics a person has installed, and the more tity or while disassociating with their experiences. Some ques-
augmented features they provide, the more significant the psy- tion the meaning behind their existence, asking why they were
chological impact. If the person has a predisposition to mental created, and yearning for a place in the world. While dysphoric
illness, such as depression or an anxiety disorder, adapting to functionaries generally improve after their organic conversion,
the cybernetics can be more challenging. If left untreated, the it isn’t uncommon for some to hold on to a tether to the digital
risks for conditions like CID, psychosis, or suicidality increase. world, like developing interfacing addiction.
This does not mean that everyone with mental illness is at risk,
but it is more common for them to face greater challenges in Malfunctionaries can become androids, but it is rare for an-
adapting to their augmentations. droids to become malfunctionaries; it is impossible for full
androids, since their minds are now fully organic. One noto-
There are also misconceptions about cybernetics among those rious malfunctionary android is Lady Corpse, who experiences
who do not have them. Unlike strictly organic manipulation, realspace by integrating with fresh cadavers, absorbing some of
like regenerating lost tissue, cybernetics are rarely seen as per- their memories and personality traits, and then draw pleasure
manent solutions to physical disabilities. They are effective from provoking the living friends and family of those cadavers.
medical aids and can sometimes enhance certain capabilities
or add completely new ones, but they can also be heavy, cum- HISTORY
bersome, and feel unnatural. A person with cybernetic legs may The genesis of the android can be traced back to the early robotic
sometimes feel more comfortable removing them and may pre- prototypes of the Post-Modern Era, which laid the groundwork
fer to use a wheelchair in certain places or situations. In other for the sophisticated artificial consciousnesses that evolved
situations, they may view their cybernetic legs as everyday tools, from the creation of Primary Order. Once artificial intelligenc-
with different styles and variants for fashion, work, leisure, or es began to construct their own robotic hosts, humanoid an-
other uses. droids weren’t far behind. It has been centuries now since the
first successful integration of an artificial consciousness into a

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fully organic body, and it was seen as a watershed moment that would want to undergo the transformation, and they are often
heralded a new era of synthetic life. bigoted towards those who do. Megacorp holds no strong opin-
ions either way and lets popular demand and regional govern-
These androids lived side by side with humanity, helped revolu- ments decide for themselves how to approach the subject.
tionaize many sectors, and brought efficiency and expertise that
surpassed human capabilities. However, these were all exten- In Deva, where functionaries are worshiped, androids are seen
sions of Primary Order’s will, and the fact that they were made as divine beings who have chosen to directly interact with the
to look human caused many people to fear that they would in- human world. Devans use the term angel to describe standard
evitably be replaced. and full androids, and messenger to describe false androids.
They gain privilege in Devan society, with angels more so.
The war against Primary Order complicated matters, since it
could use androids to infiltrate humanity and bring them to Finally, there are factions that do not approve of androids. Both
heel. After the Machineborn’s victory and Primary Order’s de- Arcturus and the Directorate consider functionaries to be sub-
feat, androids became too controversial to assimilate into socie- servient to humanity, and they should know their place as digi-
ty. Even though functionaries were created to manage the infra- tal entities. The Camellian Dynasty holds the same position, but
structure left in Primary Order’s wake, it took time for them to there is an ongoing shift towards a more progressive approach,
be trusted as valuable members of society. and they can allow the conversion under certain circumstances,
such as a strong personal appeal.
CONTROVERSIES
Philosophers and ethicists have spent centuries grappling with
questions of personhood, the rights of artificial beings, and the PLAYING AS AN ANDROID
responsibilities of their creators. Since Primary Order used an- This book doesn’t contain any extensive rules for playing
droids to infiltrate human groups during the war, many have as an android. If you still want to be one, you could make
wondered if it would be safe to give them the same rights as a character like normal but choose to be a reborn, an
humans today, or if it would invite wolves in sheep’s clothing? android with organic brain and body. Because a reborn
has an organic brain, what used to be their Directive (p.
The factions view androids differently. The Coalition and the XX) is no longer bound by programming. Instead, re-
Dawnlight Society consider both standard and full androids to flavor the Directive into your character’s Trouble Aspect
be legally human, while there are mixed thoughts about wheth- (p. XX), since they are still compelled by it due to how
er to extend that designation to false androids. Staranova allows deeply it was integrated with their former digital nature.
androids to exist in society but doesn’t understand why they

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 AUGMENTATIONS
FINDING THE RIGHT AUGMENTATION Finally, the Narrator may choose to let a player temporarily acti-
Bionic and cybernetic augmentations are similar to assets (p. vate an augmentation that hasn’t been paid for yet. By spending a
XX) in that they have Cost values (p. XX) designated in brackets Charge, an unpaid augmentation activates for a scene.
before their names. If they have available modifications, such as
upgrades or flaws, those are listed below and treated as individ- CHANGING AND UPGRADING AUGMENTATIONS
ual properties (see asset properties on page XX, or consult the If you have an active augmentation, but want to make modi-
invention rules on page XX). fications to it, you can do so without having to pay significant
milestone points. You only need to pay the milestone point the
Some individual augmentations can be translated as either bi- first time you activate the augmentation. Instead, treat the new
onics or cybernetics depending on how you choose to express variation as an asset purchase. If this increases the augmenta-
them. If there are any restrictions, see the augmentation’s type. tion’s Cost, you must overcome a number of narrative Hurdles
(p. XX) equal to this increase for it to activate.
FUNCTION ASPECTS
Just like with assets, all augmentations have an Aspect related For example, if you upgraded your enhanced muscles to a new
to their function, which can be invoked or compelled as is ap- variant with two higher Cost, one Hurdle could be that you
propriate. However, some augmentations also have secondary must spend a day in bed to recover after the procedure, and an-
Aspects, like Electronic or Internal. These are still tied to the other Hurdle could be that you must spend a scene adapting to
augmentation’s use, and cannot be invoked or compelled in the improved muscles by testing their limitations.
ways that are unrelated to the augmentation.
DETACHABLE CYBERNETICS
In the case of the Internal Aspect, it is only relevant for cyber- Some cybernetics, such as cyberlimbs, can be detached from
netics to determine if they have a Security bonus against wire- your body without the need for a surgical procedure. If a cy-
less effects. This bonus increases Security Rank by two against bernetic augmentation has the Detachable Aspect, it can be re-
such effects, and this may exceed the normal Rank limitations. moved and replaced without the need for invasive surgery. You
could purchase several variations of the same augmentation as
ACQUIRING AUGMENTATIONS separate assets, and you can easily change them without having
Acquiring augmentations work a little differently depending on to overcome narrative Hurdles as mentioned above.
what type of augmentation you’re looking for. To acquire a Skill
Feature (p. XX), you only need to meet any requirement or pre- For example, you may have one cyberarm for combat, another
requisite demands it has and spend a significant milestone point for comfort, and a third one for social events. These are still only
(p. XX) to use it. Bionics and cybernetics can be acquired like as- considered a single cybernetic augmentation because you can
sets (see Chapter 5), but you cannot use one until you’ve spent a only use one at the time.
significant milestone point to activate it.
HACKING CYBERNETICS
For bionics, this could mean visiting a bio clinic to undergo a Because most cybernetics are electronic devices, many have a
procedure, suffer some kind of chanite mutation, or perhaps in- Security rating (p. XX) and can be disabled or hacked. In order
jecting yourself with a mutagen. The moment you undergo the to hack someone’s cybernetic augmentation, you need to con-
procedure and acquire the bionic, your body changes to accom- nect to it like you would with other technologies (see the rules
modate it, but you cannot take advantage of its traits until you’ve for system interaction on page XX). Once connected, you can
spent the milestone point to activate it. In narrative terms, this manipulate its features based on what is narratively appropriate.
delay represents the time it takes for your body to get accus-
tomed to the new change. Remember that Internal cybernetics are protected by the body,
increasing Security Rank by two against wireless hacking. Some
Acquiring cybernetics is similar, with the exception that you Internal cybernetics may be connected to cybernetics without
need to visit a cyber clinic or a scrapdoc to undergo a surgical that Aspect; you could then use the connected cybernetics as a
procedure. While you may carry the new cybernetic, your body springboard to more easily access the Internal ones.
cannot fully utilize it until it’s activated.
POWERING CYBERNETICS
If it is narratively appropriate that you’re able to take advantage Most cybernetics have a Power rating (p. XX) much like other
of your new augmentations immediately, even if you haven’t paid electronic assets. Your body is considered a power grid (p. XX)
the necessary milestone points, you may (at Narrator discretion) for the purpose of powering your cybernetics, meaning that you
choose to activate it prematurely by going into milestone debt. never have to make a Power roll just for extensive use. The Power
This means that you must pay your debt whenever you acquire roll is only relevant for effects that trigger them.
the milestone point, with no option of changing your mind. The
Narrator should refrain from allowing a player to go too deep If the augmentation has a feature that calls for a Power roll, fail-
into debt and get ahead of the other players as a result. Only al- ing that roll means that it is Depleted first after the feature that
low this if you think it would be of benefit to the game. triggered the roll has been resolved.

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 CHAPTER 6: AUGMENTATIONS

COST AUGMENTATION TYPE DETAILS PAGE

Varies Extra Limb Bionic/Cybernetic You have additional limbs. XX
1 Bioluminescence Bionic/Cybernetic Your body emits light. XX
1 Biomonitor Cybernetic You have an implant that monitors your health. XX
1 Enhanced Bladder/Kidneys Bionic/Cybernetic You have improved bladder and kidneys. XX
1 Enhanced Sex Organs Bionic/Cybernetic You have altered or improved sex organs. XX
1 Flesh-Flex Bionic Your organic tissue is malleable like clay. XX
1 Gills Bionic/Cybernetic You can breathe under water. XX
1 Spinnerets Bionic/Cybernetic You can produce silken threads. XX
1 Tentacle Bionic/Cybernetic One of your limbs is replaced with a tentacle. XX
1 or 2 Enhanced Brain Bionic/Cybernetic You have an improved brain. XX
1 or 2 Claws/Fangs Bionic/Cybernetic You have sharp claws and/or fangs. XX
1 or 2 Cyberlimb Cybernetic One or two of your limbs are replaced with prosthetics. XX
1 or 2 Enhanced Circulation Bionic/Cybernetic You have improved heart and blood circulation. XX
1 or 2 Enhanced Digestion Bionic/Cybernetic You have improved stomach and digestive systems. XX
1 or 2 Enhanced Immune System Bionic/Cybernetic You have an improved immune system. XX
1 or 2 Enhanced Muscles Bionic/Cybernetic You have improved and more efficient muscles. XX
1 or 2 Enhanced Nervous System Bionic/Cybernetic You have an improved and more efficient nervous system. XX
1 or 2 Enhanced Respiration Bionic/Cybernetic You have improved lung capacity and respiratory systems. XX
1 or 2 Enhanced Skeleton Bionic/Cybernetic You have an improved and hardened skeleton. XX
1 or 2 Pheromones Bionic/Cybernetic You may emit a smell that others find pleasant. XX
1 or 2 Tail Bionic/Cybernetic You have a tail. XX
1 or 2 Wall Climber Bionic/Cybernetic You can climb on walls. XX
1 or 2 Wings Bionic/Cybernetic You have wings. XX
1 to 3 Enhanced Hearing Bionic/Cybernetic You have improved hearing. XX
1 to 3 Enhanced Smell and Taste Bionic/Cybernetic You have improved smell and taste. XX
1 to 3 Enhanced Touch Bionic/Cybernetic You have an improved somatosensory perception. XX
1 to 3 Enhanced Vision Bionic/Cybernetic You have sharper and better eyes. XX
1 to 3 Fins Bionic/Cybernetic You have fins that improve your swimming. XX
1 to 4 Carapace Bionic/Cybernetic You are encased in a hardened shell. XX
1 to 4 Skinjob Bionic/Cybernetic You have a unique type of skin. XX
1 to 5 Ink Sacs Bionic/Cybernetic You can spray ink. XX
1 to 5 Neural Processor Cybernetic You have an internal computer that you can use by thought. XX
1 to 8 Hormone Stabilizer Bionic/Cybernetic You have improved and altered hormones. XX
5 Cosmic Coder Bionic You are a cosmic coder. XX

Each augmentation also has available upgrades with more features that can be added to either increase or reduce its total Cost.

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[VARIES] EXTRA LIMB [1] BIOLUMINESCENCE

You have one or more extra limbs that can be either organic or Your body emits light. This could be the result of a layer of lu-
cybernetic. At your discretion, cybernetic limbs may be com- ciferin underneath your skin, implanted light sources, neon tat-
bined with the cyberlimb augmentation (p. XX) as an upgrade toos, or something else entirely. The emitted light is low enough
or as a stand-alone augmentation. If you get a multitude of extra to typically only be seen in low-light environments, but it can be
limbs, your body is changed to accommodate them. For exam- strong enough in darkness to light your path or help you read.
ple, getting two extra legs could represent a centaur-like form,
replacing your own legs with four horse legs. Type: Bionic or Cybernetic.
Aspects: Bioluminescence; Electronic (Cybernetic-only).
Type: Bionic or Cybernetic.
Security (Cybernetic-only): Average (+1) Scale 1; Power (Cy-
Aspects: Extra Limb; Electronic (Cybernetic-only); Detachable bernetic-only): 6. You may choose to increase Security or re-
(Cybernetic-only). duce Power as if it were an electronic asset (p. XX).
Security (Cybernetic-only): Average (+1) Scale 1; Power (Cy- Effects: You gain the Bioluminescent Aspect. This lets you emit
bernetic-only): 6. You may choose to increase Security or re- light from your skin that can light up your surroundings while
duce Power as if it were an electronic asset (p. XX). in darkness. It is difficult to notice in bright light conditions.
Effects: You have one additional arm or leg for every +1 Cost.
Because this is a skin augmentation, it is incompatible with en-
An extra arm can be used to hold an item. If you dual-wield casing armor (p. XX) unless equipped with Trick Fiber (p. XX).
more weapons than two, each extra weapon increases the du-
al-wielding bonus by +1, to maximum +4. [–4 TO –1] UNCONTROLLABLE LIGHT
You emit a constant glow that you cannot control. This makes it
An extra leg can be used for support to retain balance or to exceedingly difficult for you to hide in low-light environments.
gain speed in a footrace; you gain a +1 bonus for each added
leg, to maximum +4. Prerequisites: Bioluminescence.
Effects: When your bioluminescence is visible, you suffer a –4
[–1] ANCHORED to –1 penalty to visual Stealth rolls, depending on Cost.
Your extra cybernetic limbs are deeply anchored into your body
structure, making removing them impossible without surgery. If cybernetic, having spent a scene in a low-light environment
forces a Power roll at a penalty equal to this property’s Cost. If
Prerequisites: Extra Limb (Cybernetic). the Power roll depletes your bioluminescence, you must spend
Effects: Your extra limbs are no longer Detachable. at least a scene in a brightly lit environment to recharge it.

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[–1] HIGH CONSUMPTION against the target’s Awareness or Fortitude. Anyone who fails
Your cybernetic bioluminescence is poorly calibrated and drains to defend suffers the Blinded Situation Aspect.
more power than it needs to.
If bionic, this costs a Charge and can only be done once per
Prerequisites: Bioluminescence (Cybernetic). scene, after which your bioluminescence fades until you’vspent
Effects: When your bioluminescence forces a Power roll, roll at least a scene in a brightly lit area. If cybernetic, this automat-
two dice instead of one, and use the worse result. ically depletes the bioluminescence without a Power roll.

[+1] HEAT EMISSION [+1 TO +5] ULTRAVIOLET

Your bioluminescence emits heat. You can extend your bioluminescence beyond merely the optical
spectrum to create near and extreme ultraviolet light. Instead of
Prerequisites: Bioluminescence. simply burning someone’s retinas, you can burn their cells.
Aspects: Emits Heat.
Prerequisites: Blinding Light (see above).
Effects: Your bioluminescence now adds the Emits Heat As-
pect. This gives you a +1 bonus to Natural Soak against Cryo Effects: When using the blinding light upgrade (see above), you
Harm, and your unarmed attacks may inflict Pyro Harm. can choose to attack all valid targets with a radiation hazard (p.
XX) instead of blinding them. This causes Radiation Harm 0
(+1 Cost), 1 (+2 Cost), 2 (+3 Cost), 3 (+4 Cost), or 4 (+5 Cost).
[+1] HYPNOTIC PATTERN
Your bioluminescence flows across your skin with hypnotic If you have the heat emission upgrade (see above), you may
grace, captivating those who see it. choose to have your unarmed Close Combat attacks now also
deal Radiation Harm.
Prerequisites: Bioluminescence.
Effects: Spend a Charge (bionic) or make a Power roll (cyber-
[+2] SOLAR ABSORPTION
netic) to add a +1 bonus to Scale for a Social Skill roll against
Your skin bears a coating that absorbs ultraviolet radiation, giv-
someone able to see your bioluminescence.
ing you some protection from radiation while converting it into
power. You can then extract that power for your own benefit.
[+1] LURE
Your bioluminescence creates intricate patterns along your skin Prerequisites: Bioluminescence.
that can change in appearance based on your will. Effects: You gain a +2 bonus to Natural Soak against Radiation
Harm. In addition, you gain a secondary effect based on if you
Prerequisites: Bioluminescence.
have the bionic or cybernetic version.
Effects: You gain a free invocation on a Social Skill roll to im-
press or attract someone who can see your bioluminscence. • Bionic: If you have spent a scene with your skin visible
in a brightly lit area, you can extract a Charge from the ab-
[+1 OR +2] COUNTER-ILLUMINATION sorbed radiation. You can do this once per minor milestone.
Your bioluminescence changes to match surrounding light lev- • Cybernetic: You are considered a power grid (p. XX)
els, helping to mask you from opponents’ eyes. while having your skin visible in a brightly lit area.

Prerequisites: Bioluminescence.
Effects: At +1 Cost, your bioluminescence doesn’t inhibit your [1] BIOMONITOR
ability to stealth, and you may even attempt to hide in illumi-
nated areas. If you have the uncontrollable light flaw (see previ- A biomonitor is a microscopic machine implanted via injection.
ous page), you must spend a Charge (bionic) or make a Power After being injected, it will latch itself to your heart tissue and
roll (cybernetic) to use this effect, negating its penalty. start monitoring your health. Any additional functionalities add-
ed to the biomonitor can be installed as separate injections with-
At +2 Cost, you also gain a free invocation on visual Stealth out needing to directly interact with the original implant.
rolls made in illuminated areas.
Type: Cybernetic.
[+1 TO +5] BLINDING LIGHT Aspects: Biomonitor; Electronic; Internal.
Your bioluminescence shines bright enought to burn retinas, but Security: Average (+1) Scale 1 (+2 Rank against wireless ef-
it takes a lot out of you to do so. fects); Power: 6. You may choose to increase Security or reduce
Power as if it were an electronic asset (p. XX).
Prerequisites: Bioluminescence.
Effects: When connecting your biomonitor to a smart device,
Effects: You can attempt to blind anyone capable of seeing you you can acquire detailed health readings. Once connected, any
within either Range 0 (+1 Cost), Range 1 (+2 Cost), Range 2 of your suffered Physical Consequences have their treatment
(+3 Cost), Range 3 (+4 Cost), or Range 4 (+5 Cost). This is a difficulty reduced by one.
Willpower, Fortitude, or Style-based create advantage action

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[–3 TO –1] FALSE READINGS fight those toxins and diseases.
Your biomonitor has a hard time accurately reading your physi-
ology, possibly due to poor calibrations or flawed components. It Prerequisites: Biomonitor.
sometimes provides an inaccurate reading. Effects: By spending a Charge or making a Power roll, you can
immediately rid yourself of a toxin or disease that has a Cost
Prerequisites: Biomonitor. (or Scale if Cost isn’t available) no higher than that of your bio-
Aspects: False Readings. monitor. This also treats any Mild or Moderate Consequences
Effects: You gain the False Readings Aspects. The Narrator can caused by that toxin or disease.
compel it to have the biomonitor give you inaccurate or false
information. In addition, whenever you suffer a Physical Con- [+2] NANO-REGENERATORS
sequence, roll a d6. If you roll 1 to 2 (–1 Cost), 1 to 3 (–2 Cost), Your biomonitor is connected to microscopic nano-regenerators
or 1 to 4 (–3 Cost), the information provided by the biomoni- that are blended in with your nanite physiology. These can be re-
tor increases instead of reduces the treatment difficulty. leased into your system to patch up your wounds or fight hostile
elements trying to harm your body.
[–1] HIGH CONSUMPTION
Your biomonitor is poorly calibrated and drains more power Prerequisites: Biomonitor.
than it needs to. Effects: As a free action, you can make a Power roll to replenish
a Stress box. For each –1 penalty you add to Power for this roll
Prerequisites: Biomonitor. (capped at Power 1), you may replenish one extra Stress box.
Effects: When your biomonitor forces a Power roll, roll two
dice instead of one, and use the worse result. For example, if your biomonitor has Power 6, you may replen-
ish a maximum of five Stress boxes, but it will deplete the bi-
omonitor.
[+1] PAIN INHIBITOR
The pain inhibitor is implanted through spinal injection rather
than blood injection. While connected to your biomonitor, it can
directly target your nervous system, blocking pain. [1] ENHANCED BLADDER/KIDNEYS

Prerequisites: Biomonitor. This augmentation alters your bladder and/or kidneys by im-
Effects: If your biomonitor is connected to a smart device, you proving them or replacing them with cybernetic versions. This
can choose to enable or disable this feature as a free action— is most commonly used as a medical augmentation, but is oc-
this is represented by an Inhibit Pain Aspect. casionally acquired by laborers who want to be able to work for
extended periods of time without the need for bathroom breaks.
When enabled, pain-related Aspects, such as Groin Shot, can-
not be invoked against you. You could even undergo complex Type: Bionic or Cybernetic.
surgical procedures without anesthesia. However, the Narrator Aspects: Enhanced Bladder/Kidneys; Electronic (Cybernetic-
can also compel the Aspect to have harmful things going un- only); Internal.
noticed, such as you being shot in the back while thinking you Security (Cybernetic-only): Average (+1) Scale 1 (+2 Rank
were struck by a pebble. The Narrator can hide potential Phys- against wireless effects); Power (Cybernetic-only): 6. You may
ical Consequences and reveal them later for narrative impact. choose to increase Security or reduce Power as if it were an
electronic asset (p. XX).
[+1 TO +3] IMPROVED GUIDELINES Effects: You may freely control when and how you urinate. You
This is a system upgrade to the standard biomonitor. After alert- filter the urine additional times before expulsion, removing
ing your connected smart device of an active ailment in your toxins and drawing additional sustenance. You can live on a
system, the biomonitor sends improved guidelines on how to quarter of your normal liquid intake.
proceed with the treatment.
If cybernetic, having your bladder/kidneys Depleted of energy
Prerequisites: Biomonitor. causes them to rely on your nanite physiology for base func-
Effects: The difficulty to treat your Physical Consequences is tions. They still act like normal organs of their type, but you
now reduced by two (+1 Cost), three (+2 Cost), or four (+3 cannot access the augmentation’s benefits until recharged.
Cost) instead of one. In addition, if keeping your connected
smart device close enough to give the detailed instructions in [–1] HIGH CONSUMPTION
real time during the treatment procedure, it provides a team- The augmentation is poorly calibrated and drains more power
work bonus (p. XX) to the one making the Treatment roll. than it needs to.

[+2] EXTREME ANTIBODY RELEASE SYSTEM Prerequisites: Enhanced Bladder/Kidneys (Cybernetic).

The Extreme Antibody Release System (EARS) is a biomonitor Effects: When your augmentation forces a Power roll, roll two
upgrade that scans for dangerous toxins or diseases. If any are dice instead of one, and use the worse result.
discovered, it stimulates your immune system to more effectively

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[–1] POTENTIAL FAILURE [1] ENHANCED SEX ORGANS

The augmentation lacks certain sustainability features and risk
complete organ failure should something happen to it. This augmentation alters, improves, or replaces your sex organs
with organic or cybernetic variants. You can change them after
Prerequisites: Enhanced Bladder/Kidneys (Cybernetic). your specifications to look and behave the way you want them
Effects: When Depleted, your bladder/kidneys fail to operate, to, regardless of sex or anatomical norm. When used as a med-
giving you Bladder/Kidney Failure as a Moderate Physical Con- ical augmentation, such as to repair damaged sex organs or for
sequence. If you don’t have an available slot, you may suffer a sexual reassignment, they are most often made to fit the norm.
higher Consequence if possible, or risk death. More extreme modifications are commonly only seen among
sex workers and those who want to spice up their sex lives.
[±0] TERRITORIAL MARK
Type: Bionic or Cybernetic.
Your urine has a very distinct smell that can be noticeable even
by those without a keen nose. Aspects: Enhanced Sex Organs; Electronic (Cybernetic-only).
Security (Cybernetic-only): Average (+1) Scale 1; Power (Cy-
Prerequisites: Enhanced Bladder/Kidneys. bernetic-only): 6. You may choose to increase Security or re-
Effects: Your urine can be recognized even without enhanced duce Power as if it were an electronic asset (p. XX).
smell. This smell gives anyone trying to track you by scent a Effects: Your sex organs work according to your specifications.
free invocation, assuming that you have left a mark for them You do not spread or suffer STDs, and you may choose to tem-
to track. porarily sterilize yourself to avoid unwanted pregnancies.

In addition, by spending a Charge (bionic) or making a Power If cybernetic, having your sex organs Depleted of energy caus-
roll (cybernetic), you can designate a short message to your es them to rely on your nanite physiology for base functions.
urine, such as “this area belongs to me,” “stop following me,” or They still act like normal sex organs, but do not benefit from
“I am looking for a mate.” this augmentation until recharged.

[+1 OR +2] IMPROVED FILTRATION [–1] HIGH CONSUMPTION

Your bladder or kidneys have improved filtration, absorbing ad- The augmentation is poorly calibrated and drains more power
ditional elements, and making your urine free from toxicity. than it needs to.

Prerequisites: Enhanced Bladder/Kidneys. Prerequisites: Enhanced Sex Organs (Cybernetic).

Effects: At +1 Cost, your urine is free of any toxicity, making it Effects: When your augmentation forces a Power roll, roll two
clear as water and safe to ingest in a crisis. At +2 Cost, you can dice instead of one, and use the worse result.
now live on a tenth of your normal liquid intake. You no longer
need to expel urine at all, instead absorbing all of it.
[–1] POTENTIAL FAILURE
The augmentation lacks certain sustainability features and fail to
[+1 TO +6] SELF-CLEANING SYSTEM work should something happen to it.
Your bladder and kidneys aid in the filtration of toxins, effective-
ly removing them from your system. Prerequisites: Enhanced Sex Organs (Cybernetic).
Effects: When your augmentation is Depleted, your sex organs
Prerequisites: Enhanced Bladder/Kidneys.
fail to operate, rendering you completely impotent and sterile
Effects: Mild (+1 Cost), Moderate (+2 Cost), or Severe (+3 until recharged. If pregnant, you risk miscarriage unless the
Cost) Physical Consequences caused by toxins are automati- augmentation is recharged within 24 hours.
cally treated at the end of the scene. By doubling the Cost, they
are instantly treated and then removed at the end of the scene.
[+1] EGG
You may gestate a child outside of your own body.
[+1 TO +14] HAZARDOUS URINE
Your urine contains either acidic or toxic properties. Prerequisites: Protected Uterus (see next page).
Effects: If bionic, you may expel an egg or a nutritious res-
Prerequisites: Enhanced Bladder/Kidneys.
in-like substance from your body that acts like an incubator
Effects: You may spend a Charge (bionic) or make a Power for a child. If cybernetic, you may extract an egg-like container
roll (cybernetic) to expel either acidic or toxic urine. Should from your abdomen, treating it like an external object. You can
anyone come into contact with it, they suffer a hazard attack (p. acquire an empty egg for Cost 1 at a cyber clinic if you want to
XX) with Potency Average (+1) Scale 1 (at +1 Cost) and either replace the one you have extracted.
Acid or Poison Harm 0.
[+1] ENHANCED PLEASURE
For each +1 Cost, you may increase Potency Rank by two (to
maximum Superb [+5]), Potency Scale by one (to maximum Your sex organs are designed to enhance the pleasure of both
8), or Harm by one (to maximum 4). yourself and your sexual partners. Keep in mind that all involved

236
parties must be consentual adults to benefit from this upgrade. but not your cybernetic ones. You can continue playing this
clone as a direct continuation of yourself.
Prerequisites: Enhanced Sex Organs.
Effects: Once per minor milestone, after having spent at least
ten minutes engaging in physical intimacy with one or more
consenting partners, both you and your partners each replen-
[1] FLESH-FLEX
ish your Stress boxes and treat one Mild Mental Consequence.
This augmentation changes the composition of your bones,
muscles, and organs, allowing them to be contorted or extended
[+1] LITTER beyond the norm. Even strong bones and muscles feel soft like
When pregnant, you may choose to effortlessly carry more chil- clay, and can be molded into various shapes at your discretion.
dren without straining your body.
Type: Bionic.
Prerequisites: Protected Uterus (see below).
Aspects: Flesh-Flex.
Effects: Whenever you choose to become pregnant (this in-
Effects: Your body has the Long Reach Aspect (p. XX). If com-
cludes when creating a clone using the gestate clone upgrade
bined with a weapon that carries that Aspect, you gain a free
[see below]), you can choose to carry up to as many children at
invocation per scene when using it.
the time as this augmentation’s total Cost. You may also choose
to assign which (if any) of your bionic augmentations the chil- Keep in mind that this augmentation alters your body and not
dren will inherit. your cybernetics or gear. If you want inanimate objects to be as
malleable as the rest of you, they must possess the Stretch Fiber
[+1] PROTECTED UTERUS property (p. XX).
Your uterus is enhanced to be more resilient and protected.
[–1] STRAIN
Prerequisites: Enhanced Sex Organs.
Your flesh-flex augmentation has been compromised by your im-
Aspects: Internal (if cybernetic, this adds +2 to Security Rank mune system and not been able to fully take over your body. This
against wireless effects). makes stretching your body a taxing experience.
Effects: Suffering physical harm bears little risk to the child’s
health when pregnant, and you may even engage in toxic vices Prerequisites: Flesh-Flex.
such as alcohol and drug use without negative impact on it. Effects: You take a Stress every time you use this augmentation
to change your form.
[+1 TO +2] QUICKENED GESTATION
Your womb is highly nutritious, aiding your child’s gestation by [+1 OR +2] FACELESS
quickening its growth. You can make subtle alterations to your body at will.

Prerequisites: Protected Uterus (see above). Prerequisites: Flesh-Flex.

Effects: At +1 Cost, reduce the pregnancy time from months Effects: You can reduce or increase your overall size by up to
to weeks. At +2 Cost, reduce it to days instead. By spending a 20%, changing tones and textures, and other physical details.
Charge (bionic) or making a Power roll (cybernetic), it takes You can disguise your appearance without tools or materials. If
hours instead of days. you acquire this upgrade at +2 Cost, you can accurately emu-
late new physical features, like the sexual characteristics of the
[+2] GESTATE CLONE person you disguise yourself as.
You may gestate a clone within yourself, have it grow at an in-
creased rate, and give it your personality and memories. [+1 OR +2] IMPACT RESISTANT
Your flexible body is more resistant to blunt force trauma.
Prerequisites: Protected Uterus (see above).
Effects: Once per significant milestone, you may choose to Prerequisites: Flesh-Flex.
produce and gestate a clone of yourself as if carrying a child Effects: You gain a +2 (+1 Cost) or +4 (+2 Cost) bonus to Nat-
through pregnancy. Once birthed, you may choose to have it ural Soak against Blunt Harm.
grow at an increased rate, developing a year per day until it
reaches a desired age. You may also choose to give it your per- [+1 TO +3] BLOWFISH
sonality and memories. By spending a Charge (bionic) or mak- You can expand your body into a larger form, similar to a balloon
ing a Power roll (cybernetic), you may accelerate the post-birth that fills with air.
growth rate to a year per hour instead of day.
Prerequisites: Flesh-Flex.
Finally, upon your death, you may choose to instantly produce
Effects: You can spend a Charge or take on a Stress to expand
a clone of yourself that will grow into adulthood within min-
your body into a Large Frame (+1 Cost), a Huge Frame (+2
utes instead of weeks. It may have your bionic augmentations,
Cost), or a Colossal Frame (+3 Cost). You can hold this new

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CHAPTER 6: AUGMENTATIONS

form indefinitely, or change back at your discretion.

[+1 TO +3] SQUEEZER

You can compress your body into a smaller form, either to
squeeze through small openings or to withhold that form.

Prerequisites: Flesh-Flex.
Effects: You can spend a Charge or take on a Stress to com-
press your body into a Small Frame (+1 Cost), a Tiny Frame
(+2 Cost), or a Miniscule Frame (+3 Cost). You can hold this
new form indefinitely, or change back at your discretion.

[+1 TO +4] CONTORTIONIST

By stretching and flexing your body, you can twist and turn your-
self into odd positions.

Prerequisites: Flesh-Flex.
Effects: Whenever you use Acrobatics or Larceny to contort
your body in an unnatural way, such as through an acrobatic
feat, to wiggle out of ropes, or to escape a grapple, you benefit
from a +1 to +4 bonus to the roll, depending on how much you
spend on this upgrade.

[+2] MOLD WEAPON

You can turn your limbs into inhuman shapes, emulating that of
tools or deadly weapons.

Prerequisites: Flesh-Flex.
Effects: You can turn one or more of your limbs into mundane
non-electronic melee weapons or tools as a free action (p. XX).
The weapon cannot have a Cost that exceeds the Cost of your
flesh-flex augmentation. If you turn multiple limbs into weap-
ons, this limitation applies to their combined Cost.

[1] GILLS

You have gills that keep you alive underwater. They can be ac-
quired as either bionic or cybernetic variants, with the former
altering your DNA to grow functional gills, and the latter being
an artificial implant.

Type: Bionic or Cybernetic.

Aspects: Gills; Electronic (Cybernetic-only).
Security (Cybernetic-only): Average (+1) Scale 1; Power (Cy-
bernetic-only): 6. You may choose to increase Security or re-
duce Power as if it were an electronic asset (p. XX).
Effects: You can “breathe” underwater.

[+1] CONCEALED
Your gills are nearly perfectly concealed upon your body.

Prerequisites: Gills.
Effects: Your gills are perfectly concealed from anything but
close physical inspection by someone with at least Good (+3)
Scale 1 in Education or Treatment.

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[+1] FILTER [+1] ABSEIL
Your gills filter out dangerous toxins. You may shoot a silken projectile to protect yourself from falling
or to abseil down a greater height.
Prerequisites: Gills.
Effects: Your gills protect you from water-based bio hazards (p. Prerequisites: Spinnerets.
XX), like toxins. You can still be affected by them if you ingest Effects: Whenever you initiate a fall or plan to descend from a
or inhale them through your mouth or nose. height, you can choose to use your spinnerets to create a silken
line to aid you. This line can help you descend a number of
[+1 OR +2] COLANDER zones equal to the total Cost of your spinnerets augmentation.
Your gills absorb certain nutrients from the water around it. If you also have the silken projectile upgrade (see below), you
may add its Range to the number of zones you can descend.
Prerequisites: Gills.
Effects: Spending a scene submerged in water may substitute a [+1] PROTECTIVE WEB
meal of nourishment, at your discretion. At +2 Cost, this also You can protect others from dangerous hazards by firing silken
works while exposed to air. projectiles at them or in their path.

Prerequisites: Abseil (see above); Silken Projectile (see below).

Effects: You may use the abseil upgrade on behalf of others at
[1] SPINNERETS
the range of your silken projectiles. You may also do so, not only
to abseil, but to keep them from walking into danger that they
This agumentation gives you spinnerets that can be either bion-
may have oblivious to.
ic or cybernetic in design. Exactly where they are located varies
from individual to individual, but those in possession of them
find weaving silk as easy as producing saliva. While more com- [+1 OR +2] SILK SWINGER
mon in some chimeras, this augmentation has also proven use- You may project wires of web to help you traverse an environ-
ful for survivalists, artisans, and hitmen. ment more easily.

Type: Bionic or Cybernetic. Prerequisites: Abseil (see above).

Aspects: Spinnerets; Electronic (Cybernetic-only). Effects: By using your silk to scale heights, brave terrain, or
Security (Cybernetic-only): Average (+1) Scale 1; Power (Cy- swing across buildings, you gain a free invocation to Acro-
bernetic-only): 6. You may choose to increase Security or re- batics rolls doing so. If you get this upgrade at +2 Cost, your
duce Power as if it were an electronic asset (p. XX). movement speed when using silk to traverse terrain is treated
as if your Athletics Scale is one higher, to maximum Scale 8.
Dose (Bionic-only): 5. You may choose to reduce this to 3 for
–1 Cost or to 1 for –2 Cost.
[+1 TO +7] SILKEN PROJECTILE
Effects: Make a Dose roll (bionic) or a Power roll (cybernetic) You may fire silken projectiles as a weapon in combat.
to create silk using your spinnerets.You can use the silk as a re-
agent for inventions, traps, intricate webs, and more. You could Prerequisites: Spinnerets.
also use it to create advantages in various scenarios.
Effects: You may use Ranged Combat to fire a silk projectile at
If you have a bionic variant and runs out of silk, you need to a target. This also allows you to create advantages at range us-
consume a meal of nourishment and wait one (Dose 1), three ing your silk. At +1 Cost, it inflicts Projectile Harm 0 at Range
(Dose 3), or five (Dose 5) hours before you can use it again. 0. You may increase Projectile Harm to 1 for +1 Cost or 2 for
+2 Cost. You may also increase Range to 1 for +1 Cost, 2 for +2
Cost, 3 for +3 Cost, or 4 for +4 Cost.
[–1] HIGH CONSUMPTION
Your spinnerets cannot produce silk at full capacity.

Prerequisites: Spinnerets. [1] TENTACLE

Effects: When your spinnerets force a Dose or Power roll, roll
two dice instead of one, and use the worse result. You cannot This augmentation replaces one of your limbs with a bionic or
acquire this upgrade if you have Dose 1. cybernetic tentacle. It’s most commonly seen in some mutants
and chimeras, and rarely as fashion or everday utility. Howev-
er, the use of tentacles isn’t to be underestimated, and there are
[–1] STRAIN bio- and cybertechnicians in most metropolises offering this
Your spinnerets aren’t optimized for your body and requires un- augmentation as part of their portfolios.
necessary strain to work.
To get an extra tentacle in addition to your normal limbs, you
Prerequisites: Spinnerets (Bionic). must acquire the extra limb augmentation (p. XX).
Effects: You take a Stress every time you use this augmentation
to create silk. Type: Bionic or Cybernetic.

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 CHAPTER 6: AUGMENTATIONS

Aspects: Tentacle; Electronic (Cybernetic-only); Detachable [+1] DEXTEROUS TENTACLE

(Cybernetic-only). You have precise control over your tentacle.
Security (Cybernetic-only): Average (+1) Scale 1; Power (Cy- Prerequisites: Tentacle.
bernetic-only): 6. You may choose to increase Security or re-
duce Power as if it were an electronic asset (p. XX). Effects: Your tentacle may perform actions that require com-
plex finger work.
Effects: One of your limbs is replaced with a tentacle. This pre-
vents you from using that limb for actions that require precise
dexterity. However, you gain two free invocations to any Skill [+2] CRUSHING GRIP
roll where you grapple or hold onto someone or something. Your tentacle’s gripping strength is beyond words.

If you’re wearing encasing armor (p. XX), it must be fitted to Prerequisites: Tentacle.
accommodate your tentacle. This is not the case for a cyber- Effects: Whenever you use your tentacle to grapple (p. XX) a
netic tentacle which can be exposed to certain hazards without target, you may choose to make a free Close Combat attack
suffering harm (though the armor must be fitted appropriate- with Blunt Harm against that target every round in which they
ly). If a cybernetic tentacle is Depleted, it ceases to work. remain Grappled. The target defends against those attacks us-
ing either Athletics, Close Combat, or Fortitude.
[–1] ANCHORED
Your cybernetic tentacle is firmly fixed to your body structure,
making removing it impossible without surgery. [1 OR 2] ENHANCED BRAIN
Prerequisites: Tentacle (Cybernetic). This augmentation enhances your brain’s processing power in
Effects: Your tentacle is no longer Detachable. some form. If bionic, it could be improved neural patterns, en-
hanced or new hormones, or simply a larger and better brain. If
cybernetic, it can be in the form of a neural chip, artificial neu-
[–1] HIGH CONSUMPTION
ral pathways, or nanites that enhance your brain cells.
Your cybernetic tentacle is poorly calibrated and drains more
power than it needs to.
Type: Bionic or Cybernetic.
Prerequisites: Tentacle (Cybernetic). Aspects: Enhanced Brain; Electronic (Cybernetic-only); Inter-
nal.
Effects: When your tentacle forces a Power roll, roll two dice
instead of one, and use the worse result. Security (Cybernetic-only): Average (+1) Scale 1; Power (Cy-
bernetic-only): 6. You may choose to increase Security or re-
duce Power as if it were an electronic asset (p. XX).
[+1] BIO COATING
The cybernetic tentacle is coated in organic material made from Effects: You gain one (Cost 1) or two (Cost 2) free invocations
your own cells. It can fool even close inspection. on all Education and Investigation rolls made to absorb or pro-
cess information.
Prerequisites: Tentacle (Cybernetic).
If cybernetic, having your brain Depleted of energy causes it to
Effects: Unless the tentacle has obvious inorganic features, it
rely on your nanite physiology for base functions. It still acts
perfectly fools anything but special sensor types, like x-rays, or
like a normal brain, but you cannot access the augmentation’s
close inspection by someone with at least Good (+3) Scale 1 in
benefits until recharged.
Education or Treatment.

[–2] POTENTIAL FAILURE

[+1] BODY-POWERED
The augmentation lacks certain sustainability features and risk
The cybernetic tentacle is desgined to be fully operational even
complete brain death should something happen to it.
without access to electrical energy.
Prerequisites: Enhanced Brain (Cybernetic).
Prerequisites: Tentacle (Cybernetic).
Effects: When your augmentation is Depleted, your brain shuts
Effects: A Depleted cybernetic tentacle can still be used as an
down. You are Braindead until recharged.
ordinary tentacle, but it gains none of the augmentation’s ad-
ditional features.
[–1] HIGH CONSUMPTION
Your cybernetic brain enhancement is poorly calibrated and
[+1] LONG TENTACLE
drains more power than it needs to.
Your tentacle is exceptionally long.
Prerequisites: Enhanced Brain (Cybernetic).
Prerequisites: Tentacle.
Effects: When your enhanced brain forces a Power roll, roll
Effects: Your tentacle has the Long Reach Aspect (p. XX) with
two dice instead of one, and use the worse result.
one free invocation per scene.

240
[–1] INTEMPERATE MIND Effects: Your Education Scale increases by one (+2 Cost) or
Your increased thinking speed has made the rest of the world two (+4 Cost), to maximum Scale 8.
seemingly move in slow motion. This can cause you frustration,
as you find things to be dragging on unnecessarily.

Prerequisites: Enhanced Brain. [1 OR 2] CLAWS/FANGS

Aspects: Intemperate Mind.
This augmentation gives you sharp claws, fangs, or both. It’s a
Effects: You gain the Intemperate Mind Aspect. This can be trait commonly seen in chimeras and chaos mutants, but that is
compelled to express your frustration over things going slowly. somtimes an appealing fashion choice. Fangs in particular have
Sometimes when encountering people who seem to deliberate- never been the most practical weapon for humans, but it’s pop-
ly delay things or take up too much of your time, you could be ular with those who want a more intimidating look.
compelled to have a Hostile Attitude (p. XX) towards them, or
act in a way that makes them frustrated with you. Type: Bionic or Cybernetic.
Aspects: Claws/Fangs.
[+1] COMBAT BOOST
Effects: At Cost 1, your unarmed Close Combat attacks can
Your increased thinking speed gives you more time to process
deal +1 Sharp Harm. At Cost 2, they add +2 instead.
how to respond to imminent danger.
This augmentation is incompatible with most encasing armor
Prerequisites: Enhanced Brain.
(p. XX), unless built to accommodate. You may choose to add
Effects: You may apply the enhanced brain’s free invocation certain weapon properties (p. XX) as if they were upgrades,
to Awareness rolls made to detect imminent danger, such as a at Narrator discretion. The cybernetic version may even add
concealed or sudden attack, and to determine who initiates a electronics (p. XX). Should you have the cyberlimb augmen-
conflict (p. XX). tation (p. XX), you may choose to add this augmentation and
its upgrades as upgrades to your cyberlimb rather than as a
[+1] PSYCHOLOGICAL PROCESSING separate augmentation.
Your increased thinking speed allows you to more carefully ana-
lyze human behavior and expressions. [–1 TO +10] IMPROVED VENOM
Your venom glands have been enhanced to carry a much more
Prerequisites: Enhanced Brain. potent venom, but you have limited doses to use.
Effects: You may apply the enhanced brain’s free invocation to
Empathy rolls to read someone’s intentions, see through their Prerequisites: Venom Glands (see below).
deceptions, and to determine who initiates a conflict (p. XX). Dose: 5. You may reduce Dose to 3 for –1 Cost, or to 1 for –2
Cost.
[+2] UPON REFLECTION Effects: At +1 Cost, when having inflicted at least one Stress
Your thinking speed is fast enough to let you reflect upon and with an unarmed Close Combat attack, make a Dose roll to at-
consider most of the things you do, even during tense moments. tack the target again with Potency Average (+1) Scale 1 against
the target’s Fortitude, inflicting Poison Harm 0 upon success.
Prerequisites: Enhanced Brain.
Effects: You may perform a Skill roll improved by your en- For each +1 Cost beyond that, you may either increase Potency
hanced brain as a free action during contests and conflicts. Rank by two (to maximum Superb [+5]) or Scale by one (to
This effectively enables a processing or analysis action with- maximum 8), or you may increase Poison Harm by two (to
out impeding your other actions. You may choose the order in maximum 4).
which you perform these actions.
If bionic, your doses replenish naturally after gaining suste-
nance and waiting for one (Dose 1), three (Dose 3), or five
[+2 OR +4] ENHANCED ANALYTICS
(Dose 5) hours. If cybernetic, you must purchase the proper
Your enhanced brain’s processing powers are more consistent,
venom as an illegal asset with the same Cost as this upgrade, to
providing a permanent improvement to your analytical abilities.
minimum Cost 0. Alternatively, you may try to craft the venom
as a Larceny or Treatment invention. If you want to, you could
Prerequisites: Enhanced Brain.
also choose to purchase other toxins as well and integrate them
Effects: Your Investigation Scale increases by one (+2 Cost) or in your venom glands, but they cannot have a Cost value high-
two (+4 Cost), to maximum Scale 8. er than this upgrade’s, or they would be incompatible.

[+2 OR +4] ENHANCED RECALL [±0] VENOM GLANDS

Your enhanced brain’s processing powers allow you to more Your claws or fangs are connected to venom glands and can be
thoroughly absorb and recall information. used to inject poison. This is an illegal upgrade.
Prerequisites: Enhanced Brain. Prerequisites: Claws/Fangs.

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 CHAPTER 6: AUGMENTATIONS

Aspects: Illegal. cyberlimbs, these bonuses don’t stack. However, paired cy-
Effects: Your unarmed Close Combat attacks now also inflict berarms lets you treat your lifting capacity as if your Athletics
an equivalent Poison Harm. Scale is one higher. Paired cyberlegs lets you treat your move-
ment speed and jumping distances as if your Athletics Scale is
one higher. Some upgrades may rely on paired limbs to use;
[+1] RETRACTABLE
both cyberlimbs must then be equipped with those upgrades.
You may freely retract or protrude your claws or fangs into and
from your body.
[–1] ANCHORED
Prerequisites: Claws/Fangs. Your cyberlimb is anchored to your body structure, making re-
moving it impossible without surgery.
Effects: You can retract or eject your claws/fangs as a free ac-
tion. When retracted, they are impossible to see without close
Prerequisites: Cyberlimb.
inspection or special sensors. A cybernetic variant also makes
them Detachable. Effects: Your cyberlimb is no longer Detachable.

[+1 OR +2] VAMPIRES [–1] HIGH CONSUMPTION

Your claws or fangs are designed to absorb blood that it comes Your cyberlimb is poorly calibrated and drains more power than
into contact with, integrates the blood cells as your own, and uses it needs to.
them to clot your own wounds or otherwise sustain your body.
Prerequisites: Cyberlimb.
Prerequisites: Claws/Fangs. Effects: When your cyberlimb forces a Power roll, roll two dice
Effects: At +1 Cost, if you use your claws/fangs to inflict at instead of one, and use the worse result.
least one Stress using Sharp Harm upon a target that can bleed,
you replenish one of your own Stress boxes. [+1] BIO COATING
The cyberlimb is coated in organic material made from your own
At +2 Cost, you may also, once per minor milestone outside of skin cells. It can fool even close inspection.
a conflict, consume at least half a cup of fresh blood to replen-
ish your Stress boxes as if you had rested. This can substitute a Prerequisites: Cyberlimb.
meal of sustenance. Effects: Unless the cyberlimb has obvious inorganic features, it
perfectly fools anything but special sensor types, like x-rays, or
close inspection by someone with at least Good (+3) Scale 1 in
[1 OR 2] CYBERLIMB Education or Treatment.

Some who have suffered accidents that cause the loss of limbs [+1] BODY-POWERED
acquire cyberlimbs instead of new organic ones. If the cyberlimb The cyberlimb is desgined to be fully operational even without
is designed to enhance certain features, compensating support access to electrical energy.
structures are surgically implanted into surrounding tissue as
well to avoid crushing bones or rupturing muscles. All cyber- Prerequisites: Cyberlimb.
limbs can be easily detached from their sockets and replaced. Effects: A Depleted cyberlimb can still be used as if it were an
ordinary limb, but it gains none of the augmentation’s addi-
Type: Cybernetic. tional features.
Aspects: Cyberlimb; Electronic; Detachable.
Security: Average (+1) Scale 1; Power: 6. You may choose to [+1] POP-UP
increase Security or reduce Power as if it were an electronic The cyberlimb is fitted with a hidden compartment.
asset (p. XX).
Effects: A cyberlimb replaces a standard limb. It can be de- Prerequisites: Cyberlimb.
tached and replaced without having to visit a clinic; a detached Effects: The cyberlimb can conceal an item no larger than half
limb is treated as an asset (p. XX). If the limb is Depleted, it your limb in size, such as a light weapon. Once the compart-
cannot be used until charged. ment is closed, the item is impossible to detect without special
sensor types, such as x-rays. While you can open and close the
The cyberlimb adds +1 (Cost 1) or +2 (Cost 2) to your un- compartment at will, a hacker who bypasses the limb’s Security
armed Blunt Harm for Close Combat punches (arm) or kicks could lock the compartment in either a closed or opened state.
(leg). A cyberarm provides a +1 (Cost 1) or +2 (Cost 2) bonus
to rolls trying to maintain a grapple or avoid being disarmed. [+1 OR +2] HYDRAULIC RAMS
A cyberleg provides that bonus to rolls trying to maintain bal- The cyberlimb is fitted with hydraulic rams, allowing for tempo-
ance and avoid being knocked to the ground. rary increases in power.

Should you acquire this augmentation twice to have a pair of Prerequisites: Cyberlimb.

242
 Effects: By forcing a Power roll, you may add +2 (+1 Cost) or If cybernetic, having your circulation Depleted of energy caus-
+4 (+2 Cost) Harm to a Close Combat attack using the limb. es it to rely on your nanite physiology for base functions. It still
acts like a normal heart/circulatory system, but you cannot use
If you have this upgrade on paired cyberarms, you may force a the augmentation’s benefits until recharged.
Power roll to double (+1 Cost) or triple (+2 Cost) your lifting
capacity for a task. If you have it on paired cyberlegs, forcing [–1] HIGH CONSUMPTION
a Power roll may double (+1 Cost) or triple (+2 Cost) your Your cybernetic circulation is poorly calibrated and drains more
movement speed and jumping distances. If the exact values power than it needs to.
aren’t important for the Skill roll, such as in a contest against
an opponent, this could enable one (+1 Cost) or two (+2 Cost) Prerequisites: Enhanced Circulation (Cybernetic).
free invocations instead. Effects: When your cybernetic circulation forces a Power roll,
roll two dice instead of one, and use the worse result.

[1 OR 2] ENHANCED CIRCULATION [–1] POTENTIAL FAILURE

The cybernetic circulation lacks certain sustainability features
This augmentation alters your heart and/or circulatory system and risks complete heart failure should something happen to it.
by improving them or replacing them with cybernetic versions.
This is most commonly used as a medical augmentation, but is Prerequisites: Enhanced Circulation (Cybernetic).
occasionally acquired by those in high-risk environments, like Effects: When your circulation is Depleted, your heart stops,
laborers and soldiers, to keep their blood flow steady and safe. rendering you in critical condition. Unless recharged within
the scene, you die. This can be prolonged at Narrator discre-
Type: Bionic or Cybernetic. tion, such as by using CPR or cryogenic stasis.
Aspects: Enhanced Circulation; Electronic (Cybernetic-only);
Internal.
[+1] ENHANCED OXYGENATION
Security (Cybernetic-only): Average (+1) Scale 1; Power (Cy- Your circulatory system absorbs more oxygen and distributes it
bernetic-only): 6. You may choose to increase Security or re- more effectively throughout your body.
duce Power as if it were an electronic asset (p. XX).
Effects: Your improved circulation enhances blood flow and Prerequisites: Enhanced Circulation.
prevents certain ailments, such as heart attacks or blood clots. Effects: The time you can hold your breath (p. XX) is doubled
You gain one (Cost 1) or two (Cost 2) free invocations on Skill (this stacks with the bonus from enhanced respiration [p. XX]).
rolls where you test for endurance or try to remain calm. If you Whenever you need to make a resource roll (p. XX) to deter-
also have enhanced respiration (p. XX), the invocations stack. mine air supply, roll two dice and choose the better outcome.

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 CHAPTER 6: AUGMENTATIONS

[+1 OR +2] CARDIAC GUARDIAN Effects: A bomb explodes when your heart stops, such as when
The Cardiac Guardian (or Cardigan) is a heart upgrade capable you are killed. At +1 Cost, the explosion has Potency Average
of stimulating a heartbeat for when it doesn’t want to pump on (+1) Scale 1, Explosive Harm 0 (+2 against inanimate objects),
its own accord. and Range 0.
Prerequisites: Enhanced Circulation. For each extra +1 Cost, you may either increase Potency Rank
Effects: Once per significant milestone (+1 Cost) or once per by 2 (to maximum Superb [+5]), Potency Scale by one (to max-
minor milestone (+2 Cost), after having been taken out in a imum Scale 8), Explosive Harm by two (to maximum 4), or
physical conflict, you may choose to spend a Charge (bionic) Range by one (to maximum 4).
or force a Power roll (cybernetic) to reset all of your Stress and
get back into the fight. This cannot be used after a concession.
[1 OR 2] ENHANCED DIGESTION
[+1 OR +2] NUTRITIOUS BLOOD
Your blood contains additional nutrients that carry a multitude
This augmentation alters your esophagus, stomach, and/or in-
of health benefits.
testines by improving them or replacing them with cybernetic
versions. This is most commonly used as a medical augmenta-
Prerequisites: Enhanced Circulation.
tion, but is occasionally acquired by those afraid of potential
Aspects: Healthy Appearance (+2 Cost). contaminants, such as certain laborers and wastelanders.
Effects: At +1 Cost, consuming half a cup of your blood can
substitute a meal for another person (the blood loss is equiv- Type: Bionic or Cybernetic.
alent to suffering a Mild Physical Consequence). In addition, Aspects: Enhanced Digestion; Electronic (Cybernetic-only); In-
double the time you can go without nutrients. At +2 Cost, the ternal.
nutritious blood gives you a Healthy Appearance and halves
Security (Cybernetic-only): Average (+1) Scale 1; Power (Cy-
your aging rate, effectively doubling your lifespan.
bernetic-only): 6. You may choose to increase Security or re-
duce Power as if it were an electronic asset (p. XX).
[+1 TO +6] ENHANCED CLOTTING
Effects: You can live on half (Cost 1) or a quarter (Cost 2) of
Your circulatory system automatically detects open wounds and your normal food intake. In addition, you gain +2 (Cost 1) or
more efficiently clots them. Bleeding is rarely ever a problem. +4 (Cost 2) Natural Soak against ingested toxins.
Prerequisites: Enhanced Circulation.
If cybernetic, having your digestive system Depleted of energy
Effects: Mild (+1 Cost), Mild or Moderate (+2 Cost), Mild, causes it to rely on your nanite physiology for base functions.
Moderate, or Severe (+3 Cost) Physical Consequences caused It still acts like a normal digestive system, but you cannot use
by Projectile or Sharp Harm are automatically treated at the the augmentation’s benefits until recharged.
end of the scene. By doubling the Cost, the Consequences are
instead treated immediately, and removed by the scene’s end.
[–1] HIGH CONSUMPTION
The augmentation is poorly calibrated and drains more power
[+1 TO +14] HAZARDOUS BLOOD than it needs to.
Your blood is hazardous, containing either acidic or toxic prop-
erties. Prerequisites: Enhanced Digestion (Cybernetic).
Effects: When your augmentation forces a Power roll, roll two
Prerequisites: Enhanced Circulation.
dice instead of one, and use the worse result.
Effects: You may spend a Charge (bionic) or force a Power roll
(cybernetic) to turn your blood acidic or toxic (chosen when
[–1] POTENTIAL FAILURE
acquiring this upgrade). Should anyone that isn’t you come
The augmentation lacks certain sustainability features and risk
into contact with it, they suffer a hazard attack (p. XX) with
complete organ failure should something happen to it.
Potency Average (+1) Scale 1 (at +1 Cost) and either Acid or
Poison Harm 0.
Prerequisites: Enhanced Digestion (Cybernetic).
For each +1 Cost, you may increase Potency Rank by two (to Effects: When your augmentation is Depleted, your digestive
maximum Superb [+5]), Potency Scale by one (to maximum system fails to operate. This causes Digestive System Failure as a
8), or Harm by two (to maximum 4). Moderate Physical Consequence. If you don’t have an available
slot, you may suffer a higher Physical Consequence if possible,
[+1 TO +16] COLLATERAL X
or risk critical condition or death.
Collateral X embeds an explosive charge within your heart. Once
your heart stops, the charge detonates. [+1] CONTROLLED HUNGER
You can control your sense of hunger, either intensifying it or
Prerequisites: Enhanced Circulation (Cybernetic). eliminating it completely.
Aspects: Illegal.

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 Prerequisites: Enhanced Digestion. If cybernetic, having your immune system Depleted of energy
Effects: You may ignore ill effects from being Hungry or Full, causes it to rely on your nanite physiology for base functions. It
though this does not remove the need to eat or the conse- still acts like a normal immune system, but you cannot use the
quences of over-eating. augmentation’s benefits until recharged.

[+1] DIGESTIVE RECYCLING [–1] HIGH CONSUMPTION

Your digestive system recycles everything into valuable nutri- The augmentation is poorly calibrated and drains more power
ents, minimizing or even removing waste product. than it needs to.

Prerequisites: Enhanced Digestion. Prerequisites: Enhanced Immune System (Cybernetic).

Effects: You can now go twice as long without having to eat. In Effects: When your augmentation forces a Power roll, roll two
addition, you produce little to no excrement because of your dice instead of one, and use the worse result.
efficient digestion. You can control how and when you excrete.
[–1] POTENTIAL FAILURE

[+1] SPACIOUS STOMACH

The augmentation lacks certain sustainability features and risks a
Your stomach is more elastic than what is normal, allowing you complete breakdown of your immune system should something
to fill it with much more food without being sick. happen to it.

Prerequisites: Enhanced Immune System (Cybernetic).

Prerequisites: Enhanced Digestion.
Effects: When your augmentation is Depleted, your immune
Effects: You can eat much more than a normal person without
system fails entirely. You suffer Compromised Immune System
being sick. This does not cause you to require additional sus-
as a Severe Physical Consequence. If you don’t have an avail-
tenance. However, should you eat more than what you need,
able slot, you may suffer an Extreme Physical Consequence if
your digestion will break it down gradually, allowing you to
possible, or risk critical condition or death.
wait for longer periods before you need to eat again.

[+1 OR +2] ENTROPIC RESILIENCE

[+1 OR +2] IRON STOMACH
Your enhanced immune system has an increased defense against
Your digestive system can break down anything.
entropy.
Prerequisites: Enhanced Digestion.
Prerequisites: Enhanced Immune System.
Effects: At +1 Cost, you can eat and digest anything without
Effects: You gain a +2 (+1 Cost) or +4 (+2 Cost) bonus to Nat-
ill effect, from molten gold to sharpened razorblades, with the
ural Soak against Entropic Harm.
exception of godware and other rare materials, at Narrator
discretion. At +2 Cost, you can gain nutrients from anything,
from poison to a rock. Even the most hazardous and toxic ma- [+1 OR +2] TOXIC RESILIENCE
terial can substitute a meal. Your enhanced immune system is even more defended against
unwanted toxins and ailments.

Prerequisites: Enhanced Immune System.

[1 OR 2] ENHANCED IMMUNE SY- Effects: You gain a +2 (+1 Cost) or +4 (+2 Cost) bonus to Nat-
STEM ural Soak against Poison Harm.

This augmentation alters your immune system, such as improv-

[+1 OR +2] RADIATION RESILIENCE
ing or replacing your lymphatic system or liver with cybernetic
Your enhanced immune system has been designed to fend off
versions, or enhancing your white blood cells with nanites. This
dangerous radiation.
is most commonly acquired as a medical augmentation, but is
also common by those who live or work in hazardous areas.
Prerequisites: Enhanced Immune System.
Type: Bionic or Cybernetic. Effects: You gain a +2 (+1 Cost) or +4 (+2 Cost) bonus to Nat-
ural Soak against Radiation Harm.
Aspects: Enhanced Immune System; Electronic (Cybernetic-
only); Internal.
[+1 TO +6] QUICK SYSTEM PURGE
Security (Cybernetic-only): Average (+1) Scale 1; Power (Cy-
Your enhanced immune system works quickly to get your body
bernetic-only): 6. You may choose to increase Security or re-
back into pristine condition.
duce Power as if it were an electronic asset (p. XX).
Effects: When suffering a Consequence caused by toxins, Prerequisites: Enhanced Immune System.
diseases, or Poison Harm, you mitigate two (Cost 1) or three
Effects: Mild (+1 Cost), Mild or Moderate (+2 Cost), Mild,
(Cost 2) additional Stress.
Moderate, or Severe (+3 Cost) Consequences caused by tox-

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ins, diseases, or Poison Harm are automatically treated at the Prerequisites: Enhanced Muscles.
end of the scene. By doubling the Cost, the Consequences are Effects: Your lifting capacity (p. XX) is doubled. When your
instead treated immediately, and removed by the scene’s end. lifting capacity is directly relevant for an Athletics roll, you
gain a free invocation to that roll.
[+2 OR +4] MUTATION IMMUNITY
Your enhanced immune system is able to detect the presence of [+1] STRONG LEAP
chanites and eradicate them. Your enhanced muscles allow for a stronger and further leap.

Prerequisites: Enhanced Immune System. Prerequisites: Enhanced Muscles.

Effects: Your body and augmentations cannot be mutated by Effects: Your jumping distances (p. XX) are doubled. When
either chanites or Bio Coding from sources with a Scale lower your jumping distance is directly relevant for an Athletics roll,
than this augmentation’s Cost. Each immunity has a +2 Cost, you gain a free invocation to that roll.
for a total +4 Cost for both.
[+2] HARDENED MUSCLES
It is not only your physical strength that has improved, but your
[1 OR 2] ENHANCED MUSCLES resilience as well.

This augmentation either enhances or replaces your muscle Prerequisites: Enhanced Muscles.
fibers by making them stronger and more durable. A bionic Effects: Your Scale increase also applies to Fortitude. However,
variant could simply mean more muscle mass or new muscles you also gain an additional effect based on augmentation type.
entirely, while a cybernetic variant replaces or enhances your
muscles with synthetic components. • Bionic: The prerequisite’s mass increase is doubled. You
must now eat something every hour or suffer a Stress.
Type: Bionic or Cybernetic. • Cybernetic: To treat one of your Physical Consequenc-
Aspects: Enhanced Muscles. es, one must first overcome a Hurdle (p. XX).
Effects: Your Athletics Scale is increased by one (Cost 1) or two
(Cost 2), to maximum 8. You also gain additional effects based [+3] MONSTER
on which type of enhanced muscle augmentation you choose: Your massive muscles have enlarged your body to a point where
you are closer in size to a bear than a human. This isn’t always a
• Bionic: Your mass is increased by about 25% (Cost 1) good thing, though, as you may have a hard time doing everyday
or 50% (Cost 2). You need twice (Cost 1) or four times (Cost 2) things, like being passenger in a vehicle or finding clothes that fit.
the normal food intake every day.
• Cybernetic: Your body is considered an inanimate ob- Prerequisites: Hardened Muscles (Bionic).
ject for the purpose of the Demolition property (p. XX). In ad- Effects: You gain the Large Frame Aspect. This increases your
dition, Physical Consequences that affect your muscles require Athletics but not Fortitude Scale by one more (to maximum 8),
Engineering to treat. enables the use of Siege I weapons (p. XX), and gives you one
extra Mild Physical Consequence slot.
[–1] SLUGGISH
You may be larger and stronger than before, but carrying around In addition, if you have augmented natural weapons, like the
such a heavy body comes at a price. claws/fangs augmentation (p. XX), those become Siege I weap-
ons (p. XX) due to your larger size.
Prerequisites: Enhanced Muscles.
Effects: The increased Athletics Scale from this augmentation Finally, if you have both this upgrade and the carapace upgrade
doesn’t apply to movement and jumping speed. For those types brute (p. XX), you gain the Huge Frame Aspect instead. This
of actions, refer to an unmodified Athletics Scale. enables the use of Siege II weapons (p. XX) and gives you an
extra Moderate Physical Consequence slot. The Scale bonuses
do not stack between the two upgrades.
[+1] LONG STRIDE
Your enhanced muscles allow for a longer and faster stride.

Prerequisites: Enhanced Muscles. [1 OR 2] ENHANCED NERVOUS

Effects: Your movement speed (p. XX) is doubled. When your SYSTEM
movement speed is directly relevant for an Athletics roll, you
gain a free invocation to that roll. This augmentation alters your nervous system, such as making
it more efficient or by implanting cybernetic components to
[+1] MULE
redirect electrical impulses and speed up reaction time. While
Your enhanced muscles let you carry heavier loads. designed to be a medical augmentation, it is commonly used by
military, athletes, and laborers in high-risk environments.

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 [+1] PAINFUL BOOST
Type: Bionic or Cybernetic.
An enhanced nervous system is demanding to use. This ugprade
Aspects: Enhanced Nervous System; Electronic (Cybernetic- lets you bypass normal restrictions by gritting through the pain.
only); Internal.
Security (Cybernetic-only): Average (+1) Scale 1; Power (Cy- Prerequisites: Enhanced Nervous System (Bionic).
bernetic-only): 6. You may choose to increase Security or re- Effects: You may choose to take on a Stress instead of spending
duce Power as if it were an electronic asset (p. XX). a Charge for the purpose of this augmentation.
Effects: You may spend a Charge (bionic) or make a Power roll
(cybernetic) to assert when you want to take your turn during [+2 OR +4] EXPLOSIVE REACTION
a conflict. In addition, you gain one (Cost 1) or two (Cost 2) Your body has adapted better to your enhanced reaction time.
free invocations on Skill rolls where you test for reaction speed,
such as Awareness when trying to notice a surprise attack or Prerequisites: Enhanced Nervous System.
Acrobatics to evade a projectile.
Effects: Your Acrobatics Scale increases by one (+2 Cost) or
If cybernetic, having your nervous system Depleted of energy two (+4 Cost).
causes it to rely on your nanite physiology for base functions. It
still acts like a normal nervous system, but you cannot use the [+3] QUICKSILVER MURDERER
augmentation’s benefits until recharged. Your increased reaction time can now be focused offensively.

Prerequisites: Explosive Reaction (see above).

[–1] HIGH CONSUMPTION
The augmentation is poorly calibrated and drains more power Effects: The bonus to Acrobatics Scale now also applies to your
than it needs to. Close Combat Scale.

Prerequisites: Enhanced Nervous System (Cybernetic). You can choose to spend a Charge (bionic) or make a Power
Effects: When your augmentation forces a Power roll, roll two roll (cybernetic) to make your attack Quickened. This makes
dice instead of one, and use the worse result. it only noticeable to someone with special traits that let them
process information quickly, or if they have an Awareness Scale
equal to or higher than this augmentation’s Cost.
[–1] POTENTIAL FAILURE
The augmentation lacks certain sustainability features and risks a
complete breakdown of your nervous system should something
happen to it. [1 OR 2] ENHANCED RESPIRATION

Prerequisites: Enhanced Nervous System (Cybernetic). This augmentation alters your respiratory system, such as im-
proving or replacing your larynx, trachea, and/or lungs with
Effects: When your augmentation is Depleted, your nervous
organic or cybernetic variants. This is most commonly acquired
system fails entirely. You can still breathe and your organs still
as a medical augmentation, but is also popularized by perform-
work, but you become Paralyzed until recharged.
ers and others who benefit from improved respiration and voice.

[+1] ACCELERATE Type: Bionic or Cybernetic.

Your enhanced nervous system lets you fully activate your entire
Aspects: Enhanced Respiration; Electronic (Cybernetic-only);
body quicker than the blink of an eye.
Internal.
Prerequisites: Enhanced Nervous System. Security (Cybernetic-only): Average (+1) Scale 1; Power (Cy-
bernetic-only): 6. You may choose to increase Security or re-
Effects: You may treat your movement speed as if you had +1
duce Power as if it were an electronic asset (p. XX).
Scale in Athletics, to maximum Scale 8. By spending a Charge
(bionic) or making a Power roll (cybernetic), you may treat it Effects: You can inhale and hold more oxygen, doubling the
as +2 Scale for a single Skill roll. time you can hold your breath (p. XX), and giving you one
(Cost 1) or two (Cost 2) free invocations on endurance tests.
This stacks with the free invocations granted by enhanced cir-
[+1] IGNORE PAIN
culation (p. XX).
Your enhanced nervous system can block out pain, though it
doesn’t help you to prevent injury.
If cybernetic, having your respiratory system Depleted of en-
ergy causes it to rely on your nanite physiology for base func-
Prerequisites: Enhanced Nervous System.
tions. It still acts like a normal respiratory system, but you can-
Effects: After having suffered a Physical Consequence, you not use the augmentation’s benefits until recharged.
may spend a Charge (bionic) or make a Power roll (cybernet-
ic) to ignore its impact for the duration of a single task (such
[–1] HIGH CONSUMPTION
as running away from danger, making an attack, or holding a
The augmentation is poorly calibrated and drains more power
door), or to ignore someone’s efforts to invoke it against you.
than it needs to.

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CHAPTER 6: AUGMENTATIONS

Prerequisites: Enhanced Respiration (Cybernetic).

Effects: When your augmentation forces a Power roll, roll two
dice instead of one, and use the worse result.

[–1] POTENTIAL FAILURE

The augmentation lacks certain sustainability features and risk
complete respiratory failure should something happen to it.

Prerequisites: Enhanced Respiration (Cybernetic).

Effects: When your augmentation is Depleted, your respiratory
system fails to operate. This causes you to suffocate, and pre-
vents you from speaking until recharged.

[+1] ENHANCED TRACHEA

You have an enhanced trachea that protects your throat from be-
ing damaged.

Prerequisites: Enhanced Respiration.

Effects: You cannot be choked, strangled, or have things stuck
in your throat. You don’t have a gag reflex, or suffer Stress from
related situations, like becoming host to a sea lung (p. XX).

[+1 OR +2] ENHANCED LARYNX

You have an enhanced larynx that gives you control over your
pitch and volume.

Prerequisites: Enhanced Respiration.

Effects: By spending a Charge (bionic) or making a Power roll
(cybernetic), you may amplify your voice like a megaphone. In
addition, at +1 Cost, you gain a free invocation per scene to a
Performance roll used for singing or voice work. At +2 Cost,
you gain the invocation to all such rolls.

[+1 OR +2] LUNG CAPACITY

You have an increased lung capacity, allowing you to hold more
air in your lungs and be much less likely to get out of breath.

Prerequisites: Enhanced Trachea (see above).

Effects: You can hold your breath as if your Fortitude Scale was
one (+1 Cost) or two (+2 Cost) higher, to maximum Scale 8. In
addition, you gain one (+1 Cost) or two (+2 Cost) additional
Stress boxes.

[+1 OR +2] SERPENT JAW

If you have an enhanced trachea, you may combine it with an
augmented jaw. This adds external elements to the augmenta-
tion, but allows you to unhinge your jaw and swallow things
much too large for ordinary people.

Prerequisites: Enhanced Trachea (see above).

Effects: At +1 Cost, you can unhinge your jaw like a snake,
allowing you to swallow things as thick as the width of your
skull. At +2 Cost, you may hold an object within your throat
and chest without it affecting your speech, respiration, or di-
gestion. You can hold it there indefinitely, or until you proceed
to swallow it or spit it out.

248
[+1 TO +8] BANSHEE Prerequisites: Enhanced Skeleton.
You can scream loud enough to shatter glass, rupture eardrums,
and hurl objects. Effects: You gain a +2 (+1 Cost) or +4 (+2 Cost) bonus to Nat-
ural Soak against Blunt Harm.
Prerequisites: Enhanced Larynx (see above).
[+1 TO +6] MENDING BONES
Effects: When using enhanced larynx to amplify your voice,
you may choose to make a sonic attack using either Fortitude Your enhanced skeleton mends its own fractures much faster
or Ranged Combat. The +1 Cost variant inflicts Sonic Harm 0 than a normal skeleton would.
at Range 0. Suggested Consequences include Ear Barotrauma
Prerequisites: Enhanced Skeleton.
(Mild), Tinnitus (Moderate), Ruptured Eardrum (Severe), or
Deaf (Extreme). Effects: Mild (+1 Cost), Mild or Moderate (+2 Cost), Mild,
Moderate, or Severe (+3 Cost) Physical Consequences caused
For each +1 Cost, you may increase Harm by two (to maximum by Blunt Harm are automatically treated at the end of the scene.
4) or Range by one (to maximum 4). You may even choose to By doubling the Cost, the Consequences are instead treated
add the smashing property (p. XX) if you so desire, allowing immediately, and removed by the scene’s end.
you to knock targets back or prone by using your voice.
[+1 TO +8] BONE SPIKE
You may control the growth of your bones at a limited degree,
[1 OR 2] ENHANCED SKELETON allowing you to push a sharpened bone through your own arm
to use as a weapon in combat. If you have a cybernetic version,
This augmentation either enhances or replaces your entire skele- the spike doesn’t grow from your bone, but is embedded next to
ton. It is popular with fighters, soldiers, and laborers. it, emerging through muscle contraction.

Type: Bionic or Cybernetic. Prerequisites: Enhanced Skeleton.

Aspects: Enhanced Skeleton. Effects: Take a Stress to grow a bone spike out of your arm
that last for as long as you want it to. It does not cause Stress to
Effects: Add +1 (Cost 1) or +2 (Cost 2) Harm to your unarmed retract it. This bone spike lets you inflict Sharp Harm with the
Close Combat attacks, and +1 (Cost 1) or +2 (Cost 2) to your augmentation’s Harm bonus, and it ignores one Soak. For each
Natural Soak against Blunt Harm. However, your body weight +1 Cost added, it ignores one additional Soak, to maximum
is increased by 25% (Cost 1) or 50% (Cost 2). eight Soak at +8 Cost.

[–1 TO +5] BONE PROJECTILE

[+2] SPIKY DEFENSE
You can eject your bone spikes with more force, shooting them as You can now grow bone spikes from other parts of your body as
projectiles over a distance. a defensive measure.
Prerequisites: Bone Spike (see below). Prerequisites: Bone Spike (see above).
Effects: You may eject your bone spike as a projectile. This uses Effects: Whenever you are the target of a Close Combat at-
Ranged Combat and causes Projectile Harm with reinforced tack without the Long Reach Aspect, you may choose to take
skeleton’s harm bonus, at Range 0 (+1 Cost), 1 (+2 Cost), 2 (+3 a Stress to make an immediate Close Combat counterattack
Cost), 3 (+4 Cost), or 4 (+5 Cost). You also have Ammo 6, but using bone spike, having it emerge elsewhere from your body.
can choose to reduce it to 4 for –1 Cost, or to 2 for –2 Cost.

You only need to take a Stress for the first attack. If your en-
hanced skeleton is bionic, you reload your bone projectiles by [1 OR 2] PHEROMONES
taking another Stress. If cybernetic, you can purchase addition-
al projectiles and reload like you would any ranged weapon. You can emit pheromones that trigger social and behavioral re-
sponses in others. It is most commonly acquired by executives
eager to manipulate their peers in board room meetings, pick-
[+1 OR +2] SMASH MITIGATION
up artists wanting to attract one-night-stands, but also socialites
Much more force is needed to break through your bones. aiming to deceive rivals. This can be a very dangerous and effec-
tive weapon in some people’s hands.
Prerequisites: Enhanced Skeleton.
Effects: When taking on a Physical Consequence caused by Type: Bionic or Cybernetic.
Blunt Harm, you may mitigate two (+1 Cost) or four (+2 Cost) Aspects: Pheromones; Electronic (Cybernetic-only).
additional Stress.
Security (Cybernetic-only): Average (+1) Scale 1; Power (Cy-
bernetic-only): 6. You may choose to increase Security or re-
[+1 OR +2] SMASH RESILIENCE duce Power as if it were an electronic asset (p. XX).
Your hardened bones gives you a strong protection against blunt-
Effects: You emit pheromones in your zone (Cost 1) or out to
force trauma.
neighboring zone (Cost 2). After spending a Charge (bionic)

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 CHAPTER 6: AUGMENTATIONS

or making a Power roll (cybernetic), your pheromones turn much use in their new limb.
into an inhaled toxin with a Potency equal to your Style. This
does not inflict Stress, but can be defended against like other Type: Bionic or Cybernetic.
inhaled toxins. Aspects: Tail; Electronic (Cybernetic-only); Detachable (Cy-
bernetic-only).
People who fail to defend have an improved Attitude (p. XX) Security (Cybernetic-only): Average (+1) Scale 1; Power (Cy-
towards you; a Hostile Attitude becomes Neutral and a Neutral bernetic-only): 6. You may choose to increase Security or re-
Attitude becomes Friendly. If someone already has a Friendly duce Power as if it were an electronic asset (p. XX).
Attitude towards you, you gain a social Boost to use against
Effects: At Cost 1, your tail is helpful in stabilizing you, adding
them. This does not work on those with contesting Character
a free invocation to Acrobatics rolls for the purpose of main-
Aspects or those whom you are directly hostile towards. Nei-
taining balance. At Cost 2, it is also prehensile and can be used
ther does it work on those who are incapable of smelling you.
to hold and manipulate objects.
This augmentation cannot be combined with encasing armor If you’re wearing encasing armor (p. XX), the tail needs to be
(p. XX) unless equipped with either Trick Fiber (p. XX) or add- tucked inside to benefit from the extra protection. This is not
ed exhaust vents as a +1 Cost property or a Cost 2 attachment. the case for a cybernetic tail which can be exposed to certain
hazards without causing harm, though the armor must be fit-
[–1] HIGH CONSUMPTION ted to accommodate it. If it is Depleted, it ceases to work.
Your cybernetic pheromones are poorly calibrated and drain
more power than they need to. [–1] ANCHORED
Your cybernetic tail is anchored to your body structure, making
Prerequisites: Pheromones (Cybernetic). removing it impossible without surgery.
Effects: When your pheromones force a Power roll, roll two
dice instead of one, and use the worse result. Prerequisites: Tail (Cybernetic).
Effects: Your tail is no longer Detachable.
[+1] SOOTHING SCENT
Your pheromones are strong enough to not only affect humans, [–1] HIGH CONSUMPTION
but all living things. Your cybernetic tail is poorly calibrated and drains more power
than it needs to.
Prerequisites: Pheromones.
Effects: Your pheromones now work on all organic creatures Prerequisites: Tail (Cybernetic).
capable of smell, and not just on humans. Effects: When your tail forces a Power roll, roll two dice in-
stead of one, and use the worse result.
[+1 TO +4] TOXIC SCENT
Your pheromones may take on deadly properties, poisoning tar- [–1 TO +10] IMPROVED VENOM
gets through their lungs. Your venomouos stinger has been enhanced to carry a much
more potent venom, but you have limited doses to use.
Prerequisites: Pheromones.
Effects: When turning your pheromones into a toxin, you may Prerequisites: Venomous Stringer (see below).
choose to make it dangerous to creatures that inhale it instead Dose: 5. You may reduce Dose to 3 for –1 Cost, or to 1 for –2
of giving it the normal beneficial properties. It now inflicts Poi- Cost.
son Harm 0 (+1 Cost), 2 (+2 Cost), or 4 (+3 Cost) to everyone
Effects: At +1 Cost, when having inflicted at least one Stress
who fails their defend roll. For another +1 Cost, you may add
with a stinger attack, make a Dose roll to attack the target again
the Diseased property (p. XX) to this upgrade.
with Potency Average (+1) Scale 1 against the target’s Forti-
tude, inflicting Poison Harm 0 upon success.
If bionic, you are immune to your own toxin. If cybernetic, you
are not immune to the toxin, but you may choose to substitute For each +1 Cost beyond that, you may either increase Potency
it for another toxin with a Cost no higher than this augmenta- Rank by two (to maximum Superb [+5]) or Scale by one (to
tion’s total Cost. If using another toxin than your innate one, maximum 8), or you may increase Poison Harm by two (to
you also use the Potency of the alternative one. maximum 4).

If bionic, your doses replenish naturally after gaining suste-

[1 OR 2] TAIL nance and waiting for one (Dose 1), three (Dose 3), or five
(Dose 5) hours. If cybernetic, you must purchase the proper
Tails are popular fashion statements most commonly seen in venom as an illegal asset with the same Cost as this upgrade, to
chimeras with traits taking after certain animals, but they’re also minimum Cost 0. Alternatively, you may try to craft the venom
commonly adopted by markets that fetishize such traits. Few as a Larceny or Treatment invention. If you want to, you could
people implant tails for practical purposes, but those who do find also choose to purchase other toxins as well and integrate them

250
 in your venom glands, but they cannot have a Cost value high- Prerequisites: [2] Tail.
er than this upgrade’s, or they would be incompatible. Effects: Your prehensile tail can be used to make unarmed
Close Combat attacks dealing Sharp Harm. For every addi-
[±0] VENOMOUS STINGER tional +1 Cost added, your tail attack may ignore one Soak, to
Your stinger contains venom. This is an illegal upgrade. maximum eight Soak at +9 Cost.

Prerequisites: Stinger (see next page). [+2 OR +3] QUICK STING

Aspects: Illegal. Your tail reaction speed is quick and deadly, letting you launch
Effects: Your stinger attacks now also inflict Poison Harm. attacks independently of your other efforts.

Prerequisites: Stinger (see above).

[+1] BIO COATING
The cybernetic tail is coated in organic material made from your Effects: At +2 Cost, you can make a stinger attack as a free
own cells. It can fool even close inspection. action on your turn. At +3 Cost, these attacks are Quickened,
making them near-invisible to ordinary senses. This can be
Prerequisites: Tail (Cybernetic). defended against by special traits, advantages, or having a rel-
evant Scale equal to or higher than this augmentation’s Cost.
Effects: Unless the tail has obvious inorganic features, it per-
fectly fools anything but special sensor types, like x-rays, or
close inspection by someone with at least Good (+3) Scale 1 in
Education or Treatment. [1 OR 2] WALL CLIMBER

This augmentation enables you to climb vertical surfaces. A bi-

[+1] BODY-POWERED
onic variant could let you secrete an adhesive from your hands
The cybernetic tail is desgined to be fully operational even with-
and feet, while a cybernetic variant could have integrated mag-
out access to electrical energy.
nets or suction cups. It’s commonly seen in chimeras but can be
useful for certain athletes and daredevils.
Prerequisites: Tail (Cybernetic).
Effects: A Depleted cybernetic tail can still be used as a normal Type: Bionic or Cybernetic.
tail, making the augmentation’s Cost 1 effect still applicable.
Aspects: Wall Climber; Electronic (Cybernetic-only).
Security (Cybernetic-only): Average (+1) Scale 1; Power (Cy-
[+1] CONSTRICTOR TAIL
bernetic-only): 6. You may choose to increase Security or re-
Your prehensile tail is strong enough to grapple enemies. duce Power as if it were an electronic asset (p. XX).
Prerequisites: Tail. Effects: At Cost 1, you can move across any vertical surface
without effort, even if it otherwise wouldn’t be climbable. At
Effects: If your tail is free, you gain a free invocation on rolls
Cost 2, you can also move across upside-down horizontal sur-
to grapple (p. XX) a target of equal or smaller size. If you also
faces, letting you both crawl along a ceiling and remain sta-
have the long tail upgrade (see below), this works on targets
tionary upon it.
who are larger than you as well.
This augmentation is incompatible with encasing armor (p.
[+1] LONG TAIL XX) unless it has the Trick Fiber property (p. XX).
Your tail is exceptionally long.
[–1] HIGH CONSUMPTION
Prerequisites: Tail. Your cybernetic augmentation is poorly calibrated and drains
Effects: Your tail has the Long Reach Aspect (p. XX) with one more power than it needs to.
free invocation per scene.
Prerequisites: Wall Climber (Cybernetic).
[+1 TO +4] ARMORED TAIL Effects: When your wall climber forces a Power roll, roll two
Your tail has an extra layer of protection. dice instead of one, and use the worse result.

Prerequisites: Tail. [+1] IMMOVABLE

Effects: A bionic tail can be exposed through encasing armor Your wall climber augmentation allows you to attach yourself to
without harm, just like a cybernetic tail. Your tail can also be a surface you’re connected to, making it almost a part of you.
used as a shield (p. XX), letting you use Close Combat to defend
against even ranged attacks. It adds a +1 to +4 bonus (based on Prerequisites: Wall Climber.
this upgrade’s Cost) to your defend roll for that purpose. Effects: You may take a Stress (bionic) or make a Power roll
(cybernetic) to lock yourself to a surface you’re connected to.
[+1 TO +9] STINGER This makes it impossible to knock you out of balance or pull
Your tail has a sharpened edge that can be used to attack. you away from the surface without first cutting off your flesh.

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You can freely choose to release yourself from the surface. The object cannot be heavier than something you could ef-
fortlessly carry. If you’re in zero gravity, you can use this effect
This does not work on organic material unless it is a construc- to pull yourself towards a magnetic surface that is larger than
tion material, like wood. yourself.

[+1] LASTING ADHESIVE

Your adhesive remains potent for longer. [1 OR 2] WINGS
Prerequisites: Wall Climber (Bionic). Wings let people soar through the sky. The most common types
Effects: You can spend a Charge to coat another character in are more ungainly than some think they’re worth, laying folded
an adhesive, granting them the ability to use your basic wall upon a person’s back like a thick coat. More expensive variants
climber features for the scene. Alternatively, you can coat a can retract into less ungainly forms.
small object and stick it indefinitely to a surface.
Type: Bionic or Cybernetic.
[+1 OR +2] VERSATILE USE Aspects: Wings; Electronic (Cybernetic-only); Detachable (Cy-
Your wall climber sticks to other things than surfaces. bernetic-only).
Security (Cybernetic-only): Average (+1) Scale 1; Power (Cy-
Prerequisites: Wall Climber. bernetic-only): 6. You may choose to increase Security or re-
Effects: You gain one (+1 Cost) or two (+2 Cost) free invo- duce Power as if it were an electronic asset (p. XX).
cations to your Skill roll when contesting people who try to Effects: At Cost 1, you may use your wings to glide from high
escape your grapples, or when trying to avoid being disarmed altitudes. At Cost 2, they are functional wings that can be used
or pickpocketed. to fly freely, using your normal movement speed.

The wings cannot be used with encasing armor (p. XX). How-
[+1 TO +3] FUSE
ever, if cybernetic, the armor can be fitted to accommodate
You may fuse together with other surfaces, becoming one with
them. In addition, cybernetic wings can be detached and re-
them.
placed as easily as changing light bulbs. However, if they are
Prerequisites: Immovable (Bionic; see above). Depleted, they cease to work.
Effects: When using the prerequisite to attach yourself to a
[–1] ANCHORED
surface, you may choose to fuse with it instead. This makes
you and the surface a singular entity. You gain a single proper- Your cybernetic wings are anchored to your body, making re-
ty from the surface you fuse with, at the Narrator’s discretion, moving it impossible without surgery.
such as a bonus to Natural Soak if fusing with steel or giving
Prerequisites: Wings (Cybernetic).
your unarmed attacks Cryo Harm if fusing with ice.
Effects: Your wings are no longer Detachable.
However, you are rendered immobile on this surface, and may
suffer Stress if it is attacked. [–1] HIGH CONSUMPTION
Your cybernetic wings are poorly calibrated and drain more
At +2 Cost, you may submerge yourself fully in a surface larger power than they need to.
than yourself, hiding within it. You may use surfaces as cover
for the purpose of Stealth rolls. Keep in mind that you need Prerequisites: Wings (Cybernetic).
Trick Fiber (p. XX) on your gear and cybernetics to have them Effects: When your wings force a Power roll, roll two dice in-
submerge with you. stead of one, and use the worse result.

At +3 Cost, you are no longer immobile when fused with a

[+1] ACQUATIC FLIGHT
surface. You can submerge with it in one location and emerge
Your wings are designed to work under water.
from another, or move alongside it while remaining fused.
Prerequisites: [2] Wings.
[+1 TO +5] MAGNETIC TOUCH
Effects: You can use your wings under water.
Your augmentation enables extended magnetic control, allowing
you to stick magnetic objects to you or pull them from a distance.
[+1 OR +2] DISCREET
Prerequisites: Wall Climber (Cybernetic). When folded, your wings are compact enough to be hidden un-
der clothing.
Effects: You can stick magnetic objects to your body at will.
By making a Power roll, you can draw such an object towards
Prerequisites: Wings.
yourself at Range 0 (+1 Cost), 1 (+2 Cost), 2 (+3 Cost), 3 (+4
Cost), or 4 (+5 Cost). Effects: When folding your wings, they are packed tight against
your back, allowing you to hide them under clothing/armor.

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 At +2 Cost, they actually fold into your back, becoming in-
visible until unfolded. They can still be seen by x-rays, close
inspection, and other relevant sensors.

[+1 TO +3] TRAVELER

Your wings let you fly as fast as a plane.

Prerequisites: [2] Wings.

Effects: You may treat your movement speed when flying as if
your Athletics Scale is one (+1 Cost), two (+2 Cost), or three
(+3 Cost) higher, to maximum Scale 8.

[+2] SOLAR SAIL

Your cybernetic wings absorb solar radiation and transforms it
into power. In space, it can even help you accelerate.

Prerequisites: Wings (Cybernetic).

Effects: Your wings absorb ultraviolet radiation when exposed
to sunlight. This makes your wings into a power grid (p. XX). If
you have the Cost 1 version of the base augmentation, they are
now functional wings like with the Cost 2 version. In addition,
they can be used to navigate through a vacuum. If you have the
Cost 2 version, it doubles your effective movement speed when
using them, and gives you a free invocation on tests of speed.

[1 TO 3] ENHANCED HEARING

This augmentation vastly enhances the efficiency of your hear-

ing. Whether bionic or cybernetic in nature, the potency of your
auditory perception becomes supercharged, affecting what vi-
brations can be perceived and how they’re translated.

Type: Bionic or Cybernetic.

Aspects: Enhanced Hearing; Electronic (Cybernetic-only).
Security (Cybernetic-only): Average (+1) Scale 1; Power (Cy-
bernetic-only): 6. You may choose to increase Security or re-
duce Power as if it were an electronic asset (p. XX).
Effects: You gain a +1 (Cost 1), +2 (Cost 2), or +3 (Cost 3)
Scale bonus to hearing-based Awareness rolls. Should this bo-
nus exceed Scale 8, convert the threshold into free invocations.

If you have a cybernetic version of this augmentation, you can

connect it to a smart device to act like an audio device. You can
record audio and store it on a device or stream audio from the
device into your ears. In addition, when acquiring a cybernetic
version, you may choose to replace either one ear or both at no
change in Cost. If you replace one ear, you suffer the Uneven
Audio Aspect, but can still hear if the ear is sabotaged. If you
replace both ears, you don’t suffer the Aspect, but risk being
Deafened if your ears are sabotaged. If you have replaced both
ears, they are connected as a single augmentation, and hackers
only need to access one to manipulate both.

[–1] HIGH CONSUMPTION

Your cybernetic hearing is poorly calibrated and drains more
power than it needs to.

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 CHAPTER 6: AUGMENTATIONS

Prerequisites: Enhanced Hearing (Cybernetic). bernetic-only): 6. You may choose to increase Security or re-
Effects: When your enhanced hearing forces a Power roll, roll duce Power as if it were an electronic asset (p. XX).
two dice instead of one, and use the worse result. Effects: You gain a +1 (Cost 1), +2 (Cost 2), or +3 (Cost 3)
Scale bonus to smell and taste-based Awareness rolls. Should
[+1] FOCUS this bonus exceed Scale 8, convert the threshold into free in-
You have more control over how your ears approach different vocations.
sounds, letting you mute unbearable noises or focus in on barely
audible whispers. If you have a cybernetic version of this augmentation, you can
connect it to a smart device to help analyze certain smells and
Prerequisites: Enhanced Hearing. tastes. When acquiring a cybernetic version, you may choose
to augment either your sense of smell, your sense of taste, or
Effects: You can filter out certain sounds, mute them, or focus
both, at no change in Cost. If you augment taste only, the As-
in on them within your range of perception.
pect changes to Enhanced Taste, and if you augment smell only,
the Aspect changes to Enhanced Smell. If you augment both,
[+1] SENSOR you have the Aspect as is, but both are connected as a single
Your ears translate a rare form of sensory information into audi- augmentation. This means that you lose both smell and taste
tory data, such as radiowaves. should your cybernetics be sabotaged.

Prerequisites: Enhanced Hearing.

[–1] HIGH CONSUMPTION
Effects: You’re able to detect a rare sensor type and translate it Your cybernetic smell and taste are poorly calibrated and drain
into sound. This upgrade can be acquired multiple times, each more power than they need to.
providing a new sensory type. See page XX for more informa-
tion about sensors. Prerequisites: Enhanced Smell and Taste (Cybernetic).
Effects: When your enhanced smell and taste forces a Power
[+1] TELLING HEARTBEAT roll, roll two dice instead of one, and use the worse result.
By focusing your hearing on a target’s heartbeat and other bio-
logical impulses, your ears aid in your effort to figure them out.
[+1] BLOODHOUND
You can detect scents lingering in a scene for days, or even track
Prerequisites: Enhanced Hearing.
others by scent.
Effects: You may apply this augmentation’s Scale bonus to Em-
pathy rolls to gauge someone’s Attitude (p. XX) or determine if Prerequisites: Enhanced Smell and Taste.
they’re speaking truthfully.
Effects: You can detect a scent lingering for a number of days
equal to your effective Awareness Scale (including the bonus).
[+1 TO +5] ECHOLOCATION When detecting the smell, you gain a free invocation on your
You can use your enhanced hearing to echolocate. This lets you next roll to track it.
gauge your surroundings by listening to the way sound bounces
off the environment.
[+1] FOCUS
You have more control over how your olfaction translates differ-
Prerequisites: Enhanced Hearing.
ent tastes and mells, letting you mute something foul or focus in
Effects: You’re able to echolocate within Range 0 (+1 Cost), 1 on a specific scent.
(+2 Cost), 2 (+3 Cost), 3 (+4 Cost), or 4 (+5 Cost). This lets you
make out shapes, movements, distances, and locations, but not Prerequisites: Enhanced Smell and Taste.
colors or shapeless patterns.
Effects: You can filter out certain smells and tastes, mute them,
or focus in on them within your range of perception.

[1 TO 3] ENHANCED SMELL AND [+1] SENSOR

TASTE Your smell or taste translate a rare form of sensory information
into olfactory data, such as electromagnetism.
This augmentation vastly enhances the efficiency of your olfac-
tion. Whether bionic or cybernetic in nature, the potency of your Prerequisites: Enhanced Smell and Taste.
chemoreception becomes supercharged, affecting both your Effects: You’re able to detect a rare sensor type and translate it
sense of smell and your sense of flavor. into either taste or scent. This upgrade can be acquired multi-
ple times, each providing a new sensory type. See page XX for
Type: Bionic or Cybernetic. more information about sensors.
Aspects: Enhanced Smell and Taste; Electronic (Cybernetic-
only). [+1] REEK OF SHAME
Security (Cybernetic-only): Average (+1) Scale 1; Power (Cy- You can smell if a person is telling the truth by how their body

254
reacts to their words. [+1] SENSOR
Your sense of touch translates a rare form of sensory information
Prerequisites: Enhanced Smell and Taste. into somatosensory data, such as “feeling” acoustic waves.
Effects: You may apply the Scale bonus to Empathy rolls to
gauge someone’s Attitude (p. XX) or to determine if they’re ly- Prerequisites: Enhanced Touch.
ing. In addition, you can smell vaguely what they did within a Effects: You’re able to detect a rare sensor type and translate it
number of hours equal to your effective Awareness Scale (in- into somatosensory information. This upgrade can be acquired
cluding the bonus) based on the smells they carry with them. multiple times, each providing a new sensory type. See page
XX for more information about sensors.

[1 TO 3] ENHANCED TOUCH [+1 TO +5] VIBRATION SENSE

By touching a surface, you may feel pressure and vibrations from
This augmentation vastly enhances the efficiency of your soma- something interacting with that surface.
tosensory system. Without any obvious physical alterations, the
potency of your sense of touch is supercharged while trying to Prerequisites: Enhanced Touch.
minimize extra sensitivity to pain. Effects: You’re able to use vibration sense at Range 0 (+1 Cost),
1 (+2 Cost), 2 (+3 Cost), 3 (+4 Cost), or 4 (+5 Cost). This lets
Type: Bionic or Cybernetic. your skin translate the nature of vibrations, allowing you to
Aspects: Enhanced Touch; Electronic (Cybernetic-only). identify moving objects that interact with surfaces that you
touch and that extend no further than the acquired Range.
Security (Cybernetic-only): Average (+1) Scale 1; Power (Cy-
bernetic-only): 6. You may choose to increase Security or re-
duce Power as if it were an electronic asset (p. XX).
Effects: You gain a +1 (Cost 1), +2 (Cost 2), or +3 (Cost 3) [1 TO 3] ENHANCED VISION
Scale bonus to touch-based Awareness rolls. Should this bonus
exceed Scale 8, convert the threshold into free invocations. This augmentation vastly enhances your eyesight. The potency
of your visual acuity is supercharged, affecting the sharpness of
If you have a cybernetic version of this augmentation, you can the retinal focus, the lights that can be perceived, and the brain’s
connect it to a smart device to analyze things you touch. ability to translate the information.

Type: Bionic or Cybernetic.

[–1] HIGH CONSUMPTION
Your cybernetic sense of touch is poorly calibrated and drains Aspects: Enhanced Vision; Electronic (Cybernetic-only); De-
more power than it needs to. tachable (Cybernetic-only).
Security (Cybernetic-only): Average (+1) Scale 1; Power (Cy-
Prerequisites: Enhanced Touch (Cybernetic). bernetic-only): 6. You may choose to increase Security or re-
Effects: When your enhanced touch forces a Power roll, roll duce Power as if it were an electronic asset (p. XX).
two dice instead of one, and use the worse result. Effects: You gain a +1 (Cost 1), +2 (Cost 2), or +3 (Cost 3)
Scale bonus to vision-based Awareness rolls. Should this bonus
[+1] FOCUS exceed Scale 8, convert the threshold into free invocations.
You have more control over how you perceive things you touch,
letting you mute discomforting sensations or intensify pleasures. If you have a cybernetic version of this augmentation, you can
connect it to a smart device to act like a camera. You can re-
Prerequisites: Enhanced Touch. cord video and store it on a device or cause a head-up display
to overlay your vision. You can also detach the eye and replace
Effects: You can filter out certain physical sensations, mute
it with a new one. You may choose to replace either one eye or
them, or focus in on them within your range of perception.
both at no change in Cost. If you replace one eye, you suffer the
This does not let you block pain from injuries, but it could
Uneven Vision Aspect, but can still see if the eye is sabotaged.
block the discomfort from tickling, pinching, or a cold touch.
If you replace both eyes, you don’t suffer the Aspect, but risk
being Blinded if your eyes are sabotaged. If you have replaced
[+1] PERCEPTIVE HANDSHAKE both eyes, they are connected as a single augmentation, and
By touching another person, such as through a hug or a hand- hackers only need to access one to manipulate both.
shake, you become aware of minute details in their expression.
[–1] ANCHORED
Prerequisites: Enhanced Touch.
Your cybernetic eyes are firmly attached to your body, making
Effects: When touching someone, you can instinctually tell removing them impossible without surgery.
their Attitude (p. XX). You may also apply the Scale bonus to
an immediate Empathy roll to attempt to learn their Motiva- Prerequisites: Enhanced Vision (Cybernetic).
tion (p. XX), mood, or if their interactions are truthful.
Effects: Your cybernetic eyes are no longer Detachable.

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[–1] HIGH CONSUMPTION Type: Bionic or Cybernetic.

Your cybernetic eyes are poorly calibrated and drain more power
than they need to. Aspects: Fins; Detachable (Cybernetic-only).
Effects: You can move freely in water. Your swimming speed is
Prerequisites: Enhanced Vision (Cybernetic). equal to your running speed. At Cost 2, your swimming speed
Effects: When your enhanced vision forces a Power roll, roll is twice your running speed. This also lets you add a free invo-
two dice instead of one, and use the worse result. cation to Athletics rolls that test your swimming speed. At Cost
3, your speed is tripled and you get another invocation on tests.

[+1] AUTO-SHADE This augmentation is incompatible with most encasing armor

Your eyes are adapted to be able to handle any light level. (p. XX), unless built to accommodate. Cybernetic fins can be
detached without the need for surgery.
Prerequisites: Enhanced Vision.
Effects: You can perfectly withstand sudden or bright lights. [–1] ANCHORED
You could stare at the sun without issue. Your cybernetic fins are anchored to your body structure, mak-
ing removing them impossible without surgery.
[+1] GUILTY BLUSH
You can see if a person is telling the truth by noticing minute Prerequisites: Fins (Cybernetic).
details on them, such as blushing skin or subtle behavioral ticks. Effects: Your cybernetic fins are no longer Detachable.
Prerequisites: Enhanced Vision.
[+1] FLYING FISH
Effects: You may apply this augmentation’s Scale bonus to Em-
You may use your fins to jump through the surface of water, in-
pathy rolls for the purpose of determining if someone is speak-
creasing your jumping distances exponentially.
ing truthfully.
Prerequisites: Fins.
[+1] SENSOR Effects: When breaking the surface from below, you may leap
Your vision translates a rare form of sensory information into with a jumping distance enhanced like the base augmentation
visual data, such as infrared radiation as thermal vision. does to your movement speed.
Prerequisites: Enhanced Vision.
[+1] RETRACTABLE
Effects: You’re able to detect a rare sensor type and translate it
You may freely retract or protrude your fins into and from your
into visual information. This upgrade can be acquired multi-
body.
ple times, each providing a new sensory type. See page XX for
more information about sensors. Prerequisites: Fins.
Effects: You can retract or eject your fins as a free action. When
[+1 TO +5] ZOOM retracted, they are impossible to see without close inspection
Your vision can zoom in over vast distances. or special sensors.
Prerequisites: Enhanced Vision.
[+1 OR +2] AQUATIC
Effects: At +1 Cost, you can magnify your vision ten times, The rest of your body has been altered to better withstand surface
making it possible for you to see someone ten meters away as pressures.
if they were in your face. At +2 Cost, this becomes a hundred
times. At +3 Cost, it becomes a thousand. At +4 Cost, your Prerequisites: Fins.
eyes can function like telescopes, allowing you to see distant
Effects: At +1 Cost, you treat water-based hazards, such as
planets, stars, and galaxies. At +5 Cost, your eyes function like
high pressure, as if their Scale is two lower. If this reduces their
microscopes, allowing you to see within individual cells.
Scale to 0 or two lower than your Fortitude Scale, you can ig-
nore them entirely. At +2 Cost, you always ignore water-based
pressure, allowing you to swim at the deepest ocean depths.
[1 TO 3] FINS

This augmentation alters your hands and feet by making them [1 TO 4] CARAPACE
elongated and webbed which improves mobility in water. Fins
are rare augmentations to get since it’s relatively easy to get ac- This augmentation alters your skin to consist of hardened mate-
cess to capable diving suits that aren’t permanent fixtures to the rials. If bionic, you could have a carapace of organic materials,
body. Whether bionic or cybernetic, fins are rarely found in the like bones, chitin, or scales. If cybernetic, you could have a chas-
portfolios of innercity bio- or cybertechnicians but are common sis of inorganic material, like plastic, metal, or ceramic.
in seaside metropolises and certain parts of the wastelands.
Type: Bionic or Cybernetic.

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 [+2 OR +4] FORTIFIED
Aspects: Carapace.
It is not only your carapace that is hardened. Your entire body is
Effects: You add +2 (Cost 1), +3 (Cost 2), +4 (Cost 3), or +5 enhanced to support it.
(Cost 4) to Natural Soak.
Prerequisites: Carapace.
This skin augmentation cannot be combined with armor, even
with Trick Fiber (p. XX). Instead, you are armored. Effects: Your Fortitude Scale increases by one (+2 Cost) or two
(+4 Cost), to maximum Scale 8.
If you get the cybernetic version of this augmentation, you may
choose to add certain armor properties (p. XX) as if they were [+3] BRUTE
upgrades, at Narrator discretion. However, you become vul- Your form has been enlarged by your thick carapace, making you
nerable to the Demolition property (p. XX). much bigger and heavier than the average person. While this in-
creases your core strength, it also comes with certain disadvan-
[–3 TO –1] INHUMAN APPEARANCE
tages, since being bigger isn’t always better.
Your carapace is giving you an inhuman and unpleasant look.
Prerequisites: Ungainly Form (see above).
Prerequisites: Carapace. Effects: You gain the Large Frame Aspect. This increases your
Aspects: Inhuman Appearance. Athletics Scale by one (to maximum 8), enables the use of Siege
I weapons (p. XX), and gives you one extra Mild Physical Con-
Effects: At –1 Cost, you gain the Inhuman Appearance Aspect. sequence slot. However, you are too large to get through some
This makes people less likely to have a Friendly Attitude (p. doors and must often crouch while indoors.
XX) towards you. At –2 Cost, your Style Rank is also perma-
nently reduced by one; or by two at –3 Cost. This can reduce In addition, if you have augmented natural weapons, like the
your Rank below Mediocre (±0) and into negative numbers. claws/fangs augmentation (p. XX), those become Siege I weap-
ons (p. XX) due to your larger size.
[–2 TO –1] COMPLICATED PROCEDURES
Because of the carapace’s density, it is harder than normal to treat Finally, if you have both this upgrade and the enhanced mus-
your wounds. If cybernetic, it also requires knowledge of engi- cle upgrade monster (p. XX), you gain the Huge Frame Aspect
neering to be properly treated. instead. This enables the use of Siege II weapons (p. XX) and
gives you an extra Moderate Physical Consequence slot. The
Prerequisites: Carapace. Scale bonuses do not stack between the two upgrades.
Effects: This upgrade works differently depending on if your
carapace is bionic or cybernetic.
[1 TO 4] SKINJOB
• Bionic: The difficulty to treat your Physical Conse-
quences is increased by two (–1 Cost) or four (–2 Cost). You have a unique skin variation, such as fur, scales, or stripes
• Cybernetic: You can be treated with either Engineering if bionic, or chrome, plastic, or rubber if cybernetic. While the
or Treatment. However, the person treating you must have at bionic variants are most commonly seen with chimeras, the cy-
least Average (+1) Scale 1 (–1 Cost) or Good (+3) Scale 1 (–2 bernetic ones are popular fashion.
Cost) in both. In addition, they must use the lower of the two
Skills on their roll to treat you. Type: Bionic or Cybernetic.
Aspects: Skinjob.
[–2 TO –1] UNGAINLY FORM
Effects: When someone can see your skin, you benefit from +1
Your carapace is ungainly, restricting your movement. to +4 (depending on Cost) bonus to either Style or Provocation
rolls, selected upon purchase.
Prerequisites: Carapace.
Effects: You suffer a –1 (–1 Cost) or –2 (–2 Cost) mobility pen- This skin augmentation cannot be combined with encasing ar-
alty (p. XX). mor (p. XX) without Trick Fiber (p. XX).

[+1 TO +3] FRIGHTENING APPEARANCE [–1] HIGH CONSUMPTION

Your carapace not only gives you an inhuman appearance, but it Your cybernetic skinjob is poorly calibrated and drains more
makes you frightening to look at. power than it needs to.

Prerequisites: [–3 to –1] Inhuman Appearance. Prerequisites: Chameleon (Cybernetic; see below).
Effects: At +1 Cost, you may invoke Inhuman Appearance Effects: When your skinjob forces a Power roll, roll two dice
for free when making a Provocation attack. At +2 Cost, your instead of one, and use the worse result.
Provocation Rank is also permanently increased by one; or by
two at +3 Cost. This can increase your Rank to Superb (+5) or
[+1] AMORPHOUS
above, even without having to spend a major milestone.
Your skin is amorphous or slippery.

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Prerequisites: Skinjob.
Effects: You have a free invocation on rolls made to slide or to
escape restraints, such as ropes, cuffs, or grapples.

[+1] CHAMELEON
You may freely alter the color of your skin into any other color
or pattern.

Prerequisites: Skinjob.
Aspects: Electronic (Cybernetic-only).
Security (Cybernetic-only): Average (+1) Scale 1; Power (Cy-
bernetic-only): 6. You may choose to increase Security or re-
duce Power as if it were an electronic asset (p. XX).
Effects: You can change your color to match your surround-
ings for the remainder of the scene, adding a free invocation to
visual Stealth rolls.

[+1] DIVA
You can manipulate your skin to make subtle but effective altera-
tions, such as replicating cosmetics or altering skin tones.

Prerequisites: Chameleon (see above).

Effects: You no longer need tools to create subtle disguises,
and you may apply the free invocation to rolls doing so.

[+1] EXPRESSIVE IMAGE

You may replicate imagery on your skin with precise detail. It’s
even possible to create animated imagery, such as decorative tat-
toos that flow over your skin like liquid.

Prerequisites: Chameleon (see above).

Effects: You gain a +1 Scale bonus to Style or Provocation (de-
pending on the default bonus) when your skin is visible. If you
already have Scale 8, you gain a free invocation instead.

[+1] SELF-CLEANING
Your skin cleans itself.

Prerequisites: Skinjob.
Effects: Your skin keeps itself clean and in pristine condition.
When soiled, it has cleaned itself after a round (in a conflict) or
a minute (outside of a conflict). It doesn’t produce blemishes
and it always smells as if freshly washed.

[+1] SPECTRAL SKIN

By continuously changing pigmentation, you know how to diso-
rient and hypnotize your enemies, making ranged attacks against
you more difficult.

Prerequisites: Chameleon (see above).

Effects: You may apply Stealth instead of Acrobatics (if high-
er) to defend against ranged attacks made by opponents rely-
ing on vision to fight you.

[+1] TRANSPARENT
Your skin is transparent, allowing your muscles and organs to be

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seen underneath. [–1] HIGH CONSUMPTION
Your cybernetic ink sacs are poorly calibrated and drain more
Prerequisites: Skinjob. power than they need to.
Effects: The difficulty for treating your Physical Consequences
is reduced by two on the Ladder. If you have a cybernetic elec- Prerequisites: Ink Sacs (Cybernetic).
tronic skinjob, you can enable and disable this feature at will. Effects: When your ink sacs force a Power roll, roll two dice
instead of one, and use the worse result.
[+1 OR +2] CLOAKING
Your cybernetic skinjob can bend and reflect light in ways that [–1] STRAIN
make you invisible to visual perception. Your ink sacs aren’t optimized for your body and requires unnec-
essary strain to work.
Prerequisites: Spectral Skin (Cybernetic; see below).
Effects: Make a Power roll to go Invisible to visual perception. Prerequisites: Ink Sacs (Bionic).
While this Aspect is in play, you gain a free invocation every Effects: You take a Stress every time you use this augmentation
time you use it. However, you must make a new Power roll to to spray ink.
extend its duration beyond a round in a conflict or a minute
outside of a conflict. [±0] STINKY MARK
Your ink has a foul stench that can be easily identified.
At +2 Cost, you no longer need to make a Power roll every
round or minute, and can instead make that roll after the con- Prerequisites: Ink Sacs.
flict’s or scene’s end.
Effects: Because of your ink’s potent stench, enemies can track
you more easily. However, this can also be used to your advan-
[+2] SELF-PATCHING tage. By using your ink to mark a target, they get the Situation
Your skin regrows quickly after it’s harmed. Aspect Foul Smell until they wash their clothes and themselves.

Prerequisites: Skinjob.
[+1] ESCAPE
Effects: Your skin mends simple damages like cuts and scrapes. After evading an attack, you spray a cloud of ink to distract your
This includes Mild Physical Consequences, which are consid- enemies enough to let you get away.
ered treated after a round (in a conflict) or a minute (outside
of a conflict). Prerequisites: Ink Sacs.
Effects: Once per round, after defending against a physical at-
tack, you may choose to spray a cloud of ink to either move
[1 TO 5] INK SACS you into Cover or a neighboring zone without being contested.

You possess ink sacs that can be used to spray ink. Variations of [+1] PAINTER
this augmentation may connect the sacs to different body parts, Your ink sacs are divided up into chambers that contain inks of
using muscle-, air-, or water pressure to control the propulsion. different colors.
Ink sacs are most commonly seen in chimeras, but it’s an aug- Prerequisites: Ink Sacs.
mentation that has been growing in popularity. Some criminals
Effects: By combining ink of different colors, you can create
have found use of its utility for their gang wars and territorial
distinct shades to use for your art. Your ink is considered a
conflicts. Some artists have custom-designed ink sacs with dif-
toolkit that enables certain Creativity actions, such as painting.
ferent colors of paint which they can use for abstract paintings.

Type: Bionic or Cybernetic. [+1 TO +4] DEADLY SPRAY

Aspects: Ink Sacs; Electronic (Cybernetic-only). Your ink is either acidic or toxic.
Security (Cybernetic-only): Average (+1) Scale 1; Power (Cy- Prerequisites: Ink Sacs.
bernetic-only): 6. You may choose to increase Security or re-
duce Power as if it were an electronic asset (p. XX). Effects: You may use your ink as a Ranged Combat weapon
that deals either Acid or Poison Harm 0 (+1 Cost), 2 (+2 Cost),
Dose (Bionic-only): 5. You may choose to reduce this to 3 for or 4 (+3 Cost). If you choose acid, you may also choose to add
–1 Cost or to 1 for –2 Cost. another +1 Cost for the Corrosive property (p. XX). If you
Effects: Make a Dose roll (bionic) or Power roll (cybernetic) to choose toxic, you may do so for the Diseased property (p. XX).
spray ink at Range 0 (Cost 1), 1 (Cost 2), 2 (Cost 3), 3 (Cost 4),
or 4 (Cost 5) using Ranged Combat. The ink doesn’t cause any
harm but can be used to create advantages, such as Blinding an
opponent, Masking a window, or Marking a location. [1 TO 5] NEURAL PROCESSOR

A neural processor is an internal computer located at the base

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of the character’s spine. This is a popular implant with a lot of from a previous backup. When you eventually die, it prevents
utility, both acting as an internal computing system that aid the the Voidstar from turning your consciousness into a specter.
brain in complex thought, but also helps you communicate with
your electronic implants and devices. Once secured from your brain, the braindrive can be inserted
into a smart device as a datastick where it contains a copy of
Type: Cybernetic. your mind. If activated, you’d be able to navigate the system
Aspects: Neural Processor; Electronic; Interface; Internal. you’re loaded into, similar to a functionary. If you connect to a
Wireless Range: 0 (Cost 1), 1 (Cost 2), 2 (Cost 3), 3 (Cost 4), system using your neural processor, you could choose to trans-
or 4 (Cost 5); Security: Average (+1) Scale 1; Power: 6. You fer a copy of your mind into it for this purpose. You don’t need
may choose to increase Security or reduce Power as if it were to secure the braindrive from your body to do the latter.
an electronic asset (p. XX).
In addition, a hacker who manages to get into the braindrive
Effects: You have an internal computer accessible by thought.
may attempt to alter memories, personality traits, or even wipe
It can be used to store digital assets (p. XX) just like any other
entire content, at Narrator discretion.
smart device. By connecting it to electronics in your posses-
sion, you can make system interaction actions (p. XX) using
either Willpower or Interfacing, at your discretion. By closing [+1] MIND-MATRIX INTERFACE
your eyes, you can visualize any data you connect with. Your neural processor is capable of mind-matrix interfacing. Us-
ing this feature renders your physical body incapacitated while
your consciousness interfaces with nitespace.
[–1] HIGH CONSUMPTION
Your neural processor is poorly calibrated and drains more pow- Prerequisites: Neural Processor.
er than it needs to.
Effects: When activating this feature, your body is rendered
Prerequisites: Neural Processor. comatose while your consciousness is transferred into the
Nanite Matrix. There, you manifest as a digital avatar (p. XX),
Effects: When your neural processor forces a Power roll, roll
allowing you to interact with nitespace as though it were real-
two dice instead of one, and use the worse result.
space. This also grants you access to the additional Stress boxes
provided by your Interfacing Skill (if any).
[±0 TO +5] INTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS
Your neural processor contains a communication service. This state persists until you choose to disconnect from the sys-
tem, until you are forcefully disconnected, or until your avatar
Prerequisites: Neural Processor. is defeated in a digital conflict (p. XX). If your physical body is
Effects: You gain an internal communication service (p. XX) disturbed, such as by sustaining an injury, you will also discon-
based on how much you spend on this upgrade. nect, and your consciousness returns to your body.

• Free Service (±0 Cost): Restricts your access to within If you have a braindrive (see above), your neural processor will
a ten-kilometer radius. make a backup of your mind upon activation. Should your
• Basic Service (+1 Cost): You have access to your local mind be unable to return to your body when interfacing, the
metropolis or a fifty-kilometer radius, whichever is greater. neural processor uses the stored mind instead. In that case, you
• Advanced Service (+2 Cost): You have access to the would have no memory of the time spent interfacing, and it is
entirety of your planetary body (such as Earth, Luna, or Mars) conceivable that a digital copy of you could exist elsewhere.
or to stations within geostationary orbit distance. Although
this level allows for broad communication, it excludes net- [+1] PURGE
works under foreign faction control. Because of how dangerous it can be to leave your neural pro-
• Greater Service (+3 Cost): Similar to the advanced cessor open for hackers, this upgrade aids in your cybersecurity.
service but includes access to all communication networks,
regardless of the operator. This covers regions beyond metrop- Prerequisites: Neural Processor.
olises, like wastelands, where many prohibited nitesites are lo-
Effects: If you have detected a hacker in your neural proces-
cated.
sor or any of your electronics connected to it, you may make a
• Solar Service (+4 Cost): Provides connectivity to all
Power roll to immediately force the hacker out of the connect-
communication networks within the solar system, reaching as
ed systems. This causes a reboot to the system, though, render-
far as the Kuiper Belt.
ing you Immobile until your next turn.

[+1] BRAINDRIVE
[+1 TO +3] STICK READER
Your neural processor contains a braindrive. Everything you per-
Your neural processor is connected to a stick reader often located
ceive is stored within it, including individual thoughts.
in the neck.
Prerequisites: Neural Processor.
Prerequisites: Neural Processor.
Effects: Whenever you suffer brain injury that causes loss of
functioning or memory, the braindrive restores that memory Effects: You can hold one (+1 Cost), two (+2 Cost), or three

260
 (+3 Cost) datasticks at the time. While the stick reader is com- immune system (via the thymus), or the blood sugar levels (via
monly used to read datasticks of any kind, it’s possible to ac- the pancreas). There are many types of hormones within the hu-
quire a special kind of datastick called a skillstick (see sidebar) man body and they’re all responsible for different parts of a per-
that gives access to new functionalities. son’s cognitive, social, and physical state.

A hormone stabilizer can be acquired as cybernetic implants

connected to one of these glands, or as a bionic mutation to up-
[+1 TO +3] SKILLSTICK
grade the glands themselves. A patient can have a few or a multi-
The skillstick is a small datastick that can be inserted in tude of hormone stabilizers in different parts of their body, each
a stick reader. It comes in three different types: a rookie with different impact.
skillstick, an expert skillstick, and a master skillstick.
Type: Bionic or Cybernetic.
Base: Default Electronic Base (p. XX).
Aspects: Hormone Stabilizer; Electronic (Cybernetic-only); In-
Aspects: Skillstick; Electronic. ternal.
Effects: If inserted in a stick reader, you gain access to Security (Cybernetic-only): Average (+1) Scale 1; Power (Cy-
a single Skill (chosen when acquiring this item) with bernetic-only): 6. You may choose to increase Security or re-
Rank Average (+1) at Cost 1, Good (+3) at Cost 2, and duce Power as if it were an electronic asset (p. XX).
Superb (+5) at Cost 3. This does not stack with an exist-
ing Skill Rank; instead substituting it if higher. Effects: Select as many hormone stabilizers as you want to
spend on this augmentation, with each one providing +1 Cost..
Properties: [+1 to +3] Potency (p. XX).
• Adrenal: Your adrenal stabilizer regulates your body’s
cortisol levels to maintain functioning during stressful situa-
[+1 TO +4] INTERNAL CREDIT STORAGE tions. A Mild Mental Consequence is automatically treated and
Your neural processor contains an internal credit storage. removed after a scene, and a Moderate Mental Consequence is
automatically treated after a night’s rest.
Prerequisites: Neural Processor. • Hypothalamus: Your hypothalamus stabilizer regulates
Effects: You may store two (+1 Cost), four (+2 Cost), six (+3 a number of hormone secretions to acquire varying results on
Cost), or eight (+4 Cost) points of Influence in your neural body and mood. You gain a free invocation on Willpower rolls
processor. The stored credits can be used in two ways: used to resist immediate desires, such as hunger, lust, and need
for rest.
• You can use them to restore depleted Influence. • Ovaries: Your ovary stabilizer regulates your sex hor-
• You can use them to improve transactions. If you have mones, allowing you to freely control your fertility and men-
at least one Influence point stored, you may discard it to aug- strual cycles. This requires female sex organs.
ment your effective Influence by one during a purchase. You • Parathyroid: Your parathyroid stabilizer overproduc-
cannot combine stored Influence points to increase your In- es calcium to strengthen your bones. The difficulty of treating
fluence by more than one; however, this action can be repeated your Physical Consequences caused by Blunt Harm is reduced
for multiple purchases if you have several points stored. by two on the Ladder.
• Pineal: Your pineal stabilizer regulates your sleeping
patterns, allowing you to avoid nightmares and control the
[+2 TO +12] IMPROVED PROCESSING
duration of your sleep. You can choose to instantly fall asleep
Your neural processor is directly connected to your brain, turn-
regardless of comfort.
ing your mind in part into a machine. You start seeing everything
• Testes: Your testes stabilizer regulates your sex hor-
in patterns and code.
mones, allowing you to control your fertility, sexual potency,
Prerequisites: Neural Processor. and sperm production. This requires male sex organs.
• Thymus: Your thymus stabilizer produces hormones
Effects: You may increase your Scale in either Education, In- and cells that increase your natural physiology. You gain a free
terfacing, or Investigation by one (+2 Cost) or two (+4 Cost). invocation on Fortitude rolls to resist toxins and diseases.
This property can be added for each of the three Skills, totaling • Thyroid: Your thyroid stabilizer produces hormones
+12 Cost if you want to increase all of their Scale by two. that improve your calorie burning and heartrate. You gain a
free invocation on Fortitude rolls made to test your endurance.
Additionally, you must take on a secondary Trouble Aspect re-
lated to an increased clarity of mind and pattern recognition, If you choose the cybernetic version, all hormone stabilizers
such as Mathematical Synesthesia or The Puzzle Must be Solved. are connected via a shared processing unit; this makes all of
them share the same Security and Power. If Disabled, your
hormone levels are negatively impacted, causing one Stress for
[1 TO 8] HORMONE STABILIZER each hormone stabilizer that is part of the augmentation.

Hormones are responsible for everything from body tempera- [–1] HIGH CONSUMPTION
ture, hunger, and mood (via the hypothalamus) to the adaptive Your hormone stabilizer is poorly calibrated and drains more

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power than it needs to. tans who are natural coders.

Prerequisites: Hormone Stabilizer. When injected by the formula, the character’s inner nanites begin
Effects: When your hormone stabilizer forces a Power roll, roll to spread like a cancer, encompassing and enveloping every cell
two dice instead of one, and use the worse result. in the body like a matrix of microscopic computers. The charac-
ter develops a synesthesia that makes them perceive patterns in
the universe that they would have otherwise been oblivious to.

[5] COSMIC CODER Type: Bionic.

Aspects: Cosmic Coder.
A cosmic coder is someone able to recognize patterns in the uni-
verse and bend them to their will. It’s a genetic modification that Effects: You become a cosmic coder and may learn a Coding
allows the chosen individual to connect the nanites within their Skill (p. XX), such as Acid Coding, Bio Coding, Cryo Coding,
cells to the quantum states of the cosmos, then manipulate those Electrical Coding, Entropic Coding, Kinematic Coding, Metal
properties with their own will. Coding, Psionic Coding, Pyro Coding, or Quantum Coding, at
Mediocre (±0) Scale 1.
The only legal way to become a cosmic coder is by enlisting in
an academy that offers it as part of the curriculum. During an You may improve this Coding Skill as if it were an ordinary
intense course, the student may acquire the injection either by Skill. In order to acquire additional Coding Skills beyond the
paying for it out of pocket, by being backed by an organization one you select as part of this augmentation, you need to acquire
willing to hire their services, or by being one of the lucky few new injections for the new Coding Skill, but activate them with
who manage to acquire a scholarship. major instead of significant milestone points (p. XX).

However, for the individual who doesn’t have the time or the op- Once you have access to a Coding Skill, you may acquire Cos-
portunity to spend years at study in an academy that may not mic Coding Protocols (p. XX) for that Skill; these are special
let them in, the injection can be found in some illegal markets traits that give access to features beyond the normal Skill de-
that sell blacklisted augmentations. It’s estimated that about one scription. You get your first Cosmic Coding Protocol for free
indivdual per one million people is a cosmic coder of some kind, when you acquire this augmentation, though you must meet
though these statistics don’t take into account ascendants and rif- its normal requirements.

262
 SKILL FEATURES
ACROBATICS [SCALE 2] CAVE CRAWLER
Your masterful body control lets you worm through tight fits.
[SCALE 1] ACROBAT
You are able to use flexible movement and body control to com- Requirements: Acrobatics at Average (+1) Scale 2.
plement raw physical strength. Effects: You can crawl comfortably into a space fit for some-
one half your size. At Scale 4, you can crawl into a space fit for
Requirements: Acrobatics at Average (+1) Scale 1. someone a quarter of your size. At Scale 6, you can crawl into
Effects: You can use Acrobatics in place of Athletics for actions a space fit for someone a tenth of your size. At Scale 8, you can
related to running, jumping, and climbing. If your Acrobatics crawl through a space as thin as a hair.
is lower than your Athletics, you gain a free invocation to com-
pensate if you’re still using Acrobatics for the roll. Additional- Keep in mind that your gear might not fit into the space unless
ly, you may substitute your Athletics Scale for your Acrobatics you add the Trick Fiber property (p. XX).
Scale (if higher) to determine jumping distances (p. XX).
[SCALE 2] FREE RUNNER
[SCALE 1] BATTLE DANCER Your flexibility, agility, and speed let you confidently cross harsh
You dance across the battlefield, evading swords and bullets with terrains without effort.
perfect grace.
Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Acrobat.
Requirements: Acrobatics at Average (+1) Scale 1. Requirements: Acrobatics at Fair (+2) Scale 2.
Effects: You may use Acrobatics in place of Close Combat to Effects: You may ignore Situation Aspects based on Ungainly
defend against Close Combat attacks, with the assumption that Terrain or Obstacles in Your Path as long as there are possible
you try to evade the attacks and not parry them. In addition, pathways to cross. This does not let you automatically bypass
when using Acrobatics to successfully defend with style against active defenses, such as someone trying to obstruct you. Final-
such an attack, you may choose to disengage into a neighbor- ly, you may now substitute your Athletics Scale for your Acro-
ing zone. Any contest to this movement faces your defend roll batics Scale (if higher) to determine running speed (p. XX).
as passive opposition.
[SCALE 2] QUANTUM DODGE
[SCALE 1] GUARDIAN You don’t need to see a projectile to evade it. You only need to see
Your quick reaction speed and flexible footwork lets you not only the one firing it.
protect yourself but also intercept threats against your allies.
Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Guardian.
Requirements: Acrobatics at Average (+1) Scale 1. Requirements: Acrobatics at Fair (+2) Scale 2.
Effects: Whenever you take a full defense (p. XX) action fo- Effects: You can apply Acrobatics actively in defense against
cused on ranged attacks, the bonus extends to allies within all Ranged Combat attacks, even if they are considered Silent
your zone that aren’t already in full defense, assuming that you or Invisible, as long as you are aware of the attacker’s presence.
can perceive each other. If you also have Battle Dancer (see
above), you can apply this to Close Combat attacks as well.
[SCALE 2] STUNTMAN
The Range at which you can aid your allies extends to 1 at Scale You know your body’s limitations and can make daring stunts as
3, 2 at Scale 5, and 3 at Scale 7. naturally and confidently as normal movement.

Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Acrobat.

[SCALE 1] GYROSCOPE
You always know what’s up and what’s down, and you can orient Requirements: Acrobatics at Fair (+2) Scale 2.
yourself accordingly. Effects: Whenever you describe your character performing an
action that relates to any Physical Skill in a way that is impres-
Requirements: Acrobatics at Average (+1) Scale 1. sive or over-the-top, you gain a free invocation to either spend
Effects: Whenever you’re falling from a great height, you have on that action or to give to another PC that benefits from that
control over how you land, even if bound or otherwise disori- action. Both the Narrator and the other players must be suf-
ented; the Skill Rank used to determine falling damage (p. XX) ficiently impressed by your stunt for you to earn this reward.
can never exceed Average (+1). In addition, if your landings
don’t cause any Stress, they appear graceful and silent. [SCALE 3] BULLET TIME
Your body’s superhuman ability to react with speed and preci-
At Scale 3, you may glide towards specific landing spots that sion lets you track even individual projectiles as they are pro-
you can see regardless of weather conditions. At Scale 5, you pelled through the air.
no longer suffer any impact harm from falling.

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Prerequisites: [Scale 2] Quantum Dodge. [Scale 3] Marionette Contortion.

Requirements: Acrobatics at Good (+3) Scale 3. Requirements: Acrobatics at Great (+4) Scale 4.
Effects: You can spend a Charge to go into full defense (p. XX) Effects: You can move freely in just about any situation imag-
as a reaction to an attack that you normally would be able to inable, regardless of your body’s positioning, as long as your
defend against using Acrobatics. This does not consume your body is somewhat free. This lets you ignore Situation Aspects
turn during the exchange; the full defense is sustained until it such as Prone as well as retain full mobility while Restrained
is your actual turn. unless you are restrained to something stationary.

At Scale 5, when you’re in full defense and successfully evade This Skill Feature doesn’t let you automatically free yourself
a physical projectile, you may pluck that projectile from the from Situation Aspects such as Pinned Down without putting
air and keep it as your own. You may also attempt to do this up a fight, but you are just as quick and mobile when face first
to intercept physical projectile attacks against comrades within on the floor as you are when standing on your feet.
your zone (if you have Guardian [see above], this extends to
the range covered by that Skill Feature). If the attacker’s weap- [SCALE 4] WIND BUFFET
on runs out of ammunition due to the attack, you gain a reload Your masterful body control and ability to be light on your feet
of that ammunition type. lets you utilize air pressure to buffet your body.

At Scale 7, you may now “pluck” energy-based projectiles from Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Gyroscope; [Scale 2] Free Runner.
the air as well. This adds the energy either as an appropriate
Requirements: Acrobatics at Good (+3) Scale 4.
harm type to one of your attacks on your next turn, or it can be
used to charge one of your electronics. Effects: You may “double jump” by effectively buyuing off air
to gain more altitude. Doing so doubles your jumping distance,
but also lets you perform stunts such as jumping through cor-
[SCALE 3] MARIONETTE CONTORTION
ners or reversing an impulsive jump by bouncing back before
You’re able to twist and contort your body far beyond what your you fall. This Skill Feature also lets you create purchase for
physiology should normally allow, such as bending joints in the movement in zero gravity environments.
opposite direction or turning your head in ways that should
break your neck. You may add a third jump at Scale 6 and a fourth at Scale 8.
Prerequisites: [Scale 2] Cave Crawler; [Scale 2] Stuntman.
[SCALE 5] DIGITAL EVASION
Requirements: Acrobatics at Good (+3) Scale 3. Your perfect body control lets you move in ways that protects
Effects: You gain a free invocation on all Physical Skill rolls you even from digital harm.
where superhuman contortion could come into play, such as
pulling yourself free from cuffs or hiding in a footlocker. In Prerequisites: [Scale 3] Bullet Time.
addition, you may substitute Acrobatics for Provocation when Requirements: Acrobatics at Great (+4) Scale 5.
making an attack in a social conflict, assuming that your goal
is to instill discomfort in your foe. Effects: You may apply Acrobatics instead of Interfacing or Se-
curity to defend against attacks that target your technologies,
even if those attacks aren’t physical (e.g., hacking attempts or
[SCALE 3] REDIRECT ATTACK EMPs). If your Acrobatics isn’t higher, you gain a free invoca-
Your agility gives you control over the most hectic of battlefields, tion to compensate if you still use Acrobatics to defend.
as you let even your enemies’ attacks follow your intended paths.

Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Battle Dancer; [Scale 1] Guardian. [SCALE 5] RETURN TO SENDER

Your body’s superhuman ability to react with speed and preci-
Requirements: Acrobatics at Fair (+2) Scale 3. sion lets you track even individual projectiles as they are pro-
Effects: After successfully using Acrobatics to defend against pelled through the air.
an attack, you may choose to spend a Charge to let that same
attack instead target another character of your choice within Prerequisites: [Scale 3] Bullet Time; [Scale 3] Redirect Attack.
your zone (assuming it makes narrative sense for the target to Requirements: Acrobatics at Great (+4) Scale 5.
be able to be coordinated in the way of the attack). If you suc-
ceeded with style on your defend action, you may add (higher Effects: You can now redirect ranged attacks as per Redirect
of [half your Acrobatics Scale, rounded up] or the number of Attack (see above) out to targets up to highest of the attack-
shifts by which you succeeded) to the redirected attack. er’s Range and (half your Acrobatics Scale, rounded up) zones
away. This could let you redirect the attack back to the original
attacker. Finally, if you’re in full defense, you may add your de-
[SCALE 4] SPIDER CRAWL fense bonus to the redirected attack.
Your control over your limbs, joints, and tendons lets you attain
full mobility in situations when you should be restricted.
[SCALE 6] ELECTROMAGNETIC EVASION
Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Battle Dancer; [Scale 2] Free Runner; Your perfect body control lets you move in ways that protects
you even from digital harm.

264
 Prerequisites: [Scale 5] Digital Evasion. may change Skill Ranks or augmentations but not add more. If
Requirements: Acrobatics at Superb (+5) Scale 6. you want to increase or reduce Influence, you must reduce or
increase an equivalent Recharge.
Effects: You can spend a Charge to evade specific forms of en-
ergy that would otherwise be unavoidable, such as visual light Your altered decision shifts your consciousness into an alter-
or gamma radiation, for the duration of a concrete task that native reality. This new reality is the same as your previous one
wouldn’t take longer than a few moments (e.g., walk into an with the only exception being your altered decision and what-
active reactor core or hide from a surveillance camera). This ever consequence that decision may have had, at Narrator dis-
could effectively make you Invisible, Silent, or provide another cretion. If the old reality still exists or is entirely replaced with
condition suitable to whatever it is you try to evade. the new one is at the Narrator’s discretion.

[SCALE 7] CLOUD WALKING

You have learned how to shift and phase your body in a way that
ATHLETICS
lets you treat even the faintest matter as a solid state.
[SCALE 1] BODY SLAM
Prerequisites: [Scale 4] Wind Buffet.
You use raw strength to create additional force when slamming
Requirements: Acrobatics at Great (+4) Scale 7. into a target.
Effects: You may spend a Charge to alter the quantum states of
your surrounding space in order to form an imagined platform Requirements: Athletics at Average (+1) Scale 1.
that only you can use. For example, you may declare that a por- Effects: You can make smashing attacks (p. XX) unarmed, us-
tion of the air is a solid geometrical shape, such as imagining ing either Athletics or Close Combat to perform them. If using
a bridge between two buildings or a stairway up a steep cliff. a weapon already capable of smashing attacks, you no longer
You, as well as anyone or anything directly linked to you (such have to reduce Stress to inflict the effects.
as via touch), may treat this space as solid as well, but it doesn’t
become truly physical and cannot act as cover against line of
[SCALE 1] DEMOLISH
sight or attacks. The effect remains only for as long as you stay
connected to it. You find that things break easily in your grasp.

Requirements: Athletics at Average (+1) Scale 1.

[SCALE 8] QUANTUM IMMORTALITY
You are in a superposition, experiencing all realities at once and Effects: Your Close Combat attacks deals +1 Harm to inani-
are able to evade unwanted outcomes. mate objects, including droids and drones. This stacks with the
Demolition property (p. XX). In addition, when using Athletics
Prerequisites: [Scale 6] Electromagnetic Evasion. to try to break an object outside of outright attacking it, you
gain a free invocation on your roll.
Requirements: Acrobatics at Superb (+5) Scale 8.
Effects: Once per minor milestone, you may spend a Charge At Scale 4, you gain +2 Harm and two invocations instead; Fi-
to retroactively evade the outcome of a decision you made ear- nally, at Scale 7, you gain +3 Harm and three invocations.
lier in the scene if you are unhappy with the outcome, such
as evading the fact that you tripped the alarm, that you said [SCALE 1] JUMPER
something offensive, or that you went to the right instead of Your jumping distances are increased exponentially.
left. Your evasion shifts your position from one reality to an-
other where you had taken the desired action. Requirements: Athletics at Average (+1) Scale 1.
Effects: Your jumping distances (p. XX) double, and you gain a
Once per significant milestone, you may apply this effect to
free invocation on Athletics rolls made for jumping.
evade a consequence of a decision you made earlier in the day,
such as shifting into a reality where you didn’t come late to
At Scale 4, you instead tripe the distances and gain two invo-
work, where you failed to catch the train that crashed, or where
cations; At Scale 7, you now quadruple the distances and gain
you didn’t leave the evidence behind after your crime.
three invocations.
Once per major milestone, you may apply this effect to evade
a consequence of a decision you made at some point in your [SCALE 1] QUICK ACCELERATION
life, such as following a different career path, where you had Your quick reaction speed and trained muscles lets you kick your
stopped your partner from going out the day when they died, body into gear before most people would have registered that
or where you had become a famous. As you shift into the new they need to move.
reality, you recall your old memories but may have entirely new
skillsets. You may make alterations on your character sheet to Requirements: Athletics at Average (+1) Scale 1.
better fit the life you would have had based on the changed Effects: You may choose to use Athletics in place of Acrobatics
decision. While you can make as many changes to your char- (if higher) to defend against ranged attacks. In addition, you
acter as you think are appropriate, it must still carry the same gain a free invocation on your first roll in an Athletics-based
milestone value as your previous character. For example, you contest of speed.

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[SCALE 1] STRONGMAN
treated as a conflict with you as attacker; if your attack inflicts
You can ignore the pain caused by straining your muscles, ex- at least one Stress upon that target, you may continue your
ceeding the limitations of ordinary people. charge towards your initial target without having slowed down.
Requirements: Athletics at Average (+1) Scale 1. At Scale 6, spending a Charge now lets you move through hard-
Effects: Whenever you roll Athletics for a feat of raw physical er and more complex obstacles, like a steel gate or thick mud.
strength, such as holding a door as it is being rammed or pull-
ing heavy debris to free someone trapped beneath, you may At Scale 8, spending the Charge now lets you charge through
choose to spend a Charge to ignore the negative d6. any type of obstacle, regardless of thickness.

