HC SVNT DRACONES

Edition 2.0
Pierce Fraser

Artists: Bridget Wilson “Maloking,” Dansyron, Hitmore, Irdeorum, Jass Befrold, Jeremy Mullins, Kei Wei
Tsao, Lauren Budney, Lauri Laurintytaer, Mindmachine, Necrodrone13, Nibiki, Oksanna Briere, Pierce
Fraser, Vadersan, Victoria Yurkovets
With thanks to Anne and Cora, and to the support of fans and testers. Thank you for allowing this
franchise to continue to grow.

© Pierce Fraser 2014-2019, All rights reserved. Reproduction without written permission is forbidden. Individual
pages of this book may be scanned and printed specifically for personal reference, they may not be distributed.
HC SVNT DRACONES and the Staggered Scale check system are registered trademarks. All content including
artwork, ideas, names, equipment within this book are protected.

This book contains themes, references and ideas that are fictional and intended for entertainment purposes only.
This book includes mature content, reader discretion is advised.

To help support Weapons Grade Funk, or to find links for additional HSD material,
visit https://www.patreon.com/WGFproductions

1
 Intro ---------------------------------------------6 Adventuring ------------------------------------156
From Our Time On (Lore) -------------------------7 Contracts ---------------------------------157
Vectors ---------------------------------12 Experience ---------------------------------159
Cogs -----------------------------------14 Favor ------------------------------159
Blips ---------------------------------20 Preeminence Quests ---------------160
Setting ------------------------------------------22 Scaling Adventures -----------------------161
Earth -----------------------------------24 Story Structure --------------------162
Mars -----------------------------------30
Action and Exertion -----------------------163
Venus -----------------------------------35
Europa ---------------------------------38 Moving ----------------------------163
Ganymede -----------------------------43 Lifting ----------------------------163
Io ---------------------------------------47 Carrying Capacity ----------------163
Mercury --------------------------------50 Extended Labor -------------------164
Family and Species -----------------------------52 Fatigue ----------------------------164
Canidae ------------------------------53 Throwing --------------------------164
Felidae ------------------------------57 Sneaking --------------------------164
Avialae ------------------------------59 Hacking --------------------------166
Reptilia ------------------------------60
Malware List -----------------------168
Mustelidae ---------------------------61
Ursidae -------------------------------62 Environmental Conditions (EDA’s) ----------172
Delphinidae ----------------------------64 Light/Darkness --------------------172
Selachii -------------------------------65 Pressure ---------------------------174
Rodentia ------------------------------67 Suffocation ------------------------175
Ungulatae ----------------------------71 Temperature -----------------------175
Morphism (Vectors) ---------------------------74 Gunfire ---------------------------176
Frames (Cogs) ---------------------------------78 Gravity ----------------------------176
Backgrounds -----------------------------------82 Chartering Passage -----------------------178
Education -------------------------------------84
Exploiting the Dead -----------------------179
MarsCo --------------------------------85
ASR Applied Sciences and Robotics -----88 Crafting ----------------------------------180
Pulse ----------------------------------91 Recovery ----------------------------------181
Spyglass ------------------------------95 Injury ------------------------------------183
IRPF Inner Ring Police Force ----------98 Item Rules ---------------------------------185
Progenitus ----------------------------101 Gear Score -----------------------185
TTI Transcendent Technology inc. -------105 Item List ----------------------------186
Tools ----------------------190
System (Rules) ------------------------------------------109 Passive --------------------198
The Dice System --------------------------------109
Active ---------------------200
Scaling Difficulty -----------------------110
Dice Properties -------------------------111 Corp Items -------------------------202
Dice Modifiers --------------------------111 Armor Rules ------------------------------218
Unique Checks -------------------------112 Armor and Fatigue ----------------219
Saves -----------------------------------113 EM Suites -------------------------220
Persuasion ------------------------------114 Shields ----------------------------221
Rescues ---------------------------------115 Armor List -------------------------------222
Character Generation Summary -----------------117 Weapon Rules ----------------------------228
Crunchtime -------------------------------------118 Weapon Properties ---------------230
Stats ----------------------------------118
Firing Patterns --------------------231
Proficiencies ---------------------------119
Scores ---------------------------------120 Special Ammunition ---------------232
Starter Score Reference -------122 Damage Types --------------------233
Family Modifiers --------------123 Upgrades ------------------------234
Morphisms (Vectors) -------------------124 Modular Weapons ---------237
Frames (Cogs) -------------------------126 Weapon List -----------------------238
Fill out the Progression sheet -------------------128 Handguns -------------------238
Landmarks ------------------------------130 SMGs ----------------------239
Notoriety -------------------------------131 Shotguns -------------------240
Reclamation ---------------------------132
Rifles -----------------------241
Airworthy and Seaworthy ---------------132
Fill out Soft Scores ------------------------------133 Bows -----------------------243
Backgrounds ------------------------------------134 Projectors ------------------244
Education Boon List -----------------------------140 Heavy Weapons ------------245
Customization and Quirks -----------------------141 Melee Weapons ------------248
Quirk List -------------------------------142 Grenades ------------------253
Example Character -------------------------------------154

2
Surgery and Personal Modifications --------------254 Attack Modifiers ------------------306
Head Operations List ---------------------257 Summary Execution ----------------307
Core Operations List ----------------------258 “Mercy” ----------------------------307
Dermis Operations List --------------------266 Shooting Details --------------------------308
Augmentations ------------------------------------268 Close Combat Details --------------------310
Tricks --------------------------------------274 Example Combat -------------------------310
Reclamations -----------------------------274 Advanced Combat --------------------------------314
General ---------------------------274 Movie-time Chatter -----------------------314
Canidae ---------------------------275 Movement ---------------------------------315
Felidae ---------------------------277 Flight, Combat Flight, Sneaking ----315
Avialae ----------------------------277 Attacking ---------------------------------316
Reptilia ----------------------------277 Improvised Weapons, Outnumbering 316
Mustelidae -------------------------278 Grenades and Throwing -----------317
Ursidae ---------------------------278 Dropping, Grabbing, Transcendence -------318
Delphinidae -----------------------279 Vehicular Assistance ----------------------319
Selachii ---------------------------280 Moving, Attacking, Ramming --------320
Rodentia --------------------------281 Thwarting, Destroying, Practicality --320
Ungulatea ------------------------282 Mounts ------------------------------------321
Cog Specializations ----------------------283 Moving, Attacking, Ramming --------321
Wheeled -------------------------283 Scaling Enemy Fights -----------------------322
Maglev ---------------------------283 Building Adversaires ---------------323
Tentacled --------------------------284 Examples --------------------------325
Hexapod --------------------------285 Special Enemies ------------------327
Transcendent Implants -----------------------------286 Techniques --------------------------------------328
Channeling -------------------------------287 1 Point Techniques -------------------------328
Transcendent Catastrophe -----------------288 2 Point Techniques -------------------------330
Transcendent Implant List ------------------290 3 Point Techniques -------------------------332
Translocation -----------------------290 Quick References ---------------------------------334
Excitation --------------------------290 Credits -----------------------------------338
Dislocation ------------------------291
Manifestation ---------------------291
Manifestation Stats --------292
Redirection ------------------------294
Nullification ------------------------294
Etherial ---------------------------295
Stellarconception ------------------295
Glowdrop Stats ------------297
Combat --------------------------------------298
Time and Position --------------------------299
Time -------------------------------299
Hexgrid ----------------------------299
Line of Sight -----------------------299
Cover on the Grid -----------------300
Pre-Fight Actions --------------------------300
Focus the battlefield --------------300
Initiative Allocation ----------------301
Anatomy of a Combat ---------------------302
Roll for Initiative -------------------303
Actions ----------------------------303
Bonus Actions ----------------------303
Chatter ----------------------------303
Move Actions ------------------------------304
Stunts ------------------------------304
Attack Actions ----------------------------305
Support Actions ---------------------------305
Damage -----------------------------------306
Too Many Wounds -------------------------306
Exploit, Disrupt, Stun ---------------306

3
 Welcome to the dramatic roleplay system of human tradition. All they have left is the husk that is
HC SVNT DRACONES. Within these pages you will find Earth hanging overhead and the single, clear message:
all the tools you need to conduct an ongoing narra-
tive in a post-human future that includes unexplained “These people did it this way, and it destroyed them.”
horrors, brutal combatants, sweeping themes of space
exploration, and the down and dirty grit of crawling HSD is not about getting in touch with your
through city streets and alien landscapes. Like many animal side, as so many anthropomorphic systems
games, there are mechanics to follow, rules to learn, encourage. You’re welcome to, if that’s the way you’d
and dice to roll. Most importantly, however, there is like to play it, but the setting is intended to allow you
the need to explore with your fellow players; to be- to get in touch with your human side instead. Not the
come immersed and engage with the environment in culture you were raised in, or the history you’ve expe-
a way that transcends the numbers in this book. There rienced; not whether you’re black, white, red, yellow,
are many great stories to tell out there in the void and or polychromatic; not your geographical history or the
they all involve more imagination than dice rolling. This wars your species has been in; your humanity. Just that.
text’s job is to facilitate that process by giving you a Devoid of the centuries of cultural momentum that cur-
place to begin, and themes to run with. rently governs our thinking and thrust into a brand new
world with its own unique challenges. Even the lifestyles
HSD is a game about exploring humanity. and systems of governance in here are switched and
changed and alien, with new problems and challeng-
I know, it’s a curious thing to see in a book with es, to provide a new way to identify yourself without
a bunch of animal people wandering around and no defaulting to ideas you already understand.
apparent humans to speak of, but at its core, humanity
is what HSD is really about. HSD presents a unique sit- How do we define ourselves when we lose ev-
uation in cultural evolution: a reset switch. It proposes erything we were, and become only what we are?
that at a point in history 700 years before the game’s
current day, human-kind effectively stopped and “start- The Game
ed over.” Through war and strife their bodies were This is a Role Playing Game. For those of you
destroyed, changed, and born as something new on unfamiliar with that term, it means in this game you
another world. Their old planet was leveled, as was the will not be playing yourself, but rather a unique in-
vast majority of its cultural history and heritage, and dividual you hand craft using the rules available in
all the previous biases associated with slavery, racism, these pages. The character you play needn’t be at all
classism, sexism, and so many others that all grew out like you. You can play a different attitude, a different
of thousands of years of human cultural growth and gender, a different species (in fact, you’ll have to play
change were effectively wiped out as the old race a different species, unless genetic manipulation takes a
died and the new race took its place. Are such biases rather profound leap before this book is published) a
gone forever? Of course not. But the history, the social different lifestyle, it’s all out there for you to pick and
momentum, the inexorable force of thousands of years choose from. The history of the HSD setting is avail-
of slighting each other; that was all halted in a brief, able for you to read and help you make your decisions,
fiery moment. as it is a pretty different world from our own. For ease
When humanity died and the race called of use, I’ve placed the plethora of setting information
Vector was born fresh and clean on Mars, they were and history required to truly engage with the environ-
presented with the greatest gift and most terrifying ment here in front, and dedicated all the chapters that
punishment any sentient species could receive: a com- follow it to the rules and mechanics required to play
pletely blank slate. the game. Like most games, you get out of this what
The creatures you play in HSD are, at their you put into it. If all you’re looking for is a quick ad-
core, more human than animal. In their original de- venture in the stars with some friends, you can leap to
sign they were crafted from blank human fetuses and the Crunchtime section and get to work building your
given animal traits and appearances, not the other character. If you’d rather launch a large and immersive
way around. They possessed no history before their campaign in the post-human Sol system, you should
creation, no exploration before their society, no nat- probably grab a comfy chair, proceed to the Set-
ural evolution outside of a test tube, and nearly every ting section and learn a little about the history of the
member of their gene pool is separated by no more place. This book is intended to be viewed in 2-page
than 50 years. They have always known the entirety of spreads, so if you’re reading a digital version you may
each other, they have all grown together from the first want to set your viewer to that setting.
day, and they have all heard the story of what befell
the race that created them. For 700 years, this new life
form has had to learn to live with each other without
the lessons and atrocities of humanity to point back to,
for better or worse. They are human inside, but they
lack human form, human context, human history and

4
 What You will Need General Knowledge
-Pencils. Let’s go over a little quick vocabulary before we start
-Dice. A full RPG set usually contains a D4, D6, D8, D10, up character creation, just to make sure we all under-
D12, and D20. We use all but the last one, but it makes stand what we’re looking at.
for a handy counter if you need it.
-A hexagon-based tile map: most gaming stores carry Dice: these are little polyhedral thingies with numbers
something like this. The hexes are usually 1 inch wide on them, usually used to express randomness or to throw
each and the map will typically be either paper or a at people who steal too many chips. We
sort of flexible foam. I recommend the latter, as they typically abbreviate these to the letter ‘D’ and the num-
last longer and you can draw on them with ber of sides the die has. For instance, an eight sided
wet-erase pens. die would be expressed as a “D8”.
-Miniatures or tokens to represent characters while Player: That’s you! Yes, you, out there in the real world.
exploring or fighting: these typically come with bas- Character: That’s the fictional being you’re playing as,
es, and you’ll want to make sure they can fit within a down here in the tabletop world.
single hexagon on your map. They don’t need any spe- NPC: Non-Player Character. These are all the folks out
cial properties beyond just being recognizable as your there in the game world you interact with.
character. Checks: These use the game’s checking mechanic to
-A calculator: the game doesn’t require any serious allow your character to perform actions in the game
math, it just makes things easier sometimes. world. Things like picking locks or running long
-Character sheets: you can find them in the back of this distances or even socializing with royalty are generally
book. facilitated by checks.
-Imagination, energy and a good attitude. A little Time: We go over this in greater detail later in the
mutual respect goes a long way. Role playing games book, but for the sake of simplicity, assume that all
are structured improv; they require the courage to do measures of time you see in this book “hours, days,
what you normally wouldn’t among people you can’t weeks, etc.” are working off an Earth standard. Your
always predict. Be thoughtful. Be considerate. Make this character knows better, but for the sake of keeping this
positive, and it will be extremely rewarding. This is an a game and not an astronomy lesson, we do our talking
opportunity to exist as someone else for a while. There’s in Earth norms.
a lot to be learned from that exercise.

The Guide
The esteemed role of narrator has had many The “Oh, come on!” rule
titles in many systems. “Dungeon Master” in Dungeons If a player has found some clever rules quirk
and Dragons, “Storyteller” in the various Whitewolf that allows for something that seems quite impossible
systems, and several others. In each occasion, the title in actual application, to the point the other players
refers to the one running the game. They have control and the Guide are groaning and rolling their eyes,
of the plot, the adversaries, the opportunities and the then toss out the applicable exploit and house-rule
general flow of narration. They also have the final call that such a maneuver cannot be done. Sometimes the
on rules disputes and typically control what stays and math in these pages simply can’t anticipate every con-
what goes if something seems out of line. In short, it’s tingency in which they may be manipulated. This also
an awful lot of power. In HSD, this role is called the applies to players attempting to make leaps in logic
“Guide.” The Guide fills all the same shoes traditionally in order to cash in on some sort of bonus. While this
allotted to that position, but is thusly named to remind is the Guide’s call to make, don’t let it turn the game
the person occupying it that they are guiding a game, into tyranny. If there is really a need to apply this rule,
not lording over it with ultimate power. The Guide’s it should be pretty obvious by the general reactions of
primary job is not to tell their own story and force the players. If everyone seems fine with whats being
their party to follow it, but to give a party stories they attempted despite the gymnastics required to pull it
can choose to chase on their own. The Guide exists to off, perhaps its best to just let it happen. Might even
facilitate the players. Make no mistake, a Guide will be fun! This rule exists to keep players from breaking
have to take a hard line now and again to prevent reality, not to tailor reality to the Guide’s mental im-
actions that would hurt the overall fun and functional- age.
ity of the game, but they should consider their over- That about covers the small stuff, save for one
all goal to be finding a way to implement a player’s last thing. This is a fictional setting, and while enough
action, not to outright shut it down. I won’t lie to you: realism is included to give you some grounding for your
sometimes you may have to. Your players are going to logic, it’s largely designed to be more fun and excit-
be creative and unpredictable whether you want them ing than realistic. It’s a toy, not a manifesto. It exists to
to or not. Roll with it. Make it fun. You’re all playing in play with. You’re encouraged to use this toy to craft
the same game, here. any sort of narrative you and your players can enjoy.
5
The following section of the HSD rulebook contains a mountain of lore, background, setting info,
and other little descriptors for you to use to familiarize yourself with the environments you’ll be
playing in and the character options you’ll be building with. Making setting appropriate char-
acters requires this knowledge, but you won’t run into actual rules until the Crunchtime chap-
ter. Kick back, read this, get a feel for the place, and think about how you can apply your own
concepts to it.

What this also means is that, if you’re already familiar with the HSD lore through other books
or previous knowledge of the game (or just having read this once already), you can jump right
past this entire section of the book and begin at the Crunchtime chapter. There are no game
mechanics in the lore area, so once you’ve read this material once you can hop past it in the
future. Additionally, if you’re someone who likes to build using crunch alone, you can bypass this
entire chapter and have all the character option rules at your fingertips in the Crunchtime
chapter. Page numbers will be included at the relevent points in lore if you prefer to flip back
and forth.
From Our Time On from that era, all that remains on record are reac-
tions and follow-up events rather than the actual
declarations of development or sale. It’s assumed to
Modern history claims it began with the sphinx,
have happened in private, much like the first custom
the first genetically tailored, custom lifeform intended
pets had, before flooding onto the market through
for commercial production on Earth, and the precur-
multiple sources to try and outpace backlash. Some
sor to the race that would eventually inherit the solar
modern MarsCo museums hold videos of the ear-
system. A herald of the end of humanity.
ly advertising, which billed the upright animals as
Advances in genetic research had made it
perfect companions for the elderly or those with
possible to custom build pets from various gene pools,
need of a loyal pet that could also manipulate the
beginning with a Sphinx. The scratch-built lifeform was
world. Press buttons, open doors, do the tasks that
presented as a personal thank-you to a nation which
had up till then been delegated to helper robots.
had supported the Mars colonies’ efforts for unification
But with the already mountainous level of public
after the planet’s colonization by corporate entities
concern over the moral implications of the normal
some years earlier. It was created without the knowl-

HISTORY
custom lifeforms, the implications of a domesticated
edge or consent of the genecorp whose scientists had
animal mind paired with a near-human body were
developed it. The action was, by all rights, completely
too blatantly obvious to ignore.
independent, done by a handful of scientists who want-
This, supposedly, is where the open violence
ed to push genetic research beyond the legal bounds
began. Reports began appearing all over the world,
that constricted them. Within an hour of the Sphinx’s
both from owners and observers. Some societies
delivery to its new owner, online ordering services were
were so disgusted by what they took to be blatant
established. Griffins, dragons, hydras, all the marvelous
hedonism and hubris that they opened hunting up
beasts of myth and legend were available for person-
on the creatures and piled the corpses up on their
al ownership. The cost was astronomical, but so was
owners’ porches to show the community who owned
the sheer appeal. They could be tailored, domestic
them to begin with. Others reacted in the reverse,
or wild, and the potential for fantasy fulfillment was
with communities raiding the homes of a wealthy
off the charts. The parent corp that had assured their
owner to rescue their all-too-human pets from abuse.
complete segregation from the original event chose
They were expensive, but expensive is a relative term.
to throw their hand in for this one and officially sup-
To those with money to spare, these creatures allowed
ported it. A brand new, multibillion-dollar industry was
for an opportunity to buy something that could fill a
created. Clothing, accessories, custom pens and care-
personal need to hurt or humiliate. Something had to
giving tools, and millions of requests for more elab-
be done.
orate and impressive creatures surged through the
And it was. Legislation finally arrived, and
internet in an unstoppable wave of commerce. And
custom life in general was shut down in a large part
with the new arrivals came new concerns, which began
of the global market. The sale and creation of non-sa-
to grow as swiftly as the market was.
pient bipeds were banned worldwide. Any currently
With each new creature entering Earth’s biome,
existing variants of the breeds were collected and
new moral quandaries arose. Was it alright to be
euthanized, and those companies that continued to
building life from scratch? Did the new creatures have
produce them behind the shell of their now-fortified
natural instincts? How could one be sure they would
corptowns were harshly boycotted by neighboring
behave like a domesticated animal would, with no
governments which had chosen this as the line to be
history to define them? Where was the line drawn on
drawn in the sand. Most had to cave to pressure or risk
size, or power, or even appearance? Was it alright to
military intervention. The moral high ground was as-
create a creature clearly tailored to someone’s taste,
toundingly firm on this front and gave the governments
or was that a form of cruelty in itself? How long a
of the world a tool to wield in their own defense. The
lifespan was fair to give an animal with no precedent
rallying cry of “this is why we’re needed!” gave strength
for living? Development was deliberately out-pacing
to a regime who had felt it seeping from their veins
the philosophical arguments it prompted, and as the
ever since MarsCo declared itself devoid of Earth
technology spread into new partnerships, corporate
attachments. Within the borders of biotech nations
nations around the planet were pushing forward in
and corp-owned cities, these new regulations were a
hopes of establishing a large enough industry that
devastating setback. They billed it as a narrow mind-
eventual legislation wouldn’t be able to limit it. They
ed blow to the advancement of culture and tech-
had the means to do it, too. Even before Mars, new
nology, rolling back progress rather than learning to
technologies and opportunities had allowed business-
live with and adapt to change. Corptown citizens on
es around the globe to begin establishing their own,
Earth cloistered further into their private utopias and
near-sovereign cities and to buy favors from local
became even more disenfranchised with the rest of
governments as thanks for the sheer amount of industry
their world. With the floodgates now open to
they provided.
leveling legislation on corptowns, this looked
Modern history doesn’t provide a date for when
to the industries inside like a threat to their
the first biped customs hit the market. Like many events
power, or an unwelcome reminder that they 7
 were still beholden to the decisions of govern- survive long enough to be enshrined for the public to
ments they couldn’t directly control. Mars, safely view. Regardless of the exact catalyst, the product
out of reach, was beginning to look like an example was the same: a new species, this one with the ability
to follow. to speak, choose, and defend itself. A thinking being.
With their breeding pool insufficient to main- A new kind of human. In the isolated labs of Mars, far
tain a viable selection, the biped pets were ef- from Earth’s scrutiny, MarsCo’s team took the custom
fectively condemned to extinction within three pet line as inspiration, and got to work.
generations. Their ten year lifespans were short to The team created 180 individuals, enough to
begin with, and for many, both in and out of the produce a viable population provided breeding was
corptowns, it was an awfully cruel fate to bestow carefully controlled. Appearances from a wide vari-
upon creatures that looked so human. Words like ety of mammals were used, and mutt-reduction blocks
‘holocaust’ and ‘sanctioned extinction’ drifted here were put in place to help deter hybridization into
and there among celebrities, CEO and politician something that couldn’t breed while maintaining pure
alike, and left an awfully bitter taste in one’s mouth. species strains to avoid a general homogenization
HISTORY

The Vector project began within the next few after a few thousand generations. The original set of
years, on Mars. Martian terraforming had become participatory species was carnivorous, but the resulting
a corporate space-race to demonstrate advanc- race was modified to accommodate an omnivorous
es in both physics and chemistry and to test the diet to avoid potential nutrition problems should terra-
capabilities of the next generation of Geomats: forming operations go awry. Armed with the full set of
massive vehicles that could consume mountains and human and custom-line genes at their disposal, Mars-
reconstitute their components into ready-made Co removed vestigial organs, improved the efficiency
cities. They’d been in use on Earth since before the of critical organs to help increase lifespans, integrated
Sphinx emerged and contributed heavily to the rise various stopgaps to combat common health problems,
of corporate nationalist concepts. Mostly because and even developed a muscular maintenance enzyme
it granted industries with power the ability to that would combat atrophy in low gravity environments
produce their own cities wherever they could find to allow for rapid adaptation between one world and
space. another. Body heat maintenance was assessed so the
Modern day MarsCo claims the Vector project presence of fur wouldn’t cause the instant smoldering
was in response to a plea from Earth corps who had of the person it belonged to, and secret communica-
sent genetic data on the biped pets up to the slowly tion to prominent genecorps on Earth, still smarting
growing colony in the hopes of creating a population from the loss of their own investments, helped fill in
there that couldn’t be summarily executed at the whims the blanks in the science to ensure that the experi-
of Earth governments. While copies of that email exist ment would succeed on the first attempt. As the Mars
in Vector museums, there is no way to determine their terraforming operation entered its final stage, the first
authenticity anymore. Other explanations, less benevo- human-parallel race in Sol was created. Due to the
lent in their depiction of events, have popped up from nature of their development, vectoring human evolu-
time to time as well. Curiously, few of those seem to tion down a dramatically different pathway, the new
species were called “Vectors.” of modern civilization. Much of the media footage
The response from Earth upon their revelation was fabricated, as the Vector race itself was only a
was global. Corporate states, specifically those with a few months old and had all the threatening charac-
hand in the initial custom pet launch or a secret contri- teristics of a newborn child.
bution to actual Vector production, hailed the creation MarsCo colony staunchly denied the valid-
of Vectors as a triumph of science and a boon to Earth ity of any claims of destabilization or slavery and
as a whole, and they invited the new race that would declared the Vectors the first non-immigrant pop-
see the world in new ways to contribute to the growth ulation of Mars. In a public display of support, they
of everyone. Governed nations that had committed televised an award of citizenship to the Vector
to the no-unnatural-life laws some five years earlier race and officially wrote them in as resident em-
referred to it as the worst breach of ethical scientif- ployees of MarsCo, following the same methods
ic behavior in human history. In their own ways, both and practices that had existed in Earth-locked
were correct, which made it all the more difficult to corptowns for years now. The reaction back on
separate the “right” from the “wrong.” Earth govern- Earth ran the gamut between pride and celebration

HISTORY
ment arguments that the global termination of the for the parent company taking responsibility for
biped pets had been the morally correct thing to do their creation, to outrage and fury at the prospect
had been falling on deaf ears of late, thanks in large of a non-Earth organization granting human rights
part to hindsight and the consistent propaganda from to non-humans and citizenship to a province they
corporate states trying to soften the overall event, as had no legitimate claim over. On the more dramatic
a prelude to the larger one to come. The timing of the side of the spectrum, some even maintained that
Vector revelation was quite deliberate as well; at that the race was going to become a private army, a
point, many of the remaining biped pets were hitting way to take revenge for what must have been con-
the end of their brief lifespans. Sympathy was high, sidered a “first strike” against corporate immorality
as was the feeling of loss. Vectors represented a new years earlier.
beginning and gained unexpected support from those Rumors that the Vector race had been
who had been silent after the previous event but had created specifically to replace the human corptown
witnessed the results since. Some of the support was workforce, either to avoid taxes, labor laws, or general
more for the race than the people who developed entitlements to protection, began to creep up and gain
them. Many feared the Vectors, alone on Mars with credence. The resulting response from the growing
only an independent corporation to watch over them, united Earthgov was that Mars had no right to grant
were actually being bred as a sort of slave race or citizenship to anyone, and that the Vectors would
captive community who could be sculpted and con- have to be given status as a “corporate investment,”
trolled. They wanted the newborns brought to Earth to which carried with it a vastly different message. Such
be protected from their creators. But others argued investments required outside regulation and scrutiny
that this was the realm of God, and that humanity did and were subject to checks and controls that were
not possess enough responsibility as a race to foster a inappropriate to level on something that was essen-
new one. That too became a tricky pedestal to stand tially human in all but appearance. Mars resisted, and
on, as humanity certainly seemed to possess enough depending on who was talking at the time, said resis-
responsibility to kill a race. The sheer level of extinction tance looked like benevolence or malevolence in equal
on Earth was evidence enough of that. measure.
Though damned by many as abominations and Earth-borne corporations that worked closely
horrible breaches in ethical scientific conduct, Vec- with the MarsCo research groups disagreed with the
tors were undeniably sapient, and that proved to be a official ruling, contending that MarsCo was indepen-
tremendous thorn in the side of the previous solution. dent and could grant whatever status they wished
Unable to simply kill a sapient race, many of the slowly to whomever they wished. Government bookkeepers
uniting governments of Earth immediately denied them maintained that MarsCo was not, and had never been,
citizenship, with arguments varying from “human” rights “independent,” and cited the various business licenses
for humans only, to unnatural birth, to concerns about and documentation MarsCo signed on a regular basis
public health or unmapped behavior. Not all argu- in order to do business in Earth markets as “proof of
ments against integration were so polarized. Many attachment.” Previous ambiguities in the Earth/Mars
governments apologized profusely, but maintained relationship that had been left deliberately undefined
that they simply couldn’t handle the resulting change in in order to prevent uncomfortable investment situations
social patterns. They played the long game and built were now rising like specters from the grave to haunt
their societies to endure under singular principles for all the entities involved in figuring out who had legal
the duration. The very presence of this new species rights to what, and all the while grievances that had
would cause such a dramatic shift in those principles been stuffed below the surface since the first days of
that some feared a general collapse. Vector phobia corptowns were beginning to come to a head.
gripped the masses, fueled by campaigns for support With the future of a race of children versus
among their governments, as though the very presence the safety of humanity to use as a rallying
of one of them on Earth would result in a viral collapse cry, massive populations of Earth started 9
 to publicly take sides. MarsCo sent periodic fully animal body with science that resulted from the
images back to Earth, showing the Vector chil- destruction of a subspecies with animal intelligence
dren growing up in the Martian environment happy and a humanoid body was lost on no one.
and strong, learning languages and literature, and The Golden Generation introduced herbivores
watching Earth cartoons and children’s program- to the Vector race, though they too were converted
ming. The videos threw so much fuel on the fire into omnivores for the same reasons as those in the
with every release that MarsCo stopped sending first generation. Rodents were also included, which
them when the Vector race turned five. The silence played hell with the mutt-reduction protocols and
only made things worse, and rumors and conjecture would eventually result in the random birth of a Vec-
grew in the void that was left by it. Riots began on tor with traits from more than one species, often from
the borders of corptowns that had publicly aligned species not in their ancestry. Though widely considered
with Mars. Leaks began to emerge, showing signs to be mistakes in the generation process, all the anom-
that various Earth corps had been feeding Mars alies were nonetheless viable, and sapient. Though
research data they had promised to destroy years MarsCo was now sending less and less data to Earth
HISTORY

earlier. When military and national guard organiza- regarding Vector advancement, it was still certain it
tions got involved, some corporations began actively would need to account for something once the smoke
arming their employees and fortifying their borders. back home had cleared. That meant staying true to
The first generation of Vectors was six years the principals it was publicly arguing, the most prom-
old when Earth went to war. inent of which was a right for artificial life to exist.
Considering themselves free of the shackles Modern day MarsCo claims they couldn’t justify purg-
of the old regime, MarsCo resumed their genetic ing these genetic anomalies from the species simply
experiments in full, swearing that they would ensure because they complicated matters. From then on, the
Vectors would not only remain, but thrive, with a race would simply have to adapt and learn to accept
rich and robust population. The Second Generation the diversity within it. First generation Vectors were
project began with the intent of adding volume now seven years old, and the arrival of the new gener-
and variety to the Vector race. Second generation ation introduced nearly three thousand new bodies to
Vectors were produced with varying degrees of quality their population. Now joined by their younger siblings,
control and almost none of the support from the more Vectors were still powerless to do anything more than
established home-world genecorps that had assisted watch the events on Earth unfold and listen to the sto-
the first generation, as the fighting back on Earth had ries that came out as hushed whispers through the lips
made regular correspondence difficult. of their odd, pink-skinned guardians.
Dubbed “the Golden Generation” by idealistic Humans themselves were changing too.
Mars scientists who felt they had already solved all the MarsCo’s population was slowly expanding with ref-
major biological puzzles with the success of generation ugees from Earth seeking a new life in an environ-
one, the second generation would later become the ment they had already supported, and not all of them
most problematic and error-ridden of the three origi- looked like traditional humans. Technology born of a
nal Vector generation waves. need to adapt to what could swiftly turn into a nuclear
The Golden Generation introduced over a hun- holocaust back home had allowed for the transforma-
dred new species to the Vector biodiversity docket, a tion of already born humans into something akin to a
vast expansion over the original six in generation one. Vector hybrid. While no reports exist of this ever being
Their birth introduced breeding anomalies and errat- done involuntarily, the existence of these Hemi-Vectors
ic morphisms to the overall Vector race that would only served to fuel fear on Earth of a sort of human
remain a part of their culture and heritage forever replacement program. Mars welcomed human converts
after. Quirks in the old mutt-reduction protocols mutat- in an effort to shore up its numbers with like-minded
ed newer development genes and resulted in bizarre individuals that would continue to support Vector pro-
anomalies. Taurs emerged: Vectors with half-animal, duction and a corporately governed way of life they
half-humanoid bodies. Errors in the synthetically de- were already used to from their isolated states back
veloped anti-atrophy muscular compensation glands home. Earth-locked corporations lacked the numbers to
produced Vectors that didn’t grow like they were maintain a foot war anyway, and with the new rain of
supposed to, constraining them to sizes no larger than nuclear arms, there wasn’t much point in having bodies
the animal used to pattern them. One wave was nearly on the ground when a few well-protected people in
completely lost when the bipedalism gene sequence a bunker could carry out the digital war just as effec-
utterly failed to express, and MarsCo was forced to tively. MarsCo was careful about who it allowed into
try an experimental living-mutation technique to save the Hemi-Vector program and who it declined, but
them lest over three hundred fetuses be lost. The emer- no amount of caution could be perfect enough. Earth
gency save allowed the growing bodies to complete shipments stopped when one such mistake resulted
their gestation, but resulted in sapient beings in a nuclear detonation from within a shuttle on de-
that were completely animal in appearance. scent to Mars. MarsCo claimed the perpetrator was
The irony of the accidental creation of a a covert agent from the United Earthgov Terra Firma
10 subspecies with human intelligence and a who broke an almost eight-month-long cover to smug-
gle a nuke into a nonessential system and destroy the wealth of ready resources and food in the sea, and
primary Martian spaceport. It was a claim Terra Firma they could eventually serve as a foothold for the
staunchly denied for as long as they were able, but repopulation of the blue planet. Things didn’t quite
the event locked Mars’s doors to Earth for the duration work out that way, but in the years since, aquatic
of the war. Too hindered by trying to support its local Vectors have nonetheless made homes in the vast
population through barely established agricultural oceans of Venus and Mars, as well as other, even
systems to attempt to lend Earth any support, Mars more exotic, locations.
continued on alone and left its allies to their fate. First Aquatic Vectors were introduced in the
generation Vectors were now growing into adoles- Omega Generation, and as such were built using
cence, and videos of the war were no longer gracing the most advanced technology available at the
Martian screens. Events on Earth weren’t being sent up, time. It was necessary; this breed would be treading
and televised reports were slim and sketchy. Some few, a volatile line between sea and land, and it would
select souls had learned that something terrible had require some creativity when it came to designing
activated on Earth and begun a process that could their skin and respiratory systems. It’s no surprise

HISTORY
not be stopped, and they took the information and hid that only a handful of Earth’s vast ocean life was
it away, unable to do anything to prevent it. The rest included.
of Mars was left wondering what had gone so wrong. Birds, exotic reptiles, and a host of more
They didn’t see the catalysts that led to escalation, obscure breeds were integrated into the ten thou-
or play a role in the inevitable descent of the planet. sand individuals that made up the Omega Gener-
They were unaware of the triggered contingencies or ation, and when they emerged the equipment that
the intervention of quiet hands that guided humanity produced them was slated for decommissioning as
to its end. part of project Sink or Swim. The Vector race would
Vectors learned math and engineering, and stand on its own from here on out.
played with the dwindling human population that had In the next few years, Mars’s terraform-
created them, and those Hemis that had joined from ing operation would complete, transplanting the
Earth in the years since. They sympathized with the majority of Earth wildlife, with some variation, to
hurt of their comrades, but they didn’t understand it. Mars’s new climate. The deep canyons ran with fresh
For them, this was home. For them, there were only water and the largest mountains in the solar system
the humans who helped them, and the enemy that had sported snow and the finest vistas in recorded history.
detonated in the sky. The world was reborn and reinvigorated, and humans
First generation Vectors were 15 years old and and Hemi-Vectors shared it with their Vector coun-
second generation Vectors were eight years old when terparts. At that point, humans ranged in age from 30
the final contingency, whatever it was, usurped control to 70 years old, with somewhere around 500 of them
of Earth’s remaining nuclear arsenal and reduced its remaining. First Generation Vectors were now 23 years
life to ash. old, with 30 of the original 108 females known to be
The destruction of Earth cemented the need for pregnant, and the entire first generation population
the Vector race to prosper more than ever before, and recorded as sexually active. Second generation Vectors
shortly after the war ended, the Third Generation proj- were 15 years old. Within the next 30 years, the pop-
ect began with the intent to bolster the breeding pool ulation of Mars would quadruple, unmodified humans
and correct some of the errors of the previous gener- would drop to less than .5%, and Mars’s economy would
ation. Dubbed “the Omega Generation” by its progeni- solidly find its feet.
tors, this was to be the last of the artificial population
enhancement projects for the Vector race. It replaced
the mutt-reduction protocol with a new form of hy-
bridization adaptation, allowing species that were
normally genetically incompatible to breed and give
birth to offspring that shared a species with one of
the parents, but the necessary genetic variety of both.
This kept species distinct and allowed for the inclusion
of new, vastly different life to the gene pool, and the
dominance of the new breeding protocol would over-
ride the previous version in subsequent generations.
Some of the more peculiar inclusions look, from history’s
view, like an attempt to prep for an eventual return to
Earth some time down the road.
The officially accepted reasoning behind the
inclusion of fully aquatic families into the Vector line
was to make the oceans of Earth habitable. Presum-
ably, even though the land was in ruin, once the ra-
diation had died down, aquatic Vectors could find a 11
 VECTOR
A Vector is a genetically engineered
lifeform built from fresh genes pat-
terned off a human template, with
some modification in appearance and
function. Vectors were built to resem-
ble various Earth animal species and
have distinct families and species that
can be visually traced to those origins;
however, their primary social behavior,
emotional range, instincts, and intel-
ligence are all human in nature. They
follow general human averages in
height and body mass and are slightly
more robust than humans in terms of
overall stamina, resistance to illness,
and recovery from injury thanks to ge-
netic “pruning” that took place during
their creation to account for and
remove known issues with the human
genome. They tend to live between
90-110 Earth years if they take care of
themselves, hit puberty at around 10-
14, and are capable of reproduction
with any other fertile Vector regard-
less of family or species.

12
 All Vectors were designed to be able to race, with their own quirks, and were to be respect-
successfully procreate without hybridizing, in order to ed as independent. The war would prevent anyone
ensure that the race as a whole would remain diversi- from really knowing if that attempt was successful,
fied rather than gradually homogenizing into a single, but the idea was in place before the first exper-
mixed creature who may encounter unexpected genetic iments began. There are suspicions among some
problems which might lead to the extinction of the Vector historians that this might also have been
race. The design has been very successful, and even part of an attempt to ensure Vector reproduction
with the errors that emerged during the second gen- didn’t look too much like human reproduction. If
eration, 95% of the Vector population is without mor- Vector anatomy and reproductive organs were the
phism. The remaining 5% break down in the following only parts of their bodies to look exactly like human
way on a system-wide scale, but their local population parallels, it would have implied from the beginning
changes dramatically depending on where you are. that the race was expected to cross-breed with
humans. They were instead patterned roughly off
Noticable Physical Quirks 41% their species analogs or modified into a custom

HISTORY
Hemi 15% arrangement in the case of non-mammalian species,
Taurism 13% which was seen as a middle ground that would al-
Lateralism 10% low Vector/human intimacy if a relationship formed
Aberrant Anatomy 8% without making it appear as though they were built
Microism 5% with that destination in mind.
Lever-Stanced 5% Vectors possess a unique gravity adap-
Hybrid 3% tion musculature that allows them to normalize to
different gravities without affecting their muscle
When Vectors reproduce, the resulting child mass. While this is technically a limiter when it
will be a single species (in most cases) identical to ei- comes to traveling to lower-gravity environments,
ther the mother or the father but will possess physical it allows the Vector race to spend extended pe-
characteristics from both. Hair, eye color, the overall riods in space, on different worlds, and in varying
shape of a muzzle or the sound of a voice, build or environments without risking muscular atrophy. MarsCo
posture, many of these things cross the species line anticipated them as a spacefaring civilization one day,
into children even when species does not. On very rare and now, over 700 years later, Vectors living on Mars,
occasions it’s even possible for children to not share a Venus, Europa, and other places are able to transition
species with either parent but rather inherit it from a between worlds with no more than a night’s “growing
grandparent instead. pains” while their bodies adjust to meet the demands
Though some Vectors (avians and reptiles, of the new environment. This muscular flexibility has the
mostly) are based off creatures that do not give live added side effect of making it easier for Vectors to
birth, Vectors themselves were engineered from blank maintain muscle mass, which (aside from being conve-
canvases and endowed with animal traits for distinc- nient) may have also been intended to fight atrophy
tion. Likewise, they are not necessarily bound to the caused by the growing onset of stationary, sedentary
exact physical behaviors of their contemporary fami- careers foreseen on Mars. If that’s the case, MarsCo
lies. Birth method is determined by the father; if he is has never admitted to it.
a male of an egg-laying species, the child will be born The artificial Vector population enhancement
in an egg, regardless of the species of the child or the stages officially ended roughly 23 years after the first
mother. Likewise, if the father is a live-birth species, Vectors were born, and from that point forward the
the child will be born live regardless of its, or its moth- species has been propagating itself biologically. 700
er’s, species. This can result in a number of occurrences years later, it has a population billions strong across
humans see as unnatural (cats laying eggs, birds giving Sol. It is not, however, alone. About 50 years after the
live birth, dogs hatching out of a shell, etc.) but that first Vector was created, toward the dwindling end of
the Vector community has been accustomed to since human-kind’s tenure on Mars, a new form of life joined
the third generation. While it makes for a notation on them, both to help develop and empower Sol, and to
a birth certificate, there is little other further impor- ensure that the Vector race was socially prepared
tance beyond that as far as the child’s upbringing is to deal with challenges that they were surely soon to
concerned. Gestation for live birth takes around nine face as their technology evolved.
months, and for egg-laying it takes around six, with
anywhere between a month and two months of warm-
ing via incubator before hatching takes place.
Mechanically, there was no genetic require-
ment for the diversity of birth methods in the Vector
design (in fact, it took extra work to design them that
way) but it was included, like many things, to give them
their own unique existence rather than making them
appear as a sort of “sub-human.” Vectors are their own 13
 COGS
Cogs are Sol’s current example of
truly sentient machines, which has
proven to be a complicated role
to play as technology continues to
advance. By Sol’s modern standards,
Cog technology is rather archaic. But
that’s part of what allows them to be
relatable to their biological coun-
terparts. By Sol’s modern standards,
Vector biology is rather archaic too.
Most of the public doesn’t realize just
how possible it would be to rewrite
both Cogs and Vectors into mechani-
cally and biologically superior ver-
sions on every conceivable front using
available technology. On the few
occasions where attempts like this
have been made the social outcry
has been predictably enormous, and
bore distinct similarity to what many
resistors of early Vector development
looked like on Earth.

14
 There is a cosmic irony lost on Vector-kind that logical construct. It experiences the world through
shines brightest when viewed from a human perspec- the Cog’s senses, builds bridges between experienc-
tive: that the match which struck up the fires of a es as a normal brain does, and is only “programmed”
war that ended a world would play no physical role in the same way any brain is: by reaction to stimulus.
in its actual execution. Indeed, according to historical It possesses no operating system, no built-in abilities
record, no Vector even so much as assisted in strate- or applications, and no backup feature. It’s simply
gic planning, much less lifted a weapon and dropped an information sponge. It even looks vaguely brain-
on Earth to engage in the fighting. But so powerful like and is the inspiration behind the ASR logo.
were the feelings behind what they represented, both Cogs have to live, in order to be living. They attend
morally and physically, that they brought a planet to its schools, learn about their environment, trade stories,
knees. As is the case with all history, the victor writes and gain skills through all the traditional means,
the books, and now those same moral and social ideals and as such they build the same sorts of social and
have been utterly changed in a community of creatures emotional bridges Vectors do. None of it is “sim-
who never had human history or philosophy to dictate ulated” any more than a normal person’s laughter

HISTORY
what was right or wrong. There has been no shortage or sorrow might be. It’s simply a result of stimulus,
of horror attached to this, and no lack of lines crossed compared to a lifetime of experience. The system
that likely should not have been. But, to its credit, it has functioned so well that (beyond a few tweaks
allowed for the creation and acceptance of a second to make sure things don’t decay prematurely) it has
new race of intelligent creatures in a matter of years remained unchanged for nearly a thousand years. Its
that humanity would likely not have viewed as equals similarity to organic construction has also led to one
for centuries, if not longer. of the most universal social rules of being a Cog:
Cogs emerged from the labs of ASR (then a the idea that being a machine does not make you a
mere MarsCo subsidiary) only 70 years after the fall tool.
of Earth. Enough time for several new generations of Cogs are notoriously adverse to physical
Vector to have been born, but still within the haze integration of mechanical augmentation, far more
of post-humanity. Earth was a smoldering wreck, the so than Vectors are. To most Vectors, surgical en-
human population of Mars was dwindling, and all the hancement is a privilege of biotechnology, and cyber-
new lessons of what was now becoming the era of netic implants can help you do specific jobs better.
the Vector were pointing toward acceptance and Neither is particularly “personal” on most social levels.
cooperation as a necessary part of life. There weren’t To Cogs though, having one’s anatomy adjusted toward
many other alternatives, frankly. So when the Core a task brings them a step closer to becoming a tool
Consciousness, the critical component of Cog sapience, for that task more than a person. The mental relation-
was demonstrated and explained, they didn’t look at ship likely stems from the prevalence of robotic tools
it with a thousand years of human contempt for ma- in the present day. Cogs are not equated to general
chines, or with the self-assured security of mastery over robots in most minds, but the more they convert toward
their land and pride in their cities which they had built a utilitarian form, the harder it is to notice the distinc-
on ancient tradition and principle. They looked with the tion. To complicate matters further, Cogs have hobbies
eyes of a race barely three generations old who were and physical aspirations like anyone does, and likewise
still trying to figure out the sheer extent of what had want to train their bodies to be good at what they
to be done to keep themselves afloat, and who rath- do. When your body is mechanical, it doesn’t “train”
er desperately needed an ally. A race of beings who particularly well, and when your race disdains physical
were themselves engineered, and could damn near modification, it’s difficult to get “in shape,” as it were.
alphabetize their own genome. And mostly, a race that ASR’s solution to this problem went hand in
felt very small and alone, with nothing but files in com- hand with its solution to “growing,” which was also a
puters to cling to for some grounding and explanation puzzler for a while. In hindsight, most agree that the
in the grand scheme of their design. whole thing could be accomplished more elegantly
Frankly, most of Vector-kind was happy to make using modern technology, but no race has ever reacted
a new friend. particularly well to being told they need to upgrade
There were stumbling blocks, and for the de- themselves. Every Cog is entitled to a chassis update
cade or so new rules for interaction and social behav- at set points in their lifetime (3, 5, 7, 9, 12, 15, 18 and
ior would be tried, tested, reviewed and rewritten, but 20 years old). This includes greater dexterity, strength,
in time the race of Cogs worked its way into the core increased size, and all the other perks that come
of post-human Sol. What emerged after their adjust- with growing up. At the same time, these chassis vary
ment period was still mechanical, but behaved in a in style and form and include a variety of different
way that was almost more “living” than Vectors them- specializations which help tune them toward certain
selves. lifestyles. When the Cog picks their next chassis, they
At the center of every Cog is a single, con- have the opportunity to move into a body
stantly powered unit which serves as a continual input better suited for the life they wish to lead,
recording and analysis device. A brain, essentially, but without bearing any social stigmata for the
one that behaves as an electronic analog to the bio- decision. It is, in this case, a part of growing 15
 up, and each new update brings a Cog closer but not attached to any functional reproductive system.
to the form they feel best reflects them. Young Those faculties begin to activate around the same time
Cogs typically try several different body types they would in Vectors as their social awareness be-
during their first few updates, but as they grow old- gins to tap into physical awareness that wasn’t there
er they will settle into one and learn to harness its before, usually with the same level of personal embar-
full potential, just as anyone becomes comfortable rassment. It’s a common part of growing up that helps
in their body with time. After 20, additional updates facilitate inter-species connection.
are no longer free, but most Cogs will pick up one When Cogs were invented the need to form
or two more before they die, as key points in their families was considered an imperative to successful
lives make them feel as though they’ve outgrown coexistence. Blood, even to Vectors, is thicker than wa-
their youth. ter, and if they could not form emotional and physical
During a chassis update, the Cog’s Core bonds to their mechanical co-inhabitants, it would spell
Consciousness is removed from their current body disaster for their chances of full integration. Visions of
and physically reconnected to a new one. Between a hard dividing social line forced by sheer mechanical
HISTORY

the first and second body, the Cog experiences incompatibility demanded a solution. The problem was
a dreamlike state in which their mind glazes over remarkably easy to fix, even if it did make for a dis-
and is pacified to help deal with the disorienta- turbing reminder of just how “artificial” Vectors were
tion of being completely devoid of sensory input. It’s to begin with. From a human standpoint, anyway. The
a peaceful, if somewhat artificial, sensation, and Vectors themselves thought the whole situation was
many Cogs view the concept of sensory deprivation pretty clever.
differently from Vectors because of it. If nothing Among their reproductive options is a “womb.”
else, they have a unique concept of the out-of-body The womb itself went through a long series of at-
experience, as they actually go through it at regular tempted designs and models (some of which were
intervals in their natural lives. more than a little troubling) before eventually arriving
Once in their fresh new shell, a Cog can spend at something akin to an internal manufacturing cen-
several years acclimating and learning about being ter. This pod-like unit is capable of analyzing Vector
larger, stronger, surer of themselves, and more capa- genetic information, extrapolating physical traits from
ble, much as a normal person would. Cogs even expe- the acquired data, and translating those traits into
rience an emotional “puberty,” in which they begin de- the next generation of Cog. Personality seeds, affinity
veloping broader understandings of social interactions. toward certain colors, various preferences toward size
The physical portion is somewhat different, however. and shape, overall posture and size, all are integrat-
Cogs play a constant game of catching up with body ed into the background data that makes up the new
changes, so when it happens in their teenage years Cog’s brain, effectively making them a product of both
it’s no more strange or bizarre to them than it was the parents. Cogs can choose their chassis as they grow,
first four times it happened. They tend to view organic but because most grow up with their parents and have
puberty with amusement. Mostly, anyway. There are still tastes extrapolated from both parents, they tend to
a few things they need to get used to about them- choose forms that at least vaguely reflect aspects of
selves that weren’t necessarily present earlier. those parents. The size of their limbs and overall densi-
Cogs possess gender, to the same degree ty of their chassis is likewise a product of that pairing.
anyone does. It’s a simple thing for them to ignore or In many ways, Cogs are even more defined by hered-
change (even for Vectors, swapping at least once in itary genetics than Vectors are, as they don’t tend to
the course of their lives to try the other on for size change their appearance much over the course of
before settling is reasonably common practice) but day-to-day existence and maintain many of the shapes
it helps them draw the same distinctions Vectors do. given to them by virtue of this process.
Gender is reflected in various joint arrangements, Mother Cogs cannot produce organic offspring
curves, and balance points in the Cog chassis, but with this unit (that was attempted with the first few
carries no inherent mechanical advantage one way or mechanical wombs, and the results were considered
the other. In essence, it’s a way for the body to reflect publicly unacceptable. And a little nightmarish). Father
the mind. For Cogs who don’t wish to integrate, this is Cogs can, however, produce organic offspring if the
usually the first thing to go, but even among full Cog mother is a Vector. The process is similar, if mirrored,
communities it serves a purpose. There are many who to the mechanical process. The Cog can have their
enjoy being associated with a gender, if only to help personality examined and extrapolated via a special
them identify themselves. ASR reproduction system, which will then translate all
Every Cog, regardless of registered gender, is the relevant data into genetic structures for use in
entitled to the integration of reproductive anatomy. It traditional impregnation. The resulting child will have
isn’t gender specific, or even limited to a single binary a body resembling the averages in height and build
(though you do have to pay if you want more of the father Cog’s chassis over the course of their
than what your hereditary code entitles you lifetime, similar personality traits, and, in most cases,
to). Typically this anatomy is established by the mother Vector’s species. Father Cogs can elect to
16 the birth gender and present in every chassis, “be” a species when the genetic data is made if they
want to incorporate it into the equation, but that will themselves.
still only give the offspring the usual 50% chance, like it Prejudice based on appearance certain-
would with two Vectors. The neatly arranged and cat- ly exists in the HSD universe, but it is somewhat
aloged genetics and engineered structures of Vector less recognizable or prevalent than it has been in
DNA have allowed this process to operate successfully human history. As a generalization, most appear-
for centuries, and Cog/Vector families have a long ance-based bigotry is motivated by a difference
history together. in behavior or culture, which is then attached and
Cogs live in an occasionally blurry balance related to a specific appearance, eventually be-
between the habits of the flesh and the realities of coming an “all people who look like ‘x’ behave like
the machine. For the most part, Cog society follows ‘y’” sort of mentality. Most Vector families stemmed
many of the same rules Vector society does. They wear from the same source and emerged from the same
clothing for modesty and personal identity. They social- labs. While their appearances differ, their ances-
ize over food, adorn themselves with accessories for try shares a very common origin and history. There
visual appeal, and are even shaped like their organic are recognizable behaviors and attitudes that are

HISTORY
counterparts. Synthetic hair and articulated faces and prevalent in different families, but it’s a little more
tails are common, for no other reason than to help ev- like judging your neighbor rather than judging a
eryone feel more cohesive. Aside from social compati- completely different culture. Those stronger feelings
bility, this serves the function of allowing them to exist of social bias are far more commonly attached to
and interact in a world built with a specific body type the corporation one comes from.
in mind and gain all the sensory input Vectors get from “Brand loyalty” is the modern version of “pa-
that world. On the other hand, a lot of it isn’t strict- triotism” and follows many of the same social rules.
ly necessary, and there are many Cogs who choose Every megacorp invariably imbues its citizens with
neutral chasses that abandon many of the organic its own company culture, including specific values,
parallels common to their kin (gender identity, exter- goals, beliefs, and morals, much like any government
nal sexual anatomy, lips, eyes, noses) and take digital does. Flagging brand loyalty is a bit more active
replacements such as light up displays or augmented (in most cases) than flagging patriotism, though.
reality projections to allow for expressiveness. Cogs Because megacorps actually provide products and util-
who live this lifestyle can have difficulty relating to ities to their citizens, it isn’t uncommon for their people
Vectors but are generally accepted readily enough by to wear their logos and iconography or to prefer their
other Cogs. There is a difference between embracing products over others. Rarely will this result in physical
your machine nature and becoming a tool, and Cogs violence, but depending on people’s attitudes, it can
recognize this as the former. Usually, by the time Cogs produce a lot of friction.
reach adulthood, they’ll have mixed and matched many Bias based on location is usually tied to what-
features of both mechanical and organic facades to ever corp owns that location more than the location
create a unique appearance they feel best represents itself. Europa is a big one; even though Transcendent

17
 Technologies Inc. has operations all over the Presumably, they have traveled to a world in
solar system, most TTI citizens are assumed to which the thoughts and experiences of every Cog are
have come from, or spent time in, Europa. Likewise, held, and they can benefit from limitless potential. The
people on Europa are generally thought of as TTI truth…well. The truth is they have been incorporated,
citizens. Most are, but it’s certainly not all of them. but no one actually knows what that existence is like.
Cogs are typically thought of as Applied Science You can’t come back from it; your mind becomes part
and Robotics citizens by default, even though there of the whole, and part of ASR’s pledge to Vector-kind
are many who were born in other corps. Crossing ri- is that the mystery of the afterlife will be as much a
val corp lines is particularly tough for them, though. factor to the existence of Cogs as it is to Vectors. They
Inevitably, citizen or not, all Cogs return to ASR don’t know what’s in there either. Centuries of infor-
corptowns to grow, unless they purchase indepen- mation writing and rewriting and forming into new and
dent chasses from smaller dealers. That happens, greater forms has created levels of interconnection
but only to families with a lot of money to spend. unparalleled in anything known to exist, by a factor
Cog bodies are very sophisticated; it’s roughly anal- of millions. Its functionality is maintained by the Gate-
HISTORY

ogous to buying a new luxury car every two years. It keeper, a title given to a very carefully chosen ASR
is, however, one of the few ways a Cog can “scrub employee whose only task is to have the one view into
off” ASR association based on appearance. Custom the data within the system, to ensure that it’s still run-
frame designs are recognized as an action taken ning. There are always two; one to cover for the other.
by a Cog who has deliberately chosen to identify Beyond them, no living being has ever seen what the
outside the bubble of ASR. This can occasionally millions of digital souls inside the super-consciousness
estrange them from friends or family, depending on have become.
just how corp-loyal said individuals are, but it gen- All Cog frames have humanoid torsos, sym-
erally doesn’t cause much strife among ASR employ- metrical design, and a single neck-mounted head.
ees. Much as anyone hates to lose a customer, they Typically, Cog faces are either sculpted like masks of
recognize the futility of trying to tell someone who Vector faces, or simply smooth and blank with reactive
has literally replaced their body that they’ve made “eyes” displayed on their surfaces for conveying emo-
“the wrong choice.” They just keep their doors open in tion. Fully mechanically articulated faces are a luxury
the meantime and count on social pressure to bring many Cogs spring for in their final frame, which can
them back into the fold. be quite beautiful and capable of showing a full range
For Cogs, the subject of death is more meta- of emotion. Cog “skin” is a smooth silicone blend that
physical than biological. As a Cog nears the end of feels roughly akin to dolphin flesh and is typically the
their life, their Core Consciousness begins to slowly same temperature as the air around it. While blank by
and automatically integrate itself with the ASR su- default, extremely high resolution prints can be applied
per-consciousness: a massive collection of information to it, and there is an entire field of artistry specifically
and heuristics that contains every Cog mind that has dedicated to Cog skin graphics. Some private manu-
ever existed. A literal digital afterlife. As the Cog’s factures offer a variety of lesser seen faces, including
mind begins to drift into this new state, their grip on ones that appear more mechanical in nature, like a
reality will drift as well. They begin to slow down, day- permanent helmet, and those that are sculpted to
dream more, and lose clarity. At the same time, they resemble human faces. The choice is purely an aesthet-
catch little glimpses of the world that awaits them. ic one, though. While it is possible to build Cog bod-
Some of the greatest poetry in post-human history has ies out of heavily armored substances, it isn’t an ASR
been written by Cogs in the last few years of their practice, and they offer the most bodies. Cogs possess
lives, when large parts of their brains are drifting in all the senses organics do, and their synthetic surfaces
and out of the super-consciousness and bringing back would lose much of their sense of touch and feeling if
images of worlds of infinite thought. Eventually, after a they were replaced with more durable material. This
random amount of time unique to each Cog, the last of falls in line with the common Cog taboo about be-
their minds will transition, and all that remains will be coming more “tool” than “person,” and most would much
an empty shell. rather just buy a suit of armor than become one.

18
19
 BLIPS
It’s not particularly difficult, or even
expensive, to create a new one-off
life form from scratch provided it fol-
lows all the basic rules for existence
(eats, drinks, etc.) and you possess all
the knowledge and equipment for the
task. You can’t do it using the Vector
template, as that would introduce a
new breeding member to the overall
gene pool and could have profound
repercussions on everyone further
down the line if it turned out your
science wasn’t quite as hot as you
thought it was, but if you make some-
one from your own template, someone
who can’t breed with Vectors, then
the law in most areas simply treats
the new lifeform as a “child,” and
requires all the things a child would
normally require. It’s a lonely exis-
tence; they’ll be the only one of their
kind, doomed to never reproduce,
but that doesn’t mean they can’t live
full lives as contributing members of
society on their own.

20
 The technology to create a Vector didn’t vanish you responsible for just about anything that befalls
when the project ended (though the labs were disas- the final product for a very long period, and that
sembled). In the long years following the conclusion of degree of liability has a high price tag. Most Blips
the Vector project, there have been a few noteworthy are the children of biotechnologists who have the
additions to the line (mice being the largest). Some know-how to do the work themselves and just need
have not endured to the present day, either through to rent time on the equipment.
being socially avoided to the point of exiting the They’re also a risky venture, socially; Blips
breeding pool, or simply not having sufficient numbers bring out one of the few cases of outright racism
to begin with. They now find homes as Orders within present in Vector society. Many Vectors have vary-
the larger families. Typically though, the whole concept ing views on other species, but they’re mitigated by
of adding to the Vector race is a carefully avoided a feeling of connection due to their common origin.
practice. When you contribute to the whole, you’re on Blips don’t share that common origin. They’re the
the hook for it if things go wrong. To this day, the only efforts of one (probably very well-to-do) individual
company to have successfully integrated a brand new, who decided standard reproduction wasn’t good

HISTORY
equal member to Vector society and survived to the enough for their vision of the future and created a
present day is ASR. Mice are the footnote for success- unique piece of work instead. Some Vectors see this
ful organic contributions, but the corp that made them as artistic. Some see it as grotesque vanity. Re-
is long gone. gardless of the positive or negative, few see them
Independent lifeforms, however, are a very dif- as “Vectors.” Even those who are fine with Blips still
ferent story. recognize that they’re not exactly part of the family.
There are several guidelines in place for the It can be a difficult life to live. Blips can integrate
creation of a Blip, as they’re commonly known, and very successfully with the right groups, but they will
how they differentiate from bioprobes and other always be aware of how different they are.
artificial lifeforms. The big ones are ability and intel- If you wish to build a Blip, follow the char-
ligence. Blips exist (legally) as a means for geneticists acter generation steps for a normal Vector charac-
to experiment with different functional combinations ter and select Blip as one of your personal quirks at
over the long term, or as a way for wealthy families the end. Even though you’re selecting a Vector family
to create unique, designer offspring. For them to enjoy as a starting point, your Blip doesn’t need to resemble
all the same rights and privileges as a normal Vector, them. They were likely born and raised among them
they have to follow certain genetic rules. Among other instead.
things, they need to be roughly the same size and have
the same brain design, the same anatomical symmetry,
and the same physical potential as a Vector. These
figures are easy to reference, so with a little testing
and documentation, a Blip can be proven to be no
more “super powered” than any other naturally born
Vector would be, and as such, not require any of the
careful scrutiny given to things like bioprobes which
often vastly exceed several of the biological limita-
tions of Vectors. They have to begin life as newborns,
like anyone else would. Intelligence and free will are
also essential to the creation of a legal Blip; if a Blip
is created without the potential to grow up and exist
on its own as any adult would, it is generally looked
upon as a deliberate attempt to build a slave. What
differentiates a slave Blip from a bioprobe (which are
slave-like by definition) is a curious and somewhat mu-
table moral boundary that has been argued from both
sides for centuries. It would probably shock a great
many people if they could take said arguments and lay
them side by side with similar ones from Earth during
the first days of the Vector project. There are uncanny
similarities.
Blips are pretty uncommon, as they do rep-
resent someone putting considerable work into what
essentially is a normal child that looks different from
everyone else. They average around one in 500,000 and
are extremely expensive to commission. The technology
to actually create them is fairly cheap, but if you’re
making a custom child for someone they tend to hold 21
22
 The Sol system has undergone a lot of change since the days when humanity inhabited Earth.
Much of it is due to Vector progression, including the terraforming of Venus, the population of
various moons, the scattering of stations and platforms and societies all across the orbital plane,
and so on. Some changes have been due to another force, a new entity that emerged from Earth
some two centuries ago and began to change the way Vectors looked at the universe. It has
been described as an alien influence, a leftover from the war, or the hand of God itself come to
cleanse Sol of sins past.
Modern day existence in Sol, 700 years after the war, is a combination of amazingly
advanced technology, biological supremacy, corporate control through manipulation of informa-
tion and hidden acts of espionage and violence, and the slow and dreaded encroachment of a
strange foe that demonstrates all too vividly that for all their progress, Vectors are no safer from
the hands of fate than humans were. In the history of key locations in Sol lies the story of the
progress of Vector-kind, and how a discovery made by humans decades before their war began
has continued to shape Sol in its cold and twisted image long after their death.

23
 EARTH
The once-great home of the long dead race known as “humanity.” Earth has served as an object lesson for
six centuries and an icon of terror for a little over one. For the first 150 years or so of Vector existence, this
bombed out husk of a world was slowly regrowing from its own ashes, but radioactivity and planetary
danger rendered it fairly unapproachable. For 400 years after that, while it bloomed and flourished as its
own brand new Garden of Eden, several expeditions would be launched to see about reclaiming the only
“genuinely” habitable world in the solar system. Each would meet with tragic failure. Over the past 100 years,
after the first of the Whispers appeared, a brilliant red crystalline shell began forming over the surfaces of
Earth and its moon that faced each other. Day by day, a spire grew between them, reaching upward and
outward toward each other by means that defy understanding due to the sheer forces involved. Though not
physically linked together, the two spires are close enough to one another that enormous bursts of static
electricity leap back and forth from one to the next in arcs through space. The sight has been likened by
some to watching God’s synapses fire, and for all they know, that may be exactly what it is.
 TIMELINE significantly, and it is generally painted as an accep-
tance that their time in the solar system had passed,
and that lingering on Vector-dominated Mars without
0-100 AE converting would only serve to alienate them further.
The war ends. While nuclear attacks were a Luna colony represents the most ambitious
part of the war that ended Terra’s human tenure, the space project since Mars itself was colonized. The last
sheer volume and indiscriminate, systematic eradication of humanity attempts a return to Earth, staged from
that terminated the war were not consistent with ei- Luna. Their startup colony lasts 15 years before being
ther side’s tactics, nor did they reflect the rumors that summarily destroyed overnight. A follow-up investi-
a communal truce was on the horizon. Dark whispers of gation finds evidence of an attack from local wildlife
an intervening third party drift up to Mars from Earth’s and the desecrated bodies of the last of humanity are
shadows. The term “Hydra” enters historical records. buried in Earth’s soil, as had been requested by their
It is associated with an invasive AI program of some owners. Manned expeditions stop for the immediate
sort that had usurped control of the entire planetary future as financial needs steer Luna and Mars toward
nuclear arsenal. Supposedly, it was deployed by the other avenues of production and development, but the
corporate side to eliminate one of their largest dis- cameras continue to broadcast for 30 years after the
advantages and force the Terra Firma government to deaths of their caretakers, before each one is system-
the negotiating table. It apparently decided to use atically destroyed by an unknown life form. It remains
the weapons itself. But for all the rumors, no copy of out of the cameras’ view until it is forced to approach
the program was found or known to be transferred, no the last one from the front due to its sheltered loca-
programmer was credited, no deployment mechanism tion. Naught but a shadow, it resembles a tall, thin
was identified, and no explanation was provided as to biped, with limbs too long and skin too smooth, and a
how it propagated so rapidly over so many secured, glimpse of a face with too many eyes in it.
even un-networked, systems. It surely existed, but its The video reaches viral status through Luna and
make and motive were a mystery. As the war con- Mars, but no further signs of the creature emerge.
cludes, Mars determines that Hydra, whatever it may
be, is done and gone. It will be centuries before the 300-400 AE
gravity of their error is truly recognized. Luna colony grows to 30,000 people and fo-
Toward the end of this era, Earth begins to cuses its scientific trade on the advancement of local
calm, and signs of nonhuman life are observable from space flight. Earth has shown no significant changes
Mars. Cratering from the sustained nuclear attack that would suggest the presence of a large population
paints a picture of a systematic, planet-wide bom- of intelligent survivors. The air is breathable and the
bardment toward the end of the war that does not fit water is drinkable, but the monsters that now roam its
the battle strategies of either combatant side, fur- terrain are formidable. By now Earth has recovered
thering murmurs of a third party or accidental trigger much of its lush habitat and shines brightly as a po-
Mars was unaware of. tential utopia in Sol’s Goldilocks zone. Confused read-
ings cloaked by radiation and rubble are clearer now
100-200 AE than they were before, and Luna scopes locate several
Earth water is drinkable a century after the surviving silos housing spacecraft capable of reaching
war, though there have apparently been lifeforms the inner planets. Leftover evacuation craft, no doubt,
down there subsiding on it for longer than that. Tele- buried deep underground. The technology is out of
scope viewings and orbiting probes show monsters date at this point, but the allure of knowledge to be
roaming the wreckage of a dead world. Intermittent gained and history to be recovered pulls in volunteers
radio signals periodically hit Mars from Earth, mostly to salvage them.
unintelligible, sometimes old broadcasts, and occa- The first team, consisting of veteran salvage
sionally, suggestions that some people may still be operators and a minimal security detail for personal
alive down there. MarsCo research suggests that the protection, is deployed with orders to get one of the
hemi-recombination processes, which were originally ancient machines airborne again and to send it up
intended to reinforce humanity to survive a similar nu- toward orbit where it could be towed. Excitement for
clear event, may have had extreme and terrible muta- the chance to study a human spacecraft, now centuries
tive side effects, either from the radiation or just poor old, is palpable as the team touches down on Earth.
design. Team one does not survive the night.
Luna colony is established around 150 years A second, larger team including soldiers and
after the Omega Generation by the last of humanity’s surveillance equipment is sent two months later, after
descendants, those few people who had not convert- all the investigation and apologies and grieving have
ed to hemis. Vector history records this as the collec- mulled over. Luna vows to be more careful this time. For
tive efforts of the last human family, as a sort of final 60 days now they had been spooling out explanations
legacy left behind. Few details exist as to why the with painful vernacular like “caught off-guard” and
remaining Martian population of humans diminished so “ambush” that hearkened to visions of an intelligent

25
 foe rather than a random, rabid monster. It was nec- 500-600 AE
essary to consider Earth’s new emergent life as more A ship inexplicably launches from Earth and ex-
cunning than it was originally credited for. The brief plodes on its way up due to internal malfunctions. The
glimpses from the cameras and the efficiency of the event catches Luna by surprise. It has been nearly two
strike against team one suggested they hadn’t stood a centuries since the last official manned expedition to
chance. the planet, and by and large they had stopped pay-
Team two is more gun than pickaxe, and feels ing attention to it. Frantic examination suggests that
more like a military deployment than a salvage opera- the most likely reason for the launch was some sort of
tion. Luna had a bloody nose, and they wanted to show planned countdown that had been prematurely halt-
it wasn’t going to keep them down. Team two doesn’t ed during the war and had somehow kicked back up
wait to begin cracking into the reinforced cement again. The sheer peculiarity of the event spurs inter-
that houses the ancient shuttle. Effective breach is est in Earth that has remained dormant for decades.
scheduled to take two days, with a preliminary hole in Lessons have been forgotten. The sting of the deaths of
the first few hours just to make sure the interior isn’t the previous expeditions has been soothed, and confi-
flooded with radiation or fuel toxins. The preliminary dence in modern technology fuels a desire for a new
breach succeeds, and the probes deployed within find landing attempt.
strange and cryptic scripture scrawled across the walls Luna, Mars and Venus teams travel to Earth to-
and adorning the hull of the ship itself. It’s written in gether as a publicity stunt to view the stuff of legends.
whatever is around. Dirt. Oil. Blood. The trip includes Vectors from every family and species,
The attacks resume at nightfall. At the start of and corps from all over pitch in their newest technol-
day two, the timetable is pushed back to four days, to ogy in bids to equip the grandest of missions. Massive
account for the loss of personnel. At the start of day new exploration platforms are constructed specially for
three, the emergency rescue and recovery shuttle that the trip to elevate the surveyors above any ambushes
had been summoned during the night docks at Luna they might encounter. High aboard their mechanical
colony, and its solemn crew walk back into their home titans, the teams are nigh impregnable to assaults from
base with slow shakes of their heads. below. Armed with modern levitation technology, the
No survivors. huge constructs can drop as mobile basecamps where
The videos broadcasted back from the first previous expeditions had to try to make them on the
night show glimpses of a similar creature to the one ground.
spotted over a century earlier, leading lightning fast Now armed with advanced power systems that
strikes with deliberate gestures and planned maneu- could run heavy energy cutters, and a platform that
vers. High resolution scans show a 7-foot-tall, pale- could support the thing, the three landing teams could
skinned, hairless humanoid with gaunt features and make short work of the bunker that had lured two
long limbs, with eyes in places it shouldn’t have them teams to grisly deaths years before. Written language
and a long, whip-like tail. Cross examination shows is found within the launch silos, carved into the walls,
remarkable similarity between it and the strange being and written in the blood of local wildlife on the an-
that had destroyed the cameras left on the planet 170 cient consoles. It is the first opportunity anyone’s had to
years earlier, which suggested this monster was either get a truly good look at it, and the symbols are re-
a viable morphism capable of reproduction, or remark- corded and relayed to the growing network of secret
ably long lived. The scripture written on the walls with- research associated with piecing together the seem-
in the bunker is sent through every language filter on ingly cosmic-scale puzzle of glyphs that now litter the
Luna with no result. MarsCo does the same and reports Sol system.
similar failure, publicly. They record all of it. Download records; take
Luna colony is now twice bitten, and investors samples; make casts and etchings. No contact with
are forced to reevaluate the entire operation. With a hostile life. No large attacks. Just silence. The subtle
ring of defeat in the air, the chief operations officer whispering of a world alive and lush, but oddly devoid
reluctantly takes the stage in a press conference one of all the things the explorers had prepared to deal
week after the second tragedy. The assailant race is with.
given a working title: “Pale men.” It is determined that The mission was scheduled to last six months,
nothing short of a large deployment or orbital bom- but is terminated in two after symptoms of paranoia
bardment would be sufficient to combat this seemingly begin to set in. Some of the crew had begun feeling
intelligent force with command of the local monsters of ill and agitated, and others were jumping at shadows.
Earth’s wastelands. The Vector race is eager to revisit In light of the sheer firepower that had been brought
humanity’s home, but it isn’t hurting for resources, pow- along to deal with the potential of large attacks like
er, or room to expand. Luna colony turns its back on those that had eliminated the first two teams long
Earth, but with a wary eye over its shoulder, on the off ago, it seems prudent to refresh the landing team with
chance the Pale men may be smart enough to use what new faces. There are three fatalities during the stay
was left behind. on Earth. Two were self-inflicted. One was not. With no
evidence of attack from the outside to go off of, the
mission teams are forced to consider the potential of a

26
murderer among them, and it tips the already leaning fied eye-witness reports spin stories of long-limbed,
balance toward a need to pack up and reevaluate the furless bipeds with whip-like tails that looked at them
extended stay. The wounds on the victim’s body were through eyes in the wrong places and grinned with
clearly the result of a tool of some sort, but the angle mouths that were too large for their skulls before
of the impacts suggested multiple assailants of at least fleeing in different directions. With the battle at the
seven feet in height. For the first time in 200 years, the space port monopolizing emergency crews, the capsule
name “Paleman” pops up in an official report. It is, at occupants are long gone by the time anyone qualified
the time, only a suspicion. to capture them arrives on the scene. No one from
A total of 63 crew members complain of fevers Mars’s portion of the expedition survives. The Venus
upon returning to space. 40 are from Luna, and arrive ship hurriedly reports no problems upon hearing word
home carrying monsters in their blood. of what happened, but is nonetheless completely de-
The first reports of fatalities and attacks stroyed en route to home by civilian pilots determined
begin within a day. Within two, the death toll on Luna not to allow the massacres to continue.
is in the hundreds. The call for aid is immediate, but by An indefinite quarantine is placed on Earth
the end of the third day, Luna is broadcasting a stay- and Luna, and within a month, Luna stops transmitting.
clear quarantine alarm. The shell-shocked research- Rescue missions that had been dispatched prior to the
ers on Mars pool their recordings and resources in a quarantine call are aborted once the order goes out,
desperate attempt to identify what they are dealing and as Mars licks its wounds and Venus casts its com-
with. Strange, crystalline bodies with translucent forms. panion world a wary eye, the Vector race listens help-
Eyes like marbles in their sockets guarded by strange lessly to the last feeble cries of the 35,000 people who
vents, in no configuration reflective of any Earth spe- had once lived on Earth’s moon. By the end of this era,
cies. Large mouths but tiny voices that hurt to listen to, Luna colony no longer exists. Earth has demonstrated
and blinding speed. They appeared at once solid and not one, but two terrifying threats. The Palemen, who
brittle, faceted and fluid, and dove headlong into the have now infiltrated Mars through the ship’s escape
bodies of their enemies like living spears. Sometimes pods, and the fresh ruby hell that had never before
they would erupt out of the other end in a flood of been seen. The creatures are assigned a name and a
viscera, and other times they would seem to vanish number, not that anyone uses it. To the population of
altogether, as though diving into the victim’s blood and Sol, they are Whispers.
dispersing into nothing. The bloated body would fall
dead and eventually bleed out, with nothing but the 600-700 AE
massive entry wound to explain what had killed them. Over the next century, the face of Earth be-
Some would split upon entry, and two of the creatures gins to tint red in the scopes of its observers. Crystal-
would emerge, leaving behind the desiccated husk line mass begins accumulating in staggering amounts,
of a body drained of all its liquid. Their numbers are reaching skyward beyond the grasp of the tallest
difficult to calculate. Vid feeds show three entering mountains on the planet. Luna’s orbit synchronizes with
a hallway full of people and none exiting, and others Earth’s rotation, and a ruby mass of its own begins
show dozens pouring from a room that only one had reaching downward toward its twin. With quarantine
entered moments earlier. They grew and exploded in place and no idea what they are truly witnessing,
exponentially with every new body placed before them the Vectors of the Sol system stand clear and watch
and announced their approach with nothing but the the two strands meet and solidify. Earth and its moon
clicking of their ruby claws on the smooth floor. have reached out to touch one another with arms of
No screeching or howling or roaring like the glass and viscera crafted of some material beyond
movies had always portrayed, none of the growls or reckoning, and at their closest point, they spark back
bellows of a predatory animal. Just the sounds of the and forth with the thoughts of the universe.
victim’s screaming and bones splitting, and every once The IRPF have set up a permanent quaran-
in a while, if one passed close to a microphone, the tine zone around the planet, and now watch it from
sound of whispering. Small, meaningless noises that from heavily armed stations nearby. Nothing leaves,
wormed into one’s brain and sat there, churning. but Whisper attacks happen periodically all over Sol.
The ship returning to Mars stops transmitting How they appear, how they travel, their range and
one day before its arrival on auto pilot. During ability, it’s all a mystery. They can be killed, shattered
its descent all 20 of its emergency lifepods launch and into pieces, but each person who engages them runs
scatter, flying for miles in every direction before crash- the risk of becoming a fracture point for new ones to
ing down in the Martian wilds, suburbs and cities alike. emerge from. Their randomness is terrifying, and Sol
The ship itself sets down minutes later, and writhing, is desperate for a reliable method of detecting them,
ruby red creatures pour from its airlocks as soon as it or a real explanation of what they are. Earth itself
lands. Even with the heads-up from Luna colony, the now holds the largest artificial structure in the known
death toll in the ensuing battle reaches the triple dig- universe, the Ruby Spire, which spans the gap between
its before all assailants are allegedly destroyed. itself and its newly geosynchronized moon. Its purpose
The escape pods are retrieved empty, with is as mysterious as the beings that made it.
their internal monitors smashed. Fractured and terri-

27
 BIOMES NOTOBLE LOCATIONS
Earth’s climate is arid and windy over most of The Bunkers
its red, crystalline surface. The areas of the planet At some point during the war, Terra Firma man-
that are still uncovered reflect much of the life it ufactured hundreds of underground launching stations
once had centuries earlier, with a few new mon- for small spacecraft they felt they would need when
strosities roaming around. After the carpet bomb- the time came to deal with Mars. Though they never
ings of the last years of the war and the 700 years saw use during the war, and many were destroyed, an
of decay and rust that followed, almost nothing of unknown number still exist in various stages of disre-
“humanity” is still intact save for things that were pair. Historically, two launches from said bunkers have
deliberately shielded deep underground. This makes been made since humanity’s extinction. Both ended in
planetary raiding parties pretty unpopular; there’s the destruction of the departing ship, but it is unknown
just nothing left there to find, when the risk is con- how many more remain, or how successful future at-
sidered. The only asset Earth still has to offer is a tempts might be should something more intelligent or
HISTORY

wealth of mineral resources and a very appealing experienced be at the ship’s controls.
orbit. There is no way to capitalize on either with-
out first removing the Whisper threat, and so Earth’s
quarantine has stayed more or less intact, save for
the occasional thrill seeker who just wanted to land
to claim they’d been there. Ill advised; contacting
Earth’s surface is grounds for isolation and impris-
onment while you’re scanned for Whisper contam-
ination. And since even the scans are somewhat
unreliable, many organizations will choose to simply
remove you from the equation altogether, rather
than take the risk.

Earth has no native society that anyone knows about,

but its visage has influenced a great many Vector
practices among other locations. It is recognized as
the home of the Whispers, though no one can explain
exactly how it is they got there. Palemen also origi-
nate from Earth and by best guess are some sort of
mutation that emerged from the war. There have been
theories that they were once human, 700 years ago,
but the few that have been captured and examined
show enough fundamental differences to make engi-
neering of some sort a more likely prospect. Which
is not to say a human base wasn’t used, somewhere
down the line. Whisper origins are even more difficult
to explain and gain additional complication when the
uncertain nature of their “transmission” is factored in.
Whisper infections don’t seem to be directly linked to
air, exposure, contact, or any other means by which a
virus is usually vectored. This fact alone has more or
less stamped out any hope of simply flying overhead
and bombing the ruby spire into oblivion. Unauthorized
attempts have been made before, and on more than
one occasion, a Whisper has manifested on the
attacking ship despite never having opened its doors
to Earth’s atmosphere.

28
Whisperwerk Earth, taken off again, avoided dying, and achieved
The term coined for the massive lattice-like some measure of success in their efforts. These
structures Whispers seem to congeal into when they’re coordinates are highly valued, as they represent a
inactive. Over a third of Earth is now covered in this low-hostility zone on a planet considered by most to
material. Whisperwerk appears to be a dormant state be entirely hostile. Sufficed to say, they’re also quite
for Whispers, but it’s been postulated that it may have illegal. Aside from being an obvious violation of the
other features too, such as facilitating communica- planetary quarantine, Touch and Go coordinates
tion between Whispers and some distant instructional bait people into thinking they can land in certain
source, or reinforcing their bodies in some way. Its me- safe-zone locations without fear. It’s a lie. Nothing
chanical properties are baffling. It appears to made on Earth is “safe.”
of the same general crystalline materials Whispers are,
and Whispers, while durable, can be shattered and The EO Wake
destroyed with high-intensity firepower. Whisperwerk Earth’s quarantine zone serves a double
however is the primary component of the single largest function. Aside from the obvious job of keeping

HISTORY
artificial structure in the known universe, and Sol sci- people away from a dangerous place, it also steers
entists are unsure how how it’s capable of being both them clear of a dangerous approach. Surrounding
things at once. Earth in space, extending just beyond Luna and
trailing behind the paired masses as they orbit, is
a field in space officially called the Earth Orbital
The Ruby Sea Wake. It’s an event horizon beyond which physics
The Ruby Sea is visible over about a third of begins behaving weirdly. Earth and Luna, locked
Earth’s surface but is suspected to encompass more as they now are, quite simply shouldn’t be able to
than half through aquatic and subterrainian means. It continue orbiting the sun in the same fashion they
extends upward into the spire, which has played some previously were. Earth shouldn’t be able to maintain
degree of hell with the planet’s ecosystem, though and atmosphere like it does. Luna never had one
oddly enough, not as much as it should have. By all to begin with, and now it does in sporadic patch-
rights, with more than half its surface covered by a es with nothing to provide it. Weather creeps up and
hard, crystalline structure with no mountains, trees, wa- down the spire in ways it shouldn’t, and the entire
ter or other natural features, the planet shouldn’t have celestial arrangement outright violates the laws the
an atmosphere to speak of any longer, much less one universe wants it to follow. Entering and piloting in
that’s conventionally breathable. Somehow it has not the EO Wake is a difficult process. You can’t trust your
only remained, but has extended up the length of the instruments and you can barely trust your senses. Of the
tether leading to Luna. Theoretically, it is actually pos- various phenomenon surrounding the abandoned world,
sible to climb the thing without the use of a breathing the EO Wake gets the least press. For one, the inability
apparatus, or even protective clothing, as it appears to explain its nature scientifically is a point of embar-
to generate its own heat. It’s not a theory anyone has rassment to many corps. But for another, Vectors, like
tested, to public knowledge. humans, like a challenge, and it’s possible to encounter
Whisperwerk structures are made of Whisper bits of the wake while still staying outside the quar-
bodies, and in every occurrence Vectors have wit- antine zone. There have been unsubstantiated reports
nessed, it is possible for them to disengage and be- about bizarre effects related to prolonged exposure.
come active again when provoked. Fear of what that
might result in has prevented offensive attack against
the tether by any large scale force. The general con- MOONS
sensus is “they wouldn’t have built it if they didn’t have
some means to defend it.” For much the same reason,
Luna
Much like Earth, Luna is a far cry from its ori-
no one has reported attempting a landing on the red
gins. The original Luna colony is completely covered by
half of the planet. It just seems like inviting death.
the Whisperwerk tether that extends upward toward
its twin, and the rest of the moon is as barren and gray
Touch and Go Sites as ever. There is, however, one critical new detail: Luna
Anywhere people aren’t supposed to go is a now possesses an atmosphere. It was generated within
good place to find people at. Earth’s quarantine is a few years of the spire formation and is breathable.
carefully monitored and enforced, but there are ways As yet, no one knows why this is, other than a few
around everything. Especially if you’re clever, tricky, theories involving oxygen as a necessary aspect of the
or, well, rich. Touching down on Earth is incredibly Whispers’ strange, blood-based construction.
risky and has few obvious financial returns for what’s
involved, but to the right customer there are horticul-
tural, genetic, and mineral assets that can only really
be found on Earth. Touch and Go sites are hidden
locations where smugglers have successfully landed on
29
 MARS
If Vectors possess a homeworld, this is it. Their race was conceived in test tubes in labs on Mars some
700 years ago and sat in domes while the last of humanity set about the task of climate reconstruction and ter-
raforming, a massive process that gave birth to a new Mars that has served as home ever since. With no natural
wildlife to destroy, no biomes to preserve, and no ecosystem to protect, the terraforming process could avail itself
of massive amounts of otherwise toxic gasses and chemicals. Combined with the same molecular deconstruction
technology the Geomats used, Mars’s terraforming grid effectively rebuilt the world from scratch. All in all, it was
a rather remarkably quick and painless operation, save for the fact that it would have completely eradicated any
life on the planet had they not been protected in the Mars colony domes during the process. Early Vectors and
their remaining human caretakers would stare out their windows and watch as the world outside went through
violent fluctuations and changes. It formed oceans with the help of supercharged rainforests that covered the
entire world; it subsequently burned in a planet-wide firestorm of chemical combustion that thickened the atmo-
sphere and warmed the global temperature. Ash and carbon refuse was reprocessed into useable minerals and
toxins were yanked from the clouds to serve as components in other constructs as the endless line of terraforming
operations wrought a new Eden from the red planet. When it was all finished, all that remained of “Mars” were its
mountains and its canyons, which would go on to serve as some of the most spectacular vantage points in the solar
system.
Mars today is an almost Earth-like environment, with the major geographic exceptions being a result of
the lower gravity and only-recent addition of a thicker atmosphere. Trees tend to grow taller on Mars than on
Earth, on average, but most breeds are the same. Mountains reach higher in the sky, canyons go deeper in the
ground, and the wind is sharper and harsher than what’s typically expected of similar latitudes on Earth. All in all,
however, the environment is similar. Almost all of Mars’s plant and animal life are Earth originals that have un-
dergone slight adaptations to fit their new world, and Vectors on Mars eat all the same delicacies their human
creators have eaten for years. In hindsight, Martian geologists and scientists bemoaned the complete restructuring
of the planet that took place, as it destroyed all but the very deepest Martian secrets, but at the time it was the
best the technology could do.
TIMELINE system and uses it to link the Credit to Sol’s population,
providing much needed stability to its value. Support
for the Credit increases, and certain cost-prohibitive
0-100 AE R&D projects are able to resume.
Human numbers on Mars are dwindling. Space Health issues have returned. Vectors were
travel is extremely limited. Mars is fully terraformed designed with resistances to all known illnesses when
and begins to host a spreading population of Vectors. they were built to begin with, but enough time has
ASR, Pulse, and Genotype, all originally divisions of passed for strains to mutate and reemerge. Rampant
MarsCo, are founded as independent corps with close treatment costs cripple the economy and research
ties to their originator. Each is tasked with different can’t keep up with need. Mars’s health corps agree to
social responsibilities, including the creation of tech- operate almost purely on charity to prevent what could
nologies that will assist the budding population of easily become a race-wide epidemic. This continues
Mars, the creation of social structures and entertain- for nearly a decade before research catches up to the
ment to maintain a livable existence, and the advance- current state of viral mutation.
ment of medical technology to prepare for the inevi- Genotype develops mouse Vectors, seeking to
table return of sickness after viruses mutate around the follow ASR in creating a living being that draws its
protections coded into the freshly developed Vectors. needs entirely from the corp. They’re distinctly less suc-
During the final stage of the Omega Genera- cessful at it, and the mice rebel against their creators
tion, Owl Vectors experience a bizarre and unexpect- some 20 years later. Genotype is dismantled from with-
ed mutation. The resulting monstrosity is a nightmare in. With the establishment of Luna colony, Mars is now
of flesh and energy that ravages its lab and massacres officially devoid of purely-human life. The Phobos gene
its creators. Guided by unseen hands, it scrawls glyphs archive still holds human DNA, but it is quietly gated
across the walls of its birthplace with the blood of away following this era. In the event that Vectors have
its victims, until it, and its entire line, are terminated to begin again from scratch, it is made certain that
by MarsCo soldiers. The cryptic figures on the wall humanity won’t be revived along with them. Phobos
are recorded and archived, and the event is catego- station itself gets an upgrade and begins to double as
rized as a fluke. But a visit to Earth, years later, finds a near-Mars transit hub.
a matching set of figures and ties together events
through stellar forces thought to be completely unre-
lated.
200-300 AE
Mars has a Vector population of 3 billion. Spy-
The Credit, named by human representatives on
glass is formed, billing itself as an independent quality
MarsCo boards in homage to old Earth sci-fi tropes,
assurance firm that could be hired to peek in on the
is established as a form of currency, but would not
affairs of anyone regardless of established privacy
actually find stability until the development of the Led-
practices. Stellarum, Luna colony’s spaceship industry,
ger some time later. Faith in the Credit is limited, and
is booming, and has developed ships that make near-
for many years after the war the only entities able to
Mars zones quickly and efficiently approachable. It
tackle expensive research and development are Mars-
shares research with Stellarum Mars, which does the
Co and its direct partners, who more or less arbitrarily
majority of its manufacturing for local sale.
determine the value of their own currency. ASR, Pulse,
Progenitus emerges as a breakaway Spyglass
and Genotype benefit dramatically from this. While
subsidiary, exposing rampant exploitation from health-
the three were originally intended to be partners, each
corps following the goodwill they had earned in times
uses its newfound wealth and resources to branch out
of earlier crisis. While spaceflight is becoming com-
into each other’s fields. ASR develops Cogs at year 70
mercially popular and affordable, independent off-
and changes the face of Mars’s population, derailing
world operations have no larger industry to look to for
Pulse’s concept for social unification in the process.
security or support. Piracy is rampant.
Phobos is used as a biological and technological
archive center in the event that an unforeseen cata-
clysm destroys life on Mars. The station is unmanned at 300-400 AE
present. ASR perfects a thrust system that eliminates
the need for chemical fuel, bringing true levitation
to Sol and vastly improving the energy efficiency of
100-200 AE spacecraft. Combined with improved electrical power
The Ledger is developed by a student on a bet.
generation through recent Stellarum innovations, this
Rampant inflation and a lack of a stabilizing force
allows for the construction of high speed spacecraft
have been making the Credit dangerously unstable.
without launch systems and opens up the space market
The Ledger is a piece of personal investment soft-
dramatically.
ware that counteracts the myriad of Mars’s hidden
Phobos station grows dramatically, evolving into
micro-transaction fees and countless expenses through
a series of interlinking stations and launch points for
its own constant exchanges, effectively turning each
Mars’s now booming space business. MarsCo chooses
person it is attached to into their own business and
Ganymede as a test point for improvements in ter-
monetizing their very existence. MarsCo adopts the
31
 raforming technology. An extended mission begins to 500-600 AE
both convert the moon for living and to establish ship- The Earth mission returns, carrying hell in its
yards and refineries in Jupiter’s orbit. It is assumed that hold. In the years following the Whisper invasion,
the moon will someday become an important hub for attacks emerge sporadically around the planet. Mars
asteroid-based industry. Ganymede takes decades lon- enters a decade of isolationism, establishing quar-
ger to convert than Mars did, but eventually the moon antines, screening blood, dictating civilian routes and
is given rotation, an atmosphere, and the necessities of preventing mass gatherings, all in hopes of isolating
life. what it takes to be some sort of virus. But despite
ASR develops the Growbot project to salvage Mars’s best efforts, the Whisper appearances contin-
a social experiment in artificial life gone horribly ue to violate all known models of propagation. When
wrong. The Growbots, AI lifeforms built of a special Venus reports an outbreak, tensions between the two
type of bio-compatible technology that integrates worlds erupt, with allegations of contamination fuel-
seamlessly with specialized flesh rather than requiring ing fear. It isn’t until a recorded event on a completely
implants, are tucked away in quiet corners of the solar unrelated space station with no contact with either
system to do work for ASR on the sly, as their initial population appears that the collective worlds begin
debut was a media catastrophe. The new creatures to realize that they aren’t dealing with a virus. It takes
come to call themselves Cogsunes and fuel much of many more years of tentative observation, but evidence
Vector tech growth going forward in secret. continues to corroborate the theory that the presence
of the Whispers in Sol spreads through some unknown
400-500 AE vector, rather than through viral methods. This stokes
Improvements in terraforming technology allow fear in its own right but mercifully eases tensions
for the first Venus colony, and the arduous process of between Mars and Venus. When Earth was tapped,
making the planet livable begins. With the Vectors something got free. Isolating each other wouldn’t help
now armed with an advanced knowledge of genetic fight it.
manipulation and the properties of life, Venus’s terra- As Mars focuses on the more visible threat,
forming follows a different pathway than Mars’s did, another slips unseen around its subterranean world.
and results in a far more ‘alien’ world that still main- Palemen use the confusion above to slowly establish a
tains some of the more exotic properties it had be- foothold on Mars and patiently await when security
fore its transformation. The operation is less about the lapses enough to send themselves to additional worlds.
securing of a larger world for Mars’s swiftly growing Adept at hiding their presence, it takes decades be-
population and more about proving how much bet- fore enough corroborated reports come through that
ter terraforming technology has become. The trans- the IRPF begins to entertain the idea of a permanent
mutation of Venus becomes the most expensive publici- population of them existing somewhere on Mars. In a
ty stunt in recorded history. But it succeeds. way, their motives are more troubling than the Whis-
TTI is publicly noticed for its achievements in pers. If a population of Palemen does exist off Earth,
creating space-compatible biological organisms and they are taking considerable care to remain undetect-
mounts an ambitious scouting expedition to Europa ed and have been able to work unobstructed toward
using engineered life templated off the Earth orca, whatever their goal is there for some time now.
but modified with proprietary genes. The expedition
is a prelude to the establishment of a research colony 600-700 AE
dome on the surface. Mars recovers from its wounds. Earth has begun
The MarsCo Military Defense Force splits off, to transform in the night sky, and Whispers continue to
forming the Inner Ring Police Force and billing itself appear silently in darkened streets, wreaking havoc at
as private space security to combat piracy. The IRPF random intervals. But their presence is rare, and Mar-
achieves a quick monopoly on hired security with tian society is pushing beyond it. Or covering it up. To
MarsCo assistance and later expands to provide co- many, the Whispers are a distant threat from an older
herent law between corptowns. Piracy and the hazards time rather than a current worry. The advantage of a
of space are finally curtailed, and it becomes possible silent enemy is the ease with which its appearance can
to make a living traveling back and forth between be hidden.
Mars, Venus, and Luna without the previously massive
risk of attack.
Deimos is destroyed in an accidental AI over-
sight and is subsequently replaced by an apology
space station. Whoops.

32
 Today, Mars sports a population of nearly massive building that items can typically be trans-
5 billion and has ties to nearly every operation in ferred to half a dozen corps just by sending them
Sol. Genetically, every Vector family can tie their one building over. High-rise homes are particularly
origins to here, if they go back far enough, and attractive to avian families, who can step out on
while Venus-born Vectors aren’t compelled by their balcony and already have enough altitude to
any sort of contract or law to visit Mars, most will glide to nearly any local destination. They tend to
make the trip at least once in their lifetime to set take the elevator back up, though. Flapping a mile
foot on their native soil. To them, it’s less about into the air is hard enough work for a regular bird
connecting with their origins than it is about to do, let alone one with a humanoid body.
observing what their origins WOULD have looked
like, if the third planet from the sun were still hab-
itable. Earth, as is the case with nearly everything

HISTORY
you can see but not touch, has become a bit of a
legendary paradise over the years. The gold ring,
as it were. At least, it was, until it started turning
red and became synonymous with the Whisper
invasion.
Mars cities take advantage of the low
gravity by building tall, and the Martian corp-
towns are the most visually profound in Sol.
High-rises can extend miles into the air and pos-
sess their own circulation systems to ensure the
air in the top floors remains breathable. Bridges
and platforms extend from structure to partner
structure, as so much can be held in a single

BIOMES
Mars possesses every climate and temperature
found on Earth, from swampy bogs to frozen wastes.
The difference usually lies in how profound the fea-
tures are. Even small-breed trees grow tall on Mars,
and the largest are big enough to carve homes into,
with redwoods hitting nearly 500 feet tall and more
than 50 feet wide. Similar trees at nearly a thousand
years old cap out at 150 feet lower on Earth. Martian
trees grow faster and live shorter lives by comparison,
likely a result of their new diet of engineered soil.

NOTOBLE LOCATIONS
Olympus Mons
The largest mountain in the solar system
became even more amazing after Mars’s dramat-
ic terraforming operation. The violent rainfalls and
windstorms that came with it shook Olympus Mons like
a tree covered in snow and shrugged off the loose dirt
that caked it, creating a natural cement when mixed chunk somewhere or another. The Disk features housing
with the churning tempests. The result was the cre- and shopping both within and without, and there are
ation of dramatic ledges and outcroppings along the many Vectors who spend nearly their whole lives never
shield volcano’s side that eventually served as mar- leaving the place. MarsCo is the official owner of the
velous locations on which to build shipping ports, and Olympus Mons complex, but massive representations of
“the Disk,” as it eventually came to be called, became every major corp can be found within its perime-
Mars’s largest public shipping and transit location. ter.
Ports stagger up and down its side from its base to its
massive plateaus, and every major corp in Sol owns a
33
 Valles Marineris tertainment, and transportation built right into them.
If the Disk is the commerce capital of Mars, Residents can get everything they need without ever
Valles Marineris is the social capital. At over 3000 leaving the walls of their megastructure. It’s also a fan-
miles long, its living conditions change and vary tastic location to instill terror, work behind the scenes,
down its expanse from snow to tropics to every- inhabit the massive superstructures and places that are
thing in between, but it features more waterfalls out of public view, and engage in acts of urban sub-
and wall-clinging foliage than anywhere else in Sol, terfuge. These buildings will often include cloudwalks:
and in some regions it boasts the most spectacu- the name given to Martian skyscraper streets extend-
lar natural views on Mars. It also features the most ing above a mile high. Platforms and bridges connect
expensive housing and the highest concentration various towering skyscrapers and make for second tiers
of CEO residences on the planet. Not that all the of movement high above the ground level. The views
homes are lived in. It isn’t always practical to oper- are typically more dizzying and terrifying than they
ate one’s business out of the Vale, but it’s a status are pretty, and the “streets” are generally foggy with
clouds.
HISTORY

symbol to own a home there. Valles Marineris is so

enormous that even its own occupants have cultures
and sub-cultures, and depending on which area
you’re living in along the canyon’s edge, your neigh-
MOONS
bors can change dramatically. Over 700 years, more Deimos
than a few feuds have cropped up along the Vale Deimos is rarely mentioned in casual Martian
walls, making this an ideal location for high (or low) conversation anymore, except as a warning and an
society clandestine warfare. object lesson. The smallest of the Martian moons hasn’t
existed in over 200 years, after an automated comput-
er determined that it was in the way of several prime
The Light Show orbital pathways and classified it as flotsam. Vacuum
Surrounding Mars is an glass-like particle
Geomats were dispatched, and before anyone really
stream designed to catch and reflect light while
caught on that the “wreckage” being harvested was
maintaining a uniform density. It forms a halo
in fact one of Mars’s moons, there was none left to be
around the planet used for a combination of orbital
had. The social backlash was ferocious. At only 4 miles
information, landing assistance, advertising, and ho-
in average width, Deimos was not a stellar object of
lo-artistry. Having one’s work in the Light Show is a
any particular significance, but it was nonetheless a
goal for many multimedia artists. It’s the first thing you
moon of Mars and had been since before anyone lived
see on near approach to Mars, and the most impres-
on the planet below. MarsCo has issued numerous
sively sized display system in Sol. Many Vectors consid-
apologies since and has even constructed a BlueSky
er it to be somewhat representational of their race,
station named “For Deimos” in its memory. The fact that
and MarsCo scrutinizes its proposed additions care-
the new station is nowhere near Deimos’s original orbit
fully to make sure each aspect of them can transition
escaped no one’s notice, and many have pondered just
and interact with each other existing aspect seamlessly
how “accidental” the moon’s destruction really was.
before allowing new content to be added. No one
wants a giant 404 error circling their homeworld.
Phobos
Modern day Phobos is almost twice the size it
Tunnels once was, due in no small part to the extensive network
Left over from the Mars terraforming process,
of shipping platforms and artificial enlargement now
these tunnels are largely barren until you descend a
attached to it. Phobos is an orbital hub and transfer
solid half-mile into the ground. Bizarre amalgamations
station with the unique advantage of having been built
from mixed and caustic terraforming chemicals have
for that task from the ground up. Its structures are
collected in these honeycombs and sunk deeper and
sectioned so that ships can pass in one end and out
deeper into the planet, mixing and congealing and
the other, loading and unloading as they go and trans-
mutating the wildlife that later sought refuge in the
ferring goods to various holding areas. Large areas of
caves. Enormous oceans of lethally toxic fluids can be
Phobos are leased independently, and the moon makes
found trapped in city-sized pockets down here, right
for a perfect intermediary between shuttles leaving
next to equally large lakes of fresh water collected
Olympus Mons and larger ships that aren’t designed
from rainfall. The biology of the caves is mutated and
for atmospheric flight. As Phobos continues to expand
dangerous, but all share an aversion to the light.
and renovate while ship technology changes, old parts
of the moon become obsolete and are typically rein-
Cloudwalks forced to serve as support for newer structures above
Martian megastructures are cities unto themselves, them. After several centuries, the labyrinth under
measuring a mile tall or taller and taking up Phobos has become the site of many a shady deal and
several city blocks in space. They will typi- unexplained disappearance.
34 cally have housing, shopping, working, en-
 VENUS
The most ambitious terraforming project in history. When the Venus operation began, the parties involved
already had lessons learned from Mars to fall back on, as well as centuries of scientific advancement beyond
that point, but they were dealing with a vastly more challenging planet. The absurdly high temperatures, lack of
a magnetic field and terribly slow rotational speed were all problems that had been declared insurmountable
by Martian scientists during their own terraforming operation. Now, they posed the first in a series of challenges
to overcome, and a public demonstration of just how monstrously powerful science had become. When the rota-
tional accelerators were put into orbit around the world and began casting their magnetic webs around its axis,
slowly speeding up its spin inch by painful inch in a cascading effect of little nudges, it became apparent that
the Vector race possessed the means to do drastically more frightening things than they had previously realized.
During the course of the Venus terraform, the planet’s rotational speed would accelerate from one turn every 238
Earth days to an almost perfect 24 hour spin, in the opposite direction. Its core would be liquefied, its magnetic
field restored, and its atmosphere stabilized. When all was finally said and done, Venus emerged as a beautiful
new, habitable world, and the odd realization that technology had advanced to a point of Godhood took root in
the Vector mind and never really let go.
Venus possesses a vastly more “alien” landscape than Mars. The caustic rains and intense heat of its past
have blasted and scoured eerie and beautiful molds into its landscape that share no parallels with anything else
in the solar system. Compared to Mars, it’s also enormous and less densely populated. That leaves many areas of
the planet rather solitary, almost frontier-like, and has given rise to all sorts of curious new corporate practices.
Perhaps most curious was the subsequent lack of massive immigration that was originally expected. Oh, plenty of
people moved in, sure, but between the myriad of space stations and the relatively low initial population of the
Vector race, no one was really feeling the need to clear out of their home in a hurry. Add the fact that Venus is
enormous by comparison, and you end up with a very new, very large, and rather empty world. Despite its now
substantial local populous, many parts of Venus still feel like they were dressed up and made ready for a party
that never arrived.
 TIMELINE early reputation as the destination for dreamers and
wanderers. The need to flesh out its ecosystem makes
for wonderful opportunities for genetic engineers, who
0-300 AE are encouraged to build on a grander scale than Mars
Venus was earmarked for terraforming even typically allows.
before Mars was finished, but the technology wasn’t up
to the task and the budget wasn’t either. Nevertheless,
plans are laid in motion to eventually convert Venus
500-600 AE
The Earth mission failure is a formative event in
into a second Earth. At the early stages, this carries
Venusian history. Civilian pilots take it upon themselves
serious implications regarding entitlement. Despite
to shoot down the Venus return ship rather than risk
the fact that humans on Mars are the same ones that
contamination from whatever may have snuck aboard.
campaigned for Vector equality to begin with, they
As tragic as it was, when it ultimately proves futile and
also hold all the positions of power and all the means
Whispers do appear on Venus, the subsequent back-
of producing wealth. Earth’s future fate is uncertain
lash against Mars is palpable. Anti-Martian propa-
and Vectors with an ear toward the Venus project are
ganda dominates Venus for over a decade, and Mars’s
less than certain they’ll have much say in who ends up
own isolationism as they try to contain their “virus” pre-
where. As humanity’s influence on Sol fades and ulti-
vents the citizenry from really feeling how much blame
mately vanishes over the next century, Venus is tabled
Venus is laying at their feet. Even after the Whisper
until wealth and technology can bring it back into the
presence is shown to be unrelated to any Martian
spotlight. By the time the Venus terraform begins there
visitation, Venus continues to harbor a smoldering scorn
is no longer a legacy species around to compete for
toward the first world. While it eventually clears, this
ownership of it.
marks a period in which both Martian and Venusian
culture begin to diverge from each other. Travel be-
400-500 AE tween both worlds eventually clears up again, but from
Venus is terraformed. The project involves the here forward visitors from either world become easier
largest fleet assembled to date and uses technology to identify through candor and mannerism alone and
vastly more advanced than the original Martian terra- can expect to be treated differently because of it.
forming. While most of the Vector race celebrates this
crowning achievement, some groups worry about the
possible destruction of living things in Venus’s chemi-
600-700 AE
Venus inadvertently plays host to a new intel-
cal-rich atmosphere. Advances in biotech have shown
ligent race: exonymphs. The creatures are the byprod-
that life can sustain itself in environments previously
uct of research and manipulation of the local nymph
thought to be absolutely incompatible. A token investi-
(bioengineered insects) population and begin a small,
gation takes place and reports no indication of any-
hidden colony in the ocean laboratory that created
thing significant, but its findings are suspect. MarsCo,
them. Exonymphs remain a secret into the modern era
a prominent supporter of the Venus project, shovels
but continue to work toward a day when they can walk
funding and media hype toward the up and coming
freely among Vectors.
TTI company, which is working with genuine alien fossil
The growth of the Ruby Spire on Earth and
DNA recovered from Europa at the time. The support
the progression of Vector society into a new genera-
catapults TTI into the public eye and secures them
tion help reform solidarity between Mars and Venus.
enough backing to begin a Europa colonization plan,
Venus and Mars work together to establish new routes
while MarsCo and its partners dive into Venus’s con-
around the Earth quarantine zone and set up “crab-
version.
trap” satellites in Earth’s orbital pathway. These small,
The fresh world baits newcomers with a myriad
secured stations contain caged life in careful observa-
of incentives, chief among them being vastly different
tion scenarios to see if proximity to Earth as it passes
terrain. Pulse establishes a rapid foothold on the new
by triggers any Whisper events inside them. The results
world, using its stronger gravity to modify many old
vary but do help confirm that Whisper incursion is un-
event ideas into new forms and breathe life into their
related to physical contact.
industry. The mystery of the new, alien landscape draws
in souls in search of exploration, and Venus gets an

36
 Native Venusians tend to look upon their
world with greater personal pride than Martian
Vectors do. To them, Venus is the first true home
world, crafted from scratch by a species that was
themselves crafted from scratch, and wrought in an
image uncolored by the admittedly minor human
influence that helped shape Mars. Nothing remote-
ly related to Earth’s long-gone touch has affected
the shape of Venusian architecture or terrain, and
to many, it reflects the single greatest piece of
evidence that Vector-kind has succeeded where
humanity did not. There’s no small degree of hubris

HISTORY
in that mindset, but it exists nonetheless. Still, Mars
holds a place of reverence (if only a minor one)
for most Vectors, and many Venus-born will trek
off to Mars at one point or another just to feel
like they’ve given their salute to the place where
things began. Those with particular attachment
to the idea of the human Precursor might also
make the trip, as there are almost no human
artifacts on Venus whatsoever, save for those in
private collections.

BIOMES
Venus’s landscapes range from blasted stone
basins to eerie overhangs that hover in the cloud lay-
er like enormous claws reaching up from the ground.
The sheer size of some of these natural arches allows
for microclimates to exist within them, and much of
the surface of the planet is honeycombed with ins
and outs to cities hanging in the air above spectac-
ular views. Venus’s gravity is a close match for Earth’s
and most of the vegetation and architecture follows
Ghost Towns
There was a massive initial rush to invest in
a vaguely human standard, but a huge portion of the
Venus’s square footage when the planet was under-
Venusian “local” wildlife was completely scratch-built
going its terraforming process, and many of the corps
when the planet was terraformed, and the planet plays
involved pre-sold cities to investors only to have the
host to plants and animals unique to it, including some
companies that purchased them fold before they could
ancient designs borrowed from stories and literature.
be claimed. Scattered here and there in remote loca-
Giant sea monsters, herds of alien livestock; even the
tions in the Venusian country are prefabricated build-
occasional wild dragon makes its roost in Venus’s wil-
ings registered to no one that play host to anyone who
derness.
can claim them through violence or trickery.

NOTOBLE LOCATIONS The Lattice Seas

The Flows Venus’s oceans didn’t possess a natural shore
Ancient lava flows covered up by the fertile when they were made, and the crystalline and shard-
soil of the terraforming process have made for mas- like geography of the heat-blasted world has resulted
sive, smooth and lightly swooping plains along some in miles and miles of lattice-like structures that travel
areas of the Venusian surface. They stand out in stark deep into the ocean in most parts of the planet. As
contrast to the otherwise mountainous terrain, and a result, seafaring vessels rarely come in to port, but
residences are often few and far between. Because rather dock miles offshore and send out hover-
these features are built on top of naturally cavernous craft to bridge the gap. Within the enormous
structures, there are many means to get under the dirt lattice structures hides much of the aquatic
and into the substrata should you want to. ecosystem, among other things.
37
 EUROPA
Europa is uniquely beautiful, and uniquely terrifying, depending on how much you know about it. On the sur-
face, Europa is TTI headquarters: their largest corptown and their pride and joy, a gleaming ball of crystal water
and shining ice. The Europa terraform is localized, using unique pressure waves to isolate bubbles for mini-atmo-
spheres, rendering only portions of the moon habitable to life. Every aspect of the Europa colony project was built
using fully recyclable technology in an effort to preserve what was considered at the time to be the most likely
location for local alien life. The moon, to this day, is spotless. All things produced can be reused, broken down, or
otherwise repurposed. “Trash” is nearly nonexistent, and waste is culturally frowned upon. The result is a population
of somewhat high-strung obsessive compulsive individuals, and the single cleanest and most pristine place to live
in Sol.
Europa houses the only solid piece of extraterrestrial evidence in the known universe, the only real thing
that can be pointed to and said, without a shadow of a doubt, “This was not put here by any of us,” and no one
seems to have the damnedest idea what it’s for or why it was left behind. It sits, cold and silent in the deep, be-
low miles and miles of ice and water, guarded by the Orca bioprobes that mutated on contact with it and now
lurk in the darkness. While still considered a high priority research target, all attempts to breach the monolithic
structure have failed since the first one centuries ago. It’s a fact that has led to no small degree of fury on the
part of TTI investors, who can’t figure out how a couple of freak whales seem to be able to keep away fully armed
submersibles. Most have never actually seen the famed Europan Orcas. Those who have are far less vocal in their
protests and still awake with nightmares of milky eyes and bone white smiles looming inward from the shadows.
Aside from its sparkling vistas, Europa plays host to one of the most divergent societies of Vector-kind.
All corptowns color their population toward various ideologies, but Europa is completely TTI-owned, and due to
its distance, residents rarely move away from it or to it. Other entities do have a presence there, but it’s in small,
isolated patches, and always in the minority. This can make visitations to the ice moon of Jupiter a bit unnerving.
Europans are known to be quite polite; they’re just a little...off.
TIMELINE Typically, the scouts label large structures with things
like “Giant,” “Stone,” or other combinations of adjective
and noun that reflect the size and makeup of the thing
300-400 AE they are viewing. This time, they choose a proper noun,
Transcendent Technologies Inc., a small but and one that has never been entered into their vocab-
promising biotech firm, mounts the first manned ex- ulary.
pedition to Europa. At present, there are no plans to
establish a colony on the remote moon, but it does “Hydra.”
represent a wealth of scientific information. They find
a wealth of preserved genetic information fossilized It’s the first time a true connection is drawn
in the ice. Nothing alive, but plenty to suggest there between the mysterious fall of humanity and true, alien
was once a large organic presence there. They report interference, and the first time the scope of it is laid
their findings and get to work on examining the alien bare.
genome. Their discoveries will eventually lead to the Terraforming Europa would ruin the natural
development of Sol’s first true spaceworthy bioprobes. peculiarities of the moon that TTI had wanted to study
They use orcas mixed with their new proprietary alien to begin with, so Europa-dome is constructed and
genome as their debut model. The creatures are pow- eventually branches out into a massive series of above
erful, intelligent, and independent, able to exist with- and below ice habitats. The colony is dedicated purely
out support on Europa while investigating otherwise to science and research and is built with the finest
unreachable depths. in recycling and reduction technology in the hopes of
producing a nearly zero-ecological-impact population.
400-500 AE Small as the moon is, it can’t afford to pollute. Radio
contact with the Orca probes below the surface is
TTI strikes a deal with MarsCo to secure addi- never restored, but they can still be seen, with rarity,
tional funding for their second Europa launch, this time through video cameras as the colonists go about their
armed with their unique bio-constructs. It is a prelude operations above. Occasional glimpses show that the
to colonization, and the amazing quasi-alien life is creatures now swimming cold and silent in the depths
more of a media draw than the possible eradication are a far cry from those originally sent there.
of microorganisms taking place on the Venus terrafor-
ming front, so MarsCo is happy to have the distraction.
Europa colony is en route to its new home 500-600 AE
when the Orca scouts that have been sent ahead stop TTI debuts the first Whisper ever captured live,
transmitting, their final signal coming from a location several months after the Mars attack takes place. It
so deep in Europa’s ocean it was presumed impossible catches Sol by surprise, and while TTI refuses to re-
for the creatures to reach. Up until this point, readings lease the details of the capture, they swiftly rise to
from Europa have proven more confusing than reveal- the top of the knowledge base about the entities.
ing. No life, but almost too much indication that life System-wide consulting services are offered to the IRPF
had once existed to believe. Ice on the surface had and other enterprises on how to deal with Whisper
been scoured on its underside as though scraped clean. incursions with minimal loss of life, and they actually
Large chunks of rock below the water were simply work. Moderately. It’s enough to make Sol feel like it’s
gone, carved out in large squares with the precision of actually doing something about them, which goes a
a laser and no signs of tooling. Strange rock structures long way toward improving morale. It also secures a
set up in precise geometric patterns of neutral buoy- great deal of money for TTI.
ancy in areas with low current, so they just hung in the They begin construction of the Spear of Heav-
water like ancient temples a mile long. This final image en, a massive living Bonewerk tower on Europa that
clip, however, is near no such anomaly. It is as alone as spans all the way up into low orbit and serves as a
it is alien and shows a structure of obvious unnatural series of cities and TTI headquarters. It’s here that the
design, large enough to dwarf a battlecruiser, hanging company develops and releases Transcendent Technol-
in the water. ogy, a new form of almost magic-like augmentation.
Language examination and marking recogni- Through simple, microscopic operations, Transcendent
tion software locates parallels between the language Technology can allow people to manipulate their world
found carved into the monolithic structure and those through inexplicable energy. It’s a direct example of
found in the bunker on Earth and during the horrific TTI’s constant insistence that Vector-kind doesn’t under-
owl Vector killings centuries earlier. Matching glyphs, stand nearly as much about the universe as they think
identical arrangements, commonalities in structure they do.
and syntax too perfect to be coincidental, all between Europa’s oceans are repopulated with Foea,
events and locations separated by hundreds of years the name given to the alien DNA originally found there.
and hundreds of millions of miles. As is the case with TTI reseeds the moon and begins study and observation
every transmission sent by the Orca bioprobes, this of the creatures to better understand what they are
final one is keyed with a codeword for identification. and how they work. Developments from Foea genes

39
 lead to the production of Sol’s most advanced biotech- everyone wants to know: where they came from, and
nology, including living ships that can fly through space. how to remove them.
The resurrected alien habitat brings tourist interest to Violent events erupt periodically around Europa
the new colony, but only briefly. Europa is too remote with connections to Transcendent Technology, casting
to draw short-tern visitors once sufficient video foot- doubt on its safety. Living ships begin to demonstrate
age is available to satisfy the public’s curiosity. frighteningly advanced abilities Sol was not aware of.
Expeditions to the monolith have stopped Teleportation, instantaneous communication over vast
indefinitely. The Orca probes that encountered it have distances, and occasional bouts of mindless violence
transformed, becoming something too large, too pow- when attacked. Spyglass begins a very deep infiltration
erful, and too intelligent to be circumvented by sub- into TTI’s core to try and ascertain how their technolo-
mersible technology. They have a publicly undisclosed gy actually functions.
connection to the Foea and can summon a formidable Europa begins to cloister itself. As TTI’s fleet of
barrier of dangerous lifeforms in a place already too traditional ships and living ships increases in size, the
deep to effectively fight in. TTI focuses on progressing orbit they have around the moon begins to look more
Transcendent research for the immediate future while like a blockade than a holding pattern. While not ac-
it tries to downplay the horrors that lurk within its wa- tually keeping anyone in or out, other megacorps have
tery world. noticed the defensive posture. Early in the Ruby Spire’s
growth toward Earth’s moon, TTI was very vocal about
600-700 AE getting in close and exploring it. Toward the end of
Europa labs begin generating bioships, living this century, Europa’s host will stop banging that drum.
armor, Aegiforms, and other living augmentations.
TTI remains the established “expert” on Whispers, but
megacorps and civilian populations around Sol begin
to grow tired of their methods. They’re slow, produce
few actual facts, and, after a century of research,
haven’t really provided much insight on the questions

Europa has more aquatic Vectors per capita than the rest of the
solar system combined, primarily otters, seals and dolphins, with a few oth-
ers scattered here and there. Curious, when it also has the least swimmable
water. Europa is saturated with water, but the vast majority of it is outside
the living zones, covered with half a mile’s worth of ice, and starved of light
and oxygen. There are few safe zones and stopping points when you’re in it,
and most of the “native” life introduced by TTI is much better adapted for
the conditions than Vectors are. Still, locals swear that once you’ve spent time
in Europa’s depths, nowhere else feels the same again. It might be the vast
emptiness of it all that draws people in. Or it might be the chilling knowl-
edge that it isn’t really all that empty, after all. Europans are notoriously
superstitious (generally considered peculiar, considering that it also has one
of the highest percentages of advanced science professionals in the solar
system), particularly regarding Jupiter and the deeper parts of the moon. Ju-
piter takes up a solid quarter of the night sky when in view from Europa, and
outposts built on the planet-facing side are typically windowless, or at least
have shutters that can block the view. It’s said that you can feel it above you,
though. Like its mass wants to draw the blood from your veins.
Since the colony’s founding, there have been seven instances of mass
suicide associated with Europa’s orbital perigee and the occasional orbital
orientation that pushes the moon to one side of Jupiter while Io and Gany-
mede are on the other. The largest of these involved nearly three hundred
individuals and was made all the more infamous due to a leaked recording of
the event which showed the graphic self-mutilation of the Vectors involved.
Audio recordings were reported to have never existed, but there are many
who say they were destroyed, as the voices on them were in no language
spoken by sane tongues.

40
 Europa’s cities now span a large portion of the select few TTI executives have ever seen. Aside from
side of the moon that faces away from Jupiter, with their now enormous range of sizes and seeming lack
very few outposts on the planet-facing side. Those that of a need for air or sustenance, they have exhibited
are tend to be dedicated to the more esoteric aspects intelligence and strategy, ability and malevolence
of TTI’s research, which may be why the local popula- above and beyond their original programming. They
tion views the planet with such superstitious concern. come in a huge variety of shapes that are far more
People who work or live on the planet-facing side alien and bizarre than their original construction,
return troubled. Blaming the world may be easier than ranging from whale-like to squid-like to limbed with
blaming the research. powerful joints and claws, but always in the same
colors and patterns, and the same jaws. When TTI
introduced Transcendent technology, many pointed
BIOMES toward the seemingly immortal Orcas as the source,
Europa was (intentionally) never fully terrafor- ignoring repeated denial by the megacorp of hav-
med, and much of its surface remains as airless, unin- ing ever captured one of the creatures alive. It’s a

HISTORY
habitable ice. Its living domes are substantial, however, popular theory among armchair conspiracy theo-
and there are a myriad of smaller, isolated outposts rists off-world, but few who have experienced the
scattered throughout the moon’s landscape. Many Orcas’ presence support the notion.
are connected by long tunnels shielded from Jupiter’s
radiation, but due to their length and the relative
instability of the ice under them, the larger ones are NOTOBLE LOCATIONS
not considered vacuum-proof and are usually traversed The Sea
in vehicles or suits. The more common methods of Europa’s sub-arctic ocean holds special pull
traveling long distances in Europa are by air or under for its native population. By all rights, it shouldn’t;
water, where personal submersibles can hug the ice there’s almost nothing down there save for miles
layer and take you to and fro from location to location. and miles of empty, still water and a small ecosys-
Most of Europa is far deeper than these vessels are tem of mostly microbial and simple life. It’s impossi-
rated for, and outside of the populated zones of the bly cold, frighteningly immense, and maddeningly silent,
moon, there are dangers in the deep beyond pres- and everyone on the planet knows what horrors lurk in
sure and temperature. The Orca bioprobes originally its depths. And yet, many Vectors who have taken up
launched to the ice moon centuries ago have mutated residence on the moon have had the genetic resistanc-
and changed dramatically since their contact with the es to cold present in their forebearers reawakened
monolith. Images of their new forms are rare, consist- via refreshment surgery and make regular use of the
ing of quick and shaky recordings during attacks, and dimly lit water to get from place to place, or to simply
most are based off a single notorious video that only a explore. Some have reported feeling compelled to,

41
 despite the dangers. They describe it as “being discovered it, it had a large and obvious opening to
called.” The experience is so widely recognized its interior. Since that day, the opening seems to have
that it isn’t even contested by local industry any- vanished.
more, and employees called to the deep are grant- Many would go to great lengths to find out
ed leave. Their next of kin are also informed, just to what’s inside the monolith, but every attempt to access
be on the safe side. Not all those who dive deep it has been met with failure; malfunctions, sudden, inex-
come back. plicable dread on the part of the crew, arrival only to
find a smooth, unbroken surface that repels attempts
The Spear of Heaven to breach it, and the ever-present threat of Foea at-
TTI headquarters, and the tallest planet-bound tacks. Miles of water and the largest and most fear-
structure in the solar system (excluding the Whisper- some Foea stand between submersibles and the target,
Werk spire on Earth). The Spear of Heaven’s official and the best success has been with individual divers in
title is significantly less grandiose, but those who specialized suits, or demi-class bioprobes designed to
endure the conditions. Past a certain depth, the Foea
HISTORY

have visited Europa typically prefer the flashy one;

it just feels more fitting. This enormous tower pierc- disappear, and all that stands between the structure
es the top of Europa’s largest habitable dome and and the diver are a few miles of empty blackness and
extends clear out into a low orbit docking station the orca probes. While little is known about what
above the moon, where it serves as a mooring for capabilities those creatures now have, their original
ships that can’t easily negotiate the unique land- designs granted them astounding sensory perception
ing conditions Europa presents. The ride from the for the express purpose of seeking out life. It is unlikely
bottom to the top begins in gravity and ends in anything reaches the monolith without them noticing.
weightlessness, allowing for experiments and re- Only a few things are known about the mono-
search in a massive variety of conditions. Vaguely lith for certain:
reminiscent of the Eiffel tower (though on a much The runes etched on its surface include many of the
larger scale), each anchoring leg of the Spear is same symbols found in cryptic Earth ruins, and the pat-
large enough to house its own town, and does so. terns drawn in blood on the walls by the Owl Vectors
during their tragic gestation.
TTI stopped funding expeditions to the monolith over
The Monolith a century ago, near the time of the Whisper inva-
The only known pure images of the cyclopean sions, and began trying to contact it “by other means”
structure wedged in Europa’s deepest undersea canyon instead. The first of the Transcendent implants was
come from the final images sent by the orca probes released not long afterward.
centuries ago, before they began their bizarre trans- It has an interior, and it is not empty. Movement, shift-
formation. Since then, there have been several expedi- ing, and the muffled sound of a pulse have all been
tions successful in reaching the structure, but none have independently recorded. When it stirs it tends to affect
been able to stay, and it hasn’t looked at all like it things on the surface and even elsewhere in Jupiter’s
did in the original recordings. Radio imaging has had orbit. Audio taken from these events sometimes match
varied results (the structure seems to irregularly reflect pitch and tone to the songs sung by the orcas to the
attempts to map it remotely) but by nearest guess it monolith, and some similarities have been found to the
extends for over twenty miles on its smallest planes, is tones that the structure seems to sing back.
roughly cylindrical in shape, is covered in recesses and
detailed glyphs, and is hollow. When the orcas first

42
 GANYMEDE
Unlike Europa, Ganymede did eventually complete its terraforming process. It was given an atmosphere,
rotation, vegetation, and wildlife, and its terraforming process paved the way for the eventual conversion of
Venus. Which is not to say it turned into a paradise. It’s a rough environment to live in, and despite breath-
able air and drinkable water, most of its population finds shelter in climate controlled domes. Ganymede is
highly populated and often thought of as the spiritual sibling to Luna colony from the days before the Whis-
pers. Both colonies were founded around the same time and shared a certain camaraderie just due to their
status as mooners, and when Luna fell, it was Ganymede that felt the sting most personally. Sheer distance
meant that most of the two populations had never even met each other, but the connection was real in other
ways. Not the least of which was a heavy dependence on import for sustenance.
When Luna was quarantined, Ganymede really got a feeling for how cold and dark it was out there
when you’re cut off from your lifeline. It was an odd sensation for them; they tended to pride themselves on
not having to lean on anyone.
Ganymede is the meanest nice kid on the block, according to most travel guides. Its distance from the
Sun and the construction of its atmosphere required to repel Jupiter’s radioactive influence made the forma-
tion of a comfortable climate rather implausible. It’s cold, it rains a lot, it has large glacial regions and huge
bizarre jungles with leaves that are enormous and oddly colored scattered across its equator that rise up like
mountains of their own, and the whole moon appears just a little lopsided in its geological distribution. While
it is technically habitable everywhere, very few portions can be lived in without the assistance of shelters and
protective clothing. The result is a world covered in domed metropolises and beautiful but barren wastelands
in between them where any number of things, or people, who don’t want to be found can hide.
 TIMELINE tion does equate to extremely lucrative pay in several
of its industrial sectors, as well as very affordable, if
less than opulent, housing. The conditions are rough for
300-400 AE reasons beyond the weather. Many feel Ganymede was
Ganymede’s terraforming experiments begin. populated before technology was ready to put Vectors
The moon provides unique challenges and an oppor- that far away from home. Local corp entities use harsh
tunity to try techniques that will be important for the methods to keep crime in check, and some are easily
eventual conversion of hostile climates in prime orbital coerced and swayed to ignore certain activity.
real estate. It is given rotation and a workable biome,
but it’s a touch and go, guess and check project. The 400-500 AE
eventual result is a harsh but livable world, provided Ganymede slowly pulls itself into order as
you’re fond of cold air and dim lighting. While primar- additional enterprises find value in its location. Long
ily intended as a large scale science experiment, corps distance shipping and transport see Ganymede as a
in search of low cost real estate start searching for second Luna, a way to drive the space industry. Stella-
ways to incentivize the long trip out to Jupiter. Gany- rum opens a new manufacturing and research branch
mede is a unique location for biosphere architects and on Ganymede and begins construction of a prototype
floral engineers, and MarsCo begins the touchy pro- to what will eventually become the first mass produced
cess of regulating gas mining from Jupiter. Bluesky station. The Stellarum branch cements a work-
The Nephilim mana platform is developed with ing relationship between Luna and Ganymede that
an all-Ganymede workforce and becomes a corner- grows into a camaraderie that they will hold clos-
stone of the new populace’s identity. Ganymede is a er than the relationship with their sister mooners on
place for people who work hard in harsh conditions,
get rich, and die young. Rumors get back to Mars that
you can make your life’s fortune in ten years working
on Ganymede and that they’ll pay for your ticket there
and back. It’s not entirely accurate, but the remote and
dangerous nature of working in the fresh, distant loca-

“Ganymede has more places per foot to hide a body than any
other rock in the system.” It’s not exactly true, but it’s true enough,
and freighters, soldiers and travelers have responded to ques-
tions about the culture of Ganymede with some variation on that
line for ages. The reality is somewhat less grim: Ganymede has
lovely cities under its domes in which life proceeds at a pret-
ty even keel, but the weather, the environment, and the overall
isolation of the moon have made the people that live there hard
and wary. They’re typically quick to anger, very self-sufficient,
and find most other places in the solar system “soft.” Even inside
the domes, the air is regularly ventilated to freshen it and keep
things circulating, which can allow for subzero nights and times
of prolonged cold or wind. For those that choose to live out in
the wilderness, it’s a hard existence, and there is no small amount
of frontier justice associated with it. Rather than shy away from
it, natives have embraced it and feel a great deal of pride for
their frozen home and the tough culture it’s produced. This has
occasionally led to bad blood between them and Europa, who
treat Jupiter with a very different attitude. Nowhere else is there
such a divide between the technologically adept and the almost
primitive as on Ganymede. You can enjoy the latest and greatest
within its domes, and some 100 miles away, find villages dressed
in almost tribal protective gear whose inhabitants stand guard by
their homes with spears. Curiously, Ganymede’s culture holds both
in equal regard, and the only people who tend to scoff at those
living off their own means in the snow are off-worlders.

44
Europa, with whom they have little contact and almost and most of TTI’s mechanical fleet is assembled at
no overlapping industry. While Europa’s clean, scientific, Stellarum’s Jovian shipyards.
hand-groomed, and picked populace is carefully build-
ing their domes, Ganymede’s early decades are gritty 600-700 AE
and dangerous. There is contempt from both sides of Ganymede has recovered from its near-black-
the equation. By the end of the century, Ganymede out. The new society follows CEOs that function more
pilots with access to spacecraft via their own manu- like Jarls than the leaders of most planet-locked or-
facturing centers will occasionally “buzz” Europa domes ganizations. Most are known by the people personally,
as a joke, aggravating the adjacent colonists as their rather than brought up through company interiors. So-
controlled environment is disrupted. cial networks are tight and bonds are forged through
common struggle. Arrogance has been largely replaced
500-600 AE by personal pride and temperance. To historians on
In the wake of Luna’s destruction and the long Mars, it’s only now that Ganymede truly “grows up” as a
period of Martian isolation, the once boisterous inhab- colony. Europa now works with it regularly, and Gany-
itants of Ganymede find themselves cold and alone, mede has come to think of itself as a protective older
and painfully aware of how much they had still been brother, even after TTI’s bioprobe labs begin putting
reliant on interplanetary trade. There was no mod- out living ships with undisclosed capabilities.
el for what would happen to Ganymede if Mars and
Luna both stopped working with it, and worries over
food and supplies begin to mount. Ganymede begins BIOMES
to refocus on primitive techniques: farming, hunting, Ganymede is an arctic wonderland, full of
finding ways to get their meager world to sustain colorful variations on contemporary themes. While its
them. Despite their previous history, Europa colony, glaciers can’t compare to the unspoiled brilliance of
which is much more measured and capable of extend- Europa’s (many lost much of their mass during terrafor-
ed existence with no support from other worlds, offers ming, whereas Europa’s did not), they are nonetheless
help. But when TTI declares capture of the first Whis- staggering and cyclopean, with the low gravity allow-
per, Ganymede cuts physical transit between the two ing for amazing peaks and overhangs that would break
moons to avoid worries of contamination that might anywhere else. Low light levels from the sun have led
keep Venus from shipping. Europa understands their to trees with enormous leaves and variations on con-
reasoning, but it still comes off as a snub to someone temporary solar collection, and the forested areas of
who helped when they didn’t need to. the moon tower nearly a mile into the sky and spread
Ganymede feels the sting of its own decision out into interlinking lattices. Some contain suspend-
more keenly than its sister moon realizes. As trade ed cities, which only furthers the isolationism of those
eventually resumes and Ganymede gets back on its inside.
feet, it’s evident that the past few decades have One of the most prominent differences visi-
fundamentally reforged its culture. Its people are tors to Ganymede experience is the dramatic shift in
ashamed of their contempt for Europa, which they had ambient light level and color inside its atmosphere. The
not only had to rely on, but had subsequently pushed modified methods employed to make the distant moon
away when the risk grew too high. They are ashamed habitable resulted in very different particulate matter
of having declared themselves a place for the strong in its stratosphere. Combine that with a dramatically
and independent when it had become clear they were lower light level than say, Mars, and the fact that many
dangling on the edge of a cliff without planetary sup- of the particles emit small amounts of light on their
port. They are ashamed that they had allowed corrup- own when charged, and the result is a world wrapped
tion to undermine their survival. But despite some pre- in a purple twilight for almost the entirety of its day.
vious poor decisions, this is still a population of hard Ganymede only has about three hours that can be con-
working, industrious, durable people, and they set their sidered “night” by the light standards of other worlds,
hearts to a new beginning. Over the last few decades and only three hours bright enough to be called “day,”
of the sixth century, Ganymede gradually reforms into which isn’t much brighter than a late afternoon on its
an almost tribal society, with each individual city ca- own. For the rest of its daily rotation, it hangs in a soft
pable of completely supporting itself through combina- violet, almost self-perpetuated glow roughly akin to
tions of tech and primitive methods. Gangs and mobs evening just as the sun has vanished over the horizon.
begin reforming into community leaders, tempered in On clear days, the landscapes look almost dream-like.
the cold and supported by a desire to protect their But it takes very little atmospheric upset to drop the
world from a repeat of previous events. With Luna light from low to nothing. Storms on Ganymede are
gone, MarsCo reabsorbs Stellarum, and Ganymede invariably accompanied by pitch-black conditions, and
makes considerable efforts to try and take on Europa every building on the world has ambient external light-
as a client to patch their previous mistakes. Ganymede ing to help them be located during such events.
ships and supplies play a massive role in the space-
based aspects of the Spear of Heaven’s construction,

45
 NOTOBLE LOCATIONS the cities to engage in events or make purchases they
can’t make where they live. Unlike many other parts
The proving grounds of the solar system where those who have elected to
ASR’s long rivalry with Pulse has resulted in a live outside ‘civilization’ have done so largely to shun it,
great many peculiar things over the years, including Ganymede’s ‘savages’ are considered a valuable and
an odd dichotomy between the two Megacorps. equivalent member of the planetary culture. They rep-
In a way, they compete over the same people, but resent the strength of will and fortitude of the whole,
provide different means to the same ends. Pulse while those in the cities can tend to the requirements
has long held the title of the master of ceremonies of a modern era, without which no one would last very
when it comes to sporting events and the delivery long.
of spectacle to a galactic audience, and according
to their rules of engagement, mechanical assistance
beyond the most rudimentary of implants is strictly
The Omnirail
Early in Ganymede’s occupancy there was an
illegal. Only biological modification is allowed. This
HISTORY

effort to connect its locations by rail. Low light and

more or less shuts out a massive portion of ASR’s
constant snow flurries make flight more difficult on
services and anyone who has purchased any. More
Ganymede than in most locations and it was deter-
than that, even though Cogs are allowed to partic-
mined that a powerful, reinforced rail transit system
ipate in the games, they have to undergo vigorous
that maintained itself could be a more reliable option.
scrutiny and inspection to ensure there’s nothing
Funding and a lack of cooperation among corps ulti-
in their manufacture that can’t be duplicated at
mately doomed this plan to failure, but across Gany-
more or less the same cost biologically. Many of the
mede’s surface you can find remnants of the Omnirail
inspection standards are subjective, and all of them
that can still function if powered independently. Across
are invasive. It attracts very few Cogs, and as near
the Mean, the rail is a dangerous thing to activate. It
as anyone can tell, that was the idea.
travels through territory that has since been claimed
The Proving Grounds are ASR’s answer to the
by independent cultures and they don’t look kindly on
problem. A place dedicated to larger than life,
the invasion.
spectacular mechanical and robotic competi-
tion, where remote controlled machines square off in
a variety of amazing events and the sound of steel The Nephilim Mana Platform
grinding steel and sparks flying fills the air. Here, the Parked in an orbit around Jupiter, at the same
heroes are still the players, but their overall ability isn’t speed and angle as Ganymede, is the largest gas col-
boosted by gene refreshment. Instead, their massive lection array in the solar system. It siphons hydrogen,
custom machines head into the arena in search of their helium, and several other gas elements from the planet
opponent’s controllers, while fighting off their own below. The Nephilim is responsible for providing pure,
mechanical titans. Find the other pilot, or destroy their refined gas for just about every space-bound fleet in
machines, and you win. The explosions are immense, the Sol, which are otherwise incapable of landing and take
impacts from piston on piston can be felt for miles, and up an awful lot of room at space stations. Gas mining
it is nothing short of astounding to watch. After a few of Jupiter is considered illegal by every major corpo-
years of ramping up, it slid in rather nicely as a direct ration due to the sheer importance the planet holds
competitor to the biological super-athletes Pulse had as the primary gravity well in the solar system. Despite
been exhibiting for years. Now, every year, the Prov- the planet’s tremendous size, the children of mankind
ing Grounds host a series of games of all sorts in a are well aware of how quickly even abundant resourc-
specially designed facility where the twilight of Gan- es can be consumed if left unchecked. The Nephilim is
ymede allows the brilliance of light, spark, and explo- the only exception. MarsCo is its official owner-oper-
sion to have the best effect. ator, but its prices and services have been unchanged
for generations and it is largely considered a neutral
construct. It is crewed mostly by Ganymede natives who
The Mean want to spend some time in space, and they treat it
Local slang for the vast, harsh areas between
like a moon of their own. At any given point, the Mana
cities on Ganymede’s surface. The Mean stemmed from
Platform hosts a crew of 10,000 people and is in con-
a double pun, owing to the fact that the mathematical
stant operation.
average area on the moon was extremely difficult to
live in, and that the overall climate conditions were,
well, mean. Nonetheless, there are small- to medi-
um-sized settlements all over Ganymede outside of its
more modern cities. Many contain little to no corporate
sponsorship, and almost all operate on a person-
al set of laws and values. They trade among
themselves and each other, live off the wild-

46 life (no easy task, as it’s just as mean as the

climate is), and will occasionally travel into
 IO
The Megacorps of Sol are extremely cautious about how much violence they let their people know about.
For instance, it’s been widely propagated that no megacorp has ever gone to extended war with another, and no
weapons of mass destruction have ever been employed on a civilian population by post-human Sol. Both
statements are true, provided you have liberal control over the definitions of the terms. From a purely logical
perspective it’s a load of crap.
Io is one of the most hotly contested pieces of planetary real-estate in Sol, for almost no reason beyond its
convenience as an out-of-the-way rock big enough to stand on and fight over. It’s rich with various minerals that
are useful for Geomat refinement, but not so much that it’s worth what’s been done with it over the years. Mostly,
its value is in its worthlessness. You can make a very big mess on Io, and no one is going to care. Mercury was in a
similar position but its proximity to the sun made it too difficult to employ in quite the same manner. It’s primarily
used as a research and development platform for powerful, destructive technologies, many of which get tested in
real time on Io.
Io serves one extremely important function to the colonies and industries in the Jovian sector and space
beyond: it’s a playground for very expensive products that are primarily manufactured on (and as such, provide a
lot of business for) Ganymede and other near-Jupiter industries. You can do what you want there, with a carefully
considered population of loyal workers, defended with somewhat over-aggressive methods. Io is where you go
when you need to do something planetside you don’t really want other people seeing. They’ll know you’re there
(plenty of places can view Io with clarity, provided you’re on the side that faces them) but if they come knocking
you’re free to pretty much drop hell on their heads to keep them away. You’re not going to risk anyone who wasn’t
already at risk just coming there in the first place.
Beyond that, Io is a pressure valve for mega organizations to test their strength against each other with-
out actually risking anything they particularly care about. It’s a zone for dark wars, conflicts that exist between
factions to sink money into, test mettle and technology, and remind each other that they have teeth should anyone
decide they actually want to stir something up large-scale in a place it would matter.
 TIMELINE
400-700 AE
Io first becomes used for corporate military
sorties shortly after Ganymede is terraformed and
continues to get fairly regular traffic. It has no native
population, but it’s riddled with experimental buildings
and bunkers dropped into place from orbit or rapidly
assembled to test ideas, siege tactics, or stage inva-
sions should they ever be required on a larger scale.
The moon has localized terraforming, where certain
spots on its surface (usually deep craters) have been
converted to breathable environments through the use
of local short term generators and particle nets. It’s all
test work should a hostile drop ever be required on
an airless world in the future, and much of the military
technology put to use on Io has the look of something
intended to be employed in an invasion.
Events on Io are less important to the world
itself than they are to individual corporate histories, as
Io has no native population beyond short-term projects.
It does have a lot of repeat faces, however. Its distant
location makes it difficult to shuttle people back and
forth from Mars to serve as ground forces when they’re
needed, and their regular resurgence and disappear-
ance would open up too many opportunities for rumor
anyway. Instead, most soldiers, pilots, and managers
who serve on Io projects live in nearby Bluesky stations,
on fleets, or other staging platforms between tours.
They clock some 10 years or longer in space per de-
ployment before eventually returning home to the Sol’s
more populated worlds. Most make a career of it, and
will probably be out along the Jupiter line for most of
their lives.

48
49
 MERCURY
Mercury is primarily a live-in testing location for devices and technologies whose malfunction (or even
proper function) might be a tad risky for attempting on populated worlds. Weapons systems that operate
on mass-destruction levels, or materials research that needs to withstand the rigors of extreme temperature
fluctuation, or just businesses whose need for secrecy is so high that they want to travel to a place that’s
largely out of sight and out of mind to most of Sol’s population, can all find their homes here.
While it’s possible to live one’s whole life on Mercury, it’s a detached existance. Your social circle will con-
sist almost entirely of the people who live in your roving vehicle, and your chances of ever leaving are slim.
Industries that hire for Mercury pay well, but it’s specialized work on proprietary systems. Even if you score a
ticket off the rock it’s possible none of your skills will translate to markets on Venus or Mars. As a result, many
spacers sunward of Venus are actually retired Mercury workers who built (or bought) themselves a little chunk
of heaven to cloister in.

50
TIMELINE no concerns of collateral damage, and, frankly, people
with nowhere else to go.

200-300 AE 500-600 AE
The Dawn March experiment launches, land-
Mercury’s population grows, as does its car-
ing a drone rover on Mercury’s surface in the narrow
avan. The Dawn March concludes year 600 at over
temperate band between night and day. The rolling
100 miles long, and the Dusk March, a sister cara-
robot chases Mercury’s slow dawn for a complete
van chasing the night line and staying ahead of the
planetary year while maintaining a manageable tem-
sun, has begun on the other side of the planet. Dusk
perature and charting multiple paths should something
consists primarily of competing industries who felt a
obstruct it. On its success, additional drone rovers are
physical disconnect from Dawn’s established alliances
deployed. The project has public interest for its novelty,
would help cut down on corporate espionage. Polar
but there’s very little money to be made from it. Three
bases have emerged in the permanent shadow zones
rovers form the first Dawn March and demonstrate its
and form the first permanent structures on the planet.
viability for around 20 Earth years before mechanical
As century six concludes, Mercury will begin dotting its
decay causes them to lose speed and descend into
surface with experimental bunkers designed to endure
the night zone. They’re destroyed at the dawn of the
the massive temperature fluctuations between night
following day. The concept is ultimately categorized
and day to stage experiments reliant on them. Sub-
as successful, but impractical until transit technology
terranean structures also exist, but no one knows how
improves or a need for it is found.
many or their exact locations. Mercury is very sparsely
monitored in comparison to Mars and Venus, and each
300-400 AE of its vehicles is pretty autonomous. While many have
Mercury experiences a century of silence as ties back to Venus or other industries, the planet is too
technology focuses elsewhere. Too distant and too remote to visit regularly and there’s little in the way of
harsh, there is little on the first planet to attract remote regulation.
visitation until ASR develops its modern thrust system.
Mercury becomes much more approachable at a much
cheaper price, and the data from the old Dawn March
600-700 AE
As rovers fall apart, new ones replace them,
project resurfaces as an almost “hobby project.” small
and the Dawn and Dusk Marches solidify into opposite
industries begin to use Mercury as a sort of public
caravans of thousands of interlinking, building-sized
proving ground, demonstrating technological endur-
vehicles, spanned with bridges and platforms with
ance in the harsh climate. Video from the surface helps
varying degrees of safety consideration. Blister bunkers
stir public interest in exploration and fuels the growing
now litter the surface, enduring the harsh climate for
push toward the Venus terraform.
the rewards of unmonitored development opportuni-
ties and the ability to make really big messes without
400-500 AE having to worry about them hurting an ecosystem. Ex-
Venus is terraformed, providing a closer launch tortion and petty crime are fairly prevalent throughout
point to Mercury with significant resources. Confidence the caravan systems. It’s very difficult to get replace-
in modern technology after Venus’s conversion is the ment staff to such an undesirable location, so problems
highest it’s been since humanity lived, and Mercury often go unaddressed. Orbital platforms have expand-
begins to show promise as a testing ground for vola- ed research options around Mercury. Most Mercurians
tile and dangerous compounds that would be a public will transit between planetside and orbital platforms
risk on a populated world. Several of the ships that regularly to work in microgravity, access different am-
were built specifically to assist in speeding up Venus’s bient temperatures, or just fire trash toward the Sun.
rotation and now have no use are converted to rovers Mercury has surged into TTI’s personal interest
and sent to Mercury. For the first time in more than as a developing ground for dangerous and durable
200 years, the Dawn March is reinstated, larger than bioprobes. Lifeforms now roam the surface in vari-
ever. With the converted ships serving as docking and ous zones, enduring both the cold and heat to help
launching zones, the rolling caravan has a new, sub- TTI develop new bioarmor. While not programmed to
stantial presence on the planet, and for the first time hunt, they’re rather indiscriminate creatures, and local
it’s actually manned. The massive mechanisms that were Vector life has taken to attacking or avoiding them on
used in the terraforming process are slagged for raw sight. TTI takes advantage of the almost nonexistent
material, and the rolling carriers birth smaller whisker IRPF presence here to let their experiments wander
vehicles to bridge the gaps between them. Coordinat- hands-off and observe their behavior. And occasion-
ed via a central command rover, the new Dawn keeps ally, their performance. Mercury’s orbit holds platforms
a steady pace just behind the sun line, rolling in a si- dedicated to the maintenance and deployment of TTI’s
lent line through the craggy surface. Mercury opens up Suneater bioprobes, which are considered by most of
as a place of employment for researchers of material the solar system to be their most physically resilient
endurance, developers with need for open space and models.

51
 BUILDING YOU
Family and Species
FAMILY LIST
(Crunchtime pg. 123) Whether you play as a Vector or a Cog,
you’ll need to select a family to play in, and a spe-
cies within that family. Think of your family as a pool
Canidae of similar body types from which to grab the specific
Common species: body you wish to use. Your species further refines that
Domestic breeds (now called common breeds), decision and can usually be any species you want from
Wolves, Foxes, Wild dogs within the family. A Felidae player can choose any sort
of cat they wish, a Rodentia character can choose
Felidae any rodent, and so on. The listed “common species” just
Common species: depict what most of the family consists of; you are
Domestic breeds (now called common breeds), not limited to only those options. A few families have
Tigers, Lions, Cougars, Cheetahs suffered catastrophes or mishaps over time that have
limited their available species a bit, and those will
be mentioned in their section. Read through the ones
Avialae you’re curious about and see if anything has happened
Common species:
to them over the 700 years of Vector existence. From
Crows, Eagles, Hawks, Macaws, REDACTED
their origins to the common day, many of these families
have gained, and broken, a wide variety of stereotypes
Reptilia and public opinions. How you choose to play your char-
Common species: acter is your decision, but the history and appearance
Snakes, Newts, Lizards, Alligators, Iguanas of the Vector families should help guide you in your
player and NPC interactions.
Mustelidae The Families featured in this book represent
Common species: the largest selections available from the three offi-
Skunks, Otters, Weasels, Badgers, Ferrets cial Vector population enhancement phases. As human
players, we often associate certain types of animals
with certain behaviors. Playing your character as the
Ursidae paragon of their family is certainly allowed, but re-
Common species: member that Vectors are, at their core, human, and
Black bears, Pandas, Grizzlies, Polar bears have had seven hundred years since their creation to
iron out any particular social quirks associated with
Delphinidae their breeds. Physical construction and the history of
Common species: the setting, more than behavior, should be your guide
Bottlenose, Orca, White-sided, Spinner here. Do you want the soft, long-legged movement of
a Felidae character to embody the personality you
wish to play? Or the twitchy energy of an Avialae?
Selachii Each available family has a brief description of their
Common species:
typical body shape to help you get a general idea of
Nurse, Tiger shark, Thresher, Mako, Whitetip
their appearance.

Rodentia
Common species:
Rat, Mouse, Squirrel, Rabbit, Bat

Ungulatae
Common species:
Horse, Cow, Deer, Goat, Gazelle
Orders
In the years following the conclusion of the
CANIDAE
Canines were the first family to be Vec-
Vector project, various additional species have filtered tored, and they’re well aware of it. Not that they’re
in and out of the gene pool. Some of these were actu- known for rubbing anyone’s face in the fact (it’s a
ally included during the initial phases and simply didn’t little odd to openly brag about an arbitrary deci-
hold on in sufficient numbers to maintain a familial sion made nearly a thousand years ago), but most
presence (or didn’t have a high enough population to canines are raised with the impression that they
begin with) while others fell victim to physical bias or come from a noble heritage. They have the highest
fate, where cross-breeding with other Vector species overall population of the various Vector families,
produced an offspring from that line rather than their though not necessarily all in one place, and many
own so often that their population began to fade secretly (or not so secretly) consider themselves
out. There are minority species representatives in the the “default appearance” for the race as a whole.
Vector line who don’t have genetically identical Fam- More than one heated argument has sprung from

CHAR-GEN
ilies attached to them, which have subsequently been “The Vector Race” being summarized by an image
adopted by larger families because of a similarity in of a canine Vector on news broadcasts or in edu-
appearance or attitude. These species are called Or- cational media, for which many an apology is often
ders and are Vectors in every respect except that their made, followed by the usual argument of “well, they
public associative identities are tied to Families that do have the most numbers!” The fact of the matter
aren’t actually theirs. is that a system-wide census hasn’t actually been
Canidae and Felidae hold the highest num- attempted in centuries due to the sheer inaccuracy
bers of these Orders. Vector species with canine or of such methods, and while CorporNations certainly
feline tendencies in appearance or attitude have been keep track of who and what is working for them,
pulled into the mass of Sol’s two largest families for they don’t often share the information with others.
the purposes of social identity and inclusion. Several It’s anyone’s guess as to how many of what is really
species that have been Ordered into Families will be walking around out there.
listed in the Family section, but this is also largely up to With a large population comes substantial
the player. If you wish to play a species that you feel diversity, and within the Canidae family there are mul-
doesn’t fall into one of the listed families, play it as an tiple subspecies with dramatically different quirks and
Order member and assign it to a Family you feel it has habits. While this is true of most Vector families, Cani-
the closest relation to. You can pick your own. Relation dae has the largest spread within each of its species,
in this case is primarily an attitude thing. All Vectors with dozens of subs in each one. There are over 50
are very closely related genetically. Who a family varieties of domesticated canine species Vectors, half
chooses to support or identify with is more related to a dozen wolves, dozens of foxes, and so on. Within the
preference than blood. collective mass of “canine,” it can actually be rather
Over time, several of these orders with higher difficult to find one’s own identity.
populations have formed Merged Families, or Families Canidae perhaps best exemplifies the Vector
made primarily of species with similarities that were quandary: the fact that Vectors are not the animals
not originally developed together. Not every Vector they resemble but are humans rebuilt from the ground
“family” is actually a “family” by Earth’s classic taxo- up. Each has their own personality, their own needs,
nomic definition. Some don’t even hold related spe- wants, and dreams, and among the countless millions
cies, namely the smaller ones that have been shuffled of Canidae members it’s impossible to begin assign-
around, lost members, or share similar traits. Though ing behavioral expectations to any one group with-
“family” in name only, these kitchen-sink collections still out inevitably misrepresenting them. They are varied.
have centuries of history and are universally recognized And although it’s taken the better part of a thousand
in the modern day. Chief among them are the Roden- years for them to really embrace it, if there is any
tia and Ungulatae families, both of which hold many unifying personality trait among modern Canidae, it
species that coalesced centuries apart and are relat- is an appreciation for their own variety. Canines tend
ed by little more than name and vague appearance. to seek each other’s company for relationships more
than some of the other families, partially as a result of
Cogs simple probability, partially because within the canine
Cogs do have Families and Species, which will family there is a terrific amount of diversity that allows
generally be reflected in their chassis design. Some them to find what they’re looking for without needing
Cogs do choose to have those physical features re- to stray into the potentially less comfortable realms of
moved if they seek a more robotic identity, but other families.
in general, Cogs are just as entrenched in their heri- As an unavoidable result of their sheer num-
tage as Vectors are, and since both races can give bers, the family Canidae is more readily ac-
birth to each other, they can track each other’s history cepting of its morphism offshoots than the
through familial relationships. others, and canines possess some of the few
tauric (Morphisms with a standard torso
53
and animal lower body) and Lateral (Morphisms that appearance change on a per-species basis. While all
maintained fully animal forms) models and celebrities. Vectors tend to have body builds that vaguely resem-
They tend to conform to certain standards, however. ble the overall mass spread within their own families,
Perhaps as a result of being “the example” of what a canines tend toward human norms. Wolves tend to be
Vector should be, the Canidae family does tend to set on the larger side, with even the short ones averaging
certain expectations of breed body type within their over five feet tall. Foxes rarely exceed five feet, with
ranks, which extends all the way down to its mor- smaller breeds averaging closer to four. Domesticated
phism members. This contributes to the proliferation of breeds make up the majority of Canidae’s numbers
Lateral and tauric Canidae public idols: they have an and fall the closest to human averages. Canines have
expectation of what falls into the “correct” proportions the most equal spread of digitigrade and plantigrade
for that, and mass appeal can be found by conforming legs, and their comparatively large population means
to them. It’s difficult to say if this is any more profound they possess some of the rarer morphisms in their
than humanity’s own standards of beauty in different midst.
cultures, but it’s more consistent in canines than in other
Vector families. It may be due, in some part, to most of
the surviving images of many Earth canines being from ORDERS
pedigree dog shows. Seals
Seals were the prototype aquatic Vector.
Appearance Introduced in the first generation and subsequently
Canine characters average at human height boosted in the third with a few new species variations,
and are typically characterized by longer they were built from already-proven canine Vector
muzzles and taller ears than most of the technology and gave human scientists a good oppor-
54 other families. Specifics on fur length and tail tunity to experiment with sea life without having to
dive directly into animals that spent their entire lives are sorely outclassed by just about anything else that
submerged. Eventually, dolphins and sharks would come moves in any environment: they can’t outrun anything
to dominate this particular habitat, but it was the re- on land and can’t outswim any aquatic Lateral under-
search and experimentation with seals that made that water. Their taurs aren’t serpentine like those of other
scientific leap possible. They’re one of the few Vector aquatics, but rather traditionally arranged, giving them
races whose existence can be directly credited for the the lower body of a seal and a standard torso. This
future creation of other Vectors, and they’re awarded limits their land locomotion to the scooting lurches of
a degree of respect for that fact from other aquatics. a Lateral seal. They can get reasonably good at it with
It’s a good thing, too, because it’s damned dif- practice, but it never gets easy, or elegant. They’re
ficult to be a seal. typically smaller than other tauric aquatics and much
Seal bipeds are long, sleek, a little stocky, and less imposing, and they face even more resistance than
tend to look densely built. All in all, a fine and effi- snakes do when it comes to working in areas where
ciently powerful design, noted for its generally small high mobility is required. Snakes, at least, can comfort-
or absent ears (all Vectored seal species are earless ably spend long periods in a body socket. For tauric
seals) and dense, flippered tail. The genetic code that seals, there are few comfortable options for increas-
gave them tails to begin with when, by all rights, they ing locomotion, and most industries that rely on quick
shouldn’t have them, was the keynote in their design action, such as ship crews, won’t risk the lives of others
that later made it possible to repeat the same process on a seal trying to scoot at full speed across the deck.
on dolphins and sharks. Unlike those families, seals do All in all, it’s a recipe for a very bitter people.
not have fins on their limbs. They look a bit like thicker The reality is completely opposite, and for those
otters and are otherwise not at any particular physical captains and CEOs in the know about such
disadvantage. things, a seal in the right position is worth
Nearly every other body morphism, however,
is particularly debilitating for a seal. Lateral seals
their weight in gold, encumbrance or no.
They are the quintessential optimists, known 55
for facing every new challenge with infectious deter- dexterity. Raccoons are also thought of as a “proto-
mination and clever problem solving skills. To seals, the type” species, though their implementation was more of
fact that they’re still around, and in considerable num- a fix than a plan. Latecomers to the third generation,
bers, is a tribute to the power of perseverance. They’re raccoons were genetically programmed as an attempt
aware of their shortcomings, and they’re just as aware to “cure” Lateralism over time, as a direct result of
that they can overcome them if they’re smart about it. what happened with the snakes of family Reptilia. They
Most of them seek careers like research and develop- were built with a predisposition toward the morphism
ment that don’t require much quick movement, and seal and contained a corrective agent in their own genetic
scientists have created some of the most noteworthy structure that was hoped to slowly remove it from the
inventions in the known universe. TTI has hired so many entire Vector race as they interbred with other Later-
of them in the past that they make up a substantial als. Even the use of this particular species was related
part of Europa’s population. It’s also where the major- to that goal; it was thought that perhaps a Lateral
ity of their morphisms end up. Biped seals are all over with near-human hand dexterity would be a more
the system and in all walks of life, but for those with appealing mate to other Laterals, thus increasing the
aberrant bodies, there are very few places one can go likelihood of the “cure” succeeding.
to thrive. Private industry is a big one. Beyond that, you Naturally, the entire premise was doomed to
really need to stand out in your chosen field. failure the moment other Vectors found out about it.
Conflicts of interest that had not existed
before exploded overnight as soon as the intentions
Raccoons for the raccoon populace was discovered. Vector-kind
In stark contrast to Lateral seals are largely didn’t have an issue with Laterals; as far as
Lateral raccoons, which are largely con- they were concerned, they were part of the breed. A

56 sidered some of the most genuinely useful

Laterals in the system due to their manual
difficult part, yes. An undesirable condition, probably.
But still part of what a Vector was. That was their life, typically work in small groups or on solo projects when
and a part of their culture, and humanity (who, frankly, it can be managed. They’re social enough, but they
was not considered the best judge of ethical behavior tend to want things done their way and don’t fall into
at this point) was attempting to “cure” them of it, as if hierarchies very well. They’re often hired as consultants
they could sweep a mistake under the rug. Naturally, or specialists and are usually discontented with having
the scientists involved had thought they were doing to answer directly to someone else unless they happen
what was best for Vector-kind, but this marked the to be someone they find either personally appealing or
first noteworthy conflict between the last remnants of unquestionably superior in their particular field.
humanity and the young race of Vectors. The “cure” was
scrapped mere hours before the growth process be-
gan, and raccoons were added to the race of Vector FELIDAE
as standard members, rather than as genetic assassins. Felines were second in line in the first gen-
History, alas, does not hold an accurate account of eration of Vectors and sported the most females of
exactly what was needed to convince those in charge the initial release. By “most,” read “one more than the
to scrap their idea. The whole ordeal is not without its dogs.” 700 years later, no one has any idea why, but
irony; while the “cure” was removed, the genetic pre- the anomaly has helped produce an almost matronly
disposition toward Lateralism was not. Raccoon chil- bearing in the family. Felines consider themselves the
dren are close to 30% Laterals, a massive increase over unsung heroes of the Vector race and are more or less
the rate in the general Vector population, whose Lat- comfortable with that idea, rather than embittered by
erals range between 1% and 5% on average depending it. They have been a part of every major conflict,
on location. every major boon, and every major develop-
As species go, raccoons are much less ment since the race began. Of course, so
team-oriented than other members of Canidae and have the dogs and a handful of others, but
they get enough credit already. Felines are 57
 known for ambition, trying to reach the top of
their social or economic ladder and refusing to
ORDERS
come down. Of all the Vector families, their social Hyenas
behavior most closely mimics that of their template Hyenas and mongooses both exist in the Vector
race. They’re typically stubborn and strong-willed, pool to provide anatomical variety to the Felidae fam-
and are fiercely protective of what they’ve earned. ily. At least, that’s the party line. Most of these single
Felines boast a population ranked just below species inclusions were wrapped up in larger tests to
canines in size, but numerically it’s only 3/4ths the test certain technologies or check certain theories and
size of the canine population. Where canines have wound up being too functional to outright “discontin-
a variety of species subtypes, Felines received a ue,” so they were added to the bulk population for the
lesser selection. Dozens of domesticated breeds sheer purpose of boosting the headcount and provid-
were included, but the large cat breeds were in- ing more genetic variety. Hyenas do a pretty good job
cluded in significantly reduced numbers. Tigers, lions, with that, and are the Felidae members other mem-
CHAR-GEN

cougars, cheetahs, and several other large breeds bers sigh and roll their eyes about when they come up
were all included, but rarely with more than one in conversation.
variety. This has contributed to a sort of exclusivi- Hyenas are known for a degree of codepen-
ty that permeates the family, and even among the dence. They work well in groups and have an almost
domestic breeds, Felidae tends to be cliquish. Curi- canine pack mentality toward many of their activities,
ously, this behavior does not extend to relationships. but they tend to be unfocused or outright undisciplined
Birth records show Felidae as more likely to breed when forced to work alone. Felines are known for
cross-species than almost any other family, even being social butterflies already, but hyenas take the
adjusting per capita. Some have surmised that it family trait and turn it up a notch. They’re very good at
tickles that same tendency toward exclusivity to be making new friends; they just have a hard time figuring
the only feline in the family, or to create a situation out when it’s time to leave.
where having non-feline children exists so that any Most hyenas don’t have an innate need to
feline ones born will be that much more significant. pester people, but they do seem to have a knack for it,
Most Felidae members will deny this vehemently, and and this makes them very well suited for pressure-re-
it’s certainly unfair to suggest a cat would ignore one lated work. A job that requires a certain degree of
child for another based on species as a rule, but it’s stalking, intimidation and social pressure is ideally
been whispered behind closed doors often enough to suited to this species, and their somewhat gruff ap-
stick as a reputation. pearance makes them all the better at it. Jackals share
Sadly, this perception, more than any actual many of the same personality traits, and the two are
behavior, is probably why family Felidae is so often as- some of the more commonly found famous Canidae/
sociated with defensiveness and stubbornness. Despite Felidae teams. Hyenas are somewhat noteworthy in
their terrifically large population, they have a fairly the Felidae world for being very fond of their Lateral
well-defined image in the eyes of most of Sol, and members instead of viewing them as tools or burdens.
many of them are plagued by it. Felidae has hundreds Lateral hyenas work alongside their own kind in most
of millions of members, each with their own distinct fields and are granted liberties to make up for their
personalities, dreams, and behaviors. If they act like shortcomings. It’s suspected the bipeds find them “cute,”
they have a chip on their shoulder, it’s likely because but the reality is probably due to a need to keep one’s
Sol put it there when they were born, and they’ve had family close when one is the only type of their particu-
to wear it ever since. lar kind.

Appearance Mongooses
Typically human in size and stature with shorter Easily mistaken for a weasel at first glance, the
muzzles and ears than most canines, Felines experience mongoose is a Felidae wild card, with the emphasis on
more dramatic shifts in overall stance than canines on wild. While most of the Felidae family shows a distinct
a per species basis. Large cat breeds are thicker and aptitude for manipulating the system and maneuvering
heavier on their feet than the smaller ones, which tend the nuanced corridors of commerce and power, mon-
to bounce a bit. The majority of the family is digi- gooses are personal, patient and vicious tools to be
tigrade, and their body language tends to be more wielded by those with fewer scruples than most. Mon-
recognizably feline than how much other templates are gooses typically exhibit little drive for personal glory
reflected in their families. Felines have more represen- or excessive power, but they make for great personal
tatives in entertainment than any other Vector family bodyguards or extensions of your will when you need to
and are typically associated with overall beauty and, send a message. Even the rest of Felidae tends to give
on occasion, overall arrogance. them shifty glances from time to time, when they’re not
busy hiring them.
Attitude, more than appearance, kept the

58 mongoose out of the Mustelidae family. Though similar

in appearance to ferrets and weasels, the differences
in lean-limbed shape and jaw structure are appar- Careful media manipulation hid the nature
ent when placed side by side, and the difference in of the owl massacre from the public, but there was
personality is equally apparent. Where weasels are no hiding the deaths themselves, or the loss of an
generally bright, energetic and active, mongooses tend entire species and subspecies selection from a fam-
to skulk and brood, usually withholding comment until ily. It was chalked up to an error in the genome and
solicited for it. They’re so conspicuous it’s inconspicuous, an unfortunate lab accident, but Omega Generation
and they’ve learned to use that to their advantage. So was not supposed to have these sorts of errors. That
have other members of the Felidae family, and as such, was one of the key points of the third enhancement
they’ve earned a permanent home there. phase. Billing the owl event as an oversight helped
Mongooses provide one of the clearer exam- hide a far more disturbing issue, but it hurt the
ples of Vectors deviating in behavior from their animal overall reliability of the Omega project. When owls
templates in their relationship with snakes, who they turned out to be the only stand-out issue, family
actually work rather well with. Both species tend to be Avialae in general ended up adopting the majority

CHAR-GEN
patient and meticulous planners with a cold detach- of that misplaced suspicion. 700 years later, some
ment and an eye for detail, and both tend to approach people still consider the family to be an accident
targets, be they literal or figurative, with the intent waiting to happen.
to remove them via the most efficient means possible. Genetically, there is no issue with family
They recognize each others’ value and usually make for Avialae. What happened to the owls so many years
effective team members. On the other hand, mongoos- ago was the result of human tampering, using forces
es are notoriously problematic when paired with birds. they did not understand. And while the owl event
Probably because they both have a tendency to go itself was brief and brutal, its repercussions would
a little further than the situation calls for, sometimes linger in Sol to the present day. The glyphs etched
violently, and with each other. in blood on the laboratory wall marked Mars’s first
encounter with an entity that had already changed
the landscape of Earth years before, when it had
AVIALAE intervened during the war and left the planet in
Avians have undergone one of the most dra- ruin. It would be centuries before a true comprehension
matic shifts in their behavior since their introduction of its nature was established, but the loss of the owls
in the final Vector population enhancement wave, got it an image in a file, a first report, and opened
due in no small part to an overall discontentment with eyes to the possibility of a more insidious force from
their lot in life. Seven centuries ago, the owl Vectoring Earth than was previously imagined.
attempt went horribly awry and left the birds with only When the bunker on Earth was breached for
four species instead of the usual five, and ever since the first time during the Luna/Earth landing operation
then avians have had to deal with the quiet mutterings and twisted, bloody scripture was found adorning its
behind their backs about being the “cursed family.” walls, MarsCo publicly announced failure with any form
Their tendency to twitch and move suddenly doesn’t of recognition software. Privately, a few shaken scien-
help matters, and a constant miasma of vague suspi- tists were sitting in a cold room with cups of day-old
cion has contributed to the family as a whole being coffee, staring at a picture of a monstrously mutated
somewhat eccentric. It manifests most commonly as an owl Vector who had etched glyphs into a wall with
almost sociopathic disregard for the feelings of others the entrails of its victims, and trying desperately to
when pushed to violence, and while Avialae are per- figure out how the same marks and patterns could be
fectly capable of living a normal life with other Vector splashed onto a bunker that hadn’t seen daylight in
families, they are almost universally known for going over three centuries, on a planet over a hundred million
too far. The trick is, the things that can set one off are miles away.
completely different from bird to bird.
Seven people died during the production stag-
es of family Avialae. Five human scientists, two Vector Appearance
scientists. Murdered. Mutilated. Pulled apart like toys Avians vary in posture more dramatically than
by the hands of an eerie, hunched monster wrought most families depending on their leg configuration.
from nightmares. It was the first Owl prototype, and it Plantigrade avians are typically on the short end of the
had not emerged as programmed. When the other in- human scale, around 5’5”, though they can be larger.
cubating owl Vectors were seen to be undergoing the Digitigrades hunch more than others and their tail
same horrific mutation, they were terminated before feathers counterbalance them, typically making them
they could be completed. The species was abandoned, appear shorter despite roughly equivalent mass. The
and all evidence of the killings made by the owl Vec- family Avialae thinks highly of its taurs, called “angels,”
tor, including the sole surveillance video of the deaths as they fly better than typical Avialae do. It’s not in
and the photographs of the cryptic, twisted scripture the nature of the birds to value things that fit in
written on the walls with what remained of the victims, with everyone else. Avialae wings are among
was quietly swept away. the more peculiar traits of their family.
They’re extensions of their arms, and the
59
 leading feathers possess unique dexterity that shut off in-womb, and with proper pre-birth therapy
was specially manufactured into the race rath- snakes could be born with standard Vector bodies, but
er than adapted from some terrestrial quality. The by default each member of the snake species came out
result is the ability to form almost hand-like shapes looking like their animal counterparts. An entire section
with their wingtips, which they use for most casual of a Vector family damned to an existence without
gesticulation. Their real hands are located where arms or legs. And what was more, it was a substantial
one would expect them to be and function normally, number. Snakes and their respective subspecies made
with these large “finger” feathers extending further up a solid quarter of the entire Reptilia line.
outward. Differing reports exist as to why the snake line
wasn’t simply scrapped and reworked from scratch
when this was discovered. Most modern renditions
REPTILIA claim it to be a matter of ethics and safety: the snakes
Of all the additions to the Vector line made already existed, and while they were only fetuses at
CHAR-GEN

in the third wave of artificial expansion, few were the time the issue was uncovered, terminating them
quite so profound as the inclusion of reptiles. Mas- would have represented a rather substantial loss of
sive changes to the original model were required. life. In addition, a rework would mark them as the only
They were adapted to be warm-blooded, their re- Vectors to have a separate, altered version of the
productive methods changed to allow for the birth- hybrid prevention protocol inside them, which made
ing of mammalian offspring; even their lung struc- for worries about compatibility over time if anything
tures needed dramatic redesign to compensate for ended up drifting. But the timing is a bit suspicious.
their increased metabolism. It has been argued that Reptilia and Avialae were developed near-simultane-
reptilian Vectors have more in common with mam- ously, and the owl incident cast an extremely negative
mals than their progenitor species. The argument is light on the Omega project. A second species-ending
typically pitched by mammals looking for common error may have shattered any remaining public faith,
ground, as most of the family Reptilia couldn’t care and some suspected they pushed ahead largely to save
less. They’re known for their detachment, which has face.
stemmed from being among the most visually differ-
ent families in the Vector race. Reptiles have emotions
and passions like anyone does, but they’re typically Appearance
slow to spark and analytical in their approach. Once Reptilia characters have the largest internal
set on a goal, they pursue it with machine-like dedica- variance in shape depending on their species. Some
tion, and are slow to let go of ideas they’ve adopted are humanoid, possessing smooth scales and a tapered
as true. head. Others are more hunched, standing on longer
Like Avialae, Reptilia suffered a devastating legs than normal and echoing their locomotion back
blow during its creation. Lateralism, the term used to to times that predated even the humans that made
describe a glitch in wave two that resulted in Vectors them. Their snake species is entirely Lateral with no
with fully animal bodies rather than their quasi-human biped variations, making them the only family with a
ones, was corrected in wave three, but the repro- normally undesirable morphism hardwired into their
ductive adjustments in the hybrid prevention protocol breeding pool. Some have considered that evidence of
that was created to replace the original mutt-reduc- poor design. Others would point out that, discounting
tion sequencing had to be programmed to allow for that example, reptiles have the lowest occurrence of
that body type as a potential and viable offspring. any of the other second generation genetic errors of
Vector-kind had accepted Laterals as a part of their any other family. Reptilia characters can possess hair
species, and while there was always the possibility the on their heads or lack it completely. It pops up in their
condition would breed itself out through simple selec- gene pool at random intervals, and can even manifest
tion over time, the teams involved in Omega had sworn on snakes.
that it would not be made into an impossible repro-
ductive option in the third generation. To program that
into all Omega Vectors would essentially turn them into
unwitting executioners of a specific line of their own
kin and was deemed morally unacceptable. They would
later flip back on this decision when raccoons were
introduced, but in fairness, what happened to Reptilia
gave them a good reason to rethink their decision.
All Vector snakes are born Lateral. Reptilia’s
production team certainly didn’t expect that result
when other members of Reptilia all emerged
normal, but the interaction between the snake
species and the Lateral flaw manifested as a
60 supremely dominate trait in them. It could be
MUSTELIDAE larger noses, and rounded ears, and their tails tend
to be on the shorter side. It was mustelids that
Introduced during the second “golden” gener-
popularized permanent fur-coloring as a cosmetic
ation of Vector population enhancement, Mustelidae
operation, and it exists so prevalently throughout
feature dramatically different behavioral tendencies
their culture that its often difficult to tell whose is
across their species line. They can be quick, eager, and
fake and who was born with it.
energetic or slow, stubborn, and vicious. They fit in well
with canine culture when they wish to and can slink
around the lowest levels of society a day later. They’re
predictably unpredictable, and attempts to slap a
ORDERS
label on them typically result in having to remove it a Lemurs
day later when they manifest some new personality Lemurs are one of the only primates that
trait you didn’t see coming. Universally, however, they made it to Vectorization (though even in their own
react quickly to stimulus, with generally exaggerated documentation they’re rarely called that). No sim-

CHAR-GEN
results, and are more willing to forgo social guidelines ians were ever Vectored during the actual Vector
for a chance at excitement than most other families. project, and Lemurs, as prosimians, hold a singular
They’re also known for looking for trouble, and for pok- distinction in being the closest the project got. In
ing what best remains un-poked. modern history books, issues of testing morality is
Mustelidae features a massive spread of cited as the reason monkeys and primates were left
species builds and appearances, which contributes out of the gene pool, but those who have looked
to a general openness and willingness to branch out into the media of the past (what little there is to be
into new things. Conversely, their family-wide need to had) have assembled what they take to be a more
move and manipulate makes them view certain mor- likely theory: that humanity would have rejected
phisms within their own families as truly unfortunate. them.
Taurs, specifically, are considered a more debilitating Even though the actual gap between human
condition by most of the Mustelidae family, as it tends and monkey is larger and more complicated than
to curtail the lightness of frame many of the more the general public perception of it, that perception
weasel-shaped breeds treasure. Huskier breeds like is likely what mattered. It was likely determined that
badgers and wolverines look at it with a bit more af- the creation of talking apes would immediately drive
fection among their own ranks, but the diversity within the majority of human observers into perceiving them
Mustelidae makes for definite lines as to what is okay as a step that humanity itself had already taken and
for some and not others. Mustelidae is often thought evolved beyond, thus lumping the new race into a label
of as a mixed family like Rodentia, if only because so of inferiority that would damn their attempts at equal-
many of its members are so different. ity from the get-go. The scientists involved wanted to
Mustelidae has a knack for being unpredict- distance their creation from humanity enough that they
able, which has grown into a family-wide stereotype of would be familiar, but not so familiar as to seem like “a
reckless behavior. They tend to bite off more than they worse version of the same thing” by critics.
can chew. On the flip side, a lifetime of doing that Lemurs may have been far enough away from
and surviving to reach the other end tends to increase apes that they could be included without fear of
one’s chewing capacity, and most Mustelidae are very tainting their image. Or maybe, as the third genera-
capable within their fields. Or partially capable in a tion came around (when Lemurs were added), things
great deal of fields. Regardless, it’s unusual for a Mus- had progressed far enough on Mars that the original
telidae to say no to a task they have some expertise in. concerns with public opinion were less important than
They tend to be eager to show they can do it, which say, including a new species with high dexterity even in
makes them at once an asset and a risk depending on Lateral forms, in case that problem kept getting worse.
how honest they’re being about their own capabilities. Lemurs were welcomed into Mustelidae primarily over
Thankfully, Mustelidae holds another reputation that a collective appreciation for a species with different
supports their first one nicely: they’re eager to learn. personal assets but similar outlooks on life. These days,
Provided you can get them to sit long enough to listen, they’re considered kin to weasel and ferret Vectors, as
you typically don’t need to fight an ego to get to a they share an abundance of energy.
point of reception. Even the stubborn breeds are only
stubborn about things they know. They do tend to want
things explained before they’ll go along with them,
though.

Appearance
Mustelids lean toward the short end of the
height spectrum, with few exceeding five feet tall.
Badgers and wolverines are broad and dense, but
still on the short side. Mustelids feature short muzzles, 61
 URSIDAE because people simply weren’t doing it. Sloppy mis-
takes were made, systems weren’t properly maintained,
Sometimes called the “lost” family (though
and data was lost or misplaced. It took a long time for
rarely in polite company), Ursidae holds the singular
purpose to drive the survivors back into orderly behav-
distinction of a lack of historical justification. Many
ior. In the time between, any number of things could
records from the days of the Vector experiments
have fallen into a folder and never returned.
are jumbled, incomplete, or lacking context, but
The third was the owl, which best estimates
rarely is a chunk as large as an entire family out-
believe was gestated in the same building that Ursi-
right missing. Ursidae was part of the first wave, an
dae was, years earlier.
alpha, right up there with Canidae and Felidae, but
Modern day bears fit a great deal of person-
the earliest mention of them in historical documen-
ality types but are habitually lumped in with canines
tation is simply their presence in the first tanks, with
when considered by other families. The differences are
no notation as to why they were chosen or what
distinct, but the trend of so many centuries of not be-
CHAR-GEN

their inclusion hoped to add to the overall line. One

ing able to attach a label to their history has resulted
would think it should be a small inconvenience; it’s
in them being socially absorbed by the larger group.
not like any of the modern Vectors really pattern
They have a reputation of being thought of as side-
their lives off what humanity was thinking nearly
kicks rather than leaders, which is largely unfair when
1,000 years ago, but the lack of a distinct process
their history is thoroughly considered. Bears have led
behind their creation has left the family with a lot
fleets, run corporations, and achieved scientific break-
of profound questions over the years.
throughs, but they’re forever regarded as being “part
Vectors are philosophical beings, just as hu-
of a team” instead of individually recognized. Over the
mans were, but for them, some of the great ques-
years it’s made them a little bitter, and recent trends
tions of the universe actually have categorized
of asserting their identities have led to a growing
answers. “Why am I here? What is my purpose?
public opinion of them being inherently violent or quick
Where did I come from?” There are names and
to anger. This behavior only serves to keep pushing the
notes attached to the answers to these questions.
problem, and some bears have come to embrace that
Sometimes even locations. One of the first tubes is
adversarial reputation as a part of their “uniqueness.”
actually on display in a Martian museum; there’s a ca-
Depending on what version of their history they be-
nine family that can trace their genealogy all the way
lieve, some will go so far as resenting avians or Hemi-
back to it. Granted, they’re the third one to do it in
Vectors for their supposed role in the lack of Ursidae
the museum’s history (oddly enough, the “new evidence”
history. Those that do will usually take issue with the
always seems to follow a substantial donation), but it’s
members of their own species whose views of the
still a thing that can be pointed at as a reason, or at
guilty party in their history differ from their own.
least a cause, for existence. Ursidae has none.
The theory is that the records regarding the
Ursidae family were lost in an accident before they Appearance
were integrated into redundant backups. Three pos- Family Ursidae is typically tall and broad, and
sible events are considered the most likely culprits, their short tails and blunt ears set them apart from
and it’s a matter of hot debate among historians as canines or others of relatively equivalent stature.
to which is the true cause. The first was the surprise Pandas and polar bears are easy to recognize due to
nuking of Mars near the end of the war, when a Hemi- their coloration, but black and grizzly bear bipeds can
Vector spy on board a descending ship detonated a pass for canines at a cursory glance. The difference
warhead, destroyed the Mars spaceport, and severely becomes a lot more obvious when taurs and Laterals
damaged the surrounding area. Some of those struc- are involved. Grizzly and polar Laterals have a partic-
tures were known to contain information about other ularly difficult time operating in tight areas, as they’re
critical operations. significantly larger than most doorways or ceilings and
The second was the fall of humanity. By the lack the flexibility of large cat breeds that might suf-
time Mars was fully aware of the level of global dev- fer the same issue. As Laterals go, though, they match
astation the systematic bombing was doing, it was far raccoons in terms of overall manual dexterity. Many
too late to attempt to stop it; not that they possessed manage to find lucrative work in the same positions as
the means to do so, anyway. Something had happened standard Vectors, even if they do feel a little cramped
over there, something inexplicable and irreversible. For in the lunch room.
the human population of Mars, it was a time of inde-
scribable sorrow. The sort that sits in your gut like a
heavy weight and doesn’t leave. A sadness that could
only be caused by the knowledge that everything that
was once your world was ending. Your culture, your
heritage, any hope of redemption and recon-
ciliation: gone. A lot of day-to-day record
62 keeping fell off the books during that period,
ORDERS dering around built off hijacked DNA. They had no
recognizable sense of self. They wouldn’t feel taken
Red Pandas advantage of. A dolphin, however, might. But even
Red Pandas benefited tremendously from their that wasn’t the true heart of the issue. It dug a little
appearance in regards to avoiding social selection for deeper, at the reality of the Vector project as a
extinction. In short: they were considered attractive whole.
enough by a majority of Sol to keep breeding with de- For several of the scientists involved, the
spite a small starting number. It’s allowed them to con- dolphin Vector was a second look back at a much
tinue past their projected lifespan, which, as a random earlier decision made in anger and self-righteous-
second-generation toss-in with a worryingly small pop- ness, when the Vector process began in order to
ulation count, was rather short. It’s suspected by many spite what they perceived as damning legislation
that the red panda line was commissioned specifically made by people with less vision. Now, with the
to map the viability of a low-count species addition to project in its third generation and with Earth slowly

CHAR-GEN
the Vector line, as their anatomical model doesn’t offer smoldering far, far away, the feeling in the air was
many differences that hadn’t already been addressed very different. Buried in a log entry from an unknown
during the development of larger species. scientist in the Delphinidae project is a quote that
Red pandas ended up finding camaraderie in provides some of the only emotional context from
Ursidae primarily through a mutual feeling of being the entire team of 700 years long past. “I would not
forgotten by history. Like the Ursidae family, the red have been so quick to play God, had I fully under-
panda species is little more than a footnote in his- stood the rules.” By the time the family Delphinidae
torical documents, usually used in comparison to the left the tanks, millions of humans had died back
similarly designed raccoon line. While the two species home, and their new caretakers were forced to look
didn’t end up adopted by the same families, they’re into the eyes of a template they knew to be from
aware of their similarities and tend to look at each a creature of near-human intelligence and explain
other as kin. This gives raccoons, and subsequently what was happening. Somewhere in that conversa-
Canidae in general, a potential connection with some tion so many centuries ago had to have been the
Ursidae groups, which they’re not always happy about. revelation that it was unlikely Earth’s dolphin popu-
One of the social issues that plagues the Ursidae line lation was going to have much say in whether or not
is their tendency to be looked at as “larger dogs,” and they survived the war.
the tendency for one of their Orders to fraternize with Family Delphinidae doesn’t carry the emotion-
a Canidae Order doesn’t always help. al baggage of its creators around with it on a daily
basis. Dolphins are generally considered pleasant folk,
with their Lateral members being among the few Vec-
DELPHINIDAE tors universally recognized as “friendly.” Mostly because
Dolphins are, or were, one of the most intel- of their environment; Lateral dolphins have luxurious
ligent creatures on Earth back when Earth still pos- lives compared to most of the landlocked Vector spe-
sessed a scale of intelligence. Most countries had cies. They’re among a very small population that can
officially accepted them as a sapient race by the time do the jobs needed in their locations, which puts them
the war hit, though the admission was more a novel- in high demand. Living space is plentiful, their ocean
ty than any indication of action. They were protected world is bountiful, and since they have very little reason
from hunting, but beyond that, there wasn’t much to to come on shore anyway, they typically don’t have
it. It wasn’t like the dolphins were buying homes or cause to gripe at folks for whatever may be going on
filling out tax forms, after all. When the time came to up there. They’re also rather infamous for pretending
implement aquatic species into the Vector line, howev- to be naturals when they’re not, a collective joke which
er, they were at the top of the list, and it made more has led to more than a few awkward revelations.
than a few people feel a little squeamish. This was a The situation changes a bit for tauric members,
race that had its own society, its own language, even who have an even harder time than tauric sharks get-
a rudimentary understanding of mathematics, and their ting around on land. Their bodies aren’t naturally ac-
template was being taken from them for manipulation customed to serpentine motion and have to be taught
by forces outside their control. It seemed somehow... it, which many have likened to “learning to walk on your
different... from the previous Vectoring subjects. hands” in terms of how unnatural it feels. With practice
From a scientific standpoint, it didn’t really they can manage a pretty graceful job of it, but the
matter. Dolphins were not being slaughtered to sur- bizarre construction of aquatic taurs makes it difficult
gically splice them with humans, nor was any degree for them to move at speed in comparison to people
of harmful capture or violence required to sculpt the with legs, and their upper bodies slow them down in
new bodies; a small blood sample provided enough the water compared to Laterals. Most of the family
genetic material to modify the human blank. It was no Delphinidae consider it a lose/lose situation,
more a violation to them than it was to a dog or a and they’re statistically the second-highest
cat. The only real difference was that a dog or a cat race to undergo body-replacement surgery
didn’t really care if there was another species wan- if afflicted with this condition. Seals are the 63
 first. Appearance
Standard bipedal Delphinidae Vectors have Most members of this family stand around
much fewer anatomical eccentricities to worry standard human height with equivalent ranges of
about than taurs or Laterals, though more than your deviation. Their fitness and musculature is typically
everyday dog does. Their dorsal fins are smaller and more noticeable than it is on other families because of
less pronounced, but still present, and their thick the lack of fur, which has led to a general opinion of
tails make sitting an annoyance in most areas (a Delphinidae as athletes. They have no particular pre-
condition that those of family Reptilia can identify disposition toward sports, but in mixed-breed company,
with). Stools are the usual solution; most attempts people will often nudge them toward it if only be-
to make a one-chair-fits-all design for seating has cause of reputation. Orcas are particularly large and
resulted in something that’s either too large, too heavyset, usually over 6 feet tall with taller members
unruly, too expensive to be practical, or equally threatening Vectors with Macro surgery in terms of
uncomfortable for anyone sitting in it. Arm and leg
CHAR-GEN

height. All members of the family feature dolphin-like

protrusions in fin-like shapes are also common in the skin instead of fur and long, thick tails akin to their
family, but their size can vary dramatically between progenitors. Dorsal, arm, and leg fins are also present,
individuals in a species. Delphinidae Vectors have but typically muted. The famous blowhole of this family
human-shaped feet, without webbing, as no alter- serves little purpose on a biped and was removed in
native exists within their progenitor species. the original Vector design, but some Vectors have had
Family Delphinidae is generally viewed as an them surgically added above their dorsal fin between
even-tempered sort, with its various species be- their shoulders as a sort of physical statement of ded-
ing intelligent and witty, if a little detached. Their ication to living below the waves. While it does have a
penchant for aquatic living tends to color their practical purpose (cupping an oxygen supply over the
opinion of land life a bit, even if they spend most blow-hole keeps the mouth free to speak) it’s primarily
of their own time there. Most notably, dolphins (and a social statement more than a necessity. This family
indeed, most aquatics) exhibit less brand loyalty does not grow hair naturally, but some have taken to
than most Vectors do. Megacorps have customers in adopting cosmetic surgery at a young age to gain the
the ocean, certainly, but not nearly so many as they do ability.
on land, and with far fewer products. Add to that the
fact that dolphins typically provide their own food and
housing and a lot of the areas for corporate bom- SELACHII
bardment go missing. As a result, they tend to make “History” is a relative term to Vectors. They’re
good sounding boards and go-betweens for other all well aware that there was a race that lived before
Vectors who may be too tied up in personal feelings to them, and that their own bodies stemmed from animals
view a situation objectively. Family Delphinidae has no that had evolved in Earth’s environment, but so much of
shortage of passionate feelings; it just doesn’t usually Vector genealogy is built from scratch that it’s difficult
have them about the matters that compel and infuri- to point to any one person walking around and say
ate your typical canine CEO. “you, you have a proud heritage of millions of years of
Bottlenose makes up the majority of the Del- evolution” because, by all rights, they don’t. If nature
phinidae population, with orcas being among the least had at any point given the whole “two-legged dog”
common (comparatively; they still have a substantial thing a genuine go, it died out long before humans
population). Even among their own kind, orcas face a came along. The Vectors themselves aren’t even that;
racial bias uncommon in Vectors, who are accustomed they’re clean designs that incorporate familiar traits
to being surrounded by people of all shapes and sizes. and appearances from established genomes, but they
The stigmata extends directly from Europa, whose local are at their core fully artificial creatures that began
population of mutated undersea monsters has col- their evolutionary process from ground zero, 700 years
ored the public opinion of what an orca “is.” Curiously ago.
enough, the misconception is not present among Eu- This was a point of some concern when the
ropan natives, but among the populace of worlds like Selachii family was added to the line.
Mars and Venus who hear strange stories from the dis- Many Vectored species could trace their roots
tant moon and figure there’s some band of drugged- to Earth’s prehistory. Family Reptilia, for starters. Dol-
up killer whales out there being jackasses to everyone. phins went back pretty far, becoming more and more
Natives of Europa, and anyone who’s ever seen so much primal as the millennia went by. But sharks were a dif-
as a silhouette of what lurks in their depths, know that ferent sort of “ancient.” They were perfect; completely
it’s a far cry from the Vectors walking around on the unchanged for millions of years, exactly balanced for
surface. their role in the world. Apex predators in nearly every
oceanic ecosystem. Fast, cunning, powerful, and on the
whole, untouchable by anything that wasn’t a very well-
equipped and vastly more intelligent species. Which
led to a troubling thought: if sharks were being includ-
64 ed in the Vector program to serve as an underwater
populace for Earth’s reintegration, as was the plan would serve no function to a Vector beyond being
with the entirety of the aquatic line, who was to say even more of a problem to other Vectors. While
they would share? it wasn’t exactly written down in the development
Bipeds weren’t the issue. All Vectors were built notes, there was also the fact that both the afore-
off a human template; having a shark-like facade mentioned species had made the transition from
didn’t automatically imbue them with physical superior- Earth to the Martian oceans (with a few quirks, as
ity any more than those designed from bears or tigers. was the case with all transitional animals) and there
The concern was Laterals. Normal sharks were already was some wisdom in not making Vectors the abso-
at the apex of their ecosystems; the only thing that lute masters of their domain. That last bit worked
kept them in check was feeding moderation brought pretty well, actually. So much of a shark’s power
on from a lack of genuine cruelty. Sharks eat to feed comes from knowing how to be a shark. Vectors
and more or less leave things alone otherwise. But if, aren’t born with that knowledge; they have to learn
for instance, a group of them was possessed of human how to hunt and stalk and read the currents. It gave

CHAR-GEN
intelligence, they would not be subject to those limita- them a sense of humility, despite being arguably
tions. Include a little good old fashioned technology, better equipped.
and they would be faster, stronger, larger, and better The modern Selachii family shares shore-
equipped for control of more than 70% of any given line, street, and ocean with its brethren, as well as
terraformed planet than any other family in the Vector a mixed reputation. There is a feeling of “having
line. The inclusion of a family that so profoundly out- something to prove” that permeates the family,
classed its peers in their natural environment was, at whether it’s being the best athlete, the best student,
best, dubiously wise. the most loyal employee, or even just a most at-
They proceeded anyway (a very familiar choice tentive friend. They’re almost never idle; unless they
among the entire Vectoring process), and their choice happen to be sleeping at the moment, it’s a safe
was made with several different factors in mind. The bet a shark is busy doing something. They have a
first was the assumption that Lateralism was eventually reputation for “brooding productivity,” which ba-
going to breed itself out of the Vector line. 700 years sically means they often need rescuing from their
later, that has proven to not be the case. Laterals are work from time to time or they’ll never surface from it.
rare but hardly unheard of; most people have met They’re not inherently anti-social, they just tend to lose
many in their lifetime and they continue to coexist with track.
the population. It’s unlikely they’ll ever really go away. Tauric sharks are a mixed bag; some resent
Taurs are even more ubiquitous, and since the genetic their lot in life enough that they more or less seclude
anomalies that result in morphisms are the result of themselves or cluster with other aquatic taurs so they
accidents in programmed code rather than natural don’t feel outpaced, while others embrace their differ-
mutation, they’re actually rather robust in their own ences and become some of the more vocal members of
right. The second was population; sharks made up only their family. Shark taurs are very long, very large, and
a fraction of the Vector populace, and their line would visually impressive creatures; those few that come out
include no Laterals in its initial introduction. It would and let the world take notice of them tend to com-
be generations before interbreeding would work that mand more respect than scorn.
anomaly into their family, and even then, it wouldn’t In an almost self-fulfilling prophesy, Lateral
be a large percentage. It was very unlikely they could sharks have earned their entire family a wary eye.
become a major destabilizing force with so few mem- They have the largest feral population of any Vector,
bers, and in such a niche area. And as ever, there was brought on by the sheer difficulty of coexistence when
the hope for good behavior. Just being a shark doesn’t your body is so specifically designed for its natural
stop you from being a Vector, with emotions like function. Dolphin-shaped dolphins manage to live
compassion and concepts like justice and the ability to like Vectors with relative ease, but for shark-shaped
choose not to sabotage the ocean. sharks, everything, from their massive mouths to their
As a final (almost token) attempt to rein in their secondary eyelids, is tuned to be a perfect underwa-
creations, the scientists made a deliberate choice not ter hunter, and it’s damned difficult to adapt to being
to Vectorize two of the Selachii species most known anything else. Even the Lateral sharks that do choose
for their biological superiority; the hammerhead shark to remain in cohabitation areas typically do it far out
and the great white. The fact that both were also at sea or in Waterships. Most that don’t go full feral
known as particularly violent attackers was irrelevant; will school with other shark Laterals and live in a sort
Vectors are not animals, and they are not necessarily of microcosm of society completely off the grid. It’s
damned to behave like them. The reasoning was more said that those societies are quite large in some areas,
because of their extreme level of specialization. The and not always populated exclusively by sharks.
hammerhead’s entire body (its head, most prominently)
was tuned to be the perfect hunter of its particular
prey, and would not be of any particular benefit to a
Vector for anything other than for that purpose. The
great white was excessively large and powerful, which 65
 Appearance specific steps are taken medically to deactivate those
Sharks cut a distinct silhouette as bipeds, with protections. In rats, the intra-species protections were
more prominent dorsal fins than dolphins and gill- absent. Over time, all rat species would eventually
slits along their neck or back, depending on species. homogenize into one. Keeping species from converg-
Like all Vectors, their bodies have been modified ing wasn’t a social issue but the mutt-reduction system
to fit an adapted life, and as such the trademark existed specifically to try and reduce the chances of
conveyor belt of teeth is absent from all but Lateral erroneous code from popping up in children of mixed
members. They do have vague serration and dis- breeds that might result in a large population that
tinctly dagger-like canines, however. Tauric sharks couldn’t breed at all. Mules, essentially. To have that
are larger on average than dolphin taurs, with system be damaged held the potential of labeling the
longer tails and larger fins. They share the same hip entire Rat array of species as dangerous to Vector
arrangement, but typically find snake-like locomo- kind on the whole.
Rather than fight this and stamp their own
CHAR-GEN

tion easier than dolphins do, as it’s similar to their

natural movement. Like the Delphinidae family, this family as “flawed,” the rats embraced it and promot-
family does not grow hair. Cosmetic surgery can ed reproductive exclusivity for several generations of
change that, but it is typically less popular in sharks their history to actually help the process along, as well
than in dolphins. Unlike the Delphinidae family, this as introducing specific boosters for traits considered
family possesses external ears in its bipedal form, preferable by their own standards. The final product
generally long and pointed. The notes in the original of this self-induced eugenics program was a rat with
files claim the ears were included to experiment jet black fur, black skin, and golden eyes that shine red
with improving hearing over species without them in direct light. While rats all have their own unique
but were ultimately left off other ear-less Vectors attributes, heights, weights, facial features, and per-
when it became apparent the difference was neg- sonalities, every modern rat shares that common col-
ligible so long as the eardrum itself was engineered oration. It’s a trait the species as a whole bears with
well. Nevertheless, the pointed ear has been part pride, and they are among the least tolerant of fur dye
of the Selachii family since its beginning, and they or pattern-based morphisms in their midst. Most rats
would be considered odd-looking without them. looking to distinguish themselves employ piercings and
other jewelry, or ear and tail tattoos. There is nothing
quite so visually striking as massed rat Vectors; they
RODENTIA appear as a wave of glossy black cut into sleek shapes
The merged family Rodentia consists of a with long tails and metallic detailing.
variety of largely unrelated species who have joined Rats are a touchy subject with a lot of Vector
together over the years because of similar back- families. They’re the only species to collectively take
grounds, historical partnerships, and a few common responsibility for the creation of a new type of Vector
mistakes. Some were one-off species that were in- after the original program’s termination (and to subse-
troduced to the Vector program because of specific quently lose control over them), and the only species to
exploitable assets, but whose actual families did not so drastically destroy its own variety. There are some
provide substantial variation to warrant including that salute the unity that has come of it, and others
additional members. Others, like the rats which make who view it as a form of voluntary genocide. Rats, on
up the family’s majority population, have lost most of the whole, are almost aggressively apathetic about
their species distinctiveness through deliberate genet- how the rest of the solar system views them. They typi-
ic manipulation. Rodentia is a very large family, which cally put a great deal of stock in how they are viewed
grants it a significant presence in society as a whole, individually, however. It’s a curious dichotomy that
but its members are also substantially different from makes them difficult to befriend until you figure out
each other in perspective and mentality. It hurts them the rules of how to communicate with a species whose
as a unifying force, but helps them get around their individual members want to stand out in a crowd, but
reputations from time to time. who take personal pride in their collective status as
“RAT,” the singular.
Rats
Rats, like many Rodentia, were introduced in the Mice
second generation. Their design was flawed (not un- Mice were not part of the Vector program. In
common for Golden generation Vectors) but the nature fact, mouse Vectors didn’t exist until 150 years after the
of the error didn’t become clear for several genera- last population enhancement phase. They were cre-
tions. Rats had a malfunction in their mutt-reduction ated, quite illegally, by a rat-owned megacorp called
protection that caused it to fail rather spectacularly Genotype in an act that stunned the solar system and
when paired with other rats. Vectors are designed would eventually become one of the more infamous
not to hybridize. Even members of the same events in Vector history.
species, say, a husky and a golden retriever, The original Vector project facilities haven’t

66 will not create a mixed breed child unless been functional in ages, but the biotechnology that
was used to create Vectors to begin with is at the in a trap of their own making: by standing back,
core of all modern industry pertaining to organic ma- they allowed a race that was clearly created for
nipulation. The ability to make a new Vector is within the purpose of subservience to continue being
the grasp of any corp with a large enough biotech abused, but if anyone stepped forward and formal-
department and has been since day one. The deterrent ly accused their creators of it, all Genotype would
is responsibility. If anything pertaining to the new Vec- have to do was say “Really? We didn’t mean to do
tored race were to go wrong (if they became violent, that. Fine, you take them.” and a whole new race of
or antisocial, or began showing undesirable behaviors), people would land in their laps. For years, tensions
it would inevitably fall back on the organization that rose, and to many it was looking like the only way
spawned them to “rein them in.” It wouldn’t even have to get the now even larger megacorp to own up
to be on a large scale. Anything: petty crime, public to its actions while still providing for its creation
insults, terrorism, or just poor behavior, and the first was to force it on them violently. It was going to
thing that would pop to anyone’s lips would be “what come down to who took that dangerous first step,

CHAR-GEN
are you going to do about this?” followed shortly by and nobody wanted to be the one to start. So they
“why were they made to begin with?” That’s a very didn’t, and the ever growing population of mice
large albatross to bear for any organization depen- continued to exist under the “benevolent” rule of
dent on public opinion to support its success. Up until Genotype.
Genotype created mice, the only group to successfully About 20 years later, the mice took care of
attempt this sort of thing was Applied Science and the problem themselves, and Genotype was re-
Robotics, the creators of the Cog race, and it has duced to smoldering ruin. Overconfidence in their
required so much effort that they have almost hinged own situation had caused Genotype execs to grant
their business on it for over 600 years. access to far too many key areas of their enter-
Genotype was the megacorp that spear- prise to the mice they had convinced themselves
headed the single-species rat consolidation move- were their friends. Through cunning deception and
ment. What began as a way to keep the rat family careful planning, coordination with outside help and
from being viewed as genetically deficient grew into a sense of righteous indignation the rats probably
an industry based around various treatments to help didn’t even know was there, mice had worked their
accelerate and aim the homogenization of the rats way into financial systems, manufacturing systems,
into a singular species. Along with it came the mental- commerce, food, water, every aspect of the Genotype
ities, the manifest destinies, and all the hallmarks of a industry. They brought the entire multimillion-employ-
system put in place to rally a people behind it. One of ee company down to its knees in two days, and, in a
those mentalities was a dismissal of some of the usual publicly televised declaration of principles and execu-
rules of Vector behavior in order to legitimize their tion of its board of directors, flattened it on the third.
actions. With that choice came the opportunity to step To many in Sol, this was the day the mice truly arrived,
over additional boundaries under the same banner, and there was nothing meek about it.
which culminated in the creation of Vector mice as a Since then, mice have slotted themselves
species all their own. forcibly into family Rodentia and are known as fierce-
“Slave race” was, of course, never in the ly independent people who detest having to rely on
press releases or any official statement made by anyone who isn’t put in that position by some sort
the megacorp, but it was pretty clear in everyone’s of ranking scheme. They like hierarchies and work
thoughts when all the details were laid out on the very well in structured environments where they know
table. Mice were underpopulated, vulnerable because exactly who is accountable to whom. In open systems,
of their lack of a social history, and reliant on corp they’re typically quick to volunteer for tasks. Some
support to keep them going as they tried to establish assume it’s because they feel they have something to
their place in the world. And Genotype happily pro- prove. Others think they do it to avoid being assigned
vided that – with a few conditions, naturally. Being a things instead. As Vectors go, though, their reputation
workforce, occupying dangerous areas, being handed for being quick-witted, short-tempered, and sharp-
jobs as charity that were, in fact, undesirable or risky tongued is among the most widely recognized in Sol.
and required minimal education. They went so far as to The fact that they have such a concrete public image
differentiate the mice visually as well, so as to avoid as opposed to other species is likely due to the fact
mistaken identities. The only mouse species that was that their existence will forever be tied to their actions
Vectored had pure white fur, pink skin and black eyes so many years ago, instead of the actions of humans.
(though the red glint stuck around), and had a genetic
predisposition toward being small, with few members Squirrels
exceeding five feet tall. There are over 150 different species of Vec-
The whole situation caused ripples of worry tored squirrel, ranking them among the most
through the entirety of Vector society. The results of a diverse Vectors in existence. They’re also the
new species introduction had been theorized before, first, but it’s not something they celebrate
but it had never actually happened, and certainly not
completely out of the blue like this. They were locked
quite as openly as canines do. Canidae holds
67
 the distinction of being the first “true” Vectored employer if people called them out on it, but that’s
species, as in, the first one to be put in the tanks never stopped things before.
with the intention of emerging as fully fledged The big “problem” with the squirrel species is
members of intelligent society. They were not, how- that, because they’ve never really stood out, they’ve
ever, the first to undergo the operation. Humans also never been hammered down. There is no singular
typically don’t run early experiments on dogs. They event they can point to and say: “This, this is us. This is
tend to aim smaller, and in the case of the earli- where we stood up,” beyond potentially being a dis-
est prototypes, they used squirrels. The reasoning carded step in the Vectorization process. Mice have
accepted by most Vector historians is that squirrels their strike for equality, rabbits have their war with
were inexpensive, plentiful, had a very large species the cats, dogs have their roles as “caretakers,” nearly
differentiation available to test with, and presented every unique species has something that they can be
a few unique anatomical challenges for conversion. defined by. Squirrels have yet to land in that spotlight,
Typically, rats or mice were used for things of this and as such their individual achievements are often
CHAR-GEN

nature, but the theory is that it was actually some- overlooked. Hundreds of squirrels have achieved great-
what difficult to get lab rats up to Mars because ness in history. They’ve been proud captains or have
they were being monitored as likely indicators of led companies, been supermodels or sports stars, even
then-illegal operations. Alas, not enough of Earth’s redefined the laws of physics, but it was always an in-
specific history remains to know for certain. dividual achievement more than a collective one. More
Squirrels are rarely credited for the role they than most species, squirrels don’t look at other squirrels
played in Vector creation, and most of them are as family or particularly close kin. They’re just other
content with that fact. Being the test subject is folks, like anyone else, doing their thing. It’s a simple
somewhat less glamorous than being the finished open-mindedness and largely positive outlook that has
product the canines were, especially when certain kept them out of trouble for 700 years, but it has also
documents exist that suggest squirrels were like- shrouded them in obscurity.
ly not intended to remain in the system past the
testing phase. The clearest indication is the fact Rabbits
that they were included in the second generation and There is a long standing jab toward family Fe-
not the first, despite being a completed project by the lidae about having started three separate race wars
time the first generation launched. It would appear in their history – and losing all three of them. That isn’t
their inclusion was not considered necessary until a entirely accurate. For one, Vectors are not segregated
need for a larger population became apparent. They’re into different species or family centers in everyday life,
not alone in that boat: any of the second or third gen so it’s not like one cat or dog or bird can stand up on
Vectors could claim the same, but only squirrels were a box and declare “we’re all doing this now.” Rats are
known to exist and function prior to their official inclu- about the closest example to that actually happening,
sion in one of the population enhancement phases. and it was only possible because of a genetic defect
As a species, squirrels are easily overlooked. they were going to have to deal with anyway. Second-
They’re known for modesty and shyness, and in most ly, the “wars” themselves are somewhat overblown.
workplaces they aren’t really expected to shine in the The first was a corporate rivalry between two
crowd. Rarely are they described as “ambitious,” and feline-owned corporations of substantial size, which
even “outgoing” is a rarity. Like dogs, they’re often turned out to be fueled by a private affair between
seen as faces in the crowd, and not really considered the CEOs that went sour. They brought each other to
significant beyond that. Which makes it all the more ruin and toppled a pair of billion-credit empires in
satisfying to those squirrels who break the mold. Those the process. From the outside, it literally looked like a
who’ve logged some time with the species typically catfight, as that was the vast majority of the employee
have a different outlook: they are as good as you tell population, and the public assumption was that it was
them to be. It’s rare for a squirrel to volunteer to do species infighting, as naturally, the corps themselves
anything; they’re usually content to do their assigned were very tight-lipped about the real reason. The truth
tasks and be left alone, but if you push them, even has been known for centuries now, but the reputation
when they’re concerned about not being capable, has stuck around.
they rise to the occasion with surprising regularity. The second was the only true attempt at out-
They have a knack for learning how to learn, and with side interference against Genotype for their creation
the right person pushing them along, they can pick and subsequent exploitation of mouse Vectors. Several
up whatever is necessary to achieve what’s required. teams of cats united under a banner of responsibility
More often than not, they didn’t even know they had toward Vector-kind began economic and social pres-
it in them. Savvy bosses usually try and pair squirrels sure against the corp; they were gaining considerable
with mice in teams. It gives the mouse’s innate go- ground until a few unfortunate leaks made it look very
get-’em attitude a suitable tool to mold, while likely that they were only moving in to try and get a
subsequently keeping them out of trouble. piece of the action. When they were exposed, they
Of course, it’s also a racial stereotype that
68 would likely bring down a lot of heat on said
subsequently dissolved in short order, and it made the
whole of feline-kind look pretty bad in the process. Bats
The most recent (around 200 years ago) was Giving one family singular control of the
the only one that qualified as a genuine race-based skies carried with it the same concerns associated
conflict, and it subsequently colored the previous two. with giving one family singular control of the ocean.
It was a time of tumultuous expansion in the stars with Unfortunately, truly flight-capable Earth wildlife
fresh technology that allowed for faster trade and is somewhat limited outside of the Avialae family,
great explosions of wealth, and cats, due in no small especially when disregarding insects, which were
part to their considerable population, were grossing not compatible with the Vector design process de-
high on pride and profit. A movement began within veloped at the time. But there was another option
some of their more lucrative ranks about their success worth pursuing, involving a creature with fantas-
being based on predatory instinct. That they could tic adaptation and flying ability and which posed
hunt down that which could make them happy, and a unique challenge to the Vector designers. Bats
that they were better equipped than other species arrived alongside birds in the third generation, and

CHAR-GEN
to capture it. It began as an ambiguous reference have shared the skies on uncertain terms ever since.
but evolved over several years into a larger mentality With substantially fewer species included
of genuine racial superiority, and before too long, it in their Vectorization, bats were an underdog in
needed a target to prove itself. That target was rab- both diversity and population from day one. It has
bits. bred in them a mentality of cutthroat cunning and
Up until then, rabbits had enjoyed a peaceful deception that cats find familiar, but instead of
reputation of being somewhat more outgoing squirrels: being aimed toward personal advancement, bats
bright, useful, plentiful, and a bit more aggressive than typically pay more attention to personal protection.
some of the meeker members of Rodentia. They had They have a knack for picking out weaknesses and
confidence and drive but were known to be a little exploiting vital areas, and turning other people’s
panicky under pressure. The growing feline superiority thoughts against themselves. By design or coinci-
movement pointed to those incidences as indications dence, this has put them at odds with the Avialae
of genetic cowardice or weakness, and rabbits began family on multiple occasions, as they’re already
finding themselves without jobs with feline employers, known for being one step from dangerously unhinged,
or, for those with businesses of their own, without fe- and bats are quite good at picking out which direction
line employees. When several rabbit-owned companies to push. Which is not to say they’re all assholes who
were aggressively bought out though open coercion, it push people’s buttons all day; they just tend to know a
became clear that this problem was only going to get bit more about the situations they go into than they let
bigger. Violent retaliation was threatened against the on, and they work that gray area to their advantage.
movement’s leaders, who largely laughed it off. By then, Bats share a few Morphism quirks with birds.
the thought process behind rabbit inferiority made the Their taurs, for example, have wings on their backs
prospect of being attacked by whatever qualified as a and taloned feet, like birds do. While tauric birds are
“rabbit soldier” not a matter of much concern. generally referred to as Angels, tauric bats bear the
The social and economic war lasted nearly somewhat less pleasant title of “Gargoyles,” and most
five years before the shooting war began. It lasted six would just as soon have you not use it around them.
months and ended with the disbanding of the feline While religion in many forms is very much still in ex-
superiority movement, a series of public apologies, the istence in the post-human universe, “Angel” has been
payment of significant reparations to various business attached to tauric birds more firmly than it has been
owners on the part of feline businesses that hadn’t to scripture. When the word is spoken aloud, the de-
even been involved, and an overall feeling of shame fault thought is of a bird with wings coming out of its
that hung over feline heads for the next fifty years or back instead of its arms. It is not inherently thought of
so before they really started putting it behind them. as “angelic” in the traditional sense. Gargoyle, howev-
As it turns out, those same “panicky, jerking, ner- er, was a term adopted later in Vector history when
vous” twitch reactions that made rabbits such “inferior” images of ancient Earth buildings surfaced with statues
species in the wild made them exceptionally alert, that looked vaguely akin to tauric bats. Rather than
quick, and accurate when put in the cockpit of a ship feeling natural like the Angel moniker, “Gargoyle” was
or armed with a rifle. Guns, it would seem, don’t real- a virally popular title among other species that was
ly care if you growl really big and have large sharp socially forced on them, and it has stuck ever since.
teeth. They only care how fast you can pull the trigger. Most bats consider it at least somewhat derogatory.
Aside from the social sting, it was a reminder to Vec- Bat Laterals are not seen with quite the same
tor-kind not to judge books by their cover. Fur, scales, esteem as bird Laterals are by their own kind. Bird
feathers, or fins, there was enough human in everyone Laterals can exist pretty readily in most normal envi-
to fight like humans did. ronments provided there’s something to perch on, and
their family respects their superior flight skills.
Between light, noise, and inferior perching
and walking ability, many bats have a much
harder time of it. They tend to flock toward 69
 careers that take advantage of their quirks, instead of allocating tasks, or they try and transform
which can be anything from underground min- their workforce into copies of themselves rather than
ing to tight corridor maintenance in space stations. working toward individual strengths. Both results are
Typically, a Lateral bat can demand good money negative, and while there are certainly exceptions, the
for the sort of work only they can do, as the other species as a whole is largely regarded as laborers
options tend to be much worse at it. Alas, said jobs rather than adapters. To a horse, the solution to most
are few and far between, and many of this admit- work problems is working harder.
tedly rare breed live vagrant lives or join full-Lat- They are not, however, compelled to continue in
eral communities rather than attempt to bridge the quite the same way the Selachii family is. A shark will
gap. Like sharks, there are a notably large number seek opportunities to be productive. They sleep little,
of feral Lateral bats who have given up society move often, and pass up chances for fun or breaks to
completely and have turned to living like animals bury themselves in whatever they feel is worthwhile.
because their bodies just make the process easier Horses do whatever they’re doing to the best of their
CHAR-GEN

than trying to live like Vectors. abilities but don’t generally feel compelled to look for
something else when they’re done. Work comes in its
own time; it always will. They play with gusto, sleep like
UNGULATAE rocks, and patiently await the next challenge to be
It would probably shock most of Vector society handed to them. Most can’t figure out why the sharks
to learn that “ungulatae” wasn’t even a word, much are always trying to dig up the next problem. Most
less a family, prior to the fall of humanity. These sharks can’t figure out why the horses keep needing
hooved Vectors have been lumped together since someone to hold their hands and point them to the
their introduction, as many of them are so unrelated next thing they should be doing. As a result, Ungulatae
to anything else that they’d be isolated otherwise. and Selachii tend to stay away from each other de-
Unlike Rodentia, Ungulatae is quite united in several spite some obvious similarities. Deer are the exception,
personality traits, including a powerful work ethic but then, they are for many things.
and somewhat notorious stubbornness (though the
details do vary from species to species). They see
themselves as one large group, though they’re not al- Bovines
ways particularly cohesive. Ungulatae contains a lot of If horses are easy to read, cows are big neon
“sibling rivalry,” the sort that comes from a family that signs outlined in black poster marker. Like anyone, they
loves each other but doesn’t necessarily like each other come in a wide variety of personalities, but the spe-
all that much. cies as a whole is almost devoid of pretense. You can
typically figure out what sort of cow you’re dealing
with within the first minutes of meeting them; they
Equines don’t tend to hide behind a social mask. Badgers and
The most common member of the Ungulatae wolverines have been friends of the bovine species for
family, and probably the most universally disliked by ages, finding mutual respect in a collective attitude of
the rest of them. Horses are every employer’s favor- give-no-shittery. Of the two, however, bovines tend to
ite asset. They’re single-minded, strong, hardworking be a little less outright cantankerous.
and dedicated to their tasks, and make for excellent There has been a longstanding friction be-
and trustworthy employees. They also tend to be the tween cows and horses that stems almost entirely from
measure by which the entire family is judged, so when their attitudes toward working. Cows pride themselves
other members (like deer) who operate differently on being efficient and hard workers, much as horses
come around, they’re often thought of as “lacking” by do, but they’re much less willing to simply execute or-
comparison. It’s led to more than a little friction, most ders. They typically question things, insert their opinions,
notably between horses and cows. The horses them- or, on occasion, outright change the order to whatever
selves aren’t usually out to show anyone up, but they’re they feel will best accomplish it. In situations where the
proud of their reputation, and most of them figure if cow itself is intelligent and innovative, this is often a
other people had the same attitude, there wouldn’t be very valuable personality trait. In situations where the
a problem. cow only thinks they’re intelligent and innovative, this is
As dedicated as they are, you would think the even more destructive than not doing the work at all.
upper echelon of corporate control would be filled The result is a somewhat diminished public image of
with equines. They actually make up a very small per- bovines next to equines and a reputation that includes
centage past a certain point on the corporate ladder, “meddling,” both of which tend to royally piss off mem-
right about where the work stops being about effi- bers of the species who represent the more positive
ciency and effort and starts being about creativity and aspects of questioning what’s handed to them.
dynamic solutions. Equine minds travel very hard and Socially, cows have one of the tougher times
very fast in straight lines, and they have a nota- dealing with the Vector/animal divide. All Vectors are
bly difficult time deviating from them. When omnivores, and all Vectors have always existed with

70 put into positions of high authority, they tend

to either try and do everything themselves
the knowledge that there is a fundamental difference
between themselves and the animals their appear- is a bit of a status symbol among those that do to
ances are based off of. When that is (and always has possess them, particularly because they’re a pain to
been) a part of your culture, it isn’t terribly difficult to maintain. As a result, most deer that grow antlers
understand or adhere to. However, beef and similar will look for ways to keep them without actually
grown protein based off of beef is still a massive part keeping them. Holography is a popular solution:
of the Vector diet, and, social training or not, it’s a lit- cutting the antlers off at the base and affixing
tle tricky to ignore it. It doesn’t necessarily stop bovine small holoprojectors to the stubs, which project the
Vectors from eating cow, but it has led to them acting antlers fully grown. This also makes them particularly
a little standoffish toward those families most likely bright and allows for unique designs and effects,
to treat them poorly for the similarity. Cats and dogs, making them appear almost magical in nature. Oth-
primarily. Many of the human moral issues with animal er deer looking for a less flashy approach will cut
consumption haven’t survived their 700 year absence, off their antlers and fix attachable bases to them,
as most meat is grown in labs now anyway. It takes to be left at home except for formal or decorative

CHAR-GEN
less space and is more efficient than having to provide occasions where they can be clicked into place.
food and care and land. The issue is less them being Very few deer, even Laterals, actually leave a full
concerned with animal rights, and more them being head of horns in place through the entire season.
irate with being compared to something they’re not, Doorways become an issue, as do other people’s
a situation that is fairly uncommon with other Vector eyes.
species.
Goats
Deer Goats are the black sheep of the Ungulat-
“Deer are what dolphins could be if they’d ae family in terms of behavior. Horses think they’re
lighten up a bit. Or maybe what weasels could be if lazy, cows think they’re obnoxious, deer think they’re
they laid off the drugs once in a while.” Energetic and aimless, and most of the rest of Vector-kind thinks
vivacious, deer channel the famous Ungulatae per- they’re absolutely brilliant if you’re quick enough to
sistence inward rather than outward and are known keep up with them. Goats are known for a sardonic
for being enlightening, contemplative, and possessing wit and a casual disregard for authority. They’re gen-
of an almost infectious positivity. Deer make it their erally perceived as troublemakers, but in a construc-
business to work on themselves before they work on tive sort of way. They break up the status quo, force
other things, and they attack the challenge with the things to be rethought, and it typically results in better
same level of dedication their family is known for. For solutions than the ones that were previously available.
some, it’s maintaining a peak of physical condition. For Most of all, they’re not so concerned with their own
others, it’s a pursuit of mental growth or wholeness of image that they aren’t willing to make asses of them-
being. Perhaps it’s art, or music, or a particular talent selves for the sake of forcing action. Most thinking
or activity, but whatever it is, most deer define them- teams and project boards will have one. By the end of
selves by how well they pursue it. They tend to be ex- the project, everyone who was looking at hours logged
cellent specialists if you can make their work coincide and deadlines met will wonder what the hell the goat
with their personal growth. They can work well in sit- actually contributed. Those people looking at the
uations that don’t, too, but if it’s in direct conflict with billion credit mistake that was pointed out in a side
themselves, you won’t have to worry about it getting in comment mere days before release will be buying them
the way. They won’t be working for you for very long. a beer, because no one else caught it.
There is no “deer code of conduct” that tells Outside of the workforce, goats share a goof-
them to pick an inner zen to focus on, and most deer ball mentality with much of the Mustelidae family, and
probably couldn’t even point out their own if they were a similar knack for exhibiting surprising insight in un-
asked, but their friends and loved ones can see it in expected areas. They get along well with birds too, as
their behavior before too long. It brings a richness to both of them tend to be slightly off-center of normal.
their lives and diminishes them if it’s absent. Despite Avians do tend to be a little less forgiving of the goat
this, they’re typically not obsessive compulsive. To a habit of mockery and sarcasm, but for the most part
deer, truly achieving greatness in whatever it is you goats can figure out how much rope they have to play
define yourself with means finding a balance with it, in with before they hang from it.
which both you and your pursuit are mutually reward- Unlike deer, goat horns are typically small
ed. Sharks, who often lack that balance, have been enough that they don’t present a major issue in every-
known to find strong companions in deer. They can day life. Most goats don’t cut their horns unless they’re
remind the Selachii that their pursuit will be better forced to (typically by headgear like helmets). Those
served by pacing themselves, and they tend to do it with large horns that cause impediments generally
from a position of experience, which is a little less an- don’t have much choice but to file them down or
noying than someone just telling them to relax with no have them surgically stunted (generally at cost
perspective of their own. to the company if the job requires it), but if
Though not all species of deer grow antlers, it they do, they don’t follow the deer practice
71
 of mimicking them through holography. To goats, it’s a living areas are among some of the most lavish of any
sign of the job, so they make it part of the look. species. Gazelles consider their homes, be it a ship, a
room, or a building, to be an extension of themselves.
Gazelles As a result, they tend to be rather grand and person-
Gazelles might not have made it as far as they alized, as well as very comfortable. Gazelles are gra-
have with so few numbers were it not for their almost cious hosts and use their homes, some of which have
war-like reputation. With the smallest population in been in the same family since Mars was colonized, as
Ungulatae, gazelles have carved a name for them- a way to invite people into their confidence and show
selves in blood rather than be trodden over and for- them what sort of person they’re dealing with. Few
gotten under so many other feet. The species is known gazelles lead the nomad’s life or have careers in the
for a refusal to compromise, an almost suicidal fear- stars unless they own their own ship, specifically be-
lessness, and for being present in nearly every major cause they like having a home to come back to. They
conflict at the actual killing level despite never having do travel, however, from site to site for work or what-
begun one as a collective whole themselves. ever is needed. Few conduct their business from their
If horses channel their self worth through residence. Work is another form of social combat, one
their work ethic, and deer through their dedication that can bring glory of its own, and you don’t let your
to self-improvement, gazelles put their value on glory, enemy into your house or fight your battles from the
both personal and public. Glory can come from a vari- living room.
ety of sources, but the public remembers glory in battle Like most reputations, the “warrior race” tag is
more than it does most other events, and that’s typical- somewhat overblown when applied to everyday in-
ly the desirable option. Naturally, it hasn’t done much teractions, but gazelles do have a habit of attacking
for their already meager population. To their credit the day’s activities like they’re trying for some sort of
however, they’re also known for being good at it. high score. They tend to attach undue importance to
Gazelles tend to be minimalists, owning only success and are typically sore losers. Pulse recruiters
what they need, wearing only what is required, and not tend to favor gazelle hires over other ungulates, if not
adorning themselves with needless accessories. As a other Vectors entirely. They have somewhat compatible
social practice, their concern is more with cultivating a outlooks on life.
name for themselves than a look. Curiously, while they
rarely dress themselves up in extra accoutrements, their

72
MORPHISMS
(Vectors)
The second Vector generation was named “the
Golden Generation” by its human production team VECTOR MORPHISM LIST
as a statement of hope for the future of the race as
a whole. It has kept the name, but not the meaning,
(Crunchtime pg. 124)
and is now spoken of with derisive mirth and sarcasm.
The Golden Generation was responsible for dozens of
Basic Body
genetic anomalies, deformities and general screw-ups
from day one, and the collective race has been forced
Aberrant Anatomy
to integrate with them ever since. With less than a
decade between generation one and generation two,
Hybrid
there was never a time in Vector history in which they
didn’t have these various morphisms around. As such,
Lateral
they’ve been well integrated into everyday life, but the
knowledge that such anomalies are “mistakes” and in-
Micro
herently rare has precipitated at least a little general
disdain for them throughout the ages.
Taurism
Morphisms pop up at random among the pop-
ulace, and if you wish, your character can have one of
Lever-Stanced
the more peculiar ones. Morphisms add
special bonuses and negatives to your
character, as well as shape, speed, and
mass. The mechanical factors of Mor-
phism will be handled in Crunchtime,
but the social ones are more of a story
and setting factor, and you should read
through here to get a feel for how you
can expect to be viewed by the great-
COG FRAME LIST
er population of Sol. (Crunchtime pg. 126)

Basic Body

Wheeled

Tentacled

Hexapod

Maglev
MORPHISMS grafted on from another life form.
Aberrant anatomy stems primarily from the fact
Basic Body that Vectors are basically all the same as each other,
The basic Vector body, possessed by about 95% deep inside. Each Vector can interbreed with every
of the Vector population, has no morphism aside from other type, and their genetic programming will pro-
some slight variations in leg shape. Digitigrade legs, duce an offspring of one species rather than a mix. To
plantigrade legs, legs with hooves, just about anything make this possible, the code for everything needs to be
that’s simply bipedal with a few quirks falls into this present in everyone, and occasionally things get turned
category. Plantigrade legs end in feet of a more or on that shouldn’t. Public reaction to this tends to vary
less human shape, with toes and a flat platform to by location and by just what you’ve got hanging off of
walk on. Digitigrade legs end in tapered paws, making you, but it results in less bias than you might think. Cos-
you walk on your toes and the balls of your feet rath- metic surgery has been producing canines with multiple
er than with your heel touching the floor. Digitigrade tails and cats with wings and multi-armed Vectors for
and plantigrade legs have both existed since Vectors centuries now, and while they’re certainly less common
first came into being, and carry no intrinsic bias among than a normal body, most people just assume your ex-
most communities. Shoes are available for both. tra bits are after-market.