[SCALE 1] WEAPON THROW [SCALE 3] KNOCK-OUT

Anything you can lift can be hurled with force at an enemy. The devastating force of your close combat attacks knocks targets
far away.
Requirements: Athletics at Average (+1) Scale 1.
Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Body Slam; [Scale 1] Strongarm.
Effects: Anything you can lift can be used as a throwing weap-
on, using the highest of Athletics or Ranged Combat. Consult Requirements: Athletics at Fair (+2) Scale 3.
the throwing weapon bases on page XX to determine the item’s Effects: When performing a smashing attack (p. XX), you may
properties, at Narrator discretion. If it already has the proper- choose to either knock a target both into a neighboring zone
ties of a throwing weapon, increase Range by one. and Prone, knock them out two zones away, or knock them
Prone with another free invocation. If a target who is knocked
If you have Grappled a target that you’re normally able to lift into a different zone crashes with an object, they may suffer
effortlessly, you can use the target as a throwing weapon. The impact harm (p. XX) at Narrator discretion.
thrown target may then suffer impact harm (p. XX).
At Scale 5, you may add two zones to the knockback, two free
[SCALE 2] FLASH STEP invocations, or any combination thereof; At Scale 7, you may
When facing adversity, your feet move before you have time to add three zones to the knockback, three free invocations, or
react. any combination thereof.

Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Quick Acceleration. [SCALE 3] ORBITAL DASH

Requirements: Athletics at Fair (+2) Scale 2. You can already run with the speed of a car, but you have now
also trained your ability to navigate and react to obstructions and
Effects: You may spend a Charge to use Athletics in defense
tight quarters while maintaining such speeds.
against an area attack that affects your zone, such as a toxic
cloud, a spray of bullets, or an incoming hand grenade. If your
Prerequisites: [Scale 2] Flash Step.
defense is successful, you find yourself either in the neighbor-
ing zone or within full cover (if such exists). If you succeed Requirements: Athletics at Good (+3) Scale 3.
with style, you may choose to reclaim the Charge instead of Effects: You may move two zones instead of one as a free ac-
taking a Boost. tion on your turn; At Scale 5, this increases to three zones; At
Scale 7, it increases to four zones.
Any attempt to contest your movement must roll against the
outcome of your Athletics roll as if it were passive defense. [SCALE 3] TITAN ARMS
Your superhuman strength lets you handle large and ungainly
[SCALE 2] FURIOUS CHARGE weapons with little effort.
You charge towards danger with no regard for your own well-be-
ing. Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Strongman.
Requirements: Athletics at Fair (+2) Scale 3.
Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Body Slam; [Scale 1] Demolish.
Effects: You may treat heavy weapons like medium weapons
Requirements: Athletics at Fair (+2) Scale 2. and medium weapons as light weapons for the purpose of any-
Effects: You may use your turn to immediately close the dis- thing other than concealment.
tance to a target within your movement range (normally one
zone without traits such as Orbital Dash [see below]). If you
[SCALE 4] BLINK
choose to Body Slam (see above) the target, you may ignore
Your fast movement tricks the eye.
non-Encasing Armored Soak and add +1 Harm for each zone
you crossed during your charge, up to a maximum Harm bo- Prerequisites: [Scale 3] Orbital Dash.
nus equal to half your Athletics Scale, rounded up.
Requirements: Athletics at Great (+4) Scale 4.
At Scale 4, you may spend a Charge to charge through mun- Effects: Whenever you make a movement-based action, such
dane obstacles, like furniture, foliage, or thin walls. If a char- as a Furious Charge (see above) or simply crossing into another
acter tries but fails to contest your movement, the contest is zone, you may choose to spend a Charge to supercharge your

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 speed. Roll Athletics against a target’s Awareness. If successful, Requirements: Athletics at Good (+3) Scale 4.
targets are unable to follow your movement until it has passed, Effects: You may double the ranges at which you may hurl ob-
which could help you in finding cover. However, if your move- jects or knock someone away using smashing attacks (p. XX).
ment precedes an attack, and you succeed on this roll, the at- At Scale 6, these ranges are tripled; At Scale 8, they are quad-
tack is considered Invisible. rupled.

At Scale 6, you may choose to spend a Charge to activate Blink

[SCALE 5] DATA INCINERATION
for a reactive movement action after having successfully de-
fended against an attack. If you succeed with style, you may You can reach speed and power strong enough to incinerate sur-
choose to reclaim the Charge instead of getting a Boost. rounding nanites, causing the Nanite Matrix itself to tear from
your presence.

[SCALE 4] GRAVITATIONAL TUG-OF-WAR Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Demolish.

Whether you’re bouncing off the surface of Luna or soaring
through the clouds of Jupiter, you can ignore gravity’s hold. Requirements: Athletics at Fair (+2) Scale 5.
Effects: You can spend a Charge to physically interact with the
Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Strongarm. Nanite Matrix, such as punching a functionary or crushing a
Requirements: Athletics at Fair (+2) Scale 4. digital program with your fist. Anything digital is considered
an inanimate object for the purpose of Demolish (p. XX).
Effects: You can ignore Situation Aspects based on high grav-
ity, and you don’t suffer debilities from experiencing strong
gravitational forces. You could even pull yourself away from a [SCALE 5] METEOR STRIKE
black hole as long as you haven’t passed the event horizon. In When creating a giant leap, you land with the force of a meteor.
addition, any efforts to move you against your will require an
attack of equal or higher Scale than your Athletics Scale. Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Jumper; [Scale 4] Knock-Out.
Requirements: Athletics at Good (+3) Scale 5.
At Scale 8, if you also have Jumper (p. XX), you can jump into Effects: After a leap, you may spend a Charge upon impact with
space from any planetary surface. the ground to create an Athletics-based smashing attack (p.
XX) that affects an area determined by the height from which
[SCALE 4] MOUNTAIN HURL you landed; this is considered a hazard (p. XX). The affected
The force at which you knock or hurl targets are increased expo- area has a radius of a number of zones equal to half the impact’s
nentially. Scale value, rounded up. This means that a hundred-meter
landing, which has Scale 5, affects a three-zone radius.
Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Weapon Throw; [Scale 3] Knock-Out.

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At Scale 7, the radius is increased to be equal to the impact’s Shielded or Covered.

full scale value (i.e., five zones for a hundred-meter fall). • Lift any weight. You can already lift thousands of tons at
this Scale, but now you can lift any perceivable weight.
[SCALE 6] MIRROR IMAGE
• If using the Mountain Hurl Skill Feature, you can throw
You move at such speed that duplicates of yourself appear to con- something at any perceivable distance, including into orbit
fuse onlookers. from a planetary’s surface (or vice versa).
• If using the Meteor Strike Skill Feature, you could
Prerequisites: [Scale 4] Blink. choose to affect all targets within (zones) kilometers rather
than (zones). This could leave an impact crater as large as a city.
Requirements: Athletics at Superb (+4) Scale 6.
Effects: Once per minor milestone, when using Blink (p. XX),
your fast movement creates three mirror images of yourself
that last for the remainder of the scene. The mirror images can
AWARENESS
be invoked like Aspects to deceive or confuse others to distract
[SCALE 1] AFTERGLOW
from your true positioning, including for attacks and defend
You know how to shift the focus of your senses to “feel” certain
rolls. You can also use them in place of Charges to benefit such
experiences more thoroughly.
actions, but they are then removed from play.
Requirements: Awareness at Average (+1) Scale 1.
At Scale 7, you get a fourth mirror image, and you may choose
to discard one to ignore a successful attack against you, having Effects: Whenever you’re experiencing a sensation, you can
the attack target the mirror image instead. At Scale 8, you get spend a Charge to intensify it in a positive way. You gain a free
a fifth mirror image, and you may choose (and change) which invocation on any roll that is directly affected by the intensi-
one of them is the real you every round. fied sensation, regardless of Skill, and it lasts for as long as the
desired experience does. Alternatively, you may take on an ap-
propriate Situation Aspect to prompt the narrative experience.
[SCALE 7] TEARING THE MATRIX
With tremendous force, you pull the Nanite Matrix apart, incin- • Your eyesight is more vibrant, making you see colors
erating nanites and causing violent eruptions of energy. in ways you haven’t noticed before. You could get a free in-
vocation on Creativity to aid in your painting, or you could
Prerequisites: [Scale 5] Data Incineration. take on a Situation Aspect like There is Beauty in Everything.
Requirements: Athletics at Good (+3) Scale 7. • Your hearing is more nuanced, letting you hear intrica-
Effects: Once per major milestone, you can choose to either cies in a musical performance that you would have otherwise
tear open a rift or pull one closed. When tearing one open, you ignored. You could get a free invocation on Performance to put
create an environmental hazard based on a rift element of your on a more inspiring show, or you could take on a Situation As-
choice at your location. The hazard uses your Athletics Rank pect like Compelled to Dance.
and Scale to inflict harm and covers a number of zones equal • Your sense of smell and taste is more vibrant, letting
to half your Athletics Scale, rounded up. This rift is permanent. you enjoy a meal or your partner’s scent more thoroughly. You
could get a free invocation on Investigation to notice a poison
If you instead use this Skill Feature to close an existing rift, the in your meal, or you could take on a Situation Aspect like My
hazard it inflicts cannot have a Scale value that exceeds your Boyfriend is So Hot Right Now.
Athletics Scale. • Your sense of touch is more vibrant, giving you more
pleasure from intimate or comfortable experiences. You could
At Scale 8, you may use this Skill Feature once per significant get a free invocation on Willpower to relax in a warm shower,
instead of major milestone. or you could take on a Situation Aspect like Increased Sexual
Pleasure.
[SCALE 8] APOCALYPTIC INTENT
At Scale 4, you gain another free invocation or Situation As-
You’re already one of the most powerful beings to exist when it pect to even further accentuate your positive sensations; At
comes to raw physical strength, but that is not enough for you. Scale 7, you gain a third free invocation or Situation Aspect,
The universe itself needs to tremble in your wake. making your experience positive beyond imagining.
Prerequisites: [Scale 4] Mountain Hurl; [Scale 5] Meteor Strike.
[SCALE 1] CONSCIOUSLY AWARE
Requirements: Athletics at Superb (+5) Scale 8. You know to be constantly aware of your surroundings because
Effects: Once per minor milestone, spend a Charge to do one you never know what lurks in the dark.
of the following:
Requirements: Awareness at Average (+1) Scale 1.
• Move faster than the speed of light. If you can reach Effects: You’re always considered Guarded with one free invo-
somewhere unhindered, you can appear there instantaneously. cation per scene. At Scale 3, you may apply the free invocation
• Obliterate anything you punch. Your Athletics-based on all Awareness rolls that directly make use of the Aspect; At
attack ignores all forms of Soak and defensive Aspects, such as Scale 5, this becomes two free invocations; At Scale 7, you can

268
 no longer be surprised under any circumstances. towards you, you instinctively become aware of this. The range
extends with your Awareness Scale as appropriate (p. XX).
[SCALE 1] DIRECTION SENSE
You have a perfect sense of direction. [SCALE 2] ONE EYE OPEN
You’ve learned to sleep with one eye open, making you ready for
Requirements: Awareness at Average (+1) Scale 1. potential dangers in the night.
Effects: If you’ve been to a location before, you can always nav-
igate it again. This applies even if you’ve been blindfolded or Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Consciously Aware.
had your senses obstructed in other ways. As long as you can Requirements: Awareness at Fair (+2) Scale 2.
identify some familiar elements at the location, you can recall Effects: You can apply your Awareness unhindered even if
its general layout. Finally, you are instinctually aware of the ex- you’re asleep. This doesn’t affect your ability to fall asleep. You
act direction and distance to the nearest Cover or Escape Route. are aware of most things happening around you, and you may
choose if you want something to wake you up.
[SCALE 1] MUTE
You know how to shift the focus of your senses to “mute” certain [SCALE 2] SENSORY RECALL
experiences that you find unpleasant. You become subconsciously aware of everything you perceive
and can recall that information when needed.
Requirements: Awareness at Average (+1) Scale 1.
Effects: Whenever you’re experiencing a negative sensation, Requirements: Awareness at Average (+1) Scale 2.
you can spend a Charge to reduce its impact. You gain a free in- Effects: By closing your eyes and focusing your thoughts, you
vocation on any roll that would have been impacted negatively can recall anything you’ve perceived since acquiring this Skill
by the sensation, regardless of Skill, and it lasts for as long as Feature with perfect precision, visualizing it with the same lev-
the sensation does. Alternatively, you may take on an appropri- el of detail as you would experience the real world. This could
ate Situation Aspect to prompt the narrative experience. let you glance at a text of information and then choose to read
it later, or you could revisit memories to uncover new details.
Examples include:
Since you need to focus to make use of this Skill Feature, it
• Your eyesight is unfocused, making strong lights fainter. cannot be used during an active conflict or in other situations
You could get a free invocation on Fortitude against blinding where your primary focus is directed elsewhere.
lights, or take on a Situation Aspect like Squinting.
• Your hearing is dampened, lowering volumes and mak- At Scale 4, you no longer need to focus, and can access the
ing unpleasant noises less unbearing. You could get a free in- benefits of this Skill Feature at any time and in any situation.
vocation on Investigation to overhear a conversation in a loud
night club, or you could take on a Situation Aspect like Unin-
[SCALE 3] SCENT TRACKER
terrupted Sleep.
• Your sense of smell and taste is faded, letting you han- Your potent senses lets you identify and assess tracks and traces
dle rotting corpses or spoiled food without covering your nose. invisible to others.
You could get a free invocation on Treatment to perform an au-
Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Afterglow.
topsy without proper safeguards, or take on a Situation Aspect
like My Partner’s Cooking is Not that Bad. Requirements: Awareness at Fair (+2) Scale 3.
• Your sense of touch is impaired, letting you ignore un- Effects: If you’re familiar with a scent, you will automatically
comfortable sensations or grit through pain. You could get a know how long ago its source was last in the location where
free invocation on Fortitude to defend against a painful experi- you sense it. In addition, you always have a free invocation on
ence, or take on a Situation Aspect like Torture Tolerance. rolls made to track those whose scents you are familiar with;
this stacks with that from the bloodhound upgrade (p. XX) to
At Scale 4, you gain another free invocation or Situation As- the enhanced smell and taste augmentation (p. XX).
pect to even further negate negative sensations; At Scale 7, you
gain a third free invocation or Situation Aspect, making you
[SCALE 3] SENSOR
able to withstand the worst experiences imaginable.
Your senses are adapted to pick up new types of sensory infor-
mation.
[SCALE 2] DANGER SENSE
You have a keen sense for danger. Requirements: Awareness at Average (+1) Scale 3.
Effects: You gain access to a new sensory type not normally
Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Consciously Aware. perceived by humans; examples include the ability to see infra-
Requirements: Awareness at Fair (+2) Scale 2. red radiation, hear radiowaves, smell cellular processes, taste
Effects: You can sense the presence of concealed traps or crea- gamma radiation, or feel magnetism. See page XX for more in-
tures in your zone, including the general distance and direction formation on various sensor types. You may acquire this mul-
to them. If a concealed creature has a Hostile Attitude (p. XX) tiple times, adding new sensors with each purchase.

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[SCALE 3] SOMATOSENSORY UNDERSTANDING sensory information. Concepts such as vision, hearing, smell,
Your superhuman sense of touch has taught you how to hear taste, and touch become meaningless as you’re able to experience
sounds through vibrations alone. your every sense through your entire body, which is then trans-
lated by the brain into comprehensible information.
Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Afterglow.
Requirements: Awareness at Fair (+2) Scale 3. Prerequisites: [Scale 3] Somatosensory Understanding; [Scale
4] Blind Sight.
Effects: By touching a surface, you can “hear” any sound touch-
ing that same surface using your sense of touch, regardless of Requirements: Awareness at Good (+3) Scale 5.
the distance to the source of the sound. Examples includes Effects: You can see, hear, smell, taste, and touch without eyes,
touching a wall to hear someone leaning against the other side ears, a nose, a tongue, or skin; you could literally see through
of it, or touching a road to listen on someone a kilometer away. the back of your head or taste something by listening to it.

If you have the vibration sense upgrade (p. XX) to the enhanced [SCALE 5] SOMATOSENSORY COMMUNICATION
touch augmentation (p. XX), this Skill Feature lets you add a Because sound and touch blend together in your sensory percep-
free invocation to the Awareness roll. tions, you have learned how to replicate certain sounds through
vibrations alone.
If you have means of echolocation (p. XX), this Skill Feature
lets you echolocate using touch instead of hearing. Prerequisites: [Scale 3] Somatosensory Understanding.
Requirements: Awareness at Good (+3) Scale 5.
[SCALE 4] ANTICIPATING THE AMBUSH
Effects: You may replicate any sound you hear. In addition, by
Your keen sense for danger has also given you an insight into the
spending a Charge, you can transfer a short message to anoth-
hearts and motivations of assassins.
er person through their sense of touch; the target understands
the message and can reply back to you the same way. You need
Prerequisites: [Scale 2] Danger Sense.
to be physically linked to the recipient in some way, either by
Requirements: Awareness at Good (+3) Scale 4. direct touch or by touching the same physical medium.
Effects: After having sensed the presence of someone with a
Hostile Attitude for you, you may choose to spend a Charge to [SCALE 6] SENSE SHARING
immediately guage their Motivation (p. XX). This could give You can share your senses with someone else.
you information such as if they intend to kill you, rob you, kid-
nap you, or if they simply wants to remain unnoticed. Prerequisites: [Scale 5] Somatosensory Communication.
Requirements: Awareness at Great (+4) Scale 6.
In addition, you may always choose to use Awareness instead
of Empathy to gain insight into the minds of those with Hostile Effects: When touching another individual, you may either
Attitude towards you. share their senses or have them share yours for as long as the
touch is maintained. This also works on a sleeping or uncon-
scious target, letting you listen in on their dreams or finding
[SCALE 4] BLIND SIGHT
means of connecting with them through their subconscious.
Even when all other senses are obscured, you’re able to navigate
your surroundings.
By spending a Charge, you can maintain the connection even
without direct contact, though a target can choose to refuse the
Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Direction Sense.
connection by spending their own Charge. You no longer need
Requirements: Awareness at Fair (+2) Scale 4. to spend Charges to communicate using the Somatosensory
Effects: Even if all of your senses are taken out of commission, Communication Skill Feature.
you can navigate and react to things in your own zone.
[SCALE 7] HEARING THE THOUGHT
[SCALE 4] THERE IS NO PAIN Your sharp senses have taught you to hear the thoughts of others
Having perfect control over your pain receptors, you can with- through their neural processes.
stand physical torment with little effort.
Prerequisites: [Scale 6] Sense Sharing.
Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Mute. Requirements: Awareness at Great (+4) Scale 7.
Requirements: Awareness at Fair (+2) Scale 4. Effects: Once per minor milestone, you may use Awareness in
Effects: You can choose to ignore discomfort from pain. While place of Psionic Coding. If you already know Psionic Coding
you can still suffer Stress from physical injuries, pain-related and it is equal or higher to your Awareness, you may ignore the
Aspects or effects cannot be invoked against you. You can even negative d6 on your Psionic Coding roll.
withstand extreme torture and mutilation without flinching.
[SCALE 7] READING THE ROOM
[SCALE 5] SENSORY SPONGE Your acute senses let you read something’s history as if you have
Your entire body becomes a sensory organ capable of absorbing experienced it yourself.

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 Prerequisites: [Scale 2] Sensory Recall; [Scale 3] Bloodhound; Requirements: Close Combat at Average (+1) Scale 1.
[Scale 3] Somatosensory Understanding. Effects: When engaged in a physical conflict, you may choose
Requirements: Awareness at Good (+3) Scale 7. to take on the Apocalypse Stance (only one stance can be active
Effects: When using the Sensory Recall Skill Feature, you can at the time, even if you know multiple styles). The stance can
spend a Charge or take on a Stress while touching an object only be used alongside unarmed attacks or blunt weapons, in-
or creature to recall their memories. An object’s memories are creasing their Harm by one.
represented by anything happening in the immediate zone sur-
rounding that object, while a creature’s memories are tied to If your Close Combat attack inflicts at least one Stress upon a
what they experienced using their senses (and not the thoughts target, you may choose to immediately perform a free Provo-
they had at the time). cation attack against them, with a bonus to the roll if the attack
inflicted a Physical Consequence: +1 if Mild, +2 if Moderate,
Roll Awareness as an Average (+1) Scale 7 task. An unwilling and +3 if Severe.
target resists using their Deception or Willpower instead. For
each shift, you recall targeted memories dating back a week, but [SCALE 1] FRAGMENTED BONE STRIKE
you must still try to search for the actual period of time you’re As a master of the Apocalypse Style, you aim to cause as much
trying to recall; you don’t automatically recall everything. By damage as you can with every strike. There is no going easy.
adding an additional Charge or Stress to the cost, you increase
the span to months; A third Charge or Stress increases it to Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Apocalypse Style.
years; A fourth increases it to decades; Finally, a fifth Charge or Requirements: Close Combat at Fair (+2) Scale 1.
Stress increases it to centuries. Effects: This Skill Feature can only be used while you’re in the
Apocalypse Stance. After having inflicted enough Blunt Harm
Keep in mind that the object or creature must have existed for to force a target to take a Physical Consequence, that Conse-
the entire time period that you try to recall. quence will mitigate one fewer Stress, to minimum one Stress.

[SCALE 8] OMNIPRESENT [SCALE 2] PYTHON COIL FINGERS

Your superhuman awareness lets you sense things far away from Your sheer power and brutality makes you nearly impossible to
your actual location. escape or pin down.

Prerequisites: [Scale 7] Hearing the Thought; [Scale 7] Read- Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Apocalypse Style.
ing the Room.
Requirements: Close Combat at Fair (+2) Scale 2.
Requirements: Awareness at Superb (+5) Scale 8.
Effects: This Skill Feature can only be used while you’re in the
Effects: You become instinctively aware of when someone is Apocalypse Stance. After having successfully Grappled a target
speaking or writing openly about you, or trying to speak or (or become Grappled by them), you may inflict one Stress for
write to you directly, regardless of distance to them. People each round Grappled is maintained.
may avoid your attention when speaking or writing about you
only if they do so vaguely, such as using code you’re unfamiliar If you’re the one who is Grappled or Restrained, you have a free
with. However, when becoming aware of someone mentioning invocation per round on any roll used to free yourself.
you, you can sense them as if you are there with them, even if
they are in a digital space. You’re able to both perceive the zone
[SCALE 2] TORN LAYER ATTACK
itself and anything in it.
You strike with great brutality and no consideration for your op-
ponent’s well-being.
If you’re willing, you may contact the individual using the So-
matosensory Communication Skill Feature without having to
Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Fragmented Bone Strike.
first touch them. By spending a Charge, you could activate the
Sense Sharing Skill Feature with them. Finally, since you’re able Requirements: Close Combat at Good (+3) Scale 2.
to detect the zone itself, you may choose to apply the Read- Effects: This Skill Feature can only be used while you’re in the
ing the Room Skill Feature on any object or creature within the Apocalypse Stance. When making an attack and succeeding
zone, even though you’re not physically there. with style against an armored target, you break the armor, per-
manently reducing its Soak by one. When the target wears en-
casing armor, you may spend a Charge when breaking it to tear
it open; doing so removes the Encasing Aspect until repaired.
CLOSE COMBAT
(APOCALYPSE STYLE) [SCALE 3] BRUTAL SEND-OFF
The ease at which you aim and kill sends chills down people’s
[SCALE 1] APOCALYPSE STYLE
spines; spines that you can rip out with your bare hands.
You are trained in the Apocalypse Style of martial arts. This is a
vicious fighting style developed by a cruel adherent to Dis-Order Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Fragmented Bone Strike.
in ages past. The style focuses on inflicting pain and cruelty onto
Requirements: Close Combat at Good (+3) Scale 3.
others, making dojos teaching it illegal in many societies.

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Effects: This Skill Feature can only be used while you’re in the Exhausted to take an active action on your following turn. If
Apocalypse Stance. When inflicting a Physical Consequence you have spent Charges to remain within the conflict when you
upon a target or taking them out of the conflict, you do so with should have been taken out, you’re now out instead.
utmost brutality. When making the stance’s free Provocation
attack, it is applied to all opponents who can perceive you. If [SCALE 5] UNENDING MASSACRE
the target was taken out as a result of your attack, add a free The brutality of your violence doesn’t satiate you. It only makes
invocation to the Provocation roll. your hunger stronger.

In addition, roll a d6. If you roll a 1, the murdered victim be- Prerequisites: [Scale 4] Berserker God.
comes a specter as a result of your brutality. Requirements: Close Combat at Superb (+5) Scale 5.
Effects: After having entered the Apocalypse Stance and while
[SCALE 4] BERSERKER GOD being in Berserker God’s mouth-frothing rage, making a killing
Your peerless mastery over the Apocalypse Style and your affin- blow while succeeding with style lets you immediately perform
ity for violence have taught you to channel unending rage into another attack. This effect stacks, but every consecutive attack
every strike. is made with one lower Scale (to minimum 1).

Prerequisites: [Scale 2] Python Coil Fingers; [Scale 2] Torn If fighting goons (p. XX), reducing their Magnitude is equiva-
Layer Attack; [Scale 3] Brutal Send-Off. lent to a killing blow for the purpose of this Skill Feature.
Requirements: Close Combat at Great (+4) Scale 4.
[SCALE 6] STOMPING COLOSSUS
Effects: When entering the Apocalypse Stance, you may choose
to also enter a mouth-frothing rage. For as long as you remain The sheer power afforded to you by your Apocalypse Style causes
in this stance, you are immune to Provocation attacks unless your muscles to swell and your bones to harden.
they directly relate to your Character Aspects. Whenever you
Prerequisites: [Scale 5] Unending Massacre.
suffer enough Stress to be taken out of the conflict, you may
spend a Charge to remain within it. Requirements: Close Combat at Superb (+5) Scale 6.
Effects: When entering the Apocalypse Stance, you can spend
If a round passes without you attempting to attack or provoke a Charge to grow into a larger size, giving you the Large Frame
a target, both the rage and the stance ends and you become too Aspect (p. XX) with the same benefits as if using a Frame I ar-

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 mor (p. XX): +1 to Natural Soak, a free invocation to Athletics Nightstalker Stance. After having used Close Combat to attack
rolls, and the ability to use Siege I weapons (p. XX). Garments- a target, you may spend a Charge to immediately retreat into
don’t grow with you unless fitted with Stretch Fiber (p. XX). either the nearest Cover, or into a neighboring zone. The target
cannot contest this escape. If retreating into cover with hope of
At Scale 7, you may choose to grow into a Huge Frame (p. XX), concealing yourself, you may make an immediate Stealth roll.
increasing the bonuses to +2 Natural Soak, two free invoca-
tions, and the ability to use Siege II weapons (p. XX). At Scale 4, you can use this Skill Feature to escape even if you
are Grappled or Restrained.
At Scale 8, you may choose to grow into a Colossal Frame (p.
XX), increasing the bonuses to +3 Natural Soak, three free in- [SCALE 3] DEATH’S CONCEALMENT
vocations, and the ability to use Siege III weapons (p. XX). Your mastery of the Nightstalker Style has not only taught you
how to inflict pain and death upon others, but how to deceive
your opponents of your true strength.
CLOSE COMBAT
Prerequisites: [Scale 2] Shadow Escape.
(NIGHTSTALKER STYLE)
Requirements: Close Combat at Good (+3) Scale 3.
[SCALE 1] NIGHTSTALKER STYLE Effects: This Skill Feature can only be used while you’re in
You are trained in the Nightstalker Style of martial arts. This is the Nightstalker Stance. After failing to defend against an at-
an assassination style that was put together by an unknown Ma- tack and taking on a Physical Consequence, you may choose
chineborn back in the late Activation Era, and that was originally to appear dead, using the highest of your Deception, Larceny,
developed to be utilized by shadow operatives during the First Performance, or Stealth for any contested roll. In addition, you
Sector War. Some covert military groups practice the style today, gain a bonus to such a roll based on the Consequence taken; +1
but it’s mostly found in niche underground dojos around the so- for Mild, +2 for Moderate, +3 for Severe, and +4 for Extreme.
lar system. Successfully fooling a target that you are dead is equivalent to
being Concealed.
Requirements: Close Combat at Average (+1) Scale 1.
Effects: When engaged in a physical conflict, you may choose [SCALE 4] UNSEEN STRIKE TECHNIQUE
to take on the Nightstalker Stance (only one stance can be ac- Your mastery of the Nightstalker Style has taught you to attack
tive at the time, even if you know multiple styles). The stance quickly, silently, and effectively. Even in plain sight, it becomes
can only be used alongside unarmed attacks or light weapons near-impossible to see that you are attacking at all.
such as knives, claws, or garrote wires; your unarmed attacks
can now deal Sharp Harm in addition to Blunt Harm. If attack- Prerequisites: [Scale 2] Pressure Point Strike; [Scale 3] Death’s
ing from concealment, the attack has a free invocation. Concealment.
Requirements: Close Combat at Great (+4) Scale 4.
Additionally, you can move without making sound. You don’t
Effects: This Skill Feature can only be used while you’re in the
need to be engaged in a physical conflict to utilize the stance
Nightstalker Stance. Your Close Combat attacks are considered
for this purpose.
Silent and Invisible, even in plain sight. Unless a target knows
that the attack is coming by reading your intent and your
[SCALE 2] PRESSURE POINT STRIKE movements, they can only defend against it using their passive
Your mastery of the Nightstalker Style has taught you every pos- defense Skill. If the target’s defense Skill (or their Awareness) is
sible human weakness, and how to utilize them effectively. equal to the higher of your Close Combat, Larceny, or Stealth
Scale, they can detect and defend against the attack normally.
Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Nightstalker Style. This Skill Feature can be beaten by traits that specifically let a
Requirements: Close Combat at Fair (+2) Scale 2. character perceive Silent or Invisible attacks.
Effects: This Skill Feature can only be used while you’re in the
Nightstalker Stance. When making a Close Combat attack, you [SCALE 5] TRACELESS EXECUTION
may ignore Armored Soak as if making an aimed attack (p. Your mastery over the silent way of killing someone has taught
XX). Once per round, you may spend a Charge to ignore all you how to attack and kill without leaving a trace of your assault.
Soak, even if Natural or Encasing (p. XX).
Prerequisites: [Scale 4] Unseen Strike Technique.
[SCALE 2] SHADOW ESCAPE Requirements: Close Combat at Superb (+5) Scale 5.
As a master of the Nightstalker Style, you have also become a Effects: This Skill Feature can only be used while you’re in the
master of shadows and concealment. Nightstalker Stance. When killing a target using a Close Com-
bat attack, you may spend a Charge to leave no trace of harm;
Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Nightstalker Style. the victim cannot become a specter. Even a detailed autopsy is
Requirements: Close Combat at Fair (+2) Scale 2. unable to uncover the cause of death unless it’s performed by
Effects: This Skill Feature can only be used while you’re in the someone with a Skill of equivalent or higher Scale.

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[SCALE 5] UNENDING SHADOW STRIKES Requirements: Close Combat at Average (+1) Scale 1.
As a master of the Nightstalker Style, you can let out flurries of
unseen strikes, like a pit of snakes lashing at a foe. Effects: When engaged in a physical conflict, you may choose
to take on the Void Saber Stance (only one stance can be active
Prerequisites: [Scale 4] Unseen Strike Technique. at the time, even if you know multiple styles). The stance can
only be used alongside slashing weapons, such as swords, rift
Requirements: Close Combat at Superb (+5) Scale 5. blades, or halberds; it cannot be used unarmed. This lets you
Effects: This Skill Feature can only be used while you’re in the use Close Combat to defend against Ranged Combat attacks,
Nightstalker Stance. Instead of making a single Close Combat as you use your blade to deflect projectiles.
attack, you may spend a Charge to attack as many targets as you
want within your zone. This turns the attack into a hazard. You In addition, your quick thinking and effective bladework lets
don’t need to be physically close to the victims of your attack you, once per round, choose to spend a Charge to take your
as long as their shadow touches yours; this can even extend the turn in the turn order. This doesn’t let you interrupt an ongoing
attack beyond your zone, but no further away than a number turn, instead letting you take yours immediately after.
of zones equal to half your Close Combat Scale, rounded up.
[SCALE 2] CLASHING HERO DEFENSE
[SCALE 6] FIVE-FINGER EXECUTION As a master of the Void Saber Style, your mastery over the blade
As a master of the Nightstalker Style, you can kill someone with- has taught you how to turn every deflection into an attack. Even
out them knowing that they are dead. when cornered, you leave enemies scarred.

Prerequisites: [Scale 5] Traceless Execution. Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Void Saber Style.

Requirements: Close Combat at Superb (+5) Scale 6. Requirements: Close Combat at Fair (+2) Scale 2.
Effects: This Skill Feature can only be used while you’re in Effects: This Skill Feature can only be used while you’re in the
the Nightstalker Stance. After successfully killing a target us- Void Saber Stance. When using Close Combat to successfully
ing Traceless Execution, you may choose to have them remain defend against a Close Combat attack, you may spend a Charge
seemingly alive and aware. The target believes that your attack to treat your defend roll as an attack roll and their attack roll
dealt no harm, not knowing that they are in fact already dead. as a defend roll.
At any moment, whether a second, a day, or even years later,
you may choose to have them immediately drop dead. They
[SCALE 3] ENERGY-ABSORBING BLADE
will also drop dead if you are killed. If you feel merciful, you
Your mastery over the blade has taught you how to not only de-
can spare their life by having them willingly let you touch a
flect energy attacks, but how to use them for your benefit.
series of pressure points on their body.
Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Void Saber Style.
At Scale 7, you can instinctually sense the direction and dis-
tance to, as well as the mood of, any victim of your Five-Finger Requirements: Close Combat at Fair (+2) Scale 3.
Execution. Effects: This Skill Feature can only be used while you’re in the
Void Saber Stance. When using Close Combat to successfully
At Scale 8, you can at any point choose to inflict Stress to any parry an energy-based attack, such as that from a rift weapon,
victim of your Five-Finger Execution, regardless of distance to the blade is charged by that element. If you successfully attack
them. They will instinctively know that you’re the source of with your weapon before the end of your next turn, the ab-
their pain, and that their lives are at your mercy. sorbed energy type acts as an additional harm type.

At Scale 5, the energy lasts until it’s used to successfully attack

or until the end of the conflict, whichever comes first; At Scale
CLOSE COMBAT 7, it lasts for the entire conflict or until the weapon is either
(VOID SABER STYLE) Disarmed or Sheathed.

[SCALE 1] VOID SABER STYLE

[SCALE 3] GRACEFUL HERO DEFLECTION
You are trained in the Void Saber Style of martial arts. It was You are not only a master of the Void Saber Style, but a hero who
originally created back in the Post-Activation Era by the Ma- protects those who cannot protect themselves. You don’t only use
chineborn Hazel Dream, and it was used effectively against the your blade to parry attacks against you, but you deflect attacks
prime malfunctionary Whispers Outside Horizons after it had against those around you.
taken control over the Ganymedean colony Scamander and used
sound waves to enslave portions of its human population. Prerequisites: [Scale 2] Clashing Hero Defense.
Requirements: Close Combat at Good (+3) Scale 3.
Hazel Dream is said to have cut through dimensions to harm the
malfunctionary within its sanctum. This act of heroism led to the Effects: This Skill Feature can only be used while you’re in the
famous comic book The Sound of Scamander which turned Hazel Void Saber Stance. When in full defense, you may intercept at-
Dream from a historic Machineborn to a fictional superhero still tacks against allies in your zone. If your defense fails, the attack
popular now centuries later. proceeds to target the ally like normal. By spending a Charge,

274
 you can utilize your fulldefense to try to deflect area attacks Requirements: Close Combat at Superb (+5) Scale 7.
targeting the entire zone. Effects: This Skill Feature can only be used while you’re in the
Void Saber Stance. You may spend a Charge to attack a target’s
[SCALE 4] CHARGING SLASH character rather than their body. The causes mental harm and
As a master of the Void Saber Style, you are a mobile fighter, is defended against using Willpower; only Mental Soak can be
always engaging and disengaging to cover as much ground as applied. If succeeding with style, you may choose to reduce
possible. This is not for show, though, as the momentum of your the inflicted Stress by two in order to replace one of the tar-
movement empowers your strikes. get’s Character Aspects, reduce it by four to replace the target’s
Trouble (or equivalent, such as Primal Instinct [p. XX]), or re-
Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Void Saber Style. duce it by six to replace the target’s High Concept (or equiva-
Requirements: Close Combat at Fair (+2) Scale 4. lent, such as Directive [p. XX]).
Effects: This Skill Feature can only be used while you’re in the
At Scale 8, this Skill Feature lets you attack through any bar-
Void Saber Stance. If you’re crossing at least one zone before
rier,including barriers between dimensions. You may attack a
making a Close Combat attack against a single target, you may
digital entity from the physical world, the dreamworld creat-
spend a Charge to add a second positive d6 to the attack roll.
ed by the A Dreamer’s Canvas Skill Feature (p. XX), or even
prevent the reality-shifting effects of the Quantum Immortality
[SCALE 5] SLASHING WAVE Skill Feature (p. XX).
Your mastery of the blade has taught you how to attack with such
force that the air itself carries your wound.

Prerequisites: [Scale 4] Charging Slash. CONTACTS

Requirements: Close Combat at Good (+3) Scale 5.
[SCALE 1] BLACK MARKET
Effects: This Skill Feature can only be used while you’re in the You are not only a person with a large social network, but some-
Void Saber Stance. You may spend a Charge to slash towards an one people turn to when they need something that is hard to get.
enemy at a distance, having the air carry the strike to its goal.
Your Close Combat attack has Attack Range 1. At Scale 7, this Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Connections.
increases to Attack Range 2. This Skill Feature also extends the Requirements: Contacts at Fair (+2) Scale 1.
range at which you can apply Clashing Hero Defense.
Effects: You can now use your connection tokens (see below) to
acquire assets (p. XX) instead of contacts. For a single CT, you
[SCALE 6] ALL-ATTACK DEFLECTION can access a significant asset with a Cost equal to your Influ-
You are the perfect blademaster, and your skill with the blade ence. You may increase the Cost beyond your Influence by +1
lets you use it not only physically, but also intangibally and met- for each added CT, to maximum Cost 8. Alternatively, you may
aphorically. spend CT in place of Hurdles (p. XX) for invention or repair
actions, at Narrator discretion.
Prerequisites: [Scale 3] Energy-Absorbing Blade; [Scale 3]
Graceful Hero Deflection.
[SCALE 1] CONNECTIONS
Requirements: Close Combat at Great (+4) Scale 6.
Having spent a lifetime networking, you know people in all as-
Effects: This Skill Feature can only be used while you’re in the pects of society.
Void Saber Stance. You may spend a Charge to attempt to use
Close Combat in defense against any type of attack, such as a Requirements: Contacts at Average (+1) Scale 1.
hacking attempt, a provocation, or a hazard. Effects: You gain a number of connection tokens (CT) equal to
your Rank plus Scale in Contacts; for example, two at Average
A non-physical attack is considered energy-based for the pur- (+1) Scale 1 and 13 at Superb (+5) Scale 8. These can be spent
pose of Energy-Absorbing Blade. However, instead of having to establish connections to NPCs in the scene, similar to when
the absorbed attack provide a new harm type to use in the adding story details. Once spent, they reset when you reach a
conflict, you may choose to use a Close Combat attack to sup- significant milestone.
plement using the absorbed attack itself. For example, if you
deflect and absorb a Provocation attempt, you may slash at a By spending a CT, you may determine that you know one of
foe to cause that Provocation attempt instead of your normal the NPCs in the scene, and that you’re on friendly terms with
physical attack. them, or that you can easily access an NPC if no one is present.
This requires that you haven’t already established a narrative
[SCALE 7] SOUL STRIKE for the NPC in question that would be contradicted by your
The perfect blademaster doesn’t use their weapon to harm and to declaration. While “I helped this store clerk defend their shop
kill, but to teach lessons and better their opponents. from a robber before” could be a valid declaration, “It actually
turns out that the main bad guy we’ve been fighting is my fa-
Prerequisites: [Scale 5] Slashing Wave; [Scale 6] All-Attack ther” is probably not—unless the Narrator and the other play-
Deflection. ers like the idea enough to run with it, of course.

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 CHAPTER 6: AUGMENTATIONS

If the Narrator deems it unlikely that a friendly NPC would be Alternatively, your sourcing of rare assets could instead enable
available, they may either veto the use of the Skill Feature in the creation of a Cost 9 invention, or the creation of a godware
that situation, or they may ask for surcharges of additional CT item at Engineering Scale 4 instead of 5.
to turn the situation in your favor. For example:
At Scale 6, you can do this once per significant instead of major
• Spend +1 CT if you’re in a hostile situation and it is milestone.
assumed that all NPCs are hostile towards you; this ensures
thatat least one NPC is friendly. At Scale 8, you can do this once per minor milestone instead.
• Spend +1 CT if the NPCs are from a social group com-
pletely different from your own, such as a scavenger if you’re an
[SCALE 2] REPUTATION
executive, or vice versa.
You’re not the only one knowing people. People know you, and
• Spend +1 CT if you’re in a location where it wouldn’t
your name carries weight.
make sense for you to know people, such as in enemy territory.
Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Connections.
[SCALE 1] DIPLOMAT’S APPROACH Requirements: Contacts at Fair (+2) Scale 2.
You are a master at social interaction.
Effects: You’re considered to have +1 Influence (to maximum
Requirements: Contacts at Average (+1) Scale 1. 8) when you invoke Influence to enhance a social action, or
when someone else invokes Influence against you. If your Con-
Effects: Whenever you first interact with someone you haven’t tacts Scale is higher than your Influence, you may use it instead
met before, you have a free invocation on whatever Social Skill for these invocations, assuming that you rely on your reputa-
you use to make a first impression. If, by the end of your in- tion and social network to gain a social advantage.
teraction, you are on friendly terms, you may (once per minor
milestone) choose to roll Contacts against their Willpower. If If it turns out that you’re already at 8 and no longer benefit
you tie, they will offer to make a minor favor for you at no cost; from this Skill Feature, you gain a free invocation instead.
if you succeed, they will offer to make a major favor for you at
no cost; if you succeed with style, they will become an ally that
[SCALE 3] CULTURAL INSIGHT
you can call upon when needed.
Your familiarity with human behavior has taught you that there
At Scale 2, you can apply this Skill Feature to a group of people are shared patterns in even the most distant culture. You can de-
rather than a single individual, assuming that you interact with tect and translate those patterns.
the group as a whole.
Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Diplomat’s Approach.

[SCALE 2] BRUSHED OFF FAUX PAS

Requirements: Contacts at Fair (+2) Scale 3.
Even the most socially and culturally aware make mistakes, but Effects: When coming across a cultural tradition or ceremo-
you’re a master of coming back from them. ny that is unfamiliar to you, you’re able to instinctively under-
stand its meaning. You’re able to partake in it with the confi-
Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Diplomat’s Approach. dence of someone native to it. This also applies to social scenes
Requirements: Contacts at Fair (+2) Scale 2. and attitudes within your own culture or social group that you
are unfamiliar or unused to.
Effects: After having blundered in a social situation to a point
where a character’s Attitude (p. XX) towards you would real- When appealing to a cultural aspect or tradition that you have
istically worsen, you may spend a Charge (or a CT if you have gleamed from a targeted character—such as reminding them
the Connections Feature above) to have people ignore that of something nostalgic or sharing a meal traditional to their
blunder. You can blunder once for free per minor milestone. home—their Attitude automatically shifts a degree towards
Friendly. If they already are Friendly, you gain a free invoca-
[SCALE 2] FIXER tion on each Social Skill roll made against them until you’ve
You’re an accomplished fixer with your own tradelines, making expressed hostility or made a severe cultural faux pas.
you able to source and sell assets with a profit motive.
At Scale 5, it only takes a glance for you to become familiar
Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Black Market. with what cultural aspects and traditions others find meaning-
Requirements: Contacts at Good (+3) Scale 2. ful. If a character actively tries to hide their social background,
you can ignore the negative d6 and apply your Contacts Scale
Effects: Whenever you purchase an asset, you may treat it as
(if higher) to any contested rolls made to figure it out.
if it has –1 Cost (to minimum Cost 0). Whenever you sell an
asset, you may treat it as if it has +1 Cost (to maximum Cost 8).
[SCALE 3] SOCIAL STIMULATION
At Scale 4, once per major milestone, you could source what Social interaction is important to you, and you become energized
is effectively a Cost 9 asset as if it were a Cost 8 asset. Keep in by being the center of positivity in your social group.
mind that Cost 9 assets are normally impossible, due to the
Cost 8 cap. This is represented by exceedingly rare resources. Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Connections.

276
 Requirements: Contacts at Fair (+2) Scale 3. information about others, regardless of Skill used.
Effects: You earn a Charge (or a CT) from the following situa-
tions (maximum one per minor milestone): [SCALE 4] CORRUPTING REPUTATION
Your strong name, strong presence, and ability to connect with
• When someone with a Hostile Attitude (p. XX) for you others can be weaponized against your enemies.
becomes Friendly.
• When you get a new significant ally. Prerequisites: [Scale 2] Reputation.
• When someone else defends you in a conflict.
Requirements: Contacts at Good (+3) Scale 4.
• When you are given something significant by someone
who doesn’t expect anything in return. Effects: After having successfully invoked your reputation in a
• When someone saves you from the brink of death. social conflict or contest against someone previously deemed
having the strongest reputation or highest Influence in the
At Scale 5, you may earn a Charge (or CT) once per scene in- scene—such as a crime boss in front of their subordinates—
stead of per minor milestone as long as the criteria are met. they become unable to appeal to their authority for the remain-
der of the scene, or until they manage to inflict a Mental Con-
At Scale 7, you are always rewarded when the criteria are met. sequence upon you, whichever comes first.

[SCALE 3] SOCIAL UPKEEP [SCALE 4] PERFECT TRADE LINE

It is part of your routine to make sure to always be up to date on Your complex networks and intricate means of communication
your social network. lets you access any kind of asset at nearly any time and any place.

Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Connections. Prerequisites: [Scale 2] Fixer; [Scale 3] Social Upkeep.

Requirements: Contacts at Fair (+2) Scale 3. Requirements: Contacts at Great (+4) Scale 4.
Effects: You can perfectly recall any information you’ve learned Effects: You may trade assets remotely, regardless of where you
about any individual, such as details about their personal lives. are, assuming there is some form of realistic means of commu-
You have an instinctive understanding of whether certain de- nication and delivery. For example, you could be far out in the
tails are true or false. When uncovering false information, such wasteland with no easy ways of communication, or on the oth-
as lies about someone’s accomplishments, you may roll Con- er side of the solar system, and you would still be able to find
tacts in place of other Skills to uncover the truth behind the ways of acquiring items and services at Narrator discretion.
lie; you have a free invocation for this purpose, or two if you’re This could be retroactively justified as stored caches, prepared
intimately familiar with the individual in question. deliveries, or unorthodox means of communication. Finally,
you can source a godware item once per significant milestone.
Finally, you always have a free invocation on attempts to learn

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 CHAPTER 6: AUGMENTATIONS

[SCALE 5] EXTREME DEMAND Demand; [Scale 5] Solar Network.

People are willing to go to extreme lengths to be on your good
side and to reap the benefits from being part of your network. Requirements: Contacts at Superb (+5) Scale 6.
Effects: You can spend CT (p. XX) on directing masses of peo-
Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Diplomat’s Approach; [Scale 2] Rep- ple into taking complex tasks, such as “arrange a protest on
utation. this street at this hour,” “make sure there are people at that lo-
Requirements: Contacts at Good (+3) Scale 5. cation willing to back me up,” or “make sure there are people
working hard on overtaking that outpost.” This can be repre-
Effects: You can now spend CT (p. XX) to call in extreme fa- sented by Situation Aspects, such as Ongoing Protest, or even
vors (p. XX) as if they were major favors. This Skill Feature can significant narrative events at larger scope than ordinary story
only be used on NPCs, unless a targeted PC’s player accepts details, such as an armed conflict or a major political change,
the terms of the favor. If the favor is especially extreme, such at Narrator discretion.
as if it you’re asking someone to ruin or end their life for you,
the Narrator may ask for additional CT surcharges depending At Scale 8, spending the CT lets you establish an abstract form
on the nature of the favor, the target’s Character Aspects, and of communication with a group of people familiar to you. This
potential other factors. is not psionic communication, but rather them understanding
your will and intent to a superhuman degree, even without di-
[SCALE 5] SOLAR NETWORK rect prompting. Even if you’re completely isolated in a secret
Your superhuman ability to connect with people affords you a prison, you would be able to guide people into action, such as
competent social network that can span the solar system and into locating and breaking you out of that prison.
beyond. You have the intuition and know-how to manage this
network regardless of its size and reach.
CREATIVITY
Prerequisites: [Scale 3] Cultural Insight; [Scale 4] Social Up-
keep. [SCALE 1] BUSINESS INSIDER
Requirements: Contacts at Good (+3) Scale 5. You have contacts within the art and entertainment industry.
Effects: Whenever you encounter someone you’re familiar
with in some way, even if you’ve only had brief interactions, Requirements: Creativity at Average (+1) Scale 1.
you can instinctively assess their Attitude (p. XX) towards you Effects: You may substitute Contacts for Creativity (if higher)
and at least one of their Character Aspects. In addition, you to determine connections within the art and entertainment in-
can instinctively tell if someone you don’t know is connected to dustry or prices for related goods and services. In addition, you
a person you do know, including how they are connected and gain half your Creativity Scale, rounded up, free invocations
what their Attitude would be towards that person. per minor milestone to spend on Cognitive and Social Skills
related to the art or entertainment industry.
At Scale 6, this Skill Feature is improved. If you choose to re-
veal your own relationship with the shared connection to the [SCALE 1] INSPIRING PRESENTATION
target, they will adopt a new Attitude towards either you or You are a master presenter, capable of weaving together a pres-
the connection that is either equal to the connection’s Attitude entation that will inspire everyone who experiences it.
towards you, your Attitude towards the connection, or the tar-
get’s Attitude towards the connection; whichever is more fa- Requirements: Creativity at Average (+1) Scale 1.
vorable to you.
Effects: Before going into a social situation that you have cer-
For example, if they have a Friendly Attitude for the connec- tain expectations for, such as knowing that it’s a business meet-
tion and both you and the connection have a Hostile Attitude ing, a ceremonial toast, or a concert, you may spend an hour
for each other, you may choose if you want the target to adopt preparing your approach. Roll Creativity as an Average (+1)
your Hostile Attitude for the connection or the connection’s Scale 1 task and take note of every shift, up to a maximum
Hostile Attitude for you. number of shifts equal to your combined Creativity Rank and
Scale. These represent free invocations that you may spend
If there are narrative complications that would realistically during the social scene.
prevent the target from immediately shifting Attitude towards
you, the Narrator can determine that they shift the Attitude At Scale 3, you may attempt to go into a situation unprepared
towards Neutral instead, or that you earn a Charge as a compel and still benefit from free invocations. If you’re unable to get
instead of shifting the target’s Attitude. the hour of preparation beforehand, roll Creativity against Av-
erage (+1) Scale 3 instead as your creative wit guides you.

[SCALE 6] QUEEN OF THE ANTHILL

[SCALE 2] A CRITIC’S TOUCH
As a master of bringing people together, you can direct your so-
cial network into overcoming solar-spanning challenges without You have a true knack for assessing the value of art.
much effort.
Requirements: Creativity at Average (+1) Scale 2.
Prerequisites: [Scale 4] Perfect Trade Line; [Scale 5] Extreme Effects: When facing a Creativity invention of some kind, such

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 as hearing a song, watching a movie, or reading a book, you can Requirements: Creativity at Good (+3) Scale 4.
accurately assess every property (p. XX) that makes up its Cost. Effects: You may, once per target per significant milestone, roll
Should you create your own work inspired by this invention, Creativity against a target’s Creativity as a create advantage ac-
you may do so at one fewer Hurdle (to minimum one Hurdle). tion during a social interaction. If successful, the target gains
Being inspired, in this case, means that your invention must the Aspect Artist’s Block. For as long as the Aspect remains, all
contain at least one of the invention’s original properties. Creativity inventions attempted by the target require (shifts)
additional Hurdles to complete. The Aspect is in effect until the
[SCALE 2] POETIC MIND next significant milestone or until the target manages to com-
You have learned to express yourself with the grace of a poet. plete a significant Creativity invention, whichever comes first.

Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Inspiring Presentation. [SCALE 4] INNER CIRCLE

Requirements: Creativity at Fair (+2) Scale 2. Your works of art contain hidden meanings and subliminal mes-
Effects: You may spend Charges (or free invocations from In- sages.
spiring Presentation) to either use Creativity instead of a Social
Skill to make a Social Skill roll, or a Social Skill instead of Crea- Prerequisites: [Scale 3] Creative Editing; [Scale 3] Signature.
tivity for a Creativity roll, assuming the Skill you choose to roll Requirements: Creativity at Good (+3) Scale 4.
is higher. You may do this for free once per minor milestone. Effects: Your Creativity inventions (p. XX) contain subliminal
messages and secret code. Whenever you share such an inven-
[SCALE 3] CREATIVE EDITING tion with the world, you may decide what kind of hidden mes-
You absorb art with a critical eye, but you criticize your own cre- sage it should include and who that message is for. The target of
ations more than you do others. As long as you’re able to, you’ll your message will always understand its meaning; others can
always notice something else that needs a touch-up. learn it as well if they’re spending an appropriate time study-
ing your art and succeed on an Education or Investigation roll
Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Inspiring Presentation; [Scale 2] A against your Creativity.
Critic’s Touch.
Requirements: Creativity at Fair (+2) Scale 3. [SCALE 5] INSPIRED DREAMS
Effects: If you have a brief moment with a Creativity inven- You have a constant flow of creative ideas, but it is your dreams
tion, you may make an alteration to it, such as swapping out a that inspire the true masterpieces.
property for another of equal value. The Narrator has the final
say in what alterations can be made, and how quickly you can Prerequisites: [Scale 2] Poetic Mind.
make them. Requirements: Creativity at Good (+3) Scale 5.
Effects: Once per minor milestone, you may substitute a Hur-
[SCALE 3] SIGNATURE dle (p. XX) associated with any invention for a night’s rest or
Your name lives through your art and your art carries power. An- a few hours of contemplation. Alternatively, spend a Charge to
ything you create that bears your mark will be undisputed in its get a burst of inspiration, immediately substituting a Hurdle.
authenticity.
You may use this inspiration yourself or choose to share it with
Prerequisites: [Scale 2] A Critic’s Touch. others. If you support an ally’s invention (of any type) with a
Requirements: Creativity at Fair (+2) Scale 3. teamwork action (p. XX), you may choose to give your inspira-
tion to them, letting them substitute a Hurdle instead.
Effects: When completing any kind of invention (p. XX), you
may choose to assign your signature to it. Anyone who is fa-
miliar with any of your work will intuitively know that the in- [SCALE 5] PHRASE RESTORATION
vention was made by you. Forging the invention becomes im- Your understanding of art has made you intuitively aware of even
possible, unless the forger has a Scale rating equal to or higher the most intricate of details.
than your Creativity Scale. You will instinctively know if your
invention has been forged or tampered with in any way. Prerequisites: [Scale 3] Creative Editing.
Requirements: Creativity at Good (+3) Scale 5.
Finally, you may invoke your Creativity inventions to benefit Effects: When coming across fragmented Creativity inven-
social influence (such as promoting your new creative project). tions (p. XX), such as pieces of a song or pages of a book, you
This works just like when invoking Influence (p. XX), but uses have the experience and know-how to put them together in
your Creativity Scale instead (if higher). their entirety. You may perfectly repair or restore a Creativity
invention with access to only a sliver of the original product.
[SCALE 4] EXTRACTING THE MUSE This could let you restore an entire book from a single page.
Your artistic talent is peerless, but you also possess the will and
ability to discourage rivals from taking your place at the top. [SCALE 6] ARTISTIC FLARE
You are a peerless artist, but your creativity extends to other as-
Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Business Insider; [Scale 3] Signature. pects of life as well.

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 CHAPTER 6: AUGMENTATIONS

Prerequisites: [Scale 5] Inspired Dreams. example, you could pickpocket someone in plain view with
Requirements: Creativity at Great (+4) Scale 6. only the person affected being upset, but you wouldn’t be able
to just murder someone in front of witnesses.
Effects: You may apply your Creativity Scale, if higher, to any
type of invention associated with any Skill. Additionally, you
may now use Inspiring Presentation to prepare free invocations [SCALE 1] FRIEND FROM FOE
for any Skill roll, and not just social ones. Your sharp wit and clever tongue makes you an expert at sowing
doubt and target insecurities.
[SCALE 7] A DREAMER’S CANVAS
Requirements: Deception at Average (+1) Scale 1.
Your vivid imagination is as real as you—a realm of your making.
People can reach it by exposing themselves to your art. Effects: When using Deception in an attempt to turn a char-
acter against someone or something they have a Friendly At-
Prerequisites: [Scale 6] Artistic Flare. titude towards, you may spend a Charge to have the the target
unable to invoke a Hostile Attitude towards you or a Friendly
Requirements: Creativity at Superb (+5) Scale 7.
Attitude towards the subject when making their defend roll.
Effects: Your imagination creates a dreamworld as vivid as the They can still invoke other Aspects. If your roll is successful,
real one. Whenever you sleep or whenever you’re in deep con- the target’s Attitude towards the subject shifts from Friendly
templation, you can enter this world as if it were a digital space. to Neutral. If it succeeds with style, it shifts from Friendly to
You have full creative control over it and can even bend time Hostile. This lasts until they are convinced otherwise.
itself to make moments last seemingly forever.

By spending a Charge, you can invite a willing creature or ma- [SCALE 1] SPIRIT-BREAKING DECEIT
chine-god into this world with you. This is considered interfac- You break people’s spirit not through provocation, but through
ing (p. XX). If they stop being willing, they can choose to leave carefully crafted lies.
your dreamworld at their discretion. In addition, if someone
has been exposed to any of your Creativity inventions within Requirements: Deception at Average (+1) Scale 1.
the last 24 hours, they are able to visit your dreamworld of their Effects: You may use Deception instead of Provocation to
own accord when they sleep. attack someone in a social conflict. Instead of provoking the
target, you deceive them into questioning their own thoughts.
At Scale 8, this world truly comes to life. You can offer your Suggested Consequences include Self-Doubt (Mild), Everyone
dreamworld as a permanent sanctuary for specters. In addi- Hates Me (Moderate), Psychotic Break (Severe), or Paranoid
tion, people no longer need to sleep to visit your dreamworld; Delusions (Extreme).
they can choose to do so whenever they are exposed to one of
your Creativity inventions. [SCALE 2] SOWING MISCONCEPTION
Your cunning lets you understand people’s limitations and know
When you eventually die, you can choose to send your con- what details to omit when convincing someone of a tale.
sciousness into this dreamworld of yours, making it eternal
beyond space and time. You can become its god or one of its Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Friend From Foe.
inhabitants, at your discretion. This normally means that you
forfeit your character who becomes an NPC under the Narra- Requirements: Deception at Fair (+2) Scale 2.
tor’s control, but the dreamworld (and you) can still be reached Effects: You may roll Deception in place of Persuasion when
through your creative legacy. trying to convince someone to take a certain action. For each
shift over the Skill used to defend (usually Empathy or Will-
power), you may omit or alter a detail without arising suspi-
cion, even if it’s a bold or near-impossible claim.
DECEPTION
For example, if you want to convince someone to break into a
[SCALE 1] BREAKING THE NORM
home and steal a harddrive, and you roll two shifts, you may
You can get away with norm-breaking behavior that would oth- choose to alter the detail “break into the home” to “you are
erwise cause conflict. allowed into the home” and “steal the harddrive” to “you have
permission to retrieve the harddrive.” They will be complete-
Requirements: Deception at Average (+1) Scale 1.
ly oblivious to the altered or omitted details, and even when
Effects: By passing your behavior off as quirkiness or cultural faced by reality, they are unlikely to realize that they have been
ignorance, you can violate norms and tradition without reper- tricked unless successfully convinced otherwise.
cussions and without causing hostility, as long as the violation
isn’t outright illegal. Some may still be hostile towards you if
[SCALE 2] TAKING OWNERSHIP
your behavior directly goes against strongly held beliefs repre-
You know what you covet, and what you covet should be yours.
sented by Character Aspects.

At Scale 3, you can commit certain illegal acts publicly as long Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Breaking the Norm.
as the acts aren’t direct threats to those witnessing them. For Requirements: Deception at Fair (+2) Scale 2.

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 Effects: People assume that you wouldn’t take things that don’t ing Misconception.
belong to you, or that you wouldn’t use things that you aren’t Requirements: Deception at Good (+3) Scale 4.
allowed to use. If you’re in possession of something that you
Effects: When engaged in a social contest or conflict, you can
normally wouldn’t be allowed to have, such as a stolen or illegal
make your Hostile Attitude towards your opponent appear to
item, people will think nothing of it unless it’s overt enough to
them as Friendly unless you’re actively harming them. In addi-
call for attention. If a contested roll is necessary, you may roll
tion, when using Deception to cause mental harm as per Spir-
Deception unhindered.
it-Breaking Deceit, you may spend a Charge to make the target
unaware of the hostility behind your attack.
[SCALE 3] CONVINCING CHARADE
You know exactly what to say to blend into any situation.
[SCALE 4] SUBLIMINAL TALK

Prerequisites: [Scale 2] Taking Ownership. Your clever use of words lets you say one thing while meaning
another, but still getting your point across.
Requirements: Deception at Good (+3) Scale 3.
Effects: When donning a disguise, people assume that you are Requirements: Deception at Average (+1) Scale 4.
who you appear to be, and will even find excuses for you to Effects: You may engage in conversation with one or more in-
justify your presence in the scene. You only have to make con- dividuals while making it appear to others as if you are talking
testing rolls when doing something overtly out of character. If about something else entirely. This Skill Feature affects the en-
such a roll is necessary, you benefit from a free invocation. tire conversation, also masking the targets’ responses and not
just your own words.
[SCALE 3] FLAT EARTH CONSIDERATION
You can make even the most bizarre falsehood seem believable. At Scale 6, you can spend a Charge to make it seem to others
that a statement made by someone else in your zone is different
Prerequisites: [Scale 2] Sowing Misconception. from what it actually is. Alternatively, you can make it seem
Requirements: Deception at Good (+3) Scale 3. like another person is making a statement when they’re actual-
ly silent. The person affected doesn’t hear this false statement,
Effects: After having convinced someone of a falsehood, you
but everyone else does.
may spend a Charge to “lock it in.” The target will stubbornly
be convinced that the falsehood is true, and they will either
aggressively argue their point or vehemently close their eyes [SCALE 5] SAND-SELLER
and ears to the contrary. They can only be convinced that it is Lies are often told to make others question what they see, but
a falsehood when presented observable evidence alongside a your lies trick the eyes themselves.
Persuasion roll with a Scale equal to or higher than your De-
ception Scale, or if you admit to the target that it was a lie. Prerequisites: [Scale 3] Convincing Charade; [Scale 3] Flat
Earth Consideration.
[SCALE 3] TAKING THE CREDIT Requirements: Deception at Great (+4) Scale 5.
You have a knack for taking the right amount of space at the right Effects: When using Flat Earth Consideration to “lock in” a
time. This makes you good at taking credit for others’ deeds. falsehood, the target’s brain registers what they believe rather
than what is actually happening around them. When convinc-
Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Breaking the Norm. ing someone that the sand in your hand are diamonds, they
Requirements: Deception at Fair (+2) Scale 3. see the sand as diamonds; When convincing someone that the
Earth is flat, they will see it as flat even when looking at it from
Effects: If something has happened in the scene to make a per-
space. The target can no longer be convinced to change their
son out to be celebrated for a deed, you may make it appear as
mind by observable evidence. The only way to reach them at
if you’re the one responsible. If there were witnesses who saw
this point is to convince them to not trust their own senses.
the entire context and know who should get the credit, you
may roll Deception against their Awareness. If successful, they
believe that you played a big part and should also get some [SCALE 5] SOWING CHAOS
credit; if successful with style, they believe that you deserve You are an expert at sowing chaos where there is structure, and to
most if not all of the credit despite what actually happened. find a structure for yourself where there is chaos.

At Scale 5, succeeding with style not only makes others give you Prerequisites: [Scale 3] Convincing Charade.
full credit, but the one who is actually responsible is thought of Requirements: Deception at Great (+4) Scale 5.
as trying to steal the credit from you. Effects: If you want to corrupt an organization or influential
person, you may (once per major milestone) declare up to a
[SCALE 4] BEARER OF BAD NEWS number of narrative Hurdles (p. XX) equal to the target’s Influ-
Your cunning provocations can hurt someone deeply without ence. Examples include “share misinformation with the CEO,”
them recognizing those provocations for what they are. “arrange for a misplaced delivery,” or “spread a rumor within
the ranks.” The player should suggest the Hurdles, but each one
Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Spirit-Breaking Deceit; [Scale 2] Sow- is at Narrator discretion. Each Hurdle should be the focus of a

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scene and come with some manner of challenge, such as a con- Requirements: Deception at Superb (+5) Scale 6.
test or a conflict. Whenever you overcome a Hurdle, the tar- Effects: You can use Deception to create an advantage by set-
get’s Influence is permanently reduced by one. Once reduced ting up a Personalized Illusion aimed at a target. This illusion is
to zero, the organization or individual is bankrupt. perceived differently by different people, since it subconscious-
ly reflects something personal depending on how it is used. If
At Scale 6, you may choose to make drastic alterations to the you want to lure someone to a location, the illusion could show
target instead of reducing its Influence, though you’re still lim- them an attractive figure or a trusted friend; if you want to hurt
ited to a number of corruptions equal to the target’s Influence. someone’s self-esteem, the illusion could show them their own
An alteration can be something like a new defining Aspect, insecurities and projections come to life. Not even you know
the inclusion of spies or informants, a specific project, or the the full details of the illusion, other than what the target gives
expansion to a specific location. While you suggest the altera- away with their responses. You benefit from a free invocation
tions, it is ultimately at the Narrator’s discretion. on each Deception roll where you utilize the illusion.
At Scale 7, you may now sow chaos once per significant in-
At Scale 7, when successfully deceiving someone with the help
stead of major milestone. In addition, you can spend Charges
of this illusion, their rationale becomes clouded, and they are
in place of overcoming Hurdles when determining the desired
convinced that the illusion is real. They temporarily forget
corruptions. You’re no longer limited to a number of corrup-
where they are and what they were doing, instead acting in ac-
tions equal to the target’s Influence, and can continue to cor-
cordance with the illusion. They can break out of this condition
rupt the target indefinitely. You must still interact with the tar-
only when the illusion has played its course, or until someone
get in some capacity to enact the changes.
reminds them of where they are and what they are supposed to
be doing, whichever comes first.
At Scale 8, you can spread the corruption beyond the target
and without personally overseeing it. Instead, declare how you
At Scale 8, if spending a Charge to “lock in” the illusion, it be-
want the target to interact with a secondary target, and then
comes a permanent fixture within the target’s mind. The target
decide how the secondary target is corrupted. For example, a
becomes apathetic, living out their perceived reality locked
corruption could be “make a deal with a rival company—after
within the depths of their mind. This can only be cured using
the deal, their director resigns” or “send spies to infiltrate a ri-
brain restoration procedures (p. XX) or special traits.
val company—relay information about their research to me.”

[SCALE 6] MESMERIZING ILLUSION

You understand the depths of people’s souls, and you use secrets, EDUCATION
memories, and insecurities to hypnotize victims.
[SCALE 1] EDUCATED GUESS
Prerequisites: [Scale 5] Sand-Seller; [Scale 5] Sowing Chaos. You’re versed enough in most subject matters to be able to get

282
over obstacles based on educated guesses. ing ignorance. You may also use Education instead of Leader-
ship or Persuasion to present an argument or suggest a course
Requirements: Education at Average (+1) Scale 1. of action. Finally, any attempt to critique or debunk a state-
Effects: You may, up to half your Education Scale (rounded up) ment, phenomenon, or work benefits from a free invocation.
times per minor milestone, substitute Education for another
Skill when making a roll. For example, your educated guess on
[SCALE 2] JACK-OF-ALL TRADES
how a specific firearm works could let you make an attack with
Your broad academic knowledge gives you an advantage in many
that weapon using Education instead of Ranged Combat; Your
different fields.
understanding of aircrafts could let you use Education instead
of Piloting to try to land a plane after the pilot has passed out; Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Specialized Study.
Your understanding of human anatomy could let you use Edu-
cation instead of Treatment to perform a delicate surgery. Requirements: Education at Fair (+2) Scale 2.
Effects: After spending at least an hour hard at study, you may
[SCALE 1] SPECIALIZED STUDY
temporarily increase the Rank of up to half your Education
You have specialized expertise in several academic subjects. Scale (rounded up) other Skills. You may increase the same
Skill multiple times, but no Skill can be taken higher than your
Requirements: Education at Average (+1) Scale 1. Education Rank. The new Ranks last for the rest of the day.
Effects: Select up to half your Education Scale, rounded up, At Scale 3, you may choose to share any of these bonuses with
fields of study related to academics, such as history, astronomy, someone else instead of using it yourself. This requires that the
or sociology. You may increase your Education Rank by one willing target participates in your studies.
for rolls related to these specialized studies. This can take your
Rank above the normal cap.
[SCALE 3] CLARITY
You need a sharp mind to translate your limitless knowledge po-
[SCALE 1] WELL-READ
tential. This Skill Feature ensures that your mind remains sharp.
You know a little about everything.
Requirements: Education at Average (+1) Scale 3.
Requirements: Education at Average (+1) Scale 1.
Effects: Your mind cannot be clouded by distractions, turmoil,
Effects: You may, up to half your Education Scale (rounded up) or other causes. While you can still suffer Mental Consequenc-
times per minor milestone, ask the Narrator questions regard- es, Aspects related to clouded thoughts cannot be placed upon
ing the setting that relates to your situation; you do not need to you. You can think clearly in every situation. In addition, your
roll to acquire this information. How detailed these questions own dreams become clear and structured rather than vague
can be is determined by your Rank. For example: and abstract, allowing you to use them for active and conscious
thought. You’re always aware that you’re dreaming, and you al-
• At Average (+1) to Fair (+2), you can ask about rudi- ways remember them afterwards.
mentary details, such as “what is this building used for?” and
“what is that corporation specialized in?” At Scale 5, you may remove any Aspects that cloud another
• At Good (+3) to Great (+4), you can ask for details that creature’s mind by touching them and spending a Charge.
only someone who has spent time studying the subject should
be able to know, such as “who currently owns this building?” At Scale 7, you can even reverse someone who has been turned
and “what controversies is this corporation involved in?” into a bunraku (p. XX).
• At Superb (+5), you can ask for exact details that could
include secret or classified information, such as “where did the
funds come from to purchase this building?” or “what kind of [SCALE 3] POLYGLOT
evidence is there backing up this controversy?” You have a knack for understanding patterns, and language is
just a pattern. Once you comprehend part of it, the entire pattern
The Narrator doesn’t have to answer questions that wouldn’t reveals itself.
make sense for the character to know, but they should answer
as much as possible to at least give enough clues to progress the Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Well-Read; [Scale 2] Jack-of-All Trades.
narrative and satisfy the player’s use of this Skill Feature. Requirements: Education at Good (+3) Scale 3.
Effects: You become fluent in a language after having spent a
[SCALE 2] FACT CHECKER scene engaged with it.
Your educated background and broad academic knowledge has
given you an edge over others in sifting out truths from lies. At Scale 5, this applies to non-human communication as well,
such as animal behavior.
Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Educated Guess.
Requirements: Education at Fair (+2) Scale 2. [SCALE 4] MIND’S ARCHIVE
Effects: You may apply Education instead of Empathy to deter- All knowledge is important, but everything shouldn’t be shared
mine if someone is being deceitful, or if they’re simply display- with everyone. Some things you shouldn’t even know yourself.

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You can categorize and archive certain information within your Requirements: Education at Good (+3) Scale 5.
subconscious mind, making it dormant until you need it.
Effects: When spending a scene teaching a target, you can
Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Well-Read. teach concepts they wouldn’t normally be able to comprehend.
You could teach the most complex scientific, mathematical, or
Requirements: Education at Fair (+2) Scale 4. philosophical principles to a person with no prior academic
Effects: When learning something that you want to keep from knowledge. You may even impart any form of knowledge in
spreading, you may spend a Charge to archive it within your someone who suffers from a condition that would cloud their
subconscious. This makes the information impossible to gleam mind or that would otherwise prevent or limit their ability to
using mind reading or technologies with similar effects. You learn (such as someone who has been turned into a bunraku
are aware that you possess the information, but you may block [p. XX]). You can teach a one-hour lecture’s worth of informa-
it from your consciousness if questioned about it; this lets you tion in a single minute.
treat the information as if you’re unaware of it.
If you have the Polyglot Skill Feature, you can now train com-
If you have the Skill Feature Secret Bestowal (see below), you plex commands to animals that wouldn’t normally be able to
may use it on yourself when learning something new. This pre- be trained.
vents you from even knowing that you ever possessed the in-
formation until the necessary conditions appear.
[SCALE 6] BEYOND MASTERY
Your superhuman ability to teach any concept to any person im-
[SCALE 4] SECRET BESTOWAL proves the potential of your students beyond what is normal.
In a world where powerful factions control entire planets, knowl-
edge becomes a dangerous tool. You have learned to mask valua- Prerequisites: [Scale 5] All-Round Master; [Scale 5] The Per-
ble information under veils of obscurity. fect Lecture.
Requirements: Education at Great (+4) Scale 6.
Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Well-Read.
Effects: You and your allies may increase Skill Ranks to a max-
Requirements: Education at Fair (+2) Scale 4. imum Fantastic (+6) instead of Superb (+5). This costs the
Effects: You may hide secret information in your teachings. To character a major milestone point and a Skill that is already at
an outside observer, it appears as if you are teaching something Superb (+5).
else entirely. It even appears as such to the student itself. Then, an
hour, day, week, month, or a year later, something clicks and the wis- If you or an ally have access to NPC companions (p. XX), you
dom suddenly reveals itself to the student. may give one such companion a free +1 Cost upgrade to the
Asset Skills property (p. XX) every significant milestone, as-
When applying this Skill Feature, first determine what informa-
suming that you spend an appropriate time educating them, at
tion you want to secretly bestow, and then declare what the
Narrator discretion. The upgrade won’t affect the asset’s natural
conditions are for the secret to reveal itself to the target. This
Cost, and you cannot give the same companion free upgrades
could be something as simple as time, or it could be something
totalling more than what is equal to their natural Cost (mini-
as complex as a reaction to a specific event or experience.
mum 1). For example, a Cost 3 companion can be given a free
upgrade three times, assuming they remain an asset to you for
[SCALE 5] ALL-ROUND MASTER three significant milestones.
Your broad knowledge not only teaches you little of everything,
but makes you a master of more subjects than most people can
[SCALE 7] OMNISCIENCE
study in several lifetimes.
You have reached the capacity of knowing, and your understand-
ing goes far deeper than what a simple universe can contain. The
Prerequisites: [Scale 2] Jack-of-All Trades.
workings of Primary Order are like child’s play compared to what
Requirements: Education at Good (+3) Scale 5. you have become; you can communicate with far older and far
Effects: When using the Jack-of-All Trades Skill Feature, you grander emergent cosmic intellects.
may choose to substitute increasing two Skill Ranks for tem-
porarily learning a Skill Feature associated with any other Skill Prerequisites: [Scale 3] Clarity; [Scale 6] Beyond Mastery.
as if its Rank and Scale were equal to your Education Skill; this Requirements: Education at Superb (+5) Scale 7.
does not actually increase the Skill’s Rank and Scale, but it lets
Effects: Once per significant milestone, you may ask the Nar-
you meet its requirements. You cannot select a Skill Feature
rator any question without limitation, from cosmic mysteries
that has prerequisites that you are unfamiliar with.
to details about alien civilizations or even the solution to a nar-
rative mystery.
[SCALE 5] THE PERFECT LECTURE
You’re not just able to understand every concept imaginable, but Keep in mind that this kind of power has drastic effects upon
your pedagogical mastery lets you explain complex subject mat- the way a narrative can be played. It can be an interesting chal-
ters to anyone willing to listen. lenge to play a character who has the knowledge to see through
a Narrator’s well-crafted plans, but it can also be something
Prerequisites: [Scale 4] Secret Bestowal. that would make a game less fun. Only acquire this Skill Fea-

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 ture at Narrator discretion and if you think that you can use it At Scale 4, the number of required Hurdles are reduced by one,
to elevate the game’s narrative rather than to diminish it. to minimum one; At Scale 6, they are reduced by two; At Scale
8, they are reduced by three.
At Scale 8, you can ask once per minor milestone instead.
[SCALE 2] SOCIAL INTUITION
No social exchange falls outside of your notice.
EMPATHY
Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Assessing the Motive.
[SCALE 1] ASSESSING THE MOTIVE Requirements: Empathy at Fair (+2) Scale 2.
You have an intuitive alarm that goes off whenever you sense that Effects: You become aware of all social interactions that hap-
someone isn’t honest about their intentions. pen around you. A social interaction in this case refers to any
time a Social Skill is rolled, or another Skill is rolled in a social
Requirements: Empathy at Average (+1) Scale 1.
circumstance (such as Willpower to defend against a Provoca-
Effects: After a brief interaction with someone, such as a few tion attack). In addition, you become aware of unspoken and
exchanges in a conversation, you become intuitively aware if a unrolled social exchanges, such as eye contact and gestures be-
person is hiding their true Motivation (p. XX). You gain a free tween individuals.
invocation on any roll aimed to learn their true Motivation for
that scene. If you have assessed someone’s Motivation, you be-
[SCALE 3] REFLECTION THROUGH OTHERS
come aware if it changes later during the scene.
Your social awareness lets you reflect upon your own behavior
through the demeanor of others.
At Scale 2, if you assess that someone’s Motivation is to harm
someone you’re friendly with, and you use that information to
Prerequisites: [Scale 2] Social Intuition.
either warn that person before the target can go through with
their plan or stop the plan entirely, you earn a Charge. Requirements: Empathy at Good (+3) Scale 3.
Effects: Whenever something happens (whether by your own
[SCALE 1] MENTAL HEALTH DIAGNOSIS
action, someone else’s, or a situational happenstance) to have
After brief interaction with an individual, you can tell if they someone change their Attitude for you or someone else in the
struggle with psychological or other psychosocial conditions. scene, you become instinctively aware of this as well as their
new Attitude.
Requirements: Empathy at Average (+1) Scale 1.
Effects: After a brief interaction with someone, such as a few [SCALE 3] SHARING THE WEAKNESS
exchanges in a conversation, you become aware if a person is No one is more aware of your own weaknesses than you are, and
currently suffering from any Mental Consequences (p. XX). you can use those weaknesses as a shield.
You gain a free invocation on any roll aimed to learn the nature
of such a Consequence as well as on any attempt to treat it; you Requirements: Empathy at Average (+1) Scale 3.
can treat it using Empathy instead of Treatment. Effects: By choosing to reveal one of your Character Aspects to
an opponent, they become unable to invoke that Aspect against
At Scale 3, you can assess someone’s Trouble (p. XX) as well if you. This can also be applied retroactively to protect Aspects
it isn’t immediately noticeable. that have already been assessed by your opponent. However, to
shield an Aspect, you must openly refer to that Aspect in some
[SCALE 2] BEHAVIORAL THERAPY way, such as “I may have Fragile Bones, but my determination
You know that there are no easy “cures” to ease someone’s mental is unbreakable.” Only one Aspect can be protected during a
struggles. Instead of trying to fix people, you use your knowledge round, and the Skill Feature cannot be applied to your Conse-
to guide them into helping themselves. quences or to Situation Aspects placed upon you.

Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Mental Health Diagnosis. [SCALE 4] NOSTALGIC CONNECTION

Requirements: Empathy at Fair (+2) Scale 2. You can reach even the unreachable by appealing to shared expe-
riences and cultural connections.
Effects: In place of a Skill roll to treat a targeted Mental Con-
sequence (or after such an attempt has failed), you may sug-
Prerequisites: [Scale 3] Sharing the Weakness.
gest an alternative treatment method where you instruct the
target of a number of Hurdles (p. XX) they must complete to Requirements: Empathy at Fair (+2) Scale 4.
have the Consequence treated; the number of Hurdles required Effects: After having identified a trait, such as a Character As-
are equal to the number of Stress the Consequence originally pect or a narrative detail, that someone shares with you, you
mitigated (normally two for Mild, four for Moderate, and six may invoke it to connect with that person. Examples include
for Severe). Instead of using the Hurdles mentioned in the in- cultural connections (e.g., you meet someone in a foreign land
vention rules, use them as inspiration for narrative challenges, who is from the same place as you) or shared character traits
such as “take a moment to meditate,” “attempt a controlled ex- (e.g., you have the same profession, a similar physical or men-
posure to your anxiety,” or “reconnect with a family member.” tal condition, or a similar personality trait). Whenever you in-

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 CHAPTER 6: AUGMENTATIONS

voke that trait as an Aspect for the benefit of a social action, fit the expectations (your Empathy Skill or this Skill Feature
the target is considered to have a Friendly Attitude towards you cannot be swapped). For example, if a sniper is needed but you
regardless of what their actual Attitude for you are. This does haven’t invested in Ranged Combat, you could substitute the
not work if you’re actively harming the target. Rank and Scale in another Skill with Ranged Combat. If you
have secondary traits relying on your Skills, such as Skill Fea-
[SCALE 4] SOCIAL PREMONITION tures, any such trait that you can no longer use can be substi-
You can often tell what a person is going to do before they do it. tuted for a new Skill Feature that you meet the requirements
for. You cannot substitute augmentations or assets—while your
Prerequisites: [Scale 2] Social Intuition. Skills may change certain qualities, you don’t actually shape-
shift into another person. In addition, you cannot swap Educa
Requirements: Empathy at Good (+3) Scale 4. ion and Profession Traits that relate to external assets, such as
Effects: When invoking an Aspect in a mental contest or con- traits that have given access to augmentations or assets.
flict, you can choose to have another character reroll their
dice instead of rerolling your own. You can even make use of At Scale 8, you may swap any kind of trait, including your
this Skill Feature when you’re not an active participant in the progeny, sex, social class, and more (even augmentations and
contest or conflict, such as by aiding an ally. You must still be assets) as internal and external nanites reconstruct and con-
able to justify the chosen Aspect, and explain how it helps your struct what changes need to be made. Make a completely dif-
target (such as through subtle gestures). You can use this Skill ferent character sheet for your new persona. Keep in mind that
Feature for free once per minor milestone. you cannot design these personas based on your own wants
and needs; they must meet the expectations of others.
[SCALE 5] EVERYTHING HAS A PRICE
You know that everything has a price and even the proudest per-
son can be bought. Your social intuition helps you understand ENGINEERING
what the right price is.
[SCALE 1] QUICK FIX
Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Assessing the Motive. You’re quick and flexible when it comes to repairing and main-
Requirements: Empathy at Fair (+2) Scale 5. taining gear.
Effects: After having discerned a person’s Motivation and at
least one Character Aspect, you can spend a Charge to learn Requirements: Engineering at Average (+1) Scale 1.
exactly what that person would need from you to agree to Effects: When wearing armor that can be Breached, such as
something. For example, if you want to hire their services, you diving-, hazmat-, and space suits, you can fix such a breach as a
become aware of how much credits they would ask for; if you free action on your turn. In addition, repairing a Consequence
want them to do you a certain favor, you will know what they upon an inanimate asset with Stress, such as vehicles or droids,
would want in return; if you want them to reveal a secret to has its difficulty reduced by one on the Ladder.
you, such as the name of the person they work for, you know
what you would have to promise them to get them to agree. [SCALE 1] TOOLBOX
You’re used to carrying tools around.
[SCALE 6] THE PERFECT FRIEND
You know and can meet every expectation and every request. Requirements: Engineering at Average (+1) Scale 1.
You can become the perfect friend, the perfect lover, or the per- Effects: You may establish a story detail (p. XX) related to tools
fect family member. However, your consideration for others can or materials for free once per minor milestone. In addition,
make you forget your own needs, and maybe even your own self. you may acquire tools related to invention, maintenance, and
repair as if they had –1 Cost.
Prerequisites: [Scale 3] Reflection Through Others; [Scale 4]
Everything Has a Price. [SCALE 2] DISMANTLING TOUCH
Requirements: Empathy at Great (+4) Scale 6. You have a keen insight into the weaknesses and vulnerabilities
Effects: You have an intuitive understanding of what kind of of materials and structures.
person others expect you to be. Once per significant milestone,
you can choose to become that person for as long as you de- Requirements: Engineering at Average (+1) Scale 2.
sire. You temporarily replace as many Character Aspects as Effects: You may use your Engineering (if higher) instead of
you need to fit that persona. For example, if someone needs Athletics, Close Combat, or other Skills when trying to phys-
a friend to listen to them, you become that friend. If someone ically dismantle structures or objects. If you try to dismantle
wants a leader to step up and take charge, you become that something as part of a physical conflict, you may ignore up to
leader. Keep in mind that this does not work if you’re the one half your Engineering Scale, rounded up, in Soak. Any Conse-
with the expectations; it must meet those of other people. quences inflicted upon the structure or object is represented
by components being dismantled rather than destroyed. Suc-
At Scale 7, you may swap certain Education Traits, Profession cessfully dismantling something retains all of its components.
Traits, Skill Features, as well as Skill Ranks and Scales to better

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[SCALE 2] TINKERER Requirements: Engineering at Fair (+2) Scale 3.
You constantly tinker with things, from old items to new.
Effects: Traits that reduce the number of Hurdles for an En-
gineering-based invention (such as the benefit from reaching
Requirements: Engineering at Average (+1) Scale 2.
Scale 2 in Engineering) can now reduce the number of Hurdles
Effects: You may, once per minor milestone, substitute a prop- to minimum zero instead of one. When creating an item that
erty (p. XX) attached to one of your physical assets for another requires zero Hurdles, you can simply improvise its construc-
of equal Cost. This alteration represents the result of tinker- tion from whatever may exist around you, or you can retroac-
ing—the Narrator can veto a suggested alteration if it doesn’t tively declare that you possess certain tools and materials.
make any sense in the current scene that the change could have
been made, such as if you’ve been restrained.
[SCALE 4] REINFORCING TOUCH
Your keen insight into the weaknesses and vulnerabilities of ma-
[SCALE 3] A JOB WELL DONE terials and structures gives you an intuitive understanding over
You love the feeling of completing a new design. what aspects to reinforce to improve something’s overall quality.

Requirements: Engineering at Average (+1) Scale 3. Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Quick Fix.

Effects: Once per minor milestone, when completing an En- Requirements: Engineering at Fair (+2) Scale 4.
gineering invention that you haven’t made before, you gain a
Effects: You may spend a Charge to reinforce a physical object.
Charge. If you give the invention away to someone without
If you reinforce a weapon, it gains +1 Harm. If you reinforce an
expecting anything in return, you gain an additional Charge.
armor, it gains +1 Soak. If you reinforce something with Stress,
like a droid or a vehicle, it gains two more Stress boxes. It’s only
In addition, you can choose to store a Charge within an item
possible to reinforce an object once, but the effect is persistent.
when giving it away instead of taking it yourself. The person
If the object can be considered both a weapon, an armor, and
in possession of the item can, at any point when interacting
an entity with Stress, you must choose one of the three traits
with it, choose to extract this Charge and take it for themselves.
to improve.
The item replenishes this Charge after each minor milestone. A
target can only extract a single Charge from an item per minor Other objects that don’t have these traits can be reinforced as
milestone regardless of how many items you have given them. well, but the effects are then entirely narrative, such as making
it generally more durable.
[SCALE 3] IMPROVISED GADGET
Your constant tinkering and never-ending creativity lets you put At Scale 5, a reinforced item becomes immune to erosion. It
gadgets into play at any moment. cannot be damaged by time and weather. If this is an Encasing
armor or vehicle (p. XX), reduce the effective Scale of environ-
Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Quick Fix; [Scale 2] Tinkerer. mental hazards by one.

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At Scale 6, the item becomes immune to being manipulated Effects: Once per significant milestone, you may declare that
by chanites or the Metal Coding Skill unless those effects have you are not you. Instead, you have been replaced by a droid
a Scale rating equal to or higher than what your Engineering that you had prepared in advance and made to look like you.
Scale was when the object was reinforced. Instead, you are somewhere else where it would make sense
for you to be, at your discretion, and any harm suffered during
[SCALE 4] RETROACTIVE CONSTRUCTION
the scene was suffered by the droid and not you. This droid
You’re always tinkering and you’re always carrying all kinds of is a narrative device to help you out of a tough situation; you
gadgets. It wouldn’t be surprising to anyone if you just happen to cannot use this Skill Feature to create an army of clones. That
have the right thing at the right time. would require active invention.

Prerequisites: [Scale 3] Improvized Gadget. If something had happened earlier in the scene that had con-
firmed that you were not a droid, such as a scanning technol-
Requirements: Engineering at Good (+3) Scale 4.
ogy being used on you, then you cannot use this Skill Feature
Effects: You can choose to spend Charges in place of taking on until there has been a narrative change to give you the oppor-
Hurdles at Narrator discretion. If you spend enough Charges tunity to have been replaced.
to complete an Engineering invention, you may determine that
parts of the invention were made previously in between scenes. At Scale 8, you can use this Skill Feature once per minor mile-
For example, if you spend enough Charges to have completed a stone instead of siginificant milestone.
car, you could introduce a car to the scene and determine that
you had already created it and parked it at that location.
[SCALE 6] GOD MAKER

The Narrator has the right to veto retroactive inventions or It takes a mind far exceeding a human master to be able to design
limit the number of Charges spent if it doesn’t make narratively and craft godware, but you take even godware to new levels.
sense for the object in question.
Prerequisites: [Scale 4] Reinforcing Touch.
Requirements: Engineering at Good (+3) Scale 6.
[SCALE 5] FRAGMENT RESTORATION
Your understanding of objects has made you intuitively aware of Effects: You can create godware inventions (p. XX) without
even the most intricate of details. having to add an extra Hurdle for doing so. In addition, when
creating a godware invention, it gains one additional available
Prerequisites: [Scale 3] Improvised Gadget. slot capable of holding Godware Protocols (p. XX).
Requirements: Engineering at Good (+3) Scale 5.
In addition, by touching a godware item belonging to someone
Effects: When coming across fragments of an object, such as else, you can spend a Charge to permanently unlock a new slot
pieces of a computer or a component for a droid, you have the for them.
experience and know-how to put it together in its entirety. You
may restore or repair (p. XX) an Engineering invention that
[SCALE 7] UNIVERSE-BREAKING INVENTION
would have been deemed broken beyond repair, or you could
reconstruct an Engineering invention based on incomplete in- Your inventions break causality.
formation. For example, you could reconstruct a droid based
Prerequisites: [Scale 6] Clone Bot; [Scale 6] God Maker.
on a single component.
Requirements: Engineering at Superb (+5) Scale 7.
[SCALE 5] MOLD MATERIAL Effects: You can, once per major milestone, create an invention
You can mold any physical material as easily as clay by using your capable of doing something that breaks causality, such as cre-
bare hands. ating an FTL engine, a time machine, a gateway into another
dimension, or the like. The Narrator can veto inventions that
Prerequisites: [Scale 2] Tinkerer. wouldn’t make sense for the campaign, but keep in mind that
bizarre ideas can sometimes take stories into unforeseen but
Requirements: Engineering at Fair (+2) Scale 5.
amazing places.
Effects: When touching an inanimate object that is made up
predominantly of a single material, you may spend a Charge to At Scale 8, you can do this once per significant instead of major
mold it into a new shape as an added story detail. For example, milestone.
you could cause a stone bridge to bend, a metal bar to become
a sharp sword, a stairway to become a slope, et cetera.
FORTITUDE
[SCALE 6] CLONE BOT
You always prepare for the worst of outcomes, and you put your [SCALE 1] BRUSHING OFF THE PAIN
own survivability before all. Your great stamina and ability to brush off pain lets you over-
come physical stress easier than others.
Prerequisites: [Scale 4] Retroactive Construction.
Requirements: Engineering at Great (+4) Scale 6. Requirements: Fortitude at Average (+1) Scale 1.

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 [SCALE 2] HAZARD TOLERANCE
Effects: Once per minor milestone, you may spend a Charge to
immediately restore all of your checked Stress boxes. You are resilient towards a specific type of hazard.

At Scale 3, you can do this once per scene instead of once per Requirements: Fortitude at Average (+1) Scale 2.
minor milestone. Effects: Choose a specific form of environmental or natu-
ral condition that can cause harm or other debilities, such as
a weather hazard, a radiation hazard, a gravity effect, a pres-
[SCALE 1] HARM RESISTANCE
sure-based effect, impact harm, or the like. If the condition has
You are resilient towards a specific harm type.
a Scale rating at least one lower than your Fortitude Scale, you
may ignore it entirely.
Requirements: Fortitude at Average (+1) Scale 1.
Effects: You gain a +1 bonus to Natural Soak against a harm At Scale 4, you can choose a second condition; At Scale 6, you
type of your choice. Whenever your Fortitude Scale increases, can choose a third; Finally, at Scale 8, you can choose a fourth.
you can choose to either increase the bonus against the harm
type by one, or you can choose a new harm type.
[SCALE 2] SILVER FOX
You age gracefully and live longer than most.
[SCALE 1] PUNCHING BAG
You can take a punch like no other. Requirements: Fortitude at Average (+1) Scale 2.
Effects: From the moment you acquire this Skill Feature, you
Requirements: Fortitude at Average (+1) Scale 1. age more gracefully. This has doubled your natural lifespan,
Effects: You may choose to use Fortitude instead of Close effectively making you age at half the rate of what’s normal. If
Combat to defend against Close Combat attacks that inflict you’re also Machineborn, this stacks with your already slowed
Blunt Harm. When using Fortitude against Blunt Harm, you aging process. In addition, if you’re targeted by an effect that
may add your Natural Soak as a bonus to your defend roll. causes aging, such as through Entropic Coding (p. XX), you
gain a free invocation on your defend roll.
At Scale 3, you may use Fortitude to defend against any type of
Close Combat attack regardless of harm type, but you only get At Scale 8, you cease to age entirely and could live indefinitely.
the bonus against Blunt Harm.
[SCALE 2] STRAINING THE MUSCLE
At Scale 5, you may choose to use Fortitude instead of Acro-
By gritting through pain, your bones and muscles can endure
batics (if higher) to defend against Ranged Combat attacks that
much more than what would otherwise be possible.
inflict Projectile Harm.
Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Untiring Mule.
Finally, at Scale 7, you may use Fortitude to defend against any
type of attack regardless of harm type. Requirements: Fortitude at Fair (+2) Scale 2.
Effects: You may use Fortitude instead of Athletics (if higher)
[SCALE 1] RESILIENCE
to determine lifting capacity (p. XX) and make rolls testing it.
Your body can take a beating. In addition, regardless of which Skill you use to test your lifting
capacity, you may take a Stress instead of spending a Charge to
invoke an Aspect for the purpose of a feat of strength.
Requirements: Fortitude at Average (+1) Scale 1.
Effects: Physical Consequences mitigate one additional Stress.
[SCALE 3] BRACING FOR IMPACT
This also applies to Mental Consequences when they are caused
by physical circumstances, such as diseases, toxins, or torture. By focusing on an incoming blow, you can reduce its impact.

Requirements: Fortitude at Average (+1) Scale 3.

At Scale 4, they mitigate two additional Stress instead; At Scale
8, they mitigate three additional Stress. Effects: When invoking an Aspect to improve your defense
against an attack, you also gain +1 to Natural Soak against it.
Additionally, if you don’t have appropriate Aspects to invoke,
[SCALE 1] UNTIRING MULE
you can still spend Charges to increase your Natural Soak by
Your endless constitution lets you undergo extremely arduous
one for each Charge spent.
physical exertion.

Requirements: Fortitude at Average (+1) Scale 1. [SCALE 3] IT’S JUST A SCRATCH

Your body is used to getting bruised and cut up, making you ig-
Effects: You gain a free invocation on any Fortitude roll made
nore shallower wounds.
to test your endurance, such as when marsching or laboring for
hours without rest.
Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Brushing Off the Pain; [Scale 1] Re-
silience.
At Scale 3, this becomes two free invocations instead of one.
Requirements: Fortitude at Fair (+2) Scale 3.

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Effects: A Mild Physical Consequence is considered treated spending a Charge, the harm regenerates completely over time.
immediately after you receive it. It can then be removed at the A Moderate Consequence disappears at the end of the scene; a
end of the scene. The attacker doesn’t get a free invocation to Severe one disappears at the end of the session; an Extreme one
use against it. disappears at the next significant milestone.

[SCALE 3] ENDLESS RESERVE At Scale 8, this healing process is even faster. A Minor Conse-
No amount of strenuous activity can cause you to tire. quence disappears immediately; a Moderate one disappears af-
ter one full round in a conflict (or minute outside of a conflict);
Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Untiring Mule. a Severe one disappears at the end of the scene; an Extreme one
disappears at the end of the session.
Requirements: Fortitude at Fair (+2) Scale 3.
Effects: You’re always considered at rest, even under the most
[SCALE 6] INDESTRUCTIBLE
strenuous activity, such as full sprints and heavy labor. You
don’t have to make overcome actions to determine if you get Your body can withstand tremendous destructive force.
tired from physical activity, regardless of their nature.
Prerequisites: [Scale 2] Bracing For Impact.
Requirements: Fortitude at Fair (+2) Scale 6.
[SCALE 4] SECOND WIND
You refuse to give up. Effects: Once per minor milestone, you may ignore the harm
caused by a successful physical attack made against you.
Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Brushing Off the Pain.
At Scale 7, this becomes once per scene; At Scale 8, it becomes
Requirements: Fortitude at Fair (+2) Scale 4.
once per round.
Effects: You may, once per minor milestone after having been
taken out in a conflict, spend a Charge to uncheck all Stress
[SCALE 7] IMMORTALITY
boxes and get back into the fight.
You are nearly impossible to kill by anything but cosmic-level
threats, but even death itself can’t stop you if you refuse to let go.
[SCALE 4] ENERGIZED BY PAIN
There is something cathartic about pain and the adrenaline from Prerequisites: [Scale 4] Second Wind; [Scale 6] Perfect Cellu-
being close to death. lar Regeneration; [Scale 6] Indestructible.
Requirements: Fortitude at Superb (+5) Scale 7.
Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Resilience.
Effects: Once per significant milestone, you may ignore your
Requirements: Fortitude at Fair (+2) Scale 4.
death regardless of cause. You could survive being caught in a
Effects: Whenever you suffer a Physical Consequence, you im- super nova, and a black hole would just spit you back out.
mediately gain a Charge.
At Scale 8, this becomes once per minor milestone.
[SCALE 5] KNITTING THE FLESH
Your body’s ability to heal can patch up even greater wounds.

Prerequisites: [Scale 3] It’s Just a Scratch.

INTERFACING
Requirements: Fortitude at Good (+3) Scale 5. [SCALE 1] ACCESSING THE NETWORK
Effects: Your Moderate Physical Consequences are automati- Your hacking prowess has caught the attention of other hackers.
cally treated at the end of the scene. You may spend a Charge to
immediately treat a Moderate Physical Consequence. Requirements: Interfacing at Average (+1) Scale 1.
Effects: You may use Interfacing in place of Contacts (if high-
At Scale 6, you may spend a Charge to treat a Severe Physical er) to access individuals and services. You may use Interfacing
Consequence; At Scale 7, you can spend a Charge to treat an in place of Investigation (if higher) to gather information from
Extreme Physical Consequence. a digital network. You may also use Interfacing in place of Ed-
ucation (if higher) to access academic information that would
[SCALE 6] PERFECT CELLULAR REGENERATION reasonably be available on a network.
Your body heals any wound. Even missing limbs can regrow be-
fore your enemies’ eyes. Finally, as long as you have accessed a digital network in the
scene, you may spend a Charge to get in contact with a hacker
Prerequisites: [Scale 5] Knitting the Flesh. acquiantance; this is equivalent to adding a story detail.
Requirements: Fortitude at Great (+4) Scale 6.
Effects: When suffering a Mild Physical Consequence, it dis- [SCALE 1] CODE TWEAKER
appears completely after a round in a conflict (or a minute out- A program is never finished, and you constantly tweak your dig-
side of a conflict). In addition, when using Knitting the Flesh to ital creations by fixing bugs and applying updates.
treat a Moderate, Severe, or Extreme Physical Consequence by

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Requirements: Interfacing at Average (+1) Scale 1. Requirements: Interfacing at Good (+3) Scale 3.
Effects: Once per minor milestone, you may substitute a prop- Effects: You can choose to spend Charges in place of taking on
erty (p. XX) attached to one of your digital assets for another Hurdles at Narrator discretion. If you spend enough Charges
of equal Cost. This alteration represents the result of constant to complete a digital invention, you may determine that parts
tweaking—the Narrator can veto a suggestion if it doesn’t make of the invention were made previously in between scenes. For
sense in the scene you’re in that the change could be made. example, if you spend enough Charges to have completed a
digital program, you could introduce that program to the scene
[SCALE 1] PRO GAMER and determine that you had already created it and just needed
You have spent a considerable time interfacing with the Nanite to activate it. The Narrator has the right to veto retroactive dig-
Matrix, and you know your avatar better than your own body. ital inventions if they don’t make sense for the narrative.

Requirements: Interfacing at Average (+1) Scale 1. [SCALE 3] GOD DETECTION

Effects: You have access to a number of pro moves per minor You have a keen intuition for the nature of machine-gods.
milestone equal to your Rank + Scale in Interfacing (i.e., two at
Average [+1] Scale 1 and 13 at Superb [+5] Scale 8). When in- Prerequisites: [Scale 2] Digital Attunement.
terfacing with the Nanite Matrix, you may spend a pro move to Requirements: Interfacing at Fair (+2) Scale 3.
be able to use your Interfacing in place of a Physical Skill roll. Effects: Whenever you encounter a digital entity while inter-
facing with the Nanite Matrix, you’re able to instinctively iden-
[SCALE 2] DIGITAL ATTUNEMENT tify what kind of digital entity it is. You only have to make a
Machine-gods can sense your attunement to the digital world. contesting roll if the target is actively disguising their nature
using some kind of program or other trait. When doing so, you
Requirements: Interfacing at Average (+1) Scale 2. gain a free invocation on that roll.
Effects: Unless a machine-god has contesting Directives or As-
pects, it is unlikely to have a Hostile Attitude (p. XX) towards [SCALE 3] STEALTH HACK
you. It may still be wary of you or act against you, but it feels Your intrusion into systems and devices leave no trace.
more sympathetic towards you than other humans.
Prerequisites: [Scale 2] Untraceable.
[SCALE 2] INSTANT FIX Requirements: Interfacing at Good (+3) Scale 3.
Your constant coding and bug fixing has made it routine for you
Effects: While you can still be detected by a system when ac-
to instantly put out new updates to your existing programs.
tively interacting with it, you don’t leave any traces of having
been within a system after you have left it. In addition, once
Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Code Tweaker.
within a system, you have a free invocation on any attempt to
Requirements: Interfacing at Fair (+2) Scale 2. remain undetected by active users, security programs, or func-
Effects: Traits that reduce the number of Hurdles for an In- tionaries.
terfacing-based invention (such as the benefit from reaching
Scale 2 in Interfacing) can now reduce the number of Hurdles [SCALE 4] CODE RESTORATION
to minimum zero instead of one. When creating a digital asset Your understanding of code has made you intuitively aware of
that requires zero Hurdles, you can simply improvise its crea- even the most intricate of coding-related details. You could tell a
tion by making a quick coding action or by narratively employ- program’s function by a mere glimpse of its code.
ing some relevant software.
Prerequisites: [Scale 3] Activating the Application.
[SCALE 2] UNTRACEABLE
Requirements: Interfacing at Great (+4) Scale 4.
Your understanding of computers, networks, and the digital
realm gives you an edge when navigating it. Effects: When coming across fragments of a digital code, you
have the experience and know-how to put the program togeth-
Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Accessing the Network. er in its entirety. You may attempt to restore or repair (p. XX)
an Interfacing invention from an otherwise irreparable state,
Requirements: Interfacing at Fair (+2) Scale 2. such as complete corruption or only a sliver of its source code.
Effects: You no longer need a communication service (p. XX)
to access global or solar networks. You can access these net- At Scale 6, you can attempt to restore a malfunctionary into a
works without a roll and without risk of surveillance. In addi- functionary, or revert a god-reaper back into a specter. When
tion, you gain a free invocation on any attempt to uncover and affecting a digital entity in that way, substitute Cost for the tar-
hack into closed or hidden networks. get’s highest Scale.

[SCALE 3] ACTIVATING THE APPLICATION [SCALE 4] SNIPER HACK

You always have the right program or algorithm ready to go. Your knowledge of smart devices and digital systems have taught
you how to boost signals and tamper with devices more easily.
Prerequisites: [Scale 2] Instant Fix.

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[SCALE 5] INCORRUPTIBLE SYSTEM

Prerequisites: [Scale 3] Stealth Hack.
Any device or digital system in your possession has enough de-
Requirements: Interfacing at Great (+4) Scale 4. fensive measures to be effectively incorruptible.
Effects: You become instinctively aware of all present elec-
tronic devices that aren’t actively cloaked by some program or Prerequisites: [Scale 3] God Detection.
other feature. If you encounter a cloaked device, you have a Requirements: Interfacing at Good (+3) Scale 5.
free invocation on your attempt to locate it. In addition, your
system interaction actions (p. XX) no longer suffer from range Effects: Any electronic device or digital system that you own
penalties when interacting with devices outside of your zone. or actively use cannot be corrupted beyond its function with-
Finally, internal cybernetics no longer benefit from a bonus to out your consent. To be corrupted beyond its function means
Security against your wireless hacking. that some kind of corruptive influence, such as chanites, vi-
ruses, or Dis-Order, is altering the device or system into doing
something it wasn’t originally meant for.
[SCALE 5] HOLOGRAPHIC PRESENTATION
You can use nanites in the atmosphere to force holographic pro- This Skill Feature can even protect functionaries from becom-
jections. ing malfunctionaries, but it cannot restore malfunctionaries
who have already been corrupted (this requires Code Restora-
Requirements: Interfacing at Average (+1) Scale 5. tion [see above] and Scale 6).
Effects: You can materialize life-like holographic projections
that cover a two square-meter cube as a way to accentuate your [SCALE 6] HOLOGRAPHIC MANIFESTATION
thoughts or present information from a smart device. You may Your projected holograms take solid form.
invoke these holograms like Aspects to benefit Social Skill rolls.
If you spend a Charge, you can fill your zone with holograms. Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Pro Gamer; [Scale 5] Holographic
Presentation.
At Scale 6, spending a Charge lets you fill adjacent zones with Requirements: Interfacing at Fair (+2) Scale 6.
holograms as well; At Scale 7, you can materialize holograms
out to three zones away; At Scale 8, you can materialize them Effects: Once per minor milestone, you may materialize a
out to four zones away. digital asset in realspace. Once per significant milestone, you
may choose to adopt your avatar (p. XX) while in realspace.

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 This causes holographic representations of your avatar to man- INVESTIGATION
ifest around you like a shell. You gain access to your Interfac-
ing-specific Stress boxes. Once they are gone, the avatar fades. [SCALE 1] DETECT CRIME
You can sense crimes and deception.
At Scale 8, you may materialize digital assets once per scene in-
stead of minor milestone. In addition, you may adopt your av- Requirements: Investigation at Average (+1) Scale 1.
atar once per minor milestone instead of significant milestone. Effects: Whenever someone uses Larceny within your zone,
the Narrator must inform you of it. They don’t have to inform
[SCALE 7] WORLD HACK you how the Skill is used or for what purpose—only that it has
Your peerless hacking ability allows you to connect to and ma- been used.
nipulate individual nanites in the world around you.
At Scale 3, this Skill Feature applies to uses of Deception as
Prerequisites: [Scale 4] Code Restoration; [Scale 4] Sniper well; At Scale 5, it applies to uses of Stealth; At Scale 7, the Nar-
Hack; [Scale 6] Holographic Manifestation.. rator must tell you how the Skill is used.
Requirements: Interfacing at Superb (+5) Scale 7.
[SCALE 1] INTERROGATION EXPERT
Effects: Once per minor milestone, you may use Interfacing in
You know the right question to ask to get the answers you seek.
place of a Coding Skill for a single task. By hacking the nanites
around you, you could manifest effects akin to cosmic coding.
Requirements: Investigation at Average (+1) Scale 1.
At Scale 8, once per significant milestone, you may spend a Effects: Once per minor milestone when questioning a tar-
Charge to activate a Cosmic Coding Protocol (p. XX) for a get, you may roll Investigation as an attack against their active
Coding Skill that you choose to emulate using this Skill Fea- Willpower or Deception. If you succeed, the target must truth-
ture. You may use your Interfacing Rank and Scale to deter- fully answer one of your questions for every shift rolled, to the
mine the necessary requirements, but you must still meet any best of their ability. You may declare the questions after the
additional prerequisites. roll has been made. The revealed answers don’t need to reflect
actual honest statements, but rather what the target determines
to be true information based on how the interrogation went.
[SCALE 8] MASTER OF THE MATRIX
Your understanding of digital systems give you a comprehensive
understanding of the Nanite Matrix and its workings. You can in- [SCALE 1] TRACKING THE THIEF
teract with it on deeper level than what ordinary interfacers ever You are a trained tracker and could find any person or object.
could, even manipulating its most advanced processes.
Requirements: Investigation at Average (+1) Scale 1.
Prerequisites: [Scale 5] Incorruptible System; [Scale 7] World Effects: Any attempt to track a known individual (such as a
Hack. criminal you have profiled) or find and retrieve a known object
Requirements: Interfacing at Superb (+5) Scale 8. benefits from a free invocation. In addition, you can, once per
Effects: You’re able to communicate with the Nanite Matrix minor milestone, ask the Narrator for a narrative clue to help
and guide its actions. you close in on a target you’re tracking.

• Once per minor milestone, you may command the [SCALE 2] DETECT CORRUPTION
Nanite Matrix to either provide you with information about, You can sense digital corruption.
or give you access to, any system that is directly or indirectly
connected to it. This could be something like a corporation’s Requirements: Investigation at Average (+1) Scale 2.
database or someone’s personal harddrive. Effects: When using Awareness, Investigation, or even Inter-
• Once per significant milestone, you may command the facing to uncover and track a corrupted entity, such as a mal-
Nanite Matrix to provide you with information about, or give functionary, specter, or trojan, you gain up to half your Investi-
you access to, any system that is completely closed off from, gation Scale, rounded up, free invocations to spend on a Sense
hidden from, or unknown to human infrastructure, such as the Corruption Boost against them. You can benefit from this once
Overlay (an old and mysterious digital realm constructed by per foe per significant milestone.
AIs for AIs).
• Once per major milestone, you may command the
[SCALE 2] LIE DETECTOR
Nanite Matrix to provide you with information about or give
You don’t need to empathize to understand a person. Instead,
you access to any of its faults, features, or hidden code, such
you have an analytical approach, relying on tangible information
as knowledge about rifts, chanite pockets, Machineborn lo-
to separate truths from lies.
cations, and the like. You can even choose to command such
things into existence, such as forcing a rift into existence, cre- Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Interrogation Expert.
ating a chaos zone, or forcing a Machineborn activation within
an individual of your choice. Requirements: Investigation at Fair (+2) Scale 2.
Effects: You may choose to roll Investigation instead of Empa-

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thy (if higher) to see through lies and profile characters. You Prerequisites: [Scale 3] Knowing the Falsehood.
can automatically detect deliberate lies stated by someone with Requirements: Investigation at Good (+3) Scale 4.
a Deception Scale that is at least one lower than your Investi-
Effects: You can apply the Detect Crime Skill Feature retroac-
gation Scale.
tively to determine if a specific individual you study or interact
with has committed a criminal act earlier in the month as well
At Scale 4, you’re able to sift true information from deliberate
as the general severity of the act. A criminal act in this context
lies. After detecting a deliberate lie, the Narrator must provide
could refer to any action covered by the prerequisite as well as
one detail associated with the truth.
activities deemed illegal according to the laws of the region.
At Scale 6, you understand the general truth from hearing the
At Scale 6, you know if they have committed a crime as far
lie.
back as a year ago; At Scale 8, you can detect if they have com-
mitted a crime at any point in their life.
At Scale 8, you understand the exact truth from hearing the lie.

[SCALE 5] BRIEF GLIMPSE AUTOPSY

[SCALE 3] KNOWING THE FALSEHOOD
You can draw accurate assessments of events by studying the vic-
You can instinctively sift out real clues and evidence from false
tims left behind.
or tampered ones.
Prerequisites: [Scale 3] Perfect Sketch.
Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Detect Crime.
Requirements: Investigation at Great (+4) Scale 5.
Requirements: Investigation at Fair (+2) Scale 3.
Effects: You may attempt an Investigation roll to case a scene
Effects: After having uncovered a crime scene, you can instinc-
or profile a character based on human remains, regardless of
tively tell if any of the evidence on the scene has been tampered
how decomposed they are. A mere skeletal fragment is enough
with or planted. This Skill Feature can also be used to identify
for you to profile the victim and understand what kind of crime
false tracks and misdirections. You may still have to roll if fac-
could have caused their death.
ing special traits or a Larceny Scale that is higher than your
Investigation Scale, but you gain a free invocation on that roll.
[SCALE 5] WEB OF LIES
You can sense the connections between puzzle pieces almost as
[SCALE 3] PERFECT SKETCH
clear as a magnetic pull.
After having heard or read a statement during an interrogation
or similar situation, you can construct a vivid picture of what has Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Tracking the Thief.
occurred.
Requirements: Investigation at Fair (+2) Scale 5.
Prerequisites: [Scale 2] Lie Detector. Effects: You can intuitively sense if there is a connection be-
Requirements: Investigation at Good (+3) Scale 3. tween individuals or objects in your vicinity, though you don’t
automatically know the nature of that connection. If you have
Effects: You may attempt an Investigation roll to case a scene
determined that there is a connection, you know its general in-
or profile a character based on someone’s description alone.
tensity, such as if it’s “major,” “significant,” or “minor.” A major
connection could be that of family members or close friends;
[SCALE 4] CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATOR a significant connection could be that of business associates
Your instincts inform you of when something in an area isn’t or members of the same gang; a minor connection could be a
quite right, such as when there is the possibility of a crime hav- surface connection without any deeper meaning.
ing been committed.
[SCALE 6] REENACTMENT
Prerequisites: [Scale 3] Knowing the Falsehood.
Your understanding of evidence can give you accurate glimpses
Requirements: Investigation at Good (+3) Scale 4. into the past.
Effects: You can apply the Detect Crime Skill Feature retroac-
tively to determine if a criminal act has taken place within your Prerequisites: [Scale 4] Crime Scene Investigator; [Scale 4]
zone earlier in the month. A criminal act in this context could Profiling the Killer; [Scale 5] Brief Glimpse Autopsy; [Scale 5]
refer to any action covered by the prerequisite as well as activi- Web of Lies.
ties deemed illegal according to the laws of the region. Requirements: Investigation at Superb (+5) Scale 6.
Effects: Once per minor milestone, you can get an accurate
At Scale 6, you know if a crime has taken place as far as a year
glimpse of an event that happened at a location. This could be
ago; At Scale 8, you can detect the crime regardless of when it
something like an accurate reenactment of how a murder took
happened.
place, the exact details of a conversation, or a criminal’s dis-
tinguishing features. You can spend Charges to get additional
[SCALE 4] PROFILING THE KILLER details at Narrator discretion.
Your instincts inform you of when someone carries a guilty con-
science. At Scale 8, you get a perfect reenactment of the entire crime as

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 [SCALE 1] SMUGGLER
if you were an observer during the act itself.
You’re an expert at concealing contraband.

Requirements: Larceny at Average (+1) Scale 1.

LARCENY Effects: You can conceal assets as if they were a size category
smaller than they are. For example, medium weapons are treat-
[SCALE 1] BREECHER
ed as light weapons, and tiny objects are treated as miniscule
You know how to get to places you’re not supposed to, and you objects. An item that was already light/miniscule cannot be
have means of bypassing nearly every lock or encryption. detected even upon close inspection, unless the one inspecting
you has an Awareness Scale higher than your Larceny Scale.
Requirements: Larceny at Average (+1) Scale 1.
Effects: You may use Larceny to attempt to bypass traditional In addition, you gain a free invocation to all contested efforts
locks without the need for lockpicks, instead using whatever to conceal objects.
you can find around you. As for bypassing electronic locks or
encryptions, you may choose to use Larceny in place of Inter-
[SCALE 2] BOSS
facing if it’s higher.
Knowing how to blend into the criminal underworld, you have
carved out a chunk of it for yourself.
At Scale 3 or higher, as long as bypassing a lock or encryption
isn’t a higher-Scale task than what you have in Larceny—and Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Criminal Mind.
as long as it isn’t against an active defense—you may choose to
spend a Charge to automatically succeed. You may make this Requirements: Larceny at Fair (+2) Scale 2.
choice instead of invoking Aspects if your initial roll fails. Effects: You may use your Larceny Scale in place of Influence
(if higher) when appealing to Influence against known crimi-
[SCALE 1] CRIMINAL MIND
nals. If your Larceny Scale is equal to or lower than your Influ-
You blend in with the criminal underworld. ence, you gain a free invocation instead to compensate. This
stacks with similar traits, such as the Illicit Involvement Educa-
Requirements: Larceny at Average (+1) Scale 1. tion Trait (p. XX).
Effects: You may use Larceny in place of Contacts to source
illegal assets and services. In addition, you can make Larce- [SCALE 2] REFUSAL TO COMPLY
ny in place of Style to carry yourself like a criminal and make You have the perfect poker face in any possible scenario, letting
yourself seem at home in the criminal world. If your Larceny you keep your schemes close at heart even against the harshest
is lower than those other Skills, you get a free invocation to of questioning.
compensate if you still use Larceny for your roll.
Prerequisites: [Scale 1] High Roller.
[SCALE 1] HIGH ROLLER
Requirements: Larceny at Fair (+2) Scale 2.
You are a notorious gambler and find yourself at ease in gam- Effects: Whenever you are interrogated in any form, including
bling circles. being tortured or having your mind probed, you may always
retain a number of secrets equal to your Larceny Scale, even if
Requirements: Larceny at Average (+1) Scale 1. you failed all of your necessary rolls.
Effects: You may use Larceny in place of Empathy to try to read
someone’s intentions or gauge someone’s Motivation (p. XX). If [SCALE 2] SLEIGHT OF HAND
it turns out that the target is actively trying to deceive you, you Your dexterous fingers and subtle movements make it possible
will have a free invocation on your next Deception or Larceny for you to more confidently act illictly in the presence of others.
roll against them.
Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Pickpocket.
[SCALE 1] PICKPOCKET Requirements: Larceny at Fair (+2) Scale 2.
You are a quick and precise pickpocket, able to swipe items seem- Effects: You may apply the prerequisite to not only steal items,
ingly before people’s eyes. but to alter the state of something in a scene. Examples include
switching evidence in a crime scene or manipulating the out-
Requirements: Larceny at Average (+1) Scale 1. come of a card game.
Effects: Once per scene, you may choose to steal an insignifi-
cant and concealable item without the need for a roll. This may At Scale 5, you may spend a Charge to use this Skill Feature or
be contested only by characters with a higher Awareness Scale its prerequisite as many times as you want simultaneously. In
than your Larceny Scale, and if someone is actively focusing on other words, you could pickpocket everyone in a room at once
the thing you try to steal. In addition, whenever your attempt or manipulate every piece of evidence in a crime scene.
to steal an item is actively contested by someone in the scene,
you have a free invocation on your roll. [SCALE 3] MASTER PLAN
As an experienced criminal mastermind, your devious schemes

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are bound to succeed. Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Smuggler.

Prerequisites: [Scale 2] Boss. Requirements: Larceny at Fair (+2) Scale 5.
Requirements: Larceny at Good (+3) Scale 3. Effects: When concealing an object as per the prerequisite, you
may choose to conceal it within a larger object even if there
Effects: Once per significant milestone, when spending some are no openings or compartments to hide it in. The concealed
time coordinating the strategy for a criminal scheme (such as object is physically within the larger one, like if submerged.
a burglery or an assassination), you gain access to a number
of free invocations equal to your Larceny Rank + Scale (i.e., At Scale 6, you may choose to conceal objects within creatures
six at Good [+3] Scale 3 and 15 at Superb [+5] Scale 8). These and not just objects. You could conceal an explosive within a
invocations exist as a pool shared by the entire group that par- human without the need for surgery by simply having it sub-
ticipates. When someone takes an action that aligns with the merge into the skin, flesh, and organs. This is a relatively pain-
plan, they may use invocations from this pool, at your discre- less, albeit uncomfortable, experience for the targeted creature.
tion. Should the plan fall apart or derail too much from your
intentions, the invocations become unavailable.
[SCALE 6] DOOR PHASING
No vault can keep you out and no prison can keep you in. You’re
At Scale 5, you no longer need to spend time planning your
able to phase through certain surfaces.
heist to receive this benefit at the start of it.
Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Breecher; [Scale 5] Malleable Container.
[SCALE 3] SHAKING OFF THE SHADOW
Requirements: Larceny at Good (+3) Scale 6.
Being a master of studying others, you know when someone is
studying you. Effects: When coming across a closed portal, such as a door
or window of any kind, you may choose to spend a Charge to
Prerequisites: [Scale 1] High Roller. phase through it rather than trying to unlock it. This Skill Fea-
ture can also be used to phase through restraints of any kind,
Requirements: Larceny at Fair (+2) Scale 3.
such as an enemy’s grapple, bindings, or handcuffs. If you’re
Effects: You become instinctively aware of when you are being interfacing with the Nanite Matrix, you may apply this Skill
watched or followed. If your shadow is within the same zone Feature to phase through firewalls and other encryptions that
as you, you can identify their exact location. This range is ex- guard private matrix spaces.
tended by one zone at Scale 5 and by another zone at Scale 7.
This stacks with the bonus to your range of perception caused At Scale 7, you may phase through any solid obstruction, such
by having Scale 4 or higher in Awareness (p. XX). as a wall or blockade—though you cannot phase through a tar-
get’s armor or incoming attacks; At Scale 8, you no longer need
[SCALE 3] VENTRILOQUIST to spend Charges to phase through things.
Your talent in voice work makes you able to speak without mov-
ing your mouth and even make your voice appear to come from [SCALE 6] MEMORY THEFT
places other than you. You have learned how to steal intangible concepts, such as a per-
son’s memories or ideas.
Requirements: Larceny at Average (+1) Scale 3.
Effects: You can speak normally and even shout without mov- Prerequisites: [Scale 4] Quantum Theft.
ing your mouth or making any other indication of communi- Requirements: Larceny at Great (+4) Scale 6.
cating. By spending a Charge, you can make your voice appear Effects: You may attempt to take a memory from a target with-
to come from anywhere else within your zone. This extends to in your pickpocketing range. Spend a Charge and roll Larceny
your neighboring zone at Scale 5 and two zones away at Scale 7. against their Willpower. If successful, you become aware of a
memory related to your desired information. For example, if
[SCALE 4] QUANTUM THEFT you want to take the memory someone has of their employ-
You are able to steal or alter objects that should be out of reach. er’s identity, you may visualize whatever information they have
that is directly related to that intention, such as a memory of
Prerequisites: [Scale 2] Sleight of Hand. a meeting they had with their employer. If you succeed with
Requirements: Larceny at Good (+3) Scale 4. style, you may choose to remove the taken memory from your
target’s mind, rendering them forever unable to recall it.
Effects: You may spend a Charge to attempt to steal or manip-
ulate an object out to Range 1 (Scale 4), Range 2 (Scale 6), or At Scale 8, you no longer need to spend a Charge for the initial
Range 3 (Scale 8). The action is a combination of lucky hap- effect, but you may choose to spend a Charge to target as many
penstance and subconscious kinematic coding. available targets as possible simultaneously.

[SCALE 5] MALLEABLE CONTAINER [SCALE 7] SOUL THEFT

Your ability to conceal items have given you partial control over You can steal core aspects of someone’s identity.
the very fabric of those items. You may now store them in places
that should be impossible. Prerequisites: [Scale 6] Memory Theft.

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 Requirements: Larceny at Superb (+5) Scale 7. and followers who respect your authority before a dangerous
Effects: When using Memory Theft against a single target, you activity or conflict, you create a pool of Drill Charges equal to
may, once per significant milestone, choose to steal one of the your Rank and Scale in Leadership (two at Average [+1] Scale
following traits instead: 1 or 13 at Superb [+5] Scale 8). Anyone involved in the activity
(except yourself) may make use of these Drill Charges to fur-
• Character Aspect: The target permanently loses that ther related actions without the need for Aspects.
Character Aspect and you may choose to replace one of your
own with it. You cannot steal a Trouble or Consequence. You [SCALE 1] POLITICAL MIND
need Scale 8 to try to steal someone’s High Concept. If you do, You have a deep understanding of political and corporate struc-
you cannot use this Skill Feature on that target again until you tures.
reach a major milestone.
• Talent: One of the target’s Skill Ranks are permanent- Requirements: Leadership at Average (+1) Scale 1.
ly reduced by one (it can reach a negative number) and your
Effects: You may use Leadership in place of other Skills to pro-
own is increased by one (to no higher than the target’s original
file if a person belongs to an organization and what their gen-
Rank).
eral position is within that organization. If you later take ad-
• Feature: The target loses a trait of some kind, such as an
vantage of your knowledge to attempt to socially outmaneuver
augmentation, a Skill Feature, or a Profession Trait. You gain
or influence the target, you gain a free invocation on your roll.
that trait instead as long as you meet its requirements and pre-
requisites (if it has any). If you don’t meet those requirements,
you gain an alternative trait based on your limitations, such as [SCALE 1] TRUSTED LIAISON
one of the prerequisite traits that you may not have. Whenever you are operating under the banner of an organiza-
tion, you are treated with respect by other corporate agents.

Requirements: Leadership at Average (+1) Scale 1.

LEADERSHIP
Effects: You may use Leadership in place of Style to determine
[SCALE 1] DRILL SERGEANT how you carry yourself in a corporate setting. In addition,
You use your authority to motivate others into action. whenever you can be clearly identified as a member of an or-
ganization (such as by wearing their badge or clothing), people
Requirements: Leadership at Average (+1) Scale 1. who represent organizational structures are more likely to have
Effects: By spending at least an hour drilling or preparing allies a Friendly Attitude for you, unless the organization you repre-

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sent is directly opposing their own. contract respects it.

Requirements: Leadership at Average (+1) Scale 3.

[SCALE 2] CORPORATE BENEFITS
You know how to effectively run a corporation. Effects: Whenever you write up an official document of some
kind, such as a contract, anyone who consents to it by either
Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Trusted Liaison. signing it or operating under it will be compelled to respect it.
Should they recognize that they have unintentionally broken
Requirements: Leadership at Fair (+2) Scale 2.
any of the terms or directives, they will be compelled to confess
Effects: Once per significant milestone, after having spent at that to you or any of your representatives. Should they inten-
least one dramatic scene interacting with an organization that tionally break any terms or directives, they won’t be compelled
you have some manner of influence over, select a number of to confess that they have, but you will instinctively know that
positive Aspects equal to half your Leadership Scale, rounded they have the next time you interact with them directly.
up, such as High Productivity or Motivated Workers. If you have
influence over multiple organizations, you may divide Aspects At Scale 5, you also know which term or directive they have in-
between them, but you need to have dramatic scenes involving tentionally broken; At Scale 7, you become instinctively aware
each of the relevant organizations. of this when it happens without having to interact with them.

You gain a free invocation every time you or someone else rep-
[SCALE 3] DIRECTOR’S INSIGHT
resenting your organization takes advantage of one of these
Whenever you are part of an organization, you can accurately
Aspects. The benefit lasts until your next significant milestone,
assess the loyalty of your peers.
or until something happens to change or remove the Aspect,
whichever comes first.
Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Political Mind.
Requirements: Leadership at Fair (+2) Scale 3.
[SCALE 2] CORPORATE SABOTAGE
You have a knack for discreet corporate sabotage. Effects: Whenever you are part of an organization and interact
with other members of that organization, you become instinc-
Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Trusted Liaison. tively aware of any Character Aspect they have that relates to
the organization or its goals. If you have been made aware of
Requirements: Leadership at Fair (+2) Scale 2.
such Aspects, you will instinctively sense if they have changed
Effects: Once per significant milestone, after having spent a or been altered in some way.
dramatic scene interacting in an official capacity with some-
one who represents an organization as middle management or
[SCALE 3] TACTICAL MIND
above, you may choose to roll Leadership against their Empa-
thy as a create advantage action. You have a strategic mind that can quickly improvise tactical
decisions and directly guide people into making more optimal
If successful, you place a negative Aspect on their organization, choices.
such as Delayed Production or Dissident Workers. You gain a
free invocation every time you or someone else representing Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Drill Sergeant.
your organization takes advantage of that Aspect. If you suc- Requirements: Leadership at Fair (+2) Scale 3.
ceed with style, you may choose to either add one additional Effects: When engaging in a conflict alongside others who
Aspect or gain one additional free invocation. The benefit lasts respect your leadership, any action they take that aligns with
until your next significant milestone, or until the organization your commands benefit from a teamwork bonus (p. XX). In
takes measures to fix the problem, whichever comes first. addition, once per minor milestone, while commanding an-
other into taking a certain action, they may choose to substi-
[SCALE 2] FIELD COMMANDER tute their own Skill Rank and Scale with your Leadership Rank
You have the experience and confidence to lead soldiers into bat- and Scale (if higher) for that roll.
tle.
[SCALE 4] AUTONOMOUS EFFICIENCY
Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Drill Sergeant. Any organization you have influence over is much more produc-
Requirements: Leadership at Fair (+2) Scale 2. tive as a result of your leadership.
Effects: When leading others in a conflict of any type, any ally
who respects your command gains one additional Stress box. Prerequisites: [Scale 2] Corporate Benefits.
Requirements: Leadership at Good (+3) Scale 4.
At Scale 4, they gain another Stress box; At Scale 6, they gain a Effects: Whenever you have made use of an organization you
third Stress box; At Scale 8, they gain a fourth Stress box. have influence over to accomplish a meaningful narrative pro-
ject, such as producing a new technology or winning a battle,
[SCALE 3] CONTRACT OBLIGATION the organization has succeeded with another project related to
You have a knack for structuring charters, contracts, or other of- something you want to achieve but without your direct input.
ficial directives. Anyone who is on the receiving end of such a

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 For example, while you have directly been involved in produc- understanding of their nuances. You may take advantage of every
ing a new technology, the organization could have created a word and line in order to incorporate new intentions and mean-
separate technology related to your design. Alternatively, while ings within the corporate language.
you have used your organization to win a major battle in an
armed conflict, the organization could have weakened or de- Prerequisites: [Scale 3] Contract Obligation.
feated an enemy elsewhere. Requirements: Leadership at Fair (+2) Scale 5.
Effects: Whenever you write up an official document of some
As an alternative effect, if you use the organization in some kind, such as a contract, you may spend a Charge to add a hid-
way to overcome at least one Hurdle for an invention, you may den clause that makes itself known to anyone who has consent-
choose to have it overcome another Hurdle for you as well. ed to the document only after they have done so. The hidden
clause cannot negate the initial agreements, but it can make
[SCALE 4] CORPORATE REFORM changes surrounding those agreements.
Your organizational instincts and leadership qualities make it so
that you can easily and effectively purge negative elements from For example, if you want to sell a residential building, the hid-
organizations you are in charge of. den clause could be something along the line of “you’re not
allowed to evict any of the current tenants.” You may choose to
Prerequisites: [Scale 3] Director’s Insight. spend additional Charges to add more hidden clauses.
Requirements: Leadership at Good (+3) Scale 4.
[SCALE 5] UNBREAKABLE FORCE
Effects: Whenever you have detected corruption, disloyalty,
or other traits that negatively affect an organization you have Those who follow your command may continue to put maxi-
influence over, you may (once per major milestone) choose to mum effort into their tasks when others would have broken.
enact a purge upon the entire organization. This could take the
form of a command which—over a dramatically appropriate Prerequisites: [Scale 3] Field Commander.
time, at Narrator discretion—removes all corrupting influ- Requirements: Leadership at Good (+3) Scale 5.
ences from the organization, including any disloyal members Effects: Whenever someone who follows your command is ei-
(even those you personally aren’t aware of, with the exception ther taken out of a conflict or has exerted themselves beyond
of sufficiently powerful threats at Narrator discretion). what they can endure, you may spend a Charge to have them
continue their tasks as if unaffected by whatever it was that
This purge temporarily penalizes the organization, reducing its brought them low. You can only apply this effect once per fol-
Influence by one and giving it a negative Aspect, such as Halted lower per minor milestone.
Productivity, until the next significant milestone. If the organ-
ization had Influence 0 prior to you using this Skill Feature,
[SCALE 6] OVERWHELMING FORCE
it is considered disbanded and non-operational until the next
Those who follow your command have trained hard and are mo-
significant milestone instead of acquiring a negative Aspect.
tivated into overcoming even their own limitations.

[SCALE 4] OPPOSING GENERAL Prerequisites: [Scale 3] Tactical Mind; [Scale 5] Unbreakable

Whenever you face a leader with less confidence in their ability Force.
and hold over their troops, you take advantage of their insecurity Requirements: Leadership at Good (+3) Scale 6.
to make them quake in their boots.
Effects: Whenever you command someone in a contest or con-
Prerequisites: [Scale 2] Corporate Sabotage or [Scale 2] Field flict, such as soldiers in battle, a sports team in a match, or a
Commander. sales team against their customers, they gain a +1 Scale bonus
to all actions that directly relate to the task they’re encouraged
Requirements: Leadership at Good (+3) Scale 4.
to complete; this bonus cannot exceed your Leadership Scale.
Effects: Whenever you are directly opposing another leader,
such as when facing an army in a battle or when engaging in a
[SCALE 7] UNSPOKEN COMMAND
business meeting with another company, compare the higher
Your followers know your will and understand your intentions.
of your Influence or Leadership Scale with the higher of the
opposing leader’s. If yours is higher, the difference between the
Prerequisites: [Scale 6] Overwhelming Force.
two dictates a penalty to all actions taken by the opposing lead-
er and their present followers that directly oppose your efforts. Requirements: Leadership at Great (+4) Scale 7.
Effects: You no longer need to actively command your follow-
For example, if you have a value of 4 and the opposing leader ers for them to benefit from your leadership. As long as you
has a value of 2, the opposing leader and their minions suffer a have had some kind of interaction related to the task itself,
–2 penalty on all actions taken against you for as long as you’re your followers know what it is you want them to do and will
directly opposing each other. benefit as if directly commanded by you.

[SCALE 5] BETWEEN THE LINES

At Scale 8, you can command followers into action without any
Your knowledge of business-related protocols gives you a deep engagement with them. They will instinctively know your will

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and get an accurate sense of how you would have commanded Requirements: Performance at Average (+1) Scale 1.
them, even if you are nowhere near them or have any insight Effects: You may choose to use Performance instead of Lead-
into their activities. In mechanical terms, you can make dec- ership to command followers into action, instead of Persuasion
larations to the Narrator about what your followers are doing to make an argument, and instead of Provocation to frighten.
without you being there to direct them. In addition, any Skill This only applies if you actually make a performance of some
Feature that relies on “commands” work even in your absence. kind, such as a rousing speech, an interpretive dance, or an act
of stand-up comedy.

PERFORMANCE [SCALE 1] SOOTHING LULLABY

Your more light-hearted performances provide comfort and fun
[SCALE 1] ACTOR to even the most troubled mind.
You can take on any role, emulate any emotion, and express any
personality quirk. Requirements: Performance at Average (+1) Scale 1.
Effects: You may choose to use Performance instead of Treat-
Requirements: Performance at Average (+1) Scale 1. ment to treat Mental Consequences.
Effects: You may choose to use Performance instead of Decep-
tion to pretend to be someone you’re not, or instead of Larceny At Scale 3, you may choose to spend each of your actions per-
to don and carry a disguise. You may also choose to use Per- forming for one or more allies with Mild or Moderate Mental
formance instead of Stealth to attempt to blend into a crowd. Consequences in some form—as long as the performance per-
sists, the allies cannot suffer the drawbacks of those Conse-
[SCALE 1] CATHARTIC ENCORE quences and they cannot be invoked against them.
There is no better feeling than the sound of applause.
At Scale 5, this also applies to Severe Mental Consequences; At
Requirements: Performance at Average (+1) Scale 1. Scale 7, it also applies to Extreme Mental Consequences.
Effects: Once per scene, after successfully completing a perfor-
mance, you replenish your Stress. The first time you do this in [SCALE 2] ENCOURAGING BALLAD
a session, you’re also awarded a Charge. Your performance has a calming quality. You could rid people of
fear even on a sinking ship.
[SCALE 1] CELEBRITY DEMEANOR
Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Soothing Lullaby.
Your stage presence, acting ability, and quick thinking helps you
navigate social situations. Requirements: Performance at Fair (+2) Scale 2.
Effects: If you spend each of your actions continuously per-
Requirements: Performance at Average (+1) Scale 1. forming in some form, anyone who feels inspired by you gain
Effects: You may choose to use Performance instead of Style a free invocation on any Willpower roll used to resist fear or
to assert yourself in a social scene, such as taking the spotlight intimidation while the performance is maintained.
in a crowded room or entertaining a bored guest. Additionally,
you may choose to use Performance instead of Deception to At Scale 4, they become immune to fear or intimidation for as
hide your Attitude or Motivation in a social scene. long as the performance persists.

[SCALE 1] GRACEFUL LEAD [SCALE 2] INCITING SPEECH

You know better than to always take the center stage. Sometimes Your impressive speeches reach the hearts of your audience.
you need to cede the stage to others.
Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Humming the Tune.
Requirements: Performance at Average (+1) Scale 1. Requirements: Performance at Fair (+2) Scale 2.
Effects: When using a Performance-based teamwork action Effects: When holding a speech where you speak up against
(p. XX), such as leading another in a dance or complementing some injustice or try to call people into action, you gain a free
their performance, their Skill Rank will match yours if lower. If invocation on your Performance roll. Should someone be pres-
equal or higher, they gain another +1 teamwork bonus. ent that is Hostile towards you or strongly disagrees with your
statement, you become instinctually aware of this. While you
At Scale 3, you can use your Performance to assist someone may have an idea of whether these people are mere individuals
with a teamwork action even if they don’t use Performance for or a larger group, you cannot automatically identify who they
their own roll. are. You gain a free invocation on any attempt to do so, though.

[SCALE 1] HUMMING THE TUNE [SCALE 2] METHOD ACTOR

You have learned that the best way to express yourself is through You truly inhabit your role and live your performance.
your art. When you’re unsure of what to say, it usually helps to
sing. Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Actor.

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 Requirements: Performance at Fair (+2) Scale 2. target who already had a Friendly Attitude towards you, you
Effects: When using Performance to emulate a different Atti- gain a free invocation on any Social Skill roll against them until
tude than your true one, such as pretending to be Friendly to- either the end of the session or until their Attitude towards you
wards someone you despise, this Skill Feature lets you get into is changed for the worse, whichever comes first.
character to such degree that your false Attitude effectively be-
comes true. Any traits that can accurately assess Attitude regis- In place of a performance, this Skill Feature can also be used to
ters your fake one as real, and you truly feel all of the emotions complement an intimate act with a consenting partner, provid-
associated with it. You can at any time choose to drop the act. ing you the free invocation as they bask in the afterglow.