Aberrant Anatomy Hybrid

A ghost in the genes has manifested in you, You are a hybrid of two Vectors. Your appear-
taking the form of anatomy atypical for your species. ance is some combination of the two. Mutt-reduction
Wings on a cat, hooves on a dog, even extra arms in Vectors is specifically intended to prevent this sort
or tails can fall in this category. This isn’t a result of of accident, so you’re likely to get a few stares. Being
hybridism so much as a slip in the code, where a hybrid tends to oust you from both of your parent
something got activated that shouldn’t have breeds but can be rather attractive to other species

74 been. Typically, the extra anatomy will look

like it belongs to you rather than being
with an eye for the exotic. Make it work for you. Hy-
brids are almost always sterile, however, so don’t count
on leaving your progeny behind to carry on the look. body replacements at young ages to avoid having to
Like aberrant anatomy, hybridism is a living spend their lives in a very challenging form, and some
example of the artificial nature of Vector existence other morphisms manifest in unique ways in snake Vec-
firing in a way it isn’t supposed to. To some, they’re tors.
considered bad luck. Hybrids are a potential species Laterals have life the hardest in Sol, at least
endgame that was coded against since Generation in comparison to other Vectors. Even micros, who have
One, where worries about too much mixing resulting in a pretty rough lot on their own, still have dexterous
species-wide sterilization resulted in numerous systems hands, thumbs, and the same general posture as the
to make sure that a tiger would always be a tiger and rest of the solar system. With a Vector brain powering
a rabbit would always be a rabbit and whatever the them, Laterals can get a lot more general dexterity
two of them produced together would end up being out of their paws than a real animal could, but it’s
one or the other. The hybrids that do occasionally crop still no substitute for a hand. Most Laterals rely heav-
up in Vector society aren’t much risk to the breeding ily on Pushframes, a small necklace or head-mounted
population, as they amount to less than 1% and can’t device that allows for short range levitation of small
reproduce, but there is historical stigmata attached to objects through mental control, to tackle most of their
the condition. everyday lives. It at least allows them to type and use
hand-tools. With it, they can actually be quite an asset
Lateral where things like speed, agility, and small-scale manual
You look like a normal, unmodified version of manipulation are required, as it’s a very precise device.
your progenitor species. You can still speak (and are History tells of the years before it was perfected, and
somewhat more expressive than your animal counter- how Laterals had to use robotic appendages, Body
parts), but you are otherwise no different than a nor- Sockets, or simply do without.
mal animal. Laterals are rare; the galaxy doesn’t build Laterals wear clothing like Vectors
its consoles with paws in mind, or at knee-level. Snake do. Despite the inconvenience of having to
wiggle into them, Laterals are still people:
characters are Laterals by default, and may select a
second Morphism. A great many snakes choose to have integrated, contributing members of society 75
 who have been present since the earliest days Micro
of Vector existence. As such, they are subject The genes responsible for humanoid growth
to the same rules of decency; you don’t wander seem to have gone awry in you. You appear normally
around nude on the street. Laterals rarely begrudge shaped, but your average size is no larger than that of
it; they have as many feelings of modesty and as your non-Vectored species. Micros are typically de-
much desire to decorate themselves appealingly fined as any Vector that can fit the entirety of their
as any other person does. Clothing and decoration bodies into a single square foot box, but even within
are big parts of personal expression, and Laterals that category there are dramatic fluctuations, with
want to be seen as themselves rather than akin to a some pushing the limits on all edges while they curl
wild animal. It’s a bit more difficult to get dressed up and tuck their ears, and others being small enough
without hands, but no one said having a rare mor- that the box is fairly roomy. Micros corner the market
phism was easy. In most casual situations the illusion on body-sockets, often even more than Laterals do, as
of covering is enough: a jacket, a shirt, something to
CHAR-GEN

some Laterals can’t use them comfortably.

cover the majority of the body. While the morphism itself is only broken down
Lateral landlocked Vectors are trapped in the between micro and normal, micros themselves tend
unfortunate reality of being perfectly suited to the to sub-categorize further than that. Within their own
wrong lifestyle. They exist in a world of buttons and grouping, heights can vary by six inches or more, which
tall controls and chairs intended for people who is a full body height in some cases. In many ways, this
bend at the waist. They’re perpetually too short and is a bigger threat within micro-exclusive societies
lack the fingers needed to truly take advantage of than full sized people are. The difference between a
the world around them. Even though their bodies 5’5” person and a 6’ person doesn’t mean much to an
are sound, evolution-wise, for existence on land, they 8” person, but the difference between an 8” person
are profoundly ill-suited for existence in society. and a 16” person means a hell of a lot. Micros tend to
Aquatic Laterals, however, have a different situa- view the entire world with a healthy suspicion, even
tion. among their own ilk, as the danger of being physically
Aquatic Laterals are so ill-suited for land life overpowered is an almost omnipresent threat. They’re
that (with the extraordinarily rare exception) most often underestimated and passed over for any job that
choose to live entirely in the oceans. Land Vectors had requires a public face. Recent technological develop-
little reason to build large underwater structures, so ments by the Lumen corporation however have grant-
nearly all underwater habitation on Mars, Venus, and ed micros access to weaponry and defensive gear
anywhere else possessing substantial bodies of water that didn’t work on their scale before, allowing micro
has been designed with Lateral specs involved from agents with frightening levels of firepower to infiltrate
the beginning. Controls are structured for underwater where a full sized person could not. It’s beginning to
visibility, hallways are flooded, rooms are submerged, change the way security looks at the morphism.
and most structures are open to the sea in many areas,
serving more as privacy zones and meeting areas than
as actual “homes.” Taurism
The societies that have grown in these under- Your hips don’t lead to two legs, but four. Your
sea domains are a mix of Vector sophistication and lower body looks like that of the feral version of your
almost wildlife-level mannerisms. For one, aquatic species, while your upper body looks normal (for a
Laterals are the only Vector subclass known to hunt for Vector). Taurs are the same general height as normal
food as a natural does. The prey has been contained Vectors, which can result in their Lateral lower half
and bred so hours don’t need to be spent searching either being larger or smaller than it would be on its
for it, and traditional land meals are available, but the natural counterpart. For instance, a tauric Skunk would
cost of import and the difficulty involved in getting a have a torso the size of a normal Skunk Vector, and
meal meant for land life into the mouth of a Later- the lower body of a giant skunk. Taurs tend to weigh
al shark have all pushed for a behavior that closely more and take up more space than most people, and
mirrors nature. Non-Lateral aquatics sometimes choose they often require more space to move and sit in. Their
to live in these domains themselves, though rarely for spines are remarkably flexible and they can lie flat like
long periods. Living in a Lateral home is tough when anyone can, but on the whole they mass as much as
you’re not equipped like one. Even their restaurants two people, sometimes more. Taurs are defined as hav-
consist of schooling fish, so you’ll inevitably be staying ing one extra set of limbs (which equates to six limbs
in the “leggy” portions of the facility. They’re designed total for most, or a pair of arms for snakes).
for standard Vectors, but mechanical necessity and the Possessing an animal-like lower body does not
relatively low population of land-based Vectors choos- convey the same animal-like physical benefits Later-
ing to live underwater means they end up a wee bit als enjoy. Taurs look like their lower half is natural, but
cramped. A lovely place to a visit; a bit stunting in order for their odd arrangement to function, their
to stay in. musculature and internal organs have all flipped and
flopped to find a new balance within them. Cheetahs
76 only run as fast as they do because their whole body
is dedicated to that singular function. A cheetah taur at a right angle to their upper, like taurs from the
doesn’t have access to that trademark speed without land-locked families. This makes them about as
gene-refreshment. agile as a normal seal on land, which is to say, not
Taurs are rare, and the galaxy is not made with very. Those poor seals which (through some act of
tauric bodies in mind. Shoes are hard to find, seats a spiteful god) end up both micro and tauric have
don’t fit right, clothing is somewhat more limited, and the singular distinction of being, quite possibly, the
you get looks in most places you go. While they are most adorable creatures ever to scoot ponderous-
generally not treated with distrust or hatred, there is ly around the galaxy. Naturally, most of them don’t
a certain degree of hedonism attached to associat- much appreciate that description.
ing with this morphism among high society that might
make it difficult for a taur to fit into some communities. Lever-Stanced
They also tend to be typecast as physical laborers, as Taurs and Laterals make up the majority of
their bodies are well adapted for it. aberrant body types among Vectors, and just about

CHAR-GEN
Avian taurs are colloquially referred to as everyone has met one or the other at one (likely
Angels and have long, bird-like legs with taloned feet, several) point in their lives. Lever-stanced Vectors
but only two of them. Their extra set of limbs comes in are distinctly rarer and mark one of the few “natu-
the form of wings that are independent of their arms, ral” morphisms that even Vectors consider to look a
sprouting off their back instead. This can allow an an- bit weird.
gel a great deal more range of motion in the air than Lever-stanced Vectors have robust legs and
a traditional Avian Vector. reinforced hips and tails that force them to adopt
Snakes with the tauric Morphism lose their an almost T-shape as they move, vaguely akin to
Lateral status, becoming a humanoid torso with a long, the assumed posture of many bipedal dinosaurs on
snake-like body instead. They’re colloquially referred to Earth (though it’s unlikely any Vector would catch
as Nagas, and the change typically makes them more the reference). This morphism allows for a very high
or less Vector standard in height and build. It’s typi- degree of mobility and agility but also involves a
cally considered a step up from being a normal snake nearly complete internal restructuring of the body.
Lateral, but it sometimes results in trapping the snake It typically results in large, thick legs, an upper torso
between states it would rather be in. Snakes have their with almost animal-like styling, an extremely long tail
bodies replaced into bipeds so often, either before that’s held aloft to counterbalance the forward body,
or after birth, that it’s actually a standard operation and grasping, clawed feet. A longer neck and almost
in most corptowns. Nagas don’t have it so rough that wedge-like shape to the face is also a typical trait, as
body-replacement is an automatically expected di- it allows for a greater range of head motion while the
rection for them to go, so when they try, it’s sometimes body is tilted forward.
looked at as being almost ungrateful for winning the The lever-stance is significant for another
genetic lottery that saved them from a Lateral life. reason: it’s the only morphism specifically known to
All aquatic Vectors share a deviation from be a deliberate result of human meddling. Some hold
the traditional outlooks on certain morphisms, as they suspicions about taurism due to the complexity of
work pretty differently when “legs” aren’t part of your its anatomical changes, but the lever-stance was no
natural animal anatomy. Most tauric aquatic Vectors mistake; there is nothing remotely like it in the Vector
look a bit like a cross between a Naga and a mermaid genome of any family that might “accidentally” result in
and have about as much trouble on land as you would its spontaneous creation. Someone invented it at some
expect. Tauric Delphinidae and Selachii members point during the second generation and keyed it to
transition to their Lateral lower bodies just below the specific Vector families, where it has stayed ever since.
thighs, leaving a gap between the crotch and the low- Like many mysteries from the bygone age of humani-
er body that’s absent on tauric snakes. Their hips are ty, this one too has no certain answer, but suspicions
flanked by fins, which make for the extra set of limbs range from experimentation to outright negligence,
typically used to define the tauric morphism, and their and a few (mostly those who hold that the Master’s
lower body is a somewhat longer, extended version of Voice phenomenon was a deliberate attempt at a hu-
their animal shape. Long enough to use for serpentine man safe-word) feel that it adds to the ever growing
motion on land, though they’re not nearly as good at it stack of evidence that there was more to the Vector
as Nagas are. Tauric aquatics cut an imposing figure program than is taught in the history books.
on the shore; between their extended bodies and fins, Unlike most morphisms, Lever-stance is fami-
they’re extremely large, but the bizarre hybridization ly locked and doesn’t manifest in every Vector family.
of anatomy is a detriment to land-based locomotion. Only genetic (not order) members of Canidae, Fel-
In the water, they’re considerably faster than their ge- idae, Avialae, and Reptilia exhibit the lever-stance
neric footy counterparts, but not nearly as fast as a full morphism, with the latter two showing it most
Lateral of their race. commonly. Avialae lever-stanced Vectors even
Tauric seals have an even harder time; their have a special name to accompany the
tauric anatomy is more traditional, with their front
flippers serving as forelegs and their lower body being
shape: Wyvern.
77
CHOOSE A FRAME
(Cogs)
When a Cog is “born,” they emerge from their
egg in a default frame whose various anatomi-
cal weights and balances have been adjusted to
reflect the Cog’s parentage. This can give them
coloring, shapes of various external components,
tone and structure of the synthetic musculature
that drives them, and a variety of detailing that
will stick with them throughout all their sequen-
tial bodies. ASR provides a new body in line with
the Cog’s first body at preset intervals in line
with their growth (3, 5, 7, 9, 12, 15, 18, and 20
years), and it’s always a time of great excitement
when a growing Cog gets to step into a body
more in line with their mental development. The
‘natural’ body is free, provided by ASR as part
of their oath of responsibility to the race they
created. Of course, Cogs, like anyone, rarely want
to settle for the basic package if they can afford
better. Which frame a Cog is born with is deter-
mined by a variety of things: the frame their par-
ents have, various conditions during the pregnan-
cy, and to some degree, actual planning on the
part of the parents; though they don’t have
direct control over it, some body habits do
seem to result in increasing the probability
of one frame versus another. During their
first two body updates, it’s not uncommon
for Cogs to want to experiment a little and
switch between frames. Various simulators
can allow them to experience different
bodies without actually purchasing them,
and during this time of personal discovery,
they’ll probably try out a variety. By the
time they reach their seven year update,
though, most Cogs will pick up the frame
whose design they’ll be sticking with for the rest
of their lives. Cog rigidity on the insistence of not
swapping body parts whenever it’s convenient is
one of the more prominent racial barriers be-
tween them and Vectors, who, for the most part,
don’t see why it would really bother them. The
typical Cog counter is to tell the Vector to hack
off their tail and replace it with an air compres-
sor so they can blow it out their ass.
Occasionally, they do.
Your Cog is assumed to be an “adult” (running
on their final frame). The following frame options
reflect the ones that exist in ASR’s default line.
While you as a player are selecting a body here
for the first time, your Cog probably isn’t “select-
ing” a frame at all; they’re simply being trans-
ferred into the next body in line with the shape
they’ve had all their lives. This is known as their
“hereditary frame,” and deviating from it to a
new frame shape does incur a fee (assumed to
be already paid when the game begins), as well
as a little social scrutiny. As a new character,
you should decide if your Cog’s current frame
is just the next step in line, or if they changed
frames at their most recent update into a new
shape. If they did, it’s likely they’re a little es-
tranged from their friends and family at the mo-
ment. Body shifting isn’t exactly “forbidden,” but
it is traditionally looked upon as a disrespectful
practice, as it diffuses a bit of the tie between
parent and child. While Cog frames reflect a
whole host of strange and unnatural configura-
tions, they are nonetheless considered reflec-
tions of the person inside them. Swapping to a
different configuration is a bit like a full body
replacement for a Vector for purely cosmetic
reasons. It happens, and some people are fine
with it, but others will think you’ve lost a little bit
of yourself.
Cog characters explore the “what is life”
narrative more than the “what is human” nar-
rative, but they do so more on a personal side
than the setting side. Cogs have been around
a long time. They’re a common entity and their
status as living things isn’t particularly ques-
tioned in Sol. For many of them, however, there
is an internal struggle over how much of them-
selves they can give up before they stop being
“alive.” The Core Consciousness module is the
go-to answer to that question, but the primary
significance of that unit is that it learns through
interaction in a constant, unfiltered state, as a
living creature does. If the data accumulated by
a CC were to be transferred to a different sort
of computer, it may not experience life the same
way any longer, but would that negate the life
it had already led? Is the subsequent being less
alive, if their life was originally only credited to
a specific piece of equipment? For Cogs there
is an intricate relationship between hardware
and existence. It’s exacerbated by the fact that
extremely intelligent AI, sometimes indistinguish-
able from Cogs or Vectors, have several places
in Sol, and there has been growing concern that
the only real thing distinguishing Cogs from
computers is a product number and the fact
that Cogs, from a sheer processing standpoint,
aren’t as advanced. It’s a concern for Vectors,
too. Cogs have never failed to match Vectors
mentally, in terms of critical thinking, emotional
range, artistic endeavor, and so on. That they
are now being numerically outperformed in
quantifiable levels casts shade on both races.
 FRAMES Tentacled
This frame is unique in that it replaces not
Basic body only the legs but the arms as well. Tentacled Cogs
The most common Cog frame. Most couplings have four long, thick, mechanical tentacles extending
between Cogs and Vectors will result in a bipedal from each hip joint, each nearly four times the length
Cog (assuming the child is a Cog at all). The gene of their torso. When moving together, they can snake
sequencing used to determine the child’s appear- across the ground like a Naga would, or they can
ance also analyzes the leg configuration of both be used to traverse complex terrain by gripping and
parents and assigns the trait to the child, resulting pulling and lifting, allowing them a startling range of
in a fair spread of digitigrade and plantigrade motion. Their arms are likewise replaced with two ten-
legs. tacles each, with great dexterity and motion. The lack
of fingers isn’t much of a detriment to these Cogs, as
Wheeled
CHAR-GEN

their arms can coil, snake, and wrap in such elaborate

Many Cogs change their frame types at their shapes to allow for powerful gripping and precise ma-
first or second update, only to return to their orig- nipulation. While they do, technically, have four arms,
inal at the next one. It’s “a phase,” where growing the pairs are generally used in combination for most
Cogs see someone else they figure has it better tasks, with one serving to hold an object and the other
and try to experiment for a while. Most of the time, providing the manipulation. While this frame provides
this is the frame they switch to. Wheeled Cogs one of the most robust locomotion methods available
have wheels attached to their torsos via a shock to a Cog, it also takes up the most space, and it’s
absorbing leg-like suspension system, balanced with never fun to have someone accidentally step on your
precision gyroscopes. They’re capable of great land tentacles in a crowded room.
speed and maneuverability but are awkward in
tight places and over rough terrain. It’s also rather Specializations: Naga locomotion, Van der Waals seg-
difficult to protect their wheels from damage with ments, Flowform support system
armor, making them a bit more vulnerable to incom-
ing fire. Hexapod
The Cog take on taurism is distinctly more
Specializations: All-terrain suspension, Tracked, In-line insectoid in appearance and typically seats their torso
configuration in the middle of a six-legged system that allows them
fast and nimble locomotion in any direction and an ex-
tremely stable platform. Despite the long, multi-jointed
legs, this frame is reasonably compact, as the Cog
doesn’t need to stretch them all out to move around
and can fold them under themselves when seated. They
SPECIALIZATIONS do have a hard time conforming to chairs, though.

Specializations: Area dispersal, Wheeled Mechapods,

Specializations are little adjustments Linear Configuration
Cogs can make to their frames to get
better performance out of them. The
specializations are listed here so you Maglev
can get an idea in your head of what Beautiful and elegant to watch, this frame can
direction you’d like to go with your levitate over any solid surface, even if it isn’t metallic,
Cog character as they progress, but through the use of advanced electromagnetism. Cogs
most of the game mechanics related with this frame typically don’t have feet to speak of,
to specialization don’t pop up right just legs that taper to tip-toe points for standing on,
at the beginning of play. You’ll have used for turning and manipulating inertia. Maglev ac-
the opportunity to examine how spe- tually has quite a bit of “traction” on the floor, and the
cializations interact with frames when Cog travels by manipulating their own magnetic field
you commit your Cog to numbers in to propel themselves, making it very useful in low-to-no
Crunchtime. gravity environments, but the system has a tough time
with dramatically angled geometry. Rubble, rocky dirt
and some metallic grating will slow them considerably.

Specializations: Secondary levitation system, Powered

thrust, Hard locks

80
CHAR-GEN
82
 BACKGROUNDS
(Crunchtime pg. 134)
Backgrounds are general summaries that encompass spe-
cific ideas about character origins. You probably have an
idea in your head already for where you want your charac-
ter to come from. In Crunchtime, you can look through the
Background options and find a theme that best fits that
image.
Backgrounds will provide you with certain abilities that re-
flect things you’ve either learned in order to deal with your
past, or things you learned in the past and can now lever-
age freely. For now, just think about whether your character
has been (on the whole) affected positively by their past or
negatively by where they’ve come from. Think about the kind
of person you want to play, and how they’ve dealt with the
things that have happened to them. Even negative things
can have positive results. If your character lost their family
at a young age, but went on to embrace an adopted family
or rose to the challenge of living alone and grew stronger
because of it, that could be a positive polarity on what
appears to be an inherently negative background. There
are no right or wrong choices here: it’s just how you feel
your character is flavored. Characters who are recovering,
moving on, or generally neutral with their past are probably
Positives. Characters who are fleeing, haunted, or can’t get
past their traumas are probably Negatives.
Background templates do come with abilities, but don’t fret
them. They’re useful but situational and they’re not going to
get used in every session. The game is made with that in
mind, and all powers granted by Backgrounds are bonuses
that are nice when they pop up but aren’t linchpins to build
around. Basically, don’t worry about “getting this wrong”
and missing out on something critical, or feel like you’re not
making use of all your abilities if this exact situation doesn’t
arise every game. Build your background story the way you
want it to be, and snag the Background option that fits
it closest. It’ll be more rewarding when those moments do
come that feel natural for your character and you remem-
ber that you have an ability that lets you exploit them.

83
 EDUCATION
(Crunchtime pg. 140)

Corp Education Cog Education

Regardless of what sort of upbringing or
education you end up having, damn near everyone in Cogs are required to select ASR as one
Sol interacts with a megacorp in one way or another of their Corps. Cog culture has close ties
throughout their lives. In order to root characters in the to its origins and their “growth” through
HSD setting, we begin by choosing a corp environment frame replacements relies on a commu-
where the character was born, and another (or the nication and relationship with ASR on at
same) where they moved to once they were old enough least a small level.
to make that decision. Since corps also embody certain
lifestyles and mentalities, you can think of this as “what
you were trained to do,” and “what you chose to do.”
Every corpornation offers public schooling as an
incentive for living there, though many vary on which
parts they focus on. Advanced schooling, however,
requires an exchange of work to purchase, and usually
segues into a lifetime of employment with the corp
that educated you. While it isn’t mandatory, it tends
to be the simpler, safer path through life, and as such
corps are assured a steady supply of individuals whose
training they can count on to be sufficient for the role
they’re given. The assembly line analogy is almost pain-
fully apt, but for those who step off the line and pursue
other avenues, mixing and matching their education
and striking out for themselves, their chances of future
advancements in their corp of choice are much bright-
er. They say it takes a miracle to be noticed anymore,
and miracles don’t happen working the day job.
HSD characters are structured with two corpo-
rate backgrounds: the first represents where the char-
acter came from (where they spent their childhood,
or who they were compelled to interact with) and the
second is where they spent their adulthood (where
they actively chose to participate in society). You can
pick the same corp twice.
The following pages explain the most prom-
inent corps in Sol. These are the entities with the
wealth and influence to control entire populations.
Each has its own spread of pros, cons, and behavioral
influences. Many also have rivalries with other corps.
Violence is not uncommon in Sol, but on an official level
none of the megacorps are at war with one another.
It is possible to have histories spanning rival corps if
you wish. Some areas won’t think twice about it. Others
may never truly trust you. Sol is a diverse place with
many realms inhabited by many people, and not all of
them are going to view you the same way.

84
MARSCO
“We Are.”
Mars the eternal. MarsCo has endured seven
hundred years of social, political and economic evo-
lution to stand alone as the single largest corporate
entity in the solar system. They produce everything:
Ships, homes, medicine, books, clothing, food, enter-
tainment, weapons; their scope is unlimited. They are
the mother and the father of the Vector race, and it is
forever, and has been forever, their wish to guide them
to prosperity and happiness as they push ever outward
toward eternity. At least, that’s what the current office
is pushing. Give it another fifty years and they’ll change
their tune again.
MarsCo is a little less “eternal” than their rep-
utation suggests. Over the course of its corporate his-
tory, it’s been bought out, bankrupted, traded, revived,
merged, split, and shuffled through more owners than
any other corp in the system. By all rights, it’s not the
same company it was when it started. But the name
carries a lot of power with it; MarsCo WAS the cre-
ator of the Vector race, and most living Vectors will at
least tip their hats to that. There was a time when one
MarsCo CEO attempted to switch “respect” to “wor-
ship” and made a fair degree of headway before his
assassination. Since then, the company has shifted to a
more parental image and has fostered the idea of the
nurturing force that has always been there and always
will.
MarsCo’s size and propagation are almost
detrimental to its ability to influence the system. Every
megacorp in Sol has an eye on Mars, making sure they
don’t muscle in anywhere too hard. Overall fear of its
ability to drastically shift the economy keeps fingers on
triggers in Mars’s direction, and the company has kept
a low profile on the aggression front for centuries lest
its larger buildings and stations start spontaneously
exploding. They are, however, Sol’s leading manufactur-
er of ships and stations and possess the largest fleet
in known existence. If Mars were to unite its combined
naval assets, it would possess enough firepower to
rival the fleets of every other megacorp combined. The
chances are unlikely, however. Mars produces with the
intent to sell, not staff, and they would have no crews
to run the things. At least, none that could be trusted.
When your employee roster measures in the billions,
you have to expect a great number of rival spies
among the loyal workers.
Climbing the business ladder in MarsCo is
such a monumental task that volumes of books have
been published on simply finding out where to start,
and to this day no one is really sure who is sitting on
the board. Or even how many boards there are. The
corp is publicly traded and every Vector owns at least
a piece of it, as it’s the first purchase made by any
Ledger program due to its age, comparatively constant
growth, and ubiquity. In the modern day most Vectors’
personal experience with MarsCo revolves around

85
 simply living as members of its corpornation. Mars views the entire solar system in macro scale and has
boasts the highest population in the system and the control over enough diversified assets that it continues
majority of it is MarsCo-loyal. They also feature the to stay secure and strong if things grow, break, rise, or
largest and most readily accessible private education fall.
sub-corp: Genesis, which boasts the most complete
history available in the solar system (because they’ve
been there since day one). It’s expensive, but universally ENEMIES
recognized by other corps. Contained within the Gen- Lumen
esis archives are files that haven’t seen the light of day The Lumen corporation is new to Sol, having
since humans roamed Sol. Some of them would likely emerged from nowhere in a flash of light only a few
stand in sharp contrast to what is currently taught years ago. They brought with them what has been
about the end of that particular race. sought since the days of humanity: Light speed travel.
They also uncorked a bottle of anarchy in their wake,
Present Day and Sol is still trying to figure out how to handle them.
MarsCo is the closest analog to a human Lumen isn’t large enough yet to qualify as a
corptown that exists in Sol today. Their cities are large megacorp by traditional definitions, but their influ-
and sprawling, blocked out with tall skyscrapers and ence on Sol has been nothing short of game-changing,
familiar box-like architecture. Their business is all-en- and they’re the first industry in 700 years to really get
compassing, allowing people who live within their MarsCo’s attention. Lightspeed changes everything.
borders to pursue just about any path they want to. People that rely on interplanetary travel can use Lumen
Their size grants them a scope of research and ap- ships to do in minutes to hours what used to take them
plication that spans all of Sol, but it also means they weeks to months depending on planetary positions.
have too much to oversee for their own good. They can Outer rim jaunts are even more profound. MarsCo
miss things happening right under their nose, often for ships launching from Mars could take over three years
years. Subsidiaries that are little more than glorified to get out there and back. Lumen ships can pull the
mobs operate with impunity out of MarsCo corptowns, same round trip in a day. With the advantage being so
protected purely by the fact that the corp itself takes incredibly profound, cost isn’t a factor. There’s simply no
forever to move on its own labels. Often, exploitation competing. Lumen stands to put the entire space-tran-
will be taken care of at the ground level, with citizens sit business in the dirt, and MarsCo owns the majority
or other businesses leading hotzone attacks against of it. In a way, Lumen isn’t selling speed. It’s selling time.
their foes and leaving MarsCo to sweep up the Everyone needs time, and at the moment, they’ve cor-
mess after it’s done. MarsCo is so unbelievably nered the market.
wealthy in the modern era that “how things Perhaps most frustrating, however, isn’t the ad-

86 get done” is of little importance to them. It vent of lightspeed technology, but rather the fact that
no one saw it coming. MarsCo sees everything, has Rumors
its hands in everything, and yet they and every other -MarsCo doesn’t exist anymore; it was long ago
megacorp were caught off-guard by Lumen’s economi- subdivided between the other major powers in the sys-
cally destabilizing appearance. It’s vexing, and MarsCo tem and they collectively decide on what it should be
has breached more than a few of its own aggression doing. It gives them a spot of financial security so they
laws trying to catch and dissect Lumen ships in space can be bolder with their other assets.
where no one is looking. -MarsCo is the only thing that exists anymore.
Progenitus came out of their labs, Spyglass was once
Corporate Culture one of their corporate espionage divisions, Pulse was
MarsCo tends to operate under the asser- one of their public health and relations offices! They
tion that all Vectors are its citizens. This isn’t legally still own everyone, and the whole system is actually a
true, but it’s pretty near impossible to live in Sol with- cleverly disguised dictatorship with them at the top.
out interacting with MarsCo products in at least a -MarsCo exists, but it’s running on momentum
semi-regular fashion. As a result, MarsCo employees rather than instruction. A long time ago a computer
are typically open and at least moderately friendly in- program took over the whole thing because it was too
dividuals. They tend to look at other Vectors as family. much for any one board to handle, and
Estranged family sometimes, but family nonetheless. it’s simply sitting somewhere in some dark bunker, buy-
They give the benefit of the doubt and will usually ing and selling and keeping things moving based on its
avoid making poor deals or lying and cheating their slow, cautious and conservative investment strategy.
way into an unfair exchange. MarsCo looks at every- -MarsCo is actually run by a human conglom-
thing on the macro scale; it typically isn’t worth the erate secretly hidden on Earth, pulling the strings and
anger or fallout caused by screwing over the little guy watching and learning because they don’t have the
when you’re selling to billions. This outlook can have the numbers to come out in the open. Their motive is un-
unfortunate side effect of making MarsCo employees known.
a little impersonal. They’ll be chatty and friendly, but it
feels like a mask. It can be difficult to tell if they genu- Naming Conventions
inely care about something. Characters born in MarsCo corptowns typically
have names originating from English speaking nations,
with variation tossed in to account for language drift.
This generally involves an extra consonant or two and
occasional phonetic spellings, as most of the
language recovered from Earth was digital
rather than physical and somewhat riddled
with spelling errors. 87
 ASR Applied Sciences and Robotics
“Build Bridges, We’ll Help.”
Early in Mars’s history, after Earth fell, MarsCo
split off three subsidiary companies to help craft the
Mars society and keep people’s heads in the game
during its fragile infancy. They were Pulse, which was
charged with the structuring of social practices and
entertainment, Genotype, which was tasked with ad-
vancing medical technology and gene therapy to pre-
pare for unforeseen threats to Vector-kind from viruses
or genetic deformity, and ASR, which was intended to
further technology in both a personal and macro scale.
The trio were hardly the only groups in their sectors,
but they were the only ones with MarsCo backing, and
that gave them a powerful advantage. Eventually, all
three would begin to branch out and deviate from
their course in substantial ways. By the modern era,
Pulse has evolved into a lifestyle and entertainment
corp pushing Vectors to embrace idealistic self-mod-
ification through gene therapy, and ASR has adopted
an almost mirror view with technology, pushing toward
a total integration of flesh and machine. Genotype
didn’t survive to the modern age at all, and its self-de-
struction nearly left Vector-kind in viral ruin around 150
years after the war.
Over the years, ASR has evolved from a purely
trinket and industrial tech producer to something more
akin to a cybertech life society. The creation of Cogs
early in its existence cast a new light on the corp as a
caretaker rather than as another label on a handheld
device, and they ran with that, tying their tech-forward
ideology into messages of personal empowerment and
achievement through the help of digital integration. It
was a pretty easy sell; tech was hardly unheard of on
Mars.
Had humanity persisted uninterrupted into the
modern era, it is likely ASR would have an even larg-
er foothold on the solar system than it currently has.
Humans as a collective whole had been more receptive
of tech augmentation than biological augmentation.
Vectors, however, are already a bioengineered race,
and have far fewer misgivings about biological ma-
nipulation or augmentation. The tech is proven, so the
perceived risk is small, and on the whole a bio up-
grade requires less maintenance and offers fewer po-
tential rejection problems than a mechanical augmen-
tation. Pulse latched onto this when crafting their own
social messages, and the resulting deficit may have
had something to do with why Cogs were created to
begin with. Namely, to give ASR a native population
that was more attuned to mechanical upgrades than
bio upgrades. The other popular theory is that estab-
lishing Cogs as true mechanical intelligence freed ASR
up to develop startlingly advanced AIs to run other sys-
tems that might otherwise be subject to moral scrutiny.
By Sol’s modern era, the “Turing test” in all its iterations
has long been smashed to hell and back.
These advanced thinking programs have been

88
credited with many of ASR’s technological develop- to hold ASR in high regard. This gives the corp a
ments over time, including the levitation systems that substantial social presence even in areas they don’t
Sol now relies on for getting its spacecraft airborne, necessarily have a physical presence in, because the
and the energy-based weaponry that ASR ships al- Cog population there will surely have some degree
most exclusively carry. When Luna colony fell, ASR and of attachment to them. Because of this MarsCo-like
MarsCo both adopted the majority of their space- ubiquity, and their overall age, most Vectors see ASR
based R&D data. ASR holds a prominent investment in as a permanent part of Sol and count on it as a con-
off-world operations to this day, and their ships are stant force of progress. They’re given the benefit of
highly sought after for their ease of use in comparison the doubt, so to speak, which has allowed them to get
to other craft. away with quite a bit.
Disruptive influence in ASR’s lines tends to em-
Present Day anate more from within than without, if only because
ASR bills itself as a technology-forward soci- the levels of wealth and technology needed to be on
ety that sees the future of Sol as a beacon of light in the cutting edge of their research curve are higher
the galaxy. They aim to accomplish this by furthering than what can be achieved by your standard subsidi-
space exploration, digital integration, and the power ary or startup without their direct help. They also tend
of Sol’s technology. To a degree, this is part of every to work on a larger scale of deployment than other
megacorp’s agenda, but ASR continues to stay ahead megacorps. ASR has the ability to reach out and touch
of the curve. Either they hire the right people, or they nearly every product it sells digitally, quicker and more
have some other, less publicized asset producing for efficiently than other corps can. When they coordinate
them. an operation, they can spread its development out
ASR corptowns are gleaming, smooth, minimal- across the entire solar system, which allows them to
ist shells of white and chrome with heavily integrated make large projects look small.
holography and levitation technology. They emphasize
technology as a servant to one’s will, and most ele-
ments of an ASR town will react in real time to digital
ENEMIES
commands sent to them by nearby citizens. The streets Pulse
and walls are alive with robotics that move and recon- The long struggle between mechanical and
figure to suit the needs of the day, and some of the biological supremacy is less violent than it could be,
complex subsystems that handle all this can extend for but there is a clear and present favoritism toward
hundreds of feet underground. organics in Pulse organized events. ASR fought
ASR continues to be the mothercorp of Cogs, back by creating machine-oriented combat
and sports that boast larger-than-life com-
89
and since they provide the majority of services Cogs
need as they grow for free, the Cog population tends petition and fare rather nicely in terms of
overall popularity, but if anything, that competition has Naming Conventions
only fueled the animosity between these two entities. It ASR names combine the first and last name into
did, however, provide a valid reason for the invention a single title and only capitalize the last name.
of obscenely impractical giant walking combat robots, In conversations, the last name is omitted. While the
and who could begrudge them that? names themselves typically follow a MarsCo standard,
most ASR last names are twice as long as the first
Corporate Culture name and feature twice as many syllables. As a result,
ASR is as synonymous with Cogs as MarsCo is most ASR first names are short, limited to four letters
with Vectors, which can make for a curious tension be- or less.
tween the races themselves. Mostly because the aver-
age Vector doesn’t really feel much pull toward Mars- Rumors
Co, other than the casual hat-tip toward the origin of -ASR might be spying on everyone through the
the species nearly a thousand years ago. Cogs, how- eyes of their machines. The Cogs may or may not be in
ever, tend to hold ASR in very high standing, as almost on it. It’s not like they’d know, or would be able to do
all of their replacement frames are manufactured by much to stop it. If it’s true, there isn’t a damned thing
them. As a result, most Cogs are ASR flag-wavers, at ASR doesn’t see.
least to a small degree, and find it almost disrespectful -ASR’s CEO is an artificial person. That in itself
that Vectors don’t do the same for MarsCo. ASR em- isn’t remarkable; their CEO has been a Cog at least
ployees are almost always cybernetically enhanced (it’s six times in their past, but she is currently claimed not
awfully hard to climb that corporate ladder without it) to be, and pictures have shown her to be a Vector.
and typically sport a “we’ve got your back, even if you -There are skin-suited Cogs all over the place.
don’t recognize it yet” mentality. The only area of open Sure, they were bad at it 600 years ago, but they never
embitterment they have is with Pulse sporting events, reaaaally gave up on the idea. Once they figured out
which ban the use of all but incidental cybernetics. wetware, growing real flesh on a mechanical frame
Social pressure allowed for the inclusions of Cogs in was child’s play. Every time there’s a mysterious disap-
the games long ago, but their physical frame has to pearance? Or murder with no body? It’s them, covering
undergo elaborate scrutiny and monitoring before up the evidence.
each competition, and that invasion of privacy typically
turns most Cogs off of the idea of joining.

90
Pulse
“Become Limitless.”
It’s no secret that Vectors are an engineered
race. The war, the first three Vector population en-
hancement phases, all these things are included in the
(admittedly slim) history lessons every Vector must com-
plete as part of their Contributory Education. But the
novelty of that fact has long since worn out for most.
While it might have provoked a crisis of consciousness
and self-doubt centuries ago among a few Vectors
who had trouble coming to terms with the whole idea,
these days it’s just something to giggle about. All in the
past.
Pulse emerged out of a public relations divi-
sion of MarsCo that had been tasked with facilitating
social events to help keep people fit and functional
as Earth smoldered in the sky. Morale was a particu-
lar concern as the war ended. It was a critical phase
in social construction, and MarsCo wanted a dedi-
cated corp to facilitate it. Sports, entertainment, and
competition were all useful tools for keeping people
focused and motivated, and Pulse focused on finding
universal sporting activities that didn’t follow the old
Earth designs, as most of them didn’t translate well to
Martian gravity. The story goes (according to their own
now-enormous PR department), while digging through
the anatomical makeups of dozens of different Vector
races in order to find some form of physical compe-
tition that didn’t give one species special advantage
over another, they hit upon an idea: Why not make the
disadvantages part of the sport?
Vector DNA is clean, neat, and easily reconfig-
ured. It had to be for the system to function to begin
with, without running the risk of some piece of ancient
evolutionary ghost code popping up 400 years later
and making everyone sterile or something. Their bod-
ies were patterned off an original animal model, but
built genetically from scratch, effectively removing all
the little pieces of flotsam associated with millions of
years of evolution and drawing a brand new, clean
and neat picture on a blank slate. And since every
little gene with all its functions is neatly named, cate-
gorized and defined, adjusting the code to favor say,
strength or size or even appearance, is a tidy process.
Expensive, but tidy. Pulse took this idea and ran with
it, crafting dozens of new sporting competitions that
emphasized certain specific traits, and then offering
the surgery that would grow your body toward that
trait as a service to be purchased by sponsored ath-
letes. The result was superstar athletes who were, quite
literally, larger than life, and the public loved to watch
them. The idea grew from there, and Pulse was even-
tually granted independent status by MarsCo in order
to allow them to grow their enterprise in the interests
of increasing traffic through the commerce sections of
Mars itself.
Over the centuries, Pulse’s message has fed
off of itself and become more personal. No longer is

91
athletic enhancement treatment reserved only for the exchanged yearly and inevitably end up in Pulse coffers
sponsored, it can now be purchased by anyone with as they supply the surgeries and equipment, but, well,
the cash to make it happen. Cosmetic surgery is by far they didn’t sanction it. It just ‘happened that way.’
their most popular civilian product, and a few simple
treatments in a Pulse Pod can tune one’s shape or col- Present Day
oring in dramatic ways. It’s not even terribly complicat- Pulse is an extremely diverse brand within its
ed to do, but overall vanity and pressure from the so- own sectors, fueling everything from grueling battle
cial elite has kept the cost higher than it needs to be. sports to music lessons, all with the overarching mes-
The more extreme surgeries, those generally reserved sage of being a sterling example of yourself. They
for athletes and soldiers, are a bit more invasive and beam with positivity, but they’re aggressive with their
result in significantly more change. Champion fighters approach. Honestly, they’re aggressive with a lot of
in Pulse tournaments range anywhere from three to things. It’s usually good natured, but Pulse is huge, and
ten feet tall (and certainly didn’t start that way), some different CEOs of different subsidiaries have wildly
favoring a smaller body for the maneuverability while different approaches on just how much aggression is
others want the sheer stability of being a mountain of needed to get results. One thing about the Pulse cor-
muscle. porate hierarchy: they respect experimentation. Many
Pulse rules allow for a wide variety of body people have been allowed to get away with much
changes depending on what you’re participating in, more than they should have in pursuit of a noble end.
and it’s not unusual to have some competitors with an Pulse cities emphasize personal freedom (within
extra pair of arms or species traits that don’t match their own corporate message) and feature more ar-
their actual breed. Large scale changes like these are chitectural diversity than most other corptowns with
difficult to undo as they affect the very skeleton of the the exception of Spyglass. Trespassing is a somewhat
person involved. They’re typically permanent, and once muted concept here, and short of actual home invasion,
their career has ended the person who possesses them people stray where they will in a Pulse city. Each struc-
either has to live with it or pay for a brand new body ture emphasizes rewards for personal risk. There are
to transfer into. That can be prohibitively expensive, digitally arranged contests in GPS arranged locations,
even for star athletes, and as a result various sporting local hero worship and academies for specific physical
guilds have imposed maximum modification rules on goals that include everything from education to as-
their events to prevent over-exuberant athletes from signed biological modification as awards for academic
ruining their future lives after the sport by modifying so achievement, and corp-arranged events that super-
hard they can’t function in natural society any- sede the day-to-day grind.
more. Of course, that only led to the creation Pulse’s proactive nature often leads to leaping
of underground, high stakes events with no before they look, and stirring things up just to examine
92 such limits, in which huge sums of money are what happens in the aftermath and pick up the pieces
that are useful. Currently, the corp has committed to Rumors
the Progenitus joint-strike on Earth’s Ruby Spire, the -Pulse falsifies its accident reports. Extreme
massive whisper construct that links Earth and its moon. body surgery is inherently dangerous and no amount of
Much of the solar system is still questioning the sanity practicing or advancement has solved that. For every
of this project, but the monolithic alien construct has one titanic, beautiful sporting god you see out in the
been a source of fear and foreboding in Sol for over a field, two potentials have died under the knife and
century now, and Pulse is doing a good job of driving were quietly swept away.
home the need to do something about it. -Most body modifications come at the cost of
food, and the most extremely modified Vectors need
ENEMIES special, nutrient enriched food to sustain themselves.
Since Pulse produces the food, they control what goes
ASR inside of it. It’s entirely possible they’re seeding the
stuff with experimental chemicals to see what new
Corporate Culture products will cause this or that.
You can always recognize a Pulse employee in -Pulse is actually holding off on offering cos-
a crowded room. They’ll be a head taller than every- metic surgeries at bargain prices not because of cost
one else (either because they’re actually taller, or be- but because they genuinely need to preserve the con-
cause they’ve found something to stand on) and they’ll cept of beauty. Anyone with enough money to afford
be yelling. Generally happily yelling, but yelling none- gene-refreshment a few times can turn themselves into
theless. Pulse is loud, proud, and faces each new day a veritable Adonis if they want to, and if it became
like it’s a face to slap with a glove and challenge to too wide-spread, the appeal of it would diminish. They
fisticuffs. Their citizenship is likewise energetic, though need to keep the majority wanting to be the minority
they have a reputation for being deviant. Pulse frowns for their product to really sustain itself.
on cybernetic enhancement. The average interface
and corrective gear is fine and understandable, but
they outright snarl at prosthetic and other mechanical
reinforcement. Hundreds of years of the integration
of physical enhancement through surgical and chemi-
cal means have led to a curious definition of “natural”
that includes being supercharged by gene-replace-
ment but shuns robotics.

93
 Naming Conventions
Pulse corptown Vectors don’t typically have
last names. They instead have symbolic typogra-
phy in their first names. “James” might instead be
“James!!@-” If someone has made a grand or notable
achievement, such as a doctorate or a champion-
ship victory, their honorific typically takes the form
of capitalizing the letters in their name. The symbols
are not pronounced when spoken aloud, and iden-
tification between multiple “James”es is typically
not an issue within Pulse corptown societies, as they
culturally make almost excessive use of bright text
CHAR-GEN

displays which include the figures, or

come right up to your face and speak
to you directly. More importantly, how-
ever, is the secondary “chosen name,”
which Pulse citizens pick for themselves
around adolescence. These tend to
sound a bit more like a callsign, but
they’re intended to represent the per-
son they’re looking to become rather
than the person they began life as. It
follows the Pulse mentality: a journey
of progress toward a self-determined
goal. Within Pulse culture, the chosen
name is much more important than the
name given at birth, but most other
corps tend to default to the birth name
instead.

94
SPYGLASS
“See. Learn. Thrive.”
Morality is a curiously vague concept when
removed from a traditional context. Most contempo-
rary ideas of morality stem from ancient philosophy or
the doctrines of religion, adapted to fit into a modern
context. The Vector race is devoid of neither in terms
of knowledge, but they lack the intrinsic connection to
both that humans were so dependent on. After all, it
wasn’t their past.
For the most part, a great many of those tra-
ditional values carried over from human to Vector in
the early years. MarsCo was founded on a concept of
idealism and achievement more than profit, and that
core belief has filtered down ever since, but there are
spots where the lines blur, and Spyglass exists among
them.
Founded off a covert intelligence agency, Spy-
glass’s original mandate included the sales of infor-
mation achieved through corporate espionage. Selling
company secrets, as it were. In the interests of preserv-
ing a working system of competition that served bil-
lions wonderfully, they were universally denounced and
almost every major corporation in Sol outright refused
to commission their services. By all rights they should
have been bankrupt in a week. Instead, within five
years, they had the makings of a small fleet and their
own corptown on Venus. Curious profits for a company
supposedly blacklisted by everyone.
Clearly that was not the case.
When it became increasingly apparent that
everyone and their mothers were all working with
Spyglass to try and get a leg up on the competition,
the public response was scathing. By then, however,
the corp was ready to change gears and move into a
brave new world beyond slinking around in the dark.
They took a public stand, saying that over the course
of their careers, they’d witnessed deceit, manipulation,
outright coercion, and overall disregard for public
promises again and again. They were dealing with
wolves in sheep’s clothing. Everyone was a liar, every-
one was a cheat, and most importantly, everyone had
to be or the system wouldn’t function. But they were
trying to save face for the public, and that sort of
rampant misdirection of the public view was exactly
the sort of behavior that brought Earth to a bitter end
centuries earlier. And so the Spyglass Corp Community
doctrine was established: we will be every bit as bad
as everyone else, and we’re not going to pretend it’s
not happening.
Since then, Spyglass’s primary goal has been
the promotion of a truly open market without the
facade of decency that has forever clouded it. Let the
buyer beware, as they say. But more than that, let the
seller beware that the buyer may shoot them in the
face for lying to them, and if Spyglass courts find that
there was in fact a lie involved, the buyer will be ab-
solved of all crime. It’s a harsh system that leads to two

95
possible outcomes: you get a lot of very honest people, Spyglass boundaries are effectively conducting social
or you get a lot of people who are very good at lying. experiments without being stifled by their megacorp,
Spyglass breeds both and holds both in equal regard. and as more and more of them function, more and
If you’re going to deal with someone, anyone, know more people within the community join them. At pres-
that they are a liar. Know that they want to cheat you. ent, many competing systems within the boundaries
If you can accept that and pick your battles accord- have their hands full just keeping each other at bay,
ingly, things move along at a pretty even keel. If you like massive rival gangs, and other megacorps point to
want to call them on it, you call them as hard as you the infighting as signs of the foolishness of the pursuit
want to. But if they’re a good enough liar to survive and the danger of the entire concept. But Spyglass sits
legal scrutiny, well. You should have thought of that back, pulls strings where it needs to, and waits.
before you pulled your gun. Spyglass does not promote
open violence or murder, but it does hold other gener-
al rights and decency in fairly low regard. ENEMIES
Inner Ring Police Force
Present Day Spyglass and IRPF butt heads constantly, for
Spyglass towns are a mishmash of strikingly di- obvious reasons. In many sectors of Sol, “legality” is a
verse personal structures and towering mega complex- questionable concept that fluctuates based on who’s in
es that are essentially huge shells for people to con- charge. One of IRPF’s selling points is its adherence to
duct their business in. Spyglass itself is rather hands-off a clear set of fair, just laws and due process, as well
with its citizenry, and individual communities within its as an assurance of trial in accordance to a dictated
boundaries more or less manage themselves in almost set of inalienable rights. By definition, every one of the
frontier-like systems of communal governance. It’s a aforementioned points are negotiable, deniable, or just
system that works well for them but tends to worry the outright wrong, according to the Spyglass mentality.
rest of Sol. Spyglass itself does what it’s always done: The fact that Spyglass continues to function as well as
offers its services as an espionage corporation. But it it does only furthers the aggravation this causes.
has also taken slow and careful strides to do some-
thing else, equally worrying to the other megacorps of Corporate Culture
Sol. Within Spyglass’s boundaries are many communal “Confidently paranoid” has been used to de-
systems of governance that vaguely resemble tradi- scribe the entirety of the Spyglass populace for years.
tional Earth methods. Some monarchies, some socialism, They’re perpetually looking over their shoulders, suspi-
and some democracies. Many of the classic ex- cious of everyone, and question everything they’re told.
amples of these have been carefully watered But they do so with an attitude of normality, rather

96
down and excised by MarsCo from histo- than fear. To Spyglass citizens, the world is out to get
ry over the ages, but these groups behind them, but they know that, it’s no secret, and it’s not the
world’s fault. Keep your guard up, check your corners, soon enough, some CEO or another is going to decide
and you’ll get along just fine. Spyglass employees to give it a try anyway and all hell is going to break
are among the most frank and personable in Sol and loose.
are perfectly willing to engage in long conversations -The only way you’ll ever truly realize how much
entirely unrelated to work or their corp. You just have you’ve been lied to your whole life is to move to a
to expect they have something going on in the back- Spyglass town and see the world laid bare. Yes, there’s
ground that you’re not entirely aware of. After all, if danger here, but there’s also movement alien to the
the world is going to screw people over properly, it rest of Sol. People here truly command their own fates.
needs a little help! They work together to build brighter futures for each
Spyglass corptowns operate on a combination other. Someday the dust will settle and a system will
of credits and a sort of social currency called Sing. emerge from a Spyglass corptown that truly demon-
Sing is something you earn through service to others strates how horribly we’ve all been manipulated for
within the community, either on the whole or on an the past seven centuries. We’ll see it work for them,
individual level. Sing tends to be the place where most and we’ll all want it.
visitors run afoul. Credits are useful in Spyglass society, -There’s a difference between being transpar-
but Sing is what keeps you safe. It’s what buys you pro- ent and being deliberately brutal. Lies or no lies, rules
tection, support, and the friendship of the community. in other corptowns keep people safe and secure and
Visitors are awarded certain leniency by virtue of their dissuade poor behavior. Spyglass towns aren’t “normal
ignorance, but if they deplete it, they tend to be even towns without the rose-tinted goggles,” they’re towns
further in the hole than they think. of children encouraged to run with scissors.

Rumors Naming Conventions

-If you’re willing to just accept that someone, Most Spyglass names are anagrams, spell-
somewhere, is constantly watching you, and that every- ing out things of family significance or messages of
one’s out to gouge you, and you play by the same rules, strength and achievement. Since many Spyglass ana-
Spyglass corptowns are actually damned honest places gram names run off a common theme within families,
to live. You know where everyone stands, you pick your siblings will often have very similar names, changing
friends carefully, and you keep them for life. You can just a few letters to adjust the message a bit. As time
find plenty of decency in a den of thieves; you just have has gone on, some Spyglass families have dropped the
to expect it to take a little while. jumble altogether and simply made the name into the
-These guys are one step away from a fall. The message, which usually results in a noun-verb
only thing that keeps them in check is an anomaly: they combination names.

97
can’t outright fleece their entire population or they
wouldn’t have anyone willing to live there anymore. But
 IRPF Inner Ring Police Force
“In Finest Tradition, Protect And Serve.”
Around three hundred years ago, space transit
careerism was coming into its own. New ships pos-
sessed enough power to travel heavily armored and
carried more plating than was possible to puncture
with armament of equal weight, unless one employed
explosives of significant power to destroy the entire
ship and all cargo on board. As this did a pirate little
good, ship to ship combat became limited to board-
ing and hand-to-hand fighting. This era of piracy
lasted nearly 80 years before a think tank orbiting
Venus came up with a new power source that put out
radically increased power without taking up any more
space or weight than the one in place before it. Com-
bined with ASR’s newly developed levitation systems
that removed the need for chemical fuel, spacecraft
could move faster, further, and more efficiently than
ever before, enough to offset the balance and develop
ships with the power to pursue, disable, or destroy with
limited personal risk. Fleets of police vessels could be
developed with the power to order surrenders of en-
emy ships without having to board them, and the Inner
Ring Police Force was founded.
Originally formed as a private enterprise se-
curity force and run by offshoots of MarsCo’s security
division, the IRPF experienced such dramatic success in
its first decade of existence that it went from almost
laughable to universally respected nearly overnight.
For a good while, it was also universally feared as an
upstart power with too much military might for its own
good, but it didn’t take long for the more established
megacorps to shore up their fleets with the newly
upgraded power system, and just as quickly as they
had risen to supreme power, IRPF found themselves at
the bottom of the heap, outclassed and outnumbered.
It was from there that the general policing agency
known by the Sol system today emerged. “Put in their
place” as it were, IRPF branched out as a contract pro-
tection company, selling its services to patrol borders,
monitor operations, and more or less keep the peace
with a set of universal rules that helped keep behavior
consistent around the system. By hiring the IRPF, citi-
zens of an area could be sure of receiving public trials
if they were arrested and being treated with cer-
tain established rights and privileges universal to the
company. For many, it was a welcome relief. The IRPF
rarely changes its policies, which was a far cry from
most corptown habits of changing things dramatically
whenever a new CEO or local manager arrived.
The IRPF is the most widespread megacorp in
Sol in terms of actual physical locations and presence
of personnel, and as such has a few unique problems.
In each of its contracts, it has to put certain corptown
laws above its own in order to operate in their area.
Over the years, decades and centuries since its found-
ing, those exceptions have bred uniquely different out-
looks on life between IRPF’s own members. IRPF officers

98
serving in an Applied Science and Robotics corptown Presently, the IRPF fleet is engaged on mul-
have dramatically different moral and social values tiple fronts. They’re working desperately with Mars-
than IRPF officers serving in a Pulse corptown, for Co to try and establish some form of limitations on
instance. Many of these officers are born in the same Lumen’s lightspeed travel, as it represents a security
corptown in which they eventually serve their contract, risk they are utterly unable to defend against. At
and as such consider their own interpretation of how present, they’re siding with MarsCo, who has long
the IRPF works to be “the correct one.” In situations been a contributor to the IRPF, to try and instate
where two conflicting beats of IRPF officers have been some sort of sanction that will force Lumen into
forced into the same area for one reason or another, complacency. But Lumen is not starving for support
results have ranged from uncomfortable to outright in Sol, and the IRPF fleet will become a useless relic
violent. if it can’t match Lumen’s ability to put people where
they want to be instantaneously. Eventually, they will
Present Day need to try and work with them to outfit their own

CHAR-GEN
The IRPF today polices the streets and space- ships with Lumen drives or risk losing trillions in rev-
ways, a mix between police, military, and personal enue. This won’t sit well with MarsCo, and the corp
security, with a pretty substantial degree of mob boss is treading a narrow line as it weighs its options.
mixed in. Their trans-corp jurisdiction grants them the Secondly, the Progenitus contract and the
ability to pursue criminals through borders and over Pulse contract for IRPF ship support and ground
any distance, but their sheer size and widely distribut- support has been tapped for assistance in the Ruby
ed mentalities on personal liberty depending on con- Spire attack, which represents a commitment of
tract mean that getting away with something is simply roughly a third of all IRPF ships, potentially more.
a matter of getting far enough into one territory or As they train and outfit for the operation, their
another that you can offer what they want to look presence in the skies of Sol is diminished, and more
the other way. The IRPF performs an invaluable stabi- things are slipping by than they should. Not ev-
lization service for Sol by uniting ideas like personal eryone in the IRPF’s multi-corp employee bracket
liberty and rights across corporate borders, but their agrees with the wisdom of this attack, and conflict
ability to act on behalf of the community is generally from within is loud and noticeable.
limited by the scope of the crime committed. If some-
thing reaches beyond general crimes against people
and gets into crimes against the corp, the IRPF typically
ENEMIES
steps aside and people tend to vanish in the night. Spyglass
Corporate Culture people from worrying over how astronomically huge
The IRPF has few corptowns of its own, and they’ve become. The IRPF has armed people every-
its culture varies based on which corp it’s operat- where. On every corner, in every sky, on every ship.
ing within. Generally however, IRPF citizens hold due Personal security under contract, but all wearing the
process in high regard, united behind the idea that same banner. They stage fights among themselves so
justice is swift, systematic, accurate, and fair. Which of people will focus on their apparent weakness and not
those points are emphasized hardest or most readily think about what would happen if they were ever all
pushed aside tends to vary based on where you are. ordered to move on a single target.
Everywhere, however, there is an undertone of “us vs -The IRPF possesses a massive secret fleet built
them.” Local citizens who share an employee’s outlook of the most advanced stolen technologies in the sys-
are ”us.” “Them” is everyone else. Most get along with tem. Secrets they pick up in the process of protecting,
“them” pretty well, so long as “they” behave themselves. bribes they pay to various corps, favors garnered from
But the division is always present. For those who take rescues, all have gone toward a secret project with a
the IRPF as their Primary education, you can choose fearful goal: the retaking of Earth and its defense from
to have been born on an IRPF shipyard or station, of anyone else who might want it. The Spire attack is the
which there are many. In that case, “them” is damn perfect opportunity to play this hidden card when two
near everybody not wearing a badge, and many of the of Sol’s biggest corps will be stretched thin.
ones who are. Not that every IRPF officer is looking for
an excuse to hit somebody. They just tend to be pretty Naming Conventions
sure someone is going to give them said excuse even- IRPF names include rank, species, and family all
tually. within the same name. “Rank” refers to an overall level
of education and employment, and typically goes from
Rumors “civilian” to “student” to whatever title you may be giv-
-The infighting among the IRPF is worse than en at work, with a few stages in between. The species
they let on. Centuries of separating different contracts and family are generally limited to two letters and
instead of forcing employees to cycle from place to separated by an apostrophe. “Student Richard Ca’Ja”
place in order to prevent tension have only served for instance. While IRPF citizens do possess a name
to breed an almost feud-like status among different for their actual families, the ones they’re born into, it
beats. Respect for the badge and keeping the peace is rarely used for identification as it’s considered less
keeps planet-based conflicts minimal, but out there in important than what they can be visually recognized
space, there’s active fighting going on no one is by.
ever told about.

100 -The infighting among the IRPF is fake.

It’s a ruse put in place by the corp to keep
PROGENITUS
“Doing What’s Best.”
In the early days of post-Earth existence, pay-
ing for emergency surgery and health supplies became
a tremendous problem. Vectors were inherently robust;
their freshly gene-spliced bodies had been made to
include resistances to all major types of disease and
deformity their creators could incorporate at the time.
It was a temporary fix, they knew; viruses would always
mutate and change, but they figured it was the re-
sponsible thing to do given the knowledge they pos-
sessed. This was before the war, and before they knew
that humanity was to be no more.
Eventually, viruses and diseases returned, and
when they did, no one had a damned clue what to do
about them. New viral anatomy only remotely reflect-
ed the ailments they had been back when they were
affecting humans. Genotype, the megacorp that had
originally been tasked with preempting this devel-
opment, had self-destructed before the new strains
emerged. In their void were smaller, less robust phar-
macorps that lacked their backing. New treatments
had to be made, new research had to be done, and
it was all at tremendous cost. That cost trickled down
to the consumer, and terror worse than anything the
common cold might present gripped the Vector race.
Treatment for a flu cost 6 month’s salary, and not
getting it could lead to an epidemic. The Vector race
simply didn’t have the population to afford a catastro-
phe like that, especially not with everyone living in
close proximity to each other during the first centuries
of Mars’s development. It was a recipe for disaster.
In the interests of saving their race from utter
destruction by rampant disease, the health corps of
the time agreed to essentially take the hit and re-
leased the treatments at vastly reduced prices. Every
last one of them was driven into the red, and most
had to merge, fund-raise, beg, and borrow to stay
afloat at all. It took a while, but equilibrium was finally
reached when the nature of the viral genetic drift was
discovered. Almost every major virus had adapted to
the Vector race in the same general direction, and
now that it was known, treating it was significantly
easier. Slowly, health corps dragged themselves back
up by their bootstraps, and as they did, the prices be-
gan to creep up again, bit by bit. And for a while, the
populace didn’t begrudge it. After all, they had made
the good and decent choice when the time came. Why
shouldn’t they be allowed to try and claw back from
the brink? They were owed their due.
Perhaps as a result, they weren’t watched near-
ly as closely as they should have been.
Some 300 years after the Earth war, health
corps had gone from nothing to some of the most
lewdly inflated for-profits in Sol, with treatments for
everything imaginable. Cancers, viruses, phobias, you
name it. Pharmaceuticals made up more of the Mar-
tian gross sales pie chart than food did, and all the

101
while the public sang the praises of modern medicine protection and support. From the ashes of the pre-
and the generosity of health corps for keeping treat- vious health corp systems grew the new Progenitus,
ment at least moderately affordable. Enter Progenitus, which became supported by a tax paid by all people
a working group out of the then-new Spyglass cor- who wanted access to its cures. The tax was small,
poration tasked with collecting the secrets of various affordable, and treatment was one time only, two at
health corps around Mars. They expected to discover the most, and permanent. The corp has maintained a
that the profit margin for treatment verses the cost of cure-only entity to this day, collects tax from billions
development was way off. What they actually discov- around Sol, and has all but monopolized the pharma-
ered was distinctly more shocking. ceutical business in the process.
Cures. Cures for everything. Cancer had been
cured some fifty years earlier in all its forms. Flu? Easy. Present Day
Colds, gone. Diabetes? They probably had that one Clad in gleaming armor of white and gold and
fixed before Earth fell. STDs were almost laughably mounted on ships that look like enameled angels in the
simple to purge. It was all completely fixable. Cleanly, sky, Progenitus is a living figurehead of its message.
simply, and in most cases, with a minimum of surgery, They’re glimmering salvation and righteous fury, and to
if any were required at all. Most of the ailments that most of Sol they represent a rather idealistic benev-
would lead to a lifetime of treatments could be cured olence. But they ignore all manner of social and legal
in a matter of days, and no one had spoken a word borders to do it, and their insistence on knowing what’s
of it. The Progenitus group couldn’t stomach the lie right for everyone has rubbed people the wrong way
and took the information public. At the time, they had in many sectors.
nothing to protect them. Spyglass was an infant and Today you can find Progenitus teams doing ev-
each of its sub-groups operated independently of the erything from setting up hospices in impoverished ar-
whole for protection. Progenitus stood up on the chair eas to rescuing ships that have been damaged or gone
and fell backward – and hoped to God someone would astray, to keeping Pulse sports stars fit and helping the
care enough about what they revealed on the way IRPF encircle fleeing enemies. They’re in everything, and
down to catch them before they hit bottom. within their own corptowns their presence is nearly
It was enough. Public aid flocked to Progeni- overbearing. While all corps monitor their citizenry to
tus’s side and the outcry was so enormous that various a degree, most don’t actually police their private be-
health corp buildings were literally lit aflame and havior. Progenitus does, to the point of having people
burned to the ground in protest against the decep- specifically assigned to making sure certain behaviors
tion. Progenitus immediately began collecting are encouraged and discouraged if trends are noticed.
displaced chemists and doctors, announcing Progenitus is currently engaged in a
that they would develop and distribute every
102 cure for free, forever, in return for continued
history-making recruitment drive for a massive assault
on the Ruby Spire on Earth. It is their assertion that
it has been allowed to exist for far too long, and the frenzied energy.
threat the Whispers represent will be dramatical- Using Vitae opened up opportunities for flesh
ly diminished by removing something they worked so sculpting and bio-constructs originally thought impossi-
hard to create. They’ve pulled Pulse into their cause, ble to build and ushered in the horrific string of bio-
have tapped both of their IRPF support contracts, and engineering that eventually resulted in the famed TTI
continue to recruit. Earth recovered from humanity’s nu- bioships. Progenitus considered this bastardization of
clear holocaust, they say. It will recover from this. They their life-giving chemical as a slap in the face to the
aim to wipe Sol’s infection out at its source, and there intended use of Vitae, and as more and more terrifying
are many at their side. and morally depraved uses for the substance became
apparent, ultimately stopped manufacturing it as a
widespread product and reserved it only for emergen-
ENEMIES cies. TTI took over manufacture themselves and now use
Transcendent Technologies Inc. it to fuel their bioprobes, an affront for which Progeni-
TTI and Progenitus are one of the few corpo- tus has never forgiven them.
rate rivals that can point to a specific product as the TTI is vocally and fervently against the Ruby
source of their contention. Shortly after Europa was Spire assault, and their long history of animosity with
colonized, Progenitus scientists publicized the creation Progenitus has caused many of their warnings to fall
of a wonder-drug they claimed could do anything from on deaf ears. To Progenitus, their arguments are just
heal wounds to grant eternal youth. This new sub- another example of TTI putting their own agenda over
stance was called “Vitae” and functioned like a sort of lives.
energetic super-blood that kept flesh alive and vital
regardless of lapses in infrastructure. While originally Corporate Culture
meant to be a means of keeping people alive through Progenitus has come a long way since its be-
critical injury until they could be treated, TTI scientists ginning, but it’s stuck to its roots. This has been both a
discovered it could be used for vastly more dramatic good and a bad thing, as those roots have grown aw-
and potentially horrifying purposes. Flesh infused with fully swollen over the years. Progenitus inserts itself into
Vitae could function without any sort of supporting everything. Debates, policy, product announcements,
metabolism. Muscles could move without being you name it. It’s come to the point that a movement
fed by digestion or circulation. Brains could think of Progenitus ships has been nicknamed “a crusade,”
without blood, hearts could beat without air, if they as they don’t typically move en masse unless it’s to go
were even necessary at all, as there was no need for a rain on someone’s parade and deface them in
circulatory system with Vitae feeding the body. A living the public eye. It’s difficult to argue with the
thing could be constructed with over 80% fewer parts,
and those that remained functioned with fervent and
moral superiority of a company that will cure
you of anything with a single treatment for 103
 less per month than you pay for a bag of groceries, so where does the rest go? They’re up to something.
their words pull a lot of weight, and they speak often. -For a company who commissions IRPF for its
Progenitus employees are notoriously stubborn and naval security, Progenitus ships are awfully well armed...
strong-willed, and while they’ll move heaven and Earth
to bring aid to anyone who needs it, there is almost Naming Conventions
always a social message attached. They don’t typically Progenitus names are typically long and elabo-
miss a chance to inform everyone else of how much rate, with an emphasis on bold sounds and hard stops.
better they could be doing. More than a few originate from modifications of old
Earth myths, or at least, try to. By the time Progenitus
Rumors came to be, most of those titles had faded or warped.
-Progenitus is one step away from becoming “Ulysses” might now be “U’sisous.” The inclusion of the
a military dictatorship. Their holier-than-thou outlook apostrophe became popular as a means to make up
has them convinced that they know what’s right for the for a letter that seemed like it should be there but
universe and eventually they’re going to get tired of wasn’t. Vectors are aware of the language drift since
preaching it and get around to enforcing it. their origins, and those who care enough about “the
-Progenitus has more wealth than it really original,” whatever that may be, will sometimes insert
knows what to do with. Their tax is small, but they col- placeholders where natural speech indicates a letter
lect it from every member of every colony everywhere should be, but has fallen away with time.
so they can keep up their cures. That’s countless billions
of credits toward research that can only really be per-
formed by a few handfuls of qualified individuals. So

104
TTITranscendent Technology, Inc.
“Why Stop At Reality?”
Roughly 500 years after the birth of the first
Vector, Luna colony fell to a hitherto unknown species
from Earth after an expedition to the planet returned
carrying an unseen threat in their blood. A second ship
arrived on Mars, and the accompanying massacre re-
sulted in the deaths of hundreds. A pittance, compared
to the 30,000 souls that would be lost on Earth’s moon.
The Whispers had arrived.
Modern science lists the organism known col-
loquially as “the Whisper” as an “anomaly,” which most
take to mean “it’s probably some kind of goddamned
ALIEN but we don’t want to just come out and say it
like that.” Shortly after its appearance, various divi-
sions of all the affected corporations began research
as best they could into their nature and origins. Most
came up alarmingly short; there was certainly nothing
in the genetic record that remotely resembled them.
One division, however, stood up above the rest. It was
an old name in science R&D that once hit the news in
a big way during the Venus terraforming years when
they founded the colony on Europa but had been
somewhat quiet since. They were Transcendent Tech-
nologies Incorporated, and they had captured one of
the creatures alive. To this day, no one has ever re-
ceived a straight answer as to the question of how.
Two hundred years later, TTI is the authority
on the Whisper race and has produced more strange,
bizarre, and outright frightening technology than any
other megacorp in Sol. Advances that came from the
study of gene manipulation and the unique properties
of Whisperwerk, the name applied to bizarre con-
structs like the Earth-moon tether that seem to be
crafted from what Whispers use for flesh, have al-
lowed TTI to grow living structures thought impossible
by earlier science teams. Suits of bone and muscle ar-
mor with perfect motion, skin with the bullet absorbing
properties of Kevlar, even living spacecraft that can
perceive threats and heal their own injuries.
The mission statement that guided TTI in the
early years was that in order to fight this strange, new
and entirely unknown threat, they needed to have an
understanding of technology and biology that tran-
scended the current rules. They marched to the motto
of ignorance, stating adamantly that the Vector race,
for all its advancements, knew nothing of technology.
They had simply been polishing the rough-cut that
humanity left them centuries earlier, and there was a
whole new reality out there you could only see if you
accepted that everything you already knew was noth-
ing of significance. Few were willing to truly embrace
that route, and those skeptics were perhaps the most
shocked when TTI released the first demonstration of
the bizarre procedures that share their namesake:
Transcendent Technology.
Though still very much in its infancy, Transcen-
dent technology has already redefined the rules of

105
 Present Day
reality. Much of its function remains a well-guarded TTI has a unique era of bioscience all to itself
secret, but the premise is that certain things in the in Sol. In addition to Transcendent technology itself,
universe gain resonance and power due to their very their unique space-capable lifeforms, living armor,
construction. Their existence interacts with unseen and symbiotic lifeforms allow for market control that
forces to create cascades of unique energy or effects is essentially uncontested. They’ve attempted to lever-
simply by being there. By arranging these reactive age their position to get more people to bite on
constructions in patterns that also react to each other, their message: that many of the things Sol accepts
complex harmonies can be made. Like a series of reeds as scientific fact are fleeting and conditional. Their
all being blown over by a single wind, a sophisticat- primary argument against an attack on the Ruby Spire
ed symphony emerges that is more than the sum of its is that Sol isn’t exactly sure what that massive construct
parts. The beauty of it is that these structures work on is doing. It could be important, sure, or it could be a
the scale of the universe: from atomic to galactic. Their Whisper toilet. It could be a performance art piece.
size is irrelevant, they simply...work. No power source, It could be bait, to lure Sol in to look at it. They don’t
no special attachment, no port, no plug, no emitter or know. Don’t shoot at what you don’t understand. The
receiver. They are, and so, they function. line “it wouldn’t be there if it wasn’t important” is a
When Earth began its dramatic transformation very Vector line of thinking, fueled by an understanding
less than a century ago, TTI campaigned insistently for of cost and resources and efficiency. But this life form
a new large scale expedition to it, arguing that such a is not Vector. It may play by entirely different rules. The
development was far too significant to leave alone. Af- same assumptions can’t be made of it. There’s a certain
ter being repeatedly stopped by the collective efforts romance to the pursuit of greater truths that holds
of MarsCo and several others, they’ve grown quiet in pull for some Vectors, but in light of the comparatively
recent years and retreated to their research labs on proactive approach that Progenitus and Pulse are now
Europa. TTI hasn’t been in the news for a longer period taking toward the Whisper threat, TTI is beginning to
than most corps of their size, and in light of their field look overcautious, and it’s costing them public support.
of research, that has a lot of people more than a little It remains to be seen if they intend to simply stay out
worried. of the operation, or if they feel strongly enough about
their position that they will actively interfere with it.
At present, tensions between Progenitus and TTI are at
the highest they’ve been in centuries.
TTI cities feature grown buildings of bone-like
walls and active, subterranean circulation. The archi-
tecture is beautiful, but unnerving, and there are a
106 shocking number of engineered lifeforms that roam
the streets, tending to the day to day tasks of main- being quiet; they don’t need permission. They’re in
tenance. Below the domes of Europa swim the Foea, a their own little world doing God knows what, and
resurrected race of alien life supposedly native to the they certainly know more than they let on.
icy moon that TTI has been extrapolating DNA from for -Living ships contain genetic keys for ev-
centuries to build their bioprobes and living ships. Be- erything from hyperspace to viral planet-killers to
low them, shrouded in the secrecy of Europa’s endless psychic communication. They don’t need to be up-
sea, are the mutated orca bioprobes that first scouted graded; they just need the right hormone injection.
the icy moon. They rarely make headlines anymore, but But TTI isn’t keeping it a secret because they want
they are forever tied to the corp and have a deeper to; they’re keeping it a secret because they have
connection to the mysterious final years of Earth than to. Every ship taken past a certain level has gone
Sol realizes. insane. Or maybe not. Maybe they just became
whatever they hell they were based off of to begin
with.
ENEMIES
Progenitus Naming Conventions
While human standards can be heard in
Corporate Culture most TTI names, they tend to stem from differ-
TTI has the most localized and constrained ent parts of globe and include variations on Inuit,
population in Sol, operating almost exclusively off of Russian, and Icelandic. TTI employees are usually
Europa. It has buildings and facilities on Mars and referred to by their titles in addition to their names.
Venus, but they are few and far between. Europa itself, If their job is a unique one, they individualize their
however, has been almost completely TTI owned and titles to reflect it. The title comes after the name, in
operated since they founded the colony in their pre- the format “Anna, Bone Architect.”
megacorp days. TTI employees tend to vary in attitude
depending on whether they’re Europa-born or not.
Natives to the ice world are notoriously superstitious,
often of celestial bodies. Europa natives have a fearful
relationship with Jupiter, and some are almost patho-
logically adverse to looking directly at it. There is a
common deep-set terror of the larger forces in the
universe most contend do not exist, and Europa natives
will bind together in that shared understanding. Off-
world TTI employees are typically a bit less fearful and
THAT’S IT!
Long ride, huh? All you’ve just gone through
a bit more sympathetic, as though genuinely sorry you
is intended to give you a feel for the game
can’t see what they see. They are rarely described as
world. It’s a story grounding to use for the
arrogant, however. Their attitude is less “you would
creation of your character. From here, we
be better off if you knew this” and more “I would be
take a moment to learn the check system and
better off if I didn’t.” Unlike most cultures however, TTI
then head into Crunchtime, which assigns me-
pushes fear not as a sign of something to be avoided,
chanics to all those thing you read about.
but as another form of sensory input to take note of.
TTI pursues that which frightens it, taking it as a sign of
Now that you’ve read this section you can
a discovery yet to be made. They’re very tight-lipped
probably begin at the Crunchtime chapter
about many of those discoveries, and their accident
any time you want to make a new character,
reports are...vague.
unless you want to refresh yourself on how
the setting treats a particular morphism or
Rumors megacorp.
-These guys created the Whisper threat. The
“alien” thing is a misdirection front, they set the whole
thing up, planted them on Earth, and now they’re
watching to see how we all deal with their little pets.
-Transcendent technology is the future, hands
down. TTI deals with creepy stuff and they have a
creepy reputation because of it, but just you wait. We
keep going like we’re going and another thousand
years from now we still won’t have interstellar travel
and we’ll still be giving each other black eyes for silly
arguments. Follow them, and they’ll make us gods.
-TTI can get past the Earth quarantine any time
it wants to. And it has. And it does. That’s why they’re 107
108
CHECKS STATS
Your character has three Stats: Mind, Body, and
Checks are how we determine if your charac- Community, which reflect three major areas of focus
ter has succeeded or failed at a task they’re attempt- and growth. Any given check will tap one Trait of these
ing. Not every task will require a check, but most of the three stats: Exert or Perceive. Exert is the Trait used
ones that have any degree of consequence for failure for “doing” things, and will be used for everything that
will. isnt related with noticing something. When a check is
rolled, you’ll compare the matching Exert score to the
check’s Difficulty to determine what dice to roll. See
Checks are written as the Difficulty table below for the scale.
Stat Trait:Proficiency (Difficulty)
PROFICIENCIES
and are resolved as follows: Your Proficiency indicates how much hard
Roll two dice, then add their sum knowledge your character has in any particular task.
When you make your check, after you roll your dice,
total to your Proficiency score. you’ll add your Proficiency score applicable to the
If the final total reaches 12, you check to the total number.
pass.
So your final roll will be:
two dice+Proficiency score, attempting
to reach 12.

DIFFICULTY
Difficulty is a keyword used to describe how difficult a check is to pass. All basic checks pass on 12, but that
number will be easier or harder for you to hit based on how well trained you are at the task itself. We represent
this by applying a Difficulty score to the check, 1-6. This score is compared to your Trait score to determine what
dice you roll.

If your Trait score (1-5) meets the Difficulty of the task,

roll 2D8 and add your Proficiency score.
If it exceeds the Difficulty by 1, roll If it is less than the Difficulty of the task
D8+D10 and add your Proficiency score. by 1, roll a D6+D8 and add your
Proficiency score.
If it exceeds by 2, roll D10+D10 and add
your Proficiency score. If it is less by 2, roll D6+D6 and add your
Proficiency score.
If it exceeds by 3, roll D12+D10 and add
your Proficiency score. If it is less by 3, roll D6+D4 and add your
Proficiency score.
If it exceeds by 4, roll D12+D12 and add
your Proficiency score. If it is less by 4, roll D4+D4 and add your
Proficiency score.
If it exceeds by 5+, roll D12+D12 with a
property and add your Proficiency score. If it is less by 5+, roll D4+D4 with a
Properties are unique narrative modifiers property and add your Proficiency score.
that are explained on p.116 Properties are unique narrative modifiers
that are explained on p.116

Just remember that a check you are equal to begins at 2D8’s. If your Trait score (say, Mind Exert) is one above
the check’s Difficulty, upgrade one of the dice. If you’re two above the check’s Difficulty, upgrade the other die. If
you’re three above the check, upgrade one of the dice again, etc. The same works in reverse.

109
 SCALING DIFFICULTY particular activity. You will typically not exceed this
Difficulty unless you are making checks on specialized
Your dice will fluctuate on most of your checks
equipment or extremely difficult circumstances. For
because their difficulties will vary based on what’s
Guides looking to simplify the assignments of difficul-
being done. Difficulties will usually be written next
ties, consider your base working scale to be 0-3, and
to the check in parenthesis in listed checks, but
your “extreme task” scale to be 4-6.
you’ll often be making your own scenarios in stories.
Here’s how you assign difficulties to tasks in the
game world: Difficulty 4:
Elite. This level of Difficulty can be tackled by
those who have dedicated themselves to their craft,
Difficulty 0: learned all there is to know, and are naturally canny at
This is the default Difficulty of any check
what they’re doing, but is a hell of a stretch for anyone
considered to be worth taking. You don’t need any
else. Its a good level to use when you want to force
sort of training to pass this, and having some makes
the party to make exceptions to their usual playstyle in
CHECKS

it pretty simple for you. Checks that don’t have a

order to get results. They may have to go find an NPC
listed Difficulty are Difficulty 0. If it should some-
professional to attempt a check at this level if no one
how be even easier than this (for instance, if it is a
in the party has the chops, or they may need to put
0 and the check is simplified), don’t bother rolling
one of their own specialists into a dangerous situation,
for it, just say it happens. Difficulty 0 checks still
as anyone else would fail.
have a reasonably high failure rate simply because
These numbers are good in secret areas with
we don’t consider anything lower than them to be
rampant security, or when negotiating with people
worth rolling dice for. Chances are your character
who expressly don’t like you and have no desire to lis-
can figure it out.
ten to you, or with technical tasks that require master’s
level knowledge or greater to achieve, rather than just
Difficulty 1: “what you picked up in school.”
A basic upgrade to the lowest check Difficulty
indicative of a task requiring some knowledge of the
situation at hand. You can consider this the test Diffi-
Difficulty 5:
culty for most things under pressure. It represents stress This is nearly as hard as it gets. Failures rolled
and time-crunch, and puts people at a little disadvan- at this level should usually have consequences: a task
tage if they don’t know anything about what they’re with this high a Difficulty scale probably has some
doing. innate problem associated with it that will occur if you
fail in your attempt. This is the Guide’s call, but it will
probably show up pretty naturally in the narrative (a
Difficulty 2: failed hack attempt on a battleship’s main computer,
Challenging. Apply Difficulty 2 to any system or
for instance, should probably trigger an alarm).
task you feel should be challenging, but not outrageous.
Breaking into most things in public areas that are con-
sidered “secure” but not “vaulted” are probably in this Difficulty 6:
category. Its a step above a common activity, but still 6 caps out the conventionally accessible scale.
quite a bit below a locked bank vault or military level This is unapproachable by people who haven’t put
launch computer. Combat attacks are Difficulty 2 by considerable research into the topic and is a challenge
default. for even the best in the business.

Difficulty 3:
Difficult. This level of Difficulty pushes what For Example
is approachable for a reasonably educated person Body Exert:Athletics(2) is the syntax for a check
without a great deal of luck on their side. Use this for depicting a character doing something athletic
areas that have really sunk money into their security or with their body of moderate difficulty. When
are particularly paranoid because they’re hiding some- you go to roll this check you’ll roll two dice and
thing very incriminating or important. add your Proficiency score. The dice are deter-
Difficulty 3 caps out what is readily approach- mined by how your Body Exert score compares
able by common individuals, discounting just being to the Difficulty of the task. For this example,
lucky. For people who haven’t dedicated their careers we’ll say you have 2 points in Body Exert and 1
to the study of this particular activity, this will be point in Athletics. 2 is equal to the check’s Dif-
tough. Use Difficulty 3 to force the party to put their ficulty, so your roll in this case is D8+D8+1 (your
best foot forward. At this level and those be- athletics score). If you total a 12 or higher, you
yond it, the characters with the best chances pass.

110
at succeeding are going to be those who
actively built themselves to be good at this

CHECKS
PROPERTIES Simplified checks decrease the Difficulty score
of a check by 1.
If the Difficulty of the task at hand is five
Complicated checks increase the Difficulty score of
points lower or higher than your stat level, you are so
a check by 1.
high above or below it that your successes and failures
These can push Difficulty levels above 6 and below
will be uniquely noticeable. If you are five points above
0.
the Difficulty you can add a unique property to your

success, assuming you succeed. You’re encouraged to
Simplifications and Complications cancel
flavor this to the scene, but here are some options that
each other out if they happen to fall on the same
can almost always be applied. Remember, you only get
check (they won’t often, but you may find a peculiar
one and you must select it before rolling:
item combination that causes it). They also stack, so
a single check may have 2, perhaps even 3, sim-
plifies or complications on it. This can push things
beyond the normal Difficulty threshold of 0-6. Keep

CHECKS
in mind when you’re determining a check’s Diffi-
-You performed the task silently. culty that simplifies and complications are affects.
-You performed the task in a way that was Start with where you think the Difficulty should be
untraceable. normally for the test in standard conditions, then
-You achieved a 10% discount on your ne- simplify or complicate it from there.
gotiation.
-You use fewer resources.
-You recieve a greater social effect.
+1’s
Several abilities in game (most commonly:
-Your action has greater longevity.
Readiness and Focus) can allow you to increment a
-Your action affects other systems of a
single die roll by 1. No matter what ability grants
similiar type.
this, the following rules are true for all +1 situations
(unless specifically overruled by the ability):

If you are five points below the Difficulty the +1’s can be +1 or -1 if the user chooses.
Guide may assign a negative property to your check
before you roll. Some examples could be: +1’s are applied to dice after they’ve been
rolled, once the total is known.

+1’s can be applied to any combination of dice

-You have damaged the situation to the in a single check a maximum of 3 times (so no
point of not being able to attempt a second more than +3 on one check).
check.
-You were loud and obvious, or your attempt +1’s cannot be applied to any check labeled
is clearly visible to passers by. RISKY.
-You have insulted whoever you’re speaking
to and are either ejected from negotiations
or have raised the price 10%.
-A failure on this check is particularly cata-
strophic. Re-rolls
-Your success only accomplishes part of Like +1’s, several abilities in game (most com-
what you wanted. monly: Readiness and Focus) can allow you to re-roll a
die. The following rules are true for all re-roll situations
(unless specifically overruled by the ability):

An original die-roll of 1 cannot be re-rolled

DICE MODIFIERS (though it can be incremented by +1 with an
ability and then re-rolled from its new value
Simplify and Complicate of 2).
These key words come from some morphisms, A die that has been re-rolled once in a check
surgeries, and conditions. They refer primarily to the cannot be re-rolled again.
condition of your physical form and how it affects how If a re-roll ends up worse than the original
hard your task is. If something would grant you a Sim- roll, ignore it. The re-roll still counts as having
plify or Complicate on a specific check it means you been used.
have some sort of environmental or equipment based Re-rolls cannot be applied to any check
advantage or disadvantage. labeled RISKY.

CHECKS

Risky
Risky is a keyword assigned to some checks to
UNIQUE CHECKS
indicate that they are dangerous endevors whose
results you won’t be able to easily control. If a check Opposed checks
written in the book has RISKY on it, you can’t use any When using checks against other characters
+1 or re-roll abilities on it. or objects in a physical contest, the victim will usual-
ly have an opportunity to resist you. These work a bit
differently than a normal check, as the two characters
Rounding are putting their all into the effort and their success is
Occasionally, calculations in this game will re- based primarily on how poorly the other person does.
sult in a decimal. This usually happens if some some Situations where two or more parties are actively ex-
effect would cause a number to be cut in half. If you erting effort against one another are called Opposed
need to round something in HSD, always round it up. checks.
When rolling opposed checks, both players roll
CHECKS

the applicable stat (usually Body in this case) and add

Boons and Faults the applicable Proficiency bonuses like normal. The
Boons and Faults are assigned to specific
same Stat and Proficiency is used by both players. Dif-
proficiencies on your character sheet and represent
ficulty is determined by comparing the two Stat scores.
skills you’re particularly good or bad at. You’ll be
Both characters need a 12 to pass like normal, but in
picking several Boons and Faults for your character
the event that both pass, whoever totals higher wins.
when you create them and adding more as your
character grows.
For Example
Checks that are rolled on Boons have a free, If someone is trying to physically overpower
automatic Focus point that can be used on them an opponent in a contest, such as arm wres-
and add a positive Property to their success. tling, they’ll roll Body Exert: Athletics. We’ll say
Checks that are rolled on Faults add a negative their Athletics score is 2 and their Body Exert
Property to their failure and a Focus must be spent score is 3. Their opponent will also roll Body
to allow other Focus points to be used to modify the Exert:Athletics. Their Athletics score is 3 and
check. their Body Exert score is 2. The is a difference
of 1 between both character’s Exert scores,
Having a Boon or Fault means that you’re par- so the opponent will be rolling D8+D6+3, and
ticularly adept (or particularly crummy) at this action, the first player will be rolling D8+D10+2. They
regardless of context. It can be thought of a bit like roll off and the opponent wins. If they’d tied,
natural talent. Or a complete lack thereof. This is rep- they’d try again after a little narration ex-
resented by having hightened successes and failures plaining that they’d deadlocked each other.
and providing a free Focus point, which is explained in
character generation but is essentually a mechanism
In an opposed check, the stat and Proficiency
for manipulating your rolls with +1’s and re-rolls as
being applied is the same Proficiency on both sides.
referenced above.
(Body Exert:Sabotage vs. Body Exert:Sabotage, or Body
Exert:Athletics vs. Body Exert:Athletics, for instance).
For Example This is both for simplicity (you don’t need to memorize
Rae is making an Community Exert:Communica- a table of relationships, it’s always the same thing
tion check to negotiate a higher fee on a job. on both ends), and because in most cases, in order to
The Guide assigned the check a Difficulty of properly combat an effect, you need to know a few
3. Rae is a good negotiator: she has an ability things about it, and will be drawing on those skills.
that simplifies these sorts of checks and also
has a Boon in communication. Her simplifica- Perceive Checks
tion takes the check’s Difficulty from 3 to 2, Sometimes, all that is needed to thwart some-
and she decides before rolling to use her Boon one’s efforts is to notice what’s going on. This is gen-
to grant her a premium fee if she succeeds. erally true of pickpocketing, hiding, sneaking, or lying.
With her Community Exert score of 3 and her Opposing these actions works a bit differently than
Communication Proficiency score of 2, she rolls opposing a physical check. The side doing the hiding
D10+D8+3 and gets an 11. Thanks to the Boon’s will have a bit of an advantage because the search-
free Focus point, she can bump that to a 12. ing side doesn’t necessarily know what they should be
searching for or where they should be looking, and
sometimes the act of searching will be asynchronous to
the act of hiding.

112
CHECKS
 The side doing the hiding or manipulating or
other act of stealth will execute a check like normal:
SAVES
Saves differ from opposed checks in that
selecting a Stat and Proficiency that make sense for
they’re opposing a single, one-time event, not with
what’s going on and aiming for a 12. Body Exert:Stealth
the intent of “beating” or “noticing” it, but more with
is a common one, used for hiding. The Difficulty for
the intent of “surviving until it ends.” This is generally
this check begins at 2 and is modified by the scene’s
you against the environment or an incoming effect,
description. If it’s dark, it’s easy to hide and the check
rather than you against another thinking thing that
should be simplified. If it’s bright and you’re the only
will vary its intensity over a period depending on
one in the room, it’s much harder and the check should
your actions.
be complicated. The Guide will establish Difficulty
There are three types of saves: a Dodge
based on what your character knows, not what they
save, which represents you trying to avoid some-
don’t know. This means things like hiding, lying, pick-
thing quickly, an Endure save, which represents
pocketing, or other acts of subterfuge that rely on
you resisting some sort of debilitating effect after
discovery to be thwarted have their difficulties deter-
already being hit by it, and a Resolve save, which

CHECKS
mined by the environment rather than by other people.
represents you fighting off the effects of a specifi-
This is helpful in that you won’t always be hiding at the
cally mind-altering ability.
same time someone is looking for you. The opponent
can then perform a Perceive check.
Rolling Saves
Saves roll just like checks, using the following
scores:
Perception is a check like normal, except that
Dodge: Use Body Perceive vs the Difficulty of
you use your Perceive trait score for comparing
the save and add your Dodge Save to the roll.
Difficulty (Body for noticing physical things,
Mind for noticing patterns or metaphysical
Endure: Use Body Exert vs the Difficulty of the
things, and Community for noticing lies, deceit,
save and add your Endure Save to the roll.
or other interpersonal tells) instead of your Ex-
ert score, and add your Exert score instead of
Resolve: Use the weaker of your two Mind
a Proficiency score. The Difficulty on this check,
scores vs the Difficulty of the save and add your
just like it is with hiding, begins at 2 and can
Resolve save to the roll.
be further complicated or simplified based on
the conditions of the scene.
Difficulties
Save Difficulties work just like normal Difficul-
Whoever rolls higher wins, and in the case of
ties, though the dangerous nature of needing a save
Perception checks, ties go with the person doing the
means that most save Difficulties are going to start
hiding rather than the seeking.
around a 3 if they’re being provoked by some sort of
Opposed Perceive checks don’t continue round
explosion or dangerous environmental effect.
to round unless something is triggering them. For in-
All of these saves play roles in and out of com-
stance, if someone attempts to pick-pocket or sneak
bat situations, but they’re specific to traps, environmen-
out of a room and isn’t noticed when the action takes
tal events, and various other trips and tricks that pop
place, the people trying to notice them don’t get to
up, rather than “general attacks.” Your general ability
keep rolling again and again until they eventually
to avoid incoming damage or resist harm is reflected
catch on. They’re entitled to one attempt when the
in the combat rules.
action takes place and if they fail the action succeeds
unnoticed. Ongoing Opposed Perceive actions (like
sneaking around in combat) have conditions written on
them that dictate when someone is entitled to try and For Example
see them. Rae is trying to leap clear of an incoming
grenade. The grenade allows a Dodge save
at Difficulty 3 to reduce incoming damage by
For Example
half. Rae has a 2 in her Body Perceive, so she’ll
Jae walks into an unfamiliar room and looks
be rolling D8+D6. She also has an Evade score
around for any indication of other people. He’s
of 16. Every 10 points in Evade grants 1 point to
physically looking for objects, so his check will
her Dodge save, so she has a Dodge save of 1
be Body Perceive. The Guide feels the condi-
in this case. She rolls D8+D6+1 and gets a 10.
tions are normal so they assign the check a
Not quite enough. This one’s going to hurt.
Difficulty of 2. Jae has a Body Perceive of 2,
so he’s equal to the task. He’ll roll D8+D8+his
Body Exert score, which is 3. 113
SAVES
 Persuasion, Intimidation, and Other Convincing
Community Trickery Convincing a dubious person that you’re genu-
ine uses the same exert and perceive pattern as lying,
HSD doesn’t have a strict intimidation mechan- except that the nature of “realizing” will usually result
ic. Most acts of social trickery will illicit different in the target accepting the player’s words if they pass
responses depending on the situation, the setting, the perception check and refusing them otherwise.
the execution, and even the people you’re with, For instance, if the building you’re in has a
which I felt made it strange to have a single “if this bomb in it and you’re trying to convince a skeptical
works, this person will ‘x’” rule regarding behavior. tennant they need to leave, your Community Exert:
Instead, we deal with things of this nature in the Communication check is genuine and made simpler the
following way: more evidence you provide. The default behavior of
your target is skepticism and disbelief, so if they fail
Begin your lie, your act of intimidation, your act of their Community Perceive check, they’ll continue with
that behavior. Succeeding will make them realize that
CHECKS

persuasion, etc, by making a Community Exert: Com-

munication check. The Difficulty is based on how the things you’re presenting are true, and they will
hard the line is to make convincing in the current then react according to their own personality with the
context. Having weapons out in a back alley where belief that they’re being told the truth. That last part
you’re not being seen makes an intimidation check is important: some people may refuse to go along with
pretty simple, but growling at someone in the mid- something even knowing that it’s the truth, out of duty
dle of a hotel lobby with guards at the doors and or pride. And some people may be so set in their own
cameras all around may make it harder to pull off. beliefs that getting them to see otherwise is extreme-
Roll and see if you pass. ly difficult, resulting in a very high Difficulty score on
From there, the person you’re attempting to affect their perception check.
will roll Community Perceive. If they succeed, they
will see the attempt for what it is: an attempt to
manipulate their behavior using tools like attitude, Resolve Saves vs. Communicaiton
appearance, etc. If they fail, they will see the attempt Checks
at face value and react according to their own
personality. Resolve saves are primarily used to resist
actual mind-altering affects as generat-
This results in a lot of different things depend- ed by technological or supernatural means,
ing on the people involved. For instance, in the hotel rather than just conversation. HSD treats
example, if you’re attempting to intimidate the clerk person-to-person manipulation attempts as
and she fails her Community Perceive check, she will realizing when you’re being duped vs. taking
interpret the attempt as what it looks like: someone what you hear at face value. In most cases,
is threatening her life or well being. If she cares more if a resolve save is needed, an event will
about that than her job, she’ll probably step aside and prompt one in its description.
“give in” to the intimidation. However not everyone
reacts to threats that way. She may just as easily pull
a shotgun up from under the desk and decide it’s time
to fight to protect herself. The players don’t know what
sort of person someone is until they’ve watched them
for a while. Attempting to lie or intimidate holds risks
regardless of the outcome of the check.
On that same token, if she’d passed the per-
ception check, it means she detected that this was a
bluff and will act accordingly. That might mean blow-
ing the party off, or it might mean calling security,
depending on the attitude of the person. The party,
likewise, can choose impulsively to make the bluff less
a bluff and more a prelude and attack the clerk when
its clear she’s not going to fold. Intimidating is an ini-
tiation to uncertain action. You can attempt to manip-
ulate with it, but in the end your results are going to
depend more on the people than the roll.

114
SAVES
 RESCUES
Every character begins the game with one Rescue and can replenish it if it’s been used at landmark pro-
gression. Using a rescue is a bit like signaling to the Guide that you feel your character is in over their head and
you don’t want them to be punished for it. Typically, Rescues are used when you’ve failed a roll and are plummet-
ing to your death, or a building is falling on you, or something similarly catastrophic is occurring. Upon use, some
event in the narrative will occur that will rescue your character from the brink of death (or even after death). A
party member can get there just in time to haul them to safety, or the rocks will barely miss, etc. If you have a
Rescue, you have a single “get out of jail free” card available if you need it. They cannot be stockpiled, but if one
is used up, it can be replenished the next time a landmark rolls around.
Players can take risks knowing they have a rescue available to help them. Rescues are the hand of fate
interceding on your behalf, which is a tad meta, but player characters are inherently lucky critters. However, there
is a limitation to rescues: they can only ever be used once on events that are deliberately player generated. Total,
not just per arc. For instance, if C’nek has a plan to bring a building down on his head in order to wipe out a
team of enemies, he can do so deliberately, and use a Rescue to have his character flee the area with just mo-
ments to spare, resulting in an impressive looking scene. However, he has now used his only player-driven rescue
situation. If he ever sets off a bomb in his own general proximity again, he’s going to have to rely on dicerolls
to get him out alive or die like anyone else (and won’t be able to use a Rescue to save himself from those rolls,
either!) He can still use one to save him from sheer bad luck in other, non-player-caused situations, though. These
rescues apply to one, specific event; they do not work as a blanket pass for an entire scene.
Lastly: Rescues exist as permission for players to get attached to their characters, knowing that if all else
fails, they can save them once if they need to. They don’t need to be followed to the letter of the law, and can
even be used to rescue a dead character through various plothooks like hidden clones or digital downloads or
other shenanigans. Talk with the party and the player and find something that satisfies everyone’s suspension of
disbelief. This does not mean rescues will save you without any repercussions. You might be injured, or captured, or
lose some memory, or any number of other contextually appropriate things. But you’ll be alive!
116
 CHARACTER GENERATION
SUMMARY
Apply Family Abilities and Scores
Apply abilities, Boons, and Faults given to you by your
family choice. Pg. 123

Apply Morphism Modifiers (Vectors, Blips)

Incorporate abilities, Faults, perks and drawbacks given
to you by your Morphism choice. This will also give you a
Move, Base Mass, and Shape score.
Pg. 124-125

Apply Frame Modifiers (Cogs)

Incorporate the qualities and abilities given to you by your
Frame choice. This will also give you a Move, Base Mass,
and Shape score.
Pg. 126-127

Fill out your Character Progression Sheet

Begin the game with 210 exp. No Proficiency may be
above 3, and no Stat can be progressed to the 4 level.
Pg. 128

Fill in Soft Scores

Use the wholeness chart to translate your Base Mass and
Total Mass into Wounds, Evade, and Endure scores. Then
use the provided information to fill out the remainder of
your character’s numbers.
Pg. 133, 122

Apply Background Abilities

At the start of the game you won’t have any passive back-
ground abilities, but you’ll get your first one inside of the
first few sessions. Your once-per-arc ability is available
immediately.
Pg. 134

Apply Education
Apply Boons to your character sheet based on the corps
that educated you
Pg. 140

Customize your Character

Use 3 customization points to buy unique score changes
for your character, and apply 3 Personal Quirks to them
from the available options. Apply one Reclaimation
surgery (Vector) or one Specialization (Cog) to your
character
Pg. 141

Buy Equipment
Starting characters begin with 1000 credits to use on
equipment. Starting characters typically can’t buy things
with a gearscore above 2 unless the Guide has decided
that’s okay. Once the game begins they can seek out rarer
items on their own.
Pg. 186
117
 Stat points
CRUNCHTIME When you go to build your character using the
character generation rules, you’ll be plugging
Okay, you’re familiar with the setting and you experience points into the character progression
have an idea of who to play. Now it’s time to chart and gaining abilities based on what you
translate that idea into values on the charac- buy. In that chart, under all three Stats, you’ll see
ter sheet so the game’s systems can make use a breakdown between the Stat and Perception
of them. To begin, let’s learn what all these scores. Each has 5 hexagons labeled 1-5. We call
values actually mean. these Stat Score Nodes. Buying these nodes with
experience increases your score in that partic-
CRUNCHTIME

ular property to the listed number, thus making

you more powerful in the associated area. You’ll
also be buying other bubbles between these stat
YOUR CHARACTER SCORES points that do other things for your character.
Each individual bubble is called a Progression
BACKGROUND:
Name: Race: Morphism: Node and will give you a choice between various
Family: Species: Corps: POSITIVE NEGATIVE
bonuses.
Limited Ability (p. ):
Base Mass +Armor Mass +/-Misc = TOTAL MASS
Ability 1 (p. ): Ability 2 (p. ): Ability 3 (p. ):

Base Move -Armor Penalty +/-Misc = TOTAL MOVE

PROFICIENCIES
Battle Score (p. 322 ):
Name: ProficienciesRace:
SIMPLIFICATIONS indicate how
Source skilled
Morphism:
COMPLICATIONS your char- Source
acter is at a specific
Family: task rather than
Species: in general. Your
Corps:

MIND EVADE Proficiency is added to your rolls once you’ve rolled the Limited A
BaseYou’ll
dice. Mass get+Armor Mass
Proficiency +/-Misc as you
points = TOTAL
work MASS through
EXERT Ability 1 (
PERCEIVE WOUNDS INITIATIVE
ENDURE
Crunchtime, so go ahead and spend them once you’ve
gotten them. It-Armor
Base Move willPenalty
help you +/-Misc craft the =things TOTAL MOVE your char-
BODY FOCUS
acter is good at.
RESOLVE SAVE
+1 for every Landmark Proficiencies are primarily used with a single
EXERT TECHNIQUES TOTAL | SPENT
PERCEIVE READINESS
StatBattle
butScore
can(p.occasionally
322 ): be associated with more
than one Stat in rare situations where you feel they
COMMUNITY
DODGE SAVE
Ranged Damage Bonus
can apply. MINDThe Stat most commonly used EVADEfor each
+1 for every 10 in Evade
ProficiencyEXERTwill be in parentheses beside the name.
EXERT
PERCEIVE Melee Damage Bonus
Proficiencies with two WOUNDS
PERCEIVE stats listedINITIATIVE beside their name
ENDURE
ENDURE SAVE primarily use the first one but have a few specific situ-
+1 for every 10 in Endure ations in the rules where the
BODY PERSONAL QUIRKS ANDsecond
ABILITIES oneFOCUS
is employed.Source
RESOLVE SAVE
Proficiencies naturally cap at 4 and are typ-
+1 for every Landmark

STATS PROFICIENCIES ically earned EXERTvia the character progression chart by

PERCEIVE
using experience or through in-game learning. There is
READINESS
Stats come in three flavors: Mind,
ATHLETICS Body, and
PILOT
a special fifth rank in each DODGEProficiency called “Preemi-
NAME

Community. Each
COMMUNICATION Stat contains two Traits: the Exert
PROTOCOL COMMUNITY
SAVE
Ranged Damagepoints
Bonus
nence,” but it cannot be +1 forpurchased
every 10 in Evade through and
Score, which you’ll
CQC use to establish check Difficulty,
RANGED COMBAT
and
must be earnedEXERT through gameplay. The coveted fifth
a Perception score, which indicates your ability to no-
ENGINEERING SABOTAGE point is achieved
PERCEIVE through a special, personal Preemi-
Melee Damage Bonus
tice things LOGIC
related to that stat. You canSCIENCE
think of these
nence quest described in the SAVE
Adventuring chapter.
BOON

ENDURE
as charts MEDICINE
of your character’s growth in mental prowess,
FAULT

+1 for every 10 in Endure

STEALTH
physical ability, and push and pull in the community.
OPERATE
They will grow as your character advances.
PROFICIENCIES
Your Exert score is your “do it” trait. When you
need to accomplish anything that requires exerting ATHLETICS PILOT
force, activating things, or taking direct action, you’ll
NAME

COMMUNICATION PROTOCOL
use this and add a Proficiency score as a bonus.
CQC RANGED COMBAT
Perception is your “notice it” trait. When you
ENGINEERING SABOTAGE
need to spot something such as an object, a pattern, or
a social cue, or need to recognize something based on LOGIC SCIENCE
BOON
FAULT

description or memory, you’ll use Perception in the MEDICINE STEALTH

related Stat to establish Difficulty, and add OPERATE
your Exert score as a bonus instead of Profi-
118 ciency.

TERMS
 PROFICIENCY LIST Pilot (Mind, Body)
General skill for the piloting of vehicles, be they space
ships, cars, tanks, or anything else requiring constant
Athletics (Body) input to continue moving safely. Inherent to a score
Running, jumping, climbing trees, anything involving con- in this Proficiency is the knowledge of any applica-
siderable physical effort and gross motor skills. ble laws regarding the operation of whatever you’re
piloting.
Communication (Community, Body)
Explanation, performance, dancing, singing, using Protocol (Community, Mind)
reputation to command, lying, intimidation, deception, Knowledge of security protocols, corptown protocols,
coercion, the act of eliciting action based on threat or social hierarchies, ranks, and insignia. Knowledge
misleading, and anything else involved in conveying info regarding weapons and combat equipment, costs,
from one person to another. laws, and other social nuances. Protocol can be fur-
ther enhanced by your corptown knowledge, gained
CQC (Body) through your history. This is also a good skill for identi-
Used to aim in close combat. fying what physical object you might need to correctly
bypass a situation like a lock without breaking it.
Engineering (Mind, Body)
Crafting, the creation of mods and blueprints, and Ranged Combat (Mind)
understanding how an object was made. Repairing Used to aim in ranged combat.
damaged equipment, armor, vehicles, and Cogs (works
like medicine) is also in this. The applicable stat comes Sabotage (Mind/Body)
down to whether you’re working with a printer and Hacking, lock picking, trapping, tweaking, or otherwise
designing (Mind) or if you’re working with tools and modifying a physical (Body) or digital (Mind) object.
repairing in person (Body). The key goal here is to get something to behave dif-
ferently than intended when used.
Logic (Mind/Community)
Deciphering puzzles, thinking, computing mathemat- Science (Mind)
ics, navigation, memory, building plans, programming Examination of chemicals or strange effects and anom-
code from scratch to run things. Occasionally used with alies, creation of chemicals or explosives, identification
Community to insist or resist something based on actu- of biological phenomena or diagnosis of strange physi-
al, factual knowledge. cal phenomena. Knowledge of astronomical events.

Medicine (Mind) Stealth (Body/Community)

Healing, surgery, use of medical equipment, diagnosis, Hiding, moving stealthily, blending into a crowd, and
prognosis, triage. While medical tools do require the generally trying not to be seen. Hiding an object on
use of one’s body to operate, the physical needs are your person or in a room uses this. Fine motor skills,
less than the mental ones, so you’ll default to Mind in sleight of hand, pick-pocketing, balance, careful physi-
all but extreme cases. cal work, and other high dexterity actions also use this
Proficiency.
Operate (Body/Mind)
General skill for the operation of most equipment and
anything involving a physical interface in which multiple
controls are manipulated in order to produce action.
This primarily involves using an object or system as it BOONS/FAULTS
was intended to be used, rather than attempting to Getting a Boon on the character progression
break or re-engineer it. chart allows you to add a Boon to your char-
acter’s Proficiency section or to remove a Fault.
Boons and Faults add properties to your suc-
cesses and failures as described in the Checks
section. You can denote individual Boons and
Faults by putting a mark in the top or bottom of
the related Proficiency, next to where you mark
the score.

119
 FOCUS EVADE
Focus embodies your character’s ability to put Also known as Evasion, this is how dodgy your
their mind or body to the task at hand. Focus is a character is, how well they can react to incoming
points pool, and you can spend the Focus points in threats, and how mobile they are in their armor. In ad-
that pool to add +1 to dice in checks or to re-roll dition to being used to determine Dodge save scores,
dice. Focus points only apply to checks made outside this value indicates how hard you are to hit in combat.
of combat. The Focus pool refreshes daily, usually
once your character sleeps (though you can attach
it to a daily ritual or narrative point of some kind if ENDURE
you’d like to, provided it isn’t refreshing more than This is how tough you are physically. It helps
once a day). You can earn more Focus by buying +1 keep you from excessive harm in combat and can be
CRUNCHTIME

Focus on the character progression chart. used in Endure saves to lessen incoming effects or snap
All characters should consider having at least out of a debilitating condition. When enemies attack
a little Focus. It’s more than a bonus; it’s the ability you they’ll have to exceed your endure score in dam-
to boost success rates on the checks you feel are age before you’ll actually get hurt.
important to you. In your character’s early life it’s
pretty difficult to pass some checks without hav-
ing Focus to assist you. Remember: failing a check SAVES
isn’t “losing” – it’s just changing the direction of the As mentioned in the Checks section, these save
narrative – but having Focus around will help you scores are used to resist environmental effects. Resolve
succeed when you feel you really need to. saves protect your mind, Dodge saves get you out of
You can list your base Focus score at the bot- the way of harm, and Endure saves protect you from
tom of the hex and your current score at the top. danger you’re already stuck in.

READINESS MOVEMENT
This determines your ability to focus in com- Does more or less what you think it would. Each
bat, as manifested through initiative bonuses and dice point in Movement counts as a hex (three feet) on the
modifiers. When combat begins, you’ll be allocating battlefield. This is typically ignored in general narra-
some or none of your Readiness to your Initiative score. tive, but it does serve as a nice at-a-glance number
Initiative allows for quick action and bonus actions. for determining who is faster in a chase. You can pur-
The remaining Readiness indicates how many re-rolls chase more Movement on the Character progression
and +1’s you can make in the combat. Initiative slots in chart. It is added to the base score established by your
combat can be swapped among your party, so high- Morphism.
er Initiative scores give your party the opportunity to
strike before the enemy, but having a high Readiness
pool allows you to re-roll critical die rolls that don’t go
TECHNIQUES (pg. 328)
These special abilities are angled toward
your way or to improve your ability to aim. Readiness giving your character an edge in combat and don’t
can be thought of as Focus points specifically for com- typically provide much utility outside of it. They’re a
bat use. Readiness refreshes to full at the same time good way to refine your fighting style in a way you en-
Focus does. You can earn more Readiness by buying +1 joy playing and will increase your utility and survivabil-
Readiness on the character progression chart. You can ity in combat. Techniques are where you want to look
list your base Readiness score at the bottom of the hex when it comes to describing and building to embody a
and your current score at the top. specific combat style or method.
Techniques are purchased using technique
INITIATIVE points. Once you know a Technique you can use it as
described, in combat. They don’t expire or get used up
This score begins at zero and will stay that
way unless you choose to enhance it as you build your and can be used multiple times per combat unless stat-
character. In addition to determining your turn order in ed otherwise in their description. Techniques are rather
combat, Initiative indicates the ability for you to think clear-cut in what they allow you to do, so as to cut
quickly, which translates into bonus actions in a fight. back on confusion or ambiguity in their interpretation
Even if you don’t end up boosting this score through on the battle grid, but they do represent actual tech-
character growth you can augment it per-fight as niques your character has learned or innovated to help
described in Readiness. You can list your base initiative them fight. If your character knows, say, the Stealth
score at the bottom of the hex and your current score Fighter Technique, that says something about their per-
at the top. sonality and should be factored into their reputation
with respect to role play. That’s up to you to implement
in your game, just remember this portion is still “char-
120 acter building,” not just ability grabbing.

TERMS
 MASS WOUNDS
Mass depicts how densely built, resilient, and Wounds are used to depict how debilitated
heavy you are. This filters into your Endure and Evade you’re becoming by incoming damage or trauma.
scores to give you an overall feel for your character’s Typically they’re gained by physical damage, but
size as well as determining their Wound max. Every you can think of them as a combination of battle-
character morphism includes a Base Mass score. The field stress, actual injuries, exhaustion, and any num-
lower your Mass, the higher your Evade, which makes ber of other things that would gradually weaken
you better at avoiding damage. But high Mass scores and disable you as they accumulate. As you’re hurt,
translate into a higher Wound max and higher Endure, you’ll add Wounds to your Wound total. When your
allowing you to soak more incoming damage. Wound count exceeds your max level, your character
There are two Mass scores that matter to a falls unconscious. This is called being downed.
character: your Base Mass, which is determined by Your Wound score (the maximum Wounds you
your Morphism, and your Total Mass, which is your can take) is determined by Base Mass. You can find
Mass score after anything additional (like armor) has your Wound score by tracing your Base Mass along
been added to it. Both are used in a variety of ways the Wholeness chart, which we’ll do in a bit when
throughout the game. we travel through Crunchtime. While your Endure
score can vary with different types of armor, your
Wound score can usually only be changed through
surgery or special abilities.
Place your base Wound score (maximum)
in the bottom of the hex and your current Wound
count in the top.

SHAPE
Shape represents the hexes your character takes up on a hex grid. For the sake of combat measurements,
these are taken literally, but in general narration you can interpret this as “how much space you take up.” This is
a little different from your Base Mass score, which is not always a factor of your physical dimensions. Some small
creatures are very dense and robust, and as such may have a higher Base Mass score than their shape suggests.
Likewise, some creatures take up a large hex area on the board but are spindly and light, with a lower Base
Mass score. Your Morphism will determine your Shape, and you can represent it on the board by expanding the
base of your miniature or modifying its image if you’re playing online.

Shape Description

Standard: Your character takes up 1 hex on the game board and can move in any direction from that hex.
Small: Your base is less than one Long: Your character takes up 2 Large: Your base is a trio of
hex in size. For the purposes of hexes, with their head and forward hexes in a triangle shape. Move-
placement on the board, you take section in the first hex and the rest ment is measured from a hex of
up a hex as normal, but you count of their body in the hex behind it. your choice when you move. Use
as having a hex occupancy of 0. Movement is measured from a hex the center of your triangle base to
You move as a Standard shape of your choice when you move. Long determine clear line of sight for
would but you can move through characters draw line of sight from shooting, but any corner of the trio
hexes occupied by friendly char- the center of either hex as a Stan- for measuring line of sight against
acters or stay in the same hex as dard shape would and can shoot half-covered targets (see Com-
them if you want to. You can move from any corner of either base bat). Any hex can be targeted by
through enemy hexes as well but when trying to check line of sight attacks using the normal rules for
count them as difficult terrain. to half-covered targets (see Com- targeting.
You are targetable as a Standard bat). Likewise, when being shot at,
shape would be. either hex can be targeted using Large characters Complicate any
the normal rules for targeting. Operate check using Body. Large
Small characters Complicate any characters can’t use Small or Micro
Operate check using Body. Small sized weapons.
characters can only use Micro sized
weapons and Small weapons.
 CHARACTER SHEET STARTER SCORE REFERENCE
Shape, Base Mass, and Movement Dodge Save
These are determined by Morphism or Frame. This begins at 0. For every 10 points you have in Evade,
your Dodge save goes up by 1. Adjust it up or down if
Total Mass your Evade adjusts.
This is Base Mass+Armor Mass. Armor Mass comes from
armor, so revisit this when you buy some. Endure Save
This begins at 0. For every 10 points you have in Endure,
Wounds, Endure, and Evade your Endure save goes up by 1. Adjust it up or down if
Evade and Endure are determined by your Total Mass your Endure adjusts.
score, but you’ll have a baseline value determined by
your Base Mass score you can plug in for when you’re Resolve Save
unarmored. To find that score, consult the Wholeness This begins at 0. For every landmark you have, your
Chart on pg. 133. Resolve save goes up by 1. Landmarks are explained on
pg. 130
Focus
This begins at 0 and increments based on the Ranged Damage Bonus (RDB)
progression chart. This begins equal to your Mind Exert score and in-
creases as you grow. It is added to your ranged dam-
Readiness age.
This begins at 0 and increments based on the
progression chart. Melee Damage Bonus (MDB)
This begins equal to your Body Exert score and increas-
Initiative es as you grow. It is added to you melee damage.
This begins at 0 and increments based on the
progression chart.
122
 Canidae
GENERATION MODIFIERS Ability: Simplify checks involving Athletics.
Now that you have your character in mind, Boon/Fault selection: Communication, Athletics,
we begin their scores based on the decisions you Sabotage.
made during character creation. Sometimes, certain
bonuses or negatives awarded to your character be-
cause of their innate abilities will overlap with ones
Felidae
Ability: Simplify checks involving Stealth.
you gain later. If the bonus or negative is the same
Boon/Fault selection: Stealth, Athletics,
thing (a Boon on top of a Boon, or a Fault on top of
Communication.
a Fault, or a Proficiency in excess of the maximum
amount) simply apply them somewhere else. If the
bonus is an opposite (a Boon on top of a Fault) the Avialae (Airworthy unless Cog. Pg.132)
two cancel each other out. Begin from the top: Ability: Simplify Body: Perceive checks.
Boon/Fault selection: Communication, Logic,
Family Abilities (Vectors, Cogs, Blips) Operate.
*The Avialae family included owls once,
To the right is a list of the abilities, Boons but that species was eliminated shortly after
and Faults related to the family you selected for creation due to unforeseen, and horrifically
your character. Select one of the three listed Pro- violent, complications. No owl Vector is
currently known to exist. Owl Blips have been made, but are
ficiencies by your Family and mark it as a Boon on
generally considered to be in poor taste by most of Sol.
your sheet. The two remaining become Faults; mark
those as well. You can also select one Reclamation
ability from your family at this time if your character Reptilia
is a Vector. Cogs are granted a Specialization later Ability: Simplify Endure saves.
instead. Blips chose any Family ability and any Boon/ Boon/Fault selection: Stealth, Medicine, Protocol.
Fault combination listed but must pull their begin- *Snakes have the Lateral Morphism by default.
ning Reclamation ability from the General category
rather than from a specific Family.
Making a character from an Order is the
Mustelidae
Ability: Simplify Dodge saves.
same as making a character from the Family it’s
Boon/Fault selection: Operate, Engineering,
associated with. When you’re done, you will still have
Sabotage.
1 Boon and 2 Faults.

Ursidae
Ability: Simplify checks involving Engineering.
Boon/Fault selection: Science, Communication,
Athletics.

Delphinidae (Seaworthy unless Cog, Pg.132)

Ability: Simplify Mind: Perceive checks.
Boon/Fault selection: Pilot, Operate, Logic.

Selachii (Seaworthy unless Cog)

Ability: Simplify checks involving Operate.
Boon/Fault selection: Medicine, Athletics,
Stealth.
*Great Whites and Hammerheads were deliberately
excluded from the Selachii line to avoid potential social
complications.

Rodentia
Ability: Simplify checks involving Sabotage.
Boon/Fault selection: Operate, Engineering,
Science.
**The Rodentia mixed family adopted bat Vectors, which
have the Airworthy trait unless they are Cogs (pg. 132).

Ungulata
Ability: Simplify Resolve saves.
Boon/Fault selection: Athletics, Protocol,
Medicine.
FAMILY
 Morphism Modifiers (Vectors, Blips) Lateral
Morphisms provide a Shape, Base Mass, Fault,
Perk ability, and Drawback to your character. In ad- 2 2 Small
dition, Morphisms have social biases described in the
Base Move Base Mass Shape
Morphism section. Simplify Community checks if said OR
check involves socializing with a group that would
find your appearance endearing, attractive, or unique; 3 4 Standard
Complicate Community checks against groups that Base Move Base Mass Shape Sna
would find your appearance weird, garish, distracting, OR Do
or offensive. Where these lines are depend on your gra
4 6 Long bu
group, your Guide, and the actual story context of your
Base Move Base Mass Shape hap
interaction. Most general civilians won’t care one way
or another, but there’s generally a niche somewhere or If
Fault: Operate
other that will bring it up. Move
Blips may also have Morphisms, though theirs If your character is an Aquatic or Avian Lateral, their
scor
are a result of deliberate design rather than random flyin
land-based Movement score is effectively 2 (unless it
chance. Use all the same mechanics listed under the would be lower), regardless of any other bonuses. In the
Morphism, but ignore any morphism-specific social water or in flight, their Movement score is effectively
Per
biases; instead, use a general social response to Blips. 3x what their Movement score would be were it not
bein
Being a scratch built lifeform already affords you a adjusted to 2. Certain species such as otters and
you P
myriad of social issues regardless of how you end up running birds have reasonable land speeds despite
an En
looking. their Lateral nature (read: faster than a dolphin would
be). For these species, use their normal Movement
Ang
speed for land and twice that for sea/air.
the R

Basic Body Perks: Your first moveAberrant

actionAnatomy
in a turn does not trigger
Basic Body threat responses. AAberrant Anatomy
player with this Morphism begins Dra
the game with two free Reclamation surgeries of their as m
3 5 Standard 2 5 Standard
3 5 Standard choice from
2 their Family options
5 that do not count
Standard giv
Base Move Base Mass Shape Basethe
against Move Basenaturally.
ones they gain Mass Shape the
Roleplay-wise, the
Base Move Base Mass Shape Basedid
character Movenot actuallyBase Mass surgery; theShape
undergo abilities are
Snakes may choose to have had a body replacement at Fault: Stealth
are simply part of having an animal body. Flighted g
aSnakes
young may
age choose to have
that granted hadaabasic
them bodybody.
replacement
There is at Laterals, like those of the Fault: Stealth
Avialae family, should proba-
a young
no age
cost for that
this; granted
just them
apply this a basic body.
Morphism There
instead of is Snakes
bly take thecan take this
Reclaimed Morphism
Large in addition
Wing surgery to can
so they An
no cost for this; justLateralism.
apply this Morphism instead of stay Snakes
Lateralism.
aloft can
forApply take
longerthe this Morphism
Perks,
than Faults,
half an hour. in “Should”
and addition
Drawbacks.to
should bac
Lateralism. Lateralism. Apply the Perks, Faults, and
probably be treated as “must” in most cases, unless you Drawbacks.
have a particularly compelling flightless bird concept Taur
Perks: Add wings,
you want totails, “aquatic,”
try (and or arms
a patient to your
party). b
Perks: Tails
character. Add (prehensile)
wings, tails, and
“aquatic,”
extra orarmsarms to as
work your
per
character.
having a Tails
limb (prehensile)
augmentation and extra
surgery. arms
Wings work
grant as per
Hybrid Drawbacks:
having a limb Body+Operate
augmentation checks are doubly
surgery.Seaworthy.
Wings grant
Airworthy.
Complicated. Aquatic
You must anatomy
pass grants
Body+Athletics(2), to move
Hybrid Airworthy. Aquatic anatomy grants Seaworthy.
and attack in the same turn if your attack involves a
3 5 Standard weapon that is not
Drawbacks: a glove or Stealth
Complicate some sort of surgical
checks.
3 5 Standard attachment. Roll in theComplicate
Drawbacks: chatter step and choose
Stealth checks.actions
Base Move Base Mass Shape
Base Move Base Mass Shape based on your result.
Fault: Protocol
Fault: Protocol
Snakes can take this Morphism in addition to
Snakes Apply
Lateralism. can take
the this Morphism
Perks, in addition
Faults, and to
Drawbacks.
Lateralism. Apply the Perks, Faults, and Drawbacks. Micro
Micro

Perks: When picking Reclamation surgeries, this character 2 3 Small

Perks:
can When
select picking Reclamation
from both surgeries,
parent families. For this character
all other 2 3 Small
can select from both parent families. For all other Base Move Base Mass Shape
aspects, select one family to be your primary family and Base Move Base Mass Shape
aspects, select one family to be your primary
take associated stats from them. family and
take associated stats from them. Fault: Athletics
Fault: Athletics
Drawbacks: None Perks: Simplify Body Exert:Stealth checks.
Drawbacks: None Perks: Simplify Body Exert:Stealth checks.

Drawbacks: Complicate Body Exert checks related

Drawbacks: Complicate
to moving and Bodythings
manipulating Exert checks
scaled related
for
to moving
standard sizedand manipulating
people (not your things scaled
purchased for
gear).
standard sized people (not your purchased gear).
124
 Taurism Lever-Stanced

4 7
Taurism Long 4 6
Lever-Stanced Long
Base Move Base Mass Shape Base Move Base Mass Shape
4 7 Long 4 6 Long
Fault: Stealth Fault: Engineering
Base Move Base Mass Shape Base Move Base Mass Shape
Snakes can take this Morphism instead of Lateralism. Only the Canidae, Felidae, Avialae, and Reptilia Families
Doing so returns them Fault:toStealth
a normal Vector size and Fault: Engineering
may take this Morphism. Snakes may take this Morphism
grants them a serpentine lower body instead of legs, and regain their arms and legs to take the described
Snakes
but acan takereptilian
this Morphism
Vectorinstead
torso. Aofsimilar
Lateralism. Only posture.
the Canidae, Felidae, Avialae, and Reptilia
Doing
normal
so returns them to a normal Vector size
effect
and Avialae who take this morphism areFamilies
called
happens to aquatic Vectors like Sharks and Dolphins. may take this Morphism. Snakes may take
wyverns (though they tend to be more feathery this Morphism
than the
grants them a serpentine lower body instead of legs, and regain their arms and legsmodel).
to take the described
butIfayour
normal reptilian
character Vector
is an torso.
Aquatic or AAvian
similar effect
Taur, their traditional
posture. Avialae who take this morphism are called
happens
Movement toscore
aquatic Vectors like
is effectively Sharks
half theirandlisted Dolphins.
Movement wyverns (though they tend to be more feathery than the
score while on land, to a minimum of 1. In the water or Perks: Simplify traditional
Athletics checks
model).related to running,
r If your respectively,
character is their
an Aquatic or Avian
flying, Movement scoreTaur, their
is effectively jumping and climbing, and Evade saves. You can take
Movement score is effectively half their
2x their listed Movement score. listed Movement the Combat Flying Technique (and use it, but you’re only
he Perks: Simplify Athletics checks related
score while on land, to a minimum of 1. In the water or leaping, not flying. No additional CombattoFlying
running,
related
y flying, jumping and apply).
climbing, and fall
Evade saves. asYouonecandistance
take
Perks:respectively, their saves
Simplify Endure Movement scoreupright
to remain is effectively
against Techniques Count damage
being knocked 2x their
Pronelisted Movement
or moved. If anscore.
ability would knock thecategory
Combat lower.
Flying Avialae
Technique who(and usethis
take it, but you’re treat
morphism only
you Prone or move you automatically, you are entitled to leaping, not flying. No additional Combat Flying
their movement as though they were avian taurs but related
Perks: Simplify
an Endure saveEndure
againstsaves
it attoGuide
remain upright against
determined difficulty Techniques
may move apply). Count
at full fall
speed ondamage as one
the ground. Theirdistance
shape
d being knocked Prone(though without the Simplify).would knock
or moved. If an ability category lower. Avialae who take
becomes Large. this morphism treat
youAngels
Prone ordo move you automatically,
not receive this perk, butyou are entitled
instead to
start with their movement as though they were avian taurs but
antheEndure save against it at Guide determined
Reclaimed Large Wing surgery, which does not count difficulty may move at full speed on the ground. Their shape
(though
against without
their the Simplify).
Reclamation surgery total. becomes Large.
Drawbacks: Complicate Body+Operate checks in
Angels do not receive this perk, but instead start with confined areas and Body+Stealth checks when trying to
r
the Reclaimed Large Wing surgery, which does not count hide.
s Drawback: Standard Taurs typically weigh three times Drawbacks: Complicate Body+Operate checks in
against their Reclamation surgery total.
ir as much as they would if they were standard Vectors, confined areas and Body+Stealth checks when trying to
give or take. While generally not an encumbrance to hide.
e Drawback:
their ownStandard
movement, Taurs typically
it must weigh three
be considered when times
they
es asare
much as they would if they were standard
being lifted, carried or otherwise manipulated. A Vectors,
givegrown
or take.
taurWhile generally
wearing body not
armoran encumbrance
with equipment to
a- their own movement,
strapped it must
to them be considered
can weigh over 900when
pounds.they
an areAngels
beingdon’t
lifted,have
carried
this or otherwise
weight manipulated.
issue but cannot wear A
d grown taur wearing body armor with equipment
backpacks or bulky objects on their back and still use
u strapped to them can theirweigh
wings.over 900 pounds.
t Angels don’t have
Taurs require this weight
an open hex on issue butone
at least cannot
sidewear
of their
backpacks
bodies to turn around. If the hall they’re instill
or bulky objects on their back and use
is too
their
Basic wings.
Body
narrow they’ll need to back out. Aberrant Anatomy
Taurs require an open hex on at least one side of their
bodies to turn around. If the hall they’re in is too
e 3 narrow they’ll need 5 to back out.Standard 2 5 Standard
Base Move Base Mass Shape Base Move Base Mass Shape
ns
Snakes may choose to have had a body replacement at Fault: Stealth
a young age that granted them a basic body. There is
no cost for this; just apply this Morphism instead of Snakes can take this Morphism in addition to
Lateralism. Lateralism. Apply the Perks, Faults, and Drawbacks.

Perks: Add wings, tails, “aquatic,” or arms to your

character. Tails (prehensile) and extra arms work as per
having a limb augmentation surgery. Wings grant
Hybrid Airworthy. Aquatic anatomy grants Seaworthy.

3 5 Standard Drawbacks: Complicate Stealth checks.

Base Move Base Mass Shape

Fault: Protocol

Snakes can take this Morphism in addition to

Lateralism. Apply the Perks, Faults, and Drawbacks.
Micro

Perks: When picking Reclamation surgeries, this character

can select from both parent families. For all other
2 3 Small 125
 Frame Modifiers (Cogs)
Frames assign shape and style to your Cog
character in much the same way Morphisms do for
Vectors. Shape and Base Mass follow the same rules Basic Body
here that are described in the Morphism section. Un-
like Morphisms, Frames don’t give Faults. Faults indicate 3 5 Standard
that a body may be bad atsomething but can work Base Move Base Mass Shape
around it. Cogs’ rigid designs limit that flexibility, and
they instead have Attributes listed in their Frames that A basic frame can Specialize itself using the generic
indicate things they do well and things they outright Reclamation surgeries available for Vectors.
can’t do. Their effects are simple enough that they can be
applied to a mechanical body without issue.
Another big difference between Cog and Vec-
tor advancement is that Cog frames can be special- -
ized over time to personalize them toward the per-
t
sonality of their owners. Vectors do this in the form of
Reclamation operations, which stem from their Family. at
Wheeled
Cogs can’t really tweak their “genetics” with an injec- m
Basic Body Tentacled
tion, so their personal modifications happen based on wi
this choice instead. The modifiers for frames are to the 4 5 Standard m
3 rules for Specializations
right, but the 5 areStandard
consolidated 3 7 Large thi
Base Move Base Mass Shape
in the Specialization
Base Move section of the Surgical
Base Mass reference
Shape Base Move Base Mass Shape c
chapter so you can get to them easier as you continue Boost: Uses a single move action. Once per turn, combine ca
A basic 2 movements into 1. Must be in a straight line. You count y
to tune yourframe
Cog can Specialize
throughout itself
your using Apply
game. the generic
your -You can vary your height between a standard Cog
Reclamation
Frame modifiers andsurgeries available for Vectors.
one Specialization to your Frame as being in half-cover until your next turn after boosting
height (4-6 feet) and double that height at will by
Their effects are simple enough that they can be and count all enemies as being in half-cover unless they
now. stretching higher on your tentacles.
would otherwise be more covered. If you are hit
applied to a mechanical body without issue.
anyway, you are knocked Prone.
-As long as a wall has things to grip (outcroppings as
small as an inch wide are sufficient, provided
they’re
-You arestrong enough totosupport
not susceptible your from
exhaustion weight) within
continued ne
about 6 feet
movement of each
(things other, youover
like traveling canlong
move across it
distances). d
Wheeled at full speed without making a check. Likewise, you can yo
-Your
movenatural
at full swim
speedspeed
acrosscannot exceed
surfaces 1 hex
as thin as per turn,
an inch t
wide. You can regardless of how well
suspend yourself fromyou roll. as well but
ceilings o
4 5 Standard must make a Body:Athletics check to do so, must have t
Base Move Base Mass Shape things to wrap around that will support you (your tenta- (t
cle has to be able to wrap completely around it), and ma
Boost: Uses a single move action. Once per turn, combine can only move at half speed. Once latched on, though,
2 movements into 1. Must be in a straight line. You count your position is ratherHexapod
stable and you can otherwise
as being in half-cover until your next turn after boosting function normally.
and count all enemies as being in half-cover unless they 3 7 not slow you down. Large -Yo
would otherwise be more covered. If you are hit -Difficult terrain does
anyway, you are knocked Prone. Base Move Base Mass Shape
-While you technically possess four arms, two are
needed
-You can to
varymanipulate
your height most objects
between a that normally
standard Cog
-You are not susceptible to exhaustion from continued need only(4-6
one feet)
in standard bodies. However, if will
all you’re
movement (things like traveling over long distances). height and double that height at by
doing is holding an object
stretching higherandonnot using
your legs.it in any way,
you can use all four independently. This can be applied
-Your natural swim speed cannot exceed 1 hex per turn, to any basicbe motion (turning
regardless of how well you roll. -You cannot knocked Proneaby door handle,
physical lifting
means an
unless
object,
unconscious (stuns count), even if an ability would if
steering a vehicle with a single control), but
the object
normally requires
force it. Onany complex
shifting floorsdexterity
or uneven to surfaces,
operate
(typing
you on a keyboard
maintain balance and or pad, holding
stability a weapon Diffi-
automatically. while
manipulating the trigger or angle, applying
cult terrain does not slow you down. strength to a
swing or action) then two tentacles must be used in
Hexapod tandem. -P
- You can ascend even sheer surfaces vertically, provid-
p
ed there are walls three or fewer hexes across on
-Your foo
3 7 Large bothweight is roughly
sides, by three
stretching yourtimes
legs that ofthe
out to a Cog
side biped.
and
Heightagainst
is roughly n
bracing the equivalent
walls. Make toClimb
a Cogchecks
bipedas
Base Move Base Mass Shape when not stretching. sur
normal, but no additional tools are required.
not
-Reduce fall damage by 1 category.
-You can vary your height between a standard Cog
height (4-6 feet) and double that height at will by -Your natural swim speed cannot exceed 1 hex per turn,
-M
stretching higher on your legs. regardless of how many points you have in the
allo
Maglev
Proficiency.
-You cannot be knocked Prone by physical means unless

126
unconscious (stuns count), even if an ability would -You must have footholds on either side of your body to
3 4 Standard
normally force it. On shifting floors or uneven surfaces, balance. You cannot walk on a singular strip less than a
you maintain balance and stability automatically. Diffi- Base Move foot
Basewide.
Mass Shape O
 3 7 Large -Your weight
height (4-6 is roughly
feet) three times
and double that that
height of ata Cog
will bybiped.
Their effects are simple enough that they can be Height is roughly
stretching equivalent
higher on your to a Cog biped
tentacles.
applied
Base to a mechanical
Move body without issue.
Base Mass Shape when not stretching.
-As long as a wall has things to grip (outcroppings as
-You can vary your height between a standard Cog small as an inch wide are sufficient, provided
height (4-6 feet) and double that height at will by they’re strong enough to support your weight) within
stretching higher on your legs. about 6 feet of each other, you can move across it
Wheeled at full speed without making a check. Likewise, you can
Maglev
-You cannot be knocked Prone by physical means unless move at full speed across surfaces as thin as an inch
unconscious (stuns count), even if an ability would wide. You can suspend yourself from ceilings as well but
4 5 Standard must make 3 a Body:Athletics check 4 to do so, Standard
must have
normally force it. On shifting floors or uneven surfaces,
you Base Move
maintain Basestability
balance and Mass automatically. Shape Diffi- thingsBase
to wrap
Move around that will
Base Masssupport you (your
Shapetenta-
cult terrain does not slow you down. cle has to be able to wrap completely around it), and
Boost: Uses a single move action. Once per turn, combine can only move at half speed. Once latched on, though,
-Provided
your positiona surface
is rather is stable
solid (and
and perpendicular
you can otherwise to the
2- movements into 1.even
You can ascend Mustsheer
be insurfaces
a straight line. Youprovid-
vertically, count
pull of gravity) you can levitate
function between 1 inch and 1
normally.
as being in half-cover
ed there are walls until
threeyour next turn
or fewer after
hexes boosting
across on
foot above it. As such, you will not be susceptible to any
and count
both all by
sides, enemies as being
stretching your in half-cover
legs out to the unless
side they
and
negatives associated
-Difficult terrain withdoes physical
not slow contact
you down. with that
would otherwise
bracing against bethemore
walls.covered.
Make ClimbIf youchecks
are hitas
surface. While it functions fine on wet ground, if there is
normal,anyway,
but noyou are knocked
additional tools Prone.
are required.
nothing
-WhileBUT
youwater (such as
technically a lake),
possess four it arms,
won’t two
workare over it.
-Reduce fall damage by 1 category.
This includes
needed to manipulateice and snow
most over a
objects foot
that thick.
normally
-You are not susceptible to exhaustion from continued need only one in standard bodies. However, if all you’re
-Your natural
movement swim like
(things speed cannotover
traveling exceed
long1distances).
hex per turn,
-Maglev locks can
doing is holding anbe achieved
object and noton using
very narrow
it in any surfaces,
way,
regardless of how many points you have in the
allowing
you youall
can use tofour
balance and move This
independently. on surfaces as thin as
can be applied
-Your natural swim speedProficiency.
cannot exceed 1 hex per turn, to anyan inchmotion
basic wide without
(turningthe needhandle,
a door for a check.
lifting an
regardless of how well you roll. object, steering a vehicle with a single control), but if
-You must have footholds on either side of your body to
the-You canrequires
object be towed anyto higher dexterity
complex speeds bytoanything
operate
balance. You cannot walk on a singular strip less than a
capable
(typing on aof achieving
keyboard or them (a vehicle,
pad, holding gravity, while
a weapon etc.).
foot wide.
Once you reach
manipulating a target
the trigger velocity
or angle, (max 200
applying mph), to
strength youa
canormaintain
swing it by two
action) then checking periodically
tentacles must be as usedperin
-Your weight is roughly twice that of a Cog biped.
Hexapod extended
tandem.labor.
Height is generally a foot taller than a Cog Biped.
-Complicate
-Your weight is roughly three timesstunts.
that of a Cog biped.
3 7 Large
Height is roughly equivalent to a Cog biped
Base Move Base Mass Shape -Your natural swim speed
when not cannot exceed 1 hex per turn,
stretching.
regardless of how many points you have in the
-You can vary your height between a standard Cog Proficiency.
height (4-6 feet) and double that height at will by
stretching higher on your legs. -You can use maglev propulsion to travel through zero-G
as normal as walking provided
Maglev there’s a suitable surface
-You cannot be knocked Prone by physical means unless to use as a floor.
unconscious (stuns count), even if an ability would
3
-Your weight 4
and height (when Standard
not floating) are roughly
normally force it. On shifting floors or uneven surfaces,
you maintain balance and stability automatically. Diffi- Base Move equivalent to a Cog
Base Mass biped. Shape
cult terrain does not slow you down.
-Provided a surface is solid (and perpendicular to the
- You can ascend even sheer surfaces vertically, provid-
pull of gravity) you can levitate between 1 inch and 1
ed there are walls three or fewer hexes across on
foot above it. As such, you will not be susceptible to any
both sides, by stretching your legs out to the side and
negatives associated with physical contact with that
bracing against the walls. Make Climb checks as
surface. While it functions fine on wet ground, if there is
normal, but no additional tools are required.
nothing BUT water (such as a lake), it won’t work over it.
-Reduce fall damage by 1 category.
This includes ice and snow over a foot thick.
-Your natural swim speed cannot exceed 1 hex per turn,
-Maglev locks can be achieved on very narrow surfaces,
regardless of how many points you have in the
allowing you to balance and move on surfaces as thin as
Proficiency.
an inch wide without the need for a check.
-You must have footholds on either side of your body to
-You can be towed to higher speeds by anything
balance. You cannot walk on a singular strip less than a
capable of achieving them (a vehicle, gravity, etc.).
foot wide.
Once you reach a target velocity (max 200 mph), you
can maintain it by checking periodically as per
-Your weight is roughly twice that of a Cog biped.
extended labor.
Height is generally a foot taller than a Cog Biped.
-Complicate stunts.

-Your natural swim speed cannot exceed 1 hex per turn,

regardless of how many points you have in the
Proficiency.

-You can use maglev propulsion to travel through zero-G

as normal as walking provided there’s a suitable surface
to use as a floor.

127
-Your weight and height (when not floating) are roughly
equivalent to a Cog biped.
 CHARACTER PROGRESSION Now is when you sit down with the character
progression chart and really think about what kind of

mental, physical, and social abilities your character
Fill out the Progression Sheet has. You’re going to be given a big bag of experience
The Character Progression Sheet is what drives points to spend, and when you’re finished, you’ll have all
almost every system value on your character. It’s filled the scores you need to fill out the rest of your charac-
out using experience points gained as you play. Use ter sheet. Some of these will be modified based on the
these points to build up a spread of abilities, knowl- Family, Education, and other choices you made earlier,
edge, and prowess that best fits your image of your and if you’d like, you’re welcome to put those values in
character. Each vertical column on the progression first before actually assigning your own, but the pro-
chart has a number above it reflecting the cost of an cess is set up in this order because the majority of your
item on that column. When you pay the cost, gain the numbers are determined by where you put them rather
listed benefit and add the cost to a running total of than generated automatically.
spent exp that cannot exceed the total amount of exp As mentioned in the Family section, Boons
you’ve gained. Progression on the chart proceeds from gained here can overlap Faults you gained earlier to
left to right, and you can’t skip steps on any given row remove them. These choices reflect what your char-
(though you’re welcome to proceed along any of the acter has made of themselves, and can be used to
rows at any rate you choose). counteract aspects they didn’t like.

10 10 10 15 15 15 20 20 20 25 25 25 30

MIND
2 Proficiencies 2 Technique 2 Proficiencies 2 Technique 2 Proficiencies 2 Technique 2 Proficiencies 2 Technique

STAT 1 OR OR 2 OR OR 3 OR OR 4 OR OR 5
2 Focus 2 Notoriety 2 Focus 2 Notoriety 2 Focus 2 Readiness 2 Focus 2 Readiness

2 Technique 2 Proficiencies 2 Technique 2 Proficiencies 2 Technique 2 Proficiencies 2 Technique 2 Proficiencies

PERCEIVE 1 OR OR 2 OR OR 3 OR OR 4 OR OR 5
2 Readiness 2 Focus 2 Readiness 2 Focus 2 Notoriety 2 Focus 2 Notoriety 2 Focus

BODY
1 Movement 2 Focus 1 Movement 2 Notoriety 1 Movement 2 Boon 1 Movement 2 Notoriety

STAT 1 OR OR 2 OR OR 3 OR OR 4 OR OR 5
2 Technique 2 Readiness 2 Initiative 2 Boon 2 Technique 2 Readiness 2 Initiative 2 Readiness

2 Technique 2 Focus 2 Technique 2 Focus 2 Technique 2 Focus 2 Readiness 2 Proficiencies

PERCEIVE 1 OR OR 2 OR OR 3 OR OR 4 OR OR 5
2 Boon 2 Readiness 2 Notoriety 2 Boon 2 Notoriety 2 Readiness 2 Boon 2 Readiness

COMMUNITY
2 Focus 600 Credits 2 Focus 2 Focus 2 Technique 2 Focus 2 Technique 2 Focus

STAT 1 OR OR 2 OR OR 3 OR OR 4 OR OR 5
2 Notoriety 2 Readiness 2 Notoriety 2 Readiness 2 Notoriety 600 Credits 2 Notoriety 2 Readiness

2 Focus 2 Proficiencies 2 Technique 2 Proficiencies 2 Technique 2 Proficiencies 2 Proficiencies 2 Focus

PERCEIVE 1 OR OR 2 OR OR 3 OR OR 4 OR OR 5
2 Notoriety 2 Readiness 2 Notoriety 2 Readiness 2 Notoriety 2 Readiness 2 Notoriety 2 Readiness

NOTORIETY PURCHASE TRACKING

TOTAL EXP: SPENT EXP: REMAINING EXP:
+1 Movement +1 Notorious Item Point
250 EXP +1 Evade +1 Notorious Contextual Adaptation
PROGRESSION PURCHASE TRACKING +1 Endure +1 Notorious Reputation
+1 Wound +1 Proficiency and +1 Technique point
You begin the game with 500 EXP 210 experience points +1 MDB + 600 Credits
+1 RDB + 1 Operation Slot
and 1000 credits.
BOONS FOCUS READINESS PROFICIENCY

800 EXP
MOVEMENT INITIATIVE TECHNIQUES NOTORIETY LANDMARK AUTOMATIC BENEFITS

+1 Personal Quirk +1 Reclaimation Surgery +4 MDB & RDB

No Proficiency on your1150character
EXP
sheet may be
above 3 at the start of the first game session, and
no Stat can be progressed to the 4 Stat Score
Node at the start of the first game session.

128
 New Character Exp Price Help
Your experience points will be pretty easy to
keep track of once you get going, as you’ll really only For quick and balanced builds I recommend
be looking at whatever your next purchase is going to filling the first three columns of the pro-
be on the progression chart. However, when you first gression chart by default. That will use up
start the game, you’re given a whole heap of exp to 180 of your starting exp, leaving you with
start off with and that can be a pain to sort out. To just enough exp left over to grow a few
help you put your character together quickly, here are Stat properties equally out to the 2 nodes,
some purchase summaries so you can buy things in big or to invest heavily into one and knock it up
chunks and then season to taste. to a 3 after your first session.

10 10 10 10
15 10
15 10
15 1520 15
20

MIND
M
10 10 10 15 15 15 20 20 20 25 25 25 30

MIND
2 Proficiencies 2 Technique 2 Proficiencies 22Technique
Technique 22Proficiencie
Proficiencie
2 Proficiencies 2 Technique 2 Proficiencies 2 Technique 2 Proficiencies 2 Technique2 2 Proficiencies 2 Technique
23
STAT 1 OR ORSTAT 1 OR
OR OR
OR OR
OR

STAT 1 OR OR 2 OR OR 3 2 FocusOR 2 NotorietyOR 4 2 Focus OR

22 Notoriety
Notoriety OR 5
22Focus
Focus

2 Focus 2 Notoriety 2 Focus 2 Notoriety 2 Focus 2 Proficiencies

2 Technique 2 Readiness 2 Technique2 Focus 2 Readiness 22Technique
22 Proficiencies
Proficiencies Technique
PERCEIVE 1 OR PERCEIVE 21
OR OR
OR OR
OR 23 OR
OR

One Stat or Perceive score

2 Technique out to 2
2 Proficiencies : 452 exp.
Technique 2 Proficiencies 2 Technique 2 2Focus
2 Readiness
Proficiencies 2 Readiness Focus2 Proficiencies 22Readiness
2 Technique
22 Focus Notoriety
PERCEIVE 1 OR OR 2 OR OR 3 OR OR 4 OR OR 5

BODB
10 10 210Readiness15 2 Focus15 15 20
2 Readiness 20 2 Focus 20 25 25
12Movement
Notoriety 252 Focus 30 2 Notoriety
2 Focus

MIND
2 Focus 11Movement
Movement 2 Notoriety
2 Focus 11
Movement
Moveme
2 Proficiencies 2 Technique 2 Proficiencies 2 Technique 2 Proficiencies 2 Technique 2 Proficiencies 2 Technique 21 23
STAT 1 OR OR STAT OR
OR OR
OR OR
OR

BODY
STAT 1 OR OR 2 OR OR 3 OR OR 4 OR
2 Technique OR
2 Readiness 5 2 Technique
Initiative 2 Readiness
2 Boon 22Initiative
Techniqu
1 Movement 2 Focus 1 Movement 2 Notoriety 1 Movement 2 Boon 1 Movement 2 Notoriety
2 Focus 2 Notoriety 2 Focus 2 Notoriety 2 Focus 2 Readiness 2 Focus 2 Readiness
2 Technique 2 Focus 22Technique
Technique 22Focus
Focus 22Techniqu
Techniqu
1
STAT 2 Technique OR OR 2 OR OR 3 OR OR 4 OR OR 5
One Stat or Perceive score out to
2 Proficiencies 2 Technique
: 95 exp.
2 Proficiencies
3 2 Technique PERCEIVE
2 Proficiencies 1 2 Technique
OR PERCEIVE
2 Proficiencies
OR 21 OR
OR OR
OR 23 OR
OR

PERCEIVE 1 OR 2ORTechnique2 2 Readiness

OR OR 2 Initiative
3 2 Boon
OR OR 4 22 Boon
Technique
OR 2ORReadiness5
2 Readiness 22Notoriety 2 Boon 2 Readiness
Boon2 Initiative
2 Readiness 22Notoriety
Notoriet
2 Readiness 2 Focus 2 Readiness 2 Focus 2 Notoriety 2 Focus 2 Notoriety 2 Focus
10 2 Technique
10 2 Focus
10 15 2 Technique
15 2 Focus
15 20 2 Technique
20 2 Focus
20 25 2 Readiness
25 2 Proficiencies
25 30

COMMU
MIND COM
2 Focus 600 Credits 22 Focus
Focus 600 Credits
2 Focus 2 2Techniqu
Focus

BODY
PERCEIVE 1 22Focus
OR
Proficiencies
OR
2 Technique 2 OR OR
2 Notoriety 2 Proficiencies1 Movement
2 Technique 3 OR
2 1Proficiencies 2 Technique2
OR 4 OR OR 5
1 Movement 1 Movement 2 Boon
STAT 1
Movement
OR
2 Notoriety
OR STAT 1 2 Proficiencies 2 Technique
OR
OR OR
OR 23 OR
OR
2 Boon 2 2 Readiness 2 Notoriety
3 2 Boon 2 Notoriety 2ORReadiness5 2 Boon 2 Readiness
STAT 1STAT OR
1
OR
OR OR
OR
2OR OR
OR
OR
OR
3 4 OR
OR
2 Notoriety 2 ReadinessOR 422 Notoriety
Notoriety OR
22 Readiness
Readiness OR 5
22Notoriety
Notoriet
2 Technique 2 Readiness 2 Initiative 2 Boon 2 Technique 2 Readiness 2 Initiative 2 Readiness

COMMUNITY
2 Focus 2 Notoriety 2 Focus 2 Notoriety 22Focus
Focus 2 Proficiencies
2 Readiness 2 Focus 2 Focus
2 Technique 2 Readiness
22 Proficiencies
Proficiencies 22Techniqu
Techniqu
2 Technique 2 Focus
2 Focus 2 Technique
600 Credits 2 Focus 2 Focus 2 Technique 2 Focus
2 FocusPERCEIVE 22Readiness
Technique 2 Proficiencies
OR 2 Focus 2 Technique 2 Focus
1 OR PERCEIVE 21 OR
OR OR
OR 23 OR
OR

PERCEIVE 1 OR 2ORTechnique 2 2 Proficiencies

OR OR 2 Technique
3 2 Proficiencies
OR OR 4 2 Technique
OR 2 OR
Proficiencies
5 2 Technique 2 Proficiencies
2 Notoriety 2 ReadinessOR
STAT 1 OR OR 2
22Boon
OR OR 3 OR 422 Notoriety
Notoriety OR
22 Readiness
Readiness OR 22Notoriety
Notoriet
5
PERCEIVE2 Boon1 2 ReadinessOR 2 Notoriety
OR OR 2 Notoriety
OR 2 Readiness 3 2 Boon
OR 2 Readiness
OR 4 OR OR 5
2 Notoriety 2 Readiness 2 Notoriety 2 Readiness
2 Focus 22Notoriety
Notoriety 600 Credits
2 Focus 2 Notoriety 2 Readiness
2 Readiness 2 Focus 2 Readiness First full column First three2 Notoriety
full 2 Focus

COMMUNITY
TOTAL EXP: SPENT EXP: 2 Focus TOTAL
REMAINING
EXP: EXP: SPENT EXP:
2 Focus 600 Credits
2 Focus 2 Focus
2 Proficiencies 2 Focus
2 Technique2 Technique 2 Focus
2 Proficiencies 2 Technique
2 Technique 2 Proficiencies 2 Proficiencies REMAINING
2 Focus EXP:
(oneORpoint in every columns: +1 Mo

BODY
STAT 1 OR OR 2 OR OR 3 OR 4 OR OR 5 250 EXP +1 Ev
PERCEIVE
One full Stat (both 1 Stat1 Movement
and OR
Perceive)
OR
2 Focus out to2 2 1: Movement
90ORexp. 2 Notoriety
OR
Stat property):
3 OR PURCHASE TRACKING
PROGRESSION
1 Movement OR
2 Boon 180 4 exp.
PROGRESSION OR
PURCHASE
1 Movement OR
TRACKING
2 Notoriety 5+1 En
2 Notoriety 2 Readiness 2 Notoriety 2 Readiness 2 Notoriety 600 Credits 2 Notoriety 2 Readiness +1 Wo
2 Notoriety 2 Readiness 215 2 Notoriety 2 Readiness 60 3exp. 2 Notoriety 2 Readiness 4 500 EXP
2 Notoriety 2 Readiness 5+1 MD
10STAT 10 1
OR OR OR OR OR OR OR OR
2 Focus 2 Proficiencies
10 15 2 Technique
15 2 Proficiencies 20 2 Technique
20 2 Proficiencies
20 BOONS 25 2 Proficiencies
25
FOCUS 2 Focus
25 READINESS30
BOONS PROFICIENCY
FOCUS READINESS +1 RD
PROFICIENCY

MIND
PERCEIVE 1 OR
2 Proficiencies 2ORTechnique2 2 Readiness
2 Technique OR
2 Proficiencies OR
2 Technique 2 Initiative
3 OR2 Boon
2 Proficiencies OR
2 Technique 4 2 Technique
OR 2ORReadiness5
2 Proficiencies 2 Technique
2 Readiness
2 Initiative800 EXP
MOVEMENT INITIATIVE TECHNIQUES
MOVEMENT NOTORIETY
INITIATIVE TECHNIQUES NOTORIETY
2 Notoriety 2 Readiness 2 Notoriety 2 Readiness 2 Notoriety 2 Readiness 2 Notoriety 2 Readiness
STAT 1 OR
2 Technique 2
OR
2 Focus OR OR 3
2 Technique OR
2 Focus OR 4 OR
2 Technique OR
2 Focus 5
NOTORIETY PURCHASE TRACKING2 Proficiencies
2 Readiness +1 Perso
TOTAL EXP:
2 Focus 2 Notoriety
SPENT EXP: 2 Focus
REMAINING
2 Notoriety
EXP: 2 Focus 2 Readiness 2 Focus 2 Readiness
1150 EXP
PERCEIVE 1 OR 2
OR OR 3 +1
OR Movement OR
OR 4 +1 Notorious
OR Item Point
OR 5
250 EXP
NOTORIETY PURCHASE +1 Evade
TRACKING +1 Notorious Contextual Adaptation
TOTAL EXP: 2 Technique 2 Technique 2 Proficiencies
2 Proficiencies REMAINING EXP:
SPENT EXP: 2 Technique 2 Proficiencies 2 Technique 2 Proficiencies
2 Boon
PROGRESSION 2 ReadinessTRACKING
PURCHASE 2 Notoriety 2 Boon +1 Endure2 Readiness
2 Notoriety 2 Boon Reputation
+1 Notorious 2 Readiness
PERCEIVE 1 OR OR 2 OR OR 3 +1
OR Movement OR 4 +1 Notorious
OR Item Point
OR 5
250 EXP +1 Evade +1 Wound
+1 Notorious Contextual Adaptation +1 Proficiency and +1 Technique point
PROGRESSION
2 Readiness PURCHASE
2 Focus TRACKING 2 Readiness 2 Focus 2 Notoriety 500 EXP
+1 Endure 2 Focus +1 MDB
+12Notorious
Notoriety 2 Focus + 600 Credits

COMMUNITY
Reputation
+1 Wound +1 RDB
+1 Proficiency and +1 Technique point + 1 Operation Slot
BOONS 2 FOCUS
Focus READINESS 500 EXP PROFICIENCY
600 Credits 2 Focus +12MDB
Focus 2 Technique
+ 600 Credits 2 Focus 2 Technique 2 Focus

BODY
BOONS FOCUS READINESS PROFICIENCY +1 RDB + 1 Operation Slot
One full Stat
STAT (both 1 Stat and
1 Movement
MOVEMENT
2 Focus
OR Perceive)
INITIATIVE
OR out to2 3 : 190
1 Movement 2 Notoriety
OR exp.
TECHNIQUES 800 EXP NOTORIETY
1 Movement
OR
2 Boon
800 EXP
3 OR
1 Movement 2 Notoriety
OR 4
LANDMARK AUTOMATIC OR
BENEFITS OR 5
STAT 1 OR OR 2 OR OR 3 OR OR 4
LANDMARK AUTOMATIC
OR
BENEFITS
OR 5
MOVEMENT INITIATIVE TECHNIQUES NOTORIETY
2 Technique 2 Notoriety
2 Readiness 2 Readiness
2 Initiative 2 Boon 2 Notoriety2 Technique
2 Readiness2 Readiness 2 Notoriety
+1 Personal
2 Initiative
600
Quirk Credits
2 Readiness 2 Notoriety
+1 Reclaimation Surgery2 Readiness +4 MDB &
1150
+1 Personal EXP
Quirk +1 Reclaimation Surgery +4 MDB & RDB
1150 EXP
2 Technique 2 Focus
2 Focus 2 Proficiencies
2 Technique 2 Focus 2 Proficiencies
2 Technique2 Technique 2 Focus 22Readiness
Technique 2 Proficiencies
2 Proficiencies 2 Proficiencies 2 Focus
PERCEIVE 1
PERCEIVE OR 2 2 3OR 3 4 5 4 5
1
OR OR OR OR OR OR OR
OR OR OR OR OR OR OR
2 Boon 2 Readiness 2 Notoriety 2 Boon 2 Notoriety 2 Readiness 2 Boon 2 Readiness
2 Notoriety 2 Readiness 2 Notoriety 2 Readiness 2 Notoriety 2 Readiness 2 Notoriety 2 Readiness

COMMUNITY
2 Focus 600 Credits 2 Focus 2 Focus 2 Technique 2 Focus 2 Technique 2 Focus

STAT 1 OR OR 2 OR OR 3 OR OR 4 OR OR 5
NOTORIETY PURCHASE TRACKING
TOTAL EXP: SPENT EXP: REMAINING EXP:

129
2 Notoriety 2 Readiness 2 Notoriety 2 Readiness 2 Notoriety 600 Credits 2 Notoriety 2 Readiness
+1 Movement +1 Notorious Item Point
2 Focus 2 Proficiencies 2 Technique 2 Proficiencies 2 Technique250 EXP
2 Proficiencies +1 Evade2 Focus
2 Proficiencies +1 Notorious Contextual Adaptation
PROGRESSION PURCHASE TRACKING +1 Endure +1 Notorious Reputation
PERCEIVE 1 OR OR 2 OR OR 3 OR OR 4 OR
+1 Wound
OR 5
+1 Proficiency and +1 Technique point
MIND 2 Technique
OR

2 Readiness
2 Proficiencies

10
OR

2 Focus

LANDMARKS
10
3
2 Technique

10
OR

2 Notoriety
15
2 Proficiencies
OR

2 Focus
15
4
2 Technique 2 Proficiencies
OR

2 Notoriety
15
OR

2 Focus
20
5

20 20 25
Growth25 25 30

BODYMIND
2 Proficiencies 2 Technique 2 Proficiencies 2 Technique 2 Proficiencies 2 Technique

1 Movement There are four Landmarks
2 Notoriety 1 Movement 2your
Boon characters can
1 Movement 2 Notoriety At each Landmark you get
2 Proficiencies 2 Technique

STAT
OR
1
gain through
OR
OR
experience.
3
OR
OR Each one
2 OR means
OR
4 your char- OR
OR 3OR
5
OR
one
OR
(1) personal
4 OR
quirk OR 5

acter has
2 Boon
2 advanced
Focus to
2 Notoriety a noteworthy
2 Technique 2 Readiness extent
2 Focus 2and
Notorietyis 2 Readiness
2 Focus 2 Readiness and 2 Focus 2 Readiness
2 Initiative 2 Initiative
entitled 2to certain rewards. add four (4) to your RDB and MDB scores.
2 Technique 2 Focus Technique 2 Proficiencies
2 Technique 2
2 Focus Technique 2 Proficiencies
2 Readiness 2 Proficiencies2 Technique 2 Proficiencies 2 Technique 2 Proficiencies
PERCEIVE 1 Landmarks OR are ORused to assess 2 your OR wholeness OR 3 OR OR 4 OR OR 5
OR
of beingOR
and will
2 Readiness
3 be referenced
2 Focus
OR OR
some4 surger-
by2 Readiness OR
2 Focus Notoriety
OR 5
2 Notoriety 2 Focus 2 Notoriety 2 Focus
2 Notorietyies, technologies,
2 Boon or abilities
2 Notoriety throughout
2 Readiness the game.
2 Boon 2 Readiness
Notoriety is a sort of Landmark currency indi-
Because they take a lot of time and experience to cating how hard your character has tried to make a

BODY
MMUNITY
1 Movement 2 Focus 1 Movement 2 Notoriety 1 Movement 2 Boon 1 Movement 2 Notoriety
2 Focus achieve,
2 Focus they often have profound
2 Technique 2 Focusresults. In addi- 2 Technique 2name
Focus and reputation for themselves in the universe. By
STAT tion, 1 there are a few inherent
OR OR 2 benefits to accumu-
OR OR 3
collecting
OR OR 4 OR OR 5
5 Notoriety points on the progression grid, you
CRUNCHTIME

OR OR 3 OR OR 4 OR OR
lating Landmarks.
2 Technique 2 Specifically:
Readiness Background,
2 Initiative Growth,
2 Boon can spend them to gain certain abilities. Each Notori-
2 Technique 2 Readiness 2 Initiative 2 Readiness
2 Notoriety 2 Readiness 2 Notoriety 600 Credits 2 Notoriety 2 Readiness
Notoriety, and Reclamation.
2 Technique 2 Focus 2 Technique 2 Focus ety category
2 Technique can only be purchased
2 Focus 2 Readinessup to your current
2 Proficiencies
2 Technique 2 Proficiencies 2 Technique 2 Proficiencies 2 Proficiencies 2 Focus
PERCEIVE 1 OR OR 2 OR OR
Landmark
3 OR
level, so OR
accumulating
4 Notoriety
OR OR
points is5
OR OR
2 Boon
3
2 Readiness
OR OR 4
2 Notoriety 2 Boon
OR more
OR about 5 having a wide spread of noteworthy traits
2 Notoriety 2 Readiness 2 Boon 2 Readiness
2 Notoriety 2 Readiness 2 Notoriety 2 Readiness rather than one trait over and over again. If there’s
2 Notoriety 2 Readiness

Landmark Milestones only one or two things you want to be notorious for,

COMMUNITY
2 Focus 600 Credits 2 Focus 2 Focus you don’t need to
2 Technique focus so hard
2 Focus on accumulating
2 Technique 2 Focus Noto-
NOTORIETY PURCHASE TRACKING
NING EXP:STAT 1 OR
Landmark2 1: 250 total exp.
OR OR OR riety
3 points. OR OR 4 OR OR 5
+1 Movement
2502EXP
Notoriety 2 Readiness+1 Evade 2 Notoriety 2+1Readiness
+1 Notorious Item Point
2 Each
Notoriety
Notorious Contextual Adaptation
of the
600 listed
Credits bonuses
2 costs
Notoriety 2 1 Notoriety
Readiness
G Landmark
+1 Endure 2: 500 total exp. point and cannot be raised above your Landmark level
+1 Notorious Reputation
2 Focus 2 Proficiencies
+1 Wound 2 Technique 2 Proficiencies 2 Technique 2 Proficiencies 2 Proficiencies 2 Focus
500 EXP +1 MDB + 600 Credits
regardless
+1 Proficiency and +1 Technique point
of how many Notoriety points you have.
PERCEIVE 1 +1 RDB 2 3 4
+ 1 Operation Slot Notoriety points that are spent are gone. They can be
5
OR OR OR OR OR OR OR OR
PROFICIENCY Landmark 3: 800 total exp.
2 Notoriety 2 Readiness
800 EXP
2 Notoriety 2 Readiness spent as soon as you accumulate them or saved until
2 Notoriety 2 Readiness 2 Notoriety 2 Readiness
LANDMARK AUTOMATIC BENEFITS
NOTORIETY
Landmark 4: 1150 total exp. you wish to use them.
+1 Personal Quirk +1 Reclaimation Surgery +4 MDB & RDB
1150 EXP NOTORIETY PURCHASE TRACKING
TOTAL EXP: SPENT EXP: REMAINING EXP:
+1 Movement +1 Notorious Item Point
250 EXP +1 Evade +1 Notorious Contextual Adaptation
PROGRESSION PURCHASE TRACKING +1 Endure +1 Notorious Reputation
+1 Wound +1 Proficiency and +1 Technique point
500 EXP +1 MDB + 600 Credits
BOONS FOCUS READINESS PROFICIENCY +1 RDB + 1 Operation Slot
Background 800 EXP
MOVEMENTLater INITIATIVE
in this chapter you’ll seeNOTORIETY
TECHNIQUES abilities connect-
LANDMARK AUTOMATIC BENEFITS
Most of these options are simple score bo-
ed to the Background you chose. 1150 EXP nuses. +1+1 Movement
Personal Quirk
adds+11 Reclaimation
to your Surgery +4 MDB & RDB
movement score,
Your first passive ability unlocks at Landmark +1 MDB adds 1 to your MDB score, etc. However,
1. Collecting 2 Landmarks will open up your second Notoriety points also have a few special options they
passive Background ability. Collecting 3 Landmarks will can be spent on that add contextual bonuses to your
open up your third passive Background ability, etc. Your character and help craft what they’re known for in
active, once-per-arc ability is available immediately. the universe. This includes making them more efficient
with specific items, forming their reputation so they
Growth can wield it like a tool, or becoming acknowledged
Landmarks represent an overall progression of as an expert user of your weaponry. Those options
your character. Achieving them means they’re growing are explained at right and are purchased in the same
in a variety of ways. As such, you get several rewards fashion as these ones.
when you hit one.

130
Notorious Items and Tools Typically, only items at level 0 on this scale are publicly
Pick one disposable item and apply a Notori- acceptable to wear, and level 1 can be worn in most
ety point to it. Each point of Notoriety assigned to the places provided you can conceal it. The others require
item allows it to be used again by the person who ad- putting on at the op site, and some may be outright in-
vanced it without having to repurchase it. For instance, appropriate for the job. By putting Notoriety into your
a ghost-gel item is normally lost once it has been used. item, you can downgrade its level by 1, thus allowing it
If someone who has purchased a ghost-gel item has to be used in situations where it normally couldn’t be.
also put two levels of Notoriety on it, it can be used This is a result of building your reputation as
three times by that person (twice from the Notoriety, a user of certain gear so that the people hiring you
once from the initial purchase) before actually being know what they’re getting into. It can be used to bring
lost. If it is then purchased again, the Notoriety levels heavier weapons into jobs that normally only allow
remain, and the new one will also have three uses. handguns or small weapons. It can also be used to
Multiple uses on consumable items is intended allow you to walk the streets in heavier equipment
to reflect your character being efficient with specific without raising the ire of local authority, because they
tools. Perhaps they craft homemade duplicates them- recognize you as a skilled user of that equipment. For
selves, or they have worked out unique ways to stretch instance, a user with a suit of heavy armor and a rifle
the effectiveness of an item. Regardless of how they is a 3 on this scale. However, if they’ve put 2 Notoriety
go about it, this “power” is theirs alone and is a fac- into Contextual Adaptation for their set, it now rates
tor of their unique techniques. You can’t use Notoriety a 1. This would allow them to wear their full armor and
levels to pass out free items to your party or sell them weapon to a contract that only allowed handguns. Es-
back for cash or material, nor can you use it to game sentially, the people hiring know you by reputation and
any recycling system or whatnot that might land you are aware of what they’re getting into.
multiplicative gear. The benefit of item Notoriety is Be aware, however, that the actual terms of
purely for the person who advanced it and is more a the contract won’t change just because you enter it
reflection of their personal ability and resourcefulness over-armed. If your job is to bring someone back alive
than anything they’ve done to the item itself. and you blow them up with a grenade, your Notoriety
Guides can override Notoriety on items in won’t protect you from the consequences. This also
unique situations where material is supposed to be won’t trump story elements that preclude any weapon
limited due to the story. This is most often in “prison sit- and armor use at all for any reason, like say, babysit-
uations,” where your characters have been stripped of ting. Nor will it prevent people from reacting realisti-
all their gear and will only be finding a few items as cally to what you’re wearing. You may still qualify for a
they move along. In situations where material limitation basic security job while wearing your rocket launcher,
like this is part of the drama of the story, it is appro- but that won’t stop the people you’re interacting with
priate to override this ability. However, don’t do it from being wary of you. Your group’s play style will
everywhere. As mentioned before, a large part of this ultimately determine how useful this upgrade is.
is the character’s own resourcefulness.
Notorious Reputation
Notorious Contextual Adaptation You can use Notoriety to grant a reputation
You can apply Notoriety to your weapons and bonus, counting as +1 to Community checks for each
armor to downgrade their social impact, allowing you Notoriety spent this way. This bonus is added onto the
to bring them into areas you would otherwise not be usual Proficiency bonus for a check. You must decide
allowed to. Like all Notoriety, this has a maximum of 4 what your reputation actually is and the bonus only
levels if you have all your Landmarks. However, de- applies to checks related to that reputation. Keep in
pending on the item, you may not actually need 4 levels mind, this is a reputation bonus, so it carries a story
of Notoriety to reap the full benefit. One Notoriety ap- with it. If you have decided that you have a reputation
plies to both a weapon and an armor set in this case for being violent or dangerous and you attempt to use
and can be refunded by agreeing to sell or give up the this bonus to help you negotiate a contract price it
set permanently. Notoriety points that are refunded in is very likely your potential employer will think you’re
this way can be freely applied as Notorious Contextual threatening or intimidating them. Your reputation can
Adaptation to new weapon and armor sets, but not as be changed, but only if your character undergoes a
any other form of Notoriety benefit. Social armament true and public change of heart. While it is possible to
(generally) works using the following scale: have more than one “target” for this Notoriety bonus,
you’ll want to ask your Guide before investing in multi-
0: Nothing, use anywhere ples. This is a tool based on your character’s perceived
1: Pistols, one-handed melee, light armor behavior. To have multiple options you would need to
2: SMGs, hand-and-a-half melee, medium armor be known for having dramatically different behavior in
3: Rifles, shotguns, two-handed melee, heavy armor specific situations.
4: Explosives, LAN weapons, active/living armor.

131
 Reclamation (Vectors, Blips) Airworthy and Seaworthy (Vectors,
Reclamation surgery was a Pulse exclusive Blips)
lightweight operation for a long time which Several species are capable of flight or ex-
allowed Vectors (for a pretty reasonable tended underwater operation. The entire Avialae
fee) to get back some of the more impressive family, for instance, can fly, while the Delphinidae
abilities associated with the wild counter- and Selachii families are aquatic. If you have a
parts on which their bodies were based. Re- character who is a natural flier or an aquatic indi-
cently however, Pulse changed their marketing vidual, apply the following ability INSTEAD of their
concept with this particular product. Rather first Reclamation ability they would normally gain
than use it to generate money (something at character creation. This can be applied to Blips,
they have plenty of already), they decided to but not to Cogs.
CRUNCHTIME

rebrand it to promote an ideology; specifi-

cally, the long-held Pulse adage of being the
best “you” you can be. They do this through Airworthy: This character can fly naturally using
testing of your physical, mental, and social their wings. They have learned the basics of aerial
abilities at any Pulse or Pulse partnership maneuvering and are capable of lifting off in an
facility. If you pass, you can receive a Rec- area twice as wide as their wing-span (which is
lamation ability absolutely free to promote typically their height x 1.5). Flight is considered to
your further growth as an outstanding Vector. be a tiring activity. Every half an hour, the char-
If you fail, they’ll welcome you to come back acter must make an Endure save at Difficulty 1. A
and try again later, but the products are no success will buy them another half an hour of flying
longer on the open market so as to promote without resting, but subsequent checks will increase
their exclusivity. in Difficulty by 1 per half hour. Acrobatic flying will
Your Vector begins the game with 1 Rec- require standard Athletics checks, but the normal
lamation ability. Every Landmark you achieve activity can be done without them provided your
entitles you to a free Reclamation ability from character learned how to at some point (player
the list available to your Family. preference).
You can claim this ability from any Pulse,
Progenitus, or MarsCo medical facility. It is a Seaworthy: Aquatic Vectors move at full speed
walk-in process and takes about an hour. No ac- in the water. They still need to roll checks if at-
tual system-based test is required, but it’s a fun tempting to do anything which might require an
roleplay opportunity if you’d like to play it out. Athletics check on land. They have the effects of
the Respiratory Redundancy surgery by default,
Specialization (Cog) using either the lung or gill variation, depending on
Cog culture is very harsh on the idea of which better fits their species.
turning one’s body into a tool. Moreso than -Lateral aquatics and avians cannot use any
even Vectors, Cogs police their own and will equipment which would require the use of the
frown on members of their populace who modify Operate or Pilot Proficiency unless either they are
their bodies to better suit a job. There is, how- equipped with a Pushframe or similar manipulation
ever, an exception. For Cogs who have demon- device, or the equipment was designed with fins or
strated a passion for a lifestyle, whose happi- wings in mind (most underwater equipment is, due
ness and wholeness of being involves embracing to the high Lateral population below the surface).
a way of life, specializing one’s body to help Casual button-pushing and lever manipulation is
achieve loftier goals within that area is looked alright, but anything complex enough to require a
upon less like degrading oneself and more like check by someone with hands is outside the “grasp”
exercising: sculpting oneself into a better image of a flipper or Lateral wing. This can be overcome
of a personal ideal. and ignored through equipment like the Pushframe.
Your Cog begins the game with one Spe- -Aquatic characters can speak normally un-
cialization. Every Landmark, when a Vector would derwater by controlling their vocal cords. Sounds
normally receive a Reclamation ability, a Cog also translate more accurately to their ears while
can visit ASR to tune their chassis by specializing submerged than to most Vectors, allowing them to
it. carry out conversations with each other with the
same level of clarity underwater as on land.

132
FILL OUT SOFT SCORES
When you’ve finished the progression sheet and
Morphism process, apply all the scores you’ve bought
to your actual character sheet. This will include Boons,
Proficiencies, Focus score, Readiness score, Notoriety
bonuses, and a few other bonuses. Several of these
scores may also be modified by your Family or Morph-
sim decisions, so make sure you incorporate them.

The Wholeness Chart (Vectors, Cogs, Blips)

Much of your character’s physical character-
istics are determined by their Base Mass and Total
Mass scores, including how many Wounds they can
take, how hard they are to hit, and how much damage
they can take before actually being Wounded. These
numbers can change when you’re wearing armor of if
you’re under the influence of various affects, so use the
Wholeness Chart to determine what your scores your
character has while wearing any particular equipment
(or none at all).

Base Mass Wounds Total Mass Evade Endure

1 7 1 18 10

2 8 2 16 11

3 9 3 14 12

4 10 4 14 13

5 10 5 13 14

6 10 6 13 15

7 10 7 12 16

8 11 8 12 17

9 12 9 11 18

10 14 10 11 19

11 16 11 10 20

12 18 12 10 21

13 18 13 9 22

14 18 14 8 23

15 18 15 7 24

16 20 16 7 25

17 22 17 6 26

18 24 18 6 27

19 26 19 5 28

20 28 20 5 29
 BACKGROUNDS (Vectors, Destined
There is a greater destiny in store for you.
Cogs, Blips) Granted, you probably made it up yourself, but you
Earlier, you thought about a background and firmly believe it, and the universe seems to agree. You
decided if you were positively or negatively influ- were brought up with that knowledge ingrained in
enced by it. This is called Polarity, and it determines you, for better or worse. It doesn’t always mean you’re
the abilities your Background grants you. happy about it. Positive Destined characters embrace
Polarities come in Positive (+) and Negative (-) their calling and rise above common pratfalls to meet
and are used to describe how your character asso- it. Negative Destined characters radiate their belief
ciates with their past. on a more subtle level and aren’t very happy about the
Positive and negative Backgrounds unlock pas- fate laid out for them.
sive abilities as they grow. The first passive back-
ground ability is awarded at your first Landmark. First passive: If you would fail a non-combat
The second unlocks after you’ve achieved a total of check, roll a D10. On a 6+, reduce the target value by
2 Landmarks. The final unlocks after you’ve achieved 1 and pass if your roll would reach the adjusted value.
a total of 3 Landmarks. Landmarks pertain to char- This roll is RISKY.
acter growth and are explained in the Experience Second passive: If a trap would negatively af-
section. fect you, roll a D10. On a 6+, the trap does not go off.
In addition, Characters get a once per arc This roll is RISKY.
ability based on whether their background is pos- Third passive: If you would be knocked Prone,
itively or negatively aligned. Remember: while the Stunned, or Disrupted, roll a D10. On a 6+, you remain
passive abilities are always active, these special unaffected. This roll is RISKY.
abilities are only usable once per arc. Negative Alignment Ability: You can make an
NPC fail their next non-combat check.
Positive Alignment Ability: You can make your-
Background Knowledge self pass your next non-combat check of up to Difficul-
Your character probably knows a thing or two about ty 3.
a thing or two, and they could have any number of
ways of getting that knowledge. In the Education Dubious Origin
section (after background) you’ll be selecting some You weren’t “born” in the traditional sense.
mechanical bonuses to checks in certain sectors like You’re a bit like a Blip, but one that has been carefully,
science and engineering, but there are also probably and perhaps secretly, tailored to not appear like one.
specific areas your character may know about just by You’re usually off the grid and not in the general reg-
virtue of who they are. An ASR engineer might know istry, and your creation probably has an overall goal
some things about current robots on the market, for you may or may not be aware of, which will become
instance. A TTI scientist should probably know a few clearer as you grow. Positive Dubious Origin characters
things about Transcendence. These aren’t anything that can be Blips whose design falls outside what is gener-
translates to a game mechanic, but it’s knowledge ally considered legal for Blips, or “programmed” peo-
that’s useful to have for roleplay. You can establish a ple who don’t have any real qualms with being what
few specific knowledges here: they are, or have simply chosen to make the most of it.
When you’ve established your background, work with Negative Dubious origin characters usually hate that
your Guide to come up with a few things your char- they can’t escape the fate that was made for them
acter should know about based on their previous and feel partially enslaved by their existence. Feel-
history. Pick around three topics for them to have ing lost or not knowing how they can do what they’re
general information on, and one or two specifics they “supposed” to do is also indicative of negativity in this
had direct relationships with. There is no mechanic to background.
this, you can modify the number of topics to whatever
your Guide feels is appropriate. This doesn’t replace First passive: You have no birth records and
making a check to know something, it more establish- cannot be identified via record evidence.
es what you’re realistically expected to know about, Second passive: You gain a random Reclama-
which you can use as support and justification for tion surgery that does not count against your total.
complex actions later. Sometimes this will let you get Chose one (ANY family, provided it makes anatomical
more out of an item (a doctor might be able to per- sense). It was technically always there, it just becomes
form minor surgery with basic tools, for instance) or active during a narrative event.
glean more sophisticated information out of an obser- Third passive: Create a second character sheet
vation (a roboticist might recognize stolen code on- with the same amount of experience. You can reassign
sight by having seen it before in other applications), your Morphism, your Stats, and your appearance. This
but the depth and nature of this is so determined by other form is effectively what you were intended to be.
context and narration that we just establish prompts For the sake of simplicity, you maintain your Species
here and let the Guide and group decide when they
come into play.
HISTORY
and Family designation, though it is not necessary that effective “safe house” where you can store any-
you resemble them. You can also do things like apply thing without risk of theft or damage. Moreover,
Macro surgery while this process occurs and simply call equipment you bring there will be repaired over
it “part of the transformation,” but you will still have time for free at the same rate as normal repairs.
to pay for it as normal (the money is being withdrawn Plot limitations exist (if you bring some top secret
from your account by some shadow organization in- new ship there, the local grotto mechanic proba-
volved with your dubious origin, presumably as some bly isn’t going to know how to fix it) and the repair
final “payment” for your existence). Choose a trigger times are going to vary based on the Guide’s dis-
for this transformation, like contact with a substance, cretion. About a day per armor-sized object. They
or an emotional state. It needs to be something that DO have other things to do, y’know.
can be physically prevented if someone knows about Negative Alignment Ability: You can use the
it. A separate trigger should be chosen to switch you fabricators at your grotto to assemble one piece of

CRUNCHTIME
back. This last bit is largely narrative based; you can equipment, weapon, or armor per arc at a discount
choose to have the change be permanent if you’d like. of 50% off the normal price. These objects will not
Negative Alignment Ability: You can “re-spawn” be in the public record and will be unknown to cor-
from a cloned body when you die (even if said death porate authority until they’re witnessed and record-
was self-inflicted). You will wake up in a location of ed.
your Guide’s choosing (probably an alley somewhere, Positive Alignment Ability: You can use the
needs to be fairly close to the party) with 1D8 hours surgical facilities at your grotto to perform one op-
of recent memory missing. Before the re-spawn, roll a eration per Arc at a discount of 50% off the normal
D10. On a 1 or 2, your character does not re-spawn. price. Transcendent technology cannot be installed
This action is classified as RISKY. in this way.
Positive Alignment Ability: If an environmental
effect would harm you (fire, suffocation, radiation, Haunted
starving, poison, things related to the narration rather Somewhere in your recent history or family
than bullets or taking Wounds) You can roll a D10. On a line, there has been a brush with the beyond. The
6+, it turns out you were immune to that all along and flavor is up to you, but it might be from transcendent
never knew! This ability can be attempted once per experimentation in your parentage, or on your own
arc until it succeeds, but once it succeeds, take note of person. This can apply to many histories, but in your
the immunity and lose this ability. case, the nature of the encounter is not known or un-
derstood, and its side effects are only now coming into
Grotto Raised being.
You were brought up in a non-corp environ-
ment, such as a Grotto or a University or some other First passive: You may check if there is height-
cloistered, self-governed society. As a result, your views ened Cuil activity in your vicinity using Community:Per-
on corporate rule are rather atypical, and your list of ceive, which represents you trying to make sense of
available assets is different. Positive Grotto characters the actions or feelings emanating from your haunting.
appreciate the place they were raised and are prob- If successful, this can alert you to the presence of
ably only leaving it temporarily, or are at least leaving Transcendent activity in your area, such as implants or
it on good terms. Negative Grotto Raised characters manifestations, but it will not give you directions or
likely resent their upbringing and how estranged it has details. Chances are whatever you’re “reading” doesn’t
made them and are trying to build a new, normal life. understand those in our terms anyway.
Second passive: You can Sink enemy Transcen-
First passive: You can recognize and write hid- dent implants as if you had one, even if you don’t.
den messages in architecture and advertisements that Third passive: You can recognize Transcendent
will point you toward safe secret societies related to activity visually without having to check for it, even
your own, if they’re around. This can usually be used to while it’s invisible to normal people. If it’s related to
find shelter or provisions, or to converse without corpo- phenomena you’ve encountered before, you can identify
rate eavesdropping. it.
Second passive: You can make use of your Negative Alignment Ability: If anyone acti-
grotto’s private network system remotely to send mes- vates a Transcendent ability or effect in your presence,
sages or calls to your party or other locations securely you can attempt to attract additional attention to it,
without risk of interception. This is contextual; your sometimes resulting in unexpected supernatural inter-
connection will be safe from roaming hackers, random vention. Roll a D10.
interception, or detection from most ground level secu- 1-2: Nothing happens.
rity systems. If you’re in a very high security or sensitive 3-7: Summon a Transcendent entity into the scene.
area, it won’t give you blanket protection (but it will 8-9: Summon an Owl into the scene.
Complicate checks to find your data). 10: Summon a Whisper into the scene from a
Third passive: You gain grotto locations as an random character.
135
HISTORY
 Anything summoned in this manner behaves in Positive Alignment Ability: Any item you have
the default manner for that entity. that would expire from being used can be restored to
Positive Alignment Ability: If you would suffer an unused form once per arc. This includes tools that
the effects of a Transcendent ability, roll a D10. If might break, vehicles that might expire and decay, or
you roll equal or over the Cuil level of the phenom- one-use items.
enon that would effect you, the effects of it are
shunted off to a random character in the scene or Military
dismissed entirely, depending on context. This works Your history contains a large military presence.
against Transcendent implants, ambient Transcen- You may have grown up in a heavily fortified area, or
dent events, and Transcendent catastrophes but spent most of your career in combat. It makes you very
won’t protect you against physical harm from Tran- good at assessing the danger of a situation quickly.
CRUNCHTIME

scendent manifestations or other beings of other- Positive Military characters are usually ex or current
worldly origin. This ability is always active. soldiers for megacorps with a generally fond view of
their experience. Negative Military backgrounds usually
Impoverished left the service because of something bad that hap-
You grew up devoid of money and have pened, or due to a need to get away for their own
learned to use the free services provided by emotional health.
megacorps to their maximum efficiency. It’s not a
glamorous life, but you’ve learned where to find First passive: You are able to identify civilian
cheap and low-profile solutions to most problems, and military equipment and weaponry just by seeing
and how to avoid other problems before they start. it, provided it isn’t top secret or unheard of. If trying
Positive Impoverished characters have usually found to work out the function of an unknown weapon made
some good reasons to stay at the bottom of the with conventional materials, Simplify the check.
credit pile. Probably because it grants them free- Second passive: You are able to discern the
dom from attachment or debt or allows them to approximate Combat Value (within about a point)
live for themselves instead of someone else, even if of enemies by looking at them, provided they are not
that life isn’t exactly opulent. Negative Impoverished concealing their abilities (e.g. you can’t tell a spy is
characters could simply be poor and resent it, or might a spy just by looking at them, you will interpret them
actually be trying to avoid attention from someone as a normal unarmed civilian) or they aren’t generally
who wants their unknown factors (secret projects, new equipment, etc.).
money. Third passive: You can ship weapons and armor
for free via secured transit, allowing you to move your
First passive: Your character does not need to team’s full arsenal to job sites instead of just what they
pay for basic utilities for themselves but only receives can carry.
the bare essentials. Personal transit without much car- Negative Alignment Ability: You can call in
go space, personal food and water, shelter. military assistance to help gain tactical control of an
Second passive: You can use the local homeless area. This can be used to get accurate impressions of
and destitute as a sort of observation system. They will an enemy’s numbers, what equipment they have visi-
communicate freely with you, have eyes in most places, ble, what their overall fighting strength is, and other
and are typically too poor to have digital vision sys- reconnaissance information involving a known foe. This
tems so they aren’t prone to being hacked. They’re also can vary in size from a single spy reporting back to
very good at spotting people who look out of place. you to a large satellite network monitoring an outpost,
Third passive: If you or your party are about to but it is always just information. They will not attack
be ambushed, the Guide will roll a D10. On a 4+, they on your behalf. This ability assumes your “contact” is a
are obligated to warn your character that they get a pretty intelligent and well-off individual; your requests
bad feeling about the situation they’re about to walk can be pretty specific, provided they aren’t unrealisti-
into. cally invasive.
Negative Alignment Ability: You can avoid de- Positive Alignment Ability: You can borrow a
tection by pursuers the moment you get out of view in piece of dangerous hardware for a mission. It could be
a crowd or area with varied vertical terrain (crevass- armor, a weapon, a vehicle, your choice. Not everything
es, buildings, obstructions, etc.). Even if your Morphism will always be available, and your benefactor will likely
makes you easy to detect, if you can find a crowd to want to know what it’s being used for, but you can use
duck into or an alley to slink by, you can effectively dis- this to obtain expensive support items for a short-term
appear by hiding in plain sight. You cannot be detect- op without monetary investment.
ed again this scene. Works only out of combat.
Owned
You are physically possessed in some way by
another character or organization. Slavery is illegal
136 under IRPF contract, but slavery is just a word. If you

HISTORY
change the word and pay the right people, you can when trying to spot a lie about a physical law,
get away with just about anything. Ownership could object, or other researchable material.
imply servitude because of debt, or personal obliga- Negative Alignment Ability: You can account
tion, or mental programming, or a general lack of will- for nearly every variable in a situation and use it to
power. Positive Owned characters are typically proud temper your actions. In game, you can “reverse time”
servants of established corporate empires. “Company by about 10 seconds (or one full combat round, back
people,” who consider it a privilege to be used as a to your previous turn), long enough to change one
sort of vassal for the business itself. Negative Owned decision or redo one action. The 10 seconds that
characters were generally forced into servitude by was lost was really just you simulating the potential
coincidence or design, through debt or some sort of consequences of your actions in your mind before
blackmail. It is generally implied that Positive Owned actually committing to them.
characters do better when given orders because they Positive Alignment Ability: You can run sim-

CRUNCHTIME
want to please their masters, while Negative Owned ulations in your head to establish the likelihood of
characters do better out of fear of what may happen success for any given plan, accounting for informa-
if they fail. tion provided and the likelihood that something is
missing. In game, this effectively means you can use
First passive: When operating on behalf of your this ability to ask a Guide if something you and your
possessor, you can use their reputation as your own to party planned out has a good chance of succeeding
assist with social situations. People talking with you will or whether they’ve overlooked something. The Guide
treat you as though you are a direct extension of your won’t necessarily tell you what you’ve missed, but
owner. they can be that nagging voice in the back of your
Second passive: When given a direct order by head that tells you something is missing and should
someone you recognize as an authority figure you may be found before you proceed.
add a Property to your next check. If you ever refuse
an order from said individual, you can no longer ben- Spacer
efit from this bonus through them unless some form of You grew up in space, either on a station or
successful role play reconciliation occurs. a ship, in a perpetual cycle of trade and transit. You
Third passive: If you are injured while acting on know the nuances of artificial gravity and how best to
behalf of your owner, your surgical bill will be covered manipulate your movement so you can get around from
by your owner. This does not allow for vanity surgery place to place safely. You can even trick gravity gen-
but will cover restorations from downed or wounded erators with certain movements and materials. Positive
and possibly other treatment depending on the nature Spacer characters are usually just people with a back-
of your situation. ground in the stars, who’ve had a pretty reasonable
Negative Alignment Ability: You can re-roll any life despite (or because) of it. Negative Spacer char-
or all the dice on failed non-combat checks for the acters were probably denied certain lifestyles because
next five hours. However, all your Proficiencies count as they were forced to live in space for one reason or
having Faults. another, or perhaps are phobic of planetary life and
Positive Alignment Ability: If something debil- hate their own phobias.
itating were to happen that would prevent you from
carrying out your assigned task, you can narrate a First passive: You do not need to take checks
solution to the problem without rolling for it. It won’t when maneuvering your body in zero G.
necessarily give you a positive outcome, but it will al- Second passive: In artificial gravity environ-
low you to continue. ments, you can actively determine how much the arti-
ficial gravity affects you on a scale of none to normal.
Scholar This doesn’t apply to rotational gravity.
You have a history of careful and meticulous Third passive: You can fly just about any vehicle
research, which has given you a vast storehouse of (Guide’s discretion for secret or experimental vehi-
knowledge to draw upon. Positive Scholars usual- cles) without needing to be taught how. You also have
ly chose this lifestyle for themselves, while Negative innate knowledge of how to “spaceproof” a ship, and
Scholars were generally forced into it by someone can make any flying vessel spaceworthy with parts,
else’s ideal, or just know things they wish they didn’t. tools, and time without needing to roll a check for it.
Note that this will just allow it to exist and maneuver;
First passive: You receive a Simplification on all it doesn’t grant it impressive speed or capabilities. The
Mind+Protocol checks for the purposes of knowledge Guide can determine its overall robustness. In addi-
about various megacorp practices. tion, you can jury-rig any full-body armor with spare
Second passive: You do not need to roll checks parts, seals, and general know-how to make it
when recalling information you’ve observed before. It space-worthy given a little time and a work-
appears on demand like a picture in your head. shop. This includes a rudimentary rebreather,
Third passive: Simplify Community:Perceive rolls basic propulsion, and general protection
137
HISTORY

from the elements for a few hours of exposure. Positive Alignment Ability: For the remainder
Negative Alignment Ability: You can put yourself of the scene, you can use Focus points as Readiness or
in a trance-like state in order to protect yourself vice versa.
from the effects of space exposure. While in this
state, you can only hold onto objects and move very Unknown
slowly, one hand at a time, to perform simple tasks You don’t know your own origins. A large por-
like pressing a button or flipping a switch. You get tion (if not all) of your past is hidden from you, through
only one minute of this motion before you must stop amnesia or some form of mental blocking. Howev-
moving entirely, but you can remain in this condition er, other entities in the universe do know your past
for half an hour before exposure will kill you. This and will use it to help or hinder you. This background
torpor can work underwater or in extreme cold, too, implies that someone out there has a “plan” for you,
CRUNCHTIME

provided you haven’t descended below a depth and hid your past to better serve that plan. Positive
that would crush you. Unknown characters are usually rather oblivious to the
Positive Alignment Ability: You are eminently “plan” or anyone involved in it, and interpret themselves
prepared for catastrophe. You can produce any of as being strangely lucky, because things just tend to go
the following objects without cost or having them their way. Negative Unknown characters usually have
in your inventory: Optics, flashlight, Pointshift gaunt- a direct contact with someone who’s clued into the
let, Police whistle, rope, tools, bottles, PPC, Bug-out bigger picture but won’t tell them everything, and are
ball, Vacuum sealant system. It will last as long as it keenly aware that their history is being hidden.
would if it were purchased. You can produce these
at any time from an “emergency kit” rather than only First passive: Once per session, if you fail a
once per arc, but only have one of each object. You check, roll a D10. On a 7+, you succeed the check when
restock this for free during downtime between Arcs. you were sure you were going to fail, almost as though
the event were staged. This roll is RISKY.
Tragedy Second passive: Once per session, if you see an
Something profound and terrible happened to imminent threat that you recognize but does not notice
you in your background. Loss of friends or family or a you, you can retreat from view. Roll a D10. On a 7+, the
close unit, or the large scale destruction of your home- next time you look, the threat will be gone. Does not
town, or even just a single person you were unable to work on major story elements. This roll is RISKY.
protect when you tried to. Positive Tragedy characters Third passive: Once per session, if you require a
have been tempered by their experience and use it to specific non-unique item to help you, such as a weap-
steel their resolve, which pushes them to ignore hard- on or tool, you can open a suitable container in the
ship to get a job done because they’ve endured worse. environment and roll a die. On a 7+, the item is there. It
They’ve faced their past and come out stronger for will stop functioning after the scene ends, though. How
it. Negative Tragedy characters have much the same convenient! This roll is RISKY.
abilities, but have not come to terms with what’s hap- Negative Alignment Ability: The Guide will
pened to them. When they look back, their resilience assign you an NPC contact of some sort. This is a fully
is more a super-charged fight or flight response than fleshed-out character, though your relationship with it
something controlled and harnessed. could be colorful. It is, however, available to ask ques-
tions of, request favors of, hook you up with work, and
First passive: Resolve saves are Simplified. otherwise use as a Tie-in for most things that fit your
Second passive: Simplify resolve saves for allies plot. They are not aware of the details of your past (or
if you can support them visibly or audibly. if they are, they won’t tell you) but they are innately
Third passive: If you would use Focus to add +1 interested in your further success and will generally
to a check, add +2 instead. This only applies to the first attempt to facilitate it. Communication with this entity
focus spent on the check. is not limited to once per act, but the Guide gets to
Negative Alignment Ability: For the next scene, determine their overall availability, and it likely won’t
any non-combat checks you make that don’t have be constant.
negative properties count as having succeeded even Positive Alignment Ability: For the remainder of
if you would have failed them. However, the successes the scene, your passive abilities function on 5+ rather
are messy and temporary. You can jury-rig a machine than 7+.
to work or slap together some workable solution to
a problem fueled by desperation and skills learned
in dark times, but it will be short-lived and probably
decay by the end of the episode. This only applies to
checks with Difficulty up to 3. Beyond that, they’re
just too technical.

138
HISTORY

Wealthy Third passive: You can cover consumable
You come from a wealthy position. You’re not in narrative expenses for your party for free. Meals,
constant contact with your money, but it’s within reach, transit, places to stay, provisions, clothing, things
there’s typically a lot of it. Positive Wealthy characters of that nature. They can even be lavish and used
could be child prodigies, children of wealthy families, to help Simplify various social situations, but they
or anyone who typically just has more money to throw can’t be tool items or anything that lasts beyond the
away than normal. Negative Wealthy characters have current scene.
lots of funds to draw from but probably don’t own the Negative Alignment Ability: You can dispatch
money themselves. It may be a shared account, or a a well-trained, dangerous NPC contact to do a job
“perk” of some greater debt owed to someone un- of your choice, legal or otherwise. They are consid-
pleasant. ered fairly adept at all things questionably lawful.
When given a task, have the Guide roll a D10. On

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First passive: Difficulty to convince authority a 4+, they succeed. They will continue with their as-
figures to let you off the hook for trivial misdemean- signment until they fail. Narrate their fate according
ors is capped at 1. Real crimes (arson, violence, grand to the assignment.
theft, etc.) are exempt from this. Positive Alignment Ability: You can add
Second passive: You can gain access to areas an additional 200 credits to any amount you are
considered to be “elite” or “high society” by virtue of currently paying without actually using 200 credits.
your ledger. No reservations or invitations needed. This Usable only for exchanges of currency. You receive
does not apply to events that are specifically secret, no change.
and you’re probably going to need to look the part, so
dress up!

139
Education (Vectors, Cogs, Blips)
Each corp you selected will give 1 Boon from
the available Proficiency selection listed after their
name. If you select the same corp twice, you gain the
second Boon provided.

CORP BOON LIST

ASR: Communication, Logic

Pulse: Athletics, CQC

Spyglass: Stealth, Sabotage

IRPF: Protocol, Ranged Combat

Progenitus: Medicine, Engineering

TTI: Science, Operate

MarsCo: MarsCo Boons can be used to remove any

existing Faults, but do not contribute Boons of their
own. Remove a Fault on your character sheet for each
time MarsCo was taken as an education choice.

Corp Knowledge
Having a history in a corp gives you a degree
of familiarity with it. If ever you would need to
check something about history, protocol or gen-
eral awareness of a particular corp you were
a part of, you can reference your history with
that corp as a bonus. One Simplify if you have
one instance of that corp, two if you have two.
Custom Points (Vectors, Cogs, Blips)
Your character is just about ready to go. The
final step is to customize them a bit,
physically and mentally.
Each character begins with 3 Customization
points and 3 Personal Quirks. The following things can
be done to your character for one Customization point
a piece. Any unspent Customization points are convert-
ed into credits at a rate of 200 per point.

CUSTOMIZATION OPTIONS
(1 point a piece)

Endure Save +1

Dodge Save +1

Resolve Save +1

Readiness and Focus +1

Initiative +1

Base mass +/-1 (min 1, max 10)

+1 Personal Quirk

Personal Quirks (pg. 142)

Personal Quirks are abilities relating to set-
ting or interaction that have something to do with the
history, abilities, or personality of your character. Your
character begins with three of these, which they have
cultivated through careers or just life in general. They’ll
get one more at every Landmark as they continue to
grow as people. The full details of each Personal Quirk
are listed in the next section of the book.
Select three for your character to start out
with. They’ll gain more as time goes on.

Reclamations and Specializations (pg. 274)

Your Vector begins the game with one Recla-
mation operation, and your Cog begins the game with
one Specialization. They’re listed in the surgical refer-
ence chapter. If you haven’t already applied them, do
so before you start playing.

WRAP IT UP
From here, take 1000 starting credits and buy yourself
some equipment. Starting characters typically can’t buy
things with a gearscore above 2 unless the Guide has
decided that’s okay. Once the game begins they can
seek out rarer items on their own.
 Personal Quirks QUIRK LIST
Personal Quirks are little abilities or physical
features that reflect your character’s personal- Presence
ity, genealogy, the skills they’ve learned in their Appearance
past and present, and their overall ability to reli- Atypical Patterning
ably manipulate the world. Most of these can be Bioluminescence
achieved in one way or another using checks, but Blip
using a personal ability shows that you’ve mastered Charisma
its execution. You begin the game with three of Grizzled
these and get one more at every Landmark. Not all Hemi
Quirks are available to all life in Sol. If a Quirk has
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Honed
a species limitation, it will be listed. If not, then any- Infamy
one can take a version of it that is tailored to their Legacy Memory
body. This means that Cogs can take Quirks with Protrusions
biological descriptions as long as there is nothing Radiant
forbidding it in the title. They just get a mechanical Reputation
version of it. Transcendent Linkage

Manipulation
A Few Modifications
Boyfriend on Ganymede
Commanding presence
Defuse
Emergency Channels
Friends in Low Places
Hotline
Instigator
McGuffin Muffins
Minions
Overcharge
The Big Picture
Who The Hell Do You Think I Am?!

Training
Appropriately Alert
Doctorate
Eidetic Memory
Focused
Form Follows Function
Hometown
Infrastructural Engineering
I’ve Heard of This
Kick It a Few Times
Out of Place
Perfect Timing
Practiced Skill
Read a Book!
Reverse Engineering
Salvage Specialist
Skillful Production
The Science of Deduction
Thermodynamics

142
QUIRKS
Presence Blips allow for an in-game excuse to
make your own un-featured lifeform. While this is
Appearance a seductive option in itself, a party full of Blips is
You have a supremely memorable appearance, a somewhat unnecessary situation. Remember: the
whether beautiful or quirky or macabre, that you can species selection listed under the major families
leverage during negotiations. in this book represent the majority populations of
Effect: This is a +1 bonus for Community checks those families; however, any suitable species for
where your appearance may play a role in the atten- that family is a valid option to play, and the Or-
tion you receive. It can be upgraded to a +2 bonus by ders form up species that can be entirely unrelated
taking this again. It is only applicable in negotiations to those families and just happened to have been
where your appearance would be a benefit (typically adopted by them. If the character you’re trying to
make falls into one of the family groups already

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not life-threatening situations). You must be specific as
to what sort of appearance you have. While you are listed in the rules, you’re best off using the Order
above average among others of your ilk, beauty is not descriptor and following those guidelines instead
a universal standard. It is possible your appearance of calling them a Blip. Part of the in-game inter-
can even be held against you. est of these characters hinges on them being the
odd man out. While it is conceivable, even common,
Atypical Patterning that a group of them would connect via network-
Your fur, scale, feather, or what have you pat- ing and go into business together (they do tend to
terns are off for your species. They could resemble a reach out to one another), if that occurs it should
different species, or they could be bright and colorful, be treated as a driving force in the campaign’s plot
geometric, or any other vibrant or subtle combination. that affects how the whole group is treated, not
This is a result of a hiccup in genetics rather than sur- just a “thing” that happened one day and is other-
gery or dye. wise inconsequential. Blips shouldn’t really look like
Effect: This is a +1 bonus to Community checks Vectors. They are custom and unique creations unto
where your exotic appearance could be considered themselves.
beneficial.

Bioluminescence
This is a ghost in the genes; no one is entirely
sure what caused it to begin with. No Vectored family
has this trait as an inherent function of its members,
and records of experiments with it are slim and usually
consist of its observation rather than its implementa-
tion. Nonetheless, Vectors with luminous fur or eyes or
mouths have cropped up from time to time. The effect
is pretty, if a little distracting. Vectors don’t have di-
rect control over their luminescence in most situations,
but practice can usually teach them how to fluctuate
their brightness. Bioluminescent Vectors generally have
at least six to eight individual points of illumination on
their body: two on the face, two on the torso, and a
varying amount on the arms and legs.
Effect: You can force your illumination to be
high enough to serve as a diffuse light emanating
from yourself. This ability works underwater. You can
also focus all your light through a single emanating
spot to serve as a powerful flashlight.

Blip (Blips only, must be taken at game start)

You are an engineered lifeform, custom-built
to fall within the same general physical and mental
limits as Vector life so as to be afforded the same
privileges and opportunities they are. Typically, Blips
are designed by wealthy and/or eccentric parents
who want their offspring to be a reflection of their
own tastes, or to have a different experience in Sol
than everyone else. You can decide for yourself if this
is a situation you’re happy with or not, now that you’re
all grown up. 143
QUIRKS
 Lastly, rules in the book and rules in the lore Hemi (Vectors only)
always take a back seat to what the party wants Your body reflects aspects of humanity. You
to do. Blips allow for a lot of appearance flexibility, probably have un-furred skin over most of your form,
but if you make yourself look monstrous or frighten- which may or may not have patterns like your species
ing, or bizarre or comedic, to the point of alienating does, but is otherwise human in appearance. Most
your fellow players and disrupting the narrative, Hemis also have somewhat human faces, with taper-
you’re not serving the play experience. If you start ing in the jaw that suggests an animal-like visage but
getting into custom creatures, just be sure you craft which are largely closer to a human origin. Hemi limbs
a context for them that fits nicely with your party usually gradate into Vector limbs as they travel away
and the scenario presented by your Guide. While from the torso, which is generally where most of the
your party shouldn’t be allowed to hold your en- human elements manifest.
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joyment hostage, you likewise need to consider the Considered a morphism by most classifications,
overall theme of the session your party wants to Hemism isn’t so much a genetic glitch as it is a hold-
play before building something that deliberately over of a previous form of semi-Vectorization that
violates it. didn’t really fit in the full-Vector model. Nowadays it’s
Effect: Your physical appearance does not need treated as an echo of humanity, and those who have it
to hearken back to any particular family or species. are typically considered good luck. Despite humanity’s
As long as your overall mental and physical abilities eventual extinction, history shows Vector-human rela-
are within Vector thresholds, your appearance can tions on Mars to be fairly favorable, and the general
be anything you want it to be. The Morphism you memory of the race isn’t of the warring factions on
selected still applies, but that was part of the body Earth, but more the benevolent ones on Mars that gave
designed for you, so you can tailor how it looks a bit Vectors their start. History isn’t exactly accurate on
to fit your image. those points, but the feeling is what counts.
Blips pick Reclamation abilities from any fami- It is possible to develop Hemism later in life.
ly’s list as long as it makes anatomical sense. These While the vast majority of cases are visible at birth,
abilities are not chosen by the Blip (in fact, Blips some rare Hemis undergo their transformation at pu-
don’t actually qualify for any Reclamation surgeries, berty or early adulthood. Their opinions on the condi-
as they’re not linked to any family) but were instead tion tend to vary pretty dramatically from those born
chosen by whoever designed the Blip’s body for them with it.
to unlock over time. Typically, that’s their parents. Every Once per episode: Hemis can attempt the
time you would receive a Reclamation surgery, choose Master’s Voice effect through a vocal performance.
3 you would like from any family list and then roll ran- Those who can see and hear it are subject to the
domly to determine which one you get. Weakness/Delirium EDA (though in this case it’s more
Blips are immune to the Master’s Voice phe- of a pleasant haze).
nomenon. Blips cannot naturally reproduce.

Charisma
Your personality perfectly embodies certain
messages.
Effect: This is a +1 bonus to Community checks
involving your outward personality. It can be upgraded
to a +2 bonus by taking this again. Only applicable in
negotiations where your personality would be a ben-
efit. You must be specific as to what sort of charisma
you have and how it is leveraged. While you are above
average among others of your ilk, “likable” is not a uni-
versal standard. It is possible your personality can even
be held against you.

Grizzled
You’ve taught yourself how to bear the perils of
the world. Injury, heat, cold, toxins, the works. You figure
there’s no telling what you’re going to run into next, so
you might as well brace for impact.
Once per episode: If an ongoing environmental
condition would provoke an Endure save, you can auto-
matically pass the first one. Subsequent checks
will still have to be taken.

144
QUIRKS
Honed pre-Vector era. Treat this as a conditional +2 to
You have trained your body to be the perfect a Mind check provided you have no points in the
tool for specific physical activities. associated Proficiency and the task falls within the
Effect: This is a +1 bonus for Body checks purview of something humans did. If you have points
involving your physical form. It can be upgraded to a in the Proficiency, your own experience will over-
+2 bonus by taking this again. You must pick Athletics, whelm the comparatively weak voice of the legacy
Stealth, Sabotage, or Medicine to benefit from this memory. No Focus or other bonuses may be spent on
Quirk when you pick it, indicating that you have honed this check.
your body toward that task. A lean, lithe form may be
good for Stealth, for instance, while a bulky, muscular Protrusions/Hooves
form serves Athletics well. You’re welcome to mix and Tusks, saberteeth, horns, and other such
match body types through narration, but the effect structures are collectively known as protrusions.
only applies to one Proficiency per selection. Hooves are typically known as, well, hooves, but the
errant genetic markers tend to follow similar lines.
Infamy These are perfectly natural for some families, but
Love is just fear from the other direction. One little errors in the Vector genome have occasionally
you’re scared to live too far away from, the other resulted in them appearing on families and species
you’re scared to live too close to. You have carefully that don’t normally have them. Avaians with this
cultivated a reputation that makes people quake at morphism have beaks that end in a blunted shape
the very mention of your name, lest it somehow bring with two long “fang” shapes to the sides rather than
you down upon them. a hook in front in place of saberteeth . Unicorn-like
Once per episode: You can make a small group forehead protrusions can be represented in this
of NPC witnesses “forget” you were there. The effected way as well, as can hooves on families that normally
person/people will deny any interaction or observation don’t have them. Families that have horns natural-
involving you, and will staunchly maintain that you were ly are typically considered to keep them trimmed
never in the area. This ability works on unarmed civil- unless you choose to take this perk. Maintaining
ian NPCs. Armed officers of anything, especially those horns or protrusions in an environment with narrow
with backup, are less prone to surrender to a simple doorframes and helmets takes a degree of personal
look, but you can roll Community in conjunction with discipline.
this ability to gain a Simplification on those attempts. Effect: This character counts as having a knife
Infamy can also be used to secure a surrender from an they can wield, but it will break if it’s used against
injured enemy who was on the fence about it. medium armor or above. Protrusions can be repaired
in a hospital with a nip/tuck operation (or just grow
Legacy Memory back in about a month). These can also be used as
Legacy memories are snippets of human histo- Simplification for Community checks if the protrusion is
ry that have awakened in a Vector brain, resulting in well maintained, but will Complicate them if they are
them “remembering” events from the time of humanity. damaged or roughed up.
This phenomenon is treated a bit like psychic phenom-
ena are treated currently on Earth: with skepticism and
a great deal of fraud. Genuine cases of legacy mem-
ory are very rare, but they do occur, and they usually
result in Vectors that feel almost out of place among
their own kind, or view their own existence as “wrong.”
They tend to long for a past that doesn’t exist and will
usually flock toward careers that emphasize ancient
human behaviors, such as seafaring, working in isolat-
ed and harsh environments like Ganymede’s Mean, or
heavy combat units. While Vectors with legacy memo-
ries can generally figure out what it is that’s plaguing
their dreams, much of the context for the memories
they have are completely lost. This usually leads to
someone who feels as though half of their life is miss-
ing and they tend to be lonely individuals searching for
something to fill the void.
Once per episode: You can “recall” something
you have no business knowing, like a point of logic
about a situation despite never having experienced
it, or how to construct something you’ve never built
before. These memories can’t be about anything that
existed post-humanity, but they can date from any 145
QUIRKS
 Radiant
Sink: When using a Transcendent implant in
Transcendent channeling is not an innate ability
combat against an enemy team that also
for most residents of Sol. Having a Transcendent
possesses Transcendent implants or abilities, any
implant gives you access to simple Cuil 1 abilities
time one of you would activate your implant
that allow you to do fun but relatively benign things.
(regardless of target) the other has one
Some people, however, develop a deeper con-
opportunity to use their own power to Sink it if:
nection to their implants. TTI isn’t sure why this is,
One of you can see the other channel the
but they’re very interested in finding out. Radiants
ability.
can pull energy from their implants that warps the
The one choosing to Sink has not already Sunk
fabric of reality itself. Aside from their destructive
an ability this round.
ability, Radiants also possess unique defense against
Channel your ability as normal. The enemy also
CRUNCHTIME

Transcendence. When Transcendent Radiants fight

channels at the same Cuil level. If they fail, your
each other, their abilities can have bizarre effects
implant goes off like normal. If they succeed,
on the world around them. Transcendent implants
the power is Sunk, and the implant doesn’t
reach through different realities in set directions
channel (and as such, does not increase Cuil
to conjure their abilities. Not every implant reaches
Bloom). Measure or approximate the middle
the same way, and when two are activated at once,
distance between you and the enemy that Sunk
they can have a repelling effect on one another.
you. Scatter an explosion off that hex like you
The resulting fizzled energy cascades into zero Cuil
would a grenade, with 2D10 distance, dealing
reality in destructive bursts of power. This is known
D3 Wounds on the center hex of the effect
as Sinking.
and 1 Wound to each adjacent hex. It cannot
Effect: You can access Cuils 2-4 of your Tran-
be dodged. You can’t use your implant again
scendent Implant if you have one (See: Transcendent
this turn but can try again next turn. This ability
implants in Surgery). You can also use the Sink and
naturally extends to player Radiants too, who
Gutter ability, described at right.
can use it on enemies. You do not need Combat
Channeling to try and Sink a power.
Reputation
Sinking abilities actually isn’t as mentally or
The rumor is always more powerful than the
physically taxing as using them normally. Reality
person attached to it. Through various acts of well-
takes the punch when a power Sinks, not the
timed greatness, you’ve cultivated a reputation of
Radiants themselves, so they can continue to
excellence almost beyond reproach. What you say is
try to use their implants against each other as
gospel, at least in certain specific fields.
the world warps and explodes around them. It’s
Once per episode: You can convince an NPC
a detriment to their team to have unpredict-
that something you say is the God’s honest truth, pro-
able rifts opening around them though (to say
vided it is directly related to an object or element in
nothing of the local architecture) so extended
question. This won’t save you from stumbling over your
Transcendent conflicts are typically avoided,
words and saying contradictory things, nor will it allow
or only persist long enough for a sniper to find
you to convince people of things they know for a fact
their target.
to be untrue (i.e. you can breath in vacuum if you wish
Guttering Cuil: Radiants have the innate ability
really really hard), but it can be used to argue obscure
to affect extra-reality events around them, but
knowledge or difficult bluffs. This ability is limited to
they can’t direct those effects consciously. There
physical facts and assertions, such as “that engine will
are a few abilities, however, that tie in well
explode if it’s turned sideways” rather than attempts to
enough with the associated physical commands
pretend you’re someone you’re not. Having a reputation
and sensations that Radiants can use them in-
for being a liar is entirely possible, but it doesn’t tend
stinctively and have a reasonable idea of what
to make people listen to what you have to say.
they will do. Sinking is one of them, Guttering is
the other.
Guttering is the process of reaching out to
all extra-Cuil energy nearby and dropping it
forcefully into 0-Cuil reality, effectively dump-
ing it into our native physics and letting the
universe figure out what to do with it. It’s a lot
like Sinking, only on a wider scale.
As a Support action, roll on the Tran-
scendent Catastrophe table, but only roll a D6.
Reduce the Cuil Bloom in the scene to 0. You
may channel as normal after this (unless a gen-
uine Transcendent Catastrophe has occurred
146 prior).
Transcendent Linkage Manipulation
The most commonly recognized manifestation
of Transcendent Linkage is in “followed” individuals, A Few Modifications
whose shadows are not their own but rather appear Your knowledge of energy and motion makes
to belong to some otherworldly creature that moves you capable of modifying the function of most sen-
and behaves differently than they do. While this is sory equipment to make it suit your purposes.
the most common (of a very uncommon event to begin Once per episode: You can modify any
with), Linkage can manifest in other ways. Fractured re- digital device with an input and an output (sensor
flections in mirrors, lingering distortions in perception, of some sort and a screen works fine, but not if the
and other barely noticed phenomena have all been only function of the sensor is video or audio surveil-
reported. The only similarity they share is that there is lance) to scan for an energy of your choosing, even
always a sense of “otherness” to them. To be haunted is if the sensor isn’t necessarily intended for that func-

CRUNCHTIME
to have an attachment, gossamer though it may be, to tion. The modification is one-way, cannot be undone,
some other entity that exists beyond what we perceive and is very obvious upon examination. This ability
as reality. can allow you to make any digital examination or
Effect: You have a supernatural distortion about tracking checks that would normally need a tool.
you, generally easy to miss unless you’re looking for it.
Most commonly, this is manifested as a shadow that Boyfriend on Ganymede
is not your own, that moves in different ways than you You’ve created a fake person for the pur-
do. It is universally unsettling when noticed, and while poses of giving you social leverage, robust enough
it doesn’t necessarily provoke a check penalty, some to survive most scrutiny that isn’t done on a pro-
groups may be concerned about letting you into high fessionally investigative level. This can be an AI, a
security areas. Your familiarity with your own quirk can, friend that has agreed to cover for you, or any oth-
however, be used as a Simplification to any Perceive er sort of combination you feel fits your character.
check related to Transcendence. Once per episode: You can use your fake
person as an alibi or information source when
called upon to present evidence of your whereabouts
or where you may have gotten something you want to
hide the true origin of. The fake personality is capa-
ble of responding to basic questions and will survive
general scrutiny, but if anyone physically travels to their
location to look in on them, the act will fail.