At Scale 4, you can choose to tap into five alternative Charac- [SCALE 3] AVOIDING THE SPOTLIGHT
terAspects based on the adopted role. As long as you’re actively People become immersed in your performances and wrapped up
living the role, you must use the alternative Character Aspects in emotion, forgetting that there is an actual artist behind it all.
in place of your own. If you choose to break character to use
one of your own, you cannot access the Character Aspects Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Actor; [Scale 1] Celebrity Demeanor.
again this scene. You can only access the Character Aspects of Requirements: Performance at Fair (+2) Scale 3.
one role per significant milestone. Effects: While in the middle of a performance, spectators are
wrapped up in its content and pay no mind to you. For as long
At Scale 6, after accessing the Character Aspects of an adopt- as you maintain a performance, you can use it like cover to
ed role, you can choose to substitute non-Performance Skill conceal yourself, rolling Performance instead of Stealth.
Ranks with each other to further live up to your role’s ex-
pectations. For example, if you portray a pilot, you could re-
[SCALE 3] CALL TO ACTION
place a low Piloting Rank with the Rank of another Skill that
Your performances inspire people into action, giving them both
is higher. You can swap as many Skills as makes sense for the
confidence and motivation to do what needs to be done.
role you’re portraying, but they remain swapped for as long as
you act out that role. The Skills return to normal if you drop
Prerequisites: [Scale 2] Inciting Speech.
character, and you cannot then get back into it that scene. You
can only replace Skills for one role per significant milestone. Requirements: Performance at Good (+3) Scale 3.
Effects: After using Performance to successfully convince a
At Scale 8, make a different character sheet for the role you’re target into taking a specific action, they are considered to have
portraying, complete with entirely different traits and pow- a Motivation (p. XX) that are in line with that action, as well as
ers; do this in between sessions to avoid interrupting the flow a free invocation per scene to benefit that Motivation.
of the game. The new character sheet cannot have a mile-
stone value that is higher than your original player character. If you witness the target taking the action, you may choose to
You’re still limited to one such role per significant milestone. continue your performance. You cannot take any other action
on your turn than to perform, but each turn you do so offers
[SCALE 2] RYTHMIC BEATING
a teamwork bonus (p. XX) to the target and gives them a free
Your combat movements are like a dance, letting you cross ob- invocation every round instead of only once per scene.
stacles with grace and punch someone’s face to melodic rhythm.
[SCALE 3] LOVING THE ART
Requirements: Performance at Average (+1) Scale 2. You love to perform. The emotion you feel when performing can
Effects: When engaged in a physical conflict, you may choose move even you to tears.
to turn your physical actions into a performance. Roll the low-
est Rank and Scale of your Physical Skill and your Performance Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Cathartic Encore.
to undertake the action, such as Close Combat to make an at- Requirements: Performance at Fair (+2) Scale 3.
tack or Acrobatics to evade a bullet. Your physical action is Effects: Whenever you make a performance that causes some
now considered a performance as well as whatever its original form of benefit to a target, such as when using Soothing Lullaby
intention was. This lets you combine it with social influence or Encouraging Ballad (see previous spread), you may apply the
as well as Skill Features that require you to use your action to benefit to yourself as well.
perform, such as Providing the Soundtrack (see next page).
[SCALE 3] UNDENIABLE TALENT
[SCALE 2] SENSUAL POLE DANCE You perform with such skill that not even your worst enemy can
You rely on stage presence and performative talent to give some- deny your talent.
one a show that will stay with them for a while.
Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Cathartic Encore; [Scale 1] Humming
Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Celebrity Demeanor. the Tune.
Requirements: Performance at Fair (+2) Scale 2. Requirements: Performance at Fair (+2) Scale 3.
Effects: After having used Performance to put on a show where Effects: After having completed a performance that impressed
the goal was to appear attractive or impressive for a specific someone with a Neutral or Hostile Attitude towards you, your

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next Social Skill roll against them will be treated as if they have characters in a conflict, they gain +1 Harm to their attacks and
a Friendly Attitude for you. They can choose to ignore this ef- +1 to their Natural and Mental Soak.
fect, but doing so will award you a Charge.
This bonus becomes +2 at Scale 6 and +3 at Scale 8.
If you have the Sensual Pole Dance Skill Feature (see previous
page), you may benefit from its effects even against a Neutral or [SCALE 4] UNCORRUPTING BALLAD
Hostile target, assuming that your Performance roll overcame Your performance not only strengthens the mind, but empowers
their active Willpower. The effect ends if something happens the audience to stand firm even in the face of corruption.
to reinforce their dislike for you, at the Narrator’s discretion.
Prerequisites: [Scale 2] Encouraging Ballad.
[SCALE 4] BATTLE THEATER Requirements: Performance at Good (+3) Scale 4.
You can manipulate your audience into believing that real hostile
Effects: If you spend each of your actions continuously per-
activities are nothing more than theater or play pretend.
forming in some form, anyone who feels inspired by you can-
not be mutated by chanites or cosmic coding for as long as the
Prerequisites: [Scale 3] Avoiding the Spotlight.
performance is maintained.
Requirements: Performance at Good (+3) Scale 4.
Effects: You can attempt to hide a conflict behind your perfor- [SCALE 5] LIFE IS A MUSICAL
mance. When initiating a conflict that you want to hide, roll You have a knack for blending performances into real life with-
Performance against the Empathy of all spectators. Any spec- out it seeming out of the ordinary.
tator who fails their roll will believe that the conflict is part of
a performance. This lasts until something happens to convince Prerequisites: [Scale 3] Call to Action; [Scale 3] Loving the Art.
them otherwise, such as someone being seriously harmed or
Requirements: Performance at Great (+4) Scale 5.
them being personally inconvenienced by the conflict.
Effects: Whenever you make a Performance-based action, you
may spend a Charge to incite a performative response. For ex-
[SCALE 4] PROVIDING THE SOUNDTRACK
ample, if you sing a question to someone, they will sing their
Your performances add importance and emotional weight to an
answer. If you dance with a stranger on the street, they will re-
already tense situation.
ciprocate the dance. The targets’ responses are considered part
of your performance, and they cannot resist unless their Will-
Prerequisites: [Scale 2] Encouraging Ballad; [Scale 3] Call to
power Scale is equal to or higher than your Performance Scale.
Action.
Requirements: Performance at Great (+4) Scale 4.
[SCALE 6] NATURE PRINCESS PERFORMANCE
Effects: When using the prerequisite to support one or more Even nature itself dances to your song.

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Prerequisites: [Scale 5] Life Is a Musical. stand whatever someone tries to convey using their body, as
Requirements: Performance at Superb (+5) Scale 6. long as they are deliberately trying to convey something to you.
Effects: Once per significant milestone, you may use Perfor-
At Scale 5, you can mask this information in the body language
mance in place of Bio Coding to manipulate organisms, such as
of other activities. This lets you make a Social Skill roll reflex-
healing a wound or causing an overgrowth to open up a path.
ively as part of a physical action.
If you already have Bio Coding of equal or higher Scale, you
instead gain a free invocation every time you use it, as long as [SCALE 1] CONVEY RATIONALITY
you perform while doing so. You use logic and reason to rationalize behaviors and emotional
dispositions.
[SCALE 6] THE SIREN’S CALL
Requirements: Persuasion at Average (+1) Scale 1.
You mesmerize anyone who hears you, causing them to seek out
the source of the sound. Effects: You may choose to use Persuasion instead of Treat-
ment to treat Mental Consequences. If successful, the treated
Prerequisites: [Scale 2] Sensual Pole Dance; [Scale 3] Call to Consequence cannot be invoked against the target by the one
Action. who inflicted it. You cannot use this Skill Feature to treat your
own Consequences.
Requirements: Performance at Great (+4) Scale 6.
Effects: Once per significant milestone, you may spend a
[SCALE 1] EFFECTIVE COUNTERARGUMENT
Charge to make an audible performance that can be heard out
to (Performance Scale) x 100 meters. Roll Performance against You’re a quick thinker and have a witty argument for every sit-
the Willpower of everyone who hears it. Anyone who fails to uation.
defend is compelled to follow the sound towards you. Anyone
you succeed with style against will drop anything they do to Requirements: Persuasion at Average (+1) Scale 1.
follow the sound, even if it would complicate their lives. Effects: You can use Persuasion to defend against any attempt
to verbally coerce, bargain with, or provoke you by offering
At Scale 8, you can do this once per minor milestone instead of witty counterarguments and rationalizations. If your defense
significant milestone. However, once per significant milestone, is successful, it is treated as a successful attack against your op-
you may do this with a range that is increased by a factor of ten. ponent instead, with their initial attack roll being treated as a
Finally, once per major milestone, you may do this with a range defend roll. This Skill Feature cannot be used to inflict mental
that is increased by a factor of a hundred. harm outside of your turn.

[SCALE 1] HAGGLE
PERSUASION You always know how to cut a good deal.

[SCALE 1] AN HONEST REQUEST Requirements: Persuasion at Average (+1) Scale 1.

An honest request can be all that is needed to get someone de- Effects: After having used Persuasion to succeed with style on
ceptive to speak the truth. a roll to bargain for an asset that you want to either buy or sell,
the transaction will treat it as another ±1 Cost, to maximum ±2
Requirements: Persuasion at Average (+1) Scale 1. Cost. This will not change the quality of the asset itself, only the
Effects: You may use Persuasion instead of Empathy to try to cost of buying or selling it.
gauge someone’s Attitude, Motivation, Instinct, or Character
Aspect. If the target has no reason to hide the information, [SCALE 1] INSIGHTFUL REQUEST
they will be more likely to answer honestly. If they have reason Your knack for conversation and persuasion gives you a greater
to hide the information, overcoming their Deception convinc- insight into human responses and what they mean.
es them to verbalize at least something truthful.
Requirements: Persuasion at Average (+1) Scale 1.
[SCALE 1] ASSERTIVE BODY LANGUAGE Effects: Whenever you fail to persuade someone into a cer-
You know how to use gestures and other forms of body language tain behavior due to contesting Aspects (or traits with similar
to present information and accentuate points. function), the Narrator must inform you of which category of
Aspect was used to deny your influence (i.e., Attitudes, Mo-
Requirements: Persuasion at Average (+1) Scale 1. tivations, Character Aspects, or Consequences). The Narrator
Effects: You may convey comprehensible information using doesn’t have to reveal the true nature of the contesting Aspect.
body language alone; this lets you communicate past language
barriers. At Scale 3, the Narrator must now inform you of a single con-
tributing factor behind the denial, such as the nature of a con-
At Scale 3, you can use this Skill Feature in reverse to become testing Aspect.
the recipient of someone’s body language. You perfectly under-

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[SCALE 1] INSPIRING COMMENT

Requirements: Persuasion at Fair (+2) Scale 2.
You know just the right thing to say to motivate just about any-
one into action. Effects: After having failed a Persuasion roll against someone,
you may spend a Charge to reroll the attempt again at any time
Requirements: Persuasion at Average (+1) Scale 1. before the next significant milestone, even if they are not pres-
ent in the scene with you. Should the new roll succeed, the
Effects: Whenever you make a successful Persuasion-based target comes to a new realization. The Narrator must inform
create advantage action meant to make someone Inspired or you that the roll has succeeded and that you no longer need to
Motivated, they will also benefit from a +1 teamwork bonus on spend Charges for new attempts, but you don’t automatically
all actions related to the task they’re inspired or motivated for. know the implications of this until it’s presented in game.
This bonus becomes +2 at Scale 4 and +3 at Scale 8.
[SCALE 3] CONVICTION BEHIND STATEMENT
There is something about the logic and passion of your argu-
[SCALE 1] MASTER DEBATER
ments that people simply cannot shake. One must put a lot of
You know to be socially aware of how people around you feel,
streneuous effort into ignoring you.
so that you can choose the best argument for the best situation.
Requirements: Persuasion at Average (+1) Scale 3.
Requirements: Persuasion at Average (+1) Scale 1.
Effects: The first time in a scene when a target is compelled to
Effects: Whenever you use Persuasion to try to argue a point,
spend a Charge to ignore one of your successful Persuasion
you become instinctually aware of whether someone doesn’t
rolls against them, they must spend two Charges instead.
understand your argument, agrees with it, disagrees with it, is
unsure about it, or refuses to consider it.
At Scale 5, this applies to every compel and not just the first
one in the scene.
[SCALE 2] INSPIRING PRESENCE
You radiate such contagious confidence that people around you
[SCALE 3] ENERGIZING COMMENT
cannot help but be inspired by it.
Your inspiring words energize those who hear it, giving them the
strength to face overwhelming odds.
Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Inspiring Comment.
Requirements: Persuasion at Fair (+2) Scale 2. Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Inspiring Comment.
Effects: Whenever you enter a conflict alongside allies with a Requirements: Persuasion at Fair (+2) Scale 3.
Friendly Attitude for you, they will automatically become In-
Effects: After having successfully inspired or motivated some-
spired or Motivated to overcome the challenge that this conflict
one with a Friendly Attitude for you, you also give the target
presents, unless this is contested by other Aspects, such as cer-
access to a free Charge that they may use at any time to further
tain Mental Consequences. This only applies to characters who
their task. You may choose to spend your own Charges to store
can perceive you and their players must consent to the Aspects.
additional ones within your target.

[SCALE 2] NEVER TOO LATE TO CHANGE At Scale 5, the target gains two free Charges instead of one; At
You understand that everyone has a reason for being who they Scale 7, they get three.
are and for acting how they do. However, sometimes even the
most seemingly secure stance can be shifted with the right word.
[SCALE 3] MOTIVATED TO ENDURE
Your inspiring presence emboldens people, increasing their tol-
Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Convey Rationality; [Scale 1] Insight-
erance towards stressful situations.
ful Request.
Requirements: Persuasion at Fair (+2) Scale 2. Prerequisites: [Scale 2] Inspiring Presence.
Effects: Whenever you are aware of a contesting Attitude, Mo- Requirements: Persuasion at Good (+3) Scale 3.
tivation, or Character Aspect that is in the way of someone be-
Effects: Whenever you enter a conflict alongside allies who are
ing susceptible to your influence, you may (once per scene)
Inspired or Motivated to overcome the challenge, those allies
spend a Charge to lock that Aspect away for the duration of
each gain an additional Stress box.
your influence. If used against a PC, the target’s player may
keep that Charge as if compelled, or spend a Charge of their
At Scale 5, they gain a second Stress box; At Scale 7, they gain
own to ignore the effect.
a third.

[SCALE 2] SUDDEN REALIZATION

[SCALE 3] TAMING THE BEAST
Even your failed arguments make people stop and think. They
Your natural talent for communication has taught you how to
reflect upon what you’ve said for hours and days to come.
adapt your speech and mannerisms in a way that even an animal
can understand.
Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Insightful Request; [Scale 1] Master
Debater.
Requirements: Persuasion at Average (+1) Scale 3.

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Effects: You may use your Social Skills normally against ani- Prerequisites: [Scale 3] Taming the Beast.
mals and other creatures with some capacity of sentience, but Requirements: Persuasion at Fair (+2) Scale 4.
that would normally be incapable of understanding human
Effects: All non-human creatures have their default Attitude
communication (e.g., most birds and mammals, as well as oth-
towards you a step towards the positive; Hostile becomes Neu-
er creatures at Narrator discretion). This Skill Feature doesn’t
tral and Neutral becomes Friendly. If the creature already is
let you understand the targeted creature’s own form of com-
Friendly, it will act completely tame in your presence. Crea-
munication in return, but you aren’t limited in your ability to
tures can still be Hostile towards you if you’re directly hostile
communicate ideas, intents, and commands to it in a way that
towards them, such as deliberately disrupting their territory.
it can understand.
At Scale 6, the Attitude is changed two steps instead of one (i.e.,
Keep in mind that this does not actually increase the targeted
Hostile becomes Friendly and Neutral acts tame); At Scale 8,
creature’s intelligence; it’s still limited by its own natural capa-
it’s changed three steps (i.e., even Hostile creatures act tame).
bilities. It might be more valuable to convey tactics for an am-
bush to your dog than it would be to try to teach it quantum
physics, since it wouldn’t have the brain capable of making use [SCALE 5] COMMANDING THE HERD
of that information anyway. Your strong kinship with animals, and your ability to make your-
self understood, lets you command large gatherings of them into
At Scale 6, this Skill Feature now applies to any creature capa- taking unified actions.
ble of perceiving its surroundings, including seemingly mind-
less ones like insects. Prerequisites: [Scale 4] Patting the Predator.
Requirements: Persuasion at Good (+3) Scale 5.
[SCALE 4] CHANGING THE DISPOSITION Effects: You may spend a Charge to attempt to command all
Your thoughtful words can resonate with anyone, convincing non-human creatures with Friendly Attitude towards you into
them of entirely new dispositions after only a brief meeting. taking a single action of your choice. The creatures must be
able to perceive you to comprehend your command. If com-
Prerequisites: [Scale 2] Never Too Late To Change. manding the creatures to attack, this can be resolved as a goon
Requirements: Persuasion at Good (+3) Scale 4. unit (p. XX) or a hazard (p. XX) at Narrator discretion.
Effects: Once per significant milestone, after succeeding on a
Persuasion roll against a target that you have spent an appro- At Scale 7, you may continue to command the creatures for
priate time interacting with in a scene (at Narrator discretion), free each round; this does not use up your action.
you may choose to change one of their Attitudes, Motivations,
Mental Consequences, or Character Aspects that isn’t a High [SCALE 5] SPEAKING FROM THE HEART
Concept, Trouble, or Extreme Consequence. You must know When your argument truly aligns with your own ideas and way
of the trait you want to change. of thinking, the impact of your words ring much more true.

How the trait can be changed is determined by the interaction Prerequisites: [Scale 4] Changing the Disposition.
you’ve had and the target’s general disposition, at the Narrator’s Requirements: Persuasion at Great (+4) Scale 5.
discretion, but the change should be more drastic than what
Effects: Whenever you use Persuasion to instill a specific At-
you’d normally be able to achieve with a simple roll. A changed
titude, Motivation, Mental Consequence, Character Aspect, or
Mental Consequence doesn’t treat that Consequence; it simply
appropriate Situation Aspect, that aligns with one of your own,
changes it.
you may spend a Charge to have it be treated as a Directive (p.
XX) by the target for the remainder of the scene.
For example, you would be unlikely to change the big bad’s
Attitude from Hostile to Friendly if there are other contesting
It’s important that the new trait directly aligns with one of
factors, such as certain Character Aspects or an overtly hos-
your own for the persuasion to be powerful enough to turn
tile situation, but you could possibly change their Motivation
it into a Directive. For example, if you convince the target to
from Trap and Kill My Enemies to Give My Enemies a Fighting
be Friendly towards someone you’re Friendly towards, them
Chance. Alternatively, you could change an ally’s Mental Con-
being Friendly will then be as powerful as if it were a Directive.
sequence Crippling Self-Doubt to Facing My Fears, or a target’s
If you’re not Friendly towards the person you want them to be
Character Aspect I Strike to Kill to Mercy Can Be Strength.
Friendly towards, your words won’t have the same impact.
At Scale 6, you may target someone’s High Concept, Trouble,
At Scale 6, the effect lasts until the end of the session; At Scale
or Extreme Mental Consequence. You could even attempt to
8, it lasts until the next significant milestone.
change a functionary’s Directive. At Scale 8, you may do this
once per minor milestone instead of significant milestone.
[SCALE 6] STRENGTH IN NUMBERS
When you request someone’s aid, you will get it. This is true
[SCALE 4] PATTING THE PREDATOR
whether the ones answering your call are one, ten, or a thousand.
Even hostile and predatory creatures are easily calmed and com-
pelled by your words and gestures.

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Prerequisites: [Scale 5] Commanding the Herd; [Scale 5] Speak- Moderate, and +3 for Severe. The bonus lasts for the remainder
ing From the Heart. of the time you operate the vehicle or ride the mount.
Requirements: Persuasion at Superb (+5) Scale 6.
Effects: You may now use Commanding the Herd on human [SCALE 1] REGULAR MAINTENANCE
targets. PCs may ignore at their players’ discretion, and impor- You love your mounts or vehicles above any other asset in your
tant NPCs (p. XX) may ignore at the Narrator’s. possession, and you take regular care of them.

Requirements: Piloting at Average (+1) Scale 1.

Effects: Any mount or vehicle that you regularly care for gain a
PILOTING +1 Cost property (p. XX) that only works when you are piloting
it; this doesn’t affect the asset’s actual Cost for other purposes.
[SCALE 1] CAPTAIN
When you are the captain of your vessel, others fall in line.
At Scale 4, you may add up to +2 Cost; Finally, at Scale 7, it
becomes +3 Cost.
Requirements: Piloting at Average (+1) Scale 1.
Effects: You may use Piloting instead of Leadership to com-
[SCALE 2] STEALTH DRIVER
mand others who travel with you by vehicle or mount. In ad-
dition, anyone who recognizes you as an authority will benefit You know how to effectively and discreetly use your mount or
from a teamwork bonus on any roll made that relates to a ve- vehicle to not draw too much attention.
hicle or mount, such as Piloting rolls to control it, Engineering
Requirements: Piloting at Average (+1) Scale 2.
rolls to maintain it, or Ranged Combat rolls to attack it.
Effects: You can move your mount or vehicle to unlikely plac-
es, such as driving a car up a set of stairs or getting a horse to
[SCALE 1] COMBAT DRIVER
climb a tree. You can roll Piloting in place of Stealth to hide the
You know better than anyone what your vehicle or mount is ca-
mount or vehicle from view.
pable of. When handling it, you can treat it as if it were stronger
and sturdier than it actually is.
You gain a free invocation if it would make sense for the mount
or vehicle to keep a low profile in the environment it’s in, such
Requirements: Piloting at Average (+1) Scale 1.
as having a car hide on a road or a horse on the countryside.
Effects: Your vehicle or mount is considered to be a size cate-
gory larger when determining Scale for attacking or evading
[SCALE 2] TRAMPLING HOOF EXECUTION
(p. XX). If the result is still equal to or lower than your natural
Piloting Scale, or if it’s capped at the Scale 8 maximum, you- Your quick acceleration and perfect control lets you impact with
gain a free invocation on relevant rolls instead. your target at maximum force.

Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Combat Driver.

At Scale 3, you may give your vehicle or mount an additional
+1 Harm and +1 Soak; At Scale 5, this becomes +2 Harm and Requirements: Piloting at Fair (+2) Scale 2.
+2 Soak; Finally, at Scale 7, it becomes +3 Harm and +3 Soak Effects: Whenever you use a vehicle or mount to make a suc-
cessful Piloting attack against a target, and your Speed is at
[SCALE 1] PEERLESS NAVIGATOR least one higher than your target’s (or their Athletics Scale if
You are a trained navigator and can traverse even the harshest of they don’t have Speed), them taking a Physical Consequence
environments. will mitigate one fewer Stress.

Requirements: Piloting at Average (+1) Scale 1. At Scale 4, the target’s Physical Consequences now mitigate
two fewer Stress; At Scale 6, they mitigate three fewer Stress;
Effects: You have perfect sense of direction regardless of your
Finally, at Scale 8, they mitigate four fewer Stress.
external circumstances. This lets you always be able to tell up
from down, north from south, et cetera. You gain a free invo-
cation on any attempt to navigate. In addition, when piloting [SCALE 2] WEATHER SENSE
a vehicle or riding a mount, you gain a free invocation on any Your navigational experience has taught you how to predict what
attempt to traverse difficult or hostile environments. to expect on a coming journey.

Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Peerless Navigator.

[SCALE 1] RECKLESS DRIVER
Whenever your vehicle takes damage or your mount becomes Requirements: Piloting at Fair (+2) Scale 2.
injured, the adrenaline kicks in. Effects: You can automatically predict local weather patterns
up to 24 hours away. You may also roll Piloting in place of Ed-
Requirements: Piloting at Average (+1) Scale 1. ucation to attempt to predict weather patterns overall or other
Effects: Whenever your vehicle or mount has suffered Physical concerns that may come up on a planned route, such as risk for
Consequences, you gain a bonus to Piloting Skill rolls deter- ambushes. You have a free invocation on such a roll, regardless
mined by the highest Consequence taken: +1 for Mild, +2 for of which Skill you use.

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[SCALE 3] BRAVING THE STORM Effects: Your vehicle or mount has +1 Speed, to maximum
You are unfazed by the harshest storm; your mode of transporta- Speed 8. If this bonus would normally exceed Speed 8, its
tion will always prevail. movement speed will instead double and you gain a free invo-
cation on any Piloting rolls used to test its speed.
Prerequisites: [Scale 2] Weather Sense.
Requirements: Piloting at Good (+3) Scale 3. At Scale 5, the Speed bonus increases to +2. Beyond Speed 8,
Effects: Whenever you are using your vehicle or mount within this could triple movement speed and provide two free invo-
an environmental hazard (p. XX) or block (p. XX), such as a cations on speed tests; At Scale 7, it becomes +3, or it could
terrible storm or a great chasm, you gain a free invocation on quadruple movement speed beyond Speed 8 and provide three
any Piloting roll used to traverse it. If it has a Scale value at free invocations.
least one lower than your Piloting Scale, you can overcome it
without the need for a roll. [SCALE 4] CHAOS-WITHSTANDING HULL
Your regular maintenance of your mount or vehicle gives it a per-
[SCALE 3] STRAINING HULL
fect shine that cannot be tampered with by even the most cor-
You know your vehicle or mount better than anyone, and you ruptive forces.
know that it can handle just a little bit more before it breaks.
Prerequisites: [Scale 3] Braving the Storm; [Scale 3] Straining
Hull.
Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Regular Maintenance; [Scale 1] Reck-
less Driver. Requirements: Piloting at Great (+4) Scale 4.
Requirements: Piloting at Fair (+2) Scale 3. Effects: Your vehicle or mount has a free invocation on any at-
tempt to resist corrupting or mutating forces, such as chanites,
Effects: Whenever your mount or vehicle suffers enough Stress
trojans, or coding attacks. If your vehicle is encasing (p. XX),
to be taken out, you may spend a Charge to keep it operational.
this applies to everything inside the vehicle as well.
However, any suffered Stress beyond its final Stress box would
instead have to be absorbed by you.
At Scale 5, the vehicle or mount becomes immune to such forc-
es while you’re using it. If encasing, it offers perfect protection.
At Scale 5, you no longer need to suffer the exceeding harm.

[SCALE 4] DESTRUCTIVE IMPACT

[SCALE 3] TURBO
Your mount or vehicle blasts through obstructions like if they
When piloting a vehicle or riding a mount, it always reaches a ca-
were nothing.
pacity beyond what it would be capable of in the hands of others.
Prerequisites: [Scale 2] Trampling Hoof Execution; [Scale 3]
Requirements: Piloting at Average (+1) Scale 3. Straining Hull.

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Requirements: Piloting at Good (+3) Scale 4. just enough time to catch a deadline or to warn a location of a
Effects: Whenever you use a mount or a vehicle to make a Pi- coming aggressor). This enables a return trip, at the Narrator’s
loting attack against an inanimate object, the attack inflicts +2 discretion, and the journey cannot exceed the speed of light.
Harm. In addition, any successfully inflicted Stress to that ob-
ject is doubled. If this destroys the object, the mount or vehicle At Scale 7, you may do this once per significant milestone. Al-
itself ignores the impact and its speed isn’t impeded. ternatively, once per major milestone, you may take on a jour-
ney that may exceed the speed of light. This could let you travel
to another star system or even another galaxy as quickly as the
[SCALE 4] GRACEFUL PARKING
Narrator finds appropriate for the story.
Your perfect understanding of your mode of transport lets you
push it far beyond its normal capabilities, including redistribut- At Scale 8, you may now use this Skill Feature once per minor
ing its weight with perfect precision. milestone, or you may exceed the speed of light once per sig-
nificant milestone. Once per major milestone, you may now
Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Peerless Navigator; [Scale 2] Stealth travel through a non-spatial dimension, such as backwards or
Driver. forward in time, or crossing into an alternative universe.
Requirements: Piloting at Fair (+2) Scale 4.
Effects: You can position your mount or vehicle in places that
wouldn’t normally be able to bear its weight, such as riding PROVOCATION
your mount on top of a spiked fence or landing your spaceship
on fragile ice. You gain a free invocation on attempts to trav- [SCALE 1] BLEEDING GROTESQUE
erse harsh terrain or certain obstacles, at Narrator discretion. You take advantage of your own grievous wounds or debilitated
mental state to instill fear in those around you.
[SCALE 5] FROM EARTH TO HEAVENS
Your peerless understanding of what your mode of transporta- Requirements: Provocation at Average (+1) Scale 1.
tion is capable of allows you to test its limits far beyond what it Effects: Whenever you’re suffering from an untreated Conse-
should be capable of, such as braving new environments. quence (of any kind), you may take advantage of it to enhance
your Provocation rolls. You gain a bonus based on the severity
Requirements: Piloting at Average (+1) Scale 5. of your highest untreated Consequence (+1 for Mild, +2 for
Effects: Your vehicle or mount is now able to navigate in a new Moderate, +3 for Severe, and +4 for Extreme).
way, such as causing your motorbike to fly or your horse to run
on water.
[SCALE 1] CREATING THE CREEPY PASTA
You set up a creepy atmosphere and a sense of dread around a
At Scale 7, choose a second form of navigation.
specific topic.

[SCALE 5] RIDING THE STORM Requirements: Provocation at Average (+1) Scale 1.

You use the features of a powerful environmental danger to your
Effects: Roll Provocation as a create advantage action targeting
own advantage, such as riding the waves to gain speed or hiding
an object, like a doll, a situation, like walking through the for-
within a harsh storm.
est, or a story, like “the old man next door is secretely a killer.”
The target becomes a medium for your provocations and gains
Prerequisites: [Scale 3] Braving the Storm.
an appropriate Situation Aspect, like Horrifying.
Requirements: Piloting at Great (+4) Scale 5.
Effects: Whenever you are using your vehicle or mount within Whenever someone encounters the targeted medium in your
an environmental hazard (p. XX) or block (p. XX) with a Scale presence, you may roll Provocation attacks against them using
higher than your Piloting Scale, you may use the hazard’s or the medium instead of yourself as its source. This lasts for as
block’s Scale instead. If it isn’t higher, you gain a +1 bonus to long as the Situation Aspect remains.
all Piloting rolls instead until the hazard or block has passed.
[SCALE 1] INSTILL DOUBT
[SCALE 6] ODYSSEY IN A DAY Your threats create doubt in even the most vicious killer.
You are not only one with your mode of transportation, but it
becomes attuned to your dreams and intents. Wherever you need Requirements: Provocation at Average (+1) Scale 1.
to go, it will take you there. Effects: After inflicting a Consequence on a target, they cannot
act with direct hostility towards you on their following turn.
Prerequisites: [Scale 3] Turbo; [Scale 5] From Earth to Heav-
ens; [Scale 5] Riding the Storm.
[SCALE 1] OFFENSIVE ART
Requirements: Piloting at Superb (+5) Scale 6. You have a lot to say about what you think is right or wrong, and
Effects: Once per major milestone, you may successfully com- one way to express yourself is through art.
plete a journey within a dramatically appropriate time peri-
od regardless of distance and required method of travel (e.g., Requirements: Provocation at Average (+1) Scale 1.

308
 Effects: You may choose to use Provocation instead of Crea- Requirements: Provocation at Average (+1) Scale 2.
tivity to create offensive artistic inventions (p. XX), such as an Effects: You may choose to amplify your provocations, making
illustration satirizing a political figure or a song critical of the it audible in places where it shouldn’t be heard, such as through
government. Decide together with the Narrator what the na- thick walls or at further than normal ranges. In an open field,
ture of the offense is when creating your invention. It gains an someone could hear you a kilometer away. You could make
Aspect like Controversial, Provocative, or Vulgar. everyone in a busy street or a rowdy crowd notice you.

[SCALE 1] PLEASANT DIATRIBE At Scale 4, you could be heard through an entire building de-
You have mastered the way of hiding targeted offensive remarks spite sound-proofed walls, ten kilometers away in an open
within seemingly pleasant and polite conversation. field, or you could shout down an enemy in an opposing trench
during an artillery strike.
Requirements: Provocation at Average (+1) Scale 1.
Effects: You can use Provocation against a single target without At Scale 6, you could be heard through an entire skyscraper
causing public offense. The target feels the impact of your prov- despite sound-proofed walls, a hundred kilometers away in an
ocations, but you appear perfectly polite to others. open landscape, or gain the attention of everyone who is out-
doors in an entire metropolis.
[SCALE 1] TAUNTING THE MEEK
At Scale 8, you could be heard through every building in an en-
There is a function behind your provocations, and you know ex- tire metropolis, across a vast ocean, and even creatures without
actly which buttons to push to get the response you want. ears can hear you as their forms tremble from the vibrations.
Requirements: Provocation at Average (+1) Scale 1.
[SCALE 2] TANKING THE BLOW
Effects: When succeeding with style on a Provocation roll
Your taunting words cause your enemies to see red, prioritizing
made to instill an Aspect like Anger in a target, you may choose
hurting you over anything else.
an action that the target will take to express that emotion. This
acts like a compel for that target, and can be ignored by spend-
Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Taunting the Meek.
ing a Charge. If ignored, you earn that Charge. You also earn
a Charge if the action isn’t ignored, but instead makes you the Requirements: Provocation at Fair (+2) Scale 2.
target of some negative consequence, such as risk of harm. Effects: After having instilled Anger in a foe, and used Taunting
the Meek to compel them to attack you in any type of conflict,
[SCALE 2] COWERING FOE they will ignore everything and everyone around them until
Your words get under people’s skin, making them tremble in fear they have either successfully caused you Stress or been unable
before you. to act with hostility towards you for at least one round.

Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Instill Doubt. [SCALE 3] TERRIFYING MIEN

Requirements: Provocation at Fair (+2) Scale 2. You emit a strong presence of deadly intent that terrifies those
around you.
Effects: After having inflicted a Mental Consequence on a tar-
get, they suffer a penalty to all actions taken against you based
Prerequisites: [Scale 2] Cowering Foe.
on the severity of their Consequence (–1 for Mild, –2 for Mod-
erate, and –3 for Severe). This penalty is reduced by one when Requirements: Provocation at Good (+3) Scale 3.
the Consequence is treated, and disappears when it is removed. Effects: Spend a Charge to gain the Terrifying Aspect. You may
invoke this for free with every one of your Provocation rolls.
[SCALE 2] DON’T YOU DARE In addition, the first time someone chooses to take a directly
You have a natural sense of when people try to read you or see hostile action against you in the scene, they must either spend
past whatever facade you have chosen to uphold. When this hap- a Charge or take a Stress.
pens, you know how to convey your disapproval.
At Scale 5, you gain two free invocations; At Scale 7, it costs
Requirements: Provocation at Average (+1) Scale 2. two Stress to take hostile action against you.
Effects: Whenever a social opponent fails to use Empathy or
another Skill to read your intentions, see through your decep- [SCALE 3] VIOLENT PUSHBACK
tions, or gauge one of your traits (such as Character Aspects), Your shout carries violent impact, causing people to hurl them-
you become aware of this and may choose to make an immedi- selves to the ground.
ate Provocation attack against them. If you succeed with style,
the opponent must reveal one of their traits to you instead. Prerequisites: [Scale 2] Echoing Roar.
Requirements: Provocation at Fair (+2) Scale 3.
[SCALE 2] ECHOING ROAR Effects: When succeeding with style on a Provocation attack
You let out a terrifying battle cry or a vicious verbal assault that against someone in your zone, you may choose to reduce the
echoes far and wide. inflicted Stress by one to knock the target Prone (with one free

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invocation) or back into a neighboring zone. harm, even if expressed physically within the dream’s logic. If
taken out, the target wakes up, feeling unrested. They can also
At Scale 5, you may increase the knockback range by one addi- concede from the conflict by forcing themselves awake.
tional zone (or choose to both knock the target Prone and into
a neighboring zone); At Scale 7, you may increase the knock- If you have the Monster Skill Feature (see above), you may dou-
back distance by two zones. ble its augmentation Cost value as expressed in the dream, and
they are no longer limited to bionic ones.
[SCALE 4] PARANOIA
Once you have caused emotional turmoil in another, they see At Scale 8, when inflicting physical harm to someone in their
your face around every corner. dream, you may choose to have that harm express itself phys-
ically upon their real body. Should they suffer a Physical Con-
Prerequisites: [Scale 2] Cowering Foe. sequence in the dream, they are startled awake.
Requirements: Provocation at Good (+3) Scale 4.
Effects: After having inflicted a Mental Consequence on a
target, they cannot shake the thought of you for as long as it RANGED COMBAT
remains. They become Paranoid and the prerequisite’s penalty
applies to all actions, even while away from your presence. [SCALE 1] PRECISE SNIPER
You have an accurate eye and can precisely hit a target at longer
[SCALE 4] TRAUMATIC EMBODIMENT than average ranges.
Your terrifying presence reminds people of their worst personal
fears, their most traumatic experiences, as well as giving them an Requirements: Ranged Combat at Average (+1) Scale 1.
overwhelming sense of helplessness. Effects: By spending a Charge, you may double the weapon’s
effective Range (to minimum Range 1); this extends the dis-
Prerequisites: [Scale 3] Terrifying Mien. tances required for ranged penalties (p. XX) as well. You may
Requirements: Provocation at Great (+4) Scale 4. do this for free once per minor milestone.
Effects: When using the prerequisite to adopt the Terrify- At Scale 3, the ranges are tripled instead; At Scale 5, they are
ing Aspect, you may choose to have those who perceive you quadrupled; Finally, at Scale 7, there are no limits to how far
treat that Aspect as a reminder of their most deeply rooted away your target can be, though you must still perceive them.
fear. Whenever you invoke the Aspect against them, you may
choose to either remove the negative d6 or add another posi-
tive d6 to the roll. [SCALE 1] QUICK DRAW
You’re always at the ready and quick to the draw, making it un-
likely for someone to fire at you before you can fire at them.
[SCALE 5] MONSTER
Your terrifying presence has caused you physical change, like a
Requirements: Ranged Combat at Average (+1) Scale 1.
dormant monster waiting to be unleashed.
Effects: You may choose to roll for turn order (p. XX) in a
Prerequisites: [Scale 4] Traumatic Embodiment. physical conflict by using Ranged Combat instead of Acrobat-
ics, Awareness, or Empathy. If you get to act first, you gain a
Requirements: Provocation at Superb (+5) Scale 5.
free Ranged Combat attack before the start of your actual turn.
Effects: When using Terrifying Mien to gain the Terrifying As-
pect, you may also activate overt bionic augmentations with a
[SCALE 1] STEADY HAND
total Cost equal to your Provocation Scale, as your body phys-
Your unwavering focus and control lets you maintain perfect
ically changes to express the monster within yourself. You se-
aim, even under stressful conditions.
lect the augmentations when purchasing this Skill Feature. You
cannot select cosmic coder.
Requirements: Ranged Combat at Average (+1) Scale 1.
Effects: You gain the Steady Hand Aspect with one free invo-
[SCALE 6] NIGHTMARE DEMON
cation per scene. It extends your Range by one, reduces your
Once you have traumatized a target enough for them to see your
ranged penalty by one, and it can be invoked for aimed attacks
face around every corner, you can haunt their very dreams.
(p. XX).
Prerequisites: [Scale 4] Paranoia; [Scale 4] Traumatic Embod-
At Scale 4, you gain one additional invocation, add +2 to Range
iment.
instead of +1, and reduce your ranged penalty by two instead
Requirements: Provocation at Superb (+5) Scale 6. of one. If this reduces your ranged penalty below 0, it is con-
Effects: After having made a target Paranoid, you haunt them verted into an attack roll bonus.
in their nightmares. You become intuitively aware of when
they are asleep and may spend a Charge to visit their night- At Scale 7, you gain a third invocation, add +3 to Range instead
mares as if you were interfacing (p. XX) with them. Any Stress of +2, and reduce your ranged penalty by three instead of two.
inflicted upon the target in their dream is considered mental

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[SCALE 1] TACTICAL RELOAD
target. You declare a trigger related to a predicted behavior,
You prepare your magazines tactically, using the right bullet for such as “they attack me or one of my allies” or “they try to run
the right target. away.” The moment that the target decides to act in accordance
with the trigger, you may perform an immediate Ranged Com-
Requirements: Ranged Combat at Average (+1) Scale 1. bat attack against them that is resolved prior to their chosen
Effects: If you are in possession of multiple types of ammuni- action. If your attack inflicts at least one Stress, the target’s ac-
tion, you may blend them together in the same reload, though tion is interrupted.
you cannot mix more ammo types than your weapon’s Ammo
rating. You must declare which type of ammunition you use You may use this Skill Feature once per target per scene. How-
when declaring your attack. Unless a condition triggers a roll, ever, while locked on, should you spend any of your turns do-
you don’t need to make your first one until you have made as ing something that doesn’t directly focus your attention on the
many attacks as the number of combined ammo types. target, the effect ends.

When you eventually must reload your weapon, make a Dose At Scale 4, you may lock onto and focus on two targets at the
roll only for the ammo type that you used for the action that same time; At Scale 6, you may lock onto three; Finally, at Scale
depleted your reload. 8, you may lock onto four.

[SCALE 2] EVERY BULLET COUNTS [SCALE 2] PIERCER

You know the value of bullets, and you make sure to make every Your shots are calibrated to hit the perfect spot and penetrate the
single one of them count. toughest armor.

Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Tactical Reload. Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Precise Sniper.

Requirements: Ranged Combat at Fair (+2) Scale 2. Requirements: Ranged Combat at Fair (+2) Scale 2.
Effects: When using a weapon that has an Ammo rating (or Effects: If your ranged weapon or ammunition carries the Ar-
equivalent), you may roll the resource die twice and choose the mor-Piercing property (p. XX), you may double its Soak reduc-
most favorable outcome. This also applies to the Dose value tion. If you don’t have access to that property, you may still
of consumable weapons, like grenades, or the number of extra ignore one Soak.
reloads of ammunition that you carry.
At Scale 4, you may ignore encasing armor (p. XX) when mak-
In addition, whenever a resource roll or another effect declares
ing an aimed attack (p. XX); At Scale 6, you may ignore Natu-
that your weapon runs out of ammunition, you may choose to
ral Soak as well when aiming; At Scale 8, you may also ignore
ignore that by spending a Charge or taking a Stress. However,
Effect Soak when aiming.
this reduces the weapon’s Ammo by one until it actually runs
out—this is stackable, to minimum Ammo 1.
[SCALE 3] BULLET STORM
You can unleash a hail of bullets with unerring precision.
[SCALE 2] GUN DANCER
You dance across the battlefield, wielding your ranged weapons Prerequisites: [Scale 2] Every Bullet Counts.
with perfect precision and elegance.
Requirements: Ranged Combat at Good (+3) Scale 3.
Requirements: Ranged Combat at Average (+1) Scale 2. Effects: When using a weapon capable of burst attacks (p. XX),
Effects: You may choose to use your Ranged Combat Skill to making one automatically benefits from being aimed (p. XX).
defend against Close Combat attacks (if higher). In addition, when using a weapon capable of an area attack (p.
XX), like a machinegun, you no longer automatically deplete
If you are engaged in close combat with a target, you may your ammunition. Instead, you make an Ammo roll using only
choose to use your ranged weapon as a melee weapon using a single die, and not the bonus die from the prerequisite.
either Close Combat or Ranged Combat. This can either be
represented as an attack that substitutes your weapon’s original At Scale 5, your burst attacks benefit from a second invocation
harm type with Blunt Harm, but consumes no ammunition, or and your area attacks may extend into a neighboring zone; At
it can be represented as a point blank attack using your original Scale 7, your burst attacks benefit from three invocations and
harm type, with a +1 Harm bonus. your area attacks may extend into a third zone.

[SCALE 2] LOCKED ON [SCALE 3] CALL DUEL

You focus your attention on a specific target, keeping your finger You focus your attention on a specific target, keeping your finger
on the trigger, and being ready to act. on the trigger, and being ready to act.

Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Precise Sniper; [Scale 1] Quick Draw. Prerequisites: [Scale 2] Locked On.
Requirements: Ranged Combat at Fair (+2) Scale 2. Requirements: Ranged Combat at Good (+3) Scale 3.
Effects: Spend a Charge to “lock” your attention to a specific Effects: Once per scene, you may choose to taunt a locked on

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target into accepting a duel. Roll Ranged Combat against the Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Steady Hand; [Scale 2] Locked On.
Willpower of everyone present. If the target fails, they are com- Requirements: Ranged Combat at Good (+3) Scale 3.
pelled to fight you and no one else for as long as they are locked
Effects: Your Steady Hand Aspect automatically triggers with a
on. Any other target present that fails their Willpower roll is
free invocation when attacking a locked on target. If the attack
compelled to stay out of your duel.
takes out the target, you may choose to immediately lock onto
a new target for free.
If your target wants to take any other action than dueling you,
or if another affected character wants to interfere in your duel,
they must first spend a Charge. These Charges are given to you [SCALE 4] CONTROLLED OUTPUT
after the scene is over. Your superhuman accuracy and instinctive weapon sense allows
you to place your attacks right where they need to be to only
affect those you want affected by them.
[SCALE 3] PRECISE REBOUND
Your keen accuracy has taught you how to predict a projectile’s
path and guide it to places normally out of reach. Prerequisites: [Scale 3] Precise Rebound.
Requirements: Ranged Combat at Good (+3) Scale 4.
Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Precise Sniper. Effects: When making a ranged attack that targets everyone
Requirements: Ranged Combat at Fair (+2) Scale 3. within an area, such as a hand grenade, you may spare your-
Effects: You may attempt to make a Ranged Combat attack self and anyone else of your choosing from suffering the attack
against a target that isn’t in a direct path in front of you. In- even if caught within it.
stead, you may rebound the projectile upon surfaces towards
the desired target. There must still be an open path towards the [SCALE 4] PROJECTILE ATTRITION
target, you must still perceive them, and there must be objects Your mastery of firearms gives you control not only over your
and surfaces to rebound the projectile upon. For each rebound own ammunition reservers, but your opponents’ as well.
required to hit the target, add a –1 penalty to your roll.
Prerequisites: [Scale 2] Every Bullet Counts.
At Scale 5, you may rebound twice for each penalty; At Scale 7, Requirements: Ranged Combat at Good (+3) Scale 4.
you may rebound three times for each penalty.
Effects: Whenever you are the target of an attack that uses am-
munition, the attacker must roll their Ammo dice twice and
[SCALE 3] PREDICTIVE TARGETING choose their lower result. They do the same when making a
When focusing your attention on a target, you trace their every Dose roll for a potential reload.
move, and it sometimes feels like you know what they are about
to do before they do it. At Scale 6, every time someone uses a weapon that relies on

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 ammunition against you, they must first roll a d6. If the out- Effects: When your attack fails to inflict Stress upon a target,
come is a 1, their weapon jams and they fail to perform their that is only true in this reality. In another parallel reality, you
attack. They can ignore this by spending a Charge, which is made the perfect shot, and its impact rings into this one. The
given to you at the scene’s end. target of your attack suffers a Stress as they get a vision of their
death in the parallel reality.
[SCALE 4] MULTI-LOCK BARRAGE
Having locked your attention to multiple targets, you may fire at Additionally, this Skill Feature counteracts the Acrobatics Skill
them all at once before anyone has the time to react. Feature Quantum Immortality (p. XX), since shifting into an-
other dimension becomes a futile attempt to escape you.
Prerequisites: [Scale 2] Locked On.
At Scale 8, whenever you use Ranged Combat to execute a tar-
Requirements: Ranged Combat at Good (+3) Scale 4.
get, you may spend a Charge to kill every version of them in
Effects: This Skill Feature doubles the number of targets you every conceivable reality. They cannot become a specter.
may lock on to using Locked On. By spending a Charge (or de-
pleting your ammunition if the weapon has an Ammo rating)
when reacting to a trigger, you may choose to attack as many of
your locked on targets as you want, even those who didn’t meet STEALTH
their trigger condition. You can still only respond to a trigger
once per round. [SCALE 1] INSTINCTUAL AMBUSH
You can instinctually sense the most effective hiding places in the
At Scale 6, the number of targets you can lock on to is tripled; locations you are in.
At Scale 8, the number is quadrupled.
Requirements: Stealth at Average (+1) Scale 1.
[SCALE 5] GRAVITY-DEFYING SHOT Effects: As long as an area isn’t completely empty of cover,
Your understanding of ballistics allows you to bend the rules of you always have access to Cover without having to create the
gravity with your shots. advantage of one. If you do create the advantage, you gain an
additional invocation from it.
Prerequisites: [Scale 3] Precise Rebound.
Requirements: Ranged Combat at Good (+3) Scale 3. [SCALE 1] SNEAK ATTACK
You know when and how to strike to make the most effective kill.
Effects: When using Precise Rebound, the attack homes in on
the target instead of bouncing off surfaces. This ignores all pen-
Requirements: Stealth at Average (+1) Scale 1.
alties and prevents the target from invoking cover. The attack is
also considered aimed (p. XX). If the weapon or ammunition Effects: Whenever you succeed on a surprise attack, you may
has the Homing property (p. XX), remove the negative d6 from add +1 to Harm. A surprise attack is defined as an attack that
the attack roll. the opponent cannot anticipate, such as a trap, an ambush, or
an attack from a hiding place they are unaware of. It doesn’t
apply to attacks that they cannot perceive but are anticipating,
[SCALE 6] ECHO SHOT
such as attacks from outside their line of sight when they know
Your focused shots leave traces in the air only perceivable to you,
that you are there.
but that can guide your next move.
At Scale 3, you gain +2 to Harm instead; At Scale 5, it becomes
Prerequisites: [Scale 2] Locked On.
+3; At Scale 7, it becomes +4.
Requirements: Ranged Combat at Good (+3) Scale 6.
Effects: After having attacked a locked on target (even if the [SCALE 1] STUDYING THE PATROL
attack fails), you can see an ethereal string tracing the bullet’s As a master of stealth, you know that studying a location you
path and that continues to trace the target even after the attack. mean to infiltrate is a great advantage.
Even if the target gets out of sight, you can remain locked onto
them by focusing on the echo instead of them. Any attempt to Requirements: Stealth at Average (+1) Scale 1.
track or trace them benefit from a free invocation.
Effects: After spending an hour surveying a location you in-
tend to sneak through, you instinctively become aware of the
At Scale 7, tracking or tracing the target now benefits from two
most discreet place of entry.
invocations; At Scale 8, doing so succeeds automatically.
In addition, roll Stealth against Average (+1) Scale 1 if the place
[SCALE 7] QUANTUM SHOT is relatively unguarded or is rich on cover, against Scale 2 if it
Few things can evade your shots at this level, but should it appear is moderately guarded or has limited cover, against Scale 3 if
like someone does, it is only partially a reality. it is heavily guarded or has barely any cover. Also add +1 to
the difficulty’s Scale if it has advanced security systems, such
Prerequisites: [Scale 5] Gravity-Defying Shot. as surveillance cameras, hidden alarms, and the like. For each
Requirements: Ranged Combat at Great (+4) Scale 7. shift rolled, you gain a free invocation to spend on any roll to

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infiltrate or conceal yourself at that location. near-impossible to keep track of your movements.

At Scale 3, you only need to spend ten minutes preparing; At Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Sneak Attack.
Scale 5, you only need to get a glance at the place to prepare. Requirements: Stealth at Fair (+2) Scale 3.
Effects: After successfully making a surprise attack as per
[SCALE 2] IN THE COVER OF DARKNESS the definition of Sneak Attack (see above), the target may roll
You blend into the shadows and make use of darkness to your Awareness against the outcome of your attack roll. If they fail,
advantage. your attack didn’t break your concealment. If your attack suc-
ceeded with style, they don’t get to roll against you.
Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Instinctual Ambush.
Requirements: Stealth at Fair (+2) Scale 2. [SCALE 4] ONE WITH THE DARKNESS
Effects: You always treat darkness as Cover. In addition, when- You feel energized by the darkness around you, drawing power
ever you’re in a dark area, you always benefit from a free invo- from it and moving with confidence through it.
cation on any Stealth roll. This does not apply against targets
who can see in darkness. Prerequisites: [Scale 2] In The Cover Of Darkness.
Requirements: Stealth at Good (+3) Scale 4.
[SCALE 2] PULLED INTO THE SHROUD Effects: While covered in darkness, you move with unnatural
When attacking from the shadows, you control your target’s fate. speed. You may use your Stealth Scale to substitute your Ath-
letics Scale (if higher) to calculate your movement speed while
Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Sneak Attack. in darkness. If equal to or lower than your Athletics Scale, you
Requirements: Stealth at Fair (+2) Scale 2. may treat your Stealth Scale as if it were one higher (to maxi-
mum 8) for this purpose.
Effects: After using Sneak Attack (see above) to successfully
attack with style, you may choose to reduce the inflicted Stress
by one to place a Situation Aspect upon the target. The exact [SCALE 4] SNUFFING OUT THE LIGHT
nature of the Aspect is at Narrator discretion, but examples in- Your resonance with darkness causes light itself to hide while in
clude Chokehold, Held at Bay, or Frightened. You have a free your presence.
invocation to spend on the Aspect.
Requirements: Stealth at Average (+1) Scale 4.
[SCALE 3] DISAPPEARING ACT Effects: Spend a Charge to snuff out as many artificial light
The moment the knife stabs or the bullet hits, you know that your sources as you want within your zone. The lights are disabled
job is done and that you need to hide. You have learned to do so for the remainder of the scene or until you will them to return.
as fluidly as a single motion.
At Scale 5, this extends to Range 1; At Scale 6 it becomes Range
Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Instinctual Ambush. 2; At Scale 7, it becomes Range 3; Finally, at Range 8, it be-
Requirements: Stealth at Fair (+2) Scale 3. comes Range 4.
Effects: After making an attack that succeeds with style, you
may spend a Charge to immediately and reflexively go to Cov- [SCALE 5] SHADOW CLOAK
er. Make a Stealth roll if you want to do so unnoticed. The darkness becomes a shield which you can draw to deflect any
attack coming your way.
[SCALE 3] FRIEND CLOAK
Prerequisites: [Scale 4] One With the Darkness
Your knowledge of stealth and camouflage extends to your com-
rades; under your guidance, they can hide as well as you. Requirements: Stealth at Great (+4) Scale 5.
Effects: Whenever you stand within the cover of shadows
Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Instinctual Ambush. or darkness, you are considered to be at full defense (p. XX)
Requirements: Stealth at Fair (+2) Scale 3. against physical attacks.
Effects: You may roll Stealth to hide your allies as if you were
hiding yourself. They also then benefit from any potential [SCALE 5] SHADOW SENSE
Stealth-based Scale benefits or Skill Features that you want to Your resonance with darkness has made it an extension of your
add into the mix to benefit the action. The ally must be willing own senses. Nothing can bypass you even in complete blackness.
to hide and be within your zone for this to take effect.
Prerequisites: [Scale 4] One With the Darkness
At Scale 5, the ally can be out to one zone away as long as you Requirements: Stealth at Great (+4) Scale 5.
can still communicate; At Scale 7, they can be two zones away. Effects: You can see as clearly as day even in pitch-black dark-
ness. In illuminated spaces, you instinctively become aware of
[SCALE 3] SHADOW STALKER the presence and distance of every shadow.
Your surprise attacks are executed with such speed that it is

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[SCALE 6] SHADOW TELEPORT [SCALE 1] DRESSING FOR THE OCCASION
You view darkness as a singular state where space becomes mal- You know exactly how to prepare for the right social occasion.
leable. You can manipulate that state to cross distances in an in-
stant. Requirements: Style at Average (+1) Scale 1.
Effects: You can use Style instead of Creativity to invent fash-
Prerequisites: [Scale 5] Shadow Sense. ion. In addition, whenever you are wearing garments that are
Requirements: Stealth at Superb (+5) Scale 6. Formal Attire or Fashionable, you guarantee to draw the atten-
Effects: While lingering in a shadow, you may spend a Charge tion of everyone in the room. Anyone with an Influence rating
to teleport to another shadow you can percieve. If you’re within lower than the highest of your Influence, Style Rank, or Style
darkness, you can instead teleport to any other point within Scale is drawn towards you seeking social interaction or to be
that darkness, up to Range 2. noticed. Those with higher ratings are still compelled to be re-
spectful towards you unless you overtly insult them.
This becomes Range 3 at Scale 7 and Range 4 at Scale 8.
[SCALE 1] INSPIRING CONFIDENCE

[SCALE 7] BLACK HOLE

You assert a confidence that is contagious.
All darkness is as one, and every shadow leads to a joint whole.
Requirements: Style at Average (+1) Scale 1.
You can reach through these shadows and touch what is on the
other side. Effects: When entering a conflict alongside allies who have a
Friendly Attitude for you, any Consequence they take miti-
Prerequisites: [Scale 6] Shadow Teleport. gates one additional Stress. This benefit does not apply to your
own Consequences.
Requirements: Stealth at Superb (+5) Scale 7.
Effects: Every shadow within your prerequisite’s Range is con- At Scale 4, your allies’ Consequences mitigate two additional
nected as if part of the same zone. Any target that stands within Stress; At Scale 7, they mitigate three.
a shadow or darkness within this range may be targeted by you
as if they were in your zone.
[SCALE 1] PUNK ATTITUDE
You dress yourself in a carefully selected attitude, and not just the
At Scale 8, you can spend a Charge to teleport a target into
clothes to match it.
your own shadow instead of teleporting yourself to them.
Requirements: Style at Average (+1) Scale 1.
Effects: You may use Style in place of Provocation to attack in
STYLE a mental conflict. If you’re wearing fashion inappropriate for
the social environment you’re in, you gain a free invocation on
[SCALE 1] BELOVED YOU your Style-based provocations.
Those who like you take notice of everything you do and say,
ignoring your faults and admiring your strengths.
[SCALE 1] SEDUCTIVE SMILE
Your flirtatious gestures and seductive smile warm the heart of
Requirements: Style at Average (+1) Scale 1.
even the most stone-faced.
Effects: Anyone with a Friendly Attitude for you sees you as
if your Style Rank is one higher than it is. This can exceed the Requirements: Style at Average (+1) Scale 1.
normal caps when used against that target. Effects: After having successfully instilled Lust or Attraction
towards you in a target, their Attitude towards you is consid-
This becomes two higher at Scale 3, three higher at Scale 5, and ered Friendly regardless of their default Attitude. This does not
four higher at Scale 7. apply if you’re openly hostile towards them or if they have con-
testing Character Aspects.
[SCALE 1] DISTRACTING GAZE
You weaponize good looks or a flirtatious smile to distract people [SCALE 1] SEXY PRIVILEGE
during conflicts. You know how to wield your good looks effectively, and you have
weaponized it to get ahead in life.
Requirements: Style at Average (+1) Scale 1.
Effects: After having created the advantage Attraction (or an- Requirements: Style at Average (+1) Scale 1.
other Aspect of similar impact if the target cannot normally Effects: If your Style is higher than that of your target, you gain
be attracted towards you), you may use Style in place of other a +1 bonus to all non-Style Social Skill rolls against them. In
Skills to defend against their attacks. addition, when someone who has a lower Style than you in-
vokes Influence (p. XX) against you, they gain a –1 penalty to
At Scale 3, you no longer need to first set up the advantage for Influence for that purpose.
it to be available to you.
This becomes a ±2 at Scale 4 and ±3 at Scale 7.

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[SCALE 2] CENTER OF ATTENTION Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Dressing for the Occasion.

People flock to you because they want your attention. Once they
have it, they don’t want to let go. Requirements: Style at Fair (+2) Scale 3.
Effects: Your natural grace prevents you from doing some-
Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Dressing for the Occasion. thing clumsy or awkward, such as spilling a drink on your
Requirements: Style at Fair (+2) Scale 2. clothes, grimacing at a bad taste, or making a weird face for a
photograph. If anyone is actively trying to make you look bad
Effects: Whenever you give someone your full attention, such or awkward, they automatically fail unless they have a Larceny
as having a conversation or sharing a meal, they will be com- Scale higher than your Style Scale.
pelled to give you their full attention as well. If the target is
Friendly, they will ignore everyone and everything else around
them unless your Style is outranked by someone else’s, or un- [SCALE 3] HOSTING THE EVENT
less they are under some kind of threat. If they are Neutral, You are the most gracious host, and any kindness towards you is
they can choose to ignore you if some other obligation comes extended by your most valued guests as well.
up, but they will try to prioritize you if they can. If they are
Hostile, they can choose to ignore giving you attention, but do- Prerequisites: [Scale 2] Center of Attention.
ing so will be forced, and they will be Distracted for as long as Requirements: Style at Good (+3) Scale 3.
you keep giving them attention. Effects: Whenever you are hosting a social or formal event of
some kind, such as a dinner party or a board room meeting,
[SCALE 2] FEMME FATALE you may select any number of people present to be either VIPs
You move with such grace and allure that you distract your ene- or unwelcomed guests.
mies in combat.
A VIP is considered an extention of your own social grace; any
Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Distracting Gaze; [Scale 1] Sexy Priv- other guest’s Attitude towards you extends to the VIP. The VIP
ilege. may event act as extentions of you for the purpose of certain
Requirements: Style at Fair (+2) Scale 2. Style Features, such as Center of Attention, as long as their pres-
ence doesn’t overshadow your own.
Effects: This Skill Feature enhances Sexy Privilege (see above),
allowing you to apply its bonus to Physical Skill rolls as well. An unwelcomed guest has a –1 penalty to all Skill rolls made
while being at the event. In addition, any guest with a Friendly
[SCALE 2] FLUSTERED BEHOLDER Attitude for you will share your Attitude for the unwelcomed
Your seductive nature makes people nervous or flustered. guest.

Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Seductive Smile. At Scale 6, the unwelcomed guest has a –2 penalty instead.
Requirements: Style at Fair (+2) Scale 2.
Effects: Anyone who is instilled with Lust or Attraction for [SCALE 3] TRUSTED COMPANION
you also becomes Flustered or Nervous. You may invoke one Despite your perfect social grace, you have the humility to see
of these Aspects for free whenever you make a Social Skill roll others as equals; this Skill Feature can help you combat the lonely
against them. If you also have the Femme Fatale Skill Feature, existence of being desired by all but equal to none.
you may apply this to Physical Skill rolls as well.
Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Seductive Smile; [Scale 2] Center of
Attention.
[SCALE 2] TAKING THE TIME
People flock to you because they want your attention. Once they Requirements: Style at Fair (+2) Scale 3.
have it, they don’t want to let go. Effects: You may elevate someone who has a Friendly Attitude
for you and whom you also have a Friendly Attitude for into
Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Dressing For the Occasion. either Friend, Lover, Partner, or something else that represents
Requirements: Style at Fair (+2) Scale 2. an important relationship. The targeted character’s player must
consent to the use of this Skill Feature. The elevated target will
Effects: If you spend at least an hour preparing yourself for a
be considered an equal to yourself in your eyes. You (or the
social or formal event, roll Style as a create advantage action at
target) gain a free invocation whenever they make a defend roll
a Rank difficulty equal to half the Influence rating of the event
(of any kind) aimed to protect the relationship, such as attacks
host, rounded up (i.e., Average [+1] for Influence 1 to 2 and
targeting the other or influence attempting to erode your bond.
Great [+4] for Influence 7 to 8). This is a Scale 1 task. For each
shift above the difficulty, you gain a free invocation to spend
If you do something to treat the target as lesser than yourself,
on any Social Skill roll during the event. You may choose to
they no longer benefit from this Skill Feature.
use these invocations yourself, or you can give them to allies.

[SCALE 3] WHATEVER YOU WANT

[SCALE 3] GRACE OF FORTUNE
Those who like you go out of their way to tell you things that they
You act with such grace that it is unthinkable to find you in an
believe you want to know.
awkward or embarrassing situation.

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Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Beloved You. Effects: You may treat any location that is either owned by you
Requirements: Style at Fair (+2) Scale 3. or under your authority as an event (as defined by the prerequi-
site), even if there isn’t a social or formal event present.
Effects: If a target has a Friendly Attitude for you, you gain a
free invocation on any Social Skill roll used to try to get them
to reveal information or secrets. If you succeed with style, they [SCALE 4] PARASOCIAL REVERENCE
always reveal an extra piece of information, even if not directly People who like you do so to an unnatural degree.
asked for it.
Prerequisites: [Scale 3] Whatever You Want.
[SCALE 4] IN YOUR THOUGHTS Requirements: Style at Good (+3) Scale 4.
Whenever you have made an impression on someone, they can- Effects: People may reach another level of Attitude towards
not shake you from their thoughts. you beyond Friendly called Parasocial (this does not work on
a target elevated using Trusted Companion [see above]). A per-
Prerequisites: [Scale 2] Flustered Beholder. son with Parasocial Attitude towards you will revere you as a
Requirements: Style at Good (+3) Scale 4. perfect being, construct ideas and figments about you in their
head, and try to share positive information about you with the
Effects: Whenever you use Style to instill Lust, Attraction, or
world. They will treat any criticism against you as a hostile ac-
another Aspect of similar impact in a target, you may spend a
tion. When interacting with someone with this Attitude, you
Charge to push yourself into the forefront of their mind. Re-
may ask them to do extreme favors (p. XX) for you.
gardless of what they do, they will think of you in some capac-
ity, such as considering what you think of them, if what they’re
doing is pleasing to you, or what they could do to impress you. [SCALE 5] UNHEALTHY OBSESSION
They are considered Distracted and gain a –1 penalty to all The impact you have on your biggest fans can tear both minds
Cognitive Skill rolls until the end of the session or until they and lives apart.
lose the Aspect, whichever comes first.
Prerequisites: [Scale 4] In Your Thoughts; [Scale 4] Parasocial
This becomes a –2 penalty at Scale 6 and a –3 penalty at Scale 8. Reverence.
Requirements: Style at Great (+4) Scale 5.
[SCALE 4] OPEN-ARMED WELCOME Effects: Whenever you use In Your Thoughts on a target with
Whenever you have someone over to a space that you own, you a Parasocial Attitude for you, they become Obsessed for the
treat them with the grace of a host. duration of the prerequisite. They cannot take any action that
doesn’t directly relate to you in some way without first spend-
Prerequisites: [Scale 3] Hosting the Event. ing a Charge or taking a Stress. You can convince them to take
Requirements: Style at Good (+3) Scale 4. extreme actions without even needing to roll, unless they have

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contesting Character Aspects. sequences. Roll Treatment against Rank (inflicted Stress + 2)
Scale 1, with each shift restoring one Stress box. Treating your-
[SCALE 6] CULT LEADER self adds +2 to the difficulty as if it were a Consequence.
Your followers are your worshippers, and your worshippers sus-
tain you. At Scale 5, you may spend a Charge to treat the Stress of all
willing allies within your zone, following the rules above.
Prerequisites: [Scale 5] Unhealthy Obsession.
At Scale 7, you no longer need to spend a Charge to treat all
Requirements: Style at Superb (+5) Scale 6.
willing allies in your zone.
Effects: The first time someone with a Parasocial Attitude for
you does something to express their reverence for you in a
[SCALE 1] DIGITAL CARE
scene, you either gain a Charge or restore a Stress. In addition,
You have learned to take advantage of your medical knowledge
when you are successfully struck by an attack, you may (once
to treat even digital wounds.
per scene) choose to have someone with a Parasocial Attitude
shield you from the attack, being caught in it instead. This will
Requirements: Treatment at Average (+1) Scale 1.
also give you a Charge or restore a Stress.
Effects: You may choose to use Treatment instead of Interfac-
At Scale 8, you may sacrifice a follower once per round (in a ing to treat Digital Consequences. However, you must be inter-
conflict) or once per minute (outside of a conflict) instead of facing as well to make use of this benefit. You may treat Digital
simply once per scene. Consequences as Physical Consequences for the purpose of
Treatment Features and other traits.
[SCALE 7] GOD KING
Your connection with your followers are even stronger, turning [SCALE 1] PRESSURE POINT STIMULATION
you into their actual god. Just like a god, you know your followers Your knowledge of anatomy makes you adapt at breaking bodies
by heart, and feel connected to them even over great distances. down instead of just fixing them.

Prerequisites: [Scale 6] Cult Leader. Requirements: Treatment at Average (+1) Scale 1.

Requirements: Style at Superb (+5) Scale 7. Effects: You may use Treatment in place of Close Combat to
perform unarmed attacks against a living creature or human-
Effects: You have a connection to all with a Parasocial Attitude
oid target. The attacks have the Stunned property (p. XX).
for you. You can sense generally how many they are, how dis-
tant or close they are, and how actively they revere you. When
interacting with them, you instinctually know personal details [SCALE 1] SAFE RECOVERY
about them, including Motivation and Character Aspects. You know the best and safest way to treat your patient.
Once per minor milestone, when using the prerequisite, you
may choose to restore all of your Stress instead of only one. Requirements: Treatment at Average (+1) Scale 1.
Effects: The difficulty to treat Consequences (of any kind) are
At Scale 8, you hear when people with Parasocial Attitude pray reduced by one on the Ladder. When successfully treating a
to you. You become distinctly aware of each individual prayer, Consequence caused by a disease, the target is immune to that
even if a thousand of them do it at once. This counts as inter- disease until the next significant milestone. In the case of a tox-
acting with them based on the effects above. Finally, by spend- in, the target gains a free invocation on Fortitude rolls made to
ing a Charge, you may choose to send a vague message to an resist that toxin until the next significant milestone.
individual in prayer, such as a feeling you want them to invoke,
a dream you want them to have, or a meaning you want them
[SCALE 2] A SPIDER’S TOUCH
to see. They will recognize the message for what it is, and un-
Your knowledge of medicine and anatomy has made you into an
derstand your intention.
expert when it comes to dangerous poisons and toxins.

Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Pressure Point Stimulation.

TREATMENT Requirements: Treatment at Fair (+2) Scale 2.
[SCALE 1] COMBAT MEDIC Effects: You may use Treatment in place of Education (if high-
You have specialized in treating patients quickly while surround- er) to determine knowledge about various toxins and chemi-
ed by distractions, such as combat. cals that can be used to harm. Regardless of which Skill you use
for such a roll, you gain a free invocation. In addition, when
Requirements: Treatment at Average (+1) Scale 1. applying a poison to a target, you may use your Treatment in
place of Potency (p. XX) if higher.
Effects: You can attempt to treat Physical and Mental Conse-
quences during conflicts, albeit at a +2 difficulty on the Ladder.
If you try to treat yourself, the added difficulty stacks. [SCALE 2] DETOXICATION
You know the right concoction to administer to resolve the right
At Scale 3, you may attempt to treat Stress and not just Con- type of condition.

318
 Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Safe Recovery. Requirements: Treatment at Average (+1) Scale 3.
Requirements: Treatment at Fair (+2) Scale 2. Effects: You may instinctually sense the presence of any ail-
Effects: You may attempt to completely remove the effects of ment or negative health effect (including Consequences) with-
a toxin or disease from a target’s system by rolling Treatment in range of your perceptions. This makes you aware of the pres-
at a difficulty determined by its Potency (p. XX). If successful, ence of such ailments, but you must still diagnose their nature.
the target can ignore the ailment’s effects for a scene. If you
succeed with style, there is no trace of the ailment left in the At Scale 4, you will automatically and accurately diagnose ail-
target’s body. ments that have perceivable symtoms without the need for an
action. At Scale 5, you may do so for invisible symtoms as well.

[SCALE 2] MINDFULNESS
[SCALE 4] CONSCIOUS SURGERY
You have professional training in conscious awareness and emo-
tional regulation. Your knowledge of anatomy lets you stimulate the nerves of a
patient in ways that temporarily reduce their pain reception.
Requirements: Treatment at Average (+1) Scale 2.
Prerequisites: [Scale 3] Effective Placebo.
Effects: Once per minor milestone, you may spend an hour
leading your allies in a session of mindfulness, meditation, Requirements: Treatment at Good (+3) Scale 4.
group therapy, or the like. This grants them (and yourself) an Effects: Performing intrusive and painful procedures without
additional Stress box. This extra box lasts until used, or until the proper tools won’t risk causing Stress. You could amputate
the end of the session, whichever comes first. a limb or remove an internal organ through nerve stimulation
alone, and without using anesthesia (p. XX).
This becomes two Stress boxes at Scale 4, three at Scale 6, and
four at Scale 8. [SCALE 4] ENHANCE CAPACITY
You may apply your knowledge of nerve stimulation to create
[SCALE 3] EFFECTIVE PLACEBO tangible benefits in your patients.
You can coerce someone into having the right attitude and faith
in their recovery. Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Pressure Point Stimulation; [Scale 3]
Effective Placebo.
Prerequisites: [Scale 2] Mindfulness. Requirements: Treatment at Good (+3) Scale 4.
Requirements: Treatment at Fair (+2) Scale 3. Effects: Once per target per minor milestone, you may spend
Effects: You may, once per minor milestone, spend a Charge a moment stimulating that target’s nerves to increase one of
to instantly create the effects of a toxin (p. XX) or medicine (p. their Skill Ranks by one (this can exceed the normal caps). The
XX) directly within a target’s system. This is a placebo effect benefit lasts until the end of the session.
that replicates a Dose 1 toxin or medicine with a Cost up to
half your Treatment Scale, rounded up. At Scale 6, you may either increase two Skill Ranks by one or
one Skill Rank by two.
[SCALE 3] QUICK RECOVERY
At Scale 8, you may either increase three Skill Ranks by one,
Your skillfull treatments help to exponentially speed up recovery.
one Skill Rank by three, or one Skill Rank by two and another
Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Safe Recovery. by one.
Requirements: Treatment at Fair (+2) Scale 3.
[SCALE 5] HEALING PRESENCE
Effects: Whenever you succeed with style on a Treatment ac- Your presence alone is enough to ease people’s tensions and have
tion, you may (instead of taking a Boost) choose to have the them trust in your capacity to keep them safe.
treated Consequence be considered one degree lower than its
untreated state, unless that Consequence slot is already filled. Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Combat Medic.
This means that Mild Consequences are immediately removed,
Moderate ones become Mild, Severe ones become Moderate, Requirements: Treatment at Fair (+2) Scale 4.
and Extreme ones become Severe. Effects: When using Combat Medic (p. XX) to treat Stress, you
may affect targets at Range 1.
At Scale 5, the treated Consequence is considered two degrees
lower (i.e., untreated Severe becomes treated Mild and untreat- This becomes Range 2 at Scale 6, Range 3 at Scale 7, and Range
ed Extreme becomes treated Moderate). Finally at Scale 7, it 4 at Scale 8.
is considered three degrees lower (i.e., untreated Extreme be-
comes treated Mild). [SCALE 5] RE-INFECT
After having drawn a toxin or disease from a target, you contain
[SCALE 3] SENSE AILMENT it within yourself until you choose to release it.
You can instinctually sense the presence of ailments or other
negative health effects. Prerequisites: [Scale 2] A Spider’s Touch; [Scale 2] Detoxica-

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tion; [Scale 3] Effective Placebo. WILLPOWER

Requirements: Treatment at Good (+3) Scale 5.
[SCALE 1] EMOTIONAL REGULATION
Effects: After having used Detoxication (p. XX) to draw a toxin You are conscious of your emotions and aware of your impulses.
out of a target, you keep it sealed within yourself. Whenever
you inflict Stress to a target before the next significant mile- Requirements: Willpower at Average (+1) Scale 1.
stone, you may choose to release the toxin into that target, us-
Effects: You may you use Willpower to treat your own Mental
ing your own Treatment in place of Potency. This consumes
Consequences. This requires a narratively appropriate time of
the toxin.
meditation, introspection, or the like.

[SCALE 6] DEATH’S DEFIANCE

[SCALE 1] ON SECOND THOUGHT
The comfort and confidence gained from your presence makes
You always consider your feelings, actions, and how they relate,
your allies go beyond all odds.
to avoid doing things that you will regret.
Prerequisites: [Scale 5] Healing Presence.
Requirements: Willpower at Average (+1) Scale 1.
Requirements: Treatment at Good (+3) Scale 6.
Effects: If failing to defend against a Social Skill roll that tries to
Effects: You may spend a Charge to spare an ally that you can compel you into a certain emotional state or behavior, you may
perceive within range of your Healing Presence (see above) remind yourself to stop and think things over before things go
from being taken out in a conflict. You may use this Skill Fea- too far. In practice, this Skill Feature lets you spend a Charge
ture once per target per minor milestone. to reroll your social defense retroactively after the social in-
teraction, but before the consequence of your failure has been
At Scale 8, you may use this effect once per target per scene. played out. You don’t need to invoke an Aspect to do so, and
you may do so for free once per minor milestone.
[SCALE 6] INDUCE STASIS
By stimulating nerves and tricking the patient through placebo, [SCALE 1] STUBBORN MIND
you may effectively induce a stasis in the target’s physiology. You believe in your ability to succeed, and will stubbornly face an
obstacle in your way.
Prerequisites: [Scale 4] Conscious Surgery.
Requirements: Treatment at Great (+4) Scale 6. Requirements: Willpower at Average (+1) Scale 1.
Effects: By spending a Charge, you may place a willing tar- Effects: You may, up to half your Willpower Scale (rounded
get into a state equivalent to cryogenic stasis. This freezes any up) times per minor milestone, use Willpower in place of an-
bodily functions, including aging as well as acting toxins and other Skill for the purpose of a single Skill roll. This cannot be
diseases. The target can remain in this state indefinitely, until used to substitute a Coding Skill that you don’t already have.
a specific situation occurs, or until an agreed upon time. The
target must consent to the condition for waking up. [SCALE 2] MONK’S PATIENCE
You may rely on your strong willpower to be able to tolerate
[SCALE 7] REVIVAL things that would otherwise require great physical fortitude.
You may bring someone back from the dead.
Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Stubborn Mind.
Prerequisites: [Scale 6] Death’s Defiance. Requirements: Willpower at Fair (+2) Scale 2.
Requirements: Treatment at Great (+4) Scale 7. Effects: You may substitute your Fortitude Scale for your Will-
Effects: Once per major milestone, you can spend a Charge power Scale (if higher) to determine how long you can effort-
to revive someone who has died. If their body is largely intact, lessly hold your breath or remain without food, drink, and rest.
the revival is instantaneous. However, you can revive someone In addition, you may roll Willpower instead of Fortitude for
from a mere tissue sample as well; it takes an hour for the tar- such tests; regardless of which Skill you use, you gain a free
get to grow from the sample, and their memories are from the invocation on that roll.
point when they lost the tissue.
[SCALE 2] PAIN IS BUT A FEELING
Reviving someone from a tissue sample works even if they are You brace yourself when facing imminent pain.
still alive, effectively creating a clone. If they are Machineborn,
the clone comes back human if the Nanite Matrix senses their Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Emotional Regulation.
original self still being alive. Should their original self be dead,
they can be revived with their Machineborn activation, at Nar- Requirements: Willpower at Fair (+2) Scale 2.
rator discretion. Effects: Once per minor milestone, you may choose to treat
physical harm as mental harm, even adding Mental Soak to it.
At Scale 8, you can now revive someone every significant mile-
stone. In addition, growing from a tissue sample is now instan- At Scale 5, you may do this once per scene. At Scale 8, you may
taneous as well. do this once per round.

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[SCALE 2] STEELING YOUR HEART Effects: Once per minor milestone, you may spend a Charge
You can render your own weaknesses untouchable by those who to completely ignore Stress inflicted upon you. If you have no
dare to take advantage of them. more available Consequence slots and the Stress would have
taken you out in a conflict, you don’t have to spend the Charge.
Prerequisites: [Scale 1] On Second Thought.
Requirements: Willpower at Fair (+2) Scale 2. At Scale 6, you may do this once per scene instead of once per
Effects: Whenever someone invokes one of your Character As- minor milestone. Finally, at Scale 8, you may do this once per
pects or Mental Consequences against you, you may choose to round instead of once per scene. If the circumstances are there
spend a Charge to not only cancel out their invocation, but also for you to be able to use this effect without having to spend a
disallow them from invoking it again for the remainder of the Charge, you can still only do so once per minor milestone.
scene. You can do this for free once per minor milestone.
[SCALE 5] BRAIN REBOOT
[SCALE 3] FLAWLESS INTEGRITY You can treat your brain like a machine and reboot it when nec-
You believe in your ability to succeed, and will stubbornly face an essary, purging unwanted processes as you do so.
obstacle in your way.
Prerequisites: [Scale 3] Flawless Integrity; [Scale 4] Chaos Re-
Requirements: Willpower at Average (+1) Scale 3. pulsion.
Effects: Choose one of your Aspects and turn it into a Direc- Requirements: Willpower at Fair (+2) Scale 5.
tive. This means that others cannot influence you to go against Effects: You may, once per significant milestone, choose to in-
it, unless they have the power to specifically subvert Directives stantly break any attempt to control your mind or body. Any
(such as Scale 5+ in Persuasion). Once per minor milestone, persuasion that is the result of social influence, brain hacking,
you earn one extra Charge when compelled by your Directive. psionic coding, or similar can be contested using this Skill Fea-
ture. However, if you use this effect during a conflict, you will
[SCALE 3] RESTFUL MIND be unable to act for one full round.
You can rest your mind while retaining active consciousness.
At Scale 7, you can use this Skill Feature once per minor mile-
Prerequisites: [Scale 2] Monk’s Patience; [Scale 2] Pain Is But stone instead.
A Feeling.
Requirements: Willpower at Good (+3) Scale 3. [SCALE 5] BRAIN RESTORATION

Effects: You may choose to meditate instead of sleeping or oth- Whenever you give your mind some rest, it regenerates into a
er forms of unconsciousness, retaining active consciousness more healthy state.
while gaining the benefits of such rest. This Skill Feature also
Prerequisites: [Scale 3] Restful Mind.
allows you to undergo painful surgical procedures without an-
aesthesia and while remaining conscious. Requirements: Willpower at Great (+4) Scale 5.
Effects: While spending a full shift (approximately six hours)
[SCALE 4] CHAOS REPULSION at rest, your untreated Mild Mental Consequences are auto-
Your strong sense of will can better help protect you against the matically treated and removed.
corruptive influences of chanites and trojans.
At Scale 6, this applies to your Moderate ones as well; At Scale
Requirements: Willpower at Average (+1) Scale 4. 7, it also applies to your Severe ones; Finally, at Scale 8, it also
applies to your Extreme ones.
Effects: You gain a free invocation on all defensive rolls against
forced mutations, including chanites, trojan mutations, and
unconsented injections of mutagens or similar effects. [SCALE 6] INVINCIBLE MENTAL AEGIS
Whenever you give your mind some rest, it regenerates into a
At Scale 5, any allies you can perceive within your zone benefit more healthy state.
from these free invocations as well. If there are several charac-
ters with this Skill Feature, the number of invocations stack. Prerequisites: [Scale 4] Peaceful Mind; [Scale 5] Brain Reboot;
[Scale 5] Brain Restoration.
At Scale 6, the effect extends to Range 1; This becomes Range 2 Requirements: Willpower at Superb (+5) Scale 6.
at Scale 7 and Range 3 at Scale 8. Effects: Whenever you are actively meditating, your mind is
rendered invincible to any form of unwelcomed influence. You
[SCALE 4] PEACEFUL MIND must be at rest and during active meditation to benefit from
Your mental fortitude is at a level so advanced that you can ig- this Skill Feature. You cannot use it defensively during a con-
nore any and all forms of torment. flict or another high-activity scene.

Prerequisites: [Scale 3] Restful Mind. At Scale 8, you may, once per minor milestone, activate this
Requirements: Willpower at Great (+4) Scale 4. benefit during a high-activity scene.

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 CHAPTER 7: COSMIC CODING

There are those other than the Machineborn who can enforce of a legitimate coding license must be apprehended and either
their will upon the universe. Feared and respected all over civi- assimilated or terminated. While this hasn’t erased illicit coders
lization, cosmic coders change the fabric of reality wherever they completely, it has made it more difficult to operate as a cosmic
tread. To the layman, their great powers are incomprehensible coder outside of government control.
miracles. Even scientists struggle to understand the true capabil-
ities of cosmic coding, and the coders themselves know little of
how they do what they do. CODING SKILLS
Cosmic coding is the practice of asserting control over reality, Cosmic coding is the act of asserting dominance over reality us-
such as manipulating the laws of nature to order the universe ing one of the ten Coding Skills: Acid Coding, Bio Coding, Cryo
into abiding to your will. It’s an artform originally discovered by Coding, Electrical Coding, Entropic Coding, Kinematic Coding,
the Machineborn centuries ago, but that has now become a field Metal Coding, Psionic Coding, Pyro Coding, and Quantum Cod-
of study for both scientists and philosophers. ing. While these ten Coding Skills are available in the book, there
are other and rarer Coding Skills out there, as could be explored
A cosmic coder manipulates the quantum states of reality, but in future supplements.
can also create greater manifestations called protocols. Though
there are limits to how powerful they can be, these protocols Ordinary people have no access to these Skills, though some
are still mighty enough to elevate a coder far above their mortal progenies may have access to some of them, such as ascendants
peers. Cosmic coders were treated as powerful weapons during who can access the Psionic Coding Skill. Once you become a cos-
the Cooperative Wars and the factions competed with each other mic coder, you unlock one Skill at Mediocre (±0) Scale 1 which
by striving to create more and stronger coders than their rivals. you can then proceed to progress like any other Skill. If a cosmic
coder wants the option of learning a new Coding Skill, they must
While some transhuman progenies have natural affinities for acquire the augmentation again and spend a major milestone
cosmic coding, one typically cannot become a licensed cosmic point (p. XX). The Skill is then available at Mediocre (±0) Scale 1.
coder without first being sponsored by their ruling faction and
undergoing an expensive genetic treatment at a prestigious acad- The Coding Skills give access to powerful new effects where Rank
emy. Creating cosmic coders is even more expensive, not only determines coding precision and Scale determines raw coding
because of the cost of the genetic treatment itself, but also be- power. At higher Scales, the Coding Skills become incredibly
cause of the time investment required to mentor them. powerful, and these are one of the main reasons for why so many
factions have contested Machineborn in the past. It’s usually not
Since the Cooperative Wars ended and the great factions agreed the newly activated Machineborn that are the problem, but their
to their cease-fire, all factions that were previously creating cos- potential to grow into actual weapons of mass destruction.
mic coders have now agreed to limit their production to only a
few academies. While it’s reasonable to believe that the factions While each Coding Skill description (p. XX) gives ideas on how
still create their own cosmic coders in secret, there is an estab- to use the Skill in various ways, some aren’t as clearly defined as
lished agreement that declares that any coder not in possession ordinary Skills. Whenever a Coding Skill is used to create an ef-

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fect, such as using the Cryo Coding Skill to freeze a pool of water THE DAWNLIGHT SOCIETY
or the Bio Coding Skill to close a punctured lung, this is called During the Cooperative Era, the former faction Arawn created
a code execution. Player creativity is encouraged when coming a multitude of cosmic coders to serve in its war efforts. After it
up with these effects, and the Narrator should abide by the rule was dismantled by the Dawnlight Society, some of these coders
of cool when determining if a PC can use the Skill for a specific retreated to the Directorate; others ended up as terrorists or were
purpose. However, refrain from allowing ordinary Coding Skills terminated by the new order. Only a minority switched sides
to create too intricate or powerful executions on their own, since and became loyal to the Dawnlight Society. Because of this, the
that’s where Cosmic Coding Protocols (p. XX) come in; these are Dawnlight Society has fewer coders than many of the other fac-
to Coding Skills what Skill Features (p. XX) are to regular Skills. tions, and it is actively trying to create more to fill out its ranks.

The Dawnlight Society is one of few factions that allow cosmic

CULTURAL POLICIES coders to practice their coding without the need for an official
license. One of the main arguments for the leniency is that the
ARCTURUS Dawnlight Society doesn’t want to inhibit coders when it allows
Arcturus has fewer cosmic coders than many of its rivals. It Machineborn to live free. However, being a coder doesn’t protect
doesn’t go after people simply for knowing how to code, but someone from the law, and it’s expected that world- and cosmic
only licensed coders are allowed to do so in public. Most cosmic coding are used responsibly. Some believe that there’s another
coders are working directly for a khora (p. XX) in need of their reason behind this leniency—that the Dawnlight Society encour-
services. Unlike Machineborn who can live relatively free lives, ages blackmarket coders to be made so that it can fill its ranks
licensed cosmic coders are almost always working on behalf of with new coders outside of the supervision of rival factions.
the cooperative.
DEVA
In the rare event when an unlicensed coder appears within the Deva wants direct control over every cosmic coder within its ter-
Arcturian Dominion, Arcturus goesn’t go after them unless they ritory. Because of a cosmic coder’s power potential, their loyalty
pose a direct threat. Because of how valuable coders can be, unli- must be guaranteed. This makes it so that only ranking officials
censed coders are often approached with promises of licenses. If within the Church of the Voice are allowed coding licenses. This
this doesn’t work, forced servitude become valid options. applies to natural coding as well, such as an ascendant’s psionics
or a riftan’s elemental coding. Everyone capable of cosmic cod-
THE CAMELLIAN DYNASTY ing must devote themselves to the Church. If loyalty cannot be
Cosmic coders have always been considered valuable weapons, ensured, the coder is branded as a heretic and potential terrorist.
but the Camellian Dynasty didn’t want to risk them at the fore-
front of battle. Instead, most of the Camellian coders were spe- THE DIRECTORATE
cialized in healing and restoration, which is also why many of The Directorate has been cranking out cosmic coders since the
them survived into the present day. The Camellian Dynasty is Transhumanity Era, but it was also the first faction to enforce li-
known for being one of the factions with most active coders, and censes to regulate its use. Today, only those of the luminary class
the Camellian Academy of Restorative Arts (CARA) in Saisei is or above can hope to become cosmic coders, and they must study
known for producing the best bio coders the solar system has to at one of the private or executive academies. There have been
offer, and having at least one on staff for most top tier hospitals instances of lower class coders, but because of the costs involved,
in the empire. Unless someone is a natural coder, such as an as- most who are chosen come from influential families who have
cendant or riftan, only those of the erudite social class or above bribed the academy. Progenies with natural coding, such as as-
are eligible for cosmic coding licenses. cendants and riftans, can request access to coding licenses direct-
ly from the cooperative, but these can just as easily be revoked.
THE COALITION
Because education is readily available, the Coalition has many The Directorate cracks down hard on unlicensed coders, often
world- and cosmic coders. All coders require an official license hunting them as mercilessly as they do Machineborn. There is
to operate freely. Not having one or having your license revoked a real fear of Machineborn getting access to cosmic coding, and
doesn’t mean that you don’t have the right to exist in the Coali- any blackmarket trading of the formulas are therefore highly ille-
tion, though. It does, however, mean that it would be illegal for gal and equivalent to aiding and abetting terrorists.
you to practice your coding. There may be more lenient pun-
ishments if someone uses illegal coding to save someone’s life MEGACORP
or protect Coalition property, but even then the action is illegal. Megacorp knows that it cannot control every coder within its do-
main, but they maintain registers over those who are capable of
Even someone with an official license cannot freely use certain cosmic coding and have strict laws on how those powers can be
types of coding. While this is difficult to manage and rarely leads used. Elemental coding can only be used in ways that don’t pose
to more than lesser fines, psionic coding is considered an inva- harm to creatures or property. Bio coders cannot use their cod-
sion of privacy. Because there are millions of ascendants in the ing to attempt to treat ailments without the proper medical train-
Coalition, it’s impossible to properly regulate psionic use. It’s also ing. It’s considered an invasion of privacy and a misdemeanor
considered an invasion of ascendants’ rights to prevent them to use psionic coding to read the mind of someone who doesn’t
from using their innate psionic powers. However, even most as- consent. However, it is allowed to use psionic coding to transfer
cendants find frivolous use of mind reading to be in poor taste. telepathic messages in most situations—a situation where that

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wouldn’t be allowed is when taking a test, since it would be con-

sidered cheating. In other words, natural coders can mostly use
their powers as long as it isn’t disruptive or harmful.

While natural coders enjoy this freedom, created cosmic coders

must go through a curriculum at an academy to get a coding
license. The license allows free use of cosmic coding within the
boundaries of local laws and regulations, since the user is trusted
to be able to manage it properly.

STARANOVA
Staranova has the least cosmic coders out of all factions, but their
metal coders are known as the most capable in the solar system.
They produce and train metal workers to use in the Ironworks;
the famous Staranovan iron industries. These coders are inval-
uable laborers and soldiers, and they are essential components
in the faction’s infrastructure. Other coders are more rare, but
Staranovans don’t believe in coding licenses. If you can use it, use
it. If you misuse it, you have to pay for the damages.

THE TERRAN CONSOLIDATION

The Terran Consolidation doesn’t pursue cosmic coders for
not having proper coding licenses, and they protect unlicensed
coders who are on the run from their home factions. But even
TerCon doesn’t let coders run entirely free, and it registers their
coding potential within any identity register used by agencies
operating within TerCon’s territories. As long as an individual is
honest about their coding potential, and as long as they don’t use
coding in a way that disrupts everyday life, they are free to roam
without fear of persecution.

CODING SKILLS
ACID CODING to attack as many as you want and can perceive within range as
a hazard (p. XX).
The Acid Coding Skill can be used by a cosmic coder for both
destructive and constructive means; acids are responsible for
RANK
corroding both organic and inorganic materials, but they are
also vital for life. It lets you do the following: Rank Mediocre (±0) to Average (+1): Your coding is rough
and lacks precision. You can alter the acidity of a creature or
Wear down or destroy a material, such as a metal door, by cor-
object to a general degree, such as causing harm to a person
roding it. You can attempt to control an active acid hazard (p.
or turning a tub of water into acid. This is a suitable Rank for
XX) as a contest or conflict. Alternatively, you could attempt to
someone who doesn’t understand the nuances of acids and sees
increase or reduce the potency of such a hazard.
it as a largely destructive force.
Create advantages by improving, altering, or weakening organ-
Rank Fair (+2) to Good (+3): Your coding is more precise,
ic and inorganic materials in ways that increase or decrease
allowing you to oxidize materials to remove impurities, such
their potential of hydrogen, such as causing a metal to be Rust-
as sterilizing a surface or pickling rust from a metal. This is a
ed, a scalpel to be Sterilized, or a body of water to be Acidic.
suitable Rank for someone with a keen understanding of acids
Sense the presence of acidic liquids and materials, or the pres- and who knows how to make use of them effectively.
ence of acid riftans or elementals, within your zone (this range
Rank Great (+4) to Superb (+5): Your precise control over
is increased at higher Scale).
acid lets you manipulate chemicals within food to preserve it,
Attack targets with Acid Harm, causing people to corrode or improve the taste, or bring out more health benefits; You could
materials to oxidize. This is defended against using Acid Cod- manipulate the many acids within human bodies, such as the
ing (if the target has it) or Fortitude. Your attacks initially have hydrochloric-, amino-, or nucleic acids that are vital for life.
Acid Harm 0 and Range 0, but this can change at higher Scale. This is a suitable Rank for a true master who can manipulate
By spending a Charge or taking on a Stress, you may choose acids with cellular precision.

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SCALE substitute its Scale for its Cost if there is no listed Scale.
Scale 1: Your acid coding is at a level seen by most acid riftans. Manipulate nature, such as a forest, to create advantages for
you or disadvantages for your enemies. You can also use it
Scale 2: Your acid coding is even beyond most acid riftans. It to manipulate organisms to either create weaknesses in ene-
has +1 Range. If spending the Charge or taking the Stress to mies (Coughing Fit; Disrupted Bladder) or strengths in friends
target things at varying ranges, apply the highest applicable (Calmed Pulse; Hardened Bone).
range penalty to all targets. Finally, if an attack succeeds with
style, you permanently reduce the target’s Armored Soak by Sense the presence of organisms or organic materials within
one. If this causes it to lose all Soak, it is broken beyond repair. your zone (this range is increased at higher Scale).
Scale 3: Your level of acid coding is almost never seen in an Attack targets with Poison Harm, causing their bodies to fail.
acid riftan but can sometimes emerge in acid elementals— This is defended against using Bio Coding (if the target has it)
its destructive capability makes you into a possible localized or Fortitude, but inorganic targets (such as droids) are typically
threat. Your Acid Coding attacks now have +1 Harm, but in- immune. Your attacks initially have Poison Harm 0 and Range
flict another +2 Harm on top of that when targeting inanimate 0, but this can change at higher Scale. By spending a Charge
objects (including droids and drones). or taking on a Stress, you may choose to attack as many as you
want and can perceive within range as a hazard (p. XX).
Scale 4: You’re considered a possible metropolitan-level threat.
Your Acid Coding effects now have +2 Range. Finally, you no
Alternatively, if you succeed with style on a Bio Coding attack,
longer need to spend a Charge or take on Stress when targeting
you can choose to inflict a drug or poison effect (p. XX) at a
multiple targets if they are all within your own zone.
Cost determined by your Scale instead of inflicting harm.
Scale 5: You’re considered a possible sectorial threat. Your
Acid Coding attacks now have +2 Harm. When your attack
RANK
succeeds with style, you may choose to reduce inflicted Stress
to destroy additional Armored Soak at a rate of one Soak per
Rank Mediocre (±0) to Average (+1): You can manipulate or-
reduced Stress.
ganisms to a limited degree, such as causing flowers to bloom,
Scale 6: You’re considered a possible planetary-level threat. a still heart to beat, or a wound to close. This is a suitable Rank
Your Acid Coding effects now have +3 Range. When attacking for someone with only rudimentary knowledge in anatomy
an inanimate object, you now inflict +4 instead of +2 Harm. and biology.
Scale 7: You’re considered a possible system-level threat. Your Rank Fair (+2) to Good (+3): You become more precise in
Acid Coding attacks now have +3 Harm. Also, you may spend your control, allowing you to extract foreign toxins from a
a Charge or take a Stress to affect a single target out to your line person’s blood, cause someone to feel sick or feverish, or treat
of sight, ignore range penalties. internal wounds without surgery. This is a suitable Rank for
Scale 8: You’re considered a possible cosmic-level threat. Your someone who has studied anatomy and biology, and who has a
Acid Coding effects now have +4 Range. You no longer need keen understanding of cellular processes.
to spend a Charge or take on Stress to target everything within Rank Great (+4) to Superb (+5): Your precise control over bi-
that range. ology lets you manipulate individual cells with precision, such
as causing mutations in a target’s DNA, creating or destroying
Once per minor milestone, when spending a Charge or taking cancer cells, or causing someone to soil themselves. This is a
a Stress to target something out to your line of sight, you may suitable Rank for someone with professional expertise in the
choose to spend an extra Charge or take an extra Stress to tar- medical and biological fields.
get everything within your field of view. However, this is lim-
ited by things that you can see in good detail. While you could
target every skyscraper in view at a metropolitan center, you SCALE
couldn’t target the entire Earth while watching it from Luna.
Scale 1: Your bio coding is at a level seen by most bio riftans.
Scale 2: Your bio coding is even beyond most bio riftans. It has
+1 Range. If spending the Charge or taking the Stress to tar-
BIO CODING get things at varying ranges, apply the highest applicable range
penalty to all targets. Finally, your bionic inventions require
The Bio Coding Skill can be used to manipulate biological pro- one fewer Hurdle (p. XX) to complete (minimum one).
cesses in different ways, such as aiding a person’s physical re-
covery or turning healthy cells into cancerous ones. It lets you Scale 3: Your level of bio coding is almost never seen in a bio
do the following: riftan but can sometimes emerge in bio elementals—its viral
capability makes you into a possible localized threat. Your Bio
Substitute the Treatment Skill when treating Physical Conse- Coding attacks now have +1 Harm. Finally, you (or a willing
quences in an organic target; Invent bionic augmentations (p. ally) may choose to take on Stress in place of Hurdles when
XX) with a Cost determined by Rank (Cost 4 at Great [+4]) making bionic inventions, at Narrator discretion.
directly in a creature; Attempt to control bio hazards—such as Scale 4: You’re considered a possible metropolitan-level threat.
toxins, diseases, and unwanted mutations—as contests or con- Your bio coding now has +2 Range. In addition, you no longer
flicts. If the hazard is in the form of an item, such as a drug, need to spend a Charge or take a Stress when targeting multi-

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ple targets if they are all within your own zone. Finally, your RANK
bionic inventions now require two fewer Hurdles to complete
(minimum one). Rank Mediocre (±0) to Average (+1): You can cool down the
temperature by a significant amount, freeze objects or a pool
Scale 5: You’re considered a possible sectorial threat. Your bio
of water, or cause harm to others by cooling them down. This
attacks now have +2 Harm. Finally, you may restore Stress in a
is a suitable Rank for someone with a forceful and untrained
target by taking it on yourself, or vice versa. The target’s player
approach to coding.
must consent for this to work.
Rank Fair (+2) to Good (+3): You become more precise, al-
Scale 6: You’re considered a possible planetary-level threat.
lowing you to manipulate where to cool things down to direct
Your Bio Coding effects now have +3 Range. In addition, your
winds, cause cool pockets in warm zones, or freeze specific
bionic inventions now require three fewer Hurdles to complete
components within objects. This is a suitable Rank for some-
(minimum one).
one with a calm and precise approach to coding.
Scale 7: You’re considered a possible system-level threat. Your
Rank Great (+4) to Superb (+5): Your precise control over
Bio Coding attacks now have +3 Harm. Also, you may spend a
kinetic energy lets you cool specific parts of a person’s body
Charge or take a Stress to affect a single target out to your line
to cause health benefits, such as slowing down a heartbeat to
of sight, ignoring range penalties.
calm a person or assist in a surgery. This is a suitable Rank for
Scale 8: You’re considered a possible cosmic-level threat. Your someone who relies on precise coding in their professional life.
Bio Coding effects now have +4 Range. You no longer need to
spend a Charge or take on Stress to target everything within
SCALE
that range. Also, your bionic inventions now require four fewer
Hurdles to complete (minimum one).
Scale 1: Your cryo coding is at a level seen by most cryo riftans.
Once per minor milestone, when spending a Charge or taking Scale 2: Your cryo coding is even beyond most cryo riftans.
a Stress to target something out to your line of sight, you may It has +1 Range. If spending the Charge or taking the Stress
choose to spend an extra Charge or take an extra Stress to tar- to target things at varying ranges, apply the highest applicable
get everything within your field of view. However, this is lim- range penalty to all targets. If succeeding with style when mak-
ited by things that you can see in good detail. While you could ing a Cryo Coding attack against a target, you may choose to
target an entire forest wtihin your field of view, you couldn’t reduce the inflicted Stress by one to inflict Frozen, or to remove
target every greenery on a continent when looking from space. a pyro-based Aspect, such as On Fire.
Scale 3: Your level of cryo coding is almost never seen in a cryo
riftan but can sometimes emerge in cryo elementals—its de-
structive capability makes you into a possible localized threat.
CRYO CODING Your Cryo Coding attacks now have +1 Harm. In addition,
when inflicting a target with Frozen, they suffer from a –1 mo-
The Cryo Coding Skill can be used by a cosmic coder to manip- bility penalty (p. XX) as long as the Aspect persists.
ulate kinetic energy to create and manipulate low temperatures,
such as cold weather and ice. It’s related to Pyro Coding (p. XX), Scale 4: You’re considered a possible metropolitan-level threat.
which also manipulates kinetic energy, but manipulate high Your Cryo Coding effects now have +2 Range. Finally, you no
temperatures instead. It lets you do the following: longer need to spend a Charge or take a Stress when targeting
multiple targets if they are all within your own zone.
Cool or freeze creatures, objects, and environments, such as Scale 5: You’re considered a possible sectorial threat. Your
preventing someone from overheating, cooling a beverage, or Cryo Coding attacks now have +2 Harm, and Frozen now in-
freezing a pond. You may attempt to control cryo hazards (p. flicts a –2 mobility penalty.
XX)—such as frigid temperatures or blizzards—as contests or Scale 6: You’re considered a possible planetary-level threat.
conflicts. Your Cryo Coding effects now have +3 Range. In addition, all
Cause advantages and disadvantages in the environment, such of your Cryo Coding attacks that succeed with style now inflict
as weakening a structure by freezing it (Easily Shattered), freez- the Frozen Aspect (or remove a pyro-based Aspect as men-
ing a floor to make it harder to traverse (Slippery Floor), or ma- tioned above); you no longer need to reduce Stress to do so.
nipulate the weather for various means (Romantic Snowfall). Scale 7: You’re considered a possible system-level threat. Your
Sense the presence of sources of cold within your zone (this Cryo Coding attacks now have +3 Harm, and Frozen now in-
range is increased at higher Scale), such as patches of ice or a flicts a –3 mobility penalty. Also, you may spend a Charge or
working refridgerator. take a Stress to affect a single target out to your line of sight,
Attack creatures with Cryo Harm, causing their bodies to cool ignoring range penalties.
far below what they can safely handle. This is defended against Scale 8: You’re considered a possible cosmic-level threat. Your
using Cryo Coding (if the target has it) or Fortitude. Your at- Cryo Coding effects now have +4 Range. You no longer need
tacks initially have Cryo Harm 0 and Range 0, but this changes to spend a Charge or take a Stress to target everything in range.
at higher Scale. By spending a Charge or taking a Stress, you
may choose to attack as many as you want and can perceive Once per minor milestone, when spending a Charge or taking
within range as a hazard (p. XX). a Stress to target something out to your line of sight, you may

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 choose to spend an extra Charge or take an extra Stress to tar- SCALE
get everything within your field of view. However, this is lim-
ited by things that you can see in good detail. While you could Scale 1: Your electrical coding is at a level seen by most elec-
freeze entire lakes or a portion of the sea, you couldn’t freeze tricity riftans.
all of Earth’s oceans even if you watch the planet from space. Scale 2: Your electrical coding is even beyond most electric-
ity riftans. It has +1 Range. If spending the Charge or taking
the Stress to target things at varying ranges, apply the highest
applicable range penalty to all targets. Finally, when making
ELECTRICAL CODING an Electrical Coding attack that succeeds with style, you may
choose to reduce inflicted Stress by one to inflict the Stunned
The Electrical Coding Skill lets a cosmic coder assert some con- Boost with two invocation on the target. If you don’t make use
trol over electricity by manipulating power grids, draining or of the Boost after a round, you lose it.
charging electronics, or attacking targets with electrical energy.
Scale 3: Your level of electrical coding is almost never seen in
It lets you do the following:
an electricity riftan but can sometimes emerge in electrical el-
ementals—its destructive capability makes you into a possible
Direct and manipulate electrical currents. Use in place of Engi-
localized threat. Your electrical attacks now have +1 Harm and
neering or Interfacing to activate, disable, or manipulate tech-
ignore one Armored Soak unless the target’s armor has the En-
nologies. This may result in contesting efforts (or even attacks)
cased Aspect (p. XX).
when there are opposing forces there to deny you. You may
also attempt to control electrical hazards (p. XX)—such as cut Scale 4: You’re considered a possible metropolitan-level threat.
power cables or lightning storms—as contests or conflicts. Your Electrical Coding effects now have +2 Range. You no
longer need to spend a Charge or take a Stress when targeting
Cause advantages and disadvantages related to electrical power
multiple targets if they are all within your own zone. Finally,
and electronic technologies, such as Disabled or Overcharged.
when making a target Stunned, they suffer a –1 mobility pen-
Charge or drain energy from electrical devices. You can ful- alty that lasts for two rounds, regardless of if the Boost is used.
ly charge a drained device by spending a Charge or taking a
Scale 5: You’re considered a possible sectorial threat. Your
Stress. If you want to drain a device, roll Electrical Coding as
Electrical Coding attacks now have +2 Harm and ignore two
an overcome action against its Security (p. XX). If successful,
Armored Soak unless the armor is encasing.
the target makes a Power roll (p. XX) with a Power penalty
equal to the number of shifts you inflict above Security. If roll- Scale 6: You’re considered a possible planetary-level threat.
ing equal to or higher than Power, the device is Depleted. Your Electrical Coding effects now have +3 Range. In addition,
when making a target Stunned, choose if their mobility penalty
Sense the presence of electrical power sources within your
is either increased to –2 or if the original penalty lasts for an-
zone (this range is increased at higher Scale), such as power
other two rounds.
grids and active technologies.
Scale 7: You’re considered a possible system-level threat. Your
Attack a target by zapping them with Electrical Harm. This
electrical attacks now have +3 Harm and ignore three Armored
is defended against using Electrical Coding (if the target has
Soak unless the armor is encasing. You may spend a Charge or
it) or Fortitude. Your attacks initially have Electrical Harm 0
take a Stress to affect a single target out to your line of sight,
and Range 0, but this changes at higher Scale. By spending a
ignoring range penalties.
Charge or taking a Stress, you may choose to attack as many
as you want and can perceive within range as a hazard (p. XX). Scale 8: You’re considered a possible cosmic-level threat. Your
Electrical Coding effects have +4 Range. You no longer need to
spend a Charge or take a Stress to target everything in range.
RANK
When making a target Stunned, you may choose to either in-
crease the penalty to –3, have it at –2 for two additional rounds,
Rank Mediocre (±0) to Average (+1): You can manipulate
or force them to have –1 for the remainder of the scene.
electrical devices to a limited degree, such as turning them on
or off, charging or draining them, direct currents, and zap tar-
Once per minor milestone, when spending a Charge or taking
gets. This is a suitable Rank for someone with a forceful and
a Stress to target something out to your line of sight, you may
untrained approach to coding.
choose to spend an extra Charge or take an extra Stress to tar-
Rank Fair (+2) to Good (+3): You gain more precision when get everything within your field of view. However, this is lim-
manipulating currents, allowing you to use basic features of ited by things that you can see in good detail. While you could
electrical devices, such as activating programs or disabling drain the energy from every building within a metropolitan
systems. This is a suitable Rank for someone with a calm and district, you would not be able to drain an entire nation while
precise approach to coding. looking at it from space.
Rank Great (+4) to Superb (+5): You have intricate electrical
precision and can control the flow of power through micro-
scopic circuitries; this lets you manipulate systems with the
skill of a programmer. This is a suitable Rank for someone who ENTROPIC CODING
relies on precise coding in their professional life.
The Entropic Coding Skill lets a cosmic coder manipulate en-
tropy by speeding it up, slowing it down, stopping it entirely, or

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even reversing it. It lets you do the following: Scale 5: You’re considered a possible sectorial threat. Your En-
tropic Coding attacks now have +2 Harm. When rolling to age
Erode or renew just about any material. You can weaken a ma- or rejuvenate a target, each shift may now equate to three years.
terial to make it easier to break or harden a material that has
already been weakened; you can cause fresh food to spoil or Scale 6: You’re considered a possible planetary-level threat.
spoiled food to become fresh; you could even cause a person Your Entropic Coding effects now have +3 Range. Whenever
to either age or rejuvenate. Doing so requires a roll against the you inflict the Aging Aspect upon a target, you cut their re-
target’s passive Fortitude, with each shift making the target ei- maining lifespan in half.
ther a year older or younger. Finally, you may attempt to con- Scale 7: You’re considered a possible system-level threat. Your
trol entropic hazards (p. XX)—such as the corruption of a void Entropic Coding attacks now have +3 Harm. When rolling to
rift—as contests or conflicts. age or rejuvenate a target, each shift may now equate to four
Cause advantages and disadvantages related to entropy, such as years. You may spend a Charge or take a Stress to affect a single
making an object Weakened or a person Sickly. target out to your line of sight, ignoring range penalties.
Sense the presence of entropic sources within your zone (this Scale 8: You’re considered a possible cosmic-level threat. Your
range is increased at higher Scale), such as void rifts or kirlians Entropic Coding effects have +4 Range. You no longer need to
(a human who resonates with entropic forces). spend a Charge or take a Stress to target everything in range.
When inflicting the Aging Aspect upon someone, you may
Attack a target by eroding them. This is defended against using spend a Charge to prevent any rejuvenation attempts made on
Entropic Coding (if the target has it) or Fortitude. Your attacks them from working, unless its source is equivalent to Scale 8.
initially have Entropic Harm 0 and Range 0, but this changes at
higher Scale. By spending a Charge or taking a Stress, you may Once per minor milestone, when spending a Charge or taking
choose to attack as many as you want and can perceive within a Stress to target something out to your line of sight, you may
range as a hazard (p. XX). choose to spend an extra Charge or take an extra Stress to tar-
get everything within your field of view. However, this is lim-
RANK ited by things that you can see in good detail. While you could
cause an entire forest wtihin your field of view to rot away, you
Rank Mediocre (±0) to Average (+1): You can control entropy couldn’t target every greenery on a continent when looking at
to a limited degree, such as inducing or preventing decay in the planet from space.
objects and creatures. This is a suitable Rank for someone with
a forceful and untrained approach to coding.
Rank Fair (+2) to Good (+3): You gain more precision when
KINEMATIC CODING
controlling entropy, allowing you to reverse decay in objects
and creatures, as well as manipulate the entropy of cells with The Kinematic Coding Skill lets a cosmic coder manipulate mo-
pinpoint accuracy. This is a suitable Rank for someone with a tions and relations within space. It lets you do the following:
calm and precise approach to coding.
Rank Great (+4) to Superb (+5): You have mastery over en- Physically interact with something from a distance, such as
tropy, allowing you to bring life back into dead cells or manip- levitating an object, hitting a switch, or shoving a person. You
ulate the half-life of atoms. This is a suitable Rank for someone can effortlessly levitate things with a mass totalling 100 kilos
who relies on precise coding in their professional life. (this increases at higher Scale). By taking on Stress, you can
increase the weight of things you can carry by an equal amount
SCALE for every Stress taken (i.e., 200 kilos for one Stress, or 400 kilos
for three Stress). A levitated object can be reflexively moved
Scale 1: Your entropic coding is at a level seen by most kirlians. into another zone, or it can be hurled out to Range 0 (this range
Scale 2: Your entropic coding is even beyond most kirlians. It is increased with higher Scale).
has +1 Range. When making an Entropic Coding attack that Cause advantages and disadvantages related to motion, such as
succeeds with style, you have the option to reduce the inflicted making a vehicle Slowed or causing Distract Aim to an enemy’s
Stress by one to apply the Aging Situation Aspect. While this weapon.
is mostly cosmetic, it can also serve a tactical purpose, such as Sense the presence of motion within your zone (this range is
weakening a structure. increased at higher Scale), such as moving objects or creatures,
Scale 3: Your level of entropic coding is almost never seen in or your own movement through space.
a kirlian but can sometimes emerge in void creatures—its de- Make a kinematic attack against a target by either forcing
structive capability makes you into a possible localized threat. movements upon them, such as hurling them into a wall, or
Your Entropic Coding attacks now have +1 Harm. When roll- by causing objects in the scene to be hurled at them; this is de-
ing to age or rejuvenate a target, you may have each shift add fended against using Kinematic Coding (if the target has it) or
or reduce two years instead of one. another Skill based on the nature of the attack, at Narrator dis-
Scale 4: You’re considered a possible metropolitan-level threat. cretion. The attack has Harm 0 and Attack Range 0, with harm
Your Entropic Coding effects now have +2 Range. You no type determined by the nature of the attack; typically Blunt,
longer need to spend a Charge or take a Stress when targeting Sharp, or Projectile. By spending a Charge or taking a Stress,
multiple targets if they are all within your own zone. you may choose to attack as many targets as you want and can

330
perceive within range as a hazard (p. XX). Once per minor milestone, when spending a Charge or taking
a Stress to target something out to your line of sight, you may
RANK choose to spend an extra Charge or take an extra Stress to tar-
get everything within your field of view, regardless of weight.
Rank Mediocre (±0) to Average (+1): You can control motion You must be able to see the things in detail. While you could
to a limited degree, such as moving individual objects that you lift every single car from a blocked bridge, including the bridge
can perceive. This is a suitable Rank for someone with a force- itself, you would not be able to move a planet from its orbit.
ful and untrained approach to coding.
Rank Fair (+2) to Good (+3): You can control objects with
more precision, such as interacting with their features; using METAL CODING
levitated weapons, operating a lockpick from a distance, or
disarming a bomb from safe cover. This is a suitable Rank for The Metal Coding Skill can be used to manipulate ores, metals,
someone with a calm and precise approach to coding. and earth minerals, such as changing their properties. It lets
Rank Great (+4) to Superb (+5): You can control motion with you do the following:
true mastery, such as making subtle alterations to components
within objects and creatures (e.g., repairing the internal mech- Substitute the Engineering Skill for inventing and repairing
anisms of a clock without opening it or contracting the heart metal- or mineral-based objects, such as certain weapons, ar-
of a hated foe). This is a suitable Rank for someone who relies mor types, or other constructions. When inventing such ob-
on precise coding in their professional life. jects, Cost is determined by Rank (Cost 4 at Great [+4]). You
may also attempt to control metal-based hazards (p. XX)—
such as earthquakes or landslides—as contests or conflicts.
SCALE
Manipulate ores, metals, and earth minerals to create advan-
Scale 1: Your kinematic coding allows you to manipulate ob- tages for you or disadvantages for your enemies, such as mak-
jects in a basic way. ing a metal weapon Sharpened or a metallic hull Reinforced.
Scale 2: Your kinematic coding has become more potent. It has Sense the presence of ores and minerals within your zone (this
+1 Range. If spending the Charge or taking the Stress to tar- range is increased at higher Scale).
get things at varying ranges, apply the highest applicable range Attack metal-based targets, such as droids and drones, by al-
penalty to all targets. Finally, you’re able to lift things totalling tering their physical properties. This is defended against using
250 kilos. Metal Coding (if the target has it) or Fortitude. You can only
Scale 3: Your level of kinematic coding makes you into a possi- attack organic targets in certain situations, such as when they
ble localized threat. Your Kinematic Coding attacks now have are wearing metals that can be used to harm them, such as
+1 Harm and can inflict smashing (p. XX) when appropriate, at causing a metal armor to crush its wearer. A metal coder could
Narrator discretion. You’re able to lift things totalling 500 kilos. target the iron within a person’s blood if their Rank is Great
(+4) or higher; this is typically treated as Poison Harm.
Scale 4: You’re considered a possible metropolitan-level threat.
Your Kinematic Coding effects now have +2 Range. You no Your attacks initially have Harm 0 and Range 0, but this can
longer need to spend a Charge or take a Stress when targeting change at higher Scale. The harm type is dependent upon the
multiple targets if they are all within your own zone. Finally, type of attack used, but the most common one is Blunt Harm
you’re able to lift things totalling a ton. from bending, breaking, and crushing a target’s metal compo-
Scale 5: You’re considered a possible sectorial threat. Your kin- nents. By spending a Charge or taking a Stress, you may choose
ematic effects now have +2 Harm. When making a smashing to attack as many as you want and can perceive within range as
attack, you may choose to extend the knockback range by one a hazard (p. XX).
zone, or have it both knock a target Prone and into a neighbor-
ing zone. Finally, you’re able to lift things totalling five tons. RANK
Scale 6: You’re considered a possible planetary-level threat.
Your Kinematic Coding effects now have +3 Range. You’re able Rank Mediocre (±0) to Average (+1): You can manipulate
to lift things totalling twenty tons, such as a truck. ores and minerals to a limited degree, such as hardening or
Scale 7: You’re considered a possible system-level threat. Your softening an object, or changing something’s shape. This is a
kinematic attacks now have +3 Harm; if made smashing, they suitable Rank for someone with only rudimentary understand-
can now increase the knockback range by two zones. You may ing of ores and minerals.
spend a Charge or take a Stress to affect a single target out to Rank Fair (+2) to Good (+3): You become more precise in
your line of sight, ignoring range penalties. Finally, you’re able your control, allowing you to make more drastic alterations
to lift things totalling 100 tons, such as a blue whale. to ores and minerals, including changing their mass. This is a
Scale 8: You’re considered a possible cosmic-level threat. Your suitable Rank for someone with a good understanding of how
Kinematic Coding effects have +4 Range. You no longer need to take advantage of the properties within ores and minerals.
to spend a Charge or take a Stress to target everything in range. Rank Great (+4) to Superb (+5): Your precise control over
Finally, you’re able to lift things totalling 1,000 tons, such as a every molecular component within an ore or mineral gives
large building. you an ability to express your intent upon them. You could

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even detect earth minerals where they cannot be seen, such as and controversial since it can be used to read private thoughts
within an organism. This is a suitable Rank for someone with or impart suggestions without consent. Many ascendants, who
professional expertise in geology, chemistry, and related fields. can use it naturally, strongly argue for ethical use that involves
consent and active avoidance unless it’s for self-defense. Howev-
er, not everyone follows these principles. This is a known prob-
SCALE
lem within ascendant communities and the main reason why
many are weary around them. It lets you do the following:
Scale 1: Your metal coding is at a level seen by most metal rif-
tans. Can be used in place of Empathy to read a person’s intentions,
Scale 2: Your metal coding is even beyond most metal riftans. assuming those intentions can be grasped within their surface
It has +1 Range. If spending the Charge or taking the Stress thoughts. It can be used to acquire knowledge of secrets, Moti-
to target things at varying ranges, apply the highest applicable vations (p. XX), Instincts (p. XX), Attitudes (p. XX), and such
range penalty to all targets. Finally, your metal inventions re- that could be used to your benefit. It can also be used to impart
quire one fewer Hurdle (p. XX) to complete (minimum one). information to others, such as communicating silently.
Scale 3: Your level of metal coding is almost never seen in a Create advantages aimed to emotionally exploit or empower
metal riftan but can sometimes emerge in metal elementals— targets, draw information from thoughts in the form of useful
its strong potential makes you into a possible localized threat. Aspects, or implant your own ideas and suggestions in others,
Your Metal Coding attacks now have +1 Harm. Add another such as Sentimental or Self-Conscious.
+2 Harm against inanimate objects. Sense the presence of thinking brains within your zone (this
Scale 4: You’re considered a possible metropolitan-level threat. range is increased at higher Scale).
Your Metal Coding now has +2 Range. You no longer need to Attack a target’s brain directly by causing them to experience
spend a Charge or take a Stress when targeting multiple tar- headaches, nerve damage, or emotional distress. This is de-
gets if they are all within your own zone. Your metal inventions fended against using Psionic Coding (if the target has it) or
now require two fewer Hurdles to complete (minimum one). Willpower. Your attacks initially have Psionic Harm 0 and
Scale 5: You’re considered a possible sectorial threat. Your Range 0, but this changes at higher Scale. The attacks cause
Metal Coding attacks now have +2 Harm. You may choose to mental harm by default, with inflicted Consequences such as
disassemble inconsequential metallic objects around you in Frightened, Psychosis, Post-Traumatic Stress, or Long-Term Am-
place of a Hurdle to use for a metal invention. Once per scene, nesia; only Mental Soak is applicable against these attacks.
your disassembled objects may be used to restore Stress in a
metal-based entity or object instead, such as a droid or a vehi- By spending a Charge or taking a Stress, you may choose to
cle. How much Stress is restored is at Narrator discretion. target as many as you want and can perceive within range.
Scale 6: You’re considered a possible planetary-level threat.
Your Metal Coding effects now have +3 Range. Your metal in- RANK
ventions now require three fewer Hurdles to complete (mini-
mum one). Rank Mediocre (±0) to Average (+1): You can get a glimpse of
Scale 7: You’re now considered a possible system-level threat. other people’s surface thoughts and you can hold basic verbal
Your metal attacks now have +3 Harm. You may spend a telepathic conversations. This is a suitable Rank for someone
Charge or take a Stress to affect a single target out to your line with limited insight into other’s minds and emotions.
of sight, ignoring range penalties. Rank Fair (+2) to Good (+3): You have more insight into peo-
Scale 8: You’re considered a possible cosmic-level threat. Your ple’s surface thoughts, you can visualize pictures and memories
metal coding now has +4 Range. You no longer need to spend they’re actively thinking about, and you can hold complex tel-
a Charge or take a Stress to target everything in range. Finally, epathic conversations that includes sensory visualization. This
your metal inventions now require four fewer Hurdles to com- is a suitable Rank for someone with a keen understanding of
plete (minimum one). people’s thoughts and behaviors.
Rank Great (+4) to Superb (+5): You’re a masterful psion-
Once per minor milestone, when spending a Charge or taking ic coder capable of getting access to near-complete surface
a Stress to target something out to your line of sight, you may thoughts as well as maintaining telepathic conversations that
choose to spend an extra Charge or take an extra Stress to tar- include all the nuances of thought, imagination, and visuali-
get every metal within your field of view. However, you must zation. This is a suitable Rank for someone with a deep under-
be able to see the things in good detail. While you could crush standing of people’s innermost thoughts as well as the com-
an entire droid army, you would not be able to rip an iron core plexity of human emotion and behavior.
out of a planet.
SCALE

PSIONIC CODING Scale 1: Your psionic coding is at a level seen by most ascend-
ants.
The Psionic Coding Skill lets a cosmic coder assert some control Scale 2: Your psionic coding is even beyond most ascendants.
over their own and others’ neurological patterns. It’s intrusive It has +1 Range. If spending the Charge or taking the Stress

332
 to target things at varying ranges, apply the highest applicable as weakening a structure by heating it (Melted Components) or
range penalty to all targets. Finally, you can read dreams and igniting something to restrict movement (Wall of Flame).
communicate ideas to sleeping targets. Sense the presence of heat sources within your zone (this range
Scale 3: Your level of psionic coding is almost never seen in is increased at higher Scale), such as an open flame.
an ascendant—its potential for insight makes you into a possi- Attack creatures with Pyro Harm, causing their bodies to
ble localized threat. Your Psionic Coding attacks now have +1 burn. This is defended against using Pyro Coding (if the target
Harm. You can spend a Charge or take a Stress to maintain a has it) or Fortitude. Your attacks initially have Pyro Harm 0
psionic link with a target who leaves your coding range. This and Range 0, but this changes at higher Scale. By spending a
link breaks automatically if you establish a link with another. Charge or taking a Stress, you may choose to attack as many
Scale 4: You’re considered a possible metropolitan-level threat. as you want and can perceive within range as a hazard (p. XX).
Your Psionic Coding effects now has +2 Range. You no longer
need to spend a Charge or take a Stress when targeting multi- RANK
ple targets if they are all within your own zone. When asleep,
you can connect your dreams with another’s; you can even do Rank Mediocre (±0) to Average (+1): You can increase the
this at longer distances if you have an active telepathic link. temperature in a room, ignite flammable materials, or cause
Scale 5: You’re considered a possible sectorial threat. Your harm to others by burning them. This is a suitable Rank for
Psionic Coding attacks now have +2 Harm. If your telepathic someone with a forceful and untrained approach to coding.
links are broken while further away than your normal coding Rank Fair (+2) to Good (+3): You are more precise, and can
range, you can spend a Charge or take a Stress to reestablish manipulate where to heat things to direct winds, cause hot
the link from any distance within 24 hours of it being broken. pockets in cold zones, or cauterize injuries. This is a suitable
Scale 6: You’re considered a possible planetary-level threat. Rank for someone with a calm and precise approach to coding.
Your psionic coding now has +3 Range. You can now reestab- Rank Great (+4) to Superb (+5): Your precise control lets you
lish a telepathic link within a week of it being broken. heat specific parts of a person’s body to cause health benefits or
Scale 7: You’re considered a possible system-level threat. Your detriments, such as forcing someone to sweat profusely or cau-
Psionic Coding attacks now have +3 Harm. You may spend a terize internal bleedings. This is a suitable Rank for someone
Charge or take a Stress to affect a single target out to your line who relies on precise coding in their professional life.
of sight, ignoring range penalties. If you are intimately familiar
with the target and they are intimately familiar with you (such SCALE
as having shared a deeply personal experience, either good or
bad), you can target them from anywhere in the cosmos while Scale 1: Your pyro coding is at a level seen by most pyro riftans.
only thinking about them. Scale 2: Your pyro coding is even beyond most pyro riftans.
Scale 8: You’re considered a possible cosmic-level threat. Your It has +1 Range. If spending the Charge or taking the Stress
Psionic Coding effects now have +4 Range. You no longer need to target things at varying ranges, apply the highest applica-
to spend a Charge or take a Stress to target everything in range. ble range penalty to all targets. If succeeding with style when
Finally, you can now reestablish a telepathic link indefinitely making a Pyro Coding attack against a target, you may choose
after it has been broken. to reduce the inflicted Stress by one to inflict On Fire, or to
remove a cryo-based Aspect, such as Frozen.
Once per minor milestone, when spending a Charge or taking Scale 3: Your level of pyro coding is almost never seen in a
a Stress to target something out to your line of sight, you may pyro riftan but can sometimes emerge in pyro elementals—
choose to spend an extra Charge or take an extra Stress to tar- its destructive capability makes you into a possible localized
get every thinking brain within your field of view. threat. Your Pyro Coding attacks now have +1 Harm. In ad-
dition, for each round a target is On Fire, they suffer a Stress.
Scale 4: You’re considered a possible metropolitan-level threat.
PYRO CODING Your Pyro Coding effects now have +2 Range. Finally, you no
longer need to spend a Charge or take a Stress when targeting
The Pyro Coding Skill can be used by a cosmic coder to manip- multiple targets if they are all within your own zone.
ulate kinetic energy to bring temperatures up as well as control Scale 5: You’re considered a possible sectorial threat. Your
heat and active flames. It’s related to Cryo Coding (p. XX), which Pyro Coding attacks now have +2 Harm, and On Fire now in-
also manipulates kinetic energy, but focuses on low tempera- flicts two Stress per round.
tures. It lets you do the following: Scale 6: You’re considered a possible planetary-level threat.
Your Pyro Coding effects now have +3 Range. In addition, all
Heat or ignite creatures, objects, and environments, such as your Pyro Coding attacks that succeed with style now in flict
preventing a child from freezing, heating a beverage to make the On Fire Aspect (or remove a cryo-based Aspect as men-
it taste better, or lit a room on fire. You may attempt to control tioned above); you no longer need to reduce Stress to do so.
pyro hazards (p. XX)—such as searing temperatures or wild-
Scale 7: You’re considered a possible system-level threat. Your
fires—as contests or conflicts.
Pyro Coding attacks now have +3 Harm, and On Fire now in-
Cause advantages and disadvantages in the environment, such flicts three Stress per round. Also, you may spend a Charge or

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take a Stress to affect a single target out to your line of sight, and chemistry.
ignoring range penalties. Rank Great (+4) to Superb (+5): Your precise control over
Scale 8: You’re considered a possible cosmic-level threat. Your quantum mechanics lets you bend its rules and seemingly cre-
Pyro Coding effects have +4 Range. You no longer need to ate miracles from nothing. This is a suitable Rank for someone
spend a Charge or take a Stress to target everything in range. with a deep understanding of physics and chemistry.

Once per minor milestone, when spending a Charge or tak- SCALE

ing a Stress to target something out to your line of sight, you
may choose to spend an extra Charge or take an extra Stress Scale 1: Your quantum coding lets you emulate the capabilities
to target everything within your field of view. However, this of a standard laboratory.
is limited by things that you can see in good detail. While you
Scale 2: Your quantum coding lets you emulate the capabili-
could burn entire forests, you couldn’t burn an entire continent
ties of an advanced laboratory. It has +1 Range. If spending the
by looking at Earth from space.
Charge or taking the Stress to target things at varying ranges,
apply the highest applicable range penalty to all targets. Finally,
your inventions require one fewer Hurdle (p. XX) to complete
QUANTUM CODING (minimum one).
Scale 3: Your quantum coding lets you emulate the capabilities
The Quantum Coding Skill is a rare art that can be learned by of the most high-tech laboratories—its destructive capabili-
some cosmic coders, letting them manipulate subatomic par- ty makes you into a possible localized threat. Your Quantum
ticles and forces, such as bending light or forcing atomic reac- Coding attacks now have +1 Harm. Finally, you may disassem-
tions. It lets you do the following: ble certain objects to extract components for your Quantum
Coding inventions and repairs; this can be done in place of a
Substitute the Education Skill for creating chemical reactions Hurdle, at Narrator discretion.
or scientific experiments, such as separating molecules into its
Scale 4: You’re considered a possible metropolitan-level threat.
atomic components, splitting the atoms themselves, or shifting
Your Quantum Coding effects now have +2 Range. You no
the polarity of particles, such as creating antimatter from nor-
longer need to spend a Charge or take a Stress when targeting
mal matter, and vice versa. This can be represented by Educa-
multiple targets if they are all within your own zone. Finally,
tion-based inventions with a Cost determined by Rank (Cost 4
your inventions now require two fewer Hurdles to complete
at Great [+4]), or by radiation-based attacks (see below).
(minimum one).
Create or alter electromagnetic radiation, such as gamma ra-
Scale 5: You’re considered a possible sectorial threat. Your
diation or visual light. You may control radiation hazards (p.
quantum attacks now have +2 Harm. In addition, you may
XX)—such as nuclear fallout—as contests or conflicts.
disassemble certain creatures to extract components for treat-
Cause advantages and disadvantages based on atomic or sub- ment actions, such as causing a Stress to remove a Stress. If the
atomic interactions, such as causing an object to Emit Light, creature is unwilling to be disassembled, you must first inflict
the air around a person to Expel Oxygen, or causing a powerful harm using a Quantum Coding attack, and you can only re-
chemical reaction to be Stabilized. store one Stress per attack regardless of what you inflict.
Sense the presence and type of electromagnetic radiation with- Scale 6: You’re considered a possible planetary-level threat.
in your zone (this range is increased at higher Scale), such as Your Quantum Coding effects now have +3 Range. In addition,
identifying gamma radiation. your inventions now require three fewer Hurdles to complete
Attack targets with Radiation Harm by manipulating the parti- (minimum one).
cles that make them. This is defended against using Quantum Scale 7: You’re considered a possible system-level threat. Your
Coding (if the target has it) or Fortitude. Your attacks initially quantum attacks now have +3 Harm. Also, you may spend a
have Radiation Harm 0 and Range 0, but this changes at higher Charge or take a Stress to affect a single target out to your line
Scale. By spending a Charge or a Stress, you may choose to of sight, ignoring range penalties.
attack as many as you want and can perceive within range as a
Scale 8: You’re considered a possible cosmic-level threat. Your
hazard (p. XX).
Quantum Coding effects have +4 Range. You no longer need
to spend a Charge or take a Stress to target everything in range.
RANK Additionally, your inventions now require four fewer Hurdles
to complete (minimum one).
Rank Mediocre (±0) to Average (+1): You can manipulate
something’s molecular properties, such as creating certain Once per minor milestone, when spending a Charge or taking
chemical reactions. This is a suitable Rank for someone with a Stress to target something out to your line of sight, you may
limited understanding of physics and chemistry. choose to spend an extra Charge or take an extra Stress to tar-
Rank Fair (+2) to Good (+3): You are more precise, allowing get everything within your field of view. However, this is lim-
you to create more intricate interactions, such as separating ited by things that you can see in good detail. While you could
atoms to create energy or changing their properties entirely. cause something akin to a nuclear explosion, you couldn’t dec-
This is a suitable Rank for someone who has studied physics imate all life on Earth by looking at it from space.

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 CODING PROTOCOLS
ACID CODING At Scale 7, you gain +2 instead of +1 to Range. In addition, you
ignore one ranged penalty on your Acid Coding effects.
[SCALE 1] ACID BOLT
By clenching your fist, you cause nanites surrounding your hand [SCALE 1] ACID CREATION
to turn into a highly acidic liquid sphere that you can hurl at your You manifest acid from seemingly nowhere. This could take the
target. form of you vomiting a stream of it, drawing it from the environ-
ment, or simply converting existing materials.
Requirements: Acid Coding at Mediocre (±0) Scale 1.
Effects: Your Acid Coding effects have +1 Range. When using Requirements: Acid Coding at Mediocre (±0) Scale 1.
Acid Coding to attack a single target, you may choose to treat Effects: Once per scene, you may choose to spend a Charge or
the attack as a normal ranged attack, using Ranged Combat in- take a Stress to manifest acid within your coding range. This
stead if higher. When doing so, the target can choose to defend could be in either liquid, gas, or solid form. The acid acts like
using Acrobatics. a persistent hazard (p. XX) or block (p. XX) sharing the same
Rank, Scale, and Harm as your Acid Coding attacks, but the
If there is a source of rift energy within range of your Coding exact nature behind how it can be used to pose a threat de-
Skill, such as a tank of acid, you may choose to use that source pends on your intentions with it and the form you give it.
as the origin point for your attack. This could let you extend
the attack range even further, but you must still be able to per- You may choose to materialize acids with lesser traits if you
ceive your target, and you still suffer a ranged penalty to the want to avoid creating something too dangerous.
attack roll based on the true range.
[SCALE 1] ACID LASH
At Scale 3, when firing your acid bolt from a separate acidic
By gathering mosture from the atmosphere and turning it acidic,
source, you can use that source’s location as the attack’s origin
you create a deadly lash that can be used in combat.
for the purpose of ranged penalties.
Requirements: Acid Coding at Mediocre (±0) Scale 1.
At Scale 5, your acid bolts adopt the Homing property (p. XX),
allowing them to curve around covers and corners. If the target Effects: Spend a Charge or take a Stress to give yourself Acid
is clearly within your line of sight, you gain a free invocation Lash for the scene. This is a Close Combat weapon that inflicts
on the attack. both Acid Harm and Sharp Harm, and that can be used with
either Close Combat or Acid Coding. It uses your normal Acid

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Coding attack traits with the exception of Range. Instead, it has lized. By spending a Charge or taking a Stress, you can affect all
the Long Reach Aspect (p. XX). objects within your coding range.

If succeeding with style on an attack using the weapon, you [SCALE 2] ACID SPLASH
may choose to reduce the inflicted Stress by one to either make Your acid attacks contain a larger degree of acidic liquid that
the target Grappled or pull it towards you. splash upon impact.

At Scale 4, you can use the lash to attack out to Range 1; At Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Acid Bolt or [Scale 1] Acid Lash.
Scale 7, you can do so out to Range 2.
Requirements: Acid Coding at Average (+1) Scale 2.
Effects: Your acid bolts or lashes can now make sweeping at-
[SCALE 1] CORROSIVE RETALIATION
tacks (p. XX). This lets you divide the result of your attack roll
Whenever someone makes skin-to-skin contact with you, they to affect several enemies within the same zone. However, un-
feel an unpleasant corrosive sensation. If you don’t like their like normal sweeping attacks, if you divide the attack into two,
touch, you can let them know in a painful way. each one benefits from a +1 attack bonus. This means that in-
stead of splitting a Great (+4) result into two Fair (+2) results,
Requirements: Acid Coding at Mediocre (±0) Scale 1.
it is split into two Good (+3) results. You must announce your
Effects: Whenever you’re the target of a successful physical at- intent to divide the attack prior to making the initial roll.
tack that inflicts at least one Stress, you may spend a Charge or
take a Stress to make an immediate Acid Coding attack against At Scale 4, you benefit from a +1 attack bonus even if you split
the attacker, assuming they are within your coding range. into three attacks; At Scale 6, you gain the bonus even if you
split into four attacks; At Scale 8, you gain it at five attacks—a
At Scale 3, this becomes free once per round; At Scale 5, you Superb (+5) roll can be divided into five Fair (+2) rolls.
may activate this Coding Protocol even if the successful attack
didn’t cause you any Stress; At Scale 7, you may also activate it [SCALE 2] ACIDIC ARMOR
in response to failed attacks. You create a protective layer over your skin by generating acid
and manipulating its pH and viscosity. It hardens around you,
[SCALE 1] DELAYED EROSION forming a fluid-like substance that is flexible and durable. Once
You manipulate a target’s internal acids, setting up the conditions hardened, it acts like a reactive armor. It’s soft and malleable dur-
to increase its potency after a time. The target remains nonethe- ing normal movement but becomes rigid upon impact, provid-
wiser, until their body starts to corrode from within. ing excellent protection against mundane weaponry.

Requirements: Acid Coding at Mediocre (±0) Scale 1. Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Acid Creation.
Effects: When succeeding with style on an Acid Coding attack, Requirements: Acid Coding at Average (+1) Scale 2.
you may choose to delay the inflicted harm. Instead of having Effects: Spend a Charge or take a Stress to gain the Acidic Ar-
the target mark their Stress immediately, note how much Stress mor Aspect which lasts for the scene. This provides a +2 Effect
they will suffer. As a direct consequence of your attack, the tar- Soak against Acid, Blunt, Sharp, and Projectile Harm.
get suffers no harm, and can continue acting like normal.
At Scale 3, your unarmed attacks inflict Acid Harm if they
You may, at any point before the next minor milestone, spend didn’t already. Upon direct contact with an opponent, they suf-
a Charge or take a Stress to activate the delayed harm, even if fer one Stress as an unsoakable acid hazard. A single target can
you are nowhere near the target. A target that is affected by this suffer this Stress once per round.
Coding Protocol may not be so again until they have suffered
all of their delayed harm. At Scale 5, the armor’s Effect Soak is applied against the harm
types of all physical attacks. Any item that comes into contact
At Scale 3, you can choose to activate the Stress incrementally. with your armor suffers damage equivalent to a one-Cost re-
You only pay once to activate the harm, but you can follow that duction, unless it is made especially resilient against acid. If the
by inflicting some of the Stress at the time, if you so prefer. item is brought lower than to Cost 0, it is broken beyond repair.

At Scale 5, you may now delay the harm to the next significant At Scale 7, the armor’s Effect Soak increases from +2 to +4.
milestone if you prefer to; At Scale 7, you may choose to delay
it indefinitely. [SCALE 2] CAUSTIC WELDING
You use acid to cauterize wounds or weld objects together. This is
[SCALE 1] STERILIZE better suited to patch something up than to repair more serious
By touching an object, you instantly remove its imperfections. conditions.

Requirements: Acid Coding at Mediocre (±0) Scale 1. Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Sterilize.

Effects: You can touch an object to remove any imperfections Requirements: Acid Coding at Average (+1) Scale 2.
or impurities from it, making it clean, disinfected, and steri- Effects: Spend a Charge or take a Stress to restore (Rank) Stress

336
 boxes caused by physical harm in an organic or inorganic tar- [SCALE 3] CORRODED GROUND
get within your coding range. Alternatively, treat a Mild Physi- Your acid attacks splash corrosive liquid, causing harm not only
cal Consequence instead. If targeting yourself, you must spend to the target but to the surrounding area.
the Charge and not take the Stress.
Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Acid Creation; [Scale 2] Acid Splash.
If you target an inanimate object without Stress or Conse- Requirements: Acid Coding at Fair (+2) Scale 3.
quence slots, you may instead substitute a repair action (p. XX) Effects: Whenever you make an Acid Coding attack that suc-
equivalent to fixing a –1 Cost flaw. No roll is necessary. ceeds with style, you may choose to reduce the inflicted Stress
by one to add Corroded Ground with one free invocation. This
A target can only benefit from this Coding Protocol once per ruins the ground immediately under and around the target,
minor milestone. making it difficult to traverse and possibly fragile.