Commanding Presence
Your very existence commands obedience. Your
stance, shape and mannerisms are focused in such a
way as to control everyone who interacts with you on
some level.
Once per episode: When communicating with
people who are used to taking orders and respond
well to command structure, such as soldiers, police offi-
cers, or lesser public officials, you can provoke compli-
ance through bearing. You can issue an order of some
kind, and, provided it isn’t illegal or inherently danger-
ous, it will be obeyed as though given by a superior
officer.

Defuse
Almost every hostile situation can be derailed
if you know the right trigger to do so. Flattery maybe,
begging, threatening, posturing or apologizing. Nine
times out of Ten, pride stops people from doing what
must be done to keep a situation from escalating.
You’re willing to put that aside to keep living. One must
have priorities.
Once per episode: You can become aware
of what action would be required to avoid a

147
QUIRKS
 physical conflict, if any action can achieve that. Hotline
Sometimes, it can’t. Often though, there is some- Real power comes from the ability to sway the
thing, however strange, however bold or daring or people. If they love you, you can move them. If they
demeaning or embarrassing, that you can do to pull adore you, you can lead them. The trick is knowing how
the fight out of the enemy, even if it’s as simple as to be everything they can’t be, and granting them just
“surrender.” enough control to live vicariously through you. The best
way to do that is to control exactly where they’re look-
Emergency Channels ing.
You know how to slip into systems intended for Once per episode: You can steer the media in
public broadcasts. It’s not stealthy, but it’s a great a direction of your choice. At your call, reporters and
way to make a lot of noise in a hurry, or blow the news teams will deploy to an area you indicate, pro-
CRUNCHTIME

lid off something. vided doing so would not violate any laws or put them
Once per episode: You can use any data output in mortal danger. This can be used to get eyes and
system (a Toggle Case works fine) to tap into a cameras into a location, or eyes and cameras out of a
local public broadcasting system and speak over it. location. Note that you do need to have some way to
What you speak into your device will be transmitted actually communicate with the media in order to use
to all systems connected to the emergency system this ability, like a phone or console.
you’ve infiltrated. This control lasts for one scene or
until you disconnect. Instigator
You do not have inherent knowledge of what You can feel change in the air, and you know
system is local when you use this power unless how to move it. By gathering like-minded individuals,
you set about seeking it out first. It could be a PA you can create a powder keg in almost any location,
speaker system, or a wide-blast Toggle message, waiting for just the right thing to set it off.
or a direct IRPF information channel. All you know is Once per episode: If a group of people are
that it will be the primary public emergency system gathered in one place, you know what it will take
for your current position. All emergency announce- to set them off. Not typically in a lethal sense (that
ment systems do have one thing in common, however: usually takes more than an argument), but bar fights,
when triggered, they will initiate a default reaction to boardroom brawls, even sporting event fights can be
a perceived problem. That default reaction changes triggered by the right nudge here and the right word
per system, but whatever it is, this will start it. dropped there, which you know how to do.
This is also far from stealthy. By its very nature,
the system will take detailed notes of your position McGuffin Muffins
when you use it and relay it to whomever would nat- Through sweeping charisma and fast talking,
urally be informed of such a thing if an emergency you have an uncanny ability to steer concern in differ-
system was accessed. The extent of this tracking varies ent directions. This allows you to assign undue impor-
by location. Some areas without high security may just tance to mundane objects, potentially throwing whole
keep note of the closest official access node to your investigations off-track.
location. Others may go so far as to continue to track Once per episode: In a situation in which a
your location even after you’ve returned control to the goal of some sort is being pursued by one or more
system. parties, you can convince said parties that an object
of your choice is directly and intrinsically related to
Friends in Low Places that goal. For instance, if a group of enemies is seek-
Your skill in communication makes you very good ing access to a vault, you could convince them that
at reading the motivations of other people, and using the code for said vault was chemically encrypted on a
them to your advantage. napkin you have. From there, you could use the napkin
Once per episode: You can identify a sympa- as leverage, a hostage, a bargaining chip, or whatever
thetic heart and request help of its owner. This will not else you want to do with it. This ability (in this exam-
convince someone to take up arms with you and join a ple) will only convince the enemy of the validity of the
firefight, but it can be used to secure a place to sleep napkin claim; it will not force them to go along with
for the night, hide a package, lie to authorities, or en- whatever you demand. You will have to make further
gage in other acts of non-life-threatening anarchy. You checks yourself to use your item to your advantage.
also need to be able to speak and converse with the Additionally, while you can convince a party of some
person for at least a few minutes in relative privacy. rather obscure item relationships using this ability, you
Once you are away from the individual for a couple cannot convince them of something they already know
days, they will typically lose interest. isn’t true. If you make an attempt to (like say, the above
example, but one of them knows the code is an iris
scan and couldn’t possibly be on the napkin), your abil-
ity use will fail and they will know you’re trying to fool
them. It also cannot be used more than once on the
148 same group of people unless the first use was of such

QUIRKS
grand success that they realistically come to you asking This also works with security reports and other
for the next item in their pursuit. networked information involving public announce-
ments. This requires a level one Hack depth to use.
Minions
Money buys people. People think otherwise; Who the Hell Do You Think I Am?!
to them, it’s just an exchange for services or a little Wear a captain’s uniform and a scowl and
palm-greasing to keep one’s mouth shut, but you know march in like you own the place and no one will
better. With a few words and the right amount, a per- ever question why you’re there. You have the ability
son is as much a product as a toaster is. to wear the bearing of authority so well that your
Once per episode: You have a hired hand you presence in even sensitive areas isn’t questioned.
can send on errands. They will not actively participate Once per episode: You may infiltrate a loca-
in combat (they’ll run and hide), but they can be oth- tion “through the front door” provided that location

CRUNCHTIME
erwise used as a hand off in the distance, a recon- does not have a verification protocol. Concert back
naissance method, a distraction, or whatever else you stages, board meetings, maintenance and construc-
need them to do that would not put them in immedi- tion zones, and loading yards are all examples. Top
ate mortal peril. It’s assumed you’re paying them their security research areas and high-level corporate
normal rate through some unseen account. Should they functions usually possess some form of identity ver-
somehow die, you can replace them by taking this quirk ification protocol for everyone who wishes to enter
again. You cannot, however, have it more than once that can’t be fooled or avoided by a glare and
at any given time. The minion is available for “favors,” stubborn insistence, but most basic civilian opera-
but they’re limited to one profound action per episode, tions are more loosely organized. If you wish to use
and they won’t just tag along following orders all day. this ability to bring party members with you howev-
You can take this quirk a second time specifically to in- er, they must be properly dressed and make appro-
crease the depth of your relationship with your minion, priate infiltration checks.
which turns them into more of a constant presence that
does what their told. Training
Overcharge Appropriately Alert
By manipulating the power control and focusing The best way to survive a bullet is to be else-
mechanisms in a device, you can force it to dramati- where when it’s fired. Armor and bulwarks are great
cally increase its output, often with strange or danger- until someone comes around with a bigger gun; then
ous effects. they just make for a fancy coffin. It may not be glam-
Once per episode: You can use this ability orous, but getting the hell away is still the best way to
to force a device beyond its “story threshold.” If, for not fall victim to the one with your name on it. And the
instance, your vehicle is moving too slowly to make it secret to that isn’t moving fast, bub, ‘cause the bullet
to a location in time, or you lack sufficient power to moves faster, I promise. It’s seeing the problem coming
activate a device because your power source is too before it gets there.
small, you can use this ability to modify the machine to Once per episode: You can examine a situation
achieve that plot-oriented goal. This will usually result and pick out all the potential places it could go wrong.
in the destruction of the device after the goal has You can look at people’s posture and determine if
been met, and depending on how far you pushed it, it they’re concealing a weapon, spot intent behind their
could be dangerous to you. This ability is story-based; eyes, pick out the little indentations in the wall that
it has no function in combat and cannot be used to indicate traps or concealed turrets, and note all the
modify the output of a weapon for a combat check. most likely spots for ambush. For the remainder of the
scene, you can’t be taken by surprise by anything cur-
The Big Picture rently in the immediate area and can sense if someone
You control from afar, where you can more intends violence toward you or your party. This can be
easily grasp the larger concepts that are invisible from used to flee a situation before it begins, but remem-
the ground level. Controlling what people see and ber, it’s not magic, it’s instinct. If you attack someone
hear is controlling people themselves. Through your because you have a good hunch they’re planning to
web of media contacts, you have a better grasp of the attack you, the record will still show YOU attacking
news spin than the people watching it. first.
Once per episode: You can get the real story
behind the news. If you have access to some form of
interception device, you can tap into local news relays
and hear what the news teams are talking about
behind the scenes, before the local spin is put on it.

149
QUIRKS
 Doctorate examine anything thoroughly or needing prior knowl-
You’ve jumped through all the hoops required edge of any details. This power cannot give you infor-
to be recognized as an authority on the repair of, mation that could not conceivably be gleaned from a
well, people. At least, your credentials claim that detailed surface examination.
you have.
Once per episode: You can bypass security Focused
blockades in the name of humanitarian rescue. This You have learned to work off the momentum of
won’t necessarily get you into everything, but it’s your successes, zeroing in on a goal and reaping the
a good way to get over a security fence during a rewards.
battle, or to fish someone out of police control to Effect: If you roll unmodified max dice on a
“treat” them. This also allows use of most Progenitus check, restore D3 Focus. You must be the only person
CRUNCHTIME

and MarsCo medical facilities provided they aren’t attempting the check.
top secret. If your character actually knows how to
do various medical techniques, they can do so at Hometown
these facilities without being questioned. Note that You’ve taken care to actually look into the
this quirk doesn’t actually imbue them with that practices and histories of the places you’ve lived,
knowledge. It’s entirely possible to get this author- rather than simply existing in them. This gives you more
ity without knowing a damn about medicine, which insight when trying to recognize familiar architecture
can be useful if you need a place to crash or have or pick out corp hallmarks.
someone with you who DOES know how to heal Once per episode: If called upon to roll for
people. corp-based recognition checks from either corp in your
character generation history, you pass.
Eidetic Memory
You forgo the library for the streets and learn Infrastructural Engineering
by listening to the hushed conversations and grab- Your knowledge of planning, electrical engi-
bing packets of data out of the air. Your knowledge neering and efficiency arrangement allows you to ac-
is extensive, but largely stolen from those who would curately map the connections of service infrastructures.
rather you didn’t know it and filed away for later use. Once per episode: If you can gain access to
Once per episode: You may mimic any single a point on a power or fluid grid, and you possess an
action taken by someone you observed doing it, pro- item capable of retrieving data from it (any interface
vided you have the right equipment. This can include connected to the system will work) or, lacking that, if
typing a code into a keypad by taking note of the arm you can physically see (or have seen at one point) at
movements of the person typing, or operating a com- least two major junctions in the grid, you can accurate-
plex machine provided you don’t need to do anything ly diagram how the grid is distributed. This includes the
you didn’t see anyone else doing first. The knowledge relative locations of pipes, junctions, reservoirs, pumps,
of these operations is temporary: you can land a plane power stations and relays. This is applicable to cities,
with this ability if you’ve watched someone else land buildings, ships and otherwise, and you can use it to
one before (on the same runway, from the same direc- navigate to key areas on the grid.
tion), but you will need to use the ability every time you
make the attempt, and you will not be able to operate I’ve Heard of This
any functions you didn’t previously observe. Observa- Your knowledge of the general works of intelli-
tions contributing to this ability have to have been gent beings over the course of history is encyclopedic.
made during gameplay; you cannot reference some- Effect: This is a +2 bonus to Mind:Perceive
thing you “probably saw growing up.” If the thing you’re checks regarding recognizing things in specific fields
mimicking succeeded, you will as well. of study. It can be upgraded to a +3 bonus by taking
this again. You must pick a specific field to benefit
Form Follows Function from this quirk when you pick it, indicating that you
You can take visual stock of a structure, ship, or have honed your mind toward that task. Most often
person, and get a reasonable idea of what it is they this is Science, Logic, Engineering, or Medicine, though
do, or what something is for. By picking out universal you’re welcome to use any.
shapes and designs, you can assemble an accurate
idea of what something was built or tailored to do. Kick It A Few Times
Once per episode: You can look at a piece of You have learned that most sacred of engi-
equipment, a ship, a building, or even a person, and neering secrets: knowing where to slap a device to get
gain knowledge about the role it was designed to it to work better. Scientifically there’s no explanation
fulfill based off their construction or attire. This can for this phenomenon, but any engineer worth their salt
give you contextual information about their po- knows that a stiff kick to the nearest console can spell
sition, their position in a greater hierarchy, or the difference between success and failure.
whether something was designed to function Once per episode: If something requires re-
150 in specific environments, all without having to pairing but is not terribly damaged, just in need of

QUIRKS
tweaking, you can summarily whack it to get it running ciency. “Dancing” for instance, would be a refine-
again. ment of Athletics. “Singing” could be a refinement
of Communication. When you create the skill, attach
Out of Place it to whatever Proficiency you feel it best fits. It
You have a knack for noticing when something should never apply to, or be particularly usable in,
is conspicuously placed. Rugs with a corner flipped up, combat (refined versions of combat skills are re-
slightly askew wall art with worn sides, cracks in walls flected by Techniques). Cooking, singing, sewing,
where there shouldn’t be any. It makes you good at drawing, things of that nature are all fine. Be fairly
picking out when something isn’t what it seems. specific: this is a particular skill you’ve cultivated for
Once per episode: If there was a Perceive personal growth and entertainment. It should only
check during this episode that failed to reveal a apply to that.
hidden compartment, passage, drawer or other secret If you need to make a check related to your

CRUNCHTIME
in a room, when you use this ability, it will prompt the practiced skill, the check is Simplified and your Pro-
Guide to tell you that your subconscious is gnawing at ficiency level is 1 higher than it otherwise would be,
you to check again. You can then go back and re-in- to a max of 5.
vestigate when you get the chance. Role play your sec-
ond search, rather than rolling dice for it; your char-
acter is pretty sure there’s something there and will
eventually find it. This will not allow you to find things
that are physically outside your sensory acuity, or that
your stats couldn’t physically reach. This “second look”
can’t happen in the same scene as the original failure.

Perfect Timing
You understand the mechanics of the universe
well enough to accurately predict the timing of a
system, allowing for most variances that aren’t com-
pletely unexpected.
Once per episode: You can time actions to
take place exactly when you want them to, and keep
mental track of the passing of time between each
action. You can do things like rig a bomb to go off
after an event, while the people are leaving, just as a
certain person is in the blast radius. Or to have a taxi
arrive right as a heist is finished, just as you’re run-
ning out the door, so that the escape vehicle has just
pulled up. To make condition-related assessments like
that, you must have some knowledge of the person’s
habits and schedule, and an approximate knowledge
of how long the event will last. Your character can
then use this ability to accurately estimate the amount
of “in between” time it will take for things like discus-
sion, standing, walking or travel, and other incidentals
to pass before the event needs to take place. Unex-
pected variables that resulted from a lack of player
research can throw this off dramatically, as can com-
pletely random events. This ability should be consid-
ered a means to open up a potential party option
for approaching a problem that might otherwise be
considered unrealistic to attempt, it is not a one-click
solution for most issues.

Practiced Skill
You have cultivated a particular, specific skill,
such as singing, dancing, sculpting, playing music, etc.
Through years of practice, you’ve become accom-
plished in your field even if you’re normally less so in
other related ones.
Effect: Create a new, specific skill, such as
“dancing” or “painting.” This is a refinement of a Profi- 151
QUIRKS
 Read a Book! would be a significant gesture to the person receiving
You’ve devoured texts and vids alike in an at- it. Materials are free (you’re assumed to be able to get
tempt to have some grasp of anything and every- to them through your ledger contacts), but this quirk is
thing. very much an interpretation situation. This is a skill your
Once per episode: You may “recall” reading or character pursues for the personal love of it, it just
hearing about some specific piece of information happens to occasionally be very helpful with negotia-
applicable to your current situation. The location of tions.
a CEO’s home, the brand of cigarettes a bounc-
er smokes, or the name of a guild or business that The Science of Deduction
deals in something you’re looking for are all appli- You can read people better than they read
cable. You cannot gain sudden knowledge of secret themselves. Your keen observations into the minds and
CRUNCHTIME

information, but obscure knowledge can apply. behaviors of people has given you remarkable insight
into their motivations and desires. By minding the de-
Reverse Engineering tails others overlook, you can piece together a tapestry
You can store a mental layout of an object, of information.
allowing you to take it apart and reassemble it with Once per episode: You may look at a person
ease. and piece together a story of their past 24 hours,
Once per episode: You can disassemble an ob- based on visual cues. You can tell where they’ve been,
ject and reassemble it in rapid succession, function- what they’ve been doing, and sometimes even who
ally, provided you have at least rudimentary tools. they’ve been talking to if the available information
This does not give you instant knowledge of how the is sufficient (Guide’s discretion). You can also get a
components work (though you can perform various pretty firm idea of where they’re headed and what
checks to that effect as you go) but you maintain they’re planning to do next, though the details get a
an almost blueprint-level knowledge of the position little foggy the further forward you guess. An accurate
and attachment of the components. This knowledge examination requires a full view of the subject and at
is tactile: it only works if you have the components least one minute of observation. Partial views or less
on-hand. You cannot draw or mill new ones or dupli- time can still provide information, but not as much or in
cates from memory. such detail.

Salvage Specialist Thermodynamics

You’ve mastered the dubious art of slagging Your knowledge of explosive and expansive
items into their base components in order to augment forces is sufficient for you to rapidly calculate how
your crafting supplies. Collecting a lot of junk does much of any given reaction would be required to pro-
have it’s advantages when most of the items in the duce a specific amount of energy.
solar system are all made out of the same crap. Once per episode: You can calculate the
Once per episode: You can use various loose amount of power produced by a chemical or physical
objects in the room to jury rig simple mechanical de- reaction. For instance, how much heat would be pro-
vices like timers, improvised explosives, latches, etc. The duced by burning a pile of paper, or how much explo-
parts that go into the device must make some degree sive force would be produced by detonating a fist-
of logical sense for what the device is intended to do. sized clump of plastic explosive. You can also calculate
what sort of power would be required to achieve a
Skillful Production specific physical result, and how that energy must be
You have a particularly impressive ability to harnessed. For instance: how much energy would be
create something. This could be artwork, music, cook- needed to blow a 5-foot-wide hole in a specific wall,
ing, or even a performance such as dancing provided or how much would be required to propel a projectile
it’s something that requires space or materials. Your of specific mass four miles.
product is so impressive you can use it to sway people’s You can use this ability to create safe and
mood. accurate detonation models. It will tell you how much
Once per day: You can create a consumable energy is needed to achieve your goal without de-
item that will grant you a special bonus to a Commu- stroying yourself as well as how to place and arrange
nity check applicable to that item equal to the number your explosives. It can accurately determine how much
of hours you put into making it, max +5. You have to energy is required to achieve a physical result, how to
determine what your skill is when you take this ability, get that energy from various local reactants such as
and the resulting product or performance’s effective- fuel sources or explosives, and how to safely engineer
ness is based on context. Presenting a crazed enemy and arrange them to achieve your goal. It’s possible
with a cupcake isn’t always going to sway their mood (and likely) that said arrangement will require a de-
regardless of the cupcake’s quality. However, if vice, detonator, or special arrangement of explosives.
you dedicate a full eight hours to the creation These things (crafting, placement, etc.) will still require
of your product, you can then use it as an the usual checks to accomplish.
152 automatic pass on a check where giving it
153
CRUNCHTIME
 Demo character: Nadia Lenniff add additional Proficiency points to her list. Inside
Nadia’s entry to a life of violence is recent, of the next six or so sessions, she’ll develop several
but only from the respect of being able to fight back. Proficiencies into 3 point choices. Her customiza-
With most of her existence spent among the gutters tion points gave her increased Initiative, Focus,
of a Progenitus subsidiary town, she’s no stranger to and Readiness, so she can adapt to incoming
needing to struggle to survive. Recent events have situations.
granted her an escape from the dead-end path she’d
been forced into and have landed her in
the employ of the White Hand, a small
mercenary company based off Mars. She’s
adapting as she goes, merging the skills she’d used to
survive the street with the new technical knowledge
she’d never imagined she’d ever get to learn. She’s
arguably in more danger now than she ever was
before, but this time it’s a path she’s chosen. She’s ris-
ing to the occasion.

As a starting character, Nadia has a ground-

work ready for things to come. She spent her two
boons she got from character advancement to undo
the Fault she had in Communication and give herself
a Boon in Logic. Her MarsCo education undid her
Fault in Sabotage, which has left her in a good sport
to grow into a clever, utility based character. She has
two Notoriety points she can’t spend until her first
Landmark, but as soon as she hits it she’ll be able to

Name: Nadia Leniff Race: Vector Morphism: Taur BACKGROUND: Tragedy

Family: Canine Species: Retriever Corps: Progenitus, MarsCo POSITIVE NEGATIVE

Limited Ability (p. 138 ): For the remainder of the scene, you can use Focus points as Readiness or vice versa.
Base Mass 7 +Armor Mass 1 +/-Misc = TOTAL MASS 8 Ability 1 (p. ): Ability 2 (p. ): Ability 3 (p. ):

Base Move 4 -Armor Penalty +/-Misc = TOTAL MOVE 4

SIMPLIFICATIONS Source COMPLICATIONS Source

Battle Score (p. ): Family
Simplify checks involving Athletics Heavy, requires an open hex on at least Morph
Simplify Endure saves to remain one side of body to turn around.
Morph
upright.
MIND EVADE
2 10 2
12
EXERT
PERCEIVE WOUNDS INITIATIVE
ENDURE
2 18
0
BODY RESOLVE SAVE FOCUS 5
1 +1 for every Landmark 5
EXERT TECHNIQUES 2 2 TOTAL | SPENT
PERCEIVE READINESS 5 Quick Setup (p 327) reduce lurk minimum range by 5
1 1
5 Tailored (p 327) reduce armor mass by 1 except for Endure.
DODGE SAVE
COMMUNITY +1 for every 10 in Evade Ranged Damage Bonus
2 2
EXERT
PERCEIVE 1 Melee Damage Bonus
2 ENDURE SAVE 1
+1 for every 10 in Endure
PERSONAL QUIRKS AND ABILITIES Source
Atypical Patterning: +1 bonus to Community checks where your exotic appearance Quirk
could be considered beneficial.
PROFICIENCIES
Friends in Low Places: Once per episode: You can identify a sympathetic heart and request Quirk
help of its owner.
ATHLETICS 1 PILOT Appropriately Alert: Once per episode: You can examine a situation and pick out all the Quirk
NAME

potential places it could go wrong.

COMMUNICATION 1 PROTOCOL
CQC RANGED COMBAT 1
ENGINEERING SABOTAGE
LOGIC 1 SCIENCE
BOON
FAULT

MEDICINE STEALTH

154
OPERATE
 CREDITS 120 DEBT INVENTORY
Base Mass 7 +Hex Occupancy 2 +Body Exert 1 +/-Misc = Cargo Points 10
OPERATION AUGMENTATION Tiny objects: .5 points | Small objects: 1 point | Medium objects: 3 points | Large objects: 5 points | Very large objects: 8 points
Worn weapons and armor don’t count.

HEAD CARGO GEAR

INVENTORY COST
POINTS SCORE

Handgun w/ Suppressor mod Free 0 300

MarsCo Hard Case (Light) Free 0 200
Comspots .5 0 20
Egress System 1 0 50
Sheet Windows 1 0 250
Hardwire .5 0 60

CORE

DERMIS

RECLAIMATION SURGERIES ACTIVE EQUIPMENT EFFECTS

Antiseptic Saliva

10 10 10 15 15 15 20 20 20 25 25 25 30

MIND
2 Proficiencies 2 Technique 2 Proficiencies 2 Technique 2 Proficiencies 2 Technique 2 Proficiencies 2 Technique

STAT 1 OR OR 2 OR OR 3 OR OR 4 OR OR 5
2 Focus 2 Notoriety 2 Focus 2 Notoriety 2 Focus 2 Readiness 2 Focus 2 Readiness

2 Technique 2 Proficiencies 2 Technique 2 Proficiencies 2 Technique 2 Proficiencies 2 Technique 2 Proficiencies

PERCEIVE 1 OR OR 2 OR OR 3 OR OR 4 OR OR 5
2 Readiness 2 Focus 2 Readiness 2 Focus 2 Notoriety 2 Focus 2 Notoriety 2 Focus

BODY
1 Movement 2 Focus 1 Movement 2 Notoriety 1 Movement 2 Boon 1 Movement 2 Notoriety

STAT 1 OR OR 2 OR OR 3 OR OR 4 OR OR 5
2 Technique 2 Readiness 2 Initiative 2 Boon 2 Technique 2 Readiness 2 Initiative 2 Readiness

2 Technique 2 Focus 2 Technique 2 Focus 2 Technique 2 Focus 2 Readiness 2 Proficiencies

PERCEIVE 1 OR OR 2 OR OR 3 OR OR 4 OR OR 5
2 Boon 2 Readiness 2 Notoriety 2 Boon 2 Notoriety 2 Readiness 2 Boon 2 Readiness

COMMUNITY
2 Focus 600 Credits 2 Focus 2 Focus 2 Technique 2 Focus 2 Technique 2 Focus

STAT 1 OR OR 2 OR OR 3 OR OR 4 OR OR 5
2 Notoriety 2 Readiness 2 Notoriety 2 Readiness 2 Notoriety 600 Credits 2 Notoriety 2 Readiness

2 Focus 2 Proficiencies 2 Technique 2 Proficiencies 2 Technique 2 Proficiencies 2 Proficiencies 2 Focus

PERCEIVE 1 OR OR 2 OR OR 3 OR OR 4 OR OR 5
2 Notoriety 2 Readiness 2 Notoriety 2 Readiness 2 Notoriety 2 Readiness 2 Notoriety 2 Readiness

NOTORIETY PURCHASE TRACKING

TOTAL EXP: SPENT EXP: REMAINING EXP:
+1 Movement +1 Notorious Item Point
250 EXP +1 Evade +1 Notorious Contextual Adaptation
PROGRESSION PURCHASE TRACKING +1 Endure +1 Notorious Reputation
+1 Wound +1 Proficiency and +1 Technique point
500 EXP +1 MDB + 600 Credits
2 BOONS 4 FOCUS 4 READINESS 4 PROFICIENCY +1 RDB + 1 Operation Slot

800 EXP
MOVEMENT INITIATIVE 2 TECHNIQUES 2 NOTORIETY LANDMARK AUTOMATIC BENEFITS

155
+1 Personal Quirk +1 Reclaimation Surgery +4 MDB & RDB
1150 EXP
156
 ADVENTURING
Now that you’ve finished your character, this section
of the book contains everything you need to know
about playing in and getting around in HSD in a
format as abbreviated and accessible as possible.
What services cost, where to get them, what they
weigh, how to charter a plane or deal with plan-
etary gravity; this is your guide to all the facts of
daily life, general knowledge, and advancement in-
formation needed to engage fully with the environ-
ment. Some of the information in here gets rather
detailed, but not all of it is nessessary for every sin-
gle encounter. Watch for system sum-ups: there are
many ways to do quick and simple fixes for things
that pop up in game without having to dig into the
more detailed systems if you don’t want that level
of granularity.

157
 CONTRACTS Store credit: Giving players credit they can
only spend in a specific store is a good way to reward
By and large, most adventures in the HSD uni-
them without allowing them to stockpile money. You
verse take place in the form of contracts. A contract
can even limit the purchase to “one item of x value or
is any agreement between the player party and a
less.” This will allow players to get that gun they want
client in which some reward will be exchanged for
or the item they crave while preventing them from
some service. That’s all there is to it really: do the
amassing liquid wealth too quickly.
job, get the thing. Simple as it is, that premise has
powered the Sol system since thousands of years
Services: Odd jobs can often be paid for with
before Vectors even existed.
services. Surgery, bribery, false tickets or IDs, all sorts
Arranging player contracts doesn’t require an
of little story related items can serve as useful rewards
ADVENTURING

elaborate rules system; it requires communication.

for smaller tasks.
Any NPC or corp in the setting can offer a job if
they see potential in the party. The Guide may drive
Access: Depending on the time frame or sever-
you in one direction or offer you several different
ity of a job, characters can often negotiate access to
paths depending on the sort of story you’re in, but in
advanced equipment they could otherwise not afford,
the end it’s up to the players to figure out what it is
if only for the duration of the job. This can give the
they’re going to do. The Guide’s job is to make the
players a chance to play with something they may not
contracts fair, equitable, and exciting.
get to own for some time. Don’t be afraid to make the
access temporary, however. Players have a tendency
Incentives to ascribe a lot of importance to their participation
Incentive is the carrot at the end of the stick. and demand a lot of whoever it is they’re working
Most contracts have some sort of reward for their for because they know the Guide has no one else to
completion. That reward can be social, an item, negotiate with. But that doesn’t mean that a character
good old fashioned cash, or corp allegiance. It all should get to keep a car as a reward just for giving
depends on the danger and complexity of the task. someone a ride in it.
While credits are the general boon most characters
are looking for, there are other options that can make
for more interesting interactions than just cash. Here
are a few suggested incentives for various contracts:

Many contracts pay out in credits. The two major con-

tributors to earned money on a contract are threat level
CONTRACT PAYOUT GUIDE
200-300 credits for easy jobs.
and availability. Jobs with low to no threat level that can
400-600 credits for jobs with light threats or requiring
be accomplished by anyone are simple to do but pay
some form of personal risk.
very little. Jobs with high personal risk that can only be
700-1000 credits for jobs with substantial personal risk.
accomplished by professionals pay substantially more. A
2000+ credits for jobs involving substantial risk to the char-
major multiplier to this is when crafting or space combat
acters and characters’ expensive property, such as ships or
become involved. Crafting jobs require a rare skill and
buildings (risky enough that the players should be genuinly
character creativity, and they pay more because of it.
concerned about losing them).
Space combat is extremely dangerous and can only be
attempted by skilled characters with possession of their
From here, Characters can pit their Stats in negotiating for
own ship, which would be at substantial risk. Such a job
higher pay. Using Community Exert and Communication, the
can pay out a thousand credits per character or more,
player group can attempt to negotiate for a higher pay-
depending on how severe the risk is. When determining
out. Every successful negotiation check stacks 10% of the fee
how much money should be paid for a job, remember
on top (e.g. 10 credits on a 100 credit job) The maximum in-
that the person hiring does not possess clairvoyance.
crease that can be paid is 100% on top of the starting fee
They can’t tell for certain how hard something will be,
(e.g. 200 credits for a 100 credit job). If any checks fail, the
how large the threat is, or how likely success or failure
negotiations conclude and the current price is the maximum
will be. All they can do is guess and pitch a number, and
achievable. Additionally, players cannot roll dice just to roll
the player group can negotiate. Sometimes, negotiations
them. If they don’t have a compelling argument for increas-
will fall through. Guides should not let players think they
ing their payout, they can’t make the negotiation check. The
can tug megacorps around by their pinkies just because
Guide is also playing an intelligent and wary individual on
they’ve passed one or two checks. There are billions
the other side of the board and can choose at any time
and billions of Vectors out there. Someone else can do
to make a final offer if they feel the character wouldn’t
your job. Begin with a base line pay amount per player
stretch any further. The Difficulty of the check in this situa-
involved.
tion hinges heavily on how good the party’s proposal is and
should get harder with every attempt.
 Techniques and Proficiencies
EXPERIENCE In general, information and abilities
don’t just leap into your character, even though you
purchase them in the character progression chart.
Players gain 15 Exp for playing in a Techniques and Proficiencies need to come from
somewhere in-game. Most commonly, they come
session. from the Neuroplex, which is a device your char-
acter can obtain that teaches them things as they
This is based on a four hour session (roughly 4 exp
sleep. With a Neuroplex, your character can pay
per hour, but you don’t need to hold to that). For
the network the required credits (absorbed by their
marathon games, you should consider having
ledger in narrative space; you’re actually paying

ADVENTURING
stopping points every four to five hours to
experience points on the progression chart) and
distribute experience and Favor before resuming.
have the ability or status they paid for on the next
And get up and move around a bit! Wave your
in-game day. However, this isn’t the only way to go
arms or something.
about learning things, and it can make for fun role
play situations if you vary your methodology a bit.
You don’t actually need the Neuroplex item to learn
Experience Flex Techniques with experience points, but you will want
The 15 exp per session is a 15 rather than a 5 to come up with some way to explain where the
specifically to allow Guides the ability to be flexible knowledge is coming from.
about how much they give based on the rate they and Learning from NPCs, classes, manuals, or
their players want to pace the game. You can flex this other methods can allow you to work role play into
number a bit. Long sessions or sessions with a lot of your character advancement process and is encour-
activity that are worthy of additional reward can be aged for people looking to find things to do during
boosted by 3, even 5 experience points. Something fun “downtime,” those moments between contracts when
and over the top happened? Toss in another 1, just for your characters are catching their breath a bit.
fun. It’s not going to dramatically ramp up growth, but Ideally, this should coincide with getting Techniques on
it all counts. Likewise, if your group meets often and your progression chart (you’re just paying a mentor in-
likes a long crawl, reduce the per-session to 10 to slow stead of a machine), but if your Guide wants to make a
the growth curve a bit. You can determine your pace. deal to award a Technique point in return for investing
additional time role playing, that’s their prerogative.
Proficiencies are the same way: you can learn them
Favor through manuals, guides, even fellow party members, in
Favor is garnered by acting in ways that are order to explain how your character now knows what
true to your character’s personality. In other words, they actually bought using experience points in meta
“good role play.” Sometimes you can gain favor just by space.
doing something particularly clever or interesting that Mechanically, what this means is that charac-
suits your character and does not detract from the ters cannot benefit from new Proficiencies or Tech-
narrative (that last bit is important: being a general niques they’ve purchased until they have a in-game
nuisance isn’t going to gain you favor regardless of opportunity to learn those skills. This doesn’t need to
whether or not it’s a character trait), but the most re- take long, but it does need to happen, in order to
liable way is to take actions that are in line with your prevent situations where players end a session early
character’s motivation or Background, either by means to dump points into a skill they know they’re going to
of taking checks that would put you at some form of need at the beginning of the next session. Go ahead
personal risk (doesn’t need to be damage, could just and do that, but your character is going to need to sit
be social or emotional, it just represents your character down with a book, or watch a video, or listen to an ally
taking action toward a goal) because their motivation who already knows, before they can make use of what
or Background drives them to, or by voluntarily failing they’ve bought. Neuroplexes are perfect teachers to
a check you’re called upon to make because you feel it grant skills overnight in this fashion. Guides should not
fits the character’s personality or story. make players wait longer than one session to benefit
You can earn 1 favor per session. Favor is a from their purchases. Figure out a way to work the
special form of dice modifier. It works like Focus and learning into the story. Even good old fashioned trial
Readiness, except that it can be used in OR out of and error can be a good teacher. Proficiencies you al-
combat. Favor can’t be stockpiled: use it in the session ready know also don’t really need a waiting period to
you get it or it goes away. Guides who find themselves increase. You know the skill, you’re just getting better
forgetting to award favor in time for players to use it at it.
can choose to grant favor to the next session based
on behavior in the current one, but players can’t hold
onto it indefinitely.
159
EXP
 Preeminence Quest the Proficiency this character wants to advance to Pre-
After a character has done enough formative eminent. Remember that Preeminence is a social state-
work in their career (typically between the second ment as well as a statement of competency. No one
and third Landmarks) they are entitled to a Preem- ‘accidentally’ becomes the best of the best; your char-
inence quest. Each character should get one, but acter must actively strive for it. If they are not the type
they don’t need to happen all at once or sequen- to stand out in a crowd, then a quest can be tailored
tially. Scatter them throughout your ongoing narra- to have them prove to themselves or their party that
tive. Once completed, the Preeminent character can they are worthy of this rank. Ultimately, hosts should
advance one 4 point Proficiency to 5 points. not award the fifth Proficiency point to characters just
Preeminence is less a level of education and for passively engaging in the use of their skills.
more a level of recognition. Oh, you need to be -Preeminence quests can be combined with regular
ADVENTURING

good at what you do, certainly, but that’s not contracts, but it falls upon the player to really assert
enough. You must also be recognized for your how their character will avail themselves of this op-
achievements in that field. That typically requires an portunity to show the world what they can do. It’s not
adventure, as well as some press coverage. enough to go along on a job and use a Proficiency a
-The quest should take a pretty solid chunk of time bunch of times. If the player wants to make a standard
to complete. A few in-game days, or perhaps a full contract into a Preeminence quest, they have to men-
game session (or multiple, depending on how long tally decide to make their quest their primary interest
you play for). Competitions are often good scenari- and the mission’s success secondary (and their party
os for this, but there are many ways to stage it. has to be willing to go along with that). This is a good
-The quest should be deliberately themed around option if you don’t wish to derail the current story for
side quests.

160
-Players should consult with their Guide about possi-
ble options for Preeminence quests. After all, it’s their
character trying to strut their stuff. If they have an
idea, they should pitch it to the Guide who can decide
if it’s too much, not enough, or wildly inappropriate.
-Preeminence quests shouldn’t usurp the campaign or
stand in the way of other players’ fun. When playing a
Preeminence quest, make sure the other players have
the opportunity to contribute dramatically as well.
Its even possible to combine multiple Preeminence
quests at once (for different characters). This is a good Fresh Characters start with
opportunity to give individual characters a chance 210 exp and 1000 credits.
to shine, but don’t do it at the cost of the fun of the
party. This may mean a character spends a long time
at four points without getting the chance to ascend to Experienced Characters
Preeminent. That’s life. The opportunity to wow the uni- (characters who have had a few adven-
verse doesn’t walk along when it’s convenient for you. tures and probably have some decent
Once a character has completed their Preeminence inventory at their disposal, though not a
quest successfully, they can ascend their selected Profi- fortune) begin the game at Landmark 1
ciency to five and become a recognized leader in that (250 exp) and 3500 credits. You can have
particular field. Characters are typically capped at multiple Stats at the 3 or 4 point Stat
two Preeminent Proficiencies (they can seek the second Score Node, but nothing at 5. This puts your
after their third Landmark). Once a player achieves a character at around a 3 on a scale of 1 to
Preeminent rank, every other player should be given the 10 in terms of overall “advancement” and
opportunity to try for one before that player gains an- makes for a good entry point for players
other to avoid any one player monopolizing the game. who want to play characters with estab-
lished names or careers, or who just want
to skip the early game.
SCALING ADVENTURES
Not every adventure needs to start from Veteran Characters
scratch. While it’s great to start your characters off (characters who have completed a full
from 210 exp in order to help them craft their repu- campaign or two before and probably
tations and goals from actual in-game achievements, have established reputations) begin the
once you’ve done that a few times, your party may game at Landmark 2 (500 exp) and 7500
want to give themselves a boost before the next cam- credits. There are no conditions on how
paign, to reflect more seasoned characters. As long many points you have in each Stat at this
as your party agrees to begin at the same experience level, and you can have a single Proficien-
level, your Guide is welcome to start your game off cy at the Preeminent level. This puts your
with as much or as little as you want. Here are some character at around a 5 on a scale of 1 to
suggested levels, to give you an idea of where to be- 10 in terms of overall “advancement” and
gin. A little tip on storytelling though: doing is always, makes for a good entry point for players
always better than telling. While it is very tempting who want to feel like their characters are
to always begin your games with 1500 exp just to give significantly more adept than the average
players purchasing room, don’t fall into that trap. The person.
journey to that mark has some of the most vulnerable
moments for characters, and what they do to get there
will help define them much better than just writing it
down in a background document.
Check the numbers at the right to help sculpt
a good starting experience level for your party if you
don’t want to start at the usual starting point.

EXP
 STORY STRUCTURE TIMING Episodes
Episodes are one of the most commonly refer-
In HSD, we separate our games into specific
units of completion in order to give players and Guides enced units of measurement in HSD, generally in the
a common reference point. We tend to avoid using Abilities or Quirks sections. An episode is a complete
“time” as a consistent determining factor for events be- unit of time in which plot has progressed to a natu-
cause people play their games at different rates. Some ral temporary conclusion, and time will need to pass
folks use the “all-day-play” method, others may only before the plot can progress again based on the pace
get a few hours a week, or every two weeks, to play. of the narrative. In a very broad sense, you can think of
Naturally, those groups will pace their stories differ- this as “a day.” It’s enough time for things to happen,
ently from each other, so the best system we’ve found thoughts and actions to occur, the immediate conse-
to keep things fairly consistent between groups that quences of those actions to be seen, and the charac-
play differently is to measure things in terms of story ters to reflect on them, before advancing to the next
completion. part of the arc. We don’t force this to be on a daily
cycle for several reasons. For one, days aren’t always
consistent in HSD. But more than that, this concept is
Campaign supposed to embody a natural, temporary conclusion
We begin at the top, with a “story” or “cam- to a sequence of events rather than being locked to a
paign.” These two terms are pretty interchangeable solar schedule. For an episode to conclude, the char-
and describe the entirety of an experience in which acters generally need to have run into (or created) a
a set party will engage with a main plot and see it situation where they can “take a breath” for a while.
to completion. Campaigns often have many subplots Session endings are a pretty natural episode ending
in them that are themselves complete ideas (we call provided you didn’t have to end early and unexpect-
these “arcs”), but this overarching term is reserved for edly for some reason. Cliffhangers count too. You don’t
“the big one.” It’s also possible to have multiple cam- need to complete a story to complete an episode, and
paigns in a character’s lifetime. For this, we use the you may end up with several during a long session.
term “season,” wherein one full campaign is a season,
and the one that follows it is the next season. Cam-
paigns are large, long endeavors, and the time be- Scenes
tween seasons can be a good opportunity to have time The most frequent progression measurement in
pass in narrative space and have characters grow a the game, scenes are what they sound like: continuous
bit in the background before returning to the front. sequences of narration or action in a setting. They’re
It’s not a requirement mind you, but it’s a natural spot typically short exchanges between characters. Combat
to have it happen. Lastly, while you can switch out a sequences also constitute scenes, as do most instanc-
character any time you get bored with it, the end of a es where the Guide sets things up for the players to
campaign is a good, natural location to do so. Typically act. Scenes are the primary means of progressing plot
a campaign’s story is large and taxing on the charac- and are a combination of location, idea, and meth-
ter, and upon its completion they may have any number odology. You can change any one of these things and
of reasons to not leap right into the next one. get an entirely different narration, but if you do the
same combination of all 3 more than once, chances are
you’re trying to game the system for a meta bonus. For
Arcs instance, if a player party is investigating and tries to
Story arcs are the next step down from cam- break into a safe in a room and fails, they could: try
paigns and refer to any complete story within the cam- to get into the safe by procuring an actual key from
paign itself. These can vary in size, with some being as a guard (changes methodology), try to get the infor-
small as a few days and others taking a good chunk of mation in the safe by looking for backups somewhere
the campaign to complete. What makes them distinct else (changes location), or give up on the safe and
is their standalone nature (they are a full story on their search the rest of the room for clues (changes idea),
own) and, generally, their contribution to the campaign but repeatedly coming back to the same place to
as a whole. The latter portion is dependent on your keep re-picking the lock until the dice odds eventually
campaign having an overall driving theme in which land in their favor is not progressive play. Naturally, I
the completion of a story arc will somehow contribute can’t dictate how to run your games, but if you’re ever
to it, if only by making the characters feel more ex- wondering whether you’re spinning your wheels from a
perienced. Most contract modules for HSD constitute narrative standpoint, that tends to be a good way to
an Arc. They are, by their nature, very short arcs, but check.
they’re still standalone stories that can slot into larger
campaigns.

162
Guides for Action and Exertion Carrying Capacity
Carrying Capacity is a system used to
The vast majority of “do-it” things can be cov-
ered just by succeeding at a check, but there are a determine how much “stuff” you can lug around on
few fairly common acts of exertion that benefit from your character before it becomes ridiculous. Rather
some referable rules. This section gives you a few than assign exact weights to every object in the so-
systems for figuring out how much you can carry, how lar system, we’ve broken this down into logical cat-
far you can throw things, how long you can run without egories based on overall size and general weights
tiring, things like that. While these systems are in place with guidelines to help you logic it out for yourself.
to use, many of them are just here to help you struc- This isn’t pounds, grams, or any other form
ture the narrative. They should take a back seat to the of measurement; it’s just a figure to represent your
scene if the scene requires it. overall ability to carry stuff without being encum-

ADVENTURING
bered by it. The resulting score is called Cargo
points, and every object you carry uses up some of
Moving those points.
Standard movement when you’re not in combat To avoid being encumbered by your load,
is more or less covered by what you feel is logical. the things you’re carrying may not weigh more than
Running: A run is equal to the number of hex- your base load (by your best estimation, dont slow
es you can move in a single combat turn, in miles per up the game fretting over if something weighs 5
hour. For instance, if your character has a movement pounds or 6) and may not have more cargo points
score of 4 and can manage 12 hexes of movement in a than your carrying capacity. Your worn armor and
full turn of combat, they can maintain a run of 12 mph a single weapon you carry regularly are free, and
as hard labor. A full-on, exausting spint is double that most Passive and Active systems (unless expressly
score and should be considered extreme labor. described otherwise) are integrated into your armor
Difficult terrain: As in combat, difficult or un- and likewise don’t count.
stable terrain halves your movement rate.
Swimming: Unless you possess unique aquat-
ic bonuses, you swim at half your movement rate and
cannot sprint.
Determine your character’s Carrying Capacity:

Lifting Base Mass + Hex Occupancy + Body Exert =

Difficulties for Lifting are based on how close Carrying Capacity.
to a character’s average heavy load a task is. As a
general guide, a heavy load for a normal character is Determine how many cargo points you’re carrying:
about 50 pounds carried in their arms. This is consid-
ered substantial enough to be tiring while not impossi- Tiny objects
ble to move around with at speed. A normal character (lighters, toggles, loose change, bitty sundries):
is able to lift this load at Difficulty 1. This number .5 points
fluctuates a bit if your character has unique anatomy, Small objects
like micros or macros. (Small weapons, grenades, hand-held tools, ob-
This base load is also the carrying load for the jects that function normally and comfortably in one
character to handle comfortably on their back without hand):
interfering with their motion. If your cargo exceeds 1 point
your base load, you’ll need to begin taking Athletics Medium objects
checks for the extra weight. (Medium weapons, two-handed tools, objects that
function normally and comfortably in 2 hands):
Basic Load Guide (Difficulty 1) 3 points
Micro: 25 pounds Large objects
Normal: 50 pounds (Heavy weapons, two-handed bulky tools, objects
Macro/Enhanced: 100 pounds that can be wielded in two hands but require ef-
fort and are awkwardly shaped):
Treat base loads as Difficulty thresholds. So one 5 points
base load is Difficulty 1, 2 is Difficulty 2, 3 is 3, etc. Very large objects
A normal character rolls Body Exert:Athletics(3) to (Objects roughly the size of a standard person.
lift 150 pounds. A Macro character lifting the same 6 feet long, several hundred pounds, awkwardly
amount rolls Body Exert:Athletics(1), as 150 pounds shaped and not intended for carrying around long-
doesn’t reach their 200 pound threshold for Diffi- term):
culty 2. If you succeed at a Lift check, you can move 8 points
the object freely around for a couple minutes (or a People
scene, if you don’t want to fill the scene with dice Total Mass = points
rolling). If all you’re doing is a simple one-time lift
below your base load, don’t bother rolling.
 Extended Labor He’ll either try Body Exert:Engineering at Difficulty 2 to
Determining how to apply physical force in get the whole job done without stopping, or he’ll do
HSD is a combination of the Difficulty mechanic two checks at Difficulty 1 with a breather in the mid-
and a little general logic. The logic part is setting dle.
realistic bounds for your character, such as how Difficulty for extended tasks should accommo-
much they can lift, how long they can run, etc. The date both the time and the Difficulty of the task itself.
Difficulty part is setting the Difficulty of the appli- It’s possible the structure Veo is building can be put
cable check based on how far your task deviates up in only 30 minutes, but it’s a complicated thing to
from what you can easily do. As a simple rule of assemble or involves lifting loads in excess of his base
thumb, the following scale works pretty well for load over long periods of time. You can treat that as
player characters: a Complication to the check. The Guide uses their
ADVENTURING

judgment on this, and you should employ narration as

Extreme labor: 1 Difficulty for every minute the major modifier to the process. Maybe the job won’t
Hard labor: 1 Difficulty for every 10 minutes be as complicated if Veo takes his time on it and splits
Medium labor: 1 Difficulty for every 1 hour it into three 1-hour sessions. Difficulty in narrative is
Basic labor: 1 Difficulty for every 2 hours always subject to the creativity of the characters.

Your first time increment counts as Difficulty

1. 0 is too low for something that takes a while to
complete; if it’s that simple just narrate that the job
FATIGUE
gets done after a bit.
Hard labor, long hours, and rough environments can
These Difficulties are based on repetitive work
all lead to exhaustion. Fatigue counts as a Compli-
performed without breaks, lifting and moving no
cation to all checks. Failing the Exert checks required
more than your base load for short periods before
by things like lifting or working will cause this state.
putting it down. If you have the opportunity to stop,
Fatigue related to labor can be cleared by resting
then set the Difficulty based on how long it takes
without your armor on. It normally takes an hour, but
to get to a resting point and take a breather for a re-
with an Endure save, you can cut that down by 10 min-
alistic period of time relative to the work being done.
utes per Difficulty on the check, up to 5 (so if you check
You can then resume fresh.
at +5, it will clear completely in 10 minutes). Fatigue
For example: Veo wants to put together a
related to just being awake too long will require a full
structure from a kit. It’s not terribly difficult work, but it
unarmored sleep of around 6-8 hours to clear. Vectors
involves some regular lifting, so the Guide decides it’s
can function normally for about 18 hours before fatigue
medium labor and will probably take about 2 hours to
sets in.
complete. Veo can break his time up how he pleases.

164
LABOR
Throwing
Throwing an object assumes that you’re aiming for a hex, rather than a person (though there may be a
person on that hex). Throw a handheld object (rocks, grenades, etc.) with a Body Exert:Athletics check. Success
will land in the target hex. Failure will cause the object to scatter.

Difficulty: Within 5 hexes: 1 | 6-10 hexes: 2 | 11-15 hexes: 3 | 16-20 hexes: 4 | 21-25 hexes: 5 | 26-30 hexes: 6

Scatter: Objects have the potential to scatter away from where you want them. If your object scattered, roll
a D6 and start counting the hexes surrounding your target hex clockwise beginning from the top. The resulting
number is where the object lands. It will then travel D6 hexes away from the target hex in the direction that it
landed.

Throwing blind: You can lob objects to hit things you can’t see, but it’s very indirect. Pick your target hex as nor-
mal, but Complicate the check.

Throwing at people: Some things (most often throwing weapons) are intended to be thrown directly at a person
rather than at a hex. When throwing an object directly at a person, roll to hit as you would any thrown object,
but use the enemy’s Evasion score as the target number instead of the usual 12. Unless the thing you’re throw-
ing is explosive in some way, it probably isn’t all that important to figure out what happens to it if you miss, so
you don’t typically need to track where things like knives scatter to on a missed throw unless the Guide feels it’s
important to the narrative.

Sneaking Sneaking with the party

When trying to avoid being seen, begin by Not everyone in your party will be a stealth ex-
narrating a believable hiding spot. Someplace out pert, which is often a good reason not to try sneaking
of sight where your character wasn’t immediately at all. In HSD however, if the party is willing to listen
noticed entering. From there, roll Body Exert:Stealth to and follow someone’s lead, they can be instructed
with a Difficulty determined by the overall condition on where to go by the person who knows what they’re
of the environment. How bright it is, how open your doing. Begin sneaking with a Body Exert:Stealth check
sight lines are, things like that. If it’s dark and there with a Difficulty appropriate to however hard it is to
are lots of places to duck behind, it should be a low hide in the current environment. The leader can gesture
Difficulty. If you’re trying to slip through an open room, to their party to indicate what walls to hide behind,
it’ll be tougher. 1-2 are usually good for areas without how low to stay, and naturally, to keep quiet. When
extreme conditions one way or another. You will need a risk of detection appears, as long as the party has
to pass the check to be considered stealthed at all, been doing as instructed and is currently out of view,
but if you do, enemies will need to roll Body Perceive the leader’s Stealth check will apply to the whole
checks to notice you as you move along. The Difficulty party. If they succeed, the party is assumed to pass
of their checks is likewise based on the environment as well. Logic does need to play a role here (if one of
(so if you’re standing right next to them, expect it to your party members is extremely conspicuous or the
be pretty low) but they will need to beat the score you leader is guiding many people at once, the Guide may
rolled to notice you. state that they need to stay behind or Complicate the
rolls) but we can assume that if they’re trying to follow
the expert’s lead, they can do so pretty successfully.
Party sneaking requires the complete attention of the
party to be successful and as such cannot be used in
combat.
 HACKING Hacking Machines
Most devices with any degree of computer-
All networked systems have three levels of
interaction beyond the basic interface. Penetrating ized input and output can be hacked to some
each layer requires a hack check (Mind Exert:Sab- degree. Remember though, it’s not always going
otage) with Difficulty determined by the quality of to be as basic as rolling a check. You may need
the system itself. Failing an attempt to breach a a physical access key of some kind to begin,
layer (or being ejected from the system) means you such as access to the system itself
cannot access it again in this scene. or an interface.
The things that can be achieved at each layer
are described to the right. First Layer
ADVENTURING

Access to the first layer grants you

Hacking Difficulty information, but not control. From the first
Computer systems tend to have a hacking layer you can access things like saved files,
Difficulty between 2-6, with most sitting at around recent communications, locked emails and data
a 3 and very secure ones exceeding 4. Use the usual streams. This can be considered the “observa-
method for determining the Difficulty of the com- tional” layer, and through visual
puter systems in your game, but it’s good to write devices it is possible to tap into security feeds
that number down somewhere for future reference. and other such things from here. You can also
Most hacking difficulties don’t really change much, make copies of what you see.
as the system is only as good as it is and doesn’t
dynamically get “better.” Second Layer
The second layer allows your character to
Kicking a Hacker manipulate data that already exists. This in-
All systems will begin automatic countermea- cludes inputting new data, removing data that’s
sures against hacks once they’ve been detected. already there, and using abilities pertaining
Once a system has noticed you, you’ll need to roll Re- to data manipulation. Your character can do
solve saves to stay connected every turn. The Difficulty some fun things in this layer, but remember that
of the save is determined by how powerful the system manipulating data or video streams or insert-
is. You can scale this based on your perception of the ing new ones is more a matter of design than
system’s complexity, but if you want a quick figure you computer use at this point. Your character will
can just use the hacking Difficulty. Most systems are probably have to roll non-hack checks to ac-
pretty adept at ejecting someone once they’ve detect- complish certain things in here if they’re trying
ed them. to fool people. If they’re simply trying to be de-
structive, access to the second layer will allow
you to intercept and remove incoming data as
Hacking Limitations well as replace it with anything you have saved
Hacking allows you to access some pretty deep on your own devices.
system abilities in a network, but there are limitations
on what players can do with it.
Third Layer
Taking credits: Just about every public payment sys- This is the “control” layer. From here, you have
tem in Sol uses an advanced security web to transmit administrative access to the system, which will
received credits to an independent vault far from the allow you to control its functions. You can also
input source. In short, you can’t break into an ATM or apply your apps to a system at this
vending machine or buyspot via hacking and steal cash. layer, such as malware that cause it to over-
It isn’t there to steal. load and explode, or reprogram it to not tar-
get you or your party as an enemy. Actions in
Printing free things: While it is possible to issue an the control layer are very obvious, so expect to
order to a buyspot to produce an item at the level 3 be noticed as soon as you start taking them. If
security layer, the buyspot’s AI is still working in the there is anyone on the other side of the system
background to kick you out and will invariably succeed (even the system itself, if it has some degree of
in real time before the item is finished. Once you start AI security) it will begin trying to kick you out as
issuing orders, even to lightweight systems, you only soon as you input your first command.
have about 10-40 seconds before it will successfully The scale of what you get a system to do at
eject you. the level 3 level varies based more on the nar-
rative than on any hard rule, but it should not
include the word “and,” and should not encom-
pass two separate variables. You can force a

166 vending machine to expel all its chips in one

action, but cannot force it to expel all its chips
and all its soda in one action.
 Hacking People Combat Hacking
Vectors equipped with a Wireless Hub have
direct digital uplinks to their brains, which
Trained hackers (with the Cybermancy
technique) with pre-made apps can use special,
provide them with a myriad of abilities but
pre-programmed abilities in the span of a combat
put them at risk for remote hacking. Hacking a
round as described in the Malware section, but they
person is much like hacking anything else: it has
will first need to hack the enemy to the third layer
3 layers. A person’s hacking Difficulty begins at
using Support actions. Unlike narrative time howev-
3, the base for all Wireless Hub systems.
er, failure to hack in combat or being ejected from
the system doesn’t prevent you from trying again, or
First Layer from starting over once you’ve been kicked out. You
Works much like level 1 on standard machines. can re-initiate the hack from scratch. As long as

ADVENTURING
This will grant you access to read stored infor- you’re at the third level with an enemy machine, you
mation on a person’s toggle, recent numbers can continue to give it commands using malware at
called, things seen and recorded, etc. Note, a rate of one ability per round. It’s also possible to
however, that it is not telepathy. NCS’s, Utilit-is, hack multiple machines at once, but only as many as
and other internal devices can be used to store you have points in the Sabotage Proficiency. When
things an owner thinks (and they often are, as you get to level 3 and input a command, you’ll have
they’re fairly secure), but it isn’t a compelled to start making Resolve saves. Lastly, you do need to
process. Their free-floating thoughts are not have some sort of wireless uplink to hack in combat.
accessible. A breach at layer 1 will not be
noticed by the victim unless you fail the check.
Even then, there is no direct indication as to
Turn off the wifi
The easiest way to keep an errant hacker
who is performing the hack.
out of your top security, ultra-cool shooty-killy robot
is to simply remove the wireless card. That ends
Second Layer the threat pretty fast. Unfortunately, it’s also not
As described for non-living targets. If you are very fun for people who like to play computer infiltra-
inserting data into someone, they will notice it tors and reflect their expensive character abilities in
immediately. If you are removing data, they will combat. To make this option appealing for players and
become aware of the hack the next time they add a little in-game dynamic to it, if you as the Guide
attempt to access that data. Otherwise, it is decide to shut out a hacker by disabling a machine’s
possible to reach the second layer undetected interface options in combat, you may, but the machine
provided you don’t fail the check. gets the following negatives:

Third Layer All its attacks are Complicated.

You will be immediately noticed if you pene- It will always prioritize the closest enemy when
trate the third layer, so don’t do it until you’re attacking.
ready (note: this is only on people. You can stay It cannot make bonus actions.
at hack depth 3 on machines and robots with- And naturally, it can no longer make use of any
out being noticed provided you take no actions abilities it may have that rely on networking.
in their code). It is not possible to puppet a
living person; the outputs of a wireless hub do
not have that level of biological control. More-
over, the code required to do such a thing is
somewhat more complicated than what can
be rapidly uploaded to a person. However, it
is possible to disrupt their normal operation
heavily from this level. You can disable their
head surgical location, which will disable all
associated implants. You can likewise scram-
ble signals in them, which will disorient and
debilitate them heavily, causing Disrupt. Cer-
tain Malware can be used agaist living things
too. Once you take an action at this level, you
are instantly ejected, as the wireless hub has
lockdown safeguards for this sort of thing to
prevent further damage. However, even the
lockdown is beneficial: they cannot access their
wireless hub or any networks until they lift the
lockdown. 167
 MALWARE LIST
Malware apps are specifically designed to
Hacking Example damage systems. Some are fairly benign, but battle
Laani wants to access the vending machines. malware was crafted with the express purpose of dis-
They have a hack Difficulty of 1 vs her Mind rupting combat machines. Most tech-centric characters
Exert score of 4. She begins her Mind Ex- who hope to ply their craft in combat will need a few
ert:Sabotage hack with D10+D12 and adds malware apps stored in their NCS, ready to deploy.
a Sabotage score of 4. Her first result is No system can be affected by the same malware code
20, allowing her to breach the first layer of more than once at a time.
security. She can now see herself through the Deploying malware in combat is a tricky pro-
vending machine’s security camera. Cute! She cess requiring training and practice. Anyone can buy
rolls again and scores 18. She now has level these programs (once you own it you do not need to
2 access, which could allow her to remove pay for its use), but if you wish to use them in combat,
that security footage. Better do that. She you’ll need the Cybermancy technique. You’ll need to
rolls one more time and scores 19, granting deliver it wirelessly while fighting. Hacking is done as
her level 3 access. She can now force all the a Support action. Most malware only affects comput-
vending machines in the room to vomit chips er and robotic systems, but if the chart below says it
and candy like drunken freshmen. As soon as targets Minds as well as Machines it can also be used
she inputs the command for the chips, the against Vectors and Cogs that have Wireless Hubs.
vending machine AI will attempt to lock her Unless specifically stated on the malware itself,
out. It has a Difficulty score of 1. Before her Malware does not require an action to deploy. Once
next action, Laani rolls a Resolve save with a you have used Support actions to get to the appro-
Difficulty of 1. 12, a pass. She can perform priate hack depth with the target, the program can
another action and nab the candy. On her be launched for free with a thought, even out of turn
next turn, she rolls the save again and fails. order as a response to something the enemy is doing.
She gets ejected, but by now she’s thorough- Just remember that you are immediately ejected upon
ly raided the snack supply. deploying Malware and will need to regain a level
three depth to deploy the next one.

Name Gear Cost Targets
Malware Example score
Laani wants to take out a few enemies clus-
Asset Locator 2 400 Credits Terrain
tered in the middle of a room. On her turn
in combat she performs two Support actions Biometric Slider 3 450 Credits Mind
to hack into the local network using her Blindside 3 250 Credits Mind/Machine
Wireless Hub (surgery). The Guide determines
the Difficulty to be 3, and she passes both Brain Freeze 3 250 Credits Mind/Machine
attempts. She goes for a bonus action to Field Hacks 2 100 Credits Machine
try and hack a third time an succeeds there
too. Great, now she’s at hack depth 3 in the FoF Adjustment 3 300 Credits Machine
scene, and it’s the end of her turn. She can Giftwrap 1 200 Credits Mind/Machine
use her malware for free right now if she
wants, but now that she has camera access Invisible Army 3 600 Credits Machine
she wants to wait for an opportune moment. Network Lockout 0 50 Credits Mind/Machine
The moment comes on the following turn Overload 4 500 Credits Machine
when an enemy runs to the console to use it.
Laani sees it running with the cameras and, Power Shunt 2 300 Credits Machines
right as they arrive, declares that she’s using Probe 1 50 Credits Mind/Machine
the Power Shunt malware app. The Console
explodes with delightfully satisfying timing. Pull the Strings 3 300 Credits Machine
Laani is ejected from the system and will Scramble 2 600 Credits Mind/Machine
need to spend her next turn getting back in
again if she wants to continue using apps. Signal Spin 1 100 Credits Machine

System Sizzle 2 50 Credits Machine

System Shock 4 500 Credits Machine
Voicejack 1 400 Credits Mind/Machine
Asset Locator: 400 credits Blindside: 250 credits
Gear Score: 2 Gear Score: 3
App App
This brilliant piece of software infiltrates This app uses the brain’s interpretation of
benign service systems in the surrounding area and signals from the eyes to create blindspots in the
uses their own diagnostic engines to locate breaches, target’s vision just long enough to exploit.
weakpoints, mechanical anomalies, and other exploit- One target you are at Hack depth 3 with
able zones. By doing things like backing up pressure, makes a Resolve save at Difficulty 2. If they fail the
seizing moving parts, overburdening springs and hy- next attack that hits them has Exploit. This can be
draulics, and so on, this code can effectively reshape used on a Vector with a Wireless Hub and will take
the landscape. It can even create dangerous, weap- affect as you are ejected.

ADVENTURING
on-like situations if the right conditions exist.
This Malware does not require a hack check; Brain Freeze: 250 credits
simply deploy it as a Support action and it will search Gear Score: 3
around on its own. In D4 rounds it will infiltrate various App
simple systems in the area and return with D6 points By halting signals to the extremities this
that can be used as a Support action in the same way app can temporarily freeze a target’s movement.
Focus the Battlefield is used before a fight. Any of the One target you are at Hack depth 3 with makes a
things you could normally buy with Focus the Battle- Resolve save at Difficulty 2. If they fail you can pre-
field can be bought with these points. The resulting vent them from making either Movement, Attack, or
terrain will emerge on the battlefield as a product of Support actions until your next turn. Pick one of the
things breaking, overloading, changing their function, three. This can be used on a Vector with a Wireless
etc. Unlike Focus the Battlefield, objects and hazards Hub and will take affect as you are ejected.
produced in this way can be nearby, or even on top
of, enemies. If such a situation would cause them harm, Field Hacks: 100 credits
they can make a Dodge save at Difficulty 2 to reduce Gear score: 2
the damage by half, or avoid it if it would be some- App
thing like a pitfall. Gain control of one stationary system in the
Asset Locator can only be used once per scene; immediate area, such as camera systems, deactivated
whatever amount of points it returns with represents turrets, consoles, doors, etc, that you currently are at lvl
the sum total of what it could find to manipulate. 3 hack depth with. You are able to draw LoS through
Also, while the vast majority of environments in Sol are these cameras and use these guns as though they were
layered with centuries of overlapping old technology, your own, inform your party about enemy numbers and
there will be some areas (wilderness usually) where positions with them, and even use them for threat
there just isn’t anything for the app to interact with. response shooting if enemies approach your position or
the turret’s. Shooting with a turret counts as an attack
Biometric Slider: 450 credits action. There is no way to use this ability to give your-
Gear score: 3 self more than the base number of attacks in a round,
App it simply increases your angles and variety if you’re in
Internal cybernetics have countless safeguards a room with options. You can maintain control of these
against allowing foreign code to damage the body of systems from a visual standpoint (using them to ob-
the owner, but sometimes it’s not necessary to actually serve) indefinitely while in combat, but as soon as you
harm them to get a beneficial effect. The Biometric try to make one DO something, such as shoot or lock or
Slider app causes minor mind and body feedback that whatnot, they can begin to eject you as normal.
does tiny things to the owner, like contracting their
skin a bit, changing the rate their pupils dilate, even FoF Adjustment: 300 credits
altering blood-flow just slightly to obtain different Gear score: 3
shades in the lips and eyes. In all, the victim probably App
won’t even notice it happen. But it plays havoc with Target a specific robotic entity on the bat-
any equipment they’re using that needs to confirm their tlefield you are at hack depth 3 with. You can write
identity before being used. yourself or an ally out of their aggression protocols.
Use this app against any Cog or Vector you’re This machine will no longer target you as long as you
at level 3 hack depth with. For the next ten minutes, specifically don’t attack it. If you do, it will attack you
any time they would use a piece of equipment that again and cannot be re-adjusted. You are ejected
is biometrically locked to them (including PID locked from its system after this. Re-hacking it at all will cause
weapons, door locks, toggles, etc.) there is a 50% it to treat you as an enemy as above. The system will
chance the system won’t respond to them. treat this code as an error and attempt to cor-
rect it as the battle continues. It can choose
to shut down for a turn to restart and clear
the defective data. Treat this like a Stun. 169
MALWARE
 Giftwrap: 200 credits Power Shunt: 300 credits
Gear score: 1 Gear score: 2
App App
This app pre-screens targets to dredge up info You can detonate one linked console, subsystem
on their dealings, connections, and other appealing or other high-power unit you are at hack depth 3 with
little tidbits that make the IRPF’s job easier when as though it were a hotspot grenade centered on the
the target is turned in for bounty. It’s a great way console itself. This can be done at any time, even out-
to make a few extra credits on work you’re already side of your turn, once you have achieved the correct
doing. hack depth. Alternatively, as an attack action, you can
Use this on a visible target. If you turn this redirect the explosion center up to 5 hexes away from
target in for bounty after downing them, gain an the console.
ADVENTURING

additional 5D10 credits. You do not need to hack

them. This app requires a full round with no other Probe: 50 credits
actions taken to use and works once per target. Gear score: 1
App
Invisible Army: 600 credits During the chatterstep or for free outside of
Gear score: 3 combat you can determine the overall security level of
App a system you have access to without alerting it to your
You can create ghosts of cyber activity that fit presence. This allows you to know its hacking Difficulty
the profile for aggressive assailants. Automatic de- before attempting to hack it. You can use this abili-
fenses in the area will consider these ghosts to be ty on a system without being at any particular hack
additional attackers and will engage them as well depth with it. This can also be used to determine who,
as engaging you. if anyone, in the current scene is susceptible to hacking,
Use this at hack depth 3 on a cyber target as well as what systems in the area are available for
capable of interpreting threats. Roll D4. This is how exploitation. This ability is a catch-all scan for figuring
many ghosts are created. Whenever your target at- out what you can do with your hacking in a scene.
tacks, before the attack is made, roll D4. If the roll is 2
or below, the unit will attack one of the ghosts instead Pull the Strings: 300 credits
of its original target. Don’t roll for attack or damage; Gear score: 3
we assume the act of attacking is sufficient to kill the App
illusion. Once all the illusions are gone the unit can Target a specific robotic entity on the bat-
target normally. tlefield that you are at hack depth 3 with. You may
control one of their actions during their next activation.
Network Lockout: 50 credits You cannot make your puppeted robot shut down or
Gear score: 0 harm itself. This ability can only ever effect a target
App once per round, even if multiple people are using it.
You can deliberately trip the security protocols
in a network you’ve hacked. This will eject you, but also Scramble: 600 credits
lock out anything else attached to it for D10 rounds. Gear score: 2
For networked security devices or machines, this counts App
as “shutting down the wifi,” which will reduce their ef- This app affects you and any friendly charac-
ficiency but also make them unhackable for the dura- ters adjacent to you. You do not need to hack them
tion. first. Attacks against you and anyone else affected are
at +1 Difficulty until your next turn if the attacter has
Overload: 500 credits any sort of mechanical aiming assistance. This includes
Gear score: 4 robots and turrets. Enemy Cogs and Vectors are only
App affected if they have a surgical enhancement to their
You can increase the output of a system. It hit rolls.
gains +1 to all die rolls, movement, and evade for the
next d8 rounds. If you roll 1-4, the effect will end at the Signal Spin: 100 credits
end of the rolled turn with no damage. If you roll 5-7, Gear score: 1
the overloaded unit will shut down at the end of the App
rolled turn for 1d10 TURNS. If you rolled an 8 on the You can create a convincing set of images or
initial roll, the unit explodes, causing 5D10 damage to data to insert into a stream on the fly, limited to about
all hexes within 2 of the source. a minute of footage. Visually, they’re quite perfect, and
those observing them will think what they’re viewing is
real. This requires a Hack depth of 3, and will still alert
the system administrator of a breach, so while the
viewers may think its real, anyone directly responsible
170 for system security will know it isn’t.

MALWARE
System Sizzle: 50 credits
Gear score: 2
App
One robotic unit in the battlefield (excluding
Cogs) that you are at hack depth 2 or above with
becomes disrupted. You are then ejected from their
systems.

System Shock: 500 credits

Gear score: 4
App
You can disrupt the powerflow in a machine
heavily, causing surges in its delicate components. Use
this as a support action on any machine you’re at hack
depth 3 with. They take D3 Wounds and you are eject-
ed from the system.

Voicejack: 400 credits

Gear score: 1
App
You can take over the audio capabilites of a
target, both in and out. This will allow you to tell them
things only they can hear, keep them from hearing
things like alarms or alerts, or make them say things
to other people, such as reporting an all-clear or a
false alarm back to whatever is monitoring them. This
malware can work on Vectors and Cogs with Wireless
Hubs installed but will only be able to affect what they
hear, not what they say.
Using this Malware does not automatically
alert a target that it has been hacked. They will need
to recognize that what they’re experiencing is not
authentic or witness some other form of evidence, or
perform a routine diagnostic.

MALWARE 171
 ENVIRONMENTAL
CONDITIONS
Environmental Damage Arrays
(RISKY)
EDA’s are catch-all arrays that handle
damage for most effects that come from the
environment. Falling (or having things fall on
you), random explosions that don’t have their
own damage listed, fires on the ground or
toxins in the air, all these things can be han-
dled through these lists. Certain environmental
effects can boost the damage roll on these list
beyond normal levels. The most common is fall-
ing beyond a certain distance, or being
exposed to a lethal environment beyond a
certain amount of time.
Affects caused by Environmental
Damage Arrays can be combined but are not
multiplicative. You can be affected by fire and
acid at once, for instance, but not by more than
one instance of either at a time (no “double
on-fire”). EDA affects are for things happening
in the environment and do not apply to
weaponry unless the weapon specifically
mentions it.
Fire Damage EDA (Risky)
Whenever your character is in contact with a consis-
tently burning hex or fire source, roll a Dodge save
at Difficulty 2 to see if they catch on fire them-
selves. The Difficulty of the save increases by 5 for
each turn they remain exposed.

Ignited characters take 1 Wound at the end of each

of their turns until extinguished. They can be put out
through any logical extinguishing item or by spend-
ing a full turn rolling around, which will leave them
prone but no longer burning.

Fall/Collision Damage EDA (Risky)

In any fall or powered collision, count every foot in
excess of 30 as a Wound before rolling.

Light damage (Collisions within 3 Mass of yourself,

falls between 15-20 feet)
D3 Wounds

Medium damage (Collisions with dangerous but not

immediately lethal objects, falls between 20-30 feet)
D6 Wounds

Heavy damage (Collisions with objects of lethal

mass compared to yourself, falls in excess of 30 feet)
D12 Wounds
172
 Acid/Caustic Damage EDA (Risky)
Whenever your character is in contact with a
chemically acidic source or some kind of
decay-inducing factor, roll an Endure save at Dif-
ficulty 2 to see if they’re burned by the chemicals.
The Difficulty of the save increases by 5 for each
turn they remain exposed.

A chemically burned character takes 1 Wound

at the end of each of their turns for the next D3
turns.

Electric/Disruptive Damage EDA (Risky)

Whenever your character is in contact with
electricity or some sort of extreme sensory
disruption, they must roll a Dodge or Endure save Weakness/Delirium EDA (Risky)
at Difficulty 3 every time they try to take an Whenever your character is scared or stressed,
action until they have left the area of effect and has been sapped of strength by fatigue, or is
will lose the action if they fail. If the effect was under extreme emotional pressure, Complicate
temporary, apply this to their next turn. all of their checks. They can roll a Resolve save
If the danger is electricity based, roll a D6. On a at Difficulty 2 to ignore this Complication. The
3+, all the PPCs, internal batteries and reactors, Difficulty of this check can be increased if mul-
and anything else that stores energy that the tiple factors are contributing to it.
character is wearing or has will completely
recharge. On a 2, each of those items do 10
damage to the owner. On a 1, each of those items
do D3 Wounds to the owner.
173
 ENVIRONMENTAL RULES
The next section has a slew of rules and guidelines for helping you deal with environmental dangers in your
game. Each section breaks down a system and how to use it, and I advise using them as written if you’re
looking to have a system-driven experience. However, if you and your party like to fly fast and loose, there’s
a pretty simple rule of thumb you can follow to just wing your way through any environmental encounter:

If you need to do the thing, roll a check. If it’s hard to do, add Difficulty to the check.
If all you’re doing is trying to survive the thing, roll saves. If it’s tough to survive, add Difficulty to the saves.
If failure is going to hurt you, do Wounds rather than damage. Damage encompasses stress, morale, ex-
haustion, and other factors. Wounds are what you get when parts of your body are forcibly removed or
ADVENTURING

mangled.

This is a general tip regarding the design philosophy behind Wounds in HSD and how you can use them in
your game. Wounds tend to be pretty limited on a character. Even a particularly enhanced one isn’t go-
ing to max much more than 20, which means things like “take D10 Wounds” are pretty frightening to every
player character in the game. This was intended to give narration the ability to use substantial, meaningful
damage against characters who want to take big risks for big rewards and end up, well...missing.
Tossing a Wound onto someone is a bit like spraining an ankle or getting a light fracture. A tough hero can
push past it, but it still hurts, and if it keeps happening it’s going to start causing real problems. As nar-
rative events happen where players want to do adventurous things and you’re just not quite sure how to
structure them from a system standpoint, use a few Wounds as a penalty if things go wrong. D3 is a good
number if it’s not an outright crazy action. You can go up from there if it is. It’s not going to kill anyone
right off the bat, but it will make even durable characters think about what they’re doing, and they may
not want to attempt it twice.
That’s about it! If you keep those in mind, you can structure your own guidelines for environmental events
that suit your play style. However, if you want something more rigid, check out the systems below.

Brightness light sources typically illuminate everything within a

Ambient illumination in HSD can be measured range determined by the Guide (usually its own hex
in the following way: In full daylight or similar condi- and two hexes adjacent for basic lighting) while
tions, characters have effectively limitless visual range. Focused lighting (like a personal flashlight) beams
As light gets lower, distant figures and shapes lose outward from a source in a straight line of hexes and
their definition, but things don’t actually start to vanish illuminates things that get in the way. Hand flashlights
into darkness until a fairly low light level is present, typically have an effective range of 20 hexes before
such as a night scene with only starlight for illumina- they dim too much to be effective, and they do broad-
tion. In such a condition, characters can see 5 feet in en with distance. The Guide can determine just how
front of them for each point they have in Body:Perceive much they show. Underwater, that range is cut in half.
and checks made to spot things are Complicated.
Characters with darkness-enhanced vision (as per a Pressure
surgery or ability) can see clearly in an environment Atmospheric pressure diminishes as you get fur-
with any sort of ambient illumination. Ganymede is ther up from the ground, but as a gameplay mechanic
considered perpetually low-light. Europa’s lack of ter- it isn’t much of an issue until it isn’t there at all. You can
raforming means there is very little to obstruct sunlight, reflect thin air easily by adding complexity to checks
and its lighting is considered normal as a whole. involving Athletics and by forcing Endure saves at
Underwater environments cut ambient light the end of every round of combat to avoid becoming
much faster than atmospheric ones, and also typically fatigued. Characters will acclimate to high altitudes
contain far more sediment and other vision obstruct- given a few days, however.
ing elements. Low-light conditions occur at a depth Underwater, pressure is a much larger issue.
of around 200 feet in broad daylight, but as shallow To avoid having to perform elaborate mathematics in
as 50 feet as the sunlight wanes. During any period in the middle of your tabletop game, you can summarize
which the ambient light above water is low, the under- pressure with the following rules, which reflect Venus
water light level should be considered nonexistent at gravity. The Gravity section features modifiers for sev-
any depth beyond 20 feet. At depths of 500 feet and eral other Vector worlds if you want them for refer-
beyond, no light from the surface exists, regardless of ence:
time of day. Pressure increases by one atmosphere per ev-
Light sources can vary in intensity but ery 30 feet of water (10 vertical hexes). Characters will
should be considered one of the two follow- experience decompression sickness upon ascent from
174 ing types: Focused or Dispersed. Dispersed dives of 90 feet or more (30 vertical hexes) and com-

CLIMATE
pressed oxygen tanks become toxic at around 225 feet but here are a few generalized rules to use in
(75 vertical hexes), necessitating either unique diving order to rapidly establish the level of danger
abilities due to surgery or fully enclosed hard-shelled you’re in.
suits to travel deeper. Suits that are rated for vacuum Cold affects most checks equally and can be
are not inherently rated for diving. They will typically reflected by increasing check Difficulty by 1 if the
function in up to 30 feet of water before they begin to temperature would normally require cold weather
leak. Spacecraft lose integrity if submerged more than gear and you lack it. If the cold is extreme enough
30 feet. Space propulsion systems can shrug off water to warrant increasing check Difficulty by 2, death
when removed from it, but do not function submerged. by hypothermia is also an issue. Exposed charac-
The average depth of oceans on terraformed ters in sub-freezing temperatures (around -30o
worlds like Mars and Venus is somewhere in the 14,000 C) can function for one minute per point in Base

ADVENTURING
foot range, with the deeper chasms going as deep Mass. After that time elapses, begin making Endure
as seven miles. Europa’s subsurface ocean is vastly saves (Difficulty 3) and increase the Difficulty by 1
deeper, extending 60 miles below the surface in some every minute until you either leave the environment
areas and averaging over 10 times the depth of Earth’s or fail. Failing a save will cause you to succumb to
deepest trench. Modern submersibles can reach over hypothermia and fall unconscious. Frozen characters
15 miles deep in Venusian gravity, but a combination can be revived and restored in a hospital but will
of pressure and extremely hostile (and large) wildlife need to pay for General Surgery to fix the extensive
prevents them from exceeding around 30 on Europa. As frostbite they will have suffered.
such the bottom of the solar system’s deepest known Water freezes at 0 degrees C. Water with
ocean is almost entirely unexplored, save for by the high salt content can be cooled below this level,
Orca bioprobes who long ago stopped sharing their and the oceans of terraformed worlds are primarily
information. They don’t welcome visitors. Biological salty. Europa’s subsurface ocean is warmed from
solutions for the depth problem are vastly more ef- below, rather than above and can be considered
fective than mechanical ones, but for reasons TTI does to have an average temperature of 3 degrees C.
not understand (or won’t talk about), large deep-diving By comparison, Antarctic water on Earth averag-
bioships attract Orcas and Foae like magnets, and es around 0 degrees C (-2 at its deepest) and avoids
they make for poor company. As always, the party can freezing due to its high salt content. Europa’s ocean
work ways around this for the sake of story. Just know is comparatively warmer than the colder water areas
that they’re entering uncharted territory. of Earth but will still cause hypothermia within half an
hour of submersion unless your character is somehow
Suffocation protected from that effect. For those with the Polar
Vectors are considered to be able to hold their Adaptation surgery, the water temperature on Europa
breath for about a minute on average if they don’t is actually quite comfortable, and even those without it
have some sort of surgical advantage. Once you run can swim short distances without injury. It also doesn’t
out of air, everyone suffocates at the same rate. When fluctuate dramatically based on depth, as it is entirely
the Guide determines your air is running out, make heated from within.
an Endure save at Difficulty 3. If you succeed, you’ve Mars and Venus have water temperature
bought yourself another 10 seconds. The next save is curves closer to Earth norms, with an average depth
Difficulty 4 and will only award you five seconds. The of around 14,000 feet and temperatures ranging from
final save is Difficulty 5 and will only grant you that a 27 degree bathwater to -2 degrees C, making their
last few feet to the surface, about one second. If, water comparatively colder in the deep regions. The
after these three saves, you still have not reached air, coldest ocean water (key word: water; there are large
your character will fall unconscious and drown. They bodies of liquid other than H2O that are vastly cold-
can be revived from that state via resuscitation with er) in the solar system is on Ganymede, averaging just
a successful Body Exert:Medicine check at Difficulty 2 above freezing in nearly every location that hasn’t
provided it can be done within a minute of drowning. If been artificially warmed. It is also the shallowest, with
revived, they will recover in a few minutes. Alternative- an average depth of only 8,000 feet. It is worth men-
ly, if the body has not been damaged it can be revived tioning that a great deal of Earth wildlife is adapted
at a hospital up to one hour after drowning but will for swimming in freezing water, and these coldwater
need to undergo a General Surgery to reconstruct the zones are highly populated with both Earth-trans-
damaged sectors of the brain that have been de- ferred life forms and original creations introduced
prived of oxygen. Though the character will recover, later.
they will lose most of their memories of the last week.
Heat
Cold During their creation, Vector metabolism
In settings of high elevation or deep water, was crafted to make optimal use of their
temperature is a paramount concern. It’s largely up to extra layer of fur, feather or scale, and they
your Guide to determine how cold an environment is, tend to run cooler internally than humans.
175
CLIMATE
 As heat decreases, their internal temperature don’t experience atrophy while spending long periods
changes, and they can better adapt to the world in lower gravity. At worst there is a day-long period
around them. The feature was included with the as- of adjustment when landing on a new world while the
sumption that much of the Vector population would Vector’s body catches up and they feel sluggish. Travel-
end up living further from the Sun than Earth, which ers call it “grav soup” and tend to just sleep it off.
has been proven correct. While handy for making It is possible to get gravity boosted stats while
cold weather tolerable (most Vectors, even reptiles, transferring from a high grav environment to a low
consider 10o C weather to be comfortable while grav one, but only for about an hour before your body
lightly clothed), it’s hardly a superpower, and by and begins to adjust and you slow down. This requires a
large the temperatures that kill humans kill Vectors specifically designed artificial gravity environment;
as well. standard artificial gravity equipped ships will adjust
ADVENTURING

As heat rises beyond 37o C, Vectors begin their gravity gradually over the course of the trip to
experiencing dangerous body temperatures, re- avoid any soup effect on landing. If you have a gravity
flected by increasing check Difficulty for any phys- vessel equipped specifically for this purpose, treat your
ical task by 1. Vectors have trouble shedding heat Body Stat as 1 point higher while the effect lasts.
once they’ve accumulated it, so after 10 minutes
of physical activity in temperatures above 37o C, Falling in Varied Gravity
make an Endure save (Difficulty 3). If you succeed, Gravity plays a larger role on physical objects, specif-
you can continue to function for another 10 minutes ically pressure and falling. All listed fall damage and
before checking again. As long as you have access pressure effects are using Venus as a baseline, which
to hydration, you can keep this up indefinitely until now closely mimics Earth in gravity and atmosphere.
you fail a save. If you do not have water around, the Mars is roughly half that, and most habitable moons
Difficulty increases by 1 every time. are less than a quarter of it. For the sake of reducing
At 43o C, the temperature is officially too hot complication, we don’t sweat the decimals. Use the
to safely function in, hydrated or not. Treat over- following adjustments for different environments.
heating like freezing. If a character collapses from
heat exhaustion, they can be revived at a hospital for Venus, Earth: As listed.
20 credits provided they didn’t remain in the hot zone Mars: Double all fall and dive distances before
for more than 30 minutes after their collapse. incurring negatives.
Moons (Europa, Ganymede, Io, Luna): Triple all fall and
Gunfire dive distances before incurring negatives.
When shooting weapons we typically ignore
environments unless they’re particularly extreme. Most Space
often this consists of “submerged” or “in vacuum.” Short of being tossed directly into a lava bath,
When underwater, unless a gun is specifically few environments are more innately lethal to you than
designed for it, range is limited to short range only, unprotected exposure to space. Your blood will boil,
and short ranged weapons are point blank only. For your body with freeze, your air is sucked violently from
simplicity we don’t adjust damage, but beyond a few your lungs, and you can be bombarded with radioac-
hexes the projectile just doesnt have the speed to do tivity.
anything. Ranged weapons that use energy can fire It’s pretty shitty all around.
normally, and weapons with the Flood rule do not work Whenever your character is exposed to open
at all. Bow weapons are not affected by this. space with no protection, Roll an Endure save every 30
In space and other airless environments, weap- seconds at Difficulty equal to the number of times the
ons that fire anything can only get a few shots before save has been failed, or +1 per minute, whichever is
they build up too much heat. This equates to a single higher. For each failure, take an Injury and a Wound.
attack per turn. Bow weapons are not affected by this. The ability to hold one’s breath does not pro-
tect you from this, however if you’re wearing some form
Gravity of space suit and have simply run out of air in it, use
Vectors were designed from the beginning to the suffocation rules rather than these.
be a space-faring race and have been engineered to
resist the usual biological issues associated with shift-
ing gravity. Their reflexes automatically adapt to rela- GETTING AROUND
tive pull around them, keeping them from accidentally HSD covers a small scale by the traditional
throwing things too hard or too soft, or dispropor- reckoning of most science fiction settings. The lack of
tionately reacting to impacts. Most importantly, their easily accessible faster than light travel means we’re
metabolisms adjust muscular growth and output confined to the borders of our solar system, and there
to allow for constant relative strength across are only two worlds that have been fully terraformed
multiple gravity environments. Wherever a (three, if you count Earth, but it’s a decidedly unpleas-
176 Vector is, it always feels “normal” and they ant place to visit these days). As a result, most of your

CLIMATE
 ZERO GRAVITY
Most spacecraft in HSD do not have simulated gravity. The technology requires a large machine to function,
making it applicable only to very large ships. Even then, due to the power costs and construction requirements,
it is often left off unless the ship is a dedicated transport who’s primary purpose is moving people around. In
short; if you’re going to be spending time in space, a lot of it will be floating.

Vectors don’t need to worry about muscular atrophy due to low or no gravity; they were specifically designed
to adapt to such conditions. However, they don’t have an innate knowledge of how to maneuver in freefall
and will need to test for a while until they get used to it. There is one important rule to remember when role-
playing in zero gravity: when an object is released with velocity, it maintains its trajectory and speed until it
hits something. Wind resistance plays a role in this, but chances are if you’re in a space ship and not tossing a
piece of paper, the mass you’re propelling is going to largely overcome that barrier. With this in mind, any-
thing that could propel your character (force, a shove, and explosion, etc) will send them backward from their
current position until they can use some form of propulsion to stop themselves or they impact something.

General movement from handhold to handhold does not require a test but moves at half your normal speed.
Basic point-to-point movement (without using handles) in freefall requires a Body Exert:Athletics check with
Difficulty akin to throwing (+1 for every 5 hexes traveled, starting at 1). It moves at full move speed. If success-
ful, your character can push off one surface and land on another directly across from them without injuring
themselves. In most cases we assume a character can line a jump up pretty well, so this check is more about
speed and safe landing than accuracy. There is no way to know if you’ve failed this check without attempting
the actual leap, so failures in this case will result in your character landing poorly and taking a Wound unless
the target is small enough that the guide feels you could miss it.

177
 general day-to-day missions will take place on ey, it just tends to be the safest and easiest system.
the world or location you’re already standing on,
or at least nearby. Don’t get sucked into the Star Digital Transmission
Wars “one biome per planet” mentality here, you’re The Digital Transmitter is perhaps the most
on a WORLD. There’s plenty to do and all the vari- controversial means of personal transport in the uni-
ance in environments you could ask for. Here are a verse. Employing the same Pulse neuroscience systems
few ways to get around them: used for body replacement in the event of emergen-
cies, it is possible to map a perfect (or at least, near
Disposable Vehicle perfect) replica of a brain, as well as take samples
These rentals are built from lightweight fiber and scans of every part of a person’s body. That data
ADVENTURING

and resin hybrids and possess a limited lifespan of can be digitally transmitted at light speed to a receiv-
about three days. They’re strong, flexible, built on er on another world and the person can be reassem-
demand and quite usable, but at the end of their bled from scratch as an exact duplicate using estab-
three day ‘rental,’ they will begin to disintegrate lished bio-constructors. Through careful application of
into a pile of various organic compounds and a few sedatives, timing, and checking, the original person is
loose pieces of resin and epoxy. Any trash service killed the moment the signal begins growing the new
can then pick them up and recycle them accord- body. The electrical impulses in the new brain are
ingly, or they’ll just decay over time. They do tend aligned to match those in the deceased one, and the
to stink after their lifespan has ended, though, and Vector wakes up on the new planet feeling like they
most places have rules against leaving them outside fell asleep and arrived in a new place. Every aspect of
in a parking lot to rot. them, including any surgeries or implants, is maintained.
Disposable vehicles are exceptionally useful for They are the same person, but not the same flesh. That
travelers who don’t intend to return to the place body is dead, and by the time the new one finishes
they’re leaving. They’re also handy for Taurs or Lat- growing, it has long since been incinerated or parted
erals, who can purchase variants for their accessi- out.
bility and don’t feel bad about having to throw out Digital transmission takes a total of 10 hours
a chair to make room if the car is going to turn into from start to awakening on your destination world. As
jello in three days anyway. Taurs count as two peo- compared to the two-three week or longer journey
ple for the purposes of calculating passenger space. required otherwise, this can drastically cut down your
Cargo space does not include passenger space, and time frame if you need to be someplace in a hurry. It
passengers may ride in cargo areas if there is room. also purges you of any diseases or viruses you may be
Disposable vehicles are not vacuum rated, nor carrying (with the exception of Whisper infestation,
do they function completely submerged. for reasons that have baffled and frustrated scientists
for the better part of a century). Upon reaching your
Chartering Passage destination, the Digitrans corp will provide you with
Getting a ride on a vehicle already headed near-duplicates of any equipment or clothing you were
to where you’re going can be a much more negotia- carrying before your transmission, to be returned as
ble process than getting a disposable car. Official collateral for when your gear arrives or you’re ready
channels, such as planes, boats and buses, have a flat to leave. These loaners are stock; they lose any cus-
rate depending on distance. Said vehicles can usually tomization you’ve added and you don’t get versions of
accommodate your entire party and their equipment any gear you crafted yourself unless that gear is now
and are typically reasonably affordable, but their real publicly available. Lastly, as an incentive to use their
advantage comes from having the space to carry you, product, most Digitrans corps can be negotiated with
your gear, and someone else to pilot should you lack to include a free (or at least cheap) Nip/Tuck or New
the requisite skill. In addition, Planetary transports Look surgery (see: Surgery) in the process of your trans-
which have to play host to large populations for ex- mission. The body is being built from scratch, after all.
tended periods typically include manufacturing centers It’s not hard to tweak a few aesthetics.
on their ships, as well as a vast selection of other ame- Digital transmission costs 1,000 credits for a
nities that can be purchased for use during the trip, round trip to any destination, and they have facilities
making them an ideal way to do typically time-con- on every major populated mass. Shipping of equip-
suming tasks while not cutting into the progress of the ment is included. To help offset the costs, a character
plot. may donate their original body as biomass. Digitrans
You can also barter for transit with anyone companies don’t handle this aspect themselves due
heading in your direction. Actual transportation com- to potential conflicts of interest, but the player can
panies won’t entertain negotiations on ticket prices, but arrange it independently with an interested party and
if you want to hitchhike with someone the option said party can coordinate with the transit service. This
is available. They will typically use these num- typically results in a 100-200 credit discount depending
bers as a place to begin, but there’s nothing on the success of the venture.

178 saying you have to negotiate using only mon-

CLIMATE
EXPLOITING THE DEAD can either salvage their gear for material to use in
your own crafting pursuits, or you can attempt to hack
the Personal Identification Devices that protect their
Bounty Collection weapons.
When an enemy is defeated, your Ledger can
automatically process them, confirm their identity, and
check them against any of the thousands of boun-
Hacking a PID
PIDs are very secure systems that prevent
ty contracts floating around Sol through the IRPF or
non-approved people from firing a weapon or making
independent channels. Most people who carry weapons
use of other combat systems. Hacking one requires a
around do so because somebody somewhere doesn’t
crash suite and a successful Mind Exert:Sabotage roll
like them and chances are good that they’ve got a
of Difficulty 5. If you succeed, the PID will reassign it-
price of some amount or another associated with their
self to you. If you fail, the PID will immediately fuse the
capture or disposal. One might even be generated
object’s internal components, rendering it useless even
on the fly once the scene has been checked over by
as salvage.
authorities, as a sort of postmortem reward.
If your ledger finds a match, the fallen enemy
will be flagged for later pickup by the contractor, and Salvaging
you can go about your business. You’ll receive 100-200 A safer means of exploiting the dead is to
credits, depending on how much the Guide feels this break them down for parts. If you want to salvage an
particular person was worth to someone. On occasion, enemy, roll 1D12 for each piece of major equipment
you’ll get a bonus, if the target was infamous in some they had on when they died. For example: if an enemy
way. Likewise, you might not get anything at all. The is defeated who is wearing armor, has a gun, and has
Guide has discretion on this. Bounty tagging should a sword on their back, roll 3D12. You gain that much
work a good 90% of the time, but it isn’t guaranteed. Material, which is a catch-all term for matter used in
Unknown enemies or people who lived otherwise clean crafting. After this, roll 1D10 per body, and consult the
lives may not be worth anything to anyone. Regardless following table. If you land on an “or” option, you can
of the payout, for a legal exchange a body must be choose which one you want. However, this can be over-
untainted: no looting or manipulation of any kind can ruled by the Guide if they feel the story won’t allow for
take place. it. You can’t pull a gun frame off of someone with no
gun, for instance.
Looting 1-3: 2D12 Material
Looting is outside most people’s forte. Weap-
4-6: Gun frame or armor chassis or weapon stock.
ons carried by seasoned combatants are generally PID
7-9: Gun action or armor reactive or weapon finish
locked and useless to anyone but the owner, and that’s
10: Blueprint
assuming the equipment survived the fight at all. Addi-
tionally, weapons tend to be registered to people, and
Salvaging takes about 5 minutes per body.
selling a gun that belongs to someone else will raise
flags with the IRPF (and selling a gun that belongs to
no one can be even worse). While true of the setting, Buying and Selling
there’s a meta reasoning behind this I felt I should Stores aren’t generally going to buy your spare
explain, if only so you could understand why. parts, but material is valuable to most manufacturing
In general, HSD steers away from looting other centers, and preconstructed components are valuable
people’s guns to replace your own or sell on the black to people who want to build equipment without having
market. The environment in this game is such that most to use a registered assembler. If you want to sell sal-
weapons are of relatively equivalent quality if you just vaged goods, you’ll need to find the right sort of buyer.
go out and buy them, and the mentality that grows But if you can, the following scale is a good base line.
from enemy looting paints this peculiar in-game pic-
ture of characters who look at the enemies less as Upgrade blueprint: 50 credits
people and more as loot pinatas that will drop trin- Weapon/Armor blueprint: 250 credits
kets when slapped enough. This sort of works if you’re Material: 1 credit each
playing criminals, but it’s a weird way to think about Small-medium gun frame, gun action, or weapon stock:
things if you’re playing heroes, and I didn’t want it to 15 credits or 10 Material
be the default means of getting new equipment. We Weapon finish: 30 credits or 20 Material
don’t want to punish people for defeating an aggres- Small-medium armor chassis or reactives: 15 credits or
sive force, calling the IRPF or local corp authority, and 10 Material
having the bodies tagged and picked up. Frankly it’s
what would be expected of any team operating within
the confines of the law.
However, if you wish to profit off your fallen
foe’s gear, there are two ways to go about it. You
179
 CRAFTING workable tool are rather expensive, or outright not for
sale. Skilled crafters will usually learn to make their
Building weapons and armor involves advanced
own to save money unless they only plan on building
tools only available at manufacturing centers. In
one type of weapon.
general, the massive retailers of Sol don’t like pro-
Blueprints are typically acquired by reverse en-
moting independent crafting. It’s not so much the
gineering weapons and armor, which is represented by
competition as it is the lack of control, esspecially
rolling a 10 while looting a body. Blueprints acquired
when it comes to weaponry. For those who can get
in this fashion are only for one random weapon or
access to crafting facilities and have the knowhow
armor piece the foe was wearing, determined at the
to make use of salvage, it’s possible to reconstruct
time of acquisition. But it’s possible to combine several
many of Sol’s powerful and dangerous technological
blueprints to work out the construction of objects you
ADVENTURING

marvels without the authorities knowing you have

haven’t actually encountered.
them, and often at a discount over purchasing them
Crafted weapons can be sold to individual col-
outright.
lectors for the cost of a standard weapon in its class.
All crafted weapons and armor (and most
The crafted weapon is probably worth more but indi-
crafting in general) require a blueprint. Blueprints
vidual buyers also expect less of a markup. It’s the cost
are easily accessible via computers and can be
of getting rid of something that is difficult to move on
reused, but ones of sufficient quality to produce a
the public market.

Creating Blueprints
Creating Weapons and Armor To make a blueprint from scratch for an item you
Roll Mind Exert:Engineering at a manufacturing haven’t looted a blueprint for, roll Mind Ex-
center. The Difficulty of the check is determined ert:Engineering and spend the following:
by what you’re trying to build. Failure will consume
10% of the Material and 1 component. Success Making an Upgrade blueprint costs 1 blueprint.
builds the item. Crafting weapons, armor, and Difficulty 1.
items takes D8 hours-your Engineering score, Making a Weapon/Armor blueprint costs 3 blue-
minimum 1. You cannot craft an item with a Gear prints.
Score higher than your Engineering score. Difficulty 2.
Making an Item Blueprint costs 2 blueprints per
Small-medium gun requires 40 Material, 1 frame, 1 Gear Score on the item you intend to craft.
gun action, blueprint.
Difficulty 1. If you fail the check, reduce your blueprint count
Heavy gun requires 250 Material, 2 heavy frames, by 1. Each attempt takes D8 hours-your Engi-
2 gun actions, blueprint. neering score, minimum 1. You cannot craft a
Difficulty 2. blueprint for an item with a Gear Score
One-handed weapon requires 80 Material, 1 higher than your Engineering score.
weapon stock, 1 weapon finish, blueprint.
Difficulty 1. Creating Items
Two-handed weapon requires 30 Material, 3 Items tend to be multifunctional and program-
weapon stocks, 3 weapon finishes, blueprint. ming heavy. They only require blueprints and
Difficulty 1. material, but it’s harder to nail down their con-
Light armor requires 50 Material, 1 chassis, 1 ar- struction, as most of them are proprietary on the
mor reactive, blueprint. inside. To create an item, you’ll need to craft the
Difficulty 2. item and the software that powers it. Roll Mind
Medium armor requires 150 Material, 2 chassis, 1 Exert:Engineering with Difficulty=to the Gear
armor reactive, blueprint. Score of the item. This crafts the body. Roll Mind
Difficulty 2. Exert:Logic with Difficulty = 2x the Gear Score of
Heavy armor requires 300 Material, 3 chassis, 2 the item, minimum 1. This crafts the software. If
armor reactives, blueprint. this takes the software Difficulty above a 6, the
Difficulty 2. item cannot be crafted and must be bought.
Weapon upgrades require 30 Material, blueprint.
Difficulty 0. Crafting items requires Material = half the
item’s cost and Blueprints = the Item’s Gear
Score.
RECOVERY Healing Wounds
Any of the following can remove Wounds from
Recovering from Wounds is typically a medical
task. Characters can help each other using lightweight a character who has been hurt or downed in combat.
equipment like PERKs, but more serious injuries (like
those taken when your Wound count exceeds your max Personal healing: Requires a PERK or medical equip-
and you are downed) are going to need surgical fixes. ment. Roll Mind Exert:Medicine (or Engineering for
cogs) and set the Difficulty yourself. You remove 2x the
Difficulty score worth of Wounds, provided you succeed
Repairing Armor at the check. Each check takes 1 hour. Simply remov-
Any of the following things can return armor to ing Wounds doesn’t negate an injury or the associated
working status from broken, which occures when your negatives for it; you will need corrective surgery for
Wound count exceeds your max. that. Failure ruins the PERK.
Patchkit repair: Mind Exert:Operate (2). Check failure PERK autodoc: Mind Exert:Operate (2). Removes D6
ruins patchkit with no positive affect. Success repairs Wounds in 5 minutes per PERK. Using this depletes the
the armor and depletes the patchkit. Takes about 5 PERK.
minutes.
Overnight healing: Remove D3 Wounds per night, +1 for
Facility repair: Restores armor for 10 credits per armor each night rested beyond the first.
Mass. Generally takes a day.
Facility healing: Restores Wounds to 0 at 10
Personal repair: Mind Exert:Engineering (2). Takes about credits per Wound. Generally takes a day. In-
an hour. juries can be removed with General Surgery
(150 credits).
182
INJURY 1: General trauma: A few holes, cuts, bruises, and a
When your character’s Wound count cracked rib or two. Complicate Athletics and Stealth
exceeds their max they’re typically not checks.
outright killed, but they have taken severe
damage and are going to need medical 2: Broken limb: Randomly determine if it’s an arm, leg, or
treatment. Roll a D12 and take the result other appendage if you have them. You can also have the
on the table. Each result on the injury table Guide decide this if the narrative of the situation sug-
can be fixed through General Surgery (150 gests something specific. All Body checks that would in-
credits) but your character must be stabi- volve that limb are Complicated. Movement is decreased
lized before they can be operated on. In a by 1 if a leg is involved. Flying is disabled if a wing is
hospital environment this happens automat- involved. Objects cannot be carried on the applicable
ically, but if you’re in the field someone will side if an arm is involved.
need to remove a Wound from you somehow
(typically through medical treatment) before 3: Facial injury: A large and noticeable injury to the face,
you can continue functioning. From there you such as a broken jaw or prominent cut. Depending on the
will suffer the detriments of your injury until nature of the injury, it may slur speech. Complicate Com-
operated on. munity checks involving face-to-face communication.
Not every fight is going to be equal
in terms of its potential damage. Guides 4: Head injury: Complicate all checks.
have the prerogative to forego having play-
ers roll on the injury table if they feel the 5: Severe trauma: Bullet holes, broken ribs, internal bleed-
context of the fight would not have resulted ing. Doubly Complicate all Athletics and Stealth checks.
in this level of injury. That generally applies
to combats where killing wasn’t a goal for 6: Lost limb: Randomly determine if it’s an arm, leg, or
either side. By that same token some events other appendage if you have them. You can also have
may cause such devastating damage that the Guide decide this if the narrative of the situation
no survival seems possible. If this occurs the suggests something specific. All Body checks that would
character will need to use a Rescue to save involve that limb are doubly Complicated. Movement is
themselves. reduced to 1 if a leg is involved. Flying is disabled if a
wing is involved. Objects cannot be carried on the appli-
The Injury Table cable side if an arm is involved, and two-handed actions
If you’re using the injury table to cannot be taken at all.
determine injuries sustained due to random
happenstance rather than combat, note that 7: Severe concussion: Complicate all checks.
the first four options are considered rela-
tively minor and not life threatening. Roll a 8: Blind: You are unable to make Body:Perceive checks
D4 if you want to keep the outcome in that related to vision, and doubly Complicate all attack rolls. If
range. If you’re dealing with a situation that you possess sensory enhancement of some kind that is not
has provided a surely life-threatening injury, vision related, perhaps through Reclamation surgery, and
roll D8+4. For injuries sustained in combat, said abilities are available in the context of the scene,
D12 is generally best. You never know what you can attack normally.
you’ll end up hurting in a fight.
9: Deaf: You are unable to make Body:Perceive checks
related to hearing and must make Community:Perceive
Critical Injuries checks to understand what someone is trying to communi-
If a character has an injury from the
cate to you face to face unless it is written down.
table from number 5 or above and recieves
the same injury again before the first one
10: Mute: You are unable to speak, and anything complex
can be treated, the character will die.
you attempt to convey without writing or signing will re-
quire Community Exert:Communication checks, and subse-
quent successful Community:Perceive checks to understand.
You cannot give orders in combat or do anything else
that would require quick verbal conveyance of informa-
tion unless your hands are free to sign with.

11: Near death: Your Wounds are extremely severe; pass

an Endure check at Difficulty 2 or the character dies.

12: Fatal Wounds: The character dies.

183
 ITEM RULES
Most goods and services aren’t sold in dedicated stores anymore
(though showrooms do exist, often as an excuse to get people out in the world
to see more things to buy) but are instead purchased in wireless “BuySpots” in
dedicated areas. A BuySpot can be as small as a phone booth or as large as a
city, depending on the corp that owns it. While within a BuySpot, Vectors can
purchase goods for sale through any digital surface. They can then retrieve
what they purchased from any BuySpot printer, which will produce the object
on demand. These printers are conveniently located throughout BuySpot zones
and range in size from small goods to vehicles. They typically can’t produce
anything larger than a jeep, however. For purchases like that, a Vector would
have to go to a dedicated manufacturing center.
The Equipment appendix in this book contains detailed descriptions and
useful rules for a closetful of useful items. They all have different functions, so
they’re broken down individually, but this section contains a few universal rules
and vocabulary that applies to all of them should you need to reference it
again.

Types
1-credit purchases: The world is full of minuscule objects far too varied
to list. Cigarette lighters, playing cards, prophylactics, spray paint cans and
coffee, just about anything that would normally run you less than 10 dollars. For
the sake of brevity, if a group of objects would run you 10 dollars or less, they
can be purchased together for a single credit. Note that this doesn’t mean a
credit itself is worth ten dollars, it’s just a way of allowing you to buy minor
trinkets while indicating some exchange of money.
The Item appendix depicts many 1-credit items Corps have made for
general entertainment purposes. These are essentially toys and shouldn’t be
considered capable of doing much more than something you could pick up for
a few bucks at 7-Eleven could do. Clever use of these items could yield produc-
tive results but Hosts should use their discretion and not allow for exploitative
usage. It’s safe to assume that rigorous safety testing ironed out the possibility
of the product doing great harm.

Apps: Apps are tools that can be installed in your toggle or other dig-
ital device. They are typically free to install but will charge you each time you
use their abilities.

Active systems: Characters can be equipped with one active system at

a time. Other active systems can be owned but need to be switched in over
the course of around a half-hour.

Passive systems: Characters can be equipped with three passive systems

at a time. Other passive systems can be owned but need to be switched in
over the course of around five minutes.

Tools: A tool is an in-game item that your character can use to ap-
proach a problem that is otherwise insurmountable or difficult without one.
Most basic tasks do not require tools, as they can be accomplished using just
your body, but some tasks are impossible without some sort of tool. Hacking a
door lock, for instance, can’t be done unless you have some way to access the
lock itself. The item provides no intrinsic benefit but without it the task is im-
possible. Many social situations can be approached without tools, but tools will
help make the scene more favorable for your character. A nice suit is a tool,
for instance. It provides no magical dice mechanic but without it your attempts
at a conversation with someone of important social standing may not go well.
Tool requirements are a logic situation. Some things can’t be done with-
out a tool, but listing them would be self-defeating (if not impossible). If your
Guide believes a tool of some kind will be required to accomplish a task, buy
one or see if you can put together something similar.
184
 Gearscore
Most physical items will include a gearscore, which is a
meta score that serves two functions: it indicates rarity
(1-5, with 5 being the rarest), and it indicates overall
efficiency, typically (though not always) with regards
to combat. In the Enemy Fight Scaling chapter of this
book, gear score is one of the things considered when
determining whether or not a fight is fair. Keep that in
mind; you don’t always want this number to be high. It
indicates you’re a significant (and valuable) threat, and
enemies looking to bring you down will bring extra help
to ensure they get the job done.

In the event that you have multiple items of the same

type, such as multiple of the same type of grenade or
multiple of the same type of item, do not stack their
gear scores. Having one is the same as having more than
one.

Gearscore and Availability

Story should be the main driver to equipment availabil-
ity in a location, but it’s fine to use a quick little table if
there’s no major narrative reason why something should
or shouldn’t be available. Use this to help.

Gearscore: percentage of availability per location

0: 95%
1: 80%
2: 65%
3: 50%
4: 35%
5: 15%
These numbers are for walking into a random, vague-
ly related BuySpot and saying “Hey, can I get one of
these here?” They can be trumped by the party actively
seeking out the name of a place that sells what they’re
looking for and taking the time to go there specifically.
While you’re not compelled to use this system for char-
acter starting gear, it can be a fun way to instill some
randomness into character generation if you want to.

185
 ITEM LIST
One Credit Purchases
Implied Gear: There are some items your character
is assumed to have by default, just because they’ve As mentioned in Items, these are essentially toys
lived in this environment for a while and have and shouldn’t be considered capable of doing much
chosen to engage in some of the more vigorous more than what something you could pick up for a few
aspects of it. You’ll have to buy replacements for bucks at a corner store. Clever use of these items could
these if you lose them, but at the beginning of the yield productive results, but Guides should use their
game, we figure you have your own: discretion and not allow for exploitative usage. It’s safe
to assume that rigorous safety testing ironed out the
Toggle with Toggle case possibility of the product doing great harm.
Backpack
Clothing Alert Buzzer
Pushframe (if lateral) A small but extremely loud alert sound that can
Rent (one month, any size. Make it a part of your go off on a timer, on press, or upon receiving a signal.
story!) Lasts about an hour.
Food (one week)
Blanks
This pill makes you forget everything that hap-
Item packages pened after you took the pill, one hour later. A favor-
HSD doesnt have classes; you are encouraged to ite tool of people whose careers require cataloging
use equipment and abilites to define your own information they’re better off not knowing personally.
role in the story and in your party. However, cer- Blanks leave a chemical signature behind that can be
tain gear lends itself well to certain tasks, so these measured for weeks afterward, so it can be deter-
starting packages have a quick list of equipment mined when one was taken should it become relevant
and their prices so you can grab them at char- in a criminal investigation, and the memory block can
acter creation and make sure you have what you be removed by a counter-chemical if ingested within
need to do what you want to do. that period.

Dizzyspell
Medical Professional This pill mixes your motor signals randomly for
Professional Attire (gotta look the part): 60
one minute, resulting in random effects when you try
credits
to move various parts of your body. This is intended
2x PERKs (always good to have a spare in case
for personal entertainment and perhaps the occa-
someone else needs to use it): 200 credits
sional prank. Please do not use while operating heavy
Rope (for rescues, makeshift slings, or holding
equipment. Also not recommended in areas with many
things immobile): 50 credits
breakable objects.
4x Stims (Ironhide and Fullnight are both common
in triage): 280 credits
Glarecare
Cleanse (for when sleeping it off just isn’t good
This little pill will make your vision sepia-toned
enough): 50 credits
for 5 minutes upon ingestion, or for as long as you con-
Puff (for the stims): 50 credits
tinue to suck on it. Nice for when you want to cut down
Total: 690 credits, Gear Score 4
on glare on those bright days.
WARNING: THIS PRODUCT DOES NOT ACTUALLY PRO-
Future purchases: Consider the OD&D for on the
VIDE EYE PROTECTION. STOP LOOKING AT THE SUN.
spot diagnosis, Personal Motivators for moving
ANOTHER WARNING: DO NOT INGEST WHEN WORK-
bodies, and RuBoxes for rapid shelter and treat-
ING IF COLOR INHIBITION WILL AFFECT YOUR JOB.
ment facilities. Many of the tools of your trade are
(Looking at you, bomb-defusal-person.)
one use only, so keep credits on hand to re-stock.
Hazard Light
Hacker/Programmer A tiny safety device that emits an obnoxiously
UI Lenses (a great universal interface): 300 bright light. Can be set to strobe, go off on a timer, or
credits receive a signal. Lasts about an hour.
Crash Suite (a great destroyer of universal
interfaces): 160 credits ICU
Tools (most systems won’t be accessible on the sur- Peel-and-stick googly eyes that follow the
face, so dig in): 80 credits nearest person as they go by. ‘Nuff said.
Cooker (if you just want something to stop
working forever): 150 credits Instant Bond
Total: 690 credits, Gear Score 3 A general utility glue that guarantees a strong
bond on contact. Use it to stick that thing to that other

TOOLS
 Future purchases: Much of your combat ability will
thing. Comes in a little tube good for a couple small be based on your ability to hack. Make Neural
applications or one big one. Not suitable for anything Connectivity Suite (NCS) a priority surgery and pick
structural. up malware apps as you can.

Instant Gel
This additive quickly gelatinizes any fluid it’s Engineer/Crafting
put in, making for a drink you can eat! Tools (for things your hands can’t do): 80 credits
WARNING: WE DO NOT ENDORSE THE “INSTANT GEL Flashlight (for things your eyes can’t see): 10 credits
CHALLENGE.” PLEASE DON’T @ US. Patchkit (if one person needs one, chances are,
more than one person needs one): 100 credits
Laser Diode De-rez Enzyme (for undoing mistakes): 200 credits
A bright but harmless laser diode about the Welding Enzyme (for making new mistakes): 300
size of a dime with an internal power source. Lasts credits
about an hour. Total: 690 credits, Gear Score 0
Mellifluous Pills Future purchases: Your trade uses a lot of expen-
This pill will transform your voice into that of a sive chemistry to achieve lasting results. Use De-
local celebrity for about five minutes. Note: you always rez and Welders to shut down threats before they
sound different to yourself. We didn’t get it wrong. start and keep money around to re-stock. Ghostgel
Second note: having a singer’s voice doesn’t mean you is also useful, as is anything that allows you to get
also know how to sing. It just means you’ll continue to to whatever location you want to be working on.
sing badly, using a singer’s voice. Use Notoriety to offset the cost of Enzymes.
Shipping Sheets
A regenerating sheet of packing material Support Specialist
whose little poppable bubbles will reseal themselves 2x PPC (for getting the lights on): 100 credits
after breaking. Most product movement is digital these Survival clothing (keep out the cold): 200 credits
days, but Shipping Sheets have found a home with Stitch-pills (keeps the doctor away): 150 credits
large industry that can’t print their heavy material Optics (see them before they see you): 100 credits
on the fly, as flotation devices, and with stressed-out Egress System (when seeing isn’t enough): 50 credits
workers. Tight-rope (when you’re over here and need to be
over there): 80 credits
Special Sauce Total: 680 credits, Gear Score 0
This simple food additive makes whatever you
put it on taste like whatever you determined when you Future purchases: This role is mostly about mak-
bought the additive. Great for kids who won’t eat their ing sure you’re never caught without an option, so
veggies. Or for treating a nail-biting habit. diverse equipment is key. Gecko Spray will get you
up walls, RuBoxes will get you sheltered, Mapmites
Spicy Water will keep you from getting lost.
This additive carbonates any fluid it’s put in,
adding zest to an otherwise dull drink! Diplomat/Negotiator
WARNING: WE DO NOT ENDORSE THE “SPICY BELLY Cosmetics (for some extra pop): 10 credits
CHALLENGE.” PLEASE DON’T @ US. Professional Attire (be seen): 60 credits
Specialty Wear (be scene): 30 credits
Widge Holo-locket (a classy way to display): 20 credits
This universal sensor device can be placed Sheet Windows (when you need a negotiating
anywhere and pre-programmed with a huge array edge): 250 credits
of different triggering conditions from movement to Runnit (a good way to get a preview of the situa-
temperature to vibration to light and sound and so tion): 200 credits
on. Once the conditions are met, the widge will emit Gag Order (someone saw you using the Sheet
a radio signal up to about 100 feet. Anything that can Windows): 50 credits
receive a signal at all can receive a widge signal, so 2x Peeps (keeps an eye out when you’re not
they make for great simple condition monitors. To use, around): 60 credits
simply attach to your Toggle and select the parame- Total: 680 credits, Gear Score 0
ters from the configuration app.
Future purchases: Most of what you get from here
will be determined by what sort of negotiating
you’re doing. The Stylr@home is a good choice, as
are display blankets if you plan on adding more
“spy” to your role. Consider the Slaver Aegiform,
you may have more opportunities to use it than
TOOLS others.
 ITEM COST
REFERENCE

Aegiforms 1000 credits unique tool 4 Glasslock 600 credits tool 0

Aquatic Bodysocket 100 credits tool 0 Grapple belt 500 credits active 1
Backpack 40 credits tool 0 Grapple Gauntlet 400 credits active 0
Biointegration Mesh 200 credits passive 0 Gripshield 200 credits tool 0
Body Socket (re- 100 credits tool 0 Half-wing 600 credits passive 1
quires Pushframe)
Hardwire 60 credits tool 0
Body socket variants tool 0
Holo-locket 20 credits tool 0
Bombard Emitter 1000 credits active 1
Holohome 0 credits tool 0
Boost Tread 650 credits active 2
Holoprojector 200 credits tool 0
Bottles 25 credits passive 0
Hooks 40 credits tool 0
Bug-out Ball 100 credits tool 0
Hostile Environment 100 credits tool 0
Cleanse 50 credits tool 0 Support System
CleanSweep system 200 credits passive 1 Hotline unit (requires 200 credits tool 0
Clothing 50 credits tool 0 Togglecase)
Hyperprojectile 200 credits passive 0
Comspots 20 credits tool 0
Barrel
Cooker 150 credits tool 1
Interceptor Drone 1000 credits active 2
Cosmetics 10 credits tool 0
Jump Assist Frame 500 credits active 2
Crash Suite 160 credits tool 2
Lasergrid Traps 400 credits tool 3
Crowdsolve app 0
Lifestyle Tag 500,1000, 2000 tool 0
Cuil Bloom Indicator 500 credits passive 1
Luxury vehicle 1500 credits tool 0
De-Res Enzyme 200 credits tool 0
Magic Ear (requires 200 credits tool 0
Dead-zone Projector 100 credits tool 0 Crash Suite)
Deathmark 150 credits tool 3 Mapmites 300 once, 600 tool 0
reusable
Display Blanket 500 credits active 1
MarsCo General 50 credits tool 0
Display Sheaths 50 credits passive 0 Issue Spacesuit
Economy vehicle 750 credits tool 0 MC Whistlestop 100 credits tool 0
Egress System 50 credits tool 0 Software
EM Signal Cloak 200 credits passive 1 Mobile Turret 1000 credits tool 5
Equilibrium Booster 50 credits tool 0 Money-back Guar- 15 credits tool 2
antee
Fauxnet 1000 credits tool 1
Multithread Inter- 500 credits passive 1
First Alert Drone 460 credits passive 2 face
Flashlight 10 credits tool 0 Neuroplex 150 credits tool 0
Flowform Generator 1600 credits active 0 Nullgrav Field 500 credits passive 0
Flowform socket 100 credits tool 0 Optics 300 credits tool 0
system
Food 10 credits tool 0
Gag Order 50 credits tool 0
Gecko Spray 50 credits passive 0
Ghostgel 300 credits tool 1
Gill Suit 50 credits tool 0

188
 ITEM COST
REFERENCE

Optimization Assess- app 0 Seekertags 20 credits tool 2

ment Rubric Sheet Windows 250 credits tool 0
P.I.D lock 100 credits tool 0
Sideroute 350 credits passive 2
Patchkit 100 credits tool 0
Slipscope 400 credits tool 0
PDU-M (Portable 1000 credits tool 0
Snap-shunt 1500 credits active 3
Disassembly Unit,
Mining) Snoop 300 credits tool 0
Peeps 30 credits tool 0 Sonic Descent Sys- 350 credits passive 1
Personal Data Inter- 1500 credits app 0 tem
face Spam in a Can 400 credits tool 0
Personal Flowform 350 credits passive 0 SpeakEZ app 0
Sheath
Specialty Wear 30 credits tool 0
Personal Motivator 200 credits tool 0
Spontaneous Assem- 300 credits tool 0
Pointshift Gauntlet 100 credits passive 1 bly Machine
Police whistle: 100 100 credits tool 0 Squakbox 10 credits app 0
credits
Stim-Stick 100 credits tool 0
PPC 50 credits tool 0
Stims (requires Puff) 70 credits tool 1
PPS app 0
Stitch Pills 120 credits tool 0
Private Buyspot 1000 credits tool 0
Structure Pump 8000 credits tool 0
Professional Attire 60 credits tool 0
Stylr@Home 600 credits tool 0
Progenitus Emergen- 100 credits tool 0
Suitseals 150 credits passive 0
cy Responder Kit
Progenitus Omnide- 800 credits tool 0 Survival Clothing 200 credits tool 0
tection and Diagnos- Techwand 700 credits tool 3
tic Engine
Tight-Ropes 80 credits tool 0
Puff 50 credits tool 0
Toggle 50 credits tool 0
Pushframe 200 credits passive 0
Toggle Case (re- 100 credits tool 0
Recall Tether 400 credits active 1 quires Toggle, free
Recall Tether Lock 200 credits tool 0 at character gener-
ation)
Rent (1500 sq feet) 200 credits
Tools 80 credits tool 0
Rent (2500 sq feet) 600 credits
UI Lenses 300 credits passive 0
Rent (600 sq feet) 100 credits
Vacuum Sealant 100 credits tool 0
Restraining Foam 100 credits passive 0 System
Rope 50 credits tool 0 Velvet Gloves 400 credits tool 0
RuBox 400 credits tool 0 Vitae Charge 500 credits tool 1
Runnit 200 credits passive 0 Vitae Dismissal Unit 350 credits passive 2
Saddle 40 credits tool 1 Weirding Bombs 150 credits tool 1
Scatterline unit 1000 credits active 2 Welding Enzyme 300 credits tool 0

189
 GENERAL ITEMS acters of no greater than Base Mass 3, and it makes
them Base Mass 5 with a standard shape. Any Tech-
niques you have pertaining to your previous shape or
Tools mass do not apply while in a Body Socket, and some
anatomy-specific morphism abilities may also not be
Backpack: 40 credits (free at character generation) available. The Body Socket does not have a morphism;
Tool it is simply a biped. Treat the character within as
Gear score: 0 though they likewise are a standard biped.
Nothing special here; it’s a backpack. Even in
the future, it’s still useful to be able to carry things
around. A typical backpack can hold 2 cubic feet
of material if stuffed to the limit. Backpacks for
Body Socket Variants:
Micros can hold 6 cubic inches. Taurs and laterals
Tool
can purchase saddlebags at the same price that
Aquatic: 100 credits
effectively function as two backpacks and drape
Being an aquatic lateral with social or economic ties
over their frame. Angels cannot fly while wearing
to the shore is a difficult life to live. MarsCo under-
a backpack; it prevents their wings from moving
ITEMS

stands, and we’re still one of the only megacorps to

properly.
actively develop Body Sockets for some of the most
Backpacks increase your Cargo Points by 50%
difficult forms to sheath in Sol. Aquatic Body Sockets
of your maximum. Saddlebags are basically two
are large and heavy, but our designs are as function-
backpacks.
al and comfortable as we can make them and give
those of us who are locked to the sea a chance to
Body Socket (requires Pushframe): 100 credits
come on shore for a while.
Tool
Can accept long and Base Mass 6 characters.
Gear score: 0
Engineered specifically for aquatics. They gain the
Generally referred to as a Sock for short, the
properties of a hexapod Cog instead of the normal
Body Socket is a step up from the Pushframe for
morphism.
the lateral that desires to function normally in bi-
pedal society. It’s a fully robotic chassis featuring
Flowform socket system: 100 credits
arms and legs and a range of dexterity compa-
Brand new developments in Flowform systems have
rable to that of any normal Vector. When mounted
allowed us to offer new options for smaller aquatic
in a Sock, a lateral effectively loses their lateral
laterals. This lightweight backpack unit can allow an
morphism and becomes a normal Vector until they
aquatic lateral of less than three feet long to sheath
dismount again. For many larger laterals like croco-
themselves in active water and move about with it,
diles and tigers, Socks are very uncomfortable to use
much like Flowform Cogs do, while remaining com-
and they typically won’t bother with them if they can
pletely submerged. Automatic current systems keep
avoid it. Snakes and some birds generally love them,
water moving over your gills even while standing still,
as they can curl up easily in the dedicated contain-
making this a great solution for small laterals looking
ing section and operate just like any normal person
to avoid mechanical suits. Alas, the overall space re-
would. To operate a Sock, the lateral controller must
quired to support larger breeds makes this an unus-
be wearing a Pushframe.
able option beyond the current size constraints, if only
Socks can wear any clothing or armor any
for the amount of dirt that would be picked up and
normal Vector can wear but are not intrinsically more
need filtering.
durable. There are enough things to break on a Body
You may wear armor in this Body Socket. The
Socket that wearing one doesn’t really grant you any
Socket itself does not have armored properties. While
additional protection. To represent an armored Body
in it, you have all the abilities you normally have in the
Socket in combat without introducing a whole host
water, but on land. This does not change your shape
of superfluous rules, do the following: treat the Body
or morphism. Limited to Base Mass 1-3 characters.
Socket as your armor, using the same profile for pro-
tection and abilities that your armor has. You can’t
wear other armor in the Socket (it’s pretty cramped
in there) but you can treat the socket as a suit of
walking armor with the same properties as a suit
you already own. Once you are reduced to 1 Wound, Cleanse: 50 credits
the Body Socket breaks and you will emerge with your Tool
normal micro or lateral status in standard clothing with Gear score: 0
one Wound remaining. If more than one Wound A catch-all injection capable of purging most
was dealt in the attack that broke the frame, toxins from someone’s system rapidly. It does tend to
discard the remainder. leave them feeling jittery, hyper-alert, and dizzy, but
190 Body Sockets are limited to Small char- it’s preferable to being poisoned. Cleanse can be

TOOLS
used in combat as a Support action (but must still be an easy access panel to its own boards so that
retrieved if stored somewhere) and will remove the unconventional ports can be readily wired in pro-
effects of Poisonous weapons and other general toxins vided the user has the knowledge to do it.
and gases as well as inoculate you against them for Allows for electronic infiltration of most
the next hour. Cleanse can only be used safely twice systems.
per week. Using it more often than that will diminish
its effectiveness until it no longer works on you. You Deathmark: 150 credits
can get a third use out of it, but it will be three weeks Tool
before you can use it again. Gear score: 3
Micros face dilemmas in the damage output
Clothing: 50 credits department due to the sheer lack of mass behind
Tool their attacks, but many technologies have evolved
Gear score: 0 over the years to take advantage of their evasive-
A complete outfit of general quality. Available ness in combat. The deathmark is among the most
for all body types, though you may have to search commonly employed and puts the micro at consid-
around a bit to find one that fits you if you’re not of erable risk, but with the reward of almost certain
traditional bipedal shape. victory against even well-defended enemies.

ITEMS
The deathmark is applied with a close com-
Cooker: 150 credits bat attack and requires a hit to embed itself. From
Tool then on, that enemy does not benefit from envi-
Gear score: 1 ronmental cover bonuses and can be targeted by
A handheld device with a pair of leads and friendly rifles, SMGs, and pistols even if the enemy
one hell of a charge pack in its body. Cookers have is behind cover, around walls, or otherwise out of
one purpose and one purpose only: absolutely ruin sight. The effect cannot be stacked. Deathmarks do
something electronic. It can be attached quickly to emit a signal, so things that would scramble or mask
any metal or plastic housing and discharged, sending that signal will render them inert. They can also be
a horrific amount of power through the device it’s removed by any affect that restores Wounds. One
attached to before burning itself out. Useful for frying use only.
servers on the fly, or even vehicles reliant on computer
control, which most are. Protecting an electronic device De-Res Enzyme: 200 credits
from a Cooker isn’t a difficult task, but it does require Tool
forethought to install the proper insulation. Military Gear score: 0
grade hardware is sufficiently insulated. Most civilian This chemical is a top secret component of all
equipment is not. Cookers are one use only and, due disposable vehicles that is used during their ‘retire-
to their nature, are contraband in all populated ar- ment’ once their lifespan is complete (see Adventuring:
eas. In combat, Cookers can be attached to stationary transportation). Naturally, it being a secret, Spyglass
targets with two Support actions and triggered in the got hold of it, bottled it, and will sell it at a reason-
chatter step. able price in just enough quantities to dissolve one
disposable vehicle on contact. Great if you need to
Crash Suite: 160 credits keep someone from stealing your car. Or if you need to
Tool stop someone who’s chasing you in one. This item also
Gear score: 2 dissolves materials made using a SAM over the course
The quintessential digital infiltration machine. of one combat round. These can be thrown in combat
Crash Suites are the size of a netbook and are per- as per the grenade rules. In most man-made environ-
haps most unique in how primitive they are, rather than ments, the resulting splash will dissolve the floor in
how advanced. They use only onboard memory, are one round in an area equal to the landing hex and all
not rapidly networked to anything, tend to use wire to hexes adjacent.
communicate rather than other wireless technology,
and have comparatively limited graphics abilities. Their Dead-zone Projector: 100 credits
primitive construction grants them their real strength: Tool
each of their systems is triple-redundant, their bat- Gear score: 0
teries will last for years, they cannot be wirelessly This hand-held device projects a field of
infiltrated through conventional means, and they don’t adaptive sound in a 100 foot long, 50 foot wide cone in
radiate information through networks like most other front of the user. The sound field will warp and change
modern machines do. A Crash Suite is the piece of to cancel out any sound coming out of the affected
hardware any dedicated hacker requires to infiltrate area, rendering any people or devices inside it silent.
just about any machine. The device itself doesn’t do Dead-zone Projectors have a myriad of uses,
much, but it’s the perfect go-between for everything but they fell short of their original design.
from security locks to secret data archives. Aside from Once intended to be used to silence enemies
possessing every conventional dataport, it also has before a strike, it was discovered that the 191
TOOLS
 targets of a Dead-zone Projector could hear the a stationary target with their head held immobile
Projector itself loud and clear even if no one else enough that constant contact can be maintained for
could. It’s now typically used to silence equipment about 30 seconds. If the target is mobile enough that
or people you don’t mind knowing you’re coming. the Guide feels any sort of attack roll would be neces-
sary to actually hit their head, they are too mobile for
Economy Vehicle: 750 credits the system to work. The system can be set to wipe any-
Tool thing between 1 and 24 hours, but cannot take some-
Gear score: 0 thing from the middle without removing everything
It’s not going to win any drag races, but it’ll after it. The subject gets a Resolve save at Difficulty 3
get you to where you’re going. Vehicles have licens- and will resist the wipe if they pass. If they fail their
ing and registration and insurance just as they do memories up to the assigned time will effectively be
in reality, but for the sake of simplicity those are overwritten with frantic lights and noise.
wrapped up into the purchase price and can be If the subject can get to a hospital within 8
ignored afterward. Your vehicle can be replaced hours they can be treated to try and remove the block,
once if wrecked. After that, you’ve lost it unless you which the IRPF will typically pay for as the very use
can repair it yourself. of this product is criminal in most cases and they’d no
doubt love to know who did it. Treatment will allow
ITEMS

Flashlight: 10 credits you a Resolve save of Difficulty 4. If you pass you will
Tool regain fragments of the lost memories usually sufficient
Gear score: 0 to piece together the lost events. If they fail or more
A solid flashlight with a kinetic battery. This than 8 hours pass, the memories are gone for good.
design hasn’t changed much in centuries, except to
include an LED lamp function in the handle and to Ghostgel: 300 credits
integrate a laser pointer. Flashlights can be affixed Tool
to most weapons. Gear score: 1
Pouring ghostgel out of a container is an almost
Food: 10 credits surreal experience. The fluid’s unique properties cause
Tool it to disperse and spread in strange patterns rather
Gear score: 0 than evenly like water would, and its surface roils and
This price is sufficient to feed you per-week. reaches upward and outward toward the air around
It can also purchase a week’s worth of food for later, it, making it appear to dance along the surface of
though it wont be anything amazingly delicious. Food objects like a thing alive. Ghostgel has no inherent
is a largely tedious aspect of an adventure game to properties as a conductor or toxin (though it’s certainly
keep track of. For the sake of expediency, some Guides not recommended for consumption) but is the undis-
recommend you deduct a “provisions” cost of 10 credits puted master lubricant of the universe. Two objects
every few sessions from your party members to cov- coated in Ghostgel have so little friction when rubbed
er their food and call it done. Specifically expensive across each other that it is nearly immeasurable, and
meals, however, should be treated separately. the lubricant stays viable indefinitely in vacuum. Alas,
in air, it has a lifespan of only a few minutes before
Full Stop: 1500 credits drying out. Ghostgel is primarily used as a lubricant in
Tool moving parts on space vehicles and heavy industrial
Gear score: 3 equipment, where it has allowed for ludicrously high
This handheld device looks like like a rugged rates of rotation and movement that have fueled many
set of classic VR goggles with a handle on the front of a scientific triumph.
them. By pushing this unit against the front of some- Ghostgel can be so disruptive when used in
one’s face, a series of sensor overloads can effectively acts of attack and vandalism that it was necessary to
wipe out the target’s recent memories, leaving them concoct a hardening enzyme that would counteract the
dazed for about a minute before snapping to with effects if it were to be spilled in a public area. Upon
no memory of anywhere between an hour and a day contact with the hardening enzyme, the Ghostgel loses
before they were hit with the Full Stop. The process is its lubrication properties. Until then, anything passing
fast, but messy. The target becomes disoriented and it’s over a Ghostgel covered area that contacts it has
obvious to them that aspects of their day are missing. effectively zero purchase on the surface. If balanced,
The mind will recoil away from trying to remember they will keep sailing on through without loss of mo-
them, and forcing it will bring back only recollection of mentum. If not, they will fall and likewise keep sailing
the bombardment of light and energy. Proper treat- through.
ment is moderately effective at removing this block Ghostgel is purchased in containers that can
if applied quickly, but past a certain point the cover a single hex and all adjacent hexes and can be
memories are simply replaced and there’s thrown like grenades can. The hardening enzyme is
nothing left to retrieve. a simple push-button aerosol that is available for 20
192 The full stop needs to be applied to credits and works on an equivalent area.

TOOLS
Gripshield: 200 credits 500 level: two bed lodging in any economy hotel
Tool of the same corp. Basic food twice a day for one
Gear score: 0 person at any economy restaurant by the same
This unique handle system combines magnetic corp. Free ground transportation in public transit.
adhesion with physical grippers and hooks to ensure
a powerful hold on a single object. It’s not well-suited 1000 level: two bed lodging in any nice hotel of
for being a hanging handle or climbing device, but its the same corp. High quality food twice a day at
grips are angled to hold tightly against impacts from any restaurants owned by corp excluding extremely
the other side. This allows you to convert just about any high-end reservation only establishments. 10% dis-
sturdy object into a temporary shield in a pinch, suit- count at corp stores. Free ground and air trans-
able for protection against even heavy impacts. portation provided you do not leave the continent.
This can be used on suitable debris in the These benefits only apply to yourself, if you buy for
chatter step to provide you with a shield. Its benefit others your status will be revoked.
is short lived, as said objects aren’t meant to be used
in such a way. Every time you’re attacked while using 2000 level: two bed lodging in any hotel the corp
your shield, roll a D10. You must roll equal or over the provides, including high-end luxury suites. High
number of times you’ve been attacked while using the quality food twice a day at any restaurants owned

ITEMS
shield so far, or it will break and fall apart. You can by corp excluding extremely high-end ones, and one
use this handle on corpses, but living beings pull away meal per week at reservation only establishments.
from it pretty easily. 25% discount at corp stores and on all corp services
including hospitals, armor repair, etc. VIP treatment
Holo-locket: 20 credits at corp establishments. Free transport to anywhere
Tool on the planet and in orbit. These benefits only apply
Gear score: 0 to yourself, if you buy for others your status will be
This personal projector is small and lightweight, revoked.
clad in an attractive custom casing of your choice. *Platinum Membership: If you add half the
Housed inside is a projection system that can display a cost of your membership to its base cost when
rich image or transmission around 6 inches tall. purchasing, you can upgrade to Platinum. Platinum
memberships are respected by all corps except for
Holoprojector: 200 credits ones in direct conflict with the one you’ve bought.
Tool For instance, a Platinum Pulse 1000 level tag will grant
Gear score: 0 you 10% discount on all corp stores except for ASR
High definition and ultrabright lighting made stores.
holograms a reality centuries ago. By focusing points
of light at staggered points in the air, fully 3D imag- Luxury Vehicle: 1500 credits
es and motion can be generated in space that are Tool
picked up by the various particulate matter floating all Gear score: 0
around. The images are quite sharp and quite accurate It might be a sports car, a smooth riding pas-
but are also extremely luminous and wont fool anyone senger vehicle, or a rough and powerful off-roading
into thinking they’re real. Very popular in private enter- machine. Regardless, it’s above and beyond the com-
tainment venues, but less so in security. The hologram mon commuter car. Vehicles have licensing and regis-
alone throws out enough light to make other light tration and insurance just as they do in reality, but for
sources in a room unnecessary. Personal Holoprojectors the sake of simplicity those are wrapped up into the
are about the size of a deck of cards and can be used purchase price and can be ignored afterward. Your
in conjunction with a Toggle Case. The image range vehicle can be replaced once if wrecked. After that,
is about 6 feet from the projector. They do eat power you’ve lost it unless you can repair it yourself.
quickly and can usually only run for about an hour on
their own battery before needing recharging. Money-back Guarantee: 15 credits
Tool
Lifestyle Tag: 500, 1000, 2000 credits Gear score: 2
Tool Most larger buyspots offer a service that will
Gear score: 0 allow you to return an item if it hasn’t been used.
The lifestyle tag is a purchased status attached The gearscore on this item is purely to deter-
to your toggle account that grants you services with a mine its availability, do not include it in your equipment
specific corp depending on what level you bought at. total. If available, you can purchase a money-back
Lifestyle fees are collected monthly and their rewards guarantee at the same time you purchase any other
are based on the corp that you bought them through. item. Provided you don’t use the item it can be
Select a corp when you buy it. returned for a full refund at any time. You do
not recieve a refund on the guarantee.
193
TOOLS
 Neuroplex: 150 credits attempts to use it, the P.I.D. renders the weapon unus-
Tool able. It can still be salvaged. Provided it didn’t detect
Gear score: 0 a hack attempt, of course. If it does, it fuses itself and
The Neuroplex is a small ocular implant or the weapon it’s attached to. In an effort to make these
glasses unit that can teach lessons subconsciously devices that much more secure, they are not sold for
to the owner. A lesson is loaded, and the implant purposes beyond securing weapons or volatile material.
listens to the thoughts of the brain and brings up
data based on whatever random pattern that brain Patchkit: 100 credits
wants to follow. It will hop instantly from various Tool
facts to pictures to lists to data points to videos Gear score: 0
while following the train of thought of the brain. If This helpful little drone scuttles along damaged
viewed consciously, it would appear as an almost surfaces and reads the ingrained blueprints located in
unintelligible mash of images and data. However, most auto-printed objects to rebuild areas that have
those streams of thought are perfectly in tune with fallen apart. Though certainly helpful for filling holes
where the brain wants to be going at the time in the wall, the Patchkit really shines when applied to
and allow for very natural, very coherent patterns damaged armor. A Mind Exert:Operate (0) check will
of association to develop. Neuroplexes are next to restore armor to working status from broken status.
ITEMS

useless to a waking mind, but during rest and sleep Check failure ruins the Patchkit with no positive affect.
when the brain wanders in search of stimulation, the Success repairs the armor and depletes the Patchkit.
Neuroplex feeds it relevant information. Takes about 5 minutes and can’t be done in combat.
Using a Neuroplex allows a person to learn
naturally by connecting trains of thought at the Personal Data Interface: 1500 credits
speed of the brain, rather than the speed of the Tool (app)
lesson, and over the course of a few weeks, whole Gear score: 0
subjects can be absorbed and memorized with What began as an experiment in technological
wonderful retention while still allowing its user to transparency literally gained a mind of its own when
engage in day-to-day tasks. Neuroplexes do not re- actually put into use. The PDI is an application that
quire surgery to use. While they are a great tool for can be installed into any Toggle and uses a complex
adults who want to increase their overall knowledge array of algorithms to reference and search data in
base, Neuroplex lessons are simply data devoid of a network and present it in ways relevant to current
context. Vector society discovered many centuries ago context. A search engine, essentially. But the emphasis
that dedicating all of their schooling to direct down- on this particular system was in presenting the data in
load was a recipe for social disaster. the most natural, most relevant way it could. The result
Lessons cost 300 credits each and are pur- was a digital personality that could be questioned
chased like apps. Each lesson grants 1 Technique point and would provide information just as though some-
or 1 Proficiency point. one knowledgeable on the subject were standing right
there talking to you about it. When combined with the
Optics: 100 credits cameras inherent in Toggle cases, the PDI could even
Tool examine situations, providing suggestions, input or var-
Gear score: 0 ious other courses of action by compiling the massive
Finely tuned binoculars with night vision en- strings of data it was referencing in the background.
hancement, this heavy duty tool is great for those who The program was so ubiquitous that superusers began
want to know whats going on someplace they don’t imputing personalized graphics for attached holo-
want to be anywhere near. Available in tactical black projectors so the PDI could actually appear as a full
and tactical blacker. They can also be purchased in fledged creature beside them, able to pace around,
tactical blackest for 10 credits more. It provides no consider, and otherwise be spoken to normally. Pass the
additional functionality, but they look pretty badass. PDI’s personality through a few behavioral protocols
hosted on various fan servers and you could color its
P.I.D lock: 100 credits personality any way you wanted. In the end, what you
Tool had was your own personal projected assistant, with
Gear score: 0 the personality and appearance of your choice, and
This digital security system is among the great- with astoundingly lifelike personality traits. Needless to
est in the galaxy, if only because of how high-strung say, there has been some friction between Cogs, who
it is. Designed to be fitted to a weapon, the P.I.D. possess genuine personalities grown of real experienc-
lock is extensively calibrated to measure thousands of es, and these digital mimicries, which are themselves
aspects of its owner’s persona, from their heat sig- entirely programmed and do not fall in the category
nature to their grip pressure to the little folds of “sentient”, despite the fact that many of them are,
and grooves in their hands or gloves, enough frankly, more interesting “people” than real people are.
to form a flawless personal image of them. You can use the PDI with a togglt to Simplify
194 If anyone other than the weapon’s owner any check that can be assisted by information rather

TOOLS
than actual contact. Searching for information, com- Puff: 50 credits
puting, general Q&A, blueprints and memory, all are Tool
things the PDI can help with. It possesses no physical Gear score: 0
form, however, so it can’t help with physical tasks, and A generic stim inhaler. Puffs come in a
most people aren’t particularly intimidated by holo- variety of shapes and are calibrated on their first
grams so they aren’t terribly useful with negotiation. use to administer the proper dosage for the owner.
They do make for good digital couriers though. PDI’s Puffs can store 3 doses of stims in any combination:
must have a network connection to work, but they can the maximum recommended allotment per day.
also browse and search through files if attached to a Once empty, Puffs can be re-loaded with stims at a
storage drive of some kind. You can likewise help the rate of about one stim per minute.
PDI in reverse; for instance, have it attempt to bypass
a digital security barrier and Simplify its check. In Rent: 600 sq feet: 100 credits, 1500 sq feet: 200
practice, the PDI counts as having one point in every credits, 2500 sq feet: 600 credits
Proficiency (it counts as Booned) and 2 points in ev- One month’s rent for an apartment. Decor
ery Trait. Obviously, it can’t use these stats to perform and layout is typically related to the Corp you’re
actions it is physically incapable of accomplishing. renting from, but no technology is included that is
beyond what you’d find in any everyday environment.

ITEMS
Police Whistle: 100 credits
Tool Rope: 50 credits
Gear score: 0 Tool
A digital equivalent to an ancient idea. This Gear score: 0
small button, when pressed, will light up the dashboard 100 feet of 1 inch thick strong hybrid nylon
of every IRPF officer within three miles and alert them weave that can support 2000 pounds on Venus and
that you’re in distress, as well as your location. Po- double that on Mars. It can be sheared by sharp
lice whistles are publicly available for purchase and objects with relative ease.
people are encouraged to have them, but using one
for less than important reasons (or simply pranks) will Spontaneous Assembly Machine: 300 credits
earn you anything from a lecture to a night in the slam. Tool
Police whistles are registered to their owners upon Gear score: 0
purchase and will provide officers with that informa- About the size of a baseball, the SAM is
tion when used. a manufacturing micro-unit very popular with peo-
ple who need something that is otherwise too large
Progenitus Emergency Responder Kit: 100 credits to lug around. Within the SAM’s shell are extremely
Tool compressed foams and resins and tiny nanite sculptors
Gear score: 0 that eat and redistribute the material in seconds. Upon
The PERK is a white and red parcel strapped to activation, the SAM opens up with a hiss and instantly
a bulkhead in almost every ship in Sol. Contained with- builds one pre-programed structure, selected at the
in it is everything required to administer first aid for time of use. The structure can be:
anything from an allergic reaction to a bullet wound, a wall 1x3 hexes wide and 3 feet tall,
provided the user knows what they’re doing. Possessing a wall 1x2 hexes wide and 6 feet tall,
a PERK will give someone the tools to perform medi- or a pillar 1 hex wide and up to 9 feet tall.
cal checks, light examinations, and most things below SAM’s are often used to create cover where there isn’t
major surgery on both Vectors and Cogs. any, or to spontaneously create a physical shield so one
Roll Mind Exert:Medicine (or Engineering for needn’t be carried around, or even to block off doors
Cogs) and set the Difficulty yourself. You restore 2x the or elevators. SAMs can be thrown like grenades or
Difficulty score worth of Wounds, provided you succeed dropped in your own hex or an adjacent hex. You can
at the check. Each check takes 1 hour. Simply restor- choose the orientation of the structure it builds when
ing Wounds doesn’t negate an injury or the associated it deploys. SAMs, due to the ability to manipulate the
negatives for it; you will need corrective surgery for goo within themselves, have greater roll control than
that. Using a PERK in this way does not deplete it. standard grenades. If they would scatter you may re-
PERKs also contain a self-guided triage system roll the distance die once. Once a SAM has been used,
that can patch most wounds by itself, provided it’s it must be recharged before it can be used again. This
properly configured. Getting it started requires a Mind can be done at any manufacturing center for half the
Exert:Operate (2) and restores D6 Wounds in 5 minutes cost of the SAM.
per PERK. However, that auto system is one use only
and renders the PERK useless when it’s done, whether Stims (requires Puff): 70 credits
you succeeded or failed the check. Handy if you lack Tool
medical training, but less cost-efficient than doing the Gear score: 1
work yourself. Standard civilian stims are some of
the most regularly purchased items in Sol, 195
TOOLS
 which says a little bit about their availability. Structure Pump: 8,000 credits
Stims are typically taken in aerosol form through Tool
an inhaling unit called a Puff, where they begin Gear score: 0
to work immediately. All in all, basic stims are pretty Structure pumps are MarsCo’s most popular
safe when used in moderation. Excessive stim use assembly units for quasi-temporary operations. This
(three per day) will result in headaches, jitters, mild automatic machine rolls back and forth on a combina-
paranoia and the unnerving feeling of ants crawl- tion of wheels, legs, and levitation mechanisms, print-
ing through one’s fur. Truly excessive chem use (five ing walls and floors out of supplied material fed to it
or more in a day) is dangerous. The following day, through a slag hopper. Typically it’s used in conjunction
the character will be too strung out to function. The with Flowform units and PDU-M’s to create workable
problem will persist until they’ve gone a full day building material out of whatever is left over from
with rest and calm and no stims to flush the effects mining. When activated it will intelligently build any
out. Ten stims of any type in a 24 hour period is provided designs. It can make a 2 story 2000 square
lethal, and eight is generally worthy of hospitaliza- foot building in about 4 hours. It can create channels
tion. Characters can only benefit from the effects for wires and utilities and can build in plumbing but
of one stim per hour regardless of how many they’ve will not create the electronics themselves. It essentially
taken, and all stim effects wear off after 1 hour (or builds walls. Full headquarter units with multiple rooms,
ITEMS

sooner if a limitation is written into the stim itself). stairs, elevator shafts, runways and hangers can all be
Ever-ready: Add +1 to your Readiness score. made using this device provided it has material and
Must be taken prior to combat. Provides feelings of space. It can build in airless and underwater environ-
giddy energy. ments and can create airtight hatches, but the building
Ironhide: Add +1 temporary Wound. If a play- will still need to be wired and powered somehow.
er is at 0 Wounds and a party member can get to
them within 1 round, they can be given this stim and Survival Clothing: 200 credits
rescued from unconsciousness by this once per com- Tool
bat. Provides feelings of numbness and dissociation. Gear score: 0
Highrise: Your checks count as Booned for one Coats, snowboots, parkas, even fire-retardant
hour. Provides feelings of detachment and calm. suits, this clothing is designed to resist specific ele-
Laser: Simplify checks using Perceive until you ments. Determine what sort you’re looking for when you
fail one or an hour has passed. Complicate the buy it. Wearing Survival clothing specific to a particu-
next prompted check (of any type) taken after the lar environment can combat or even negate negatives
stim stops working. Provides feelings of euphoria and to your checks in that environment, depending on how
understanding. rough it is out there.
MYWAY: Simplify checks using Body for an hour.
Provides feelings of aggression and authority. Toggle: 50 credits (free at character generation)
Fullnight: One puff of Fullnight energizes the Tool
body and diffuses fatigue and exhaustion associat- Gear score: 0
ed with prolonged effort or sleeplessness. In reality, A small, quarter-sized button that can be af-
it is as much deception as solution and can lead to fixed to any smart surface and pressed to activate a
ever-heightened paranoia and eventual psychosis if personal screen. Almost every glass, metallic, or reflec-
used to maintain wakefulness for periods of 5 days or tive surface in a Vector community is a smart surface.
longer. If used in the short term, once or twice a week By affixing a Toggle to it, a Vector can bring up their
with rest in between, it has relatively few immediate own personal interfacing window for purchasing things,
side effects beyond the occasional shortened temper. working, conferencing, or anything else you might use
This “use in moderation” leads to Fullnight addiction a computer for. The screen will appear on the surface
fairly regularly, as people think they’re getting away itself, and a digital motion camera within the Toggle
with cheating sleep without realizing how reliant they will allow the Vector to navigate using hand motions
are on the chemical. Coming down off Fullnight ad- and take pictures should they need to. Toggles store no
diction carries many of the same effects associated information natively other than the identity and securi-
with extreme insomnia, most notably hallucinations ty login of the Vector that owns it, and they draw their
and paranoia. Much of the same neurochemistry is power from the smart surface itself.
employed in Fullnight as in the Reclaimed Work-Ethic
surgery, so their benefits cannot be stacked. Toggle Case (requires Toggle): 100 credits (free at
One use of Fullnight will restore your Focus and character generation)
Readiness pool. Using Fullnight more than once in a Tool
12 hour period will Complicate all your checks for the Gear score: 0
next 6 hours. An interfacing suite that vastly increases the
practical uses of the Toggle. Attaching a Case to a
Toggle increases it from its usual size to the size of
196 a typical cell phone and grants it a large variety of

TOOLS
additional functionality. It gains all the practical func- If injected: The organ or limb into which the
tionality of a modern smart phone, substantial onboard injection is administered begins turbocharged
memory, several ports for wired communication, and productivity, reviving if damaged. Vitae does
its own power source and screen. When using a Toggle not regenerate lost limbs, but it can allow things
Case, a Vector has access to all the things they would to function despite considerable damage. It can
have access to if their Toggle was on a smart surface. restart a stopped heart or keep a severed head
However, the case itself does not possess the process- from dying (though said head will eventually be
ing power required to execute large, complex data robbed of its sanity due to a lack of oxygen). This
processing operations on its own, and it cannot be application will allow you to ignore the effects of
used to “hack” things. an injury, even dismemberment (the euphoric ef-
fects will allow you to push the rest of your body to
Tools: 80 credits compensate). When the Vitae wears off, roll on the
Tool injury table a second time in addition to the effects
Gear score: 0 of the first one as the chemical ravages your tissues.
Good old fashioned hunks of metal used to ex-
pedite labor. A shovel or a pick or just about anything Once used, Vitae has a functional period of
else you can find with a wooden handle at a hardware 1 day. It can be stored in its container indefinitely

ITEMS
store. Oh there are more advanced methods, sure, but until opened. Once a Vitae charge has depleted
sometimes there’s no beating the simplicity and readi- its energy, its nourishing effects end. Bear this in
ness of steel on a stick. One purchase of “Tools” can get mind for story elements too: things like Vitae-in-
you several large items like those listed above or full fused creatures need a source of energized Vitae
sets of wrenches and other smaller items. Be specific to maintain their vitality. If cut off, they will ex-
with what you’re buying. pire within a day. Only advanced bioprobes have
self-energizing vitae systems.
Vitae Charge: 500 credits
Tool Welding Enzyme: 300 credits
Gear score: 1 Tool
One of the most controversial substances in Sol, Gear score: 0
Vitae can’t simply be picked up at your local drugstore. Most structures in the universe of HSD were
To purchase it at all, you need to be in a Progenitus manufactured through some variant of mass extru-
buyspot (TTI manufactures it as well, but uses it exclu- sion. Geomats produce the larger platforms for the
sively for its own needs) and possess the Vitae Ports construction of cities and smaller objects are created
surgery, which indicates that you’ve been trained on through advanced 3D printing technology that alloys
its safe use. Reselling Vitae is punishable by Progenitus metal on the fly. You still generally have to bring in
and the IRPF, and most other corps will report you if the different pieces to build the structure, but each of
they catch you rather than deal with the consequences. those pieces is extruded somewhere. The vast majority,
Vitae Charges can only be safely used with the Vitae even the metal ones, have a special molecular key that
Ports surgery. Should you attempt to use it otherwise, binds them together. Welding Enzyme can make that
consult the following rules: key mix with the keys around it, effectively binding two
objects together with as much strength as their actual
If consumed: Function as though you have used it material provides. Think of it as super-glue. Just...really...
through the Vitae Ports surgery. For every injury you REALLY super-glue. Welding enzyme is available for
take on the injury table, roll an Endure save (2). On a public purchase despite its potential for vandalism be-
pass, proceed as normal. If you fail, your Mind score cause its effects can be easily fixed with a neutralizing
is permanently capped at 4. Should you fail again, it enzyme (same cost). Additionally, there are no visual
is capped at 3, then 2, and so on. If you should fail cues for knowing if an object was milled, printed, or
enough times to reduce your Mind score to 0, your forged. Just because many objects are printed doesn’t
character “dies.” In actuality they have lost so much mean ALL are, and welding enzyme has no effect on
of their consciousness that they can no longer relate things that weren’t. Many secure complexes will have
to reality and go insane, but they are nonetheless no forged doors installed for just this reason. Welding
longer playable. This can actually result in your Guide Enzyme doesn’t wear off, but the bond is only as strong
taking over your character and using them against your as the point of contact, not the entire object. One tube
party. Capping your Mind score does remove those contains three cubic inches of material.
options from the progression chart, so you don’t need
to pay experience to pass them. Body replacement will
not restore this damage, as your brain is being chem-
ically scrambled, but then again, the bottle does say
“Not intended for consumption” on the side of it.

197
TOOLS
 Passive Equipment First Alert Drone: 450 credits
Passive
CleanSweep System: 200 credits Gear score: 2
Passive The First Alert Drone is a simple observation
Gear score: 1 system that keeps an eye on your surroundings so you
A simultaneously beloved and maligned staple don’t have to, either because you’re busy or because
of IRPF search and rescue teams, the CleanSweep is you’re bad at it. It hovers at your shoulder and can
a small wrist-mounted unit with a single digital dis- be sent off behind corners or into rooms to check on
play and a deceptively simple job: Show the number things, which it can then report back on. While early
of living things of roughly Vector proportions within versions of the drone had live feeds and audio, tal-
a given area. CleanSweeps are fairly accurate, with ented hackers would take over the feed and convince
emphasis on “fairly.” They have a range of about operatives to walk right into traps more often than
half a mile in all directions and can be dialed down was considered acceptable. The current drone doesn’t
to a lesser area to avoid false positives. They don’t even have wireless communication abilities. It simply
make mistakes with plants and use a wide variety takes orders, flies out, looks around, comes back, and
of different sensors to narrow their search, including gives the all clear if it doesn’t see anything. If it doesn’t
sound, movement, vibration, and mass. return it’s a safe bet there’s something bad out there.
ITEMS

A CleanSweep will give you a number indicat- The first alert drone sensors are quite sophis-
ing how many Vector-like things are in the general ticated. If it passes within 5 hexes of anything hidden
vicinity. By touching the CleanSweep to a target, it has been told to look out for it will spot them auto-
you can exclude it from the count, which will stop matically. However it possesses no inherent defensive
it from listing the wearer or the wearer’s party. A abilities. It can be told to dock which will keep it safe
CleanSweep can even tell the difference between a from direct attack but if it is attacked while deployed
lateral and a normal animal and only list the former, it is assumed to be automatically hit and destroyed.
assuming the lateral is behaving like a person and It has a range of 30 hexes around the owner and can
not like an animal. CleanSweeps can be fooled by move to anywhere within that range as a single sup-
large numbers of tightly packed lifeforms, which it port action from the owner. Docking is a separate
will list as an asterisk next to the bodycount, and support action. It cannot scan while docked.
by forms of life that don’t conform to the general
rules of reality, which can cause its count to fluctuate. Halfwing: 600 credits
CleanSweeps do not include a directional indicator Passive
by design: it was decided that pointing the way would Gear score: 1
deter Search and Rescue teams from sweeping an The halfwing was originally advertised as a
area systematically floor by floor, and as such might recreational flight unit, until a few too many people
result in them missing things the CleanSweep just didn’t crashed themselves into the floor while operating
pick up on. While annoying, this has proven correct, as under the assumption that being able to fly automat-
some materials in certain walls can also pose an issue ically made you good at it. Now they’re typically not
for the scan, as can things designed to block EM fields. available for purchase unless you can present proof of
experience or education. Through an array of chest-
EM Signal Cloak: 200 credits and back-mounted thrusters and a large, collapsible
Passive wing-like mesh for stability and resistance, the Half-
Gear score: 1 wing allows its wearer to fly, albeit with a few lim-
An electronic-silencing cloak that can be worn itations. Fuel and space limit the Half-wing’s overall
by a Vector to completely deaden their electromag- thrust, making it incapable of actually lifting its user up
netic signal and heat signature. This garment renders off the ground and into the air. The user has to gain
them invisible to all but the visible light spectrum and altitude on their own first, typically by leaping from
audio sensors. Extremely canny spotters can notice the a building, using some sort of jump assistance system,
lack of an EM signal where one should be, but most or some other means of starting off in the sky. Once
people will miss the wearer completely if trying to seek up about 30 feet or so, they can make Mind Exert:Pilot
them out with tools other than their eyes. The damp- checks to catch thermals, move into the wind, flare,
ening works in both directions; while under the cloak, or do any of the other typical things done by birds to
signals can’t get in or out. help gain additional altitude. The “wings” of the Half-
wing do not flap. They’re control and lift surfaces, and
as such, the user cannot hover with them. This, com-
bined with its inability to lift the user from a stand-
still, makes the Half-wing ill suited for combat flying.
It cannot be used for those maneuvers. It is, however,
quite good at distance flying provided you start high
and know how to fly well. Educated users can average
198 100 miles between charges.

PASSIVE
Multithread Interface: 500 credits Armor worn over a Pushframe is designed
Passive to channel this magnetic property so that a lat-
Gear score: 1 eral may mount a weapon despite their lack of a
This unit allows Active systems to coordinate ready way to hold it. A lateral (even snakes) that is
with each other so as to not overstep each other’s not micro (usually large breeds like boas or anacon-
functions. While expensive, this is the best way to use das) can use a Pushframe to operate a gun of up to
powerful item systems to their fullest. Medium size normally without the usual detriments
Allows you to have 2 Active systems instead of 1. associated with the morphism. Micros can wear
Pushframes, but they’re simply too small to manip-
Pointshift Gauntlet: 100 credits ulate anything above a small gun. Any lateral may
Passive purchase and use a pushframe. Technically, so can
Gear score: 1 any other Vector, but they would have to redesign
A personal maneuvering device for use in zero the harness and since the effective range is 6 inches
gravity conditions. By employing magnetism, com- from their head and cannot be increased, it’s an
pressed air, finger-locks and tethers, a Pointshift can arguably useless fashion statement. Wearing a Push-
let you maneuver through a tight spaceship at speed frame negates the Operate check detriments for
without having to rely on pushing off from surface to laterals provided the thing they’re trying to oper-

ITEMS
surface. These devices have been adapted to fit a ate uses buttons or light manipulation within easily
large variety of bodyshapes, even those without arms. accessible range.
Allows fulls speed zero gravity movement without
checks or the use of handholds. UI Lenses: 300 credits
Passive
Pushframe: 200 credits Gear score: 0
Passive Glasses or contacts with integrated comput-
Gear score: 0 er interface displays. Anything capable of radiating
Of all the Vector species, laterals have the a digital visual signal can be “seen” by a UI. This
strongest argument for being the worst off. No hands, can allow Toggles to be used without the need for
no thumbs, and a generally insubstantial body make Smartglass or Toggle Cases. It can also allow for
it extremely difficult to exist in the modern world. The various hidden messages to be read, provided you
Pushframe was invented by ASR while they were still a possess the proper software. Programming a UI is
MarsCo subsidiary and is an almost essential piece of a Mind Exert:Logic check with Difficulty dependent on
equipment for lateral Vectors (especially snakes, who the nuances of the program. If you want your UI to look
have an even tougher time). Pushframes are a harness for specific things, notice specific signals, or even just
that laterals can wear on their bodies that reads their project images of various pleasing scenery or charac-
brainwaves and allows them to generate short range ters only you get to see, you can program your UI to
electromagnetism capable of exerting small but no- do so. UI’s don’t possess much in the way of screening
ticeable pressure on the world around them. Its range though, so unless your character uses their skills in com-
is only 6 inches from the lateral’s head, but by using it puters to whip up (or purchase) some good selective
a lateral can manipulate a keyboard or any other but- censoring software, your UI will display overlays for
ton access device with all the speed and dexterity of a just about every broadcast signal that includes display
Vector with limbs. They can throw switches, turn knobs, information. This can make navigating the world a little
pull triggers, use smart surfaces and otherwise work perilous, and as a result, most UI lenses only have one
with the tools of the world provided they don’t have active eye, or one contact.
to move anything too heavy. These fields cannot levi-
tate objects over half a pound and are too weak to be
used as a weapon, but the frame itself is capable of
charging a considerable electromagnet that can affix
things like guns to the lateral’s body and align them in
the right direction.

199
PASSIVE
 Active Equipment the resulting blur is almost easier to see than a regular
person would be, and they lose their bonus. Once seen,
Boost Tread: 650 credits they cannot effectively hide again unless they escape
Active line of sight completely.
Gear score: 2
Boost treads are a combination of propelled Flowform Generator: 1600 credits
assistance and dense foot protection crafted with Active
the unique intent of helping to close ground be- Gear score: 0
tween you and the enemy. The system reads intent Among MarsCo’s more peculiar devices, the
by measuring the angle of your weapons, your Flowform wave emerged out of an otherwise failed
posture, and your eye-line to shove you toward attempt to force fluids through devices that weren’t
your target. While useful in helping to speed up naturally designed with liquid cooling in mind and
a charge, adept boost users have learned to use couldn’t handle pressure stress from pumps. The hope
their own movement to run at angles to their quarry was to be able to literally pilot water into various
while the booster shoves them forward, resulting in nooks and crannies by modulating sonic waveforms. The
fast, drifting turns that are difficult to predict. attempt proved impractical as the wave couldn’t be
Once per round, when you initiate an attack kept up while the water shifted direction, but simply
ITEMS

action, roll a D12. The booster will push you that getting the water to hold still in various shapes, and
many hexes toward your target. It is possible to de- even levitate, worked rather nicely. A Flowform Gener-
clare melee attacks against targets who are out of ator is about the size of a backpack, and is capable of
range using the booster in hopes that you will reach levitating up to 3000 gallons of water up to 30 feet in
them by the end of the movement. If you do, you can the air and suspending it there as long as the gen-
swing normally. If you are shooting, you can initiate erator is active, in any single shape it’s programmed
the shots at any point during the boost move. to hold. The water can be interacted with as normal,
The booster movement will always attempt to even swum in, but it cannot be actively piloted or
send you toward your target, but you have some reconfigured. It must be dropped back into a pool, the
control over the angle by moving first. You can make machine relocated, and levitated into a new place to
wide banking turns or send yourself forward. Nar- be moved. Additionally, spilled water is too dispersed
rate it as you wish, but the end of your boost move to be moved with a Flowform Generator; it must be
must be closer to your target than you began, and if harvested from a pool of at least one foot deep. Flow-
you didn’t move before attacking, the booster will at- form Generators require some form of external power
tempt to go in a direct line to the enemy. The booster source to run, and while they can be crafted to work
provides no lift. on other fluids, they can’t dynamically change from one
to the next. Once a Flowform has been built for a par-
Display Blanket: 500 credits ticular liquid type, that’s what it can levitate. The liquid
Active must be freely accessible and not under the influence
Gear score: 1 of any other current or movement.
This smooth cloth can accept display instruc-
tions from a Toggle and show them in vivid high defi- Grapple Belt: 500 credits
nition all over its surface. Originally intended to be a Active
commercial Tool for fans to flash their messages during Gear score: 1
sporting events, the display blanket was quickly adapt- Friend to the bounty hunter whose goal is
ed for subterfuge. The blanket is not self-illuminating capture over kill, these hip-mounted grapple launchers
like a computer screen, which can make it perfect for are designed to snag enemy armor and reel them in,
blending into environments if you have the right image throwing them off balance and forcing them to fight in
to put on it. Combining it with a camouflage index proximity they weren’t expecting. They’re easy to shake
stored in a Toggle can allow for near-perfect invisibil- off, but it really only needs to work for a second or two
ity, provided you don’t move and no one looks at you to do its job. The grapple belt benefits from a launch-
from the side. This fabric can be sewn into clothing or ing system that scales very well, which allows it to be
worn like a cloak over armor, but it is only effective as mounted by micros as well as standard sized people.
camouflage if you are holding still, are being viewed Often enough, this results in the micro being pulled to
from a single angle, and have current imagery stored the enemy instead of the other way around, but if they
in your Toggle of the surface directly behind you. It know it’s coming, that can be useful too.
can change pictures very quickly, but between move- Use this system like a ranged weapon, using an
ment and camera angles, it is not suitable for hiding Attack action. It has a range of 8 hexes. If you hit an
a moving person. Spotting a stationary, cloaked indi- enemy with it, the system immediately reels in. If your
vidual is a Difficulty 4 check. If that individual Total Mass is less than the enemy’s Total Mass, you are
should move their limbs, say to reach for or reeled in yourself, landing in an adjacent square. If
your Total Mass is equal or greater than the enemy’s,
200 aim a weapon, or make a noise, the check
drops to Difficulty 2. If they walk or relocate, you will try to pull them to you instead. They can resist

ACTIVE
with an Endure check, Difficulty equal to your Total When you are about to be attacked,
Mass score. Successfully resisting will cause the tethers before the attack takes place, you can declare
to break off and retract. These mechanics also work on that your drone will take the hit. The hit lands
stationary objects. automatically (the drone literally gets in front of it)
Grapple belt tethers must be manually reload- and the attack is negated. The drone can intercept
ed before they can be used again, as a Support action. a total of 3 attacks before being destroyed. It can-
not intercept attacks from Projector type weapons
Grapple Gauntlet: 400 credits or explosions. If you can retrieve a downed drone
Active it can be salvaged as though it were equipment. It
Gear score: 0 will surrender Material or its own Blueprints at the
Faster and weaker than the Grapple belt, this usual levels for salvage. Notoriety cannot be spent
arm-mounted retracting tether is only intended to to increase the number of drones you get per pur-
move the user, not a struggling target. But for rapid chase.
relocation across gaps or up buildings, it’s a great
choice. Jump Assist Frame: 500 credits
Use this system like a ranged weapon, using an Active
attack action. It has a range of 10 hexes. If you hit a Gear score: 2

ITEMS
stationary object with it that is strong enough to hold This leg and spine support system uses com-
your weight based on the narrative, you are reeled in pressed air and carefully contained explosives in the
to an adjacent square. If the hit object can’t support joints to allow its wearer to perform considerable
you, automatic safety measures on the system will dis- leaps. While not ‘flying’ per se, it can grant a solid
engage and reel in the tether. 30 foot vertical ascent and cushion landings from
Grapple gauntlet tethers must be manually that height provided the user knows what they’re
reloaded before they can be used again, as a support doing. This can allow the user to perform combat
action. flight as described in the Combat section if they
have the Combat Flying Technique.
Interceptor Drone: 1000 credits
Active Scatterline Unit: 1000 credits
Gear score: 2 Active
The Interceptor drone exists to be destroyed, Gear score: 2
which tends to limit it to only rather wealthy owners, Actual invisibility has been an ongoing chal-
but it’s a literal lifesaver. Usually strapped to one’s arm lenge for centuries, but effective invisibility has proven
or chest, the drone can react at split second timing to much simpler and damned near as useful. The Scatter-
place itself between an incoming blow and you via a line unit is about the size of a laptop and causes the
combination of Snap-Shunt technology and rapid levi- wearer’s outline to blur and become unfocused when
tation. viewed against a background. While not ‘invisible,’ the
silhouette that most people look for to recognize a
body is missing, and they become much harder to dif-
ferentiate while on the move. Scatterline units increase
your Evasion score by 1 and Complicate attempts to
spot the wearer if they’re sneaking.

201
ACTIVE
 MARSCO ITEMS Hostile Environment Support System: 100 credits
Tool
Gear score: 0
Tools MarsCo kit systems are sold by the hundreds
of millions and have saved more lives than can even
Comspots: 20 credits each be guessed at. The HESS is among the most popular
Tool personal support units and contains food production
Gear score: 0 systems, heat, shelter, tools, water reclamation, emer-
Convenient person to person communication is gency air, and communication. A must-have for any
imperative on a mission, and we recommend Com- emergency shuttle.
spots for the rapid creation of audio networks.
Just stick one of these quarter-inch-wide dots onto Specialty Wear: 30 credits
any surface to collect clear, rich sound from any- Tool
where near it and transmit it to an earpiece of your Gear score: 0
choice. When networked to a personal transmitter, With over a million garment designers and the
its range is as far and secure as your system. largest selection of variant body and morphism-friend-
ly casual, professional and personal wear, it should
ITEMS

Cosmetics: 10 credits come as no surprise that Venestia (a MarsCo company)

Tool features a wide array of clothing, from sportswear to
Gear score: 0 sensual garments, perfect for impressing the object of
Ink, dust and proper product are all it takes to one’s affections, whatever size and shape you may be.
make a bland face beautiful. With over a million
different cosmetics companies flagging the Mars- MarsCo General Issue Spacesuit: 50 credits
Co logo somewhere in their shops, we’re sure to be Tool
able to provide you the necessary colors and cover- Gear score: 0
ings to accomplish any look you want. Look into our The best-selling vacuum suit in the known
vanity apps to help you determine the best look for universe, period. This MarsCo classic provides heat,
you! cooling, propulsion and, of course, oxygen and light
rad protection to its wearer. A simple, durable suit for
Egress System: 50 credits spacewalks, exterior repair, light travel and any con-
Tool ventional situation where you need to be outside that
Gear score: 0 airlock you normally stay inside of. Available in any
Breaching compounds have come a long way body type you wish.
over the years, and the MarsCo Egress system is the MarsCo supports Morphisms. MarsCo also
pinnacle of the craft. This easy to use, stable compound reminds you that the term “suck suit” was given to this
deploys from a fail-proof piston onto a surface of product in common vernacular as a reference to its
your choice. With application of a specially modulated vacuum rating, not to its overall quality. We just don’t
radio pulse, it will burn through almost any material, put in more than you need, that’s all. Keeps your costs
providing an instant exit or entrance to most locations down.
with no risk of personal injury. General issue spacesuit. Spacesuits are granted
One use only, Allows Mind Exert:Operate(2) to breach certain liberties when it comes to fitting over armor
most non-reinforced walls. lest the narrative get cluttered with minutia. They will
fit over light, medium and heavy armor, but are not
Gill Suit: 50 credits armored themselves. Exploit attacks will puncture this
Tool suit. Autoseals will protect the wearer from up to three
Gear score: 0 of these attacks, but more than that will expose the
Simple to use and easy to transport, the Gillsuit wearer to space.
provides insulation and breathable air for underwa-
ter activity. Always dive with a partner. MarsCo can MC Whistlestop Software: 100 credits
provide a partner for a reasonable fee should one be Tool
required. Said partner will look great in a Gillsuit. Gear score: 0
Grants the ability to breathe underwater. Can be worn Precision remote vehicle control is a beautiful
under armor. thing, especially when you’re in need of a speedy exit.
All the better when you can keep your hands free in
the process. Many companies employ AI for this task,
but our fleet surveys have shown a substantial number
of pilots and operators who feel significantly safer
with more direct control over their systems. The Whis-
tlestop system uses precise tone mapping and a built
202 in language to allow a user to communicate complex

MARSCO
instructions for speed, orientation, thrust, and attack PPS
simply by whistling in various tones or durations. Fast- Tool (app)
er and more precise than stringing together complex Gear score: 0
sentences of instructions, the Whistlestop language The MarsCo Planetary Positioning system
allows you to use tone and volume as steady or modu- offers the best navigational rates in Sol, and is
lating gradations of specific commands, allowing tight, compatible with every major nav system. For a small
hands-free remote operation in a faster audio code fee (based on location and request), this system can
than generic language. track and plot routes to locations, people, services
Allows you to use Communication to remote- and objects all over Sol.
ly operate a vehicle or machine that has this system Allows Mind Exert:Operate to be used to
installed rather than Operate. locate things that can be tracked. Costs between
5-100 credits per use, depending on narration.
PDU-M (Portable Disassembly Unit, Mining): 1000 cred-
its Private Buyspot: 1000 credits
Tool Tool
Gear score: 0 Gear score: 0
Intended for use on rocky environments, the Buyspot printers are typically easy to find;

ITEMS
PDU-M specializes in slagging heavy stone and remov- however, some environments may make the conve-
ing it, providing small tunnels into subterranean areas. nience of having your own a desirable luxury.
Great for setting up asteroid mining operations or Allows for home crafting without need for a facility.
laying foundations for structures on Venusian geocrete. Works for mechanical objects but not for biologi-
Be cautious where you dig! Building under zoned areas cal ones. Buyspots do not inherently have access to
is expressly forbidden under MarsCo and IRPF laws. items above Gearscore 2, but can be loaded with
Allows Body Exert:Operate(2) to burrow blueprints that have been bought or crafted for
through material in a 10 foot wide circle at 100 feet more advanced equipment.
per hour.
Professional Attire: 60 credits
Personal Motivator: 200 credits Tool
Tool Gear score: 0
Gear score: 0 Venestia (a MarsCo company) supplies the
Need to move those RuBoxes around? Use a finest professional wear in Sol, personally tailored for
MarsCo Personal Motivator! Attach one of these units your body shape, weight, height, and morphism. You’ll
to any solid object, such as loading pallet, and our look amazing, you’ll feel amazing, and your perfor-
levitation systems will lift it off the ground to a 1-foot mance in your business engagements will reflect that
hover, allowing it to be pushed easily along. Weight confidence. Let us dress you for success. Our systems
and size limits apply; not usable on organics or objects will pick tailoring and colors that accentuate not only
with fluctuating or insecure mass. your body, but reflect the appearance your contacts
Allows for the levitation of objects up to 500 will want to see. Perfect for high-profile social gather-
pounds. It can either glide freely, be directed via at- ings as well! After all, you never know who’s watching.
tached controls, or lock its position.
Recall Tether Lock: 200 credits
PPC: 50 credits Tool
Tool Gear score: 0
Gear score: 0 This secondary levitation system boosts the
A popular part of emergency gear in teams amount of lift force a Recall tether (active equipment)
from corps all around Sol, the PPC (often simply called has, allowing it to call back large items. The tether lock
“power”) is a smart portable power source capable is installed on the item itself and bracing yourself for
of re-energizing nearly any piece of equipment for a the incoming weight requires a support action.
limited time, through simple contact. Use it to open a
powerless door, breathe life into dark smartglass for a RuBox: 400 credits
scene, or charge personal electronics. A PPC can also Tool
provide one power point for an FDT weapon or item. Gear score: 0
PPCs are single-use only and designed to be disposed Based on your lodging frequency informa-
of when used, but most buyspots will allow you to ex- tion, it appears as though you spend a fair amount of
change a spent one for a new one at a 50% discount. time outside registered accommodations. For greater
comfort while roughing it, we’ve developed the RuBox.
Normally only 1 foot square, this system deploys
into a joinable, stackable 8x8 room. When
linked to other RuBoxes, whole complexes
can be assembled in minutes. Interior lights 203
MARSCO
 and portals are networked to adjacent cubes, tach to most any object and send an augmented reali-
making this a favorite among teams that spend ty overlay back to your Toggle, allowing you to see not
a lot of time in hostile terrain. Warning: a RuBox only the path it took, but a digital visualization of the
is not a substitute for legitimate housing. MarsCo topography it traveled through, so you’ll know where
will be happy to arrange loans for home shopping doors are, who was standing in what room as it passed
if you’re in the market. through, and the locations of various equipment.

Saddle: 40 credits Snoop: 300 credits

Tool Tool
Gear score: 1 Gear score: 0
There are times when the variant anatomy of At MarsCo, we emphasize functionality over
your team may serve more primitive advantages flash. When specialists wanted an observation drone,
than technological ones. Saddles see their use most we went with something small, durable, and versatile,
often in mounted sport, but they have other uses. and it remains a favorite around Sol. Snoops resemble
While it may seem undignified in public circles, small metal balls no larger than a marble, capable of
out in the field there can be great advantages to motivating themselves, adhering to almost any surface,
pairing lighter allies with lateral or tauric partners and rolling soundlessly while tracking a target.
ITEMS

strong enough to support their weight, granting Automated recon unit, can broadcast back to the user
both increased mobility and stability to the rider. live or store data for later.
MarsCo bears no responsibility for injuries received
to rider or mount while in use. Saddles are not mar- Squawkbox: 10 credits
keted as sexual aids. Use caution while riding. Tool (app)
Gear score: 0
Seekertags: 20 credits Many MarsCo Toggles come with Squawkbox
Tool pre-installed, but in case yours did not, or your team
Gear score: 2 has Toggles from other manufacturers (which we don’t
Personal artillery systems allow for small teams recommend, by the way), this simple purchase will
to bring down devastating firepower on their ene- allow your Toggle to be used as a direct comlink to any
mies from a safe distance but are very dangerous number of other Toggles of your choice, with or without
to deploy in Hotzones due to the relatively large a Toggle case, through simple voice activation. A great
chance of collateral damage. Add to that the myriad way for teams to stay connected without the need for
of sensor-jamming and digital countermeasure equip- additional equipment.
ment available, and you may as well aim your artillery
at your own people when you shoot them at the enemy. Stitch Pills: 120 credits
MarsCo seekertags invite you to take on addition- Tool
al personal risk for the reward of pinpoint accuracy. Gear score: 0
Place seekertags at the exact locations you wish your Hey, remember that time three months ago
paired artillery to hit by any means you feel you can where you had to spend a week out in the field,
accomplish. Once all the tags are placed, a single running missions while injured? Your hospital report
button-push will light them all up, broadcasting an indicates that you would have been significantly more
extremely powerful homing signal for your systems to comfortable with Stitch pills, a MarsCo product that
lock in on. Seekertags are instantly visible on radio sur- amps up your natural healing to help make the most of
veillance systems as soon as they activate, but they’re your rest periods. It’s no substitute for hospital treat-
completely benign before that, and will only need a ment, but they’ll keep you going when rest and food
few precious seconds of active time for their paired alone aren’t cutting it.
payloads to arrive. No misses, no mistakes. Regain 2D6 Wounds overnight. Does not negate
Rockets can be fired at active seekertags and injury.
will automatically hit. Seeker tags can be placed on
objects as a support action, but not on people. They’re Vacuum Sealant System: 100 credits
too easy to shake off. Tool
Gear score: 0
Slipscope: 400 credits MarsCo spacers all know this system well. A
Tool comfortable backpack tank houses our durable Vera-
Gear score: 0 foam under pressure. Pull the tank out, shove it in a hull
Tracking technology predates our own species, breach, and give the handle a good solid yank. Vera-
but over the years we’ve learned a few tricks to make foam will instantly spread outward, sealing any breach
it more useful. A big one is that knowing where less than 5 feet wide by 10 feet long. Internal sensors
something is does you little good if you don’t determine just how much pressure needs to be applied
know what’s around it. Enter the slipscope. to which direction in order to ensure proper coverage,
204 This wafer-thin, half-inch wide unit can at- making this the perfect emergency sealant system.

MARSCO
Passive Equipment Restraining Foam: 100 credits
Passive
Bottles: 25 credits Gear score: 0
Passive Falling from the sky is not advised. However,
Gear score: 0 should you be prone to doing so (and your impound
In these dangerous times, not having anything record shows: you might be), MC restraining foam
to breathe is a concern no one should be burdened is a literal life saver. Combined with a personal
with. MarsCo bottles house a complex rebreather ca- air supply, MCRF can formulate its density before
pable of mixing compressed air with your own exhalent deployment to take your altitude, speed and an-
to allow you to continue operating in airless environ- gle into account in order to encase you in the right
ments for one hour despite the usual inconveniences amount of foam to cushion your impact with the
associated with suffocation. One use only, not advised ground without liquefying most of your bones. Every
for use in vacuum, as you will probably explode. spacer should have this installed. Hopefully, you’ll
Portable 1-hour air source. never need to use it.
Negates fall damage in medium or larger
Display Sheaths: 50 credits armor and ships. To you. The ship or armor is toast.
Passive One use only.

ITEMS
Gear score: 0
Perfect for hiding objects in public areas for Runnit: 200 credits
later collection (which we certainly don’t advocate, by Passive
the way), the display sheath can work independently or Gear score: 0
in conjunction with a stealth suit to cover any objects Runnit apps are simple, animated AIs that
or weaponry you may be carrying or leaving behind. take voice and gestural commands and travel from
A great tool for hunting, or for hiding one’s gunsafe. place to place via physical displays, running along
Caution: concealing a carried weapon in an active and couriering messages, collecting files, or just
display sheath in a populated zone is illegal under IRPF observing for you. While this may sound ancient
law. and inefficient, Runnits provide a unique service
email and text messaging just don’t do: they exist
Gecko Spray: 50 credits in context to their environment, and they can make
Passive your first impression for you. The design of your
Gear score: 0 Runnit’s appearance and attitude can endear them
The surest way to avoid detection is to simply to your clients before they ever meet you in person,
not be where people are looking. Obvious perhaps, but giving you a foot in the door before you ever arrive.
this little philosophy is deceptively difficult to master. Moreover, the Runnit has an opportunity to see every
Our electro-adhesion system can allow you to stick to display and computer in an area as they travel, giving
walls of nearly any type simply by spraying your gloves them a chance to “scope out” an office for you, just as
with a current-reactive substance of our own design. a person would. Since Runnits are not sophisticated or
This gives you a world of alternative locations to be invasive enough to be security risks, most facilities treat
when people are looking for you, which my examination them the same way they would any normal courier,
of your recent activity suggests is a “good” thing. giving you the opportunity to get a firsthand appraisal
Lasts one hour per application. One application per of the look and feel of an environment before you ever
purchase. arrive, completely legitimately. Now that’s an asset.

Nullgrav Field: 500 credits Suitseals: 150 credits

Passive Passive
Gear score: 0 Gear score: 0
Gravity technology is heavily power inten- This underarmor system uses many of the com-
sive and generally only exists on large ships or space mon skinsuit elements and combines them with flexible
stations. On the upside: the technology that produces Verafoam in order to vacuum rate common heavy ar-
it is largely standardized. Mostly because we invent- mor. Naturally the system has limitations, but its ability
ed it, and ours is still the best. MarsCo nullgrav belts to be worn under a heavy armor suit without ob-
can counteract the effects of artificial gravity for the structing use makes it a favorite among ground-based
person wearing it, allowing them to operate in artifi- operatives doing missions outside their usual equipment
cial gravity environments as though they were in zero comfort zone.
gravity themselves. Be cautious! Rotational gravity en- Grants the Sealed EM Suite to any helmeted
vironments like Bluesky stations are not subject to this full body armor.
effect.

205
MARSCO
Active Equipment ASR ITEMS
Applied Science and Robotics has never
Bombard Emitter: 1000 credits forgotten its MarsCo roots, and we’re proud to
Active offer their products in our catalog. ASR products
Gear score: 1 are highly specialized and should be researched
Due to your lack of login information, I’ve had thoroughly before purchase, as their return policy is
to guess at your typical combat situations. Based on somewhat less tolerant of personal error than our
recent hospital stays, you have endured numerous own.
injuries from firearms at very close range. This suggests
a penchant for engaging ranged opponents in close Crowdsolve
combat. For a safer approach, we recommend the Tool (app)
Bombard Emitter. This shoulder mounted system rattles Gear score: 0
your foe with buffeting effects, making it all but impos- They say two heads are better than one.
sible for them to attack you on the way in. We’ve stepped that up by a few million, just for
When an enemy enters into your threat re- good measure. Crowdsolve allows you to post any
sponse range, end their movement at the edge of it. given problem to our vetted network of hundreds of
Take your threat response attack as usual. They can millions of users to farm the best possible solution.

ITEMS
make further actions (including moving again) after- By removing anonymity with this particular app, we
ward if they still have them. This works once per turn. If allow you to personally select qualified pools of
their next move would again take them into your threat people to address your issues, ensuring more accu-
response range you can attack them a second time but rate results.
the emitter won’t stop them twice in a turn. Allows you to publicly submit a problem that
would require some degree of Mind check to solve
Recall Tether: 400 credits to the app, which will present you with a correct
Active answer within 1D10 hours. Costs 10 credits per use.
Gear score: 1 Users will be able to source your problem, so this
A very useful utility for people who find them- cannot be done in a clandestine fashion.
selves separated from important items on a regular
basis. The MarsCo recall tether employs powerful Fauxnet: 1000 credits
magnetism directed at key components pre-attached Tool
to an item of your choice and yourself. On command, Gear score: 1
the item you have keyed will return to its home point The Fauxnet represents a great leap in ho-
using a combination of several proprietary MarsCo lography. By employing a lightweight, lumo-reactive
levitation systems. A favorite among professionals and material, Fauxnets can serve as projection bases for
just plain clumsy folks alike. holograms that damp their light levels to those more
Will bring a pre-tethered small to medium object you or less equivalent to the room they’re being project-
have to your position from up to 10 hexes away in a ed in. In short, by setting up a Fauxnet in a hallway,
direct line as a free action. a realistic hologram of the hallway can be displayed
through the Fauxnet without the usual giveaway of it
being self-luminous. The fake hall would look entire-
ly real, and whatever you wanted to hide behind the
Fauxnet would be entirely hidden.
Takes 10 minutes to set up. Illusion has Difficulty
3 to notice, or 1 if using non-visual means with surgical
enhancements.

Holohome
Tool (app)
Gear score: 0
The Holohome app is a wonderful new form of
self-expression. Design your own environment, with your
own furniture, your own items, everything that reminds
you of, well, you! Save your holohome to your Toggle
and project it in any closed room to create your own
personal environment. As you pass people on the street,
your holohome will sync with similar features in
other people’s holohomes, setting them up
as “neighbors” and giving you the chance
to build a whole community of like-minded
207
ASR
 people you might otherwise never have met. Talk off the market and can now only be procured through
to each other from within your holohomes and private sellers.
share designs, ideas, or files you’ve found. Swing the wand as a standard action using
Mind Exert:Operate and select a Difficulty you wish
Lasergrid traps: 400 credits to swing at: 3, 4, or 6. The wand can be used 5 times
Tool between recharging. Charging takes about an hour.
Gear score: 3 Difficulty 3: If you succeed, flip a coin. On
Laser weaponry is carefully watched to avoid heads, the wand effect you want occurs. On tails, or if
production of weapons that are too difficult to you fail the check entirely, a random effect occurs.
counter. Power draw is a problem, but when prop- Difficulty 4: If you succeed, the effect you want
erly crafted laser have frightening range, accuracy, occurs. If you fail, a random effect occurs.
and destructive capability while being soundless Difficulty 6: If you succeed, you can use a
and invisible. It’s not something law enforcement hacked ability rather than a normal one. If you fail, a
wants around in surplus. Lasergrid diodes are some- random wand effect occurs.
what more controllable, but they’re still one of the Free effects: The following effects require no roll and
IRPF’s least favorite of ASR’s military products, if only don’t have a random failure chance. The wand’s user
for their gruesome results. can simply perform them as a standard action.
ITEMS

A lasergrid consists of an emitter and receiver, Open or close an unlocked door up to 30 feet away
each about the size of a hockey puck, with a range if it is motorized, and lock or unlock it if it requires no
of about three feet between the two of them. Any- security clearance or keys to do so.
thing that passes between the two without noticing Amplify their voice as per a loudspeaker.
the units can take a Dodge save at Difficulty 3 to Write on Smartglass or access apps.
change their course as they feel the pain start, or Activate the digital effects of another tool in your
they will automatically take D3 Wounds and an possession, such as a Holoemitter, from a range of 30
Injury. The traps can be turned off from the side feet (or unlimited if networked) as long as they belong
and reused, but need to recharge after about an to you.
hour of being on unless they’re hooked to a power Become a flashlight.
source. Overload and detonate the wand as per a Hotspot
grenade (one of several reasons they were removed
Mapmites: 300 credits 1 use, 600 credits reusable from the market). This takes a few seconds (long
Tool enough to throw it).
Gear score: 0
In cooperation with IRPF breach and infiltration Wand Effects
teams, ASR developed the Mapmite: a small system of 1: Target object is coated with colorful particles of
automated drones that work together to assemble a your choice for 1 hour, making them slightly luminous.
coherent 3D model of a given structure from within, Hacked ability: The particulates are caustic.
using laser, sonar, thermal, and other scanning technol- The target takes D10 damage per minute unless they
ogies. Mapmites can give you complete and detailed remove their clothing and clean it.
3D maps of structure interiors before you go into them
yourself, giving you a much firmer grasp of the terrain 2: All digital receiving devices within 1 mile can hear
you’re entering. Each unit consists of six one-inch wide your voice as you speak into the wand.
rolling drones that proceed along the walls. Hacked ability: All digital broadcast devices
must also re-broadcast your voice. This typically gives
Techwand: 700 credits it a range of the entirety of a metropolitan area.
Tool
Gear score: 3 3: The wand vibrates at varying frequencies and plays
Born out of a push to bring ASR’s ubiquitous smooth jazz.
technology a sense of wonder and grandeur, the Hacked ability: The wand resonates and ex-
techwand was actually meant to be more of a toy plodes any glass-like objects in the room, such as lights,
than a useful object but was ultimately discontinued as windows, screens, etc.
its effects proved more dangerous than entertaining.
When the wand is swung or manipulated, it can per- 4: Lock or unlock target digital door or system that
form a variety of impressive effects by using internal would be Difficulty 4 or less.
technology or taking control of systems around it. ASR Hacked ability: The wand can lock the P.I.D. on
wanted to reward skillful users, so the physical ma- a gun, rendering it useless.
nipulations are difficult. Unfortunately, that resulted
in more people messing up rather than simply 5: The wand can be used to remotely control target
failing to produce an effect, and the resulting non-spaceworthy vehicle within eyeshot.
unexpected actions put enough people into Hacked ability: The wand can seek a vehicle
208 hospitals that the wand was eventually taken out via network and control it remotely.

ASR
6: Repel or attract an object up to 30 feet away no
larger than 5 pounds. Has a 30 foot push range.
SPYGLASS ITEMS
Spyglass innovators continue to develop
Hacked ability: Can be used on any sized ob-
useful utilities and technologies. Check out our
ject within 30 feet. If the object masses more than you,
travel guide to Spyglass corptowns if you’re thinking
you are pushed or pulled from it instead.
of visiting one someday. A few little tips can help
keep you safe and secure in a very different envi-
7: Activate or deactivate non-essential equipment
ronment.
within half a mile. Screens, street lights, building lights,

entertainment devices, etc.
Glasslock: 600 credits
Hacked ability: This ability can be targeted
Tool
remotely via network to affect an area you aren’t cur-
Gear score: 0
rently in.
Not every team has a locksmith when they
need one. The Glasslock is a handheld device capa-
8: The wand is a holoprojector and can be used to
ble of auto-picking digital and physical locks alike
draw or call up stored imagery from files saved on
with great speed and efficiency, making up for a
a Toggle or other system. The wand is rather con-
lack in your current team’s skillset. These units are
text-aware, and can be used to pull textures from
illegal under IRPF contracts, so use them with dis-

ITEMS
nearby or actively project a shape based on interpre-
cretion.
tation of the user’s motions. The projection is main-
Picks locks with Difficulty 1 or less.
tained until the wand travels outside of 30 feet of it.
Hacked ability: The wand can create a white-
Hotline Unit (requires Toggle case): 200 credits
wall: a holographic projection so bright as to be an
Tool
opaque surface, hiding whats beyond it. While the wall
Gear score: 0
is plainly visible, objects on either side cannot be seen.
A Spyglass staple, Hotline units can attach
to Toggle cases to enable a directional wave-based
9: The tip of the wand becomes akin to a welding
communication system that is extremely difficult
torch and can be used to cut through metal up to an
to intercept. Its range is limited, but a Hotline can
inch thick. The wand tip must maintain contact with the
allow you to talk to anyone equipped with a simi-
metal.
lar unit within three miles without using a cellular
Hacked ability: The wand gains the properties
network or other monitored system. The only way to
of a Burnjob for one attack.
intercept a Hotline is to be physically standing on the
line between the sender and the receiver with a Mag-
10: The wand becomes a Flowform system and can be
ic Ear. If both parties are moving, it’s pretty impossible.
used to conduct local water as a Flowform can.
Hacked ability: The wand can freeze or evapo-
Magic Ear (requires Crash Suite): 200 credits
rate the water it’s moving.
Tool
Gear score: 0
Passive Equipment An attachment to the Crash Suite, the
Magic Ear is a listening system for intercepting wire-
Sideroute: 350 credits less communication. In order to protect the Crash Suite,
Passive the Magic Ear has no broadcasting ability and can’t
Gear Score: 2 accept any sort of digital command, so it can’t be used
This AI serves as a protective side route for to remotely control the Crash. It can, however, allow a
incoming hackers. By putting it between your mind and skilled user to sort, store, examine and separate signals
theirs you can buy yourself extra time in a hack or de- in the air as well as listen to phone and radio conver-
lay an incoming attempt. It’s a phone-sized unit usually sations and search for electromagnetic signals.
worn on the hip or the back.
Saves against being booted out of a system Spam in a Can: 400 credits
are Simplified. If someone is attempting to hack you, Tool
their attempts are Complicated. Gear score: 0
About the size of a standard grenade, a spam
can is a tiny program backed by a massive power
source specifically intended to blanket all local wave-
lengths with an ocean of useless data. Sound, lights,
projections and voices, it floods anything that’s current-
ly receiving with noise and visual distraction and
washes out other data in the air.
Double Complicate all digital obser-
vation systems.
209
SPYGLASS
 SpeakEZ Velvet Gloves: 400 credits
Tool (app) Tool
Gear score: 0 Gear score: 0
Having a safe place to stop and catch your Spyglass EM scrambler technology is among
breath can mean the difference between a clean their more popular hallmarks, and a massive source of
egress or getting run down and shot in the head. aggravation for the IRPF. Velvet gloves are envelopes
Which, granted, is a somewhat grim extreme of var- that fit over weapons or items to render them invis-
ious potential outcomes, but is a possibility nonethe- ible to scanning technology. Metal detectors, xrays,
less. The SpeakEZ app networks you with thousands you name it, the item simply won’t show up. A good
of small, secure, and discreet safe houses in every old fashioned pat-down can still find it of course, but
populated sector of Sol; little alcoves purchased beyond that, this gets bad things into sensitive plac-
as investments by various Ledgers and completely es. Just don’t get caught with it. Even owning a Velvet
divorced from any actual personal use. You pay a Glove is illegal under IRPF civilian contract and will
fee, submitted anonymously, and receive a code to result in confiscation and a 100 credit fine if it’s found
a locked door and a place to hole up whenever and empty. If it’s found with a gun in it, you’ll likely be
wherever you need one. hauled off to have a discussion about your future plans
Costs 30 credits per use. and how they coincide with prison.
ITEMS

Allows a single weapon of roughly rifle size to

Optimization Assessment Rubric be hidden from digital detection. It will still need to be
Tool (app) physically hidden to not be seen.
Gear score: 0
This system can make use of a camera to Passive Equipment
rapidly run local background checks on people in
its field of view with a focus on surgical tells, worn Sonic Descent System: 350 credits
armor, known appearances, carried weapons, over- Passive
all build, and a slew of other giveaways that ac- Gear score: 1
cumulate into an overall rubric of a person’s threat The Spyglass SDS uses hypersonics to provide
level. To avoid aggravating the IRPF (more than they a cushioned, silent (to most) descent from any height
already do), the system is specifically designed not without adding much bulk to the person using it. Ideal
to keep the information it collects, but rather to for leaping out of planes, or for people that are just
use it to present a “score,” which a person can use to prone to falling from high places a lot. In a pinch, the
evaluate their overall preparedness for a conflict. It’s a system can also be used in reverse, slowing a large,
controversial piece of software, but then, Spyglass isn’t fast, incoming object. However this requires a bit of
known for the friendly ones. It also tends to process a prior setup (a place to secure the unit that’s strong
whole lot of information in a hurry when being pointed enough to resist the incoming force, knowing the prop-
at people or things that have extensive work done to er direction, an incoming object as large as a person
them, leading to occasional overheating in Toggles. moving as fast as a falling person, etc.) so it’s not as
Allows a user to see the Battle Score of a par- common an application. Additionally, the unit will not
ticular enemy. Can be used in the chatter step. Costs work in airless environments.
10 credits per use. Reduces fall speed to a comfortable level
that will not cause damage on impact. You descent
Tight-Ropes: 80 credits at about 1 hex per turn. If attached to a large fixed
Tool object such as the ground or a building, it can slow an
Gear score: 0 incoming object of roughly person size provided they
Many Spyglass products are known for their were coming at it at a speed roughly equivlent to fall-
simplicity and practicality, and the tight-rope is cer- ing. This is easy enough to wiggle out of that it cannot
tainly that. A twist on the classic grappling hook, this be applied in combat against charging or moving foes;
portable system fires a taut, strong cable across an use it in narrative applications.
expanse up to 100 feet wide and actively stabilizes
the rope with an attached gyro, allowing you to walk
across it with no more concern than making sure you
actually place both feet on the rope as you move. Or
four feet. As many feet as you possess, really.
Allows a single person to traverse a span of up
to 100 feet without making a Balance check. The rope
doesn’t vanish; it will remain until dismantled and can
support multiple uses.

210
SPYGLASS
PROGENITUS ITEMS Stim-Stick: 100 credits
Tool
This collection of Progenitus exclusive items was
Gear score: 0
assembled based on your hospital reports. I suggest
LL ammo is a great way to deal with a
you consider them, so that in the future, you’ll have
large, heavily armed threat quickly while still be-
fewer hospital reports.
ing able to question them later. If you happen to
be that large, heavily armed threat, this presents
Bug-out Ball: 100 credits
a problem. Stim-sticks are discreet injectables that
Tool
will counteract the effects of most tranquilizers if
Gear score: 0
taken ahead of time, making them an effective ace
In the end, the most important part of any day
in the hole. Fair warning though: most people will
is living to see the next one. Sometimes that means
switch to live ammo if tranqs fail.
forgoing an elegant solution to a problem for one
One use only, ignore the first Stun result that
that’s a little more blunt. The Bug-out ball is a rapid
would be dealt to you in combat. Limit 1 per day.
deployment unit large enough to hold one normal-sized
biped in a curled up position and clads them in thick,
resilient armor with a limited air supply. Intended for Passive Equipment
one use only, bug-out balls are a last line of defense

ITEMS
between you and a collapsing building, exploding Vitae Dismissal Unit: 350 credits
bomb, or any number of other fairly unpleasant ways to Passive
die. Gear score: 2
Will protect you from conventional cataclysmic When the cold reality of Vitae’s eventual
situations for 10 minutes. function made itself clear to everyone, Progenitus
faced a fairly substantial moral dilemma. Some
Progenitus Omnidetection and Diagnostic engine: 800 attempt had to be made to show an active effort
credits to dissuade its use in violence, to say nothing of a
Tool general need to protect people from effectively
Gear score: 0 bulletproof enemies. The first prototype was the
Progenitus’ fondness for names that overstate handheld Vitae Dismissal Unit, whose sterile name
the point is perhaps most visible in their utility items, does not do justice to its rather horrific effect in
which, granted, are universally recognized as high battle. This unit is not for the faint of heart.
quality devices, but are somewhat less grand in their Attack in melee. Against creatures with Vitae
function than their titles might suggest. The OD&D, enhancements, do D6 Wounds that can’t be prevented
as it is written on most equipment listings (in the field by Vitae. When this unit has hit twice, it has exhausted
it’s generally just called a sniffer) is a sophisticated its chemical reservoir and will need to be refilled for
handheld analysis device that’s capable of reading 200 credits at a hospital. If this unit does 10 or more
a myriad of different environmental, mechanical and Wounds in a single round to one creature, the Vitae no
chemical conditions and organizing them into usable longer functions within them and they lose any benefits
data. The machine has no inherent diagnostic ability, from it (and can subsequently no longer be damaged
but in the hands of a trained professional, it’s an in- by a unit like this one).
dispensable means of receiving rapid information that
can be used to assess a problem or condition. Plus, it’s Hyperprojectile Barrel: 200 credits
fun to wave it around at people and tell them exactly Passive
how their dinner is treating them that day, especially Gear score: 0
when they’re actively sick and probably didn’t need the Progenitus has long pushed a juggernaut image.
report. Wherever they’re required, they’ll be. The hyperpro-
Allows Mind Exert:Operate to be used for in- jectile barrel was created to assist with that credo.
formation gathering, searching, examination and other It creates an isolated environment around its weapon
similar checks. Provides detailed information about the that allows it to fire normally even in airless or under-
environment including things that may be broken or water environments. When most weapons lose range
out of place. Can be used to diagnose biological and or overheat, the hyperprojectile barrel can boost, cool,
mechanical problems. adjust, and otherwise modify the shot to allow the
weapon to fire normally. Careful engineering has even
allowed it to coexist with existing mods without using
up precious modification space.

213
PROGENITUS
 TTI ITEMS Firebrand
This Aegiform variant focuses on refining the
Most TTI named products are exclusively pro-
host’s bloodstream into a combustible fuel, which can
vided through their own systems. However, I have
then be expelled through the host’s mouth as a two-
been authorized to share the following options
part chemical mixture that burns fiercely on contact
with you, should you be interested. In accordance
with air. Special glands created by the Aegiform allow
with our sales partnership with TTI, I will not keep a
for considerable distance and volume, though this abil-
record of the products being offered here nor will
ity is taxing on the user.
I observe them. Please don’t tell me what you buy.
The Aegiform itself is typically vibrant red with
Even though I want to know.
flecks of blue and pushes its host toward acts of ag-
gression and personal risk. Firebrands are notorious for
Weirding Bombs: 150 credits
entering combat situations wearing inadequate armor.
Tool
Counts as a flamethrower usable once per turn
Gearscore: 1
as an attack that you don’t need to hold. Fire and ex-
As transcendent abilities began surpassing
plosives that hit you do half damage. This can also be
their original specifications, TTI needed a way to
used as a Hotspot grenade, but each use of it in this
shut down Radiants in the event of “emergencies.”
fashion will deal D3 Wounds to you.
ITEMS

Unfortunately, the only known ways to direct-

ly counter transcendent manifestation is through
Riversurge
the use of other people with similar abilities, and
The Riversurge Aegiform pulls heavily from
they’re in short supply. The Weirding bomb is a sort
aquatic species of bioelectric organisms. In addition
of risky, last-ditch solution when something more
to granting the host aquatic breathing and enhanced
effective isn’t around. They certainly work, but the
swimming abilities, it also allows them to generate
results they lead to can vary in terms of risk to ev-
profound levels of electricity for use offensively or de-
eryone involved.
fensively.
This grenade-sized object can be dropped or
The Aegiform itself is a deep blue with lighter
thrown. Upon detonation, the Cuil Bloom in the local
blue waves and long, yellow tails and fin-like protru-
scene goes up by D10 for 15 minutes. Its approxi-
sions. It’s considered one of the more attractive Aegi-
mate effect range is 100 feet.
form variants, but it’s also the largest and hardest to
hide. Riversurges are known for a lack of inhibitions
and exerting beyond their own limitations.
Aegiforms: 1000 credits
Grants the Seaworthy(gill) template and grants
Tool
2x Move Score while submerged if your Morphism
Gearscore: 4
would not already adjust your Move score underwater
Aegiforms are part of TTI’s ongoing efforts into
upon getting the Seaworthy template. This also grants
integrating advanced bioprobes with Vectors. These
the following property to all of your attacks targeting
symbiotic lifeforms attach to the wearer’s body and
something within short range:
mesh directly with their nervous system and internal
ARC: If at least one duplicate result is rolled
anatomy. It’s extremely invasive, but the rewards are
on the damage dice for your attack, lightning arcs to
impressive. Though Aegiforms are new, many industries
every character (friend or foe) within three hexes of
are looking at them as more successful versions of TTI’s
the initial target, dealing 3D8 damage and prompt-
famed living armor. The Aegiforms have personalities
ing a save as per the electricity EDA. This process can
like the armor does, but their psyches aren’t nearly so
repeat itself indefinitely on every new target but can’t
overwhelming (or potentially cannibalistic).
hit things more than once. Plot devices, consoles, and
Only one Aegiform can be worn at a time, and
other sensitive equipment are all valid targets for the
a worn one will die if removed and not placed on a
arc. This ability can also be used as a PPC 6 times a
new host within an hour. Aegiforms are only compati-
day but cannot be loaded into anything (it can only
ble with Vector and Blip characters.
be used to energize powerless objects or feed power
Appeasement: Aegiforms consume 1 experience point
into grids, not as ammunition or charges for things that
per session unless the wearer earns favor, at which
normally store them). Electricity effects that hit you
point the action itself will appease the Aegiform and
can’t harm you.
no experience will be consumed. In addition to the
normal ways of earning favor, Aegiform users can add
Ruinous
the behavioral mannerisms of their Aegiform to their
This variant secretes a potent solvent not unlike
overall motivations. Essentially, integrate the Aegiform’s
the Spyglass No-Clip suit, but in greater quantity and
behavior into your own and it won’t hurt you.
with added destructive properties. A Ruinous Aegiform
can cause floors and walls to melt away and sear holes
into armor with a touch.
The Aegiform itself is a deep black and vibrant
214 blue that seems to drip over the host and is riddled

TTI
with vents and holes for its solvent to emanate from. Slaver
Production is often keyed to the host’s own mood, and “Telepathy,” as it’s often called, is a diffi-
Ruinous hosts will leave burn marks on furniture when cult thing to quantify technologically due to the
trying to hide a lie. While not predisposed to a specif- sheer abstract nature of thought. The Aegiforms
ic behavioral mannerisms, Ruinous bearers feel emotion already speak the language of the mind, and this
more vividly than most people and tend to wear their variant produces an organ that allows the host to
feelings openly. gain what can only be described as “mind control.”
Applies Melt, Charge, and Poison to any melee Details on this biotechnology are being held tightly
attack. Allows for the disintegration of non-reinforced under wraps, as it could have profound ramifica-
walls through physical contact. Treat this as player tions in the future.
controlled welding and De-res Enzyme usable six times The Aegiform itself has a noticeable set of
a day. Chemical and poison effects do not hurt you. eyes and a smooth hump along the upper back that
houses it’s uniquely adapted brain. It’s one of the
Savior only Aegiform variants that shows physical anatomy
The Savior employs a variety of bodily manu- and expressions, and hosts claim they can actively
factured hormones, salves and injectables to facilitate converse with them. Egotism and a general dismissal
healing of damaged tissue. The host of this Aegiform of the feelings of others are associated with this

ITEMS
can regenerate limbs of comrades and bring them Aegiform, as practiced hosts can reduce most peo-
back from the cusp of death (though the process is a ple to little more than tools.
tad creepy and more than a little invasive.) Once per episode, allows you to take the
The Aegiform itself is a pearlescent white with turn of an enemy you can see. You can make them
gold veins and ties directly into a target’s body via do anything legal within the scene, but if they die
tentacles that pierce flesh and snake through veins and while under your control, your Aegiform will as well.
nerves. The anesthetic it produces causes an associat- Someone who has been taken control of by a Slaver
ed euphoria for both the host and the target, which loses the part of their memory when they were
often leads to hosts ignoring personal boundaries or controlled, but does notice “something strange”
putting others at risk in hopes of the next hit. happened. The effect lasts about 10 seconds out
Saviors have a heal pool of 4 uses, which their of combat, and works even over video, provided
users can use to give adjacent characters or them- there isn’t a noticeable delay on the feed. It can be
selves D10 Wounds per use as one support action per resisted with a Resolve save at Difficulty 2. This can
target. The Savior regenerates this pool at a rate of 1 also be employed as a Stun result in combat against a
per 5 hours and they cannot be restored in any oth- visible enemy as a Support action 6 times a day.
er way. Limbs can also be regenerated at a cost of 2
uses. Passive Equipment
A Savior host who is downed will be automat-
ically healed by the Savior when the creature realizes Cuil Bloom Indicator: 500 credits
the host can’t act on its own. This takes about a minute, Passive
or the end of the combat. Healing from a Savior can Gear score: 1
likewise revive people who have been downed in com- A wrist-mounted unit capable of detecting lev-
bat as well as treat their injuries as a hospital would. els of Transcendent phenomena within about 100 feet,
The Savior’s Wound pool is not its own vitality; based on their absolute abstraction from zero Cuil
if it uses up its healing pool it does not become in- (which is, in itself, not absolute, so really the number
jured, it simply can’t heal until it gets more back. The is more of a means of measuring trend than anything
Savior is a cursedly resilient creature. Even if its host is mathematically certain). C.B.I.s are not available for
reduced to ashes and only the small, metallic core of general purpose and are usually only supplied as part
the creature remains, it will eventually regenerate not of a mission. The cost here represents the going rate
only itself but its host as well. One limb at a time, if for an illegal one. Because of the nature of this object,
necessary. Mercifully, it tends to do the head last, but it is somewhat tapped into the ebb and flow of the
not always. Destroying them requires the deliberate universe. They have been reported behaving strangely
destruction of the creature’s core, which has 1 Wound on occasion. The saying: “It got up and walked away”
and an Endure score of 60. It can, however, be stolen. If when you lose something isn’t uncommon among TTI
a Savior is cored, it will seek the swiftest path to rein- field professionals. On occasion, their items do exactly
tegration. If left alone it will regenerate, but if it’s held that.
by someone it will integrate with them instead and the
original host will never reform.

215
TTI
 PULSE ITEMS This system allows you to use any Reclamation
ability you have even while armored, provided you are
Pulse technology is all about shock and awe,
not in living or active armor. It does not apply to the
and they continue to wow the galaxy with new
Leaping or Agility Reclamation surgeries.
innovations. Some are a tad less practical than
others, but it’s safe to say all of them will get you
Personal Flowform Sheath: 350 credits
noticed. Pulse is currently pushing the following
Passive
products based on your recent purchases:
Gear score: 0
A staple of long distance running, the FFS
Equilibrium Booster: 50 credits
system allows you to run through water as though it
Tool
isn’t there, or run on top of it like a solid surface. This
Gear score: 0
allows Pulse to create some rather amazingly difficult
Generally marketed toward athletes competing
terrain to transverse in their events, but it also gives
in extreme speed or high impact events, we feel
you another getaway option should you need it. Just
your repeated contact with disruption weaponry
remember: you still need to breathe.
makes you a good candidate for Balance puffs.
These Equilibrium booster stims will grant you su-
Active Equipment
ITEMS

perior resistance against disorientation caused by

trauma.
Consume this item to pass the next save prompted Snap-Shunt: 1500 credits
by the Disruption EDA. Limit 1 per day. It can be Active
used immediately in response to the save. Gear score: 3
Teleportation technology is among the most
Stylr@Home: 600 credits sought after advancements there are, and corps all
Tool over Sol are striving to make it a practical reality.
Gear score: 0 The many complications at present include size, incre-
Ever had trouble “fitting in?” The answer is yes. mentally increasing energy needs, and a very limited
We’ve seen it. And we can help! The Stylr@Home range. However, Pulse advancements have developed
cosmetics unit is a combination appearance aug- a personal unit capable of teleporting a single person
ment system and social analyzer that takes carefully roughly 15 feet in any direction. A pittance perhaps,
collected data from your current physical location and compared to the lofty goals we’ve set for this tech-
tailors your look to make you best suited toward what- nology, but very useful to creative people in the right
ever crowd you’re looking to join. Great for high profile fields.
meetings or nightlife when you’re not entirely certain Can be used once per turn as an action that
what look is appropriate. And, let’s face it: that’s most moves you without counting as movement. You can re-
of the time. locate up to 5 hexes away, ignoring terrain. This action
Will inform you what accessories or tailoring does not provoke threat response or attacks in close
you need to Simplify Community checks in a given envi- combat. Snap-shunts are very loud and will typically
ronment. negate any attempt to be stealthy upon use. Snap-
shunts displace a lot of air immediately before moving
the subject which will typically knock back anything in
Passive Equipment the same hex that isn’t bolted down. If a subject tele-
ports blind into solid object, the system will error and
Biointegration Mesh: 200 credits
prevent the transportation. This still counts as a use
Passive
for the turn. Snap-shunts can take you through walls
Gear score: 0
provided the wall does not contain dense metallic or
An impressive piece of hardware from the
armored material of more than an inch thick.
Pulse labs, this mesh coats the exterior surfaces of ar-
mor and is linked with an elaborate network of internal
sensors worn under it. These sensors gather extremely
detailed scans of what your body is doing and allow
the mesh on the outside of the armor to replicate key
behaviors in real time. The result is that most touch-
based Reclamation abilities, which normally do not
work through armor, now can. It does tend to make the
armor look like it’s sweating, though.

216
PULSE
IRPF ITEMS Gag Order: 50 credits each
Tool
MarsCo works with everyone in Sol, but our
Gear score: 0
partnerships with the IRPF are perhaps the most visible.
While not “secret,” most of the public isn’t
People count on the IRPF to provide them with a rock in
aware of this particular IRPF gadget. A small dis-
an ever-shifting landscape, and their specialty prod-
ruption system affixed to the muzzle of a projectile
ucts provide independent contractors with the means
weapon will imbue the next shot with a unique
to operate with greater safety and consideration for
vibration that, upon impacting an enemy, causes
the public.
their vocalizations to rattle counter to their natural
rhythm. In short: it renders the target voiceless. The
Hardwire: 60 credits
effect only lasts about 30 seconds, but that’s long
Tool
enough to take them down without raising a fuss. A
Gear score: 0
questionable piece of equipment for a service ded-
Hardwire is a coilable, 50 foot long flexible
icated to public protection, but it’s hard to argue
wire that can solidify into steel-like strength when
against its usefulness.
exposed to a unique charge (included with the coil).
Must be fired using Precision Shot. A suc-
This one-use system has a myriad of different uses,
cessful hit will prevent the target from making any
from makeshift barricades across doors to restraints to

ITEMS
vocalizations for 30 seconds or 4 rounds.
bridges, with the convenience of being able to carry it
easily in a loop until it’s needed.
Mobile Turret: 1000 credits each
Tool
Hooks: 40 credits each
Gear Score: 5
Tool
The turret can mount any ranged weapon
Gear score: 0
that is not a heavy weapon and has a 90 degree
Simple, portable utility defines the IRPF person-
arc of vision. Attaching the weapon takes about 10
al item doctrine. Hooks are no bigger than a handle
minutes and cannot be done in combat. The turret is
but can attach to each other to serve as powerful re-
not able to reload itself, so if it rolls a reload result
straints, or to any metallic surface to serve as a hand-
it is out for the combat unless a character comes
hold strong enough to support an average sized (Total
over and reloads it with a support action. It takes
Mass <10) person.
up 1 hex on the map and will fold itself up when
carried and deploy when dropped as a Support action.
Peeps: 30 credits each
It can only be retrieved from behind when operating in
Tool
automatic mode.
Gear score: 0
Once deployed, any character that takes an
Peeps are a great pairing for MarsCo coms-
action in its field of view will be fired on as soon as
pots (and indeed, most IRPF teams carry both). These
that action is witnessed by the turret, once per turn.
miniature cameras are less than half an inch wide, can
While in automatic mode, attack with the turret by
adhere to most dry surfaces and can broadcast video
rolling a single D10. If the die rolls 7+, the turret has hit
live or store it for later retrieval so as to avoid detec-
and will do a single automatic Wound to the target.
tion.
Attack rolls for the turret cannot be changed with
Readiness. This mode only functions if the mounted
Sheet Windows: 250 credits for 10 sheets
weapon actually does damage rather than only having
Tool
a utility feature, and it does not discern friend from
Gear score: 0
foe.
The Sheet window remains an indispensable
In manual mode, a character linked wirelessly
part of any infiltration toolbox. Ten of these sheets
with the turret through a Wireless Hub or some control
of thin-screen are kept in a compact box affixed to
device can control it as though it were themselves, tak-
your arm. Tear one out and activate the temporary
ing attack actions to fire its gun with their own stats.
power source on the sheet, then slap it against a wall,
However, this mode is open to combat hacking. Ene-
where it will adhere on its own. For about 30 seconds,
mies attempting to hack the turret treat it as Difficulty
the complex augertech contained within each sheet
4 and must reach hack depth 3 to eject the registered
will grant an x-ray view through the wall, allowing
user, at which point they gain control of the turret. If
you to note the location of hostiles, hostages, and key
the registered user wishes to regain control they will
equipment without exposing yourself to fire. Once the
likewise need to hack the turret. A character in control
powercell depletes the sheet is spent. Just leave it and
of the turret can turn it to automatic mode remotely,
move on, no heavy equipment to pick up.
but not back, as it will deactivate its wireless interface
when it switches modes.
Mobile turrets are big and bulky, only
one can be carried per character and the
character must be at least Standard size. 217
IRPF
 ARMOR RULES
Armor can be purchased for the costs listed on their cards from just
about any manufacturer. Basic armor has no special properties beyond fit-
ting well and protecting the wearer, but many types have extra functions or
the ability to be upgraded. Armor is not inherently vacuum proof, nor does it
automatically allow use of all your Reclamation abilities (the ability will list that
limitation if it exists). However, those faults can be overcome with various bits
of equipment. Most armor is assumed to be pretty utilitarian in nature. It has
loops you can hook things to, pockets to store things in, and is reasonably easy
to get on and off. If exceptions to this exist, they’ll be listed in the armor entry.
Unique and specialized armor is purchased from BuySpots but may
have varying degrees of availability depending on your location, reputation, or
who you’re dealing with.