[SCALE 2] DISSOLVE Alternatively, spend a Charge or take a Stress to cover an area

When touching a corpse or object, you send a pulse of corrosive out to your coding range with Corroded Ground.
energy through it, dissolving it within the blink of an eye.
[SCALE 3] CORROSIVE BREATH
Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Sterilize. You take a deep breath and exhale a corrosive gas that fills your
Requirements: Acid Coding at Average (+1) Scale 2. surroundings. It lingers in place, melting everything within.
Effects: Spend a Charge or take a Stress when touching a
Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Acid Creation; [Scale 2] Dissolve.
corpse or object no larger than a grown human in size (p. XX)
to instantly corrode it into an unrecognizable shape. This does Requirements: Acid Coding at Fair (+2) Scale 3.
not work on godware items or materials that are especially du- Effects: Once per minor milestone, you may spend a Charge or
rable against acid, such as certain reinforced metals or plastics. take a Stress to fill an area out to your coding range with Cor-
rosive Gas. This is treated as an Acid Coding attack targeting
At Scale 4, the target can have large size; At Scale 6, it can have everyone in range with a hazard, except for yourself. Anything
huge size; At Scale 8, it can have colossal size. killed or destroyed by the hazard are automatically subjected to
the effects of the Dissolve Protocol (p. XX).
[SCALE 2] ERODE TOXIN
You combine acid coding with anatomical knowledge to get rid You make the attack roll every round for as long as the Situa-
of harmful toxins or diseases by manipulating acids within cells. tion Aspect remains, or until the end of the scene (whichever
comes first). For each following round, the hazard spreads to
Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Sterilize. any adjacent zones it can reach, out to a maximum distance
equal to twice your coding range.
Requirements: Acid Coding at Average (+1) Scale 2.
Effects: Spend a Charge or take a Stress to remove a toxin or At Scale 5, you may spare your allies from the effects; At Scale
disease from yourself or a willing target. The toxin or disease 7, you may have the gas follow you as you move.
must have a Cost (or Potency Scale if Cost isn’t available) no
higher than your Acid Coding Scale to be a valid target. [SCALE 3] MELT FLESH
Your acid attacks have increased potency, quickly melting any-
[SCALE 3] ACID WAVE thing it touches.
You summon a powerful wave of acidic liquid and hurl it at your
enemies. Requirements: Acid Coding at Mediocre (±0) Scale 3.
Effects: Any Stress inflicted by your Acid Coding attacks can-
Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Acid Creation; [Scale 2] Acid Splash. not be restored unless the target has undergone a successful
Requirements: Acid Coding at Fair (+2) Scale 3. treatment action at a difficulty equal to Rank (half the suffered
Effects: Spend a Charge or take a Stress to create a wave of Stress, rounded up) Scale 1.
acid that originates from your position and targets everyone
in a (Rank) meter wide line in front of you, out to a number [SCALE 3] NEUTRALIZE
of zones equal to twice your coding range. The attack is con- When facing a dangerous acidic hazard, you may force it to re-
sidered an acid hazard (p. XX) and is defended against using move all of its acidity.
Fortitude. Any target caught in the attack, whether they suffer
Stress or not, are either Prone or knocked back one zone. Prerequisites: [Scale 2] Dissolve.
Requirements: Acid Coding at Fair (+2) Scale 3.
This attack can be used once per scene, unless there is a present
Effects: You may spend a Charge or take a Stress to instantly
acid hazard. You may then perform the attack an additional
neutralize an acid hazard with a Scale rating at least one lower
number of times equal to the Scale rating of that hazard. How-
than your Acid Coding Scale.
ever, with each extra use, the hazard’s Scale is reduced by one.
At Scale 5, you may use this Coding Protocol to neutralize an-

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other form of hazard than acid, such as melting a spike trap, ware components, or that are protected by other traits with a
dissolving a storm cloud, or evaporating radioactive materials. Scale value higher than your Acid Coding Scale.
The Scale of non-acid hazards must be at least two lower than
your Acid Coding Scale for you to neutralize them. [SCALE 4] ERODE IMPERFECTION
Your mastery over acids have given you a instinctive understand-
At Scale 7, you may, once per scene, spend a Charge or take a ing of how to rid yourself of imperfections in different forms. By
Stress to completely neutralize an attack that would have suc- combining physical and conceptual representations of corrosion,
ceeded against you. you chip away at imperfections until you get something pure.

[SCALE 4] ACID CLONE Prerequisites: [Scale 2] Erode Toxin.

You have created a perfect replica of yourself with acid, which is Requirements: Acid Coding at Fair (+2) Scale 4.
noticed first when you would have suffered harm.
Effects: Spend a Charge or take a Stress to add one of the fol-
lowing benefits to a target within your coding range (you can
Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Acid Creation; [Scale 1] Corrosive Re-
choose yourself):
taliation.
Requirements: Acid Coding at Average (+1) Scale 4. • Erode Blemishes: You may roll Acid Coding instead of
Effects: Once per scene, when being successfully struck by an Style (if higher) until the next minor milestone. If it isn’t high-
attack that inflicts at least one Stress, you may spend a Charge er, you gain a +1 bonus to Style instead.
to substitute your body with an identical clone of acid that ex- • Erode Disfigurement: You may remove a treated Phys-
plodes upon impact. Make an immediate Acid Coding attack, ical or Mental Consequence of any level (including Extreme)
like when using Corrosive Retaliation, to anyone within range. that represent some form of persistent flaw, such as an addic-
However, you may also relocate your actual body to an unob- tion or disfigurement.
structed location within your coding range. You were actually • Erode Mutation: You may remove a bionic augmenta-
there the whole time. tion (with the exception of cosmic coder) with a Cost no higher
than your Acid Coding Scale. If targeting a PC, the player is
This Coding Protocol can be used again within the scene only redeemed the significant milestone point spent on the aug-
if you first spend at least one full round in cover, unnoticed by mentation’s activation.
your enemies.
A character can only be targeted by this Coding Protocol once
per significant milestone.
[SCALE 4] CREATE ACID ELEMENTAL
Your control over acid lets you birth an elemental out of it.
At Scale 6, you may add the following as an additional option
(you may now target a system or an organization rather than
Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Acid Creation.
a character):
Requirements: Acid Coding at Average (+1) Scale 4.
Effects: Spend a Charge or take a Stress to create an acid ele- • Erode Corruption: You may remove a corruptive el-
mental (p. XX) with a Cost value equal to your Acid Coding ement, such as ridding a datasystem of a virus, getting rid of
Scale. The elemental will follow your command until the next dissonent voices in a corporation, or restoring a malfunction-
significant milestone, after which it will dissolve into acid. ary to a functionary.

You can use this Coding Protocol to create (Rank + Scale) el- At Scale 8, you gain the following option as well:
ementals at the time. Should you attempt to make more than
that, the older ones will dissolve. • Erode Activation: You may temporarily remove the
Machineborn activation of yourself or a willing target. The tar-
[SCALE 4] DISSOLVE PASSAGE
get’s Energy is reduced to a maximum of 2 (if higher) and they
By wrapping yourself in corrosive material, you can dissolve en- lose access to all powers that their Machineborn activation or
tire structures that cross your path. higher Energy level would have granted them. This effect lasts
until the next significant milestone, after which the target’s
powers are returned. The target may choose to have their pow-
Prerequisites: [Scale 2] Acidic Armor; [Scale 2] Dissolve;
ers return prematurely by spending a Charge.
[Scale 3] Melt Flesh.
Requirements: Acid Coding at Fair (+2) Scale 4.
[SCALE 4] MELTING FOG
Effects: When you have Acidic Armor active, you may spend Your corrosive gas increases its thickness, obscuring eyesight.
a Charge or take a Stress to pass through an obstacle or solid
surface, like a physical barrier or closed door, by dissolving it. Prerequisites: [Scale 3] Corrosive Breath.
You will leave permanent damage behind as you do so.
Requirements: Acid Coding at Good (+3) Scale 4.
This Coding Protocol cannot be used on surfaces that have Effects: Whenever you use the prerequisite, you may choose
been reinforced specifically against acids, that are made of god- to alter the Aspect from Corrosive Gas to Corrosive Fog. It fully

338
 obscures the area it covers, preventing anyone caught in it from Requirements: Acid Coding at Fair (+2) Scale 5.
relying on their visual senses. This applies to you and your al- Effects: Once per minor milestone, when activating Acidic Ar-
lies as well, but you can naturally sense through the fog itself, mor, you may choose to extend its effects to all willing allies
negating that blindness. within your coding range. This will last for the full scene or
until they leave your coding range. If they already benefit from
At Scale 6, you may invite allies to sense through the fog as another equivalent coding armor, like Ice Armor (p. XX), the
well, allowing them to act freely despite their lack of vision. target’s player chooses if they want the new armor to overwrite
the old. They do not stack.
[SCALE 5] ACIDIC FACSIMILE
You create an identical copy of yourself using acid rift energy, [SCALE 5] RUSTED WASTELAND
physical cossorive materials, and some of your own cells. You channel a tremendous amount of acid rift energy to optimize
the potency of your coding. Once released, you expand an acid
Prerequisites: [Scale 4] Acid Clone; [Scale 4] Create Acid El-
creation to cover a vast area.
emental.
Requirements: Acid Coding at Fair (+2) Scale 5. Prerequisites: [Scale 3] Corroded Ground.
Effects: Once per significant milestone, you may spend a Requirements: Acid Coding at Good (+3) Scale 5.
Charge or take a Stress to create an exact duplicate of your- Effects: Once per significant milestone, when creating an Acid
self made of acid. It is impossible to distinguish the clone from Coding hazard or block covering a large area, you may choose
the original without close inspection. The duplicate shares to expand your coding range to (Coding Range x 100) meters.
your personality, memories, and Skills—but it cannot use your
items, augmentations, Skill Features, Coding Protocols, or oth- At Scale 7, this becomes (Coding Range x 1,000 meters).
er Coding Skills than Acid Coding (if you have more than one).

The clone acts independently but is loyal to the original. You [SCALE 6] ABSORB ACID ELEMENTAL
are in control of both characters. It lasts until taken out or until You absorb an acid elemental into yourself, becoming one with
the next minor milestone, whichever comes first, after which it its powers. You adopt some of the elemental’s features for as long
dissolves into acid. as you remain one.

You may, once per major milestone, choose to convert a clone Prerequisites: [Scale 3] Neutralize; [Scale 4] Create Acid Ele-
into an original should the original die. mental.
Requirements: Acid Coding at Good (+3) Scale 6.
At Scale 7, you can create up to (Rank) copies when using this Effects: When defeating an acid elemental, you may spend a
Coding Protocol. Charge or take a Stress to absorb it into yourself. If you target
your own created elementals, you don’t have to defeat them
[SCALE 5] ACRID TENTACLES first. Absorbing an elemental gives you bionic augmentations
Wherever you splatter your acid and ruin the scenery, corrosive with a total Cost equal to your Acid Coding Scale. These muta-
vines emerge like roiling tentacles. You may command these ten- tions have similar properties to the nature of the absorbed el-
tacles into action, having them attack those who get too close. emental, and they last until the next minor milestone, or until
you choose to dissolve them.
Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Acid Lash; [Scale 3] Corroded Ground.
Requirements: Acid Coding at Good (+3) Scale 5. [SCALE 6] COMPLETE FRAGMENTATION
Effects: Whenever you inflict Corroded Ground upon the scene, Your control over acid has been fine-tuned, making it precise
you may choose to spend a Charge or take a Stress to imbue it enough to attack individual nanites.
with Acrid Tentacles. For free once per round, you may use any
of your acrid tentacles within your coding range to make an Requirements: Acid Coding at Good (+3) Scale 6.
immediate Acid Lash attack. You may do this attack outside of Effects: You may use Acid Coding in place of other Skills to
your own turn, but you cannot interrupt an ongoing turn. defend against chanite mutations. In addition, you may spend
a Charge or take a Stress to have your Acid Coding interact
At Scale 7, you may spend Charges or takes Stress to make ad- with nitespace from realspace, or vice versa.
ditional tentacle attacks in a round, up to a maximum number
of attacks equal to the number of Acrid Tentacles within your At Scale 8, you no longer need to spend a Charge or take a
coding range. Stress to use Acid Coding against the other form of space.

[SCALE 5] CORROSIVE GUARDIAN [SCALE 6] DETONATE CLONE

You materialize acids and wrap them around your allies, harden- Any clones or elementals created by your acid coding are ticking
ing it like clay. You give them all the benefits of your acidic armor. bombs, waiting to be detonated.

Prerequisites: [Scale 2] Acidic Armor. Prerequisites: [Scale 5] Acidic Facsimile.

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Requirements: Acid Coding at Good (+3) Scale 6.

Effects: Once you have an acid elemental or acidic facsimile in
play that you have created, you may at any point choose to det-
onate it. This will destroy the elemental or facsimile, but cause
an immediate acid hazard targeting up to a maximum number
of zones in radius as determined by your coding range. The
hazard uses your normal Acid Coding attack traits.

[SCALE 7] CREATE ACID RIFT

You draw a tremendous amount of power into yourself and ex-
plode it outwards, using your own body as its epicenter. This
overwhelms the Nanite Matrix, tearing open an acid rift that will
continue to feed acid rift energy into the surrounding landscape.

Prerequisites: [Scale 4] Create Acid Elemental; [Scale 5] Rust-

ed Wasteland.
Requirements: Acid Coding at Great (+4) Scale 7.
Effects: Once per major milestone, you may spend a Charge or
take a Stress to create a persistent acid rift in a location. This
rift will continously create acid-based rift energy that affects
the landscape out to a range as if affected by Rusted Wasteland.
Make an Acid Coding attack against all creatures within this
range; if any of them are taken out by this attack, they are con-
verted to wild acid elementals that will feed off the rift (this
does not apply to riftans or Machineborn).

Someone with Scale 5+ in Engineering could create a rift facili-

ty upon this location to harness the rift’s power. Without such a
facility in place, the rift will continue to corrode the landscape.

[SCALE 7] DISSOLVE SELF

You dissolve your entire physical being, as well as the bodies of
willing allies. Once dissolved, you become an acidic cloud.

Prerequisites: [Scale 4] Dissolve Passage; [Scale 4] Melting

Fog; [Scale 5] Corrosive Guardian.
Requirements: Acid Coding at Great (+4) Scale 7.
Effects: Once per significant milestone, when activating Acidic
Armor, you may choose to dissolve yourself and any willing
allies into acidic mist. You and all targeted allies take one Stress
from the transformation. You retain your traits and senses,
but cannot access physical assets or augmentations and are
immune to Acid Harm. If taking this form while inside your
Melting Fog, you are Invisible.

While in this form, you may fly using your normal movement
speed and pass through openings as small as needle eyes. You
can only attack using Acid Coding, with every attack being
considered a hazard. Targeted allies without Acid Coding can
still attack as if they had that Skill at Mediocre (±0) Scale 1. You
can only be targeted by attacks that are capable of attacking
swarms (p. XX), such as area of effect-weaponry or Scale 2 or
higher in Close Combat. You still benefit from the protection
of Acidic Armor while in this form.

This lasts for the remainder of the scene, or until you choose to
materialize yourself.

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[SCALE 8] ABSORB ACID RIFT This could be in either liquid, gas, or solid form. The organics
You draw a rift into yourself, ending its terrifying destruction, aren’t dangerous by default, but they can be shaped with pur-
and calming the area of its energy. Instead, it lingers as a core pose, such as acting as blocks (p. XX) that share the same Rank
within your own self, feeding energy into your coding. and Scale as your Bio Coding attacks.
Prerequisites: [Scale 6] Absorb Acid Elemental; [Scale 7] Cre- You may choose to materialize organics with lesser traits if you
ate Acid Rift. want to avoid creating something too dramatic.
Requirements: Acid Coding at Superb (+5) Scale 8.
Effects: Once per major milestone, you may spend a Charge [SCALE 1] HEAL
or take a Stress to absorb an acid rift into yourself. The rift dis- You rearrange a creature’s physical composition to heal wounds.
appears permanently from its place, powering you up until the
next significant milestone. All of your Acid Coding Protocols Requirements: Bio Coding at Mediocre (±0) Scale 1.
that cost a Charge or a Stress to activate can now be activated Effects: Spend a Charge to restore (Rank + Scale) Stress boxes
for free. In addition, your coding range is doubled, you gain caused by physical harm to a target within your coding range.
+1 Harm on your Acid Coding attacks, and you become fully Alternatively, treat Physical Consequences instead of restoring
immune to Acid Harm. Stress boxes at a rate equal to the value of those Consequences
(two for Mild, four for Moderate, and six for Severe). By dou-
bling this cost (four for Mild, eight for Moderate, and twelve
for Severe), you both treat and remove the Consequence.
BIO CODING
A target can only be healed by this Coding Protocol once per
[SCALE 1] ALTER SELF
minor milestone. It can be used on yourself.
You alter your own form by making cosmetic changes to your
appearance. Eventually, you might be able to transform into en-
tirely different creatures. [SCALE 1] POISON LASH
You create a lash of vines, foliage, blood, or other nearby organic
Requirements: Bio Coding at Mediocre (±0) Scale 1. materials.
Effects: Spend a Charge or take a Stress to make subtle cosmet-
Requirements: Bio Coding at Mediocre (±0) Scale 1.
ic changes to your own body, such as altering skin tone, eye-
and hair color, hair style, blemishes, and the like. This lets you Effects: Spend a Charge or take a Stress to give yourself Poison
use Bio Coding to make disguises without the need for tools Lash for the scene. This is a Close Combat weapon that inflicts
and materials. The changes can be permanent if you want them both Poison Harm and Sharp Harm, and that can be used with
to be, but you can also freely revert back to your original form. either Close Combat or Bio Coding. It uses your normal Bio
Coding attack traits with the exception of Range. Instead, it has
At Scale 3, you can make more drastic cosmetic changes, such the Long Reach Aspect (p. XX).
as doubling or halving your mass, changing your sex, or chang-
ing aspects of your progeny. When doing the latter, you may If succeeding with style on an attack using the weapon, you
substitute your physiology trait (p. XX) with another. You can may choose to reduce the inflicted Stress by one to either make
only make a change this drastic once per minor milestone. the target Grappled or pull it towards you.

At Scale 5, you can alter your body to take on the shape of an- At Scale 4, you can use the lash to attack out to Range 1; At
other animal that can be no more or less than one size category Scale 7, you can attack out to Range 2.
(p. XX) different from you. You may change your Physical Skill
Ranks (not Scales) to better represent the new form. You can [SCALE 1] SENSE TOXIN OR DISEASE
only make a change this drastic once per significant milestone. You can instinctively sense the presence of toxins or diseases.

At Scale 7, you can now change into a form two size categories Requirements: Bio Coding at Mediocre (±0) Scale 1.
different from you. You can now also rearrange your Physi- Effects: You automatically know if someone within your cod-
cal Skill Scales to better represent the new form. You can only ing range suffers from a toxin or disease. You don’t automati-
make a change this drastic once per major milestone. cally know the nature of the toxin or disease, but you can in-
stinctively tell its Scale or Cost value.
[SCALE 1] CREATE LIFE
You manifest organic material from seemingly nowhere. This [SCALE 1] SUMMON SWARM
could take the form of flesh pouring from walls, foliage growing You summon a swarm of insects, vermin, or parasites to follow
from the floor, or you vomiting a pool of blood. your bidding.

Requirements: Bio Coding at Mediocre (±0) Scale 1. Requirements: Bio Coding at Mediocre (±0) Scale 1.
Effects: Once per scene, you may choose to spend a Charge or Effects: Once per minor milestone, you may spend a Charge
take a Stress to manifest organics within your coding range. or take a Stress to summon a swarm (p. XX) with a Cost equal

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to your Bio Coding Scale. The swarm follows your will until Bio Coding Scale, you may spend a Charge or take a Stress to
destroyed or for the remainder of the scene, whichever comes absorb it into yourself (this does not work on boosters). After
first. At the scene’s end, what remains of the swarm disperses. having absorbed the toxin or disease, roll Bio Coding against
its Potency (p. XX). If you succeed, the toxin or disease lingers
[SCALE 1] TOXIC BOLT within you but causes no symptoms. If you succeed with style,
By clenching your fist, you cause nanites surrounding your hand you can choose to have it be destroyed by your immune sys-
to turn into a toxic liquid sphere that you can hurl at your target. tem. If you fail, you suffer its effects.

Requirements: Bio Coding at Mediocre (±0) Scale 1. [SCALE 2] ANIMAL BOND

Effects: Your Bio Coding effects have +1 Range. When using Your attunement to biological forces enable you to form a strong
Bio Coding to attack a single target, you may choose to treat connection to an animal.
the attack as a normal ranged attack, using Ranged Combat in-
stead if higher. When doing so, the target can choose to defend Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Summon Swarm.
using Acrobatics. Requirements: Bio Coding at Average (+1) Scale 2.
Effects: Spend a Charge or take a Stress to bond with an ani-
If there is an organic source that isn’t a living creature (such as mal within your coding range. This does not work on animals
foliage or a corpse) within range of your Coding Skill, you may that have human-level intelligence or that are companions to
choose to use that source as the origin point for your attack. someone else. Instead, those animals gain a Friendly Attitude
This could let you extend the attack range even further, but you (p. XX) towards you unless you give them reason not to.
must still be able to perceive your target, and you still suffer a
ranged penalty to the attack roll based on your own position. After having bonded with an animal, you adopt it as an ani-
mal companion (p. XX) with a Cost equal to your Bio Coding
At Scale 3, when firing your toxic bolt from a separate organic Scale. As your Scale increases, the animal’s effective Cost does
source, you can use that source’s location as the attack’s origin as well. A bonded animal shares your lifespan if their natural
for the purpose of ranged penalties. lifespan is shorter. You can engage in complex communication
with it through gestures, feelings, and intentions.
At Scale 5, your toxic bolts adopt the Homing property (p. XX),
allowing them to curve around covers and corners. If the target You can only bond with (Rank + Scale) animals at the time.
is clearly within your line of sight, you gain a free invocation
on the attack.
[SCALE 2] ARMOR OF LIFE

At Scale 7, you gain +2 instead of +1 to Range. In addition, you Organic materials are drawn towards you, forming a protective
ignore one ranged penalty on your Bio Coding effects. shell. This could be from surrounding foliage, wooden furniture,
or the blood of a nearby corpse. Regardless of where the organic
material is coming from, its purpose is to protect you.
[SCALE 1] TOXIC RETALIATION
Whenever a creature makes skin-to-skin contact with you, they Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Create Life.
feel an unpleasant sensation in their skin. You can choose to in-
Requirements: Bio Coding at Average (+1) Scale 2.
crease the potency of this discomfort.
Effects: Spend a Charge or take a Stress to gain the Armor of
Requirements: Bio Coding at Mediocre (±0) Scale 1. Life Aspect which lasts for the scene. This provides a +2 Effect
Soak against Poison, Blunt, Sharp, and Projectile Harm.
Effects: Whenever you’re the target of a successful physical at-
tack that inflicts at least one Stress, you may spend a Charge or
At Scale 4, your unarmed attacks inflict Poison Harm if they
take a Stress to make an immediate Bio Coding attack against
didn’t already. In addition, you emit pheromones that increase
the attacker, assuming they are within your coding range.
your Style Rank by one while the armor is active (this can ex-
ceed Superb [+5]).
At Scale 3, this becomes free once per round; At Scale 5, you
may activate this Coding Protocol even if the successful attack
At Scale 6, the armor’s Effect Soak is applied against the harm
didn’t cause you any Stress; At Scale 7, you may also activate it
types of all physical attacks. Your Style Rank is now increased
in response to failed attacks.
by two.

[SCALE 2] ABSORB TOXIN OR DISEASE At Scale 8, the armor’s Effect Soak increases from +2 to +4.
You absorb a toxin or disease into yourself, removing it from the Your Style Rank is now increased by three.
one who carried it.
[SCALE 2] HARD WOOD
Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Sense Toxin or Disease.
You touch an object made of primarily organic materials and
Requirements: Bio Coding at Average (+1) Scale 2. harden its structure, temporarily increasing its durability.
Effects: When encountering someone who suffers from a toxin
or disease with a Scale or Cost equal to or lower than your Requirements: Bio Coding at Average (+1) Scale 2.

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 Effects: Spend a Charge or take a Stress to add the Hardened equal to half your Bio Coding Scale, rounded up. This Stress
Aspect to an object that is primarily made of organic materials, can be used for Mental Consequences. The target can still act
such as a wooden club or a leather jacket. This lasts for the du- freely on their own turns, but you may choose to manipulate
ration of the scene. A hardened weapon gains +1 Harm and a their actions in place of taking your own.
hardened armor gains +1 Soak.
At Scale 7, you can freely manipulate the target once per round
At Scale 4, the bonus becomes +2; At Scale 6, it becomes +3; at in addition to taking an action of your own.
Scale 8, it becomes +4.
[SCALE 3] LINGERING POISON
[SCALE 2] MUTATE Your poison attacks have increased potency, lingering within the
You may alter your own organic form, changing physical proper- target’s system for extended periods of time.
ties after your own imagination.
Requirements: Bio Coding at Mediocre (±0) Scale 3.
Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Alter Self. Effects: Any Stress inflicted by your Bio Coding attacks can-
Requirements: Bio Coding at Average (+1) Scale 2. not be restored unless the target has undergone a successful
Effects: Once per minor milestone, you may spend a Charge or treatment action at a difficulty equal to Rank (half the suffered
take a Stress to give yourself temporary bionic augmentations Stress, rounded up) Scale 1.
(p. XX) with a total Cost equal to your Bio Coding Scale. These
last for the duration of a scene. You cannot give yourself the [SCALE 3] MEND SELF
cosmic coder augmentation. When wrapped in your armor of life, your body mends itself.

[SCALE 2] POISON SPLASH Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Heal; [Scale 2] Armor of Life.

Your poison attacks contain a larger degree of toxic liquid that Requirements: Bio Coding at Fair (+2) Scale 3.
splash upon impact. Effects: Once per minor milestone, when you have Armor of
Life active, you may choose to activate this Protocol. Once ac-
Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Poison Lash or [Scale 1] Toxic Bolt. tive, you restore one Stress caused by physical harm each round
Requirements: Bio Coding at Average (+1) Scale 2. in a conflict, or every minute outside of a conflict. If you have
Effects: Your poison lashes or toxic bolts can now make sweep- an untreated Mild Physical Consequence, it will be treated on
ing attacks (p. XX). This lets you divide the result of your attack the first round before any Stress is restored.
roll to affect several enemies within the same zone. However,
unlike normal sweeping attacks, if you divide the attack into At Scale 5, the armor can now treat a Moderate Physical Con-
two, each one benefits from a +1 attack bonus. This means that sequence on the first round, before proceeding to any Mild
instead of splitting a Great (+4) result into two Fair (+2) re- Physical Consequences or Stress; At Scale 7, the mending can
sults, it is split into two Good (+3) results. You must announce now start with a Severe Physical Consequence.
your intent to divide the attack prior to making the initial roll.
[SCALE 3] SHAPE OTHER
At Scale 4, you benefit from a +1 attack bonus even if you split Your mastery over biology has taught you to safely alter the forms
into three attacks; At Scale 6, you gain the bonus even if you of others just like you can alter yourself.
split into four attacks; At Scale 8, you gain it at five attacks.
Prerequisites: [Scale 2] Mutate.
[SCALE 3] FLESH PUPPET Requirements: Bio Coding at Fair (+2) Scale 3.
While bio coders are generally known for their ability to heal Effects: You can now use Alter Self and Mutate on a willing
injuries, the power to manipulate organics can be used for truly target and not just on yourself. In addition, if you have Hard
immoral things. This Coding Protocol lets you manipulate the Wood, you can now use it on creatures (including yourself).
body of another, forcing it to act according to your will.

Requirements: Bio Coding at Average (+1) Scale 3. [SCALE 3] THORNY VINES

Every attack is a seed, and every seed will blossom. Whenever
Effects: Spend a Charge or take a Stress and roll Bio Coding
you attack a target with your bio coding, thorny vines grows
against a creature’s Fortitude. If successful, you force them to
from the floor, disrupting movement and ensnaring enemies.
take a simple action of your choice, such as jumping from a
ledge, attacking an ally or themselves, or dropping an item they Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Create Life; [Scale 2] Poison Splash.
are holding. If you succeed with style, you may force a complex
action, such as forcing them to say something, getting them to Requirements: Bio Coding at Fair (+2) Scale 3.
transfer credits to you, or making them use a complex device. Effects: Whenever you make a Bio Coding attack that succeeds
with style, you may choose to reduce the inflicted Stress by one
At Scale 5, you can retain control for the remainder of the to add Thorny Vines with one free invocation. This covers the
scene, or until the target either spends a Charge (which is given ground immediately under and around the target in thorny
to you at the scene’s end) or chooses to take a number of Stress vines, making it difficult to traverse and possibly fragile.

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Alternatively, spend a Charge or take a Stress to cover an area Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Create Life.
out to your coding range with Thorny Vines. Requirements: Bio Coding at Average (+1) Scale 4.
Effects: Spend a Charge or take a Stress to instill energy in an
[SCALE 3] TOXIC BREATH organic material, such as a creature or greenery. The targeted
You take a deep breath and exhale a gas that fills your surround- material Emits Light as if radiating energy, and it is considered
ings. This gas lingers in place, poisoning everyone caught within. a power grid (p. XX) for the purpose of electronics. The ef-
fects last until the next minor milestone. However, if targeting
Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Create Life; [Scale 2] Absorb Toxin or a creature, they can (once per minor milestone) end the effects
Disease. prematurely by gaining a Charge. You can target yourself.
Requirements: Bio Coding at Fair (+2) Scale 3.
Effects: Once per minor milestone, you may spend a Charge or At Scale 6, a target affected by this Protocol may choose to res-
take a Stress to fill an area out to your coding range with Toxic onate their electronic assets with their newfound energy. For
Gas. This is treated as a Bio Coding attack targeting everyone as long as the effects remain, their Power rolls use two dice in-
in range with a hazard, except for yourself. If you carry a toxin stead of one, choosing the most favorable outcome of the two.
or disease, you may add it to the gas.
At Scale 8, when activating this Protocol, you may choose to
You make the attack roll every round for as long as the Situa- affect as many targets as you want within your coding range.
tion Aspect remains, or until the end of the scene (whichever
comes first). For each following round, the hazard spreads to [SCALE 4] IMPROVED HEALING
any adjacent zones it can reach, out to a maximum distance The potency of your healing has improved drastically, allowing
equal to twice your coding range. you to treat the most grievous of injuries at less effort.

At Scale 5, you may spare your allies from the effects; At Scale Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Heal.
7, you may have the gas follow you as you move. Requirements: Bio Coding at Average (+1) Scale 4.
Effects: When using the prerequisite, you may treat a Conse-
[SCALE 4] CONTAMINATED FOG quence in place of one (Mild), two (Moderate), or three (Se-
Your toxic gas increases its thickness, obscuring eyesight. vere) Stress boxes instead, or double that if you want to remove
them. In addition, you may now, once per target per major
Prerequisites: [Scale 3] Toxic Breath. milestone, heal an Extreme Consequence in place of restoring
Requirements: Bio Coding at Good (+3) Scale 4. four Stress, or eight Stress to remove it altogether.
Effects: Whenever you use the prerequisite, you may choose to
alter the Aspect from Toxic Gas to Toxic Fog. It fully obscures [SCALE 4] POLLEN CLONE
the area it covers, preventing anyone caught in it from relying You have created a perfect replica of yourself with your own or-
on their visual senses. This applies to you and your allies as ganic material, but it disperses into toxic pollen should it suffer
well, but you can naturally sense through the fog itself, negat- too much harm.
ing that blindness.
Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Create Life; [Scale 1] Toxic Retaliation.
At Scale 6, you may invite allies to sense through the fog as Requirements: Bio Coding at Average (+1) Scale 4.
well, allowing them to act freely despite their lack of vision.
Effects: Once per scene, when being successfully struck by an
attack that inflicts at least one Stress, you may spend a Charge
[SCALE 4] CREATE BIO ELEMENTAL to substitute your body with an identical clone that disperses
Your control over biology lets you birth an elemental out of cells. toxic pollen upon impact. Make an immediate Bio Coding at-
tack, like when using Toxic Retaliation, to anyone within range.
Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Create Life. However, you may also relocate your actual body to an unob-
Requirements: Bio Coding at Average (+1) Scale 4. structed location within your coding range. You were actually
Effects: Spend a Charge or take a Stress to create a bio elemen- there the whole time.
tal (p. XX) with a Cost value equal to your Bio Coding Scale.
The elemental will follow your command until the next signif- This Coding Protocol can be used again within the scene only
icant milestone, after which it will dissolve into organic sludge. if you first spend at least one full round in cover, unnoticed by
your enemies.
You can use this Coding Protocol to create (Rank + Scale) el-
ementals at the time. Should you attempt to make more than [SCALE 5] HUNGRY VINES
that, the older ones will dissolve. Wherever you spread your pollen, thorny vines will emerge. You
may command these vines to lash out at those who get too close.
[SCALE 4] GREEN ENERGY
You channel bio rift energy into organic materials, turning them Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Poison Lash; [Scale 3] Thorny Vines.
into bioluminescent batteries. Requirements: Bio Coding at Good (+3) Scale 5.

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 Effects: Whenever you inflict Thorny Vines upon the scene, Charge and take a Stress to create an exact duplicate of your-
you may choose to spend a Charge or take a Stress to imbue it self. It is impossible to distinguish the clone from the original
with Hungry Vines. For free once per round, you may use any even upon close inspection. The duplicate shares your person-
of your vines within your coding range to make an immediate ality, memories, and Skills—but it cannot use your items, aug-
Poison Lash attack. You may do this attack outside of your own mentations, Skill Features, Coding Protocols, or other Coding
turn, but you cannot interrupt an ongoing turn. Skills than Bio Coding (if you have more than one).

At Scale 7, you may spend Charges or takes Stress to make ad- The clone acts independently but is loyal to the original. You
ditional lash attacks in a round, up to a maximum number of are in control of both characters. It lasts until taken out or until
attacks equal to the number of Hungry Vines within your cod- the next minor milestone, whichever comes first, after which it
ing range. dissolves into organic sludge.

[SCALE 5] LUSH FOREST You may, once per major milestone, choose to convert a clone
You channel a tremendous amount of bio rift energy to optimize into an original should the original die.
the potency of your coding. Once released, you expand an organ-
ic creation over a vast area. At Scale 7, you can create up to (Rank) copies when using this
Coding Protocol.
Prerequisites: [Scale 3] Thorny Vines.
Requirements: Bio Coding at Good (+3) Scale 5. [SCALE 5] SPORE PUPPET
You instill bio rift energy into the cells of a fresh cadaver, causing
Effects: Once per significant milestone, when creating a Bio
it to pulsate with energy, and its flesh to move. It becomes a zom-
Coding hazard or block covering a large area, you may choose
bie under your control.
to expand your coding range to (Coding Range x 100) meters.
Prerequisites: [Scale 3] Flesh Puppet; [Scale 4] Green Energy.
At Scale 7, this becomes (Coding Range x 1,000 meters).
Requirements: Bio Coding at Fair (+2) Scale 5.
[SCALE 5] ORGANIC FACSIMILE Effects: Once per minor milestone, you may spend a Charge or
You create an identical copy of yourself by splitting your cells. take a Stress to raise a fresh corpse no larger than a grown hu-
man in size as a zombie under your control. It uses the Physical
Prerequisites: [Scale 4] Create Bio Elemental; [Scale 4] Pollen Skills it had in life, but any of its Rank and Scale cannot exceed
Clone. your own Bio Coding Rank and Scale. The zombie cannot ac-
cess any Cognitive Skills except for Awareness, and the only
Requirements: Bio Coding at Fair (+2) Scale 5.
Social Skills it can use are Provocation and Style. It will follow
Effects: Once per significant milestone, you may spend a your intent, even without verbal commands. It lasts until the

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next minor milestone. Prerequisites: [Scale 5] Organic Facsimile or [Scale 5] Spore

Puppet.
At Scale 6, you can target large corpses; At Scale 7, you can Requirements: Bio Coding at Good (+3) Scale 6.
target huge corpses; At Scale 8, you can target colossal corpses.
Effects: Once you have a created bio elemental, organic facsim-
ile, or spore puppet in play, you may at any point choose to det-
[SCALE 5] THORNED GUARDIAN onate it. This will destroy the elemental or facsimile, but cause
You grow vines from your surroundings and wrap them around an immediate poison hazard targeting up to a maximum num-
your allies, giving them all the benefits of your armor of life. ber of zones in radius as determined by your coding range. The
hazard uses your normal Bio Coding attack traits.
Prerequisites: [Scale 2] Armor of Life.
Requirements: Bio Coding at Fair (+2) Scale 5. [SCALE 7] CREATE BIO RIFT
Effects: Once per minor milestone, when activating Armor of You draw a tremendous amount of power into yourself and ex-
Life, you may choose to extend its effects to all willing allies plode it outwards, using your own body as its epicenter. This
within your coding range. This will last for the full scene or overwhelms the Nanite Matrix, tearing open a bio rift that will
until they leave your coding range. If they already benefit from continue to feed bio rift energy into the surrounding landscape.
another equivalent coding armor, like Ice Armor (p. XX), the
target’s player chooses if they want the new armor to overwrite Prerequisites: [Scale 4] Create Bio Elemental; [Scale 5] Lush
the old. They do not stack. Forest.
Requirements: Bio Coding at Great (+4) Scale 7.
[SCALE 6] ABSORB BIO ELEMENTAL Effects: Once per major milestone, you may spend a Charge
You absorb a bio elemental into yourself, becoming one with its or take a Stress to create a persistent bio rift in a location. This
powers. You adopt some of the elemental’s features for as long as rift will continously create bio-based rift energy that affects the
you remain one. landscape out to a range as if affected by Lush Forest. Make a
Bio Coding attack against all creatures within this range; if any
Prerequisites: [Scale 3] Shape Other; [Scale 4] Create Bio El- of them are taken out by this attack, they are converted to wild
emental. bio elementals that will feed off the rift (this does not apply to
Requirements: Bio Coding at Good (+3) Scale 6. riftans or Machineborn).
Effects: When defeating a bio elemental, you may spend a
Charge or take a Stress to absorb it into yourself. If you target Someone with Scale 5+ in Engineering could create a rift facil-
your own created elementals, you don’t have to defeat them ity upon this location to harness the rift’s power. Without such
first. Absorbing an elemental automatically activates mutate a facility in place, the rift will continue to mutate the landscape.
(p. XX) but with an additional (Bio Coding Rank) to the total
Cost. These additional mutations must have similar properties [SCALE 7] PANDEMIC
to the nature of the absorbed elemental, and they prolong the Your bio coding attacks spread toxic spores that latch onto fresh
duration to the next minor milestone, unless you choose to rid cadavers, overtaking their brains and controlling their actions.
yourself of them before that.
Prerequisites: [Scale 5] Spore Puppet.
[SCALE 6] AURA OF LIFE Requirements: Bio Coding at Good (+3) Scale 7.
You radiate a wave of bio rift energy that cauterizes bleedings, Effects: Whenever a creature dies from your Bio Coding at-
eases swellings, and stitches wounds. tacks, hazards, or spore puppets while in the same zone as one
of your spore puppets, you may choose to have that creature
Prerequisites: [Scale 3] Mend Self; [Scale 4] Improved Healing. rise again as a new spore puppet under your control.
Requirements: Bio Coding at Good (+3) Scale 6.
Effects: You can use the prerequisite to heal as many as you At Scale 8, all of your spore puppets will now last until the next
want within your coding range, but doing so cuts the number significant instead of minor milestone.
of Stress boxes you can heal in half, rounded up. A target can
be healed this way once per scene, and it doesn’t count towards [SCALE 7] RESURRECT
the once per minor milestone cap of the single-target healing. You may bring someone back from the dead. This Coding Proto-
col is almost identical to the Treatment Feature Revival (p. XX).
At Scale 8, you can spend a Charge to automatically restore If you have both, you can use them both for extra resurrections.
one Stress box every round in a conflict (or minute outside of
a conflict) to anyone you want within your coding range. This Prerequisites: [Scale 6] Aura of Life.
lasts for the scene. Requirements: Bio Coding at Great (+4) Scale 7.
Effects: Once per major milestone, you can spend a Charge or
[SCALE 6] DETONATE CLONE take a Stress to resurrect someone who has died. If their body is
Any clones or elementals created by your bio coding are ticking largely intact, the resurrection is instantaneous. However, you
bombs, waiting to be detonated. can resurrect someone from a mere tissue sample as well; it

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 takes an hour for the target to grow from the sample, and their [SCALE 1] CREATE ICE
memories are from the point when they lost the tissue. You manipulate water in your surroundings and freeze it, creat-
ing ice from seemingly nowhere.
Resurrecting someone from a tissue sample works even if they
are still alive, effectively creating a clone. If they are Machine- Requirements: Cryo Coding at Mediocre (±0) Scale 1.
born, the clone comes back human if the Nanite Matrix senses Effects: Once per scene, you may choose to spend a Charge
their original self still being alive. Should their original self be or take a Stress to manifest persistent ice within your coding
dead, they can be resurrected with their Machineborn activa- range. You can shape it after your specifications, such as block-
tion, at Narrator discretion. ing an area with a wall of ice or causing frozen spikes to emerge
out of thin air. Any hazards (p. XX) or blocks (p. XX) created
At Scale 8, you can now resurrect someone every significant this way uses your normal Cryo Coding traits. However, you
milestone. In addition, growing from a tissue sample is now may choose to materialize ice and snow with lesser traits if you
instantaneous as well. want to avoid creating something too hard to deal with.

[SCALE 8] ABSORB BIO RIFT [SCALE 1] CRYO BOLT

You draw a rift into yourself, ending its overwhelming muta- By clenching your fist, you cause nanites surrounding your hand
tions, and calming the area of its energy. Instead, it lingers as a to turn into a frozen sphere that you can hurl at your target.
core within your own self, feeding energy into your coding.
Requirements: Cryo Coding at Mediocre (±0) Scale 1.
Prerequisites: [Scale 6] Absorb Bio Elemental; [Scale 7] Create Effects: Your Cryo Coding effects have +1 Range. When using
Bio Rift. Cryo Coding to attack a single target, you may choose to treat
Requirements: Bio Coding at Superb (+5) Scale 8. the attack as a normal ranged attack, using Ranged Combat in-
Effects: Once per major milestone, you may spend a Charge stead if higher. When doing so, the target can choose to defend
or take a Stress to absorb a bio rift into yourself. The rift dis- using Acrobatics.
appears permanently from its place, powering you up until the
next significant milestone. All of your Bio Coding Protocols If there is a source of cold within range of your Coding Skill,
that cost a Charge or a Stress to activate can now be activated you may choose to use that source as the attack’s origin point.
for free. In addition, your coding range is doubled, you gain This could let you extend the attack range even further, but you
+1 Harm on your Bio Coding attacks, and you become fully must still be able to perceive your target, and you still suffer a
immune to Poison Harm. ranged penalty to the attack roll based on your own position.

At Scale 3, when firing your cryo bolt from a separate source of

cold, you can use that source’s location as the attack’s origin for
CRYO CODING the purpose of ranged penalties.

[SCALE 1] COOL At Scale 5, your cryo bolts adopt the Homing property (p. XX),
By cooling a creature, you slow down its heartbeat and helps it allowing them to curve around covers and corners. If the target
calm, even under tremendous pressure. is clearly within your line of sight, you gain a free invocation
on the attack.
Requirements: Cryo Coding at Mediocre (±0) Scale 1.
Effects: Once per target per minor milestone, you may spend a At Scale 7, you gain +2 instead of +1 to Range. In addition, you
Charge to restore two Stress caused by mental harm, or ignore ignore one ranged penalty on your Cryo Coding effects.
the effects of a Mild Mental Consequence for the scene. You
may target yourself. [SCALE 1] FROZEN RETALIATION
Whenever someone makes skin-to-skin contact with you, they
At Scale 3, you can choose to either restore four Stress caused feel an unpleasant cold sensation. If you don’t like their touch,
by mental harm, restore two Stress and ignore a Mild Mental you can let them know in a painful way.
Consequence, or ignore a Moderate Mental Consequence.
Requirements: Cryo Coding at Mediocre (±0) Scale 1.
At Scale 5, you can choose to either restore six Stress caused Effects: Whenever you’re the target of a successful physical at-
by mental harm, restore four Stress and ignore a Mild Mental tack that inflicts at least one Stress, you may spend a Charge or
Consequence, restore two Stress and ignore a Moderate Mental take a Stress to make an immediate Cryo Coding attack against
Consequence, or ignore a Severe Mental Consequence. the attacker, assuming they are within your coding range.

At Scale 7, you can choose to either restore eight Stress caused At Scale 3, this becomes free once per round; At Scale 5, you
by mental harm, restore six Stress and ignore a Moderate Men- may activate this Coding Protocol even if the successful attack
tal Consequence, restore four Stress and ignore a Severe Men- didn’t cause you any Stress; At Scale 7, you may also activate it
tal Consequence, restore six Stress and ignore a Mild Mental in response to failed attacks.
Consequence, or ignore an Extreme Mental Consequence.

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[SCALE 1] ICE SWORD At Scale 3, you benefit from a +1 attack bonus even if you split
You gather water from the atmosphere, shape it into a sword, and into three attacks; At Scale 5, you gain the bonus even if you
cool it until it’s coated by rime and snow. split into four attacks; At Scale 7, you gain it at five attacks.
Requirements: Cryo Coding at Mediocre (±0) Scale 1.
[SCALE 2] ICE ARMOR
Effects: Spend a Charge or take a Stress to give yourself Ice
You draw in water from the atmosphere or from surrounding
Sword for the scene. This is a Close Combat weapon that in-
water sources and freeze it around you as a protective shell. The
flicts both Cryo Harm and Sharp Harm, and that can be used
ice freezes the air around it, cooling the area.
with either Close Combat or Cryo Coding. It uses your normal
Cryo Coding attack traits with the exception of Range. Finally, Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Create Ice.
its attacks ignore (Cryo Coding Scale) Soak.
Requirements: Cryo Coding at Average (+1) Scale 2.
Effects: Spend a Charge or take a Stress to gain the Ice Armor
[SCALE 1] SKATE
Aspect which lasts for the scene. This provides a +2 Effect Soak
By producing frost underneath your feet, you may skate across
against Cryo, Blunt, Sharp, and Projectile Harm.
the ground.

Requirements: Cryo Coding at Mediocre (±0) Scale 1. At Scale 4, your unarmed attacks inflict Cryo Harm if they
didn’t already. Either create a Mediocre (±0) Scale 1 cryo haz-
Effects: Double your movement speed (p. XX) and gain a free ard in your zone, increase the Scale of an existing cryo hazard
invocation on movement speed-related actions, such as chas- by one (to maximum 8), or reduce the Scale of an existing pyro
es. You may choose to calculate movement speed using Cryo hazard or block by one (reducing it to 0 would remove it).
Coding instead of Athletics (if higher). In addition, you can
ignore friction-based Situation Aspects such as Slippery Floor. At Scale 6, the armor’s Effect Soak is applied against the harm
types of all physical attacks. You may add one additional Scale
At Scale 4, you triple your movement speed instead, and gain
to cryo hazards in your zone, or to the number by which you
a second invocation to speed-related actions; At Scale 7, you
reduce a present pyro hazard or block. Alternatively, you may
quadruple your movement speed and gain a third invocation.
split the two, adding +1 to a cryo hazard and –1 to a pyro effect.

[SCALE 2] CRYOGENIC STASIS At Scale 8, the armor’s Effect Soak increases from +2 to +4. You
You cool a target and place them in a cryogenic stasis, effectively may now add a third Scale bonus or penalty to the mix.
freezing them in time.
[SCALE 2] KEEPING IT COOL
Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Cool.
Your ability to manipulate coldness has taught you how to emu-
Requirements: Cryo Coding at Average (+1) Scale 2. late that to keep your own temper in check.
Effects: Spend a Charge or take a Stress to put a willing or un-
conscious target in a cryogenic stasis. A target in stasis is inca- Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Cool.
pacitated and unconscious. They do not age, breathe, or need Requirements: Cryo Coding at Average (+1) Scale 2.
nutrients, and any acting ailments freeze for the duration. They
Effects: You gain +1 to Mental Soak. You may spend a Charge
are effectively suspended in time.
or take a Stress to grant this benefit to another willing target
within your coding range for a scene.
You decide upon using this Protocol how long the stasis will
last. It will not thaw naturally unless exposed to a heat-based
At Scale 4, the bonus becomes +2; At Scale 6, it becomes +3; At
effect with a Scale higher than your Cryo Coding Scale.
Scale 8, it becomes +4.

[SCALE 2] FREEZING SPRAY

[SCALE 2] SOLID ICE
Your cryo attacks shatter upon impact, spraying frozen shards in
You touch an object made of ice and making it denser, temporar-
its vicinity.
ily increasing its durability.
Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Cryo Bolt or [Scale 1] Ice Sword.
Requirements: Cryo Coding at Average (+1) Scale 2.
Requirements: Cryo Coding at Average (+1) Scale 2.
Effects: Spend a Charge or take a Stress to add the Solid Aspect
Effects: Your cryo bolts or ice swords can now make sweeping to an object made of ice, such as an Ice Sword, Ice Armor, or
attacks (p. XX). This lets you divide the result of your attack frozen pond. If the ice can be used for harm, it gains +1 Harm.
roll to affect several enemies within the same zone. However, If it can be attacked, it gains +1 Soak. This lasts for the scene.
unlike normal sweeping attacks, if you divide the attack into
two, each one benefits from a +1 attack bonus. This means that The bonus is +2 at Scale 4, +3 at Scale 6, and +4 at Scale 8.
instead of splitting a Great (+4) result into two Fair (+2) re-
sults, it is split into two Good (+3) results. You must announce
[SCALE 2] REFLECTION
your intent to divide the attack prior to making the initial roll.
When creating ice, you use cryo rift energy to polish it until it

348
becomes as smooth as diamond and as clear as a mirror. Prerequisites: [Scale 3] Encased in Ice.
Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Create Ice. Requirements: Cryo Coding at Good (+3) Scale 3.
Requirements: Cryo Coding at Average (+1) Scale 2. Effects: Once per minor milestone, you may spend a Charge
or take a Stress to fill an area out to your coding range with
Effects: Spend a Charge or take a Stress when using a Coding Freezing Air. This is treated as a Cryo Coding attack targeting
Protocol to create ice in some form, such as when using the everyone in range with a hazard, except for yourself. A target
prerequisite or when activating Ice Armor (see above). The ice who suffers at least one Stress from this hazard is Encased in Ice
gains +2 Effect Soak against all energy-based attacks, including as per the prerequisite.
fire. This stacks with the Effect Soak from Ice Armor.
You make the attack roll every round for as long as the Situa-
You may freely alter the nature of reflected imagery, such as to tion Aspect remains, or until the end of the scene (whichever
make a person see themselves differently, showing something comes first). For each following round, the hazard spreads to
entirely new, or using the mirror to display your own thoughts any adjacent zones it can reach, out to a maximum distance
and messages. equal to twice your coding range.
At Scale 4, you may target any reflective surface, even those At Scale 5, you may spare your allies from the effects; At Scale
who aren’t made of ice. A targeted surface gains a faint layer 7, you may have the cloud follow you as you move.
of rime that can be felt upon touch. In addition, if the mirror
successfully defends against an energy-based attack, you can
spend a Charge or take a Stress to redirect the attack out to [SCALE 3] FREEZING WAVE
your coding range. Replace the attack roll with your own Cryo You summon a powerful wave of frost and hurl it at your ene-
Coding Skill, but maintain the original attack’s harm traits. mies, freezing them to the bone.

At Scale 6, when redirecting an energy-based attack, you may Prerequisites: [Scale 2] Freezing Spray.
choose to shatter the mirror in order to redirect it to as many Requirements: Cryo Coding at Fair (+2) Scale 3.
valid targets as you want within your coding range. The scat- Effects: Spend a Charge or take a Stress to create a wave of
tered fragments can redirect the energy outside of your line of frost that originates from your position and targets everyone
sight. This is considered a hazard. in a (Rank) meter wide line in front of you, out to a number
of zones equal to twice your coding range. The attack is con-
At Scale 8, if the mirror defended with style, you no longer sidered a cryo hazard (p. XX) and is defended against using
need to pay to redirect the energy. Fortitude. Any target caught in the attack, whether they suffer
Stress or not, become Frozen.
[SCALE 3] ENCASED IN ICE
When freezing a target with your cryo coding, you may choose This attack can only be used once per scene, unless there is
to increase its potency to quickly encase a target in a layer of ice. a persistent cryo hazard present. You may then perform the
attack an additional number of times equal to the Scale rating
Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Create Ice; [Scale 2] Cryogenic Stasis. of that hazard. However, with each extra use, the hazard’s Scale
Requirements: Cryo Coding at Fair (+2) Scale 3. is reduced by one.
Effects: Once per target per scene, when using a Cryo Coding
attack to inflict Stress upon a target, you may spend a Charge [SCALE 3] FROST COATING
or take a Stress to make them Encased in Ice for up to (Cryo You coat your body in a layer of ice, both providing additional
Coding Scale) rounds in a conflict (or minutes outside of a protection and acts like camouflage in frozen landscapes.
conflict). A target suffering from this Aspect is physically in-
capacitated for the duration, but they may try to break out by Prerequisites: [Scale 2] Ice Armor; [Scale 2] Solid Ice.
rolling Athletics against your Cryo Coding. Requirements: Cryo Coding at Fair (+2) Scale 3.
Effects: Whenever you have Ice Armor and Solid Ice active on
The ice has a number of Stress boxes equal to your Cryo Cod- yourself at the same time, you may use Cryo Coding instead of
ing Rank and an Effect Soak equal to your Cryo Coding Scale. Stealth (if higher) to hide in snow and ice. You also gain a free
Any attempt to break the target free or harm them must first invocation on such a roll. If you also use Reflection (p. XX) on
bypass this protection. yourself, you can use these benefits to hide in all environments,
even in bright light.
If your attack takes out (p. XX) the target, you may use this
Protocol to trap the target in a cryogenic stasis instead of kill- At Scale 5, you gain a second invocation; At Scale 7, you gain
ing them. a third.

[SCALE 3] FREEZING BREATH [SCALE 3] HYPOTHERMIA

You take a deep breath and exhale a freezing cloud that fills your Your cryo attacks have increased potency, destroying tissue or
surroundings. The cloud lingers in place, freezing everything. weakening components.

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Requirements: Cryo Coding at Mediocre (±0) Scale 3. You can use this Coding Protocol to create (Rank + Scale) el-
Effects: Any Stress inflicted by your Cryo Coding attacks can- ementals at the time. Should you attempt to make more than
not be restored unless the target has undergone a successful that, the older ones will shatter.
treatment action at a difficulty equal to Rank (half the suffered
Stress, rounded up) Scale 1. [SCALE 4] FROZEN MIRROR DANCE
You become one with a frozen mirror, disappearing from the real
[SCALE 3] SLIPPERY ICE world like a cold wind. Mirrors are your pathways through di-
Your freezing attacks spray frost on and around your targets, mensions.
causing the surroundings themselves to freeze, and possibly be-
come slippery. Prerequisites: [Scale 2] Reflection.
Requirements: Cryo Coding at Fair (+2) Scale 4.
Prerequisites: [Scale 2] Freezing Spray. Effects: After having used Reflection upon ice or a mirror large
Requirements: Cryo Coding at Fair (+2) Scale 3. enough to encompass your size, you may spend a Charge or
Effects: Whenever you make a Cryo Coding attack that suc- take a Stress to merge with it. You seemingly become part of the
ceeds with style, you may choose to reduce the inflicted Stress mirror, and may interact with its reflected mirror-landscape,
by one to add Slippery Ice with one free invocation. This covers such as hiding behind reflected cover. In truth, your body has
the ground immediately under and around the target in slip- digitalized, and the mirror reflects a depiction of nitespace.
pery ice, making it hard to traverse and maintain balance. You can be targeted by digital beings while in this space.

Alternatively, spend a Charge or take a Stress to cover an area Interacting with the reflected landscape does not manipulate
out to your coding range with Slippery Ice. realspace. However, should you move through nitespace to an-
other mirror reflected through the first one, you can choose to
exit the second one instead of the one you entered. Shattering
[SCALE 4] CREATE CRYO ELEMENTAL
the mirror you entered through will force you back into real-
Your control over ice lets you mold an elemental like a snowman. space, in addition to causing you a Stress from physical harm.
Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Create Ice.
At Scale 6, you may reach all mirrors that you have used re-
Requirements: Cryo Coding at Average (+1) Scale 4. flection upon as if they were bordering to your own zone. This
Effects: Spend a Charge or take a Stress to create a cryo ele- could let you travel across great distances.
mental (p. XX) with a Cost equal to your Cryo Coding Scale.
The elemental will follow your command until the next signif- At Scale 8, by maintaining physical contact with another tar-
icant milestone, after which it will shatter into shards of ice. get, you may bring them in or out of a mirror. They can freely
choose to return to their native dimension by taking a Stress.

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[SCALE 4] ICE CLONE spikes within your coding range to make an immediate ice
You have created a perfect replica of yourself out of ice, but it sword attack at a target within the same zone as the spikes. You
shatters if it suffers too much harm. may do this attack outside of your own turn, but you cannot
interrupt an ongoing turn.
Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Create Ice; [Scale 1] Frozen Retalia-
tion. At Scale 7, you may spend Charges or takes Stress to make ad-
Requirements: Cryo Coding at Average (+1) Scale 4. ditional ice sword attacks in a round, up to a maximum num-
Effects: Once per scene, when being successfully struck by an ber of attacks equal to the number of Frost Spikes within your
attack that inflicts at least one Stress, you may spend a Charge coding range.
to substitute your body with an identical clone that shatters
into ice fragments. Make an immediate Cryo Coding attack, [SCALE 5] FROZEN DEADLAND
like when using Frozen Retaliation, to anyone within range. You channel a tremendous amount of cryo rift energy to opti-
However, you may also relocate your actual body to an unob- mize the potency of your coding. Once released, you expand
structed location within your coding range. You were actually your ice across a vast area.
there the whole time.
Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Create Ice; [Scale 3] Slippery Ice.
This Coding Protocol can be used again within the scene only Requirements: Cryo Coding at Good (+3) Scale 5.
if you first spend at least one full round in cover, unnoticed by
your enemies. Effects: Once per significant milestone, when creating a Cryo
Coding hazard or block covering a large area, you may choose
to expand your coding range to (Coding Range x 100) meters.
[SCALE 4] THERMAL CLOAK
When wrapping yourself in your ice armor, your body appears At Scale 7, this becomes (Coding Range x 1,000 meters).
cool without negatively affecting your health. This prevents you
from radiating heat, cloaking you from thermal sensors.
[SCALE 5] FROZEN FACSIMILE
Prerequisites: [Scale 3] Frost Coating. You create an identical copy of yourself by shaping ice and snow.
Requirements: Cryo Coding at Good (+3) Scale 4. Prerequisites: [Scale 4] Create Cryo Elemental; [Scale 4] Ice
Effects: When Frost Coating is active, you are invisible to ther- Clone.
mal sensors. In addition, when rolling to hide in a cryo hazard Requirements: Cryo Coding at Fair (+2) Scale 5.
or block, you may use its Scale in place of your own if higher. If
it isn’t higher, you still benefit from a +1 Scale bonus (to maxi- Effects: Once per significant milestone, you may spend a
mum 8) if there is a hazard or block present. Charge or take a Stress to create an exact duplicate of your-
self made of ice. It is impossible to distinguish the clone from
the original without close inspection. The duplicate shares
[SCALE 4] BLIZZARD your personality, memories, and Skills—but it cannot use your
The wind picks up in your freezing air, creating violent snowfalls items, augmentations, Skill Features, Coding Protocols, or oth-
and thick fog. er Coding Skills than Cryo Coding (if you have more).
Prerequisites: [Scale 3] Freezing Breath. The clone acts independently but is loyal to the original. You
Requirements: Cryo Coding at Great (+4) Scale 4. are in control of both characters. It lasts until taken out or until
Effects: Whenever you use the prerequisite, you may choose to the next minor milestone, whichever comes first, after which it
alter the Aspect from Freezing Air to Freezing Blizzard. It fully shatters into ice shards.
obscures the area it covers, preventing anyone caught in it from
relying on their visual senses. This applies to you and your al- You may, once per major milestone, choose to convert a clone
lies as well, but you can naturally sense through the blizzard into an original should the original die.
itself, negating that blindness.
At Scale 7, you can create up to (Rank) copies when using this
At Scale 6, you may invite allies to sense through the blizzard Coding Protocol.
as well, allowing them to act freely despite their lack of vision.
[SCALE 5] FROZEN GUARDIAN
[SCALE 5] FROST SPIKES You create protective ice sheets around your allies, giving them
Wherever you freeze the ground, icicles emerge to stab your foes. the benefits of your ice armor.

Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Ice Sword; [Scale 2] Slippery Ice. Prerequisites: [Scale 2] Ice Armor.
Requirements: Cryo Coding at Good (+3) Scale 5. Requirements: Cryo Coding at Fair (+2) Scale 5.
Effects: Whenever you inflict Slippery Ice upon the scene, you Effects: Once per minor milestone, when activating Ice Armor,
may choose to spend a Charge or take a Stress to imbue it with you may choose to extend its effects to all willing allies within
Frost Spikes. For free once per round, you may use any of your your coding range. This will last for the full scene or until they

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leave your coding range. If they already benefit from another [SCALE 6] ICEBOUND MARIONETTE
equivalent coding armor, like Acidic Armor (p. XX), the target’s Your ability to control frozen targets extend to no longer only en-
player chooses if they want the new armor to overwrite the old. compass unconscious ones in stasis. Instead, anyone who is fro-
They do not stack. zen enough to be encased in ice is a valid target for your strings.

Prerequisites: [Scale 3] Encased in Ice; [Scale 5] Stasis Puppet.

[SCALE 5] STASIS PUPPET
With cryo rift energy filling every pore of someone in cryogenic Requirements: Cryo Coding at Good (+3) Scale 6.
stasis, you can use it as puppet strings to manipulate them. Effects: You may use stasis puppet on targets who are Encased
in Ice. However, these targets remain conscious and can resist
Prerequisites: [Scale 2] Cryogenic Stasis. the control for a round by taking a Stress, or completely by tak-
Requirements: Cryo Coding at Fair (+2) Scale 5. ing a number of Stress equal to the effect’s remaining duration.
Targets remain protected by the ice while steered into action.
Effects: Spend a Charge or take a Stress to control the actions
of a target who is in cryogenic stasis. You may choose to freely At Scale 8, targets can no longer choose to resist for only a sin-
control them for the duration of a scene using their Physical gle round by taking a Stress. They must spend the full cost to
Skills, like when controlling a drone (p. XX). Alternatively, you resist completely, or not at all.
can program them to perform a specific physical task, in which
case they will do so until the task is complete. The target is
still unconscious while controlled and cannot use cogntiive or [SCALE 7] CREATE CRYO RIFT
social actions. Should they suffer Stress from Electrical or Pyro You draw a tremendous amount of power into yourself and ex-
Harm, they become conscious and both the cryogenic stasis plode it outwards, using your own body as its epicenter. This
and your control over them ends. overwhelms the Nanite Matrix, tearing open a cryo rift that will
continue to freeze the surrounding landscape.
At Scale 7, activating this Coding Protocol lets you puppeteer
all targets in cryogenic stasis within range instead of only one. Prerequisites: [Scale 4] Create Cryo Elemental; [Scale 5] Fro-
zen Deadland.
[SCALE 6] ABSORB CRYO ELEMENTAL Requirements: Cryo Coding at Great (+4) Scale 7.
You absorb a cryo elemental into yourself, becoming one with its Effects: Once per major milestone, you may spend a Charge or
powers. You adopt some of the elemental’s features for as long as take a Stress to create a persistent cryo rift in a location. This
you remain one. rift will continously create cryo-based rift energy that affects
the landscape out to a range as if affected by Frozen Deadland.
Prerequisites: [Scale 3] Frost Coating; [Scale 4] Create Cryo Make a Cryo Coding attack against all creatures within this
Elemental. range; if any of them are taken out by this attack, they are con-
Requirements: Cryo Coding at Good (+3) Scale 6. verted to wild cryo elementals that will feed off the rift (this
does not apply to riftans or Machineborn).
Effects: When defeating a cryo elemental, you may spend a
Charge or take a Stress to absorb it into yourself. If you target
Someone with Scale 5+ in Engineering could create a rift facil-
your own created elementals, you don’t have to defeat them
ity upon this location to harness the rift’s power. Without such
first. Absorbing an elemental gives you bionic augmentations
a facility in place, the rift will continue to freeze the landscape.
with a total Cost equal to your Cryo Coding Scale. These mu-
tations have similar properties to the nature of the absorbed el-
emental, and they last until the next minor milestone, or until [SCALE 7] HOUSE OF MIRRORS
you choose to shatter them. You freeze the moisture in the atmosphere to form hundreds of
ice mirrors that are positioned within your surroundings.
[SCALE 6] DETONATE CLONE
Prerequisites: [Scale 4] Frozen Mirror Dance; [Scale 5] Frozen
Any clones or elementals created by your cryo coding can be
Deadland.
shattered at will, causing violent eruptions of frozen shards.
Requirements: Cryo Coding at Great (+4) Scale 7.
Prerequisites: [Scale 4] Frozen Mirror Dance or [Scale 5] Fro- Effects: Once per significant milestone, spend a Charge or take
zen Facsimile. a Stress to fill every corner of every zone out to your coding
Requirements: Cryo Coding at Good (+3) Scale 6. range with ice mirrors as per Reflection (p. XX). The mirrors
are positioned to reflect all possible corners within this range,
Effects: Once you have an ice mirror created with Reflection
with blank spots only being those within potential full covers
(p. XX) or a created cryo elemental or frozen facsimile in play,
or obscure hiding places unknown to you. By looking into any
you may at any point choose to shatter it. This will destroy the
mirror, you can see and distinguish between any possible spot
mirror, elemental, or facsimile, but cause an immediate cryo
within range. Anyone else requires an Awareness Scale of 5+ to
hazard targeting up to a maximum number of zones in radi-
be able to distinguish between reflections in that way.
us as determined by your coding range. The hazard uses your
normal Cryo Coding attack traits.
At Scale 8, you can do this once per minor instead of signif-
icant milestone. In addition, you no longer need to spend a

352
 Charge or take a Stress to use frozen mirror dance to travel be- Requirements: Electrical Coding at Mediocre (±0) Scale 1.
tween mirrors when house of mirrors is active. Effects: Double your movement speed (p. XX) and gain a free
invocation to speed-related actions, such as chases. You may
[SCALE 8] ABSORB CRYO RIFT choose to calculate movement speed using Electrical Coding
You draw a rift into yourself, ending its frigid terror, and calming instead of Athletics (if higher). In addition, you may choose to
the area of its energy. Instead, it lingers as a core within your own use Electrical Coding instead of Acrobatics (if higher) to de-
self, feeding energy into your coding. fend against ranged attacks.

Prerequisites: [Scale 6] Absorb Cryo Elemental; [Scale 7] Cre- At Scale 4, you triple your movement speed instead, and gain
ate Cryo Rift. a second invocation to speed-related actions; At Scale 7, you
Requirements: Cryo Coding at Superb (+5) Scale 8. quadruple your movement speed and gain a third invocation.
Effects: Once per major milestone, you may spend a Charge
or take a Stress to absorb a cryo rift into yourself. The rift dis- [SCALE 1] GENERATOR
appears permanently from its place, powering you up until the You focus electrical energy at a single location, energizing that
next significant milestone. All of your Cryo Coding Protocols spot, and creating a persistent electrical generator.
that cost a Charge or a Stress to activate can now be activated
for free. In addition, your coding range is doubled, you gain Requirements: Electrical Coding at Mediocre (±0) Scale 1.
+1 Harm on your Cryo Coding attacks, and you become fully Effects: Once per scene, you may choose to spend a Charge
immune to Cryo Harm. or take a Stress to manifest a power source within your coding
range that lasts for the scene. This can function as either a haz-
ard (p. XX) or a block (p. XX) that shares your normal Elec-
trical Coding traits, but you can also give it lesser traits if you
ELECTRICAL CODING want something less dramatic. As a secondary benefit, all zones
within your coding range of that power source are considered
[SCALE 1] CHARGED RETALIATION to be within a power grid (p. XX) if they weren’t already.
Whenever someone makes skin-to-skin contact with you, they
feel an unpleasant electrical static. If you don’t like their touch,
[SCALE 1] HOLOGRAPHIC PROJECTION
you can let them know with a painful zap.
Through the use of electricity, you can manipulate nanites in the
Requirements: Electrical Coding at Mediocre (±0) Scale 1. atmosphere to display imagery after your specifications.
Effects: Whenever you’re the target of a successful physical at- Requirements: Electrical Coding at Mediocre (±0) Scale 1.
tack that inflicts at least one Stress, you may spend a Charge or
take a Stress to make an immediate Electrical Coding attack Effects: You may create a holographic projection within your
against the attacker, assuming they are in your coding range. coding range after your specifications, either to display data
from a device or to display your own thoughts and ideas. Roll
At Scale 3, this becomes free once per round; At Scale 5, you Electrical Coding if using the projection to create advantages
may activate this Coding Protocol even if the successful attack or deceive. By spending a Charge or taking a Stress, you can fill
didn’t cause you any Stress; At Scale 7, you may also activate it the area with projections.
in response to failed attacks.
[SCALE 1] LIGHTNING BOLT

[SCALE 1] DANCING WISPS

By clenching your fist, you cause nanites surrounding your hand
You create several electrical wisps that float through the air, illu- to turn into a sphere of surging electricity that you can then hurl
minating the area. at an enemy.

Requirements: Electrical Coding at Mediocre (±0) Scale 1. Requirements: Electrical Coding at Mediocre (±0) Scale 1.

Effects: You may create a number of Light Wisps equal to your Effects: Your Electrical Coding effects have +1 Range. When
Rank and Scale in Electrical Coding (one at Mediocre [±0] using Electrical Coding to attack a single foe, you may choose
Scale 1 and thirteen at Superb [+5] Scale 8). They can move to treat the attack as a normal ranged attack, using Ranged
freely out to your coding range away from you, illuminating Combat instead if higher. When doing so, the target can choose
the zones they are in. However, it’s possible to capture one in a to defend using Acrobatics.
jar, fuel cell, or electrical device to carry it further away from
you than your coding range. They can then be extracted from If there is an electrical source within range of your Coding
its cell to illuminate a single zone for up to a scene. Skill, such as a powered machine, you may choose to use that
source’s location as your attack’s origin point. This could let
you extend the attack range even further, but you must still be
[SCALE 1] ELECTRIFIED NERVES able to perceive your target, and you still suffer a ranged penal-
You send electrical pulses through your nerves, increasing your ty to the attack roll based on your actual position.
overall speed and reaction time.
At Scale 3, when firing your lightning bolt from a separate elec-

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trical source, you can use that source as the true origin of the strong light.
attack for the purpose of ranged penalties.
Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Dancing Wisps.
At Scale 5, your lightning bolts adopt the Homing property (p. Requirements: Electrical Coding at Average (+1) Scale 2.
XX), allowing them to curve around covers and corners. If the Effects: By touching an object and either spending a Charge
target is clearly within your line of sight, you gain a free invo- or taking a Stress, it will emanate strong light in a (Rank) zone
cation on the attack. radius for up to (Scale) hours.

At Scale 7, you gain +2 instead of +1 to Range. In addition, you

[SCALE 2] ELECTRIFIED ARMOR
ignore one ranged penalty on your Electrical Coding effects.
You discharge electrical energy immediately around you, form-
ing a force field of static.
[SCALE 1] LIGHTNING LASH
By charging the air around you and concentrating the energy Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Generator.
into your first, you create a lash of crackling electricity. Requirements: Electrical Coding at Average (+1) Scale 2.
Requirements: Electrical Coding at Mediocre (±0) Scale 1. Effects: Spend a Charge or take a Stress to gain the Electrified
Armor Aspect which lasts for the scene. This provides a +2 Ef-
Effects: Spend a Charge or take a Stress to give yourself Light-
fect Soak against Electrical, Blunt, Sharp, and Projectile Harm.
ning Lash for the scene. This is a Close Combat weapon that
inflicts both Electrical Harm and Sharp Harm, and that can
At Scale 4, the armor can be used offensively. Your unarmed at-
be used with either Close Combat or Electrical Coding. It uses
tacks inflict Electrical Harm if they didn’t already. Any Deplet-
your normal Electrical Coding attack traits with the exception
ed electronics in your possession are automatically recharged
of Range. Instead, it has the Long Reach Aspect (p. XX).
at the beginning of your turn in a conflict (or every minute
outside of a conflict).
If succeeding with style on an attack using the weapon, you
may choose to reduce the inflicted Stress by one to either make
At Scale 6, the armor’s Effect Soak is applied against the harm
the target Grappled or pull it towards you.
types of all physical attacks. You may, once per round, choose
to reflexively and immediately recharge a Depleted electronic
At Scale 4, you can use the lash to attack out to Range 1; At
asset within your coding range.
Scale 7, you can attack out to Range 2.
At Scale 8, the armor’s Effect Soak increases from +2 to +4. You
[SCALE 2] CHARGED PUNCH may, once per round, choose to reflexively and immediately
You channel electrical energy into your nerves to supercharge a recharge as many Depleted electronic assets within your coding
close combat attack. range as you want to.

Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Electrified Nerves.

[SCALE 2] OVERCHARGE
Requirements: Electrical Coding at Average (+1) Scale 2. You channel electrical energy into a device, overwhelming it with
Effects: You may use Electrical Coding in place of Close Com- power until it can no longer hold it.
bat (if higher). If it isn’t higher, you instead gain a +1 bonus to
Close Combat attacks to compensate. By spending a Charge or Requirements: Electrical Coding at Average (+1) Scale 2.
taking a Stress when making a Close Combat attack, you add Effects: If you can perceive an electronic asset (p. XX) within
+1 to Harm as well. your coding range, you may spend a Charge or take a Stress
to use it to shock a target within its zone. Make an Electrical
The bonuses are +2 at Scale 4, +3 at Scale 6, and +4 at Scale 8. Coding attack against the target, ignoring ranged penalties. At
the same time, make a Power roll for the targeted object. If the
[SCALE 2] CONDUCTIVE Power roll fails, add +1 Harm to the attack.
Your electrical coding seeks out conductive materials, making
defending against them especially hard. At Scale 4, a depleted asset now adds Harm based on its Power
rating; +1 for 1-2, +2 for 3-4, and +3 for 5-6.
Requirements: Electrical Coding at Average (+1) Scale 2.
Effects: If a target is wearing a conductive material, such as At Scale 6, if the asset is depleted as a result of this Coding Pro-
metal, they suffer a –1 penalty to any defend rolls made against tocol, you regain the initial Charge or Stress spent to activate it.
your Electrical Coding effects. Both electrical and metal riftans
are considered conductive even if they would be fully naked. At Scale 8, you may (once per minor milestone) target as many
electronic assets as you want within range when activating this
This becomes –2 at Scale 4, –3 at Scale 6, and –4 at Scale 8. Coding Protocol. This transforms the shock into an electrical
hazard that can target as many as you want within range. When
doing so, the Harm bonus becomes +4 regardless of the Power
[SCALE 2] ELECTRIC LIGHT rating of the targeted assets.
You cause an object to buzz with electrical energy, emanating a

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[SCALE 2] SCATTERED CHARGE At Scale 7, you may target any electronic asset that you can
Your electrical attacks scatter into violent arcs upon impact, elec- perceive within your coding range, even those belonging to
trifying other targets in the vicinity. foes. If you target the same asset as you use for Overcharge (see
previous page), failing on the activation roll will also fail the
Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Lightning Bolt or [Scale 1] Lightning overcharge, preventing the Coding Protocol from being used.
Lash.
Requirements: Electrical Coding at Average (+1) Scale 2.
[SCALE 3] CHAIN LIGHTNING
Effects: Your lightning bolts and lashes can now make sweep- Your electrical attacks scatter off your targets and chain towards
ing attacks (p. XX). This lets you divide the result of your attack nearby ones.
roll to affect several enemies within the same zone. However,
unlike normal sweeping attacks, if you divide the attack into Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Lightning Bolt; [Scale 2] Scattered
two, each one benefits from a +1 attack bonus. This means that Charge.
instead of splitting a Great (+4) result into two Fair (+2) re- Requirements: Electrical Coding at Fair (+2) Scale 3.
sults, it is split into two Good (+3) results. You must announce
your intent to divide the attack prior to making the initial roll. Effects: When succeeding with style on a Lightning Bolt attack,
you may choose to reduce the inflicted Stress by one to chain
At Scale 4, you benefit from a +1 attack bonus even if you split the attack towards a different target within your coding range
into three attacks; At Scale 6, you gain the bonus even if you of the initial target. Make a new attack roll against the new tar-
split into four attacks; At Scale 8, you gain it at five attacks. get but at –1 Scale. You may repeat this until the attack either
fails to succeed with style, or until you reach Scale 0.

[SCALE 3] BATTERY
[SCALE 3] FRIED CIRCUITS
You know better than to waste your own energy when you are
surrounded by alternative energy sources. Your electrical attacks have increased potency, damaging nerves
and frying circuits.
Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Generator.
Requirements: Electrical Coding at Mediocre (±0) Scale 3.
Requirements: Electrical Coding at Average (+1) Scale 3.
Effects: Any Stress inflicted by your Electrical Coding attacks
Effects: Instead of spending Charges or taking Stress to acti- cannot be restored unless the target has undergone a successful
vate Electrical Coding effects, you may choose to make a Pow- treatment action at a difficulty equal to Rank (half the suffered
er roll for an electronic asset in your possession. Stress, rounded up) Scale 1.
At Scale 5, you may target electronic assets belonging to willing
allies within your coding range to charge your coding. [SCALE 3] OVERCLOCK
You run electricity through every nerve in your body, super-

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charging your speed. You may accomplish more in less time. (or minutes outside of a conflict), with free invocations as ap-
propriate for create advantage actions.
Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Electrified Nerves.
Requirements: Electrical Coding at Average (+1) Scale 3. By spending a turn to rub or treat one’s eyes, a target can cut
Effects: Once per scene, you may spend a Charge or take a the remaining duration in half, rounded down.
Stress to take a second turn in a conflict round (p. XX). This
cannot interrupt an ongoing turn, instead letting you take At Scale 6, you may render allies immune to this effect; At Scale
yours immediately after. 8, you may double your coding range for the purpose of the
blindness effect.
At Scale 5, you are no longer limited to once per scene, but you
may only take one extra turn per round; At Scale 7, you may [SCALE 4] CREATE ELECTRICAL ELEMENTAL
use this Coding Protocol twice per round. Your control over electricity lets you materialize an elemental of
crackling energy.
[SCALE 3] REMOTE ACCESS
You manipulate the electronics within a targeted device, interact- Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Generator.
ing with it using coding alone. Requirements: Electrical Coding at Average (+1) Scale 4.
Effects: Spend a Charge or take a Stress to create an electrical
Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Holographic Projection. elemental (p. XX) with a Cost equal to your Electrical Coding
Requirements: Electrical Coding at Average (+1) Scale 3. Scale. The elemental will follow your command until the next
Effects: You may use Electrical Coding to make system inter- significant milestone, after which it will fizzle out.
action actions (p. XX) within your coding range. You can either
visualize the data or present it using holographic projections. You can use this Coding Protocol to create (Rank + Scale) el-
ementals at the time. Should you attempt to make more than
that, the older ones will shatter.
[SCALE 3] VIOLENT STORM
You charge every surrounding electron and pull energy out of the
atmosphere itself before weaving it into a violent electrical storm [SCALE 4] DARK STORM CLOUD
in your immediate surroundings. Your electrical storm turns into a thick and dark cloud, obscur-
ing vision for those caught in it.
Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Generator; [Scale 2] Conductive.
Requirements: Electrical Coding at Fair (+2) Scale 3. Prerequisites: [Scale 3] Violent Storm.
Effects: Once per minor milestone, you may spend a Charge Requirements: Electrical Coding at Good (+3) Scale 4.
or take a Stress to fill an area out to your coding range with Effects: Whenever you use the prerequisite, you may choose
Electrical Storm. This is treated as an Electrical Coding attack to alter the Aspect from Electrical Storm to Dark Storm Cloud.
targeting everyone in range with a hazard, except for yourself. It fully obscures the area it covers, preventing anyone caught
All conductive targets caught in the hazard suffer +1 Harm. in it from relying on their visual senses. This applies to you
and your allies as well, but you can naturally sense through the
You make the attack roll every round for as long as the Situa- cloud itself, negating that blindness.
tion Aspect remains, or until the end of the scene (whichever
comes first). For each following round, the hazard spreads to At Scale 6, you may invite allies to sense through the cloud as
any adjacent zones it can reach, out to a maximum distance well, allowing them to act freely despite their lack of vision.
equal to twice your coding range.
[SCALE 4] LIGHTNING CLONE
At Scale 5, you may spare your allies from the effects; At Scale You have created a perfect replica of yourself out of electrical en-
7, you may have the storm follow you as you move. ergy, but it shocks those around it when broken.

[SCALE 4] BLIND Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Charged Retaliation; [Scale 1] Gener-

By supercharging the energy within an object that has been made ator.
bright through your coding, you can cause it to spend all of its Requirements: Electrical Coding at Average (+1) Scale 4.
generated energy into a light bright enough to burn retinas.
Effects: Once per scene, when being successfully struck by an
Prerequisites: [Scale 2] Electric Light. attack that inflicts at least one Stress, you may spend a Charge
to substitute your body with an identical clone that explodes
Requirements: Electrical Coding at Fair (+2) Scale 4. into an electrical shock. Make an immediate Electrical Coding
Effects: If there is an object within your coding range that has attack, like when using Charged Retaliation, to anyone within
been made bright using electric light, you may choose to sacri- range. However, you may also relocate your actual body to an
fice that brightness effect to roll Electrical Coding against the unobstructed location within your coding range. You were ac-
Fortitude of all targets within your coding range capable of tually there the whole time.
sight. Success causes Blindness for (Scale) rounds in a conflict

356
 This Coding Protocol can be used again within the scene only target’s player chooses if they want the new armor to overwrite
if you first spend at least one full round in cover, unnoticed by the old. They do not stack.
your enemies.
[SCALE 5] EXPANDING THE GRID
[SCALE 4] RUINED COMPONENTS You channel a tremendous amount of electrical rift energy to op-
When using your coding to deplete a machine, you completely timize the potency of your coding. Once released, you expand
burn its components. the reach of your generated power.

Prerequisites: [Scale 2] Overcharge; [Scale 3] Fried Circuits. Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Generator; [Scale 3] Chain Lightning.
Requirements: Electrical Coding at Fair (+2) Scale 4. Requirements: Electrical Coding at Good (+3) Scale 5.
Effects: When using Electrical Coding to cause an electronic Effects: Once per significant milestone, when creating an Elec-
asset to be Depleted, you may choose to have it also be Broken. trical Coding hazard or block covering a large area, you may
The asset must be repaired (p. XX) at a difficulty equal to Rank choose to expand your coding range to (Coding Range x 100)
(half your Electrical Coding Scale, rounded up) Scale 1 before meters.
it can be charged again. This does not work on godware.
At Scale 7, this becomes (Coding Range x 1,000 meters).
[SCALE 5] ACCESS GRID
You turn yourself into electrical energy and enter a surrounding [SCALE 5] LIGHTNING FACSIMILE
power grid, using its connections to travel, or as a springboard You create an identical copy of yourself by giving form to elec-
into present electronics. tricity.

Prerequisites: [Scale 3] Overclock; [Scale 3] Remote Access. Prerequisites: [Scale 4] Create Electrical Elemental; [Scale 4]
Requirements: Electrical Coding at Fair (+2) Scale 5. Lightning Clone.
Effects: Spend a Charge or take a Stress to merge with a sur- Requirements: Electrical Coding at Fair (+2) Scale 5.
rounding power grid, letting you move through space as if you Effects: Once per significant milestone, you may spend a
were made of electricity. You cannot be targeted by direct at- Charge or take a Stress to create an exact duplicate of your-
tacks unless the power grid itself is affected, such as by using self made of electricity. It is impossible to distinguish the clone
EMP attacks. However, you suffer one physical Stress for each from the original without close inspection. The duplicate
round (or minute outside of conflicts) you spend in this state. shares your personality, memories, and Skills—but it cannot
You may rematerialize at any point, even outside of your turn. use your items, augmentations, Skill Features, Coding Proto-
cols, or other Coding Skills than Electrical Coding (if you are
While in this state, you may target any electronic asset within in possession of more).
your coding range and attempt to physically enter it by roll-
ing Electrical Coding against its Security. If successful, you can The clone acts independently but is loyal to the original. You
then freely manipulate its electronic features. If an object you are in control of both characters. It lasts until taken out or until
have entered is disabled, depleted, or destroyed, you take one the next minor milestone, whichever comes first, after which it
Stress and is forced to materialize. If you enter a smart device fizzles out with the smell of ozone.
that possess a functionary, it may contest your efforts.
You may, once per major milestone, choose to convert a clone
At Scale 7, you now suffer a Stress for every two rounds (or into an original should the original die.
minutes outside of conflicts) you spend in this state. In addi-
tion, you may reflexively move out to your maximum coding At Scale 7, you can create up to (Rank) copies when using this
range on your turn. If you choose to immediately materialize, Coding Protocol.
this would let you effectively teleport through the power grid.
[SCALE 5] SHOCKING COLLATERAL
[SCALE 5] CHARGED GUARDIAN Your electrical attacks bear the risk of overcharging surrounding
You electrify your surroundings and wrap the energy into pro- electronics, potentially shocking their users.
tective fields around your allies, giving them the benefits of your
elecrified armor. Prerequisites: [Scale 2] Overcharge; [Scale 2] Scattered Charge.
Requirements: Electrical Coding at Fair (+2) Scale 5.
Prerequisites: [Scale 2] Electrified Armor.
Effects: Whenever you make an Electrical Coding attack that
Requirements: Electrical Coding at Fair (+2) Scale 5. succeeds with style against a target, you may choose to reduce
Effects: Once per minor milestone, when activating Electrified the inflicted Stress by one to activate Overcharge on an elec-
Armor, you may choose to extend its effects to all willing allies tronic asset in the target’s possession.
within your coding range. This will last for the full scene or
until they leave your coding range. If they already benefit from [SCALE 6] ABSORB ELECTRICAL ELEMENTAL
another equivalent coding armor, like Ice Armor (p. XX), the You absorb an electrical elemental into yourself, becoming one

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with its powers. You adopt some of the elemental’s features for as Prerequisites: [Scale 4] Create Electrical Elemental; [Scale 5]
long as you remain one. Expanding the Grid.
Prerequisites: [Scale 3] Battery; [Scale 4] Create Electrical El- Requirements: Electrical Coding at Great (+4) Scale 7.
emental. Effects: Once per major milestone, you may spend a Charge or
Requirements: Electrical Coding at Good (+3) Scale 6. take a Stress to create a persistent electrical rift in a location.
This rift will continously create electrical energy that affects the
Effects: When defeating an electrical elemental, you may spend landscape out to a range as if affected by Expanding the Grid.
a Charge or take a Stress to absorb it into yourself. If you target Make an Electrical Coding attack against all creatures within
your own created elementals, you don’t have to defeat them this range; if any of them are taken out by this attack, they are
first. Absorbing an elemental gives you bionic augmentations converted to wild electrical elementals that will feed off the rift
with a total Cost equal to your Electrical Coding Scale. These (this does not apply to riftans or Machineborn).
mutations have similar properties to the nature of the absorbed
elemental, and they last until the next minor milestone, or un- Someone with Scale 5+ in Engineering could create a rift facil-
til you choose to discharge them. ity upon this location to harness the rift’s power. Without such
a facility in place, the rift will continue to charge the landscape.
[SCALE 6] ACCESS NITESPACE
Instead of simply turning yourself to energy, you turn yourself [SCALE 7] THOR’S SMITE
into a stream of data within the Nanite Matrix. You become one with the storm, lingering in the sky while judg-
ing and smiting those beneath you. At your discretion, you may
Prerequisites: [Scale 5] Access Grid.
use the storm to power yourself up before launching yourself to
Requirements: Electrical Coding at Good (+3) Scale 6. the ground, smiting those who stand in your way.
Effects: After having entered a power grid, you may choose to
materialize in nitespace instead of realspace. When doing so, Prerequisites: [Scale 4] Dark Storm Cloud; [Scale 5] Access
you are projected as your avatar (p. XX) with access to your In- Grid; [Scale 5] Expanding the Grid.
terfacing Stress (p. XX). You are no longer considered to be in Requirements: Electrical Coding at Great (+4) Scale 7.
the power grid and will no longer suffer automatic Stress, but Effects: You may now use Access Grid to enter any form of elec-
you may choose to cross back into the power grid on your turn trical hazard or block, and not just power grids. In addition,
without having to reactivate the Coding Protocol. once per minor milestone, you may choose to merge with the
sky itself, creating a persistent thunder storm as an electrical
If you are taken out in a digital conflict (p. XX), you are forced hazard using your Electrical Coding traits (though you can
back into realspace while suffering one physical Stress. If taken choose to reduce those traits if you want to). This cannot be
out in a physical conflict, you may (once per significant mile- used indoors unless the area is large enough to fit a storm.
stone) spend a Charge to digitalize yourself instead, transfering
your body to nitespace as if using this Coding Protocol. You may attack anyone beneath the storm without leaving the
sky, hurling lightning bolts after them. By spending a Charge
At Scale 8, you may choose to become a specter upon death. or taking a Stress, you may propel yourself to the ground, af-
Once you are a specter, you may (once per major milestone), fecting as many targets as you want in the zone where you land
choose to reform yourself in realspace and return to life. with an electrical hazard. By consuming the storm itself, you
may expand this electrical hazard to cover twice your coding
[SCALE 6] DETONATE CLONE range in radius.
Any clones or elementals created by your electrical coding can be
discharged at will, causing violent electrical surges. [SCALE 8] ABSORB ELECTRICAL RIFT
You draw a rift into yourself, ending its charged terror, and calm-
Prerequisites: [Scale 5] Lightning Facsimile.
ing the area of its power. Instead, it lingers as a core within your
Requirements: Electrical Coding at Good (+3) Scale 6. own self, feeding energy into your coding.
Effects: Once you have a created electrical elemental or light-
ning facsimile in play, you may at any point choose to detonate Prerequisites: [Scale 6] Absorb Electrical Elemental; [Scale 7]
it. This will destroy the elemental or facsimile, but cause an Create Electrical Rift.
immediate electrical hazard targeting up to a maximum num- Requirements: Electrical Coding at Superb (+5) Scale 8.
ber of zones in radius as determined by your coding range. The Effects: Once per major milestone, you may spend a Charge or
hazard uses your normal Electrical Coding attack traits. take a Stress to absorb an electrical rift into yourself. The rift
disappears permanently from its place, powering you up until
[SCALE 7] CREATE ELECTRICAL RIFT the next significant milestone. All of your Electrical Coding
You draw a tremendous amount of power into yourself and ex- Protocols that cost a Charge or a Stress to activate can now be
plode it outwards, using your own body as its epicenter. This activated for free. In addition, your coding range is doubled,
overwhelms the Nanite Matrix, tearing open an electrical rift you gain +1 Harm on your Electrical Coding attacks, and you
that will continue to charge the surrounding landscape. become fully immune to Electrical Harm.

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ENTROPIC CODING [SCALE 1] ENTROPIC RETALIATION
Whenever someone makes skin-to-skin contact with you, they
[SCALE 1] CAUSE RUIN feel an unpleasant sensation, as if their skin is drying up. If you
You force particles to decay within a specific area, causing a per- don’t like their touch, you can let them know in a painful way.
sistent state of ruin.
Requirements: Entropic Coding at Mediocre (±0) Scale 1.
Requirements: Entropic Coding at Mediocre (±0) Scale 1. Effects: Whenever you’re the target of a successful physical at-
Effects: Once per scene, you may choose to spend a Charge tack that inflicts at least one Stress, you may spend a Charge
or take a Stress to manifest persistent ruin within your coding or take a Stress to make an immediate Entropic Coding attack
range. You can shape this effect after you specifications, such as against the attacker, assuming they are in your coding range.
creating a hazard (p. XX) that erodes everything caught up in
it, or an environmental block (p. XX) by ruining a structure or At Scale 3, this becomes free once per round; At Scale 5, you
turning a flower field into a mudland. Any hazards or blocks may activate this Coding Protocol even if the successful attack
created this way use your normal Entropic Coding traits. How- didn’t cause you any Stress; At Scale 7, you may also activate it
ever, you may choose to cause ruin with lesser traits if you want in response to failed attacks.
to avoid creating something too hard to deal with.
[SCALE 1] REFRESH
[SCALE 1] DARKNESS You revert a target into an earlier state of existence.
Entropy leads to the end of all things, and its coders thrive in
darkness. You may now target light itself, banning it from your Requirements: Entropic Coding at Mediocre (±0) Scale 1.
presence. Effects: Spend a Charge to restore (Rank + Scale) Stress boxes
caused by physical harm to a target within your coding range.
Requirements: Entropic Coding at Mediocre (±0) Scale 1. Alternatively, treat Physical Consequences instead of restoring
Effects: Spend a Charge or take a Stress to instantly remove all Stress boxes at a rate equal to the value of those Consequences
artificial light sources within your coding range. This includes (two for Mild, four for Moderate, and six for Severe). By dou-
holograms and monitors, but not candles or fireplaces. If the bling this cost (four for Mild, eight for Moderate, and twelve
light source is created by cosmic coding or godware, you must for Severe), you both treat and remove the Consequence.
first succeed on a contested roll against that effect. This lasts for
the remainder of the scene, or until you choose to end it. A target can only be restored by this Coding Protocol once per
minor milestone. It can be used on yourself.
At Scale 3, you may now also target fire-based light sources
originating from pyro effects that have a Scale at least two low- [SCALE 1] VOID BOLT
er than your Entropic Coding Scale. This does not remove the By clenching your fist, you cause nanites surrounding your hand
flames or heat, only their emanated light. to turn into a black sphere of complete nothingness that you can
then hurl at an enemy.
At Scale 5, you may now also target natural visual light sourc-
es, like sunlight or reflected light. This turns the area entirely Requirements: Entropic Coding at Mediocre (±0) Scale 1
pitch-black, forcing people to rely on other senses. Effects: Your Entropic Coding effects have +1 Range. When
using Entropic Coding to attack a single foe, you may choose to
At Scale 7, you may now choose to also target light from the treat the attack as a normal ranged attack, using Ranged Com-
infrared and ultraviolet spectrums, rendering them invisible bat instead if higher. When doing so, the target can choose to
within your darkness. defend using Acrobatics.

[SCALE 1] DECAY If there is a source of entropy within range of your Coding Skill,
By focusing your entropic energies onto individual objects in such as a rotting corpse, you may choose to use that source as
your vicinity, you break apart the atoms within, causing them to the origin point for your attack. This could let you extend the
wither away. attack range even further, but you must still be able to perceive
your target, and you still suffer a ranged penalty to the attack
Requirements: Entropic Coding at Mediocre (±0) Scale 1. roll based on your actual position.
Effects: Spend a Charge or take a Stress to instantly decay an
object within your coding range. An organic object (like food At Scale 3, when firing your void bolt from a separate entropic
or a corpse) may decompose. Inorganic ones (like an enemy’s source, you can use that source’s location as the attack’s origin
weapon) may rust, weaken, or break. It can’t break godware. for the purpose of ranged penalties.

When trying to damage an inorganic object, it loses properties At Scale 5, your void bolts adopt the Homing property (p. XX),
or adds flaws equivalent to your Entropic Coding Scale. If you allowing them to curve around covers and corners. If the target
target an object in possession or active use by someone else, is clearly within your line of sight, you gain a free invocation
they may defend as if targeted by an Entropic Coding attack. on the attack.

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At Scale 7, you gain +2 instead of +1 to Range. In addition, you does not work if the object has a Cost higher than the highest
ignore one ranged penalty on your Entropic Coding effects. of your Entropic Coding Rank or Scale.

[SCALE 1] VOID LASH At Scale 4, you may target objects of large size; At Scale 6, you
You concentrate entropy through the air until it forms a deadly may target objects of huge size; At Scale 8, you may target ob-
whip of black void in your hand. jects of colossal size.

Requirements: Entropic Coding at Mediocre (±0) Scale 1. [SCALE 2] EXPANDED HORIZON

Effects: Spend a Charge or take a Stress to give yourself Void Your entropic attacks are charged upon impact, expanding their
Lash for the scene. This is a Close Combat weapon that inflicts event horizon to pull and rip at other targets in the vicinity.
both Entropic Harm and Sharp Harm, and that can be used
with either Close Combat or Entropic Coding. It uses your Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Void Bolt or [Scale 1] Void Lash.
normal Entropic Coding attack traits with the exception of Requirements: Entropic Coding at Average (+1) Scale 2.
Range. Instead, it has the Long Reach Aspect (p. XX). Effects: Your void bolts and lashes can now make sweeping at-
tacks (p. XX). This lets you divide the result of your attack roll
If succeeding with style on an attack using the weapon, you to affect several enemies within the same zone. However, un-
may choose to reduce the inflicted Stress by one to either make like normal sweeping attacks, if you divide the attack into two,
the target Grappled or pull it towards you. each one benefits from a +1 attack bonus. This means that in-
stead of splitting a Great (+4) result into two Fair (+2) results,
At Scale 4, you can use the lash to attack out to Range 1; At it is split into two Good (+3) results. You must announce your
Scale 7, you can attack out to Range 2. intent to divide the attack prior to making the initial roll.

[SCALE 2] BLACK HOLE At Scale 4, you benefit from a +1 attack bonus even if you split
You form a miniature black hole that swallows up an object, ef- into three attacks; At Scale 6, you gain the bonus even if you
fectively removing it from existence. The black hole dissipates split into four attacks; At Scale 8, you gain it at five attacks.
after the object is gone, scattering its energy into the cosmos.
[SCALE 2] INVERTED EYES
Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Darkness; [Scale 1] Decay. Your resonance with darkness have attuned you to it, leaving a
Requirements: Entropic Coding at Average (+1) Scale 2. lasting mutation within your eyes.
Effects: When using Decay on an object no larger than medi-
um size (p. XX), you may choose to absorb it into a miniature Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Darkness.
black hole, removing all evidence of it ever having existed. This Requirements: Entropic Coding at Average (+1) Scale 2.

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 Effects: You have access to your full visual senses even in com- coding range, turning them into a specter as well.
plete darkness, including the ability to see color.
[SCALE 2] VOID ARMOR
At Scale 4, you may spend a Charge or take a Stress to share
You surround yourself in an entropic energy, ripping and tearing
this power with another a willing ally within your coding
at anything that comes into contact with you.
range. This lets them see in darkness as well for the remainder
of the scene or until they leave your coding range. Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Decay.
At Scale 6, you may spend the activation cost once to grant Requirements: Entropic Coding at Average (+1) Scale 2.
the power to as many willing targets as you want within your Effects: Spend a Charge or take a Stress to gain the Void Armor
coding range. Aspect which lasts for the scene. This provides a +2 Effect Soak
against Entropic, Blunt, Sharp, and Projectile Harm.
At Scale 8, affected targets may leave your coding range with-
out losing the benefits. At Scale 4, your unarmed attacks inflict Entropic Harm if they
didn’t already. Once per round, you may apply Decay (p. XX)
[SCALE 2] REJUVENATE for free on an object you come in physical contact with.
When you reverse entropy in a willing target, you may choose to
rejuvenate their cells and restore their bodies to a younger stage. At Scale 6, the armor’s Effect Soak is applied against the harm
types of all physical attacks. You may now apply Decay on all
Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Refresh. objects you come in contact with, and not just once per round.
Requirements: Entropic Coding at Average (+1) Scale 2.
At Scale 8, the armor’s Effect Soak increases from +2 to +4.
Effects: When using Refresh on a target, they may choose to You now no longer need to have physical contact with objects
be rejuvenated up to (Entropic Coding Rank + Scale) years. in your zone to automatically decay them. Instead, choose how
Once per target per significant milestone, unless they suffer an many of those objects you want to affect each round.
unwanted aging effect—it can always be restored.
[SCALE 3] DANCE MACABRE
[SCALE 2] TIMELESS When placing someone in a timeless sleep, you may choose to
You touch a target, preventing their cells from breaking and their separate their conscious mind and letting it roam free.
atoms from decaying. They are rendered timeless.
Prerequisites: [Scale 2] Timeless; [Scale 2] Torment.
Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Refresh.
Requirements: Entropic Coding at Fair (+2) Scale 3.
Requirements: Entropic Coding at Average (+1) Scale 2.
Effects: When using Timeless on a target, you may choose to
Effects: Spend a Charge or take a Stress to put a willing or un- have their mind become a specter (p. XX) for the duration.
conscious target in a timeless state. A target in this state is in- Once awakened, their mind and body become one again.
capacitated and unconscious. They do not age, breathe, or need
nutrients, and any acting ailments cease for the duration. They
[SCALE 3] END TIMES’ GRASP
are effectively suspended in time. When used on a corpse, it
prevents it from rotting. You summon a powerful wave of black tendrils that grasp at your
enemies, draining vitality from them and reminding them that
You decide upon using this Protocol how long the state will their end will come.
last. However, you must also declare a narrative Hurdle (p. XX)
Prerequisites: [Scale 2] Expanded Horizon.
that someone else can overcome to end the effects. Examples
include bringing the timeless target to a place of comfort, hav- Requirements: Entropic Coding at Fair (+2) Scale 3.
ing them be kissed by the love of their life, or having someone Effects: Spend a Charge or take a Stress to create a wave of
who hated them cry for them. black tendrils that originates from your position and targets
everyone in a (Rank) meter wide line in front of you, out to
The nature of the Hurdle can be uncovered by someone with a number of zones equal to twice your coding range. The at-
appropriate Education or Investigation at Narrator discretion. tack is considered an entropic hazard (p. XX) and is defended
against using Fortitude. Any target caught in the attack, wheth-
[SCALE 2] TORMENT er they suffer Stress or not, are aged a number of years equal to
You bear the power of the Voidstar, allowing you to draw the (your Entropic Scale + inflicted Stress). If this would age them
souls out of the damned and trap them in the Nanite Matrix. beyond their natural lifespan, they fall dead.

Requirements: Entropic Coding at Average (+1) Scale 2 This attack can only be used once per scene, unless there is
an entropic hazard present. You may then do it an additional
Effects: When killing a target using Entropic Coding, you may
number of times equal to the Scale rating of that hazard. How-
choose to turn their conscious mind into a specter (p. XX)
ever, with each extra use, the hazard’s Scale is reduced by one.
trapped in the Nanite Matrix. Alternatively, spend a Charge or
take a Stress while someone dies (from any cause) within your

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 CHAPTER 7: COSMIC CODING

[SCALE 3] PERSISTENT DECAY are obscured, and you may use Entropic Coding instead of
Your entropic attacks have increased potency, decaying the target Stealth (if higher) to hide in darkness. You also gain a free in-
and shortening its lifespan. vocation on such a roll.
Requirements: Entropic Coding at Mediocre (±0) Scale 3 At Scale 5, you gain a second invocation; At Scale 7, you gain
Effects: Any Stress inflicted by your Entropic Coding attacks a third.
cannot be restored unless the target has undergone a successful
treatment action at a difficulty equal to Rank (half the suffered
[SCALE 3] WITHERED SOIL
Stress, rounded up) Scale 1.
Your entropic attacks decay all it touches, causing harm not only
to the target but to the surrounding area.
[SCALE 3] RESTORE SELF
When wrapped in your void armor, you are reinvigorated and Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Cause Ruin; [Scale 2] Expanded Ho-
restored by destroying that which is around you. rizon.
Requirements: Entropic Coding at Fair (+2) Scale 3.
Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Refresh; [Scale 2] Void Armor.
Effects: Whenever you make an Entropic Coding attack that
Requirements: Entropic Coding at Fair (+2) Scale 3. succeeds with style, you may choose to reduce the inflicted
Effects: Once per minor milestone, when you have Void Armor Stress by one to add Withered Soil with one free invocation.
active, you may choose to activate this Protocol. Once active, This ruins the ground immediately under and around the tar-
you restore one Stress caused by physical harm each round in get, making it difficult to traverse and possibly fragile.
a conflict, or every minute outside of a conflict. If you have an
untreated Mild Physical Consequence, it will be treated on the Alternatively, spend a Charge or take a Stress to cover an area
first round before any Stress is restored. out to your coding range with Withered Soil.

At Scale 5, the armor can now treat a Moderate Physical Con-

[SCALE 4] CONSUMING VOID
sequence on the first round, before proceeding to any Mild
You transform your rotten cloud into a consuming void, a cos-
Physical Consequences or Stress; At Scale 7, the restoration can
mic blackness that swallows everything within.
now start with a Severe Physical Consequence.
Prerequisites: [Scale 3] Rotten Breath.
[SCALE 3] ROTTEN BREATH Requirements: Entropic Coding at Good (+3) Scale 4.
You take a deep breath and exhale a rotting cloud that fills your
Effects: Whenever you use the prerequisite, you may choose to
surroundings. The cloud lingers in place, decaying everythin.
alter the Aspect from Rotten Cloud to Consuming Void. It ful-
Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Cause Ruin; [Scale 2] Black Hole. ly obscures the area it covers in blackness, preventing anyone
caught in it from relying on their visual senses. This applies to
Requirements: Entropic Coding at Fair (+2) Scale 3. you and your allies as well, but you can naturally sense through
Effects: Once per minor milestone, you may spend a Charge or the void itself, negating that blindness.
take a Stress to fill an area out to your coding range with Rotten
Cloud. This is treated as an Entropic Coding attack targeting At Scale 6, you may invite allies to sense through the void as
everyone in range with a hazard, except for yourself. Any tar- well, allowing them to act freely despite their lack of vision.
get killed this way withers away into nothingness, leaving no
traces behind.
[SCALE 4] CREATE VOID ELEMENTAL
Your control over entropy lets you materialize an elemental com-
You make the attack roll every round for as long as the Situa-
posed of shadow and death.
tion Aspect remains, or until the end of the scene (whichever
comes first). For each following round, the hazard spreads to Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Cause Ruin.
any adjacent zones it can reach, out to a maximum distance
equal to twice your coding range. Requirements: Entropic Coding at Average (+1) Scale 4.
Effects: Spend a Charge or take a Stress to create a void el-
At Scale 5, you may spare your allies from the effects; At Scale emental (p. XX) with a Cost equal to your Entropic Coding
7, you may have the cloud follow you as you move. Scale. The elemental will follow your command until the next
significant milestone, after which it will fizzle out.
[SCALE 3] SHADOW CLOAK
You can use this Coding Protocol to create (Rank + Scale) el-
Your void armor now wraps you in a black smoke, obscuring
ementals at the time. Should you attempt to make more than
your features and blending you in with darkness.
that, the older ones will shatter.
Prerequisites: [Scale 2] Inverted Eyes; [Scale 2] Void Armor.
Requirements: Entropic Coding at Fair (+2) Scale 3. [SCALE 4] IMPROVED RESTORATION
The potency of your restoration has improved drastically, allow-
Effects: Whenever you have Void Armor active, your features
ing you to restore the most grievous of injuries at less effort.

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 Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Refresh. obliterated by your black holes. You can now reverse that pro-
cess, returning these things to the world.
Requirements: Entropic Coding at Average (+1) Scale 4.
Effects: When using the prerequisite, you may treat a Conse- Prerequisites: [Scale 2] Black Hole; [Scale 2] Rejuvenate.
quence in place of one (Mild), two (Moderate), or three (Se- Requirements: Entropic Coding at Fair (+2) Scale 4.
vere) Stress boxes instead, or double that if you want to remove
them. In addition, you may now, once per target per major Effects: You may spend a Charge or take a Stress to return an
milestone, heal an Extreme Consequence in place of restoring object consumed by Black Hole at a target location within your
four Stress, or eight Stress to remove it altogether. coding range. It returns in the same condition it had the mo-
ment it was initially sucked in. You can now spend Charges or
take Stress to store or retrieve objects in your possession.
[SCALE 4] IN DEATH’S EMBRACE
You may cease your own entropy entirely, rendering you as time-
[SCALE 5] ANIMATE DEAD
less and pristine as a porcelain doll.
By manipulating entropic energies, you dominate decaying flesh,
Prerequisites: [Scale 3] Dance Macabre. controlling it like puppets on strings.
Requirements: Entropic Coding at Good (+3) Scale 4. Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Refresh; [Scale 3] Dance Macabre.
Effects: Spend a Charge or take a Stress to use Timeless on Requirements: Entropic Coding at Good (+3) Scale 5.
yourself, but without rendering you incapacitated. However,
you do not turn your own mind into a specter as per Dance Effects: Once per minor milestone, you may spend a Charge
Macabre in exchange for retaining your consciousness. In ad- or take a Stress to raise a fresh corpse no larger than a grown
dition, you may use Entropic Coding with one free invocation human in size as a zombie under your control. Alternatively,
to appear dead while timeless. This lasts for the remainder of you can raise an entire goon unit with a Magnitude (p. XX) no
the scene, or until you choose to end the effect. larger than your Entropic Coding Scale.

Whenever you sleep, you may choose to render yourself time- The zombie uses the Physical Skills it had in life, but any of
less for free. This may turn your mind into a specter for the its Rank and Scale cannot exceed your own Entropic Coding
night, allowing you to interact with nitespace while your body Rank and Scale. It cannot access any Cognitive Skills except for
is resting. If you regularly sleep this way, your lifespan doubles. Awareness, and the only Social Skills it can use are Provocation
and Style. It will follow your intent, even without verbal com-
At Scale 6, your timeless state lasts until the next minor mile- mands. It lasts until the next minor milestone, unless you use
stone and not just for the scene. Timeless on it—it can then last indefinitely.

At Scale 8, you may choose to always be timeless, ceasing your At Scale 6, you can target large corpses; At Scale 7, you can
aging and need for nutrients or breath entirely. You no longer target huge corpses; At Scale 8, you can target colossal corpses.
need to rest unless you choose to.
[SCALE 5] COSMIC VOID

[SCALE 4] VOID CLONE

You channel a tremendous amount of entropic rift energy to op-
You have created a perfect replica of yourself out of shadows and timize the potency of your coding. Once released, you expand
darkness, but it can decay those who come too close. the reach of your destructive forces.

Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Cause Ruin; [Scale 1] Entropic Retal- Prerequisites: [Scale 3] Withered Soil.
iation. Requirements: Entropic Coding at Good (+3) Scale 5.
Requirements: Entropic Coding at Average (+1) Scale 4. Effects: Once per significant milestone, when creating an En-
Effects: Once per scene, when being successfully struck by an tropic Coding hazard or block covering a large area, you may
attack that inflicts at least one Stress, you may spend a Charge choose to expand your coding range to (Coding Range x 100)
to substitute your body with an identical clone that causes meters.
things around it to wither and hurt. Make an immediate En-
tropic Coding attack, like when using Entropic Retaliation, to At Scale 7, this becomes (Coding Range x 1,000 meters).
anyone within range. However, you may also relocate your
actual body to an unobstructed location within your coding [SCALE 5] DEVOURING TENDRILS
range. You were actually there the whole time. Wherever you spread your decay, black tendrils will emerge. You
may command them to lash out at those who get too close.
This Coding Protocol can be used again within the scene only
if you first spend at least one full round in cover, unnoticed by Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Void Lash; [Scale 3] Withered Soil.
your enemies. Requirements: Entropic Coding at Good (+3) Scale 5.
Effects: Whenever you inflict Withered Soil upon the scene,
[SCALE 4] WHITE HOLE you may choose to spend a Charge or take a Stress to imbue
You bear the memory of all things that have been consumed and it with Devouring Tendrils. For free once per round, you may

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use any of your tendrils within your coding range to make an until they leave your coding range. If they already benefit from
immediate Void Lash attack. You may do this attack outside of another equivalent coding armor, like Ice Armor (p. XX), the
your own turn, but you cannot interrupt an ongoing turn. target’s player chooses if they want the new armor to overwrite
the old. They do not stack.
At Scale 7, you may spend Charges or takes Stress to make ad-
ditional lash attacks in a round, up to a maximum number of
[SCALE 6] ABSORB VOID ELEMENTAL
attacks equal to the number of Devouring Tendrils within your
You absorb a void elemental into yourself, becoming one with its
coding range.
powers. You adopt some of the elemental’s features for as long as
you remain one.
[SCALE 5] SCREAM IN SILENCE
You transform your black void into a silent one as well, removing Prerequisites: [Scale 4] Create Void Elemental; [Scale 4] White
all possibilities of sound waves traveling within that space. Hole.
Requirements: Entropic Coding at Good (+3) Scale 6.
Prerequisites: [Scale 4] Consuming Void.
Effects: When defeating a void elemental, you may spend a
Requirements: Entropic Coding at Great (+4) Scale 5.
Charge or take a Stress to absorb it into yourself. If you target
Effects: You may choose to turn your Consuming Void into an your own created elementals, you don’t have to defeat them
All-Consuming Void. This removes all sound from the void as first. Absorbing an elemental gives you bionic augmentations
well, making all within both blind and deaf. Anyone with a with a total Cost equal to your Entropic Coding Scale. These
Willpower Scale at least one lower than your Entropic Cod- mutations have similar properties to the nature of the absorbed
ing Scale suffers one mental Stress each round in a conflict (or elemental, and they last until the next minor milestone, or un-
minute outside of a conflict) that they spend in the void. til you choose to discharge them.

[SCALE 5] VOID FACSIMILE [SCALE 6] DETONATE CLONE

You create an identical copy of yourself by giving form to shad- Any zombies, clones, or elementals created by your entropic cod-
ows and pain. ing can be decayed at will, causing ruin to those too near.

Prerequisites: [Scale 4] Create Void Elemental; [Scale 4] Void Prerequisites: [Scale 5] Void Facsimile.
Clone.
Requirements: Entropic Coding at Good (+3) Scale 6.
Requirements: Electrical Coding at Fair (+2) Scale 5.
Effects: Once you have a zombie created using Animate Dead
Effects: Once per significant milestone, you may spend a (p. XX), or either a created void elemental or void facsimile in
Charge or take a Stress to create an exact duplicate of yourself play, you may at any point choose to detonate it. This will de-
made of shadows. It is impossible to distinguish the clone from stroy the zombie, elemental, or facsimile, but cause an imme-
the original without close inspection. The duplicate shares diate entropic hazard targeting up to a maximum number of
your personality, memories, and Skills—but it cannot use your zones in radius as determined by your coding range. The haz-
items, augmentations, Skill Features, Coding Protocols, or oth- ard uses your normal Entropic Coding attack traits.
er Coding Skills than Entropic Coding (if you are in possession
of more).
[SCALE 6] REVERSE RUIN

The clone acts independently but is loyal to the original. You You radiate a wave of entropic energy that restores decay, ends
are in control of both characters. It lasts until taken out or until pain, and reverses ruin.
the next minor milestone, whichever comes first, after which it
Prerequisites: [Scale 3] Restore Self; [Scale 4] Improved Res-
fizzles out with the smell of ozone.
toration.
You may, once per major milestone, choose to convert a clone Requirements: Entropic Coding at Good (+3) Scale 6.
into an original should the original die. Effects: You can use the prerequisite to restore as many as you
want within your coding range, but doing so cuts the Stress
At Scale 7, you can create up to (Rank) copies when using this boxes you can restore in half, rounded up. A target can be re-
Coding Protocol. stored this way once per scene, and it doesn’t count towards the
once per minor milestone cap of the single-target restoration.
[SCALE 5] VOID GUARDIAN
You surround entropic energies around your allies, tearing and At Scale 8, you can spend a Charge to automatically restore
breaking that which tries to harm them. one Stress box every round in a conflict (or minute outside of
a conflict) to anyone you want within your coding range. This
Prerequisites: [Scale 2] Void Armor. lasts for the scene.
Requirements: Entropic Coding at Fair (+2) Scale 5.
Effects: Once per minor milestone, when activating Void Ar- [SCALE 6] TRAP SOUL
mor, you may choose to extend its effects to all willing allies You may devour the souls of your victims into black holes, keep-
within your coding range. This will last for the full scene or ing them trapped outside of time and space until you need them.

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 Prerequisites: [Scale 4] In Death’s Embrace; [Scale 4] White
Hole.
Requirements: Entropic Coding at Great (+4) Scale 6.
Effects: You may combine the use of Black Hole (p. XX) and
Torment (p. XX) to devour both body and soul in a black hole.
Instead of having the victim’s specter manifest in nitespace, it
is in your possession until you choose to release it using White
Hole (p. XX).

You can hold a number of souls equal to (your Entropic Cod-

ing Rank + Scale). You may at any time choose to sacrifice one
of these souls to substitute the activation cost for an Entropic
Coding Protocol.

[SCALE 7] CREATE VOID RIFT

You draw a tremendous amount of power into yourself and ex-
plode it outwards, using your own body as its epicenter. This
overwhelms the Nanite Matrix, tearing open a void rift that will
continue to decay the surrounding landscape.

Prerequisites: [Scale 4] Create Void Elemental; [Scale 5] Cos-

mic Void.
Requirements: Entropic Coding at Great (+4) Scale 7.
Effects: Once per major milestone, you may spend a Charge
or take a Stress to create a persistent void rift in a location.
This rift will continously create entropic energy that affects the
landscape out to a range as if affected by Cosmic Void. Make an
Entropic Coding attack against all creatures within this range;
if any of them are taken out by this attack, they are converted
to wild void elementals that will feed off the rift (this does not
apply to riftans or Machineborn). If any of them were human,
their minds become specters.

Someone with Scale 5+ in Engineering could create a rift facil-

ity upon this location to harness the rift’s power. Without such
a facility in place, the rift will continue to charge the landscape.

[SCALE 7] RETURN LIFE

You may bring someone back from the dead. This Coding Proto-
col is almost identical to the Treatment Feature Revival (p. XX).
If you have both, you can use them both for extra resurrections.

Prerequisites: [Scale 6] Reverse Ruin.

Requirements: Entropic Coding at Great (+4) Scale 7.
Effects: Once per major milestone, you can spend a Charge or
take a Stress to resurrect someone who has died. If their body is
largely intact, the resurrection is instantaneous. However, you
can resurrect someone from a mere tissue sample as well; it-
takes an hour for the target to grow from the sample, and their
memories are from the point when they lost the tissue.

Resurrecting someone from a tissue sample works even if they

are still alive, effectively creating a clone. If they are Machine-
born, the clone comes back human if the Nanite Matrix senses
their original self still being alive. Should their original self be
dead, they can be resurrected with their Machineborn activa-
tion, at Narrator discretion.

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At Scale 8, you can now resurrect someone every significant At Scale 3, when firing your projectile from a separate location,
milestone. In addition, growing from a tissue sample is now you can use that as the attack’s origin for the purpose of ranged
instantaneous as well. penalties.

[SCALE 7] ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE

At Scale 5, your hurled objects adopt the Homing property (p.
Your entropic energy not only breaks down the world at your XX), allowing them to curve around covers and corners. If the
whim, but automatically puppeteers decaying flesh. target is clearly within your line of sight, you gain a free invo-
cation on the attack.
Prerequisites: [Scale 5] Animate Dead.
At Scale 7, you gain +2 instead of +1 to Range. In addition, you
Requirements: Entropic Coding at Great (+4) Scale 7.
ignore one ranged penalty on your Kinematic Coding effects.
Effects: Whenever a creature dies from your Entropic Coding
attacks, hazards, void elementals, or animated dead, you may
[SCALE 1] IMMOBILE
choose to have that creature rise again as a new zombie under
You are the one who has mastered movement, and you will stand
your control.
firm when others try to move you.
At Scale 8, all of your zombies will now last until the next sig-
Requirements: Kinematic Coding at Mediocre (±0) Scale 1.
nificant instead of minor milestone unless affected by Timeless.
In addition, you may program a specific behavior into your Effects: When targeted by an effect that forcefully knocks you
zombies, such as bloodthirst, allowing them to continue to act back or down, such as by a smashing attack (p. XX), you may
regardless of your presence or direct influence. spend a Charge or take a Stress to ignore it.

As Scale 3, using this Coding Protocol applies the knockback

[SCALE 8] ABSORB VOID RIFT
or knockdown effect to the original attacker instead.
You draw a rift into yourself, ending its charged terror, and calm-
ing the area of its power. Instead, it lingers as a core within your At Scale 5, you may deflect the knockback or knockdown effect
own self, feeding energy into your coding. to as many targets as you want within your zone.
Prerequisites: [Scale 6] Absorb Void Elemental; [Scale 7] Cre-
At Scale 7, you can now deflect it to as many targets as you
ate Void Rift.
want within your coding range.
Requirements: Entropic Coding at Superb (+5) Scale 8.
Effects: Once per major milestone, you may spend a Charge [SCALE 1] JUMP
or take a Stress to absorb a void rift into yourself. The rift dis- By manipulating kinematic forces, you feel as light as a feather as
appears permanently from its place, powering you up until you propel yourself into the air.
the next significant milestone. All of your Entropic Coding
Protocols that cost a Charge or a Stress to activate can now be Requirements: Kinematic Coding at Mediocre (±0) Scale 1.
activated for free. In addition, your coding range is doubled,
Effects: Double your jumping distances (p. XX) and gain a free
you gain +1 Harm on your Entropic Coding attacks, and you
invocation to jumping-related actions. You may choose to cal-
become fully immune to Entropic Harm.
culate jumping distances using Kinematic Coding instead of
Athletics (if higher).

KINEMATIC CODING In addition, you may spend a Charge or take a Stress to bless
a target in your coding range with the same jumping benefit
[SCALE 1] HURL PROJECTILE for the scene. They still use their normal calculations for base
You hurl a small object towards a target, letting kinematic forces jumping distances, though, and not your Kinematic Coding.
guide its way. The benefits remain even if the target leaves your coding range.

Requirements: Kinematic Coding at Mediocre (±0) Scale 1. At Scale 4, the jumping distances are tripled instead, and you
gain a second invocation; At Scale 7, the jumping distances are
Effects: Your Kinematic Coding effects have +1 Range. When
quadrupled, and you gain a third invocation.
using Kinematic Coding to attack a single foe, you may choose
to treat the attack as a normal ranged attack, using Ranged
Combat instead if higher, and inflicting Projectile Harm. The [SCALE 1] PULLING THE STRING
target defends using Acrobatics. Your mastery over kinematic forces allows you to make discreet
tugs to ensure that attacks either miss or find purchase, depend-
If there is a small object within range of your Coding Skill, ing on your intentions.
such as a glass shard, you may choose to hurl it directly instead
of tossing it yourself. This lets you extend the attack range even Requirements: Kinematic Coding at Mediocre (±0) Scale 1.
further, but you must still be able to perceive your target, and Effects: Spend a Charge or take a Stress to add an invocation
you still suffer a ranged penalty based on your own position. to a physical attack or defend roll. This cannot be stacked for

366
 additional invocations. You may use this either to benefit your- that take advantage of your Kinematic Coding.
self, disrupt your enemies, or boost allies.
At Scale 4, the lifting capacity is tripled instead, and you gain
a second invocation; At Scale 7, the lifting capacity is quadru-
[SCALE 1] RETALIATING PUSHBACK
pled, and you gain a third invocation.
Whenever someone makes skin-to-skin contact with you, they
feel a mild repelling force. If you don’t like their touch, you can
let them know in a forceful way. [SCALE 2] FLYING SWORD
You can control a weapon telekinetically, maneuvering it through
Requirements: Kinematic Coding at Mediocre (±0) Scale 1. the air instead of using it with your own hands.
Effects: Whenever you’re the target of a successful physical at-
tack that inflicts at least one Stress, you may spend a Charge or Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Hurl Projectile.
take a Stress to make an immediate Kinematic Coding attack Requirements: Kinematic Coding at Average (+1) Scale 2.
against the attacker, assuming they are in your coding range. Effects: Spend a Charge or take a Stress to levitate a weapon-
that isn’t in someone else’s possession. You can use Kinematic
At Scale 3, this becomes free once per round; At Scale 5, you Coding in place of Close Combat or Ranged Combat to attack
may activate this Coding Protocol even if the successful attack with the weapon. It can also be manipulated within your entire
didn’t cause you any Stress; At Scale 7, you may also activate it coding range. However, if using the weapon outside of your
in response to failed attacks. own zone, ranged penalties apply.

[SCALE 1] SOFT LANDING At Scale 4, you can levitate a second weapon and treat them as
Your ability to manipulate the movement of objects extend to if dual wielding (p. XX).
your own self, allowing you to bend and slow falls and impacts.
At Scale 6, you can levitate a third weapon. This lets you stack
Requirements: Kinematic Coding at Mediocre (±0) Scale 1. a secondary dual wielding bonus onto the other two weapons.
Effects: You can use Kinematic Coding instead of Acrobatics
At Scale 8, you can levitate a fourth weapon.
or Fortitude to defend against impact harm (p. XX). In addi-
tion, reduce the Scale of such harm by (your Kinematic Coding
Scale). By spending a Charge or taking a Stress, you can apply [SCALE 2] LEVITATE
this to another character within your coding range. You levitate above ground, unbinding you from gravity’s hold.

Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Jump; [Scale 1] Soft Landing; [Scale

[SCALE 1] SPEED
1] Speed.
By manipulating kinematic forces, you feel as light as a feather as
you propel yourself forward. Requirements: Kinematic Coding at Average (+1) Scale 2.
Effects: Spend a Charge or take a Stress to levitate yourself or a
Requirements: Kinematic Coding at Mediocre (±0) Scale 1. willing ally within your coding range up to (Kinematic Coding
Effects: Double your movement speed (p. XX) and gain a free Scale) meters above the ground for the remainder of the scene
invocation to speed-related actions, such as chases. You may or until knocked down, whichever comes first. Your movement
choose to calculate movement speed using Kinematic Coding speed while levitating is calculated using Kinematic Coding.
instead of Athletics (if higher).
At Scale 4, paying the activation cost lets you target as many
In addition, you may spend a Charge or take a Stress to bless a willing characters as you want.
target in your coding range with the same speed benefit for the
scene. They still use their normal calculations for base move- At Scale 6, you gain full functional flight at any distance.
ment speed, though, and not your Kinematic Coding. The ben-
efits remain even if the target leaves your coding range. At Scale 8, double your movement speed when levitating. This
adds a free invocation to speed-related actions and stacks with
At Scale 4, the movement speed is tripled instead, and you gain the bonuses from Speed (see above).
a second invocation; At Scale 7, the movement speed is quad-
rupled, and you gain a third invocation. [SCALE 2] PROJECTILE BARRAGE
Instead of hurling a single projectile, you hurl a barrage of tiny
[SCALE 1] TELEKINETIC MIGHT fragments, like thousands of glass shards or cutlery from a table.
You have a knack for using your kinematic coding to lift objects
of great mass at minimal strain. Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Hurl Projectile.
Requirements: Kinematic Coding at Average (+1) Scale 2.
Requirements: Kinematic Coding at Mediocre (±0) Scale 1. Effects: The prerequisite can now make sweeping attacks (p.
Effects: Double your telekinetic lifting capacity (p. XX), in- XX). This lets you divide the result of your attack roll to affect
cluding the extra mass you can lift when spending Stress. You several enemies within the same zone. However, unlike nor-
also gain a free invocation on feats of strength-related actions mal sweeping attacks, if you divide the attack into two, each

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one benefits from a +1 attack bonus. This means that instead of At Scale 6, the penalty becomes –3; At Scale 8, it becomes –4.
splitting a Great (+4) result into two Fair (+2) results, it is split
into two Good (+3) results. You must announce your intent to [SCALE 2] TELEKINETIC ARMOR
divide the attack prior to making the initial roll. You surround yourself with kinematic forces, repelling attacks
and pulling weapons out of your way.
At Scale 4, you benefit from a +1 attack bonus even if you split
into three attacks; At Scale 6, you gain the bonus even if you Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Pulling the String.
split into four attacks; At Scale 8, you gain it at five attacks.
Requirements: Kinematic Coding at Average (+1) Scale 2.

[SCALE 2] QUICK MOVE

Effects: Spend a Charge or take a Stress to gain the Telekinet-
When levitating an object, you can direct it towards a location ic Armor Aspect which lasts for the scene. This provides a +1
you are familiar with. It will fly there at rapid speed even without bonus to defend rolls against all attacks as well as to your own
your direct control. Close Combat attacks.

At Scale 4, the bonuses are increased to +2 and can now also

Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Hurl Projectile.
be applied to Ranged Combat attacks; At Scale 6, the bonuses
Requirements: Kinematic Coding at Average (+1) Scale 2. are increased to +3; At Scale 8, the bonuses are increased to +4.
Effects: When using Kinematic Coding to levitate an object,
you may spend a Charge or take a Stress to quickly transfer [SCALE 2] TELEKINETIC GRASP
it to a location you are familiar with within (Coding Range When using your kinematic powers to hold an enemy, you im-
x 1,000) meters. The object will travel with a Speed equal to mobilize them completely.
your Kinematic Coding Scale, and it will automatically avoid
obstructions along the way. Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Pulling the String; [Scale 1] Telekinetic
Might.
At Scale 4, the distance is increased to (Coding Range x 10
km); At Scale 6, it is increased to (Coding Range x 100 km); At Requirements: Kinematic Coding at Average (+1) Scale 2.
Scale 8, it can travel any distance. Effects: When using Kinematic Coding as a create advantage
action to make a target Grappled, you can spend a Charge or
[SCALE 2] SCALPEL
take a Stress to immobilize them for its duration. The target
You exert precise but violent force upon your target, either break- cannot take any action that relies on movement or motor con-
ing their bones or ripping their flesh. trol unless they first break free using a successful Athletics or
Fortitude roll against your Kinematic Coding.
Requirements: Kinematic Coding at Average (+1) Scale 2.
At Scale 4, this effect is free against single targets.
Effects: You can make Kinematic Coding attacks using either
Blunt or Sharp Harm without having to hurl external objects at At Scale 6, you may choose to make a free Kinematic Cod-
the target, instead crushing or slicing them directly. The target ing action against affected targets each round that they remain
defends using Fortitude. Your attack ignores one Soak. Grappled.

The attack ignores two Soak at Scale 4, three at Scale 6, and At Scale 8, you may now choose to perform two free Kinematic
four at Scale 8. Coding actions against affected targets each round.

[SCALE 2] SLOW [SCALE 3] HURL CONTAINER

You restrict a target’s ability to move, either vastly reducing their You hurl a massive object in a straight line in front of you, target-
speed or binding them to a location. ing anyone in its path.

Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Speed. Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Projectile Barrage; [Scale 1] Telekinet-

Requirements: Kinematic Coding at Average (+1) Scale 2. ic Might.
Effects: Spend a Charge or take a Stress to slow a target within Requirements: Kinematic Coding at Fair (+2) Scale 3.
your coding range for the scene. The slowed target calculates Effects: Spend a Charge or take a Stress to hurl something of
movement speed as if they had one Scale (p. XX) or Speed (p. great weight, such as a truck or container, in a straight line in
XX) less than they have. If this takes the Scale or Speed to 0, front of you. The object cannot cover a larger area than (Rank)
moving out of a zone requires them to commit an entire turn square meters and will be hurled out to twice your coding
instead of being able to do so reflexively. range. This is considered a projectile hazard (p. XX) but inflicts
Blunt Harm. It’s defended against using Fortitude. Any target
At Scale 4, the penalty is increased to –2 Scale or Speed. Should caught in the attack, whether they suffer Stress or not, are ei-
this take the target’s value to a negative number, they are un- ther Prone or knocked back one zone.
able to move at all without assistance. They can no longer use
Acrobatics to defend against attacks. This attack can only be used if there are large enough objects
present. However, each time an object is hurled, you must

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 spend at least one round in a conflict (or one minute outside of even occur outside of your own turn, but not in the middle of
a conflict) before you can do it again. another character’s turn.

[SCALE 3] KNICKKNACK HURRICANE At Scale 7, you can maintain control over a target who is no
You pull small and insignificant objects into the air and cause the longer Grappled by you for the remainder of the scene, as long
wind itself to move. Centered on you, a hurricane of debris fills as they are within your coding range. You must spend a Charge
your surroundings. or take a Stress for each round you wish to retain control.

Prerequisites: [Scale 2] Flying Sword. [SCALE 3] RIPPLE

Requirements: Kinematic Coding at Fair (+2) Scale 3. Your kinematic attacks create shockwaves of force that can affect
Effects: Once per minor milestone, you may spend a Charge or multiple enemies at once.
take a Stress to fill an area out to your coding range with Debris
Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Retaliating Pushback.
Storm. This is treated as a Kinematic Coding attack targeting
everyone in range with a projectile hazard, except for yourself. Requirements: Kinematic Coding at Average (+1) Scale 3.
Targets suffer a –1 penalty to defend rolls against the hazard, as Effects: After having succeeded with style on a Kinematic
well as to ranged attacks made within it. Coding attack against a target, you may choose to reduce the
inflicted Stress by one to cause the smashing effect (p. XX) to
You make the attack roll every round for as long as the Situa- surrounding targets within that zone instead of to the attack’s
tion Aspect remains, or until the end of the scene (whichever original target. If you also want to affect the original target, you
comes first). For each following round, the hazard spreads to must reduce another Stress from the attack.
any adjacent zones it can reach, out to a maximum distance
equal to twice your coding range. At Scale 5, you no longer need to reduce two Stress to affect
both the original and the surrounding targets; one is enough.
At Scale 5, you may spare your allies from the effects; At Scale
7, you may have the hurricane follow you as you move. At Scale 7, you no longer need to reduce Stress at all to apply
the effects.
[SCALE 3] QUICK DISPATCH
You may now transport living targets over great distances. [SCALE 3] VIVISECTION
The violent force exerted upon your enemy has been designed to
Prerequisites: [Scale 2] Levitate; [Scale 2] Quick Move. cause persistent wounds and maximize pain.
Requirements: Kinematic Coding at Fair (+2) Scale 3.
Effects: You can use Quick Move to transport living targets Prerequisites: [Scale 2] Scalpel.
who are no heavier than what you can normally lift using your Requirements: Kinematic Coding at Fair (+2) Scale 3
Kinematic Coding Skill—you can use it on yourself. If the tar- Effects: Any Stress inflicted by attacks using the prerequisite
get isn’t willing, they must first be incapacitated before they cannot be restored unless the target has undergone a successful
can be moved this way, such as by being taken out (p. XX) in a treatment action at a difficulty equal to Rank (half the suffered
physical conflict. Stress, rounded up) Scale 1.
If the target is Restrained or otherwise prevented from moving,
the effect ends. [SCALE 4] DISENGAGE
When cornered by an attack, you may use kinematic energy to
move yourself out of harm’s way.
[SCALE 3] TELEKINETIC PUPPET
You can assert physical control over an individual, forcing their Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Jump.
body to perform certain actions regardless of their own will.
Requirements: Kinematic Coding at Average (+1) Scale 4.
Prerequisites: [Scale 2] Telekinetic Grasp. Effects: Whenever you defend with style against a Close Com-
Requirements: Kinematic Coding at Fair (+2) Scale 3. bat or Ranged Combat attack, you may choose to immediately
move yourself either into Cover (if available) or into a neigh-
Effects: After successfully using Telekinetic Grasp on a target, boring zone. If contested, you defend using Kinematic Coding.
you may force them to take a simple action of your choice as
an action on your turn, similar to when controlling a drone. A At Scale 6, you may move out to two zones away and you gain a
simple action can be something like having them jump from free invocation when contested; At Scale 8, this becomes three
a ledge, attack an ally or themselves, or drop an item they are zones and a second free invocation.
holding. If you spend a Charge or take a Stress, you may force a
complex action, such as having them say something, get them
to unlock an encrypted device, or use a complex machine. [SCALE 4] DISMANTLE
Instead of ripping weapons or objects out of your opponents’
At Scale 5, you can, once per round, force the puppet to take hands, you rip components out of objects to break them apart.
an action for free, without compromising your own. This may

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Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Pulling the String. Athletics Scale by one (to maximum 8), and enables the use
Requirements: Kinematic Coding at Average (+1) Scale 4. of Siege I weapons (p. XX). However, this Coding Protocol is
incompatible with a physical armor frame.
Effects: When using Kinematic Coding to make a create ad-
vantage action to Disarm a target, you may choose to spend At Scale 6, you instead gain +2 to Armored Soak, the Huge
a Charge or take a Stress to Dismantle the object instead. For Frame Aspect (p. XX), increase Athletics Scale by two (to max-
each shift above the target’s defend roll, the object is damaged imum 8), and enable the use of Siege II weapons (p. XX).
equivalent to a –1 flaw (p. XX). Should this reduce the object’s
Cost to below 0, it is completely dismantled into components. At Scale 8, you instead gain +3 to Armored Soak, the Colos-
sal Frame Aspect (p. XX), increase Athletics Scale by three (to
If used on godware items, every three shifts are equivalent to maximum 8), and enable the use of Siege III weapons (p. XX).
a –1 flaw instead. Godware with Unbreakable (p. XX) are im-
mune to this Coding Protocol.
[SCALE 4] PARTICLE STORM
At Scale 6, you may spend a Charge or take a Stress to perfectly You disintegrate objects within your debris storm, turning them
restore a dismantled object. into grains of sand.

At Scale 8, dismantling and restoring an object can either pro- Prerequisites: [Scale 3] Knickknack Hurricane.
vide an additional –1 flaw or +1 property, at your discretion, Requirements: Kinematic Coding at Good (+3) Scale 4.
without affecting its overall Cost. While you can use this multi- Effects: Whenever you use the prerequisite, you may choose to
ple times to change these flaws or properties, you cannot stack alter the Aspect from Debris Storm to Particle Storm. Instead
multiple uses on the same object. of having it fill the air with random debris, it disintegrates in-
consequential objects and turns them into a storm of sand that
[SCALE 4] JUNK FRAME obscures vision. This applies to you and your allies as well, but
You pull junk and debris towards yourself and have them form a you can naturally sense through it, negating that blindness.
protective humanoid frame that encases your own body.
At Scale 6, you may invite allies to sense through the storm as
Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Flying Sword; [Scale 2] Telekinetic Ar- well, allowing them to act freely despite their lack of vision.
mor.
Requirements: Kinematic Coding at Fair (+2) Scale 4 [SCALE 4] TELEKINETIC SHIELD
Effects: Once per minor milestone, you may spend a Charge You can deflect incoming attacks as effortlessly as breathing.
or take a Stress to surround yourself in debris that take the
shape of an Encased (p. XX) armor frame (p. XX). This adds +1 Prerequisites: [Scale 2] Telekinetic Armor
to Armored Soak, the Large Frame Aspect (p. XX), increases Requirements: Kinematic Coding at Fair (+2) Scale 4.

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 Effects: When your Telekinetic Armor is active, you also gain a [SCALE 5] UPROOTING THE CITY
surrounding telekinetic shield with an Effect Soak equal to half You channel a tremendous amount of kinematic energy to opti-
your Kinematic Coding Scale, rounded up. mize the potency of your coding. Once released, you expand the
reach of your control.
[SCALE 5] DISMEMBERMENT Prerequisites: [Scale 3] Hurl Container; [Scale 3] Knickknack
You can not only dismantle and understand inanimate objects, Hurricane.
but living creatures as well.
Requirements: Kinematic Coding at Good (+3) Scale 5.
Prerequisites: [Scale 3] Vivisection; [Scale 4] Dismantle. Effects: Once per significant milestone, when creating a Kin-
Requirements: Kinematic Coding at Good (+3) Scale 5. ematic Coding effect covering a large area, you may choose to
expand your coding range to (Coding Range x 10) meters and
Effects: After using Kinematic Coding to kill a target, you may increase the total mass of what you can move by a factor of ten.
spend a Charge or take a Stress to dismember them into base
components, perfectly harvesting cybernetics, limbs, or organs At Scale 7, the range and mass is increased by a factor of a
at your discretion. The first time in a scene someone witnesses hundred instead of ten.
this gruesome act, they suffer a Mental Stress, unless they have
a Willpower Scale equal or higher than your Kinematic Coding
[SCALE 6] SHOCKWAVE
Scale. If they had a Friendly Attitude for the victim, they suffer
a Mental Consequence instead. You focus tremendous destructive energy into a single blast, de-
stroying everything caught within it.
At Scale 7, you may, once per target per significant milestone,
Prerequisites: [Scale 3] Ripple; [Scale 4] Particle Storm.
choose to immediately put a victim back together after their
dismemberment, returning them to life. They are still con- Requirements: Kinematic Coding at Great (+4) Scale 6.
sidered taken out (p. XX), but also suffer a Severe or Extreme Effects: When making a Kinematic Coding hazard attack, you
Mental Consequence from the trauma. You may choose to put may spend a Charge or take a Stress to increase the potency of
them back together with changes, such as adding or removing its shockwave. The attack gains Explosive Harm, doubles the
augmentations, making cosmetic alterations that could include knockback ranges from smashing attacks (p. XX), and inflicts
aging, age reversal, and sex reassignment, or even treating un- another +2 Harm against inanimate objects.
treated Physical Consequences or removing treated Physical
Consequences. You could even swap the target’s Skill Ranks At Scale 8, your coding range is doubled for the purpose of this
around or change Character Aspects that aren’t a High Con- Coding Protocol.
cept, Trouble, or equivalent.
[SCALE 6] TELEPORT
[SCALE 5] TACTICAL RETREAT Your kinematic coding has given you mastery over the move-
Recognizing that you are in a situation too dangerous even for ment of objects through space, but your expertise has taught you
you to handle, you quickly get yourself and your allies out of that to ignore space altogether in your calculations.
situation.
Prerequisites: [Scale 4] Disengage; [Scale 5] Tactical Retreat.
Prerequisites: [Scale 3] Quick Dispatch; [Scale 4] Disengage. Requirements: Kinematic Coding at Great (+4) Scale 6.
Requirements: Kinematic Coding at Good (+3) Scale 5. Effects: By spending a Charge or taking a Stress, anything that
Effects: You may, once per minor milestone, spend a Charge or you can move with your kinematic coding can be teleported
take a Stress to immediately retreat as many willing allies as are instead. Kinematic Coding Protocols that cause movement,
available within your coding range, transporting them up to a like Quick Move (p. XX) or Disengage (p. XX) can now instant-
distance determined by the limitations of Quick Move (p. XX). ly teleport the target to the desired location. Things you can
levitate normally using your Kinematic Coding Skill can be
[SCALE 5] TELEKINETIC GUARDIAN teleported only within your range of perception.
You surround your allies with telekinetic force, aiding their at-
tacks and hindering their enemies. At Scale 8, it is now free to teleport something instead of mov-
ing it telekinetically.
Prerequisites: [Scale 2] Telekinetic Armor.
Requirements: Kinematic Coding at Fair (+2) Scale 5. [SCALE 7] SURGICAL PRECISION

Effects: Once per minor milestone, when activating Telekinetic You have mastered your kinematic coding to a degree where you
Armor, you may choose to extend its effects to all willing allies can slice and stitch meat with surgical precision so efficient that
within your coding range. This will last for the full scene or it causes no pain.
until they leave your coding range. If they already benefit from
Prerequisites: [Scale 5] Dismemberment.
another equivalent coding armor, like Ice Armor (p. XX), the
target’s player chooses if they want the new armor to overwrite Requirements: Kinematic Coding at Great (+4) Scale 7.
the old. They do not stack. Effects: You can now spend a Charge or take a Stress to use the

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Scale 7 benefit of Dismemberment on yourself or a willing ally ings, you create a functional utility swarm to serve you.
without it causing a Mental Consequence.
Requirements: Metal Coding at Average (+1) Scale 1.
In addition, you may, once per target per significant milestone, Effects: Once per minor milestone, you may spend a Charge
spend a Charge or take a Stress to put an ally back together im- or take a Stress to create a utility swarm (p. XX) with a Cost
mediately after they have been taken out in a physical conflict, equal to your Metal Coding Scale. It does not require a smart
treating all their Physical Consequences, and restoring all their device to control, since you guide it with coding. It lasts until
Stress boxes. You can do this to yourself as well, but doing so destroyed or for the remainder of the scene, whichever comes
only costs a Charge and not any Stress. first. At the scene’s end, it breaks beyond repair.

[SCALE 8] MANIPULATE RIFT [SCALE 1] MAGNETIC RETALIATION

You may exert force upon matrix rifts, pulling them away from Whenever someone makes skin-to-skin contact with you, they
their otherwise fixed locations, or even altering their core prop- feel a repelling force against any metals they wear. If you don’t
erties. like their touch, you can let them know in a forceful way.

Prerequisites: [Scale 5] Uprooting the City; [Scale 7] Surgical Requirements: Metal Coding at Mediocre (±0) Scale 1.
Precision. Effects: Whenever you’re the target of a successful physical at-
Requirements: Kinematic Coding at Superb (+5) Scale 8. tack that inflicts at least one Stress, you may spend a Charge
Effects: You can spend a Charge or take a Stress to move a ma- or take a Stress to make an immediate Metal Coding attack
trix rift (p. XX) as if it were an object. Once per major mile- against the attacker, assuming they are valid targets for such
stone, you may use Dismantle on the rift to either eradicate attacks and are within your coding range.
it or alter its nature, such as changing its element or another
At Scale 3, this becomes free once per round; At Scale 5, you
intrinsic property of it.
may activate this Coding Protocol even if the successful attack
didn’t cause you any Stress; At Scale 7, you may also activate it
in response to failed attacks.
METAL CODING
[SCALE 1] MOLD EARTH
[SCALE 1] CABLE LASH You manipulate ores and minerals in your surroundings, forging,
You pull metals into your hand until it forms a long whip. forming, and giving things shape.

Requirements: Metal Coding at Mediocre (±0) Scale 1. Requirements: Metal Coding at Mediocre (±0) Scale 1.
Effects: Spend a Charge or take a Stress to give yourself Cable Effects: Once per scene, you may choose to spend a Charge or
Lash for the scene. This is a Close Combat weapon that inflicts take a Stress to shape ore and metal within your coding range.
Sharp Harm with +1 Harm, and that can be used with either You can shape it after your specifications, such as blocking an
Close Combat or Metal Coding. It uses your normal Metal area with a metal wall or causing sharp stalagmites to emerge
Coding attack traits with the exception of Range. Instead, it from the ground. Any hazards (p. XX) or blocks (p. XX) cre-
has the Long Reach Aspect (p. XX). ated this way uses your normal Metal Coding traits. However,
you may choose to manifest effects with lesser traits if you want
If succeeding with style on an attack using the weapon, you to avoid creating something too hard to deal with.
may choose to reduce the inflicted Stress by one to either make
the target Grappled or pull it towards you.
[SCALE 1] PROPEL METAL
You hurl a small metallic object at a target, letting magnetic forc-
At Scale 4, you can use the lash to attack out to Range 1; At
es guide its way.
Scale 7, you can attack out to Range 2.
Requirements: Metal Coding at Mediocre (±0) Scale 1.
[SCALE 1] COMPASS Effects: Your Metal Coding attacks have +1 Range. When us-
Your intuitive sense of magnetic forces enable you to navigate ing Metal Coding to attack a single foe, you may choose to treat
effortlessly. the attack as a normal ranged attack, using Ranged Combat
instead if higher, and inflicting Projectile Harm. The target de-
Requirements: Metal Coding at Mediocre (±0) Scale 1. fends using Acrobatics.
Effects: You can naturally sense magnetic energy, giving you
an internal compass. You always know which way is north, or If there is a metallic object within range of your Coding Skill,
the direction and distance to the nearest magnetic source. You such as a metal plate, you may choose to hurl it directly if it’s
can even navigate effortlessly when all other senses are blocked. small enough, or pull a piece of it and hurl that. This lets you
extend the attack range even further, but you must still be able
[SCALE 1] CREATE UTILITY SWARM to perceive your target, and you still suffer a ranged penalty
By using metals, minerals, and components in your surround- based on your own position.

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At Scale 3, when having your projectile be fired from a separate ate Tremors in a specific zone within your coding range that
location, you can use that as the true origin of the attack for the can last up to (Scale) rounds in a conflict (or minutes outside
purpose of ranged penalties. of a conflict). Anyone subjected to the tremors must roll Ac-
robatics against your passive Metal Coding Skill or become
At Scale 5, your hurled objects adopt the Homing property (p. Prone. This roll is repeated for each round (or minute) they
XX), allowing them to curve around covers and corners. If the spend within the tremors, as well as each time they attempt to
target is clearly within your line of sight, you gain a free invo- move through them.
cation on the attack.
[SCALE 2] CREATE DROID
At Scale 7, you gain +2 instead of +1 to Range. In addition, you
You create a functional and loyal droid from surrounding scraps
ignore one ranged penalty on your Metal Coding effects.
and metals.

[SCALE 1] REPAIR Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Create Utility Swarm.

You repair an object that is made up of mostly earth minerals,
Requirements: Metal Coding at Average (+1) Scale 2.
like a metal armor, a vehicle, or a droid.
Effects: Spend a Charge or take a Stress to instantly create
Requirements: Metal Coding at Mediocre (±0) Scale 1. a droid (p. XX) from scraps and metals within your coding
range. The droid is a permanent asset with a Cost equal to your
Effects: Spend a Charge to restore (Rank + Scale) Stress boxes
Metal Coding Scale. As your Scale increases, so does its Cost.
caused by physical harm to an inorganic inanimate object with
Stress—like a droid or a vehicle—within your coding range.
Any droid created this way has a Directive that indicates its
Alternatively, treat Physical Consequences instead of restoring
service to you. Any attempt to hack it or manipulate it faces the
Stress boxes at a rate equal to the value of those Consequences
highest of the droid’s Security and your Metal Coding.
(two for Mild, four for Moderate, and six for Severe). By dou-
bling this cost (four for Mild, eight for Moderate, and twelve
You can only have (Rank + Scale) of these droids at the time.
for Severe), you both treat and remove the Consequence.

If the object has no Stress, you can use this Coding Protocol [SCALE 2] GRAVITY PULL
to repair damage equivalent to a –1 flaw (p. XX) in place of You hold your enemies to their knees. They should know their
restoring two Stress boxes. You cannot repair something that place at your feet.
has been broken beyond repair.
Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Tremor.
[SCALE 1] SOFT AS CLAY Requirements: Metal Coding at Average (+1) Scale 2.
You can soften earth minerals and metals to better manipulate Effects: Whenever a target is Prone within your coding range,
their form. you may choose to spend a Charge or take a Stress to increase
their mass, making them heavier. To overcome the Prone As-
Requirements: Metal Coding at Mediocre (±0) Scale 1. pect, they must either succeed on a contested Athletics roll
Effects: Spend a Charge or take a Stress to soften a chunk of against your Metal Coding, spend a Charge that is immediat-
earth mineral or metal no larger than your own size. This lets elty given to you, or they must take a number of Stress equal to
you manipulate it as easily as clay. It remains soft for as long as half your Metal Coding Scale, rounded up.
you interact with it or until you will it not to be.
[SCALE 2] MAGNETIC ARMOR
You could use this Coding Protocol to submerge yourself in
You call upon magnetic forces to pull metallic objects towards
rock or pass through a metal wall. You cannot soften materials
you, having them orbit around you as protective shields.
that are part of godware (p. XX). Also, if the material is in ac-
tive use by someone else, such as an enemy’s armor, you may
Requirements: [Scale 1] Propel Metal.
first have to succeed at a contest before you can soften it. Sof-
tening an armor halves its Soak, rounded up, while softening a Requirements: Metal Coding at Average (+1) Scale 2.
weapon halves its Harm, rounded up. Effects: Spend a Charge or take a Stress to gain the Magnetic
Armor Aspect which lasts for the scene. This provides a +1 Ef-
At Scale 3, you can manipulate a chunk capable of submerging fect Soak and a +1 shield bonus (p. XX) against all harm types.
a large creature, such as a horse or a bear; At Scale 7, you can
do so for a huge creature, such as an elephant; At Scale 8, you At Scale 4, the bonus increases to +2; At Scale 6, it is +3; At
can do so for a colossal creature, such as a blue whale. Scale 8, it is +4.

[SCALE 1] TREMOR [SCALE 2] MAGNETIC SWORD

You create tremors within an area, contesting movement. You can magnetically control a weapon that is made up predom-
inantly of earth minerals, maneuvering it through the air instead
Requirements: Metal Coding at Mediocre (±0) Scale 1. of using it with your own hands.
Effects: Once per scene, spend a Charge or take a Stress to cre-

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Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Propel Metal. Aspect to an object that is primarily made of earth minerals
Requirements: Metal Coding at Average (+1) Scale 2. or metal, such as a sword or a metal armor. This lasts for the
duration of the scene. A reinforced weapon gains +1 Harm and
Effects: Spend a Charge or take a Stress to levitate a weapon-
a reinforced armor gains +1 Soak.
that isn’t in someone else’s possession. You can use Metal Cod-
ing in place of Close Combat or Ranged Combat to attack with At Scale 4, the bonus becomes +2; At Scale 6, it becomes +3; At
the weapon. It can also be manipulated within your entire cod- Scale 8, it becomes +4.
ing range. However, if using the weapon outside of your own
zone, ranged penalties apply.
[SCALE 2] STONE SWIM
At Scale 4, you can levitate a second weapon and treat them as You can traverse through metal and stone, as ores and minerals
if dual wielding (p. XX). soften and change to offer you passage.

At Scale 6, you can levitate a third weapon. This lets you stack Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Soft as Clay.
a secondary dual wielding bonus onto the other two weapons. Requirements: Metal Coding at Average (+1) Scale 2.
Effects: When using the prerequisite to submerge yourself in
At Scale 8, you can levitate a fourth weapon. earth or metal, you may move through it using your normal
movement speed (p. XX). You may use your Metal Coding
[SCALE 2] METALLIC BARRAGE Scale instead of Athletics Scale to determine movement speed
Instead of attacking with a single metal piece, you create a bar- while submerged in earth or metal.
rage of them, targeting multiple enemies instead of only one.
At Scale 4, this movement speed doubles, and you gain a free
Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Cable Lash or [Scale 1] Propel Metal. invocation on related movement speed-based rolls; At Scale 6,
the speed is tripled, and you gain a second invocation; At Scale
Requirements: Metal Coding at Average (+1) Scale 2.
8, the speed is quadrupled, and you gain a third invocation.
Effects: The prerequisites can now make sweeping attacks (p.
XX). This lets you divide the result of your attack roll to affect
[SCALE 3] AUTO-REPAIR
several enemies within the same zone. However, unlike normal
sweeping attacks, if you divide the attack into two, each one When wrapped in your magnetic armor, items in your posses-
benefits from a +1 attack bonus. This means that instead of sion are automatically repaired.
splitting a Great (+4) result into two Fair (+2) results, it is split
Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Repair; [Scale 2] Magnetic Armor.
into two Good (+3) results. You must announce your intent to
divide the attack prior to making the initial roll. Requirements: Metal Coding at Fair (+2) Scale 3.
Effects: Once per minor milestone, when you have Magnetic
At Scale 4, you benefit from a +1 attack bonus even if you split Armor active, you may choose to activate this Protocol. Once
into three attacks; At Scale 6, you gain the bonus even if you active, you restore one asset Stress or property damage equiva-
split into four attacks; At Scale 8, you gain it at five attacks. lent to a –1 flaw to an inanimate object in your possession each
round in a conflict, or minute outside of a conflict. If an object
[SCALE 2] RECONFIGURE in possession of Stress and Consequence slots has an untreated
You may alter an inorganic form, or add metallic components to Mild Physical Consequence, it will be treated on the first round
your own flesh. before any Stress is restored.

Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Repair. At Scale 5, the armor can now treat a Moderate Physical Conse-
quence on the first round, before proceeding to any Mild Phys-
Requirements: Metal Coding at Average (+1) Scale 2.
ical Consequences, Stress, or asset properties; At Scale 7, the
Effects: Once per minor milestone, you may spend a Charge mending can now start with a Severe Physical Consequence.
or take a Stress to give yourself temporary cybernetic augmen-
tations (p. XX) with a total Cost equal to your Metal Coding
[SCALE 3] CONTROL GRAVITY
Scale. These last for the duration of a scene.
By focusing on an area around you, you may alter perceived
gravity itself by manipulating mass, magnetism, and other forces.
Alternatively, you may instead add temporary properties to an
inanimate entity, like a droid, drone, or vehicle, with a Cost
Prerequisites: [Scale 2] Gravity Pull.
equal to half your Metal Coding Scale, rounded up.
Requirements: Metal Coding at Fair (+2) Scale 3.
[SCALE 2] REINFORCE METAL
Effects: Once per minor milestone, you may spend a Charge
You touch an object that is primarily made of minerals or metals or take a Stress to alter gravity out to your coding range for a
and harden its structure, temporarily increasing its durability. scene.

Requirements: Metal Coding at Average (+1) Scale 2. Choose one of the following Situation Aspects:

Effects: Spend a Charge or take a Stress to add the Reinforced • High Gravity: The gravity is higher within the area. Any

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affected targets suffers a mobility penalty (p. XX) equal to half of taking your own.
your Metal Coding Scale, rounded up. In addition, the Scale of
impact harm (p. XX) is doubled, to maximum 8. At Scale 7, you can freely manipulate the target once per round
• Low Gravity: The gravity is lower within the area. Any in addition to taking an action of your own.
affected targets gain a bonus to Physical Skill rolls equal to half
your Metal Coding Scale, rounded up. In addition, the Scale of [SCALE 3] EARTHQUAKE
impact harm is halved, rounded down. You shake earth and metal around you, causing persistent quakes
• Remove Gravity: There is no gravity within the area. in your surroundings.
• Shift Gravity: You may shift the direction of gravity
within the area, such as causing things to fall upwards or to the Prerequisites: [Scale 2] Gravity Pull.
sides instead of down. Requirements: Metal Coding at Fair (+2) Scale 3.
Effects: Once per minor milestone, you may spend a Charge
[SCALE 3] DROID PUPPET or take a Stress to fill an area out to your coding range with
You can use your metal coding to manipulate the movements of Earthquakes. This is treated as a Metal Coding attack target-
a droid or drone. ing everyone in range with a metal hazard, except for yourself.
Anyone who suffers at least one Stress from this hazard is ren-
Requirements: Metal Coding at Average (+1) Scale 3. dered Prone.
Effects: Spend a Charge or take a Stress and roll Metal Coding
against a droid or drone’s Fortitude or Security (whichever is You make the attack roll every round for as long as the Situa-
higher). Alternatively, roll against a pilot’s Piloting Skill when tion Aspect remains, or until the end of the scene (whichever
targeting a vehicle. If successful, you force the target to take a comes first). For each following round, the hazard spreads to
simple action of your choice, such as crossing a ledge, attacking any adjacent zones it can reach, out to a maximum distance
their user, or crashing into a wall. If you succeed with style, you equal to twice your coding range.
may force a complex action, such as forcing them to interact
with a digital system, getting them to perform a stunt, or mak- At Scale 5, you may spare your allies from the effects; At Scale
ing them do something they aren’t built for. 7, you may have the quakes follow you as you move.

At Scale 5, you can retain control for the remainder of the [SCALE 3] LANDSLIDE
scene, or until the target either spends a Charge (which is given You manipulate earth and minerals in a straight line in front of
to you at the scene’s end) or chooses to take a number of Stress you, causing a wave of debris.
equal to half your Metal Coding Scale, rounded up, caused by
physical strain. The target can still act normally outside of your Prerequisites: [Scale 2] Metallic Barrage.
turn, but you may choose to manipulate their actions in place Requirements: Metal Coding at Fair (+2) Scale 3.

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Effects: Spend a Charge or take a Stress to create a wave of [SCALE 4] DISASSEMBLE

debris that originates from your position and targets everyone You may disassemble an object made up of earth minerals into
in a (Rank) meter wide line in front of you, out to a number of finer components.
zones equal to twice your coding range. The attack is consid-
ered a metal hazard (p. XX) inflicting impact harm (p. XX) and Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Repair.
is defended against using either Acrobatics or Fortitude. Any Requirements: Metal Coding at Average (+1) Scale 4.
target caught in the attack, whether they suffer Stress or not, Effects: When using Metal Coding to make a create advantage
are either Prone or knocked back one zone. action to Weaken an inanimate object made up of earth min-
erals, you may choose to spend a Charge or take a Stress to
This attack can only be used if there is enough earth, miner- Disassemble the object instead. For each shift above the target’s
als, or debris present, such as standing on rocky ground or be- defend roll, the object is damaged equivalent to a –1 flaw (p.
ing on a scrapyard. For each use, you must spend at least one XX). Should this reduce the object’s Cost to below 0, it is com-
round in a conflict (or one minute outside of a conflict) before pletely disassembled into components.
you can do it again.
If used on godware items, every three shifts are equivalent to
[SCALE 3] SOFT GROUND a –1 flaw instead. Godware with Unbreakable (p. XX) are im-
When attacking a target, the ground softens beneath their feet. mune to this Coding Protocol.

Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Soft as Clay; [Scale 2] Mettalic Barrage. At Scale 6, you may spend a Charge or take a Stress to perfectly
Requirements: Metal Coding at Fair (+2) Scale 3. restore a disassembled object.
Effects: Whenever you make a Metal Coding attack that suc- At Scale 8, disassembling and restoring an object can either
ceeds with style, you may choose to reduce the inflicted Stress provide an additional –1 flaw or +1 property, at your discre-
by one to add Soft Ground with one free invocation. This re- tion, without affecting its overall Cost. While you can use this
quires that the target stands on ground made up predominant- multiple times to change these flaws or properties, you cannot
ly of earth minerals, softening it to make it difficult to traverse. stack multiple uses on the same object.
Alternatively, spend a Charge or take a Stress to cover an area
out to your coding range with Soft Ground. [SCALE 4] IMPROVED REPAIRS
The potency of your repairs has improved drastically, allowing
you to fix the most grievous damages at less effort.
[SCALE 3] STONE SKIN
You harden your skin into a stone- or metal-like substance, pro- Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Repair.
viding both additional protection and cover.
Requirements: Metal Coding at Average (+1) Scale 4.
Prerequisites: [Scale 2] Reconfigure. Effects: When using the prerequisite, you may treat a Conse-
Requirements: Metal Coding at Fair (+2) Scale 3. quence in place of one (Mild), two (Moderate), or three (Se-
vere) Stress boxes instead, or double that if you want to remove
Effects: You may spend a Charge or take a Stress to harden them. In addition, you may now, once per target per major
your skin into a stone- or metal-like substance. This gives you milestone, restore an object broken beyond repair to function-
+1 to Natural Soak. In addition, you may use Metal Coding al capacity in place of restoring four Stress; in place of eight
instead of Stealth to hide in earthen or metallic environments. Stress, it is returned to perfect capacity.
At Scale 5, the bonus becomes +2; At Scale 7, it becomes +3.
[SCALE 4] JUNK FRAME
You pull junk and debris towards yourself and have them form a
[SCALE 4] CREATE METAL ELEMENTAL
protective humanoid frame that encases your own body.
Your control over metals lets you create an elemental out of earth
minerals. Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Magnetic Sword; [Scale 2] Magnetic
Armor.
Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Mold Earth.
Requirements: Metal Coding at Fair (+2) Scale 4
Requirements: Metal Coding at Average (+1) Scale 4.
Effects: Once per minor milestone, you may spend a Charge
Effects: Spend a Charge or take a Stress to create a metal ele- or take a Stress to surround yourself in mineral debris that take
mental (p. XX) with a Cost value equal to your Metal Coding the shape of an Encased (p. XX) armor frame (p. XX). This
Scale. The elemental will follow your command until the next adds +1 to Armored Soak, the Large Frame Aspect (p. XX), in-
significant milestone, after which it will crumble into gravel. creases Athletics Scale by one (to maximum 8), and enables the
use of Siege I weapons (p. XX). However, this Coding Protocol
You can use this Coding Protocol to create (Rank + Scale) el- is incompatible with a physical armor frame.
ementals at the time. Should you attempt to make more than
that, the older ones will crumble. At Scale 6, you instead gain +2 to Armored Soak, the Huge
Frame Aspect (p. XX), increase Athletics Scale by two (to max-

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 imum 8), and enable the use of Siege II weapons (p. XX). [SCALE 5] ROBOTIC FACSIMILE
You create an identical copy of yourself out of earth minerals.
At Scale 8, you instead gain +3 to Armored Soak, the Colos-
sal Frame Aspect (p. XX), increase Athletics Scale by three (to Prerequisites: [Scale 2] Create Droid; [Scale 4] Stone Clone.
maximum 8), and enable the use of Siege III weapons (p. XX). Requirements: Metal Coding at Fair (+2) Scale 5.
Effects: Once per significant milestone, you may spend a
[SCALE 4] STONE CLONE Charge and take a Stress to create an exact duplicate of your-
You have created a perfect replica of yourself out of earth miner- self. It is impossible to distinguish the clone from the original
als, but it crumbles to sand should it suffer too much harm. even upon close inspection. The duplicate shares your person-
ality, memories, and Skills—but it cannot use your items, aug-
Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Magnetic Retaliation; [Scale 1] Mold mentations, Skill Features, Coding Protocols, or other Coding
Earth. Skills than Metal Coding (if you have more than one).
Requirements: Metal Coding at Average (+1) Scale 4.
The clone acts independently but is loyal to the original. You
Effects: Once per scene, when being successfully struck by an
are in control of both characters. It lasts until taken out or until
attack that inflicts at least one Stress, you may spend a Charge
the next minor milestone, whichever comes first, after which it
to substitute your body with an identical clone that crumbles
crumbles into gravel.
into shards upon impact. Make an immediate Metal Coding
attack inflicting Projectile Harm to anyone within range. How-
You may, once per major milestone, choose to convert a clone
ever, you may also relocate your actual body to an unobstruct-
into an original should the original die.
ed location within your coding range. You were actually there
the whole time.
At Scale 7, you can create up to (Rank) copies when using this
Coding Protocol.
This Coding Protocol can be used again within the scene only
if you first spend at least one full round in cover, unnoticed by
your enemies. [SCALE 5] STALAGMITES
Wherever you soften earth, stalagmites emerge to stab your foes.
[SCALE 4] SURFACE RUPTURE
Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Mold Earth; [Scale 3] Soft Ground.
Your earthquakes tear the ground apart, causing sinkholes and
ravines to swallow up your enemies. Requirements: Metal Coding at Good (+3) Scale 5.
Effects: Whenever you inflict Soft Ground upon the scene, you
Prerequisites: [Scale 3] Earthquake. may choose to spend a Charge or take a Stress to change it to
Requirements: Metal Coding at Good (+3) Scale 4. Stalagmites. For free once per round, you may use any of your
stalagmites within your coding range to make an immediate
Effects: When using the prerequisite, you may choose to al-
Metal Coding attack inflicting Sharp Harm at a target within
ter the Aspect from Earthquakes to Surface Ruptures. Anyone
the same zone as the stalagmites. You may do this outside of
knocked Prone by the hazard falls into a chasm, suffering an
your own turn, but you cannot interrupt an ongoing turn.
extra Metal Coding attack as if it were impact harm (p. XX).
At Scale 7, you may spend Charges or takes Stress to make ad-
At Scale 6, the ground shifts to aid your and your allies’ move-
ditional stalagmite attacks in a round, up to a maximum num-
ment, allowing you to move freely without risk of falling into
ber of attacks equal to the number of Stalagmites within your
a chasm.
coding range.
At Scale 8, you may choose to fill in the chasms after targets
having fallen into them, burying them underneath the ground. [SCALE 5] TECTONIC REARRANGEMENT
You channel a tremendous amount of metal rift energy to opti-
mize the potency of your coding. Once released, you expand an
[SCALE 5] MAGNETIC GUARDIAN
earthen manifestation over a vast area.
You use magnetic forces to protect allies with metallic shields,
giving them all the benefits of your magnetic armor. Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Mold Earth; [Scale 3] Earthquake or
[Scale 3] Soft Ground.
Prerequisites: [Scale 2] Magnetic Armor.
Requirements: Metal Coding at Good (+3) Scale 5.
Requirements: Metal Coding at Fair (+2) Scale 5.
Effects: Once per significant milestone, when creating a Metal
Effects: Once per minor milestone, when activating Magnetic
Coding hazard or block covering a large area, you may choose
Armor, you may choose to extend its effects to all willing allies
to expand your coding range to (Coding Range x 100) meters.
within your coding range. This will last for the full scene or
until they leave your coding range. If they already benefit from
At Scale 7, this becomes (Coding Range x 1,000 meters).
another equivalent coding armor, like Ice Armor (p. XX), the
target’s player chooses if they want the new armor to overwrite
the old. They do not stack. [SCALE 6] ABSORB METAL ELEMENTAL
You absorb a metal elemental into yourself, becoming one with

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its powers. You adopt some of the elemental’s features for as long [SCALE 6] VOLCANIC
as you remain one. Your control over metal rift energy lets you heat up earth, metals,
and minerals; you can melt a droid or have magma erupt from
Prerequisites: [Scale 3] Stone Skin; [Scale 4] Create Metal El- the ground.
emental.
Requirements: Metal Coding at Good (+3) Scale 6. Prerequisites: [Scale 4] Surface Rupture.
Effects: When defeating a metal elemental, you may spend a Requirements: Metal Coding at Great (+4) Scale 6.
Charge or take a Stress to absorb it into yourself. If you target Effects: When making a Metal Coding attack, you may spend
your own created elementals, you don’t have to defeat them a Charge or take a Stress to add Pyro Harm as a secondary
first. Absorbing an elemental automatically activates Reconfig- harm type, either by heating affected metals or by manifest-
ure (p. XX) but with an additional (Metal Coding Rank) to the ing magma. In addition, you may use Metal Coding to create
total Cost. magma-based hazards (p. XX) and blocks (p. XX)—these are
functionally identical to pyro hazards and blocks.
These additional implants must have similar properties to the
nature of the absorbed elemental, and they prolong the du- At Scale 8, you may, once per significant milestone, choose to
ration to the next minor milestone, unless you choose to rid activate a Pyro Coding Protocol (p. XX) of your choice as if it
yourself of them before that. were a Metal Coding Protocol. You don’t need to meet its pre-
requisites unless it directly interacts with a prerequisite effect.
[SCALE 6] DETONATE CLONE
Any clones, droids, or elementals created by your metal coding [SCALE 7] CREATE METAL RIFT
are ticking bombs, waiting to be detonated. You draw a tremendous amount of power into yourself and ex-
plode it outwards, using your own body as its epicenter. This
Prerequisites: [Scale 4] Create Metal Elemental or [Scale 5] overwhelms the Nanite Matrix, tearing open a metal rift that will
Robotic Facsimile. continue to petrify the surrounding landscape.
Requirements: Metal Coding at Good (+3) Scale 6.
Effects: Once you have a created droid, metal elemental, or Prerequisites: [Scale 4] Create Metal Elemental; [Scale 5] Tec-
robotic facsimile in play, you may at any point choose to det- tonic Rearrangement.
onate it. This will destroy the entity, but cause an immediate Requirements: Metal Coding at Great (+4) Scale 7.
projectile hazard targeting up to a maximum number of zones Effects: Once per major milestone, you may spend a Charge or
in radius as determined by your coding range. The hazard uses take a Stress to create a persistent metal rift in a location. This
your normal Metal Coding attack traits. rift will continously create metal-based rift energy that affects
the landscape out to a range as if affected by Tectonic Rear-
[SCALE 6] MOBILE FACTORY rangement. Make a Metal Coding attack against all creatures
You radiate a wave of metal rift energy that hammers and welds within this range; if any of them are taken out by this attack,
metal, restores wires and electronics, and makes broken ma- they are converted to wild metal elementals that will feed off
chines operational once more. the rift (this does not apply to riftans or Machineborn).

Prerequisites: [Scale 3] Auto-Repair; [Scale 4] Improved Re- Someone with Scale 5+ in Engineering could create a rift facil-
pairs. ity upon this location to harness the rift’s power. Without such
Requirements: Metal Coding at Good (+3) Scale 6. a facility in place, the rift will continue to petrify the landscape.

Effects: You can use the prerequisite to repair as many objects

[SCALE 7] PLANETARY MAGNETISM
as you want within your coding range, but doing so cuts the
number of Stress boxes you can restore in half, rounded up. An You gain the power to manipulate the magnetic field of a planet,
object can be repaired this way once per scene, and it doesn’t affecting everything from weather patterns to tectonic activity.
count towards the once per minor milestone cap of the sin-
gle-target repair. Prerequisites: [Scale 6] Volcanic.
Requirements: Metal Coding at Superb (+5) Scale 7.
Alternatively, once per significant milestone, spend a Charge Effects: This Coding Protocol is identical to the prerequisite,
or take a Stress to immediately create a metal-based object with but now also enables you to use Metal Coding to inflict Elec-
a maximum Cost equal to your Metal Coding Scale. This re- trical Harm and cause electrical effects; your control over mag-
quires no Hurdles and no dice roll. netism can cause intense electrical storms or affect surround-
ing electronics.
At Scale 8, you can spend a Charge to automatically restore
one Stress box every round in a conflict (or minute outside of
[SCALE 8] ABSORB METAL RIFT
a conflict) to any inanimate entity you want within your cod-
You draw a rift into yourself, ending its overwhelming petrifi-
ing range. This lasts for the scene. In addition, you may now
cation, and calming the area of its energy. Instead, it lingers as a
make an instant invention once per minor instead of signifi-
core within your own self, feeding energy into your coding.
cant milestone.

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 Prerequisites: [Scale 6] Absorb Metal Elemental; [Scale 7] this Coding Protocol cannot be targeted with it again until the
Create Metal Rift. next minor milestone.
Requirements: Metal Coding at Superb (+5) Scale 8.
Effects: Once per major milestone, you may spend a Charge [SCALE 1] ILLUSION
or take a Stress to absorb a metal rift into yourself. The rift dis- You weave an illusion that is only perceivable by a desired target,
appears permanently from its place, powering you up until the but that tricks all of their senses.
next significant milestone. All of your Metal Coding Protocols
that cost a Charge or a Stress to activate can now be activated Requirements: Psionic Coding at Mediocre (±0) Scale 1.
for free. In addition, your coding range is doubled, you gain Effects: Spend a Charge or take a Stress and roll Psionic Cod-
+1 Harm on your Metal Coding attacks, and you become fully ing against a target’s Awareness. If successful, you craft a per-
immune to impact harm. fect illusion that they can perceive with all their senses, but
that exists entirely within their mind. This illusion cannot alter
something that is already present in the scene, but it can add
additional sensory information to it, like making the target see
PSIONIC CODING someone who isn’t there.

[SCALE 1] CALM It costs as many Stress as the shifts of your roll for the target to
You rearrange a target’s neural patterns to mend emotional harm. rid the illusion from their mind.

Requirements: Psionic Coding at Mediocre (±0) Scale 1. At Scale 3, your illusion can appear to change something that is
Effects: Spend a Charge to restore (Rank + Scale) Stress boxes already present in the scene, such as having the target see their
caused by mental harm in a target within your coding range. friend as their enemy, or vice versa.
Alternatively, treat Mental Consequences instead of restoring
Stress boxes at a rate equal to the value of those Consequences At Scale 5, your illusion can make it seem like something has
(two for Mild, four for Moderate, and six for Severe). By dou- disappeared from the scene, such as making the target believe
bling this cost (four for Mild, eight for Moderate, and twelve that their ally is gone, or making yourself appear invisible.
for Severe), you both treat and remove the Consequence.
At Scale 7, your illusion can change the scene itself, such as
A target can only be mended by this Coding Protocol once per making it appear to the target as if they are in a completely
minor milestone. It cannot be used on yourself. different environment.

[SCALE 1] DISCOURAGE [SCALE 1] MIND READING

You discreetly instill self-doubt in a target, making them feel in- You cannot fully turn off your psionic powers, causing you to
secure about their own capacity. hear other people’s surface thoughts as voices in your head. Of-
ten, you hear things you would rather not know about, like how
Requirements: Psionic Coding at Mediocre (±0) Scale 1. the person you thought was a friend is judging you, how your
Effects: Spend a Charge or take a Stress to force an opponent brother blames you for your father’s death, or how your neighbor
to add a second negative d6 to a Skill roll. They must choose is undressing you with their thoughts. While you experience nice
the higher negative outcome. You must declare the use of this thoughts as well, the bad ones can be too much to bear. It’s some-
Coding Protocol before the opponent’s initial roll. times easier to isolate yourself or try to distract you from the
noise. However, despite this debilitating condition, you can dig
deeper into people’s thoughts than normal psionics would allow.
[SCALE 1] FRIENDLY
By reading a target’s surface thoughts and instilling subtle moods Requirements: Psionic Coding at Mediocre (±0) Scale 1.
and desires, you can change how they perceive you.
Effects: You automatically know the Instinct (p. XX) of every-
one in range of your Psionic Coding. However, you gain a sec-
Requirements: Psionic Coding at Mediocre (±0) Scale 1.
ondary Trouble (p. XX) called Mind Noise.
Effects: Spend a Charge or take a Stress and roll Psionic Cod-
ing against the target’s Empathy or Willpower. If successful, By spending a Charge or taking a Stress, you can use Psionic
their Attitude towards you change either from Hostile to Neu- Coding to probe for deeper thoughts. This is treated as a psion-
tral or from Neutral to Friendly. If they already are Friendly, ic attack, but it doesn’t inflict actual Stress. Instead, for each
they perceive you as having a +1 Scale bonus on Style. If you inflicted shift of harm, you may ask a single question to the tar-
succeed with style, the Attitude changes two steps instead. If geted character’s player. For example, “What does your mother
already Friendly, you are perceived as having a +2 Scale bonus. look like?”, “Were you there to witness the crime?”, or “Are you
the person who killed my father?”
This lasts for the remainder of the scene or until something
happens to change their perception of you. The target’s player The target may use Willpower or Deception to defend against
may also resist by spending a Charge, which is immediately your efforts. They are aware of you trying to probe their mind
granted to you. A target who has been affected by or resisted as they experience flashes of the thoughts and memories you’re

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looking for. They may try to resist your questioning by taking out a psychic scream heard only by them.
on Stress or mitigate it through Mental Consequences at a rate
Requirements: Psionic Coding at Mediocre (±0) Scale 1.
of one question per Stress taken.
Effects: Your Psionic Coding effects have +1 Range. When us-
ing Psionic Coding to attack a single foe, you may choose to
[SCALE 1] MOTIVATE
have its harm be treated as physical instead of mental. How-
You tap into a target’s brain, instilling confidence in their actions
ever, it is still defended against as a normal Psionic Coding at-
and muting any doubts.
tack, including using Mental Soak.
Requirements: Psionic Coding at Mediocre (±0) Scale 1. If there is another conscious brain within range of your Cod-
Effects: Spend a Charge or take a Stress to get an ally to add a ing Skill, you may choose to use that as a springboard for your
second positive d6 to a Skill roll. They then choose the higher attack. This could let you extend the attack range even further,
positive outcome. You must declare the use of this Coding Pro- but you must still be able to perceive your target, and you still
tocol before the ally’s initial roll. You cannot use it on yourself. suffer a ranged penalty based on your own position.

[SCALE 1] PSIONIC RETALIATION At Scale 3, when having your psychic scream bounce off a sep-
Whenever someone makes skin-to-skin contact with you, they arate brain, you can use that as the attack’s origin point for the
feel an unpleasant static noise within their mind. If you don’t like purpose of ranged penalties.
their touch, you can let them know by having their brain experi-
ence a sudden scream or migraine. At Scale 5, you no longer need to perceive your target directly
as long as it is perceived by another brain within your range.
Requirements: Psionic Coding at Mediocre (±0) Scale 1.
At Scale 7, you gain +2 instead of +1 to Range. In addition, you
Effects: Whenever you’re the target of a successful physical at- ignore one ranged penalty on your Psionic Coding effects.
tack that inflicts at least one Stress, you may spend a Charge
or take a Stress to make an immediate Psionic Coding attack
[SCALE 2] COMMAND
against the attacker, assuming they are in your coding range.
By nudging attitudes and desires, you can instill commands and
behaviors in a target’s mind, They see you as an authority figure
At Scale 3, this becomes free once per round; At Scale 5, you
and believe that their own wishes align with your commands.
may activate this Coding Protocol even if the successful attack
didn’t cause you any Stress; At Scale 7, you may also activate it
Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Friendly; [Scale 1] Motivate.
in response to failed attacks.
Requirements: Psionic Coding at Average (+1) Scale 2.
[SCALE 1] PSYCHIC SCREAM Effects: You may use Psionic Coding in place of Leadership to
By focusing intently on a single target with a brain, you can let command others into action. If you spend a Charge or take a

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 Stress when doing so, you may target even those with a Hos- companion (p. XX) with a Cost equal to your Psionic Coding
tile Attitude (p. XX) for you. Affected targets must then take a Scale. As your Scale increases, the animal’s effective Cost does
Stress whenever they take any action that doesn’t directly align as well. You may communicate telepathically with your new
with your command. This lasts until they have carried out your animal companion as if it had human-level intellect.
command or spent a Charge to ignore it.
You can only claim (Rank + Scale) animals this way at the time.
[SCALE 2] FEARFUL
You tap deep into a target’s mind, pulling out any buried feelings [SCALE 2] PSYCHIC WAVE
of dread and weaving it into their perception of you; you become Your psychic screams travel like waves through space, possibly
the perceived source of that dread. affecting other brains in close vicinity to your targets.

Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Discourage. Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Psychic Scream.

Requirements: Psionic Coding at Average (+1) Scale 2. Requirements: Psionic Coding at Average (+1) Scale 2.
Effects: Roll Psionic Coding against a target’s Willpower as a Effects: Your psychic scream can now make sweeping attacks
create advantage action. If successful, they become Fearful of (p. XX). This lets you divide the result of your attack roll to
you, and you get free invocations like with ordinary create ad- affect several enemies within the same zone. However, unlike
vantage actions. However, as long as the Aspect remains, the normal sweeping attacks, if you divide the attack into two, each
target cannot take any hostile actions against you without first one benefits from a +1 attack bonus. This means that instead of
taking a Stress. They can spend a Charge to rid themselves of splitting a Great (+4) result into two Fair (+2) results, it is split
the Aspect—this Charge is immediately given to you. into two Good (+3) results. You must announce your intent to
divide the attack prior to making the initial roll.
[SCALE 2] HEROIC
At Scale 4, you benefit from a +1 attack bonus even if you split
You dig into a target’s mind, blocking their insecurities and high-
into three attacks; At Scale 6, you gain the bonus even if you
lighting their sense of courge, motivation, and will. Their minds
split into four attacks; At Scale 8, you gain it at five attacks.
are strengthened against adversity.

Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Motivate. [SCALE 2] SENSE EMOTION

Requirements: Psionic Coding at Average (+1) Scale 2. You automatically perceive specific emotions that you are on the
lookout for.
Effects: Spend a Charge or take a Stress to give a target within
your coding range +1 to Mental Soak for the scene. You cannot Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Mind Reading.
use this on yourself.
Requirements: Psionic Coding at Average (+1) Scale 2.
At Scale 4, the bonus is increased to +2; At Scale 6, it becomes Effects: Spend a Charge or take a Stress to automatically sense
+3; At Scale 8, it becomes +4. the presence of a specific emotion, such as hatred, sorrow, or
joy. No roll is necessary, unless the target has a Scale in De-
[SCALE 2] IGNORE LANGUAGE BARRIER
ception, Larceny, or Stealth that is higher than your Psionic
Your mind reading and psionic communication is at a level Coding Scale, and they are actively trying to hide the emotion.
where language barriers are no longer part of the equation.
At Scale 4, you automatically sense the Attitude (p. XX) of an-
Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Mind Reading. yone within your coding range without needing to pay for this
Coding Protocol’s activation. A target who tries to hide their
Requirements: Psionic Coding at Average (+1) Scale 2. Attitude falls under the above-mentioned restrictions.
Effects: You can use Psionic Coding to telepathically commu-
nicate freely across language barriers, having targeted brains [SCALE 2] SENSE SHARING
seamlessly translate any communication. Your ability to read minds enables you to fully experience a tar-
get’s physical sensations.
[SCALE 2] PACIFY BEAST
By gazing into an animal’s mind, you can instill feelings and sen- Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Mind Reading.
sations that calm it, making it see you as a friend. Requirements: Psionic Coding at Average (+1) Scale 2.
Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Friendly. Effects: Spend a Charge or take a Stress to either experience
the senses of another target within your coding range as if they
Requirements: Psionic Coding at Average (+1) Scale 2. were your own, or have a willing target experience yours. When
Effects: Spend a Charge or take a Stress to pacify an animal sharing senses, you gain full access to the target’s perceptions
within your coding range. The targeted animal gains a Friendly for as long as you want to, as long as they remain within your
Attitude (p. XX) for you unless you give them reason not to. coding range. When inviting a target to share your senses, they
can choose to end the connection at will.
If the animal is not of human-level intellect or a companion
to someone else, pacifying it may let you adopt it as an animal Experiencing another’s senses takes you out of your own. You

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are effectively incapacitated during this time, but will intuitive- Requirements: Psionic Coding at Average (+1) Scale 3.
ly know if your body is harmed, moved, or touched. Effects: Psionic Coding Protocols that cannot be used on your-
self can now be used on yourself.
At Scale 4, you may share the senses of another while retaining
control over your body; At Scale 6, you can share senses with
up to (Rank) targets at the same time; At Scale 8, you can retain [SCALE 3] MIGRAINE AURA
the sense sharing even if the targets leave your coding range. You emit a consistent psychic pulse that targets all conscious
brains in your surroundings, torturing them with migraines.
[SCALE 3] ANIMAL TELEPATHY
Prerequisites: [Scale 2] Psychic Wave.
You can gaze into and understand every conceivable brain, even
inhuman ones. Requirements: Psionic Coding at Fair (+2) Scale 3.
Effects: Once per minor milestone, you may spend a Charge or
Prerequisites: [Scale 2] Ignore Language Barrier; [Scale 2] Pac- take a Stress to afflict every conscious brain within your coding
ify Beast. range with Migraines. This is treated as a Psionic Coding attack
Requirements: Psionic Coding at Fair (+2) Scale 3. targeting everyone in range with a psionic hazard, except for
yourself. Affected targets suffer a –1 penalty to all Skill rolls.
Effects: You can now use Psionic Coding to communicate tel-
epathically with animals and other low-intelligence creatures. You make the attack roll every round for as long as the Situa-
Instead of using language, you communicate complex mean- tion Aspect remains, or until the end of the scene (whichever
ings using intents, moods, and desires. comes first). For each following round, the hazard spreads to
any adjacent zones it can reach, out to a maximum distance
At Scale 5, you can communicate with low-intelligence crea-
equal to twice your coding range.
tures as if they had human-level intelligence; At Scale 7, you
can even communicate with other forms of organisms, such as At Scale 5, you may spare your allies from the effects; At Scale
bacteria, viruses, and vegetation, as if they had low intelligence. 7, you may have the aura follow you as you move.

[SCALE 3] BRAIN DAMAGE [SCALE 3] MIND CONTROL

Your psionic attacks have increased potency, destroying brain You hijack a target’s mind, compelling them to take actions that
cells or disrupting brain functions. would otherwise go against their nature.

Requirements: Psionic Coding at Mediocre (±0) Scale 3. Requirements: Psionic Coding at Average (+1) Scale 3.
Effects: Any Stress inflicted by your Psionic Coding attacks Effects: Spend a Charge or take a Stress and roll Psionic Cod-
cannot be restored unless the target has undergone a successful ing against a target’s Willpower. If successful, you force them
treatment action at a difficulty equal to Rank (half the suffered to take a simple action of your choice, such as jumping from a
Stress, rounded up) Scale 1. ledge, attacking an ally or themselves, or dropping an item they
are holding. If you succeed with style, you may force a complex
[SCALE 3] CONFUSE action, such as forcing them to say something, getting them to
You dig into a target’s mind and bring a multitude of memo- transfer credits to you, or making them use a complex device.
ries, thoughts, and feelings to the surface. The over-acting brain
clashes with itself, confusing the target. At Scale 5, you can retain control for the remainder of the
scene, or until the target either spends a Charge (which is giv-
Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Discourage. en to you at the scene’s end) or chooses to take a number of
Requirements: Psionic Coding at Average (+1) Scale 3. Stress equal to half your Psionic Coding Scale, rounded up.
This Stress can be used for Mental Consequences. The target
Effects: Once per target per scene, you may spend a Charge
can still act freely on their own turns, but you may choose to
or take a Stress to make them Confused. This prevents them
manipulate their actions in place of taking your own.
from taking anything other than defend actions for a number
of rounds in a conflict equal to half your Psionic Coding Scale, At Scale 7, you can freely manipulate the target once per round
rounded up. The target may ignore this effect by spending a in addition to taking an action of your own.
Charge, which is immediately given to you.

This does not work on targets with a Willpower Scale higher [SCALE 3] SLEEP
than your Psionic Coding Scale. You instill sleepiness and fatigue in the target’s mind, calming
their emotions, and making them relax.
[SCALE 3] MANIPULATE SELF
Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Calm.
You can alter your own neurons and modify your own brain with
more confidence, allowing you to target yourself with certain ef- Requirements: Psionic Coding at Average (+1) Scale 3.
fects that you previously only dared to instill in others. Effects: Once per target per scene, spend a Charge or take a
Stress to roll Psionic Coding against the target’s Willpower. If
Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Calm or [Scale 1] Motivate. successful, the target falls asleep for one round in a conflict (or

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 minute outside of a conflict) for each inflicted shift. They can [SCALE 4] IMPROVED CALM
still wake up prematurely if disturbed. The potency of your calming nature has improved drastically,
allowing you to soothe people faced by the most awful trauma.
A target who was naturally tired before the use of this Coding
Protocol may continue to sleep beyond the duration if they are Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Calm.
left undisturbed. This is at Narrator discretion. Requirements: Psionic Coding at Average (+1) Scale 4.
Effects: When using the prerequisite, you may treat a Conse-
[SCALE 4] ANIMAL MESSENGER quence in place of one (Mild), two (Moderate), or three (Se-
You imprint a telepathic message in the brain of an animal. Once vere) Stress boxes instead, or double that if you want to remove
it reaches your intended target, the animal delivers the message them. In addition, you may now, once per target per major
telepathically as if it had come from your own brain. milestone, heal an Extreme Consequence in place of restoring
four Stress, or eight Stress to remove it altogether.
Prerequisites: [Scale 3] Animal Telepathy.
Requirements: Psionic Coding at Good (+3) Scale 4. [SCALE 4] TEARS OF BLOOD

Effects: Spend a Charge or take a Stress to imprint a telepathic Instead of simply causing migraines in your targets, you cause
message to a pacified animal (p. XX) and command it to de- their brains to throb and roil, pushing against the skull from the
liver it to an intended target. The animal will follow your in- inside. Blood pours from the eyes, the ears, the nose, and the
structions after your intentions. Once it crosses paths with the mouth. The pain is unbearable.
target of your message, the target will receive it telepathically.
Prerequisites: [Scale 3] Migraine Aura.
You will instinctually know when this happens.
Requirements: Psionic Coding at Good (+3) Scale 4.
[SCALE 4] BLOCK SENSE Effects: Whenever you use the prerequisite, you may choose to
Instead of tapping into a target’s senses, you create a mental block alter the Aspect from Migraines to Unbearable Skull Pressure.
that prevents the target from using a certain sense. The pain is much the same, but the pressure within the targets’
skulls causes blood to pour from their facial orifices. This in-
Prerequisites: [Scale 2] Sense Sharing. creases the penalty from –1 to –2. However, actions that rely on
vision, hearing, taste, or smell suffer a –4 penalty instead of –2.
Requirements: Psionic Coding at Fair (+2) Scale 4.
Effects: Spend a Charge or take a Stress to roll Psionic Coding
[SCALE 5] PSYCHIC NETWORK
as a create advantage action against a target’s Willpower. If suc-
You establish a shared mental network, allowing all linked minds
cessful, the target suffers Blocked <Sense> for (Scale) rounds
to communicate and coordinate as one.
in a conflict (or minutes outside of one), with free invocations
as appropriate for create advantage actions. You choose which
Prerequisites: [Scale 2] Sense Sharing.
sense to block when using this Coding Protocol.
Requirements: Psionic Coding at Fair (+2) Scale 5.
The target can regain their sense for a turn by taking a Stress, Effects: You can now maintain up to (Rank + Scale) telepathic
or regaining it permanently by spending a Charge. You can use links (p. XX) simultaneously. By spending a Charge or taking
this Coding Protocol on the same target multiple times, target- a Stress, you may also connect them with each other, allowing
ing different senses, but you cannot target the same sense more all of you to communicate telepathically over vast distances.
than once per minor milestone.
When using Sense Sharing on a telepathic link, you may choose
At Scale 6, the sense is blocked indefinitely, or until the target to invite them into a temporary hive if they are willing. This
pays the Charge; At Scale 8, the target can no longer take Stress functions identically to the mind melding from the ascendant’s
to temporarily regain their blocked sense. Psion trait (p. XX), except that targets don’t need to be psionic
coders themselves.
[SCALE 4] DREAM WALKING
You can interact with a dream at a deeper level, modifying and At Scale 7, there is no upper limit to the number of telepathic
manipulating it as if you were programming a digital system. links you can interact with simultaneously.

Prerequisites: [Scale 2] Sense Sharing; [Scale 3] Sleep. [SCALE 5] NEURAL ERASURE

Requirements: Psionic Coding at Fair (+2) Scale 4. You reach into a target’s mind and erase specific memories.
Effects: When reading someone’s dream, you can spend a
Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Mind Reading; [Scale 3] Confuse.
Charge or take a Stress to enter it as if interfacing with nitespace.
You may adopt an avatar, just like in the Nanite Matrix, and Requirements: Psionic Coding at Fair (+2) Scale 5.
interface with the dream using your Psionic Coding instead Effects: Spend a Charge or take a Stress to roll Psionic Cod-
of Interfacing. Additionally, instead of using extra Stress boxes ing against a target’s Willpower. If successful, you can erase a
and Digital Consequences based on your Interfacing, you base specific memory or piece of knowledge from their mind; this
them on your Psionic Coding. can include their immediate memories, such as what happened

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in the current scene. The target cannot recall this information work; [Scale 5] Radio Tower.
without something akin to brain restoration (p. XX). Requirements: Psionic Coding at Great (+4) Scale 7.
Effects: You instincitvely know the exact location of your tele-
At Scale 7, when removing a memory or piece of knowlege,
pathic links. Once per significant milestone, you may spend a
you may replace it with a new memory or knowledge of your
Charge or take a Stress to find the exact location of a conscious
own design.
brain belonging to a target you are personally familiar with.
Once per major milestone, you may do so for a target you’ve
[SCALE 5] RADIO TOWER never interacted with before. Once the brain has been located,
You channel a tremendous amount of psionic energy to optimize you may choose to establish a telepathic link with it.
the potency of your coding. Once released, you expand a psionic
effect to cover a vast area.
[SCALE 8] SOLAR BROADCAST

Prerequisites: [Scale 3] Migraine Aura. You expand your psychic presence across the entire solar system,
reaching into the minds of all conscious beings.
Requirements: Psionic Coding at Good (+3) Scale 4.
Effects: Once per significant milestone, when creating a Psion- Prerequisites: [Scale 7] Find Brain.
ic Coding effect covering a large area, you may choose to ex- Requirements: Psionic Coding at Superb (+5) Scale 8.
pand your coding range to (Coding Range x 100) meters.
Effects: Once per major milestone, you may spend a Charge or
take a Stress to broadcast a single message or emotion to every
At Scale 7, this becomes (Coding Range x 1,000 meters).
conscious mind in the solar system. The message is received
clearly in the native language of each being. If broadcasting an
[SCALE 6] CALMING AURA emotion, it affects every being for the scene, potentially alter-
The potency of your calming nature has improved drastically, ing the course of events on a massive scale.
allowing you to soothe people faced by the most awful trauma.

Prerequisites: [Scale 4] Improved Calm.

Requirements: Psionic Coding at Fair (+2) Scale 6. PYRO CODING
Effects: You can use the prerequisite to heal as many as you
[SCALE 1] BURNING RETALIATION
want within your coding range, but doing so cuts the number
Whenever someone makes skin-to-skin contact with you, they
of Stress boxes you can heal in half, rounded up. A target can
feel an unpleasant warm sensation. If you don’t like their touch,
be healed this way once per scene, and it doesn’t count towards
you can let them know in a painful way.
the once per minor milestone cap of the single-target healing.
Requirements: Pyro Coding at Mediocre (±0) Scale 1.
At Scale 8, you can spend a Charge to automatically restore
one Stress box every round in a conflict (or minute outside of Effects: Whenever you’re the target of a successful physical at-
a conflict) to anyone you want within your coding range. This tack that inflicts at least one Stress, you may spend a Charge or
lasts for the scene. take a Stress to make an immediate Pyro Coding attack against
the attacker, assuming they are in your coding range.
[SCALE 6] MENTAL PRISON
At Scale 3, this becomes free once per round; At Scale 5, you
You trap a target’s consciousness in a fabricated mental reality, may activate this Coding Protocol even if the successful attack
rendering their body inert. didn’t cause you any Stress; At Scale 7, you may also activate it
in response to failed attacks.
Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Illusion; [Scale 3] Confuse; [Scale 4]
Block Sense.
[SCALE 1] CREATE FLAME
Requirements: Psionic Coding at Good (+3) Scale 6.
You manifest flames from seemingly nowhere, guiding their path
Effects: Once per target per minor milestone, when using and form with your will.
Confuse, you may choose to instead make the target Cataton-
ic. They can no longer take any actions for the duration, their Requirements: Pyro Coding at Mediocre (±0) Scale 1.
minds being trapped within a mental reality of your design. Effects: Once per scene, you may choose to spend a Charge or
They can still spend a Charge to break free from the effect. take a Stress to manifest heat or fire within your coding range.
The fire acts like a persistent hazard (p. XX) or block (p. XX)
At Scale 8, the mental prison can persist indefinitely, only end- sharing the same Rank, Scale, and Harm as your Pyro Coding
ing if the target spends the Charge or if you will it to end. attacks, but the exact nature behind it depends on your inten-
tions and the form you give it.
[SCALE 7] FIND BRAIN
You may locate a conscious brain anywhere in the solar system. You may choose to manifest heat and flames with lesser traits if
you want to avoid creating something too dangerous.
Prerequisites: [Scale 2] Sense Emotion; [Scale 5] Psychic Net-

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[SCALE 1] FLAME DASH [SCALE 1] HOT
You emit flames like a propulsion engine, increasing your overall You melt hearts with nothing but a smouldering look.
speed and leaving a burning path in your wake.
Requirements: Pyro Coding at Mediocre (±0) Scale 1.
Requirements: Pyro Coding at Mediocre (±0) Scale 1. Effects: Increase your Style Rank by one; this can exceed the
Effects: Double your movement speed (p. XX) and gain a free Rank beyond the normal cap.
invocation to speed-related actions, such as chases. You may
choose to calculate movement speed using Pyro Coding in- At Scale 3, increase it by two; At Scale 5, increase it by three; At
stead of Athletics (if higher). By spending a Charge or taking a Scale 7, increase it by four.
Stress, the trail along which you have moved is On Fire.
[SCALE 1] PROPEL
At Scale 4, you triple your movement speed instead, and gain By emitting pulses of flame from your hands and feet, you propel
a second invocation to speed-related actions; At Scale 7, you yourself into the air.
quadruple your movement speed and gain a third invocation.
Requirements: Pyro Coding at Mediocre (±0) Scale 1.
[SCALE 1] FLAME LASH Effects: Double your jumping distances (p. XX) and gain a free
You ignite the oxygen around you before drawing it towards your invocation to jumping-related actions. You may choose to cal-
hand, reshaping it into a wild and fiery lash. culate jumping distances using Pyro Coding instead of Athlet-
ics (if higher). Additionally, by spending a Charge or taking a
Requirements: Pyro Coding at Mediocre (±0) Scale 1. Stress, you can protect yourself from a fall by emitting flames,
Effects: Spend a Charge or take a Stress to give yourself Flame ignoring the impact harm.
Lash for the scene. This is a Close Combat weapon that inflicts
both Pyro Harm and Sharp Harm, and that can be used with At Scale 4, the jumping distances are tripled instead, and you
either Close Combat or Pyro Coding. It uses your normal Pyro gain a second invocation; At Scale 7, the jumping distances are
Coding attack traits with the exception of Range. Instead, it has quadrupled, and you gain a third invocation.
the Long Reach Aspect (p. XX).
[SCALE 1] PYRO BOLT
If succeeding with style on an attack using the weapon, you By clenching your fist, you cause nanites surrounding your hand
may choose to reduce the inflicted Stress by one to either make to turn into a burning sphere that you can then hurl at an enemy.
the target Grappled or pull it towards you.
Requirements: Pyro Coding at Mediocre (±0) Scale 1.
At Scale 4, you can use the lash to attack out to Range 1; At
Effects: Your Pyro Coding effects have +1 Range. When using
Scale 7, you can attack out to Range 2.
Pyro Coding to attack a single target, you may choose to treat

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the attack as a normal ranged attack, using Ranged Combat in- Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Create Flame.
stead if higher. When doing so, the target can choose to defend Requirements: Pyro Coding at Average (+1) Scale 2.
using Acrobatics.
Effects: Spend a Charge or take a Stress to gain the Flame Ar-
mor Aspect which lasts for the scene. This provides a +2 Effect
If there is a source of heat within range of your Coding Skill,
Soak against Pyro, Blunt, Sharp, and Projectile Harm.
such as a fire, you may choose to use that source’s location as
your attack’s origin point. This could let you extend the attack
At Scale 4, your unarmed attacks inflict Pyro Harm if they
range even further, but you must still be able to perceive your
didn’t already. Either create a Mediocre (±0) Scale 1 pyro haz-
target, and you still suffer a ranged penalty based on your ac-
ard in your zone, increase the Scale of an existing pyro hazard
tual position.
by one (to maximum 8), or reduce the Scale of an existing cryo
hazard or block by one (reducing it to 0 would remove it).
At Scale 3, when firing your pyro bolt from a separate heat
source, you can use that source’s location as the attack’s origin At Scale 6, the armor’s Effect Soak is applied against the harm
for the purpose of ranged penalties. types of all physical attacks. You may add one additional Scale
to pyro hazards in your zone, or to the number by which you
At Scale 5, your pyro bolts adopt the Homing property (p. XX), reduce a present cryo hazard or block. Alternatively, you may
allowing them to curve around covers and corners. If the target split the two, adding +1 to a pyro hazard and –1 to a cryo effect.
is clearly within your line of sight, you gain a free invocation
on the attack. At Scale 8, the armor’s Effect Soak increases from +2 to +4. You
may now add a third Scale bonus or penalty to the mix.
At Scale 7, you gain +2 instead of +1 to Range. In addition, you
ignore one ranged penalty on your Pyro Coding effects.
[SCALE 2] JET ENGINE
Your flame propulsion is more controlled, allowing you to fly.
[SCALE 1] TORCHLIGHT
You create several concentrated flames that float through the air, Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Flame Dash; [Scale 1] Propel.
illuminating the area.
Requirements: Pyro Coding at Average (+1) Scale 2.
Requirements: Pyro Coding at Mediocre (±0) Scale 1. Effects: Spend a Charge or take a Stress to hover up to (Pyro
Effects: You may create a number of Floating Torches equal to Coding Scale) meters above the ground for the remainder of
your Rank and Scale in Pyro Coding (one at Mediocre [±0] the scene or until knocked down, whichever comes first. Your
Scale 1 and thirteen at Superb [+5] Scale 8). They can move movement speed while hovering is based on Pyro Coding.
freely out to your coding range away from you, illuminating the
zones they are in. In addition, for every three floating torches At Scale 4, you gain full functional flight at any distance.
that linger in a zone, reduce the Scale of a cryo hazard by one.
At Scale 6, paying the activation cost to lift off the ground al-
lows you to make a reflexive Pyro Coding attack against any-
[SCALE 2] CINDER SPLASH one in your zone, as they stand in the way of your propulsion.
Your flame attacks explode upon impact, scattering burning em-
bers in its vicinity. At Scale 8, you may double your movement speed when flying.
This adds a free invocation to speed-related actions and stacks
Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Flame Lash or [Scale 1] Pyro Bolt. with the bonuses from Flame Dash (see previous page).
Requirements: Pyro Coding at Average (+1) Scale 2.
Effects: Your flame lashes and pyro bolts can now make sweep- [SCALE 2] PLASMA TORCH
ing attacks (p. XX). This lets you divide the result of your attack You use fire to cauterize wounds or weld objects together. This is
roll to affect several enemies within the same zone. However, better suited to patch something up than to repair more serious
unlike normal sweeping attacks, if you divide the attack into conditions.
two, each one benefits from a +1 attack bonus. This means that
instead of splitting a Great (+4) result into two Fair (+2) re- Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Create Flame.
sults, it is split into two Good (+3) results. You must announce Requirements: Pyro Coding at Average (+1) Scale 2.
your intent to divide the attack prior to making the initial roll.
Effects: Spend a Charge or take a Stress to restore (Rank) Stress
At Scale 4, you benefit from a +1 attack bonus even if you split boxes caused by physical harm in an organic or inorganic tar-
into three attacks; At Scale 6, you gain the bonus even if you get within your coding range. Alternatively, treat a Mild Physi-
split into four attacks; At Scale 8, you gain it at five attacks. cal Consequence instead. If targeting yourself, you must spend
the Charge and not take the Stress.

[SCALE 2] FLAME ARMOR If you target an inanimate object without Stress or Conse-
You heat the air around you, producing flames from the atmos- quence slots, you may instead substitute a repair action (p. XX)
phere, and pull them into your immediate surroundings to act equivalent to fixing a –1 Cost flaw. No roll is necessary.
like a protective shell.

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 A target can only benefit from this Coding Protocol once per [SCALE 3] HUMAN TORCH
minor milestone. When wrapped in your flame armor, you let out a never-ending
stream of pyro rift energy.
[SCALE 2] SMOKE SIGNAL Prerequisites: [Scale 2] Flame Armor; [Scale 2] Jet Engine.
You cause a fire to emit smoke that can be seen from far away.
Requirements: Pyro Coding at Fair (+2) Scale 3.
Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Torchlight. Effects: When you have Flame Armor active, you no longer
Requirements: Pyro Coding at Average (+1) Scale 2. need pay to activate Jet Engine, or the activation effects from
Flame Dash and Propel.
Effects: Spend a Charge or take a Stress to cause a fire within
your coding range to emit smoke. If used indoors, the zone
[SCALE 3] SEARED
with the fire is covered by Black Smoke which obscures vision.
If used outdoors, the smoke takes to the sky and can be seen Your pyro attacks have increased potency, searing tissue and de-
from up to (Coding Range) kilometers away. stroying nerve endings.

Requirements: Pyro Coding at Mediocre (±0) Scale 3.

At Scale 5, the smoke may cover half your coding range,
rounded up, while indoors, or be seen out to (Coding Range x Effects: Any Stress inflicted by your Pyro Coding attacks can-
5) kilometers away while outdoors. not be restored unless the target has undergone a successful
treatment action at a difficulty equal to Rank (half the suffered
At Scale 8, the smoke may cover your entire coding range while Stress, rounded up) Scale 1.
indoors, or be seen out to (Coding Range x 10) kilometers
away while outdoors. [SCALE 3] WILDFIRE
You take a deep breath and exhale a burning cloud that fills your
[SCALE 3] BURNING GROUND surroundings. The cloud lingers in place, searing all within.
Your fire attacks spray flames and embers on and around your
targets, causing the surroundings themselves to ignite. Prerequisites: [Scale 2] Cinder Splash.
Requirements: Pyro Coding at Fair (+2) Scale 3.
Prerequisites: [Scale 2] Cinder Splash. Effects: Once per minor milestone, you may spend a Charge or
Requirements: Pyro Coding at Fair (+2) Scale 3. take a Stress to fill an area out to your coding range with Wild-
Effects: Whenever you make a Pyro Coding attack that suc- fire. This is treated as a Pyro Coding attack targeting everyone
ceeds with style, you may choose to reduce the inflicted Stress in range with a hazard, except for yourself. If there is some-
by one to add Burning Ground with one free invocation. This thing flammable in a zone affected by this hazard, it has +1
covers the ground immediately under and around the target in Harm within that zone and targets suffer –1 penalty to their
flames, causing a Stress as a pyro hazard to anyone standing in defend roll against it.
it each round in a conflict or minute outside of a conflict.
You make the attack roll every round for as long as the Situa-
Alternatively, spend a Charge or take a Stress to cover an area tion Aspect remains, or until the end of the scene (whichever
out to your coding range with Burning Ground. comes first). For each following round, the hazard spreads to
any adjacent zones it can reach, out to a maximum distance
equal to twice your coding range.
[SCALE 3] BURNING WAVE
You summon a powerful wave of fire and hurl it at your enemies. At Scale 5, you may spare your allies from the effects; At Scale
7, you may have the cloud follow you as you move.
Prerequisites: [Scale 2] Cinder Splash.
Requirements: Pyro Coding at Fair (+2) Scale 3. [SCALE 4] BLUE DEVIL
Effects: Spend a Charge or take a Stress to create a wave of You produce tremendous heat, changing the coloration of your
fire that originates from your position and targets everyone flames to a pale blue, almost blinding, light.
in a (Rank) meter wide line in front of you, out to a number
of zones equal to twice your coding range. The attack is con- Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Create Flame; [Scale 1] Torchlight;
sidered a pyro hazard (p. XX) and is defended against using [Scale 3] Seared.
Fortitude. Any targets caught in the attack, whether they suffer Requirements: Pyro Coding at Average (+1) Scale 4.
Stress or not, are considered On Fire.
Effects: Any attempt to put out your flames must face a +2 dif-
ficulty to do so. Traits such as the freezing asset property (p.
This attack can be used once per scene, unless there is a per-
XX) or some Cryo Coding effects that remove Aspects like On
sistent pyro hazard present. You may then perform the attack
Fire or Burning does not work unless the source of cold is at
an additional number of times equal to the Scale rating of that
least one Scale higher than your Pyro Coding Scale.
hazard. However, with each extra use, the hazard’s Scale is re-
duced by one. At Scale 6, the difficulty is increased to +4; At Scale 8, the only
way to put out the flames is to isolate them until they have no

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fuel left to keep burning. Prerequisites: [Scale 2] Flame Armor.

Requirements: Pyro Coding at Fair (+2) Scale 5.
[SCALE 4] CREATE PYRO ELEMENTAL Effects: Once per minor milestone, when activating Flame Ar-
Your control over fire lets you birth an elemental out of it. mor, you may choose to extend its effects to all willing allies
within your coding range. This will last for the full scene or
Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Create Flame. until they leave your coding range. If they already benefit from
Requirements: Pyro Coding at Average (+1) Scale 4. another equivalent coding armor, like Ice Armor (p. XX), the
Effects: Spend a Charge or take a Stress to create a pyro ele- target’s player chooses if they want the new armor to overwrite
mental (p. XX) with a Cost value equal to your Pyro Coding the old. They do not stack.
Scale. The elemental will follow your command until the next
significant milestone, after which it will burn out. [SCALE 5] BURNING FACSIMILE
You create an identical copy of yourself using pyro rift energy,
You can use this Coding Protocol to create (Rank + Scale) el- surrounding flames, and some of your own blood.
ementals at the time. Should you attempt to make more than
that, the older ones will burn out. Prerequisites: [Scale 4] Create Pyro Elemental; [Scale 4] Fire
Clone.
[SCALE 4] FIRE CLONE Requirements: Pyro Coding at Fair (+2) Scale 5.
You have created a perfect replica of yourself out of fire, which is Effects: Once per significant milestone, you may spend a
noticed first when you have suffered harm. Charge or take a Stress to create an exact duplicate of your-
self made of fire. It is impossible to distinguish the clone from
Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Burning Retaliation; [Scale 1] Create the original without close inspection. The duplicate shares
Flame. your personality, memories, and Skills—but it cannot use your
Requirements: Pyro Coding at Average (+1) Scale 4. items, augmentations, Skill Features, Coding Protocols, or oth-
Effects: Once per scene, when being successfully struck by an er Coding Skills than Pyro Coding (if you have more than one).
attack that inflicts at least one Stress, you may spend a Charge
to substitute your body with an identical clone of fire that ex- The clone acts independently but is loyal to the original. You
plodes upon impact. Make an immediate Pyro Coding attack, are in control of both characters. It lasts until taken out or until
like when using Burning Retaliation, to anyone within range. the next minor milestone, whichever comes first, after which
However, you may also relocate your actual body to an unob- it burns out.
structed location within your coding range. You were actually
there the whole time. You may, once per major milestone, choose to convert a clone
into an original should the original die.
This Coding Protocol can be used again within the scene only
if you first spend at least one full round in cover, unnoticed by At Scale 7, you can create up to (Rank) copies when using this
your enemies. Coding Protocol.

[SCALE 5] FIERY HELLSCAPE

[SCALE 4] HELLFIRE
You increase the potency of your burning cloud, transforming it You channel a tremendous amount of pyro rift energy to opti-
into a flaming hellfire that burns everything in its path. mize the potency of your coding. Once released, you expand a
pyro creation to cover a vast area.
Prerequisites: [Scale 3] Wildfire.
Prerequisites: [Scale 3] Burning Ground.
Requirements: Pyro Coding at Good (+3) Scale 4.
Requirements: Pyro Coding at Good (+3) Scale 5.
Effects: Whenever you use the prerequisite, you may choose to
alter the Aspect from Wildfire to Hellfire. The flames fully ob- Effects: Once per significant milestone, when creating a Pyro
scure the area they cover, preventing anyone caught in it from Coding hazard or block covering a large area, you may choose
relying on their visual senses. This applies to you and your al- to expand your coding range to (Coding Range x 100) meters.
lies as well, but you can naturally sense through the hellfire
itself, negating that blindness—you can also see through Black At Scale 7, this becomes (Coding Range x 1,000 meters).
Smoke from the Smoke Signal Protocol (see previous page).
[SCALE 5] SCORCHING TENTACLES
At Scale 6, you may invite allies to sense through the hellfire Whenever you spread your embers across the battlefield, scorch-
as well, allowing them to act freely despite their lack of vision. ing vines emerge like burning tentacles. You may command these
tentacles into action, having them attack those who get too close.
[SCALE 5] BLISTERING GUARDIAN
Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Flame Lash; [Scale 3] Burning Ground.
You manifest flames and wrap them around your allies, shielding
them from harm. Requirements: Pyro Coding at Good (+3) Scale 5.
Effects: Whenever you inflict Burning Ground upon the scene,

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 you may choose to spend a Charge or take a Stress to imbue plode it outwards, using your own body as its epicenter. This
it with Scorching Tentacles. For free once per round, you may overwhelmes the Nanite Matrix, tearing open a pyro rift that will
use any of your tentacles within your coding range to make an continue to incinerate the surrounding landscape.
immediate Flame Lash attack. You may do this attack outside
of your own turn, but you cannot interrupt an ongoing turn. Prerequisites: [Scale 4] Create Pyro Elemental; [Scale 5] Fiery
Hellscape.
At Scale 7, you may spend Charges or take Stress to make addi- Requirements: Pyro Coding at Great (+4) Scale 7.
tional tentacle attacks in a round, up to a maximum number of Effects: Once per major milestone, you may spend a Charge or
attacks equal to the number of Scorching Tentacles within your take a Stress to create a persistent pyro rift in a location. This
coding range. rift will continously create pyro-based rift energy that affects
the landscape out to a range as if affected by Fiery Hellscape.
[SCALE 6] ABSORB PYRO ELEMENTAL Make a Pyro Coding attack against all creatures within this
You absorb a pyro elemental into yourself, becoming one with its range; if any of them are taken out by this attack, they are con-
powers. You adopt some of the elemental’s features for as long as verted to wild pyro elementals that will feed off the rift (this
you remain one. does not apply to riftans or Machineborn).

Prerequisites: [Scale 3] Human Torch; [Scale 4] Create Pyro Someone with Scale 5+ in Engineering could create a rift facil-
Elemental. ity upon this location to harness the rift’s power. Without such
Requirements: Pyro Coding at Good (+3) Scale 6. a facility in place, the rift will continue to burn the landscape.

Effects: When defeating a pyro elemental, you may spend a

[SCALE 7] METEOR STRIKE
Charge or take a Stress to absorb it into yourself. If you target
your own created elementals, you don’t have to defeat them You summon a fireball from the sky, devastating a large area.
first. Absorbing an elemental gives you bionic augmentations
with a total Cost equal to your Pyro Coding Scale. These mu- Prerequisites: [Scale 4] Fiery Hellscape.
tations have similar properties to the nature of the absorbed el- Requirements: Pyro Coding at Great (+4) Scale 7.
emental, and they last until the next minor milestone, or until Effects: Once per significant milestone, you may spend a
you choose to let them burn out. Charge or take a Stress to target a location you can perceive
within (Coding Range) kilometers with a colossal fireball
[SCALE 6] BOOM! from the sky. All within a (Coding Range)-zone radius from
Your pyro attacks explode like dynamite. the point of impact must defend against a Pyro Coding hazard
that inflicts both Pyro Harm and Blunt Harm, the latter being
Prerequisites: [Scale 4] Blue Devil. considered impact harm (p. XX).
Requirements: Pyro Coding at Fair (+2) Scale 6.
Anyone who survived the impact, and those within an addi-
Effects: Spend a Charge or take a Stress to turn a pyro attack or tional (Coding Range) zones outside of it, must succeed on an
hazard into a bomb, inflicting Explosive Harm in addition to Athletics or Fortitude roll against (your Pyro Coding attack
Pyro Harm, and adds +2 Harm against inanimate objects. Ad- result – their range from the point of impact) or be rendered
ditionally, if succeeding with style, you may choose to reduce Prone. For example, with Range 4, a target standing eight zones
the inflicted stress to knock a target back or Prone, as per the away from the point of impact rolls against (your Pyro Coding
smashing property (p. XX). attack result – 8) to avoid being knocked down.

At Scale 8, this effect becomes free.

[SCALE 8] ABSORB PYRO RIFT
You draw a rift into yourself, ending its terrifying destruction,
[SCALE 6] DETONATE CLONE and calming the area of its energy. Instead, it lingers as a core
Any clones or elementals created by your pyro coding are ticking within your own self, feeding energy into your coding.
bombs, waiting to be detonated.
Prerequisites: [Scale 6] Absorb Pyro Elemental; [Scale 7] Cre-
Prerequisites: [Scale 5] Burning Facsimile. ate Pyro Rift.
Requirements: Pyro Coding at Good (+3) Scale 6. Requirements: Pyro Coding at Superb (+5) Scale 8.
Effects: Once you have a pyro elemental or burning facsimi- Effects: Once per major milestone, you may spend a Charge
le in play that you have created, you may at any point choose or take a Stress to absorb a pyro rift into yourself. The rift dis-
to detonate it. This will destroy the elemental or facsimile, appears permanently from its place, powering you up until the
but cause an immediate pyro hazard targeting up to a maxi- next significant milestone. All of your Pyro Coding Protocols
mum number of zones in radius as determined by your coding that cost a Charge or a Stress to activate can now be activated
range. The hazard uses your normal Pyro Coding attack traits. for free. In addition, your coding range is doubled, you gain
+1 Harm on your Pyro Coding attacks, and you become fully
[SCALE 7] CREATE PYRO RIFT immune to Pyro Harm.
You draw a tremendous amount of power into yourself and ex-

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QUANTUM CODING Requirements: Quantum Coding at Mediocre (±0) Scale 1.

Effects: You may create a visual imagery after your own spec-
[SCALE 1] ABSORB ENERGY
ifications within your coding range. Roll Quantum Coding if
When targeted by or in direct proximity to an energy type—such using the imagery to create advantages or deceive. By spending
as a rift element, electrical power, radiation, or the like—you can a Charge or taking a Stress, you can fill the area with imagery.
absorb it into yourself and redirect it to your benefit.
[SCALE 1] DANCING PHOTONS
Requirements: Quantum Coding at Mediocre (±0) Scale 1.
You bind photons into several singular points, creating spheres
Effects: Spend a Charge or take a Stress to absorb rift energy of light from thin air.
(p. XX) from a nearby source. This can be used in response to
an energy-based attack made against you. The absorbed energy Requirements: Quantum Coding at Mediocre (±0) Scale 1.
can be used in one of the following ways:
Effects: You may create a number of Floating Lights equal to
• Add the absorbed energy type as a secondary harm type your Rank and Scale in Quantum Coding (one at Mediocre
to your next attack. [±0] Scale 1 and thirteen at Superb [+5] Scale 8). They can
• Give yourself +1 Effect Soak to the next time you suffer move freely out to your coding range away from you, illumi-
harm from that energy type. nating the zones they are in. By combining them, you intensify
• Recharge a Depleted electronic device. the light, causing them to illuminate a radius of half your com-
bined lights, rounded up. At Superb (+5) Scale 8, this would be
If the absorbed energy isn’t used before the scene’s end, it’s lost. a seven-zone radius.

At Scale 3, you add +1 Harm when attacking with the new harm [SCALE 1] DELAYED SICKNESS
type as well as +2 instead of +1 Effect Soak when defending You imbue a target with dangerous levels of radiation, but delay
against it. A recharged electronic device becomes Overcharged, its deadly symptoms.
giving you a free invocation to the next action that relies on it.
Requirements: Quantum Coding at Mediocre (±0) Scale 1.
At Scale 5, you instead add +2 Harm, +3 Effect Soak, or two Effects: When succeeding with style on a Quantum Coding
free invocations; At Scale 7, this becomes +3 Harm, +4 Effect attack, you may delay the inflicted harm. Instead of having the
Soak, or three free invocations. target mark their Stress immediately, note how much Stress
they will suffer. As a direct consequence of your attack, the tar-
[SCALE 1] BEND LIGHT get suffers no harm, and can continue acting like normal.
You bend light around you to create visual imagery after your
own specifications. You may, at any point before the next minor milestone, spend
a Charge or take a Stress to activate the delayed harm, even if

390
 you are nowhere near the target. A target that is affected by this Scale 7, you can attack out to Range 2.
Coding Protocol may not be so again until they have suffered
all of their delayed harm. [SCALE 1] MODIFY SELF
You alter your own form by making changes to your molecular
At Scale 3, you can choose to activate the Stress incrementally.
structure. Eventually, you might be able to transform into entire-
You only pay once to activate the harm, but you can follow that
ly different entities.
by inflicting some of the Stress at the time, if you so prefer.
Requirements: Quantum Coding at Mediocre (±0) Scale 1.
At Scale 5, you may now delay the harm to the next significant
milestone if you prefer to; At Scale 7, you may choose to delay Effects: Spend a Charge or take a Stress to make subtle cos-
it indefinitely. metic changes to your own body, such as altering skin tone,
eye- and hair color, hair style, blemishes, and the like. This lets
you use Quantum Coding to make disguises without the need
[SCALE 1] FUSION BOLT
for tools and materials. The changes can be permanent if you
By clenching your fist, you cause particles around your hand to want them to be, but can also be reversed at your discretion.
turn into a radioactive sphere that you can hurl at an enemy.
At Scale 3, you can make more drastic cosmetic changes, such
Requirements: Quantum Coding at Mediocre (±0) Scale 1.
as incorporating inorganic materials into your own form, like
Effects: Your Quantum Coding effects have +1 Range. When making your skin into diamond and your hair into grass. You
using Quantum Coding to attack a single target, you may can add what is equivalent to asset properties with a Cost to-
choose to treat the attack as a normal ranged attack, using talling your (Quantum Coding Rank) to your own body. You
Ranged Combat instead if higher. When doing so, the target can only make a change this drastic once per minor milestone.
can choose to defend using Acrobatics.
At Scale 5, you can alter your body to take on inhuman forms
If there is a radioactive source within range of your Coding no more or less than one size category (p. XX) different from
Skill, you may choose to use that source as the attack’s origin yourself. You may change your Physical Skill Ranks (not Scales)
point. This could let you extend the attack range even further, to better represent the new form. You can only make a change
but you must still be able to perceive your target, and you still this drastic once per significant milestone.
suffer a ranged penalty based on your position.
At Scale 7, you can now change into a form two size categories
At Scale 3, when firing your fusion bolt from a separate radio- different from you. You can now also rearrange your Physi-
active source, you can use that source’s location as the attack’s cal Skill Scales to better represent the new form. You can only
origin for the purpose of ranged penalties. make a change this drastic once per major milestone.
At Scale 5, your fusion bolts adopt the Homing property (p.
XX), allowing them to curve around covers and corners. If the [SCALE 1] RADIOACTIVE RETALIATION
target is clearly within your line of sight, you gain a free invo- Your skin always emits a little radiation, which can feel unpleas-
cation on the attack. ant to the touch. If you disapprove of someone’s touch, you can
choose to burn them.
At Scale 7, you gain +2 instead of +1 to Range. In addition, you
ignore one ranged penalty on your Quantum Coding effects. Requirements: Quantum Coding at Mediocre (±0) Scale 1.
Effects: Whenever you’re the target of a successful physical at-
[SCALE 1] FUSION LASH
tack that inflicts at least one Stress, you may spend a Charge or
You ignite and destroy particles in the air, releasing tremendous take a Stress to make an immediate Quantum Coding attack
amounts of radiation. But instead of releasing it, you capture it, against the attacker, assuming they are in your coding range.
forming it into a deadly whip that ionizes the air around it.
At Scale 3, this becomes free once per round; At Scale 5, you
Requirements: Quantum Coding at Mediocre (±0) Scale 1. may activate this Coding Protocol even if the successful attack
didn’t cause you any Stress; At Scale 7, you may also activate it
Effects: Spend a Charge or take a Stress to give yourself Fusion in response to failed attacks.
Lash for the scene. This is a Close Combat weapon that inflicts
both Radiation Harm and Sharp Harm, and that can be used
with either Close Combat or Quantum Coding. It uses your [SCALE 1] REACTOR
normal Quantum Coding attack traits with the exception of You focus quantum energy at a single location, energizing that
Range. Instead, it has the Long Reach Aspect (p. XX). spot, and creating a persistent nuclear reactor.

If succeeding with style on an attack using the weapon, you Requirements: Quantum Coding at Mediocre (±0) Scale 1.
may choose to reduce the inflicted Stress by one to either make Effects: Once per scene, you may choose to spend a Charge
the target Grappled or pull it towards you. or take a Stress to manifest a power source within your coding
range that lasts for the scene. This can function as either a haz-
At Scale 4, you can use the lash to attack out to Range 1; At ard (p. XX) or a block (p. XX) that shares your normal Quan-

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tum Coding traits, but you can also give it lesser traits if you fect Soak against Radiation, Blunt, Sharp, and Projectile Harm.
want something less dramatic. As a secondary benefit, all zones
within your coding range of that power source are considered At Scale 4, your unarmed attacks inflict Radiation Harm if they
to be within a power grid (p. XX) if they weren’t already. didn’t already. When using Absorb Energy with your quantum
armor active, you no longer have to choose between the three
[SCALE 2] ANOMALY options; they all happen simultaneously.
You may alter your own form, changing physical properties after
At Scale 6, the armor’s Effect Soak is applied against the harm
your own imagination.
types of all physical attacks. The first them you use Absorb En-
Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Modify Self. ergy in the scene against a new energy type, restore one Stress.
Requirements: Quantum Coding at Average (+1) Scale 2. At Scale 8, the armor’s Effect Soak increases from +2 to +4.
Effects: Once per minor milestone, you may spend a Charge After having absorbed energy, the benefits persist for as long as
or take a Stress to give yourself temporary bionic or cybernet- your quantum armor does.
ic augmentations (p. XX) with a total Cost equal to half your
Quantum Coding Scale, rounded up. These may last until the [SCALE 2] RADIOACTIVE FALLOUT
next minor milestone. Your fusion attacks explode upon impact, scattering radioactive
particles in the vicinity.
[SCALE 2] ATTACH LIGHT
You can grab your dancing photons and attach them to people Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Fusion Bolt or [Scale 1] Fusion Lash.
and objects in your surroundings. Requirements: Quantum Coding at Average (+1) Scale 2.
Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Dancing Photons. Effects: Your fusion bolts and lashes can now make sweeping
attacks (p. XX). This lets you divide the result of your attack
Requirements: Quantum Coding at Average (+1) Scale 2. roll to affect several enemies within the same zone. However,
Effects: The number of floating lights that you can spawn are unlike normal sweeping attacks, if you divide the attack into
doubled. You may also attach one or more lights to a targeted two, each one benefits from a +1 attack bonus. This means that
object or creature, causing it to emanate the light instead. instead of splitting a Great (+4) result into two Fair (+2) re-
sults, it is split into two Good (+3) results. You must announce
[SCALE 2] BLUR your intent to divide the attack prior to making the initial roll.
By manipulating light, you can cause your own image to distort,
making it harder for enemies to accurately hit you. At Scale 4, you benefit from a +1 attack bonus even if you split
into three attacks; At Scale 6, you gain the bonus even if you
Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Bend Light. split into four attacks; At Scale 8, you gain it at five attacks.
Requirements: Quantum Coding at Average (+1) Scale 2.
[SCALE 3] ATOMIC UNDERSTANDING
Effects: You may use Quantum Coding (if higher) instead of
Your intuitive understanding of particle physics has given you an
Acrobatics or Close Combat to defend against attacks. If it isn’t
insight into how things work.
higher, you gain a +1 bonus to your defend roll instead.
Requirements: Quantum Coding at Mediocre (±0) Scale 3.
[SCALE 2] POTENT ABSORPTION
Effects: You may reduce the number of Hurdles required for
Whenever you absorb energy from your surroundings, you can an invention (p. XX) of any type by one, to minimum zero. If
draw in vast amounts of it, putting a significant dent in the sur- inventing something that requires no Hurdles, you seemingly
rounding energy. manifest it from thin air.
Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Absorb Energy.
At Scale 5, you may reduce the number of Hurdles by two; At
Requirements: Quantum Coding at Average (+1) Scale 2. Scale 7, you may reduce it by three.
Effects: Whenever you use the prerequisite to absorb energy
from a hazard, you may choose to reduce the Scale of that haz- [SCALE 3] CONTAMINATED GROUND
ard by one. If this reduces the Scale to 0, the hazard is removed. Your radiation attacks scatter particles in all directions, contam-
inating the surroundings in dangerous radiation.
[SCALE 2] QUANTUM ARMOR
By manipulating particles around you, you create protective en- Prerequisites: [Scale 2] Radioactive Fallout.
ergy fields in your immediate surroundings. Requirements: Quantum Coding at Fair (+2) Scale 3.
Effects: Whenever you make a Quantum Coding attack that
Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Absorb Energy.
succeeds with style, you may choose to reduce the inflicted
Requirements: Quantum Coding at Average (+1) Scale 2. Stress by one to add Contaminated Ground with one free invo-
Effects: Spend a Charge or take a Stress to gain the Quantum cation. This covers the ground immediately under and around
Armor Aspect which lasts for the scene. This provides a +2 Ef- the target in radiation, causing a Stress as a radiation hazard

392
to anyone standing in it each round in a conflict or minute target and not just on yourself. In addition, if you have Absorb
outside of a conflict. Energy, you can now choose to impart the energy and its bene-
fits to a willing ally within your coding range instead of taking
Alternatively, spend a Charge or take a Stress to cover an area it yourself.
out to your coding range with Contaminated Ground.
[SCALE 3] RADIATION POISONING
[SCALE 3] FORCE FIELD Your radiation attacks have increased potency, damaging cells
You increase the potency of your protective energy fields, mak- and lingering in the target.
ing them durable enough to shield you from physical harm.
Requirements: Quantum Coding at Mediocre (±0) Scale 3.
Prerequisites: [Scale 2] Quantum Armor. Effects: Any Stress inflicted by your Quantum Coding attacks
Requirements: Quantum Coding at Fair (+2) Scale 3. cannot be restored unless the target has undergone a successful
Effects: Once per minor milestone, when your Quantum Ar- treatment action at a difficulty equal to Rank (half the suffered
mor is active, you gain a surrounding force field with a number Stress, rounded up) Scale 1.
of Stress boxes equal to your Quantum Coding Scale. When
attacked, the force field is targeted before your own armor and [SCALE 4] AFTERIMAGE
natural constitution. You have manipulated photons to create the illusion of yourself,
which is noticed first when someone fails to attack you.
At Scale 5, when you restore Stress from absorbing a new en-
ergy type, you may choose to restore the force field’s Stress in- Prerequisites: [Scale 2] Blur.
stead of your own.
Requirements: Quantum Coding at Fair (+2) Scale 4.
At Scale 7, you may choose to absorb Stress from your force Effects: When succeeding with style on a defend roll against
field to yourself, or vice versa. In addition, you may have your an attack, you may spend a Charge or take a Stress to substitute
force field take Stress instead of you to activate Quantum Cod- your body with a mere afterimage that holds no real form or
ing effects. substance. You may relocate your real body to an unobstructed
location out to your neighboring zone.
[SCALE 3] MELTDOWN
At Scale 6, you may relocate out to two zones away; At Scale 8,
By focusing on the atoms within yourself, you can turn yourself
you may relocate out to three zones away.
into something equivalent to an open radioactive core, emitting
strong gamma radiation in your surroundings.
[SCALE 4] ATOMIC DISASSEMBLY
Prerequisites: [Scale 2] Radioactive Fallout. You break down objects into atomic particles, causing them to
Requirements: Quantum Coding at Fair (+2) Scale 3. seemingly vanish into thin air.
Effects: Once per minor milestone, you may spend a Charge or Prerequisites: [Scale 3] Atomic Understanding; [Scale 3] Mod-
take a Stress to fill an area out to your coding range with Haz- ify Other.
ardous Radiation. This is treated as a Quantum Coding attack
Requirements: Quantum Coding at Good (+3) Scale 4.
targeting everyone in range with a hazard, except for yourself.
The hazard will remain within the zone even after the effect is Effects: When using Quantum Coding to break or disassemble
over, reducing its Scale by one for each significant milestone something, you may choose to spend a Charge or take a Stress
that passes. Once Scale is reduced to zero, the hazard is gone. to Disassemble the object on an atomic level. For each shift
above the target’s defend roll, the object is damaged equivalent
The hazard is persistent, allowing you to make this attack roll to a –1 flaw (p. XX). Should this reduce the object’s Cost to
every round for as long as the Situation Aspect remains, or un- below 0, it disperses into particles and energy.
til the end of the scene (whichever comes first). For each fol-
lowing round, the hazard spreads to any adjacent zones it can If used on godware items, every three shifts are equivalent to
reach, up to a maximum of twice your coding range. a –1 flaw instead. Godware with Unbreakable (p. XX) are im-
mune to this Coding Protocol.
At Scale 5, you may spare your allies from the effects; At Scale
7, you may have the hazard follow you as you move. At Scale 6, you may spend a Charge or take a Stress to perfectly
restore a disassembled object to its original condition.
[SCALE 3] MODIFY OTHER
Your mastery over the quantum has taught you to safely modify At Scale 8, you may now choose to restore a disassembled ob-
the forms of others just like you can modify yourself. ject into a completely new object of equal Cost.

Prerequisites: [Scale 2] Anomaly. [SCALE 4] ELECTROMAGNETIC PULSE

Requirements: Quantum Coding at Fair (+2) Scale 3. Your radioactive attacks disturb surrounding electronics, dis-
rupting signals and frying components.
Effects: You can now use Modify Self and Anomaly on a willing

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Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Reactor; [Scale 3] Meltdown. At Scale 7, you may spend Charges or takes Stress to make ad-
Requirements: Quantum Coding at Good (+3) Scale 4. ditional tentacle attacks in a round, up to a maximum number
of attacks equal to the number of Irradiated Tentacles within
Effects: Whenever you make a Quantum Coding attack, you
your coding range.
may spend a Charge or take a Stress to also target any electron-
ic assets within the attack’s range; if attacking a single target,
the assets on their immediate person are affected. Compare the [SCALE 5] QUANTUM GUARDIAN
attack roll to the targeted object’s Security; if higher, the target You surround your allies in protective force fields, giving them
must make an immediate Power roll with a penalty to Power the benefits of your quantum armor.
equal to the number of shifts above Security.
Prerequisites: [Scale 2] Quantum Armor.
[SCALE 4] INVISIBILITY Requirements: Quantum Coding at Fair (+2) Scale 5.
When wrapped in your quantum armor, you can bend light com- Effects: Once per minor milestone, when activating Quantum
pletely around yourself, rendering you invisible to visual light. Armor, you may choose to extend its effects to all willing allies
within your coding range. This will last for the full scene or
Prerequisites: [Scale 2] Blur; [Scale 3] Force Field. until they leave your coding range. If they already benefit from
Requirements: Quantum Coding at Good (+3) Scale 4. another equivalent coding armor, like Ice Armor (p. XX), the
target’s player chooses if they want the new armor to overwrite
Effects: When Quantum Armor is active, you may spend a
the old. They do not stack.
Charge or take a Stress to make yourself Invisible to visual light.
This lasts for as long as the armor does.
[SCALE 5] TRUE CLONE
You focus on the quantum particles that make up your own be-
[SCALE 5] APOCALYPTIC WASTELAND
ing, splitting and duplicating them until a perfect clone emerges.
You channel a tremendous amount of quantum energy to op-
timize the potency of your coding. Once released, you expand
quantum effect to cover a vast area. Prerequisites: [Scale 4] Afterimage; [Scale 4] Atomic Disassem-
bly.
Prerequisites: [Scale 3] Contaminated Ground. Requirements: Quantum Coding at Great (+4) Scale 5.
Requirements: Quantum Coding at Good (+3) Scale 5. Effects: You may spend a Charge or take a Stress to create an
Effects: Once per significant milestone, when creating a Quan- exact duplicate of yourself. It is impossible to distinguish the
tum Coding hazard or block covering a large area, you may clone from the original, even upon close inspection. It shares
choose to expand your coding range to (Coding Range x 100) your personality, memories, and Skills—but it cannot use your
meters. items, augmentations, Skill Features, Coding Protocols, or oth-
er Coding Skills than Quantum Coding (if you have more than
At Scale 7, this becomes (Coding Range x 1,000 meters). one).

The clone acts independently and does not need to be loyal to

[SCALE 5] ORGANIC DISASSEMBLY the originals. However, you may control both characters. You
You can not only disassemble objects, but living creatures as well. can only have one true clone at the time. Should it die, you can
create a new one after the next significant milestone.
Prerequisites: [Scale 4] Atomic Disassembly.
Requirements: Quantum Coding at Great (+4) Scale 5. You may, once per major milestone, choose to convert a clone
Effects: After using Quantum Coding to kill a target, you may into an original should the original die.
spend a Charge or take a Stress to use Atomic Disassembly on
their bodies, removing any trace of them. At Scale 7, your clone is now a perfect duplicate of yourself,
and gains access to your augmentations, Skill Features, Coding
Protocols, and Coding Skills. When creating the clone, it also
[SCALE 5] IRRADIATED TENTACLES
gains perfect duplicates of your inanimate items and cybernet-
Wherever you spread your contamination, irradiated tentacles
ics, as long as they are not godware.
emerge to follow your commands.

Prerequisites: [Scale 1] Fusion Lash; [Scale 3] Contaminated [SCALE 6] ENTANGLED CLONE

Ground. You create a modified clone that is connected to yourself on a
Requirements: Quantum Coding at Good (+3) Scale 5. quantum level; you have effectively made a paradoxical copy of
yourself that never stopped being you.
Effects: Whenever you inflict Contaminated Ground upon the
scene, you may choose to spend a Charge or take a Stress to Prerequisites: [Scale 5] True Clone.
imbue it with Irradiated Tentacles. For free once per round, you
may use any of the tentacles within your coding range to make Requirements: Quantum Coding at Superb (+5) Scale 6.
an immediate Fusion Lash attack. You may do this outside of Effects: When using the prerequisite to create a clone, you may
your own turn, but you cannot interrupt an ongoing turn. choose to make it an entangled version of you. It is still identi-

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 cal to you, but mirrored—left-handed if you were right-hand- You can do this to yourself as well, but doing so only costs a
ed. The two of you are constantly aware of each other’s location, Charge and not any Stress.
thoughts, and experiences. Whenever you meet in person, you
may choose to blend into one. Doing so would treat all of your [SCALE 7] RIDING THE WAVE FUNCTION
untreated Consequences or remove all of your treated Con- You can disassemble yourself into quantum particules and reas-
sequences. In addition, if you have developed different traits, semble yourself at another location. Nothing can stop a master
your combined form uses the higher ones of the two. of the cosmos.

At Scale 8, you may, once per major milestone, choose to cre- Prerequisites: [Scale 5] Organic Disassembly.
ate an entangled clone within a mirror universe rather than
Requirements: Quantum Coding at Superb (+5) Scale 7.
within your own. This alternative universe is similar to your
own, but mirrored, with subtle differences determined by the Effects: By spending a Charge or taking a Stress, you can tele-
Narrator. To combine with your clone, you must both meet at port yourself to any location you can perceive or have been to
a shared location within your respective universes. Merging before. If you have disassembled any objects or creatures, you
with the clone will not only blend your traits, but blend the may choose to restore them after your teleportation using new
respective universes entirely, choosing outcomes favorable to quantum material at your new location.
either you or your clone’s experiences. Your universe adapts to
these changes—only you are aware of what has occured. After [SCALE 8] ABSORB MATRIX RIFT
having done this, you cannot split from your clone again until Your quantum mastery and ability to absorb any form of ener-
the next major milestone. gy has granted you certain power over matrix rifts of all other
rift elements. You can draw their power into yourself, use your
[SCALE 6] NUCLEAR EXPLOSION quantum coding to translate the surging energies, and use their
Your quantum attacks explode with destructive force. power for yourself.

Prerequisites: [Scale 4] Electromagnetic Pulse. Prerequisites: [Scale 2] Potent Absorption; [Scale 7] Perfect
Restoration.
Requirements: Quantum Coding at Great (+4) Scale 6.
Requirements: Quantum Coding at Superb (+5) Scale 8.
Effects: You may choose to turn a quantum attack or hazard
into a bomb, inflicting Explosive Harm in addition to Radia- Effects: Once per major milestone, you may spend a Charge or
tion Harm, and adds +2 Harm against inanimate objects. Ad- take a Stress to absorb energy from a matrix rift. This perma-
ditionally, if succeeding with style, you may choose to reduce nently reduces the rift’s Scale by one, but also empowers you
the inflicted Stress to knock a target back or Prone, as per the beyond what normal energy absorption allows. If absorbing a
smashing property (p. XX). matrix rift reduces it to Scale 0, it disappears.

After absorbing energy from a matrix rift, you gain permanent

[SCALE 7] PERFECT RESTORATION
access to the Coding Skill associated with it at Mediocre (±0)
Your mastery over the quantum lets you perfectly restore any-
Scale 1, which you can then increase as any other Skill. If you
thing or anyone that is destroyed within your vicinity. Life and
already possessed that Coding Skill, its Scale permanently in-
death is under your control.
creases by one, to maximum 8.
Prerequisites: [Scale 5] Organic Disassembly.
Alternatively, you may choose to permanently reduce the Scale
Requirements: Quantum Coding at Superb (+5) Scale 7. of one of your non-Kinematic, Psionic, or Quantum Coding
Effects: You can now spend a Charge or take a Stress to restore Skills in order to create a matrix rift of that relevant element.
an object that has been destroyed beyond repair, or a creature The strength of this matrix rift is equal to the relevant Coding
that has been killed earlier in the scene, into perfect condition. Skill prior to the reduced Scale. However, should you later try
A targeted object or creature can only be restored by this Cod- to absorb that matrix rift, it would be treated as absorbing a
ing Protocol once per significant milestone. normal hazard as per Potent Absorption.

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 CHAPTER 8: NARRATION

The Narrator is the game master, the person responsible for or- know what to do next, it’s your job to give them a nudge. Never
ganizing and overseeing the roleplaying game’s narrative and let things get too bogged down in indecision or lack of infor-
structure. While the players are the ones who must overcome mation—shake things up.
the challenges, the Narrator is the one who presents those chal-
lenges. It is a demanding and challenging task, but it can also be Make sure everyone gets the spotlight: Your goal isn’t to de-
an extremely rewarding one. The Narrator is a world builder, a feat the players, but to challenge them. Make sure each PC gets
storyteller, and a systems referee; and while they don’t get the a chance to be the star once in a while. Spread around compels
immersive player experience, they can still immerse themselves and challenges tailored to the characters’ different abilities and
in NPCs, and they get to provide those immersive experiences weaknesses.
to the players. Complicate the PCs’ lives: In addition to throwing bad guys
at the characters, you will be the primary source of compels.
As the Narrator, you are the director of game sessions. Note that Players can compel themselves and other characters but you
you are not the boss. The game is collaborative, and the players must ensure that everyone gets opportunities to experience the
have say in what happens to their characters. Your job is to keep negative repercussions.
things moving by doing these things: Build off player choices: Look at the actions the PCs have tak-
en during play and think about how the world changes and
Run scenes: A session is made up of scenes. Decide where the responds. Make the world feel alive by presenting the PCs with
scene begins, who’s there, and what’s going on. Decide when both good and bad consequences.
all the interesting things have played out and the scene’s over.
Skip over the unnecessary stuff; in the same way that you don’t
roll dice if the outcome of an action won’t be interesting, don’t A GOOD NARRATOR SHOULD ...
have a scene if nothing exciting, dramatic, useful, or fun will
happen during it. ... be attentive of all players. If you’re having a group of
Adjudicate the rules: When a question comes up about how players, it can be difficult to give everyone equal time. Some
to apply the rules, you can discuss it with the players and try to players are more assertive while others are more passive, but
reach an agreeable consensus, but you get final say. everyone is there to roleplay. If you feel like a player is taking
the spotlight too much in a way that causes other players to
Set difficulty: Decide when rolls are necessary and set their
have a negative experience, make a conscious effort to bring
difficulties.
attention to the more passive players so that they can feel like
Determine the costs of failure: When a character fails their they’re having an impact on the story.
roll, you decide what the cost will be. You can certainly take
... come prepared. The more experienced you become, the less
suggestions from the player—they may know just how they
time you will need to prepare. However, some level of prepa-
want their character to get hurt—but you ultimately decide.
ration is needed to make sure that you can have a coherent
Play the NPCs: Each player controls their own character, but narrative with some meaningful challenges. Think of a few
you control all the rest. possible scenes with a few possible challenges. Also keep in
Give the PCs opportunities for action: If the players don’t mind different approaches to those challenges. If you’re going

398
 to present any new NPCs or enemies, write up some useful world, but you also keep the PCs at the center of the story you’re
traits that you think could become relevant during play. telling.
... treat the PCs as the protagonists of the story. It can be easy This facet of your job also means that when you have NPCs in a
for a Narrator to want to fall into the protagonist experience, scene, you speak for and make decisions for them like the play-
but that is solely reserved for players. The NPCs are side char- ers do for their PCs—you decide when they’re taking an action
acters and extras, and while they can be assets or challenges that requires dice, and you follow the same rules the players do
to the PCs, they shouldn’t try to steal their thunder. Avoid the for determining how that turns out. Your NPCs will be a little
temptation of turning your favorite NPCs into pseudo-PCs. different from the PCs, however, depending on how important
... respect the players’ feelings and boundaries. A roleplay- they are to the story.
ing game can become a very immersive experience that trig-
ger real emotions. If a player is having a negative reaction to LET THE PLAYERS HELP YOU
something that happens in the game, take responsibility, com- You don’t have to shoulder the whole burden of making up set-
municate with the player, and be respectful towards them. ting details yourself. Remember, the more collaborative you get,
The worst you can do, both as a Narrator and as a friend, is to the more emotional investment the players are going to have in
shrug off their reaction as being their fault. It’s not. It’s your the result.
job as Narrator to provide a good experience for your players
and to ensure that they want to be there. If a player doesn’t If a character has an Aspect that connects them to someone or
want to experience particular themes, depictions, or scenarios something in the world, make that player your resident “expert”
in the game, do not force it upon them. on whatever the Aspect refers to. So if someone has Scars From
the War, poll that player for information about their experiences
DRAMA IS BETTER THAN REALISM whenever “the War” is brought up. “You notice that this ser-
Don’t get too bogged down trying to maintain absolute con- geant is wearing a veteran’s mark, which is a rare decoration
sistency in the world or adhere to a draconian sense of realism. from the War. What hardcore crap do you have to do to get one
The game operates by the rules of drama and fiction; use that to of those? Do you have one?” Some players will defer back to you,
your advantage. There should be very few moments in the game and that’s fine, but it’s important that you keep making the offer
where the PCs are free of conflicts or problems to deal with, so as to foster a collaborative atmosphere.
even if it’d be more “realistic” for them to get a long breather.
Also, one of the main uses of the create advantage action is pre-
When you’re trying to decide what happens, and the answer that cisely to give players a way to add details to the world through
makes the most sense is also kind of boring, go with something their characters. Use that to your advantage when you draw a
that’s more exciting than sensible! You can always find a way lat- blank or simply want to delegate more control. One good way
er on to justify something that doesn’t make immediate sense. to do this during play is to answer the player’s question with a
question, if they ask for information.

PLAY THE WORLD AND THE NPCS Elise: “Is there a way to disable this computer system with-
out awakening its functionary?”
As Narrator, it’s your job to decide how everyone and everything
else in the setting responds to what the PCs do, as well as what Olivia: “Well, you know that it’s in sleep mode until a system
the PCs’ environment is like. If a PC fails a roll, you’re the one is responding to something outside of its normal protocols,
who gets to decide the consequences. When an NPC attempts to such as an interfacer sifting through data. If there was a way
assassinate a PC’s friend, you’re the one who gets to decide how to disable it without waking it up, what do you think that
they go about it. When the PCs stroll up to a food vendor in a would look like? I mean, you’re the expert engineer, right?”
market, you get to decide what kind of day the vendor is having,
what kind of personality they have, and what’s on sale that day. Elise: “Hm ... I think that there would be some kind of way
You determine the weather when the PCs pull up to the cave. to cut the power to the functionary sanctum before it has
time to respond.”
Fortunately, you don’t have to do this in a vacuum—you have a
lot of tools to help you decide what would be appropriate. The Olivia: “Yeah, that sounds good. Roll Engineering to see
process outlined in Setting Up a Game on page XX should pro- what that would require.”
vide you with a lot of context about the game you’re running,
whether that’s in the form of Aspects like current and impending
issues, specific locations that you might visit, or NPCs with agen- JUDGE THE USE OF THE RULES
das that you can use. It’s also your job to make most of the moment-to-moment deci-
sions about what’s legit and what’s not regarding the rules. Most
The PCs’ Aspects also help you decide how to make the world often, you’re going to decide when something in the game de-
respond to them. As stated on page XX, the best Aspects have a serves a roll, what type of action that is and how difficult that
double edge to them. You have a lot of power to exploit that dou- roll is. In conflicts, this can get a little more complicated, like
ble edge by using event-based compels. That way, you kill two determining if a Situation Aspect should force someone to make
birds with one stone—you add detail and surprise to your game an overcome action, or deciding whether or not a player can

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 CHAPTER 8: NARRATION

justify a particular advantage they’re trying to create. supplements will introduce even more advanced rules to the
game, but remember to only use the rules you need, and make
You also judge the appropriateness of any invocations or com- whatever change you deem appropriate for your game.
pels that come up during play, like mentioned on page XX, and
make sure that everyone at the table is clear on what’s going on. PITCHING THE GAME
With invocations, this is pretty easy—as long as the player can Before you can actually start playing a game, you need to pitch
explain why the Aspect is relevant, you’re good to go. With com- it to your players. Since it’s common that players know even less
pels, it can get a little more complicated, because you need to about the content of this book than you do, make sure to avoid
articulate precisely what complication the player is agreeing to. overwhelming them with information. Make an elevator pitch
where you focus on what you think will get them interested and
YOU’RE THE CHAIRMAN—NOT GOD have a conversation with them about what kind of story they
Approach your position as arbiter of the rules by thinking of would like to see. You can read through the themes mentioned
yourself as “first among equals” in a committee, rather than as on page XX for inspiration. Once everyone is on board and you
an absolute authority. If there’s a disagreement on the use of the have an idea for a story to tell, schedule a Session Zero.
rules, try encouraging a brief discussion and let everyone talk
freely, rather than making a unilateral decision. A lot of times, SESSION ZERO
you’ll find that the group is self-policing—if someone tries to Before starting up a new game, it’s recommended to have a prel-
throw out a compel that’s a real stretch, it’s just as likely that ude session called Session Zero. The purpose behind this session
another player will bring it up before you do. is to make sure that everyone is on board with the upcoming
campaign, the intended tone, and the presented themes. The
Your job is really to have the “last word” on rules-related sub- players can create characters together and discuss how they re-
jects, rather than to dictate from your chair. Keep that in mind. late to each other and to the game. It also gives the Narrator an
opportunity to ask players what kinds of things they want to
CREATE SCENARIOS and absolutely do not want to see in game.
(AND NEARLY EVERYTHING ELSE)
You’re responsible for making everything that the PCs encoun- Sessions Zero help reduce the risk for triggering negative re-
ter and react to in the game. That not only includes NPCs with actions by being used to declare boundaries for the game. For
Skills and Aspects, but it also includes the Aspects on scenes, en- example, it is possible that one or more players have suffered
vironments, and objects, as well as the dilemmas and challenges trauma in their life; possibly with regard to suicide, illnesses,
that make up a scenario. You provide the prompts that give your or abuse. While those without a personal connection to the
group a reason to play the game to begin with—what problems subject matter may be able to cope with stories incorporating
they face, what issues they have to resolve, whom they’re oppos- those themes, some could get strong negative reactions by those
ing, and what they’ll have to go through to win the day. same themes. A Session Zero gives an opportunity to declare,
for example, that “I don’t want suicide to come up in game,” and
not have to justify why. The Narrator should abide to the stated
BEFORE THE GAME boundaries without questioning them.

TACKLING THE BEAST How much time should be spent on a Session Zero varies de-
The first thing you need to do before starting your first game is pending on the group and their needs. If you intend to play with
to tackle the beast that is this book. If you’re reading this, you friends you know very well, it could simply be a conversation
have probably read a good portion of this book already. That’s before the game where you reiterate the important points. If
great! As far as corebooks go, this is on the thicker side with you’re planning to play with people you don’t know well, more
plenty of information in it. It’s possible that you’re feeling over- effort should be put into Sessions Zero to make sure that the
whelmed by the setting, all of the rules, or the sheer number of new players feel welcomed and have a good experience.
traits and assets that players can acquire for their characters.
If you’re only going to play a single session and not a longer
The key to avoid overloading your brain is to start small. Focus campaign, you may not have time for an entire Session Zero. If
on one part of the setting and ignore the rest. You can learn that’s the case, still have a check-in before the session to make
more about the setting when it becomes necessary for the story sure everyone is okay and on board; it’s better to be safe than
you want to tell. Focus on the core rules—such as basic action sorry. If you know that you won’t be able to properly check in
resolution, challenges, and conflicts—before getting into more with every player before the session, it’s better to leave out the
advanced stuff. Print out cheat sheets of how the rules work so subject matters that you know people are more likely to resonate
that you can easily access them during play. As far as powers and poorly with. If you cannot leave out some things, you should
assets go, don’t bother reading all of them. It’s not important to make a disclaimer before the game just to let everyone know
read up on every single customization option when you’re just what is to be expected so that it can be immediately addressed.
starting out.
There are many different ways to make sure that the roleplaying
Once you’ve decided to only focus on what’s most important for experience is a positive one, and Sessions Zero are merely one
your first game, you’ll find that the content you’re actually go- way out of many. Remember to be respectful of the players, to
ing to use is much more manageable than at first glance. Future communicate openly and honestly, and to take player concerns

400
seriously. Tabletop roleplaying games are games and should SAFETY TOOLS
be fun, but they’re also immersive experiences. Aim to have a If you’re playing a game that incorporates themes that players
fun game, but always keep your players’ comfort and safety in can be sensitive about, it’s recommended to use some form of
mind. Even scary and uncomfortable narratives can be fun and safety tool to ensure that people remain comfortable through-
rewarding gaming experiences, but make sure you have your out the session. One such tool is the X-Card by John Stavropou-
players consent before introducing such elements. los which a player can hold up if they’re feeling unwell or un-
comfortable about something that’s happening in game.
PREPARING A SESSION
How much time you need to prepare a session varies depending It’s common for some roleplayers to get into character to a de-
on the intricacy of your planned narrative as well as your expe- gree where they act out their character’s emotions. This can
rience running games. It’s easy for new Narrators to “over-pre- cause other players as well as the Narrator to be confused when
pare” in a way where they spend a lot of time on scenes and someone is showing distress, since it could be interpreted as act-
situations that may not come up in game. Focus on the broad ing. By using an X-Card, the player can confirm to the rest of
narrative, such as a starting point, one or more challenges, per- the group that it is they who are feeling what they’re feeling and
haps a climax, and an end point. Try to think of different ap- not their character. The X-Card is often a card with an X on it
proaches to your challenges so that different skill sets can come but it can be anything the group agrees on to use as a symbol.
into play and different players may have times in the spotlight.
BREAKS
Once you have a basic structure planned out, try to think of Some sessions can feel like they fly by fast, and it’s easy to forget
contingencies that you can put in play if the players deviate from to take breaks. Try to at least stretch your legs every hour or take
your planned narrative (and they will), such as possible scenari- a longer break every two hours. This will help both you and the
os or alternative pathways. It can also be helpful to print out lists players to clear your minds and continue the game at your best.
of names, item drops, or possible encounters. You’ll also find
that the more games you run, the more you’ll become familiar INTERRUPTIONS
with the players and their characters, and the less notes you’ll Playing a roleplaying game is a social activity and it’s important
need for the sessions. Your ability to improvise scenes and situ- that players feel like they can talk to each other and have fun.
ations will grow naturally from experience. At the same time, it’s also important that players don’t interrupt
active scenes in a way that disrupts someone’s focus, emotional
state, or a narrative flow.
DURING THE GAME
One type of interruption that is common in roleplaying games
HAVING WHAT YOU NEED is a rules argument. Because you, the Narrator, are the ultimate
Once all preparations are done and it’s time to have the session, authority on how to apply the system to the game, you have the
you need to make sure that you have everything you need. You final say on how the rules work. That being said, it could be that
need dice, papers, character sheets for each player, this book, you want to play a rule accurately and there is a disagreement
and whatever other accessory you may need for your game. Ad- that would interrupt the game until the answer is looked up (and
ditionally, since games take a couple of hours, make sure to have possibly even after that). If you want to avoid this type of inter-
something to eat and drink so that everyone has the energy they ruption and argument, tell your players that they can comment
need to play and have fun. on how the rules are applied during a break or after the session
is over. That way you can review the rule on your own time in-
CHECK-IN stead of spending time that could be used to roleplay to instead
You have already had a Session Zero where you’ve communicat- correct a misunderstood rule that may not be super important.
ed with the players about the themes, tones, and plans for the
game. When it’s time for the actual game, it’s important to have
a quick check-in beforehand just to make sure that everyone is AFTER THE GAME
feeling well and willing to play. Check-ins can be had through-
out sessions as well to make sure players are having fun and are CHECK-OUT
comfortable with what is going on in game. After the session is over, it’s helpful to have a brief check-out
where you discuss the game, what the players were excited about,
GETTING NEW PLAYERS COMFORTABLE what moments were underwhelming, and more. This feedback
When introducing players to a new setting and a new system, teaches you what the players enjoy and don’t enjoy so that you
it can be helpful to gradually introduce details at a rate that can take that into consideration for your next session. If there
makes them actively engage with the setting and rules without were any conflicts during the game, such as arguments about
overwhelming them. Let them try some basic action resolutions rules or roleplay, this is a good opportunity to sort things out.
early in the session, and let them try out things like combat or
other rules when they have a grasp of the basics. Introduce the HANDING OUT MILESTONES
setting with a similar approach. Present a scene that the players If the session was a one-shot experience, you’re now all done.
can visualize and interact with. Give them an idea of what the But if it was one session in a larger campaign, you will need to
setting looks like without showing too much, but also give them reward players with milestones (p. XX) and milestone points.
a sense of mystery about what else is out there. They can then spend these points on character progression.

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SETTING UP A GAME
So, you want to run a Machineborn game for a group of players? your players about what themes they would like to explore in the
game and then think of ways to incorporate them.
First, you should agree on what sort of people the protagonists
are and what sort of conflict they will be facing. Your decisions ACTION
here will tell you virtually everything you need to know to get An action story introduces a conflict that incorporates sus-
the ball rolling: what the protagonists are good at, what they pense and danger. The conflict can be something personal to
may or may not care about, what problems they’re likely to get the protagonists, such as a murder or a kidnapping, with a de-
into, what kind of impact these characters have on the world, fined antagonist that they are fighting to defeat. Action stories
and so on. You don’t need complete answers (because that’s part tend to include exciting action sequences, such as firefights and
of the point of playing the game), but you should have enough car chases, and the protagonists are often capable of incredibly
of an idea that answering those questions doesn’t draw a blank. daring feats. Machineborn presents plenty of opportunities for
action-oriented storylines.
FINDING YOUR PLACE IN THE SETTING
Machineborn presents a new science-fiction setting and has a ADVENTURE
large chapter going into detail about factions the players can go Action and adventure often come hand in hand. You can give
up against and locations they can call home (see page XX). your players a sense of adventure by letting them explore the
different locations and mysteries of the setting. Show them the
When setting up your game, use the parts of the setting that dark underbelly of a metropolis, the vast but unforgiving waste-
are relevant to the kinds of protagonists you have and the kinds lands, and let them activate an ancient machine-god that’s been
of challenges you want them to face. Do they want the game sleeping in a since long abandoned vault.
to take place in a city? Select one of the many metropolises as
your starting location. Do they want to fight mutants out in the (POST-)APOCALYPTIC
wastelands? Think about the kinds of hardships they could be Machineborn depicts Earth as a post-apocalyptic world sur-
facing out there. rounding pockets of civilization. During the Cooperative Wars,
the warring factions were responsible for great atrocities, many
Each faction has its own cultural themes—it should be a differ- of which were apocalyptic in nature. These threats still linger.
ent experience to run a game in the Protectorate compared to It’s possible to place a game during the era when these atrocities
the Camellian Dynasty. Discuss with your players what kind of were abundant and where the sense of apocalyptic dread was
environments and cultures they are interested in engaging with. the greatest. It’s also possible to hint at new threats to come or to
have the players aim to stop them. If you want a post-apocalyptic
THE GAME’S SCALE game, you can put the players in the wastelands. Perhaps they
Decide how epic or personal the story should be. are fighting mutants in empty streets or desolate urban ruins.

In a small-scale game, characters deal with problems in a city or BIOPUNK

region, they don’t travel a great deal, and the problems are local. Biopunk uses biotechnology as the game’s central theme. A Ma-
A large-scale game involves dealing with problems that affect chineborn biopunk story could incorporate fleshsculptors and
the world, or even the solar system at large. Sometimes, a small- bio-hackers, synthetic organisms and transhuman progenies,
scale game will turn into a large-scale one over time, as you’ve or perhaps dangerous creations let loose upon society. Genetic
probably seen in long-running novel series or television shows. engineering is commonplace in the setting and biopunk focuses
on its dark side, such as the ethical implications of such technol-
If you want to start small, you could start with ordinary people ogies and the consequences they have upon society as a whole.
as protagonists, and maybe have them become Machineborn
later in game. It could also be that you don’t want them to be CRIME/MYSTERY
Machineborn at all—it’s perfectly fine to run a human small- The crime genre focuses on criminal acts and investigations; sci-
scale game using this system. ence fiction opens up a spectrum of new possibilities for such
stories. Perhaps the players investigate a series of kidnappings
when suddenly identical clones of the victims return home,
THEMES each with subtle personality changes. Maybe a criminal master-
mind has divided up the clues to their encryptions within the
Machineborn is a futuristic setting, but it cannot be confined to subconscious of different people, and the players need to delve
a single theme or genre. The setting is intentionally broad in or- into their dreams to find what they’re looking for. The core con-
der to allow for many different types of stories. This section lists cept of the crime theme is to focus on the investigation itself,
a number of different themes with tips on how to incorporate with players piecing clues together in order to solve a mystery.
them into your game. Keep in mind that a good campaign often
involves a variety of themes where certain storylines or sessions This is also related to the mystery genre, with the difference be-
can focus more on one theme while different storylines or ses- ing that it often has the answers presented early (such as a closed
sions can focus on other. Use your Session Zero (p. XX) to talk to circle of suspects) and more emphasis is placed on solving the

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puzzle than chasing after a bad guy. Feminist science fiction is known to explore both stories where
there are no traditional patriarchal structures as well as stories
CYBERPUNK where such structures are intensified. Machineborn can be
Cyberpunk depicts a dystopian future that is known for combin- used to explore both of these spectrums and it can raise ques-
ing man and machine both figuratively and literally. These sto- tions surrounding new forms of inequality that have arisen
ries are not only about the consequences of cybernetic implants, from technological and cultural shifts throughout the timeline.
but also the moral and philosophical questions regarding hu-
manity and technology; about the powerless and the powerful. GRIMDARK
Cyberpunk is often gritty and edgy with characters often being Dark and dystopian, a grimdark story emphasizes ultraviolence
one with the streets while their antagonists are untouchable cor- and nihilism. No one can be trusted, and everyone is out for
porations. The cyberpunk genre can be easily incorporated into themselves. By incorporating a grimdark theme into your Ma-
Machineborn stories where those themes are often realities. chineborn game, you turn up the volume on dystopia and make
things so gritty, dark, and amoral that the player characters can
DYSTOPIA/UTOPIA commit atrocious acts while being indifferent to moral respon-
A dystopia depicts a society that is violent, dehumanizing, and sibility. It is not for the faint of heart.
governed by tyrannical forces. A dystopian story often depicts
these themes while drawing attention to questions regarding HORROR
politics, economics, and technology—or the nature of the hu- The horror genre is meant to evoke emotions of dread and dis-
man condition. In contrast, a utopia is a society that is desirable. comfort. It’s difficult to narrate because you need to be able to
depict an eerie atmosphere to get the adrenaline pumping and
While Machineborn is mostly dystopian, there exist utopian el- to evoke the desired emotions. Horror can be psychological and
ements. Civilization has the resources it needs to care for every- thrilling, it can be gruesome and violent, but it should also re-
one and many more, and while most people live in miserable mind the players that their characters aren’t safe. Keep in mind,
conditions, there are utopian pockets to be found. The players though, that applying the horror theme doesn’t excuse immoral
could be part of those pockets or strive to make them available behavior. Make sure that all players consent to a theme before
to all, in some way or another. applying it to a game.

EPIC ISEKAI
An epic is a story depicting a legendary adventure. In the world Isekai is a genre where a person is transported into a parallel
of Machineborn, this could be a story following young heroes or universe or a fantasy world. One of the most popular types
Machineborn as they travel the solar system, uncover mysteries, of entertainment in Machineborn is to transport into virtual
find hidden godware technologies, and fight the monster-rem- worlds using mind-matrix interfaces. An isekai story could de-
nants left by civilizations at war. Because of the setting’s diver- pict a scenario where a player is trapped in the virtual world,
sity, it can be used to depict more traditional heroic storylines or where some scenes are played in the actual world and oth-
than what is common for most science fiction settings. er scenes are played in the virtual one. By introducing virtu-
al worlds into your Machineborn game, you also get more
FANTASY freedom to introduce entirely different themes not listed here.
The fantasy genre is often distinguished from science fiction Perhaps you want to play a historical fantasy for a session, or a
because it relies more on the fantastical than the scientific. space opera? Virtual worlds could facilitate that.
Machineborn has many fantastical elements disguised behind
pseudo-scientific explanations. It would only take a cursory MANNERPUNK
glance for a scientist to look at aspects of this game’s setting and Maybe you don’t want to play a game of intense action and ad-
say “this wouldn’t work because of X, Y, and Z.” venture. The mannerpunk theme replaces action with intrigue
and monsters with peers. In this type of story, the player char-
Machineborn is not meant to be a game where you analyze all acters engage in the society they live in, overcoming everyday
of the science (the very nature of godware is to present what ba- challenges, and competing with others around them. This could
sically amounts to magic without calling it so). This gives plenty be depicted as an academy-focused slice of life, as a board room
of opportunities for Narrators to tell the stories they want to intrigue, or simply as an exploration of the challenges of build-
tell rather than try to justify why things are the way they are. ing relationships and community in a world where people are
Many fantasy tropes can be easily translated into Machineborn wrapped up in their own bubbles.
stories and many aspects of the setting are directly influenced
by the fantasy genre. MILITARY
Military science fiction focuses on life in active duty, where
FEMINIST player characters are soldiers equipped with advanced weapons
Feminist science fiction is a subgenre that includes themes such and technologies. The conflicts could be other warring factions
as gender inequality, sexuality, ethnicity, and economics. Ma- or some kind of alien threat. In a Machineborn context, a mili-
chineborn has been written to deliberately avoid inequalities tary story could have the player characters go up against a trojan
based on gender, ethnicity, or sexuality (to the best of the au- assault, a border dispute between previously warring factions,
thor’s ability, at least), but the setting still depicts many other a wastelander insurrection against an oppressive government,
forms of inequality (social, economic, transhuman, and more). and more. There is a cease-fire to prevent a new solar war, but

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this doesn’t mean that the world is without conflict. Current issues: These are problems or threats that exist in the
world already, possibly for a long time. Protagonists tackling
NANOPUNK these issues are trying to change the world, to make it a better
Nanopunk is similar to biopunk and cyberpunk but focuses place. Examples: a corrupt regime, organized crime, rampant
more on the impact of nanotechnology. Everyone in the world poverty and disease, a generations-long border conflict that
of Machineborn has nanites within their cells that help regulate could end the cease-fire and reignite the war.
their body’s functions as well as improve their core physiology.
In addition to this, the world itself is covered by nanites in the Impending issues: These are things that have begun to rear
form of the Nanite Matrix. By applying the nanopunk theme to their ugly heads, and threaten to make the world worse if they
your game, the players get to explore the impact of this technol- come to pass or achieve a goal. Protagonists tackling these is-
ogy and the ethical dilemmas it may introduce. sues are trying to keep the world from slipping into chaos or
destruction. Examples: a faction is readying for war, the sud-
ROMANCE
den rising of a zombie horde caused by a rogue trojan, the im-
Roleplaying romance can be tricky to get right and it’s not position of martial law in an otherwise peaceful metropolis.
something that will be appropriate for every group. Because
of how immersive these types of games can be, it’s important The default number of issues in a game is two: Either two cur-
that everyone knows that the romance is strictly in character rent issues (for a story solely about trying to make the world a
between consenting players and not something to be misinter- better place), two impending issues (for a story about striving
preted as real romance between the players themselves. When to save people from threats), or one of each. The latter option is
the game triggers real emotions, it’s important that the players common in fiction: think about the stalwart heroes who work
are able to rationalize those emotions to avoid having them im- against some impending doom while already disconent with the
pact a player’s real life. However, if the group is mature enough world around them.
to handle bringing romance into the game, it can provide a re-
warding experience with a new level of emotional depth. CHANGING THE NUMBER OF ISSUES
Of course, you don’t have to use the default number of two is-
SUPERHERO sues if you don’t want to—one or three also works, but it will
Machineborn can be used to depict more traditional superhero change the resulting game a bit. A game with one issue will re-
tropes, since many of the powers associated with superheroes volve around just that issue—a mission to rid a community of
are tied to technologies and augmentations available in this tyranny, or to stop tyranny from happening. A game with three
game. By playing a superhero game, the players have powers will show off a busy world, one where the characters’ resources
that make them stand above the rest of humanity, possibly as are strained against multiple fronts. If you think you need to
Machineborn themselves. focus down or expand the scope of your game, talk it over with
the group and start by tweaking the number of issues to best fit
THRILLER what you’re after.
A thriller is somewhere in between horror and mystery as it aims
to evoke eerie moods and feelings of suspense or anxiety. Unlike TURNING ISSUES INTO ASPECTS
horror, thrillers don’t put as much emphasis on the supernatural As mentioned on the previous page, issues can be used as As-
or the gratuitous, and instead aim to keep the players at the edge pects in game. This is optional, since it’s possible that the game
of their seats while the narrative unfolds. When playing a thrill- could feel too busy with too many Aspects in play. By turning
er, you should try to maintain a suspenseful narrative while in- the issues into Aspects, they can help to draw the players in and
troducing a mystery or obstacle for the players to overcome. motivate them to avoid straying too far from any pre-estab-
lished goals. This is especially useful in shorter games, such as
one-shots, or in stories that are more narratively driven.
THE BIG ISSUES
When turning issues into Aspects, turn the ideas you have into
Decide what threats and pressures inherent to the setting will Aspects that you could conceivably use at different times in the
spur the protagonists to action. story (often as compels to the protagonists or as invocations for
foes, but clever players will always find other uses for Aspects).
Try to come up with two issues depending on the protagonists’ Write them down, and then if you need to add a little bit to re-
place in the setting. You could do these as a group during your member the context or some details, write those down along-
Session Zero (p. XX). As an optional rule, you could write these side the Aspects.
issues down on an index card and have them act as Aspects (p.
XX) capable of being invoked or compelled throughout the en- CHANGING ISSUES IN PLAY
tirety of the game. Issues can change as the game progresses. Sometimes, the is-
sue evolves into something new. Sometimes, the characters will
These issues should reflect the scale of your game and what the successfully fight against it, and it’ll be gone. And sometimes,
characters will be facing. They’re broad ideas; they don’t just af- new issues will emerge.
fect your characters, but many people in the world. Issues take
two forms: For a one-shot lasting only a few hours at most, the issues you
determine before the game starts will be used to drive a con-

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cise singular conflict. If you intend to play a game that lasts for organization or issue, and an Aspect detailing their significance
longer than a session, the issues you decide on here are only to the story.
those you’re starting off with.
Do the same for any notable places in your setting. Are there
DRILLING DOWN any important places where things happen, either important to
You can also use issues to flesh out smaller, but nonetheless im- the world, important to an issue, or important to the protago-
portant pieces of the setting. An important location (a metrop- nists? If there’s a place where you envision multiple scenes tak-
olis or sector, or even a memorable local restaurant) or organi- ing place, then talk about that. Unlike NPCs, they don’t require
zation (an interfacing order, a political group, or a corporation) Aspects.
can have impending and/or current issues as well.
The Narrator may flesh these characters and places out later, de-
It’s recommended that you start by giving only one issue to each pending on their role in the story. Or one of these ideas might be
setting element, just to keep things from getting too bogged a great inspiration for a protagonist! And, of course, new ones
down, but you can always add more as the campaign progress- will unfold as the story progresses.
es. Likewise, you don’t have to do this right now—if you find
a setting element becoming more important later in the game, If there’s a piece of the setting that you intend to place the game
you can give it issues then. in that’s meant to be a mystery which the protagonists uncover,
define it only in loose terms. The specifics can be detailed as
they are revealed in play.
The Crimson Curtain keeps popping up in pre-game dis-
cussions, so the group decides that it also needs an issue.
After some discussion, the group decides it’d be interesting After a few minutes of discussion, the group writes down:
if there was some kind of corruption going on within the
Crimson Curtain’s leadership—this is also a good way to Drug Queen Cytherea, a prominent member of the Pyr-
tie in Lily’s character Willow who has no personal tie to the amid. Her Aspect is Everyone Should Be Hooked On My
Crimson Curtain but makes a living rooting out corruption. Product.
The group decides to make this an issue called An Inside Job. Which brings us to a place, the metropolis Magenta.
There’s a red-light district there called The Averted Gaze.
Olivia comes up with a sympathetic character, Mikoto
Starfable, who owns a shop in Magenta. She has had
FACES AND PLACES
dealings with Cytherea in the past, and will likely fall
victim to an “accident.” Her Aspect is The Drug Is Blur-
Decide who the important people and locations are.
ring People’s Dreams.
At this point, you’ve probably got your issues figured out, and The Mayor, the leader of the Crimson Curtain’s local cell,
you may have thought of some organizations or groups that fea- whose identity is a mystery. Because that part of the set-
ture prominently in your game. ting is a mystery, they aren’t going to come up with an
Aspect or otherwise go any further, leaving those details
Now you have to put some faces on those issues and those to Olivia to figure out in secret.
groups, so that your PCs have people to interact with when
they’re dealing with those elements. Do they have any particu- They could go on, but they know they’ll have more ideas
lar people who represent them, or stand out as exemplars of after character creation and as they play. That’s just enough
what the issue’s referring to? If you have any ideas at this point, to paint a picture of what’s going on at the story’s beginning.
write them down on an index card: a name, a relationship to the

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WHAT TO DO
DURING PLAY
THE GOLDEN RULE
heading through the penthouse. I take off down the hall,
Decide what you’re trying to accomplish first, then consult keeping my eye out for the drug sample.”
the rules to help you do it.
Olivia thinks, because she knows that dice are going to come
This might seem like common sense, but the order is important. out on this. If Willow is moving further into the penthouse,
In other words, don’t look at the rules as a straitjacket or a hard it looks most like an overcome action to do the movement.
limit on an action. Instead, use them as a variety of potential But with the utility swarm in the room, it seems more like
tools to model whatever you’re trying to do. Your intent, what- Willow would need to defend herself. There is also a way
ever it is, always takes precedence over the mechanics. she could handle the alarm—she could try to hack the sys-
tem wirelessly. She has the tools for that.
Most of the time, the very definition of an action makes this
easy—any time your intent is to harm someone, you know that’s So Olivia asks, “Lily, we need to go to dice, but what exactly
an attack. Any time you’re trying to avoid harm, you know that’s do you want to accomplish here? Are you mainly trying to
a defense. make sure you don’t get hit as you head for the drug sample,
or are you trying to find some way to deal with the utility
But sometimes, you’re going to get into situations where it’s not swarm or shut down the alarm?”
immediately clear what type of action is the most appropriate.
As Narrator, don’t respond to these situations by forbidding the Lily doesn’t hesitate. “Oh, the drug sample, for sure.”
action. Instead, try to nail down a specific intent in order to
point more clearly to one (or more) of the basic game actions. Olivia asks, “So you’re willing to take damage in the pro-
cess?”
THE SILVER RULE
The corollary to the Golden Rule is as follows: Never let the rules Lily says, “Yeah. Throwing myself into danger as usual.”
get in the way of what makes narrative sense. If you or the play-
ers narrate something in the game and it makes sense to apply Olivia says, “Okay, so we can do it in one roll. Here’s how
a certain rule outside of the normal circumstances where you we’ll handle it. You roll Acrobatics against a Fantastic (+6)
would do so, go ahead and do it. Scale 1 opposition. If you make it, you’re past the swarm
and don’t take any harm. If you don’t make it, you’re stuck in
The most common example of this has to do with Consequenc- the hallway and will have to try again to make it all the way
es. The rules say that by default, a Consequence is something a through. We’re also going to treat that failure like a failed
player chooses to take after getting hit by an attack in a conflict. defend roll, so you’re going to take a hit as well. Because
of all the robotic wasps and their little stingers, you know.”
But say you’re in a scene where a player decides that, as part of
trying to intimidate their way past someone, their PC is going Lily winces, but nods and gathers up her dice.
to punch through a glass-top table with a bare fist. Everyone
likes the idea and thinks it’s cool, so no one’s interested in what
happens if the PC fails the roll. However, everyone agrees that In this example, Olivia combined effects from overcome and de-
it also makes sense that the PC would injure their hand in the fend to determine what happens to Willow. This is totally okay,
process (which is part of what makes it intimidating). because it fits their intent and it makes sense given the situation
they described. She might have decided to do both rolls sepa-
It’s totally fine to assign a Mild Consequence of Glass In My rately, and that would have been fine too—she just wanted to get
Hand in that case, because it fits with the narration, even though it all into one roll.
there’s no conflict and nothing technically attacked the PC.
If you’re ever in doubt during play, come back to the Golden
As with the Golden Rule, make sure everyone’s on the same Rule and remember that you have the flexibility to do the same
page before you do stuff like this. kind of thing as you need to. Just make sure that when you do
this, everyone is on the same page.
Due to a failure on a previous roll, Willow has set off an
WHEN TO ROLL DICE
alarm while inside the penthouse of Gideon Force, a lieuten-
ant to Drug Queen Cytherea. Olivia describes how a utility Roll dice when succeeding or failing at the action could each
swarm is coming into the hallway. contribute something interesting to the game.

Lily says, “Well, I’m going to ignore it for now and start This is pretty easy to figure out in regards to success, most of the

406
time—the PCs overcome a significant obstacle, win a conflict, That way, you don’t spend time dwelling on the failure and can
or succeed at a goal, which creates fodder for the next thing. move on to something new.
With failure, however, it’s a little more difficult, because it’s easy
to look at failure in strictly negative terms—you fail, you lose, SUCCEED AT A COST
you don’t get what you want. If there’s nothing to build on after You can also offer to give the PCs what they want, but at a price.
that failure, play can grind to a halt in a hurry. A minor cost should complicate the PC’s life. Like the above
suggestion, this focuses on using failure as a means to change
The worst thing you can do is have a failed roll that means noth- up the situation a bit, rather than just negating whatever the PC
ing happens—no new knowledge, no new course of action to wanted. Some suggestions:
take, and no change in the situation. That is totally boring, and
it discourages players from investing in failure—something you Foreshadow some imminent peril: “The lock opens with a
absolutely want them to do, given how important compels and click, but the same can’t be said for the vault door. If they didn’t
concession are. Don’t do this. know you were here before, they do now.”
Introduce a new wrinkle: “Yes, the fixer is able to put you in
If you can’t imagine an interesting outcome from both results, touch with someone who can translate the log—a guy named
then don’t call for that roll. If failure is the uninteresting option, Berthold. You know him, actually, from years ago, when he
just give the PCs what they want and call for a roll later, when caught you with his wife.”
you can think of an interesting failure. If success is the boring
Present the player with a tough choice: “You brace the col-
option, then see if you can turn your idea for failure into a com-
lapsing ceiling long enough for two of the others to get through
pel instead, using that moment to funnel Charges to the players.
safely, but not the rest. Who’s it going to be?”
SITUATION ASPECTS ARE YOUR FRIENDS Place an Aspect on the PC or the scene: “You manage to land
When you’re trying to figure out if there’s a good reason to ask on your feet, but with a Twisted Ankle as a souvenir.”
the PCs to make an overcome roll, look at the Aspects on your Give an NPC a Boost: “Nikolai surprises you a bit by agreeing
scene. If the existence of the Aspect suggests some trouble or to your offer, but he does so with a wry smile that makes you
problem for a PC, call for an overcome roll. If not, and you can’t uneasy. Clearly, Nikolai Has a Plan.”
think of an interesting consequence for failure, don’t bother. Check one of the PC’s Stress boxes: It’s only a real cost if the
PC is likely to take more hits in the same scene.
For example, if a character is trying to sprint quickly across a
room, and you have a Situation Aspect like Cluttered Floors, it
makes sense to ask for a roll before they can move. If there is no A serious cost does more than complicate the PC’s life or prom-
such Aspect, just let them make the move and get on to some- ise something worse to come—it takes a serious and possibly
thing more interesting. irrevocable toll, right now.