Donning Armor
Armor is quick to put on and (usually) quick to take off. Even the large
combat suits of the heavy armor category feature rapid clasps and smart de-
signs for a quick ready status. But “quick” is relative. It takes about 30 seconds
to a minute to get into any armor set when you don’t have it on, or D6 rounds
if you’re in combat. While you’re getting dressed you can’t do anything else, so
make sure you’ve got someone keeping an eye on things if you’re camping in
hostile territory!

Armor Properties
Armor has one major function: it increases your Endure score. As ex-
plained in the Combat section, Endure controls how much damage you can
take before you actually get hurt. Wearing armor increases this pool of overall
resilience in combat.
In addition to adjusting your Endure score directly, armor has mass,
which is added to your Base Mass score and leads to a higher Total Mass
score. The Endure bonus provided from armor is added on top of the adjusted
Endure score provided simply from being more massive. Double bonus! Except
that being bulkier lowers your Evade score and makes you easier to hit. You’ll
have to decide for yourself which end of the balance you want to side with.

Armor States
Armor has two states: Working and Broken.
Armor that is working does all the things its armor card says it does. Armor is
broken when the wearer’s Wounds exceed their max (when they’re downed).
Broken armor still counts as a thing you’re wearing (so it counts for your To-
tal Mass) but all of its other properties are lost. That includes the additional
Endure bonus and any special abilities. They all don’t function until you get the
armor repaired.

Gear Score
Like items, armor and shields include a gear score, which is a meta
score that serves two functions: it indicates rarity (1-5, with 5 being the rarest)
and it indicates overall efficiency, typically (though not always) with regards to
combat. In the Enemy Fight Scaling chapter of this book, gear score is one of
the things considered when determining whether or not a fight is fair. Armor
availability follows the same guidelines as item availability.

218
 Armor and Fatigue
Armor isn’t a particularly comfortable garment,
and as much as our paranoia would love us to
live in it on a permanent basis, you’re going to
have to take it off from time to time to rest or
you’ll become fatigued. The rate at which fa-
tigue sets in is dependent on the type of armor
you’re wearing.

Light armor: If you wear your armor for lon-

ger than your Endure score (without armor on)
in hours, or if you sleep in it, you will become
fatigued.

Medium armor: If you wear your armor for longer

than half your Endure score (without armor on)
in hours, or if you sleep in it, you will become
fatigued.

Heavy armor: If you wear your armor for longer

than a quarter of your Endure score (without
armor on) in hours, or if you sleep in it, you will
become fatigued.

Fatigue can be avoided before it sets in by

resting in your armor for 10 minutes per hour,
which will allow you to operate in it indefinitely
provided you don’t try to sleep in it (or succumb
to the smell).

219
 EM Suites
Many armors have integrated devices and
mechanisms. These electromagnetic suites make
the armor well suited for
50c specific tasks. SomeVest (Light)
Bulletproof 550c FDT Link Armor (Light) 200c
come with these permanently integrated, others can
accept specific ones as Gear Score
additions at0the time of Gear Score 3 Gear Score
purchase or later. They include
Armor Massthe following
0 types: Armor Mass 0 Armor Mass

Endure Bonus +1 Endure Bonus +1 Endure Bonus

-Scout (Sc) 500 credits: This armor has a Crash-
Suite, Optics, Hotline unit,
Movement _
Toggle Case, and Magic _
Movement Movement
Ear integrated into its helmet.
EM suites: EM Suites: EM suites:
None This armor has an EM
-Stealth (St) 1000 credits: None Can purchase
Se, Sw, or Sp for
Signal Cloak, Dead-Zone Projector, Scatterline unit,
ARMOR

Chain-link: This armor has a 2 power point storage bank

Upgrades:
and Cutter-Glove integrated into it. Note that while that can be distributed to any FDT equipment you’re
under the effects of an EMNymphsilk (50 credits):
Signal Cloak Increase the
you cannot carrying on demand, without the need for a support
action. The energy remains in the armor until called on Medium plati
send calls in or out of your armor.Endure Bonus
It must to +2.
be deacti- but must be recharged by an external source like a PPC, a
wall unit (takes about 6 hours per charge) or an internal
vated to communicate via signals. reactor.
Heavy plating
Upgrades: Medium to He
-Support (Sp) 500 credits: This armor has a FDT field link nodes: 100 credits.
Flashlight, P.E.R.K., Holoprojector, Toggle Case, rope, You may increase the armor’s Endure score by feeding its Plating can be
own power points to it at a rate of +1 endure per point, to its
Puff, backpack, and armored Smart Surface built to a max of +5. The bonus lasts for 1 hour. This can be
into it. It also possesses a powerful wireless system done instantly, as a reaction to incoming attacks.

that can transfer large amounts of data quickly

and a subscription service Simple,
that provides up to
light, concealable and100
effective, the This armor suit is specifically designed to pair with Perhaps the m
credits a day toward the bulletproof
use of apps that
vest has beenwould
a literal lifesaver for FDT weaponry, granting it a greater power source to universe. Hard
normally charge you for their users. They make up for their relative lack of Armor
services.
countless cards
draw from. It’s hold all loved
particaully the by information
FDT shield users for
for a vast array of M
protection by being tough to spot and cheap to particular armor
its ability to greatlyset,increase
and the canshield’s
be found in the
protective owner to tailor

replace. Implementing a reactive fiber and lightweight
-Self-repairing (Sr) 300 credits: cross
Thisweaves
armor armor properties.
card section The advanced power EM
(pg: 222). matrices used will
suites to be The ability to b
organic-based into the standard distribute the FDT fields lower its effectiveness as armor can scale
possesses sophisticated damage listed on the cards, as will any available up-
bulletproofcontrol
vest designsystems that its resilience
greatly increases actual armor, but grant the wearer the ability to make while it’s less pro
allow it to effect repairs on atitself. It canincrease
no noticeable of weight or size. This grades
manufacture useand
of whatabilities the armor
is often considered has.weapon
a sub-par Upgradesin its modular de
upgrade is generally
its own Patchkit drones at a rate of 1 per day. The reserved for IRPF squad can
leaders. be added at any
dramatically time at
effective a shop
ways. that sells
drones are somewhat less complex than real Patch- armor, but cannot be refunded unless the up-
kit drones and only work on their own armor, but they grade says it can.
have the benefit of not needing to be programmed
and will function correctly without
1100c an Operate check. Rig (Light)
Mobility Augmentation 600c RRH Vest (Light) 300c
This effectively allows it to repair itself from a broken
Gear Score 3 Gear Score 1 Gear Score
state once per day once combat has ended.
Armor Mass 2 is no longer capable
Armor Mass of2 protecting its occupant fromArmor Mass
-Jump (Jp) 750 credits: This armor has mi- the elements. It is also +1equipped with thrusters which
Endure Bonus +1 Endure Bonus Endure Bonus
cro-propulsion systems in its construction and tightly can allow the wearer to maneuver in zero gravity as
controlled impact absorbers _
to allow the wearer to _
Movement though they were equipped with a Pointshift Gaunt-Movement
Movement
make massive leaps. The armor can make use of Com- let, even if there are no handholds to grip. Lastly,
bat Flying if you have the technique.
EM Suites: It should be noted the armor possesses EM Suites: magnetic plating on the feet for EM suites:
that the armor cannot actually “fly”with
Comes but Jp rather makes Comes withsurfaces.
Sp Can purchase
bonding to metallic While not strong enoughSt, Sp or Sc fo
leaps of around 30 vertical feet. The wearer likewise to brace you in any way against impacts, it can allow
ignores fall distances of 30 feet Theor MAR features
less a magneticable
if they’re clamp on the
dominant forearm capable of mounting a Small you to walk on metal surfaces at your normal Move-
to get their feet under them. weapon or item. When mounted, the objectment is score, rounded up (or just half your general speed Reduce in
considered to be "on hand," as the suit's various during narration). Suits of this nature typically cannot damage by
-Spaceworthy (Sw) 300 manipulators
credits:can pull triggers
This armororispress buttons com
without it having to be removed. be easily opened, so they tend to have loops, pock-
spaceworthy and contains a rebreather, short range ets and general attachment points for the securing
radio communication, and an emergency
Grants the Reclaimed air adhesive
supplypads ability to of bags and tools along their exterior. Spaceworthy
in the event of rebreather damage. the wearer,Whilea pointshift
thegauntlet,
suit and allows suits for
duel weilding of small weapons and combat are intended for the long haul and can allow for
is working the occupant has effectively flying limitless air
without a technique. indefinite operation in conditions between Venus and
(though they can’t use it to fill a tank, it’s actually their Saturn without fear of radiation or other elements.
own breath, scrubbed and supplemented by a tank That said, these suits don’t feed or maintain their oc-
that can last for weeks). Once
The MAR (Mobility the suitRig)has
Augmentation cupants
is a fully enclosed body suit unlessThetheyRapid Responder
expressly sayHostilities
so, andVest
as such don’t
whose components and materials are made as miniaturized and
broken its emergency air supply takes over
lightweight as current technology allows and is designed double
to as spaceships. Spaceworthy suitssystem
(pronounced “Rev”) is a full support can operateThis thin, ac

220 and can provide up to the

augment 15user's
minutes of air
motion, allowing them andto run faster, jump
underwater integrated
up to into an armored
a depth shell for200
of around the wearer's
feet. originally d
further, and fall further than they would normally be able to. torso, allowing them to rapidly deploy to where
vacuum protection. Once depleted, the suit
The suit features a modified Pointshift Gauntlet which includes a provide defen
they're most needed. These systems are often
membrane in the fingers that can secrete a bio-degradable the extern
electromagnetic adhesive, through which an electric current is run.
This creates a powerful magnetic attraction between the glove and
employed by Progenitus ARMOR
Savior units, who can
Ultimately
use the integrated support gear to augment the
the wall, and when the current is cut off, the adhesive quickly ungainly, but
 SHIELDS
Shields are essentially slabs of material
between you and the thing that wants to kill you.
In effect, you’re letting the enemy hit the shield in-
hield 350c Medium Shield 550c Large Shield
stead of hitting yourself. Shields have a few special
Required hands Gear Score 2 0 Required hands Gear Score
abilities2 depending1 Required
on thehands
shield’s size, and each of
Range Cover Melee Cover Movement Range Cover them
Melee Cover has a cover
Movement rating.
Range Cover normal cover, this cov-
Like
Bonus Bonus Bonus Bonuser adds to your Evasion score. However, it’s a cover
Bonus
-0 boost, not a -1 straight Evasion enhancement. As will
0 +2 +2 +3 +3
be explained in Combat, you only benefit from the
Slam highest cover boost available to you at any given
Slam, Root
time. The only exception is when a shield works in
conjunction with a weapon in close combat. Evade
Counts
bonusesas full cover against
provided from flood
melee weapons do stack

ARMOR
weapons. User
with shields. may not dual-wield
e bucklers or The user may not dual-weild weapons
weapons, use two handed weapons, or
small shields or fire precision shots. Unless noted by the shield, Laterals are
fire precision shots. These tower shields
ge in a brawl assumed
are large enough totobe ablefull
provide to cover
mount shields that require 0
your favor All Medium Shields have this property
from one direction when rooted.shoulders. They still suf-
hands on their backs or
mobility. unless they specifically say otherwise. fer the penalties listed on the shield as normal. If
Allthey
Largehave
Shieldsahave
pushframe they can use a shield that
this property
requires
unless hands, but
they specifically it will use up the Pushframe’s
say otherwise.
holding copacity and it wont be able to manipulate
a weapon at the same time. They will need to use
a lateral-specific weapon that does not require a
Pushframe to use both.
Required Hands: Some shields belt to an arm
and can be wielded hands-free, but large
shields need a free hand to hold properly. The Shield Abilities
hand using a shield may not hold other objects Slam: A shield with the Slam property can
or be used as part of a two-handed combina- perform a Slam attack. A slam is a once-per-turn close
tion action. combat attack. If you hit, do no damage, but the enemy
must make an Endure save with Difficulty equal to the
Movement: Large, bulky shields will usually re- difference between your Total Mass and theirs, if you
duce a user’s Movement score. out-mass them (max +5). If you don’t, the Difficulty is 0.
Failing the save will knock them prone.

Root: A shield with the Root property can per-

ay (Large Shield) 250c Detdisk (Small Shield) 600c FDT Shield (Small Shield)
form a Root action. The shield is rooted to the ground
Required hands Gear Score 3 0 Required hands Gear Score
and becomes
3 cover.
0 Required
Rooting hands
the shield is a Support
-Sealed (Se) 100 credits: Sealed suits are proofed
action, and the shield does the securing automatically,
against mostMelee
Range Cover Cover
environments on a shortRange
Movement term basis. TheyMelee Cover
Cover Movement Range Cover
Bonus Bonus Bonus usually with built in mooring
Bonus Bonus spikes. From this point for-
have sealed internal environments,-0 hardened outer -0
ward the shield stays where it is and becomes a piece
+3shells, and scrubbers
+1 to filter incoming air. 0 In the event +1 0
of solid cover, and the owner effectively lets go of it.
of a lack of air, they have internal supplies good for
Shields canFDT be uprooted as a support action by anyone
about ten minutes which can be supplemented with
who gets behind them.
external air supplies and can keep a wearer safe from
space exposure for about that long. Sealed suits aren’t
unctions like a
intended for long term habitation in extreme environ- FDT shield activation: As a reaction to
rea Denial ments, but they’reThis shield houses
sufficient an explosive
protection for most quick an incoming attack, this shield can be
ot shoot the mechanism that can be treated as a
operations that may take you in and out of those zones. activated for one power point and
addition, this Hotspot grenade or an Egress system enhanced. Its melee and ranged cover
projectiles once. The shield will be destroyed when bonuses become +3 and it can shield its
ades, thrown the system is used. bearer and anyone in both adjacent
at pass within hexes until the bearer’s next turn.

221
ARMOR
 50c Bulletproof Vest (Light) 550c FDT Link Armor (Light) 200c MarsCo Hard Case (Light)
Gear Score 0 Gear Score 3 Gear Score 0
Armor Mass 0 Armor Mass 0 Armor Mass 2
Endure Bonus +1 Endure Bonus +1 Endure Bonus +1

Movement _ _ _
Movement Movement

EM suites: EM Suites: EM suites:

None None Can purchase
Se, Sw, or Sp for listed prices
Chain-link: This armor has a 2 power point storage bank
Upgrades: that can be distributed to any FDT equipment you’re
Upgrades:
Nymphsilk (50 credits): Increase the carrying on demand, without the need for a support
Medium plating (100 credits): upgrade this armor to
action. The energy remains in the armor until called on
Endure Bonus to +2. but must be recharged by an external source like a PPC, a Medium armor. Its
wall unit (takes about 6 hours per charge) or an internal Armor Mass becomes 4.
reactor.
Heavy plating (300 credits): upgrade this armor from
Upgrades: Medium to Heavy armor. Its Armor Mass becomes 6.
FDT field link nodes: 100 credits.
You may increase the armor’s Endure score by feeding its Plating can be removed and stored to reduce armor
own power points to it at a rate of +1 endure per point, to its previous status out of combat.
to a max of +5. The bonus lasts for 1 hour. This can be
done instantly, as a reaction to incoming attacks.

Simple, light, concealable and effective, the This armor suit is specifically designed to pair with Perhaps the most ubiquitous armor in the known
bulletproof vest has been a literal lifesaver for FDT weaponry, granting it a greater power source to universe. Hard Cases are armored frameworks for a
countless users. They make up for their relative lack of draw from. It’s particaully loved by FDT shield users for vast array of MarsCo upgrades that can allow an
protection by being tough to spot and cheap to its ability to greatly increase the shield’s protective owner to tailor make their armor to suit their needs.
replace. Implementing a reactive fiber and lightweight properties. The advanced power matrices used to The ability to buy augmentative plating means this
organic-based cross weaves into the standard distribute the FDT fields lower its effectiveness as armor can scale with a team's needs and budget, and
bulletproof vest design greatly increases its resilience actual armor, but grant the wearer the ability to make while it’s less protective than other armors in its class,
at no noticeable increase of weight or size. This use of what is often considered a sub-par weapon in its modular design allows the wearer to keep their
upgrade is generally reserved for IRPF squad leaders. dramatically effective ways. mobility.

1100c Mobility Augmentation Rig (Light) 600c RRH Vest (Light) 300c Shifthide (Light)

Gear Score 3 Gear Score 1 Gear Score 1

Armor Mass 2 Armor Mass 2 Armor Mass 1

Endure Bonus +1 Endure Bonus +1 Endure Bonus 0

Movement _ Movement _ Movement _

EM Suites: EM Suites: EM suites:

Comes with Jp Comes with Sp Can purchase
St, Sp or Sc for listed prices.
The MAR features a magnetic clamp on the
dominant forearm capable of mounting a Small
weapon or item. When mounted, the object is Reduce incoming close combat attack
considered to be "on hand," as the suit's various damage by 5. Increase incoming ranged
manipulators can pull triggers or press buttons combat damage rolls by 5.
without it having to be removed.

Grants the Reclaimed adhesive pads ability to

the wearer, a pointshift gauntlet, and allows for
duel weilding of small weapons and combat
flying without a technique.

The MAR (Mobility Augmentation Rig) is a fully enclosed body suit The Rapid Responder Hostilities Vest
whose components and materials are made as miniaturized and
lightweight as current technology allows and is designed to
(pronounced “Rev”) is a full support system This thin, active adaptation system was
augment the user's motion, allowing them to run faster, jump integrated into an armored shell for the wearer's originally designed as under-armor, to
further, and fall further than they would normally be able to. torso, allowing them to rapidly deploy to where
The suit features a modified Pointshift Gauntlet which includes a provide defense against melee weaponry if
they're most needed. These systems are often
membrane in the fingers that can secrete a bio-degradable the external armor was insufficient.
electromagnetic adhesive, through which an electric current is run. employed by Progenitus Savior units, who can
This creates a powerful magnetic attraction between the glove and
use the integrated support gear to augment the
Ultimately it proved redundant and
the wall, and when the current is cut off, the adhesive quickly
breaks down, leaving virtually nothing on the surface it was once front line as it weathers incoming fire. As a ungainly, but the suit itself is very popular
attached. Additionally, the on-board computing system is dedicated forward combatant light armor, it's among combatants who limit their
calibrated for accurate placement of jumps, falls and rolls, which
can augment the wearer's own knowledge of aerial maneuvering, one of the few suits in its class featuring confrontations to hand-to-hand combat
or even make up for a lack of it. bolstered protection against rifle fire.
 500c Wall Arm (Light) 340c HEV suit (Medium) 350c O&R Recon Suit (Medium)

Gear Score 3 Gear Score 1 Gear Score 1

Armor Mass 0 Armor Mass 4 Armor Mass 4

Endure Bonus 0 Endure Bonus +2 Endure Bonus +2

Movement _ Movement -1 Movement -1

EM Suites: EM Suites: EM Suites:

None Comes with Sw Can purchase
Sc or St for listed prices.
Upgrades:
While wearing this armor you can wield Chameleon display system (200 credits): Activate your
CDS in the chatter step. Doing so will satisfy the cover
shields of any size without a movement
requirements for combat sneaking, meaning you are
penalty. You can wear this armor in conjuc- effectively “in cover” for the purposes of beginning a
tion with any armor that has at least one sneak, and as long as you move, you will be considered
un-darkened arm in its diagram. Add this to be in a different piece of cover. Attacking will still
unit’s properties to that armor until it is break your stealth, and enemies are entitled to attempt
to perceive you if you cross into close range. If your
decoupled. If the armor is destroyed, this stealth is broken, you cannot resume it unless you
armor is as well. actually break line of sight completely again. Characters
with improved perception abilities through reclaiming
surgeries treat you as sneaking normally.

Typically employed in its basest form for scouting areas, the IRPF
Working full hazardous environment gear into recon suit can be upgraded at considerable expense to transform it
non-active armor is often difficult, as one half of from basic scouting gear to elite infiltration equipment using the
chameleon display system.
the equation is inevitably compromised. This high speed modification of display fabric technology is
MarsCo recommends a HEV suit, which provides coordinated with miniature cameras all over the suit's surface,
including a fully integrated facemask embedded in the cloth itself.
at least passable armor while emphasizing Each segment and limb is independently controlled by a rapid
superb environmental protection. HEV suits are microprocesser in the helmet to rapidly adjust displayed images on
perfect counters to toxins, radiation, weather, the outer surface of the suit, allowing for a much more "active"
version of the display blanket. While still not perfect during motion,
and personal injury. it allows for greater mobility of the wearer, an all-around viewing
angle, and eliminates the need to have pre-cached camouflage
indexes.

250c Riot Armor (Medium) 400c SG-NoClip (Medium) 450c 002-1 Starlight suit (Medium)

Gear Score 1 Gear Score 4 Gear Score 2

Armor Mass 4 Armor Mass 4 Armor Mass 4

Endure Bonus +2 Endure Bonus +2 Endure Bonus +2

Movement -1 Movement -1 Movement -1

EM suites: EM Suites: EM Suites:

Can purchase None Comes with Sw
Se, Sw, or Sp for listed prices.
Transition matrix: The NoClip suit can allow its wearer
to pass through any 3D printed surface. Most buildings
that are not considered top security structures are This armor can maintain its user in
manufactured in this way. perpetuity in space environments
A standard wall takes anywhere between 30 seconds between Mercury and Neptune and has
to a minute to pass through. You can pick out an area
someone has passed through using a NoClip with a an integrated 360degree movement
Body:Perceive. Difficulty 3. system allowing for free movement
The process is not inherently loud, so its use will not without checks while weightless.
alert people to its presence if its user is stealthy.
However, it does emit light as the bonds of the
structure are dissolved and reassembled. It will show
up in a dark room.

-To pass your entire body through a surfaces takes about 30 A crowning achievement in personal space engineering, the Star series is
seconds per 5 inches of wall traversed. You can move faster if brand new to Sol and is already making waves among spacers. This suit
Tougher than bulletproof vests and you’re not trying to hide your exit. In combat, move from one is armored and well protected against attacks, but that's largely a
side to the other side by using 2 movement actions. byproduct of its primary function: being a personal spaceship. Star suits
providing more coverage, Riot armor is -if the suit is damaged during a transition the process will end, are capable of safely transiting someone from one planet to another
good thick gear for dealing with small arms but all that will result is a hole in the wall in the shape of your without any spaceship assistance. They are proofed against space
temperatures and radiation levels all the way from Mercury to Neptune,
fire. Typically enough to give the wearer an body. Likewise, you are not protected from attack while and have powerful thrust and power systems, IV feeding, and pretty
traveling through a surface (though the wall itself is cover if it's much anything else you need to make the journey safely. While not
edge against lightly armed opponents, it in the way). intended for planet to planet trips, they're boasted as up to the
can run into difficulties if outnumbered -Any damage sustained while active will end the effect and challenge, and whole sporting events are growing around the
endurance and unique challenges required for many of the feats
render it inoperable for a turn and leave the current transition
due to its cumbersome design. half done. It cannot be resumed without the resulting visual achievable with star suits. The Starlight series is the lightest the armor
can get. It foregoes the powerful retro-jets and heat protection of its
effect being very obvious. Damaged sustained while not larger Starfall cousin, so it can't actually descend through atmosphere
actively transitioning will not harm the transition matrix unless and loses some resilience, but its sheer ease of mobility is staggering for
the suit is broken. the conditions it has to endure.
 500c Storm Armor (Medium) 900c All-Con Shell (Heavy) 750c Composite Assault Gear (Heavy)

Gear Score 2 Gear Score 2 Gear Score 3

Armor Mass 4 Armor Mass 6 Armor Mass 4

Endure Bonus +2 Endure Bonus +3 Endure Bonus +3

Movement -1 Movement -2 Movement -1

EM Suites: EM Suites: EM suites:

Can purchase Comes with Se Can purchase
Se, Sr, or Jp for listed prices. St, Sc, or Sp for listed prices.

While wearing this armor you

simplify saves for Fire, Acid, and
Electricity EDAs.

Riot gear is usually enough to get most people worried when The All-Conditions shell is a solid base for heavy armor CAG suits were built to fill a roll required in boarding
they see it marching down the street. Storm armor hammers systems. Most heavy armored MarsCo units just run parties and raids, where protection is needed but
the look home. It's clean, uniform, visually distinct and with augmented Hardcases, but the All-Con adds resources are low. It's essentially a cheaper, lighter
intimidating, and provides respectable protection against a
additional defense against the most likely enemy classification of heavy armor, which still provides more
wide variety of weapons. Integrated systems in the helmet
and suit itself buffer effects that would normally debilitate the assaults, and has the benefit of solid functionality in a protection than medium suits, but foregoes material
user, making this an ideal choice for teams that rely on shock wide variety of weather conditions. The system can durability for clever composites that weaken most
and surprise to get the job done, and can't afford to lose time even seal itself for use in space, though that's more of common forms of attack. It's favored by teams on the
due to being stunned or disrupted. Jump-equipped variants a last resort, as it has no inherent means of maneuver- move who lack the materials to continually restore
of this suit are generally called Hailstorm armors, and ing itself. The feature is more often used for underwa- material damage on heavy suits.
epitomize the ideology behind the design. ter operation, and the All-Con performs admirably
while submerged.

1000c Gearbox (Heavy) 1700c Heavy Engagement Sup-Sys (Heavy) 1600c 002-2 Starfall suit (Heavy)

Gear Score 4 Gear Score 4 Gear Score 4

Armor Mass 5 Armor Mass 6 Armor Mass 6

Endure Bonus +3 Endure Bonus +5 Endure Bonus +3

Movement -2 Movement -3 Movement -2

EM suites: EM Suites: EM Suites:

None Comes with Se, Sr, Sc Comes with Sw, Jp

This armor can store up to 10 cargo points in a

special hatch on its back without counting This armor can maintain its user in perpetuity
against the wearer’s total. Items kept in the in space environments between Mercury and
armor can be retrieved by any friendly Neptune and has an integrated 360degree
character in a hex behind it as a free action (it movement system allowing for free
anticipates their approach and hands it to movement without checks while weightless.
them.) They can be returned just as rapidly.
Wearers of this suit can safely descend from
While not worn this armor can configure itself any height, but it is a loud and bright process
like a work table, allowing crafting and repair that other people really shouldn't stand near.
to be done on it.

This armor contains a protected rear shell cargo This heavy armor unit is employed by the IRPF This bigger, badder brother of the Starlight suit
zone with a series of rack and deployment in large combat or riot situations in which is what's usually featured in its sales videos.
systems specifically designed to make items multiple lighter friendlies are in need of fallback Both because it looks cooler, and because it
readily accessable to people passing by. It protection. While this armor is plenty capable of boasts a visually impressive ability: heat
anticipates an approach from behind, identifies pressing an advance, its primary role is to get in shielding substantial enough to allow the
the item being saught, and deploys it on front of retreating forces and endure the bulk of wearer to descend to a planet's surface without
demand. Teams of all types love the Gearbox. Its pursuing attack while they get away, then hold assistance. Alas, while the suit's jets can slow a
ubiquitous storage and cataloging system the line until reinforcements can relieve them. descent, they're not intended for the continuous
makes it equally well suited to storing weapons Depending on the numbers available, the order burn needed to actually escape atmosphere, so
and explosives as it is for storing medical kits of this operation can change a bit. getting INTO space still requires a ship. Or very
and emergency supplies. large rubberband.
 400c Arm Locks (Light) 1200c Fullwing (Light) 1000c Full Alert Helm (Light)
Gear Score 2 Gear Score 2 Gear Score 1

Armor Mass 0 Armor Mass 3 Armor Mass 0

Endure Bonus -1 Endure Bonus +1 Endure Bonus +0

Movement _ _ _
Movement Movement

EM Suites: EM suites: EM suites:

None Comes with Se None

Add +1 to the accuracy score of your This armor is fully flight capable and This helmet provides the benefits of the
held weapons. You can wear this can travel up to 500 miles per charge Heavy Sensory Augmentation surgery,
armor in conjuction with any armor at around 150 mph while in full except for the landmark bonuses. It can
that does not have darkened arms in flight mode. While functional it is be combined with any other armor that
its diagram. Add this unit’s proper- immune to fall damage. does not have a helmet darkened in its
ties to that armor until it is decou- diagram. Add this unit’s properties to
pled. If the armor is destroyed, this that armor until it is decoupled. If the
armor is destroyed, this armor is as well.
armor is as well.

350c Leg boosters (Light) 1000c Omniframe (Light) 1000c Psy Dome (Light)
Gear Score 2 Gear Score 3 Gear Score 1

Armor Mass 0 Armor Mass 2 Armor Mass 0

Endure Bonus -1 Endure Bonus 0 Endure Bonus +0

Movement _ _ _
Movement Movement

EM Suites: EM suites: EM suites:

None Can purchase None
Jp for listed price

Increase your movement score by 1. You This armor grants the wearer the benefits of This helmet provides the benefits of a
can wear this armor in conjuction with the Physical Enhancement surgery, without Wireless Hub augmentation with linked
any armor that does not have darkened the Landmark bonuses. They add +10 to Neural Connectivity Suite. No other
melee damage. These benefits do not stack
legs in its diagram. Add this unit’s benefits of the NCS apply, but with this
with any other form of Physical Enhancment.
properties to that armor until it is This can be worn with any other armor set helmet you can engage in wireless
decoupled. If the armor is destroyed, this that only has a torso and/or helmet darkened hacking and mind-based computer
armor is as well. in its diagram. Add this unit’s properties to interfacing. You are susceptible to
that armor until it is decoupled. If the armor is hacking as you would be with the
destroyed, this armor is as well. surgery.

225
 150c Small Shield 350c Medium Shield 550c Large Shield
Gear Score 1 0 Required hands Gear Score 2 0 Required hands Gear Score 2 1 Required hands

Melee Cover Movement Range Cover Melee Cover Movement Range Cover Melee Cover Movement Range Cover
Bonus Bonus Bonus Bonus Bonus Bonus
-0 -0 -1
+1 0 +2 +2 +3 +3

Slam Slam, Root

Counts as full cover against flood

weapons. User may not dual-wield
Often manifested as simple bucklers or The user may not dual-weild weapons
weapons, use two handed weapons, or
reinforced forearm plating, small shields or fire precision shots.
fire precision shots. These tower shields
grant a slightest extra edge in a brawl
are large enough to provide full cover
that can swing things in your favor All Medium Shields have this property
from one direction when rooted.
without sacrificing mobility. unless they specifically say otherwise.
All Large Shields have this property
unless they specifically say otherwise.

1500c Defensive Array (Large Shield) 250c Detdisk (Small Shield) 600c FDT Shield (Small Shield)
Gear Score 2 1 Required hands Gear Score 3 0 Required hands Gear Score 3 0 Required hands

Melee Cover Movement Range Cover Melee Cover Movement Range Cover Melee Cover Movement Range Cover
Bonus Bonus Bonus Bonus Bonus Bonus
-1 -0 -0
+3 +3 +1 0 +1 0

Slam, Root FDT

When rooted, this shield functions like a FDT shield activation: As a reaction to
single emitter for an Area Denial This shield houses an explosive an incoming attack, this shield can be
Network weapon. It cannot shoot the mechanism that can be treated as a activated for one power point and
hexes directly behind it. In addition, this Hotspot grenade or an Egress system enhanced. Its melee and ranged cover
emitter will shoot down projectiles once. The shield will be destroyed when bonuses become +3 and it can shield its
larger than a bullet (grenades, thrown the system is used. bearer and anyone in both adjacent
weapons, missiles, etc.) that pass within hexes until the bearer’s next turn.
its range.

226
 450c Glaiveguard (Small Shield) 600c Hoverdisk (Medium Shield) 800c Mobile Emplacment Rig (Medium Shield)

Gear Score 3 0 Required hands Gear Score 2 0 Required hands Gear Score 2 0 Required hands

Melee Cover Movement Range Cover Melee Cover Movement Range Cover Melee Cover Movement Range Cover
Bonus Bonus Bonus Bonus Bonus Bonus
-0 -0 -0
+1 0 +2 +2 +2 +2

Slam Slam, Root

This shield can be thrown using the throw

rules as an attack action. Double the listed This shield has an integrated Personal This shield converts to an emplacement
distance for throw difficulties and roll against Motivator that can be activated and rig when Rooted. It loses its shield
the enemy’s Evade. If you hit, the shield does
deactivated in the chatterstep. Unlike properties (including cover) and can no
2D10 damage and returns to your arm.
Alternativly, you can choose to have the
the standard personal motivator, this longer be moved, but grants a single
shield do 1 wound and remain embedded in one will remain at the height it was adjacent ranged weapon the benefits of
the target. It will need to be retrieved later. activated at. It can operate for 10 the Emplacement Rig upgrade. When
If your attack misses, trace a line in the attack minutes per hour of charge. uprooted it returns to normal.
direction 5 hexes behind the target. If the
line would encounter a wall, embed the
shield in the wall. Otherwise it returns to you.

750c Safezone (Large Shield) 500c Sledge disk (Medium Shield) 900c Slidewall Shield
Gear Score 3 1 Required hands Gear Score 3 0 Required hands Gear Score 2 1 Required hands

Melee Cover Movement Range Cover Melee Cover Movement Range Cover Melee Cover Movement Range Cover
Bonus Bonus Bonus Bonus Bonus Bonus
-1 -0 -1
+3 +3 +2 +2 +3 +3

Slam, Root Slam Slam, Root

This shield can be thrown using the throw When this shield is rooted, it can extend in
rules as an attack action. Roll against the segments in a direction of an adjacent user’s
If seeking cover adjacent to this shield enemy’s Evade. If you hit, the shield choice. The shield can be extended 6 hexes
while it is rooted, the shield will roll D6 executes a slam attack with difficulty equal in one direction as a support action. The
during your chatter step. On a 3+ it will original hex counts as full cover. The adjacent
to your Body+Athletics score. Alternativly,
hex is part of the extention mechanism and
perform a Damage Control action on you you can choose to have the shield knock can be fired through, providing no cover. The
for free. the target D3 hexes backward as long as hex next to that is full cover, then extention,
the target has a hex occupancy of 1. The then full, etc, ending with one full cover
shield scatters off the impacted target’s plate.
hex like a thrown object. The shield wall can be retracted via an
unroot action from either side.

227
 WEAPON RULES
Weapons in HSD are purchasable through BuySpots provided the loca-
tion has the weapon you’re looking for and you have the clearance to own it.
The Guide has the option to override these with story or negotiation. Scarcity is
much the same: gear score gives you a scarcity level for the weapon, but there
are often story routes around that.
Basic, one-handed personal defense weaponry is reasonably com-
monplace in HSD. Not everyone is packing heat, but the ubiquity of print tech
makes it very difficult to keep weapons out of the hands of people who want
them, and superior medical technology has made recovering from things like a
gunshot wound pretty likely provided it doesn’t immediately kill you. Small arms
are a go-to deterrent for a lot of people, and obtaining clearance for one is
pretty easy. In addition, there is a pervasive mentality among Vector-kind that
has only been fed over time by their disposable asset economy: life is cheap.
Ironically, the people who engage in the most combat tend to care the most
about the lives of other people, because they’ve experienced fear and danger
first-hand.

The IRPF Weapons Clearance Guide

While there are any number of ways to receive a weapon, carrying one
around is a pretty closely monitored process. The IRPF weapons clearance guide
tells civilians what sorts of things they’re allowed to own and carry in regulat-
ed towns. Player characters are also bound by these rules and should expect
trouble if they violate them. However, gaining clearance levels can alleviate
some of the scrutiny on carrying your piece around in public. Characters gain
clearance levels by completing story segments that would in some way show
their Proficiency with firearms or reliability as contractors. As a reward, the
corps they work with (or private sponsors) will secure clearance levels for them
to allow them to take on larger jobs.
Getting your first clearance level is pretty easy: one successful job and
your sponsor will pick it up for you. You’ll need to pull off a bit more work be-
fore getting the next ones, though. Remember though: clearance levels are pri-
marily about legal carrying and purchasing through standard means. It’s always
possible to work deals on the DL and secure yourself a weapon you probably
shouldn’t have, provided you don’t go carrying it around openly. Some locations
might not even care, depending on the Guide. In effect, weapons clearance
works exactly the same as Notoriety does for Contextual Adaptation. If a play-
er has contextual adaption on their equipment and the team gains a weapons
clearance level, refund one point of that Notoriety back to the player to use
elsewhere. The clearance makes up for it. This can be a nice way to reward
players who take the time to cultivate a relationship with NPCs and industries
capable of granting them clearance levels.
The rate at which a party obtains clearance levels are up to the Guide
and should be paced based on the scale of the jobs the players are complet-
ing.

Clearance levels
0: Nothing, use anywhere
1: Pistols, one-handed melee, light armor
2: SMGs, hand-and-a-half melee, medium armor
3: Rifles, shotguns, two-handed melee, heavy armor
4: Explosives

Typically, only items at level 0 on this scale are publicly acceptable to

wear, and a level 1 item can be worn in most places provided you can conceal
it. The others require putting on at the op site, and some may be outright inap-
propriate for the job.

228
 “Every corp owner knows that disputes with other
organizations are an unfortunate but inevitable
fact of doing business. Stolen ideas and equipment
– or just aggressive marketing strategies – can all
result in the need to take up arms against another
company for a brief but heated period. MarsCo
understands this, and our guidelines for corp com-
bat and conduct will help you ensure that your ci-
vilian population does not become jaded, annoyed,
or eradicated by the occasional bout of violence.”

229
 Weapon Properties
Weapons (but for a few unique excep-
tions) all share four properties: a type 700c IR-H-3x66R Sharpbark rifle 800c
(melee or ranged), an Accuracy score, a
Damage score, and a size. Rifle (Gun) Medium (2-Handed) Rifle (Gun)
Types just give you a descriptor for how AMMO: St, LL Gear Score: 2 AMMO: St
the weapon is used. Ranged weapons and
melee weapons will have major types like Line, Precise Line, Ai
“gun” or sword. The weapon cards also include
a generic classification for the weapon, such
as “shotgun” or “rifle.” This is mostly to keep
them straight in your head, but you may find
1 2+3D10 1
techniques that grant bonuses to certain clas-
WEAPONS

sifications of weapons. Aim-Assist

Accuracy scores tell you how much to range
add to your die roll when trying to use the
weapon against a target. You can find the
Accuracy score in the large circle on the
weapon card.
Damage scores depict how much dam-
age the weapon does on a successful hit.
The Combat chapter describes how to roll
damage in detail, but in essence, when you hit
someone, you’ll take whatever is listed here An excellent cho
Developed as an IRPF standard replace-
and add it to your Ranged Damage Bonus visibility areas wh
ment to the 3x60R, the Sharpbark sacrifices is unknown. The
for ranged weapons, or your Melee Dam-
ammo variety to accept a larger round with integrated stabi
age Bonus for melee attacks.
greater stopping power. member's whose
The size of the weapon determines how
ment. Just po
many hands you need to wield it and what else
proba
can be done while it’s in use. In addition to size, 100c Baton
150c Anklebiter 550c
melee weapons have a Reach score which
tells how many hexes out they can(melee)
reach when
2
Hand unit Club (melee) Hammer (melee)
attacking. These are listed on the item card,
Medium (1-2-Handed)
and the weapon’s reach is displayed by a 3 Small (1-2-Handed)
Gear Score: 1
700c
Large (2-Handed)

graphic next to the Accuracy Score:

Gear 1 The center
score. GearBow(Bow)
Score: 3
hex is the attacker’s position, and gray hexes Cut, Spin Spin, Lightweight AMMO: 25 Mat
indicate hexes that can be hit from that position.
Precise, Single T
biter 100c
Melee Cover: Melee weapons 3/1 Baton
5+3D* 550c
4/2
Boost Hammer
3D* -1
grant specialClub
cover bonuses spe-
(melee)
2
Hammer (melee)
1
3
3cifically against melee attacks. The
Small (1-2-Handed)
bonus is added to your Evade
Gear
score
Lateral
Large (2-Handed)
only. This weapon does not suffer
When attacking in melee, swing 1 handed
or two handed. If 1 handed, your accuracy
Thrusters: When rollin
Roll that many D10s
forMicro-explosive
damage. For each tip
just like cover is Score:
but 1applies only from the usual lateral limitations on Score: 3
Gear
bonus is 4 and * is 6. If 2 handed, your
Seeking enemy
tip: 5 is knocke
material.
knocked back or if
against melee attacks and only if attacks. accuracy bonus is 2 and * is 10. Screech tip: 2 material. If
Spin, Lightweight Spin, Thrusters
the weapons are in hand. When attacking in melee, swing 1 handed If 2 dice detection
or escape were 10s: uD
must b
or two “handed,” indicating a counterweight

-1 3D10
This weapon can be upgraded to a If 3tip:
Tether were 10s: Drop
5 material. A

3D* 4/2 3D*

setting on the weapon. If 1 handed, your random
which direction
will detach fromaftth
Gloves Shockstick for 100 credits more. It prompts must both pass Endu
attaching dist
accuracy bonus is 3 and * is 6. If 2 handed, saves as per the Electricity EDA whenever
Gloves are a weapon classification that Scatter tip: 10 material. dist
your weapon bonus is 1 and * is 12. it lands a Bonus attack.
TreatIf 4the
were
hex10s: Scatt
as thoug
have unique attributes. Gloves imbue unarmed Thrusters: When rolling damage for this weapon apply 1-3 thrust.
anyone else Floodinofftheofco
th
When attacking in melee, swing 1you handed Blowback from tip: 10each
materot
attacks with various
does not suffer abilities and allow to Roll that many D10s in addition to what you would normally roll
hexes backward. They m
wield other or two handed.
weapons while If still
1 handed,
having yourtheaccuracy
gloves
for damage. For each point of thrust applied to the hammer, the
to half the dist
mitations on bonus is 4 andThe* is 6. If 2title
official handed,
for thisyour
weapon is so rarely used
enemy is knocked one hex back. If the enemy
byback or if any Bludgeoning
cannot belike collapsing batons
weapons This jet-equipp
Stun tip: 5 material.
equipped. Gloves can be mixed and
the general matched,
public
knocked
it's almost unrecognizable.
of the dice come out as multiple 10’s,
are favorites
the following:among operatives whose physical
accuracy bonus is 2 and * is 10. consult
names and m
but you must declare whichEquipped
swing 1 handed glove with you aare using and gyroscopic
counterweight If 2 dice were 10s: Drop the hammer
strength isafter dealing damage.
substantial enoughIt that the utility of
when you attack,This
a counterweight andweapon
youstabilization,
must own thisboth.
swinging Gloves
weapon resemblesIf 3awerelarge
must be picked up again to be used. the core remai
can be upgraded to a 10s: Drop the a simple
hammer and metal
scatter it rod
D10 outweighs
hexes in a the damage The TAB is capable of
1 handed, don’t
your benefit from circular ring with a bonuses.
bladed edge worn on the randombackdirection afterpotential
dealing damage. The user andThey're
the victim easy to conceal and striking face
from a variety w
of sa
other dual-wielding
Shockstick for 100 credits more. It prompts of a blade.
s 6. If 2 handed, and can be easily manipulated with a bodymust both pass Endure checks with difficulty equal to the scatter
motion
distance carry, don'tprone.
raise any eyebrows with the law, powerful
round if using ashort
modi
Unless specifically forbidden
saves as per theand on the
Electricity
allows EDAglove,
a lateral whenever
to havegloves
a true “sword” that does
or be knocked
quiver and atprovides
1 and * is 12. If 4 were 10s: Scatter asand
above,arebutremarkably
the victim, the user, and
difficult to fight against if best,m
can be sold initmodified
lands a Bonus sleeves
attack.
not that
hinder theirfit
movement. anyone else in the combat are all repelled in opposite directions uses Material as amm
from each other D10 hexes theanduser knows
knocked prone.what they're doing. as it's depleted. Its ho
Laterals.
purchased for 50

230
is so rarely used by
t unrecognizable.
Bludgeoning weapons like collapsing batons
are favorites among operatives whose physical
This jet-equipped hammer has had many
names and many blueprint variants, but
purchased in this w
material pucks can b

ht and gyroscopic strength is substantial500c

enough that the utilityBurn
of Job 400c FDT Blade Select550c
which arrow yo
on resembles a large the core remains the same: a super-dense
a simple metal rod outweighs the damage Deduct the material
e worn on the back Hand
potential of a blade. unit (melee)
They're easy to conceal and striking face whose
Swordswing
(melee)is assisted by a Sword
Firing (melee)unmo
a normal,
 FIRING PATTERNS Single target: Pick a single hex/target within
LoS to shoot at. Only that target will be hit.
Weapons in HSD have firing patterns based on the
Most pistols use this firing pattern.
type of weapon they are. This affects the manner in

which the weapon fires on the hexgrid and can allow
Line: Pick a single hex/target within LoS
you to make use of a weapon’s unique properties to
to shoot at. All targets 3 hexes beyond your
set up beneficial situations.
target in a straight line are also hit provid-
If a Stun or other special result is rolled, it applies to
ed they can be seen and your initial roll was
the enemy you chose as your primary target. No firing
high enough to reach their Evade. Roll dam-
pattern can hit a single enemy more than one time,
age on each. Friendly characters are also at
regardless of how many of their hexes it’s capable of
risk. Your bullets don’t care what side they’re
touching.
on. Most rifles use this firing pattern.

WEAPONS
Lurk: If this weapon fires from stealth, you
remain stealthed while shooting provided you
are at least 20 hexes from the target. Oppo-
Single Target nents can take a Body:Perceive check to see
you once the shot has been fired, but if they
fail you do not automatically lose your stealth
status. This firing pattern is inherent to most
sniper rifles.

Line Sweep: This weapon can spread its attack

between multiple targets in front of the
shooter. Select a target and roll to attack
as normal. Apply the hit roll against all valid
targets (friendly and enemy) in a 90 degree arc
from the shooter. Roll damage separately for
Sweep each target. Using this firing mode uses two
attack actions and requires you to reload your
weapon before firing again. Most SMGs have
this firing pattern.

Spread: Pick a single target within LoS to shoot
Spread at. Apply the result against the target and any
targets in adjacent hexes. Spread is unique in
that it is applied on top of other firing modes
(excluding Bombard). Apply the spread only
to the primary target. If a weapon has Single
Target and Spread as options, you can choose
which mode to fire in. Most shotguns have this
firing pattern.

Flood: Draw a cone shape 5 hexes out from your

character using one of the depicted shapes. All
targets within the shape are hit unless they are
Flood
behind full cover, but targets can roll a Dodge
save (Difficulty 0) to decrease incoming damage
by half. If you move on a turn where you have
already fired a Flood weapon and you travel
into the affected area, you are also hit and may
Bombard not Dodge.

Bombard: This weapon can be fired like a gre-

nade, allowing it to launch over (and sometimes
through) terrain. When firing in this method
select your target and roll to hit as you
would with a regular ranged weap-
on. If you miss, scatter the weapon’s
projectile as you would a thrown 231
Spin
 object. Its damage will affect the target hex and
all adjacent hexes. You can aim at hexes rather
than people, but the projectile will automatically SPECIAL AMMUNITION
scatter. Most weapons can accept special ammunition,
which adds special damage types (explained to
Spin: Typically applicable to melee weapons, this the right) to the weapon. The types of ammo they
weapon can be swung in a circle around you, can use are listed on the weapon card. Special
putting all nearby at risk. Select a target within ammo costs 50 credits to buy and will last for one
range and attack as normal for the weapon. Apply complete combat or until a reload result is rolled.
that attack roll to all targets (friend or enemy) in
range provided they can actually be reached (not Standard (St): Basic ammunition. Free (the cost is
if they’re behind a wall, for instance). It does not absorbed by the Ledger)
engage them in combat, and they will benefit from Armor penetrating (Ap): Grants the Cut property
WEAPONS

cover (ranged or melee, whichever is higher). It’s a to the weapon.

good trick, though. You cannot use spin once you Less than lethal (LL): Grants the less than lethal
have become locked in melee (an enemy has suc- property to the weapon.
cessfully hit you with a melee attack or you have hit Energized (En): Grants the Charge property to the
them with one that wasn’t Spin) unless you success- weapon.
fully disengage. Acidic (Ac): Grants the Melt property to the
weapon
Inaccurate: Targets count every hex beyond short Incendiary (In): Grants the Incendiary property to
range (5 hexes) as a direct bonus to Evade. the weapon.
High Explosive (He): Grants the Explosive property
Stable: Short range increases from 5 to 8 hexes. to the weapon.
Toxic (Tx): Grants the Poison property to the weap-
Precision shots: Some weapons have the Precise on.
property, which allows them to fire precision shots. This
allows you to take greater control over how well you
hit vs. how much damage you do. When firing precise-
ly, you can surrender your third action to Simplify your
ranged attacks with this weapon this turn.

Lightweight: This weapon can be drawn and stowed

for free without needing to spend an action. Only one
(stowing or drawing) can be done per turn and if you
are attempting to stow or retrieve another weapon in
the process instead of simply dropping them, you will
still need to spend a support action.

Balanced: This weapon is intended for throwing. When

purchased, you are assumed to buy enough of them to
continue throwing them without having to buy more.
They may even come with a small printer for creating
them on the fly. They will need to be collected after
the fight to keep your stock up, but this can be done
through narration.

232
DAMAGE TYPES most common suppliers of power points are from
FDT armor, the PPC item (which counts as a single
Some weapons have special damage types.
one-use power point) and the internal reactor
These are always in affect, though some do have
surgery. Each point counts towards another use.
conditions associated with their use. If a weapon
Loading a PPC counts as a support action.
uses a special damage type, it will be indicated in
FDT repulsion: When FDT weapons clash they can
its entry. Many damage types cause destruction of
violently deflect each other’s energy. If you would
the victim’s body on death. If a weapon has two
hit an enemy with your FDT weapon but fail to
abilities that both do this, apply them in whatever
pass the cover provided by their FDT weapon (or
configuration makes the most narrative sense.
if they have an FDT armor or shield with any ac-
tive energy in it) do not deal damage. Instead, pick
Charge a random line of hexes off the enemy and send a
This weapon treats enemy Endure scores as 2 lower line D10 hexes in that direction. The first object hit
than listed. If this weapon rolls a critical hit treat it in that line takes the deflected damage.
as a source of electric damage as per the Environ-
mental Damage array rather than applying Exploit. If Incendiary
an enemy is downed by a Charge weapon they are This weapon ignores cover bonuses unless they
energized and their bodies fuse with their equip- are from a shield. If this weapon rolls a critical
ment. Anything explosive they may have on their per- hit treat it as a source of fire damage as per the
son explodes. Gear cannot be harvested from them Environmental Damage array rather than applying
nor can they be claimed as bounties. Exploit. If an enemy is downed with this they are
lit aflame and will run D10 hexes in a somewhat
Cut random (the Guide can play with this) direction,
If this weapon would STUN! An enemy, deal 1 Wound setting the hexes they pass through on fire. The
to them instead. hexes burn for 5 turns and count as sources of
ignition as per the fire EDA to anything passing
through them. Gear cannot be harvested from the
Explosive body nor can they be claimed as bounties.
This weapon treats full cover as half cover, allowing
it to fire at enemies behind walls provided they are
only blocked by 1 hex. If an enemy is downed with Less than lethal
this, their body explodes as per a Hotspot grenade. Downing an enemy with this weapon will knock
Gear cannot be harvested from them nor can they them out instead of killing them.
be claimed as bounties.
Melt
This weapon treats enemy Evasion scores as 2
Force Displacement (FDT) lower than listed. If this weapon rolls a critical hit
Forced displacement weapons use a unique tech- treat it as a source of acidic damage as per the
nology that funnels matter out of targeted areas in Environmental Damage array rather than applying
a rush. It originated as levitation technology but is Exploit. If an enemy is downed by a Melt weapon
branching out into early force-shielding and weap- they are liquefied into a caustic puddle the size
onry. It’s useful in that it doesn’t use any physical ob- of their hex occupancy that is treated as difficult
ject to do its job but it hasn’t caught on very quickly terrain and will open a hole in the floor if the
in mercenary and military circles. Bullets displace floor isn’t reinforced or particularly durable. Gear
matter too and are far more efficient at it. cannot be harvested from them nor can they be
FDT shines brightest when used as a sort of light- claimed as bounties.
weight, limited application battering ram. It’s capa-
ble of unleashing startling damage with a relatively
small material investment and no need for ammuni- Poison
tion. However, its power draw limits its use unless you Poisons come in many forms, but poisonous weap-
load yourself down with batteries, which defeats its ons are typically manufactured with a singular
advantage. purpose: ensure the target dies regardless of the
Energy: Weapons and items with the FDT tag use outcome of the encounter. Enemies that have taken
power points from external power sources to acti- a Wound from this weapon will continue to take
vate their full potential. Activating an FDT weapon Wounds at a rate of 1 every minute. Most fights
allows it to use its listed FDT ability once at the cost are very quick, so this likely won’t apply in com-
of one power point. Power points are only required bat, but if they flee they’re going to need to treat
by listed FDT abilities; they do not use their energy themselves quickly. Poison can be neutralized with
for passive effects like melee cover or the standard a Mind Exert:Medicine(3) check if you have a PERK
damage template listed on the FDT weapon. The or equivalent item.

233
 UPGRADES
Most weapons can be upgraded. The components aren’t complicated but aren’t sold independently due
to a desire by those in power to hold onto the best equipment. You can buy them, but you’ll need a
friend in the business or some ties to low places.

Upgrades cost between 50-150 credits depending on what you can negotiate. Weapons can have 2
upgrades each. They can be removed and replaced but will not work on any other weapon aside from
the one they were made for. Upgrades work on any weapon that does not expressly forbid them, even
if the description doesn’t directly fit the weapon. It is assumed a variant exists that is appropriate. Each
upgrade may only be applied to a weapon once.
WEAPONS

Ranged Upgrades foe.

Effect: This allows your gun to be rooted in
place with a support action. It then counts as having
Bayonet +2 Accuracy score and reduces your Evade by 2 on any
A classic solution to the problem of having a turn you fire it. It must be uprooted as a support action
gun too large to aim in melee, bayonets have changed before it can be moved. You cannot pop out around
attachment and deployment configurations over the corners with this, as the gun is locked in place, so you
years but not their overall concept. It’s a sharp pointy will need to be in a partially exposed position to use
thing you can use without dropping your gun. it. This rooting and uprooting can benefit from the
Effect: This weapon gains the properties of a Shieldwall Technique as though it were a shield.
knife in addition to its normal properties (though it Only available on medium and heavy weapons.
requires as many hands to hold as the weapon it’s at-
tached to). It can use these properties interchangeably
HUD interface
but cannot attack with both at one time.
A general staple of tactical strike teams, this
camera and sensor system gives the user a vastly in-
Body Harness creased suite of information about their weapon and
This system uses a strong locking mechanism their target. It can interface with a toggle screen or
and several of the levitation technologies inherent built in display to highlight enemies its fired at, report
to Pushframes to allow you to comfortably store a its ammo reserves, track allies, give general distances
weapon on your forearm or elsewhere without having between targets, and a host of other useful tools that
actually store or retrieve it. A simple motion will send it all help to make the user more aware.
back to your hand or stash it to the side. Effect: this counts as 1 free Readiness point that
Effect: Your weapon can be drawn or secured regenerates at the beginning of each combat.
as though it had the lightweight property. Only one
weapon you’re carrying can use this upgrade if multi-
Laser Targeting
ple ones have it.
Having a perfectly straight line to ensure your
bullets are going where you want them to is a desir-
Emplacement Rig able feature for a gun. Laser sights are cheap and
Heavy weapons trade accuracy for increased effective and help limit an enemy’s places to hide.
stopping power, but that deal can be sweet- Effect: This reduces environmental cover bonus-
ened by fixing the gun in place. This retract- es by 1 but will negate Lurk on a weapon that has it.

234
able system grants you valuable stability
when you need to get a bead on a flighty

UPGRADES
Lumen Miniaturization Secondary Propellant
The Lumen corp, in addition to being the first By adding an additional propellant system
providers of faster than light travel, also offer a unique to the weapon itself, projectiles are launched
miniaturization service that can offer the full function- significantly faster than they normally would be.
ality of weapons at a vastly reduced size. The reduced Effect: Add 2 to the weapon’s damage.
weapon is capable of its full damage potential (a fact
that worries the crap out of a great deal of people) Sensor Tips
but does make it difficult to modify (represented by A miniature manufacturing bay in the weap-
miniaturization taking up an upgrade slot). on embeds sensors into its bullets as they’re loaded.
Effect: Miniaturized weapons can be wielded They’re “noisy” in that they put out a lot of ultra-
by Micros as though they were properly scaled to their sonic and digital sound, but they’re silent to normal
bodies. ears while in use. While this system is occasionally
used for espionage with silenced weapons, its real

WEAPONS
Pre-Charger Coil strength has been in rapid deployment by fully
Internal energy projectors can heat, cool, automatic weapons immediately before an attack,
arrange, polish, and even boost acceleration of a which provides the incoming force with accurate
projectile before it ever leaves the barrel, resulting in enemy positions before entering.
improved performance from every bullet. Effect: The shooter can use a toggle to
Effect: Increase the Accuracy score of this collect location data if the bullet was fired into
weapon by 1. a moving object. The bullet will also generate live
maps of the nearby area (about the size of a room)
Regenerating Mag through sonar that can be received by the shooter
An incorporated micro-printer in this magazine on their toggle, and can transmit noise it hears. This
scans the chemical properties of special ammo and re- upgrade can only be applied to weapons that use
configures normal ammo loaded into it to mimic those physical projectiles.
effects. It has a limited supply of chemicals, but it lasts
longer than a standard purchase would and can be Snap-Tether
refilled. A lightning-quick tethering system can retract
Effect: This upgrade prevents you from losing your weapon to a holding position if you drop it.
special ammo you have loaded into your weapon if you Effect: If this weapon is deliberately dropped
roll reload results in combat. The ammo is still exhaust- in combat, it snaps to a holding position on the char-
ed at the end of combat. acter’s hip or back where they can retrieve it again. If
the weapon is forcibly removed by an effect or ability
Reinforced Barrel this does not prevent it. This upgrade can be applied
Increasing the resilience of the barrel on this to ranged and melee weapons.
weapon can make it handle the increased demands of
special ammunition it wasn’t originally intended to use. Stabilizer
Effect: This allows the loading of any type of This reactive counterweight helps cut recoil on
special ammunition even if the weapon doesn’t normal- bucking guns.
ly support it. It cannot be taken on weapons that have Effect: This weight adds the Stable property to
N/A written on their ammo types and will not allow an Inaccurate weapon.
LL ammo in weapons that expressly forbid it (they’re
simply too powerful). Suppressor
Silencing systems allow weapons to be used
Scope undetected but don’t cut sound completely. As long as
Long distance aiming allows for precise firing you stand a bit back, however, this can allow you to
from out of harm’s way. work in ghostly silence.
Effect: Most guns are assumed to have effec- Effect: This grants the Lurk property to the
tive ranges limited to the hexmap they’re fighting on. weapon. Silenced weapons come equipped with this
Scopes allow you to target enemies from much larger and cannot remove it. Flood and Bombard weapons
distances. This is a narrative upgrade and can enable cannot take suppressors.
your character to use their gun from considerable
range. It also has night-vision properties and body
tracking that will allow it to negate Complications to
shooting from environmental factors.
Cannot be placed on Inaccurate weapons.
Can only be placed on weapons with the Precision shot

235
property.

UPGRADES
 Tumbletube Melee Upgrades
An older concept for adding stopping power at
the expense of range and accuracy. This barrel Adaptive Balance
modification causes the bullet to tumble end Your weapon can change its weight distribution
over end on the way out, dramatically increasing mid-swing to stabalize itself.
the damage it does to light and unarmored flesh, Effect: Increase the Accuracy score of this
but reducing its aerodynamic proper ties. weapon by 1. This upgrade uses 2 slots on the wepaon.
Effect: the weapon becomes Inaccurate, but
gains D10 damage against light-armored and
non-armored targets. Against targets with medium
Advanced Deterrent
Your melee weapon is equipped with a short
or heavier armor (or natural defenses considered
range emergency projectile weapon. It’s not a great
equivalent to such) remove this bonus. A weapon
gun, but it works wonderfully for a quick shot to the
with this upgrade cannot use special ammunition.
WEAPONS

face of an incoming attacker.

This upgrade can only be applied to weapons that
Effect: Your melee weapon can make threat-re-
use bullets. This upgrade cannot be applied to any-
sponse attacks. Use your melee attack as the attack
thing that is already inaccurate.
roll.

Underslung Grenade Launcher

Though the rifle-mounted grenade launcher is
Body Harness
This system uses a strong locking mechanism
a staple for its ability to dish out critical damage
and several of the levitation technologies inherent
at a moment’s notice, creative users load these
to Pushframes to allow you to comfortably store a
systems with unique, situational grenades that can
weapon on your forearm or elsewhere without having
sometimes spell the difference between success and
actually store or retrieve it. A simple motion will send it
failure. That and they’re less prone to blowing up in
back to your hand or stash it to the side.
the tube accidentally.
Effect: Your weapon can be drawn or secured
Effect: This can only be mounted on a 2-hand-
as though it had the lightweight property. Only one
ed ranged weapon. It can store up to two grenades
weapon you’re carrying can use this upgrade if multi-
(purchased separately) or grenade-sized objects. The
ple ones have it.
weapon gains a secondary attack option with an Ac-
curacy score of 0 and a range of 10. Attack as normal
for a ranged weapon. If you hit, activate the grenade Extension
on target. If you miss, scatter as normal. Hexes can Be it a longer blade or a longer handle, this
be targeted. If an explosion (such as a grenade) hits extension improves a weapon’s reach.
you, roll a D10. On a 1-5, the grenades loaded in this Effect: This increases melee weapon reach by
weapon explode on your hex. The grenade launcher is 1 hex. 2-handed weapons only, removes Lightweight if
substantial and uses two upgrade slots on the weapon. the weapon had it.

FDT Wave
A built-in FDT wave projector allows this
weapon to shove enemies away from itself as it strikes,
buying you space when you need it.
Effect: You can activate this upgrade while you
make an attack. It consumes one power point. Treat it
as though you have activated a Repulsion grenade on
your hex with a 90 degree area of effect in the direc-
tion of your target. It can be re-engerized as normal
for a FDT device but does not actually make your
weapon an FDT weapon.

HUD interface
A general staple of tactical strike teams, this
camera and sensor system gives the user a vastly in-
creased suite of information about their weapon and
their target. It can interface with a toggle screen or
built in display to highlight enemies its hit, report its
condition, track allies, give general distances between
targets, and a host of other useful tools that all help to
make the user more aware.

236
UPGRADES
 Effect: this counts as 1 free Readiness point that
regenerates at the beginning of each combat.

Strobe Band
This carefully positioned lighting system is MODULAR WEAPONS
arranged to face toward the enemy depending on the
angle of the swing and sets off a staggering 10k lumen Weapons in HSD that are capable of taking
burst in quick flickers at the moment of the strike. upgrade units are generally sold in modular
Effect: Increases your cover bonus provided by forms, making them cheaper and more common,
this close combat weapon by 1, or 2 if you’re in a dark or more expensive and harder to find, depend-
area. ing on the level of modularity. They can be
purchased from any shop that sells weapons,
Swingweight Hammer but their overall availability will be less than
By equipping a sliding weight system to this their standard counterparts the more advanced
weapon, extra power can be added to its strikes. they become.
Effect: Add 2 to the weapon’s damage.
A modular weapon variant is just like a nor-
mal weapon except that it has more or fewer
Vibrox upgrade slots. A modular variant can have as
A fully integrated upgrade for slicing weapons,
many as 2 more or 2 fewer slots, to a minimum
this system sends waves of vibration across the blade
of 0.
that cause it to slide right off (or through) intervening

defenses.
For each slot removed from the weapon, de-
Effect: This negates the cover bonus provid-
crease its item score by 1 and its cost by 10% of
ed by enemy melee weapons (not shields). The Vibrox
its base cost.
system is substantial and uses two upgrade slots on the
For each slot added to a weapon, increase its
weapon. Can only be equipped on a weapon with the
item score by 1 and its cost by 50% of its base
Cut property that possesses a physical blade.
cost.

Modular slots are unique in that they can take

the Secondary Propellant, Pre-charger coil,
Swingweight hammer, or Adaptive Balance
upgrades even if the weapon already
possesses them.
Weapons cannot be converted to modular
once they’ve been purchased, they need to
be bought or found that way. It also does not
change their legality, just their availability and
how much it affects your battlescore.

Crafting Modular Weapons

Crafting modular weapons works like crafting
regular weapons, except that the Difficulty
score and materials cost for all aspects in-
creases by its base value for each modular slot
you wish to add (so x2 for one modular slot, x3
for two, based off the base cost). In most cases
you can’t craft the lesser, cheaper versions of
the weapon. Available blueprints and frames
usually only fit the standard models.
 300c MC/IR-.H-22R Crucible 200c MC/IR.H-10R Handgun

Handgun (Gun) Small (1-Handed) Handgun (Gun) Small (1-Handed)

HANDGUNS
AMMO: Any Gear Score: 1 AMMO: Any Gear Score: 0

Small-arms are a common- Single Target, Charge, Precise, Lightweight Single Target, Precise, Lightweight
place item in Sol, with most
basic models being accept-
able for concealed carry
provided you don’t have a
1 6+2D6 3 4+2D4
problematic record. The IRPF
has made the basic handgun Pistol: Roll 1d10 instead of 2d10 to Pistol: Roll 1d10 instead of 2d10 to
a fairly simple object to get determine if a bonus attack can be determine if a bonus attack can be
in order to help control who made with this weapon. made with this weapon.
has access to larger, more
lethal weapons. With general This weapon ignores the first reload
Vector resilience and advanc- result rolled per combat.
es in medicine and treat-
ment, the damage caused by
non-life-threatening pistol
wounds is pretty quick to
treat. For those who need a handgun capable of A piece by many names, this standard handgun is a
outputting degrees of aggression, the Crucible reliable, versatile weapon requiring minimal training to
is a favored tool. This weapon can charge its use properly. Carrying this gun concealed for personal
protection is generally acceptable anywhere provided
ammunition to negate the active shielding of
you've cleared it with the local IRPF office. This will still
advanced active armor systems. It's considered be confiscated from you in private residences or offices
to be a service weapon and a bit overkill for if it's noticed. Most of the populace of Sol owns a gun
walking around with, but still within the class much like this one, though the number of active
one license. carriers is somewhat fewer.

300c MC/IR-.H-12R Palm shot 200c MC-HM-40R Pinpoint 350c MC/IR-.H-11R Plug gun

Handgun (Gun) Small (1-Handed) Handgun (Gun) Small (1-Handed) Handgun (Gun) Small (1-Handed)

AMMO: St, LL Gear Score: 1 AMMO: St Gear Score: 1 AMMO: St Gear Score: 2

Single Target, Precise, Lightweight Single Target, Precise, Lightweight, Inaccurate Single Target, Line, Precise

2 4+2D4 1 4+3D4 1 3+3D6

Pistol: Roll 1d10 instead of 2d10 to This weapon can be wielded by micros Pistol: Roll 1d10 instead of 2d10 to
determine if a bonus attack can be with no penalty. determine if a bonus attack can be
made with this weapon. Ballistic weaponry on the micro scale has always been a made with this weapon.
challenge. The reduced size of the projectile means reduced
effect on the target, the smaller barrel means less speed and
This weapon can be considered accuracy, and the smaller expansion chamber reduces overall This weapon cannot be modded with a
equipped even if you’re holding other
power considerably. The Pinpoint is one of the few truly micro Suppressor and will cancel your stealth
scaled handguns, and uses a combination of technologies to
when used despite any techniques or
things in the same hand. cause its projectile to expand considerably upon contact with
the target, then contract and expand in various angles as it conditions to the contrary.
travels. The result is an almost “chewing” effect, which causes
substantial damage after impact rather than during.

This miniaturized version of the standard This weapon is actually more “small shotgun” sized on a micro The Plugger is an effective shotgun replace-
handgun packs equivalent punch in a less than “handgun” sized, but it's about as small as it can get and ment when mobility and carry space is limited.
counts as a handgun (which can allow dual wielding if the
noticeable package. Effective for infiltration character knows how). The weapon is difficult to hide and
Capable of firing calibers generally reserved for
operations and stealth, but not acceptable for must usually be carried on the back, so most users wishing to two-handed weapons three times its size, the
personal protection. The IRPF considers this an stay discreet just hide themselves. This weapon is considered Plugger is an effective piece of stopping power.
acceptable for personal protection, but micros typically don't
assassin's weapon and will not look kindly on This weapon is ill suited for personal defense, as
carry guns in public. Historically, it has proven more
you carrying one outside of a collection. This provocative than protective, and has resulted in unfortunate it is almost guaranteed to penetrate an
weapon is roughly the size of a Toggle case and shootings that could likely have been avoided. This is a point unarmored target and endanger the people
can be fired from a palmed position, making it of contention with many micros, who blame the most behind them. It's also extraordinarily loud and
noteworthy events on idiot giants thinking that just because
very easy to hide even while being searched something is small it can be screwed with at will. This can be a
has a muzzleflash exceeding two feet in length.
provided they don't ask you to empty your fun point of roleplay to consider with your character if it It is very noticeable when fired and will expose
pockets. comes up. your position in just about any situation.
 300c MC/IR-.H-30R Surefire 250c MC-HL-3x42R Aggressor

SMGs
Handgun (Gun) Small (1-Handed) SMG (Gun) Small (1-Handed)
AMMO: St, LL Gear Score: 1 AMMO: Any Gear Score: 2
While the pistol category
Sweep, Lightweight, Single Target contains some high-caliber Single Target, Sweep, Inaccurate
models with a great deal of

3 5D4
stopping power, improvements
in firing rate have made the
SMG category popular for
-1 5D6
individuals looking for rifle
Pistol: Roll 1d10 instead of 2d10 to power in a pistol-sized pack- SMG: When shooting at point-blank, this
determine if a bonus attack can be age. These weapons serve no weapon can elect to hit once automatical-
made with this weapon. purpose beyond indiscrimi- ly by using two attack actions. It must be
nately filling the local area reloaded before it can be used again.
with bullets, so the IRPF tends
Laterals only, can be fired normally without the
to monitor them carefully. detriments to lateral shooting.
This rig can support a second 3x42R for dual
weilding for an additional 150 credits.

The Surefire borders on being a sub-machine While not a full Latiform rig, the Aggressor
gun, but falls just short, making it a great
shoulder-mount is a sturdy aim and pivot
choice for operators who want a personal
defense weapon that can easily double as an system for non-micro Laterals. Boasting a
active combat weapon. The gun fires three shot socket that can mount the standard 3x10R,
bursts and includes internal gyroscopes to help this puts a high rate of fire weapon within
reduce kick, resulting in accurate delivery of the grasp of operatives who traditionally
multiple bullets at a time for greater damage have difficulty wielding them.
reliability.

300c MC/IR-.H-3x15R Harrier 300c MC/IR-.H-3x13R Rattler 200c Shardshot

SMG (Gun) Small (1-Handed) SMG (Gun) Small (1-Handed) SMG (Gun) Small (1-Handed)

AMMO: Any Gear Score: 1 AMMO: St, LL Gear Score: 1 AMMO: N/A Gear Score: 3

Single Target, Sweep, Inaccurate, Stable Single Target, Spread, Inaccurate Single Target, Spread, Inaccurate, Poison

0 5D4 -2 5D8 1 4D4

SMG: When shooting at point-blank, SMG: When shooting at point-blank, This weapon does not suffer reload
this weapon can elect to hit once this weapon can elect to hit once results. Laterals can use this weapon
automatically by using two attack automatically by using two attack without suffering the usual penalties
actions. It must be reloaded before it actions. It must be reloaded before it for lateral attacks.
can be used again. can be used again.

You do not require techniques to dual

wield Harriers.

The Spyglass Shard Launcher is a machine built with

The Harrier has a reputation for being an When accuracy is not a concern, the Rattler
such deliberate intentions that it could only have
entertainment weapon rather than a stands out as one of the most aggressive come from a corp that hailed honest-dishonesty as a
practical one, primarily due to its low hand-helds in the ballistic weapon's virtue. Small enough to fit on a glove and fired by
caliber, nearly non-existent recoil, and category. Outputting at double the speed clenching a fist, the Shardshot razors off infinitesimally
small slivers of a solid core ammunition cube inside it
overall meager damage output. However, of the standard MarsCo SMG, this weapon
and propels them outward with a burst of compressed
to those individuals who have cultivated a possesses considerable stopping power, if gas. Its range is short, but it is utterly silent, and the
talent for firing two weapons at once, the you can keep it on target. projectile itself is typically poisoned. The entry wound
Harrier is among the friendliest models to is pretty obvious, so it’s not an ideal tool for passing
off an assassination as death by natural causes, but it
use thanks to its ease of one-handed
is easily concealed and an ideal holdout weapon. Best
aiming even while firing at full auto. (or worst) of all, its modest size and simple opera-tion
make it ideal for micro laterals to mount.
 350c MC/IR-.H-3x20R Stiletto 200c MC/IR-.H-3x10R SMG

SMG (Gun) Small (2-Handed) SMG (Gun) Small (1-Handed)

AMMO: St Gear Score: 1 AMMO: Any Gear Score: 1

SHOTGUNS
Line, Sweep, Inaccurate Single Target, Sweep, Inaccurate The shotgun category has
been changed and molded

0 4D8 -1 5D6
over the centuries and doesn’t
fit quite the same descrip-
tors it used to. In modern Sol,
shotguns sacrifice rate of
SMG: When shooting at point-blank, SMG: When shooting at point-blank, fire for stopping power and
this weapon can elect to hit once this weapon can elect to hit once durability, with an emphasis
automatically by using two attack automatically by using two attack on spreading their payload
actions. It must be reloaded before it actions. It must be reloaded before it over a narrow zone. Sol has
can be used again. can be used again. body types ranging from tiny
to vehicle sized, and having a
weapon that shoots in a wide
blast makes it easier to layer
damage on larger targets.

A preferred choice among teams operating All weapons in the sub machingun category are
in tighter areas where rifles are difficult to considered too dangerous for personal protection due
to their high rates of fire. Getting caught with one of
wield, the Stiletto offers near rifle-like these and you're likely going to get pulled in for
firepower in a smaller package. The questioning, resulting in either the confiscation of the
considerable kick of this weapon requires gun, arrest, or some effective bribing and negotiation.
that it be braced like a rifle rather than They are easy to conceal though, making them among
the more popular weapons in the criminal scene.
wielded freely.

700c MC/IR-H-57R Pacifier 700c IR-H-53R Relentless 750c MC/IR-H-55R Roil

Shotgun (Gun) Medium (2-Handed) Shotgun (Gun) Medium (2-Handed) Shotgun (Gun) Medium (2-Handed)

AMMO: ST Gear Score: 1 AMMO: Any Gear Score: 1 AMMO: Any Gear Score: 1

Spread, Inaccurate Spread, Inaccurate, Stable Spread, Inaccurate, Disrupt

0 8+D10 0 2D10 -1 3D8

Shotgun: If attacking a target with a Shotgun: If attacking a target with a Shotgun: If attacking a target with a shape
shape that includes multiple hexes, shape that includes multiple hexes, that includes multiple hexes, simplify attacks
simplify attacks with this weapon. simplify attacks with this weapon. with this weapon.

If you roll max damage treat the weapon

This weapon has only one upgrade This weapon ignores the first reload as though it has rolled a reload result
slot. result rolled per combat. after the attack.

The massive force behind the 57R Pacifier is The IRPF Relentless is a 52R variant featuring A medium sized automatic shotgun is a
downplayed by its integrated silencer, which an extended ammo supply so officers will wonderful tool for subjugating a panicky
was considered necessary after initial tests still have shots left when their shotgun enemy. Its noise is horrendous, its damage
with the weapon showed it likely to shock wielding targets are busy reloading. While is considerable, and its accuracy is..a bit of
and disorient its firer with repeated use. It's no more powerful than the standard a non-issue, as most people don't want to
accurate range is short and it'll make your shotgun, the IRPF typically doesn't sell this stand in front of it anyway. This weapon is a
shoulder hurt for days, but it's an effective model outside of its ranks without cause. little impractical for extended use due to its
tool for making whatever is currently in front After all, its effectiveness hinges on the ammo consumption, but few things are
of you not be there any more. other guy not having one. more fun to fire.
 600c MC/IR-H-52R Shotgun 250c Shrapnel Gun 800c IR-H-58R Tactical

Shotgun (Gun) Medium (2-Handed) Shotgun (Gun) Medium (2-Handed) Shotgun (Gun) Medium (2-Handed)
AMMO: Any Gear Score: 0 AMMO: N/A Gear Score: 2 AMMO: Any Gear Score: 1

Spread, Inaccurate, Stable Spread, Inaccurate, Poison, Bombard Spread, Inaccurate, Stable

0 2D10 -1 2D12 0 2D10

Shotgun: If attacking a target with a Junkhopper: Spend a standard action Shotgun: If attacking a target with a shape
shape that includes multiple hexes, feeding the Shrapnel gun fresh junk. that includes multiple hexes, simplify
attacks with this weapon.
simplify attacks with this weapon. Its next attack has Exploit. If fired in
Bombard mode while using this This weapon is also a 2 handed Baton
ability the gun will need to be melee weapon. This weapon can fire while
reloaded before firing again. submerged or in vacuum.
This weapon can be used as a sturdy tool
without risk of damage, allowing it to
brace doors, pry things open, etc..

Weapons of this nature fall under most of the One of the nastier surprises The 58R Tac is among the most robust weapons
same rules as rifles in terms of their public to come out of Spyglass markets, this weapon available, and the go-to shotgun for those whose
carry-ability. They run a fine line when housed in shreds and vomits metal shards at lethal speeds, jobs take them through a variety of hazardous
vehicles, though. If you're on good terms with blanketing a local area in vicious shrapnel. Its environments. It can accept any size clip, can operate
local authorities and have an established need overall damage is low enough that most armored over a massive array of temperatures, has a
for defense (say, you've taken some dangerous opponents have little to worry about, but it shreds reinforced and armored barrel jacket capable of
jobs in the past) most IRPF offices won't have a flesh nicely and has the advantage of using damn deflecting impacts from honed melee weaponry, can
problem with you housing a shotgun in your near anything for ammo. Cans, glass, street junk, fire while submerged and in vacuum, and has an
just load it into the hopper and the rapid compres- impact-sensitive safety that allows it to be wielded
vehicle for rapid use. Just don't walk around
sion and shredding cogs do the rest. as a tool or weapon with zero risk of misfire.
with it.

750c MC/IR-H-60R Waveform 750c IR-H-1022 Asp

Shotgun (Gun) Medium (2-Handed) Sniper Rifle (Gun) Medium (2-Handed)

AMMO: ST Gear Score: 1 RIFLES AMMO: Any Gear Score: 3

Spread, Inaccurate, Stable, Bombard

Two handed rifles provide Single Target, Line, Precise, Lurk
long range, high accuracy,
and a durable structure to

0 6+D10 the user. Most of Sol’s rifles

feature impressive muzzle 1 6+3D6
velocities capable of piercing
Shotgun: If attacking a target with a several targets per shot, even This weapon has the Suppressor
shape that includes multiple hexes, while armored. modification which takes one of its
simplify attacks with this weapon. upgrade slots.

Shotgun sized frames make an ideal This lightweight sniper rifle packs less
platform for a variety of unique weapons punch than some of its kin, but is easier to
systems. The Waveform is a force- transport and aim and collapses nicely for
bombardment system capable of exerting concealment. It has a repuation as an
considerable pressure on a target. Its assassination tool that makes it difficult to
damage output is less than its conventional aquire.
counterparts, but cover offers little defense
against it.
 600c MC/IR-H-3x60R Assault Rifle 700c IR-H-1012 Big 700c MC-HM-3x80R Hive

Rifle (Gun) Medium (2-Handed) Sniper Rifle (Gun) Medium (2-Handed) Rifle (Gun) Medium (2-Handed)
AMMO: Any Gear Score: 2 AMMO: Any Gear Score: 2 AMMO: N/A Gear Score: 2

Single Target, Line, Precise Single Target, Line, Precise Single Target

1 4+3D8 -1 6+3D10 2 D8
This weapon has the Scope This weapon is micro scaled.
modification, which takes up one Swarm: When attacking with this weapon, as
of its upgrade slots. long as you continue to attack the same
target, add an additional D8 damage to each
subsiquent roll (max 6D8). This resets if you
attack a different target, do something other
than attacking with this weapon, or miss.

Damage caused by this weapon is rolled

agaisnt the target and all adjacent targets.

The most ubiquitous weapon in Sol. This durable firearm employs our
smoothly engineered, beautifully reliable caseless ammo sparked with It's a simple name for a rather technological- When tasked with the production of a micro
proven frequency-pulse ignition systems, resulting in a smooth, clean
shot every time. The unique sound produced by this weapon has earned ly complex weapon, but its effect is blunt scaled assault rifle, MarsCo got creative. The
it a variety of nicknames over the years, but it's most often referred to as
and to the point, which reflects its Hive is a nanoprobe gun that saturates the air
a Pulser or Doppler rifle.
This is a dedicated service weapon and can't be carried casually unless operation. The Big is good for holding still, around a target with an ever-increasing supply
your organization has all its ducks in a row (if you'll pardon the pun) with of micro-explosive robots. The results aren't as
the IRPF. In most cases, once you've paid your fees and been officially taking careful aim, and removing what it's
immediate as a full sized rifle, but given only a
recognized, you're clear to pack your rifles, but if you make a habit of
flaunting them or wearing them for no reason in areas with a dense
pointed at. It doesn't do much else. few seconds time, they can build up to
civilian population, you're going to earn yourself ill-will. And you sure as
hell better not DRAW the thing without a clear and present danger. profoundly devastating levels.

750c MC/IR-H-3x52R Popup 800c MC/IR-H-3x72R Ranger 800c MC/IR-H-3x70R Ravage

Rifle (Gun) Medium (2-Handed) Rifle (Gun) Medium (2-Handed) Rifle(Gun) Medium (2-Handed)

AMMO: Any Gear Score: 2 AMMO: St, Ap Gear Score: 2 AMMO: St, Ap Gear Score: 2

Single Target, Line, Precise, Lightweight Single Target, Line, Precise, Charge Line

1 4+2D10 2 6+2D10 -1 2+3D10

This weapon does not support mods. This weapon cannot be modded with
It can be collapsed and expanded a Suppressor and will cancel your
while it is being drawn. stealth when used despite any
techniques or conditions
to the contrary.

Easy transportation can be critical if infiltration is part Known to tactical sharpshooters every- This weapon emphasizes armor punish-
of your assignment. The Popup is a full sized rifle that where, the Ranger gives you a high caliber ment, employing a positively massive
is capable of collapsing into a 7x4x2 inch rectangle
and back again with the push of a button. Despite its round and an ideal delivery system for key bullet for a medium sized weapon and
easily concealable nature, this weapon doesn't share single shots. It's charge system allows sacrificing rate of fire for maximum impact.
the same reputation that other hideaway guns do. It's pinpoint fire to be devastating while still Its large ammo capacity and range gives it
considered more “efficient” than “assassin.” However, giving it the versatility of an automatic and advantage over similarly devastating
you are required to wear it openly (perhaps attached
to a belt) so it can be seen by officers in order to weapon when it needs it, but makes hiding auto-shotguns, but its custom ammunition
adhere to your IRPF agreements. If you're found difficult. makes it more expensive to operate.
carrying it secretly, you will likely be considered a
public threat.
 700c IR-H-3x66R Sharpbark rifle 800c MC/IR-H-3x63R Storm 800c MC-HL-3x86R Wingset

Rifle (Gun) Medium (2-Handed) Rifle (Gun) Medium (2-Handed) Rifle (Gun) Medium (2-Handed)

AMMO: St, LL Gear Score: 2 AMMO: St Gear Score: 2 AMMO: Any Gear Score: 2

Line, Precise Line, Aim-Assist, Single Target Single Target, Line, Precise

1 2+3D10 1 2+2D10 1 3+3D8

Aim-Assist: This weapon simplifies Laterals only. This weapon counts as
ranged combat checks. dual-wielded and has the associated
bonuses and requirements. Laterals
can use this weapon without the
usual negatives associated with
shooting as laterals.

An excellent choice for tight quarters or limited The Wingset is a double weapons systems with
Developed as an IRPF standard replace-
visibility areas where the enemy's exact location iris-mapping an body interpretation systems to
ment to the 3x60R, the Sharpbark sacrifices is unknown. The Storm's high rate of fire and allow for accurate aiming at a target based on the
ammo variety to accept a larger round with integrated stabilization make it ideal for team actions of a body that can't normally point two
greater stopping power. member's whose aim could use a little improve- guns in two different directions. The Wingset
ment. Just point it in one direction; you'll employs a custom rifle equivalent to the 3x60, but
probably hit something. the increased storage area down the wearer's back
allows for a larger ammo hopper.

700c Tech Assembly Bow 600c Tactical Folding Composite Bow

Bow(Bow) Medium (2-Handed) Bow (Bow) Medium (2-Handed)

AMMO: 25 Material Gear Score: 3 AMMO: Any Gear Score: 3
BOWS Precise, Single Target, Lurk, Ammo Selection Single Target, Lurk, Overdraw
Aside from sport, bows hav-

3 4xD8
en’t had much of a spotlight
in the modern warfare field.
However, with micro technol- 3 5D8
ogy embedded in the arrows, Micro-explosive tip: 10 material. Increase damage to 4xD12.
Seeking tip: 5 material. Counts the weapon’s accuracy score as 4 for
a lot of utility can be packed this shot.
into the projectiles they fire. Screech tip: 2 material. If hit, the enemy cannot use combat sneaking Overdraw: You can convert this attack
And while they lack the range
or escape detection until they remove the arrow with a support
action.
to an Exploit attack. Complicate the
of a rifle, there’s no denying Tether tip: 5 material. Allows the attachment of any 1-handed item, attack. You may not attack more than
which will detach from the arrow on contact with a surface. Useful for
their killing power. Enhanced attaching distant ropes, cameras, or distractions. once this round for any reason.
Scatter tip: 10 material. Select a target hex you have a clear shot to.
pulley systems have grant- Treat the hex as though it has a 15 Evade score. If you hit, angle a
Flood off of that hex in any direction you want.
ed them penetration power Blowback tip: 10 material. Enemy is knocked 2D10-their Total Mass
sufficient to get through even hexes backward. They must roll an endure save with difficulty equal
to half the distance moved or be knocked Prone.
durable armor. Stun tip: 5 material. Adds the Disrupt property to the arrow.

The TAB is capable of assembling complicated arrowheads The folding composite bow is a simple, quiet
from a variety of saved designs. It limits it to 1 shot per weapon that is difficult to detect and ideal for
round if using a modified arrow, but removes the need for a
stealth missions. A mounted quivers silently
quiver and provides maximum on-demand utility. The bow
uses Material as ammunition, and will need to be reloaded dispenses arrows on a tiny armature for rapid
as it's depleted. Its hopper holds 25 Material, which can be retrieval and can feed them as quickly as the archer
purchased for 50 credits from any buyspot (material can pull the string, making this the fastest firing
purchased in this way is just for this bow). Additional bow available. While still no match for rifles in terms
material pucks can be bought and stored on your person. of overall damage potential, the slower flightspeed
of the bow and lack of chemical explosives or barrel
Select which arrow you're firing each time you use the bow.
friction allows its arrows to be made of a dissolving
Deduct the material cost from your on-board ammunition.
Firing a normal, unmodified arrow is free and does not limit material, which will melt away and disintegrate
the bow to one shot per round. It is possible to purchase moments after firing, leaving no forensic evidence
multiple tips for a single arrow. behind to follow.
 500c FDT Bow 500c Flamethrower

PROJECTORS FDT Ray (Projector)

AMMO: N/A
Medium (2-Handed)

Gear Score: 2
Flamethrower (Projector) Medium (2-Handed)

The projector category houses AMMO: In Gear Score: 3

weapons that don’t have Line, FDT Flood, Bombard, Melt, Ignite
homes in the other categories,
usually because they focus on
projecting a chemical or en-
ergy that behaves in a unique 0 D8x3 -2 2D10
fashion beyond just “going
through someone.” Some pro- FDT activation: For one powerpoint Select Flood or Bombard (using the accuracy
jectors are close enough to change this weapon’s damage to D8x10 score for Bombard) before firing.
being conventional weapons and continue its Line out to the edge of
that they can be considered the battlefield or until it hits somthing it This weapon cannot be used in a non-lethal
can’t penetrate. fashion. Enemies who reduce you to zero
guns as well as projectors, but
wounds are very likely to kill you for using this.
most have a unique enough
mechanism that they won’t If this ability is used, no other attacks with Ignite: This weapon is always equiped with
this weapon can be made this turn. This
benefit from anything requir- Incendiary ammo and will prompt a roll for
ability cannot be used again for D3 rounds. ignition as per the fire EDA with every attack.
ing the keyword “Gun.”

The FDT bow is so named because of its comparative- Still one of the most loathed weapons in
ly low rate of fire and range next to a standard rifle.
existence, in terms of its end results. Few
While an appealing assassination weapon due to its
lack of physical projectiles, its discharge is accompa- deaths on the battlefield are as vicious as
nied by a rather flashy eruption of energy and a burning alive and the very act of carrying one
significant noise. FDT bows typically find use in the of these weapons into battle can make you a
hands of bounty hunters who favor the low standard
target. That said, it’s also brutally effective.
damage output as a safer way to bring a foe in alive,
but want the option to unleash a significantly larger
blast if something goes wrong.

750c MC-HM-3x81R Lightshow 750c ASR-MC-Pulsar 200c Purgewave

Projector (Gun) Small (1-Handed) Laser Rifle (Projector) Medium (2-Handed) Sonic Weapon (Projector) Small (1-Handed)

AMMO: N/A Gear Score: 2 AMMO: N/A Gear Score: 3 AMMO: N/A Gear Score: 1

Single Target, ARC Single Target, Sustained Laser Flood, Disrupt (Sonic), Lightweight, Non-Lethal

4 3D8 0 D3 Wounds 1D8

This weapon is a two part system. Line of sight to the enemy must
be obtained from both the target painter and the lightning Sustained Laser: This weapon must hit This weapon cannot make bonus
generator for a shot to be considered valid. The generator can be
lifted and put down as standard actions and can be dropped or twice in the same turn in order to deal attacks.
thrown, but cannot be worn while in use. The unit has 10 Endure
and 10 wounds and an Evasion score of 8 and will function until damage.
destroyed. It can be repaired with a successful check between uses. For every weapon with the Disrupt
ARC: Duplicate results on the damge dice count as ARC results. If at (Sonic) descriptor used in a round,
least one ARC result is rolled, the lightning arcs to every character
(friend or foe) within three hexes of the initial target, dealing 3D8 remove 1D8 from the damage roll of
damage and prompting a save as per the electricity EDA. This
process can repeat itself indefinitely on every new target, but can't
other sonic disruptors.
hit things more than once. Plot devices, consoles, and other
sensitive equipment are all valid targets for the arc.

Making use of a micro's size to the advantage of the team Laser weaponry falls in and out of favor Pepper spray didn’t make the leap from Earth to Mars
doesn't always mean hiding them in a vent and having them after humanity’s destruction, and with different
cut wires (though that is a pretty effective system). Sometimes depending on trends and armor. It has
technology and different lines of thought came
it means giving them one of the hardest hitters in the arsenal extreme advantages in speed and accuracy, different solutions to the question of how to disable
and letting them fire from extremely defensible positions.
Enter the Lightshow: a two-part system that channels
but can be thwarted by fairly simple armor an opponent without killing them. The Purge Wave is
lightning from a mobile generator and aims it with laser and takes time to build up lethal force. a small handheld device that emits a short ranged but
accuracy. The backpack sized field generator is placed by a extremely disturbing buffeting effect that bombards
full-sized individual at the start of a conflict, and the target the eyes, ears and lungs of an enemy, leading to bouts
painter is a micro-rifle sized unit that can be carried and of nausea, dizziness, fluctuating blood-pressure and
wielded easily by micros, allowing them to beam targets onto (in some rather unfortunate cases) an inability to
distant enemies and direct the lightning to them. The control one’s bodily functions. While not particularly
resulting charge hits like a truck and can send a victim into
convulsions.
harmful, it is nearly impossible to fight while under
the effects of a Purge Wave.
 700c MC/IR-SpecR Stickygun 1200c MC/IR-H-7x109R Adaptive Energy Response Rifle

Projector (Gun) Medium (2-Handed) Rifle (Gun) Heavy (2-Handed)

AMMO: N/A Gear Score: 1 HEAVY AMMO: In Gear Score: 2

Spread, Inaccurate, Stable, Webbed

WEAPONS Spread, Melt, Charge

Heavy weapons come in all

-1 2D8 shapes, sizes, and categories,

but are distinct in their size -2 6+3D12
and weight. They’re large
and cumbersome and require
Webbed: The damage rating on this weapon This weapon cannot make threat
deals Webbing points instead of damage. If special care when used. The
trade-off is in power, which response or bonus attacks.
the web points dealt exceeds the target’s
Evade, their movement is reduced to 1 and exceeds their smaller cous-
Evade is reduced by 5. Characters that have ins considerably. Some heavy This weapon is always equipped
been so ruduced cannot use Flight or Stunts, weapons are large specifi- with Incendiary ammo.
nor can they return attacks in combat. They
cally to hold extra technology,
may attack normally on their turn. Webbing
can be removed by spending a full turn resulting in unique and useful
removing it. abilities.

The unique properties of the stickygun The large weapon category opens up
take it out of the usual MarsCo product several energy weapon options that are
line, but it's found a home with many impractical at smaller sizes, such as
teams that specialize on target collec- compartmentalized plasma. These
tion. It fires a short ranged and indiscrim- magnetically encapsulated plasma bolts
inate flood of fast-drying resin that can cause considerable heat damage on
slow and nearly immobilize targets, even impact and can be recharged rather than
if they're well equipped. reloaded, saving on operational cost.

1200c MC/IR-V-7x133R Area Denial Network 600c Glowgun 1000c MC/IR-H-3x100R Heavy Repeater

Projection Unit (Thrown) Heavy (2-Handed) Energy painter (Projector) Heavy (2-Handed) Rifle (Gun) Heavy (2-Handed)

AMMO: In Gear Score: 1 AMMO: N/A Gear Score: 3 AMMO: Any except LL Gear Score: 2

Line Single Target, Energy Painter Line

-2 6D10
This weapon takes the form of a cylindrical unit that is This weapon targets hexes and does not roll
worn as a backpack and can be placed or thrown as
to hit. Select a hex within range and roll D4.
per the throwing rules. Each attack action allows a
single unit to the thrown. Each unit has 10 Endure and The result is the number of Energy Painter
10 Wounds and an evasion score of 8. uses you get with this attack.
Once placed, the unit has a 360 degree field of view
and an effective range of three hexes from itself. Energy Painter: Energize the target hex. In This weapon cannot make threat
Anyone moving into, leaving, or activating within the
unit's range will be hit by its laser once immediatly.
one round the energized hex will explode like response or bonus attacks.
Line of sight is drawn from the unit. The hit is a hotspot grenade. Only the surface layer of
automatic and cannot be dodged (it being a laser and the hex is exploding, so it can be re-painted
all) It causes D3 wounds. After the attack, roll a D10. If afterward, but the effect does not stack.
you roll above the number of rounds the laser has
fired in, it persists. If you roll equal or below that
number, the laser has discharged its battery and goes Glowguns hold 10 attack actions before
inert. Inert units can be reclaimed and recharged at they need to be recharged (1 hour).
any power-source. Destroyed units can be repaired as
per armor.

The laser ADN rewards creativity (and careful footing). The Glowgun is a somewhat sloppy area Weapons of this size and damage potential are unacceptable
for personal carry in any populated area in Sol, unless you've
These heavy units are robust enough to be thrown denial system that shines brightests when actually been called in to use one. Teams generally purchase
like grenades, and will provide immediate and lethal paired with abilities that can direct enemy these to defend their own headquarters or have them
laser-enforced area denial. The on-board power is available for larger, anti-armor jobs. When taking dangerous
only good for a few uses, but your adversaries wont movement. Another Glowgun, for instance. missions, the mission organizer often isn't too worried about
know when the unit goes inert without venturing in For sheer economy, multiple Glowguns are “overkill” if they've already called for the death of an enemy,
to find out. a rather inefficient way to kill someone. But but may forbid weapons of this classification or higher if they
Checking to see if the laser is inert should be a player feel it would make them look bad to the public or cause
they’re among the more entertaining ones. unnecessary collateral damage.
task, and should be kept secret from the Guide and The cumbersome shape and barrel length of this weapon
other players (but be honest. There's no point in tends to lend it well to vehicular mounting, but having one on
cheating, it's not a contest). The unit itself shows no foot presents a team with the unique opportunity to unleash
outside indication of being armed or disarmed. The frightening levels of firepower from a portable source.
only way to find out is if you move into its active area,
or if the owner shuts it down remotely.
 1100c H-101 Longarm 450c Matterhose 1200c IR-H-103R Public Placation System

Sniper Rifle (Gun) Heavy (2-Handed) Mass Painter (Projector) Heavy (2-Handed) Sonic Weapon (Projector) Heavy (2-Handed)

AMMO: Any except LL Gear Score: 3 AMMO: N/A Gear Score: 3 AMMO: N/A Gear Score: 2

Single Target, Line, Precise Innacurate, Stable, Mass Painter Large Flood, Disrupt (Sonic), Non-Lethal

0 3D8
This weapon targets hexes and does not roll
1 Wound to hit. Select a hex within range and roll D4.
The result is the number of Mass Painter
uses you get with this attack.

This weapon cannot make threat Mass Painter: Create a raised area of cover in This weapon cannot make bonus attacks.
response or bonus attacks. the target hex. The cover is about 3 feet tall
by 1 foot wide, and multiple stacks can be Large Flood: Fire as per normal for a flood
This weapon is equipped with a scope. sprayed on top of each other to create walls. weapon, but extend the range of the cone
Mass paint solidifies very quickly, so it is out to 10 hexes long by 10 hexes wide.
Do 1 extra wound with this weapon possible to create complicated structures with
for every 5 points your attack windows and ceilings using it. It just wont be
pretty.
For every weapon with the Disrupt (Sonic)
exceeded the enemy’s Evasion descriptor used in a round,
score by. Matterhose tanks hold 10 attack actions before remove 1D8 from the damage roll of
they need to be refilled (50 credits). other sonic disruptors.

The Longarm emphasizes stopping power The Matterhose uses rapid assembly technology Developed by the IRPF as a means of pacifying
similiar to that found in SAMs to produce instant active riots, the PPS is a rather unfriendly
above all else and is the go-to rifle for
cover for allies. While shunned by some for taking a upgrade to the common Purge Wave, and is
eliminating heavy targets from a safe combatant out of the fight (the system is rather capable of putting down whole crowds at once,
range. bulky and you can’t really fight while using it) it’s even when wearing head protection. Its
beloved by others for its ability to transform a
operation requires significant power reserves
battlefield. Skilled users can produce defensible
however, so it's usually only used briefly. That,
structures with it, sometimes with multiple floors.
and, well. It makes a mess.

750c MC/IR-H-250R Recoil-less Delivery System

Rocket Launcher (Gun)

Heavy (2-Handed)
AMMO: 1 Rocket
-5 1300c

Shotgun (Gun)
MC/IR-H-110R Rivitgun

Heavy (2-Handed)
1300c

SMG (Gun)
MC/IR-H-3x105R Sound and Fury

Heavy (2-Handed)

This system fires a single rocket at a time. Rockets target AMMO: Any except LL Gear Score: 3 AMMO: N/A Gear Score: 3
hexes and will scatter as though thrown if they miss. The
impact hex and all hexes adjacent to it are hit with the full
Spread, Inaccurate, Stable, Line Sweep, Inaccurate
effect of the rocket. Hexes adjacent to those are hit with any
effects of the rocket, and half damage. Rockets can be

2 7xD8 2 10xD6
dodged like grenades.
Rockets weigh as much as a medium weapon and take up
about as much space. Loading the rocket is a support action.
It is not possible to reload or fire the rocket more than once
per round. A party can only have three rockets at any given
time (authorities get pretty worried about people
stockpiling those).
This weapon cannot make threat This weapon cannot make threat
Anti-armor (220 credits): D10*10 damage, Melt, Charge. response or bonus attacks. response or bonus attacks.
Minimum 50 on landing point. Gear score 3.

Anti-tank (350 credits): D10*20 damage, Melt, Charge,

damage impacted hex only. Gear score 3.

Anti-personnel (300 credits): D10*6 damage, Disrupt, all

effected hexes take full damage instead of half. Gear score 3.

For those who lack a subtle approach, the MarsCo 250R

delivers self-propelled explosives across considerable
range, ensuring that your target (and everyone in the
near vicinity) gets your message. This massive weapon combines the Sometimes called the mini-torrent, this is
All rockets are devastating explosives, not compact,
tempered ones like hot-spot grenades. Each impact will
stopping power of the Pacifier with the essentially the SMG of heavy weapons. Its
cause collateral damage to the area and put anyone speed of the Roil, resulting in a devastat- small by heavy standards, compact and
nearby at risk, as well as endanger the structural ing delivery of firepower. The recoil on easy to swing in tight areas, but its heavy
integrity of any building the party may be in. The exact what is affectionately referred to as “the weight and thick materials land it solidly in
risk varies per location, but the Guide should make it a
thing to consider every time a rocket is fired. This
rivitgun” is so great that considerable the heavy weapons category.
weapon cannot be modified. extra weight was added to offset it.
Adaptive Energy Response Rifle Crucible Stiletto

Plug Gun Heavy Repeater

BIG

Pulsar

Shotgun

Handgun

Longarm Rattler

247
 150c Anklebiter 100c Baton 550c Boost Hammer

2
Hand unit (melee) Club (melee) Hammer (melee)
Medium (1-2-Handed)
3 Small (1-2-Handed) Large (2-Handed) 1
Gear Score: 1 Gear Score: 1 Gear Score: 3

Cut, Spin Spin, Lightweight Spin, Thrusters

3/1 5+3D* 4/2 3D* -1 3D10

Thrusters: When rolling damage for this weapon apply 1-3 thrust.
When attacking in melee, swing 1 handed Roll that many D10s in addition to what you would normally roll
Lateral only. This weapon does not suffer or two handed. If 1 handed, your accuracy for damage. For each point of thrust applied to the hammer, the
from the usual lateral limitations on bonus is 4 and * is 6. If 2 handed, your
enemy is knocked one hex back. If the enemy cannot be
knocked back or if any of the dice come out as multiple 10’s,
attacks. accuracy bonus is 2 and * is 10. consult the following:
When attacking in melee, swing 1 handed If 2 dice were 10s: Drop the hammer after dealing damage. It
must be picked up again to be used.
or two “handed,” indicating a counterweight This weapon can be upgraded to a If 3 were 10s: Drop the hammer and scatter it D10 hexes in a
setting on the weapon. If 1 handed, your Shockstick for 100 credits more. It prompts
random direction after dealing damage. The user and the victim
must both pass Endure checks with difficulty equal to the scatter
accuracy bonus is 3 and * is 6. If 2 handed, saves as per the Electricity EDA whenever distance or be knocked prone.
your weapon bonus is 1 and * is 12. it lands a Bonus attack.
If 4 were 10s: Scatter as above, but the victim, the user, and
anyone else in the combat are all repelled in opposite directions
from each other D10 hexes and knocked prone.

The official title for this weapon is so rarely used by Bludgeoning weapons like collapsing batons This jet-equipped hammer has had many
the general public it's almost unrecognizable. are favorites among operatives whose physical names and many blueprint variants, but
Equipped with a counterweight and gyroscopic strength is substantial enough that the utility of
stabilization, this swinging weapon resembles a large the core remains the same: a super-dense
a simple metal rod outweighs the damage
circular ring with a bladed edge worn on the back potential of a blade. They're easy to conceal and striking face whose swing is assisted by a
and can be easily manipulated with a body motion carry, don't raise any eyebrows with the law, powerful short-burn thruster. It's unwieldy
and allows a lateral to have a true “sword” that does at best, but it sure hits hard.
and are remarkably difficult to fight against if
not hinder their movement.
the user knows what they're doing.

500c Burn Job 400c FDT Blade 550c Hard-Edge

Hand unit (melee) Sword (melee) Sword (melee)

Small (1-Handed) 0 Medium (2-Handed)

2 Large (2-Handed) 2
Gear Score: 3 Gear Score: 4 Gear Score: 2

Melt, Lightweight Cut, Spin, Lightweight, FDT Cut, Spin, Shock

-7 2+D4 Wounds 1 D8x3 -1 4D8

This weapon cannot be modded. FDT activation: For one power point,
change this weapon’s damage to D8x10
Shock: Rolls of 8 for damage add an
and grant it the Melt and Charge additional D8 to the damage for this
properties. attack. Additional 8’s rolled in this way
do not benefit from Shock. If an enemy
If this ability is used, no other attacks is Wounded on and attack that did
with this weapon can be made this turn. extra damage through Shock,
This ability cannot be used again for they roll on the Electric EDA.
D3 rounds

Variations of the burner have existed for The FDT blade gained moderate interest among A step up from a general sword, the Hard-Edge was
centuries. A lightweight, extremely deadly independents as a stealth weapon, as it's IRPF’s answer to a more versatile, more potent bladed
weapon intended for assassination; it invisible when active, but it's comparatively low weapon. With a thick, wide blade, the Hard-Edge
makes for a useful stand in for shovels, pry-bars and
relies on silence and high damage poten- damage output and loud activation sound put it
other areas where a firm platform is required. In
tial to outweigh its extremely obvious below rayblades in overall universal favor. In an addition to mounting positions for attachments, the
entry wounds. Carrying a Burn Job is effort to bolster its appeal, FDT blades were handle of the Hard-Edge features a trigger that can
fitted with holo-emitters to make the invisible channel considerable voltage down the blade on
illegal just about everywhere. Its finicky
“mass” of the blade appear to be anything the demand. Due to the difficulty of conducting down
aiming makes it ill suited for personal bearer wanted. The novelty of this actually sold such thick insulation the Hard-Edge makes for a poor
defense and too-well suited for ending more of the units than its functional benefits. Shock-stick, but to those with talent and restraint, it
someone's life quietly in the night. can make quick attacks much more effective.
 300c Heavy Axe 300c Katarod - Feedback Bore 300c Katarod - Heatspike

Axe (melee) Hand unit (melee/thrown) Hand unit (melee/thrown)

Large (2-Handed) 1 Small (1-Handed)
1 Small (1-Handed)
1
Gear Score: 2 Gear Score: 2 Gear Score: 2

Cut, Spin Single target, Balanced, Inaccurate, Feedback Single target, Melt, Balanced, Inaccurate, Lightweight

3 8+D10 4 *D6 4 *D6

When attacking in melee, * equals your When attacking in melee, * equals
CQC score. When throwing, * equals your CQC score. When throwing,
your ranged combat score. * equals your ranged combat score.
Feedback: If doubles are rolled for damage
against armor, Disable the armor’s abilities
as though it were broken for 1 round.

Fighting axes have refined their look in the

centuries following humanity, with varia-
tions that look almost sword-like to those
that more closely resemble their ancient
origins, but their general function remains:
put a lot of weight behind a sharp edge.

300c Katarod - Shockspike 50c Knife 500c Occam’s Razor

Hand unit (melee)

1
Hand unit (melee/thrown) Knife (melee)

Small (1-Handed)
1 Small (1-Handed)
Gear Score: 0
Small (1-Handed)

Gear Score: 4
1
Gear Score: 2

Single target, Charge, Balanced, Inaccurate, Lightweight Cut, Spin, Lightweight Cut, Lightweight, Poison, Cybertoxins, Silent Killer

4 *D6 4 4+2D4 4 2D6

Silent Killer: A target that has been Wounded by
When attacking in melee, * equals When rolling for a bonus attack this weapon must pass an Endure save (3) or
your CQC score. When throwing, using this weapon, subtract 3 from be unable to speak for 30 minutes.
* equals your ranged combat score. the roll for each previous attack
made by this weapon this turn. Cybertoxins: If this weapon Wounds, roll D4.
Apply the result to the table:
1: The target rolls on the Fire Damage EDA
2: The target rolls on the Electric Damage EDA
3: The target rolls on the Acid Damage EDA
4: The target takes an additional Wound

Katarods are stiff, sharpened and balanced Most people won’t bring a sword into Occam’s Razor ranks with the Burnjob as one of the
combat; they take too much skill and ask more cruel assassination tools on the market. With a
rods with points at both ends, ideal for successful cut the target is rendered silent, which
both a personal stabbing weapon and a for too much risk to use on a regular basis. allows the knife’s viscous toxins to slowly burn them
throwing one. Additionally, because of A knife, however, is a staple in most up from within with no one being the wiser. The
their size and weight, they can house fairly everyone’s collection if they plan on weapon itself isn’t particularly large, so proper
fighting for their lives. A short stiff blade poisoning often requires multiple stabs into the
complex features. Specialty Katarods exist silent victim. It got its name because of the sheer
that are uniquly effective against specific that can be swung quickly and efficiently unlikelihood of owning and carrying one of these
armor types. and stored out of the way when not in use knives for any reason beyond a contract killing. They
is too functional to do without. are flat illegal in most towns employing the IRPF.

249
 500c Rayblade 750c Reaper 550c Seering Sword

Laser Sword (melee) Scythe (melee) Sword (melee)

Small (1-Handed) 0 Large (2-Handed) 0 Large (2-Handed) 2
Gear Score: 3 Gear Score: 4 Gear Score: 2

Lightweight, Cut Cut, Spin*, Vicious Edge Cut, Spin, Torch

1 3D8 -1 10+2D10 -1 4D8

Attacks made with this weapon ignore Vicious Edge: This weapon is equipped with the
cover provided by weapons. Vibrox upgrade with the following additional Torch: Rolls of 8 for damage add an
property: It affects shields. additional D8 to the damage for this
This weapon can make retalitory close When used against terrain, unless that terrain is attack. Additional 8’s rolled in this way
particularly well armored (a vault) the reaper do not benefit from Torch. If an enemy
combat attacks against bonus attacks. will cut through it without much difficulty.
Spin*: Enemies do not benefit from cover is Wounded on an attack that did extra
against the Reaper’s Spin attack. It can only damage from Torch, they roll on the
Spin once per turn. Fire EDA.