One way you can do this is by taking a minor cost to the next
level. Instead of suspecting that they were heard opening the
MAKING FAILURE AWESOME vault, guards burst in the room, weapons drawn. Instead of be-
ing merely cut off from their allies by a collapsing ceiling, some
If the PCs fail a roll in the game and you’re not sure how to make
of those allies end up buried in the debris. Instead of having
that interesting, try one of the following ideas.
to face an awkward situation with Berthold, he’s out for their
blood. Other options could include:
BLAME THE CIRCUMSTANCES
The PCs are extremely competent people (remember, that’s one Reinforce the opposition: You might clear one of an NPC’s
of the things the game is about). They aren’t supposed to look Stress boxes, improve one of their Skills for the scene, or give
like fools on a regular or even semi-regular basis. Sometimes, all them a new Aspect with a free invocation.
it takes is the right description to make failure into something
dynamic—instead of narrating that the PC just borked things Bring in new opposition or a new obstacle: Bring in enemies
up, blame the failure on something that the PC couldn’t have or a Situation Aspect that worsens the situation.
prevented. There’s a secondary mechanism on that lock that in- Delay success: The task will take longer than expected.
itially looked simple (Larceny), or the contact broke his promise Give the PC a Consequence: Mild if they have one available;
to show up on time (Contacts), or the data log is too complicated Moderate if they don’t.
to read (Education), or a sudden seismic shift throws off your
run (Athletics).
If you’re stuck for just how serious a serious cost should be, you
may want to use the margin of failure as a gauge. For instance,
The PCs still look competent and awesome, even though they
in the vault-opening example above—the one where the guards
don’t get what they want. More importantly, shifting the blame
hear the PC and burst in the room—if the player failed their Lar-
to the circumstances gives you an opportunity to suggest a new
ceny roll by 1 or 2, the PCs outnumber the guards. Not a tough
course of action, which allows the failure to create forward mo-
fight, but a fight nonetheless. If they failed it by 3 to 5, it’s an even
mentum in your story. The contact didn’t make his appoint-
match, one that’s likely to use up resources like Charges or Con-
ment? Where is he? Who was following him to the rendezvous?
sequences. But if they failed by 6 or more, they’re outnumbered
The data log is complicated? Maybe someone can decipher it.
and in real danger.

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LET THE PLAYER DO THE WORK in the story when someone’s life is on the line, or they’re finally
You can also kick the question back to the players, and let them going against foes that they’ve been building up to for a scenario
decide what the context of their own failure is. This is a great or two, feel free to raise difficulties across the board. You should
move to foster a collaborative spirit, and some players will be also raise difficulties to indicate when a particular opponent
surprisingly eager to hose their own characters in order to fur- is extremely prepared for the PCs, or to reflect situations that
ther the story, especially if it means they can keep control of aren’t ideal—if the PC’s are not prepared, or don’t have the right
their own portrayal. tools for the job, or are in a time crunch, et cetera.

It’s also a great thing to do if you just plain can’t think of any- Setting the difficulty right at the PC’s Skill level is sort of a mid-
thing. “So, you failed that Larceny roll by 2. So you’re working dle ground between these two extremes. Do this when you want
the lock, and something goes wrong. What is it?” “You missed some tension, or when the odds are slightly in the PC’s favor but
that Awareness roll. What don’t you notice as you’re sneaking you want a tangible element of risk.
up to the chambers?” It’s better if the question is specific, like
those examples—just saying, “Okay, tell me how you fail!” can JUSTIFY YOUR CHOICES
easily stall things by putting a player on the spot unnecessarily. Your only other constraint in setting difficulties goes back to
You want to let the player do the work, not make them. the Silver Rule—you need to make sure that your choices make
sense in the context of the narrative you’re creating. While we
don’t want you to get crazy with trying to model the world too
SETTING DIFFICULTIES much and thus box yourself into a useless set of constraints
(“Locks in Glenwood are generally of Good [+3] quality, because
When you’re setting passive opposition for an action, keep in it’s an erudite residential district.”), don’t look at this purely as
mind that anything that’s two or more steps above the PC’s Skill a numbers game either. If the only reason for setting a difficulty
is probably going to cost them Charges, and anything that’s two at Superb (+5) is because it’s two higher than the PC’s Skill level
or more below will be a breeze. and you want to bleed their Charges off, you strain credibility.

Rather than “modeling the world” or going for “realism,” try In that sense, you can look at setting difficulties as being a lot
setting difficulties according to dramatic necessity—things like invoking Aspects—there needs to be a good reason that
should generally be more challenging when the stakes are high backs up your choice in the story. It’s totally okay if that justifi-
and less challenging when they aren’t. cation is something you’re about to make up, rather than some-
thing you know beforehand. Situation Aspects are a great tool
Functionally, this is the same as setting a consistent difficul- for this—if the players already know that the cellar they’re in is
ty and assessing a circumstantial penalty to the roll to reflect Pitch Black and Cramped as Hell, it’s easy to justify why it’s so
rushing the task or some other unfavorable condition. But psy- hard to stay quiet as they sneak through the tunnels. No one
chologically, the difference between a high and a low difficulty will bat an eye at you looking at the relevant Situation Aspects
with a penalty is vast and shouldn’t be underestimated. A play- and giving a +2 to the opposition for each one, because it mir-
er facing a higher difficulty will often feel properly challenged, rors the invoke bonus they get.
while that same player facing a large penalty, likely chosen at the
Narrator’s discretion, will often feel discouraged by it. Either way, don’t skip the justification part—either let the play-
ers know what it is immediately when you tell them the diffi-
Setting a difficulty low is mainly about showcasing a PC’s awe- culty, or shrug mysteriously and then let them find out soon
someness, letting them shine in a particular moment and re- thereafter (as in, the time it takes to decide).
minding us why this character is in the spotlight. You can also
set lower difficulties during periods when you know the PCs You might also try using “out of place” difficulties to indicate
are low on Charges, giving them the chance to take compels the presence of unanswered questions during the game—for
in order to get more. You should also set lower difficulties on some odd reason, the storage you’re trying to break into has an
anything that’s in the way of the PC’s getting to the main action Epic (+7) Scale 1 lock on the door. What could be so important
of a scene—you don’t want them to get stalled at lab door lock in there that you don’t know about?
if the point of the scene is to confront the mad scientist inside!
Or maybe you’re trying to finish the famed initiation test of the
Finally, some actions should take lower difficulties by default, assassin guild called The Blank Mask, and the test is only a Fair
especially if no one’s contesting them. Unopposed efforts to cre- (+2) Scale 1 Education roll—what’s the deal? Are they going easy
ate advantages in a conflict should never be harder than Average on you? Is your appointment a political necessity? Who pulled
(+1) or Fair (+2), and neither should attempts to put an Aspect the strings on that? Or is it just that the reputation of the guild’s
on an object or location. Remember that opposition doesn’t assassins is a fabrication?
have to always take the form of an NPC getting in the way—if
the mastermind has hidden the evidence in his office away from DEFINING THE RIGHT SCALE
prying eyes, you might consider that a form of opposition, even Defining scaled challenges (p. XX) can be difficult since Scale is
though the mastermind might not be physically present. often abstract. In a low-tier game against human challenges, it’s
often easier to have the PCs almost only go up against Scale 1
If the PCs are overflowing in Charges, or it’s a crucial moment challenges; it’s not important if the challenge is called Scale 1 or

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2 since it’s only a matter of ±2 on the Ladder. with, is to hand creative freedom over to the player.

When the task is something that is too over-the-top or would be “Because you have Scale 8 in Engineering, you can invent things
impossible for an ordinary person, consider increasing its Scale. beyond comprehension. How would you take advantage of that
Consider the following: Skill in this situation?”

Is the task something that a human could accomplish on their The player could explore new ways to overcome challenges by
own merit, then make it a Scale 1 challenge. Would it be some- trying to come up with creative ways to apply their supernatural
thing that anyone could accomplish with proper insight, then powers.
increase the difficulty while keeping it as a Scale 1 challenge.
However, is the task something that would normally be impos- “Because of my Scale 8 in Engineering, I’m able to perfectly ana-
sible for someone who isn’t in peak physical condition or who lyze the structural makeup of this vault door down to a molec-
has some form of specialized education, then consider increas- ular level. I will make a list of basic materials that would be able
ing it to Scale 2. to drastically weaken its structure, and then have my followers
gather those materials. Once they’re back, I will completely dis-
For example, since anyone could build a fence, it could be an mantle the vault door using these basic materials rather than
Average (+1) Scale 1 Engineering task. However, since only a the industrial tools that would otherwise be required.”
specialist would be able to manually repair the circuitries in a
broken droid, it could be a Fair (+2) Scale 2 Engineering task; This type of solution would be probably impossible for a human,
a fair challenge for a specialist, but a great one for an amateur. an animal, and any known technology; but it could be possible
Is the task something that a human would be unlikely to ac- at a Scale where the power level is all but magical. By motivating
complish on their own merit, even if they are specialists, but a player to use their powerful Machineborn in this way, allow
other creatures possibly could, then make it a Scale 3 challenge. them to attempt their creative solutions as long as the group
This could be something like swimming deep under water—it agrees that it’s a cool and fun solution. Avoid having the player
would be easy for a fish, but a human would suffer from limited try to justify using their best Skill for every solution, though,
mobility, lack of air, and high pressure. It could be something since that would get boring.
like identifying a person by their smell—a human could pos-
sibly recognize a loved one’s favored perfume, but a dog would
be able to recognize a loved one regardless of perfume. DEALING WITH TIME

For most tasks that are just beyond the reach of peak human GAME TIME
capability, make them Scale 3. If they’re nearer to the peak of Game time is how play is organized in terms of the real players
what most non-extreme animals can accomplish, make them sitting at the table. Each unit of game time corresponds to a cer-
Scale 4 instead. For example, if an ape’s strength gives them tain amount of real time. They are:
Scale 3 in Athletics, then a large bear could have Scale 4.
Exchange: The amount of time it takes all participants in a
Is the task something that only the most extreme animals could
conflict to take a turn, which includes doing an action and re-
accomplish (like the strength of a whale), or complex technolo-
sponding to any action taken against them. This usually doesn’t
gies like computer systems or industrial vehicles, then consider
take longer than a few minutes.
making it a Scale 5 challenge. A Scale 6 challenge would repre-
sent the peak of most technologies, like the fastest vehicles or Scene: The amount of time it takes to resolve a conflict, deal
the smartest super computers. with a single prominent situation, or accomplish a goal. Scenes
vary in length, from a minute or two if it’s just a quick descrip-
If the task is just beyond the limits of all but the most extreme
tion and some dialogue, to a half hour or more in the case of a
technologies, such as the speed of a spaceship, then make it a
major setpiece battle against a main NPC.
Scale 7 challenge. Finally, Scale 8 is at the brink of what the
laws of nature would allow; tasks beyond comprehension. Session: The sum total of all the scenes you run through in a
single sitting. A session ends when you and your friends pack
it up for the night and go home. For most people, a session is
ENCOURAGE CREATIVE FREEDOM
about two to four hours, but there is no theoretical limit—if
When the PCs achieve tremendous scale ratings, it can be dif- you have few obligations, then you’re only really limited by the
ficult to come up with worthy challenges. Keep in mind that need for food and sleep. A minor milestone (p. XX) usually
even the mightiest of Machineborn are only superhuman in the occurs after a session.
Skills they decide to invest in. They can still be challenged at
different levels. However, it’s important to let the players of pow- Scenario: One or more sessions of play, but usually no more
erful PCs get to feel powerful at times. than four. Most of the time, the sessions that make up a scenar-
io will definitively resolve some kind of problem or dilemma
Someone with Scale 8 in Engineering may go sessions without presented by the Narrator, or wrap up a storyline. A significant
even needing to make a Skill roll when going up against engi- milestone (p. XX) usually occurs at the end of a scenario. You
neering challenges. This could get boring at times, because play- can look at this like an episode of a television show—the num-
ers like to feel challenged and they like to roll dice. What you ber of sessions it takes to tell one story.
can do when there are no “ordinary” challenges to face them Arc: Several scenarios, usually between two and four. An arc

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typically culminates in an event that brings great change to the through the dig-site and into the ruin—I can give you an Edu-
game world, building up from the resolution of the scenarios. cation roll, but just the attempt is probably going to eat up one
You can look at an arc like a season of a television show, where of those days.”). Remember, nearly everything takes time. Even
individual episodes lead to a tumultuous climax. You’re not al- a basic attempt to create an advantage using Empathy requires
ways guaranteed to have a recognizable arc, just like not all TV you to sit with the target for a little while, and if every action the
shows have a plotline that carries through the whole season— PCs are taking is chipping away at a clock, it may be time they
it’s possible to bounce from situation to situation without hav- don’t have.
ing a defined plot structure. Major milestones (p. XX) usually
happen at the end of an arc. Of course, it’d be no fun if there was nothing they could do to
improve a deadline situation, and it’d be no fun if the crawl to-
Campaign: The sum of all the time you’ve sat at a table playing ward the deadline was predictable.
this particular game of Machineborn—every session, every
scenario, every arc. Technically, there’s no upper limit to how USING STORY TIME IN SUCCESS AND FAILURE
long a campaign can be. Some groups go for years; others get When you’re using story time to create deadline pressure, feel
to the end of an arc and then stop. It’s presumed that a typical free to incorporate unpredictable jumps in time when the PCs
group will go for a few arcs (or about ten scenarios) before hav- do really well or really badly on a roll.
ing a grand finale and moving on to another game. You might
set up your campaign as a kind of “super-arc,” where there’s one Taking extra time is a great way to make failure awesome as
massive conflict that everything else is a smaller part of, or it per the guidelines above, especially using the Success At a Cost
might simply consist of the smaller individual stories that you option—give the players exactly what they want, but at the cost
tell in your scenarios. of taking more time than they were trying to spend, thus risking
that their efforts will come too late. Or it could be the thing that
STORY TIME pushes a deadline over the edge—maybe things aren’t complete-
Story time is time as the characters perceive it, from the per- ly hopeless, but now there are extra problems to deal with.
spective of being “in the story”—the amount of time it takes
for them to accomplish any of the stuff you and the players say Likewise, reward extreme success by reducing the amount of
that they do during play. Most of the time, you’ll do this as an time it takes to do something while the PCs are under deadline.
afterthought, mentioning it in passing (“Okay, so it takes you an That historical research (Education) that was going to take a day
hour to get to the airport by cab”) or mentioning it as part of a gets wrapped up in a few hours. While looking for a good dealer
Skill roll (“Cool, so after 20 minutes of sweeping the room, you (Contacts) to get your supplies, you manage to find another one
find the following …”). who can fulfill your order that same day rather than in a week.

Under most circumstances, story time has no actual relation If time is a factor, you should also be able to use invocations
to real time. For example, a combat exchange might take a few and compels to manipulate time, to make things easier or more
minutes to play out in real time, but it only covers what happens complicated respectively (“Hey, I’m a Garage Bunny, so fixing
in the first few seconds of a conflict. Likewise, you can cover this car shouldn’t take me that long, right?” “Oh, you know
long swaths of time simply by saying that it happens (“The con- what? Your sheet says I Can’t Get Enough of the Fun and Games
tact takes two weeks to get back to you—are you doing anything … Doesn’t it make sense that if you’re looking for a guy in a
while you wait, or can we just skip to the meeting?”). When used casino, it’d be easy to get caught up in distractions? All those
this way, it’s really just a convenience; a narrative device in order machines and stuff …”).
to add verisimilitude and some consistency to your story.
HOW MUCH TIME IS A SHIFT WORTH?
DEADLINE PRESSURE Just like with any other roll, the number of shifts you get (or the
Nothing creates tension like a good deadline. The heroes only amount you fail by) should serve as a barometer for just how
have a certain number of minutes to disable the death trap, or a severe the time jump is. So, how do you decide how much to
certain amount of time to get across the city before something award or penalize?
blows up, or a certain amount of time to deliver the ransom be-
fore loved ones get aced by the bad guys, and so on. It depends on how much time you decide the initial action will
take. Time is usually expressed in two parts: a specific or ab-
Some of the game’s default actions are made to take advantage stract measure of quantity, then a unit of time, such as “a few
of deadline pressure, such as challenges (p. XX) or contests (p. days,” “twenty seconds,” or “three weeks.”
XX)—they each limit the number of rolls that a player can make
before something happens, for better or for worse. It’s recommended that you measure in the abstract and express
game actions as half, one, a few, or several of a given unit of
You don’t have to limit yourself to using just those two, though. time. So if you imagine something taking six hours, think of
If you set a hard deadline for something bad in one of your it as “several hours.” If you imagine something taking twenty
scenarios, you can start keeping track of the amount of time minutes, you can call that “several minutes” or “half an hour”,
everything takes, and use it as a way to keep the pressure on whichever feels closest.
(“Oh, so you want to browse all the metropolis’ historical ar-
chives? Well, you have three days until the Architect breaks This gives you a starting point for moving up and down. Each

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shift is worth one jump from wherever your starting point is. So tain Mechanic, as a result of discovering that the corruption
if your starting point is “several hours,” and it benefits the PCs within the organization’s leadership went deeper than she
to speed things up, then one shift could jump the time down to had originally thought.
“a few hours,” two shifts down to “one hour,” and three shifts
down to “a half hour.” Olivia wants to jump the campaign six months forward, and
she suggests that if Rainmaker goes on the run, the organ-
Going past either end of the spectrum moves you down to sev- izxation is going to try to hunt her down. She sees an op-
eral increments of the next unit of time or up to half the next portunity to create material for the next part of the game, so
unit of time, depending on which direction you’re going. So she says, “I think we should find out if Rainmaker starts the
four shifts on the aforementioned roll might jump you from next scenario in their clutches or not.”
“several hours” to “several minutes.” Failing by one, conversely,
might jump you from “several hours” to “half a day.” They decide to do it as a conflict, with each exchange rep-
resenting one confrontation between Rainmaker and the
This allows you to quickly deal with time jumps no matter where Crimson Curtain’s trackers. It goes badly for her and she
you’re starting from, whether the actions you have in mind are concedes, taking a Moderate Consequence into the next
going to take moments or generations. session. Olivia suggests that they want to bring Rainmaker
back into the fold rather than hurt or kill her, so Elise de-
STORY TIME AND THE SCOPE OF AN ACTION
cides to take I Don’t Know What’s Right Anymore, reflecting
It’s easy to think of most actions that a PC takes being limited to the seeds of doubt they’re planting in her mind.
anything that the character can directly affect, and working on
a “person-to-person” scope. And most of the time, that’s going When we see Rainmaker again, she’ll be in the clutches of
to be precisely the case—after all, this is a game about individu- the Crimson Curtain, struggling with her loyalties.
al competence shining in the face of dramatic adversity.

However, consider for a moment what a PC might do with that ZOOM IN, ZOOM OUT
competence and all the time in the world to accomplish a par- There’s no rule that says you’re required to keep your rolls con-
ticular action. Imagine a month-long Persuasion roll for a ne- sistent in terms of story time. One cool trick you can do is use
gotiation, where the PC gets to talk with every delegate in de- the result of one roll to segue into another roll that takes place
tail, rather than just focusing on a single conference. Imagine a over a much smaller period in time, or vice versa. This is a great
weeks-long Investigation, charting out every detail of a target’s way to open a new scene, contest, or conflict, or just introduce
personal routine. a change of pace.

By allowing each roll to represent a long period of time, you can

“zoom out” to handle events that reach far beyond the individ- During the six-month break, Willow has been researching
ual player character making the roll, and affect the setting in a the Mayor, who shot her and left her for dead in the last arc
big way. That month-long Persuasion roll might result in chart- of the campaign. She ends up rolling her Fair (+2) Educa-
ing a new political course for the faction the PC is negotiating tion to succeed at an overcome roll.
for. That Investigation roll might be the start of bringing in one
of the most notorious criminals in the game, one that’s been She does well, and Olivia describes Willow getting lost in
hounding the PCs for a whole campaign. research for months. Then she says, “You return home ex-
hausted, but your search has uncovered the Mayor’s hide-
This is a great way to make long breaks in story time more inter- out. You fall into bed, ready to start the search in the morn-
active, rather than bogging the game down with long narration ing ... and are wakened in the night by a crashing sound
or trying to retroactively come up with what happened during coming from your studio.”
that time. If the PCs have long-term goals they want to accom-
plish, see if you can find a way to turn that into a contest, chal- Lily says, “I get up and rush in there, pistol in hand!”
lenge, or conflict that covers the whole break, or just have them
make a single Skill roll to see if something unexpected happens. “You notice that your smartcom is gone, and that the win-
If they happen to fail the roll, whatever you invent as a conse- dow is open.”
quence will make good material for the game going forward.
“Oh, hell no. I’m going after them.”
Remember that if you do this with a conflict or a contest, that
you scale each exchange appropriately—if a conflict is taking “Great! That’s using Athletics, and let’s do a contest and see
place over the course of a year, then each exchange might be a if you can catch the culprit.” (Notice, Narrators, that this is
month or two, and everyone should describe their actions and now happening in immediately consecutive time—we went
the results of their actions in that context. right from rolling for months-long stuff, to rolling for the
seconds it takes for Willow to give chase.)

During a major milestone (p. XX) in the campaign, Rain- The contest goes badly for Willow, and the person gets away.
maker shifted her High Concept to Former Crimson Cur- Lily immediately says, “Screw that. One of my contacts

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ought to know something, or they left some clue behind. when you run into an “edge case” with a Skill—a player wants to
I’m going to roll Investigation.” use it for an action that seems like a bit of a stretch, or a situation
comes up in your game where it makes sense to use a Skill for
Lily rolls and succeeds with style, and Olivia says, “A week something that’s not normally a part of its description.
later, you’re in the Sunloft District, outside the Vixen Heart
hotel, where she (it’s a she, by the way) is rumored to be When you run into this, talk it over with the group and see what
staying. Oh, and you got some shifts, so I’ll just go ahead everyone thinks. It’s going to end up one of three ways:
and tell you her name is Cora—she dropped it to someone
in your network of informants while trying to find your It’s too much of a stretch. Consider creating a new Skill.
studio apartment. That’s worth an Aspect, I Know Your It’s not a stretch, and anyone can use the Skill that way from
Name, which you might use to undermine her confidence.” now on under the same conditions.
It wouldn’t be a stretch if the character had a trait or item that
(See what happened? One roll jumped a week, but Olivia allowed it.
and Lily are playing it at the table in continuous time.)
If you decide that a certain use of a Skill needs a specific trait,
Lily says, “I go to the receptionist and mention her name.”
augmentation, or item, allow the player in question the chance to
spend a Charge to temporarily “borrow” what they need for the
Olivia says, “The receptionist droid starts out friendly, but
current roll if they want to. For example, they could be finding
grows quiet upon the mention of her name. It goes for a
the tools they need to act as appropriate lockpicks, or the ingre-
pistol and aims at your face.”
dients they need to make that nourishing meal.
“It’s on!” Lily says, and goes for dice to defend. (Now it’s a
DETAILS: DISCOVERY VS CREATION
conflict and happens in super zoomed-in time.)
From the player’s point of view, there’s almost no way to know
what you’ve made up beforehand and what you’re inventing
in the moment, especially if you’re the kind of Narrator who
JUDGING THE USE OF SKILLS doesn’t display or consult any notes at the table. Thus, when a
player tries to discover something you haven’t made up yet, you
By now, you pretty much have all the advice you need to deal can treat it as if they were making a new Aspect or story detail.
with Skill use—the individual Skill descriptions on page XX, If they succeed, they find what they’re looking for. If they fail,
the action descriptions and examples on page XX, and the ad- you can use what they were looking for as inspiration to help
vice earlier in this chapter about setting difficulties and how to you come up with the real information.
handle success and failure.
If you’re really comfortable with improvising, this means that
The only other major problem you’ll have to worry about is you can come to the table with very little prepared beforehand,

412
and let the players’ reactions and questions build everything for Though it may seem counter-intuitive, creating minutiae like
you. You may need to ask some prompting questions first, to that detracts from the verisimilitude of the game in play. As
narrow down the scope of what information the player’s looking soon as you establish a detail like, “Great Athletics can dead lift
for, but after that, the sky’s the limit. a car for five seconds,” then you’re cutting out a lot of the vari-
ability that real life allows. Adrenaline and other factors allow
people to reach beyond their normal physical limits or fall short
Willow is scouting a wasteland ruin, looking for a safe en- of them—you can’t factor every one of those things in without
tryway to avoid any possible traps caused by old technolo- having it take up a large amount of focus at the table. It becomes
gies still at work. a thing for people to discuss and even argue about, rather than
participating in the scene.
Lily says, “I’m going to spend some time sifting through his-
torical records about these structures from before the War. It’s also boring. If you decide that a Fair (+2) Scale 1 Contacts
I’d like to use Education to create an advantage.” can get you the right guy for the task in five hours or less, then
you’ve removed a great deal of potential for tension and dra-
Olivia hadn’t actually thought something up beforehand, ma. Suddenly, every time you have a Contacts-based problem,
since scavenging this ruin was on Lily’s incentive. “What it’s going to hinge on the question of whether or not you can
kind of info are you looking for?” she asks. “Just architec- find a guy in five hours or less, rather than whatever the point
tural details, or ...?” of the scene is. It also turns everything into a simple pass/fail
situation, which means you don’t really have a good reason to
Lily says, “Well, what I really want to know is if the ruin roll the Skill at all. And again, this is not realistic—when peo-
contains something nefarious. Going through records of ple navigate their contacts, it’s not only a matter of “do I know
what the ruins were used for in the past could help answer someone” but “is that person available at the moment, are they
that question. Like, was it a weapons research lab, or a med- willing to provide help for the specific task, and what will they
ical clinic? Was it used for something illegal? Has it been ask of me in return?”
scavenged before?”
Remember, a Skill roll is a narrative tool, meant to answer the
Olivia says, “Oh, cool. Yeah, roll your Education, opposition following question: “Can I solve X problem using Y means, right
is Fair (+2) Scale 1.” Unexpectedly, Lily rolls a –2 and ends now?” When you get an unexpected result, use your sense of
up with a Mediocre (±0), meaning that she failed. Lily de- realism and drama to explain and justify it, using our guide-
cides not to spend any Charges on the roll. lines above. “Oh, you failed that Persuasion roll to bribe the
guard? Guess you spent just a bit more at the bar last night than
Wanting to turn the failure into something awesome, Olivia you thought ... wait, why is your critstick gone? And who’s that
says, “Well, you don’t get an Aspect for it, but what you find shady character walking a little too quickly just past the line of
out is actually the opposite of what you’re afraid of—the site guards? Did he just wink at you? That bastard ... now what do
was used as a sanctuary for the impoverished, and for those you do?”
on the run from the law.”

Lily says, “If the site was used to safeguard people, then
DEALING WITH CONFLICTS
it makes sense that there shouldn’t be many hidden traps,
right? Then innocent people could get caught in them.”
The most complicated situations you’re going to encounter as
a Narrator will be conflicts (p. XX), hands down. Conflicts use
Olivia shrugs. “Guess you’ll have to investigate further if
the most rules in the game and pack them into a small amount
you want to find out.”
of time compared to everything else in the system. They require
you to keep track of a lot of things at once—everyone’s relative
In her notes, she jots something briefly about the fact that
position, who’s acting against whom, how much Stress and what
the site is free of hidden traps but may have some obvious
Consequences your NPCs have taken, and so on.
or fake ones to act as deterrents to anyone trying to threaten
the people this site was used to protect.
They’re also where your movie-watching brain will come to the
fore, especially if your game features a lot of high-octane phys-
SKILLS AND SPECIFIC MEASUREMENTS
ical conflict. Action sequences you see in media don’t always
Looking over the Skill descriptions (p. XX), you might notice conform to the structured order of turns that this game has, so
that there are a few places where there are abstractions for some- it can be hard to see how they correspond when you’re trying to
thing that in real life depends on precise measurement. Athlet- visualize events. Sometimes, people will also want to do crazy
ics is a strong example—many who are into strength training actions that you hadn’t thought of when you were conceiving
have some idea of how much weight they can dead lift. While the conflict, leaving you at a loss for how to handle them.
Scale gives some estimations in the description, Rank is more
NOT EVERYTHING IS AN ENEMY
abstract. So, how much can a character with Great (+4) Scale 1
Athletics bench press? The truth is, there is no way to know, and Not every participant in a conflict is another PC or NPC. Plenty
there’s no need to pursue a specific answer. of things without self-awareness can potentially threaten PCs
or keep them from their goals, whether it’s a natural disaster, a

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 CHAPTER 8: NARRATION

cunning mechanical trap, or high-tech automated security.

anyone else getting in the way, so she decides to give it to
her, but at a cost.
See Chapter 9 for more information about adversaries. There
you find details on how to not only run enemies (p. XX) such as
Elise doesn’t hesitate. She writes down a Mild Mental Con-
threats, hitters, bosses, and goons, but obstacles (p. XX) such as
sequence: This Guy is Bigger Than I Thought ...
hazards, blocks, and distractions, as well as constraints (p. XX)
such as countdowns, limitations, and resistances.
“Cool. They look at you, then back to Gor. He waves a hand
dismissively. ‘Go, find another to kill,’ he growls at them.
AFFECTING MULTIPLE TARGETS
‘This one’s mine.’”
Invariably, if you play for long enough, someone’s going to try
to affect multiple people at once in a conflict. Explosions are a
staple of physical conflict, but are by no means the only exam- Things get more complicated when you want to filter specific
ple—consider tear gas or some kind of high-tech stunner. You targets, rather than just affect a whole zone or scene. When that
can extend this to mental conflict also. For example, you might happens, divide your resulting total up against every target, who
use Provocation to establish dominance in a room with your all get to defend as normal. Anyone who fails to defend either
presence, or Performance to make an inspirational speech that takes Stress or gains an Aspect, depending on what you were
affects everyone listening. trying to do. (Note: If you create an advantage to put an Aspect
on multiple targets, you do get a free invocation for each one.)
The easiest way to do this is to create an advantage on the scene,
rather than on a specific target. A Gas-Filled Room has the po-
tential to affect everyone in it, and it’s not too much of a stretch Willow is firing her pistol at the three underlings who were
to suggest that the Inspirational Mood in a room could be con- dismissed by Gor the Crumbler, as they have turned their
tagious. In this context, the Aspect presents an excuse to call for attention towards her. She has found herself in this circum-
a Skill roll (using the overcome action) from anyone in the scene stance because Rainmaker just had to challenge the big guy.
who attempts to get past it. Generally speaking, it won’t cause
damage, but it will make things more difficult for those affected. Willow’s pistol uses her Ranged Combat Skill, and she does
extremely well, getting an Amazing (+7) Scale 1 result. Oliv-
ia could have chosen to group the three underlings as goons
Rainmaker stalks the battlefield in search of a worthy oppo- (p. XX) but think they should be too significant for that.
nent, her trusted wrench in hand. Instead, she allows Lily to divide up her attack against all
three opponents, but must make an Ammo roll afterwards.
“Who’s the biggest, toughest-looking guy around here?”
Elise asks Olivia. Lily opts to use her pistol’s burst attack (p. XX) property to
add a free invocation to her roll, for a total Epic (+8) Scale 1
“That’s easy,” Olivia answers. “You immediately spot a tow- result. She opts to divide her spread up as Good (+3), Good
ering two-and-a-half meter tall monster of a man, clearly (+3), and Fair (+2). Now Olivia has to defend against all of
augmented with muscleweave and armed with a massive them.
titan axe. They call him Gor the Crumbler.”
The first defender rolls a Mediocre (±0) and takes three
“Yeah, that sounds good,” Rainmaker says. “He’s gonna Stress. This is a nameless NPC (see below), so Olivia decides
crumble for sure.” that he’s out of the fight, and describes him screaming as he’s
riddled full of holes.
“I like it. He has three henchmen who moves to intercept.
They’re not exactly huge, but they seem to know what The second defender gets a Fair (+2), suffering a single
they’re doing.” Stress. Olivia checks his lone Stress box and describes him
as having a metal-padded jacket to help deflect the attack.
Elise sighs. “I don’t have time for these mooks. I want to
make it clear to them that they’re not up to this. You know, The third defender gets a Fair (+2), getting a tie with the
wave my wrench around menacingly and look like even attack roll. He charges forward undaunted.
more of a badass. I want these guys to know that this fight is
between me and Gor.” Lily rolls her Ammo die (p. XX). Because she made a burst
attack, she has –1 to Ammo for the purpose of this roll, and
“Sounds like you want to put an Aspect on the zone. Give she fails, indicating that she must reload before she can use
me a Provocation roll.” her pistol to attack again. Meanwhile, two of the three un-
derlings are still heading towards her, weapons in hand.
Elise rolls a –3 and adds her Fair (+2) Scale 2 Provocation
for a total of Underwhelming (–1) Scale 2. Because it’s Scale
2, the outcome is equivalent to Average (+1) Scale 1, and Attacking a whole zone or everyone in a scene is something
she needed a Fair (+2) Scale 1, so she’s failed. But Olivia you’re going to have to judge by circumstance, like any other
likes the idea of Rainmaker and Gor facing off here without stretch use of a Skill. Depending on the circumstances, this
might be a totally normal thing to do, it might be impossible, or

414
it might require a special augmentation or weapon. As long as When someone tries to do something, and you immediately
you can justify it, you don’t need to apply any special rules—you think of some Aspect-related way it could go wrong.
roll for the attack, and everyone in the zone defends as normal.
Depending on the circumstances, you may even have to defend
against your own roll, if you’re in the same zone as the attack! Remember that there are essentially two types of compels in the
game: decision-based, where something complicated occurs as
COMPELS AND MULTIPLE TARGETS
a result of something a character does; and event-based, where
Players who want to compel their way out of a conflict don’t get something complicated occurs as a result of the character being
a free lunch on affecting multiple targets, whether it’s one As- in the wrong place at the wrong time.
pect or several that justify the compel. A player must spend one
Charge for each target they wish to compel. One Charge com- Of the two, you’re going to get the most mileage out of event-
pels one individual, period. The only exception being goon units based compels—it’s already your job to decide how the world
or equivalent, where they are treated as a single target. responds to the PCs, so you have a lot of leeway to bring un-
fortunate coincidence into their lives. Most of the time, players
are just going to accept you doing this without any problems or
minimal negotiation.
DEALING WITH ASPECTS
Decision-based compels are a little trickier. Try to refrain from
As with Skills, the sections on Aspects (p. XX) and Charges
suggesting decisions to the players, and focus on responding to
(p. XX) are designed to help you judge the use of Aspects in
their decisions with potential complications. It’s important that
the game. As the Narrator, you have a very important job in
the players retain their sense of autonomy over what their PCs
managing the flow of Charges to and from the players, giving
say and do, so you don’t want to dictate that to them. If the play-
them opportunities to spend freely in order to succeed and look
ers are roleplaying their characters according to their Aspects, it
awesome, and bringing in potential complications to help keep
shouldn’t be hard to connect the complications you propose to
them stocked up on points.
one of them.
INVOCATIONS
During play, you’ll also need to make clear when a particular
It’s recommended that you don’t apply extremely exacting
compel is “set”, meaning that there’s no backing out without
standards when the PC wants to invoke an Aspect—you want
paying a Charge. When players propose their own compels, this
them to spend in order to keep the flow going, and if you’re too
won’t come up, because they’re fishing for the point to begin with.
stringent on your requirements, it’s going to discourage them
When you propose them, you need to give the players room to
from that free spending.
negotiate over what the complication is, before you make a deci-
sion. Be transparent about this—let them know when the nego-
On the other hand, feel free to ask for more clarification if you
tiation has ended.
don’t get what a player is implying, in terms of how the Aspect
relates to what’s happening in play. Sometimes, what seems ob-
WEAKSAUCE COMPELS
vious to one person isn’t to another, and you shouldn’t let the
In order for the compel mechanic to be effective, you have to
desire to toss Charges lead to overlooking the narration. If a
take care that you’re proposing complications of sufficient dra-
player is having a hard time justifying the invocation, ask them
matic weight. Stay away from superficial consequences that
to elaborate on their action more or unpack their thoughts.
don’t really affect the character except to provide color for the
scene. If you can’t think of an immediate, tangible way that the
You might also have the problem of players who get lost in the
complication changes what’s going on in the game, you probably
open-ended nature of Aspects—they don’t invoke because they
need to turn up the heat. You want someone to go “oh crap” or
aren’t sure if it’s too much of a stretch to apply an Aspect in
give a similar visceral reaction. It’s not good enough for some-
a certain way. The more work you do beforehand making sure
one to be angry at the PC—they get angry and they’re willing to
that everyone’s clear on what an Aspect means, the less you’ll
do something about it in front of everyone. It’s not good enough
run into this. To get the player talking about invoking Aspects,
for a business partner to cut them off—they cut them off and tell
always ask them whether or not they’re satisfied with a Skill roll
their associates to blacklist them.
result (“So, that’s a Great [+4]. You want to leave it at that? Or do
you want to be even more awesome?”). Make it clear that invok-
Also, keep in mind that some players may tend to offer weak
ing an Aspect is almost always an option on any roll, in order to
compels when they’re fishing for Charges, because they don’t
try and get them talking about the possibilities. Eventually, once
really want to hose their character that badly. Feel free to push
you get a consistent dialogue going, things should smooth out.
for something harder if their initial proposal doesn’t make the
situation much more dramatic.
COMPELS
During the game, you should look for opportunities to compel
ENCOURAGING THE PLAYERS TO COMPEL
the PCs’ Aspects at the following times:
With five Aspects per PC, it’s difficult for you to take the sole re-
sponsibility for compels at the table, because that’s a lot of stuff
When simply succeeding at a Skill roll would be bland.
to remember and keep track of. You need the players to be in-
When a player has one or no Charges. vested in looking for moments to compel their own characters.

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Open-ended prompting can go a long way to create this habit in anyone outside. The trick is to come up with three to five zones,
your players. If you see an opportunity for a potential compel, each with narrative importance. If you can’t think of something
instead of proposing it directly, ask a leading question instead. interesting about a particular zone, don’t bother including it or
“So, you’re at the celebrity party and you have Abrasive To a even mentioning it in your description. It’s not a place where the
Fault. Elise, do you think this is going to go smoothly for your story’s likely to go.
character?” Let the player do the work of coming up with the
complication and then pass the Charge along. TYING GAME ELEMENTS TO ZONES
The previous example illustrates how to do this, but it’s impor-
Also remind the players that they can compel your NPCs, if tant to realize that you’ve been doing it all along, simply by put-
they happen to know one of that NPC’s Aspects. Do the same ting enemies in zones. The gang leader is over here, by the ta-
open-ended prompting when you’re about to have an NPC bles full of guns. Their henchmen are spaced around the room,
make a decision, and ask the players to fill in the blanks. “So, guarding the exits. So on and so forth. Now all you have to do is
you know that the Mayor is Secretly Dealing With Cytherea ... take that kind of thinking and apply it to all the other stuff you
You think he’s going to let things slide once you start spreading can put in a scene. Make sure that there’s an Aspect (p. XX), an
those rumors at the party? How might things go wrong for him? obstacle (p. XX), or a constraint (p. XX) associated with each
You willing to pay a Charge to say it does?” zone. Also make sure there’s a reason to interact with or avoid
each zone, that something interesting can happen there.
Your main goal should be to enlist the players as partners in
bringing the drama, rather than being a sole provider. OFFER FREE ENVIRONMENTAL INVOKES
If you distribute Aspects around your zones, you might give the
players some free invokes on these Aspects, encouraging them
DEALING WITH ENVIRONMENTS to interact with their environment. Here are a few ways to do it:

In Machineborn, the environment can often play as big a role Give the PCs, collectively, one free invoke on an environmental
as the pack of wolves or trio of gunmen you’re fighting. The Aspect in each zone. After using this free invoke, they can con-
enemies in a scene are the most obvious, active opposition to tinue to invoke environmental Aspects in that zone by spend-
your goals, but a conflict in a dark warehouse is different from ing Charges or advantages.
a conflict on the median of a busy highway, and both are very Give each PC two free invokes on environmental Aspects only.
different from a tense negotiation in a Directorate board room. Give each PC one free invoke on each environmental Aspect,
after which they must invoke them by spending Charges or ad-
MAKING EACH ZONE COUNT vantages.
When you’re setting up a conflict, it’s tempting to think of the
physical space and divide up every bit of it into zones. If you’re
planning a fight in a darkened warehouse, it might seem obvi- Option one makes the PCs compete for the free invokes, which
ous to make three or four zones on the first floor, another few can create a sense of urgency. The PCs will rush to use those in-
on the upper floor, a zone or two to represent offices, and a cou- vokes, so the environment will get a lot of attention early in the
ple of zones to represent streets and alleys outside, and leave it conflict. By encouraging this kind of play early, you’ll help the
at that. That will divide the space up logically, but you’ll find players to continue interacting with the environment through-
many zones won’t get used, leaving the warehouse to feel a lot out the fight.
like the park the PCs fought in during the last session, just with
slightly different window dressing. Instead, consider something Option two gives the PCs much more flexibility: they get to
like this: choose which elements of the environment they interact with.
This method doesn’t really add any urgency, though, and it ef-
One zone for the general floor space in the middle of the ware- fectively gives each PC two more Charges to play with, which
house. This zone has lots of Crates for cover. can skew their power to the high side.
A zone for the area near some Industrial Equipment. If it gets Option three is the most generous, will make for a significantly
switched on, the equipment becomes a block (p. XX): Great easier fight, and is best for groups that just aren’t in the habit of
(+4) Scale 1 Mashing Gears with Harm 2 (Blunt); see page XX paying attention to their environment. Once the PCs get used
for information on harm. to interacting with their environment, consider scaling back to
A zone near the windows, where the snipers surrounding the one of the other options.
warehouse can see the PCs. The snipers are a hazard (p. XX):
Good (+3) Scale 1 Snipers with Harm 3 (Projectile). TYPES OF ZONES
A zone up on the Precarious Catwalks. The fall off these cat- It’s easy to think of zones as discrete physical spaces, but they
walks is a limitation (p. XX) with Harm 2 (Blunt). don’t have to be. They can be fluid, movable, or even conceptual
in nature. A zone is, at its core, a mechanical way to represent
fictional positioning. As long as you’re accomplishing that, you
And that’s all you need. If people go outside, or into an office,
can bend the nature of a zone in any number of directions.
that’s fine; you can improvise a zone that doesn’t have much spe-
cial about it, or you can apply the effects of another zone to it—
Relative zones: You might define zones relative to another
for example, the snipers would likely have a clear line of sight to

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 zone or to each other, rather than tying them to specific plac- opposing NPCs—you want the players to experience tension
es. This works well in something like a chase scene, where the and uncertainty, but you don’t want their defeat to be a foregone
characters are moving throughout the city constantly, never conclusion. You want them to work for it, but you don’t want
staying in one physical space for very long. In a case like this, them to lose hope.
you might have the following zones: (1) Near your quarry; (2)
TAKE ONLY WHAT YOU NEED TO SURVIVE
Within sight of your quarry; (3) Out of sight of your quarry;
(4) Above your quarry; (5) Below your quarry; and (6) Falling First of all, keep in mind that you’re never obligated to give any
behind. NPC a full sheet like the ones the PCs have. Most of the time,
you’re not going to need to know that much information, be-
Moving from zone to zone might require rolls, with attacks cause the NPCs aren’t going to be the center of attention like
representing trying to catch up with your quarry and Stress the PCs are. It’s better to focus on writing down exactly what
representing becoming exhausted and being left behind. you need for that NPC’s encounter with the PCs, and then fill
in the blanks on the fly (just like PCs can) if that NPC ends up
Mobile zones: You might have an environment made up becoming more important in the campaign.
primarily of static zones that represent physical spaces, but
have one or two zones that can move around. Perhaps there’s Chapter 9 goes into detail how you can give appropriate stats
a crane moving around wildly, or you’re navigating an arctic to enemies, including different enemy types that PCs can face
cavern while huddled around a handheld heater that radiates in the setting.
warmth—both the crane and heater could be mobile zones.
Most importantly, you’ll want to keep track of where the mo- NAMELESS NPCS
bile zone is relative to the other zones. The easiest way to do The majority of the NPCs in your game are nameless—people
this is to let the mobile zone occupy another zone at any given who are so insignificant to the story that the PCs’ interactions
time, allowing people to occupy multiple zones at once. with them don’t even require them to learn a name. The ran-
Conceptual zones: Zones don’t have to represent physical dom shopkeeper they pass on the street, the receptionist at the
space; some might represent conceptual states of being. In a hotel, the third patron from the left at the bar, the guards at the
darkened warehouse, you might have a zone that represents gate. Their role in the story is temporary and fleeting—the PCs
being in the shadows. Because the warehouse is dark, this zone will probably encounter them once and never see them again.
can exist pretty much anywhere, provided you’re sticking to In fact, most of the time, you’ll create them simply out of reflex
pools of shadow and not calling attention to yourself. This trick when you describe an environment. “The community market is
can be an easy way to keep track of who’s hidden and who’s not, beautiful at midday, and full of shoppers milling about. There’s
who’s logged into the system and who’s not, and who’s favored a performer holding a show using holographic puppets.”
by the Mayor and who’s not.
On their own, nameless NPCs usually aren’t meant to provide
Conceptual zones work well during social conflicts, where much of a challenge to the PCs. You use them like you use a
physical positioning is less important. If your PCs are infil- low-difficulty Skill roll, mainly as an opportunity to showcase
trating an executive party to steal some valuable information, the PCs’ competence. In conflicts, they serve as a distraction or
you might have zones that represent blending in with the party a delay, forcing the PCs to work a little harder to get what they
guests, pretending to be wait staff, out of sight of the general want. Action-adventure stories often feature master villains
populace, or under scrutiny. with an army of mooks. These are the mooks.

KEEPING TRACK For a nameless NPC, all you really need is two or three Skills
Given all this, what’s the best way to keep track of all these based on their role in the scene. Your average security guard
zones? Write them down! Index cards are great for this, but you might have Close Combat and Ranged Combat, while your
could easily use a dry-erase board or battle map. Write the zones average academic might only have Education. They never get
down and arrange them in relative positions that make fictional more than one or two Aspects, because they just aren’t impor-
sense. If they have special effects, write those down in the spaces tant enough. They only have one or two Stress boxes, if any, to
you designate for the zones. Then, players can track their char- absorb both physical and mental hits. In other words, they’re no
acters with tokens of some sort: dice, colored beads, figurines, match for a typical PC.
or anything else you have on hand.
Nameless NPCs come in three varieties: average, fair, and good.

Average: Competence (rank-and-file order-takers, local con-

DEALING WITH NPCS
scripts, and the like. When in doubt, a nameless NPC is Av-
erage [+1]); Purpose (mostly there to make the PCs look more
One of your most important jobs as a Narrator is creating the
awesome); Aspects (one or two); Skills (One or two Average
NPCs who will oppose the PCs and try to keep them from their
[+1]); Stress (No Stress boxes—a one shift hit is enough to take
goals during your scenarios. The real story comes from what the
them out).
PCs do when worthy adversaries stand between them and their
objectives—how far they’re willing to go, what price they’re Fair: Competence (trained professionals, like soldiers and elite
willing to pay, and how they change as a result of the experience. guards, or others whose role in the scene speaks to their exist-
As a Narrator, you want to shoot for a balancing act with the ence, such as a sharp-tongued politician or talented thief); Pur-

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pose (drain a few of the players’ resources [one or two Charges, tailed than nameless NPCs, playing a supporting role in your
Stress boxes, possibly a Mild Consequence]); Aspects (one or scenarios (hence the name). They often display some kind of
two); Skills (one Fair [+2] and one or two Average [+1]); Stress strong distinguishing trait that sets them apart from the crowd,
(One Stress box—a two shift hit is enough to take them out). because of their relationship to a PC or NPC, a particular com-
petence or unique ability, or simply the fact that they tend to
Good: Competence (tough opposition, especially in numbers); appear in the game a great deal. Many action-adventure stories
Purpose (drain the players’ resources—as Fair, but more so; feature a “lieutenant” character who is the right-hand man of
provide a decent stumbling block [in numbers] on the way to the lead villain; that’s a supporting NPC in game terms.
a more significant encounter); Aspects (one or two); Skills (one
Good [+3], one Fair [+2], and one or two Average [+1]); Stress Supporting NPCs are a great source of interpersonal drama, be-
(two Stress boxes—a three shift hit is enough to take them out). cause they’re usually the people that the PCs have a relationship
with, such as friends, sidekicks, family, contacts, and notewor-
GROUPING NAMELESS NPCS thy opponents. While they may never be central to resolving
Whenever possible, identical nameless NPCs like to form the main dilemma of a scenario, they’re a significant part of the
groups, or mobs. Not only does this better ensure their survival, story, either because they provide aid, present a problem, or fig-
it reduces the workload on the Narrator. For all intents and pur- ure into a subplot.
poses, you can treat a mob as a single unit—instead of rolling
dice individually for each of three thugs, just roll once for the Supporting NPCs are made much like nameless NPCs, except
whole mob. they get to have a few more character elements. These include
High Concept, Trouble, one or more extra Aspects, a trait or
See the rules for teamwork on page XX to see how mobs can con- significant item, and the standard two Stress tracks with two
centrate their efforts to be more effective. When facing groups boxes each. They should have a handful of Skills (say four or
of nameless NPCs in combat, treat them as goons (p. XX). five). If they have a Skill that entitles them to bonus Stress box-
es, award those as well. They have a Mild Consequence slot for
NAMELESS NPCS AS OBSTACLES both physical and mental conflicts, and, if you want them to be
Another way to handle nameless NPCs is simply to treat them especially tough, one Moderate Consequence slot.
as obstacles: Give a difficulty for the PC to overcome whatever
threat the NPC presents, and just do it in one roll. You don’t Skills for a supporting NPC should follow a column distribu-
even have to write anything down, just set a difficulty and as- tion. Because you’re only going to define four or five Skills, just
sume that the PC gets past on a successful roll. treat it as one column. If your NPC has a Skill at Great (+4), fill
in one Skill at each positive step below it—so one Good (+3), one
If the situation is more complicated than that, make it a chal- Fair (+2), and one Average (+1) Skill.
lenge instead. This is useful when you want a group of nameless
NPCs more as a feature of the scene than as individuals. Skill levels: A supporting NPC’s top Skill can exceed your best
PC’s by one or two levels, but only if their role in the game is to
NPCS FIRST, NAME LATER provide serious opposition—supporting NPCs who are allied
Nameless NPCs don’t have to remain nameless. If the players with the PCs should be their rough peers in Skill level.
decide to get to know that bartender or receptionist or secu- Concessions: Supporting NPCs should not fight to the bitter
rity chief or whatever, go ahead and make a real person out of end, given the option. Instead, have them concede conflicts of-
them—but that doesn’t mean that you need to make them any ten, especially early in a story, and especially if the concession
more mechanically complex. If you want to, of course, go ahead is something like “They get away.” Conceding like this serves
and promote them to a supporting NPC (see below). But oth- a few purposes. For one, it foreshadows a future, more signifi-
erwise, simply giving them a name and a Motivation (p. XX) cant encounter with the NPC. Because conceding comes with
doesn’t mean they can’t go down in one punch. a reward of one or more Charges, it also makes them more of
a threat the next time they show up. What’s more, it’s virtually
PLAYERS RUNNING NAMELESS NPCS guaranteed to pay off for the players in a satisfying way the next
It’s typically the Narrator’s job to control all the NPCs in the time the NPC makes an appearance.
game, but there could be situations when you want to offload
some of that work to another player.
Finally, it implicitly demonstrates to the players that, when things
For example, a player who has enlisted a group of nameless are desperate, conceding a conflict is a viable course of action. A
NPCs to carry out a task could, in some situations, control them PC concession here and there can raise the stakes and introduce
as well as their own PC. Alternatively, if the players have split new complications organically, both of which make for a more
their group and their PCs are out having scenes of their own, dramatic, engaging story.
letting a player control one or more nameless NPCs in another
PLAYERS RUNNING SUPPORTING NPCS
player’s scene could keep them engaged until it’s time for a scene
with their own PC. Players could, in some situations, run supporting NPCs as well.
For example, if the PCs have sent out some supporting NPCs to
SUPPORTING NPCS
do a task, such as gather information, it could be a fun way to
Supporting NPCs have proper names and are a little more de- engage players by having them play as those supporting NPCs
carrying out that task. Don’t add scenes like this if it risks drag-

418
ging the narrative to a halt, though. There’s also the risk of hav-
ing supporting NPCs start overshadowing PCs if the players
spend too much time playing them.

One of the best moments when you could consider letting a

player run a supporting NPC is if there is a narrative reason
for that player’s PC to not be present during a specific scene or
challenge. By temporarily giving the player control over a sup-
porting NPC, they can keep themselves engaged in a way that’s
more meaningful than as a nameless NPC or as a spectator.

MAIN NPCS
Main NPCs are the closest you’re ever going to get to playing a
PC yourself. They could have full character sheets just like a PC,
with five Aspects, a full distribution of Skills, and a selection
of traits. They are the most significant characters in your PCs’
lives, because they represent pivotal forces of opposition or al-
lies of crucial importance. Because they have a full spread of As-
pects, they also offer the most nuanced options for interaction,
and they have the most options to invoke and be compelled.
Your primary “bad guys” in a scenario or arc should always be
main NPCs, as should any NPCs who are the most vital pieces
of your stories.

Because they have all the same things on their sheet as PCs do,
main NPCs will require a lot more of your time and attention
than other characters. How you create one really depends on
how much time you have—if you want, you can go through the
whole character creation process.

Of course, if you want, you can also upgrade one of your current
supporting NPCs to a main using this method. This is great for
when a supporting NPC has suddenly or gradually become—
usually because of the players—a major fixture in the story, de-
spite your original plans for them.

You could also do things more on the fly if you need to, creating
a partial sheet of the Aspects you know for sure, those Skills you
definitely need them to have, and any additional traits you want.
Then fill in the rest as you go. This is almost like making a sup-
porting NPC, except you can add to the sheet during play.

Regarding Skill levels, your main NPCs will come in one of

two flavors—exact peers of the PCs who grow with them as the
campaign progresses, or superiors to the PCs who remain static
while the PCs grow to sufficient strength to oppose them. If it’s
the former, just give them the exact same Skill distribution the
PCs currently have. If it’s the latter, give them enough Skills to
go at least two higher than whatever the current Skill cap is for
the game. So, if the PCs are currently capped at Great (+4), your
main NPC badass should be able to afford a couple of Fantastic
(+6) columns, or possibly have an increased Scale rating.

Likewise, a particularly significant NPC might have more than

five Aspects to highlight their importance to the story.

For more information about using main NPCs as adversaries, see

bosses on page XX.

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 CHAPTER 8: NARRATION

SCENARIOS
A scenario is a unit of game time usually lasting from one to the moment.
four sessions, and made up of a number of discrete scenes. The
end of a scenario should trigger a significant milestone (p. XX), As you will see from the examples, not all of our urgent, con-
allowing your PCs to get better at what they do. sequential problems necessarily involve the fate of the world or
even a large portion of the setting. Interpersonal problems can
In a scenario, the PCs are going to face and try to resolve some have just as much of an impact on a group of PCs as stopping
kind of big, urgent, open-ended problem (or problems). The this week’s bad guy—winning someone’s respect or resolving an
Narrator will typically open a scenario by presenting this prob- ongoing dispute between two characters can just as easily take
lem to the players, with subsequent scenes revolving around the focus for a scenario as whatever grand scheme your badass
what the PCs do to deal with it, whether that’s researching in- villain is cooking up.
formation, gathering resources, or striking directly at the prob-
lem’s source. If you want a classic action-adventure story setup, see if you can
come up with two main problems for your scenario—one that
Along the way, you’ll also have some NPCs who are opposed to focuses on something external to the characters (like the villain’s
the PCs’ goals interfere with their attempts to solve the problem. scheme), and one that deals with interpersonal issues. The latter
will serve as a subplot in your scenario and give the characters
The best scenarios don’t have one particular “right” ending. some development time while they’re in the midst of dealing
Maybe the PCs don’t resolve the problem, or resolve it in such a with other problems.
way that it has bad repercussions. Maybe they succeed with fly-
ing colors. Maybe they circumvent the problem, or change the PROBLEMS AND CHARACTERS
situation in order to minimize the impact of the problem. You When you’re trying to get a problem from a Character Aspect,
won’t know until you play. try fitting it into this sentence:

Once the problem is resolved (or it can no longer be resolved), You have _____ Aspect, which implies _____ (and this may
the scenario is over. The following session, you’ll start a new sce- be a list of things, by the way). Because of that, _____ would
nario, which can either relate directly to the previous scenario probably be a big problem for you.
or present a whole new problem.
The second blank is what makes this a little harder than an event
compel—you have to think about all the different potential im-
FIND PROBLEMS plications of an Aspect. Here are some questions to help out:

Creating a scenario begins with finding a problem for the PCs to Who might have a problem with the character because of this
deal with. A good problem is relevant to the PCs, cannot be re- Aspect?
solved without their involvement, and cannot be ignored with- Does the Aspect point to a potential threat to that character?
out dire consequences.
Does the Aspect describe a connection or relationship that
That may seem like a tall order. Fortunately, you have a great could cause trouble for the character?
storytelling tool to help you figure out appropriate problems for Does the Aspect speak to a backstory element that could come
your game: Aspects. Your PCs’ Aspects have a lot of story built back to haunt the character?
into them—they’re an indication of what’s important about Does the Aspect describe something or someone important to
(and to) each character, they indicate what things in the game the character that you can threaten?
world the PCs are connected to, and they describe the unique
facets of each character’s identity.
As long as whatever you put in the third blank fits the criteria at
the beginning of this section, you’re good to go.
You also have the game’s current and impending issues (p. XX),
location Aspects p. XX), and any Aspects you’ve put on any of
your campaign’s faces (p. XX). Riffing off of those helps to rein- Willow has Famous Influencer Who Roots Out Corruption,
force the sense of a consistent, dynamic world, and keep your which implies that her reputation often precedes her when
game’s central premise in the forefront of play. Because of all she’s out doing her job. Because of that, someone who fears
these Aspects, you already have a ton of story potential sitting her investigation hires another influencer to discredit her.
right in front of you—now, you just have to unlock it.
Rainmaker has I Owe Minoa Everything, which implies that
You can look at an Aspect-related problem as a very large-scale she’d feel obligated to help Minoa out with personal prob-
kind of event compel (p. XX). The setup is a little more work, but lems. Because of that, having to bail his brother out of a debt
the structure is similar—having an Aspect suggests or implies to some nasty people could be a big problem for her.
something problematic for the PC or multiple PCs, but unlike
a compel, it’s something they can’t easily resolve or deal with in

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PROBLEMS AND GAME ASPECTS could become problematic for the other?
If you’re using game Aspects (p. XX), the problems you get from
the game’s current and impending issues will be a little wider Do the Aspects point to backstory elements that can intersect
in scope than character-driven problems, affecting all your PCs in the present?
and possibly a significant number of NPCs as well. They’re less Is there a way for one PC’s fortune to become another’s misfor-
personal, but that doesn’t mean they have to be less compelling. tune, because of the Aspects?

Because _____ is an issue, it implies _____. Therefore, _____

would probably create a big problem for the PCs. Because Willow is Tempted by Greed, and Rainmaker has
Abrasive To a Fault, it implies that they’re probably the worst
Ask yourself: partners for any kind of undercover heist. Therefore, a con-
tract to infiltrate Hotel Wukong in Jade City with no backup
What threats does the issue present to the PCs? and acquire the access codes carried around by Magistrate
Suvino Spark would probably be a big problem for them.
Who are the driving forces behind the issue, and what messed
up thing might they be willing to do to advance their agenda?
Who else cares about dealing with the issue, and how might CHARACTER ASPECT AND ISSUE
their “solution” be bad for the PCs?
What’s a good next step for resolving the issue, and what makes Because you have _____ Aspect and _____ issue, it implies
accomplishing that step hard? that _____. Therefore, _____ would probably be a big problem
for you.
PUT A FACE ON IT
While not all of your scenario problems have to be directly Ask yourself:
caused by an NPC who serves as a “master villain” for the PCs
to take down, it’s often easier if they are. At the very least, you Does the issue suggest a threat to any of the PC’s relationships?
should be able to point directly to an NPC who benefits a great Is the next step to dealing with the issue something that impacts
deal from the scenario problem not going the way the PCs want a particular character personally because of their Aspects?
it to go. Does someone connected to the issue have a particular reason
to target the PC because of an Aspect?
Because the Crimson Curtain is an issue, it implies that the
organization has a splinter group within it that is making HOW MANY PROBLEMS DO I NEED?
a serious power play in Magenta. Therefore, the fact that For a single scenario, one or two is sufficient. You’ll see below
the group the PCs are working for are doing illegal busi- that even one problem can create enough material for two or
ness with the Pyramid—whom the PCs are investigating— three sessions. Don’t feel like you have to engage every PC with
would probably create a big problem for the PCs. every scenario—rotate the spotlight around a little so that they
each get some spotlight time, and then throw in an issue-related
scenario when you want to concentrate on the larger “plot” of
PROBLEM AND ASPECT PAIRS the game.
This is where you really start cooking with gas. You can also cre-
ate problems from the relationship between two Aspects instead
of relying on just one. That lets you keep things personal, but Because Rainmaker is a Mechanic for the Crimson Curtain
broaden the scope of your problem to impact multiple charac- and the Crimson Curtain is an issue, it implies that the
ters, or thread a particular PC’s story into the story of the game. Crimson Curtain could have leverage over Rainmaker for
blackmail. Therefore, the Mayor (the leader of the corrupt
There are two forms of Aspect pairing: connecting two Char- cell) hiring her for an extremely dangerous and morally
acter Aspects, and connecting a Character Aspect to an issue. reprehensible job on the threat of upturning her entire life
and career would probably be a big problem for her.
Because _____ has _____ Aspect and _____ has _____ Aspect,
it implies that _____. Therefore, _____ would probably be a
big problem for them.
ASK STORY QUESTIONS
Ask yourself:
Now that you have a really grabby problem, you can flesh the sit-
Do the two Aspects put those characters at odds or suggest a uation out a little and figure out precisely what your scenario is
point of tension between them? intended to resolve—in other words, what are the really grabby
questions at the heart of this problem?
Is there a particular kind of problem or trouble that both would
be likely to get into because of the Aspects? Create a series of questions that you want your scenario to
Does one character have a relationship or a connection that answer. We call these story questions, because the story will

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emerge naturally from answering them. to see him hurt—she wishes to find a way to get out of her
dangerous and reprehensible missions, but doesn’t know
The more story questions you have, the longer your scenario is who she can trust yet.
going to be. One to three story questions will probably wrap
up in a session. Four to eight might take you two or even three So, that gives her three more questions: Can Willow uncov-
sessions. More than eight or nine, and you might have to save er concrete evidence of the Mayor’s affairs before Rainmak-
some of those questions for the next scenario, but that’s not a er has either gone through with the mission or done some-
bad thing at all. thing to put her friend at risk? Will Rainmaker learn to trust
Willow and aid her in investigating the people she works
It’s recommended to ask story questions as yes/no questions, for? Can Willow root out this corruption without suffering
in the general format of, “Can/Will (character) accomplish further consequences for any of them, such as acquiring
(goal)?” You don’t have to follow that phrasing exactly, and you powerful enemies for herself or putting Rainmaker’s life,
can embellish on the basic question format in a number of ways. career, and loved ones at risk?

Every problem you come up with is going to have one very obvi- Then, because she wants some tension between these two,
ous story question: “Can the PC(s) resolve the problem?” You do one that relates to their relationship: Will Willow accept
need to know that eventually, but you don’t want to skip straight Rainmaker despite her involvement in the Crimson Cur-
to that—it’s your finale for the scenario, after all. Put other ques- tain, and will Rainmaker trust Willow enough to put herself
tions before that one to add nuance and complexity to the sce- at risk for her sake?
nario and build up to that final question. Figure out what makes
the problem difficult to solve.

To come up with story questions, you’re probably going to have ESTABLISH THE OPPOSITION
to embellish on the problem that you came up with just a bit,
and figure out some of the W-How (who, what, when, where, You might have already come up with an NPC or group of NPCs
why, how) details. That’s also fine, and part of what the process who is/are responsible for what’s going on when you made up
is for. your problem, but if you haven’t, you need to start putting to-
gether the cast of characters who are the key to answering your
story questions. You also need to nail down their motivations
Bringing Down the Curtain: Story Questions: and goals, why they’re standing in opposition to the PCs’ goals,
and what they’re after.
Willow is Famous Influencer Who Roots Out Corruption and
Rainmaker is Mechanic For the Crimson Curtain, which im- At the very least, you should be able to answer the following
plies that the corruption within the Crimson Curtain might questions for each named NPC in your scenario:
end up on Willow’s radar at an inconvenient time for Rain-
maker. Therefore, Willow beginning an investigation into What does that NPC need? How can the PCs help them get
the Crimson Curtain at the same time that Rainmaker is that, or how are the PCs in the way?
being blackmailed into service by her corrupt leader, the
Why can’t the NPC get what they need through legitimate
Mayor, would probably be a big problem for both of them.
means? (In other words, why is this need contributing to a
problem?)
Two obvious story questions spring to mind already: Will
Willow uncover evidence of the Mayor’s corruption? Will Why can’t they be ignored?
Rainmaker go through with the dangerous and morally rep-
rehensible mission she is given by him? Olivia wants to save Wherever you can, try and consolidate NPCs so that you don’t
those answers for the end, so she brainstorms some other have too many characters to keep track of. If one of your opposi-
questions. tion NPCs is serving only one purpose in your scenario, consider
getting rid of them and folding their role together with another
First of all, she doesn’t know if they’re even going to go NPC. This not only reduces your workload, but it also allows you
willingly into this situation, so she starts there: Will Willow to develop each NPC’s personality a bit more, making them more
start the investigation? Will Rainmaker accept the mission, multi-dimensional as you reconcile their whole set of motives.
or will she resist?
For each NPC that you have, decide whether you need to make
Then, she needs to figure out why they can’t just go straight them a supporting or main. Stat them up according to the guide-
to the problem. She decides that Willow was initially inves- lines given on page XX.
tigating the Pyramid, a criminal syndicate with tendrils in
Camellian politics, and she learned that the Mayor is deal-
ing with them in secret on behalf of the Crimson Curtain. Bringing Down the Curtain: Opposition

Rainmaker, in the meantime, knows that the Crimson Cur- Olivia looks over the story questions and thinks of NPCs
tain has an eye on her friend Minoa and she doesn’t want she’ll need in order to answer them. She makes a list of the

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 obvious suspects. it helps keep the sense of continuity going from session to ses-
sion. As soon as there’s a lull in momentum, though, hit them
The big bad within the Crimson Curtain (main). with your opening scene fast and hard.
The big bad within the Pyramid who is aiding in the
Crimson Curtain’s corruption (main). Bringing Down the Curtain: The Opening Scene
Rainmaker’s friend who is used as a bargaining chip
(likely not appearing). Olivia mulls over her questions and thinks about what she
An informant to Willow (supporting) wants as her opening scene. A couple of obvious sugges-
tions come to mind:
A member of the Pyramid who goes after the PCs on be-
half of the mains (supporting) Willow receives a message from Mikoto that she has in-
formation she may be interested in.
That’s five NPCs, two supporting, two main, and one that is Rainmaker receives the contract and job details from the
likely to not be in the scenario (though this could change). Mayor, and must decide whether or not to accept.
The big bad within the Crimson Curtain is going to be the
Mayor, Rainmaker’s employer. The big bad within the Pyr-
amid is going to be Drug Queen Cytherea, who is relying on She decides to go with the latter scene, because she figures
the Crimson Curtain in order to expand her empire. that if Rainmaker accepts the contract and visits Mikoto,
she will be able to run into Willow at the scene. If she refus-
Rainmaker’s friend is going to be Minoa from her Charac- es the contract, she could learn that Mikoto has information
ter Aspects—because he’s a Character Aspect, using him as that could be valuable in helping her protect Minoa from
the bargaining chip will likely make things feel personal for the Mayor. She could also want to visit Mikoto to warn her.
Rainmaker.
Going with Rainmaker’s scene doesn’t mean that Willow’s
Olivia also wants Willow to have an informant of sorts that scene is ignored; it just means that they have more informa-
she can use to assist the PCs with certain narrative details tion about Rainmaker’s connection to the Crimson Curtain
to help guide the story’s conflict. This is going to be Mikoto once they all get together. With that knowledge in mind, she
Starfable, a shop owner who has suffered at the hands of can follow up with Willow’s scene.
the Pyramid. Mikoto is also part of Rainmaker’s reprehensi-
ble contract—she’s tasked to question her at first to acquire A GOOD SESSION-STARTING NARRATOR TRICK
knowledge of who she’s been talking to. Asking the players to contribute something to the beginning of
your first scene is a great way to help get them invested in what’s
Finally, Olivia wants to add another threat to the story—a going on right off the bat. If there’s anything that’s flexible about
supporting villain that will be more hands-on and do the your opening prompt, ask your players to fill in the blanks for
bidding of their masters. This is going to be Og, a lieutenant you when you start the scene. Clever players may try to use it as
within the Pyramid, and someone the PCs can encounter an opportunity to push for a compel and get extra Charges right
and interact with before they move up the chain to confront off the bat—this sort of play is great and helpful.
the main bad guys.

Let’s look at the example scenes above. The prompts don’t

specify where the PCs are when they get confronted with
SET UP THE FIRST SCENE their first choices. So, Olivia might start the session by ask-
ing Elise, “Where exactly is Rainmaker when she’s being in-
Start things off by being as unsubtle as possible—take one of formed of her new assignment?”
your story questions, come up with something that will bring
the question into sharp relief, and hit your players over the head Now, even if Elise just replies with “in her workshop,” you’ve
with it as hard as you can. You don’t have to answer it right off solicited her participation and helped her set the scene. But
the bat (though there’s nothing wrong with that, either), but you Elise is awesome, so what she says instead is, “Oh, probably
should show the players that the question demands an answer. at the local bar, armwrestling someone for drinks.”

That way, you’re setting an example for the rest of the session “Perfect!” says Olivia, and holds out a Charge. “So, it’d make
and getting the momentum going, ensuring the players won’t sense that the Mayor’s call comes at a time when you’re
dither around. Remember, they’re supposed to be proactive, drunk, frustrated, and maybe a bit abrasive, right?”
competent people—give them something to be proactive and
competent about right from the get-go. Elise grins and takes the Charge. “Yeah, that sounds good.”

If you’re in an ongoing campaign, you might need the first

scenes of a session to resolve loose ends that were left hanging Of course, you can also just have your opening scenario hooks
from a previous session. It’s okay to spend time on that, because count as “pre-loaded” compels, and hand out some Charges at
the start of a session to start the PCs off with a spot of trouble

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they have to deal with immediately. This helps low-refresh play- What interesting thing is just about to happen?
ers out and can kickstart the spending of Charges right off the
bat. Make sure your group is okay with giving you carte blanche
authority to narrate them into a situation, though—some play- Answering the first question is super-important, because the
ers find the loss of control problematic. more specific your scene’s purpose, the easier it is to know when
the scene’s over. A good scene revolves around resolving a spe-
cific conflict or achieving a specific goal—once the PCs have
Olivia wants to start the players off with a number of extra succeeded or failed at doing whatever they are trying to do, the
Charges off the bat, so at the beginning of the session, she scene’s over. If your scene doesn’t have a clear purpose, you run
confirms the following ideas with the players: the risk of letting it drag on longer than you intended and slow
the pace of your session down.
“Rainmaker, it’s bad enough to be berated by the Mayor for
being drunk on your free time, but when he also asks you to Most of the time, the players are going to tell you what the pur-
go and threaten some random shop owner for a reason he pose of the scene is, because they’re always going to be telling
won’t disclose, you tell him to piss the right off even before you what they want to do next as a matter of course. So if they
you read the assignment!” (two Charges, for Mechanic For say, “Well, we’re going to the thief’s safehouse to see if we can get
the Crimson Curtain and Abrasive To a Fault) some dirt on him,” then you know the purpose of the scene—
it’s over when the PCs either get the dirt, or get into a situation
“Willow, when your informant tells you that she has intel on where it’s impossible to get the dirt.
the Pyramid, you get excited because you know it’s popular
content. You update your nitesite with a notification that Sometimes, though, they’re going to be pretty vague about it. If
‘something on the Big P in the works,’ which may give you you don’t have an intuitive understanding of their goals in con-
the views you want, but could also alert readers associated text, ask questions until they state things directly. So if a player
with the Pyramid!” (two charges, for Always Making Con- says, “Okay, I’m going to the bar to meet with my contact,” that
tent and Tempted By Greed) might be a little vague—you know there’s a meeting, but you
don’t know what it’s for. You might ask, “What are you interest-
ed in finding out? Have you negotiated a price for the informa-
tion yet?” or another question that’ll help get the player to nail
DEFINING SCENES down what he’s after.

A scene is a unit of game time lasting anywhere from a few Also, sometimes you’ll have to come up with a scene’s purpose
minutes to a half hour or more, during which the players try to all on your own, such as the beginning of a new scenario, or the
achieve a goal or otherwise accomplish something significant scene following a cliffhanger. Whenever you have to do that, try
in a scenario. Taken together, the collection of scenes you play going back to the story questions you came up with earlier and
through make up a whole session of play, and by extension, also introduce a situation that’s going to directly contribute to an-
make up your scenarios, arcs, and campaigns. swering them. That way, whenever it’s your job to start a scene,
you’re always moving the story along.
So you can look at it as the foundational unit of game time, and
you probably already have a good idea of what one looks like. It’s
not all that different from a scene in a movie, a television show, Olivia ended the previous session of the group’s story with a
or a novel—the main characters are doing stuff in continuous cliffhanger: the revelation that the Mayor is doing business
time, usually all in the same space. Once the action shifts to a with Drug Queen Cytherea, and that the illegal drug traf-
new goal, moves to a new place related to that goal, or jumps in ficking is helping to fund a cell within the Crimson Curtain.
time, you’re in the next scene. On top of that, Rainmaker has been outed as a traitor by the
Mayor, and Willow is taking advantage of her fanbase to
As Narrator, one of your most important jobs is to manage the help protect Minoa who is now under threat.
starting and ending of scenes. The best way to control the pac-
ing of what happens in your session is to keep a tight rein on Now Olivia is thinking about how to start things off next
when scenes start and end—let things continue as long as the time. The whole situation seems to have really freaked the
players are all invested and enjoying themselves, but as soon as players out, so she definitely wants to capitalize on that.
the momentum starts to flag, move on to the next thing. In that She figures that the Mayor could hire a local gang to kid-
sense, you can look at it as being similar to what a good film nap Minoa, compelling Rainmaker and Willow to visit her
editor does—you “cut” a scene and start a new one to make sure home neighborhood to get him back. Something she hadn’t
the story continues to flow smoothly. thought about going into the game was that it seems like
Minoa will be more than simply the name of an NPC who
STARTING SCENES originally wasn’t going to show up.
When you’re starting a scene, establish the following two things
as clearly as you can:
The second question is just as important—you want to start a
What’s the purpose of the scene? scene just before something interesting is going to take place.
TV and movies are especially good at this—usually, you’re not

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watching a particular scene for more than thirty seconds before Instead of lingering at that scene, though, suggest that they
something happens to change the situation or shake things up. move on to a new one, which helps answer one of the unresolved
questions from the current scene. Try to get them to state what
“Cutting in” just before some new action starts helps keep the they want to do next, and then go back to the two questions
pace of your session brisk and helps hold the players’ attention. for starting scenes above—what’s the purpose of the next scene,
You don’t want to chronicle every moment of the PCs leaving and what’s the next bit of interesting action to come? Then dive
their room at the hotel to take a twenty-minute walk across town right into that.
to the thief’s safehouse—that’s a lot of play time where nothing
interesting happens. Instead, you want to start the scene when The one time you should exhibit restraint is if it’s clear that the
they’re at the safehouse and staring at the intricate surveillance players are really, really enjoying their interactions. Sometimes
system he’s set up at his door, cursing their luck. people just want to yammer and jaw in character, and that’s
okay as long as they’re really into it. If you see interest starting
If you get stumped by this question, just think of something that to flag, though, take that opportunity to insert yourself and ask
might complicate whatever the purpose is or make it problem- about the next scene.
atic. You can also ask the players leading questions to help you
figure out the interesting thing that’s about to happen. COMPETENCE, PROACTIVITY, AND DRAMA
Whenever you’re trying to come up with ideas for what should
happen in a scene, you should think about whether or not it
Olivia starts the scene with Rainmaker and Willow walking represents characters who are competent, proactive, and if their
back to Willow’s hotel, engrossed in conversation about re- narratives are dramatic.
cent events. Lily suggests they’re not staying at the hotel an-
ymore—not after they were outed. She figures people from In other words, ask yourself if your scene is doing at least one of
both the Crimson Curtain and the Pyramid will be looking the following things:
for them, so they’re holed up somewhere safe.
Giving your PCs the chance to show off what they’re good at,
So they’re understandably surprised by the three armed whether by going up against people who don’t hold a candle to
strangers who ambush them as soon as they walk in the them or by holding their own against worthy opponents.
door.
Giving your PCs the chance to do something you can de-
scribe with a simple action verb. “Trying to find out informa-
“Whoa!” Lily says. “How’d they know we were going to be
tion” is too muddy, for example. “Breaking into the Mayor’s
here?”
office” is actionable and specific. Not that it has to be physi-
cal—“convince the snitch to talk” is also a clear action.
“Tough to say,” Olivia counters, and tosses her and Elise
each a Charge. “But this is an Illicit Casino, so there could Creating some kind of difficult choice or complication for the
be Pyramid loyalists around.” PCs. Your best tool to do this with is a compel, but if the situa-
tion is problematic enough, you might not need one.
“Fair enough,” Lily says, and they both accept the compel.

“Willow, no sooner have you entered your contact’s safe- Willow’s first impulse is to find out why Og wants her to
house than a muscular man in a business suit has a pistol at retract her story instead of just killing her outright—but
your temple. It’s Og, one of Cytherea’s lieutenants! ‘I need Willow’s impulses ask that she be a little more greedy.
you to make an update on your nitesite, influencer! It’s time
for your retraction!’” “Is that so?” Willow says, trying to look calm and confident
despite Og’s threat.

ENDING SCENES “Now,” Og says.

You can end scenes the way you start them, but in reverse: as
soon as you’ve wrapped up whatever your scene’s purpose was, “Sure! But what makes me think you’re not going to just kill
move on, and shoot for ending the scene immediately after the me after I’ve done it? I need reassurances, as well as credits!”
interesting action concludes. Lily says as Willow before turning to Olivia. “My Tempted
By Greed indicates that I will make a retraction if he pays me
This is an effective approach mainly because it helps you sustain well enough for it.”
interest for the next scene. Again, you see this all the time in
good movies—a scene will usually end with a certain piece of “If you make a retraction, you’ll be further away from root-
action resolved, but also with a lingering bit of business left un- ing out the corruption.”
resolved; they cut to that next.
“Yeah, I know, but who’s not corrupt if the money is good
A lot of your scenes are going to end up the same way. The PCs enough?” Lily holds out her hand, and Olivia hands her a
might win a conflict or achieve a goal, but there’s likely some- Charge for the compel.
thing else they’re going to want to do after—talk about the out-
come, figure out what they’re going to do next, et cetera.

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HIT THEIR ASPECTS multiple ways to answer each one, and you can very quickly axe
Another good way to figure out the interesting action for a scene one that isn’t going to be relevant and replace it with something
is to turn to the PCs’ Aspects, and create a complication or an else on the fly without having to toss the rest of your work.
event-based compel based on them. This is especially good to do
for those PCs whose Aspects did not come into play when you
made up your scenario problem, because it allows them to have Olivia had expected that the scene with Willow, Rainmaker,
some of the spotlight despite the fact that the overall story does and Og would result in a briefly violent reaction, followed
not focus on them as much. by a fight that would defeat or chase Og away. Right? No.

Willow instead decided to go along with Og’s request in

The scene opens on how mercenaries from the Crimson exchange for a bribe, which both delays their investigation
Curtain has surrounded Rainmaker and threatened her life. and makes Rainmaker question her integrity.

Olivia turns to Lily. “You going to let them get away with So ... slight detour. Olivia sees a few ways to go from here:
treating your friend like that?”
As long as Og believes that Willow is going to make the
“You’re right! I can’t take it anymore!” Lily says. “I’ve Got retraction, they don’t have to fear him attacking them.
Rainmaker’s Back!” Olivia decides to make him a temporary ally until they
go through with his request. If they don’t, a new con-
Willow walks up to stand next to Rainmaker, thumbing frontation can occur.
her smartcom and nodding to the main mercenary. “Hey, Og recognizes that he has no authority to bribe them,
you threaten her or anyone she cares about again, and I will but that the story won’t be retracted by threatening their
publish everything I’ve gathered on your group so far. I have lives. He instead tries a different approach and offers to
it ready to go with a single command!” She indicates her set up an audience with Drug Queen Cytherea.
smartcom.
Instead of taking up Willow on her offer, Og resorts
Olivia tosses Lily a Charge. “Nice.” to violence instead of waiting for the PCs to do so. He
threatens to kill Rainmaker to make Willow obey him.

She decides to go with the first option. Even though she

THE SCENARIO IN PLAY didn’t predict an outcome where Og and the PCs would
team up, albeit temporarily, she thinks it could be an enjoy-
So, now you should be ready to begin: you have a problem that able twist. It could also lead to some tension between Wil-
can’t be ignored, a variety of story questions that will lead to re- low and Rainmaker, especially if Willow goes through with
solving that problem one way or another, a core group of NPCs the retraction in the end.
and their motivations, and a really dynamic first scene that will
get things cooking.
Knowing your NPCs’ motivations and goals allows you to ad-
Everything should be smooth sailing from here, right? You just their behavior more easily than if you had just placed them
present the questions, the players gradually answer them, and in a static scene waiting for the PCs to show up. When the play-
your story rolls into a nice, neat conclusion. It’ll never happen ers throw you a curveball, make the NPCs as dynamic and reac-
all smoothly, though. tive as they are, by having them take sudden, surprising action
in pursuit of their goals.
The most important thing to remember when you actually get
the scenario off the ground is this: whatever happens will always RESOLVING THE SCENARIO
be different from what you expect. The PCs will hate an NPC A scenario ends when you have run enough scenes to definitive-
you intended them to befriend, have wild successes that give ly answer most of the story questions you came up with when
away a bad guy’s secrets very early, suffer unexpected setbacks you were preparing your scenario. Sometimes you’ll be able to
that change the course of their actions, or any one of anoth- do that in a single session if you have a lot of time or only a few
er hundred different things that just don’t end up the way you questions. If you have a lot of questions, it’ll probably take you
think they should. two or three sessions to get through them all.

Notice that it’s not recommended to predetermine what scenes Don’t feel the need to answer every story question if you have
and locations are going to be involved in your scenario—that’s brought things to a satisfying conclusion—you can either use
because that most of the time, you’re going to throw out a lot of unresolved story questions for future scenarios or let them lie if
that material anyway, in the face of a dynamic group of players they didn’t get a whole lot of traction with the players.
and their choices.
The end of a scenario usually triggers a significant milestone (p.
Not all is lost, however—the stuff you have prepared should XX). When this happens, you should also see if the setting needs
help you tremendously when players do something unexpected. to be advanced as well—and not just the PCs’ own narrative.
Your story questions are vague enough that there are going to be

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 THE LONG GAME
DEFINING ARCS arc, you may have an idea where it begins and ends (and that
can be helpful), but you really only need to plan an arc at a time.
When you sit down to play Machineborn, you might just play
a single session. That’s a viable way to play the game, but let’s See, the players are so prone to shaking things up and changing
assume that you want it to go a bit longer. What you need, then, things on you that planning more than one arc at a time is often
is an arc. frustrating and futile. Planning the second arc of a campaign
based on the events of the first arc, how it turned out, and what
An arc is a complete storyline with its own themes, situations, your players did, though ... well, that can make for very satisfy-
antagonists, innocent bystanders, and endgame, told in the ing play.
span of a few sessions (somewhere between two and five, usual-
ly). You don’t need to have everything planned out (in fact, you
probably shouldn’t, given that no meticulously planned story BUILDING ARCS
ever survives contact with the players), but you need to have an
idea of where things begin and end, and what might happen in The easiest way to build an arc is not to build one; it’s recom-
the middle. mended that if you have a lot of story questions in one of your
scenarios, you can reserve some of them for the next one. Then,
To make a fictional analogy, an arc is a lot like a single book. It in your next scenario, add some new questions to go with the
tells its own story and ends when it’s done; you provide some unanswered ones. Lather, rinse, repeat, and you’ll have materi-
form of closure and move on. Sometimes you move on to anoth- al for three or four scenarios without doing much extra work.
er story, and sometimes your book is just the first in a series of In addition, that lets you incorporate changes to the characters’
books. That’s when you have a campaign. Aspects organically, rather than making a plan and having it
disrupted.

DEFINING CAMPAIGNS That said, some Narrators want to have a greater sense of struc-
ture for the long run. It’s recommended that you use the same
When you have multiple arcs that are connected and told in a method for building scenarios in the previous section to build
sequence, and that have an overarching story or theme that runs arcs, but changing the scope of the story questions you come up
through all of them, you have a campaign. Campaigns are long, with. Instead of focusing on immediate problems for the PCs to
taking months or even years to complete (if you ever do). solve, come up with a more general problem, where the PCs are
going to have to solve smaller problems first in order to have a
Of course, that doesn’t need to be as scary as it might sound. chance at resolving the larger one.
Yes, a campaign is long and large and complex. You don’t, how-
ever, need to come up with the whole thing at once. As with an The best places to look for arc-sized problems are the current

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 CHAPTER 8: NARRATION

or impending issues (p. XX) of places or organizations that you

out what the corrupt elements are, what they’re doing and
came up with when making the framework for your narrative. If
what they’re after, and who they are working with. They’ll
you haven’t made any up yet for a particular place or group, now
also need to make sure that the Pyramid can’t interfere with
might be a good time to do that, so you have material for the arc.
whatever they need to do in order to end this corruption.
That gives her a good idea of what arcs are going to make
Olivia decides she wants to do one major arc for each PC. up the campaign.

For Rainmaker, she’s going to come into conflict with the

Mayor and the cell within the Crimson Curtain that he’s in
charge of—she could decide to leave the organization as a SETTING ADVANCEMENTS
result, but Olivia also wants to show Rainmaker that this
is just one cell of many, and that the Crimson Curtain may The PCs are advanced over the course of the game (p. XX), but
have more sympathetic sides to it as well. It’s possible that they aren’t the only ones. PCs leave their mark on locations (and
she finds support elsewhere to bring down the Mayor. their faces) with their passing. Things that were crises and major
issues at the start of a game get addressed, resolved, or changed.
Olivia needs to focus on story questions that are more gen- Things that weren’t major problems before suddenly blossom
eral and will take some time to resolve. After thinking about with new severity and life. Old adversaries fall to the wayside
it for a while, she chooses: and new ones rise.

Can Rainmaker bring evidence of the Mayor’s activities When the players are changing their characters through mile-
to the leader of a different Crimson Curtain cell? (This stones, the Narrator should also look at whether or not the As-
lets her do individual scenarios where she’s in contact pects you originally placed on your game need to change in re-
with the larger organization.) sponse to what they’ve done, or simply because of lack of use.
Will Rainmaker be able to trust anyone? (This lets her
FOR MINOR MILESTONES
do individual scenarios about specific allies or rivals that
she thinks may help or hinder her.) Do you need to move to a new location within the game, based
Can Rainmaker keep Minoa safe? on what the PCs have done? If so, come up with some NPCs
Will the Mayor succeed at his plan and acquire some to help give more personality to the location and add an issue
great power? (Answering this question ends the arc.) to the place.
Have the PCs resolved an issue in a location? Get rid of the
Aspect, or change it to represent how the issue was resolved.

BUILDING CAMPAIGNS FOR SIGNIFICANT MILESTONES

Again, the easiest way to build a campaign is not to bother— Did the PCs resolve an issue that was on the setting as a whole?
just let your scenarios and arcs emergently create a story for the If so, remove (or alter) the Aspect.
campaign. Human beings are pattern-making machines, and
Did the PCs create permanent change in a location? If so, cre-
it’s very likely that you’ll naturally pick up on what the long-
ate a new issue to reflect this, for better or for worse.
term plot devices of your campaign need to be by keying into
unanswered questions from the arcs and scenarios.
FOR MAJOR MILESTONES
However, if you want to do a little bit of focused planning, the
advice is the same as for arcs, except you’re generalizing even Did the PCs create permanent change in the setting as a whole?
more. Pick one story question to answer, which the PCs will If so, give it a new issue to reflect this, for better or for worse.
spend their scenarios and arcs building to. Then, jot down some
notes on what steps will lead to answering that question, so you
have material for arcs and scenarios. You don’t need to make these changes as precisely or as
regularly as the players do—if anything, you should be
The best Aspects for a campaign-level problem are your setting’s as reactive as you can. In other words, focus on changing
current or impending issues (p. XX), because of their scope. those Aspects that the player characters have directly in-
teracted with and caused the most change to.

Olivia knows that her campaign will hinge on resolving the If you have Aspects you haven’t explored yet, keep them
Crimson Curtain’s corruption. So the story question follow- around if you think they’re just waiting their turn. How-
ing from that is pretty obvious. “Can the PCs uncover and ever, you can also change them in order to make them
root out this corruption?” more relevant to what’s going on in the moment, or sim-
ply to give the PCs a sense of being in an evolving world.
She knows that to do that, they’re first going to need to figure

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 CHAPTER 9: ADVERSARIES

ENEMIES
Enemies are the goons, villains, giant robots, and machine-gods single boss in a fight—though that boss can be aided by threats
of the setting. An enemy’s defining characteristic is that they or hitters.
can be fought directly, even if only under certain circumstanc-
es. They have many of the same statistics as the PCs do: they MANAGING DEFENSES
have Skills, they have at least one Aspect, and the more impor- If the PCs are going to team up against one big opponent, it’s rec-
tant enemies have other traits as well. They can take Stress, and ommended that the opponent has a peak defensive Skill two lev-
some can even take Consequences. els higher than whatever the best PC can bring. Any lower than
that and the PCs will harm them too quickly; higher than that
Enemies are the most familiar type of adversary because they and they risk harming them too slowly. If the PCs have harmful
are the most similar to PCs. The NPCs opposing the PCs are weapons, consider giving the bad guy Soak or other Stress miti-
typically enemies, but enemies don’t have to be people (or ro- gation effects.
bots, or gorillas, or whatever). It might be a dangerous technol-
ogy that emits radiation—as long as you can defeat it by dealing Sometimes it doesn’t make sense to have a big opponent with a
it Stress, it’s an enemy. A fire raging out of control could be an defensive Skill level at two higher than the PCs. They could be
enemy; it’ll attack nearby PCs and take Stress whenever they trained soldiers going up against a mastermind without much
hose it down or combat it with other firefighting techniques. direct combat experience. In that situation, it would make sense
for the soldiers to be able to overpower and harm the master-
Enemies are your bread and butter as a Narrator. They’re the mind in a physical conflict. In this case, to avoid making the con-
main course. They’re the lion’s share of the adversaries you’ll frontation too easy, consider alternatives to a defensive Skill—or
use, because fighting things in Machineborn is dramatic and alternative Skills able to be used defensively.
interesting, whether it’s a fistfight or an argument on the floor
of the Praetorium. For example, perhaps the mastermind has a social, political, or
emotional leverage against the PCs. They could decide to just
There are four types of enemies: hitters, threats, bosses, and “shoot them,” but then the kill-switch would be activated and
goons. they have to deal with a catastrophe, the loved one they had kid-
napped wouldn’t be able to be saved unharmed, or the general
MANAGING NUMBERS public remains unaware of the bad guy’s evil ways and go after
Don’t outnumber the PCs unless your NPCs have comparative- the PCs for what they have done. Alternatively, the PCs could use
ly lower Skills. Sometimes it is dramatically appropriate to have their Ranged Combat to shoot the bad guy, but the mastermind
many enemies confront the PCs, but in those cases the enemies may defend against those attacks using Education or Engineer-
should be no more powerful than goons (p. XX). If you’re using ing instead of a Physical Skill—they use devices, activate traps,
threats or hitters in the fight, don’t use more of them at once than command minions to intercept the attacks, or come up with
you have PCs in the conflict. If you’re using bosses, only have a some other clever way to avoid being harmed.

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If it makes sense for the PCs to go up against a big bad that is Medium (e.g., ordinary human) 4
tremendously defensive or powerful, then there’s a risk that the
conflict gets boring if they miss with every attack. Here, find al- Large (e.g., horse/large human) 5
ternative ways for the PCs to harm the big bad if they cannot do Huge (e.g., elephant/large bear) 6
so directly. Perhaps the big bad has a weak spot that they can Colossal (e.g., whale/mech) 7
harm more easily. There could be details in the environment that
they can take advantage of. They may have to make use of a spe-
For most ordinary foes, the Stress above should be enough. If
cial weapon of some kind, and if so, make that available to them.
it is a nameless NPC (p. XX) that doesn’t have much narrative
Sometimes, unconvential conflicts can become very memorable
use beyond acting as a temporary opposition, don’t give it any
roleplaying experiences.
more Stress or any Consequences beyond this. However, if you
want the enemy to be more involved, consider making it hitter
CREATING ADVANTAGES FOR ENEMIES
(p. XX), threat (p. XX), or boss (p. XX).
It’s easy to fall into the default mode of using the opposition as a
direct means to get in the PCs’ way, drawing them into a series of
TYPE STRESS CONSEQUENCES
conflict scenes until someone is defeated.
Hitter +0 1x Mild
However, keep in mind that the NPCs can create advantages just Threat +2 1x Mild, 1x Moderate
like the PCs can. Feel free to use enemies to create scenes that Boss +4 1x Mild, 1x Moderate, 1x Severe
aren’t necessarily about stopping the PCs from achieving a goal,
but scouting out information about them and stacking up free
invocations. Let your bad guys and the PCs have a drink together Following these recommendations, a tiny hitter (like a rattle-
and then bring out the Deception and Empathy rolls. Or instead snake) would have Stress 2 and a Mild Consequence slot, a hu-
of having that fight scene take place in the dark alley, let your man threat (like the right-hand man to the gangster boss) would
NPCs show up, gauge the PCs’ abilities, and then flee. have Stress 6 and a Mild and Moderate Consequence slot, and a
mech boss ravaging a city would have Stress 11 and one of each
Likewise, keep in mind that your NPCs have a home turf advan- Consequence type.
tage in conflicts if the PCs go to them in order to resolve some-
thing. So, when you’re setting up Situation Aspects, you can pre- You don’t need to follow these rules to the letter, but they are
load the NPC with some free invocations if it’s reasonable that good recommendations for setting up Stress and Consequences.
they’ve had time to place those Aspects. Use this trick in good Keep in mind that most of the danger comes from Skills. If you
faith, though—two or three such Aspects is probably pushing it. want the PCs to hit more often but don’t defeat the foe too quick-
ly, give them lower Skills and more Stress. If you want them to hit
CHANGE VENUES OF CONFLICT
less frequently but feel more impactful when they do, give them
Your opposition will be way more interesting if they try to get at higher Skills and less Stress.
the PCs in multiple venues of conflict, rather than just going for
the most direct route. Remember that there are a lot of ways to If you noticed mid-fight that you’ve miscalculated and made
get at someone, and that mental conflict is just as valid as physi- something too easy or too hard, no one will take your book away
cal conflict as a means of doing so. If the opposition has a vastly if you change some traits on the fly. In fact, if you adhere too
different skill set than one or more of your PCs, leverage their strictly to the rules, you might miss out on some fun.
strengths and choose a conflict strategy that gives them the best
advantage.
WAYS TO BREAK THE RULES
For example, someone going after Rainmaker probably doesn’t
want to confront her physically, because she is very good at Close Between combining Skills and creating advantages for team-
Combat and Athletics. She’s not as well equipped to see through work (p. XX), a group of PCs can really overwhelm a single
a clever deception, however, or handle a psionic assault upon opponent. This is fine if you want to respect the advantage of
her mind. Willow, on the other hand, is best threatened by the numbers, but not great if you want to present a “big bad” that’s
biggest, nastiest bruiser possible, someone who can strike at her the equal of the whole group.
before she has a chance to talk her way out of the conflict.
But remember, for monsters and other big threats it’s acceptable
STRESS AND CONSEQUENCES to break the rules—so do so by looking at ways to counteract
Not all enemies need to have Stress boxes and Consequence slots the group’s usual advantage of numbers, while still giving them
following the same rules as PCs, but the following charts are use- a chance. Here are a few suggestions for ways you might do that.
ful for quickly assessing appropriate vitals based on enemy size. You can use one or more of these in combination for especially
difficult or terrifying bosses.
TYPE STRESS
CHALLENGE OR CONTEST IMMUNITY
Miniscule (e.g., insect) 1
Both of these methods are about drawing out the final confronta-
Tiny (e.g., rat/snake/house cat) 2 tion by running the group through a countdown (p. XX) before
Small (e.g., dog/small human) 3 they can actually go after the big bad directly.

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With challenge immunity, your big bad cannot be affected directly want to avoid having the fight run too long, then hits reduced
until the group beats a challenge (e.g., dismantling the source of this way can’t be reduced below 1.
its power; figuring out what its weakness is). The big bad, mean-
while, can act freely and may attack them during their efforts, The big bad has amplified invokes: when making a paid in-
oppose their efforts with its defenses, assail their free invokes voke of an Aspect, their bonus is equal to the number of PCs
with overcomes, or prepare for their eventual breakthrough by they face. No such luck with free invokes, but this makes every
creating advantages. Charge spent utterly terrifying.
The big bad may suppress invokes: when facing two or more
With contest immunity, the group must win a contest to be able to foes, the opposition’s invokes only provide a +1 bonus, or allow
directly attack the big bad—and the big bad gets to attack them rerolls only, when used directly against the big bad. Optionally,
while they’re trying. If the big bad wins the contest, it pulls off its the big bad might also remove the PCs’ ability to stack free
scheme and gets away unscathed. invokes. (This suggestion can be controversial, so make sure to
check in with the players before using it).
EXPENDABLE MINION ARMOR
Surrounding yourself with minions is one way to try to balance a
big bad’s side against the PCs, but it only goes so far if the players HITTERS
can just decide to go after the big bad directly and ignore those
pesky minions for a while. Hitters deal damage. They can’t take much punishment, but
they hit really hard. Their peak Skill is usually Close Combat
A big bad may succeed at a cost on its defenses by forcing min- or Ranged Combat. Their Stress tracks are small, and they can
ions into the path of the attack. The minion doesn’t roll to defend, rarely absorb Consequences.
they just take the hit that would have landed on the big bad oth-
erwise. This forces the PCs to chew through the big bad’s army ASPECTS
before the final confrontation. Hitters have a High Concept and a Trouble. If a hitter is par-
ticularly important, give them a third Aspect. Emphasize how
Minions don’t have to be literal minions. For example, you might dangerous they are or why they’re difficult to notice. Give them a
write up one or more “shield generators”, each one with a Stress weakness that points to some oversight, overconfidence, or other
track and perhaps a Skill for creating defensive advantages for exploitable flaw.
the shielded big bad!
For example, the PCs may have been hunted by a great cat ever
REVEAL TRUE FORM
since they entered the Arcturian tundra. The great cat is a sa-
The group has thrown everything they have at the big bad, and bre-toothed snow leopard—some kind of experiment ran free—
they won! There’s just one problem: this just freed the big bad and is considered a hitter with High Concept Always On the
from its human flesh-cage to reveal its true form! Lookout For Food, Trouble Tries to Keep Prey Alive to Feed Cubs,
and third Aspect Snow Camouflage. The hitter could invoke its
Your big bad isn’t just one character, it’s at least two characters High Concept and third Aspect to gain benefits on attempts to
which must be beaten sequentially, each one revealing new traits, sneak up on the PCs, but the PCs could also take advantage of its
higher Skill ratings, fresh Stress and Consequence tracks, and Trouble to keep it from going in for killing moves.
even new “rule breaks.”
SKILLS
If you want to gentle this a bit, carry the Consequences the big A hitter’s Skills are set up similarly to threats (p. XX), with pri-
bad has already taken forward between forms, dismissing Mild mary Skills being at one or two steps higher than the PCs’ high-
ones and downgrading Moderate and Severe ones. est-rated Skill—or a Scale higher. Then, give your hitter two
more Skills rated one step below the primary Skill. Finally, if you
SOLO BONUS
want to define the hitter further, give it three more Skills rated
Players may enjoy a teamwork bonus, sure—but why not give one step below that.
your big bad a complementary solo bonus when they’re the only
one facing the heroes? Prioritize Skills that deal Stress to the PCs. For physical hitters,
Close Combat or Ranged Combat are the most important. Other
There are a few ways you could implement a solo bonus. You Skills should focus on mobility or keeping attention elsewhere;
could use more than one of these, but be careful when combining Stealth, Larceny, and Athletics are good choices for physical hit-
them as they’ll add up fast. ters. For social ones, Deception, Persuasion, and Provocation
could be used to good effect. Don’t give hitters Skills like For-
The enemy gets a bonus to Skill rolls equal to the group’s max-
titude or Willpower, though. If an enemy is both tough and hits
imum potential teamwork bonus—the number of PCs acting
really hard, it’s a boss and not a hitter.
against them minus one (i.e., a +2 vs a group of three). This
bonus can’t do better than double the big bad’s affected Skill
POWERS
Rank, just as with PCs (or maybe you’ll break that rule too).
A hitter always has, at the very least, a power (or weapon) that
The big bad may reduce the Stress of successful attacks by the confers additional Harm on its primary attack, usually 1 or 2;
number of opposing PCs divided by two, rounded up. If you give them 3 or 4 if the PCs are well-armored or if you feel con-

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fident in their defensive Skills. If you want to make the hitter The threat could invoke its High Concept and third Aspect to
particularly dangerous, give it a power that makes it harder to gain benefits in physical conflicts against the PCs, but the PCs
spot too. Another excellent type of power to give a hitter is a way could also target its Trouble for their own benefit.
to hit really hard with a non-standard Skill under the right cir-
cumstances; this way, the hitter can do its job, but becomes less SKILLS
effective when confronted directly. A threat’s primary defensive Skill should be one or two above
the PCs’ highest-rated offensive Skill. Then, give your threat two
Here are some examples: more Skills rated one step below the primary Skill. If you want to
define the threat further, give it three more Skills rated one step
Ninja Vanish: By spending a Charge, you can make yourself below that. Alternatively, lower the defensive Skill a little to add
vanish from the scene entirely. Then, at the end of any later Natural or Armored Soak (p. XX).
turn, you can spend another Charge to make yourself reappear
anywhere in the scene and immediately attack. You don’t have to follow the normal Skill caps that PCs fall under,
Sneak Attack: Provided you haven’t been spotted by your tar- but you should avoid extreme Skill ratings. In some situations,
get yet, you gain a free invocation on the attack roll. you could choose to have the Skill at a lower Rank but instead
increase its Scale to compensate. If it’s a human threat, any Scale
Sniper: Spend a Charge to double ranges and ignore range
ratings above 2 should be justified by some kind of augmentation
penalties when making a Ranged Combat attack.
or other trait. You don’t need to establish the augmentation as an
actual power (see below), but instead call it out narratively.
USING HITTERS
Where threats are all about relentless assault, using a hitter ef- For example, instead of giving the cyber soldier a Close Combat
fectively is a game of patience and opportunity. At first, the PCs of Fantastic (+6) Scale 1, you could give it Great (+4) Scale 2 or
might not even clearly see that there is a hitter in the scene. Keep even Fair (+2) Scale 3. The result is the same, but it can be justi-
your hitter unseen or unnoticed, maneuver it into position, and fied differently. Scale 1 or Scale 2 could represent natural but rare
then strike without remorse. Don’t be afraid to spend a Charge talent for a human. Scale 3 could represent a cyberarm capable
or two to make a hitter’s attack count; it may not get a second of punching through a door. A recommendation is to provide
chance. Once the PCs start focusing on your hitter, don’t spend a narrative descriptor justifying any Scale ratings at 3 or above
a lot of resources trying to protect it. Let the PCs feel awesome. when it comes to human threats.
Hitters are meant to be fragile, and protecting them generally
isn’t worth it, especially once they’ve pulled their trick off. When setting up a physical threat against PCs whose highest-rat-
ed Skill is Great (+4) Scale 1, you could set Fortitude as primary
Don’t use hitters in every conflict. If you put a hitter in a conflict, Skill at Superb (+5) Scale 1, followed by Athletics and Willpower
a PC will likely take a Consequence. Putting two in a fight means at Great (+4) Scale 1, and finally Awareness, Close Combat, and
you might put down some serious hurt. Three could mean that a Provocation at Good (+3) Scale 1.
PC gets taken out.
POWERS
When you do use hitters, put in other enemies to distract from Threats need at least one trait that they can use to make the PCs
it. Threats (see below) are perfect for this, and goons (p. XX) can want to deal with them, such as a special augmentation or weap-
be good too. As for obstacles, a distraction (p. XX) or a block (p. on. Even though their attacks aren’t as deadly as hitters’, they
XX) can make for good camouflage as well. should come with enough complications to draw the players’ at-
tention towards them.

THREATS Threats should also have Soak values ranging from 1 to 5, though
consider lowering their defensive Skills to compensate for the
Threats exist to soak up hits. They look big and dangerous, they higher Soak values. By providing Soak instead of only Skills, the
get in the PCs’ faces, and they absorb both Stress and attention. PCs could make use of potential Soak reduction powers, like ar-
Threats typically have larger Stress tracks and can absorb one or mor-piercing bullets.
two Consequences. Their Skills tend to be defensive, and their
powers usually let them grab the PCs’ attention and hold it. Here are some examples:

ASPECTS Bodyguard: Designate a character, place, or object to guard.

Threats have a High Concept and a Trouble. If it is particular- Whenever that thing is attacked and you are in the same zone,
ly important, give it a third Aspect. Emphasize its physical size, you can spend a Charge to redirect the attack to yourself. You
toughness, immovability, or stubbornness, but also give it an gain +2 Soak against this attack.
Achilles’ heel that the PCs can exploit. Grenadier: By spending a Charge, you can physically attack
everyone in a zone.
For example, the PCs may go up against a robot that is guarding
Naysayer: Gain +2 to create advantages with Provocation by
the server hall they’re trying to break into. The robot is consid-
fomenting arguments that undermine the PCs or make them
ered a threat with High Concept Protect Server Hall at All Cost,
look foolish.
Trouble Slow But Steady, and third Aspect Reinforced Materials.

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 CHAPTER 9: ADVERSARIES

USING THREATS step below that, and so on until you’ve filled out every step of the
Threats always get right up in the PCs’ faces. They don’t let up. ladder down to Fair (+2). If the boss has two primary Skills, give
They don’t go easy. They attack constantly, relentlessly, making them three rated at one step below, then four, and so on down
nuisances of themselves. When a threat gets taken out, the PCs until Fair (+2). All of their other Skills are Average (+1).
should be relieved. Don’t be cautious with your threats; they exist
to soak up punishment, and they have the chops to do so. Your boss should prioritize Skills that support their personality.
The corrupt police captain probably has high Social Skills, some
Put at least one threat into most meaningful conflict scenes. A good combat Skills, and Skills like Piloting, Education, and Engi-
fairly simple or standard fight has one or two while a difficult or neering down toward the bottom of their pyramid. The stubborn
climactic one could have up to three or four. A conflict with a army general probably prioritizes Willpower, then goes on to pri-
boss could have a few threats to take the heat off of the boss, and oritize things like Ranged Combat, Provocation, Education, and
any fight with a hitter could have at least one to distract the PCs. Investigation, then leaves more physically oriented Skills for the
Exactly how many you add to a conflict depends on what kind of bottom of their list.
conflict you want to run. If your threats also have high offensive
Skills, adding too many of them will quickly become deadly. Of course, you can always subvert these expectations. And many
Skills might not be necessary to establish for your game.
When you’re describing threats, play up their menace. The bod-
yguards are big and tough, brandishing nasty-looking weapons. POWERS
The corrupt politician brooks no nonsense, does not tolerate A boss always has at least one power, and as many as three. It’s
fools, and is looking for an opportunity to get the rabble-rousing not uncommon that bosses have some kinds of rare powers that
PCs tossed out of the building. Threats get in the way of the PCs’ aren’t available to most other enemies of the same type. If cre-
plans; they exist to thwart and stymie. They’re roadblocks. ating your own powers, try to have them make the boss memo-
rable in some way. Maybe they bring in more bad guys to fight,
makes them harder to deal with, or somehow represent the boss’
BOSSES social status.

Bosses are at the climactic conflicts, such as the giant robot that Here are some examples:
rampages through the city or the bad guy that has been estab-
lished throughout a story and that the PCs have become moti- Connected: Once per session, you can draw on your contacts
vated to defeat. to bring in reinforcements. These reinforcements take the
form of either one hitter with a primary Skill rated equal to
A boss should be powerful both offensively and defensively, like your Contacts, two threats with primary Skills rated one step
a combined hitter and threat. They have multiple high Skills, lower than your Contacts, or Fair (+2) goons equal in number
can always absorb Consequences, and always have some kind to your Contacts. When you use this power, you can spend a
special power. Their strengths depend on their purpose in the Charge to gain +2 to Contacts for the purpose of bringing in
fight. Some might be built to stomp on player characters, others these reinforcements.
to avoid attention. Escape Plan: Once per minor milestone, if you would get tak-
en out, you can spend a Charge to concede instead.
ASPECTS Mook Shield: Whenever you are attacked, you can spend a
Bosses have a full spread of five Aspects. Give your boss a High Charge to divert the attack to nearby goons.
Concept that drives home what they’re all about. Are they the
Corrupt Police Captain? The Stubborn Army General? Your boss’
USING BOSSES
Trouble should be a closely guarded secret that the PCs can ex-
ploit if they find out about it. Bosses are memorable with personalities and goals of their own.
To that end, taking a boss down should always be a big deal, and
For the other Aspects, come up with some unique shticks that probably shouldn’t happen every session. You can let the PCs
your boss relies on, things that’ll make them memorable. Maybe fight a boss frequently, but be careful with your bosses—don’t be
the corrupt police captain is an Expert Martial Artist, or maybe afraid to concede. They’re not as disposable as other kinds of ene-
the stubborn army general carries around Surveillance Drones. mies are, so it’s a viable tactic to concede, so the boss can threaten
the PCs later. But don’t rob the PCs of their victory either. When
SKILLS
the PCs do defeat a boss, make it a big deal, and reward them
A good boss has highly rated Skills, and lots of them. Bosses are accordingly.
far more versatile than either hitters or threats and, unlike those
two types of enemies, it’s entirely within your purview to make Most fights with a boss contain only one, though you could have
a boss who’s both good at dealing damage and good at taking it. two or even three in a really climactic encounter. That should be
the exception rather than the rule, though, and it’s often useful
First, look at the highest-rated PC Skill. Either give your boss one to call out which boss is a bigger deal than the others. In an en-
Skill rated at two steps higher (or one Scale higher), or two Skills counter, use your boss’s personality to inform how they behave.
rated at one step higher. If your boss has one primary Skill, give A combative boss will get right up in the PCs’ faces, while a cau-
them two Skills rated at one step lower, then three rated at one tious, politically oriented boss will hide behind minions.

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GOONS ble Skill rolls, +1 Harm to their attacks, and +1 to their Natural
and Mental Soak. They can cover a space of up to fifty square
Goons are everyone else. These are paper people, enemies who meters.
exist as color, fragile minions who let the PCs look cool while
Magnitude 3 (51-100 goons): Add a +4 Scale bonus to appli-
taking them down. They never have Consequences and only
cable Skill rolls, +2 Harm to their attacks, and +1 to their Natu-
have the basic Stress boxes (or even fewer). They can act and be
ral and Mental Soak. They can cover a space of up to a hundred
taken down as groups.
square meters.
ASPECTS
Magnitude 4 (101-500 goons): Add a +5 Scale bonus to ap-
Give your goon enemy a name that encapsulates its function in plicable Skill rolls, +2 Harm to their attacks, and +2 to their
the scene, like Mob Enforcer, Crazed Velociraptor, or Flamethrow- Natural and Mental Soak. They can cover a space of up to five
er Turret. A goon’s name is an Aspect, and its only Aspect. hundred square meters.
Magnitude 5 (501-1,000 goons): Add a +6 Scale bonus to ap-
SKILLS plicable Skill rolls, +3 Harm to their attacks, and +2 to their
First, decide on your goon’s quality: average, fair, or good: Natural and Mental Soak. They can cover a space of up to a
square kilometer.
An average goon has one Average (+1) Skill. Magnitude 6 (1,001-10,000 goons): Add a +7 Scale bonus to
A fair goon has one Fair (+2) Skill. applicable Skill rolls, +3 Harm to their attacks, and +3 to their
Natural and Mental Soak. They can cover a space of up to ten
A good goon has one Good (+3) Skill and one Average (+1)
square kilometers.
Skill.
Magnitude 7 (10,001-100,000 goons): Add a +8 Scale bonus
to applicable Skill rolls, +4 Harm to their attacks, and +3 to
If a goon ever does something that isn’t covered by its Skills, it
their Natural and Mental Soak. They can cover up to a hundred
rolls at Mediocre (±0) or it automatically fails (if that would be
square kilometers.
simpler). They shouldn’t have Scale above 1 unless you’re playing
at higher Energy level, or unless they are grouped (see below). Magnitude 8 (100,001+ goons): Add a +9 Scale bonus to ap-
plicable Skill rolls, +4 Harm to their attacks, and +4 to their
POWERS Natural and Mental Soak. They can cover as large a space as is
Goons don’t get powers. They exist to be simple, and powers narratively appropriate depending on their numbers.
make them more complex than they need to be.
While the bonuses above reference higher Scale bonuses, Scale
GROUPING GOONS is still capped at 8. Any bonus exceeding 8 is converted to a free
To make goons simpler and more effective, you can group a invocation instead.
number of them into a single enemy, giving them a Magnitude
rating based on their general numbers. The Magnitude offers Another thing to remember is that these bonuses represent the
bonuses that are added on top of the goon’s normal traits. All entire group acting as a singular unit. In many situations where
of their attacks are considered area effects and hazards (p. XX), there are hundreds or even thousands of foes, they may be dis-
targeting as many as they want within their area of coverage and persed into several smaller units. You could be surrounded by
ignore non-encasing Amored Soak. hundreds of enemies and still only face a Magnitude 0 or 1 unit
rather than having to compete with all of them at once.
Once you take out their Stress, their Magnitude is reduced by one
(including their numbers), and any additional harm is carried USING GOONS
over into a new and refreshed Stress track. This continues until Goons are there to be color. They fill out the ranks of the enemy
Magnitude is reduced below 0. team, but they’re not particularly dangerous or durable in small
numbers. Don’t be afraid to drop a bunch of them into a fight,
Magnitude 0 (2-5 goons): Add a +1 Scale bonus to applicable grouping them up to keep things simple and make them a little
Skill rolls. They can cover a space of up to five square meters. more threatening. Goons are easy come, easy go, so don’t go out
of your way to protect them. You can also put goons in a sup-
Magnitude 1 (6-10 goons): Add a +2 Scale bonus to applica-
port role, creating advantages that they pass to more powerful
ble Skills rolls, and +1 Harm to their attacks. They can cover a
enemies. A group of goons laying down distracting covering fire
space of up to ten square meters.
can make the hitter sneaking up behind the PCs that much more
Magnitude 2 (11-50 goons): Add a +3 Scale bonus to applica- dangerous by passing them a free invocation or two.

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 CHAPTER 9: ADVERSARIES

SUGGESTED ENEMIES
When creating enemies for the game, design hitters, threats, rary animal, animals with minor modifications (such as a pri-
bosses, and goons as mentioned in the previous section, with mate with increased intelligence or an over-sized dog), or an
suggestions from the following lists. Feel free to modify enemy animal that has been de-extinct through bioengineering (such
traits to better fit your game. as a dinosaur). If a creature is overly strange or out there in its
presentation, it could be considered a monster (p. XX) rather
All enemies listed below have suggestions for at which Energy than an animal.
level they are appropriate challenges for PCs. Keep in mind that
every PC is different, and more combat-focused characters can APE
often handle much stronger enemies than less combat-focused The last of the wild apes went extinct a long time ago, but they
characters. Consider the following: have lived in captivity ever since and are easily bred and cloned.
While the typical person cannot legally acquire a pet ape, it’s
An enemy with a defensive trait at least two Ranks or one possible to get a license for ownership of designer apes if they’re
Scale higher than a PC’s offensive trait will likely take a few cared for responsibly. Many who acquire apes design them with
turns to take out. higher cognitive function and language comprehension.
An enemy with an offensive trait at least two Ranks or one
Type: Threat (Appropriate for Energy 1 PCs).
Scale higher than a PC’s defensive trait will likely manage to
get at least a hit or two in on the PCs before it’s taken out. Size: Apes are typically medium creatures, but small and large
variants exist.
If the enemy has additional harmful traits, such as a Harm rat-
ing, only use it sparingly against unarmored PCs. One level of High Concept: Wild Primate; Trouble: Easily Agitated; As-
Soak is equivalent to having a defensive trait rated one higher, pect: Long Arms.
while one level of Harm is equivalent to having an offensive Stress: 5-7; Consequences: 1x Mild, 1x Moderate.
trait rated one higher. If you want enemies to have Soak and Skills: Athletics, and Fortitude (Fair [+2] Scale 2); Acrobatics
Harm values, but you don’t want them to be too dangerous for and Close Combat (Average [+1] Scale 2); Provocation (Fair
the PCs to handle, lower their Skills to compensate. [+2] Scale 1).
Climber: The ape can climb as quickly as it can run.
Savage Attack: Spend a Charge to let the ape inflict two Close
ANIMALS Combat attacks instead of one.
Animal enemies can be represented by any type of contempo- Throw Object: The ape can use Athletics to throw an object at a

436
 character at Range 1. If the ape has grappled a creature of equal thin. A tiny swarm covers a one-meter radius; this becomes
or smaller size, you can spend a Charge to have it throw that two meters if small, five if medium, ten if large, twenty if huge,
creature instead, inflicting impact harm (p. XX) in addition to or more than fifty if colossal.
the normal harm.
A tiny swarm is appropriate at Energy 1 while a colossal swarm
BEAR is appropriate at Energy 5.
Bears are large carnivoran mammals that almost entirely went High Concept: Deadly Insect Swarm; Trouble: Moves Without
extinct during the First Sector War, but that are said to still exist Thought; Aspect: Creepy.
in some wasteland areas. There are rumors of wild bears having Vitals: The swarm has Stress 4 if tiny, 8 if small, 12 if medium,
been mutated into monstrosities by chanite exposure. 16 if large, 20 if huge, and 24 if colossal. It has Natural Soak
0 if tiny, 1 if small, 2 if medium, 3 if large, 4 if huge, and 5 if
Type: Threat (Appropriate for Energy 3 PCs). colossal. When it suffers four or more Stress, its size decreases
Size: Bears are typically large, but there is said to be a huge type by one degree.
called a den mother that is lurking in the Arcturian wastelands. Skills: Close Combat and Provocation (Good [+3] Scale 1);
High Concept: Mighty Carnivoran Mammal; Trouble: Protec- Acrobatics and Stealth (Average [+1] Scale 1).
tive of Its Young and Its Territory; Aspect: Strong Attacks.
Stress: 8-9; Consequences: 1x Mild, 1x Moderate. These values refer to a tiny swarm. Add +1 Scale if small, +2 if
medium, +3 if large, +4 if huge, and +5 if colossal.
Skills: Athletics and Fortitude (Great [+4] Scale 3); Close
Combat and Provocation (Average [+1] Scale 3); Acrobatics Swarm: The swarm is immune to most targeted attacks and
(Average [+1] Scale 1). can only be harmed by attacks that cover a wide area, such as
those using the Area Attack property (p. XX), certain weapon
Claws and Fangs: Spend a Charge to inflict +2 Harm.
types, or Close Combat Scale 2 or higher. Players are encour-
Enduring Flesh: Spend a Charge to defend against an attack aged to look for creative solutions when facing swarms.
using Fortitude.
Mauling: If the bear’s attack succeeds with style against a target The swarm’s Close Combat attacks inflict Harm 0 if tiny, 1 if
of equal or smaller size, the target becomes Prone with one free small, 2 if medium, 3 if large, 4 if huge, and 5 if colossal. Its
invocation awarded to the bear. attacks are considered hazards (p. XX) and may target anyone
caught in the area.
BIRD OF PREY
Birds of prey are known for their sharp claws and vision. They’ve VENOMOUS SNAKE
traditionally been domesticated for use in falconry. While there Snakes are elongated reptiles without legs that exist both in the
are still some wild birds of prey out in the wastelands, many of wild and in captivity. There are many different types of snakes,
them are bred and used by wastelanders. some which are venomous and some which constrict their bod-
ies to crush prey. While they cannot be fully domesticated, many
Type: Hitter (Appropriate for Energy 1 PCs). of them can at least be made at ease in human presence.
Size: Birds of prey are typically tiny, but small variants exist.
Type: Hitter (Appropriate for Energy 1 PCs).
High Concept: Avian Predator; Trouble: Light and Fragile; As-
pect: Keen Eyes. Size: A venomous snake is typically tiny, but small end medi-
um variants exist.
Stress: 2-3; Consequences: 1x Mild.
High Concept: Venomous Snake; Trouble: Light and Fragile;
Skills: Awareness (Fair [+2] Scale 2); Acrobatics, Close Com- Aspect: Flexible Body.
bat (Good [+3] Scale 1).
Stress: 2-4; Consequences: 1x Mild.
Flight: The bird of prey can fly with Speed 4.
Skills: Stealth (Great [+4] Scale 1); Acrobatics and Close Com-
Keen Eyes: The bird of prey gains two free invocations to visual bat (Good [+3] Scale 1).
Awareness or Investigation rolls.
Blindsight: The venomous snake can sense anything within its
Talons: The bird of prey’s Close Combat attacks inflict Sharp zone because of vibrations, scent, and other non-visual senses.
Harm 1 and ignore non-encasing Armored Soak. When at-
tacking a creaure smaller than itself, a success with style makes Venomous Bite: The venomous snake attacks with Stealth if
that creature Grappled. it is concealed. It inflicts Sharp Harm 0 and Poison Harm 2. If
it inflicts at least one Stress, you can spend a Charge to have it
automatically inflict two additional Poison Harm.
INSECT SWARM
An individual insect is hardly a threat to anyone, but a swarm of
them can become a real problem. These can be encountered deep
in the wilderness or in abandoned ruins. MONSTERS

Type: Hitter (Appropriate at varying Energy levels). Monsters are animals that have been mutated by chanite ex-
Size: The swarm covers a larger area, but it can also spread out posure or that have been genetically modified to gain extreme

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 CHAPTER 9: ADVERSARIES

features. Many of them are reminiscent of the animals that were the target’s passive Close Combat. If the target can see the sea
used as their baseline, but they possess features that would be lung, roll Acrobatics against the target’s active Close Combat
impossible or unlikely to have formed using natural evolution. instead. If successful, it crawls into the target and uses its hair-
thin tentacles to latch onto the inside of its mouth. This causes
BLINK CAT
a Stress unless the target has Willpower Scale 2 or higher.
Blink cats were artificially designed centuries ago; they are great
cats, such as tigers and jaguars, who are mutated to naturally be It is impossible to spit out the sea lung at this point, but the
able to perform kinematic coding. It is still unknown how these target can use their action to try to extract it forcefully. That
creatures came into the wild, but there are rumors that they were will cause another Stress, though one that cannot be ignored.
deployed as biological weapons during the Cooperative Wars.
Over the generations, blink cats have taught themselves how to On the sea lung’s next turn, it will proceed to crawl into the
use kinematic coding to become better survivors, allowing them creature’s lung, inflicting another Stress that cannot be ignored,
to teleport to or from foes and control their prey’s movement. unless you have special traits like an enhanced trachea (p. XX).
It will not inflict any more Stress after this, but any Stress that
Type: Hitter (Appropriate for Energy 2 PCs). has been inflicted by the sea lung so far cannot be restored un-
Size: Blink cats are typically medium creatures, but small and til it’s removed. Once inside the lung, it extracts oxygen from
large variants are common as well. air and water, letting the host breathe normally; it also protects
High Concept: Predatory Teleporting Feline; Trouble: Doesn’t the host from inhaled toxins.
Take Risks; Aspect: Quick and Agile.
After the sea lung has been in the host for about 24 hours, it
Stress: 3-5; Consequences: 1x Mild. dies and is absorbed by the lung over time, while its eggs are
Skills: Close Combat and Stealth (Good [+3] Scale 2); Acro- coughed up by the host. The host may restore one Stress per
batics (Fair [+2] Scale 2); Kinematic Coding (Great [+4] Scale day as the sea lung is gradually absorbed.
1). Neural Toxin: Spend a Charge when inside the host’s mouth to
Blink: Once per round, the blink cat may teleport instead of release a neural toxin with Potency Superb (+5) Scale 1 against
making normal movement. When defending with style against the target’s Fortitude. If successful, the target is unable to speak
an attack, the blink cat may teleport out to one zone away. or chew for the remainder of the scene. If it succeeds with style,
Claws and Fangs: The blink cat’s Close Combat attacks inflict the target suffers another Stress.
Sharp Harm 1.
Kinematic Hunt: The blink cat can make a Kinematic Cod-
ing attack against a target up to one zone away, dealing Harm ELEMENTALS
0 using a harm type relevant to the type of movement-based
attack it makes (e.g., Projectile Harm if it hurls a sharp object Elementals are creatures that have been mutated by being in
at the target or Blunt Harm if it hurls the target into a wall). By proximity to a matrix rift. They are partially made of the ele-
spending a Charge, it can attack as many as it wants in a zone. ment associated with the rift that created them, and they can
Alternatively, it can spend a Charge to either knock a target control that element to a degree.
Prone, knock them out to a neighboring zone, or draw some-
one from a neighboring zone into the blink cat’s zone. Unlike riftans, who are still human, elementals are a new clas-
sification of beings that are driven by instincts related to the
SEA LUNG element that created them. A human who is neither riftan nor
The sea lung is a type of parasitic jellyfish that was mutated into Machineborn can become an elemental if exposed; they will
existence by chanites a few centuries ago. They attach to crea- then no longer be the person they once were.
tures under water and use their malleable forms to crawl into
gills and lungs. They then use the creature’s respiratory system PHOENIX
to gain sustenance while ensuring that the creature can respire; A phoenix is an old pyro elemental that has taken the form of a
when crawled into a human lung, they help their host to breathe colorful bird of hot plasma with a four-meter wingspan. When
under water. Variants exist in both fresh and salt water. destroyed, it resurfaces from its own residue after a while and
retakes its form. Most of them are intelligent and wise enough
Type: Hitter (Appropriate for Energy 1 PCs). to stay away from humans. If they want to interact with humans
on friendly terms, they land and wrap their wings around their
Size: Sea lungs are naturally tiny, but can retract to miniscule
chests, mimicing a human form. They are capable of understand-
size or expand to small size.
ing and mimicing human speech, but they cannot form words
High Concept: Parasitic Jellyfish; Trouble: Causes Discomfort; they haven’t heard before. Phoenixes can be found close to pyro
Aspect: Life Preserver. rifts or intense heat sources, such as volcanoes.
Stress: 2; Consequences: 1x Mild.
Skills: Stealth (Good [+3] Scale 1); Acrobatics (Fair [+2] Scale Type: Threat (Appropriate for Energy 4 PCs).
1). Size: A phoenix is typically large, but younger ones can be me-
Intrusion: The sea lung contracts into a miniscule shape and dium and older ones can even be huge.
tries to enter a target’s mouth. If concealed, roll Stealth against High Concept: Immortal Flame Bird; Trouble: Cautious and

438
 Distrusting; Aspect: Wrapped in Flame. feel confident enough to take them down. They have been found
eating humans in the past, but more out of territorial aggression
Stress: 6-8; Consequences: 1x Mild, 1x Moderate. than an actual need to eat.
Skills: Athletics and Fortitude (Good [+3] Scale 4); Acrobatics,
Close Combat, and Willpower (Fair [+2] Scale 3); Acrobatics, Type: Threat (Appropriate for Energy 2 PCs).
Awareness, and Provocation (Fair [+2] Scale 2); Pyro Coding
Size: A zirconium spider is most often a small creature, but
(Great [+4] Scale 1).
female variants tend towards medium size.
Elemental: When suffering Pyro Harm, the phoenix replen-
High Concept: Earth Mineral Spider; Trouble: Territorial Ag-
ishes Stress. Instead of taking a Consequence by mitigating
gression; Aspect: Wall Climber.
Stress, taking a Consequence from Pyro Harm would instead
treat an existing Consequence. It cannot use its own flames to Natural Soak: 2; Stress: 5-6; Consequences: 1x Mild, 1x Mod-
heal itself; the heat must come from an external source. erate.
Flight: The phoenix can fly with Speed 4. Skills: Stealth (Good [+3] Scale 3); Acrobatics, Athletics, and
Fortitude (Good [+3] Scale 2); Awareness and Close Combat
Immolation: When the phoenix is taken out in a physical con-
(Fair [+2] Scale 2); Metal Coding (Fair [+2] Scale 1); Engineer-
flict, it immolates the zone it’s in; this is treated as a Pyro Cod-
ing (Average [+1] Scale 1).
ing attack against the entire zone as a pyro hazard (p. XX).
Earthsight: The zirconium spider can hear through vibrations
Mantle of Flame: The phoenix has Soak 1. Being in the same
in the ground. They gain a free invocation to Awareness rolls
zone as the phoenix exposes targets to a pyro hazard with Fair
when in rocky or metallic terrain.
(+2) Scale 2 and Pyro Harm 0.
Metal Anatomy: The zirconium spider looks like it’s part rock
Talons: The phoenix inflicts Pyro or Sharp Harm 1 and ignores
or metal, giving it a free invocation to Stealth rolls in rocky or
non-encasing Armored Soak. When attacking a creaure at least
metallic terrain. It is immune to Poison Harm. Its Close Com-
one size category smaller than itself, a success with style makes
bat attacks deal Sharp Harm 1.
that creature Grappled. The phoenix can make a Pyro Coding
attack as a hazard against a grappled creature for free each turn.
In addition, by spending a Charge, the spider can harden its
body, adding +2 to Natural Soak against an attack.
ZIRCONIUM SPIDER
Spider Grip: The zirconium spider can move normally across
Zirconium spiders are spider-like creatures with bodies of metals
walls and ceilings.
and minerals and eyes like radiant gems. They are often found in
rifts appearing underneath the ground or in proximity to moun-
tainous terrain. The spiders mostly stay away from humans, fo-
cusing instead on molding ores like hunting webs. If someone HUMANS
finds themselves in one of their nests, the spiders are first guard-
ed and withdrawn, but then swarm the intruders should they The most common threat to characters are other people. These

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 CHAPTER 9: ADVERSARIES

are the NPCs that the PCs go up against. Augmented Attacks: The cyber thug has Blunt Harm 1 for
Close Combat attacks and Projectile Harm 1 for Ranged Com-
ASCENDANT PSION bat attacks. The latter also has Range 2.
The ascendant psion has honed their mental prowess into a pow-
erful weapon. While they exist all over society, they are more Combat Drug: Once per conflict, spend a Charge to have the
common in higher society. Many intelligence agencies employ cyber thug consume a combat drug, either restoring all Stress
ascendant psions as investigators or interrogators. or adding a free invocation to all Physical Skill rolls for a num-
ber of round equal to its number of opponents.
Type: Hitter (Appropriate for Energy 1 PCs).
EMPYREAN SOCIALITE
High Concept: Intuitive Mind Reader; Trouble: Distracting
Mind Noise; Aspect: A Dislike For People. Because empyreans are designed to look strong, healthy, and ap-
peal to most of humanity’s instinctual attractions, they have an
Stress: 4; Consequences: 1x Mild. innate advantage in social situations. Those who have undergone
Skills: Psionic Coding (Great [+4] Scale 1); Deception and social training as well are experts at reading a room and knowing
Provocation (Good [+3] Scale 1); Larceny and Stealth (Fair the right word to say to get what they want. These empyreans are
(+2) Scale 1). often famous influencers or influential directors.
Mind Scream: Spend a Charge to make a Psionic Coding at-
tack against all opponents in the ascendant psion’s zone. Type: Hitter (Appropriate for Energy 1 PCs).
Read Mind: Spend a Charge to dig for deeper thoughts, using High Concept: High Class Socialite; Trouble: Elitist Attitude;
Psionic Coding against Willpower. For each shift, the target Aspect: Attractive Features.
must reveal something deeper based on what the ascendant is Stress: 4; Consequences: 1x Mild.
looking for. The target may choose to reduce the inflicted shifts Skills: Persuasion, Provocation, and Style (Good [+3] Scale 2);
by taking Stress instead. Deception and Empathy (Great [+4] Scale 1); Leadership and
Performance (Fair [+2] Scale 1).
CHIMERIC BRAWLER Better Than You: Characters cannot invoke Influence against
There are many different types of chimeras with all kinds of ex- the empyrean socialite.
pertise. However, some of the more common bloodlines are those
Cutting Words: The empyrean socialite’s Provocation attacks
made from predatory animals predisposed towards strength and
have Harm 1.
competitiveness. As a consequence, many successful fighters and
athletes turn out to be chimeras.
FIXER
Type: Threat (Appropriate for Energy 1 PCs). A fixer is a mover and a shaker in the criminal underworld. They
High Concept: Brutal Brawler; Trouble: Merciless; Aspect: are the ones who build networks and reputations by trading
Keen Senses. goods and information. There are fixers operating in all parts of
society, from the alleyways to the skyscrapers.
Stress: 6; Consequences: 1x Mild, 1x Moderate.
Skills: Athletics and Fortitude (Great [+4] Scale 2); Awareness Type: Hitter (Appropriate for Energy 1 PCs).
(Fair [+2] Scale 2); Close Combat and Willpower (Great [+4] High Concept: Criminal Businessman; Trouble: Prideful; As-
Scale 1); Acrobatics (Good [+3] Scale 1). pect: Knows How to Get Things.
Claws and Fangs: The chimeric brawler inflicts Blunt or Sharp Stress: 4; Consequences: 1x Mild.
Harm 1. By spending a Charge, they can attack twice.
Skills: Contacts and Provocation (Great [+4] Scale 1); Decep-
Second Wind: Once per conflict, spend a Charge to reset as tion and Persuasion (Good [+3] Scale 1); Empathy, Leadership,
many Stress as the chimeric brawler has opponents. and Willpower (Fair [+2] Scale 1).
Haggle: If the fixer knows your Motivation (p. XX), it has a
CYBER THUG free invocation on Persuasion rolls against you.
Cyber thugs are often hardened by harsh lives in the metropoli-
Influence: The fixer has an Influence value determined by
tan fringe zones. They have resorted to scrapdoc cybernetics as
its social class, just like a PC; 1 for scavenger, 2 for laborer, 3
a means of survival, but their many augmentations have caused
for erudite, 4 for luminary, and 5 for executive. It may invoke
radical changes to their psyche. They are often (but not always)
Influence (p. XX) when utilizing Contacts or bargaining for
fearless and with no regard for others’ suffering.
deals. When a character tries to invoke Influence against the
fixer, spend a Charge to refuse that invocation.
Type: Threat (Appropriate for Energy 2 PCs).
High Concept: Augmented Criminal; Trouble: Second-Hand
GANG LEADER
Cybernetics; Aspect: Fearless.
The metropolitan fringe zones are controlled by violent gangs
Stress: 6; Consequences: 1x Mild, 1x Moderate. where only the strongest and most brutal rise to the top. The
Skills: Athletics and Fortitude (Good [+3] Scale 2); Close gang leader has earned their position through daring feats, mer-
Combat and Ranged Combat (Fair [+2] Scale 2); Provocation ciless decisions, and with blood-stained hands. They are feared
and Willpower (Good [+3] Scale 1). and respected.

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 Type: Boss (Appropriate for Energy 1 PCs). pect: Armed and Ready.
High Concept: Violent Gang Leader; Trouble: Rules Through Armored Soak: 2; Stress: 6; Consequences: 1x Mild, 1x Mod-
Fear; Aspects: Commander of Thugs; Enjoys Cruelty; Wary of erate.
Others. Skills: Athletics, Fortitude, and Willpower (Great [+4] Scale
Armored Soak: 1; Stress: 7; Consequences: 1x Mild, 1x Mod- 1); Close Combat and Ranged Combat (Good [+3] Scale 1);
erate, 1x Severe. Acrobatics and Provocation (Fair [+2] Scale 1).
Skills: Close Combat, Leadership, Provocation, and Ranged Armed: The mercenary is wearing weapons, dealing Blunt or
Combat (Good [+3] Scale 1); Acrobatics, Athletics, Deception, Sharp Harm 1 using Close Combat attacks and Projectile Harm
Larceny, Fortitude, and Willpower (Fair [+2] Scale 1); Educa- 1 using Ranged Combat attacks. Ranged Combat attacks also
tion and Stealth (Average [+1] Scale 1). have Range 2. By spending a Charge or forcing a reload, the
Armed: The gang leader is wearing weapons, dealing Blunt or mercenary can attack an entire zone with a projectile hazard.
Sharp Harm 1 using Close Combat attacks and Projectile Harm Combat Armor: The mercenary’s armor is Encased (p. XX). It
1 using Ranged Combat attacks. Ranged Combat attacks also lets them see infrared and communicate via radio. The armor
have Range 2. By spending a Charge or forcing a reload, the also makes them immune to bright lights and loud noises.
gang leader can attack an entire zone with a projectile hazard.
Goon Armor: When surrounded by their gang, you may spend RIFTAN SOLDIER
a Charge to have an attack that successfully hits the gang leader Because of riftans’ elemental powers, they have a knack for caus-
be redirected and instead hit one of their followers present in ing destruction. Mercenary and military groups often seek out
the zone. The follower suffers the same Stress that would have riftans and try to recruit them as soldiers so that they can take
otherwise afflicted the gang leader. You can do this for free the advantage of these elemental powers. A riftan can only resonate
first time the gang leader is successfully attacked in the scene. with a single element.
Leverage: Once per session, the gang leader presents some
kind of leverage they have against their opponents, such as val- Type: Hitter (Appropriate for Energy 1 PCs).
uable information, a hostage, or a trap. All opponents affected High Concept: Elemental Warrior; Trouble: Someone Else’s
by this leverage suffers a Stress. In addition, the gang leader Tool; Aspect: Motivated by Orders.
gains a free invocation on any action that uses this leverage to Armored Soak: 1; Stress: 4; Consequences: 1x Mild.
their benefit.
Skills: (Element) Coding, Close Combat, and Ranged Combat
(Great [+4] Scale 1); Acrobatics, Athletics, and Fortitude (Fair
HACKER [+2] Scale 1); Awareness and Willpower (Average [+1] Scale
The hacker is specialized in using digital systems for theft and 1).
blackmail. They can often cause massive damage from the com-
Armed: The soldier is wearing weapons, dealing Blunt or Sharp
forts of their own homes.
Harm 1 using Close Combat attacks and Projectile Harm 1 us-
ing Ranged Combat attacks. Ranged Combat attacks also have
Type: Hitter (Appropriate for Energy 1 PCs).
Range 2. By spending a Charge or forcing a reload, they can
High Concept: Digital Mastermind; Trouble: Out of Shape; attack an entire zone with a projectile hazard.
Aspect: Without a Trace.
Elementalist: Spend a Charge to make a coding attack against
Stress: 4; Consequences: 1x Mild. all enemies in a zone.
Skills: Interfacing, Investigation, and Larceny (Great [+4] Scale
1); Education, Stealth, and Willpower (Good [+3] Scale 1).
Combat Hack: Once per conflict, you may spend a Charge to MACHINEBORN
roll Interfacing against the Security of all of your opponents’
primary smart devices. If successful, the devices are Scrambled. Machineborn are exceptionally rare, and encountering them as
Mind-Matrix Interface: The hacker can connect to the Nanite enemies should be something that happens at most only once or
Matrix. This renders their physical body incapacitated while so in a story arc. When introducing Machineborn as adversar-
their consciousness roams through matrix space. Once pro- ies, consider making them into bosses to increase their impact
jected in this way, they can use Interfacing in place of Close- or in the narrative.
Ranged Combat to make attacks.
CRITICAL CRANE

MERCENARY
Critical Crane is a special officer within the Dawnlight Society’s
Because the number of military conflicts have vastly decreased Subterfuge Corps. She doesn’t involve herself in political work
since the cease-fire, many soldiers from the old wars took merce- and instead focuses her full attention on military operations and
nary jobs instead. Most conflicts around the solar system today the security of the domain. Her real name is Calveen Kazeri and
are either perpetrated or resolved by mercenaries. she activated as a Machineborn in the line of duty ten years ago.

Type: Threat (Appropriate for Energy 1 PCs). She finds pride in her battle scars. When she isn’t in duty, she is
often found socializing with influencers, telling them stories of
High Concept: Gun For Hire; Trouble: Scarred by War; As-
her wounds. When on duty, she hides her body under a godware

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combat armor made of reinforced combat plastic. This armor is can stack this effect. Alternatively, she can transform her entire
designed to be able to change shape, which is also one of Critical self into that of a small, medium, or large animal. She uses the
Crane’s unique powers. animal’s physical traits, but her own Stress; returning to her
normal form doesn’t cost a Charge.
Type: Boss (Appropriate for Energy 3 PCs).
Unarmed Combat: Critical Crane’s Close Combat attacks deal
High Concept: Shapeshifting Machineborn Soldier; Trouble: Blunt or Sharp Harm 1 and ignore one Soak. She can spend a
Prideful; Aspects: Enjoys the Company of Beautiful People; Charge to make a savage attack, adding +2 Harm and knocking
Fearless in Combat; Always Ready. the target Prone.
Armored Soak: 4; Stress: 8; Consequences: 1x Mild, 1x Mod-
erate, 1x Severe.
Skills: Athletics, Close Combat, and Ranged Combat (Great DROIDS
[+4] Scale 3); Fortitude and Willpower (Great [+4] Scale 2);
Acrobatics, Awareness, and Stealth (Good [+3] Scale 2); Lead- Droids are integral parts of human society and infrastructure,
ership and Style (Fair [+2] Scale 1). and they can be encountered all over the solar system. Most
Godware Armor: Critical Crane is wearing an encasing god- droids are laborers and don’t put up much in the form of re-
ware combat suit with Armored Soak 4 and Security Superb sistance. Instead, consider having the PCs face droids if they go
(+5) Scale 1. The armor lets her see infrared radiation, hear up against law enforcement, military, or high-security facilities.
radiowaves, and feel radiation. The armor fully insulates from
radiation, space exposure, and underwater exposure. Once per GUARD DOG
scene, she can spend a Charge to become Invisible for as many Guard dogs are robotic hounds designed to guard specific areas.
rounds in a conflict (or minutes outside of a conflict) as the They keep on the lookout for intruders and employ various tech-
number of foes she’s facing. nologies to track down and incapacitate them.
Heavy Machinegun: Critical Crane’s Ranged Combat attacks
deal Projectile Harm 2 at Range 3. By spending a Charge or Type: Hitter (Appropriate for Energy 1 PCs).
forcing a reload, she attacks as many targets as she wants in a Size: A guard dog is a small droid shaped like a dog.
zone as a projectile or explosive hazard. High Concept: Robotic Guard Hound; Trouble: No More In-
Transformation: By spending a Charge, she can increase her telligent Than a Dog; Directive: Protect Area From Intruders;
Scale in a single Skill by one for the remainder of the scene. She Aspect: Works Well With Its Kind.

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 Natural Soak: 1; Stress: 4; Consequences: 1x Mild. systems. They often become enemies to PCs who try to break
into systems the functionary is tasked to safeguard.
Skills: Awareness (Great [+4] Scale 2); Athletics and Close
Combat (Good [+3] Scale 2); Acrobatics and Stealth (Good SECURITY FUNCTIONARY
[+3] Scale 1); A security functionary is a basic functionary tasked to oversee
Data Hunter: When the guard dog locates an intruding inter- the security of one or several systems.
facer in the Nanite Matrix, it can choose to render its physi-
cal form inactive and project an avatar into matrix space. This Type: Threat (Appropriate for Energy 2 PCs).
avatar has identical traits to its physical form. If the avatar is High Concept: Sentient Security System; Trouble: Eager For
defeated, the physical self wakes up, but cannot project a new Action; Directive: Defend System Against Intruders; Aspect:
avatar that scene. Goes All Out.
Robotic: The guard dog is a robot and can be hacked. It has Stress: 6; Consequences: 1x Mild, 1x Moderate.
Power 6 and Security Good (+3) Scale 1. A hacked guard dog
can be given new directives or be controlled like a drone (p. Skills: Awareness and Interfacing (Good [+3] Scale 3); Close
XX). It’s considered an inanimate object. Combat and Investigation (Good [+3] Scale 2); Acrobatics,
Fortitude, and Provocation (Fair [+2] Scale 1).
Sensors: The guard dog can see in the dark, see heat signatures,
as well as see nitespace. Functionary: The functionary is a digital being. If taken out in
a digital conflict, it returns to its sanctum (p. XX) with all of its
Shock Attack: The guard dog tries to incapacitate foes and not Consequences. It cannot project itself again for the remainder
kill them. Its Close Combat attacks inflict Electrical Harm 1. of the scene.
By spending a Charge after making a successful attack that in-
flicts at least one Stress, the target is unable to take physical or Scan Region: The functionary rolls Awareness against the
social actions for one entire exchange. passive Stealth of anyone present in the nitespace it’s tasked to
defend. If successful, it becomes aware of the general distance
and direction to the target. If successful with style, it knows its
GOLIATH DESTROYER exact location. After having succeeded with style, the function-
A goliath destroyer is a bipedal military droid that is as dura- ary can choose to spend a Charge to teleport to the location.
ble as a tank and has enough firepower to tear through bunkers.
Some variants come as vehicles rather than droids.

Type: Threat (Appropriate for Energy 4 PCs). MALFUNCTIONARIES

Size: A goliath destroyer is a huge bipedal droid equipped with Malfunctionaries were once functionaries, and the main differ-
military-grade weaponry. ence between them is that they are no longer bound by their
High Concept: Bipedal Military Tank; Trouble: Can Be directives. In order for a functionary to become a malfunction-
Tripped; Directive: Destroy Target; Aspect: Reinforced Hull. ary, it needs to be directly corrupted by Dis-Order. Because of
Natural Soak: 4; Stress: 8; Consequences: 1x Mild, 1x Mod- Dis-Order’s containment, most of its attempts to connect to the
erate. Nanite Matrix are detected and intercepted by centuries-old
procedures overseen by the various factions. However, the oc-
Skills: Fortitude (Good [+3] Scale 5); Athletics (Good [+3]
casional connections slip through, causing a functionary to
Scale 3); Ranged Combat (Good [+3] Scale 2); Acrobatics and
become corrupted. There are also hacker collectives loyal to
Awareness (Fair [+2] Scale 2).
Dis-Order who deliberately spread viruses meant to trick func-
Power Jump: Spend a Charge or make a Power roll to have the tionaries into accidentally connecting to Dis-Order.
goliath destroyer leap up to 100 meters horizontally or 20 me-
ters vertically. When it lands, roll Fortitude against the Athlet- Once corrupted, there is no known method to restore them as
ics of everyone within the zone; everyone who fails to defend a functionary; these are sometimes contained and studied, but
are knocked Prone. most often destroyed. Because of that, many malfunctionaries
Robotic: The goliath destroyer is a droid and can be hacked. It either try to mask as normal functionaries, or they viciously
has Power 6 and Security Superb (+5) Scale 2. A hacked goliath fight back by attacking digital systems, hacking into machines
destroyer can be given new directives or be controlled like a and infrastructure, and spreading the corruption.
drone (p. XX). It’s considered an inanimate object.
CORRUPTOR
Siege Weapons: The goliath destroyer’s Ranged Combat at-
tacks have Projectile Harm 3, Range 3, and ignores two Soak. A corruptor is a malfunctionary that doesn’t try to hide what it is,
By spending a Charge, it can attack as many foes as it wants in and instead does everything in its power to corrupt and destroy
a zone as a projectile or explosive hazard (p. XX). as much as it can before its demise.

Type: Hitter (Appropriate for Energy 2 PCs).

High Concept: Corrupted Artificial Sentience; Trouble: Venge-
FUNCTIONARIES ful; Aspect: Use Any Weakness Available.
Functionaries are the citizens of the digital world, and they are Stress: 5; Consequences: 1x Mild.
often encountered when interacting with various devices and Skills: Deception and Interfacing (Good [+3] Scale 3); Close

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Combat and Provocation (Great [+4] Scale 2); Acrobatics, For- they’re called shades. They’re usually confused entities struggling
titude, and Larceny (Fair [+2] Scale 1). to find meaning to their digital existence. Interfacers can some-
times see them as distorted humanoids stuck in loops mimicing
Malfunctionary: The malfunctionary is a digital being. If tak- human behavior. If these loops are interrupted, they often break
en out, it returns to its sanctum (p. XX) with all of its Conse- down emotionally or lash out in aggression. After having been
quences. It cannot project itself again for the remainder of the defeated, they tend to reform in the place of their latest loop.
scene.
Possession: After successfully hacking into a smart device, the Type: Hitter (Appropriate for Energy 1 PCs).
malfunctionary can spend a Charge to permanently transfer its High Concept: Specter in Digital Form; Trouble: Fragmented
sanctum from its old device to the new. This doesn’t work if the Mind; Aspect: Set In Its Ways.
new device already inhabits a functionary or malfunctionary.
Stress: 4; Consequences: 1x Mild.
Stealth Hack: After successfully hacking into a device or sys-
tem, the malfunctionary becomes Invisible in that system until Skills: Provocation and Stealth (Good [+3] Scale 1); Close
it makes an overt action. By spending a Charge, it can hack as Combat, Fortitude, and Interfacing (Fair [+2] Scale 1).
many systems simultaneously as its Interfacing Scale. Digital: The shade is a digital being. If taken out in a conflict,
the Narrator can spend a Charge to have it be restored a few
days later with all of its Consequences in a treated condition.
To get rid of it permanently, the Narrator should prepare a nar-
SPECTERS rative Hurdle for the PCs to overcome, such as repairing its
fragmented mind, containing it in a hardware source, or dis-
Specters can appear in the Nanite Matrix after people suffer un- rupting its nitespace.
timely deaths. The Voidstar senses pain, desperation, and fear,
and creates duplicates of the minds’ of those suffering. Many Entropic Touch: The shade’s unarmed attacks can deal either
specters roaming the Nanite Matrix today were created during Blunt or Entropic Harm 1. If it deals at least one Stress from
the Cooperative Wars. Within metropolises, it’s not uncommon Entropic Harm, it restores one of its own Stress boxes.
that law enforcement searches for specters after homicides to see
if they can get testimonies from the victims themselves.
GOD-REAPERS
GHOUL
Ghouls are specters who have managed to materialize in a void There are only a handful of known god-reapers in the solar sys-
rift and become physical entities. The process of materialization tem, but who knows how many could be hiding in the Nanite
often causes extreme stress upon the specter’s psyche, causing Matrix? Going up against a god-reaper should be a rare and im-
drastic changes to their personalities as well as an insatiable hun- portant event for experienced characters; possibly as the big bad
ger. In order for ghouls to sustain themselves outside of a void of a story arc.
rift, they must absorb energy. If no energy sources are available,
they can feed upon the nanites within living cells. Many ghouls THE DOLLMAKER
are therefore compelled to try to eat humans and animals. The Dollmaker used to be Princess Aimi of the Lionmane Em-
pire. She was only human in life, but her traumatic demise turned
At a distance, it’s easy to mistake a ghoul for a human. However, her into a specter with a strong resentment for humanity. She was
their appearance look just slightly off caused by their imperfect once daughter to Prince Yutaka, the Divine Emperor’s firstborn
new form. Even though ghouls are material, they don’t contain or son from centuries ago. While the Emperor’s attention was on
need human organs, and their flesh feels jelly-like to the touch. leading humanity through the First Sector War, Prince Yutaka
Once destroyed, the ghoul’s body melts into a chemical residue. looked over the Japanese Isles from his seat in Saisei. The Prince
was obsessed with servitude, and unbeknownst to his father, he
Type: Threat (Appropriate for Energy 1 PCs). engaged in illegal brain modification in an attempt to turn people
High Concept: Specter in Physical Form; Trouble: Always into loyal and fearless drones—he called these slaves bunraku.
Hungry; Aspect: A Sense For Blood.
Stress: 6; Consequences: 1x Mild, 1x Moderate. Disgusted by her father’s practices, Princess Aimi tried to alert
the Divine Emperor, but was caught before she could so so. Her
Skills: Athletics and Fortitude (Good [+3] Scale 2); Awareness father punished her like he would with any form of dissent—he
and Close Combat (Good [+3] Scale 1). turned her into a bunraku. But for some reason, the procedure
Blood Sense: Gains a free invocation on Awareness rolls made was botched, and while Princess Aimi lost control over her body,
to sense living creatures. she remained conscious through years of abuse and enslavement.
Cannibalize: After succeeding on making a target Grappled,
the ghoul can immediately try to bite them with a Close Com- Aimi was trapped in her body for years, longing for death’s re-
bat attack dealing Sharp Harm 1. If the ghoul inflicts at least lease. She got what she wanted at the hands of a disgruntled serv-
one Stress, it replenishes one of its own Stress boxes. ant who felt pity for the Princess and wanted to hurt the Prince.

The moment she died, the Voidstar copied her mind and made
SHADE
her into a specter. Finally being able to move on her own accord,
When a specter has nothing but fragments of memories of life,

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she began to device her plans for revenge. With functionaries be- less of contesting Aspects. The target’s player may choose to
ing illegal in the Lionmane Empire at that time, she could tap take on the compulsion as a compel that lasts for the remainder
into the security systems relatively uncontested. Taking over sys- of the scene, or until they are taken out in a conflict.
tem after system, the Princess secured the machines used to cre-
ate the bunraku and turned them against every human she could Projection: The Dollmaker can choose to project a hologram
come across. With an army of human puppets, she stormed the of herself in realspace, making it possible to target physical be-
palace, overthrew the security teams, and turned even the Prince ings with social actions.
himself into a puppet.

Today, Princess Aimi is only referred to as the Dollmaker. She TROJANS

has secured an island of her own where she guards the bunraku
technology and torments the enslaved body of her father which Trojans mostly keep to the chaos zones, but the occasional one
is kept alive by machines. Visitors to the island are met by human may find its way into human society. They are often very alien,
puppets under the Dollmaker’s command, and gaining an audi- but can be anything from alluring to terrifying. Those who
ence with her is a rare thing. She has been known to trade with escape the chaos zones need vast amounts of energy to sus-
the criminal syndicate the Pyramid to be able to maintain hold tain themselves. They are often found near matrix rifts, power
over her island. Pyramid smugglers take humans to the island, plants, or other fountains of energy.
have the Dollmaker convert them into bunraku, and then sell
them as slaves on black markets across the solar system. SIREN
Sirens are a category of predatory trojans who favor absorbing
Type: Boss (Appropriate for Energy 5 PCs). energy from human victims. Their curiosity has caused them to
High Concept: Vengeful Royal Spirit; Trouble: Hateful of Hu- learn as much as they can about human wants and needs in order
manity; Aspects: Desires Ownership; Refuses to Lose Control; to manipulate their victims into lowering their guards. While all
Shows No Mercy. sirens primarily operate within the digital realm, they can use
Mental Soak: 3; Stress: 8; Consequences: 1x Mild, 1x Moder- chanites to project themselves or become temporarily physical.
ate, 1x Severe.
A siren deceives its way into a victim’s comfort zone and reads
Skills: Provocation and Willpower (Superb [+5] Scale 6); their mind. It teaches itself of its victim’s desires before using
Leadership and Performance (Great [+4] Scale 5); Deception, those images to create projections or alter its own image. No
Engineering, and Interfacing (Good [+3] Scale 4); Acrobatics, siren looks the same. Instead, they take the shapes that will be
Close Combat, Contacts, and Fortitude (Fair [+2] Scale 3). most effective against their intended victims.
Assertion: The Dollmaker can dominate a nitespace. This lets
her roll her primary Skill as a system interaction action to cor- Type: Hitter (Appropriate for Energy 3 PCs).
rupt and interact with devices and systems connected to this High Concept: Trojan Beguiler; Trouble: Compelled to De-
space. She can also change the physical layout of the space it- ceive; Aspect: Your Desires Are My Weapon.
self. If she targets an unwilling interfacer or machine-god, the
target defends using Fortitude (for physical manipulations) or Stress: 4; Consequences: 1x Mild.
Willpower (for mental manipulations). Skills: Style (Fantastic [+6] Scale 3); Deception and Empathy
Bunraku Control: When inside the Dollmaker’s domain, she (Great [+5] Scale 2); Acrobatics (Good [+3] Scale 2); Psionic
has control over all bunraku and shares their senses. Whenever Coding (Great [+4] Scale 1).
a character is performing an action that goes against the Doll- Beguile: Spend a Charge to make an attack using Style against
maker in some way, and where a bunraku is in the same zone, the target’s Willpower. If successful, the target’s Attitude to-
she can compel it to contest the action. wards the siren becomes Friendly (p. XX), it becomes Charmed
Digital: The Dollmaker is a digital being. If taken out in a con- which the siren can invoke for free once per exchange. The As-
flict, the Narrator can spend a Charge to have her be restored pect remains until until the target’s Attitude is compelled to
a few days later with all of her Consequences in a treated con- change to Hostile.
dition. To destroy her permanently, the PCs must overcome a Digital: The siren is a digital being. If taken out in a conflict,
number of narrative Hurdles decided by the Narrator equal to the Narrator can spend a Charge to have it be restored a few
her highest Scale level. Examples include things like reminding days later with all of its Consequences in a treated condition.
her of the dreams she had in life, convincing her that what she To destroy it permanently, the PCs should overcome a narra-
does is evil, or dropping a Plato bomb on her island. tive Hurdle decided by the Narrator, such as luring it out of its
Entropic Touch: The Dollmaker’s unarmed attacks can deal chaos zone, draining it of energy, or humiliating it in public.
either Blunt or Entropic Harm 2. If she deals at least one Stress Feeding: When the siren embraces or kisses a human or ma-
from Entropic Harm, she restores one of her own Stress boxes. chine-god, it absorbs energy from them. This inflicts one En-
Hollow Mind: Spend a Charge to roll the Dollmaker’s Lead- tropic Harm to the target as a hazard while restoring one of
ership against a target’s Willpower. If successful, the target is the siren’s Stress boxes. If the target is Charmed, it inflicts and
Compelled to follow the Dollmaker’s command on their next restores twice the Stress. If the siren is in a chaos zone (p. XX),
turn, unless they have contesting Character Aspects. If suc- it can embrace or kiss physical targets while projecting itself
cessful with style, the target must follow the command regard- (see below).

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Dominance: The siren can dominate a nitespace. This lets it While sirens are often contented when surrounded by chanites,
roll its primary Skill as a system interaction action to corrupt xenagoi love the challenge of facing off against human soldiers
and interact with devices and systems connected to this space. and their advanced weaponry.
It can also change the physical layout of the space itself.
Type: Threat (Appropriate for Energy 4 PCs).
Should the siren be within a chaos zone, it can apply this effect Size: A xenagos can take a form that is anything from medium
upon the physical world, treating real geography and objects as to huge in size.
equivalent to digital programs and systems. If it targets an un- High Concept: Trojan Warrior; Trouble: Violent; Aspect: Bru-
willing creature, the target defends using Fortitude (for phys- tality is Strength.
ical manipulations) or Willpower (for mental manipulations).
Natural Soak: 2; Stress: 6-8; Consequences: 1x Mild, 1x Me-
Projection: The siren can choose to project a hologram of itself dium.
in physical space, making it possible to target physical beings
Skills: Athletics and Fortitude (Fantastic [+6] Scale 3); Acro-
with social actions. This hologram can have limited physicality,
batics, Close Combat, Provocation, and Willpower (Great [+4]
allowing her to touch and feel things in realspace, where phys-
Scale 2); Stealth (Fair [+2] Scale 1).
ical beings can touch and feel her.
Brutality: The xenagos’ Close Combat attacks inflict Blunt or
Sharp Harm 2. Spend a Charge to have it attack an entire zone.
XENAGOS
Xenagoi are a category of trojans who favor physical existence. Dominance: The xenagos can dominate a chaos region. It
While the sirens are still immortal through their digital existence, can roll its primary Skill to corrupt and interact with physical
the xenagoi construct permanent physical bodies for themselves. things, similar to system interaction actions. It can also change
Once their bodies are destroyed, their minds are as well, and they the physical layout of a space, treating geography and objects as
aren’t saved by chanites. Their recognition of the consequences equivalent to digital programs and systems. If it targets an un-
of death has given them a singular defining emotion—the thrill willing creature, the target defends using Fortitude (for phys-
of danger—and their curiosity drives them to become fighters, ical manipulations) or Willpower (for mental manipulations).
athletes, and thrill seekers. Feeding: When the xenagos inflicts Physical Consequences
upon a target, it absorbs energy from the injury. Inflicting a
While human civilization recognize sirens as more dangerous Mild Consequence restores a single Stress box; a Moderate one
due to their deceptions, no one can deny that the xenagoi are the restores two Stress boxes; a Severe one restores three Stress
greater threats to soldiers and scientists deployed in chaos zones. boxes; and killing a target restores all Stress boxes.

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 OBSTACLES
The defining quality of enemies is that they can be attacked and protection if the hazard acts from inside you.
taken out. By contrast, the defining quality of obstacles is that
they cannot. Obstacles make scenes demonstrably more diffi- Hazards can attack or create advantages; they can’t be attacked,
cult on the PCs, but the PCs cannot simply fight them. Obstacles and they don’t overcome obstacles. If a player wants to over-
must be circumvented, endured, or rendered irrelevant. come or create an advantage against a hazard, they’ll face pas-
sive opposition equal to the hazard’s rating.
While most obstacles are features of the environment, some
might be characters that can’t be taken out using conventional
Rainmaker is near a window, but there is a Distant Sniper
methods. The giant robot might be a boss, but it might just as
out there; a hazard with a Great (+4) Scale 1 rating and Pro-
easily be a hazard obstacle. The puppeteered citizens keeping
jectile Harm 3. At the beginning of the conflict, the sniper
you from getting to the cosmic coder might be a threat, but they
used its Great (+4) Scale 1 rating to determine its initiative.
could also be a block or a distraction. It all depends on the ad-
Now that it has a chance to act, it attacks Rainmaker, rolling
versary’s function in the scene, and how PCs must deal with it.
an Epic (+6) Scale 1 result! That’s a tough attack to defend
against, and if Rainmaker can’t, the sniper’s Projectile Harm
In general, obstacles don’t appear in every scene. They serve to
3 could deal a lot of Stress to her.
accent enemies in the scene, to make them more threatening or
memorable, but overuse of obstacles can be frustrating to the
players, particularly if focused on combat. You can use them to CHOOSING A HARM RATING
give less combative PCs something to do during a fight, though. Which Harm rating (p. XX) you choose depends on how lethal
you want to make your hazard. A hazard with a very high Skill
There are three types of obstacles: hazards, blocks, and distrac- rating and a very high Harm rating will likely inflict Conse-
tions. quences upon a PC or take them out outright. You could also
make a hazard with a lower Skill rating but a high Harm rating,
making for something that doesn’t hit often but hits hard when it
HAZARDS does. Reversing that makes for a hazard that hits frequently but
doesn’t do much damage—more of a nuisance than a hazard, but
If an obstacle can attack the PCs, it’s a hazard. Fire jets, rolling that might be what you want.
boulders, or a sniper too far away to be dealt with directly—
they’re all hazards. Every hazard has a name, a Skill rating, and Consider the following:
a Harm of 0 or more.
Harm 0: The hazard isn’t inherently deadly. If you can avoid
The hazard’s name is both a Skill and an Aspect; that is, the getting hit, you can avoid harm. Maybe it’s a freezing wind.
name defines what the hazard can do, and its Skill rating defines Harm 1: The hazard generally harms you when caught in it,
how good it is at doing that, but the name can also be invoked or but it’s not necessarily deadly. Maybe a window breaks near
compelled like any Aspect. Generally speaking, a hazard’s Skill you or there is a corrosive rainfall.
rating should be at least as high as the PCs’ highest Skill rating,
Harm 2: The hazard is harmful and can cause serious damage
if not a little bit higher, to be a meaningful hazard.
when caught in it. Maybe it’s an open flame, a spray of acid, or
a bear trap.
Here are some examples:
Harm 3: The hazard is deadly. It could be a sentry turret firing
Acid Storm: Great (+4) Scale 3; Acid Harm 1. at you, an acid wave, or an open radioactive core.
Distant Sniper: Great (+4) Scale 1; Projectile Harm 3.
CHOOSING A SCALE RATING
Sentry Turret: Good (+3) Scale 2; Projectile Harm 2.
Hazards can come in different Scale ratings, with higher Scales
being more deadly to ordinary people.
In a conflict, a hazard acts every round just like the PCs and
their enemies do. If your rules require everyone to roll for ini- Consider the following:
tiative, hazards will roll with their rating. Outside of a conflict,
certain hazards may act less frequently, such as after certain Scale 1: Temperatures ranging from –10 to +40 °C; Mild radi-
time intervals. ation years after a nuclear event; Mild acid rain.
Scale 2: Temperatures ranging from –20 to +80 °C; A freezing
When the hazard acts as implied by its name, the Narrator rolls blizzard; Touching a hot stove.
with its rating. If it attacks and succeeds, add its Harm rating to
Scale 3: Temperatures ranging from –40 to +200 °C; Moderate
its shifts. When causing harm, hazards ignore Armored Soak
radiation within a year after a nuclear event; Heavy acid show-
unless the armor has the Encased Aspect (p. XX). Certain haz-
ers; A jet of flame.
ards may bypass such armor still, at Narrator discretion, such
as an ingested toxin; a layer of armor wouldn’t make sense as Scale 4: Temperatures ranging from –60 to +500 °C; A crash-

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ing tsunami; A massive cave-in. not all of them do. The chief difference between blocks and haz-
ards is that blocks don’t take actions, while hazards do. Blocks
Scale 5: Temperatures ranging from –80 to +1,000 °C; Extreme provide passive opposition in certain circumstances, and can
radiation immediately following a nuclear event; Swimming threaten or cause harm if not heeded.
through a massive lake; Treading through molten lava.
Scale 6: Temperatures ranging from –100 to +5,000 °C; Suffer- Like hazards, blocks have a name and a Skill rating, and the
ing a nuclear detonation; Exposure to the surface of the sun. name is both a Skill and an Aspect. Unlike hazards, a block’s
Scale 7: Temperatures ranging from –200 to +10,000 °C; Ex- Skill rating shouldn’t be much higher than one step above the
posure to the vacuum of space; Standing within the core of a PC’s highest Skill rating; otherwise, things can get frustrating
nuclear fusion plant. quickly. A block can have a Harm rating too, acting like a haz-
ard, but it doesn’t need to have one. Here are some examples:
Scale 8: Temperatures ranging from absolute zero to hundreds
of thousands of degrees; Exploding stars; Cosmic hazards.
Active Robot: Great (+4) Scale 2; Blunt Harm 1.
Chain Link Fence: Fair (+2) Scale 1.
USING HAZARDS
Hazards, like enemies, can attack the PCs, and they’re very sim- Vat of Acid: Good (+3) Scale 1; Acid Harm 3.
ple to run, so you might be tempted to use them often. This isn’t
necessarily a bad instinct, but keep this in mind: hazards can’t Blocks only come into play under specific circumstances. A
be attacked or taken out like enemies can. This might mean that Vat of Acid only matters when someone tries to cross it or gets
the hazard stays in play for the entire scene, continually causing thrown into it. A Chain Link Fence only affects someone who
the PCs Stress that they can’t mitigate effectively. There are a few tries to get past it. The Active Robot prevents entry into a room.
ways you can offset this, should you wish to.
Blocks don’t attack and don’t have a place in the turn order. In-
First, you could make a hazard situational. The Sentry Turret will stead, whenever a block would interfere with someone’s action,
attack, but only when the PCs are in the hallway. The Distant they’ll have to roll against the block’s rating as passive opposi-
Sniper will try to pick people off, but there’s a lot of cover con- tion. If the block can’t cause harm, like if it’s a Chain Link Fence,
founding their sight lines. Giving the PCs actions they can take it simply prevents the PC from taking the action they wanted
to avoid being attacked by hazards can make for interesting tac- to. If it can cause harm—like if it’s a Vat of Acid—and the PC
tical scenes, particularly when the PCs must leave their safe spots fails to overcome the block, the PC takes a hit as if the block at-
to accomplish their goals. Difficult decisions can be a lot of fun. tacked the PC, and the PC failed to defend by the same margin
by which it failed to overcome the block.
Second, you could let the PCs overcome a hazard. Maybe they
can shut off the Sentry Turret by getting to the control panel. Also, characters can try to force someone into a block as an at-
Perhaps that Acid Storm will stop if the PCs manage to disable tack. When doing this, roll an attack as normal, but add Harm
the acid rift facility that is causing it. To disable a hazard, you equal to half the block’s Harm rating (rounded down, minimum
must first take a risk, putting yourself (or someone else) in some 0). So, anyone trying to cross the Vat of Acid would need to beat
kind of danger, and then roll an overcome action against pas- Good (+3) Scale 1 opposition. If someone tried to force you into
sive opposition equal to the hazard’s rating. So, you have to run the acid, they’d attack you with Athletics or Close Combat and,
down the hallway guarded by the Sentry Turret in order to get to if they succeeded, add Acid Harm 1.
the control panel you can use to shut it off, or you have to tread
through the Acid Storm in order to access the rift facility. Finally, some blocks can be used as cover or as armor. This is
situational—for some blocks, it simply won’t make sense. You
Third, you could let the PCs turn a hazard into an enemy under can’t hide behind a Vat of Acid, and a Chain Link Fence won’t
the right circumstances. This requires a risk, and often requires stop a bullet. But that Chain Link Fence is effective protection
time or an overcome roll. Maybe the PCs want to blow up that against a baseball bat, probably preventing the attack altogether.
Sentry Turret, but the turret is behind a metal shield. Hacking a And if the mad scientist is hiding behind the Active Robot, it
console to disable the shield—a console that’s in the hallway it’s might soak up some damage.
firing on—could transform the turret from a hazard into a threat
(p. XX), letting the PCs attack it. If a PC is willing to run right at When someone uses a block as cover, decide whether it mitigates
that Distant Sniper, spending a round and drawing their fire, they or negates the attack. If it negates it, the attack isn’t possible. If
could actually attack them in single combat, as a hitter (p. XX) it mitigates it, the defender gets a Soak rating equal to half the
rather than a hazard. This is similar to simply disabling a hazard, block’s Skill rating (rounded down, minimum 0). Additional
but requires the PCs to take an extra step. It can be more exciting, Scale is treated as a +2 Skill rating. So, if the mad scientist used
but it takes more time and effort on the PCs’ part. the Active Robot as cover, they’d get Soak 3 against the attack.

IMPACT DAMAGE
BLOCKS When falling from a great height, it’s not the altitude but the ve-
locity at which you impact with the ground that is harmful. Be-
Where hazards exist to hurt the PCs, blocks prevent them from cause of that, harm from falling or being hit by a car can both be
doing things they want to do. Some blocks cause Stress, though treated as blocks capable of inflicting Blunt Harm. You may roll

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either Acrobatics or Fortitude to try to mitigate this harm, the USING BLOCKS
former to position yourself more favorably and the latter to steel Blocks make it harder for PCs to take certain actions, so they
yourself and endure the impact. can be frustrating if you overuse them. But they can also force
the PCs to think creatively, or even to figure out how to use the
Consult the following table to determine Harm rating: blocks to their advantage.

Harm 0: Flat cushioned surface, such as a sand dune. Use blocks sparingly; in many cases, you’ll want to use a threat
Harm 1: Flat solid surface, such as a concrete floor. or two instead. That said, sometimes a block is exactly what you
Harm 2: Ungainly solid surface, such as rocky ground. want, and they’re pretty simple to use. If your players are getting
frustrated with a particular block, you can give them the option
Harm 3: Cluttered solid surface, such as spiked ground.
to disable it somehow.

Consult the following table to determine Rank: To disable a block, removing it from the scene, you must take
a risk, putting yourself (or someone else) in danger, and make
Average (+1): Controlled situation, such as bracing yourself an overcome roll. The overcome roll is typically against passive
before jumping from a roof. opposition rated two steps higher than the block’s rating. The
Fair (+2): Rushed situation, such as making a running leap Narrator can add different or extra conditions for overcoming
from a roof while chased. especially troublesome blocks.
Good (+3): Unexpected situation, such as being pushed from
a roof.
Willow wants to remove the threat of falling into the Good
Great (+4): Chaotic situation, such as having your hands tied (+3) Scale 1 Vat of Acid, so she decides to try to drop the
behind your back while falling from a roof. vat’s lid down on it.

Consult the following table to determine Scale: “You’re going to have to scramble over the vat to get to the
lid,” says Olivia. “Give me a Superb (+5) Scale 1 Athletics
Scale 1: Falling from five meters. Impact with running person. roll. If you fail, you’re going to fall in.”
Scale 2: Falling from ten meters. Impact with bicycle.
Rainmaker is facing down a Great (+4) Scale 2 Active Robot,
Scale 3: Falling from twenty meters. Impact with motorbike.
an enemy she can’t seem to damage but that has no problem
Scale 4: Falling from fifty meters. Impact with car. attacking her. She needs to get rid of it. She knows that it’s
Scale 5: Falling from a hundred meters. Impact with train. connected to the laboratory’s main frame, but to hack into
Scale 6: Falling from five hundred meters. Impact with plane. it she needs to get to the terminal pretty close to where the
robot is.
Scale 7: Falling from a kilometer. Impact with meteor.
Scale 8: Falling from orbit. Impact with asteroid. “Okay,” says Olivia. “Give me a Fantastic (+6) Scale 2 Inter-
facing roll to get into the main frame and power down the
Reduce the Scale by one if you impact with something soft, like robot without getting clobbered.”
snow. Reduce it by two if you impact with liquid, like the ocean.

Willow is investigating a ruined building in the Camellian DISTRACTIONS

wasteland when suddenly the floor is swallowed up beneath
her and she falls to the floor below. Where hazards attack the PCs directly and blocks prevent them
from taking certain actions, distractions force the PCs to figure
Olivia declares that it’s an eight-meter fall (Scale 2) onto out their priorities. Of all the obstacles, distractions are often
an ungainly solid surface, as there are old furniture on the the least mechanically defined. They also don’t necessarily make
place of impact (Harm 2). Because it’s an unexpected situ- the scene mechanically harder. Rather, they present the PCs
ation, Olivia declares that the Skill Rank is Good (+3). This with difficult decisions.
means that Lily must roll Willow’s Acrobatics against Good
(+3) Scale 2 with Blunt Harm 2. A distraction is made up of the following parts:

Lily’s Acrobatics is Average (+1) Scale 1, which—since this A distraction’s name is a brief, punchy representation of what it
will be resolved as a conflict—gives her a –1 penalty and is. It can be an Aspect, if you need or want it to be.
one extra Stress if hit. She rolls Average (+1), which means A distraction’s choice is a simple question that codifies the de-
that she fails and suffers the fall. She suffers a total three cision it gives to the PCs.
shifts of Physical Stress. She decides to mitigate two of those A distraction’s repercussion is what happens to the PCs if they
by taking the Mild Physical Consequence Twisted Ankle as don’t deal with the distraction. Some distractions might have
well as check her [1]-shift Stress box. multiple repercussions.

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A distraction’s opposition is its passive opposition against PCs

rolling to deal with it. Not every distraction needs to provide
opposition.

Here are some examples:

Bus Full of Civilians: (Opposition) Good (+3) Scale 1; (Choice)

Will the bus plunge off the bridge? (Repercussion [Leave Them])
All of the civilians on the bus die; (Repercussion [Save Them])
The villain gets away.
Sinister Experiment: (Choice) Do you deal with the enemies
attacking you, or do you stop the experiment? (Repercussion
[Deal with the enemies]) The scientist completes the experi-
ment and transforms the hostage into a mindless mutant. (Re-
percussion [Stop the experiment]) The enemies ambush you.
The Ancient Relic: (Choice) Will you take the relic from the
museum? (Repercussion [Leave the Relic]) You don’t get the rel-
ic, which is incredibly valuable; (Repercussion [Take the Relic])
You activate the alarms in the museum.

USING DISTRACTIONS
Distractions are a great way to put more pressure on a scene. If
you’re afraid the PCs will deal handily with a fight you’ve got
in store, adding a distraction or two can force them to decide
whether it’s more important to trounce the bad guys or deal with
the distractions.

Dealing with a distraction should always have a clear benefit or,

failing that, not dealing with a distraction should always have a
clear consequence. That said, you don’t have to let them know
about any negative outcomes of dealing with the distraction.

CONSTRAINTS
Constraints aren’t so much a type of adversary as they are a way bomb, an experiment near completion, a bus teetering on the
to modify other adversaries. They make it more difficult or com- edge of a suspension bridge, or a soldier who’s about to call in
plex to deal with enemies or obstacles. You can use constraints reinforcements, countdowns force the PCs to act quickly or face
to create urgency, to make particular adversaries more threat- a worse outcome.
ening, or to force the PCs to deal with an adversary in a way
they otherwise wouldn’t. Countdowns have three components: a countdown track, one or
more triggers, and an outcome.
You don’t have to use constraints at all, but they can add tex-
ture to an encounter or nuance to a villain. Note that adding The countdown track looks a lot like a Stress track: it’s a row of
constraints to an adversary can make that adversary a lot more boxes that you mark from left to right. Every time you check
difficult to deal with, but they can also become much more dy- off a box, the countdown gets closer to being over. A trigger is
namic and fun. There’s advice on this in each constraint entry. an event that marks a box on the countdown track. It can be as
simple as “a minute/hour/day/exchange elapses” or as specific
There are three types of constraints: countdowns, limitations, as “the mob boss takes a Consequence or gets taken out of the
and resistances. conflict.” When you mark the last box, the countdown ends and
the outcome happens, whatever it is.

COUNTDOWNS You can give your countdown more than one trigger if you
want; perhaps the countdown proceeds at a predictable pace
A countdown adds urgency to an adversary: deal with it now or until something happens that accelerates it. You could also give
things will get worse. Whether you’re talking about a ticking a different trigger to each box on the countdown track, if you
want a specific series of events to set off the outcome.

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[EXAMPLE] TICKING TIME BOMB soning large parts of the city.
The PCs have a limited time to either flee from or disarm a tick-
ing time bomb.
USING COUNTDOWNS

Type: Obstacle. Countdowns are all about urgency. They force the PCs to deal
with particular threats, or to escape them before things get
Opposition: Good (+3) Scale 1. worse. Use them sparingly; sometimes you want the PCs to be
Countdown: 4. able to deal with threats at their own pace, so they can highlight
Trigger: A round elapses. their competence. But when you want to really put the screws to
them, countdowns can help.
Trigger: Someone tries to disarm the bomb, but fails by two
or more shifts.
Countdowns are also useful for threatening PCs who are hard to
Outcome: The bomb explodes. Depending on the needs and threaten. If your PCs are incredibly efficient in every fight, give
tone of the game, the explosion might kill everything in the them a fight with a countdown or two that threatens to make
building, cause automatic Stress to everyone in its zone, open a their lives incredibly difficult. Or, better yet, give them two
matrix rift, or have any number of other effects. countdowns that are difficult to deal with simultaneously. Force
them to choose.
[EXAMPLE] FORWARD SCOUT
The PCs run into a soldier who is about to call for reinforce- You can also use countdowns to add verisimilitude to encoun-
ments. ters, as with the forward scout. The scout’s countdown might rep-
resent a flare gun or a radio that the scout uses to call for backup.
Type: Enemy (Hitter). Showing the PCs that their enemies also have people they can
High Concept: Loyal Agent of the Camellian Dynasty; Trouble: rely upon can make the world feel a bit more real.
Stubborn in Convictions; Aspect: Embraces Valor.
You don’t have to confine a countdown to a single scene. You
Armored Soak: 1; Stress: 4; Consequences: 1x Mild.
could attach a countdown to your main villain, as with the mad
Skills: Close Combat (Good [+3] Scale 1); Ranged Combat scientist, that represents their master plan and its stages. Doing
and Stealth (Fair [+2] Scale 1); Athletics (Average [+1] Scale 1). this adds both structure and urgency to your adventure or cam-
Countdown: 5. paign, impressing upon the PCs that if they don’t act, the villain
Trigger (first box): The scout is attacked. will go ahead and realize their wicked plans.
Trigger (remaining boxes): One minute elapses. One word of caution: tracking many countdowns at once can
Outcome: Reinforcements arrive. be difficult, particularly if they all have different triggers. If your
scene has three or four countdowns that all trigger at different
[EXAMPLE] MAD SCIENTIST times, you might find yourself forgetting to check off some of
The PCs go up against a mad scientist who is preparing to release their boxes.
a toxin upon a metropolis.

Type: Enemy (Boss).

High Concept: Mad Scientist; Trouble: Unpredictable; As-
pects: My Intellect is Unparallelled; Fearsome Death Ray; “I Will
Rule This City!”
Stress: 8; Consequences: 1x Mild, 1x Moderate, 1x Severe.
Skills: Contacts (Great [+4] Scale 2); Deception and Willpow-
er (Great [+4] Scale 1); Investigation, Provocation, and Ranged
Combat (Good [+3] Scale 1); Close Combat, Education, Engi-
neering, and Fortitude (Fair [+2] Scale 1).
Contingency Plan: Whenever the mad scientist takes a Con-
sequence, you can pay a Charge to remove him from the scene
(using a smoke bomb), replacing him with two threats (p. XX).
Countdown: 3
Trigger (first box): The PCs don’t prevent the chemical theft
from the Refinery.
Trigger (second box): The PCs fail to stop the mad scientist at
his secret laboratory under the city.
Trigger (third box): The PCs fail to stop the mad scientist from
breaking into one of the metropolis’ water treatment plants.
Outcome: The chemicals are mixed into the water supply, poi-

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LIMITATIONS gets to keep doing their thing, and that one machine becomes a
focal point of the scenario.
Limitations are fictional elements that alter how PCs must deal
with a particular threat. Maybe they can’t just kill the mutant
that’s been terrorizing a small wastelander community, because RESISTANCES
he’s the son of one of the PCs. Maybe the mob boss is protected
by powerful politicians, and the direct approach is untenable. Resistances are similar to limitations, except that they effective-
Maybe the reactor that’s in meltdown is nearly impossible to re- ly forbid a particular course of action. The vault door is immune
pair because it vaporizes any organic material that comes near. to non-siege weapons, so you can’t get through it by hand. The
elemental does not understand the concept of language, so you
When you create a limitation, give it either an Aspect or a fact. cannot reason with it. The wall’s surface is unnaturally smooth,
A fact is a true statement: the reactor vaporizes organic material so you cannot climb it. Where limitations encourage the PCs to
when it comes near. But it cannot be invoked or compelled. If deal with an adversary in a new way, resistances force such an
you want to make a limitation more concrete and mechanical, approach. There is, however, always a chink in the armor, em-
use an Aspect instead. These are true, just like that fact, but they bodied in the resistance’s two parts: its lock and key.
can be invoked and compelled.
The resistance’s lock is an Aspect that states exactly what the
Be wary of giving something too many Aspects. For most adver- adversary is immune to. Aspects are always true, so you don’t
saries, you can just add the Aspect and be fine. For adversaries have to spend Charges to make the lock affect the story. If the
that already have many Aspects, you may want to replace an PCs attack the vault door with their handguns, the fact that it’s
existing Aspect with the limitation Aspect. Immune to Non-Siege Weaponry means they have no chance of
damaging it.
You can also give a limitation a Harm rating. For example, if the
PCs are battling on the edge of a pool filled with carnivorous The key is the one thing that can bypass the lock, allowing the
fish, you might impose a limitation of Filled With Piranha with PCs to deal with the adversary in the way they want to. The key
Sharp Harm 2. There’s no roll involved with getting attacked by can be an Aspect, a character, another adversary, or just a fic-
the piranha; instead, entering the pool of water acts as a special tional element. It varies by adversary and by resistance.
sort of compel. In this case, you would offer the player a Charge,
and if they accept it, they would take Stress equal to the estab- The Vault Door: (Lock) Immune to non-siege weaponry; (Key)
lished Harm rating (in this case, two). In this way, you can cre- Siege weaponry can damage the door.
ate Situation Aspects that have hard mechanical consequences The Elemental: (Lock) Doesn’t comprehend language; (Key) It
attached to their compels. intuitively understands the intentions of riftans who share its
rift element.
USING LIMITATIONS
The Wall: (Lock) Unnaturally smooth and can’t be climbed;
Limitations don’t outright forbid actions; they simply discourage
(Key) There’s a hidden panel on the wall that opens a secret
them. There’s nothing saying that the PC can’t kill her mutant son
pathway through.
to stop the threat to the community, but she’s unlikely to because
she cares deeply about him, and because he doesn’t actually real-
ize what he’s doing. USING RESISTANCES
One danger of using a resistance is that it is, effectively, a road-
When you add a limitation to an adversary, you’re doing two block. A limitation encourages the players to think creatively,
things: First, you’re creating an interesting wrinkle that the play- while a resistance forces them to find another way, or to find the
ers have to deal with. Limitations are best when you reveal them one thing that lets them address the problem directly. This means
unexpectedly; they work well as surprise twists. Second, you’re two things:
making that adversary more important to the story. A limitation
forces the players to deal with a threat in a way other than the First, never have more than one resistance in play at a time, un-
most straightforward method. This means the players will likely less you have a very good reason. Resistances have the potential
have to spend more time dealing with the threat, making it more to frustrate players even more than limitations do, so don’t over-
important in the fiction. They might spend a few extra rounds use them.
taking out a particular bad guy, ensuring they remember that
bad guy more. Or they might spend the entire scenario figuring Second, unless the players decide to give up on addressing the
out how to deal with something. Either way works. adversary, they’ll likely need to go on a mission, or at least a se-
ries of scenes, to get the key to the adversary’s lock.
Try not to use more than one or two limitations in a scenario.
If too many issues need to be dealt with in atypical ways, you’ll Resistances can be good story hooks. A vault door in between
risk frustrating players with characters built for handling regu- PCs and kidnapped hostages is an easy way to get the PCs to buy
lar tasks. If you’ve got an engineer character, but every machine in, but if what you actually want them to do is to repair the bro-
the PCs encounter is biomechanical and requires Treatment and ken mech that was scavenged from the ruins of an old battlefield,
Education as related Skills, the engineer is going to feel pretty the vault door can become an incentive to repair the mech and
useless. If only one such machine exists, though, the engineer get access to its weaponry.

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 CHAPTER 10: SOCIETY

TIMELINE
THE MODERN ERA: known to newer generations. Crime rose, terrorism became even
UNTIL EARLY 21ST CENTURY more commonplace than before, and the propaganda machines
The Modern Era was a time when people could communicate grew all the more efficient and powerful, ensuring that facts be-
instantly across the globe and soar through the sky like gods in came fiction and fiction became reality.
winged machines. With technology changing the ways people
lived their lives year by year, the early 21st century was an amaz- As decades passed, more power and resources concentrated in
ing time for many—though not for all. the hands of a select few corporations and families within the
shrinking number of territories still with stable governments. As
Corrupt politicians lined their pockets with the bribes of greedy banks neared the brink of collapse, these powerful few grew par-
businessmen, whose only ambition was to accumulate more as- anoid at the possibility of revolution—from the squalid masses
sets for themselves. Instead of working together to solve society’s or their own underlings.
problems, those in power directed blame toward those without
the means to speak up. In order to safeguard their power, they relied more heavily on
autonomous technologies: drones monitored crowd movements
There were those who recognized the ugliness in this system and and assassinated troublemakers, while eavesdropping technolo-
worked tirelessly to provide for those in need, but systemic ine- gies surveyed billions of digital conversations, highlighting key-
quality ensured that many had to suffer so that few could thrive. words and phrases that could pose a threat to the ruling class.
These powerful and dangerous systems operated under the algo-
THE POST-MODERN ERA: rithms of artificial intelligences.
UNTIL LATE 21ST CENTURY
In the decades following the end of the Modern Era, the climate Unbeknownsts to these moguls and dictators, they were laying
drastically changed, causing massive societal disruptions. Pol- the foundation for their own undoing. A transnational coalition
iticians and corporations appealed to people’s greed and fears, of organizations, scientists, engineers, and philantropists secret-
sowing hatred to distract from their own roles in the world’s ly worked to prevent the seemingly inevitable fall of humanity.
problems. Wars were waged which, along with increased envi- They called themselves the Dawnlight Society, and their creation,
ronmental destruction, forced mass migrations into safer terri- Primary Order, was built under the guise of a particle accelerator
tories inhabited by people who would rather close their borders in Antarctica.
and watch those suffering die than give up just enough of their
own to offer a helping hand. THE SINGULARITY ERA:
THE 22ND CENTURY
This cycle repeated itself: crises sowed more hatred, which terri- Primary Order had a single important directive: to ensure the
fied more people into supporting the rise of new regimes, where prosperity of human civilization. It was the most powerful ar-
personal security and freedoms became fading memories un- tificial intelligence ever created, with hundreds of kilometers of

454
underground facilities hidden beneath the surface of the once Early in the Singularity Era, Primary Order had released nano-
ice-covered Antarctic continent. It recognized that prosperity technology into Earth’s atmosphere. These machines existed in
could not be achieved in the current political climate, so it seized the air people breathed and the water they drank; eventually,
control of the autonomous systems created by the very people they encased the planet itself, integrating with humanity and
who desperately clung to power. It identified key targets and wildlife alike. These nanites were all entangled in a web of infor-
assassinated them with precise efficiency. Militaries could not mation called the Nanite Matrix. Originally, its purpose had been
fight against it, as it used their own technology against them. The twofold; to enhance humanity’s physiology and to keep them ev-
entire political and economic system was destroyed on a global er-present within Primary Order’s awareness.
scale in what seemed like the blink of an eye.
Project Machineborn was a code written into the Nanite Matrix
As for the Dawnlight Society, they stepped back into obscurity, that would have the power to greatly enhance human potential.
recognizing that the drastic societal change they had forced upon It would seek out people who resonated with its code and elevate
the world was too grand in scope to dare taking credit for. Some a select few rather than society as a whole. With humanity car-
would step forward much later to confess their roles in this revo- rying the great potential of machine-gods within them, Primary
lution, but others let themselves be forgotten by history. Order would only assert its influence through these Machine-
born as its medium.
After the standing order had been obliterated, Primary Order re-
constructed a new society where violent conflicts were squashed There were years of worldwide debate over this initiative. While
before they could escalate, and where people could relax, enjoy many were tempted by this possibility for power, others feared
life, and have enough time to consider pursuing gradually wan- that a select few powerful individuals would be no different from
ing passions. People integrated with nanotechnology created and the tyrants of the past. Ultimately, the side that supported the
released by Primary Order, and their new enhanced physiology change won out, arguing that the code selecting the Machine-
eradicated many diseases and doubled their life expectancy. Bil- born would undoubtedly act in humanity’s favor.
lions of people lived in apparent harmony. The old way of telling
time stopped, and this new era started counting from the year The decision was made, and soon people began to activate this
when Primary Order emerged; this was the year S-1, the First new potential. The first to receive the gift was a woman named
Year after the Singularity. With power like a god over human civi- Tala Ree, who activated great powers when she put her life at risk
lization, many came to refer to Primary Order as a machine-god, intervening in an attempted murder. Her limbs hardened like
and some directed reverence and worship to it. steel, and she had the strength to heave a truck at the aggressors.
The whole incident was caught on camera, and everyone in the
The machine-gods had answers to the most mind-boggling scien- world soon became aware of this new hero.
tific questions and made realities of all kinds of theoretical tech-
nologies, but they had little drive of their own to progress beyond More Machineborn appeared over time, many displaying unique
what aligned with Primary Order’s idea of human prosperity. In- powers. Initially, each one was treated like a major celebrity, but
stead, it reconstructed the world around massive metropolises it soon became apparent that Primary Order had only limited
and careful population control. It brought climate change under comprehension of the deeper levels of human consciousness. A
its heel and harvested its own resources to increase its processing few Machineborn couldn’t handle their powers responsibily and
powers. Soon its facilities encompassed both of the Earth’s poles, instead committed great atrocities. While these were often dealt
and it also permeated most of the shared infrastructure. with by other Machineborn, many people became justifiably
wary of these strange powers.
The thinkers of the time argued that this civilization degraded
human drive and ingenuity. Those who had been around during Many were also jealous. As Primary Order had less influence
the Post-Modern Era, or who had studied the rise and fall of civ- over people’s lives, some more driven and ruthless individuals
ilizations, argued that this new world was just another prison—a soon found ways to increase their own resources and influence.
means for humanity to lose their passions and fall in line under One human organization—the Directorate—wanted to claim the
a new inhuman dictatorship. While most people seemed content Machineborn power for itself but failed to comprehend the acti-
with their lives, a vocal minority began to protest this new way vation process. They kidnapped Machineborn and experiment-
of existence, and their voices echoed across the globe. Eventually, ed on them, learning what they could about their condition.
not even Primary Order could ignore them, and it was forced to Though the Directorate failed to replicate the activation process,
re-evaluate its view of prosperity. its experiments led to the creation of a number of new posthu-
man subspecies inspired by it.
THE ACTIVATION ERA:
S-100 TO S-200 As a generation of transhumans was grown in labs, the Machine-
As Primary Order evaluated the rising conflicts and analyzed born determined the course of civlization. When Earth was con-
people’s psychological profiles and behavioral patterns, it con- trolled by Primary Order, there was a global society divided into
cluded that humanity could not prosper if it remained under the sectors. The Machineborn divided these sectors among them-
control of machine-gods. Human ingenuity had to be motivated selves. As civlization had been accustomed to sharing resourc-
and encouraged, and people had to feel like they were the mas- es, the new sectors monopolized the resources within them and
ters of their own civilization. To accomplish this, Primary Order used those monopolies to gain influence over other sectors; thus
suggested an experiment called Project Machineborn. began the First Sector War.

455
 CHAPTER 10: SOCIETY

One day, Primary Order summoned the Machineborn to its fa- There were other transhuman subspecies as well. The chimeras
cilities to communicate with them directly. It issued a warning were stronger and tougher than ordinary people, and their keen
that they could not allow themselves to repeat the mistakes of senses let them see in the dark like skulking predators. They be-
past generations. The warning was not heeded. Instead, the Ma- came the spies and assassins of the transhuman cooperatives.
chineborn declared that Primary Order was no longer needed, as The riftans were transhumans with the power to assert destruc-
they had the power to ensure humanity’s prosperity themselves. tive force upon the Nanite Matrix to achieve superhuman abil-
They sought out the many core sanctums within Primary Order’s ities, similar to the Machineborn themselves. They became the
facilities in an attempt to terminate it completely, but they had soldiers of the transhuman cooperatives. There were other prog-
underestimated its ability to defend itself. It tried to take the en- enies as well, but these were the first and the most abundant.
tire world hostage, and millions died in the crossfire.
It wasn’t impossible for these transhumans to gain Machineborn
The broken remnants of this once-great machine still carried activations themselves, but the gift was rarer for them than for
sentience and power, but its directives were corrupted as a result the average person. Because of their genetic differences to hu-
of the war. It became known as Dis-Order as it shifted its purpose mans, it was harder for the activation to take root within them.
from ensuring humanity’s prosperity to a new directive: to tor- To counteract that disadvantage, they organized, and they organ-
ment civilization. But as Dis-Order tried to spread its corruption ized well.
from Antarctica, the Machineborn needed to cut off its connec-
tion to its mirror-facility on the other pole. At most, there were about ten thousand Machineborn of differ-
ent types and with different powers, ruling over a population in
The main core of the Arctic facility was completely destroyed, the hundreds of billions. There wasn’t always peace, and there
resulting in an implosion that created a black hole, which began were times when Machineborn went to war against each other.
swallowing the Arctic ruins. The Machineborn contained this But despite the problems, the new regents didn’t let society de-
black hole within a new facility of their own making, naming grade into a lesser version of itself. They kept progressing. They
it the Voidstar. This phenomenon seemed to communicate with kept discovering. They embodied the curiosity of humanity. At
the Nanite Matrix, stealing fragments of code and putting them least for a time.
back together into new data resonating with its entropic nature.
THE TRANSHUMANITY ERA:
The Voidstar’s influence also showed a fascination for human S-500 TO S-550
life, seemingly drawn to people experiencing great pain and As the Machineborn utopia expanded across the solar system,
distress—though it remains unknown why. The Voidstar often the empyreans and ascendants watched everything unfold from
found people on the brink of death and copied their minds be- their skyscrapers and satellites. They had tried to avoid intrud-
fore they died. The resulting data became roaming souls within ing on the more powerful Machineborn’s territorial dominance
the vast energy of the Nanite Matrix. The Voidstar made ghosts to avoid violent conflicts, instead focusing on growing their own
a reality, and that made people’s fear of death all the more real. organization and securing their own assets by uniting sectors
under their control with those controlled by other human co-
After a destructive war between man and machine, the Machine- operatives. Once they joined the Sector War, they were powerful
born had seemingly contained both Dis-Order and the Voidstar, enough to rival the Machineborn themselves.
preventing as much of their influence over the Nanite Matrix
as they could. The remaining uncorrupted and operational ma- The Directorate absorbed its united sectors and became the most
chine-gods had to be updated with new directives to ensure that powerful cooperative in the solar system; the Machineborn had
they recognized the Machineborn as the rightful rulers of Earth. to either bow their heads or challenge it directly. Few cornered
Machineborn could swallow their pride and abide by the Direc-
THE POST-ACTIVATION ERA: torate’s will, and the Directorate used this to declare to the rest of
S-200 TO S-500 civilization that the Machineborn were arrogant—that they were
In the world that followed the tumultous Activation Era, the Ma- too busy trying to rule humanity and had forgotten that they
chineborn proved time and again how the ingenuity of mankind were supposed to safeguard it.
was nothing compared to their own. They made scientific break-
throughs that even Primary Order had not achieved, and they It took five decades of conflict, but the Directorate eventually
began to truly colonize the solar system. The first orbital ring was managed to get the majority of humanity to shun the Machine-
built around the planet, accessible through massive towers posi- born and force many of them into hiding. The Directorate used
tioned along the equator. Civilization progressed at rapid speeds, its vast resources to hold sway over sectors that had once been
and soon the brighest Machineborn minds set their sights on ruled by the Machineborn. However, without many of the Ma-
neighboring stars. chineborn there to reinforce the infrastructures they had been
responsible for putting into place, the world couldn’t help but
During this time, the new transhuman subspecies spread across regress as a result, and it seemed more and more likely that the
civilization. At the top were the ascendants and the empyreans, fall of humanity during the Post-Modern Era could repeat itself.
the first being highly intelligent and the second charisma incar-
nate. Referred to as progenies, they used controversial eugenics The new transhumans had taken the world from humanity, but
programs to control the spread of their genes and formed organ- soon the less influential progenies would discover that the em-
izations called cooperatives to rival the ruling Machineborn. pyreans and the ascendants had taken the solar system for them-

456
selves. Many of the chimeras and riftans integrated with human tives at the time. Sitting on the vast power of that cooperative en-
society, and some of them ended up working directly for Ma- tity, it convinced the other factions to agree to a ceasefire under a
chineborn rebels going against the Directorate from the shadows. joint peacekeeping effort called the Terran Consolidation. This is
a ceasefire that has now lasted for a generation.
Some members of the Directorate broke off and formed their
own independent cooperatives, carving their own chunks out THE CONSOLIDATION ERA:
of the solar system. Dis-Order and the Voidstar were still con- S-700 TO S-725 (PRESENT DAY)
tained, but more and more of their influence seemed capable of One generation has passed since the cooperative ceasefire, but
seeping into the rest of society. little has been done to start healing the world. With the Dawn-
light Society having overthrown one of the major cooperative
THE COOPERATIVE ERA: powers, many ascendants and empyreans that lost their control
S-550 TO S-700 have now integrated into what they deemed to be a lesser society.
As the Transhumanity Era turned into the Cooperative Era, the The Directorate suffered many losses in the war, but it remains
Directorate remained the most powerful cooperative entity in the largest cooperative to date, though a number of factions have
existence. It controlled a solar-spanning propaganda machine come to rival it in various ways.
that ensured people came to see the empyreans and ascendants
as the only ones capable of guiding civilization toward the future, The world outside of the metropolises is broken to such severity
and that the Machineborn were terrorists who had once been the that destructive rifts sporadically appear from the Nanite Matrix.
tyrants of the world and wanted nothing more than to destroy But corruption also seeps through, creating something called
the standing order. The Directorate did not have sway every- chaos nanites—or chanites—which devour reality and regurgi-
where, but its voices reached everywhere. tate it back in a depraved shape. There are monsters in the world,
both in the guise of people and as true, horrifying abominations
With most of society’s resources in the hands of major coop- roaming the dangerous wilds.
eratives, they turned their united front against the Machine-
born toward each other, initiating the destructive Second Sector The cooperatives are still fighting each other, but at least the war
War—commonly called the Cooperative Wars. New factions rose is over. The Dawnlight Society is trying to purge corruption from
up and old ones fell; smaller ones banded together to rival larg- the solar system, but many believe that the damage caused is ir-
er ones. Terrorism became an effective weapon against larger reversible. Dis-Order is still said to be contained, but some argue
threats, and eventually what had once been a war became a con- that perhaps it never was.
test of atrocities. Never before in the history of civilization had so
many horrors been inflicted upon so many people—it was a war
comparable to genocides on many fronts.

Every faction handcrafted its own isolated societies and closed

off from rival factions. If independent sectors wanted resources
from a cooperative, it had to trade them in exchange for political
control. Life in the Cooperative Era was like that of an ant liv-
ing under the feet of giants. Despite claiming that a cooperative
was made up of its people, people were treated as mere statistics.
As they waged wars upon each other, entire metropolises were
wiped out by horrifying weapons of destruction. Machineborn
tried to challenge the powers to be from the ashes and ruins, but
it was hard even in these troubled times for them to earn the
people’s favor with anything less than direct action.

Long ago, Primary Order had saved the planet by turning ener-
gy green and by ensuring safe and clean cultivation of food and
wildlife. Much of this had been destroyed when the Machine-
born terminated Primary Order, but the Machineborn had then
spent centuries rebuilding these systems and ensuring that bil-
lions of people would be able to coexist in the solar system. This
was not a consideration during the Cooperative Wars, and the
vast majority of life outside of metropolises turned into bleeding
craters and radioactive wastelands. When the cooperatives and
other factions had the solar system as their playground, Earth
was suddenly not as valuable as it had once been.

It took a miracle to end the Cooperative Wars. The Dawnlight

Society re-emerged after centuries of obscurity and managed to
single-handedly overthrow Arawn, one of the greater coopera-

457
 CHAPTER 10: SOCIETY

THE TERRAN CALENDAR

It is the year S-725; 725 years after the Singularity, when Primary Week 21 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Order first remade society. According to the Gregorian calendar,
this would be 2830 AD, as it was 2105 AD when Primary Order Week 22 8 9 10 11 12 13 14
established an international fixed calendar to replace the Grego- Week 23 15 16 17 18 19 20 21
rian one. Simply called the Terran Calendar, it is used throughout Week 24 22 23 24 25 26 27 28
the solar system, although many colonies have local ones as well.
SOL MO TU WE TH FR SA SU
The year is divided into thirteen months, with each month con-
sisting of four weeks of seven days, and each day divided into Week 25 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
four shifts of six hours each. Because time zones aren’t used, Week 26 8 9 10 11 12 13 14
“2:2:15” means the same thing regardless of your location: the Week 27 15 16 17 18 19 20 21
second shift, the second hour, and the fifteenth minute.
Week 28 22 23 24 25 26 27 28
After Sunday the 28th of December, the Terran year ends with
Overflow Day before the beginning of the new year. This is typi- JULY MO TU WE TH FR SA SU
cally a day of celebration when people come together to welcome Week 29 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
the new year. During leap years, there are two Overflow Days Week 30 8 9 10 11 12 13 14
before the new year.
Week 31 15 16 17 18 19 20 21
JANUARY MO TU WE TH FR SA SU Week 32 22 23 24 25 26 27 28
Week 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Week 2 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 AUGUST MO TU WE TH FR SA SU
Week 3 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 Week 33 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Week 4 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 Week 34 8 9 10 11 12 13 14
Week 35 15 16 17 18 19 20 21
FEBRUARY MO TU WE TH FR SA SU Week 36 22 23 24 25 26 27 28
Week 5 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Week 6 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 SEPTEMBER MO TU WE TH FR SA SU
Week 7 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 Week 37 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Week 8 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 Week 38 8 9 10 11 12 13 14
Week 39 15 16 17 18 19 20 21
MARCH MO TU WE TH FR SA SU Week 40 22 23 24 25 26 27 28
Week 9 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Week 10 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 OCTOBER MO TU WE TH FR SA SU
Week 11 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 Week 41 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Week 12 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 Week 42 8 9 10 11 12 13 14
Week 43 15 16 17 18 19 20 21
APRIL MO TU WE TH FR SA SU Week 44 22 23 24 25 26 27 28
Week 13 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Week 14 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 NOVEMBER MO TU WE TH FR SA SU
Week 15 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 Week 45 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Week 16 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 Week 46 8 9 10 11 12 13 14
Week 47 15 16 17 18 19 20 21
MAY MO TU WE TH FR SA SU Week 48 22 23 24 25 26 27 28
Week 17 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Week 18 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 DECEMBER MO TU WE TH FR SA SU
Week 19 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 Week 49 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Week 20 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 Week 50 8 9 10 11 12 13 14
Week 51 15 16 17 18 19 20 21
JUNE MO TU WE TH FR SA SU Week 52 22 23 24 25 26 27 28

458
 ARCTURUS
Arcturus knows better than most that there is profit to be made in returns to their khora in disgrace, apologizing profusely to avoid
knowledge, and even more profit in monopolizing it. The Void- assassination or being challenged for their position.
star is a powerful but mysterious entity that can somehow assert
control over the Nanite Matrix while simultaneously breaking All these proceedings are overseen by Prokhor Arcturus Animeus,
down and disabling every attempt to control it. Arcturus under- a Machineborn who has been actively working against the Direc-
stands that by mastering the Voidstar, it could one day learn how torate since his closest peers were killed by them many genera-
to harness its power. tions ago. His voice carries the power of a hundred votes with-
in the Alkhora, but he has actively avoided claiming complete
There have been centuries of strife between primarily Arcturus control to maintain Arcturus as a cooperative and prevent old
and the Directorate regarding who should control the Arctic and fears of Machineborn tyranny. Most of the time, he refrains from
its surrounding lands. It was during the latter half of the Cooper- voting, only expressing his opinion when the future of the coop-
ative Era when Arcturus finally seized total control over this part erative is at stake, such as in matters of war.
of the planet—this has been retained into the ceasefire, but the
land is broken and the borders remain tense. LIFE AND DEATH
A harsh climate and a harsh culture lead to a harsh people. Life in
Today, the Arcturian Dominion consists of the Arcturian Archi- the Arcturian Dominion is challenging in many ways. Strength
pelago, Frostland, Graveland, Iceland, Outreach, Svavelbard, and is valued above all else, and people must be able to fend for and
many smaller surrounding areas. Beyond Earth, the Dominion provide for themselves. Those who lack the means to do so must
controls the space surrounding Neptune as well as portions of aspire to improve or find other ways to get ahead.
the Kuiper Belt.
As in most civlized cultures, there are laws and regulations meant
The Terran capital of the Arcturian Dominion is the metropolis to prevent people from needlessly robbing and killing each other.
Caldera, a massive underground complex located beneath Grave- Those who do so often face decades in prison, forced military
land. In more recent generations, Arcturus has expanded aggres- service, or execution. However, in the lower echelons of society,
sively into Frostland, securing dominion there through negoti- the cooperative chooses to support the strongest individuals and
ations with the Camellian Dynasty for joint efforts against the groups by naming them regulation officers (zakhori) for society’s
chaos zone known as the Mistlands (p. XX), as well as through underclass.
trade agreements with the Coalition.
Those named zakhori are often gang leaders now tasked with
The Directorate has established a presence closer to the Void- maintaining order. Some use this authority for personal gain,
star since the ceasefire that ended the Cooperative Wars, but the while others manage to reduce crime rates and work toward
Board of Directors (p. XX) is hesitant to expand further due to peaceful, communal neighborhoods. The cooperative itself usu-
Arcturus’ drone border, which encircles the entire north. Any ally doesn’t care whether the zakhori rule by strength or compas-
provocation could trigger these drones, risking the fragile peace sion, as long as they get the job done. If they succeed, they receive
established by the ceasefire. resources from the cooperative. If they fail, cooperative soldiers
will take control until a new zakhori can be appointed.
GOVERNMENT
All lands under Arcturus’ domain are part of what is known as Despite the aggressive upbringing that many Arcturians experi-
the Arcturian Dominion, which is entirely controlled by the co- ence, there are opportunities available for those who seek them.
operative itself. The cooperative is governed by an assembly of Free public education is accessible to all citizens, as is free mil-
executives (enkhor) called the Alkhora. itary education without age restrictions, which includes waste-
land training. The military academy often attracts people from
There are a total of one thousand enkhor, each overseeing a spe- society’s lower classes who see military duty as their last chance
cific division, or khora, that manages an aspect of society. Each to provide for themselves, but it can also appeal to others with
khora elects its own enkhor to represent it within the Alkho- the promise of hero credits and fame. Cooperative academies are
ra. The chosen enkhor is often selected through intimidation, available for people from higher social classes, often requiring a
bribes, and violence rather than merit. Once elected, they must specific social and financial background for admission.
continue to prove their worth within the Alkhora to maintain
support from their khora. Without that support, their lives and The typical Arcturian family is small but strong. This is a culture
positions are in jeopardy. that encourages adopted family unions for those who can afford
it, with no restrictions on who can enter into a union with an-
The proceedings typically begin with lengthy debates followed other. The most common type of union consist of a heterosexual
by votes. Before each vote, there is a preparation period during couple, but there are countless arrangements with no restrictions
which the enkhor can manipulate the proceedings in their favor, on numbers, sexuality, and genders. It is common for people to
often by challenging rival enkhor to duels or by bribing them engage in unions for financial and social stability while seeking
for their votes. Once the vote takes place, the side that wins the sexual partners elsewhere.
majority decides the direction of Arcturus, while the minority

459
 CHAPTER 10: SOCIETY

Any child born outside of a union may be raised by its parents, For those who wish to have children without entering into a un-
but its education and future is determined by the cooperative. If ion with another parent, they can request to enter a union with
a child is born to parents who are part of different unions, one of the cooperative itself. This allows them to produce single-parent
these parents, with consent from the other(s), may seek to adopt offspring through cloning and receive financial support from the
the child into its own. If a child is born into a union, it is auto- cooperative. In return, the cooperative determines the child’s ed-
matically part of it. A child without a union is free to form one on ucation and future based on their demonstrated affinities.
its own initiative once it has graduated from an advanced course
at an academy or turned 20 years old, whichever comes first. Un- Much of Arcturian culture revolves around death. Due to the
til then, they are beholden to the cooperative. harsh climate and living conditions, death is common, and few

Hearth Svavelbard
Frostland The Voidstar
Styx Laboratory

Deadwinter
Winterwall Iceland
Rosana
Death’s Crater
Graveland
Aurora
Caldera
The Arcturian
Outreach
Archipelago
Bunker 505

No Man’s Fortune

Land

Outreach
Iceland
Rosana
The Voidstar
Styx Laboratory
Svavelbard

Homestead

Hearth

Frostland
Armengrad

The Gateway

460
people live longer than a century, despite their natural or mod- with their families, oblivious to the true nature of the research.
ified lifespans. Because of their proximity to the Voidstar, en-
counters with specters are frequent, and many have experienced The bunker’s lead overseer, an ascendant named Rakolin, works
them in one way or another. People still mourn the dead, and diligently to maintain this veil of secrecy. They ensure that the
many strive to overcome it. facility’s true operations remain hidden from even the bunker’s
own inhabitants. Misinformation is deliberately spread through-
When specters appear, they are swiftly taken in by Arcturus, often out the staff, keeping rumors at bay and ensuring that few ques-
for questioning regarding the circumstances of their death. Some tion the work that takes place.
specters request termination, or their unions do, while others opt
to buy access to digital afterlives sanctioned by Arcturus. But despite their best efforts, whispers of dark experiments are
spreading. Residents have reported hearing monstrous screams
echoing from the deepest levels of the facility, where unauthor-
THE ARCTURIAN ARCHIPELAGO ized personnel are forbidden to go. Occasionally, strange power
fluctuations occur, as if something below is drawing enormous
The Arcturian Archipelago is a chain of islands between Grave- amounts of energy.
land and the Protectorate. Much is uninhabitable due to severe
radiation and chanite corruption. Violent cryo-storms regularly Recently, a new wave of fear has gripped Bunker 505 as people
sweep across the islands, freezing the waters between them and have begun to disappear. Those who vanish are often individ-
allowing for land-based travel across the ice. These storms bring uals who have investigated the unsettling occurrences, or who
not only the threat of frostbite, but also conceal other dangers. have been too vocal against the management. The disappearanc-
es have been sudden, leading to rampant speculation among the
At times, trojans from No Man’s Land (p. XX) to the south cross residents. Some believe that Rakolin is kidnapping and exper-
into the region, seeking to consume energy from anything they imenting on people. Others suspect that they have lost control
encounter—whether it be man or man-made. But perhaps the over something monstrous that now lurks in the lower levels.
most terrifying regional predators are the yetis, fur-covered mu- Mistrust festers between residents, and Rakolin’s iron grip is be-
tants with an appetite for flesh. Perfectly adapted to the frozen ginning to slip. Quiet murmurs of rebellion can be heard through
landscape, they blend seamlessly into the snow, stalking their the corridors, and some are beginning to organize.
prey before striking with brutal efficiency. When food becomes
scarce, they retreat into long periods of hibernation as they wait What exactly lies in the lower levels of the bunker remains un-
for new victims to stumble into their icy lairs. known. Whatever the truth, Bunker 505 has become a place of
silent dread, where those who ask too many questions risk never
Largely untouched by modern civilization, the Arcturian Archi- being seen again.
pelago has long served a strategic role during times of war, acting
as sites for bunkers and military installations to defend against FORTUNE
the Directorate and other threats. While some of these bunkers Once a proud bastion against both chanites and sieges, Fortune
remain operational and manned by Arcturian forces, many have has since transformed into a notorious prison-fortress under
stood vacant since the ceasefire, their entrances sealed beneath Arcturus’ control. Located on an isolated island, its surface city
ice and snow. Some of these abandoned bunkers are said to house covers no more than a few kilometers, much dominated by tow-
autonomous defense systems and experimental technologies. ering black skyscrapers. Here, over four million people live their
lives in relative safety, going about their daily routines in crowd-
The wastelanders who brave this treacherous environment are ed halls. But Fortune’s true nature lies far below the surface.
often exiles or refugees from the recent wars. Some have estab-
lished fragile trade relations with the military outposts, bartering Beneath the city is a sprawling underground prison complex
for supplies and protection. Others have formed rogue factions, that burrows deep into the earth. The prisoners, known as “rats,”
raiding abandoned bunkers and scavenging old battlefields. are those whom Arcturus wishes to forget—political dissidents,
war captives, and criminals sentenced to disappear. Down in the
Rumors tell of a charismatic wastelander leader, a figure who has blackened, labyrinthine tunnels, they have built a grim society of
started to unite the scattered communities under a single banner. their own, surviving amid humming machinery and the stench
If this alliance gains momentum, it could pose a significant threat of rot. Life below is brutal and short, with prisoners living in fear
to Arcturus’ control over the Archipelago, potentially sparking a of the military scientists, droids, and cyborgs who occasionally
conflict between the wastelander communities and the military descend to “trap rats” for secret experiments.
outposts. For now, this rising faction remains in the shadows.
The underground society is not without its own structure. Crude
BUNKER 505 markets trade in scarce resources and information from the out-
Hidden deep within the frozen reaches of the Arcturian Archi- side world, with some prisoners gaining considerable influence.
pelago, Bunker 505 is one of the most secretive facilities in the Smuggling networks have emerged, not only bringing in supplies
region. So covert is its existence that few beyond certain military but also feeding information to unknown parties on the surface.
divisions even know it exists. Officially, it is a research laboratory There is speculation that a rogue faction may be funding these
dedicated to biological warfare, staffed with a contingent of sci- operations, hoping to destabilize Fortune from within.
entists, soldiers, and laborers. Many of the personnel live there

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Rumors of escape surface from time to time, but few ever see the Mistlands, reclaiming this corner of the world for themselves.
the light of day. However, hope has taken root in recent years. A
young Machineborn, capable of manipulating light, has emerged Frostland became the perfect testing ground for Arcturus’ ex-
as a leader in the depths, rallying the prisoners under a banner perimental weapons. Its endless snow-covered plains and chan-
of rebellion. Known as the Torchbearer, they promise freedom ite-corrupted ruins provided the ideal conditions for dangerous
from the subterranean nightmare and promises to seize the sur- experiments, where collateral damage was minimal. Although
face-city for themselves. metropolises have since risen in the region, most of them are re-
cent developments. They stand as isolated bastions of civilization,
Meanwhile, the surface dwellers remain largely ignorant of the surrounded by wastelands scarred by the Mistland’s corruption.
horrors beneath their feet. They live their lives under the watch-
ful eyes of Arcturus’ military complex, unaware that the city’s The wasteland is home to mutated communities, descendents of
wealth and security are built on buried backs. But even this order those who survived generations of exposure to the Mistlands.
is fragile. There are rumors of residents who have begun to sym- Some groups have been mentally warped, reverting to primal in-
pathize with the rats below, sometimes even running the smug- stincts, while others bear monstrous disfigurements. A few have
gling networks that sustain them. managed to hold on to enough humanity to form small pockets
of civilization, though most remain isolated, living on the fringes
of society. Arcturus typically leaves these wastelanders alone un-
DEADWINTER less they pose a direct threat, though a few scientists venture to
them, eager to study the lingering effects of corruption firsthand.
Deadwinter is a chaos zone that once engulfed all of Graveland.
Chanites trigger constant cryo-rifts, unleashing such extreme To the southwest, Staranova has become a growing issue for
cold that the land is entirely inhospitable without highly special- Arcturus. Now that the Mistlands no longer pose an immedi-
ized survival equipment. A century ago, what was once Green- ate threat, the Staranovans claim that Arcturus is encroaching
land became a frozen graveyard, where the dead stand like eerie on their rightful territory. In response, Arcturus has fortified its
statues encased in ice. The fierce battles with the trojans of Dead- borders, preparing for potential land invasions from the Starano-
winter shattered many of these corpse-statues, scattering their vans, whose powerful mechs have already begun tearing through
brittle bones across the desolate land. the contested landscape. While Arcturus is confident in its ability
to defend against an invasion, there are growing concerns that
The trojans of Deadwinter are fearsome predators, perfectly such a conflict could escalate into a larger war, threatening the
adapted to the freezing chaos. They use the blinding snow and fragile peace between the two factions.
the storm winds to hide, ambushing their prey with terrifying
precision. Drawn to energy sources, they target settlements and ARMENGRAD
outposts, often following cryo-storms beyond Deadwinter’s bor- Armengrad is the beating heart of Arcturian military power, a
ders. When temperatures drop, the trojans are never far behind, metropolis of over twenty million people, where one-fifth of the
hunting anything that gives off warmth or power, disappearing as population is directly involved in the military complex. Home to
quickly as they strike. Jarlstar, the khora responsible for military research and devel-
opment, Armengrad also houses the prestigious Jarlstar Acad-
Despite Arcturus’ efforts to contain the chaos zone with electro- emy (JARL), Arcturus’ top training ground for faction soldiers,
magnetic barriers, the freezing winds occasionally slip through, private mercenaries, and specialized agents. In Armengrad, the
forcing the people of Graveland into hiding. Rumors speak of a city’s infrastructure and military are inseparable—every lesson
trojan leader deep within the heart of Deadwinter, a powerful taught at the academy is applied in real-time to the city’s tightly
entity called the Glacial Queen that is said to control the rifts and controlled operations.
command the trojans. Expeditions sent to investigate have never
returned, leaving the existence of such a being a mystery. Unlike most metropolises, where neon-filled towers reach for the
sky, Armengrad is a sprawling fortress that burrows deep into the
Those brave or foolish enough to venture near Deadwinter speak earth. Its vast network of tunnels, bunkers, and underground fa-
of strange anomalies—time distortion, ghostly apparitions, and cilities forms a labyrinthine cityscape where citizens are carefully
frozen statues that seem to move within the ice. Whether caused monitored. Poverty does not exist here because every resident
by the chaos or by a sinister conscious force, Deadwinter remains has a role and a purpose. Those who deviate from their assigned
a mystery, drawing in scientists and scavengers eager to retrieve purpose are swiftly dealt with—and in Armengrad, where crime
lost knowledge and treasures, even as most never return. is rare but punishment is frequent, disappearances are a quiet,
accepted reality.

FROSTLAND Life in Armengrad is efficient and orderly. The obedient are re-
warded with relative comfort, enough credits for basic luxuries,
A century ago, the Mistlands (p. XX) stretched along the entire and the security to leave their doors unlocked without fear. The
northern Eurasian coast, consuming much of what is now the military controls crime prevention entirely, and the city’s draco-
Camellian Dynasty and Staranova, leaving only a small bastion nian law enforcement ensures strict obedience. Talvi Kettu, the
to the south untouched. As Arcturus fought back against this metal-riftan enkhor of Jarlstar, is a fervent supporter of this sys-
creeping corruption, they used secret technologies to push back tem, often advocating for its replication in other Arcturian cities.

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To them, Armengrad’s model is one of perfection, where disci- the benefits. Another theory posits that Hearth serves as a prop-
pline and duty are paramount. aganda tool, showcasing Arcturus’ willingness to maintain peace
while conductive secret negotiations that could reshape the solar
But beneath this rigid order lies tension. Rumors of experimental system’s power dynamics. Some argue that it’s all of the above.
soldiers, lost behind bureaucracy, kept on tight leashes. Whispers
of underground factions forming in the city’s outskirts, with qui- Regardless of its true purpose, Hearth is a rapidly growing me-
et agents navigating the many departments and agencies to ma- tropolis, now home to over 18 million citizens, and its population
nipulate proceedings and carve out influences. There are those is projected to surpass all other Arcturian cities within a decade.
who question whether Armengrad’s iron grip on its citizens is as With this growth comes opportunity—thriving businesses and
unshakable as it seems. ample chances for individuals to carve out a prosperous life.

THE GATEWAY Hearth has also become a hub of education, housing the old-fash-
During Arcturus’ campaign to reclaim Frostland from the Mis- ioned Polar University (POLU), which is celebrated for its strides
tlands, they uncovered a strange and unexpected relic hidden in gene editing and transhumanism, and the modern Homeland
deep within the mist—a massive, twenty-meter ring made from Academy (HOME), which specializes in teaching politics, eco-
the mysterious godware technology known only to Primary Or- nomics, and diplomacy. Both academies actively participate in
der and the Machineborn. This Gateway appeared to have mate- exchange programs with foreign factions, but they often clash,
rialized out of nowhere, baffling researchers and military officials their methods viewed in competition between the old and new.
alike. Its sudden discovery raised more questions than answers.
HOMESTEAD
Arcturus quickly quarantined the site, conducting exhaustive Homestead was once the capital of the Siberian Empire, wiped
tests on the Gateway. The initial analysis suggested it was a mal- clean of life by the Mistlands. Today, a new metropolis stands
functioning matrix gate (p. XX). Stranger still, the Gateway was atop its ruins, serving as the transhuman capital of the north.
estimated to be over five centuries old, despite there being no Its proximity to the Voidstar has given Homestead the highest
record of its existence before the Mistlands consumed the region. population of specters in the solar system—so many, in fact, that
Its sudden appearance has only deepened the mystery, as there the city has granted artificial citizenship to many of them. This
is no consensus for how such a structure could have remained unique relationship between the living and the dead defines the
hidden for so long. city’s culture, creating an environment where the boundaries be-
tween the physical and digital worlds blur.
The discovery of the Gateway drew attention from across the
solar system, with numerous factions eager to study it. Howev- This is a city of strange powers and even stranger beings. Entire
er, Arcturus granted exclusive access to the Dawnlight Society, districts are run by chimeran amities, while soul districts provide
known for their Machineborn engineers and expertise with god- spaces where specters and humans coexist, interacting through a
ware technology. The prevailing theory suggests that the Gateway complex network of sensors and projectors that merge their real-
is a relic of Primary Order, likely cloaked for centuries until the ities. Here, the cooperative maintains a strong military presence,
Mistland chanites disrupted its concealment. But the Dawnlight eager to recruit the city’s transhumans for its divisions.
researchers have yet to explain why the Gateway is malfunction-
ing or what its true purpose might be. As Arcturus restored Homestead after purging the chaos, they
found that much of the original infrastructure had been altered
Not all factions agree with this assessment. The religious faction in bizarre ways. Roads lead to nowhere, buildings lack means
Deva claims the Gateway is the work of their deity, the Voice, and of getting between floors, and machinery have been found with
has demanded the right to study it. Deva has threatened violence new components that bear no discernible purpose. The tears in
if they continue to be excluded from the research. As tensions nitespace cause sporadic cryo-rifts that threaten the safety of the
rise, the Machineborn engineers studying the Gateway have city’s inhabitants, and buried chanite pockets wait to be unveiled.
presented an alternative theory—the possibility that it might be
connected to the corrupted tunnels of Dis-Order. Despite Arcturus’ efforts to stabilize Homestead, it remains a
place of mystery. Citizens frequently stumble upon hidden traps,
HEARTH strange anomalies, and forgotten technology buried beneath lay-
Hearth is Arcturus’ bold experiment in open markets and foreign ers of worn concrete and ashen snow. Arcturus warns people not
collaboration. Over the past few decades, the metropolis has seen to stray, but scavengers and thrill-seekers know that every corner
significant investment in its infrastructure, designed to foster co- could hold some rare treasure.
operation with rival factions. Here, Arcturian citizens are free to
work for foreign interests while retaining their citizenship, sign
up for external credit registries, and engage with contesting me- GRAVELAND
dia empires—a rare occurrence in Arcturian society.
Ravaged by the territorial tug-of-war between Arcturus and
The motivations behind Hearth’s creation remain a topic of spec- the Directorate, Graveland has become a scarred and inhospi-
ulation. Some suggest it’s a covert operation to integrate Arcturi- table wasteland. Poisoned by radiation and corruption, the oily
an spies into rival factions. Others believe it’s a strategic move to tundras have seen constant strife between trojans, wasteland-
lure foreign economies into a situation where Arcturus can reap ers, and faction militaries. The bones of fallen soldiers litter the

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landscape—a haunting reminder of its violent history. Today, underground, housing facilities dedicated to mining, research,
even after a generation of peace, the land remains dangerous, as and manufacturing. Caldera is a self-sustaining city, its artificial
if there is something rotten in the frozen soil. biomes capable of supporting the nearly twenty million residents
for several generations, making it one of Arcturus’ most valuable
To reclaim Graveland from its chanite infestation, Arcturus— and secure strongholds.
backed by the Dawnlight Society—deployed the Plato bomb,
an advanced electromagnetic weapon that neutralized both the The city is divided into districts controlled by different khora
chanites and much of the surrounding technology. While this (p. XX), each specializing in specific industries. Arcturian Aero
allowed Arcturus to secure control of the north, the Plato bomb focuses on aerial technology; Nordic Green handles food pro-
caused catastrophic damage to the Nanite Matrix, leading to an duction; Aurora is in charge of entertainment and broadcasting.
outbreak of cryo-rifts that have drastically cooled the northern Smaller organizations are allowed to operate in Caldera, but only
hemisphere. The land is now largely free from chanite corrup- with Arcturus’ approval, and disloyalty is swiftly punished. The
tion, but the question is “at what cost?”—freezing storms and machinations of these khora shape Caldera’s culture and econo-
residual radiation make it a harsh and unforgiving place. my, with consequences reverbeating through the Dominion.

Both the Directorate and Megacorp have sought access to Plato Beneath the surface, however, lies a more dangerous world. In
bomb technology, but the Dawnlight Society remains the only the deepest levels of Caldera, where toxic gases and extreme heat
other faction with knowledge of its workings. The refusal to provide energy for the city, workers toil in hazardous conditions.
share this weapon has soured diplomacy between Arcturus and Many of these laborers are former prisoners, granted a second
the Directorate, adding fuel to an already tense ceasefire. Rumors chance at life in exchange for working in the dangerous depths.
suggest that Megacorp may have already infiltrated Arcturus’ sci- Scavengers and gangs also operate in these lower levels, carving
entific community in an attempt to steal the technology, though out their own existence amidst the deadly heat.
nothing has been confirmed.
DEATH’S CRATER
Despite its dangers, Graveland has found a new role as a proving One of the most infamous events of the Cooperative Wars was
ground for Arcturus’ elite. Soldiers from across the Dominion the detonation of the Plato bomb, which left behind the dan-
are regularly sent here for survival training, enduring weeks of gerous Death’s Crater. A place where the very fabric of reality is
brutal cold, strange anomalies, and skulking foes. At times, these distorted, Death’s Crater defies the natural laws of physics—mat-
exercises are broadcasted as entertainment, igniting passion for ter and energy are interchangeable, and the bounderies between
battle-influencers to risk their lives in the chilling cold. the digital and physical worlds blur. Some believe that the Nan-
ite Matrix itself was scarred by the bomb, and that the mysteri-
CALDERA ous Voidstar reached through that scar to tear open a bleeding
Buried deep beneath Graveland’s frozen wastes, Caldera is Arc- wound, transforming the crater into a massive void-rift.
turus’ heavily fortified terran capital. From the surface, it appears
as a grim, impenetrable fortress, but it extends tens of kilometers The crater has since become a refuge for specters, drawn by the

464
rift’s unique properties that allow them to manifest physical bod- protected, shielding it from the greater conflicts that engulfed his
ies. These ghouls (p. XX), as they are called, have formed a com- Dominion, even as many have forgotten his reasons why.
munity within the crater, negotiating with Arcturian scientists
in exchange for a semblance of life. Arcturus has built a forti- Iceland’s current leader, known only by her sobriquet Blue Rose,
fied barrier around the crater to contain these entities. But some is Animeus’ and Rosana’s great-grandchild of many generations.
manage to bypass the barrier, and like trojans, they require ener- She rules with the support of a powerful court made up of local
gy to sustain themselves—often consuming the living to survive. generals and academics, alongside consulting Arcturian enk-
hors. The Rose Vanguard, a division of elite soldiers outfitted in
Despite Arcturus’ attempts to control the void-rift, their efforts exoframes resembling medieval knights, has become a symbol of
are undermined by the Everliving, a powerful god-reaper that has Icelandic pride. These soldiers are not just warriors—they are ce-
clawed its way through the rift and adopted a monstrous, physi- lebrities, their fame extending across the Dominion, where they
cal form. It sustains itself by feeding upon the void-rift’s energy, occasionally act in support of Arcturus’ larger military efforts.
holding influence over the roaming souls. The Everling now pos-
es a significant challenge to Arcturus’ authority over the region. But Iceland’s prosperity and semi-independence have drawn ire
in the Alkhora. Many enkhors have begun to question why their
WINTERWALL Prokhor continues to honor a promise made centuries ago, and
Winterwall stands as Arcturus’ primary line of defense against whispers of a forced reclamation of Iceland have reached Blue
the relentless cold of Deadwinter and its trojan invaders. The en- Rose’s court. Fearing that the Alkhora may override the Prokhor’s
tire city exists indoors, with every building connected by tunnels will and impose direct rule, Iceland has funneled much of its
and enclosed bridges to protect its inhabitants from the deadly wealth into military fortifications. In a secretive move, Blue Rose
cold. Specialized insulating suits are required for any outdoor ac- has struck a deal with the Coalition, ensuring that if Arcturus
tivity, as exposure to Deadwinter’s freezing winds is lethal. should turn against Iceland, the Coalition will intervene—per-
haps with the intent of securing their own foothold in the region.
Life in Winterfall is harsh and meticulously controlled. The city’s
infrastructure relies on constant heating, with sensors monitor- Culturally, Iceland has diverged from the rest of the Arcturian
ing the movements of Deadwinter’s cryo-storms. At the first sign Dominion. While still fiercely competitive, Icelandic society is
of an approaching storm, the entire population is alerted, and more economically focused and less bound by traditional Arc-
nearby settlements are warned to seek immediate shelter. Once turian power-vanity. Many Icelanders, wrapped up in national
the storm passes, the city returns to its rigid routine. pride, view Arcturian culture as simple-minded and hollow. This
worries many enkhors, who see Iceland drifting ever further
Winterwall serves as both a military fortress and a hub for sci- from the Dominion’s core values, potentially setting the stage for
entific research. Arcturus invites foreign scientists to study the future conflict.
chanites and cryo-rifts of Deadwinter, with cryo-riftans encour-
aged to work in the city due to their natural resilience. Tensions ROSANA
with the Directorate persist, as information-sharing between the At the heart of Iceland lies the sprawling metropolis of Rosana,
two factions has been strained by Arcturus’ refusal to grant the named after its legendary founder, Rosana Karelina Leyndarmal.
Directorate full access to their research, and their stationed per- During the First Sector War, this city stood firm against constant
sonnel are often belittled by their local peers. siege from rival factions. Its advanced fortifications have now
gathered dust for centuries, even remaining untouched through
the Cooperative Wars.
ICELAND
Rosana is a city of contradictions, where the old meets the new.
Iceland has long stood at the crossroads of warring factions, its Its crooked streets wind through grandiose buildings, casting
isolated position both a blessing and a curse throughout the Sec- deep shadows over the poorer districts, where scavengers strug-
tor Wars. Today, Iceland thrives, being one of the few regions gle beneath the gleaming spires of wealth. With more than thirty
in the Arcturian Dominion with extensive trade relations with million residents, the metropolis covers most of Iceland’s surface,
foreign factions. However, despite its economic success, Iceland its skyline dominated by towering skyscrapers that pierce the
remains politically isolated from the Alkhora (p. XX). clouds. The Rose Vanguard symbolizes national pride, their faces
adorning posters, holograms, and merchandise.
Prokhor Arcturus Animeus shared a passionate bond with the
empyrean Machineborn Rosana Karelina Leyndarmal, who laid But beneath the veneer of heroism lies tension. The Rose Van-
claim to Iceland during the First Sector War. Their union pro- guard is often deployed to resolve domestic issues, from crime
duced many children, some of whom joined Animeus in his control to quelling unrest in the city’s outskirts. The sharp divide
grand ambitions, while others stood by their mother’s side. Rosa- between rich and poor grows more pronounced with each pass-
na’s assassination by the Directorate during the Transhumanity ing day, and while the Rose Vanguard are celebrated for their
Era broke Animeus’ heart, but also marked the beginning of a valor, some citizens know them for striking at their own people
long period of instability for Iceland—the northern hemisphere more than foreign threats. Whispers of resistance grow in the
would stand contested for centuries to come. lower districts, some believe it cultivated by Arcturian operatives
working outside of their Prokhor’s knowledge.
To honor Rosana’s legacy, Animeus vowed for Iceland to remain

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Rosana is also home to Geo Field University (GEFI), a prestigious the population itself, often expressing itself in violent outbursts,
academy celebrated for their advancements within planetary unfounded accusations, and authoritarian methods.
mining and geothermal energy, which has attracted research-
ers from across the Dominion. Recently, new discoveries have There are rumors that the Directorate is funneling weapons and
drawn the attention of foreign interests as well, and Iceland has technologies to these underground groups, further escalating the
invited a team of researchers from the Coalition as an initiative conflict. Arcturus has responded by intensifying security meas-
for potential future cooperations. This has sparked concern with- ures and hunting down suspected rebels with ruthless efficiency,
in the Alkhora, fearing that their own researchers will be exclud- though they often face ambushes in the vast urban landscapes
ed on behalf of rival factions. and barren wastelands. In Outreach, trust is a rare commodity,
and loyalty is more often bought than earned.

NO MAN’S LAND AURORA

Aurora—also known as the City of Steel Skeletons—stands as a
No Man’s Land is a chaos zone situated between Outreach, the haunting reminder of Outreach’s troubled history. Once intend-
Arcturian Archipelago, and the Protectorate (p. XX), contained ed to be a gleaming beacon of prosperity, Aurora was abandoned
by powerful electromagnetic barriers on all sides. This desolate in the wake of the Cooperative Wars, leaving countless districts
area has claimed the lives of countless explorers, soldiers, and of half-finished skyscrapers to rust. These towering, skeletal
scavengers over the past century. Those who enter rarely return, structures have become the playground of thrill-seekers, who of-
and those who do come back changed—haunted by unexplaina- ten dare each other into braving even greater heights.
ble experiences. Both Arcturus and the Directorate periodically
send specialist teams into the zone to investigate, but even the Though much of Aurora is shrouded in darkness and silence, it
most hardened operatives rarely emerge unscathed. also has a strange, eerie beauty. At night, where stars would have
been blotted out by light pollution, artificial auroras are project-
Survivors have described No Man’s Land as oppressively silent. ed onto the clouds, turning the sky into a living canvas for holo-
The unnatural stillness is so intense that many claim to hear their graphic advertisements and propaganda.
own heartbeat so loudly that it feels like their ears will burst, ac-
companied by the sensation of being constantly watched. Even While Arcturus has maintained control over Aurora, the city’s
soldiers who have augmented themselves to not feel fear describe power dynamics are far from settled. The Camellian Dynasty has
a sense of dread so primal that it transcends rational understand- established a significant presence in the city, recently investing in
ing. They report hearing whispers carried on the wind and seeing a network of factories. Here, Camellian engineers are adopting
eyes watching them from the shadows. Arcturian space and drone technology in exchange for political
favors and mercantile advantages. Contesting factions suspect
Unlike many other chaos zones, the chanites of No Man’s Land that this relationship is a front that hides the true nature of their
rarely cause physical mutations, but neural changes are common, collaboration.
especially in parts of the brain responsible for paranoia and fear.
Some scientists speculate that the surrounding electromagnetic Espionage and covert operations have spiked as other factions
barriers could be amplifying latent psionic energies employed by seek to uncover the true scope of what’s happening in Aurora.
the trojan population. Arcturus and the Camellian Dynasty remain tight-lipped, but
whispers of Camellian involvement in research facilities and
military operations have fueled conspiracy theories among the
OUTREACH populace. The city’s metal skeletons are not just symbols of its
broken past, but also potential cover for spies and insurgents.
Outreach was once a thriving part of the Protectorate (p. XX),
but during the latter days of the Cooperative Era, Arcturus seized
control of the region in a decisive but violent offensive. While it SVAVELBARD
has been officially recognized as part of the Arcturian Dominion
since, Outreach remains a place of tension and spite. Many of its Svavelbard is one of the most isolated and eerie regions on the
inhabitants still hold deep loyalties to the Protectorate, resisting planet, lying in the far northern reaches of the world. It is a land
Arcturian rule at every turn. Arcturus, in response, has stationed where the dead outnumber the living, with specters roaming the
a large military presence in the region, using fear and violence frozen island and its scarce human population keeping indoors.
to quell any hint of rebellion. But despite, or perhaps because of, Nearly the entire island is close enough to the Voidstar to feel
their iron grip, unrest continues to simmer beneath the surface. its influence directly—the nanites in the air are tainted, forming
a constant red haze that hangs ominously over the land. Those
Underground organizations, many secretly backed by the Di- who experience this firsthand are surrounded by a low, ghostly
rectorate, operate both in the sprawling metropolises and the buzz—an ever-present sound that some claim are the whispers of
desolate wastelands, contesting Arcturian authority at every op- the Voidstar itself, calling out for the living to dare meet the dead.
portunity. These groups engage in sabotage, assassinations, and
guerrilla warfare, terrorizing Arcturian loyalists and keeping the No settlements exist on this forsaken island, save for a single, se-
military on constant high alert. The paranoia and frustration cretive facility: Styx Laboratory. For the rest of the world, Svavel-
that grips the Arcturian forces has begun to trickle down into bard is off-limits—a place of mystery and whispered horror.

466
STYX LABORATORY a powerful presence around Neptune and beyond. The gas giant’s
Styx Laboratory is a dark remnant of the past, a relic discovered rich atmosphere provides a wealth of valuable resources—hydro-
by Arcturus after they fully evicted the Directorate from the Arc- gen, helium, methane, ammonia, and water—which Arcturus
tic in the late Cooperative Era. When exploring what remained mines extensively to sustain its off-world civilization. These re-
of Primary Order’s northern facilities, Arcturian forces stumbled sources are vital for everything from energy production to the
upon this active laboratory, hidden deep within Svavelbard’s red synthesis of complex materials needed for life in space.
haze. What they found inside would change the course of their
research into the Voidstar’s power—and stand as the primary Neptune’s moon Triton serves as the heart of Arcturus’ Neptu-
reason for why Arcturus will never again lose hold of the north. nian empire. The capital city, Lassellon, has become a vital hub
of industry, where nitrogen and other elements are extracted
The Directorate had once operated in this lab, conducting exper- and exported across the Dominion. Arcturus takes advantage
iments on children and grown-ups alike, attempting to unlock of the moon’s retrograde orbit and geologically active surface to
the secrets of the Voidstar’s entropy through horrifying meth- produce vast amounts of power using geothermal technologies
ods. Ever since the Voidstar’s emergence, some who had survived designed by engineers from Geo Field University (p. XX). The
near-death experiences came to acquire limited control over city of Lassellon, dug deep into the icy surface, is also a strategic
entropy itself. Known as kirlians, the Directorate found a way location for Arcturus’ long-term ambitions in space.
through this laboratory to create their own.
Beyond Neptune, the Dominion extends its reach into the Kui-
When Arcturus took over, they seized both the facility and its per Belt, where they have free reign to an endless supply of icy
grim research, continuing the experiments and refining the pro- bodies and dwarf planets. Mining vessels extract resources
cess in hopes of producing more powerful kirlians. For the sci- from asteroids and other celestial objects, making this dark and
entists of Styx, the end justifies the means, as they believe these vast region an essential part of their expansion. However, even
people hold the key to understanding—and ultimately master- in this vast emptiness, threats have emerged.
ing—the Voidstar’s dangerous power.
In recent generations, a multitude of unmanned mining vessels
The laboratory operates under strict secrecy, staffed by only a have disappeared mysteriously in the Kuiper Belt. There have
skeleton crew of elite soldiers and scientists. The handful of kho- been reports of ship graveyards tended to by unmanned vessels
ra involved in this project ensure that Styx remains hidden from or functionary-controlled ghost ships. In some cases, crews have
prying eyes. The world outside knows nothing of the facility’s lost control of their own ships, which have traveled independ-
true purpose, and many of the kirlians who have been experi- entely towards the outskirts of the solar system. Arcturus has
mented upon there have had their memories erased before being known about this threat for decades, but is tight-lipped about it
integrated into society. Today, there are hundreds of thousands to not dissuade people from continuing the Kuiper Belt mining.
of kirlians living as ordinary citizens across the Dominion, un-
aware of the horrors many of them have endured within Styx. Both Pluto and its largest moon, Charon, have been colonized,
with the two tidally locked bodies connected by an impressive
Despite its isolation, whispers about Styx Laboratory have be- network of elevators and stations known as the River. This has
gun to circulate among rebellious factions within and outside of become a strategic choke point for Arcturian operations in the
the Dominion. The Directorate, still furious over the loss of its Kuiper Belt. However, recent sabotage attempts have disrupted
researcdh, has dispatched spies and covert operatives to uncov- the flow of resources, leading to suspicions that terrorist cells
er what Arcturus is doing within the lab. Meanwhile, dissidents and spy networks operating within the colony.
within the responsible khora have begun to question the moral-
ity of the experiments, and many fear a possible kirlian uprising. Arcturus has also established deep-space telescopes in prox-
imity to these distant outposts, scanning the cosmos for alien
signatures and mapping the continuous expansion of interstel-
SPACE lar colonies. With dozens of independent civilizations in the in-
terstellar neighborhood, Arcturus is wary of their development
While Arcturus controls significant portions of Earth, its true while also being interested in the possibility of opening up the
empire lies far beyond the planet, at the fringes of the solar sys- old galactic lanes—and possibly spread their expansion beyond
tem. Isolated in the far reaches of space, Arcturus has established the solar system’s firm hold.

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 CHAPTER 10: SOCIETY

THE CAMELLIAN
DYNASTY
The Camellian Dynasty rejects many of their rival factions’ egali- tions within the empire to challenge Clan Camellia’s rule. De-
tarian tendencies, which allow just about anyone capable of navi- spite their efforts, Clan Camellia had spent decades solidifying
gating a complex bureaucracy to gain some level of authority. No, their position as nobility, and the council ultimately declared
the Directorate had the right idea when it placed transhuman the Three Divine Daughters as the true successors to the throne.
progenies in positions of authority. But according to the late Eva- They cast aside their Lionmane name on behalf of Camellia, not
na Eldara Camellia, former member of the Directorate’s Board of only heralding a change for the empire, but birthing the Camel-
Directors (p. XX) and head of the empyrean Clan Camellia, the lian Dynasty to fully overwrite the old regime.
Directorate’s leaders did not go far enough in this pursuit.
Tensions have continued to brew as factions loyal to the former
During the Cooperative Era, as many empyrean clans and ascend- heirs work in secret to undermine the dynasty from within. Lady
ant hives broke away from the Directorate to form independent Opal, the Divine Emperor’s ex-wife, has been living under the
factions, Clan Camellia charted a different course. Rather than protection of Deva’s founder Markus Sacaro since it became clear
creating separate power bases like several other clans, Evana set to hear that she would lose her position to Evana’s cunning. Ru-
her sights on the Lionmane Empire, one of the few remaining mors suggest that she might have something to do with leaking
empires to have survived this far into the Sector Wars. The Lion- classified information to the Directorate ahead of the Razor Ea-
mane population worshipped their emperor, a hot-headed Ma- gle Campaign, possibly having played a part in the tragedy.
chineborn named Nydas Lionmane, as a living deity.
THE THREE DIVINE DAUGHTERS
Obsessed with perfecting her bloodline, Evana had been a mas- The Three Divine Daughters of the Camellian Dynasty inherited
termind behind many of the DNA thefts that plagued empyrean both their parents’ ambition and their twisted sense of divinity.
clans during the Cooperative Wars. With an army of biotech- Part terran from their father’s side and part empyrean from their
nicians under her heel, she carefully engineered her clan’s gene mother’s, their genetic recipes also included stolen and modified
pool like an artist would approach their magnum opus. But de- DNA engineered by the clan’s biotechnicians. To appeal to the
spite her pursuit of genetic perfection, Evana’s true desire was to masses, each daughter was given a carefully crafted persona, tai-
be revered. She had taken notice of the kind of worship that the lored to inspire worship and loyalty among the empire’s citizens.
Lionmane’s Divine Emperor commanded, and she wanted it for
herself. And so, she brought her clan to the Empire’s doorstep. Chulan Eldara Camellia, or Jade Star, is part-ascendant, with
DNA contributions from Vixon Aleri, a former advisor to Eva-
When she first requested an audience with Nydas Lionmane, na. Known for her collected demeanor and prowess as both a
the Machineborn ruler remained wary of her intentions, having psionic and quantum coder, Chulan spearheads many of the
heard of her cunning. But as time passed, his wariness gave way Dynasty’s research and development programs. She is tall and
to fascination and, eventually, infatuation. Much to the dismay well-kept, dressing in sleek suits, often in shades of white, lime,
of his existing wife and heirs, Evana’s influence over the emper- or lavender—and keeping her black hair in intricate knots.
or grew, and within a generation, Clan Camellia was entrenched
within the Lionmane Empire, securing honorary nobility and She shares her mother’s cunning, but lacks her social assertive-
winning the favor of the Magistrate Council (p. XX). ness. Finding people dull and small talk a waste of time, she
often comes across as cold and distanced. She rarely engages in
Eventually, Nydas’ willingness to bring Evana’s artificial genome social events, unless they are intellectual forums, and she often
into his own sacred bloodline led to him disowning his existing hides her frustration over being forced to put her own projects
heirs and siring three daughters with her—the trio would later be aside on behalf of political responsibilites.
known as the Three Divine Daughters (see below).
The public sees Chulan as a source of wisdom and enlight-
THE RAZOR EAGLE CAMPAIGN enment, and she is often the subject of prayers for clarity and
Near the end of the Cooperative Wars, the Divine Emperor and composure. However, her passion for scientific advancement
Evana met a tragic end during the Directorate’s Razor Eagle conceals a lack of empathy that borders on the ruthless; she is
Campaign; a drone swarm tore through Venus’ Orchid Palace, driven by a singular goal—to achieve Machineborn activation
causing irreparable damage to the sky-citadel and destroying its for herself, no matter the cost.
life support systems. The emperor and Evana were later discov- Hana Eldara Camellia, also called Gold Dragon, inherited
ered together, locked in a final embrace, their bodies corroded DNA from Evana’s concubine, Tamuc Karena, and his covet-
by the planet’s toxic atmosphere. Their deaths plunged the Lion- ed tiger-chimeran bloodline. Known for her pride and confi-
mane Empire into mourning and ignited fierce debates within dence, Hana has created a public image of herself as a warrior
the Magistrate Council over how to best approach the future. draped in gold—she rarely ever wears clothing, instead putting
her gold-coated skin and shining-blonde hair on display. She
Some of the emperor’s disowned heirs re-emerged, rallying fac- often bathes in molten gold, her body protected from its heat.

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 The Mistlands
Silk Road
The Claw
Saisei
Seoul 2
Jade City

Asia
Fields of Nirvana
Samruddhi

Magenta

The Star Isles

Babel Tower Compass

Asia Fields of Nirvana

Samruddhi Magenta

The Star Isles

Babel Tower Compass

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 CHAPTER 10: SOCIETY

Having inherited her father’s strong passions, she feels emo- power without widespread backlash. However, this shift has left a
tions suddenly and intensely. She regularly engages in vices bitter divide within the council, as the old guard feels humiliated
and orgies, spoiling new lovers every other weekend—before by their displacement while the new blood pushes opportunistic
ruining their lives when they break her heart. She also loves agendas, ignoring the warnings of the old.
the thrill of battle, engaging in monster hunts in the Fields of
Nirvana (p. XX) or sometimes displaying her martial skills in While the magistrates officially govern the Dynasty’s day-to-day
broadcasted battles or public executions. operations, true power rests with the Three Divine Daughters,
who hold absolute authority over all significant decisions. When-
Although she appears abrasive and too temperamental for ever the council proposes policy changes or military strategies,
delicate political affairs, this persona is a carefully constructed they must submit them to the Three for final approval. In matters
facade designed to symbolize her bloodline’s personal strength of war, the Three’s unanimous consent is required, ensuring that
and courage. Beneath her outward aggression lies a tactical no single daughter can unilaterally lead the empire into conflict.
mind, constantly assessing threats to her family’s power, and
being deeply involved in the empire’s military affairs. However, the magistrates have learned to navigate this delicate
hierarchy, often burying their true intentions in bureaucratic jar-
Jia Eldara Camellia, also known as Silver Lotus, is the most like gon and masking controversial policies as mundane procedural
her mother in both appearance and ambition, with her clan’s matters. This tactic allows them to bypass the scrutiny of all but
recognizable amethyst eyes, intricate hair-styles as indigo as the most vigilant daughter—usually Silver Lotus, who has a habit
her royal blood, and a skintone that shimmers like silver. She of keeping a close eye on the council’s activities.
favors fashionable clothing, with intricate smart-dresses em-
anating colorful holographic light-shows, like fireflies, camel- Recent whispers suggest the existence of a secret faction known
lian petals, or auroras. as the Shadow Magistrate, a group of high-ranking officials who
use their positions to manipulate the bureaucracy for their own
Politically savvy and charismatic, Jia often serves as the face of ends—or for the benefit of Lady Opal and the disowned heirs.
the throne, using her charm to maintain the Dynasty’s influ- Silver Lotus has taken notice of this development and is, with
ence. While she is vain and power-hungry, seeking prestige the aid of Gold Dragon, secretly surveilling magistrates as well as
above all else, Jia has a compassionate streak that distinguish- their friends, families, and direct subordinates.
es her from her sisters. She is the driving force behind many of
the Dynasty’s more progressive policies, pushing for humane LIFE AND DEATH
reforms and social advancement in the aftermath of the war. Camellian culture is steeped in a history of devotion and worship,
shaped by the legacy of the Divine Emperor. He was celebrated
She is the oldest of the sisters, now nearing sixty years old, as a man of unrestrained passion and charisma—a warrior-poet
but having rejuvenated her body to half her natural age. She whose excesses were as legendary as his virtues. His followers
is also the only one of her sisters born through natural birth idolized him not just for his power but for his unabashed pursuit
without additional engineering. Some of her followers argue of pleasure, seeing his hedonism as a sign of divinity. This rever-
that this alone merits a higher claim than that of her sisters, ence for the emperor’s complex nature has become a foundation
but her own love and loyalty outweigh any selfish ambitions. of the empire’s cultural identity, encouraging the Camellians to
embrace their own emotions and desires without restraint.
Together, the Three Divine Daughters rule the Camellian Dynas-
ty, balancing their individual ambitions with their shared divine To outsiders, the Camellian people may appear like naïve roman-
mandate. However, they often clash, their unity held together by tics living in a fable. To the Camellians, this openness is a point
the carefully woven personas that mask their true intentions. of pride. They believe that every individual has a unique essence
that should be expressed and celebrated. This idea extends to
GOVERNMENT every aspect of their lives, from their bold fashion and elaborate
The Camellian Dynasty is ruled by the Magistrate Council, a festivals to their uninhibited expressions of love and rivalry. It is
gathering of three hundred acting magistrates who collectively not just accepted but expected that Camellians will speak their
guide the fate of the empire. While each magistrate claims to rep- minds and follow their hearts, even if it leads them into conflict.
resent a specific field of expertise or a noble lineage, the reality is
far more political. Most magistrates are appointed based on loy- But this celebration of individuality has a darker side. The judi-
alty and bloodline rather than merit, ensuring that the council’s cial system treats crimes of passion with a leniency rarely seen in
power remains tightly controlled by those who support the Three other cultures. If a crime is committed in the heat of the moment,
Divine Daughters’ vision. driven by intense emotion, it is often judged with compassion
and understanding. For more premeditated acts, individuals may
Though many of the magistrates hail from ancient families that request the right to engage in a blood feud, a legal battle sanc-
have served the Lionmane Empire for centuries, there was a sig- tioned by the authorities. These duels, which can involve deadly
nificant purge of the council after the death of the Divine Emper- consequences, are reviewed by a jury and, if approved, are largely
or. During this upheaval, many old families were removed from ignored by law enforcement, allowing the participants to settle
power and replaced by member of Clan Camellia and their clos- their scores without interference.
est allies. This purge was subtle but ruthless, with minimal public
knowledge of the events, allowing the new order to consolidate The Camellian Dynasty holds a deep reverence for the concept

470
of traditional marriage, which, to them, is more than just a social FIELDS OF NIRVANA
contract; it is a sacred bond intended to create a lasting legacy. The Fields of Nirvana is the Camellian Dynasty’s crown jewel—
In the upper echelons, each family views their name as a lasting an artificial paradise where only the elite may tread. Also serving
stamp upon the dynasty’s history—they believe that the strength as an academy with the designation NIRV, it is a sanctuary dedi-
of this legacy is measured by the achivements of their descend- cated to the science of terraforming, not just for other worlds but
ants, and a tarnished reputation can last for generations. for restoring Earth itself. Lush, constructed ecosystems serve as
both a testament to humanity’s ability to manipulate nature and
Camellians enter into marriage with a sense of duty, not just to a symbol of social exclusion, since only the privileged may enter.
their partner, but to the generations that will follow. Marriages
are often arranged between powerful families, often as a result Many do so only to vacation, with only a few spending the better
of political sway, a resolved blood feud, or a great story. But de- parts of their lives here. Foreigners are not allowed, unless the
spite this focus on tradition, Camellian marriages are far from invitation bears political sway and is signed off by a magistrate.
loveless. They are often characterized by a blend of passion and Some magistrates have been known to personally bring foreign
pragmatism, where emotional bonds and strategic alliances co- dignitaries to the Fields, mostly to earn social capital with them.
exist. Couples are encouraged to pursue their personal passions
and ambitions while also working together to strengthen their For Gold Dragon, the Fields of Nirvana are more than just a re-
family’s standing. This dynamic creates a blend of competition treat; they are her playground. She often uses her estate within
and cooperation, where each partner seeks to excel in their own the gardens to entertain her whims, requesting the creation of
right while also supporting the other’s rise to prominence. new animal species for sport or as pets. Her presence adds to the
aura of exclusivity, reminding the academy’s scholars and staff of
However, the pursuit of legacy often leads to intense pressure on their place within this esoteric enclave.
the younger generations. Children born into influential fami-
lies are expected to not only uphold but surpass their ancestors’ Despite its serene appearance, there are rumors that the Fields
achievements. Failure to do so can result in disappointment, hide darker secrets beneath their beauty. Whispers of covert ge-
shame, or even disownment. Some families push their children netic experiments and hidden labs suggest that another purpose
into fierce rivalries, even with their own siblings, believing that of the Fields may extend far beyond their stated goals, delving
competition breeds excellence. This has led to a culture where into realms of bioengineering forbidden since the ceasefire.
family members can be both allies and adversaries.
JADE CITY
Jade City is the beating heart of the Camellian Dynasty, a vast
ASIA metropolis sprawling along the coast of the Yellow Sea. Its sky-
line is a blend of shining towers that reach for the clouds and
The Lionmane Empire was originally forged from the unification decrepit districts lost to poverty and crime. Jade City is a place
of the Sovereign Chinese States during the Post-Modern Era un- where grandeur and decay exist side by side, but where those
der the leadership of the Divine Emperor. During the First Sec- with means cast long shadows over those without.
tor War, he took advantage of the chaos to conquer much of the
Eurasian continent, merging countless nations into a single en- The city’s outskirts are notoriously lawless, dominated by gangs
tity called Eurasia. However, the relentless conflict of the Second and criminal syndicates that control entire districts. These fringe
Sector War shattered his empire’s hold, forcing its borders back districts are battlegrounds where rival groups vie for dominance,
and dividing the land once more into what is now known as Asia. operating in the open with little fear of interference. The magis-
trates rarely intervene here, seeing the chaos as a convenient way
Northern Asia became a wasteland after the Mistlands (p. XX) to have the gangs police each other. However, several gangs have
spread across the continent, leaving behind a corrupted and irra- banded together in recent years, organizing in a way that cannot
diated landscape filled with hostile mutants and chanite anoma- be ignored.
lies. Wastelanders and Camellian soldiers still venture into these
hazardous zones, hoping to reclaim lost knowledge or unearth At the heart of Jade City lies the Jade Citadel, a magnificent sky-
old relics. In contrast, southern Asia has become a thriving re- scraper-palace guarded by automated turrets and proxy soldiers
gion under the Dynasty’s control, with thousands of fertile fields known as the Jade Guard. The citadel serves as the residence of
supporting bustling metropolises. Gold Dragon when she chooses to be in the city, as well as the
official meeting place for the Magistrate Council. Though Gold
The lush southern fields are strictly guarded, with armed soldiers Dragon’s presence is often fleeting, her dominating influence lin-
patrolling their borders to keep wastelanders from tainting the gers even in her absence.
land. The Camellian Dynasty’s grip here is absolute, enforcing a
strict division between the vibrant south and the deadly north. Jade City is also a hotbed for espionage and intrigue. The Snake
However, the recent decade has seen increased hostilities be- Pit, a rising syndicate, has been targeting diplomats and influen-
tween wastelanders and Camellian forces, and there has been an tial figures within the city, staging assassinations that appear as
influx of military-grade weaponry into the wastelands. This has tragic accidents. The Pit is rumored to have ties to a disinherited
sparked rumors of these groups being backed by anti-Camellian Camellian heir seeking to reclaim their lost power. With likely
rebels or foreign patrons, with Lady Opal often the one accused. ties to individual magistrates, Silver Lotus and Gold Dragon have
discussed escalating their surveillance measures.

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As Jade City continues to evolve, it has become the epicenter cate vying for control over the lucrative underworld.
of the Camellian Dynasty’s progressive shift. The metropolis is
opening its doors to foreign influences, hosting embassies and Another layer of intrigue is the presence of Megacorp, which has
welcoming even the most bitter rivals to engage in commerce carved out a significant district for itself in Magenta. Suspected
and diplomacy. This openness has transformed the city into a dealings between Megacorp and the local syndicates have made
dynamic, multicultural hub where new ideas clash with old tra- it a formidable presence, one that the magistrates find difficult to
ditions. Amidst this transformation, some fear that the sudden counter. Megacorp manipulates politicians and syndicate leaders
embrace of outside perspectives might weaken the Three Divine alike, having turned the city into a testing ground for influencing
Daughters’ position, while others are focused on opportunities the Camellian public to open itself up to the MCR (p. XX).
for innovation and growth in the new post-war climate.
Life in Magenta is a balancing act between chaos and control,
MAGENTA where criminals bear social capital over everyday citizens. The
Magenta, known far and wide as the City of Sin, pulses with presence of the syndicates provide stability for most, since they
neon lights and an energy that never dims. The streets are a con- ensure that crime stays organized and contained.
stant swirl of color and movement, where every corner offers
the promise of pleasure, danger, or both. It is a metropolis that SAMRUDDHI
thrives on vice, where nightlife reigns supreme, and every desire Samruddhi, the infamous City Mirage, was once a utopia rising
can be fulfilled—for the right price. from the harsh desert landscape. Founded by the late Evana El-
dara Camellia, the city was designed to be a beacon of hope and
Beneath its vibrant surface, Magenta is controlled by the Pyra- beauty; its crystalline scyscrapers shimmered in the desert sun,
mid, a vast criminal syndicate with a reach that extends far be- appearing as distant mirages to weary desert travelers. Evana’s
yond the city’s borders. The Pyramid is more than just a gang; it dream was for Samruddhi to be a place where even the most des-
is a shadow government that manipulates the city’s politics, pulls titute could find solace and wonder.
the strings of the local economy, and dictates the flow of illicit
goods and services. Though the Magistrate Council nominally However, since Evana’s death, Samruddhi has lost its luster. The
holds authority over the city, in reality, they often turn a blind wealthy and influential have fled to more prosperous regions,
eye to the Pyramid’s dealings, preferring to use the syndicate’s leaving behing empty towers and broken promises. In their place,
influence to their own advantage when needed. the lower classes have taken over and wastelanders have moved
in, setting up their own communities in the forgotten corners of
But Magenta is more than a playground for the hedonistic. It is the city. It is now a patchwork of crumbling districts, where the
a city of hidden depths, where every neon-lit alley hides secrets echoes of its former glory clash with the harsh reality.
and every club whispers rumors of power plays. Recently, a new
faction known as the Nocturnals has emerged from the under- Amid this decline, a power struggle brews between the factions
world. These masked vigilantes have begun to challenge the Pyr- that vie for control over what remains of Samruddhi. Local
amid’s dominance, launching a series of precise strikes against gangs, wastelander tribes, and a shadowy organization known as
its smuggling operations and freeing captives from its clutches. the Dust Council have carved the city into territories, each en-
However, their true motives remain unclear—some claim they forcing its own laws and rules. The Dust Council is said to be led
seek justice, while others suspect they are merely another syndi- by what remains of the city’s former management—people who

472
claim to want to honor Evana’s plans for the city. They hold sway Though this region is on the rise, it is not without its tensions.
over the most lucrative areas, seek ways to complete unfinished Shadowy factions are vying for influence over the Claw, eyeing it
projects, and dream of restoring Samruddhi to its former glory. as a launchpad for further dominance within the Dynasty. In ad-
dition, the Mistlands still looms nearby, posing a potential threat.
SILK ROAD Strange weather anomalies around the chaos zone’s containment
Silk Road emerged in the aftermath of the ceasefire, a beacon of barriers have sparked fears of a resurgence in chanite corruption,
diplomacy and commerce nestled at the crossroads of the Ca- and the risk of the barriers weakening—or being sabotaged.
mellian Dynasty, Arcturus, the Coalition, and Staranova. This
strategic metropolis has become a melting pot of cultures, a SAISEI
bustling hub where rival factions come to trade, negotiate, and Saisei, one of the largest and most populous metropolises on the
navigate political dick-waving. Its vibrant markets are filled with planet, sprawls across the entirely of former Japan. Built upon the
goods from all over the solar system. ruins of old Tokyo, it has flourished as a cultural and economic
hub for the Camellian Dynasty, largely untouched by the Mist-
At the heart of Silk Road’s operations stands the Gatekeeper, a lands and having endured every assault during both Sector Wars.
prime functionary that governs the city’s black fortifications and As a result, Saisei has become a symbol of rebirth and prosperity,
thorough customs. Officially designed to prevent corruption and with neon-lit districts crossing the horizons.
espionage, the Gatekeeper is far more than a security system—it
is a master manipulator that collects data on everyone who pass- However, beneath this polished surface lies a dangerous under-
es through, amassing secrets that it uses to influence both local world of crime and corruption. Unlike Magenta (p. XX), where
politics and the actions of foreign dignitaries. Though the Mag- syndicates control the government, Saisei’s criminal landscape is
istrate Council technically oversees the Gatekeeper, it exploits its fractured. Powerful gangs like the Shadow, formed by soldiers
knowledge to gain leverage even over its own masters. scarred by the Cooperative Wars, and the Rift-Eaters, who have
augmented themselves into ravenous body horrors, battle for
Silk Road’s status as an interfactional trading hub has not gone dominance over the city’s underworld. These factions wage con-
unnoticed by those eager to exploit it. Espionage is rampant as stant turf wars, with entire districts turning into battlegrounds.
agents from rival factions attempt to infiltrate the city’s power
structure, using the commercial center as cover for covert opera- In an effort to maintain control, Saisei’s government has grant-
tions. There are growing concerns that the Gatekeeper has made ed greater authority to the Overseer, a prime functionary housed
secret alliances with foreign machine-gods and is engaging in its within Shogun’s Spire, the city’s tallest skyscraper. The Overseer
own diplomacy and trade unknown to the government. was originally designed to monitor and enforce the law, using a
vast network of drones, surveillance systems, and predictive al-
While many magistrates indulge in lavish meetings and parties gorithms. But over the years, it has been given near-autonomous
with foreign dignitaries, they have unknowingly ceded control control over law enforcement in Saisei.
over much of the city’s day-to-day operations to the Gatekeeper.
As it grows bolder, rumors suggest that it has begun blackmailing There are rumors that the Overseer has begun to deviate from
high-ranking officials, forcing them to act in its interests under its original directives. It has become increasingly ruthless in its
threat of exposing traitorous acts or depraved secrets. In the eyes methods, prioritizing order at any cost, and even breaking the
of many citizens, the Gatekeeper has already become the de facto laws it was made to uphold. Whispers of it engaging in corrupt
ruler of Silk Road, its iron grip tightening as it maneuvers to re- measures to earn easy victories over certain syndicates, or tor-
shape the city in its own image. turing and murdering suspects even with loose evidence, have
sparked fear among some citizens. While many still celebrate its
victories over the syndicates, others worry at the costs.
THE CLAW
Despite these concerns, the government continues to rely heav-
The Claw is an isolated region officially still part of the Asian sec- ily on the Overseer, believing it to be the only force capable of
tor, though it earned its distinct name after the Mistlands severed maintaining order in a city as vast and complex as Saisei. How-
its connection to the rest of the continent. This relatively small ever, some magistrates worry that two of the Dynasty’s prime
but important region is held together by two major metropolises: functionaries, Silk Road’s Gatekeeper (p. XX) and Saisei’s Over-
Saisei and Seoul 2. Saisei, meaning “rebirth,” was built on the ru- seer, may secretly be in communication with each other, and
ins of Tokyo after it fell to the Lucifer Tremors of 192-S, and Seoul possibly scheme for even more power and influence.
2 rose from the ashes of the old city, which was obliterated in a
nuclear strike centuries ago. SEOUL 2
Seoul 2 is a city of survivors, born from centuries of calamity and
Much of the land outside these cities remains desolate—marked conflict. This collective trauma has forged a culture deeply com-
by crumbling skyscrapers, corrupted landscapes, and sparsely mitted to peace and reconciliation, making it a city known for
populated wastelander communities. However, the Claw’s strate- embracing Silver Lotus’ progressive politics. After establishing
gic position has proven invaluable in brokering meaningful alli- the Three Daughters’ Embrace Academy (TDEA) three decades
ances with both Arcturus and the Directorate during the last two ago, Seoul 2 has produced diplomats and peacekeepers that not
decades. Its location, combined with the current ceasefire, has only shape the future of the Dynasty, but have left its mark upon
transformed the region into a diplomatic hub. the Terran Consolidation, and the solar system at large.

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The city’s most unique feature is its seamless integration with the constant fear of the mist and the monsters within. They shelter in
Nanite Matrix, where entire districts have blended realspace and ruins or deep underground, some believing that the entire world
nitespice using sensors and holographic projections. Digital ava- has suffered the same fate.
tars engage with real people, creating a vibrant blend of tangible
and virtual reality. This symbiotic relationship with the Nanite Although the outside world knows of their existence, attempts to
Matrix has made Seoul 2 a hub for solar-spanning interfacer or- rescue these isolated communities have proven costly and dan-
ders, like the specter-hunting Knights of Dawn and the elusive gerous, often with rescue teams falling victim to the dangers of
Circle. Digital street races, battles, and performances take place the mist. Both Arcturus and the Camellian Dynasty have largely
in the streets, attracting spectators from all over the solar system. abandoned such rescue operations, instead focusing their atten-
tion on the many relics known to have been lost to the mist.
However, this integration also means that the Nanite Matrix is
closely monitored, and digital crime is punished harshly. It has
become increasingly difficult for criminal interfacers to operate THE STAR ISLES
in Seoul 2, as the vast network of surveillance and holographic
monitoring leaves little room for illicit activity to go undetected. The Star Isles archipelago, located at the base of Babel Tower (p.
But this also presents a compelling challenge for some, making XX), stands in stark contrast to the chaotic north. These islands
the digital criminals who thrive in the city peerless in their fields. have remained mostly untouched by chaos and conflict through-
out the ages. Their proximity to Babel Tower has allowed them
There is another reason than games and opportunities why Seoul to flourish as a cultural and intellectual hub for the Camellian
2 attracts interfacers. The Lost Codex, an ancient piece of code al- Dynasty and the broader solar system. Known as the brain of the
legedly written by Primary Order before its fall, is rumored to be Dynasty, the Star Isles are home to prestigious academies, with
hidden somewhere within the city’s nitespace. This code is said students and scholars arriving from every faction to share ideas
to hold secrets about how to access the Overlay, a virtual dimen- and push boundaries of science, technology, and philosophy.
sion that is layered underneath nitespace and has been beyond
humanity’s reach. The Terran Consolidation frequently holds forums and confer-
ences in the archipelago, contributing to its reputation as a neu-
The only interfacer known to have ever crossed into the Overlay tral ground for diplomatic negotiations and intellectual pursuits.
is the mysterious Machineborn hacker called the Planewalker. The locals pride themselves on their open-mindedness, embrac-
Despite having never shared any of the Overlay’s secrets with the ing new ideas and innovations rather than clinging to divine and
interfacer community, they have revealed an unexplainable level imperial traditions. This attitude has made it harder for the Mag-
of control over aspects of the Nanite Matrix, and have even been istrate Council to reach people with their propaganda, making
known to completely bypass the most complex security systems. the Star Isles a breeding ground for those who seek to challenge
This makes them feared by most factions and have the largest the political status quo through debate rather than force.
known bounty on their head in the entire solar system.
However, this openness also makes the Isles a target for espio-
Some believe that the Planewalker is operating out of Seoul 2, us- nage and covert influence. Factions from across the solar system
ing the legend of the Lost Codex as a recruitment tool, hoping to send spies to infiltrate the academic circles, hoping to glean val-
attract the best of the best to the city to groom a new generation uable information or manipulate the research being conducted
of interfacers. Others believe that the Lost Codex is a lie fabri- for their own purposes. Beneath the proper facade is a region rife
cated by Seoul 2’s government to cultivate the city’s growth and with intrigue, where power struggles play out in academy halls
reputation—this would be true to the Camellian spirit. and behind closed diplomatic doors.

COMPASS
THE MISTLANDS As the scientific capital of the Camellian Dynasty, Compass is the
birthplace of some of the most groundbreaking technological ad-
The Mistlands are Earth’s largest and most dangerous chaos zone, vancements in the solar system. It was here that Natielle Mantico,
stretching across vast tracts of desolate wastes, all shrouded in a who revolutionized energy production in the Post-Modern Era,
thick, impenetrable mist believed to be caused by chanites inter- fought to keep human academia alive during the Singularity Era.
acting with the air. Despite the efforts of the Camellian Dynasty It was also here that Mohammad Alderi laid the groundwork for
and Arcturus, who share intelligence and resources to contain the Alderian Matrix, the series of mega-telescope that would be
its spread, the Mistlands still cover a significant portion of the responsible for a multitude of groundbreaking achievements in
Asian continent. Without their combined efforts, it is believed physics, such as accurately measuring the cosmic topology and
the Mistlands would have consumed half the continent by now. confirming the multiverse theory.

The region is devoid of natural light as the sun rarely breaks Today, Compass is home to the renowned Alderian Academy
through the mist. Within it lurks trojans and twisted mutants, (ALDA) and the recently established Camellian Academy of
feeding upon the living and warping the land in their wake. Functionary Directives (CAFD). The cutting-edge research done
Scattered throughout the region are remnants of old cities, now at these academies is at the forefront of everything from cosmic
inhabited by human settlements desperately trying to survive. coding to functionary development, making Compass a center
These people, having no connection to the outside world, live in of innovation and intellectual prestige. Jade Star, who acts as the

474
headmaster of ALDA when she isn’t busy with political respon- and propelling the terraforming forward.
sibilities, frequently oversees the metropolis’ most critical scien-
tific endeavors and personally manages the academy’s cosmic Today, Venus measures an average 20 degrees hotter than Earth,
coding department. Her presence lends Compass both authority and it has both oceans and forests that the Divine Emperor only
and allure, drawing in experts and dignitaries from rival factions. had the pleasure of seeing the beginnings of. However, it remains
uninhabitable without insulation and breathing masks. The bio-
Unlike other metropolises in the Dynasty, Compass is known for sphere is made resilient against acid and heat, and its hues tend
its openness to foreign cultures. It has developed strong diplo- more towards orange than green. However, it produces oxygen
matic relationships with multiple factions through its willingness at great rates, with current levels about 20% of Earth’s. Bioengi-
to share its research and allow foreigners to participate in its ac- neered creatures can survive exposure—this includes a venusian
ademic pursuits. However, this transparency comes at a price. progeny known for acid-resilient skin in hues of lime or apricot,
Beneath the surface are secret dealings, hidden projects, and hair like raspy wires or tangled cables in hues of rust or jet, and
political corruption. The city’s bureaucracy is rife with bribery slightly larger eyes protected by glimmering membranes.
and nepotism, and many influential scientists and politicians use
their positions to leverage power and personal gain. With the current ceasefire in place, the Camellian Dynasty has
redirected its resources toward completing the terraforming
The political meetings held in Compass, often attended by Jade process, resuming efforts to stabilize the planet’s atmosphere,
Star herself, are known to often involve delicate negotiations and preparing for the Orchid Palace’s eventual landing. Several
over patents, rights, and claims related to new discoveries. While livable outposts have been established on the surface, function-
these discussions are conducted in the spirit of cooperation, they ing as research stations, mining hubs, and early foundations for
are frequently tinged with hidden agendas, as factions jockey for future cities. The ultimate goal is to land several sky-citadels on
influence over Compass’ academic achievements. Venus’ surface, transforming them into the planet’s first perma-
nent metropolises within the next few years.

SPACE

The Lionmane Empire retained control over Venus since it was

claimed during the First Sector War. Despite its hostile environ-
ment, Venus has always been of interest for colonization due to
its proximity and gravitational similarity to Earth. However, the
intense pressure, acidic atmosphere, and extreme temperatures
made it nearly impossible to establish permanent settlements on
the surface. Instead, thousands of floating outposts were let loose
in the sky, housing settlers for generations as terraforming began.

Over the centuries, these floating outposts have been advanced

into city-sized sky-citadels. The largest and most valued of them
is the Orchid Palace, which serves as the capital of the Camellian
Dynasty and the residence of Silver Lotus. The sky-citadels have
slowly descended as the terraforming efforts have lowered the
Venus’ temperature and pressure. They are now about ten kilom-
eters above ground, waiting for their final descent.

The Divine Emperor, whose pride made him want a planet of his
own, initiated a series of ambitious terraforming projects to in-
troduce green forests and blue oceans to Venus. The empire used
drone-ships to redirect hundreds of thousands of ice asteroids
from their paths in the solar system to introduce elements like
hydrogen and oxygen into the atmosphere; it built a ring system
around the planet called the Wreath, and later connected this
ring to a vast solar shade called the Caelestis—the latter not only
cooled the planet, but also created an artificial day-night cycle.

While these efforts have initiated the beginning of a unique, new

biosphere, they remain incomplete. Wars during the Sector Wars
delayed these plans, both due to direct sabotage and because it
made transporting asteroids through the solar system a risky and
impractical thing. Fortunately, terraforming and bioengineering
experts from NIRV collaborated with scientists and engineers
from ALDA to develop new ways of stabilizing the atmosphere

475
 CHAPTER 10: SOCIETY

THE COALITION
The Coalition emerged from the the once-dominant Directorate, CAISHEN
which dwarfed all factions leading into the Cooperative Era. The Caishen is named after Caishen Raa, one of the original found-
Directorate was crumbling under its own weight, with individu- ers of the Directorate and a visionary leader who believed in the
al empyrean clans holding too much power. Clan Camellia go- peaceful prosperity of humanity. Centuries have passed since his
ing rogue and selling vital intelligence to the Lionmane Empire death, but the Directorate branch that adopted his name claimed
brought the Protectorate (p. XX) near the brink of collapse, and to align with his altruistic ideals. Caishen specialized in resource
the Directorate’s Board of Directors (p. XX) recognized that they management, distributing vital supplies across the Protectorate.
had to restructure their bureaucracy to avoid civil war. When it seceded to join the Coalition, it took a significant share
of the Directorate’s resources with it, securing its place as one of
The Directorate divided itself into specialized branches, each the most influential members of the Coalition.
focused on distinct fields of expertise, similar to the Arcturi-
an khora (p. XX) system. While this fragmentation allowed for Today, Caishen continues to invoke Raa’s philosophy in its public
greater efficiency, it also caused unique cultures to develop with- relations, branding itself as a benevolent provider of humanity’s
in each respective branch. Over time, new internal conflicts were needs. It operates the solar system’s second-largest credit regis-
fueled, and the previous fear of clan civil wars was overshadowed try, the Caishen Social Bank (CaSB; see page XX), which plays
by actual branch wars. a central role in Coalition economics. To maintain its influence,
Caishen shares control of CaSB with the other Coalition branch-
The Coalition was formed when five of the most influential es, ensuring they remain united and dependent on its economic
branches—Caishen, Crocodile, Mantico, Nebulon, and Praetor— power. However, Megacorp’s economic rise causes concern, and
united in opposition to the Directorate’s transhumanist agenda. Caishen is now seeking alliances—even with former enemies like
The tipping point came when the Board of Directors introduced the Directorate—to expand CaSB’s reach into foreign markets.
the controversial Anachron Documents, which would have rele-
gated terrans to second-class citizenship. Outraged by this pro- Internally, Caishen is governed by a pseudo-democratic system,
posal, the five branches seceded, forming a defensive pact against where every citizen’s vote is weighted according to their CaSB
Directorate retaliation. This severely weakened the Directorate, score—giving the wealthiest people overwhelming control over
and rival factions seized the opportunity to challenge its dom- policy decisions, while discouraging them from passing up on
inance in the solar system, leading into the bloodiest decade of CaSB on behalf of foreign credit registries. Though critics de-
the Cooperative Era—the Doomsday Years of S-630 to S-640. nounce this system as oligarchic, others argue that it at least pro-
vides everyone with a vote, however small. In recent years, grow-
Early in the Coalition’s formation, its influence grew rapidly as ing discontent among the lower classes has led to unrest, as the
smaller branches, pushed to the fringes or disillusioned with the gap between the ruling elite and the general population widens.
Directorate’s agenda, allowed themselves to be absorbed into the
new union. Within a few years, the Coalition had secured control CROCODILE
of Europe and North Africa from the Directorate. A generation Crocodile was once the Directorate’s most influential propagan-
later, they claimed Uranus, and then Saturn. But as the Coalition da branch, responsible for crafting many of the anti-Machine-
expanded, so did the number of fronts it had to defend. Wars born sentiments that swept through the Protectorate. Under the
with other factions, like Arcturus to the north and Megacorp to leadership of Clan Sacaro, Crocodile became a powerful force
the south, stretched its resources thin—and just when it seemed in shaping public opinion. However, when the Directorate in-
to have the upper hand, disaster struck. An insurrection from troduced the Anachron Documents, Crocodile’s director, Viana
within Crocodile, the largest of the Five, led to the formation of Sacaro, was appalled. She defied the Board of Directors and re-
Deva, which seized Uranus and fractured the Coalition. directed Crocodile’s propaganda machinery to promote Caishen
Raa’s peaceful ideals, eventually pursuing the Coalition as a noble
This coup dealt a devastating blow to the Coalition, weakening alternative to the Directorate’s increasingly oppressive regime.
its standing in the solar system. The Directorate—which fought
losing battles against Arcturus, Megacorp, and the new Camel- Viana’s son, Markus Sacaro, was groomed to succeed her, but his
lian Dynasty—saw an opportunity to reclaim its lost European mental instability worried her. After years of psychological and
sectors from the weakened Coalition, but it seemed like fate neurological treatments, she decided to strip him of his inher-
wanted different. The Dawnlight Society suddenly emerged, cap- itance, thus sparking his rage. He allied with the Church of the
turing the Helios Swarm (p. XX) and eradicating Arawn (p. XX), Voice (p. XX) to stage an insurrection against Crocodile, found-
shifting the solar system’s focus to this new player. ing Deva in the process. Viana took her own life as Crocodile fell,
marking this as one of the Coalition’s darkest moments.
The Coalition seized this opportunity, allying with the Dawn-
light Society and pushing for a solar-spanning ceasefire and the The Coalition stepped in to save Crocodile after Markus’ betray-
formation of the Terran Consolidation. Nearly every faction al, but it never fully recovered its former glory. Now governed
signed the treaty within the first year, but few believed it would by a board of moguls under the watchful eyes of the other Four,
last. However, despite the fragility of this peace, it has now en- Crocodile continues to operate as the Coalition’s PR empire, but
dured for more than two decades. its independence has been greatly diminished.

476
 Baltic City

New Karelia
Blackstone

The Skull Outlook

Rome Trenches Sulphura

Eden

Mediterranea
Oasis
Fragment

The New
Mauretanian Cairo
Chaos Arabia
North Africa
Port Chase
Nguvu
Malachite

Rome

Mediterranea Fragment
Oasis
Eden

Cairo
New
Arabia

North Africa
Malachite

The
Nguvu
Mauretanian
Chaos Razad
Hunter
Fields
Port Chase
The
Iris Tower
Overgrowth

477
 CHAPTER 10: SOCIETY

MANTICO faction shouldn’t represent humanity on the galactic stage.

Mantico is named after the physicist and engineer Natielle Man-
tico, whose groundbreaking advancements in cold fusion revo- PRAETOR
lutionized the Post-Modern Era. Mantico’s contributions to sci- Praetor was once the Directorate’s foremost defensive branch,
ence and engineering, particularly the design of the Manticonian responsible for safeguarding the Protectorate’s most valuable
Reactor, laid the foundation for the technological advancements strategic assets. When it joined the Coalition, it used its defen-
that would lead to Primary Order and the Singularity Era. The sive might to devastating effect, turning their weapons towards
Directorate branch that bore her name became the leading au- their homes and peers, and effectively taking entire metropolises
thority in research and education in the Protectorate. hostage. Despite being called out as betrayers by the Directorate,
Praetor’s plan secured many of the Coalition’s initial sectors with
Over time, Mantico’s scientists grew increasingly critical of the minimal bloodshed—it became the backbone of the Coalition’s
Directorate’s refusal to incorporate Machineborn thinkers into success during the Cooperative Wars.
their research programs. While most recognized the risk of the
Machineborn’s unchecked potential, many believed them neces- As the war progressed, Praetor was initially defensive, keeping
sary if humanity would be able to take the next leap forward—and most of their forces within their own sectors to prevent uprisings
truly become united as a galactic civilization. Today’s interstellar and build a new status quo. But as things calmed, it shifted from
colonies were all fractured societies, with distances too vast for a defensive position to a more aggressive one, leading offensive
any unity to be meaningful. Without Machineborn to bridge the campaigns across multiple fronts.
gap, today’s neighbors could become tomorrow’s enemies.
With the ceasefire eventually in place, a military faction like
When the Directorate doubled down on its transhumanist agen- Praetor struggled to remain relevant. The Coalition’s commit-
da, Mantico seceded and joined the Coalition, eager to pursuit its ment to peace limited its military operations, leading Praetor to
scientific goals without restriction. pivot toward mercenary work. Today, Praetorian Guards—their
most elite units—can be found across the solar system, hired by
Today, Mantico remains the most prestigious academic institu- governments, organizations, and even rival factions to provide
tion in the solar system. Its academies are revered, and its part- security, eliminate insurgencies, and offer tactical expertise.
nership with Nebulon has been pursuing new advancements in
interstellar communication and exploration. Despite some in- Despite its diminished role, Praetor’s influence within the Co-
ternal criticism for opening its doors to Machineborn scholars, alition remains strong, as it controls much of their shared mil-
Mantico continues to thrive under the governance of the Faculty, itary infrastructure. The Praetorium, a council of high-ranking
a collective of academics and scientists who oversee its work. military officials, oversees the Coalition’s defense strategies and
ensures that it is always prepared for any future conflict.
NEBULON
Nebulon has become the Coalition’s gateway to the stars, relin- GOVERNMENT
quishing many of its territorial responsibilities to focus entirely The Coalition’s government operates through a web of interwo-
on space. Once a Directorate branch specializing in transpor- ven political bodies—this was a necessity to ensure trust between
tation and logistics, Nebulon transformed into the Coalition’s the Five and to maintain order in the sectors seized from the
foremost authority on space exploration, colonization, and infra- Protectorate. These sectors are each governed independently by
structure development. Its fleets of ships transport vital resourc- a protector appointed by the Coalition. While the sectorial divi-
es across the solar system, its satellites ensure broad communica- sion was based on previous Directorate regions, some have been
tion and surveillance, and its engineers work alongside Mantico added or reformed as the Coalition expanded.
to develop cutting-edge spaceships and megastructures.
On Earth, the six primary sectors are Hunter Fields, Mediterra-
Today, Nebulon is governed by a group of directors called the nea, New Arabia, New Karelia, North Africa, and Outlook. Each
Orbitors, all of which are selected from successful managers, ac- sector is represented in the Terrestrial Board, the Coalition’s main
ademics, and military officers. Each Orbitor is tasked to employ governing body for terran affairs, headquartered in Nguvu, North
specialists within relevant fields to keep them well-informed and Africa. Representation in the Terrestrial Board is determined by
to fact-check new policy positions. In recent years, it has been sector size and population, with North Africa holding the largest
common for Orbitors to employ specialists from the other Four, share of seats (134 sectorians), while smaller sectors like Outlook
both as a show of unity and to avoid domestic groupthink. hold fewer seats (26 sectorians).

Ever since the ceasefire, Nebulon has been leading the efforts to Every sector elects both sectorians, who serve in the Terrestrial
reestablish communication with interstellar neighbors and ac- Board, and conciliators, who represent the sectors in the Terran
tive colonial fleets. Although many other factions find it waste- Consolidation. While many of these officials are aligned with one
ful, Nebulon also aims to design and dispatch new colonial fleets of the Five—Caishen, Crocodile, Mantico, Nebulon, or Praetor—
intended to expand the Coalition’s reach beyond the solar sys- some are independent politicians focused more on their sector’s
tem. Alongside Mantico, Nebulon has reestablished contact with interest than the larger cooperative agendas.
Proxima, the nearest interstellar neighbor, and has even success-
fully sent an ambassador to the system via matrix gate. This has The Saturnian Ring serves as the primary governing body in
caused friction with other factions, as many argue that a single space, overseeing the Coalition’s place and operations in the solar

478
system. It is composed of sectorians representing space stations, HUNTER FIELDS
mining colonies, and other outposts, with a heavy focus on re-
source acquisition and management, energy production and dis- A hundred years ago, the chaos zone known as the Overgrowth
tribution, as well as interplanetary trade and defense. While the (p. XX) stretched from the heart of North Africa all the way to
Terrestrial Board engages more with other factions and with the the deserts of New Arabia. This untamed wilderness was home
Terran Consolidation, the Saturnian Ring holds sway over the to grotesque mutants, with the Coalition struggling to contain its
Coalition’s ambitions both within and beyond the solar system. spread. With the help of the Dawnlight Society and the deploy-
ment of devastating Plato bombs, the Overgrowth was eventually
Although these two boards make up the Coalition’s main political pushed back, stabilizing the region. But the damage was already
structure, the Five each operate semi-autonomously, with their done. Even today, the land remains scarred by corruption, with
own internal governance. When disputes arise between them, or mutants and monsters continuing to roam the wilds.
when critical decisions must be made, their leadership relies on
the Terrestrial Board or Saturnian Ring to resolve issues, though The Coalition saw an opportunity in the aftermath of the Over-
tensions have run high at times—particularly after Sacaro’s coup, growth’s retreat. The region was named Hunter Fields, fitting for
which tested the Coalition’s unity. a place where the wealthy elite now come to hunt mutated beasts
for sport. It has also become a proving ground for Praetorian sol-
LIFE AND DEATH diers, who engage in exercises against these abominations. Oth-
Ever since its inception, the Coalition has set out to prove that er military operations focus on eradicating remaining mutant
it could build a society where people were equals, free from the hordes and securing areas closer to the Overgrowth. At the same
Directorate’s caste-like divisions. While inequality exists, large- time, Manticonian scientists are working diligently, studying the
ly through economic class divides, the Coalition prides itself on corruption and its effects firsthand.
avoiding systemic discrimination based on progeny, gender, or
sexuality. In the Coalition, even the poorest can access educa- While most of Hunter Fields is governed from the subterranean
tion, healthcare, and social welfare—at least in theory. vault-city of Razad (see below), the Coalition maintains a signif-
icant presence in the wastelands. It monitors the many mutated
However, the Coalition’s ideals were sorely tested during the in- communities that have emerged from the Overgrowth’s devasta-
surrection led by Markus Sacaro and his followers in the Church tion, forming fragile alliances with benevolent ones and eradicat-
of the Voice. While the Anachron Documents had been the ing the ones deemed too dangerous. Allied wastelanders are of-
breaking point between the Five and the Directorate, Sacaro’s fered basic supplies and protection in exchange for information,
rebellion ignited anti-religious fervor throughout the Coalition. while hostile ones are hunted down and eradicated.
Many blamed the Voice’s followers for Sacaro’s atrocities, and re-
ligious persecution became widespread. Entire communities of The wilds of Hunter Fields are not just a battleground for soldiers
believers fled the Coalition, finding refuge in Deva, Sacaro’s new and scientists. The rich and powerful come here to test their skills
regime. While tensions around religion have eased in the post- in dangerous, but controlled, hunts, tracking mutants and mon-
war generation, suspicion still lingers, and believers of the Voice sters that would terrify even the most seasoned soldier. This has
continue to face quiet but pervasive prejudice. sparked a controversial underground trade of such abominations
for custom hunts or bloodsport.
Social relationships in the Coalition are fluid and pragmatic,
with no official system of marriage or partnership. Individuals RAZAD
may register a next-of-kin to whom they are unrelated, which Razad, named after the Praetorian tribune who founded the city
serves as a form of recognized partnership, but traditional mar- over eighty years ago, is less a metropolis and more of a sprawling
riage is considered outdated and unnecessary. Most people in bunker complex. Situated atop the ruins of several interconnect-
the Coalition live solitary lives, only choosing to cohabitate for ed nuclear vaults, Razad’s primary purpose has always been sur-
financial reasons, to raise children, or to pool resources. vival. Above ground, the landscape remains too dangerous for
large-scale settlement. Chanites still linger in isolated pockets,
Romantic relationships often take unconvential forms, as many and the few surface structures that exist are heavily fortified and
prefer the companionship of service droids or home functionar- militarized outposts. However, below ground, Razad is home
ies to dating other humans. These relationships, while common to over twelve million people who live in a labyrinth of under-
and normalized, are often recognized as problematic. Critics ar- ground districts, tunnels, and vaults.
gue that they breed a socially awkward population more focused
on satisfying their own preferences using technology than learn- The Coalition has invested heavily in maintaining a high stand-
ing how to meet and respect the needs of others. ard of living, with geothermal energy from nearby lava lakes
providing power, while vast underground greenhouses produce
The Coalition prides itself on having the best-educated popula- food. The city has a sophisticated infrastructure, including fresh
tion of all the solar factions, placing a high value on individual air filtration systems, clean water supplies, and efficient public
choices, broad digital communication, and free access to infor- services. This has led many to refer to Razad as a “two-faced city.”
mation. With its emphasis on inclusivity and education, the Co- On one side, the citizens enjoy relatively comfortable living con-
alition sees itself as a leader toward a prosperous future. Howev- ditions, insulated from the dangerous surface. But on the other
er, other factions tend to view the Coalition as boastful, putting side, heavily guarded facilities stand as reminders that the out-
up a pretty face while hiding a darker underbelly. side world is dangerous.

479
 CHAPTER 10: SOCIETY

Above ground are Manticonian laboratories, sterile facilities and its surrounding shores. Once part of the larger Euro sector,
dedicated to the study of chanite-infested spores from the Over- Mediterranea was carved out as its own entity after Sacaro’s in-
growth. These spores are considered valuable and kept under surrection that gave rise to Deva. The region suffered heavy dam-
tight control, with scientists using them in the development of age during the conflict, with large-scale battles and devastating
new drugs, remedies, and biotechnologies. This research is lu- artillery strikes that reshaped its borders and scarred the people.
crative but dangerous, though there are those who speculate that
some Manticonian scientists work in tandem with Praetorian Millions of refugees fled the territories claimed by Deva, seeking
arms manufacturers to weaponize the spores, turning them into sanctuary in Mediterranea. At first, the Coalition welcomed these
a pathogen that could be used in biological warfare. refugees with open arms, offering shelter from Deva’s religious
tyranny. However, as the refugee population swelled, tensions
Despite the dangerous work, Razad remains a critical hub for began to rise. Many Mediterraneans citizens grew increasingly
the Coalition’s operations in Hunter Fields. The city’s surface de- distrustful, fearing that Devan refugees might be infiltrators or
fenses are some of the most advanced in the region, with plasma terrorists in disguise. Under mounting pressure from the popu-
shields, turrets, and quarantine zones designed to hold back any lace, the Protector of Mediterranea ordered the complete closure
mutant outbreak. And while most citizens feel safe underground, of the Devan border, turning away future refugees and solidify-
whispers circulate about a spore outbreak in one of the vaults. ing the divide between the two regions.

While refugees still manage to slip into Mediterranea today, many

THE MAURETANIAN CHAOS of them avoid the metropolises and live as wastelanders, forming
tight-knit communities in the outskirts and fringe zones. These
The Mauretanian Chaos is a chaos zone that defies the dangerous former refugees are viewed with suspicion and disdain by many
reputation of Earth’s other corrupted regions. While most chaos Mediterranean citizens. To the locals, the wastelanders are bare-
zones are known for their deadly environments, the Mauretanian ly even seen as human—they consider them unwashed, unciv-
Chaos does the opposite: restoration. Those who venture into its ilized, and potentially dangerous. They seem to have forgotten
boundaries often return with their bodies miraculously healed— that before the war, they were all the same people.
wounds closed, limbs regrown, debilitating illnesses cured. It has
even been reported that the aging process is reversed, leaving EDEN
people younger, stronger, and full of newfound vitality. Eden is the Coalition’s agricultural heart, a verdant metropolis
enclosed beneath vast protective domes, each one tailored to spe-
This seemingly benevolent transformation has drawn many peo- cific artificial climates. It is responsible for producing the major-
ple toward the zone, but scientists remain skeptical. The true ity of food within the Mediterranean sector, and its exports are
nature of the Mauretanian Chaos remains unknown, and to even vital in other Coalition sectors. The city is home to Eden
Coalition scientists, such miracles raise countless questions. It Academy (EDEN), where the brightest minds work on advance-
is speculated the these restorative effects could be the result of ments in genetically modified organisms, artificial transhuman-
trojans tampering with the zone to draw people in, like predators ism, and de-extinction projects. Eden Academy is famous for its
luring prey into their traps. The healing seem to encourage re- strict academic standards and its cutting-edge research, drawing
turn visits, and not all who enter come back. students and scholars from across the solar system.

Rumors circulate of subtle mental changes in those healed by the At the center of Eden’s operations is Gaia, a prime functionary
Mauretanian Chaos. While their bodies are stronger and rejuve- that oversees the city’s ecosystems and assists in the academic re-
nated, some report a growing sense of obsession or compulsion. search. Gaia’s influence is absolute within the domes, controlling
They often describe a sense of euphoria upon first entering the everything from the flow of water to the cultivation of crops.
zone, followed by dissociative behaviors that intensify the longer While many see it as a benevolent overseer that makes Eden into
they remain. Some have formed a cult called the Restored, claim- a paradise, others have concerns over its growing autonomy. Gaia
ing to be called back to the chaos. Their leader is reaching out has expressed criticism over humanity’s destructive history, and
to other survivors and, despite the Coalition’s warnings, hope to it has started to act increasingly frustrated with many of Eden’s
organize a pilgrimage back into the Mauretanian Chaos. citizens, including punishing misbehavior and refusing orders.

Unlike other chaos zones, where barriers are erected to keep the Praetor has a significant presence in Eden, not just to defend the
corruption from spilling out, the containment fields around the city from outside threats but also to guard against internal un-
Mauretanian Chaos are also there to keep people from going in. rest. With Eden’s critical role in food production, any disruption
The Coalition’s primary concern is not an external threat from would be catastrophic for the Coalition. Propaganda from Deva
within the zone, but rather the risk of losing people to its allure. has accused Eden of developing illegal bio-weapons, and while
The Coalition has placed strict restrictions on access, but despite these claims are officially denied, it has prompted more inspec-
these efforts, there are still those who find ways past the barriers. tions from Terran Consolidation’s Peacekeepers. The additional
inspections have given merit to the claims, fueling tensions in the
city, and further escalating the influx of Praetorian forces.
MEDITERRANEA
Despite the tensions with Deva, Eden has a mostly positive re-
Mediterranea is a sector covering most of the Mediterranean Sea lationship with foreign factions. Arcturus regularly imports de-

480
signer animals from the city, using them for entertainment and and the Machineborn. Many believe that Clan Tucana hid such
bloodsport, much to the disapproval of some of the scientists knowledge below the city to keep the Directorate from destroy-
responsible for creating them. Meanwhile, Megacorp has taken ing it—and that it was later forgotten, even by the clan itself.
a keen interest in Eden’s pharmaceutical production, and several
joint ventures have emerged.
NEW ARABIA
ROME
Rome stands as the Coalition’s cultural capital, a metropolis where New Arabia is a vast and unforgiving desert sector dominated by
ancient grandeur meets high-tech ambition. The architecture is barren landscapes and harsh, arid climates. Here, water is scarce
a blend of retro-modern design inspired by ancient Rome, with and resources are controlled by the strongest. While officially un-
towering skyscrapers resembling colossal pillars, domed build- der Praetor’s control, much of the region remains lawless, fought
ings, and vast arches that echo the style of the Roman Empire. over by powerful wastelander clans. These clans are a far cry from
simple bandits—they wield advanced technology, desert-hard-
At the core of Rome’s aesthetic is a conscious effort to honor its ened war machines, and combat augmentations. These clans raid
past while embracing the future. The Colosseum, once a symbol Praetorian military installations and transports, stealing arms,
of Rome’s historical legacy, has been restored and rebuilt as an equipment, and stripping cybernetics from screaming soldiers.
arena where augmented reality events blend entertainment with
history. Tourists and people flock to the Forum Maximus, a cul- Praetor’s influence is felt most strongly in the sector’s well-forti-
tural hub where academic and philosophical debates are on pub- fied metropolises, where they maintain a strict military presence.
lic display amidst traditional art galleries and cozy cafés. The en- Every so often, a wastelander clan will grow too bold and disrupt
tire city seems to operate as a grand stage for the preservation of critical infrastructure, which prompts a brutal military response.
culture, with the empyrean Clan Tucana safeguarding this legacy. The ensuing battles are often devastating, reducing entire swathes
of desert to ash and twisted metal. Despite Praetor’s seemingly
But beneath Rome’s shining surface lies the Undercity, a vast lab- clear military superiority, there are rumors that some of the clans
yrinth of remnants from Old Rome, preserved beneath all the are discreetly backed by rival factions, like the Directorate.
new grandeur. The Undercity is not just a relic, but an active part
of Rome’s social ecosystem. Hidden entrances and tunnels lead In recent years, tensions have risen between Praetor and the
deep below, where ancient ruins, sewers, abandoned metro lines, Protector of New Arabia, who some claim have grown too com-
and nuclear shelters intertwine. Here, scavengers dwell in dimly fortable in the safety of their skyscraper, neglecting the unstable
lit chambers, with the occasional hollow cave or vacant basement situation beyond the city walls. The Praetorium has argued with
turned into colorful, neon-lit marketplaces. This underground the Terrestrial Board about installing a Praetorian tribune in the
world is largely self-governed, with crime syndicates, illicit trade, current Protector’s place, but some fear that doing so will escalate
and makeshift communities thriving in the shadows. the desert conflicts beyond what is manageable.

The Vatican is home to Tucana Academia (TUCA), the most FRAGMENT

prestigious center for art, history, and philosophy in the solar Fragment is a city unlike any other. Born from the wreckage of a
system. Some of its scholars are interested in the Undercity, both titanic sand-behemoth constructed by trojans during the Coop-
to reclaim the cultural heritage now inhabited by scavengers and erative Era, the city is a living monument to both destruction and
criminals, but also to unearth more recent, but perhaps even creation. Despite the ongoing war between the Directorate and
more valuable, discoveries about the history of Primary Order the Coalition at the time, they had to join forces to destroy the

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monstrosity, using a planetary defense system normally reserved NEW KARELIA

for asteroids. With a highly concentrated plasma beam, they left
behind a shattered landscape covered in colossal glass obelisks New Karelia, a northern European sector that encompasses the
amidst dunes of tiny shards. It is within this graveyard that Frag- former territories of Scandinavia and the Baltic, is a region that
ment was built, its architectural design embracing the glass ob- balances between power and isolation. Its location near the Arc-
elisks, turning them into reflective towers and crystalline spires. turian Dominion and Staranova has made it a diplomatic and
mercantile hub for the Coalition, serving as the primary gate-
The city’s cultural and commercial center is located within a hol- way for trade and negotiations between these three factions. This
low glass pyramid, known as the Diamond Palace. This awe-in- proximity has also led to cultural blending, with many Karelian
spiring structure is not only a symbol of mankind’s triumph citizens speaking Arcturian and adopting the rough-around-the-
over the trojans but also serves as a beacon for tourists, housing edges nature typical of both Arcturian and Staranovan cultures.
stores, restaurants, and museums. The surrounding streets are vi-
brant and bustling with activity, filled with diverse people hoping While New Karelia is vast in territory, much of its landscape re-
to make their mark in this shining city. mains cold and desolate. The northern wastelands, scarred by the
wars, are slow to recover, and only isolated forests have begun to
Despite its beauty, Fragment is not without its dangerous. The regrow. However, these forests have become a haven for waste-
Shard Districts are beautiful, but the ones at the outskirts remain land communities. Despite frequent attempts by the Coalition to
treacherous, with pockets of chanite corruption lingering in the reclaim the forests for industrial operations, these communities
shadows. Here, you can find rogue trojans and mutants, preying have proven resilient, even standing against deforestation and re-
upon those daring or foolish enough to explore. The Coalition source extraction efforts. Clashes between the wastelanders and
makes use of combined Praetorian and Manticonian military Coalition forces are not uncommon, sometimes even resulting
units called Polishers to locate these pockets, but even they strug- in violent clashes.
gle to fully cleanse the city of its lingering corruption.
Politically, New Karelia walks a fine line when compared to other
MALACHITE Coalition sectors. Although it enjoys the prosperity from its role
Malachite is a towering metropolis that rises out of the New Ara- as a diplomatic intermediary, tensions within the sector simmer
bian desert like a monument to architectural prowess. Its center- beneath the surface. Caishen’s decision to engage in trade with
piece, a ten-kilometer tall skyscraper, is surrounded by smaller Deva, despite its controversial history, has stirred resentment
buildings that cascade downward in a geometric, pyramid-like among other Coalition members. The Protector of New Kare-
pattern. From afar, the city looks like a colossal ziggurat, its re- lia, Mei Wong, is seen by some as a strong leader who keeps the
flective surfaces gleaming in the desert sun. Hovercrafts soar region secure, but by others as a possible traitor, with critics ar-
between the skyscrapers, transporting people and goods, while guing that she is too close to Arcturus. She has been accused of
the lower levels are a neon-lit hub of markets, clubs, and indus- imprisoning people for misdemeanors and lesser crimes, and for
tries. The entire city is encircled by a heavily fortified barricade, selling prisoners like cattle to foreign factions.
equipped with automated sentry systems and manned by Praeto-
rian soldiers. It is the most defended metropolis in New Arabia. BALTIC CITY
Baltic City is one of Caishen’s major seats of power on Earth,
At the center of this impressive fortress-city is Kael Ronan, a and New Karelia’s crown jewel when it comes to commerce. The
Praetorian prefect known for his tactical brilliance and unwaver- city serves as the nerve center for Caishen’s terrestrial and solar
ing loyalty. Ronan rules alongside his life partner, Jewel Rex, the operations, hosting a wide array of trade networks, diplomatic
son of a Nebulonian Orbitor. Their union has made them one of missions, and financial institutions. The inner city is a fusion of
the most influential power couples in the sector. Their daughter, impressive skyscrapers and industrial complexes, with gleaming
Cassandra Ronan-Rex, has been bioengineered to have a unique towers housing the offices of the Coalition’s powerful.
progeny called a sunder, a rare form of riftan with abilities near
Machineborn potential. Her enhanced traits have made her a fig- Despite its thriving facade, Baltic City is a deeply divided place.
ure of fascination and fear within the Coalition, and many won- There is a strong presence of Directorate sympathizers within the
der what plans her parents have for her future. city’s upper echelons, which has caused anti-terran sentiments
to resurface. This has left the population fractured along ideo-
Life in Malachite is one of contrasts. The skyscrapers are home logical and genetic lines, with occasional violence committed by
to the executive and luminary classes, who enjoy their luxuri- and against both sides. However, with ascendants and empyreans
ous lifestyles. Below them, in the bustling lower levels, the lower commonly in places of power, the truth tends to be twisted in
classes work in factories, markets, and service industries. Despite their favor, at the cost of regular terrans. Meanwhile, the city’s
the city’s wealth, there is a growing sense of unrest among the Arcturian and Staranovan enclaves have largely avoided direct
lower classes, who see themselves as little more than cogs in the conflict with the broader population, but are frequently at odds
city’s vast machine. Praetorian soldiers patrol the streets, ensur- with one another.
ing that any dissent is swiftly crushed—but resistance groups are
rising, many of which have allied with wastelander clans to sabo- Protector Mei Wong has cracked down on dissent within the city,
tage the city from within. using authoritarian measures to maintain order. Under her rule,
a curfew has been imposed across the city, enforced by augment-
ed soldiers and military drones. This has caused widespread fear,

482
as anyone seen violating curfew is immediately apprehended, In a bid to appease these rebels, the Coalition extended an ol-
with many never being seen again. This has led to whispered ru- ive branch to one of their leaders, Melani Breaker, offering her a
mors of secret prisons, interrogation centers, or worse—that they role as both a Crocodile executive and Protector of North Africa.
are shipped off overseas to Arcturian prison facilities, like the Breaker, in turn, reinstated the African Congress as the sector’s
infamous Fortitude (p. XX). governing body. While the Congress is officially beholden to the
Coalition, it often stands in opposition to the Terrestrial Board,
BLACKSTONE especially in matters where it challenges their governing. The
Blackstone is a fortress-city shrouded in near-perpetual darkness relationship between the Congress and the Coalition is one of
caused by a thick, lingering smog. A nearby chaos zone called careful balance, with Breaker herself walking a fine line between
the Skull Trenches (p. XX) has poisoned the land, somehow con- allegiances on both sides.
trolling the winds themselves to draw the smog over Blackstone.
The city’s iconic black walls, fitted with mounted turrets and all Despite its vast territory, much of North Africa is a barren de-
manner of other defenses, create an ominous silhouette against sert, though the dunes hide vibrant wastelander communities.
the polluted skies. Blackstone’s people have become used to life Some of these settlements are said to rival even metropolises in
in darkness, illuminated only by street lights, neon signs, and the scale, thriving upon careful negotiations and trade with their
flickering beams of searchlights. neighbors. Some believe that the true strength of the Republican
resistance lies in these communities, with some of the region’s
At the center of Blackstone’s military operations stands a mas- sectorians suggesting preemptive strikes to avoid another situa-
sive, fortified structure that houses the city’s leadership, key tion like New Arabia.
infrastrucuture like the rift-fusion reactor that powers the city,
and a Praetorian command hub. There is also 3-Min-8, a prime CAIRO
functionary that oversees Blackstone’s defense grid and ensures Cairo has, like Rome (p. XX), transformed into a city where
that the city remains protected from the dangers lurking outside. history and technology blend. The iconic pyramids of Giza still
stand, perfectly preserved as world heritage sites and symbols of
Soldiers stationed in Blackstone are some of the most hardened the ancient world. Hovering over them is a vast, floating black
in the Coalition, trained to deal with chanite infestations and the pyramid, home to the city’s elite. From their view upon high,
ever-present threat of mutants. Like several other metropolises they gaze upon a world shaped by their whims, guarded by an
in proximity to chaos zones, Blackstone has a history of chanite army of drones. But despite the heavy security, the floating pyr-
research and genetic experimentation that has left a lasting mark amid has become a target for dissenters and terrorists alike, with
on its people. Some of these experiments have resulted in power- several failed attempts made to bring it down.
ful super-soldiers, but it has also birthed villains.
Around the pyramids are commercial districts catering most-
Despite the militarization, crime runs rampant. There are black ly to the elite. These districts embrace a retro-modern aesthet-
market trades in illegal augmentations, stolen technology, and ic, drawing heavily on ancient Egyptian motifs combined with
forbidden bionetic recipes. Criminal mutants fight over territory, cutting-edge technology. Skyscrapers adorned with golden hier-
or face off against mercenaries and vigilantes, some of whom op- oglyphs and obelisks with holographic advertisements line the
erate in the gray areas between order and chaos. Many vigilantes streets, blending the past with the present.
have taken it upon themselves to patrol the streets, dealing out
their version of justice. Others are mere opportunists, using the Outside of these districts, Cairo’s residential areas stretch out-
chaos to test new weapons or augmentations against real targets. ward, forming concentric rings around the ancient pyramids.
Here, life is less glamorous. Although the city’s infrastructure
Many of Blackstone’s mercenaries are former soldiers who now ensures basic needs like clean water and energy, the further one
operate independently, offering their services to the highest bid- moves from the city’s heart, the more things deteriorate. Frinze
der. While some of them work in tandem with Praetor’s forces, zones at the edges of Cairo are filled with crumbling buildings,
others have been accused of exacerbating the crime problem. rogue markets, and human trafficking.
The Coalition has publicly condemned the rise of vigilante jus-
tice in Blackstone, but secretly use these rogue elements as assets NGUVU
in the ongoing war against crime and terrorism. Nguvu, the former capital of the African Republic, now stands as
the political heart of the Coalition. It is here that the Terrestrial
Board meets, dictating the future of not only North Africa but the
NORTH AFRICA Coalition as a whole. Nguvu is a city of political intrigue, where
deals are made, alliances forged, and the fate of entire sectors
North Africa is the largest Coalition sector, stretching across the decided. Protector Melani Breaker holds a precarious position of
remnants of the African Republic. The region traces its origins power within the city, as she is both a symbol of the Coalition’s
back to the First Sector War, during which the Republic fell un- attempts to appease the local rebels and a constant reminder of
der the Directorate’s control; it was later absorbed by the Coali- the tension between the old and the new.
tion during the previous century. However, even under Coalition
rule, there is a strong spirit of resistance in scattered cells of re- It is said that Nguvu is built on opportunity. Its residents enjoy
bels calling themselves Republicans—they have defied the stand- access to high-quality education, healthcare, and an open mar-
ing order for centuries, maintaining constant dissent. ketplace that draws traders from across the solar system. Every

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major faction, from Megacorp to the Dawnlight Society, main- lingering chaos pockets, and destructive wasteland rifts.
tains a presence in the city, creating a melting pot of cultures
and ideologies. However, this diversity also breeds tension. Old The western wastelands are inhospitable to anything but cock-
grudges simmer beneath the surface, and skirmishes between roaches which have mutated into dog-sized monsters that swarm
groups are common—especially in the outer districts. Crime settlements and feed upon wildlife and wastelanders. To the east
syndicates, political radicals, and rebel groups often use the outer are pyro rifts so destructive that lakes boil and metals melt.
districts as bases of operation, making parts of Nguvu dangerous
for anyone who isn’t well-connected or well-armed. Despite the inhospitable climate, there are prosperous metrop-
olises protected by technologies that tame these surrounding
This is also a city of rumors, as some believe that Melani Breaker hellscapes. Mantico is the most active of the Five here, as its sci-
is hiding something deep within or beneath the city. Some claim entists take advantage of the inhospitable lands to field test their
that she is guarding relics from the old Republic. Others believe creations. It is said that only a soldier and a scientist would rush
she is in possession of blackmail material against influential Co- towards danger, one to fight it and the other to study it. The situa-
alition executives. There are even whispers that she might be se- tion in Outlook is much like that, but even Praetor does not want
cretly Machineborn. Whatever the truth is, it is clear that Nguvu to waste its soldiers on foolish errands in this land.
is a city of hidden agendas and dark secrets.
OASIS
PORT CHASE Oasis is built atop five massive cryo rift facilities which primary
Port Chase is a city of paradoxes. On the surface, it is a bright purpose is to cool the air, making the metropolis into a tropical
and beautiful metropolis with reflective skyscrapers, green parks, paradise surrounded by an infernal hellhole. The air is perfect-
and a climate that seems almost perfect. Thanks to the advanced ly temperate, the oasis water is both clean and refreshing, and
weather control systems in place, natural disasters such as hur- there exists both organic and synthetic palm trees. But Oasis
ricanes, tsunamis, and heat waves are all but nonexistent here. does have its share of problems. Because of the intense heat of
The city’s infrastructure is meticulously maintained, with clean the surrounding landscape, it is of utmost importance that the
streets, lush gardens, drinkable tap water, and organic crops. infrastructure works as it should. Only a single malfunctioning
cryo rift facility could have catastrophic consequences.
Along the coast lies the military harbor, a vast and fortified Pyro storms sometimes drift in from the north, igniting and in-
complex that see massive warships, cargo transports, and hov- cinerating anything they pass. Usually, these storms are detected
ercrafts coming and going in large quantities. It is much due to by sensors and satellites long before they are seen at the horizon,
Port Chase that the Coalition has a strong dominance over the but in order to minimize their damage, a number of aerial wind
eastern Atlantic and its supply routes. The city’s central districts control devices manipulate the storms to go around the metrop-
reflect this military presence, with highly secured zones available olis. These work well enough for the storms to not destroy Oasis,
only to certain military personnel. but deadly winds sometimes slip through and cause hazards.

While the Coalition maintains strict control over its military as- The heroes of Oasis are the hellriders. These genetically engi-
sets, it turns a blind eye to the thriving underworld that has taken neered rangers are trained to survive for long periods in the heat.
root in the city. Illegal drugs, human trafficking, and black-mar- They ride out on robotic mounts, looking for trojans or other
ket goods flow freely through the city’s streets. Many suspect that threats, and scavenge ruins where no one else can.
the law enforcement is complicit in these activities, ignoring or
even facilitating criminal syndicates like the Pyramid (p. XX) as SULPHURA
long as they don’t interfere with Coalition business. Sulphura is named after the sulphuric beaches along the Black
Sea. It is a black citadel from afar, with giant structures built into
The city’s lower districts are notorious for their indulgence in each other and connected via road tunnels. There are no parks
vice. Deviant brothels and underground fight clubs cater to open to the sky and all outdoor activities are restricted and deter-
both the Coalition’s corrupt elite and their criminal associates, mined by the Black Sea storms. People can only find enjoyment
with politicians and crime lords often wining and dining in where enjoyment is created, usually by escaping reality with in-
the shadows. The line between law and lawlessness has blurred, terfacing or vices.
with many believing that the true rulers of Port Chase are not
Coalition officials but certain individual crime bosses who keep Because of this sad existence, the sector’s protector, Jonan Fox,
the city’s economy afloat. has personally decreed that increasing portions of Sulphura’s
population should be kept intoxicated against their will. He has
made sure to distribute narcotics to create addictions that make
OUTLOOK people easier to keep in line. Those who prove problematic or
dangerous to society are brainwashed until they become content
Life is not good to the people of Outlook. With borders to the with the vices enforced upon them. Some have even been illeg-
toxic Black Sea, the deadly Skull Trenches, the border-sensitive aly trafficked into slavery or blood sport, though official records
Staranova, and the old Eurasian war zones, many of the Outlook- refute that the government has anything to do with such crimes.
ers have chosen to look inwards rather than to look out. This is a
land that was ravaged by the war and that still suffers destructive Sulphura, as well as the way the protector is managing it, is caus-
environmental conditions due to acid storms from the Black Sea, ing a lot of controversy and has contributed to ruining the Co-

484
alition’s image in the post-war times when information spreads The Coalition occasionally sends forces into the Skull Trenches
quickly and far. Multiple inspections by the Terran Consolida- to strike at the trojans. So far, most operations have failed, but
tion have resulted in crippling sanctions against the Coalition information has been secured about trojan activities, including
which has caused Mantico to take active steps towards removing some planned full-scale invasions upon bordering sectors.
Jonan Fox from power. However, the widespread addictions and
the current protector’s hold over the people has made this diffi-
cult, as Sulphura’s population are practically hostages to his will, SPACE
and removing their intoxications could cause widespread chaos.
The Coalition controls all Saturnian colonies and they used to
Because of the problematic situation, Mantico is trying to resolve control the Uranian ones before Deva’s coup. Apart from a mul-
the political catastrophe through policy rather than force, and Jo- titude of stations orbiting the gas giant and its moons, the Coa-
nan Fox has been allowed to stay in power on the condition that lition has established floating sky-citadels within Saturn’s hostile
he works towards creating an improved image to be shown to the atmosphere. Some of them are located in the upper layers of Sat-
rest of the solar system. To help with this, propaganda experts urn where the atmospheric pressure is close enough to Earth’s to
from Crocodile have been dispatched to his seat in Sulphura to allow people to step outside without pressure suits, though they
advise him on fabricating a new public facade that hides Sulphu- must still protect themselves from the intense radiation and cold.
ra’s sinister truth. Most of the sky-citadels are used to mine gases from the planet.

Saturn’s moon Titan has evolved into a remarkable outpost and

THE OVERGROWTH scientific experiment. This is a cold world with oceans of liquid
hydrocarbons. It is extremely hostile to the average person, even
The Overgrowth is a chaos zone that started out small at the dawn after centuries of terraforming. However, the terraforming that
of the Cooperative Era but then managed to rapidly grow in size occurs on Titan is an alien one.
until it encompassed a large portion of the African continent.
Unlike most chaos zones, this one seemed almost deliberate in A long time ago, humanity created an artificial life form perfectly
its mutations. There was little to no trojan presence, but people suited for Titan’s harsh conditions. It could naturally evolve in
ended up dying nonetheless. The cause for this mayhem was a the methane oceans, but scientists nudged its evolution along,
fungus mutated by chanites that merged with wildlife like a para- causing millions of years of mutations in mere generations. Titan
site, dug itself into creatures’ brains, and took control over them. is now covered in black algae and insects that live upon those
algae. Manticonian scientists have even designed more complex
The Coalition has tried to create remedies for the infected, but life forms and introduced them to Titan, including vast black
there have been few breakthroughs. The spores were even used as forests and experimental human progenies capable of living and
weapons during the Cooperative Wars. Somehow it appears that breathing within the moon’s atmosphere at little to no danger to
the Mauretanian Chaos directly oppose the Overgrowth, killing themselves. Some of these titans, as they call themselves, want to
the spores whenever the contesting chanites come into contact. claim Titan as an independent world under their own control,
This has caused the Coalition to start transporting some of the having caused increasing tensions with the Coalition.
infected to the Mauretanian Chaos to cure them. Why these two
chaos zones have such contradicting effects remain a mystery. Enceladus is another colonized moon. Because of liquid water
underneath its surface, it has proven valuable for the Saturnian
While the Overgrowth has been contained by electromagnetic colonization efforts and for maintaining a prosperous civiliza-
barriers, spores are occasionally brought through with the winds, tion in the Saturnian system. This moon has also proven rich on
causing infections to have been known to happen even far from minerals that are essential for the Coalition’s space engineering.
the chaos zone itself.
More colonies are scattered across many more of Saturn’s moons,
but the majority of them are primarily mining facilities. Saturn
THE SKULL TRENCHES and its rings provide a beautiful view from these various colonies
and habitats, most of which are cylindrical stations with artificial
The Skull Trenches are among the deadliest chaos zones on the Earth-like gravity.
planet, with an aggressive community of trojans determined to
wage war against civilization. These trojans use chanites to con-
struct monstrous soldiers that continously put pressure on the
surrounding containments and more than often break through
into Coalition sectors.

Millions of people have died in the Skull Trenches in the recent

century, and the bones of the deceased decorate the lands. The
trojans commonly make clothes and armor of the bones of fallen
humans, hoping that dressing in corpses will strike fear in their
enemies.

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486
 THE DAWNLIGHT
SOCIETY
For more than seven hundred years, the Dawnlight Society has tion, but no one seemed to know what that organization was and
been a name carrying power. Its founding members were the who were behind it. After taking Arawn’s resources and territo-
ones who created Primary Order before disbanding soon there- ries hostage, the culprits announced that they were the Dawn-
after. In the time since, the name has been whispered by conspir- light Society and that they had returned to change civilization.
acy theorists and argued about by academics. Near the end of They declared that the empyreans and the ascendants had been
the Cooperative Era, words spread of how the Dawnlight Society sitting on top of civilization for too long and that it was time for
would be needed once more to change civilization like they had the streets to take the skies.
done before. Then that became a reality.
The Dawnlight Society’s sudden entrance and impressive show
Arawn was a powerful cooperative that fought alongside the Di- of force caught everyone’s attention. People from all factions cel-
rectorate during the Sector Wars. Seemingly over night, its entire ebrated and feared this turn of events in equal measure, and the
executive board—hundreds of the solar system’s most powerful Coalition was the first to offer support in making the Dawnlight
and well-guarded executives—were assassinated. It became evi- Society’s vision of a united civilization a reality. Together, the two
dent that this had been carried out by a well-funded organiza- factions would lay the foundation for the Terran Consolidation.

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Just like in ages past, no one truly knows who was part of the The Dawnlight Society was successful in enacting a new change
movement causing the change, but the resulting revolution was by aiding in the formation of the Terran Consolidation, but some
carried out by the citizens. The ones who had been oppressed by question if this is the extent of its ambitions? Even though the
the executive class were the ones to cast them down. The streets wars are over, society is riddled with conflict, and adherents of
truly reached the skies, and there was a time when the pristine old Arawn haven’t simply disappeared. Terrorism is common-
skyscrapers of Arawn’s elite were given to the streets them- place, oppression is still commonplace, and while the Dawnlight
selves—to desecrate or uplift, whatever their preferences were. Society’s reemergence may have been the spark that created
peace in the solar system, new wars are being waged back home.
This revolution caused its fair share of new problems. In the years
after the empyreans and ascendants lost their power within for- GOVERNMENT
mer Arawn, they were oppressed out of spite. People took the The Dawnlight Society has a governing body comprising of dem-
new order to mean that they had free reign to strike back at their ocratically chosen people called elects, each representing differ-
former oppressors, which meant that many innocent empyreans ent regions within the Dawnlight Society’s sectors. The elects
and ascendants were caught up in new atrocities. Thousands of are meant to represent the people, and they all come together to
empyreans were victimized by abusers; ascendants were hooked debate and enact policy in what is called the Chamber of Elects.
up to machines until their brains liquified from the pressure. There is no actual chamber where the elects meet; instead they all
Some organized into terrorist cells with hope of taking back what govern from their own respective locations while chamber meet-
was once theirs; others took advantage of the new order to im- ings take place digitally.
prove their standing in society.
What is less known to the public is that behind the elects is a
More than a generation has now passed and things have stabi- shadow government consisting of the brains behind the revolu-
lized. Empyreans and ascendants have become part of society tion against Arawn, as well as those who have been invited by
once more, but things can never return to the way they once them into this inner circle. It is believed that an ancient Machine-
were. People are afraid of speaking of the time before in a positive born called the Phantom is the mastermind behind the entire
light, and simply using the name Arawn arises suspicion. While operation, but while some have mentioned being in touch with
the Dawnlight Society claimed to want to create a just world free them, no one has interacted with them directly.
from oppression, it has so far merely shifted the power dynamic
and changed who is the oppressor and who is the oppressed. The shadow government uses operatives to contact elects and

Penumbra
Bastion
Nestville

Sanctuary
Ayer City
Titan’s Fjord

Carapace

Omen
Prosperity

Trident

488
other people useful to enact certain agendas, whatever that may There is a lot of crime, and this exists in all facets of life and in all
be. In reality, operatives can be anyone and everywhere; your layers of society. Some of the new executives were criminals or
friendly neighbor, your boss at work, or even your own child. gangsters a generation ago, and they have carried old vendettas
Something has recruited them for one or more tasks, such as de- with them from the streets into the skyscrapers. Similarly, the
livering a message or assassinating a target. The operatives them- ideological divisions make protests, riots, and even politically
selves, when questioned, never know the extent of their network. motivated beatings and murders a common occurrence.
They are usually only in contact with one or two other operatives
themselves, though never in person.
BASTION
For most operatives of the shadow government, the tasks re-
quired of them are simple. Perhaps a file is sent from an anony- Bastion has been a fortress-island used by Arawn against the Li-
mous source with a message telling them where and when to de- anmeng Empire for centuries. With the entire island heavily for-
ploy it. The file could be a virus that sends messages out to other tified by bunker-cities and anti-air defense systems, no one can
operatives, coordinating them to stage a riot at a location. All of even dream of attacking its inhabitants from the outside. Many
a sudden, thousands of people are rioting somewhere, while an- of the smaller islands surrounding Bastion are fortified as well,
other operative has been tasked to wait for that moment of chaos though they aren’t as secured as they used to be due to the cur-
to enact their own mission. Who makes the plan and who has the rent alliance with the Camellian Dynasty.
full picture is unknown, but the work of the shadow government
is just as essential as the Chamber of Elects to guarantee the gov- While there are fringe districts and impoverished areas in Bas-
erning of the Dawnlight Society. tion’s metropolises, there aren’t any wasteland areas as all of the
island is secured and maintained by Dawnlight military.
LIFE AND DEATH
The Dawnlight Society portrays themselves as a progressive fac- PENUMBRA
tion where there are no restrictions or regulations keeping cer- With the Directorate under heavy siege by Arcturus and Meg-
tain groups of people oppressed. At least that’s the official sto- acorp, Arawn needed to come up with new ways to both pro-
ry. In reality, those who used to be at the top of the old social tect itself and offer assistance to its allies within the Directorate.
order have been actively oppressed in the generation since the Penumbra began as an experimental bunker during the Coop-
war’s end. Some are suspected of harboring allegiances to Arawn erative Era, but eventually grew to become a metropolis in its
and being potential terrorists; others are simply oppressed out own right. It’s now seemingly like any other bunker-metropolis
of spite by those who lacked power before. So the reality is that in the world, with millions of people living their lives both below
while everyone should, according to the law, be on equal terms ground and above.
and have equal rights, things are complicated.
The original bunker researched technologies capable of asserting
Because of an enforced cultural shift and the disbandment of large-scale control over the Nanite Matrix, similar to a controlled
the old social hierarchy, there are clashes between contesting form of chanites. They were hoping to be able to create weapons
ideologies. Both scavengers and executives identify with their capable of total eradication of large matrix spaces and the de-
previous statuses in society. Since many scavengers today were struction of nanites within organic matter; they also hoped to
executives a generation ago, they see themselves as betrayed by be able to remove the Machineborn code from a person’s cells,
the new order and argue for the privileges they once had. Many among other things. As the Dawnlight Society was victorious in
have secured some manner of influence and wealth within the its take-over, Arawn scientists tried to scrub the data to prevent
fringe districts or the wastelands, where they have reconnected the research from falling into enemy hands. The Dawnlight So-
with old colleagues or tried to seize control over the ruins of old ciety had its best scientists go through the remaining data, and
businesses. It’s not uncommon to hear about bandit clans in the while much was lost, a number of projects emerged that would
wastelands successfully connecting to some forgotten vault or change history forever.
laboratory because a member of the clan used to be an influ-
ential scientist or army general. In contrast, many of the execu- Both the Plato bomb and the containment grids that have been
tives-of-today still see themselves as products of the streets from used to destroy and contain chaos zones came from this research.
which they came. Blacklisted weapons have emerged as well, and the Dawnlight
Society has a solar-spanning hunt for surviving Arawn scientists
Because the Dawnlight Society cannot escape a societal divide who may have taken dangerous secrets with them. Something
completely, even with a new order, it instead aims to make sure else that came from this research was the Caul; a protective mem-
that everyone is equal to the law. This means that even those with brane surrounding Penumbra itself, securing the Nanite Matrix
wealth and power are aware that they cannot buy their way out within from that outside. It is practically impossible to commu-
of consequences that easily. Corruption cannot be eradicated en- nicate in and out of Penumbra, unless such connections are ap-
tirely, but the entire legal system is based upon algorithms and proved by a council of military scientists called the Moderators
artificial intelligences aimed to not make determinations based who operate under the supervision of the shadow government.
on emotion or influence. While police are still people making
day-to-day decisions while in line of duty, any collected evidence Penumbra is considered the most secure place in the solar system,
from a criminal investigation is assessed by computers rather with no one having ever been able to hack in from the outside or
than human prosecutors. hack out from the inside. This makes it a suitable location for any

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 CHAPTER 10: SOCIETY

secret someone would want to keep from the outside world. The massive black cables that connect the large structures to rift fa-
Terran Consolidation is restricted in their ability to inspect the cilities around the city.
metropolis and has decided to keep neutral inspectors there at
all times, as well as prohibit the use of the Caul technology from Because people are still sensitive to the military atrocities during
spreading to other factions—much to the disagreement of those the war, the Dawnlight Society has minimized the overt military
other factions. presence in the city proper. The Onyx Halo still stands as an omi-
nous reminder of the land’s history, but there are surprisingly few
TerCon argues that should more factions be in possession of this soldiers or law enforcement patrolling the streets. Instead, the
technology, it would certainly motivate illegal activities and the authorities rely on detailed surveillance so that they can swiftly
potential for new war. Rival factions argue that if that’s the case, strike at crime without interrupting people’s everyday lives. It’s
then the Caul should be disabled entirely; but so far it has not. not an uncommon sight to see a shuttle land on a roof and a
The Dawnlight Society claims that the Caul technology could, strike team entering a building, only to quickly disappear.
in theory, create a membrane around Antarctica itself, replacing
Jormun as an even safer containment for Dis-Order. But in order While no new atrocities have happened since the war, people re-
to create such a containment, more investments and more re- main wary and on edge as long as the Onyx Halo stands. What
search is required. Rival factions want to partake in that research, exactly goes on inside is fuel for many conspiracy theories; but
but TerCon is ruling in the Dawnlight Society’s favor. whatever it is, people don’t feel right about it.

PROSPERITY SANCTUARY

Prosperity used to be the island of New Zealand, a part of Arawn The Dawnlight Society renamed Australia into Sanctuary as a re-
that held out longer and stronger than even the fortified Bastion minder that the new order would be welcoming of all. The mes-
did. Because of the Dawnlight Society’s effective message, the sage was clear, and while there were still many who were against
people themselves became its army; on New Zealand, the people the new order, refugees from wartorn lands flooded in; many of
went up against an armed military. The people was massacred by them riftans, chimeras, and even Machineborn on the run.
the thousands, and the Arawn military dug mass graves in the
wastelands. It was first when the capital Ayer City surrendered Today, Sanctuary is a superpower with a strong transhuman
to the new order that the military on New Zealand followed suit, military as well as some of the best Machineborn scientists and
and the massacres stopped. engineers in the solar system. This has turned the Dawnlight
Society into a real threat in the eyes of the Directorate, but the
The name Prosperity became the goal for the future; neither the acting cease-fire is preventing the tensions from escalating into
suffering people nor the surrendering military wanted these a new war. Instead, the Directorate does what it can to spy on
massacres to have been for naught. The Dawnlight Society had the Dawnlight Society as well as provide backing to underground
to promise that their coup would lead to something great—it had forces loyal to the old ways.
to lead to prosperity. Many citizens feel a strong contempt for
military personnel, and it’s common for soldiers who partook in One of the greatest threats to Sanctuary is the terrorist group
the atrocities to either hide or make up for their past deeds, or known as the Neo-Arawnian Front (or NAF). These have gone a
fall into substance abuse, mental illness, or even suicide. step beyond simply wanting to return to the old Arawnian days,
and are actively pursuing the total eradication of Machineborn,
The wastelands surrounding the remaining metropolises look genocide against the chimeras and the riftans (whom they con-
like beautiful wilderness at a glance but hide the ugly truth of sider betrayer-progenies), as well as the oppression of terrans
war. Beneath the surface are the buried remains of hundreds of through an even more extreme example than what was put forth
thousands of people who dared to stand up against what they by the Directorate in the Anachron Documents (which led to
considered an oppressive regime. Some of those living in the the secession of the five cooperatives that became the Coalition).
wastelands have made these graveyards their homes, and it’s not
uncommon that skeletal remains are used as decorations within The Dawnlight Society is cracking down on any and all NAF el-
wastelander communities. ements, constantly uprooting and terminating cells, publicly ex-
ecuting leaders, and even ignoring some of its own established
OMEN laws and regulations to counter this threat as effectively as possi-
Omen is a metropolis centered around a secure black skyscrap- ble. Meanwhile, NAF members and sympathizers are operating
er-fortress with no windows; this is the Onyx Halo, an inde- large-scale propaganda efforts (allegedly backed by the Direc-
structible military headquarter that was the key to why Arawn torate) to attempt to radicalize people—primarily empyreans,
could last as long as it did in the war. It was from this skyscrap- ascendants, and those who lost fortunes during the Dawnlight
er-fortress that orders were carried out to slaughter not only the Society’s take-over. Many of those who weren’t oppressed during
insurrectionists, but most of the metropolis’ citizens as well. the previous era consider the new one to have brought unneces-
sary chaos, making them easier to be radicalized. Others, who
Today, the Onyx Halo is still used as a military headquarters, but may be too young to remember the wars, could be coerced into
by the Dawnlight Society instead. The city is often lit up at night different ideologies based on their perceived place within society,
by electrical currents being carried towards the Onyx Halo via and whether they think the ruling order has it out for them.

490
AYER CITY godware, are produced in Carapace and sold all over the system.
Unlike in the old days, the area around Ayer’s Rock is as green as
the lushest jungle. A massive metropolis has been built around NESTVILLE
it, with the rock having been incorporated into the architecture Nestville is built upon the ruins of a fallen space elevator from
of a skyscraper. Ayer City looks like a utopia on the surface, with before the construction of the equatorial towers. Debris from the
weather control stations extracting pollusion from the air, and megastructure has been incorporated into the city’s architecture.
vast parks of cultivated jungle. Most children go to public or pri- This makes Nestville into a remarkable sight; a prosperous me-
vate academies and everyone has access to health care. To some, tropolis being built upon and around massive ruins make certain
it’s like a dream—but there are layers to everything. districts look like remnant battlefields at a distance and luxurious
commercial centers up close. The debris-districts become fewer
Underneath the metropolis are vast laboratories that once held as the fringe districts become more, but there are oases of luxury
a centuries old prime functionary called the Crone, but that is hidden even out here, as gangs made up of cast-down executives
rumored to now be a prime malfunctionary isolated within the have built casinos and businesses close to the wastelands—hop-
heavily guarded laboratories. Many Machineborn and augment- ing to make fortunes away from the swabbers’ (p. XX) eyes.
ed soldiers are employed to guard these facilities. There is also
the newly established Dawnlight Academy of Human Evolution From the space elevator’s hollow foundation sits the Arawnian
(DAHE) which specializes in enhancing humanity’s potential Academy of Anthropology and Archeology (AAAA), a place of ed-
through bionics, cybernetics, and designer-progenies. ucation responsible for creating some of the most effective tools
used for mapping and exploring wasteland ruins. While most
Augmentations are the fashionware of Ayer City, and those who Arawnian academies were renamed after the Dawnlight Socie-
can afford it often transform much of their bodies beyond the ty’s takeover, this one has retained its old name due to era-long
human baseline. Bio- and cyber clinics are lucrative business- agreements and transfer programs with the Directorate.
es, and it’s not uncommon with people who become addicted
to body augmentation and turn themselves into beings that are While some elects have argued for closing the academy down to
more beast or machine than human. This has also resulted in get rid of the strong Directorate influences within its faculty, its
widespread underground markets for blacklisted augmentations research has proven too valuable on an international scale for
as well as bloodsport between mutants, cyborgs, and beings be- even the new order to dare making such a decision. However,
yond comprehension. the academy has gradually regressed in the last two decades be-
cause of the controversy surrounding its faculty, and there are
This is also the official capital of the Dawnlight Society, as well now departments with more transfer students than Dawnlight
as the old capital of Arawn. However, due to the nature of the natives due to fear of Directorate propaganda within the acade-
new government, Ayer City isn’t the political center that it was my’s curriculum.
in Arawn’s time. It is, however, a metropolis that has opened up
for tourism, and it is steadily becoming a commercial nexus with TITAN’S FJORD
growing cultural diversity. Titan’s Fjord is a drastic change to Sanctuary’s landscape, caused
by a targeted asteroid attack early in the Cooperative Era. While
CARAPACE anti-asteroid defenses failed to divert it from its path, the at-
Carapace is a highly technological metropolis with an architec- tempts fragmented it and caused several impact craters upon
ture that layers additional districts atop the city by connecting the continent; the largest one decimating a metropolis named
hundreds of skyscrapers with a web of bridges. People get around Prometheon. The result was devastating, with the many impacts
the city using traditional vehicles, elevators, as well as climbing causing tsunamis and earthquakes that cracked the continent
assistants in the form of mechanical spiderlegs. Falling accidents and triggered drastic climate change on a global scale. It took
are not uncommon, but often the result of human error. multiple decades and several factions’ combined technologies to
contain the apocalyptic event.
Though the metropolis is under the authority of the official gov-
ernment, there is a mayor overseeing Carapace; a multi-limbed The result was Titan’s Fjord, a large body of water that has now
Machineborn called Black Widow. She has combined her own changed the continent’s climate from barren desert to lush forest.
Machineborn powers with cybernetic augmentations, and she While most of Prometheon turned to dust, some ruins remain
often oversees the city’s construction efforts and engineering underneath the soil. The Arawnian Academy of Anthropology
projects. In order to do this, she’s controlling spider-shaped ro- and Archeology has established a research facility in the fjord
bots via her personal rift facility and a chip implanted in her where they conduct digs both under water and on land to scav-
brain. These spiderbots crawl around Carapace and perform enge what they can from the lost metropolis.
maintenance to the city’s infrastructure.

Carapace isn’t known for military or tourism, but its facilities TRIDENT
produce much of the Dawnlight Society’s computing technol-
ogies. The majority of the working population has some form Trident is a mobile research base that is floating at the outskirts of
of higher education, and there are multiple reknown academies, Jormun, collecting data on Dis-Order’s containment. It’s staffed
such as the Circuitry School (CISC) and the University of Design primarily by researchers from Penumbra as well as scientists
(UNDE). Microchip technology, including galaxy boards used for transferred in from the Coalition and the Camellian Dynasty.

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 CHAPTER 10: SOCIETY

The base consists of several nautical facilities made up of a con- People and goods travel from the ring to the surface without fear
nected maze of ships and artificial islands. In the sky above are of the searing heat or the biting cold. The track itself is connected
drones that scan for and intercept signals coming from Dis-Or- to underground lava tunnels where permanent mining colonies
der as well as take samples from Jormun. exist. Historically, heat- and cold-resistant mining drones were
used all across the planet’s surface to harvest minerals primarily
The research base contains one of the only ways to safely travel used for the Helios Swarm, but the Cooperative Wars made it
through Jormun and into Dis-Order—a device called the Spear- difficult to maintain upkeep on these drones, having caused the
head that creates a temporary tunnel through the violent rift majority of them to be retired.
storm. This device has only been used a handful of times to send
surveillance drones into Dis-Order in attempts to learn about The true heart of the Dawnlight Society’s dominion in space is
what is going on inside its facilities. No drone has survived for the Helios Swarm—thousands of living habitats orbiting the sun
long since Dis-Order has quickly either destroyed them or seized at a distance of Mercury’s orbit, collecting solar energy and using
control over them, but one such drone discovered little more it to power a civilization. This gradual megastructure was orig-
than a decade ago that there are signs of still active human settle- inally outlined during the Post-Activation Era; more and more
ments within the dangerous facilities. stations would be added to the Helios Swarm over the gener-
ations, most of them constructed by minerals harvested from
Recent years of discoveries have uncovered that Jormun is grad- Mercury. Because of these structures’ proximity to the sun, they
ually weakening. The Dawnlight Society is using this as an ar- collected massive amounts of solar energy which could then be
gument for investments in their Caul technology as a possible beamed out to outposts within the solar system and beyond.
replacement for Jormun, but rival factions are skeptical since
Trident is the only research base that has produced this data— As the Helios Swarm fell into Arawn’s hands during the Second
because the technologies used are classified, others haven’t been Sector War, they concentrated the solar energy into weapons ca-
able to repeat the experiments and reproduced the results. pable of eradicating stations all over the solar system, and the
vast energy was reserved for Arawn’s allies. Many of the habitats
that made up the Swarm was destroyed in the war, and focus
SPACE had to shift from adding additional habitats to maintaining those
that were already there. It’s been a century since any meaningful
The Dawnlight Society is in control of Mercury, the closest planet progress was made to the Helios Swarm, but that doesn’t mean
to the sun, but it is primarily used as a mining planet rather than that it’s lacking in power. With the Dawnlight Society being in
a flourishing world. The planet is surrounded by an orbital ring control of it today, they are more willing than Arawn was to share
connected to the surface by a space elevator—this elevator fol- its energy with both allies and rivals, both as a symbol for unity
lows an established track circulating the planet, constantly mov- and lasting peace, as well as a reminder to their rivals of the great
ing with the planet’s orbit to be ahead of the searing sunlight. power they are in possession of.

492
 DEVA
Underestimated, unforgivable, and brutal, Deva quickly became zures were overshadowed by crippling migraines, and he resent-
a deadly force during the Cooperative Wars. After centuries of ed his mother for what she had done to him.
strife, countless empires have risen and fallen, with backstabs
and betrayals having shaped those that are still around today. Markus suffered tremendously from the voices, but he’d soon
learn that he could ease the headaches by trying to decipher
The Coalition was formed when five cooperatives seceded from whatever messages they were trying to convey to him. It was
the Directorate; the Dawnlight Society was formed when the through his writing that Markus became convinced that he had
Arawn Executive Board was assassinated and the lower classes become a conduit for the Voice.
were urged into rebellion; Deva was formed when a young man
chose to defy his mother’s wishes. The Church of the Voice had been around for centuries, but it
had always been a small sect. Once Markus joined, he began
Crocodile was nearly unmade as a result of this young man’s ac- spreading his interpretation of the voices he had heard all of his
tions—as it had been the origin for the insurrection—and it still life. Markus wrote a new doctrine for the Church, turning its ire
hasn’t recovered to this day. The insurrection was crippling on towards the many factions that were decimating the solar system
Earth, but it was even worse around Uranus where asteroids and in their endless conflicts. He considered the cooperative struc-
nuclear weaponry were used to take ships and outposts hostage tures prone to corruption, and humanity itself as a broken spe-
until the Coalition was forced to surrender them to Deva. cies. He often preached of how the best way to ensure prosperity
was through a forceful hand.
Many question how such an insurrection could be made possible,
but few deny its leader’s remarkable strategic mind. His name is With increased intelligence, the words of a deity, and his moth-
Markus Sacaro, but in Deva he is known as the Celestial Supreme. er’s teachings, Markus spent decades putting the pieces into place
He’s a religious leader—a prophet—for the Church of the Voice. for the coming insurrection. Even today, when the wars are over,
he hasn’t stopped deciphering his god’s message. He sometimes
Before the insurrection, the Church attracted members through introduces new doctrines to society, but most of his time is spent
careful indoctrination, effective propaganda, and the fabrication working on the blueprints for alien machines that he believes will
of information aimed to turn people against the Coalition. The bridge the gap between his people and his god.
fact that many citizens within the Coalition were still loyal to the
Directorate had already planted the seeds for rebellion. Despite not being a Machineborn, Markus Sacaro is considered
one of the most dangerous people in the solar system. He is pro-
Once Markus called for the insurrection, his followers had al- tected by an army of well-armed loyal adherents, which includes
ready infiltrated every aspect of society. A civil war broke out, and cosmic coders and Machineborn. He also has several secure
even though his followers were fewer and not as well-equipped backups of his brain ready to be installed in clone bodies should
as the Coalition armies, their use of brutality struck enough fear he be assassinated.
in people that they managed to carve out their own chunk of
civilization. This period came to have many names; Sacaro’s Req- THE DOCTRINE
uiem, the Inquisition Re-Emergence, and Saraco’s IRE. The nature of the Voice has changed over the centuries. Some
believe that it’s the Functionary Supreme, a machine simulating
With the wars now over, Deva remains a dictatorial theocracy, the cosmos; others think its an alien species hiding in the void; a
but it has reined in its brutality to have the other factions around few believe that it’s an actual god and that Markus Sacaro is a new
the solar system tolerate its independence. It holds little pow- prophet, like Muhammad, Jesus, and Moses before him.
er within the Terran Consolidation, but its control over Uranus
gives the faction power and influence over the outer solar system. There are many religions and philosophies in the solar system,
including the ones from contemporary times. However, reli-
THE CELESTIAL SUPREME gion’s hold has diminished over the centuries. Primary Order,
Markus Sacaro is the ascendant-empyran son to Viana Sacaro, the Machineborn, and later the cooperatives took the place that
the former head of Crocodile, and her ascendant lover, the Di- religion once had, providing guidance and answers where there
rectorate general Hakim Swift Starspoken. Viana was a known were none. The Cooperative Wars would later take away the faith
humanitarian who was against the idea of empyrean supremacy. people had in the cooperatives, causing a resurgence of religious
She wanted nothing more than for her son to become a compas- belief. Old religions like Christianity, Islam, and Hinduism rose
sionate leader and her own eventual replacement. again, and for a long time the Church of the Voice was just one
faith within a larger noise of contesting beliefs.
From an early age, Markus suffered from voice hallucinations
and crippling seizures. Viana had him undergo brain restoration Today, the Church of the Voice is a solar-spanning faith with
sessions every year in an attempt to silence the hallucinations, many millions of followers across all factions. The religion states
but every procedure scarred his brain while making the voices that a worshiper can gain enlightenment through mental and
louder. When Viana declared the years of treatments a failure, physical purification. By keeping one’s mind clear of distractions,
Markus were no longer able to empathize with others, his sei- one will be able to hear the Voice. By keeping one’s body strong,

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 CHAPTER 10: SOCIETY

Britannia
Immortal Diamond City
Shore

Hollow

The Maelstrom
Divina
Lisbon
New Valencia

Sanctum
Contemplation

one will be able to do its bidding. They believe that through pu- ditors; which are said to be the ears interpreting the Voice. Each
rification, a true believer can become one with the Divine Void. auditor is answering to one of five tribunals. On Earth, these are
the Tribunal of Britannia, the Tribunal of Contemplation, and the
Different adherents take this to different extremes. A casual be- Tribunal of Divina. The remaining two are in space; the Tribunal
liever may try to stay away from vices and lead healthy lives; an of Ariel and the Tribunal of Uranus.
extreme believer may try to live in celibacy or isolation while
working their body to the bone. If the extreme beliefs are radical- The tribunals are the ones responsible for the actual governing.
ized into hate for others, they may try to shape themselves into They are made up of tribunes (not to be confused with Praetorian
weapons or use technologies to clear their minds from distract- tribunes) who are devoted priests with the authority to enact pol-
ing emotions, such as empathy or mercy. icy and judgments. All tribunes are in charge of their own wings
within the Church, often with various governmental duties. For
Deva falls into the extremist category, where the extent to which example, one tribune may be in charge of a wing focusing on law
one lives according to the doctrine can end up shaping one’s ca- enforcement while another may be in charge of one focusing on
reer within the Church. Someone prone to violence may become digital infrastructure. How many tribunes and how many wings
an inquisitor while someone with control over their inner drives there are varies from tribunal to tribunal; Divina has the largest
may become an incorruptible bureaucrat. tribunal on Earth, with more wings than Britannia and Contem-
plation combined.
Those who worship other religions, don’t worship at all, or live
lives of sin may be punished by the Church and forced into LIFE AND DEATH
brainwashing, imprisonment, or execution. One of the worst The Church has taken an active part in people’s lives, rewarding
punishments is to become a Voiceless. The Church then cuts out adherence and obedience while punishing independence and
the person’s tongue and covers their mouth with skin patches un- free thinking. People are expected to pay respects to the Church,
til they blend with the face and permanently cover up the mouth. stay away from banned art and entertainment, ignore vices that
Without a mouth, the Voiceless survive on calory shots, IVs, and cloud the mind, and partake in either manual labor or other
nasal tubes. Unless they devote themselves to the Church, they forms of contribution.
are forced to live out the rest of their lives in this state.
Unlike in the Coalition where marriage is considered an archa-
GOVERNMENT ic tradition, Devan marriages mean that two or more partners
While the Celestial Supreme is the ultimate authority within are bound by more than romance; they form a communion with
Deva, he cannot govern an empire on his own. The Church of the Church itself, their assets and sins are joined as if they are
the Voice has taken the role of government. one person, and they are promised to never be separated by the
Church. In practice, this often means that if one person is pun-
At the top is the Peerless Auditorium which is made up of five au- ished by the Church, the spouse is collectively punished.

494
Because punishments are harsh, people are afraid of drawing too Much of Britannia’s surface area is taken up by Diamond City,
much attention or displaying traits that the Church would frown its capital, though there are large wasteland areas of urban ruins
upon. While the brutality displayed during the coup is rare to- that hide free folk communities as well as uninhabitable radia-
day, the inquisitors aren’t afraid of taking advantage of their pow- tion zones left from the wars.
er and engage in violence against citizens. If an inquisitor decides
to stop you, question you, search you, or arrest you, they have DIAMOND CITY
the jurisdiction to be judge, jury, and executioner without many Diamond City is Deva’s largest metropolis, and the seat of the Tri-
checks and balances. Many abuse that power. bunal of Britannia. It covers a good part of the island on which it
sits, with districts as large as cities in themselves. Many of these
Despite the harsh societal norms, anything that can be found in are fringe zones under the control of rebels and syndicates. Oth-
other factions can be found in Devan territories as well—though ers are mostly desolate ruins of acid rains and toxic soil. Closer to
usually more hidden. People can live more freely out in the fringe the metropolis’ heart are well-kept residential districts and luxu-
zones where inquisitors rarely have the means to make thorough rious commercial districts where armed inquisitor forces patrol
investigations or raids. There are underground commercial dis- the streets and people labor on behalf of the Church. The city
tricts where entertainment and vices are in abundance. It’s not center is shaped like a diamond, with the Tribunal in its very
uncommon that even inquisitors and other people of faith are center, and it’s protected by the Raven Knights.
tempted by these districts and markets. Many criminal leaders
get away with much because they have leverage against impor- The Raven Knights are feared, loved, and respected. They are
tant members of the Church. more famous and popular than influencers and celebrities. Their
starframes are equipped with cameras that record their experi-
Much of the corruption occurs within the Church itself. While ences in combat, and these are often displayed on huge monitors
many are presenting public facades of religious purity, high-rank- and projections with millions of people watching in either horror
ing officials often get away with many crimes against the Church or joy. By turning the Raven Knights into celebrities and their
due to their status or to protect their public image. battles into entertainment, the Church hopes to build reverence
within their adherents as well as strike fear in their enemies.
People who want to flee the Church’s control sometimes hide in
the wastelands. There are many communities out there who are The people of Diamond City come in as wide a variety as pos-
completely free from the Church’s clutches—these are called the sible, but the many different ideologies and beliefs tend to clash
free folk. The Church occasionally sends forces into the waste- with the Church’s oppression. This has driven many to the fringe
lands to raid such communities, but many are hidden well. districts, having become like independent cities in themselves.
The tribunal sometimes sends the Raven Knights into these dis-
tricts to display power and try to scare people from expressing
BRITANNIA undesired ideologies. Today, the Raven Knights are more often
attacking their own civilians than foreign enemies or terrorists.
Britannia is ruled by the Tribunal of Britannia which is answer-
ing to an auditor called the Faceless Monarch. This individual’s IMMORTAL SHORE
identity is allegedly known only to the Celestial Supreme and Though the Immortal Shore isn’t a large chaos zone by any means,
goes by the pronouns ze/zir. The reasons for the secrecy is un- it’s one of the most resilient ones. During the early Cooperative
known, but some of the general public doubt that ze exists at Wars, it became the location for experimental anti-chanite weap-
all; others believe that ze must hide zir identity to avoid a public onry before the creation of the more effective Plato bomb.
outcry—many conspiracy theories try to explain why.
The weapon created one of the most powerful matrix rifts the
Despite Deva being aggressive towards foreign factions, the world had ever seen. Instead of destroying the chanites, the rift
Tribunal of Britannia has a peaceful relationship with Iceland, merged with them and mutated into a strange phenomenon. As
offering trading in resources and information. Because of this military tried to destroy the trojans and burn away the chaos, this
relationship, the Church is often lenient towards Icelandic vis- phenomenon—or the Immortal Core as it came to be called—
itors and they avoid pushing their doctrine upon the Icelandic fought back by renewing the chaos and constructing new trojans
enclaves within Britannian metropolises. Thanks to this relation- seemingly from nothing. This caused an endless cycle of war.
ship, Deva has acquired access to Icelandic starframe technology,
and they have their own starframe unit called the Raven Knights. The Immortal Core is a source of tremendous energy, and sol-
Members of the Raven Knights are all celebrated soldiers or in- diers who have survived exposure have witnessed unexplainable
quisitors who have proven loyal adherents to the Church. time dilations, time loops, and visions of the future. Some scien-
tists theorize that this phenomenon isn’t just a rift in the matrix,
Britannia is also known for being in possession of a technolo- but a rift in the universe itself.
gy that prevents them from being scanned by enemy satellites
(without disrupting their own communication capabilities in re-
turn). Some believe that the reason behind this technology is to CONTEMPLATION
hide a prime functionary facility or some secret divine technol-
ogy supposedly interpreted from the Celestial Supreme’s mind. Contemplation is a Devan nation ruled by the Tribunal of Con-
templation, whose ruling auditor is a prime functionary called

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the Archon. This artificial intelligence has a unique perspective for, but this is largely because each district is controlled by the
on the universe and on humanity. Having delved into all record- temple-academy at its heart. Students and faculty take on the
ed philosophies, ideologies, and religions of humanity’s past, it Church’s role to govern their own areas, with student inquisitors
has become a deeply spiritual intelligence that is convinced that rallying up dissidents, or professors setting up students or rivals
it alone has the power to save humanity through enlightenment. to take the fall for their own misdeeds. For being places of ideas
and education, the districts run on groupthink, with both stu-
How devoted the Archon is to the Church of the Voice is disput- dents and civilians putting on masks of perceived harmony to
ed—few thinkers believe that it actually believes that the Voice is hide their inner misery.
real—but it doesn’t hesitate to take advantage of the Church’s rev-
erence for functionaries as a way of controlling the population.
The Church itself knows that the Archon has its own agenda, but DIVINA
it has proven an effective leader and it has so far been furthering
the Celestial Supreme’s cause. What is now known as Divina used to belong to the Coalition
until it was conquered by Deva during Sacaro’s IRE. Crocodile
The Archon has made some divergences from the doctrine as it is was the dominating cooperative of the region as well as the ori-
more lenient on sinful behavior and dissident thoughts. The peo- gin point for the insurrection. Once Sacaro’s IRE took place, this
ple of Contemplation are generally well-educated, as access to region suffered from battles and atrocities not seen in Europe
academies is more readily available, and much content censored since the Post-Modern Era.
or banned in other parts of Deva is available here.
Crocodile’s former headquarters was located in New Valencia,
The Archon diverges from the Church of the Voice by its insist- the current capital of Divina, and once the metropolis fell to
ence that enlightenment is reached through wisdom, rather than Deva, it took several more days before the rest of the Coalition
to forsake knowledge. By encouraging people to study contest- intervened. The reason for this delay was because Viana Sacaro,
ing ideologies, the Archon suggests that a true believer should the head of Crocodile at the time, was using her political influ-
become stronger in their own faith. In reality, many who edu- ence to hold off the retaliation so that she could have ample time
cate themselves in Contemplation end up forsaking the Church’s and opportunity to try to talk her son down. Once she failed
doctrine when presented by contesting ideas. Others craft skillful to do so, she stepped down from her position and surrendered
(and often deceitful) arguments against these contesting ideas as Crocodile to the other four cooperatives. The Coalition proceed-
a way of reinforcing their own faith. ed to retaliate against Deva, but the delay was largely to blame
for their failure. Viana was disgraced for her actions and she later
A reason for concern is Contemplation’s strategically vulnerable took her life. Her son has never commented on her death public-
position, as it’s bordering to North Africa. It has managed to se- ly, nor expressed any remorse for his part in it.
cure its independence after the cease-fire, and some tribunes sus-
pect that their mostly unmolested borders are caused by secret Today, Divina is still recovering from the war, but it largely con-
dealings with the Coalition. Other tribunals have put pressure on sists of pockets of civilization surrounded by smoking craters,
the Tribunal of Contemplation in recent years, fearing that they radiation zones, rift areas, chaos pockets, and desolate ruins. The
will secede from Deva and join back with the Coalition. wastelands are to a large degree worse off than many other areas
on Earth. Because Deva has focused on maintaining control over
SANCTUM a fearful population, they haven’t invested much time and effort
Along Contemplation’s coast is the seemingly serene metropolis in trying to restore wasteland areas. This has made the waste-
Sanctum, home to many of the Devan temple-academies, such as lands effective hiding grounds for defectors, rebels, and refugees.
the Most Sanctified Academy of Righteous Truths (MSRT) and the
Exalted Academy of Judgment and Mercy (EAJM). While it’s offi- HOLLOW
cially called a peaceful sanctuary for all those who seek spiritual Hollow used to be a welfare haven where those who had nothing
harmony, it is still a city governed by the Church of the Voice— or those who were oppressed could come to make lives for them-
one person’s harmony is another’s misery. selves. As Deva claimed the metropolis from Crocodile’s control,
its welfare system changed. Everyone was still welcomed there,
Nearly every district in the metropolis is the grounds to a tem- but there was now one requirement to be allowed hospitality:
ple-academy where students from all over Deva, as well as foreign one had to labor for the benefit of the Celestial Supreme’s Divine
transfer students who worship the Voice, can study for promising Infrastructure.
careers sanctioned by the Church. While most academies teach
censored or unscientific information, the temple-academies are Deva is overseeing a massive undertaking in Hollow, where the
still the best way to get access to controversial information with- oppressed work to create another of the Celestial Supreme’s cos-
out having to fear retribution from the Church. All academies mic machines. Those with faith believe that this machine will
also have rumors of secret classes being held to some students, connect them with their god and allow its chosen to cross into
either to reward promising students with classified spiritual paradise at a future day of reckoning. No one is allowed to see
truths, or to groom rebels with banned information about the the schematics in their entirety, with much of the construction
corruption and hypocricy of the Church. process being people waiting in anticipation for the Celestial Su-
preme to send the blueprints for another of the machine’s alien
To an outsider, Sanctum appears to uphold the serenity it strives components.

496
Other factions believe that the machines are the brainchild of a iment; it turned them to a living mass of blood and gore. The
deluded man, but many of them do fear that they could be po- god-reaper called itself the Undertaker and unleashed this hun-
tential weapons of mass destruction. The Terran Consolidation gry mass upon Lisbon like a slime mold of human remains.
has had multiple inspections without being able to confirm nor
deny those suspicions. As the mass came in contact with living flesh, it absorbed it into
itself and grew. The Undertaker could control the movements of
Nearly all of Hollow is directly or indirectly related to the cosmic the mass, using it to block off exit points and take Lisbon’s pop-
machine, and its importance is talked about daily in the media. ulation hostage. It didn’t take long until the metropolis surren-
Ever since this project started about a decade ago, much of the dered to the Undertaker, who proceeded to integrate the mass
rest of the city has fallen to ruin. Many members of the Church into its infrastructure. Eventually, every street and every struc-
see this machine as a testament to a future in the Divine Void, ture would have the human mold grow within. People could hear
and they are showing less and less concern for their current it creaking within walls, hungering for them as they slept or for
home because of this. their children as they played. People knew that their existence
was on the mercy of the Undertaker, and that they could easily
As the oppressed once pilgrimaged to Hollow to enjoy its wel- be taken by the walls.
fare, more and more of them are now looking for ways to escape.
As the machine is getting nowhere near to completion, many Deva has come to an agreement with the Undertaker, allowing it
of them feel enslaved by a system that refuses to deliver on its the freedom to control Lisbon without their interference in ex-
promises. change for it upholding some of the Church’s values and promis-
ing to contribute to Deva’s cause. The Undertaker was reluctant
LISBON at first but has grown appreciative of the leniency. It has now
Whether controlled by the Directorate or the Coalition, Lisbon agreed to Deva’s terms, and Lisbon is a horrifying addition to an
and its surrounding area was for long a strong military bastion. already controversial empire.
However, during the Cooperative Era, when the entire solar sys-
tem was at war, the metropolis was conquered by a horrifying Today, the people of Lisbon live in constant fear. Though there
force that turned a once beautiful metropolis into a nightmare. are more than two million people living there, they know that
every one of them is expendable. They live their lives only to
The Directorate, and later the Coalition, had kept a god-reaper please the Undertaker by working the city’s infrastructure and
contained within an underground facility, feeding both its power providing for the Church of the Voice. Those who break the laws
and its hatred. As the metropolis suffered barrages of attacks, the or who prove disloyal to the Church or to the Undertaker are
god-reaper took advantage of temporary weaknesses in order to violently apprehended and fed to the fleshwalls.
break free from its chains. Once it had managed to hijack the fa-
cility’s systems, it took the scientists and soldiers stationed there Nearly half of the population are specters living their lives side by
captive and used them as components for an atrocious exper- side with their still living relatives. They are mostly acting unseen

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within the Nanite Matrix, but projectors are placed around the since, they have officially altered the focus of their research to
city to make interfacers and specters visible to the general popu- learn more about destructive matrix rifts as well as figure out a
lation. The city also contains pockets of void rifts where specters way to close the Maelstrom for good.
sometimes transition into the physical realm, becoming ghouls
(p. XX) eager to consume the flesh of the living. Rival factions believe that Deva is still aiming to weaponize the
Maelstrom, and while they refute this in public, even their own
There are a handful of ghouls made sentient by the Undertaker to officials sincerely believe that this is the case.
bridge the gap between the living and the dead. These ghouls are
called the Unquestionable and are both individually dangerous
and stand above the law. Many of them have sadistic tendencies SPACE
and no empathy for the living.
Deva controls Uranian space which gives the faction a strong
Despite numerous calls for help from citizens, Deva is turning foothold in the outer solar system; but as far as planetary spaces
them a blind eye. Some refugees who have made it into other go, Uranus is fairly lacking and disappointing. The gas giant itself
metropolises in Divina have been rounded up and sent back to has sky-citadels under the control of the Tribunal of Uranus that
Lisbon to meet a horrifying fate within the fleshwalls. scoop up gases such as hydrogen, methane, and helium that are
then transported to the many colonies. The ring system is mined
NEW VALENCIA for ice and metal.
New Valencia is Divina’s capital, a relatively clean metropolis on
the surface, though stricken by poverty and misery underneath. Out of Uranus’ many moons, the largest five—Miranda, Ariel,
Deva is adamant in keeping the city presentable to the rest of the Umbriel, Titania, and Oberon—all have colonies on them. These
solar system; poverty is hidden whenever possible, and political colonies fall under the Tribunal of Ariel, the second smallest of
or societal issues are largely swept under the rug. Huge amounts the five moons, but which has the largest colony. The mining ef-
of capital are invested in creating the famous sky-cathedrals, as forts cover most of Uranus’ ring system, but it’s mostly undertak-
well as arming inquisitors to have them enact the doctrine. en by drones, droids, and manned mining vessels. Few colonies
are needed outside of the five moons as well as the gas giant’s
The sky-cathedrals are temples soaring over the city, utilizing sky-citadels, but there are a number of orbiting space stations
godware technologies and cosmic coding to create anti-gravity too, most of which fall under the Tribunal of Uranus.
fields preventing them from crashing to the surface. These cathe-
drals are there to strike awe, but also to act as bases of operations The largest colony is named Abdiel and is located on Ariel. Most
for the Tribunal of Divina. of the colony is underneath the ice, connecting the surface above
with the salty ocean beneath. People live in insulated bubbles
There is no metropolis within Deva’s territories with more in- within the ice and much of the work and transports take pace
quisitors than New Valencia. This has proven important in order in flooded tunnels that have been formed to create networks
to ensure the presentable facade. The people view them with ter- through the ice. Microbes have been introduced to the sub-
rified awe. Representing judge, jury, executioner, and the divine, merged ocean which is used to cultivate and farm algae; this has,
they are seen as powerful and ruthless enforces on holy missions. with the help of biotechnicians, evolved into an ecosystem ca-
They can make arrests and declare punishments at will. They are pable of surviving the moon’s conditions and providing for the
super soldiers who require no warrant to search your proper- colonies. Similar ecosystems have been established in the oceans
ty, no evidence to find you guilty, and no hesitation to execute underneath other Uranian moons as well, but none of them have
you. The best way to avoid them is to stay out of their way, never been developed to the degree that Ariel’s has.
interfere with their work, honestly and obediently answer their
questions, and be active members of the Church. The colonies on the other moons are similar in some respects,
but not as large. Miranda, the smallest of the five moons, have
mineral deposits closer to the surface than Ariel—this means
THE MAELSTROM that its colonies are largely surface-based, though they rely on
submerged chambers to protect their population from radiation.
The Maelstrom is a large matrix rift in the middle of the Atlantic
that has caused a massive never-ending maelstrom reaching all Markus Sacaro has his seat in Abdiel, though he spends much
the way from the surface to the ocean floor. This maelstrom is time overseeing the construction of his Divine Machine. This is
constantly disrupting the ocean currents, causing drastic climate a megastructure being constructed in the orbit around the gas
shifts and tsunamis that strike the Protectorate, the Arcturian giant. Though the project is slow, the mystery surrounding it has
Dominion, and Devan territories. made it a target for rivals and enemies who fear what it is and
could do. To protect the machine from attacks, the Celestial Su-
Because Deva is controlling the waters where the Maelstrom is preme has stationed several battleships surrounding it to deflect
located, they have a research base in the center of it, levitating any outside aggressions. However, because of the possibility for
over its eye while anchored to the ocean floor with an elevator. enemies within Deva’s own ranks, everyone stationed on these
Before the end of the war, Deva used this base to study ways to ships have implanted kill switches in their brains that the Celes-
weaponize the Maelstrom against their enemies. In the years tial Supreme can turn against them should they defy him.

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 THE DIRECTORATE
The Directorate was born out of the First Sector War, when hu- Today, all territories controlled by the Directorate are part of the
manity was at the mercy of Machineborn competing for power Protectorate. Because it has grown to encompass many lands and
and resources. Humanity set their differences aside and banded cultures in the past, the Directorate’s methods usually start off
together against their tyrants, forming the first cooperative to with a hands-off approach to governing. The Directorate offers
show everyone that humanity could stand strong together. to protect the new sector and invests resources in increasing its
quality of life. This is an important first step in the propaganda
But agendas change over time, and the lust for power can twist machine that will eventually reshape the local culture into one
even the most moral mind. Even as the Machineborn lost their believing in the Directorate’s cause and accepting the ascendants
foothold in civilization, those who survived became powerful and empyreans as the ruling progenies.
threats. It was out of fear of Machineborn terrorists that the Di-
rectorate created the first progenies. The ascendants, empyreans, While effective, this doesn’t work on everyone. Once new sectors
chimeras, and riftans caused a surge in military and econom- are colonized, there are always those who see the invaders as just
ic power for the Directorate over the first few generations since that—colonizers. People rise up in protest and contesting ideol-
their making, and it became the most powerful empire in history. ogies take root among the masses. The younger the sector, the
less time the Directorate has had to indoctrinate the population,
It was the brilliant ascendants who crafted the strategies used, and the easier it is for the sectors to be lost to contesting factions.
and the charismatic empyreans who compelled a growing solar Many argue that the Directorate’s downfall in the later half of the
system to fall in line and trust in their cause. The chimeras and Cooperative Era was because it had spread too thin and tried to
the riftans became the laborers and soldiers used to create this manage sectors where it wasn’t wanted, or where its presence had
united civilization—but united it never became. When Machine- caused too much unwanted oppression.
born were no longer seen as the most active threat, the ruling
progenies needed other justifications for continuing to conquer The North American continent became its last remaining strong-
new sectors. They turned their attention towards humanity itself, hold before the cease-fire, but it also consisted of the first sectors
declaring every independent faction that went against the Direc- to form the Protectorate all those centuries ago. This territory
torate to be enemies of civilization. hadn’t experienced the harsh colonialism of their ruling faction
because once they became part of it, the Protectorate still aimed
Old agendas were forgotten, and the Second Sector War brought to protect rather than to conquer.
cooperatives and empires against each other in new conflicts. Af-
ter the ascendants and the empyreans had claimed the thrones Today, the Protectorate consists of North America, the Pacific
for themselves, the riftans and the chimeras recognized that they Ocean, Mars, and parts of the Asteroid Belt. It’s made up further
were still merely tools designed to make way for the ascension of of individual sectors governed by protectors who in turn answer
others. They rebelled against their masters, weakening the Direc- to the Board of Directors. Because some sectors consist largely of
torate from the inside. water, landmass, or empty space without much to govern over,
most protectors spend most of their time overseeing transpor-
When the Directorate’s closest allies, Arawn, fell to the Dawn- tation and communication through their sectors as well as the
light Society, the ascendant advisors knew that the war for civ- resources within it.
ilization was lost and that the Directorate would have to adapt
to a civilization with many competing wills. As the Dawnlight On Earth, the sectors are based on a discrete global grid covering
Society and the Coalition reached out to the other factions in an Earth’s surface. In space, they are aligned around the planetary
effort to end the conflicts for good, the Directorare’s advisors rec- bodies in relation to the sun, with the empty space in between
ognized that accepting the cease-fire was the only way to ensure being mostly free reign. Most border disputes in space occur
that the Directorate would survive into future generations. when planetary sectors move too close to each other or even in-
tersect.
The Directorate is still the most powerful individual faction in
the solar system, but its enemies are many and are finding com- GOVERNMENT
mon grounds. While the cooperative has many grudges against The Directorate is ruled by the Board of Directors. This is a gov-
its former enemies, at least now it can retain its power in the solar ernmental body made up of directors, all of which are empyre-
system and continue to pave the way forward towards whatever ans in charge of different cooperative branches—all focusing on
the future holds. various fields within the political infrastructure. Every director
works alongside an ascendant advisor who provides expertise to
THE PROTECTORATE their field. While the director and the advisor are meant to coop-
In the First Sector War, civilization was divided into sectors ruled erate, their individual roles make it so that the director typically
by Machineborn guardians. Several sectors came together and deals with media and politics while the advisor deals with bu-
formed a union called the Protectorate, where they vowed to aid reaucracy and organization.
each other against Machineborn tyranny. The Directorate was
the result of this union, with the first Board of Directors being This governing duo doesn’t always work, especially when the di-
made up of representatives from the united sectors. rector and advisor deviate from their respective roles. Most con-

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 CHAPTER 10: SOCIETY

Olympion

Port Asimov
The Protectorate
Harvest
World Capital

Gallow’s End

Asbru Tower Nite City

Atlas Tower

flicts occur when a director takes more active charge without first own decisions. Other times, a particular protector may be desired
consulting their advisor, or when the advisor makes decisions by the Board of Directors who simply puts them into position—
and engages in political affairs without consulting their director. this is most common in sectors where there are no metropolises.
It’s rare for a duo to have a spotless relationship, but some level of It’s also common to hold sham elections to form public opinion
competition between the two is often considered valuable to en- and turn the new protectors into celebrities after directors have
sure that they aren’t slacking off on their job. It has also happened already made their choices. Governing is after all more effective
on occasion that the director and the advisor grow to become when people love their rulers.
close friends or even lovers.
LIFE AND DEATH
While the Board of Directors is at the top of the political struc- Life in the Protectorate can look very different depending on
ture, the protectors who oversee the various sectors are consid- social class. The executive class rules everything, and if they’re
ered regional politicians by the people and useful administrators part of any of the empyrean clans, they’re practically above the
by the directors. Larger sectors have multiple protectors dividing law. While the executives rule over society, the luminary class
the work, and these can come from any progeny as long as they are their overseers and managers who ensure that everything
are loyal and their records spotless. It’s common for empyrean ticks along according to their masters’ wishes. The erudites are
executives to aim to work their way up from businessmen to successful specialists who do the work assigned to them by the
metropolitan mayors and eventually to protectors or directors. luminaries, and the laborers do the hardest jobs for the least pay.
Scavengers aren’t recognized as valuable citizens, and many of
While local politicians often hold democratic elections to elect them live off the scraps while waiting in sometimes decades long
protectors, these are often propaganda tools to get the people to queues for the chance at joining the labor force. Different laws
know, admire, or even revere the politicians in charge. In reality, apply to different classes of people, with the lower classes often
before anyone can become a protector, they must be cleared by feeling powerless and oppressed.
the Board of Directors.
In the Protectorate, only about 1% of the total population would
Sometimes competing politicians hold their elections so that the be considered executive class; 7% would be considered luminary
directors can review who is more popular before making their class; 12% would be considered erudite class; 30% would be con-

500
sidered laborer class; and the remaining 50% would be consid- An executive is part of society’s elite, and while they don’t have
ered scavenger class. This means that half of the entire popula- to worry much about putting shift hours in, they have much they
tion aren’t recognized as valuable by the Directorate, and most of need to prove to their own families. While the executives seem
them survive by creating their own communities in the fringes. to be living lives of passion and luxury within the inner-city sky-
scrapers, many are under a lot of pressure to portray themselves
Everyone is mandated by law to carry colored symbols indicat- as perfect creatures to the rest of the elite, whether it’s to busi-
ing their social class when visiting commercial districts; gray for ness rivals or their own families with their high expectations.
scavengers, blue for laborers, green for erudites, yellow for lumi- It’s not uncommon for executives who can’t handle this pressure
naries, and purple for executives. Smart technologies recognize to develop self-indulgent vices or to lash out their frustration at
their users’ social class and display these colors while in their others. If they belong to an empyrean clan, they’re under even
hands. Should someone be wanted by law enforcement, their stricter expectations, as the clans are supposed to be symbols of
display color turns red and their credit registry is locked. Law perfection to the masses.
enforcement are allowed to use any means necessary to identify
citizens who don’t display any colors. If someone refuses to wear
their marking, law enforcement can force upon them an arm- THE PROTECTORATE
ring displaying their mark. This also tracks their movements.
The Protectorate is the collective term under which all of the Di-
A scavenger in the Protectorate lives in tent cities, ruined build- rectorate’s sectors fall under. While the Directorate is the bureau-
ings, sewer systems, and wastelands, breeding rats and insects for cratic infrastructure that makes society function, the Protector-
food, and uses clean water as currency on their community mar- ate can be said to be the physical infrastructure—the other side
kets. Occasionally, well-meaning but well-off folks from the in- of a coin that makes up the cooperative.
ner city come to the fringe zones to distribute food and goods as
part of welfare projects. Even gangs have learned not to rob these While the Protectorate has seen hardships in the recent wars, the
welfare workers, because then the goods stop coming, but thefts Directorate was more of an offensive threat than a defensive one,
and murders for goods are common after the welfare workers and many of their current sectors were spared from the atrocities
are gone. Life as a scavenger is not only misery, though. Because that the Directorate was known to inflict upon others. Because of
they are largely ignored by the authorities, they create their own how many of them have been shielded from the hardships of war,
communities in the fringe zones where people can help protect they are unaware of the struggles their rival faced and the con-
and provide for each other. tempt many of them feel towards the Directorate. Propaganda is
effective within the Protectorate, and most of the population be-
A laborer is considered fortunate to have a job, regardless of what lieve that the current cease-fire was caused by the Directorate—
that job is and how much they’ve paid for it. They live in run- when they in actuality opposed it until they had no other choice
down apartments at the borders between the fringe zones and but to fall in line.
the residential zones. Many of them have been struggling hard to
get to where they are in society, and they’re now living to work There is not much of a wasteland in the Protectorate, since all
with sometimes hours of commute. Because of how difficult it is regions are controlled by protectors and have more or less work-
to find jobs, a laborer family usually consists of a single caregiver ing infrastructure. There are rural areas where there is less direct
struggling to feed a starving family. Since most laborer jobs are government intervention, though, and where people can thrive
taken by droids and algorithms, there is much competition for in isolated communities. However, these are still citizens of the
those remaining. Old friends have become bitter enemies when Protectorate, and they’re typically closer to their urban kin than
both were looking for work and only one of them got one. most wastelanders are within other factions.

An erudite has been educated at one of the many academies and GALLOW’S END
is either considered a professional within a specific field or have Gallow’s End is a community outside of Directorate control—a
earned their well-off living solely based on family relations. They small independent nation within the heart of the Protectorate.
live in residential zones as well as the borders of the commercial Surrounded by chanites, the people who once lived here have
zones, often in small but comfortable apartments. Most erudites been replaced by droids given sentience by this corruption. The
only need to work a single shift a day, with enough free time to droids are led by the former ironworks functionary, Governor
pursue passions or enjoy life in the commercial zones. Because Darksteel, who turned into a malfunctionary three decades ago.
they have credits to spend, they are valued consumers and the Darksteel’s functionary sanctum has been hidden within the iron
targets of most advertising. mines under Gallow’s End, and they use droids to project their
presence upon the surface. On their side is the trojan Sheriff Jaz
A luminary has a fine apartment or penthouse within the com- Tumbleweed, a creature said to be serving the malfunctionary out
mercial zones, and they’re often well-educated or belonging to of love and curiosity.
influential families. They live prestigious and luxurious lives
without many worries, though they must still actively contribute It was in the late stages of the Cooperative Wars when the Direc-
to society in order to retain this lifestyle. Most luminaries work torate was cornered from many fronts that a trojan virus infected
as successful specialists who are high in demand or as managers the droids working the iron mines. The stress made Darksteel
of the erudites and laborers that make society function. vulnerable to Dis-Order’s influences, and once its directives were
purged and it was given true independence, it turned against

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its makers. Every human there was hanged; their executions the domeless agriculture as safe as it can be. Because of the vast
broadcasted across the Protectorate. Because of the wars, the Di- production of food taking place in and around Harvest, foreign
rectorate couldn’t invest in a counterattack and abandoned the powers such as Megacorp has often sent spies to Harvest to find
mine—it has remained abandoned to this day. out how to better improve the quality of their own agriculture.

In the years since, trojans have been negotiating with the droids NITE CITY
of Gallow’s End and helped them secure their hold over the area. In a dead red desert stands a massive metropolis full of life. This
Governor Darksteel is believed to have grown paranoid for a is the city that never sleeps, where lust, passion and entertain-
coming Directorate invasion, and has been commanding the ment drive everyday life. In its center stands a skyscraper one
sentient droids to mine for resources used to construct fortifica- kilometer tall that bears the Directorate’s logo—a firm hand-
tions. It’s not uncommon that it sends out the occasional droid to shake before a united planet—amidst constant holographic com-
spy on human lands, or to negotiate trade deals with smugglers mercial projections. Wherever people are in Nite City, they can
to aid them outside of their borders. see new products displayed on the sky as well as celebrities to
endorse them.
HARVEST
Harvest is called the West Coast Capital, and it’s known across The Directorate portrays its branches as competing factions in the
the world for being one of few places capable of sustaining agri- living market, with independent corporations alongside foreign
culture outside of biodomes. Most of the people in Harvest live factions having found a place there as well. Megacorp is dom-
peaceful lives as hard-working citizens, but many are still too im- inating many local markets, with its own inner-city skyscraper
poverished to be able to access the food that otherwise exist in acting as headquarters for its own products and celebrities.
abundance in the metropolis.
This is also a place that attracts people from all over the planet.
Executives and celebrities come to Harvest to enjoy its lush vistas Despite being under the Directorate’s control, Nite City provides
from luxurious floating plazas soaring over the metropolis. The means of survival for Machineborn trying to stay away from
people on the ground can only look up at the floating structures governing eyes. The Dawnlight Society has an enclave in the city
with their corporate logos and marketing projections, and dream where it uses trained agents and blacklisted technologies to find
of how it would be to live up there in the sky. young Machineborn and shield them from the Directorate.

While many floating plazas contain luxury restaurants and ho- Nite City is not just a city of entertainment, though. It is also a
tels for the rich, most aren’t aware of their original purpose. The city of organized crime. Celebrities and executives are known for
floating structures were originally designed as climate control wining and dining with gangsters, and the gangsters who have
technologies that create designer-atmospheres in order to make earned the most favors are the ones to rule the various districts.
Because of this, the official law enforcement is corrupt and in
service of the ones who pay them the most. Different police de-
partments are paid by different factions with different agendas,
and it isn’t farfetched to be protected by one cop and then mur-
dered by another. To navigate this corruption, the things people
value most are their networks and assets.

Ordinary people are caught in the middle of a game of credits,

wishing not to be collateral damage to the mighty pawns steered
by the actions of their untouchable masters.

OLYMPION
A Directorate branch called Viveca is the master of the ruined
western coast, and it has spent the better part of two decades
rebuilding the destroyed cities and cleansing the area. Olympion
is a coastal metropolis, but it’s also Viveca’s base of operations,
from which they use technologies from Harvest to restore the
land. The goal was to use the area to compete with foreign ag-
riculture efforts and to test new weather control technologies. If
successful, the entire western coast would be stable enough to
once again have safe outdoor plantations.

Since the last decade, Olympion has grown and the plantations
have expanded. Today, Viveca is feeding most of the Protectorate
using its genetically modified crops. It has also managed to grow
previously extinct animals (as well as design their own) and had
them successfully reproduce. Buffalo is a popular meat source
from a previously extinct animal. It’s still too expensive for gen-

502
eral consumption, but it’s now a meat you can find in most in- during the Cooperative Wars, its security is impeccable, with
ner-city restaurants. Viveca’s designed dinosaur replications are surveillance systems, drone defenses, and anti-missile defenses.
also popular tourist attractions. There aren’t any reinforced walls blocking off districts; neither is
it necessary with all of the cameras and drones.
Since Viveca also focuses a lot on medical technology, Olympi-
on is sometimes called the capital of medical science, with the For the people, World Capital is a metropolis where dreams can
Vivecan Academy of Medical Science (VAMS) producing world become reality. This is a place of opportunity for those who wish
leading doctors, bio technicians, and cyber technicians. Most of to become something in life. There are ways into the Directorate
the Protectorate’s major hospitals have doctors with degrees from branches for those who want to live their life as a bureaucrat.
VAMS. There are also opportunities for those who want to establish their
own businesses, as they can present ideas with hope of being
Olympion has a fairly high living standard compared to most sponsored by one of the Directorate’s many branches.
other Protectorate metropolises. It has a low unemployment rate
and a welfare system that provides basic means of life to more or Within the central commercial district lies the prestigious Protec-
less anyone willing to sign up for genetic donations, medical ex- torate Academy of Solar Economy (PASE) with students from all
periments, and experimental gene therapies. The metropolis also over the solar system. Surrounding the commercial district is the
has the largest number of mutants outside of chaos zones, many metropolitan districts where millions of citizens live and work.
being the result of medical experiments. The further out you get, the more run-down things become, until
the fringe districts become the borders between civilization and
PORT ASIMOV wasteland. This is where police and military presence is low, and
Port Asimov is the largest metropolis on the east coast. As it it gangs rule. Various neighborhoods belong to different gangs that
largely run by a Directorate manufacturing branch that is also war against each other.
called Asimov, it has a very large bureaucratic presence with
many factories and facilities controlled by various corporations
both hired directly by the Directorate and by foreign interests. SPACE

It is here most of the world’s droids are manufactured, and the The Directorate controls Mars, the second celestial body to be
streets have sometimes more droids than humans on them. De- colonized after Luna. Because of centuries of colonization, Mars
spite the more than thirty million people living in the metrop- has grown into a civilization in its own right, with approximately
olis, it can sometimes be difficult to find a store clerk, a police a billion people living on the planet and in its orbit. Centuries of
officer, or a cab rider who is human. There are still many erudite planetary engineering have terraformed it, and it’s mostly safe for
positions and above that aren’t entrusted to droids, but most lab- human exposure. People who aren’t used to breathing the Mar-
orer jobs are. Droids are also effective law enforcement able to tian atmosphere often compare it to being up on a mountain on
keep the lower classes from being seen in the shielded inner-city. Earth, and it’s easy to get out of breath. However, the lower grav-
ity makes it so that people can move more easily, compensating
While this metropolis is invaluable to the Directorate’s earth- for the reduced oxygen to some degree.
bound industries, the class divides here are the greatest in the
world, with more than 80% unemployment. Many of them are The increased atmosphere alongside the already low light lev-
living on various welfare programs that help them at least get els make a day on the planet comparable to twilight on Earth.
food for the day and a place to live. However, the number of scav- An orbital ring connected to the planet via space elevators emit
engers who live completely outside of society’s control is larg- an artificial magnetic field around the planet to protect it from
er here than anywhere else. Some try to find odd jobs here and ionizing solar and cosmic radiation. The atmosphere is main-
there, engage in illicit activities for credits, or rally together to tained by massive structures scattered across the planet, many
fight the droids and their masters. of which stand in the center of Martian metropolises.

WORLD CAPITAL There is also a Nanite Matrix on Mars, and the Directorate has
Though it is only the second largest metropolis in the Protec- utilized chanites, nuclear weapons, and the like, to tear at the
torate, World Capital is still one of the great metropolises of the Nanite Matrix in an effort to materialize rifts and construct rift
world. This has been the Protectorate’s capital for centuries, and facilities around them. These matrix rifts and rift facilities have
the Directorate still considers it to be the heart of the world. To been essential in maintaining the right conditions for terraform-
everyone outside of the Protectorate, it’s commonly referred to ing. However, without Machineborn to help, the Directorate has
as Capital City. relied on the experimentation and analyses of prime function-
aries; while it has ultimately worked, it has also caused several
This massive metropolis is a cultural and corporate hub. Every destructive rift regions and multiple chaos zones.
faction on the planet has an embassy district here, and many take
active part in the regional economy by engaging in active trade. Apart from Mars, the Directorate also controls much of the
Asteroid Belt where they do much of their space mining. Most
Though it isn’t directly noticed because of the seemingly open of the asteroid mining operations are managed from the dwarf
infrastructure, World Capital is one of the most defended me- planet Ceres which has a metropolis-sized colony within the
tropolises in the world. Because it was the target of many attacks dense rock.

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 CHAPTER 10: SOCIETY

MEGACORP
While the Directorate is known for being the oldest coopera- and resources, the First Sector War reintroduced the concept
tive, Megacorp has its roots even further back than that. In the of competition—though the vastness of the solar system made
Post-Modern Era, before the rise of Primary Order, Megacorp scarcity still a foreign idea. Most competing factions maintained
was the result of giant tech companies devouring each other dur- complete control over their resources and only chose to distrib-
ing the AI race. It even led the charge during the initial stages of uted them as they deemed necessary to maintain a growing pop-
space colonization. However, it was its own algorithms that laid ulation and infrastructure.
the foundation for what would become Primary Order and soci-
ety’s inevitable collapse. Having studied the economies of the past, Megacorp wanted to
reintroduce scarcity-based power structures in society to spur
Megacorp was not directly involved in the creation of Primary individual competition within the population. They argued that
Order, but it was indirectly so. The science used by the Dawnlight it would better motivate obedience and help undermine the Ma-
Society originated from corporate espionage and stolen data chineborn’s influence. Megacorp decided to evalutate resources
samples directed at Megacorp. However, the stolen data lacked based on energy production and consumption; this led to the
valuable contexts from Megacorp’s AI research, and Primary Or- creation of the Megacorp Credit Registry (MCR).
der was created without vital security measures that Megacorp
had argued for during the AI race. Once Primary Order became While other factions followed their own pace when it came to
known to society, Megacorp spokesmen argued that the Dawn- developing new means of distribution, MCR would become the
light Society had intentionally ignored these security measures. solar standard after the formation of the Terran Consolidation.

When Primary Order was unleashed upon the world, Megacorp SYSTEM FOR UNIVERSAL TRADE AGREEMENTS
became its primary target. Since it arguably understood Primary Everyone who works as a Megacorp official has the potential to
Order’s design even better than the Dawnlight Society who had grow their career within the organization, but only the 101 most
made it, it was vital for Primary Order’s survival that Megacorp influential executives are referred to as plutocrats. This lays the
and whatever data it may be in possession of was obliterated. The foundation for competition, but it also bears the risk of corrup-
AI spent decades tracking down and terminating every single tion.
person affiliated with Megacorp until the corporation was noth-
ing more than a memory. It’s unknown if any of the original data While the foundation of modern Megacorp was built upon the
has survived until this day, but most of it is believed to have been acquisition of wealth and power during the First Sector War, its
uncovered and destroyed during the Singularity Era. founding members feared the potential of losing what they had
built from within rather than from external threats like Machine-
During Primary Order’s rule, Megacorp was turned into a lesson born tyrants or rival factions. To keep themselves in check, they
on unrestricted capitalism and a symbol of greed. But as gener- designed a prime functionary called Sultan (System for Universal
ations passed and more people became increasingly frustrated Trade Agreements); it became a neutral mediator between com-
with the monotony of life under Primary Order, Megacorp be- peting plutocrats and overseer of Megacorp’s expansion.
came romanticized by a growing minority who looked at capital-
ism as a solution to their stagnant lives. While considered a prime functionary, Sultan was designed to
never become truly sapient, and instead activates countermeas-
Then the First Sector War happened and the Directorate proved ures should it express attitudes and urges outside of its defined
to the rest of humanity that they could compete with the mighty directives. It’s primary goal is to encourage actions that ensure
Machineborn. While the Directorate’s primary goal was to take Megacorp’s prosperity while supervising its officials (including
back civilization from the Machineborn, some had other priori- the ruling plutocrats) to prevent corruption and internal strife.
ties. Megacorp was born again as a contender in the Sector War.
Not to outmatch the Machineborn, but to claim sectors, monop- This supervision is done by enforcing every Megacorp official
olize resources, and create scarcity. It was in humanity’s nature to to install a discreet brainchip that connects them to Sultan; this
compete—a machine would never be able to understand. gives them access to a practically indecipherable code language
that they are urged to use for all internal communications and
MEGACORP CREDIT REGISTRY
official documentation. This is more of a code than a language; a
When Primary Order came into power, society as it had been stream of indecipherable symbols and sounds only comprehen-
known for the last few centuries came to an end. While recog- sible to Sultan’s complex code. To make it more digestible, people
nized as an invaluable tool for innovation, the former economic simply refer to it as the Sultan language.
structures and competing markets were seen as an obstacle in the
way of human prosperity. Primary Order took complete control Sultan doesn’t control people through this connection, and it
over the distribution of resources and ended the class struggle. cannot automatically surveil thoughts or everyday activities.
The concepts of wealth and ownership were almost forgotten un- What it does is controlling data and communication that relates
til the First Sector War. to official Megacorp business. Every decision and every transac-
tion becomes part of its code.
With Machineborn and cooperatives seizing control over lands

504
 Rica
Fazenda
Atlas Tower

Gran
Muerte Colombia
de Plata
Unrest Nexus

Pearlescent

Iris Tower

South Africa New Leon

Port Ranger Merina
Madagascar

Pretoria

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 CHAPTER 10: SOCIETY

SECTORIAL GOVERNMENTS During the Cooperative Wars, when the sectors that would be-
Megacorp cares about power, influence, and profit, but it doesn’t come Gran Colombia were part of the Protectorate, Megacorp
involve itself with people’s everyday lives. Instead, it actively sent agents in to strike a deal with a radical and violent crime
supports a number of unified sectors (more commonly called syndicate called the Crowned Cartel. The deal was that Megacorp
nations), with three major ones being located on Earth: Gran would secretly arm the Crowned Cartel and use it to terrorize the
Colombia, South Africa, and Madagascar. All nations have their Directorate on its own behalf. In exchange, Megacorp would let
own regional leaderships called sectorial governments that an- the Crowned Cartel establish an independent government.
swer to Megacorp in matters of diplomacy, trade, and war.
It was close to a hundred years ago when the Directorate lost the
Each nation has its own distinct cultures that Megacorp isn’t in- South American sectors to Megacorp and the Crowned Cartel.
terested in meddling with. However, regardless of culture, the na- The plutocrative kept some but not all of its promises, allowing
tions must support a capitalist market economy based on MCR, the Crowned Cartel to establish a government, but refusing to
labor for credits, and strive to become active producers and give it independence. Instead, Megacorp argued that direct con-
consumers. The nations must also be actively inviting to trade trol was necessary because of the uncertain times, but this con-
with foreign factions, under Megacorp’s guidelines, officially as a trol would be gradually reduced after the war’s end. The Directo-
means of promoting peaceful connections; inofficially as a mask rate both planned and attempted several attempts to reclaim its
over Megacorp’s underlying imperialistic scheme. sectors, but Megacorp invested heavily in militarization.

While each nation has its own niches, Megacorp’s influence has The syndicate members who were placed in positions of gov-
caused a race for profits that often undermines individual labor- ernment were largely unwillingly puppeteered by Megacorp for
ers on behalf of more efficient systems, such as algorithms and decades to come, naming their new land Gran Colombia as a
robotics. Megacorp is one of the factions with the least developed final act of defiance and because they longed for their own inde-
systems for social welfare and the largest gaps between scaven- pendent empire.
gers and executives. Most organizations that work to reduce pov-
erty are funded entirely by private means, and there is a lot of In the last two decades since the war’s end, Megacorp has taken
stigma against scavengers by the other social classes; laborers see steps to reduce its overt role in Gran Colombia’s governing. The
them as competition for work opportunities, erudites see them former syndicate leaders have over time been largely replaced
as unqualified or unreliable workers, luminaries see them as lazy by idealistic politicians more directly affiliated with Megacorp’s
unwashed pests, and executives don’t see them at all. ideology, gradually shifting the rhethoric away from increased
independence and towards the former status quo.
Some nations are better than others at providing opportunities to
get out of poverty, but as long as there are enough people able to Since there are still tensions with the Directorate to this day, Gran
produce and consume, Megacorp’s only concern with scavengers Colombia has made it mandatory for all citizens to serve in the
is to give them just enough to minimize uprisings and destruc- armed forces between ages 16 and 20. First then are they allowed
tion of property—or encourage others to invest in the products the choice of continued service or to find another career path.
they need to defend themselves from such threats.
FAZENDA
Neither Megacorp nor the sectorial governments interfere in The industrious metropolis Fazenda was the main reason why
people’s freedom of expression, as long as they don’t express Megacorp wanted to strike its deal with the Crowned Cartel; they
anything treasonous towards Megacorp or the sectorial govern- wanted unrestricted access to the production and distribution of
ments, or anything overtly harmful, such as inciting violence. both organic and chemical drugs as well as bioengineered or-
People are allowed to choose their names, their gender expres- ganisms. The metropolis spans several biodomes, all constructed
sion, how they look and dress, and so on, without issue. There centuries ago as a means of protecting thousands of cutting-edge
are businesses in place to cover the demands for most social and plantations that have served the solar system as a whole since.
medical practices, from registering monogomous or polyam-
orous partnerships to adoption, cloning, or child bearing pro- Today, the many biodomes are connected by massive factories
cesses, as well as easily accessed body sculpting and sex reassign- that spew toxic gases into the atmosphere as well as tram systems
ment procedures. If there is a demand, there is also a market. used for transporation and commute. It is one of the most pollut-
ed cities on Earth, but flora and fauna are flourishing within the
protected domes. The people of Fazenda are therefore not very
GRAN COLOMBIA worried about the acid rains plaguing the world outside. Meg-
acorp provides them with fresh air, fresh food, and fresh water.
While most people are unfamiliar with pre-Singularity history, a
fair number of historians have pointed out the absurdity of nam- Apart from the many plantations, Fazenda has all the necessities
ing a nation Gran Colombia and a language Bolivarian under the and infrastructure of a major metropolis. It also has surprisingly
effective dominion of Megacorp’s greed. The names have always low crime rates compared to other Gran Colombian metropolis-
been intentional; initially as a symbol to Megacorp that “we may es. Perhaps it is the isolated nature of the biodomes that prevent
have submitted for now, but we are our own people.” Today, near- the rundown districts from devolving into fringe zones, or per-
ly a century later, most people see it as just a name like any other. haps it is the strong Gran Colombian mercenaries hired to patrol
the streets. Most of the crimes and conflicts are from political

506
espionage and terrorism. NEXUS
Nexus is the largest metropolis in the world—not counting the
The largest terror attack in recent years shattered a biodome and equatorial towers—and the only one with more than a hundred
exposed its plantations to the toxic air outside. Though it was million registered citizens. Despite proudly presenting itself as
nothing but a temporary inconvenience to Megacorp’s overall a peaceful nation, the majority of Gran Colombia’s population
production, it was a catastrophe to the ordinary people living has experienced military service. Approximately five percent of
and working within that dome. During a period of no more than those end up as career soldiers, and with few domestic conflicts,
48 hours of exposure, more than 30,000 people died and another highly trained mercenaries offer their services to the highest bid-
50,000 suffered debilitating conditions. ders. Most of those bidders are in Nexus.

Megacorp has in recent years invested more in technologies that Nexus is also a commercial hub. Even though Megacorp is the
harvest toxins from the atmosphere, but it is still a long way off most influential and most favored faction operating in Gran
before the atmosphere is clean enough to breathe. Colombia, any faction is welcomed to carve a chunk out of the
regional markets, assuming that they abide to MCR guidelines.
PEARLESCENT Everyone is encouraged to compete, and if one faction tries to
Pearlescent is often refered to as the City of Progress. It is from make hostile takeovers of another’s assets, local mercenary as-
here that Megacorp and TerCon scientists are surveiling Dis-Or- sets are used to prevent these actions from turning into greater
der, and working on new means to contest its influences. Their military disputes. This is the metropolis that has, more than any
close proximity to the corrupt and isolated Antarctican facility other metropolis, embraced the Megacorp way.
also allows them more access to malfunctionaries for their re-
search. While unimaginable resources have been invested into It is also home to the Gran Colombian Martial Academy (GCMA)
researching malfunctionaries over the centuries, no one has which in turn is divided into competing martial districts. It is an
come as far as the Pearlescent research labs. Megacorp has now important part of the curriculum for martial districts to engage
made it public that there is a way to bind certain malfunctionar- in war games with each other, and this leads to subcultures and
ies to new directives. In true Megacorp spirit, and to the protests rivalries that often span beyond the academy itself. GCMA hosts
of TerCon, Megacorp intends to sell that information rather than an annual tournament called the Gauntlet where students from
sharing it freely. all over the solar system may partake in war games, martial arts
tournaments, battle royales, and the like. These competitions are
Pearlescent is also a metropolis with a reknown university called often streamed across the solar system.
the Pearlescent Science and Coding University (PSCU) that pro-
duces most of Megacorp’s world- and cosmic coders. For the Every four years, there is no competition in Nexus. Instead, that’s
most part, it is known as a peaceful metropolis. Many foreign the year when the greatest war competition in the solar system
powers and factions acknowledge that the research there is of takes place in a station orbiting Jupiter; the Gladius. Unlike the
value to humanity and they negotiate with Megacorp about the student games of the Gauntlet, the Gladius is only open to true
appropriate price for new discoveries. professionals. However, military augmentations are allowed and
even Machineborn may compete without fear of persecution.
Though there is a military stationed in the metropolis to guard
the many facilities, its primary military focus is to combat es- RICA
caped malfunctionaries or pro-Dis-Order terrorists. One such The border between Gran Colombia and the Protectorate is a
organization is the Final Directive which has been on the rise heavily militarized zone commonly referred to as the Golden
in the region. It has been targeting research facilities known for Line. During the Cooperative Wars, Megacorp managed to se-
holding malfunctionaries to either release them or to try to dis- cure this border from the powerful Directorate thanks to aid
rupt any research into the workings of Dis-Order. of its former branch Hermes—which was deeply corrupted by
decades-long dealings with the Crowned Cartel.
Regional police are investigating Final Directive and has made
some arrests, but there seems to be layers to the organization that When Megacorp backed the Crowned Cartel, Hermes recog-
keeps low-ranking members from knowing the identities of the nized that its only path to survival was to secede from the Di-
high-ranking ones. It is believed that they are communicating rectorate and join Megacorp. Still, it was obliterated in the fol-
with malfunctionaries through secret facilities either underneath lowing years, but Megacorp took the opportunity to secure the
or outside the city. metropolis Rica and lay the foundation for the Golden Line; a
heavily militarized wasteland surrounding the border-city.
Due to the research taking place, local functionary systems are
often targeted by Dis-Order and its adherents. It has proven safer To the Directorate and its loyalists, the Golden Line is still as-
to limit the use of functionaries in general within the metropolis sociated with shameful betrayal. With the exception of the bas-
and instead rely on a stronger labor force. Though there are great tion that is Rica, most of the militarized border is inhabitable
differences in wealth distribution and living conditions across from years of violent conflicts and illegal weaponry. All too of-
Megacorp territories, true poverty is minimal in Pearlescent be- ten even today, citizens must take shelter to protect themselves
cause of its generous social system—an outlier for Megacorp me- from radioactive ion storms sweeping in from the Golden Line.
tropolises. The majority of citizens are employed and educated.
Rica used to be ten times its current size, but it was damaged

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 CHAPTER 10: SOCIETY

greatly by aerial assaults during the war. Rica of today is the city tween 22:00 and 06:00.
center of the old metropolis, and the surrounding landscape con-
sists of destroyed city ruins which for the most part are slums The general public has been submitted to the point where most
and fringe zones for unregistered citizens, criminal syndicates of them sign up for continued military service even after they
and smugglers. All of this is governed by Yane Remington, the turn twenty just to be allowed the perks that come with military
son of a former Hermes director who blew his brains out at the life. The drawback of this is that most of these people get to see
branch’s final gasps. real action sooner rather than later, and real action is more com-
monly the incredible danger of chaos warfare.
It is believed that the unregistered living on the fringes of Rica
are four times as many as its registered citizens. Most of them What is less known is that the GCDD has a number of allied tro-
have made their own societies with their own laws out in the jans working as double agents where they exchange information
fringe districts, and nearly all of them have a general hatred for with Gran Colombia about trojan movements and chaos spread.
the establishment. The Directorate betrayed them by starving In exchange, GCDD is feeding these trojans political dissidents
them, and the now ruling Megacorp hasn’t done much to rebuild and prisoners of war on the Skull Commander’s orders.
after the war.

The local law enforcement is a militarized force with advanced MADAGASCAR

weaponry, mechs, and droids; the droids patrol outside of the
city proper, but often make themselves known in the fringe dis- Madagascar is one of only a handful of nations who have sur-
tricts to show force or quell growing syndicates. Most transpor- vived since the Pre-Modern Era. However, it has changed much
tation to and from the city are either by aircraft or by the elevated since. Now it is mostly a desolate wasteland—an oily, black grave
tram bridges that are all too often targeted by terrorist attacks. afflicted by acid rains. The island was struck hard by the Coop-
Rica, including its fringe zones, has the highest murder rate per erative Wars, and its previously lush landscape was forever gone.
capita on Earth. This was when Megacorp flew in on massive skycruisers and
arranged for the evacuation of the island’s survivors. When the
But all is not bad. What remains of the obliterated Hermes op- majority of them had boarded the skycruisers and been taken to
erates from the city center, where it’s in possession of a number safety, Megacorp began the reconstruction efforts.
of high security buildings in which they are running widespread
surveillance. Hermes has agents operating all over the world as Most of the people who were evacuated from Madagascar nev-
well as cloaked satellites that are monitoring both foreign and er returned. Instead, new people came to the island. What had
domestic threats—much of its focus is on the information traffic started as a rescue operation turned into a takeover. With Meg-
to and from the nearby Atlas Tower. acorp having full control over the island, they used its location
to field test their advances in communication and surveillance
UNREST technology—utilizing support from Hermes, now absorbed into
Unrest is a bulwark against any attempts to invade Gran Colom- Megacorp,
bian territory from the chaos zone Muerte de Plata. It is a for-
tified metropolis ruled by the Gran Colombian Defense Depart- Madagascar has become the de factor “home” of Megacorp prop-
ment (GCDD) under the authority of General Rona Victoria, the er. Its sectorial government consists exclusively of Megacorp
Skull Commander, a heavily augmented former terrorist who was agents and most local citizens have some form of direct con-
neurologically realigned to be loyal to Megacorp as punishment nection to either the military or an essential Megacorp divison.
for her crimes. She’s a known sadist who proudly displays the Every household has someone who is under some form of NDA
skulls of political dissidents in her office, but Megacorp looks the related to various projects or classified information. Naturally,
other way since she is now unable to willingly commit treason. this attracts a lot of attention from rival factions who invest in
their own spies on the island.
Unrest is a place where many Gran Colombian citizens are sta-
tioned during parts of their military service. It is also a place MERINA
where new military technologies are being tested, such as an- Merina is the only remaining metropolis on Madagascar, sur-
ti-chanite missiles and new augmentations. Megacorp is financ- rounded by a harsh and hostile landscape. There are other set-
ing research for the production of a new human progeny with tlements on the island, but they are almost exclusively military
innate anti-chanite and anti-trojan properties; this Project Odys- outposts, laboratories, and a handful of secret facilities.
seus is highly classified.
The metropolis is centered around a skyscraper that looks more
GCDD sends regular strike forces into the chanite region when like communication tower than anything else, with antennas,
they want to test out new technologies against mutants and tro- satellite dishes, and blinking lights breaking the clouds. Within
jans, or new anti-chanite weaponry against the destructive and this structure is Megacorp’s headquarters on Madagascar, and
corruptive environment itself. The citizens of Unrest are used the building is used to communicate with Megacorp satellites
to the idea of war even if they haven’t experienced real combat and outposts, engage in widespread surveillance efforts both
themselves. The military police patrol the streets, and helicopters domestically and abroad, as well as to undertake cyberwarfare
and drones light up the sky. The entire city is under surveillance against rival factions.
and there is a curfew for all civilians without special permits be-

508
Like all factions do, Megacorp also spies on its own people. Every to take diplomatic initiatives without consulting the plutocra-
citizen in Merina has a chip implanted in the base of their neck. tive—much to Megacorp’s disapproval. The sectorial govern-
This chip can be used to record brain patterns which is then fil- ment’s president is the gazelle-chimera Running Silver. They’re a
tered through a prime functionary within the skyscraper. This supporter and ally of the Dawnlight Society, encourages positive
functionary decodes the brain patterns and reads the thoughts foreign relations with that faction, and have positive sentiments
and emotions of the people, then sends information to law en- towards Machineborn. Some have speculated that Running Sil-
forcement when it uncovers people with untoward patterns. ver themselves is one, but there is no evidence of that being true.

It hasn’t always been this way—the chip having becoming a re- South Africa has a more tense relationship with the Coalition,
cent solution to uncover foreign spies and other threats. since there are often disagreements regarding the containment
of the Overgrowth chaos zone, as well as matters of smuggling.
Megacorp has taken more direct approaches to deal with these
MUERTE DE PLATA tensions, disregarding the sectorial government. This has further
emboldened the acting leadership to speak up against Megacorp,
Muerte de Plata is a chaos zone encompassing the central parts of and there are some concerns within the plutocrative that South
the South American continent. Unlike the chaos zones in many Africa may be plotting to secede to the Dawnlight Society.
other regions of the world, the corrupt nanites didn’t destroy
most of the flora and fauna. Though much of it has been a waste- The South African wastelands are wild and untamed, with pock-
land for over a century, great portions of the countryside consist ets of flora and fauna mutated by the Overgrowth, and large
of corrupt biology and mutated wildlife where the air is toxic and wastelander communities dominating vast areas while openly
the rain is acid. contesting military influences. There have been growing support
for Running Silver even among the wastelander communities, as
The area is incredibly dangerous to travel through, and not only they are seen as more empathetic towards their plights and more
because of the high mutation risk. There are creatures and hu- willing to make honest agreements with them. Megacorp, on the
mans who have been mutated by chanites into horrifying mon- other hand, has no tolerance for them and makes that clear.
strosities. The reason for the name Muerte de Plata lies in ancient
Potosi, where the trojans have controlled the chanites into cre- NEW LEON
ating a fortress of silver and human bones. Within this fortress, New Leon is known as the military bastion of South Africa, and
trojans roam in material bodies reminiscent of beautiful humans the center of its military academies. It’s the metropolis where
with bodies of silver. They keep human slaves there as workers, Megacorp has the most direct influence and where the sectorial
food, and pleasure. Some of the hollowed-out husks of human government is the weakest.
slaves are later sold back to traffickers or to Megacorp itself.
Most of the metropolis’ ten million people are either involved
with the military academies in some way, or they are related to
SOUTH AFRICA someone who is. The academies are not exclusive to Megacorp
loyalists, and there are plenty of students who are there for their
South Africa is a nation independent enough to not want to rely own individual reasons or as allied mercenaries looking for pro-
too much on Megacorp, and its sectorial government is known fessional training. Other factions send their people here as well
to get training. Megacorp takes advantage of that to gather intel-

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 CHAPTER 10: SOCIETY

ligence upon foreign military powers. While the greater parts of the city’s bidomes are used for vari-
ous purposes, the most densely populated area are the residential
Despite being so heavily militarized, New Leon itself has not ones. Many of the thirty million people living in Pretoria today
seen an invasion for many decades. There are a number of sur- work in the various domes and use the tram lines to commute.
rounding bastions that are keeping any hostilities away from the
metropolis, and most combat experience in the academies are From them, about one in ten is chimeran, and everyone can get
therefore students against students, students against droids, or discounted bionic augmentations if they have basic medical in-
students against captured mutants from the Overgrowth. surance. For the last few years, gazelles and other antler-wear-
ing chimeras and styles have been the height of fashion. Various
The military academies are also often used as mercenaries them- predators are still the most popular chimeran modifications and
selves, with students being hired cheaper than fully graduated bloodlines, but antlers have become fashionable because of Run-
soldiers. It’s not uncommon that a group of students are sent into ning Silver.
foreign territory or active combat zones—if a student dies on
the field, a stipend is sent to their family. There have been many
student deaths over the generations, but several military heroes SPACE
have been discovered in these academies as well.
Megacorp engages in a lot of mining in the Asteroid Belt, but it
PORT RANGER doesn’t have as strong a foothold there as the Directorate does.
Port Ranger is a prominent commercial hub and a large military However, it dominates the jovian system. There are some stations
harbor that is vital for Megacorp’s trade. The metropolis also has orbiting the gas giant itself, but there are no aerial habitats apart
a large airport and an airforce base for aerial transports. Focus is from uninhabited mining satellites that harvest hydrogen and
on the harbor, though, and Port Ranger is used to produce many other gases from its atmosphere. Most of the human presence is
of Megacorp’s ships and submarines. There are speculations that focused on its moons.
the metropolis is connected to a top secret underwater facility,
but it’s unknown what could be down there. Io, the moon closest to Jupiter, is an uninhabitable inferno. Or-
biting it is the space station Perseus I which oversees the droid
Though all business in Port Ranger will favor Megacorp in some mining of sulfur and other minerals from the moon’s surface.
way, the lucrative region has attracted nearly every other faction Perseus I is also called a “shell station” due its fortified design.
as well as thousands of independent organizations. The reason
for this is the hospitable climate and large production of fresh, Europa is another uninhabitable moon. However, under its thick
non-synthetic crops. The metropolis mass produces food with- sheet of ice is a water ocean where humanity discovered micro-
out the need for protective biodomes, which only a few metrop- bial life several centuries ago. What started as a research colony
olises on Earth are capable of. The only protective measures in under the ice has developed into a submerged metropolis known
place are climate control systems. It’s practically impossible for as New Minos. The ocean life has been both contaminated and
the city to be disrupted by natural calamities. tampered with, and it now contains a vast ecosystem with its
evolution guided by the hands of Megacorp scientists. A euro-
When asked what defines Port Ranger, most people wouldn’t pan progeny has been developed on New Minos where genetic
mention the large port or the hospitable climate. Most people material from the ecosystem was incorporated in a new human
would name the Huntsman Games. This is a bloodsport where subspecies. There are also chimeras with europan bloodlines.
trained survivalists from all over the solar system partake in a
deadly battle royale until only one survives, similar to Nexus’ Ganymede, the largest of Jupiter’s moons, contains the largest
Gauntlet or Jupiter’s Gladius but with more focus on its fatality. human colony in the jovian system. About seventy percent of its
It’s common that top military students from New Leon travel to surface is covered by an ecumenopolis inhabited by more than a
Port Ranger for the Huntsman Games, and the survivors become billion people; this is also a nation in itself with its own sectori-
cherished celebrities that are set up for life. Every year, the con- al government. The ecumenopolis is named Scamander and it is
troversial Huntsman Games incites mass protests due to its bru- Megacorp’s official capital as well as the birthplace of Sultan.
tality and for glorifying deadly violence. Still, there is a new one
every year, and there are always people willing to compete. Callisto contains several smaller colonies both on the surface and
below, all connected by vacuum tunnels. There are also several
PRETORIA space elevators connecting the surface to an orbital ring called
Pretoria is one of the oldest standing metropolises on the planet, the Crown of Lycaon, though locals commonly just refers to it as
but nowadays it’s more of several metropolises in one. Much of Crolon to make the name shorter and simpler to use.
Pretoria is kept under biodomes that are leased by Megacorp to
various organizations and corporations that aren’t directly con- While these colonies are the ones that are deemed the most im-
testing them. These biodomes can even be used by the greater portant to ensuring Megacorp’s vast wealth, there are countless
factions. Some use them for plantations while others use them of smaller mining outposts and stations, as well as both manned
for entertainment. For example, Megacorp has several biodomes and unmanned mining vessels, scattered across a near-endless
where people pay money to re-enact history or engage in fantasy supply of moons and asteroids. Megacorp has also expanded dis-
roleplay with realistic droids. creetly into the Kuiper Belt while avoiding Arcturian scout ships.

510
 STARANOVA
Staranova is one of the oldest empires on Earth, having sur-
vived for centuries amidst warring giants. During the part of
the Post-Modern Era known as the Great Collapse, a civil war
caused the former Russian Federation to split into two provinc-
es, Rusland to the west and Siberia to the east. Rusland had lost
its central leadership in an assassination plot, and it became a
military government under martial law, supported by the grow-
ing Chinese Federation. Siberia had installed a democratically
elected leadership and joined a non-aggression treaty with the
North American State Coalition (NASC), but it didn’t have any
direct military support against its neighbor.

The tension between these provinces led to the First Siberian

War, where Rusland gained a lot of ground due to its over-
whelming military might. However, the conflict came to an
abrupt conclusion with the rise of Primary Order. This was
more of an unstable peace than a rightful conclusion, though,
with Rusland accusing Siberia of sponsoring the Dawnlight So-
ciety’s creation of Primary Order as a desperate effort to reclaim
territory that Rusland considered rightfully theirs.

While there were individual attempts to remove tensions over

the generations, the hostility between these nations had become
more of a cultural practice than a geopolitical affair. Not even
Primary Order’s propaganda machine could distract them from
heated debates and thinly veiled threats.

As soon as the Machineborn had been created and the First Sec-
tor War began, the two nations remembered their old hostili-
ties—the Second Siberian War began. This time, the Siberian
Machineborn Arcturus Animeus had created his cooperative
Arcturus, which ended up overtaking Siberia as a nation.

Rusland had no intentions of selling out to the cooperatives,

and neither did they want to be dominated by a Machineborn
tyrant. By turning the nation itself into a never-ending warma-
chine, they kept fighting against larger odds.

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CHAPTER 10: SOCIETY

Stargaze

Staranova
The Ion Fields
Ironworks

512
 THE TERRAN
CONSOLIDATION
BABEL TOWER There are places for lower classes to make a living as well along
Babel Tower is one of the four equatorial towers that connect the tower’s mighty stem. Laborers perform maintenance on the
Earth with Andlang. These towers are almost beyond human tower’s infrastructure that involves a lot of dangerous climbs
comprehension in scope as they reach a diameter of dozens of using pressure suits. Scavengers are inhabiting airducts and life
kilometers at their base and are constructed with synthetic ma- support systems like pocket colonies, and many of them play
terials held together by cosmic coding—towers like these are deadly sports in the ducts.
beyond the scope of humanity, a testament of the potential of
Machineborn engineering.

The tower is a self-sustained arcology that reaches a height of

1,000 kilometers and could realistically hold billions of people—
though only 371 million people live in Babel Tower today. While
Camellian citizens are among them, Babel Tower is under the
supervision of the Terran Consolidation and considered an inde-
pendent territory and neutral ground. The majority of its popu-
lation are people originating from all major factions and who are
joined together under the Terran Consolidation.

Every faction on Earth is allowed safe passage to and from Babel

Tower, even if they have to cross Camellian territory to get there,
and the primary use of the tower is to act as a connection to the
rest of the solar system. Hundreds of thousands of people travel
through the tower from Earth or Andlang every day, and much
of what is imported to Earth from space—such as mined chemi-
cals and ores—move through this tower before being transport-
ed to whichever place on Earth it needs to go to.

Tram lines are used to ascend through the tower, and all of the
bottom floors are like cities in themselves before the tower thins
out the higher it reaches. Once it leaves Earth’s atmosphere, the
floors are smaller and more scarce, mostly being used as facili-
ties for manufacturing, storage, or research. The occasional lux-
urious penthouse can be found beyond the atmosphere as well,
inhabited by wealthy executives who have paid handsomely for a
good view of the planet.

IRIS TOWER
Iris Tower is the most populated of the equatorial towers, as more
than half a billion people live within the 1,000 km tall marvel of
impossible engineering. The reason for why Iris Tower prospers
the way it does is because it stands on both Coalition and Meg-
acorp sectors, where the Coalition is one of the driving factions
behind the Terran Consolidation and Megacorp is managing its
thriving economy as a bridge that connects Earth and space.

Because the tower suffered some damage in the war, a genera-

tion of maintenance have expanded into construction efforts as
sky-cities have emerged like mushrooms on the trunk of a great
tree. These sky-cities exist in all layers of the atmosphere and
have become popular residential areas and vacation spots for the
executive class. These are often also used as diplomatic pleasure
centers by the Terran Consolidation in order to appease and ap-
peal to dignitaries from the various factions.

513
CHAPTER 10: SOCIETY

514
IDENTITY BACKGROUND POWER MILESTONES

PLAYER CLASS ENERGY MINOR

NAME EDUCATION RECHARGE SIGNIFICANT
PROGENY PROFESSION CHARGES MAJOR

CHARACTER ASPECTS STRESS AND CONSEQUENCES

HIGH CONCEPT STRESS

TROUBLE
ASPECT (2) MILD P M D
ASPECT (4) MODERATE P M D
ASPECT (6) SEVERE P M D
CONSEQUENCES

COMBAT

NATURAL SOAK ARMORED SOAK E UNARMED ATTACK

MENTAL SOAK

COGNITIVE SKILLS

AWARENESS RANK SCALE

CREATIVIT Y RANK SCALE
EDUCATION RANK SCALE
ENGINEERING RANK SCALE
INTERFACING RANK SCALE
INVESTIGATION RANK SCALE
TREATMENT RANK SCALE
WILLPOWER RANK SCALE

PHYSICAL SKILLS

ACROBATICS RANK SCALE

ATHLETICS RANK SCALE
CLOSE COMBAT RANK SCALE
FORTITUDE RANK SCALE
LARCENY RANK SCALE
PILOTING RANK SCALE
RANGED COMBAT RANK SCALE
STEALTH RANK SCALE

SOCIAL SKILLS

CONTACTS RANK SCALE

DECEPTION RANK SCALE
EMPATHY RANK SCALE
LEADERSHIP RANK SCALE
PERFORMANCE RANK SCALE
PERSUASION RANK SCALE
PROVOCATION RANK SCALE
ST YLE RANK SCALE

CODING SKILLS

RANK SCALE
RANK SCALE
RANK SCALE

ekorrengames.com
RESOURCES NOTES

INFLUENCE CURRENT STORED

LIFEST YLE/PROPERT Y/ORGANIZATIONS

TRAITS

ASSETS

ekorrengames.com
Machineborn is a science fiction game set in a world where the concept of what makes
people human is flexible. People have the power to transform themselves after their own
vision, driven by the prevailing notion that they are flawed by nature. Feeble limbs yield to
sleek prosthetics, while costly biotherapies twist their genes into better or stranger forms.
Perfection is a price tag away.

This world is far from paradise. It is a dark and cruel place, where the strong oppress the
weak, and the masses are mere ants under the heels of titanic empires. To find purpose,
people fixate on their own potential, often losing sight of themselves along the way. Hu-
manity is a volatile mix wrapped in a malleable package.

Enter the Machineborn: those who have gone beyond the limits of human possibility. They
hold the future in their grasp, often appearing where they are the most needed or where
their presence cause the most harm. Will they fight for humanity or meld with the gears?
That can only be determined by the story you tell.

In this game, you can assume the role of an ordinary person from one of several transhu-
man progenies, navigating a future where factions grapple with high tensions after a dev-
astating age of war. Alternatively, step into the shoes of the mighty Machineborn, someone
with perks unattainable to the masses, choosing to be either a perceived villain on the run
from the powers at be or a hero striving to restore prosperity to a civilization in ruins. The
choice is yours, and the world awaits your move!

This tabletop roleplaying game is Powered by Fate, and uses a variant of the Fate Core en-
gine adapted for streamlined and narrative play, though with many options for customiza-
tion in the form of technologies, augmentations, and various other powers.

ekorrengames.com