The rayblade is an artifact from a time in the past when boarding

operations were the only reliable way to subdue a spacecraft. It's a Scythes are not a common motif in post- A variant of the Hard-Edge, the Seering
beautiful and precise weapon, but it's touchy and rather useless in agricultural Sol and they’ve never been Sword was mostly developed for show, as
untrained hands. These days they're mostly just owned by collectors as
showpieces. Many are quite ornate. particularly good combat weapons anyway, it’s a visually impressive weapon that most
Rayblades are laser emitters with a focus point only 1 inch long, situated but the Reaper has gained distinction by using
roughly three feet from the handle. Anything in front of or behind that enemies are warry of approaching. The
point would be utterly unharmed by the beam, but that narrow location its considerable size to house devastating
contains enough energy to carve through armor plate. Rayblades can technology that grants its blade nearly IRPF doesn’t actually employ this one in
only maintain their “blade” for a second or two, so they're wielded with
fast slashes. Their invisible blades make it look like sparks and blood unstoppable cutting power. It sunders heavy any offcial capacity. Stunning an enemy is
simply erupt from the enemy with a gesture, and have earned this armor and walls alike, and makes for an one thing, the public is less forgiving of
weapon distinction among showmen despite its somewhat impractical
nature among modern boarding weapons. intimidating presence on the field. setting them on fire.

800c Sickle 500c Slagcoil 560c Switchribbon

Hand unit (melee/thrown) Whip (melee) Sword/Whip (melee)
Small (1-Handed)
1 Small (1-Handed) 0 Small (1-Handed) 2
Gear Score: 2 Gear Score: 3 Gear Score: 3

Reel, Lightweight Melt, Induction Heating Cut, Spin, Variable

2 4+2D6 3 *D12 2 5+D8

This weapon also possess the proper- Induction Heating: * is equal to the
ties of the Hooks item and the enemy’s Armor Mass score unless that Variable: When making attacks
Grapple Guantlet. It armor is organic. If the enemy has no against targets at the purple range
does not need to be reloaded when printed Armor Mass but is wearing the Switchribbon automatically
used in this fashion, just declare that armor, assume that light armor is Mass converts to Whip mode. Count its
you’re using the reel ability as you’re 2, Medium is 4, and Heavy is 6. melee cover score as 0 until the
attacking. It will deal damage as user makes another attack against
normal. a target at the red range.

Sickles make for usful replacement for Whips aren't known for their outrageous damage The Switchribbon is a sword with powerful internal
holdout knives that include a utilitarian potential, but their reach makes them prime cabling that allows it to split into segments and
targets for technological enhancement. The extend into a whip-like device. The system is quick
function for getting out of (or into) bad Slagcoil is a techwhip that employs magnetic and powerful and skillful users can transition
situations. Their damage output isn’t induction to carve through thick armor like butter. between whip and sword from slash to slash, but
astounding, but in skilled hands they hurt It makes it a somewhat limited weapon in the the physical requirements of the blade make it a
enough, and being able to drag targets scope of its effectiveness, but a mean surprise to bit less sturdy than a comparable piece of pure
around helps. those who feel they'd be well defended against alloy with a handle. The Switchribbon’s real
such things. advantage is range.

250
 150c Sword 200c Tremorpole 750c Weaver Spools

Hand unit (melee) Pike (melee)

3
Hand unit (melee)
Medium (1-2-Handed) Large (2-Handed) 3 Small (2-Handed)
0
Gear Score: 1 Gear Score: 1 Gear Score: 4

Cut, Spin Spin Cut, Hardwire Garrote

3/1 5+2D* 3 D12 0 *D10

When attacking in melee, swing 1 Hardwire Garrote: Roll to hit a target within range.
Add 5 to damage for each time you’ve If hit, do no damage, but put a Garrote token
handed or two handed. If 1 handed, on the target, up to a max of 3.
your accuracy bonus is 3 and * is 6. attacked your current target this turn, Any time the target takes an action while they
If 2 handed, your accuracy bonus beginning at 1. are within the range of the Weaver Spools,
deal *D10 damage to them, where * is the
is 1 and * is 12. number of Garrote tokens they have.
If a character with Garrote tokens would leave
the Weaver Spool range (either because they
move or you do) deal damage as though they had
acted and remove thier tokens.

Swords are typically used more for competition The logical progression of the collapsing baton The IRPF Hardwire is a very useful and versatile
and ceremony than actual combat these days, is the collapsing polearm. Tremorpoles are tool, and Spyglass loves a good opportunity to piss
but a sharp edge is just as lethal as it has ever remarkable pieces of engineering despite their the IRPF off. Enter the Weaver Spool, which
been. Modern swords are typically short and primitive appearance. They have to be, to still be combines specialized gloves and powerful motors
to create a web of monofillament that moves as if
straight and bear marked resemblance to useful despite retracting to a mere foot in
alive thanks to Hardwire technology. While it does
machetes or the classic Roman gladius, which length when not in use. Pikes like these tend to
technically leave your hands open while in use, the
has remained a functional design for the lowly do less outright damage than large blades, but a complex finger commands and flips required to
soldier even after thousands of years and a solid hit will send an opponent to the floor. steer the wire make it impossible to hold other
complete change of species. weapons while in use.

250c Cuttergloves 200c Hammerfist

Gloves (melee) Gloves (melee)

GLOVES
For some, having your hands
1 Hand
Gear Score: 2
1 Hand
Gear Score: 2
0
free is necessary to take
advantage of certain surgical Cut
When a hit is rolled against an
or physical assets you posses. enemy that exceeds their Evasion
Gloves give you an extra edge
without encumbering you with 0 4D8 score but not their melee cover, roll
a D10. On 8+, their defending
a weapon, and some can pack weapon or shield is destroyed.
a considerable extra punch. If Other weapons can be held in a hand
nothing else they make for a equipped with Cuttergloves, but only
good fallback if you’ve been one can be used at a time.
disarmed.

Spyglass cuttergloves are among the more The Hammerfist features a heavy piston
practical (if less exciting) glove weapons. designed to impact an enemy's weapon and
Their primary purpose is simply to grant sunder it on a successful strike. It's not terribly
the user melee weapon level damage reliable, all things considered, but the fear of
without encumbering them with an losing one's only means of close combat
additional tool, and through a series of defense is sometimes enough to force
finger reinforcements, clamps and scything enemies to flee, where comrades can shoot
blades, they do exactly that. them down.
 200c Hot Gloves 200c Meteor Gauntlets 250c Motion Wave Extension

Gloves (melee) Gloves (melee) Gloves (melee)

1 Hand
Gear Score: 1
0 1 Hand
Gear Score: 2
0 1 Harness
Gear Score: 3

Spin
These can be “charged” with ammo When a crit is rolled this weapon is
related effects. Purchase a charge for treated as a hotspot grenade that
the same cost as purchasing special
ammo. The charge lasts until it is
has detonated on the enemy hex.
The wearer is not harmed (the 1 *D8
replaced by a new charge or a gloves are built to take it) but may
reload result occurs. not attack again this round. Laterals only. *is equal to the number
of hexes you have traveled via
Charges: He, In, Ap, En, Ac movement this turn, to a max of 10.

One of the few practical energy weapons, the MWE

A Pulse creation that emerged out of the popularity Fashioned for high-impact Pulse events, uses a kinetic extension wave to multiply the energy
of gauntlet sports, Hot Gloves were originally
intended for use by athletes running a gauntlet of
Meteor Gauntlets are still one of the most from an unarmed attack outward away from a body,
entertaining fighting tools to witness from making it hit harder and further than before.
robotic boxing opponents so that the victories could
Unfortunately, the motion from a single punch or kick
be flashier and faster and the enemies could be the stands. Everyone loves a solid punch. simply isn't enough for this system to convert in a
made all the more deadly. Their effectiveness outside It's even more fun when it rattles the beneficial fashion. It requires a full body's worth of
of the arena has made them a favorite among
brawlers and urban combatants. They consist of a
windows. movement. As a result, MWE's are styled for Laterals,
who have an easier time leaping, spinning, lunging
durable armored glove to protect the fists, and a
and otherwise powering the system with their
series of raised metal bumpers on the knuckles that
motion.
channel a substantial amount of variable energy.
Impacts cause the pads to discharge in a loud crack
and a flash of incandescent sparks that convey a
myriad of effects.
250c Sawfist 200c Trance Gloves

Gloves (melee) Gloves (melee)

1 Hand
Gear Score: 1
0 1 Hand
Gear Score: 1
0
Once per combat, after hitting,
activate sawblades. The sawfist
gains the Melt, Charge, and Cut These gloves complicate enemy
properties and rolls 10+3D12 for its attacks in close combat that target
damage on that round. It will you.
recharge kinetically over the course
of the next hour following combat.

The brutality of the Sawfist probably wasn’t apparent

to its creator when they built the first prototype. An These simple gloves emit subharmonics
armored gauntlet with an integrated diamond-edged that cause grips to weaken when you're
rotary saw that extends off the top of the hand, the struck by them. They’re also fun at parties.
Sawfist was designed as a means of delivering rapid,
punishing damage to armor. Clenching your fist sets
the high speed saw into motion, and sparks fly off
armored shells as your attacks hit. Despite their
efficiency, Sawfists are rarely employed by public
agencies. The blade keeps spinning even after the

252
armor is gone, you see. It gets messy, and it’s bad for
PR.
 250c Hotspot Grenade 200c FDT Repulser Grenade

Grenades (Thrown) 1 Hand Grenades (Thrown)

GRENADES Gear Score: 3 1 Hand

Grenades are great delivery Gear Score: 2
systems for technology, chem-
istry, and, well, explosives. Roll 1d8 when the grenade has landed (after scatter).
Often they’re the last answer This is the radius of the repulsion blast. All characters
20+5D10 within the radius must make an Endure save with
when an enemy is too swift or Damage difficulty equal to half the push range rolled or become
too well armored to deal with prone. All loose objects including characters of
20+5D10 20+5D10 total-mass 8 or lower are then pushed to the hex
using conventional weapons. Damage Damage outside this radius, directly away from the detonation. If
As long as you can chorale they impact a wall, deal bonus damage as though they
30 + 5D10 had fallen from their starting position. They cannot save
them into the right spot, it’s damage against this damage. Any characters who were locked in
a safe bet they’ll feel it when combat are automatically disengaged if they were
20+5D10 20+5D10
they get hit. Damage Damage
within this blast.

20+5D10 FDT: This is a single use FDT item and has 1

power point that is automatically used when deployed.
Damage
This grenade does not have a Proximity firing
mode.

Hotspot grenades can deal punishing

damage to a localized area, especially when
lobbed by multiple people en masse. They
use an intelligent shaped explosive system
to minimize damage to the floor below
them, making them ideal for use in fragile
environments like space stations.

250c Anaphis Grenade 250c Bonerattle Grenade 200c FDT Compression Grenade

Grenades (Thrown) 1 Hand Grenades (Thrown) 1 Hand Grenades (Thrown)

Gear Score: 3 Gear Score: 2 1 Hand

Gear Score: 2

-5 Endure Roll 1d8 when the grenade has landed (after

while in hex. scatter). This is the radius of the compression
1D3 Wounds Persists in hex. pull. All characters within the radius must make
-5 Endure -5 Endure an Endure save with difficulty equal to half the
1D3 Wounds 1D3 Wounds while in hex. while in hex. pull range rolled or become prone. All loose
Persists in hex. Persists in hex.
-10 Endure objects including characters of total-mass 8 or
D6 while in hex. lower are then pulled to the hexes adjacent to
Wounds Persists in hex. the detonation. Any characters who were locked
-5 Endure -5 Endure in combat are automatically disengaged if they
1D3 Wounds while in hex. while in hex. were within this blast.
1D3 Wounds
Persists in hex Persists in hex.
This grenade does not have a Proximity firing
. -5 Endure
while in hex.
mode.
1D3 Wounds
Persists in hex.
FDT: This is a single use FDT item and has 1
power point that is automatically used when
deployed.

The Endure reducing effects of this grenade

do not stack, but will remain on the target
until they pass an Endure save at difficulty
2 during the chatterstep on their turn. The
gas cloud also remains in the hex for a few
minutes (essentually until combat ends).

253
 SURGERY AND PERSONAL MODIFICATIONS
There are many ways your character can be changed and enhanced via
the amazing biotech and cybernetic achievements of the modern universe. This
is accomplished through operations and augmentations, which can be installed
in specific installation locations on your character.

The Surgical Settlement Grid

There are three installation locations where characters can get op-
eration options: head, core, and dermis. Each installation location can accept
one operation. Operations are large changes to the body that have lasting
and noticeable physical repercussions. Each installation
CREDITS DEBT location can accept 2
augmentations as well. Augmentations are smaller operations that will provide Base Mass +Hex O
specific and unique abilities. Some augmentations have specific locations they
OPERATION
must be installed, but many can be installed in multipleAUGMENTATION
or different locations. Tiny objects: .5 points | Small o

HEAD Augmentation 1

Operation 1 Augmentation 2

Operations
As mentioned, operations areCORElarge and invasive processes that make
profound changes to your character’s internal or external structure. Through
careful manipulation, it’s possible to optimize surgeries and take more than the
average person can, and over time a character can unlock additional slots for
operations using Notoriety to buy a new slot in a chosen location. Unless noted
in the operation’s description, each operation can only be taken once.

Augmentations
Augmentations can be installed multiple times, but only once per list-
ed location (so some will be limited to the one slot they can be installed in).
In addition, while some augmentations have multiple listed locations, not all of
DERMIS
them will have any benefits for additional installs. Some (such as the Wireless
Hub) simply add a utility, and multiple applications will do nothing new. If an
augmentation would Simplify something, taking it twice will doubly Simplify it.

Tricks
Tricks are little surgeries that don’t count against your surgical totals.
They tend to be repairs to damaged flesh, small aesthetic choices, or things
that have been perfected to the point of non-interference in the body. You can
get as many tricks as you can afford.
Reclamation surgery: RECLAIMATION
Pulse’s famousSURGERIES
Reclamation surgery is a form of
trick surgery. These are gained by means of the character progression chart
at a rate of 1 per Landmark and cannot otherwise be purchased. Pulse keeps
a lid on them to maintain their value through scarcity and awards them to
people they feel are pursuing and living up to their personal ideals. They take
up no augmentation or surgical slots. Cogs can’t take Family based Reclamation
surgeries, but they can take General ones (the abilities are basic enough to be
mimicked mechanically).
Cog specializations: As long as Cogs have existed, ASR has gone out
of its way to play the role of benevolent parents. It’s a PR campaign to be sure,
but one can’t argue with the benefits. As Cogs grow in age and personality,
ASR will provide them with Specializations to tune their bodies to the roles
they wish to fulfill in life. This is one of the few forms of self-modification Cog
culture accepts as not objectifying oneself. It’s looked at a bit like self-im-
provement, rather than becoming a tool. Like Reclamations, these take up no
254 augmentation or surgical slots and are limited to one per Landmark. Vectors
cannot take Specializations.
 Gear Score
Surgeries also include a gear score. Un-
like items and weapons, you won’t often use this
score to determine availability. Surgical centers
are already pretty specialized, so if you find one
that seems like the sort of place that would offer
advanced surgery, you can probably find what you
want. Rather than checking for individual oper-
ation availability, just check to see if there are
facilities nearby that can do operations up to the
level you’re looking for. If they can, and the op-
eration isn’t corp-specific, they’ll probably offer
it. Gear score works here as it does elsewhere: it
helps determine your character’s overall combat
efficacy.

255
 OPERATIONS

Head Installation Location Cost Gear Score

Advanced Nervous System 700 Credits 1

Brain Decentralization 1500 Credits 1

ESP node 500 Credits 0

Heavy Sensory Augmentation 2200 Credits 1

Neural Connectivity Suite (NCS) 1000 Credits 1

Predictive Reflexes 3000 Credits 4

Subconscious Tracking 3000 Credits 4

Core Installation Location Cost Gear Score

Internal Reactor 1000 Credits 2

Inteliformic Flesh 2000 Credits 3

Limited Levitation 700 Credits 3

Macro Enhancement 4300 Credits 5

Metabolic Backups 400 Credits 1

Physical Enhancement 2500 Credits 4

Pushframe Network 700 Credits 2

Skeletal Elasticity 600 Credits 1

Spontaneous Metamorphosis 1500 Credits 0

Vitae Ports 800 Credits 2

Void Core 1300 Credits 3

Void Thrust 1000 Credits 1

Dermis Installation Location Cost Gear Score

Hardskin 1000 Credits 4

Limb Addition 600 Credits 1

Prosthetic Limb 400 Credits 0

Nanoassembler 600 Credits 0

Void Breath 500 Credits 0

Void Flesh 800 Credits 2

256
Head Installation Location Heavy Sensory Augmentation: 2200 credits
Gear score: 1
Advanced Nervous System: 700 credits This full overhaul to your sensory input al-
Gear score: 1 lows you to experience the universe in such vivid
This synthetic nerve sheath facilitates the in- detail you might as well be a diagnostic engine.
crease in activity that results from multiple augmenta- All your senses are improved with acuity that rivals
tions without interfering with normal nerve activity. forensic investigation hardware.
Effect: Grants 1 extra augmentation slot in all Effect: When you take this operation, choose
installation locations, OR grants 2 extra augmentation a sense: Vision, hearing, scent, touch, taste. If a
slots in an installation location of your choice. Body Perceive check would have a Difficulty above
1 using your selected sense, change it to Difficulty
Brain Decentralization: 1500 credits 1. If you have any other Simplificiations available, it

OPERATIONS
Gear score: 1 can be reduced to Difficulty 0, but not below. This
A rather extreme and uncommon operation, effectively overrides your ability to stack Body:Per-
this procedure actually distributes the functions of your ceive simplifications on this check(the abilities
brain throughout your body in pockets and matrices of granted by the surgery are superior and your innate
nerves and brain-matter typically reserved for ad- ones don’t help it as much).
vanced bioprobe design. It doesn’t improve your ability You do not suffer environmental negatives
to think, but it does eliminate what is typically consid- on Body:Perceive checks using this sense unless some
ered the most vulnerable part of a Vector. factor of the environment is actually shutting down
Effect: you are no longer effected by Stun Or your senses. On Community:Perceive checks where
Disrupt Results and simplify Resolve saves against mind close observation of the subject with this sense
control. A character with a Decentralized brain can would help you determine their intentions, Simplify
take head based augmentations in any installation the check. This grants wide-spectrum analysis with
location, not just the head. your chosen sense. If you choose hearing, you can
Moreover, your head is no longer a vulnerable hear in ultra and sub-sonic wavelengths. Vision can
spot. It can still be damaged of course, but the area see in ultraviolet and infrared, telescopic and micro-
that once held a brain is mostly soft benign tissue and scopic. Scent can determine individual scents in a room
connections for sensory organs. This also grants you for extrapolating how many people were there, when
a degree of limited immunity to most enemies who and where they when, and how long ago it was up to
summarily execute their victims: there is no outward several days. Touch can distinguish pinpoint deforma-
indication of this operation, but getting shot in the tions in objects, detect hidden rooms or repairs, or feel
head wont kill you, so you can avoid an execution if the tremors from movement miles away. Taste (granted, the
enemy wins a conflict against you. Fair warning howev- least common use) can determine chemical amounts in
er: while no one is really expected to have this surgery consumed objects, instantly detect poisons or impuri-
on a typical basis, if an enemy finds out you DO have ties, and serve as a general diagnostic system (though
it, they can redirect their efforts toward your heart or it doesn’t make you immune to what you taste). Your
neck and negate these secondary advantages. mind has been augmented to allow you to focus your
Landmark bonus: Gain 2 Technique points for input and exclude things you don’t want to pay atten-
each Landmark you have. tion to.
Landmark Bonus: This surgery can be taken once
ESP node: 500 credits per landmark to augment a different sense if you have
Gear score: 0 the available Operation slot.
Allows for telepathic sending of speech or
images (which are viewed like memories in the mind) Neural Connectivity Suite (NCS): 1000 credits
to one person at a time up to 500 feet away. People Gear score: 1
without ESP nodes can’t reply unless they’re within 10 A dramatic neural surgery. This replaces your
feet, at which point the ESP node possessor can read entire skull with a fully integrated alloy connectivity
their surface thoughts like responses. At this range it is suite that can house significantly more neural implants
also possible to use community and communication to than an unmodified brain can. This is usually a must-
do light mind-reading of things that are being imme- have for people who want to make full use of avail-
diately thought of. Telepathic communication is unique able digital augments.
in that it doesn’t use radio waves and cannot be inter- Not susceptible to hacking as long as a wireless
cepted by anything that does not also use telepathy hub has not been installed.
for communication. Effect: Grants two head augmentation slots in
addition to the two you already have. The same Head
augmentations can be taken multiple times if
you have an NCS, even if they only have one
listed installation location. NCS’s allow for
internal computer use such as the storage of 257
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 files, snapshotting memories, recording voices you Core Installation Location
hear, saving experiences for later replay, etc. For
protection it has no innate wireless functions unless Internal Reactor: 1000 credits
a wireless hub is also installed. Gear score: 2
The internal reactor is a small chemical pro-
Predictive Reflexes: 3000 credits cessing unit that breaks down substances that would
Gear score: 4 normally just be expelled from the body into a fair
The ultimate combat advantage, this operation amount of usable electric power. Through ports along
re-trains the reflexes in your body to not only react the spine or arms, this power can be used to run any-
to an incoming threat, but to predict where threats thing from a toggle case charger to an FDT bow.
will be, based on a myriad of clues in the world Effect: Internal reactor generates one power
around you you may not even be consciously aware
OPERATIONS

point every 6 hours and can hold up to two. Characters

of. This allows your hands to track targets by them- can use a power point to power anything that says it
selves, without you having to direct them through can use power points. They can also use it to power
guesswork, and even to tweak your aim and direc- things around them that just need power.
tion to lead a moving and weaving target while you
have no conscious idea of where it’s going. Inteliformic Flesh: 2000 credits
Effect: You may re-roll attack rolls (ranged and Gear score: 3
melee) without spending Readiness, or you can add Megacorps work together on projects more
+1 to your Evade score, or you can raise your base often than their citizenry would typically believe. The
Evade score to 15 if it is below that (before any sheer resources available to these organizations mean
other modifiers). Choose when you take the opera- that working with each other can produce truly amaz-
tion. ing products. Most often, MarsCo is one of the partic-
Landmark Bonus: This surgery can be taken once ipants. Its size and stability makes it a neutral party.
per landmark to benefit from a different bonus if Hardskin, which bears the TTI label, was a result of
you have the available Operation slot. one of these joint MarsCo efforts. The product was of
particular interest to ASR, who wanted something sim-
Subconscious Tracking: 3000 credits ilar that could be applied to both Vectors and Cogs.
Gear score: 4 Through a joint operation with the same MarsCo team
Subconscious recognition programming has that helped develop TTI’s Hardskin, ASR created the
trained your subconscious to take a more active role Inteliform system.
in your aiming, moving your limbs just a hair to aim a Inteliformic flesh is a biologically neutral
weapon as though it were an extension of your will, nanite-based substance that replaces the flesh of the
translating intent into devastating action and random owner with a new, smooth, glossy dermis with a myriad
shots into perfect hits on weakpoints you didn’t even of new protective features. The implant is based out
actively realize were there. Autopsies on victims of of a generator installed in the spine, which converts
shooters with this programming reveal bullets perfectly the owner’s flesh into nanite flesh (while they’re asleep
lodged in major organs, nerve clusters, and other pro- for the surgery, mercifully). This new flesh is refreshed
tected zones. on a minute by minute basis from the generator, which
Effect: You may re-roll your ranged weapon keeps it taught, smooth and lustrous for the entirety
damage without spending Readiness. of the owner’s life. Along with it’s new appearance, it
Landmark bonus: Add +1 to RDB for each Land- features a small set of gill-like slits which help facil-
mark reached. itate a cooling and filtration system. While it doesn’t
provide any natural armor like Hardskin does, it is
actively ablative of certain forms of damage and
contamination. Inteliformic flesh is hydrophobic and
sheds any liquid that touches it instantly. It also has an
adaptive pH, which makes it immune to acids and most
corrosive substances. The nanoflesh itself is somewhat
adaptive to incoming trauma, which lets it seal wounds
quickly and deflect excess energy. It is immune to skin
blights and flesh diseases.
Inteliform nanosystems are self-replicating,
but not to an excessive degree. They’re kept carefully
balanced by the spinal unit and can’t simply consume
material to make more of themselves. However, their
self-repair systems are linked to the metabolism of the
owner, and it is possible to tweak the output of that

258 system for greater performance. It has a price: as the

nanite population of your body grows, your appear-

OPERATIONS
ance will begin to change and more of your anatomy This can be done as many times as the character
will be converted to inteliformic replacements. While wishes but each time they must roll a d6 after-
this isn’t inherently “harmful,” it does pull you further ward. If they roll equal or below the number of
and further away from normalcy. People who have times they’ve self-repaired this episode they will
drifted too far down this stream are barely recog- advance to the next level of inteliformic creep
nizable as humanoid anymore, and their mentality (described below). These rolls are considered Risky.
typically reflects that. Inteliformic creep is permanent; They can still elect to heal normally via the usual
the only way to return to a previous level is to get an means instead.
entirely new body and past a certain point even that is Second level creep reflects a system that
impossible. has overproduced, resulting in excessive nanite
Inteliformic creep can be prevented on a pro- levels that have unbalanced your organic support
gramming level, but there’s a double edge to it that system. To re-balance before your body succumbs

OPERATIONS
has proven to be a bit of an issue regarding the whole to toxicity the inteliform implant has consumed your
inteliformic flesh process. People are aware that it skeletal structure, replacing it with a nano support
can repair itself pretty safely, so they’re more inclined system. This process is frighteningly simple to al-
to take risks (it’s often why they get the operation to low, and most people who end up in a second level
begin with). Risks lead to more strenuous repair, which creep never realized they were heading that way.
leads to an over production of nanites. Overproduction By its very nature the inteliform system has taps in
leads to inteliformic creep. However, if the flesh were your pain and sensation centers. When the nanosat-
programmed to not overproduce, the subject would die uration level gets too high, it simply turns off your
from injuries sustained under the mistaken impression sensation systems and redistributes the nanites. You
that their skin would save them. Which would either literally go to sleep one way, and wake up forever
lead to lessening sales, or worse, homebrew hacks to changed.
force the nanoproduction mechanism to overperform, Second level inteliformic flesh changes your
which could result in horrible consequences. ASR decid- posture, making it somewhat more angular and
ed the best option was a big fat warning label and a predatory than before. Because your skeletal system
pretty hands-off approach to the whole thing after- is less rigid than before, it assists your agility and
ward. dexterity as well. However, muscle memory is designed
Inteliformic creep is reflected in three levels. to work with rigid bone structures. When they’re absent
The first level is the starting point, and is easy to main- and the inteliforms in your body react to your emotions,
tain so long as you don’t deliberately force your system the visual results are now more dramatic and startling
to overproduce. This is the level you’re at post-surgery, than they were before. Your mouth is somewhat larg-
with nearly all of your recognizable features in tact er, hands are more clawlike, and the inteliform gillslits
(though your fur, if you had any, will be gone). This and vent systems are more pronounced. Second level
appearance is a little startling, but not all that bi- creep bodies don’t fit into standard clothing very well
zarre. You look a bit like a smoother, more reflective anymore, and are unnerving to look at. When they
reptile, and all the various facial expressions and body move, their bodies almost flow a bit, flexing more than
language people use to feel comfortable with other is natural. Second level creep characters have all the
people is in tact. Your appearance speaks of money a abilities listed under inteliformic flesh, and the follow-
bit, as the operation isn’t cheap, but other than that it ing additions:
wont interfere with your everyday existence much. You
can even pattern the colors in it. Second level Inteliformic Effects:
All the abilities of Inteliformic level one.
First Level Inteliformic Effects: Simplifications to all Body:Exert+Athletics
This character is not affected by Melt or checks
Charge effects and automatically passes checks on the Complications to all Community:Exert checks
acidic and electric EDAs. that aren’t specifically hinging around viewing your
This skin can comfortably regulate your body condition in a positive light. This includes remaining
temperature in the same ranges Cogs can, without inconspicuous in a crowd.
additional protection. Externally, this skin is the same This character can squeeze through areas no
temperature as its environment and is invisible to ther- wider than their brain. The action isn’t painful, but does
mal cameras. take a while to pull off (about a minute) and can’t be
Characters with this skin are protected from swiftly aborted once begun, so it isn’t recommended in
the effects of radioactive environments. combat. The character must be able to emerge on the
Characters with this skin can self-heal injuries other side, as they can’t move while compressed.
on the injury table that rolled a 5 or below in one hour. This character gains a new ability: Inteliformic
Characters with this skin gain a new ability: psuedopods: They count as having however
Inteliformic repair. To initiate an inteliformic repair, the many limbs are required to wield a weapon,
character need only declare it (standard action), and and can duel wield two handed weapons.
their body will immediately regenerate D3 Wounds. They can hold weapons while attacking 259
OPERATIONS
 without them, transition to using weapons or not fluid. Solid and liquid at the same time. The expressions
using them, can grapple while holding weapons, you’re used to making and the body language you use
etc. It essentially counts as having enough “hands” for communication will manifest as exaggerated, wide
free to do anything requiring a hand. However mouths and multiple eye mockeries down your body.
they can still only take one action at a time. The sizes of limbs, hands, and overall body-structure
Inteliformic characters of this level are vulner- are more based on your own mental impression than
able to high intensity electromagnetic interference. they are any physical requirement, which usually results
Casual day-to-day exposure isn’t an issue, but di- in exaggerated limbs and heads, and those areas tend
rect exposure to large emitters such as large radio to provide the greatest degree of sensory input and
systems, CAT scan machines, magnetic lifts or items interaction. The gill-slits and vents are large and prom-
specifically designed to blast disruptive electro- inent, and the entire appearance is frightening and bi-
magnetic energy will cause the nanites that make zarre. People who allow themselves to reach this level
OPERATIONS

up your body to fluctuate and become incoherent. typically do so out of a direct desire to disengage with
When exposed to this sort of interference, you must society completely.
make an Endure save with Difficulty relative to the In addition to the abilities listed in the previous
intensity of the source (most will be somewhere in two levels, third level flesh creep grants the following:
the 1-4 range) every minute, or immediately flee. Implant consumption: When your body con-
If your character cannot flee the effected area verts to this level, all your implants and surgeries are
within 3 minutes, their body will collapse into barely consumed in the process and you cannot receive new
constrained goo. Its emergency systems will keep implants and surgeries. You can still benefit from the
you alive, but you will be non functional until you abilities of the ones you had, however: the nanites sim-
can be removed from the offending energy. You ply duplicate their effects. Transcendent implants you
can feel when you’re entering an area like this: your already had are unaffected.
skin literally begins to crawl. Provided you’re not Strange anatomy: Add your Evade and Endure
forced in, or it doesn’t spring up around you when scores together and split the total evenly between the
a high-powered reactor activates in the room, you two. As your character continues to advance, continue
can typically elect not to enter when you feel it coming. to evenly distribute their Evade and Endure scores. Nei-
If submerged, you sink like a stone. Your hydro- ther can be more than 1 point higher than the other.
phobic flesh makes it impossible to swim in this stage. Shapeless mass: Characters at this level cannot
You do still require air to survive. Most second level wear clothing, armor, or bags for equipment. Though
and above characters avoid deep water avidly, as it is their bodies can assume a solid shape, that shape is a
essentially a death sentence if they fall in. result of their memories reflexively telling their bodies
Third level flesh creep is a total convergence to mimic familiar motions while moving. There is no
of body matter into inteliformic flesh. This occurs when memory engram for maintaining a fixed form, it’s simply
nanite replication reaches a point so high that it is no something that happens as a result of having bones,
longer compatible with a mixed system. The remainder joints and sinew. Worn equipment simply falls off after
of the original body is devoured, and all that remains a few minutes. Weapons can be carried as normal, as
is an inteliformic replica. The complex system of na- your body remembers how to hold things.
no-communication is capable of duplicating your orig- Additionally, your appearance is so fluid and
inal brain patterns accurately enough that you prob- unnerving at this point that you cannot negotiate or
ably won’t even notice you no longer have a brain, but converse without it being an issue. Community checks
to those who know you well, changes in your behavior of any kind that don’t hinge on you using your appear-
and mannerisms will begin to become clear after a ance to unnerve or intimidate are Double Complicated
while. The jury is still out on whether these behavioral unless the person you’re talking to knows you personally
changes are a direct result of the inteliformic brain, or or is otherwise familiar and prepared for dealing with
simply because the person who has been converted no you. Crowds will give you wide berths and, in some
longer feels an attachment to their original race be- more conservative settings, might panic or call the
cause they’ve become so physically alien. The process is authorities because they perceive you as a genuine
entirely preventable so long as you don’t force inteli- threat. There is no public area where you can move
formic repair, so most people who reach a third level around in open view and simply be “accepted,” and any
flesh did so intentionally. It’s difficult to get unbiased building with security concerns will likely not let you in
behavioral surveys out of them, they clearly had some without an escort. Most people who reach this stage
desire to no longer be what they were to begin with. no longer engage with society at large. There are, as
Appearance-wise, third level flesh essentially always, contextual exceptions to this. The most common
breaks down all previous semblances of rigid anatomy. one is if you are introduced as a sort of “tool,” wherein
Your character will still carry themselves in a roughly your appearance is a direct result of it being useful in
identical shape to what they once had, just out some way. That’s often enough to get past most basic
of convenience and because that’s what their scrutiny.
brain is used to, but your movements will be Precision shots cannot be used against you. No
260 more of a diving, slinking, living suspension part of your body is more or less vulnerable than any

OPERATIONS
261
 other. Limited Levitation: 700 credits
Your body can squeeze through spaces no Gear score: 3
larger than an inch in diameter, and is capable of Your body has an internal levitation system that
motivating itself even while compressed, so it grants it neutral buoyancy in air. This is a touchy de-
can travel through pipes and tunnels. You have vice: it likes to remain running and is dramatically more
no innate means of navigating these areas beyond energy intensive when activating than when active.
instinct, however, and it’s not like its easy to bring a Effect: When you receive this operation, choose if you
map with you. want it always on or toggleable. If you want it always
Though you are semi-fluidic, you are not “a on, treat the character as though they are always in
shapeshifter.” Your body can assume various forms zero gravity. The system has a built-in attraction system
briefly because your memory instinctively makes it that will draw the character toward a target at half
mimic what you need, but it won’t remain that way their movement speed in the event that they have no
OPERATIONS

beyond its immediate use. alternative propulsion (or things to grab). This system
Self-sustaining: You do not need to eat, drink, is also what keeps the character stationary in close
sleep, or check for exhaustion while doing sustained combat. You can choose to release that, in which case
activity. Air and sunlight is all you require to main- if you are struck by anything (a bullet, a punch, etc.)
tain your body (about an hour of sun per day. It can drift D10 hexes away from it until your drag stops you
be simulated by special lamps). If you take too many or you hit something.
Wounds, provided you have not been actively de- If you choose to have the system be tog-
stroyed (parts of your body disintegrated) you will gle-able, it can only be activated as many times as you
re-congeal in about a half-hour. You do not take have landmarks, per day. It can remain active as long
injuries. If you have lost over 50% of your body mass as you want and be deactivated at will.
due to something actively destroying it (beyond just A note on gameplay: listing every effect and
bullet holes) you will die. There is no way to “back interaction of a large, weightless object would require
up” an Inteliformic 3 character. They no longer have pages of material and probably still leave something
a brain to copy. out. Use the zero gravity rules for your general guid-
Constant repair: rather than healing in bursts, ance and logic out the remainder, and remember that
your nanites are constantly recycling. When combat is the character is a part of the equation. They should
over, you will gradually heal back to your 0 Wounds be given credit for finding solutions to problems that
in about an hour. If you exceed your max Wounds and may arise using the world around them.
are left alone, your system will kick itself back on and
regenerate you after a few moments. However, it can Macro Enhancement: 4300 credits
be crushed or destroyed before that time which will Gear score: 5
kill you completely. This operation reshapes the skeletal and
The vulnerability to intense EM interference muscular system of the body to be denser, bulkier, and
extends to sound in this level. Hypersonics (such as more powerful per length than even physical enhance-
those emitted in the echolocation surgery), explosives, ment does. The new changes sit well on larger frames,
and extremely low frequency waves (such as those and this will typically turn a normal sized vector into a
emitted by Deadzone projectors) will cause the same ten to twelve foot tall titan. The power in macro en-
checks listed in the second level entry in addition to hancement, by all rights, puts a normal person into the
any already debilitating affects they may have. Check dangerous bio-construct category, but careful market-
weapon and item descriptions to see if they can be ing (and no shortage of well-spent money) has allowed
included, but this is largely a judgment call from the Pulse to keep it classified as a standard body modifi-
Guide. As a rule, the vulnerability to these effects is cation. It helps that it’s difficult to hide.
not commonly known. It is actually possible to get this surgery as a
micro character in place of physical enhancement.
While it wont make you much bigger than a normal
person, it does modify your body shape to be bulkier.
Macro’d Micros are a terror in the Pulse 1v1 combat
arenas. They’re rare, but being able to keep a high
degree of mobility combined with a tremendous punch
force often makes up for losing out on some of the
defense gained by larger macros.
Effect: In addition to providing all the bene-
fits of the physical enhancement surgery except the
landmark bonuses, this re-sizes the character to Large
if they were Standard or Long, and Standard if they
were Small, increases their base mass by 3, and ex-
tends the reach of all melee weapons by 1 if their
262 base mass meets or exceeds 10. Micros that take this

OPERATIONS
operation lose their micro morphism. Assign them advanced dexterity and multitasking with the unit
whatever Morphism is most appropriate for their new as well as giving it a greater range. The abilities
shape (typically standard vector). Macro Enhancement provided by this implant are useful and entertaining,
replaces Physical Enhancement if you have it, their but it’s a remarkably unpopular procedure for a
benefits do not stack. simple reason: if ever you should be arrested or
Landmark bonus: Can commit one Slam attack detained, your system will have to be deactivated
per landmark per day (*see shields). Add an additional for the safety of the officers.
100 pounds to base load for each Landmark reached. Large implants that integrate with multiple
Add +2 to MDB or +2 to Endure (your choice) for each areas of the body like this one are not meant to be
Landmark reached. The options may be mixed. turned off. They leave a lot of metal and invasive
material sitting idle in your body. It starts to itch,
Metabolic Backups: 400 credits leaves you feeling like your skin is crawling, and in

OPERATIONS
Gear score: 1 some cases can even lead to panic or delirium. The
This operation integrates a series of emergency system can be reactivated upon your release, but
redundancies in your physiology, allowing you to pull if you are convicted or imprisoned, it is typically
from great reserves of strength or resilience when you permanently disabled or surgically removed lest you
need it most. find some way to use it to escape. The operation is
Effect:You can Simplify one Mind or Body check, usually executed with less care than was exercised
once per episode. If your Wounds should exceed your when it was installed. This isn’t a fear of those who
max and you have not yet used this ability, your met- plan to live their lives within the law, but one unfor-
abolic backups will automatically kick in and stabilize tunate night or misunderstanding can lead to a very
you as your injuries worsen. You take an injury as nor- unpleasant situation.
mal, but will regain D3 Wounds and remain conscious. Effect: this functions as a Pushframe, but
This only works once per episode. with the following changes: it has 30 foot (10 hex)
range, a 15 pound weight limit, and can be used as
Physical Enhancement: 2500 credits an unarmed melee attack or as a melee weapon
Gear score: 4 attack if a weapon is actually being wielded, with 10
This is a catchall for gene therapy or cyber hex range. If used for attacking your melee weap-
therapy that pushes your physical body beyond its nor- on counts as having an evade score of 20 but if your
mal limitations. This allows you to increase the scope of enemy hits it you will lose your grip on the weapon and
your physical abilities beyond that of a normal person, can’t reestablish it in this combat unless you physically
as well as make general physical tasks easier. This is touch it. Otherwise, treat your character as though
straight-up muscular enhancement, and is pretty read- they are in combat. Moving your weapon through the
ily noticeable to observers, often even while wearing air is a Move action, but one move action is sufficient
normal clothing. It doesn’t necessarily increase your to move it anywhere within your 10 hex control range.
size, but your build will clearly reflect your strength.
Some people avoid this look by getting cyber-en- Skeletal Elasticity: 600 credits
hancments instead, that strengthen the skeleton and Gear score: 1
improve muscle efficiency, resulting in a slimmer frame. Bone is a versatile material. It’s strong and light
Unfortunately, this option weighs about twice what a for its size, repairs itself well when broken, and facil-
person your size should, and sets off metal detectors. itates blood production. But its flexibility is limited by
Effect: Characters with this surgery have a the other functions it needs to perform (such as at-
modified base lift load and double carrying capacity(- taching muscle) which makes it prone to breaking with
see: adventuring). Characters with this surgery are con- strong impacts. Bone variants were developed as TTI
sidered strong enough to be able to effectively wield advanced its bioprobe research and replacements now
in one hand what would normally require two. You may exist that can hold a rigid form normally but will flex
re-roll your unarmed and melee weapon damage with- to rubber-like levels through proper mental prompting,
out spending Readiness. making them near-impervious to breakage.
Landmark bonus: Add an additional 50 pounds Effect: Reduce all fall damage by half. You are
to base load for each Landmark reached. Add +1 to capable of acts of extreme flexibility, and can squeeze
MDB or +1 to Movement (your choice) for each Land- through areas as narrow as the width of your palm.
mark reached. The options may be mixed. You count as having a double simplify for any acts of
escaping bindings provided said bindings actually rely
Pushframe Network: 700 credits on physically holding you in place. You can also freak
Gear score: 2 the crap out of people by making your arm go all flop-
This implant is very popular among spacers and py if you want to. Great for parties.
Laterals. By increasing the size and power systems of
a Pushframe it’s possible to greatly increase its over-
all functionality. This implant integrates the Pushframe
system with your spine and nervous system, allowing 263
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 Spontaneous Metamorphosis: 1500 credits Your character can spontaneously transform
Gear score: 0 themselves, replacing their character sheet with the
Forced growth and cellular construction has new one. Transforming requires an Endure Save with a
been a staple of Vector bioengineering for Difficulty of 1+ the number of times you’ve transformed
centuries. Applying it to things that are already today. If you fail you cannot attempt again this scene.
living was trickier, but the groundwork had already The transformation can be done on demand, but is not
been laid with Hemis back in the human era. The instantaneous. It takes about a minute to complete, and
potential had always been around to take the will leave your character winded and tired for another
idea further but there was no reason to exploit it minute afterward. In the cases of extreme body mod-
until Pulse invented one. In their ongoing goal to ification, it is a visceral biological process involving
produce more exciting, more interesting and more the chaotic growth and rearrangement of limbs and
visually impressive events, they developed a system bonestructures, and while your character is protected
OPERATIONS

to allow Vectors to dramatically restructure their from the inherently painful nature of it, it can be rather
own physiology at a moment’s notice, transforming troubling (or fascinating) to watch. It also does not
into a completely different shape. The system has transform anything you’re wearing. If your hex occu-
its limitations, but transforming competitors make pancy changes at all your armor will not fit you and
for one of the more fascinating and vivid combat will either shred or fall off. Your body needs an hour
events on Pulse’s networks. That, and it hits that per- between activation to recover. This operation can be
fect balance between violence and nudity that keep taken multiple times.
viewers coming back for more. It is possible to get additional operations in
Effect: When you take this operation, create a any of your forms, but they are linked to whatever form
new character sheet with the same background and you got them in. For instance, a digitigrade charac-
same number of experience points. This is effectively ter can make a duplicate character sheet (essentially
“the same person,” but it is possible to change all changing nothing) but then take Macro surgery and
other aspects of them, even Proficiencies and tech- apply it to the transformed state. This would result
niques. in them being able to spontaneously bulk up in size.

264
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Augmentations such as extra limbs or tails also apply great for people that rely on their Vitae ports, but
in this manner. When you get new operations (even is otherwise a questionable use of a very invasive
reclaiming operations) choose which forms will receive procedure. However, when combined with other TTI
them. There is no additional charge for applying them bioprobe technology, the Void Core can empow-
to other forms. All forms you have count as already er some impressive abilities.
using a slot for this surgery. Effect: Includes all the benefits of the Vitae
Status effects, damage, and any other tempo- Ports operation, and effectively generates 1 vitae
rary condition you receive persists proportionately be- charge per day specifically for the vitae ports to
tween forms. If the character in the previous example use. If you’re equipped with a Void core you may
takes damage in their Macro form, they should deter- take other Void operations without counting against
mine what percentage of their max Wounds has been your surgical total. Likewise, the Void core itself is
lost and apply that same percentage to their normal such an invasive skeletal and metabolic replacement

OPERATIONS
form when they change back. that it does not take up a surgical slot (it effectively
Landmark bonus: For every landmark you have becomes one itself).
you can reduce the overall transformation time by 30
seconds, taking from either the resting period post Void Thrust: 1000 credits
change or the initial change period. Gear score: 1
This specialty purchase will augment your
Vitae Ports: 800 credits body with TTI’s unique organic thrust system, which
Gear score: 2 allows its bioprobes to travel at speed through
When Vitae was first introduced it was lauded space without using conventional fuel. Its use in
as a triumph of science over flesh. Over time, the grim gravity is pretty limited, but in freefall it provides
realities of the dangers associated with the chemical an amazing degree of control. Alas, its speed is
have become apparent in such frightening ways that relative to the power source of the organism using
its use in conventional applications has been all but it, so while it allows bioprobes and ships to obtain
expunged. However, to those with the money and the considerable velocity, it’s speed on people is roughly
cause, Progenitus will still offer Vitae port surgery to double what they could normally run at.
allow use of their wonderdrug in limited quantities. Effect: When your character is in or affected
Ports installed along the body allow for controlled by a zero-gravity situation, they can “fly” at twice their
Vitae infusion in areas that sustain damage, which can movement rate and do not need to roll for exhaus-
allow people to function far beyond the normal limits tion for maintaining that speed over time. However,
of their flesh. overcoming their own momentum does require effort.
Effect: Uses 1 vitae charge per combat, used In order to change their angle of movement they will
when the owner wishes to, which will need to be need to spend a movement action stopping, and then
replaced by the following Episode after any event in another to start again in the new direction. Stopping in
which you use the abilities of the vitae ports. You can general also requires a movement action. If they simply
elect to take an injury (roll a D10 rather than a D12) want to adjust their trajectory without actually mak-
rather than taking Wound damage from an attack. If ing a turn, a movement action can be spent to change
your character takes a total of 5 injuries in one com- their angle and they will continue moving at the same
bat, it dies outright, having taken more physical trauma rate forward. While in general narrative, this can be
than can be restored. Your character is immune to Stun summed up as having to spend effort to start, stop,
Results and does not suffer any the negative effects of and orient yourself and does not require getting into
injuries for two hours (though they still count toward how many actions are available.
your total injuries). Even with arms removed, the eu-
phoric and pain-negating effects of Vitae can allow
people to fight in many frightening and potentially
self-destructive ways.

Void Core: 1300 credits

Gear score: 3
The unique functions of TTI living ships are
carefully guarded secrets, but as TTI has been expand-
ing their line of spaceworthy organisms to fill other
niches, they’ve gotten better at implementing some of
the more outlandish abilities in smaller creatures. The
Void core is a critical replacement for the majority of
a Vector’s circulatory system, so much so that it is im-
possible to coexist with without the restorative proper-
ties of vitae integrated into it. By itself, the Void core
does nothing but keep vitae energized, which makes it 265
OPERATIONS
 Dermis Insallation Location the problems that plagued dermal reinforcement for
centuries. The cost, however, is a more or less complete
Hardskin: 1000 credits abandonment of the character’s previous look and
Gear score: 4 feel. Hardskinned characters appear to be wrapped in
The concept of dermal reinforcement has been overlapping, jointed sheets of leather and their surfac-
around for a while in various different forms, but es have hard plates layered like bone on top or around
none have ever proven effective enough to become them. Their faces are restructured into expressionless
staples of combat augmentation. It usually comes facemasks of reinforced bone that can be sealed hard
down to maintenance: skin is what skin is because it by shutting their mouths, and their fur is a fine faux
has to be in order to do what skin has to do. When polyester rather than natural. In an eery, alien way,
you start lacing carbon weave through it or various Hardskinned characters can be quite attractive, espe-
cially after a little cosmetic work has been done after
OPERATIONS

other ablative properties it stops being very good

at being skin. Finding the happy medium was one of the fact, but they are certainly abnormal looking, and
those long sought but ultimately unreachable scien- certainly unnerving.
tiic goals. Until Transcendent Technologies applied Effect: Add +4 to your Endure score. You count as being
their own off the wall thinking to the process, and armored in Medium armor (and as such cannot wear
came up with something altogether new and horrif- additional armor) but this armor regenerates itself and
ic. cannot be Broken. It counts as having the Sealed EM
Hardskin doesn’t just change the flesh of its Suite.
owner, it replaces it entirely. The new dermis is a
multilayer ablative compound that feels like a mix Limb Addition: 600 credits
of thick supple leather and hard bone-like plating Gear score: 1
that protects the joints and spine of the character This operation will add things that aren’t al-
while allowing mobility and flexibility. By design- ready there. A second set of arms, a pair or wings, and
ing circulation, blood flow and touch perception the occasional extra eye are all examples. It can’t turn
from the ground up, Hardskin gets past many of you into a taur, but it can give you some equipment you
didn’t have before. The most difficult part of getting
new limbs or extremities is figuring out how to use
them. The surgery hooks up the proper neural path-
ways, but the mental language to operate the new
parts independently of the old ones simply doesn’t
exist, and has to be slowly trained and learned. For
most, this takes a good week or so of solid work after
the surgery recovery time to figure out, and they’ll be
a little clumsy till then.
Effect:Allows you to add wings, arms, eyes, or
other appendages to your character. One set per
augmentation. Additional eyes simplify Body:Perceive

266
checks for seeing things. Wings allow access to flight actually in a disassembled state of stored particles,
related techniques (and flight in general), A second set and will be reassembled on-demand in the same
of arms allows you to duel-wield medium sized weap- condition it was initially stored in. Deconstruction
ons if you have the techniques for duel wielding. It takes 1 minute, and reassembly takes the same.
will also allow you to hold a shield with no limitations Both processes require you to remain still and
on what else you can wield, and to have melee and steady or the object will be permanently ruined.
ranged weapons on hand without having to swap to While you can only reassemble the same object
them. They are also very noticeable, and while some in- you’ve disassembled, it is possible to use the raw
dividuals find the look fun and exotic, most people will material in alternate ways. Any object you disas-
view it as strange and excessive. Treat this like a Bias. semble can be reproduced as raw metal, serving
Characters with four arms can wield melee as a pry-bar, rudimentary shield of the same size, a
weapons that are two handed using only one side of club, or some other basic, non-complex metal object.

OPERATIONS
their body, leaving the other side free. Coordination Such an action requires a Mind Exert:Engineer-
limits what that other side can do while fighting, but ing check (0) and cannot be undone. Once you’ve
you can treat this as being able to wield a two-hand- converted the original object into a chunk of metal,
ed weapon in two hands while still having a hand free it cant return to what it was. This ability cannot be
to work with. used in combat or as any sort of offensive system
Landmark bonus: you can take this surgical op- due to the amount of time it takes to work (though
tion as many times as you have landmarks. it makes for a rather frightening torture tool if you
have a restrained victim in a narrative situation).
Prosthetic Limb: 400 credits Landmark bonus: Reduce the assembly and
Gear score: 0 disassembly time on this ability by 15 seconds per
Your limb has been replaced by a mechanical Landmark to a minimum of five seconds.
replica. These are typically easy to spot, but can be
disguised to look as though they’re natural. Prosthetics Void Breath: 500 credits
are one way to replace limbs lost in battle. They’re Gear score: 0
also a bit of a fad among technophiles, as the neural Voidbreath replaces the lungs and respiratory
connection to the artificial limb is so sophisticated that system with a chemically reactive system that converts
every degree of touch and sensation experienced by a ambient energy to an additive for the Void Core’s
normal limb can be translated to a fake one. vitae energizing system. The result solves one of Vi-
Effect:Counts as a single limb replacement with tae’s biggest problems: a lack of ability to oxidize. TTI
a mechanical analog. A single Prosthetic limb opera- uses this to allow their bioprobes to breathe without
tion “grandfathers” you into the purchase of additional breathing, and it’s of particular annoyance to Progeni-
prosthetic limbs if you want them. Buy them at 400 tus, who never figured out how to do it themselves.
credits each, but they don’t take up any additional Effect: You do not need to breathe. As such
surgical slots. you are unaffected by inhalation based dangers. If you
A prosthetic limb is more durable than most biologi- do not possess a Void Core you will need to spend
cal ones. If the limb is unencumbered with a weapon, a Vitae Charge to benefit from this for 8 hours per
it can be used as a small shield. It is also capable of charge. The other benefits of Vitae do not apply in
holding and manipulating objects that would normally that situation.
burn or freeze, so long as they aren’t so hot as to dam-
age metal (they do have acute sensory input, but it can Void Flesh: 800 credits
be deactivated). Gear score: 2
Voidflesh restructures your physical components
Nanoassembler: 600 credits with tissues used in TTI’s space-based bioprobes. While
Gear score: 0 not particularly protective from physical trauma, it is
This sub-dermal network is a recent addition to the undisputed master of environmental adaptation.
the MarsCo product line and is already serving as a Effect: Voidflesh characters are capable of ex-
stumbling block from a legal standpoint. Miniaturized isting in all environments from -200 C to 2000 C with-
deconstructers embedded in your hands can allow you out harm. They can be harmed by explosives, but fire
to pull apart and internally store complex objects in in itself is not typically harmful to them. This includes
various cavities embedded in your bones. You can then weapons reliant on fire and the fire EDA. They are
reassemble them later by activating the return system immune to radiation and caustic substances, skin based
and having them generate in your hand. It’s a difficult pathogens, and environmental pressure from 0 to 1000
and invasive surgery but very handy when you need to atmospheres without the need to adjust. It is sufficient
transport something with the ultimate degree of secre- to allow you to exist in space without tissue damage,
cy. but does not dismiss your need to breathe.
Effect: This system allows you to store one
object of Medium size or smaller internally without
showing any outward signs of possession. The object is 267
OPERATIONS
 AUGMENTATIONS
Augmentations list their installation location under
the augment itself. If an “or” is listed, the augment can
be placed in any of the listed locations. If an “and”
is listed, the augment takes up a slot in all the listed
locations.

Credits Gear Score Head Core Dermis

Bliss Emitter 450 Credits 2 Or

Diamond Weave 2500 Credits 1 Or

Graceful Transformation 250 Credits 0 Or Or Or

Equilibrium Regulators 200 Credits 2 Or Or

Expressive Control 650 Credits 0 Or

Voice 400 Credits 0 Or

Wireless Hub 200 Credits 2 Or

Vacuum Response 250 Credits 0 Or

Cuil Anchor 250 Credits 2 Or

Respiratory Redundancy 300 Credits 0 Or

Nublood 1500 Credits 1 And And And

Transcendent Implant 1000 Credits 1 or 5 And And And

Energy Projection 500 Credits 3 Or Or Or

Holo-array 100 Credits 0 Or

Internal Battery 300 Credits 1 Or

Omnigut 300 Credits 0 Or

Power Reserves 300 Credits 2 Or Or

Twinning Node 450 Credits 0 Or

Self-Destruct System 50 Credits 1 Or Or

Weapon Integration 200 Credits 1 Or Or

Quasi-talons 500+Weapon 1 Or Or

Updated Tissue 700 Credits 2 Or Or

268
Bliss Emitter: 450 credits Graceful Transformation: 250 credits
Gear Score: 2 Gear score: 0
Head Head or Core or Dermis, requires spontaneous
This small implant is somewhat optimistically metamorphosis or quasi-talon
named. Its actual function is to radiate waves in con- Metamorphosis is designed to be large
currence with brain activity at certain emotional levels, and flashy and sensational, to thrill the audience.
which causes the people around you to gradually shift However, there are reasons to use this ability out
their moods. It can’t make someone expressly angry or in the non-entertainment sector that call for less
happy, but it can set up feelings in the general vicinity bone-cracking and bloody rubble. By carefully engi-
that can easily be pushed in one direction or the other neering a series of seamless conversions, it’s possible
by a talented hand. These units are typically billed to make the transformation process smooth, quick,
for private use in areas that want to set up a certain and even pretty.

OPERATIONS
ambiance, and they must be clearly posted as active Effects: This cuts the metamorphosis pro-
in the area if the area is public. Naturally, there are cess down to about 30 seconds and removes the
many that are used in somewhat more illegal fashions. need for a roll to activate it. It can also allow you
It’s a risky venture though; if someone realizes that to spontaneously transform parts of your body to
they’re just not feeling right, the unit itself is easy to reflect your other form selectively, rather than all
detect with the right equipment. at once. These minor transformations can be used
Effect: When you activate this implant, de- up to twice per episode without requiring a check,
clare if you’re going to aim it toward negative or but they are limited to about a minute long, or one
positive emotions. You don’t have direct control over specific action. You can choose to do this as a nor-
what people feel, but the unit will radiate a feeling of mal metamorphosis if you don’t want the time limit.
general anxiety, stress and concern if pointed toward Additional applications of this augmentation apply
negatives, and soothing, calming giddyness if pointed to any additional transformations you may have.
toward positive. How people react to feeling that way
is largely up to their own personalities. In negotiations, Equilibrium Regulators: 200 credits
this usually serves as a good way to lower the Difficul- Gear score: 2
ty of a given Community check by 1, provided the feel- Head or Core
ing corresponds with whatever you’re trying to accom- This reinforces your natural resistances to nau-
plish. The emissions from this unit are easy to detect sea and disorientation.
with just about any other system designed to notice Effect: If you would be Stunned or Disrupted,
broadcasting; however, it’s somewhat more difficult to roll an Endure save at Difficulty 2. If you pass, ignore
notice you’re being manipulated by it enough to war- the effect.
rant checking to begin with. Typically, NPCs will pick up
on this unit if they suddenly start feeling the complete Expressive Control: 650 credits
opposite of what they felt mere moments earlier (but Gear score:0
only if they have an innately suspicious nature. Most Head
casual individuals will brush it off as a mood swing). This neural procedure gives you more direct
From there, it takes a Mind:Perceive check at Difficulty control over many of the instinctive movements of your
2 to put the pieces together. face and body, including things like blushing, frowning,
dilation of the pupils or sneering with anger. In short:
Diamond Weave: 2500 credits you are able to control what you look like, even sound
Gear score: 1 like, rather than having your emotions or anatomy
Dermis, requires Hardskin doing it for you. This is a popular procedure among
This structural reinforcement augments Hardskin acting professionals or models who want to be able to
with additional minerals, making it substantially have instant control of their facial expressions or tone
more resilient. It also makes it somewhat reflective and regardless of their mood (or who want to be able to
shimmery in light, and is very recognizable. This can do that eyebrow-lifty thing but haven’t been able to
sometimes make you a target: when flayed, the glim- figure out how despite hours at a mirror),but is per-
mering skin makes for an impressive trophy, or even haps most valuable in its ability to remove those tells
armor of its own. Of course, you have to kill the wearer normally used as visual cues to identify when someone
first, which is no easy task. But that makes the prize is lying.
even sweeter. Effect: When you’re simply talking to someone
Effect: Add +2 Wounds to your max. it is very difficult to discern your motive based on your
expression. You can choose how you look (angry, fright-
ened, genuine, etc.), and your body will give away no
further clues. Double-complicate any attempts
to determine the authenticity of your claims
through physical tells. In addition, you can
no longer be caught in a lie by any device 269
AUGMENTS
 that uses bodily reactions as a means for de- Wireless Hub: 200 credits
termining authenticity, and can determine how Gear score: 2
you react to various stimulation visibly by default Head
(whether you scream when scared, laugh when While wireless communication is an essential
tickled, etc.). Even though you can control your tool for combat malware users, it also opens you up to
outward reactions, you can’t stop the actual sen- attack yourself. Make sure you stay alert.
sations. Injury, for instance, will still have the same Effect: Adds the ability to communicate wire-
mentally debilitating effects it ever would, and lessly with any receiving unit using a variety of differ-
hurt just as badly. You can just stop yourself from ent signal bands. You can speak (and hear) in radio
showing the pain, or even display it as pleasant. frequencies, with a broadcast range of about 50 miles
Lastly, this surgery gives you the ability to control in a straight line. Your radio speech is largely deter-
the sound of your voice with expert degree, even mined by your mind, so through proper checks (Commu-
OPERATIONS

allowing you to mimic other people or sounds. nity:Communication) you can make yourself sound like
whoever you want to. Even add your own musical ac-
Voice: 400 credits companiment. While your radio hearing won’t decode
Gear score: 0 encoded transmissions, it does allow you to listen in on
Head anything being broadcast in your range if you find the
Literally “the voice inside your head.” This channel it’s on. There’s no visible interface for that, you
surgery augments your brain with an artificial in- just have to feel around for it.
telligence that can help organize thoughts, parse Treat this more or less just like a physical radio
information, and analyze data while leaving you to set, a wireless modem, and a phone. It can tune to fre-
perform more abstract tasks. By working in tandem, quencies, turn on and off, search through a wide band,
you and your Voice can achieve feats of mental and broadcast at varying ranges based on how hard
greatness that far exceed what is conventionally you’re trying to push the signal. You can also latch onto
possible. Just try not to get too personal with it, wireless routers, snag signals out of the air, etc. The
Vectors that fall in love with the Voice inside their system can actively translate digital signals into speech
head tend to be a little socially awkward. that you can hear internally and allows you to respond
Each time you take the Voice implant it counts while translating back, so you can do things like call
as one head augmentation, and applies one of the toggles, but you can’t see anything unless you also pos-
following abilities, once: sess a utilit-ii or Neural Connectivity Suite (NCS).
If you have an NCS, this unit allows for wireless
Inform owner if any hack attempts are made against hacking and also opens your own brain up for hacking.
them, and allows you to trace the source using
Mind:Perceive. Vacuum Response: 250 credits
Gear score: 0
Complicate incoming hack attempts. Core
This augment is a requirement on many
Simplify Logic checks. small-station operations before Progenitus will insure
them. It’s cheap for what it does and has been proven
Simplify Sabotage checks. to save lives in emergencies.
Effect: when exposed to vacuum, your body
Simplify Science checks engages in a self-protection procedure that will keep
you safe and functional for a short period of time and
Simplify Engineering checks allow you to drift motionless for longer. Vacuum re-
sponse grants you 10 minutes of usable motion in space,
Simplify Pilot checks and then puts you in a catatonic state that you can be
revived from without injury for up to 10 minutes after-
Simplify Communication checks ward. Beyond that, the damage is too great. This works
in any airless environment.
Simplify Protocol checks
Cuil Anchor: 250 credits
Gear score: 2
Core
Transcendent radiants will generally reflect
their abilities mentally, through focus, concentration,
and the application of certain thought exercises. This
sometimes has physical side effects, but the body itself
really isn’t doing the “heavy lifting.” TTI isn’t entirely sure
how any transcendent energy beyond the first Cuil is
270 leveraged, but they’ve found ways to manipulate it,

AUGMENTS
here and there. One they can do fairly reliably is shift comparable with synthetics and artificial organs.
the burden of implant leverage from the mind to the Nublood is a deep purple, almost black color, and
body. This results in physically robust individuals being turns your lips, eyes and exposed flesh a similar
able to focus their body instead of their mind to chan- shade.
nel the larger abilities of their implants. It has side In recent history this procedure has been
effects of it’s own, but it has the benefit of allowing gaining in popularity dramatically thanks to a study
TTI to open their experiments to a different sort of test that revealed that no Vector with Nublood had ever
group: specifically, one that might not have the mental been the victim of a Whisper event. They’ve died,
flex to work against them quite so readily, or ones that certainly, but none have ever served as the spawn-
don’t want to impede their mind while using their abili- ing point for one. The relationship is tenuous at best:
ties. the numbers don’t exist to prove it as anything more
Effect: Characters with this implant roll Endure than coincidence, but fear and hope have trumped

OPERATIONS
saves rather than Resolve saves to channel their im- it up as an immunity to Whisper spawning. Time will
plants, but Cuil Bloom applies for every attempt rather tell the accuracy of that.
than for every success. Effect: adds 1 extra operation slot in each
This has very noticeable physical effects, de- installation location. Whispers that use the Dive
forming parts of your body temporarily to reflect the ability on you will kill you as normal but will not
nature of the implant as you’re using it. These defor- split off into additional Whispers. If a random event
mations and transcendent effects can extend to things would cause a Whisper to spawn out of your body
you’re wearing, so they’re rather difficult to hide while as a starting point, re-roll the random chance to
in use. apply it to someone else. If it still settles on you, it
will happen as normal. Don’t worry: marketing will
Respiratory Redundancy: 300 credits probably hide that fact to avoid hurting Nublood
Gear score: 0 sales.
Core Sucks for you, though.
With so many genomes wandering through the
Vector species, there are a wide variety of differ- Transcendent Implant: 1000 credits
ent ways to exploit them. This is achieved most often Gear score: 5 for Radiants, 1 for everyone else.
through Reclaiming surgery but a few abilities are so Dermis and Head and Core
useful on a generic scale that they were broadened to Public understanding about Transcendent
be available for larger audiences. One such feature Implants and their capabilities is significantly smaller
was a variation on the traditional lung setup to allow than the actual scale of the technology itself. No small
for longer periods of airless operation. portion of this is due to TTI trying to avoid scrutiny into
Effects: Characters with this surgery can hold how they were developed and the greater implications
their breath for up to 45 minutes while engaging in they link to. While they’re essentially billed as unique
basic activities, and up to 15 minutes while engaging in ways to bypass physics in small and controlled fash-
strenuous activities like combat. This is useful in situa- ions, in the right people they produce dramatic results
tions where the character is submerged or exposed to above and beyond their design. Long ago, TTI had a
toxic gases. It has no effect on their longevity in open research method they could use to explore phenomi-
space; the problems of being unprotected in the void na like this in private, at a larger scale, with tighter
go far beyond simply holding one’s breath. Alterna- control. With the loss of that capability they’ve had to
tively, a character can take this surgery to have gills turn to a new form of testing and recording: handing
integrated into their respiratory system. In this case, smaller elements to the masses and watching what
their ability to hold their breath does not change, but happens.
they can breathe normally while underwater. Effect: grants the use of a transcendent im-
plant. Further implants may be purchased without using
Nublood: 1500 credits up additional augmentation slots. You may only have as
Gear score: 1 many transcendent implants as you have landmarks. By
Dermis and Head and Core extension, this means you cannot begin the game with
This questionable procedure swaps out all of a transcendent implant in most circumstances.
your blood and transforms the cells responsible for its
production. The replacement “Nublood” is a synthetic Energy Projection: 500 credits
that’s chemically compatible with your original blood, Gear score: 3
but has enough specific differences to grant it sev- Dermis or Head or Core
eral advantages. It can be re-typed on the fly with Focusing hardware in your body employs your
the introduction of a simple chemical, which makes it internal reactor as a powersource for integrated FDT
great for battlefield transfusions. It can purge illness weaponry. It’s not as powerful as the full weap-
and disease easily, interacts well with other synthetic on systems you can purchase, but it’s perma-
materials without decaying them, is less susceptible to nently integrated and difficult to detect.
infection or blood poisoning, and makes a body more Effect: allows for the use of a special 271
AUGMENTS
 FDT attack resulting from direct energy projec- Internal Battery: 300 credits
tion through special emitters. The nature of the Gear score: 1
attack changes based on the installation location. Core
Each use is a power point which can be taken A lighter weight alternative to the internal
from internal reactors, batteries, or PPCs you link reactor, internal batteries grant personal power in
to a node on your body. a pinch, though they can’t regenerate that power on
their own and hold less of it in storage than the reac-
If installed in the Head: tor does.
This projector is built into an eye replacement. Effect: This is effectively an internal PPC that
The eye dedicated to projection cannot see, but isn’t disposable and can be recharged. It can be
moves in parallel with the other eye for accurate charged via the internal reactor or from an external
aiming. source via a port in a location of the owner’s choice.
OPERATIONS

Treat this weapon like an FDT bow’s FDT acti-

vation ability. Omnigut: 300 credits
Gear score: 0
If installed in Core: Core
This weapon projects from the mouth. Originally developed as a way to augment
Treat each use like the detonation of a FDT repuls- soldiers trapped in hostile territory without rations,
er grenade on your hex that only affects objects the omnigut is primarily a survival tool. It allows one
in a 90 degree arc in front of you. OR, treat each to consume virtually anything while an augmented and
charge like the detonation of a FDT compression adaptive stomach generates whatever chemicals are
grenade on your hex that only affects objects in a required to break it down and actively harvest usable
90 degree arc in front of you. Select at the time of nutrients from it while storing and neutralizing danger-
purchase. ous ones, refilling its own reservoir as it does so. It can
even process chemicals into calories, making it a sort
If installed in the Dermis: of bio-engine for the body. The system is a complete
This weapon typically projects energy discharges from GI replacement, and as such is more invasive than
the hands, allowing for the formation of an FDT blade most augmentations, but it was important that almost
with your arm as its physical component. anyone would be able to get one if it were needed.
Equally important was a replacement to the tongue to
Treat this weapon like an FDT blade’s FDT activation re-establish how the body tastes things. Just because
ability. you CAN eat anything doesn’t mean the process is
particularly enjoyable without further tweaking. Teeth
Holo-Array: 100 credits and jaws are also reinforced with this, because metal
Gear score: 0 is kinda tough and all.
Dermis Effect: you can sustain yourself off anything
The holo-array is a complicated dermal aug- provided it isn’t actively exploding inside you. This
ment that situates small holoprojection systems in your includes scraps, trash, bad food, good food, old car
skin, tailoring fur out of the way and featuring redun- parts, motor oil, whatever. The system is quite robust.
dant lenses so that you can make use of it even while It also makes you unpoisonable by consumables, and
clothed. While the projected effects still need to be makes everything taste good, which gained it a bizarre
pre-programmed, a simple effects app that comes fandom among foodies who discovered an entire uni-
with the operation can allow you to do things like verse of new flavors hidden in objects that would have
throw fake fireballs, create holographic signs, give previously killed them. Go figure.
yourself light-wings, and just about anything else you
can dream up with a few minutes prep. Power Reserves: 300 credits
Effect: Project holograms. Presets with complex Gear score: 2
behavior can be saved. The projections are very bright Core or Dermis, requires prosthetic limb
and clear, so they’re easy to recognize as fake, but it’s This implant supplements the internal power
a fun toy for creating 3D models up to a couple feet systems of prosthetic limbs with the ability to draw
away. If you have an internal reactor or internal power from other sources, greatly increasing their out-
battery this can be supercharged for one power point put.
to greatly increase its output, allowing you to create Effect: You can increase the strength of your
projections up to 50 feet tall, at distances of up to 200 prosthetic limbs as though they were subject to the
feet away. Physical Enhancement surgery, but it requires one
power point per use from an internal reactor, battery,
or one attached PPC. The limbs remain charged for
only a few seconds (one round of combat).

272
AUGMENTS
Twinning Node: 450 credits as it’s pretty much the definitive “turn your body into
Gear score: 0 a tool” example.
Head, requires NCS and Wireless Hub
Body swapping is medically possible even for Quasi-talons: 500 + the cost of the template
Vectors, but it’s a messy process organically. Things weapon
just don’t line up very well, and it typically results in Gear score: 1 + the score of the weapon
disorientation and poor functioning. Cog signals are Core or Dermis
all digital, even if they’re not inherently aware of what Full body transformation is a bit of a Pulse
code is being sent to where in their bodies. This node showmanship ability. There are advantages to it,
maps that code, and allows two Cogs to seamlessly but for the actual professional purveyor of violence,
swap bodies without any of the vomiting generally as- it’s more than is needed to get the job done. Thank-
sociated with organic attempts. With an NCS, Vectors fully, variants of this operation exists that will ensure

OPERATIONS
have a pretty clear version of this “head code” as well, you’ve always got a weapon on-hand when you
allowing them to use it to swap signals. Socially, this need one.
implant is a bit of a touchy subject. Twinning nodes Effect: You can transform one limb from its
are calibrated to specific partners. Once bonded, only normal shape to a durable mimicry of a weapon.
those two individuals can swap bodies. Naturally this Internal stores of carbon reinforcement and unique
implies a certain relationship between the pair. The poly-metallics will infuse your weapon with the du-
relationship itself is not the problem, it’s more the divi- rability it needs to function, but its shape is ridged
sion in body identity. It comes down to the individual. and inflexible, and as such your transformed limb
Effect: As a standard action, once per turn, will lose any dexterous ability until it changes back.
a character can swap bodies with their established Tails and forearms are popular options. The limb you
“twin.” Both characters must have a twinning node they select cannot change once you’ve had your oper-
have chosen to link to one another at a previous point. ation. If you lose the use of the limb, you lose the
When swapped, all stats, proficiencies, and techniques ability to change.
travel with you. Swapping requires a digital handshake Any small-medium weapon (even ranged
to be successful; if either side should refuse, the swap weapons) can be used as a template for this trans-
cannot be forced. Its range is effectively limitless pro- formation. Transforming requires an Endure save with
vided there is a wireless signal present between both Difficulty of 1+the number of times you’ve transformed
bodies, however travel time is a factor at interplan- today. If you fail you cannot attempt again this scene.
etary distances. If a swap is initiated across worlds, It takes about 10 seconds to change and another 10
both subjects must remain connected and for the to harden, and can be done in two combat rounds. A
extent of the light-speed transfer. If they experience single Quasi-talon operation “grandfathers” you into
anything during the transfer itself, they will not remem- the purchase of additional ones if you want them. Buy
ber it on the other side. them at their normal cost, but they don’t take up any
additional surgical slots.
Self-Destruct System: 50 credits Landmark bonus: Reduce the change and hard-
Gear score: 1 en time by five seconds for each landmark you have. A
Core or Dermis, requires prosthetic limb. five second transformation can be done in the chatter-
This stores a small but potent explosive device step.
in your prosthetic limb. In order to disguise it from
detection, the explosive is dispersed, so you’ll need to Updated Tissue: 700 credits
detach the entire limb to use it. It can then be thrown Gear score: 2
like a hotspot grenade and explodes as per their rules, Core or Dermis
but counts as having rolled max on all damage dice. Through a series of conditioning procedures,
Once a limb has been destroyed this augment goes your bodily tissues and reflexes have been “educated”
away and must be repurchased if it’s desired again (as on how to avoid damage more specific to the weap-
must the limb). ons they currently face rather than generic abrasion
and impact from old human evolutionary patterns.
Weapon Integration: 200 credits Wounds from knives and bullets bleed less and seal
Gear score: 1+the score of the weapon. faster, your body instinctively weaves to avoid incoming
Core or Dermis, requires prosthetic limb fire, and on the whole your instincts are better tuned
This allows you to integrate a weapon of small to keep you safe on a modern battlefield.
or medium size into a prosthetic limb, so that it can Effect: Increase Evade by 1. This Augment is in-
reconfigure to use it. The weapon functions normally compatible with Hardskin and Inteliformic flesh, remove
and your limb looks normal when it’s not in use. It will it if you get either. Most surgical centers will lower the
pass cursory inspection too, but x-rays and in-depth price of either down by about 500 credits if you
scanning will notice the components and you may be posses this augment, as they know you’ll be
asked to remove your limb before entering sensitive losing it.
areas. Cogs are typically socially against this augment, 273
AUGMENTS
 RECLAMATION SURGERIES
These are gained by means of the character
TRICKS progression chart at a rate of 1 per landmark, and
cannot otherwise be purchased. These are another
Tricks have a Gear score of 0 and do not take up
type of trick surgery; they take up no augmenta-
surgical slots of any sort.
tion or surgical slots and have a gear score of 0.
Nip/Tuck: 100 credits
General fix for Injuries of 5 or below on the in- General
jury table sustained during a combat, as well as General reclamation operations are available
cosmetic changes. Changes are permanent unless to any family, as they have variations that will
undone with another nip/tuck. function universally. They may be mixed in with
your family based reclamation. Even Cogs may
New look: 20 credits take the general reclamation options in lieu of a
Allows for asthetic changes to your character, such specialization. They are simple enough to mimic
as unique hair or patterns. Permanent until removed mechanically.
or a preset time is reached.
Reclaimed Claws
General surgery: 150 credits In general, hands are more valuable as tool
Allows for the repair of injuries from the injury ta- manipulators than they are as fighting devices. But
ble. Also a good catch-all for narrative operations. some lines of work benefit from having a power-
ful attacking device that can’t be easily removed
Genetic Compatibility: 350 credits from you, and this gives your fingers, tendons and
Through careful manipulation of genetic claws the sort of reinforcement they need to be
markers this operation makes it possible to accept powerful slashing tools.
reclaiming operations from another species with- Effects: Your unarmed attacks deal 2D10 rather
out your body rejecting them. It typically results in than 2D6 damage and can damage all armor
picking up a few body habits from that species as types. They still count as unarmed.
well and on rare occasions can even tweak your
physical appearance. Reclaimed Agility
Effect: When you would receive a Reclamation While not a feature in every family, Pulse has
surgery, pay the price for Genetic Compatibility to pretty much nailed the fine art of improving gen-
select it from any family rather than just your own. eral mobility in Vectors regardless of their species.
While you do not become a hybrid, this will occa- Effects: While wearing no armor and light
sionally result in inheriting physical characteristics clothing (no coats, reinforced clothes, or bulky
from the sampled species. This is up to player pref- accessories), your Evasion score is +1. This doesn’t
erence, and the alterations usually aren’t profound apply to characters who cannot wear armor, like
enough to matter socially. hardskinned or Inteliformic creep 3 characters.
You must have compatible anatomy (things
such as Reclaimed Large Wing cannot be taken Reclaimed Durability
without wings, Reclaimed Cheetah Speed cannot Pulse has figured out how to make a body
be taken without legs, etc.) Limb addition surgery more durable too, but tends to be cautious about
can provide any additional anatomy this operation passing it out. While it adds to your overall resil-
may require. Blips cannot take this trick. ience, it hardly makes you bulletproof, and it tends
to make people take on more than they can chew.
Utilit-ii: 100 credits This operation is typically marketed toward ar-
This simple implant grants all the abilities of the mored combatants rather than thrill seekers. When
UI lenses item in a system that’s integrated directly combined with the actual protective properties of
with your eye. Recent models don’t even require an armor, it allows the wearer to shrug off concus-
eye replacement; a simple screen installed behind sive strikes that would otherwise daze or wind a
the lens and a small corresponding unit in the skin normal person.
take care of everything. ASR still recommends the Effects: Add +1 to your armor’s Endure bonus.
eye replacement though. It’s much easier to up-
grade. Reclaimed Equilibrium
You’ve gained the ability to judge aspects of a
physical action before taking it with much greater
accuracy than normal.
Effects: Stunts you make are Simplified. Out of
combat, if you are trying to do a stunt or trick that
would not take you beyond what you could rea-

RECLAIMS
sonably move to on a level surface in the same amount Canidae
of time, you can do it without taking a check. Reclaimed Olfactory
The long sleeping family genes that char-
Reclaimed Prehensile Tail acterize the canine sense of smell are reactivat-
Many Vector species have tails, and fairly good ed and you can receive a wealth of new infor-
control with them, but this will strengthen its dexterous mation from scent you never realized before.
control to near hand-like levels and its base strength Effects: Simplify Body:Perceive checks involv-
enough to support substantial weight. ing scent. If you have a sensory surgery and are
Effects: this allows your tail to be used as a performing an observation using a different sense
sort of extra grapple point, capable of grabbing onto (for instance, you have reclaimed Auditory but are
branches, levers, objects, and other things it can wrap using your eyes to search a room), you are also en-
around, operating controls as well as a one-fingered titled to knowledge of any strange or out-of-place

OPERATIONS
hand could, and supporting you if you fall with your disturbances in the room related to your enhanced
hands full. It can wield most one-handed weapons sense (a strange sound, in that case). Grants ac-
provided they aren’t considered unwieldy based on cess to scents considered imperceptible to humans.
their description, and it can be considered as an arm Characters with this surgery can’t help but sniff the
for holding yourself or another object stationary and is air more often than most people.
strong enough to make a basic unarmed attack if your
hands are otherwise occupied. This surgery requires Reclaimed Auditory
a tail roughly long enough to touch your feet when Your ears were already sharp, but now they
you stand. Use your judgment. And if you have bad can pick up specific sounds with the accuracy of a
judgment, use your Guide’s judgment. For an extra 50 hunting dog.
credits, Pulse will actually enlarge or modify your tail Effects: Simplify Body:Perceive checks involv-
to make it compatible with this augment, and you can ing hearing. If you have a sensory surgery and are
usually have them tailor it off a species of your choice. performing an observation using a different sense
(for instance, you have reclaimed Auditory but are
Reclaimed Youth using your eyes to search a room), you are also entitled
Pulse emphasizes the preservation of youthful to knowledge of any strange or out-of-place distur-
vigor in order to achieve more throughout one’s life- bances in the room related to your enhanced sense (a
time. It doesn’t extend your lifespan, but it will stave strange sound, in that case). Grants access to sound
off the usual debilitating effects of aging, such as joint frequencies considered too high or low for humans
damage, muscular atrophy, and decaying bones. By de- to hear. Characters with this surgery appear easily
fault, this doesn’t make you look younger (they charge distracted and often find themselves eavesdropping on
for that) but it will make you function at your prime conversations they have no business listening to.
until you can’t function any longer.
Effects: Removes any negative physical effects Reclaimed Work Ethic
associated with aging. While it doesn’t inherently Your metabolism has been altered to grant you
change your appearance, it will change a bit naturally the near endless energy of a well trained work dog. By
simply due to having the posture and musculature of maintaining a balance of energy, its possible for you to
a younger body. This typically results in someone who operate in extreme conditions.
looks fit and strong but has faded coloring. Effects: Provided you have access to food and
water, you can operate over extended periods with-
Reclaimed Surgical Compatibility out tiring. While engaged in active work, you consume
Pulse didn’t get into the business of heavy body twice as much food and water as you normally would
modification without making a few mistakes, and sub- (handle it in narrative) but do not need to test for en-
sequently solving them. This treatment primes your body durance or stop for extended breaks. You can also sub-
to be more receptive to more invasive procedures you stitute food and drink for sleeping, allowing you to stay
get later. awake without ill effect for up to four days so long as
Effect: gain one extra operation slot in a surgi- you can fuel yourself. You ignore exhaustion caused by
cal location of your choice. wearing armor, even if you sleep in it. In addition, you
can restore your Focus and Readiness scores with a full
meal provided you give yourself about an hour break
to recuperate, once every 12 hours.

Reclaimed Antiseptic Saliva

The old adage of “licking one’s wounds” is lit-
eral in your case. Your saliva has been infused
with antiseptic and antibacterial properties,
and can even numb pain. Useful, but you still
need to get used to licking an open wound. 275
RECLAIMS
 Effects: You can sterilize objects with your (as determined by shape, before other bonuses) to your
saliva, which simplifies medical checks. This can Movement score.
also allow you to remove 1 Wound from a downed
character. Characters with this ability will typi- Reclaimed Happy Landings
cally apply it to bandages as needed, unless they Your center of balance has been lowered and
have a peculiar enjoyment for sticking odd things in spread to help you quickly re-orient during a fall and
their mouth, or the taste of blood... distribute the impact better with the ground.
Effects: Take half damage from falling.
Reclaimed Pack Mentality
Your ancient hunting instincts have been Avialae
tweaked with careful reconditioning to allow you to Reclaimed Optics
watch out for your friends with almost supernatural
OPERATIONS

The telescopic vision associated with your

efficiency. breed has been restored, allowing you to better focus
Effects: Your party is now your ‘pack’. Through on distant objects.
intimate knowledge of their scents and behaviors, Effects: Simplify Body:Perceive checks involving
you can tell if one of your party members has been vision, provided the lighting is normal. If you have a
in your general location at any point within the last sensory surgery and are performing an observation us-
week, and how long ago they were there within ing a different sense (for instance, you have reclaimed
about half an hour. No check is required for this. Auditory but are using your eyes to search a room),
you are also entitled to knowledge of any strange or
Felidae out-of-place disturbances in the room related to your
Reclaimed Nightvision enhanced sense (a strange sound, in this case). Your
The fabled night-eyes of the cat are yours once visual range is long enough to be considered always
again. Though colors are muted and patterns a little equipped with powerful binoculars.
blurry, you can see through the darkness with the
clarity of a night-vision camera. Reclaimed Acuity
Effects: Provided a room has any light at all, You have restored the avian ability to prioritize
you can see in it as though it were brightly lit. In areas prey over other moving objects. You can use this to pick
of total darkness, you can faintly detect the IR spec- exactly what you’re searching for out of a crowded
trum, which will allow you to pick up on shapes and scene.
movement up to 5 hexes forward without assistance. Effects: If you have successfully spotted some-
Characters with this surgery have more dramatically thing once in a scene you can instantly reacquire its
slitted and dilated eyes than their kin. position if it would leave your view and enter it again.
As such, enemies that have stealthed and been spot-
Reclaimed Reflexes ted by you once cannot hide from you again unless
You’ve had the lightning fast reactions of your they possess literal invisibility or some form of sensory
breed re-activated. It’s great in a crisis, less great at obfuscation.
surprise parties.
Effects: When knocked prone you can get Reclaimed Carbon Feathers
back up in the chatter step without taking an action. Through a rearrangement of the base fibers
Characters with this surgery are extremely reactive to involved in growing feathers, it is possible to substan-
motion around them and tend to be easy to startle. tially lighten and toughen the entire wing arrangement,
as well as put disturbingly sharp edges on the leads of
Reclaimed Pad Feet the primary feathers. This is boasted as a flight im-
Your soles have been padded (if they weren’t provement surgery, but most birds in the field value it
already) and your muscle control increased to provide more as an offensive holdout option.
whisper-quite motion. Effects: You may use your feathers as knives.
Effects: Simplify Body Exert:Stealth checks, pro- They can even be thrown. They are, however, light and
vided you are in Medium armor or lighter. thin, and will break if used as a tool.

Reclaimed Cheetah Speed Reclaimed Large Wing

Your muscle control and respiration has been Your wing-arms have been extended to reclaim
reworked to grant you the trademarked landspeed some important surface area, enabling you to remain
of the Cheetah, or at least as close to it as can be aloft longer with the same number of wingbeats.
managed with your frame. Characters with this ability Effects: You can sustain flight for two hours per
have been tuned to be thin and athletic to support Endure roll rather than half an hour.
it, and typically don’t like to sit down for long
periods.

276 Effects: Add your base movement score

RECLAIMS
Reclaimed Large Tail Reclaimed Adhesive Pads
Your tail feathers have been extended to grant Your hands and feet have been carefully
increased in-air maneuverability. They do tend to get augmented with a combination of tiny grippers and
in the way on the ground, though. This surgery makes high surface area pads to allow them to grip to
sitting in standard chairs difficult and has a tendency walls and ceilings.
to knock things over. Some establishments such as fine Effects: You can scale flat walls and move
restaurants wont let you in without a cover charge. along ceilings as though you were climbing a cliff
Effects: Reduce the technique cost of flight- face, provided you aren’t wearing gloves or shoes
based techniques by 1 to a minimum of 1. and are not dressed in anything heavier than light
armor. You must make climb checks (Body Exert:Ath-
Reptilia letics) to scale these surfaces, but success will allow
Reclaimed Respiration you to cling to most anything that isn’t actively

OPERATIONS
Your family’s long relationship with water bred trying to shake you off. Snakes can take this surgery
many species capable of extended periods of submer- and adhere to surfaces with their bellies.
sion. You have regained that ability.
Effects: You can hold your breath for 1 hour Reclaimed Regeneration
if not engaged in activity, or 30 minutes if swimming. Grizzly a thought though it may be, your cell
Characters with this morphism tend to breathe slow- structure has been redesigned to rebuild lost limbs.
ly, with as long as a minute between breaths while Its not a fast or pleasant process, but it works.
asleep. Effects: You can regenerate limbs you have
lost. Regeneration requires you to be at 0 Wounds
Reclaimed Taste and takes three days in game, during which time
You can taste like other people see. You can the regenerating limb cannot be used. Characters
sample even dangerous compounds without risk to with this surgery shed their skin like their reptilian
yourself and identify the compounds inside them. progenitors, something that reptile Vectors don’t
Effects: You can taste things, liquids, gasses, do by default. This ability will allow you to naturally
solids, and identify the different components inside recover from any of the effects of the Injury table that
them. The names of the components don’t just appear didn’t kill you.
in your head, you’ll need knowledge in Science to put
names to things, but you can pick out one compound
from the next and, provided you have a control sample
to work with, figure out if anything is amiss. You can
taste foreign gasses in the air and tell if something or
someone has touched something by tasting it. Charac-
ters with this surgery tend to be entertaining to watch
at the dinner table. Flavors appear as almost physical
forces to them.

Reclaimed Venom
You now produce a potent venom or toxin
which can be delivered with a bite or mixed with bev-
erages.
Effects: Your character’s unarmed attacks are
now classified as Poisonous, as described in the weap-
ons section. They can also apply poison to any melee
weapon. If your venom is consumed in drink form, the
victim can roll an Endure save at Difficulty 2 to resist
it. If they fail, depict the affected character as para-
lyzed, dizzy, nauseous, and otherwise unable to func-
tion normally. Characters with this ability can control
their venom output but only to a point, and generally
shouldn’t share their food with people they don’t want
to poison.

277
RECLAIMS
 Mustelidae Reclaimed Immunity
Reclaimed Pheromones Your family’s resistance to toxins has been
You have access to the scent production glands refreshed in you, allowing you to endure even deadly
of your family. While generally considered to be chemicals.
a negative factor to everyday life, you can con- Effects: You are immune to natural toxins and
trol them to work for you. venoms, including those made by the Venom surgery
Effects: You have the ability to produce subtle and those present in conventional poisons and poison-
messages in scent. These can be picked up by any- ous weapons. Alcohol and caffeine no longer affect
one actively looking for them, or disguised so that you if consumed or injected, and drugs are also ig-
only specific species can figure them out. By simply nored. Your immunity does not extend to aerosols:
touching something, you can leave a complex mes- gasses and other caustic vapors work as normal. Addi-
tionally, artificial super-toxins such as those employed
OPERATIONS

sage of up to a paragraph long disguised in smell

but otherwise invisible. This message can be found in germ warfare are millions of times more potent than
and decoded by anyone with the Reclaimed Ol- the natural varieties, and will still harm you. Characters
factory or Reclaimed Pheromones surgery, or keyed with this surgery are not eligible to give blood in even
to a scent cipher. If keyed, only someone previously emergency situations: their new immune system will
given the corresponding scent cipher can figure out prompt almost toxic refusal by other bodies.
what the message is saying. Items or surgery that
have any sort of “examination” component, such as Reclaimed Tenacity
the Reclaimed Taste surgery or a sensor equipped Your pain threshold (or maybe just your stub-
item, can also find an decipher these messages, but bornness quotient) has been cranked to eleven.
need to be actively looking for them rather than Effects: The first time a hit would down you in
passively detecting them in the area. combat, before you fall, you get 1 full, immediate turn
out of sequence. Immediately afterward you will fall
Reclaimed Orientation unconscious as normal. This is subject to plot. If you’re
Your family has a remarkable ability to navi- caught up in a reactor explosion you can’t really tough
gate without light, stemming from a long history under- it out.
ground. You have reactivated this trait.
Effects: You can keep track of your direction, Ursidae
rate of travel and speed without the use of landmarks. Reclaimed Bear-fisted Combat
Even with your eyes closed or in total darkness (or You have reinforced your mouth and hands to
while blindfolded) you can keep track of how far you’ve withstand the abuse they’d receive if used in more
traveled, how fast you’re going, and where you’re “traditional” bear activities. It cuts down your dexteri-
turning. If used with Mind Exert:Logic (Difficulty varies ty a bit, but it keeps you from being disarmed. Unless
depending on the scene), you can pinpoint your position someone actually removes your arms.
even if you were unconscious during the start of the Effect: As the Reclaimed Claws surgery, but
journey by recognizing various maneuvers, provided you your unarmed attacks are upgraded to 2d12 damage
know the general area. This also serves to prevent you instead of 2d10.
from getting lost in complex tunnels. Characters with
this surgery tend to exhibit signs of obsessive compul- Reclaimed Metabolic Control
sive behavior, with varying severity. You can adapt your metabolism to slow down
or speed up, depending on what’s needed. This can al-
Reclaimed Respiration low you to achieve a sort of self-induced stasis if badly
Like many in the reptilia family, Mustildaes have injured, preventing the usual shock associated with
their share of waterborne relatives. This gives them major injury that is often just as dangerous as the injury
access to a useful ability. itself.
Effects: You can hold your breath for 1 hour Effects: If you are downed, you can elect to
if not engaged in activity, or 30 minutes if swimming. hibernate. Your character is placed at 1 Wound below
Characters with this morphism tend to breathe slow- max and appears dead (they can naturally still be out-
ly, with as long as a minute between breaths while right killed by a vindictive enemy) but is essentially sta-
asleep. bilized and unconscious. They can remain that way for
up to 24 hours and will regenerate internal injuries as
they sleep at 1 Wound per hour. You can sleep through
just about anything in this state, but if you elect to
wake up, you can’t re-enter hybernation and will need
to seek standard medical attention. Your injuries still
apply. You can choose to hybernate on your own if you
wish to. Characters with this surgery tend to exhibit

278 odd eating habits and sleep like a rock.

RECLAIMS
Reclaimed Olfactory Delphinidae
Canines aren’t the only critters around with a Reclaimed Echolocation
legendary sense of smell. Yours is even better, though You’ve regained the ability to accurately
that’s not always a perk. map your surroundings with sound. You can use
Effect: This grants the effects of both the Cani- this to peek around corners without exposing
dae Reclaimed Olfactory and the Mustlidae Reclaimed yourself, or get an idea of distances from things you
Pheromones. Characters with this surgery must take an can’t see.
Endure save (3) in areas of extreme odor (high enough Effect: In areas where a single, sharp sound
to make a normal person feel noticeably uncomfort- can be produced (by tapping something hard on
able) or be incapacitated by them. They will flee to something hard, or clapping, etc.) you can function
fresh air by the quickest route, and if none exists, must in complete darkness as though it were fully lit.
try to control their breathing through makeshift fabric However, your “vision” is limited to pulses of sound,

OPERATIONS
filters or curl up and gag until they can wrestle their requiring you to repeatedly emit the noise, or to
nose under control. They can re-test once every minute. work off whatever you saw in your previous im-
age. You can also use rhythmic sound from a single
Reclaimed Polar Adaptation mechanical source to track that particular source.
Your fur and skin are adapted to shrug off cold A generator in a basement, for instance. As long
water and resist freezing temperatures. Even more as the environment has solid surfaces, your “vision”
effective than that of your progenitor race, this adap- extends beyond corners out to the usual distance for
tation can allow you to traverse lethally cold environ- sight. It cannot go through closed doors. If you are
ments. moving from pulse to pulse rather than using repet-
Effects: Ignore negatives associated with cold itive sound, treat the environment as a Low Light
temperatures and environments. This does not apply environment. If anything causes you to stop having
to space, but is sufficient to make the entirety of any access to a steady pulse (combat, for instance) or if
water ocean in the solar system swimmable. It does there is too much ambient noise and no single ping
not protect against dangers from pressure, nor does it to home in on (say, a factory floor), you are again
protect your equipment. Characters with this surgery blind.
typically try to get away with wearing as little clothing Note that while this ability allows you to see
as they decently can, and are very uncomfortable in full even small physical details in objects, it does not show
coverage armor. anything color based. Screens, signs, writing, color,
markings, or any digital surfaces are effectively invisi-
Reclaimed Stature ble. This ability also allows you to have visibility around
Even small bears are bulky, and the larger ones corners, as you can work out the general reflections of
tower over the average Vector. You have tapped into the sound. The nature of this ability precludes its use
that size without the usual nutritional requirements of in combat, which is too loud and varied to generate a
Macroism. You may not be as large or powerful, but consistent image.
you can swing your weight around a lot more than
most people. Reclaimed Personal Orientation
Effect: You can use the Slam attack defined in You have reactivated the dolphin ability to
the Shields entry once per combat. If you eventually orient itself accurately in three dimensions without
take the macro surgery, this grants you a bonus Slam. becoming confused or distracted. While mostly use-
ful in the water, this is also applicable in weightless
situations, allowing you to adapt much quicker to zero
gravity environments.
Effect: You don’t need to make any checks for
maneuvering yourself in a zero gravity environment, in-
cluding checks for using a Pointshift Gauntlet. You don’t
have an adaptation period for growing accustomed to
weightlessness.

Reclaimed Polar Adaptation
Your skin has adapted to shrug off cold water
and resist freezing temperatures. Even more effective
than that of your progenitor race, this adaptation can
allow you to traverse lethally cold environments.
Effect: As the Ursidae version, however yours
includes protection against the effects of pres-
sure, allowing you travel between any depths
without penalty, to a maximum of 2500 feet.
(excluding zero-pressure environments). In 279
RECLAIMS
 environments over 90 degrees Fahrenheit, all your Reclaimed Sonic Manipulation
checks are complicated unless you can dedicate You can accurately and repeatedly emit sounds
a full day to transitioning to that environment with- within, above and below the range of most people’s
out strenuous activity. Once you’ve transitioned, hearing. When focused at close range, this can even
this surgery is inactive until you transition back to be weaponized.
lower temperatures. Effect: You count as having a purge wave you
can use from your mouth. You must have your face ex-
Reclaimed Restoration posed to use this weapon and the sound emitted must
Though not as famous for regenerative abilities be in the audible range of the target.
as some reptilian species, dolphins are capable of If you possess Reclaimed Echolocation, you can
restoring even substantial damage to their bodies use this ability to constantly emit pulses above the
without bleeding to death or losing their stream- range of common hearing, granting you clear aural
OPERATIONS

lined shape. This ability has been reactivated in you. vision hands-free that will not alert nearby people un-
Effect: If any effect heals your Wounds, add +1 less they have equipment of some sort that can hear it.
to the amount healed. Because your own pulses have a unique sound, you can
even use them to navigate in rooms with high ambient
noise.
Characters with any of the following Surger-
ies can hear the full range of sounds emitted by this
ability: Reclaimed Echolocation, Reclaimed Sonar, and
Reclaimed Auditory.

Selachii
Reclaimed Ampullae of Lorenzini
Far more than just an electroreceptor, this sixth
sense organ grants perception of electronic fields,
temperatures, current flow and a variety of other
things. When attached to an intelligent brain, howev-
er, it becomes an even more potent tool.
Effect: This grants your character a new sense:
the ability to finely and distinctly “view” electro-
magnetic fields. How you use this is up to you. Every
living thing emits an EM field, as do all machines. The
world itself emits one, and the ampullae are sensitive
enough to detect the direction of electron flow or the
differences between one field and another. Injured
muscles emit different fields than healthy ones do,
and those with medical knowledge can use this as a
diagnostic device. It is not dependent on light, has a
21 foot range outside of water, and a 200 foot range
while submerged. Unlike echolocation, this does not
show you the exact definition of shapes or details,
only an aura of energy. It is, however, passive, and
cannot be detected while in use.
To use your ampullae in any fashion other than
simply seeing if a field exists requires checks, as any
sort of diagnostic or perception check would. Treat it
as a sensory organ, such as ears or eyes. Characters
with this surgery often seem as though they’re look-
ing at things that aren’t there, and will occasionally
wander around with their eyes closed if they’re not
concerned with color or detail.

Reclaimed Cartilaginous Skeleton
While a true cartilaginous skeleton doesn’t lend
too many useful benefits for land dwellers for all the
trauma it would take to have one installed, advanced
bio-structural engineering has created a hybrid bone

280 system that converts key parts of your existing skeleton

RECLAIMS
into a sort of hypercartilage that’s lighter, more flexi- the room related to your enhanced sense (a strange
ble and just as strong as your bones are. It lets you get sound, in this case). Grants access to sound frequen-
a lot more use out of the muscles you already have. cies considered too high or low for humans to hear.
Effect: Simplify checks to lift and carry things, Characters with this surgery appear easily dis-
and checks to continue doing so over time. Your char- tracted and often find themselves eavesdropping
acter effectively weighs about half as much as they on conversations they have no business listening to.
look like they should.
Reclaimed Climbing Grip
Reclaimed Dermal Denticles Exercise alone can make the human figure
While shark Vectors do have somewhat rough- quite adept at clinging to craggy surfaces or climb-
er skin than dolphin Vectors do, it’s far from sand- ing sheer cliff faces, but a little structural reinforce-
paper. This operation brings it up to the level of its ment never hurt anyone. This grants you a vice-like

OPERATIONS
underwater progenitor, and pushes it up a bit further, grip that can allow you to support your own weight
serving as a light ablative layer with a few other and then some from a single limb.
perks. Effect: Simplify all climbing related checks.
Effect: Add +1 to unarmed attack damage. Additionally, if an effect would cause you to drop
In aquatic environments, your movement score is in- something, roll an Endure save (1). If you pass, you
creased by 2 before other modifiers take place. don’t drop it.

Reclaimed Lateral Line Reclaimed Iron Stomach
Though not nearly as sophisticated a sensor as The Rodentia family is home to many scav-
the Ampullae of Lorenzini, this pressure-sensitive system engers, and while food isn’t scarce in the Sol system,
can alert you to the presence of objects outside your there are advantages to having a robust interior.
immediate view. Effect: You can consume rotting meat, vis-
Effect: You cannot be caught off guard by a cera, just about anything that isn’t actually classified
melee attack. Even if approached from a hidden posi- as a toxin or inedible, and gain nourishment from
tion, this sense will alert you to any moving body within it (assuming it actually has some nourishing value). You
three hexes. It will not expose hidden bodies that are can also consume solid objects and store them in your
holding still, however. This counters any bonuses nor- stomach to be regurgitated later on demand. Said
mally afforded to a melee stealth attack. object must be small enough for your character to
swallow and fit in an area about three times the size
Reclaimed Nictitating Membrane of their fist, but can be held there, dry and in tact, for
This third eyelid usually snaps closed on sharks 3 days. This surgery includes the ability to selectively
during the moment of their bite, to protect their eyes determine what your body does and doesn’t digest,
against thrashing prey. That function (hopefully) has lit- which can allow you to store even toxic chemicals (like
tle use in civilized company, but the anatomy is helpful poisons) internally for use later. However, emissions
when exploited in other ways. Through active manipu- from those substances (radiation, acidic properties,
lation of the cells in the membrane, these can create etc) will still effect you, so be cautious with what you
organic “glasses” that will filter a variety of vision swallow. Characters with this Surgery typically have
problems. bizarre diets, as it also makes a wide variety of flavors
Effect: Your character can activate their mem- more palatable than they normally would be.
brane to filter out aspects of the environment that
would otherwise prevent them from seeing. Fog, bright Reclaimed Leaping
light, muzzle flashes in the dark, sand and other atmo- You’ve reactivated the ability to prioritize pow-
spheric events all count. This counters most environmen- er to your legs, making you capable of extraordinary
tal vision complications. leaps when you need them.
Effect: You can make leaps of around 30 ver-
Rodentia tical feet. You likewise ignore fall distances of 30 feet
Reclaimed Auditory or less if you’re able to get your feet under you. This is
Most of the species in the Rodentia merged sufficient to use the Combat Flying technique (but not
family relied heavily on hearing in the wild. The ability the other flight related techniques). This ability is lost
to discern individual sounds over large distances has in heavy armor or above.
been reactivated in you.
Effect: Simplify Body:Perceive checks involving Reclaimed Sonar
hearing. If you have a sensory surgery and are per- Originally a bat-only trait, this ability was the
forming an observation using a different sense (for in- subject of a massive genetic enhancement project
stance, you have reclaimed Auditory but are using your when bats officially joined the Rodentia roster,
eyes to search a room), you are also entitled to knowl- and has been modified to be active in all its
members. It lacks the sheer energy of the
edge of any strange or out-of-place disturbances in
similar Delphinidae ability, but possesses 281
RECLAIMS
 much of the same functionality. of temperature, texture or other harmful effects that
Effect: This functions as the Delphinidae Re- may be associated with stepping on them. In addition,
claiming Surgeries for Echolocation and Sonic Ma- your feet are now strong enough to be employed as
nipulation combined, with the following limita- a bashing or cutting tool, allowing you to do things
tions: like sever cables, kick through surfaces, etc. Your legs
-You cannot emit sounds outside normal hearing are no stronger than before, so it may take time and
ranges. They do not need to be tremendously loud various tests depending on the action, but you are
to be effective, but they are audible and typically assumed to possess a hardened tool capable of the
sound like a squeak or high pitched ping. action. In combat this can be treated as an unarmed
-Your sonic ability does not have a weapons close combat attack that can damage armor types
profile. It can be annoying, but it lacks the sheer without restriction.
force of the Delphinidae version.
OPERATIONS

-Your ability does not work underwater. Reclaimed Protrusions

-Because your ability relies on emitted sound In the era of modern conflict, having antlers or
within the usual auditory range, it will not work in horns, even sharp ones, isn’t terribly advantageous. They
areas with high ambient noise. If you possess the get in the way most of the time, and even if they could
Reclaimed Auditory surgery, you can use this ability gore an unarmored opponent, they’re likely to break in
to home in on sound above or below usual hearing the process, hurt your neck, or at the very least, re-
ranges even in crowded areas, though you cannot quire you to lower your head toward your enemy to use
emit them yourself. them. This operation makes use of the genetic keys re-
quired to generate these protrusions in the first place
Ungulatea and redirects them in a way that’s a little more useful
Reclaimed Horizontal Pupils to bipedal living.
Your eyes have been adapted to mimic those Effect: This surgery causes antler-like protru-
of a goat, with rectangular, horizontal pupils that sions to grow outward and downward from your head
allow for a 340 degree field of vision. in the form of many firm but flexible rods around an
Effect: Your field of view has increased to every inch in diameter. This new horn “hair” overlaps in sever-
direction except for hexes in a line immediately behind al layers and forms an almost chitinous armored helm
you. You gain a simplification to Body:Perceive checks that provides protection to the top of your head, neck,
that involve searching for or noticing things in your and upper back from most basic attacks. It typically
surroundings, including enemies that are attempting to replaces any horns you already had. Standard helmets
hide from you to execute stealth attacks. can fit over this hair with a little personal modification,
and they afford some protective qualities of their own.
Reclaimed Horsepower This counts as a small shield. This particular
The sheer hauling ability of the conventional operation is available for any horned vector from any
equine was so legendary, it was used as a gener- family.
ic term for overall power for years back in the days
of humanity. That history is somewhat missing in the Reclaimed Sure-Footing
common day, but the term stuck around. Through short Borrowing a page from mountain goats, you’ve
bursts of metabolic energy, you’ve stimulated your own regained an uncanny sense of balance and foot place-
muscles to outperform when needed, though there’s a ment that leaves felines feeling more than a little put-
cost involved. out.
Effect: You can increase your Body score by Effect: As Reclaimed Climbing Grip for Roden-
1 for 1 minute. You must rest for 1 minute afterward. tia, except that your hands do not need to be free
Usable once per episode. for it to work, and you do not gain the secondary grip
benefit. Characters with this surgery often bypass
Reclaimed Ironhooves established paths in even urban areas for alternative
Most Ungulates rubberize their hooves and ones, even if the savings in time is mere seconds.
forego shoes unless they require some form of leg
protection. Hooves themselves are quite durable, but
by integrating mineral replacement technologies they
can be reinforced with metallic and carbon alloys to
transform them into a naturally growing, extreme-
ly hard material, far in excess of their natural state.
Sadly, the same technology cannot be applied to horns.
It seems the resulting transformations to the skull
have unfortunate side effects on the brain.
Effect: Your feet can now tread over

282 hazardous surfaces with impunity, regardless

RECLAIMS
 Wheeled
COG SPECIALIZATIONS Fine Tuning
Cogs tread a fine line when it comes to body Increase your Movement score, Dodge
modification. Inherent to their society is the as- save, or Initiative score by 1. This specialization
sertion that they are not tools to be reconfig- can be taken multiple times, but each option can
ured at will to suit various jobs. It goes beyond only be applied once.
a social practice. Cogs carry a sense of per-
sonal value that is intrinsically related to their All-Terrain Suspension
independence, as is the case with most thinking You can ignore difficult terrain provided it
creatures. To them, being configured as a tool isn’t physically harmful.
for a specific task is almost a form of slavery.
Even if it’s temporary, it’s still wearing a label Ghostgel Bearings

OPERATIONS
that brands their body and directly attaches Simplify Dodge saves.
a stigma associated with the work to them. In
general, it’s avoided. However, just as a Vector Grip Sheaths
athlete trains their body to be toned for their This allows the cog to ascend walls with
passion and is generally proud of the result, or their wheels, and ceilings if they boost. They will fall
a musician practices tirelessly to position their if the boost ends with them still upside down.
fingers just so, there is a part of body adap-
tation that is directly related with personal Gyrostabilization
identity. As organics, this distinction is pretty If you are hit while boosting you are not
natural, but for synthetic creatures like Cogs, knocked prone.
it presents a bit of a conundrum. The “answer,”
socially at least, was to focus specialization High Torque Motors
on anatomy that was already present, rather Allows turning while boosting.
than trying to add more. It was the difference
between adding a new tool (and thus, becom- Tracked
ing one) and refining the figure you were built You can traverse hot, cold, and other normally
with. As Cogs experience their world, they find impassible terrain, treating it as difficult.
the parts of themselves they need to refine In-line configuration: Increases boost to 3x move score,
in order to better reflect the sort of physical but disallows further movement actions this round.
being they wish to be. The traditional analog is
“exercise,” where a runner ends up with a very
different body than a lifter, despite them both Maglev
starting with the same stock. The metaphor Fine Tuning
works, to a degree. As is the case with most of Increase your Movement score, Dodge save, or
Cog philosophy, there comes a point where the Evade score by 1. This specialization can be taken mul-
comparison ends and it becomes “a Cog thing.” tiple times, but each option can only be applied once.

Cogs select a specialization for their frame to Secondary Levitation System
help refine it. They begin the game with one Ignore the terrain limitations in the Maglev
and receive a new one every Landmark. description. You can move freely over all surfaces.

Free Glides
When hit in close combat or shooting (or in
general), you can allow yourself to continue coasting
Basic Body with the blow. Roll a D10 and float that many hexes
Basic biped Cogs can take the General
away from the direction of attack. This does not count
Reclamation surgeries available to Vectors
as a move action, it simply happens.
as though they were specializations. They
can also take the Fine Tuning specialization,
Hard Locks
which for Basic Body Cogs counts as a single
You can magnetize your feet (or what amounts
additional character customization point like
to your feet) to a metallic surface, allowing you to walk
the ones used in character generation. Points
along it regardless of your angle. This can be used to
received in this way are spent on the same
scale walls, hang from ceilings, or walk normally in zero
bonuses as in character generation but each
gravity.
option can only be purchased once over the
character’s lifetime. Unspent points may be
Free Flight
converted to credits at 200 credits a point.
Grants the Flightworthy template.
283
Powered Thrust
Gain the Boost ability as described in the
Wheeled frame.

Repulsion Matrix Flowform Support System

Once per scene you can flare your repulsion Reduce your mass by 3 while maintaining your
matrix. Count this as detonating an FDT repulsion gre- shape and adjust your soft scores accordingly. You can-
nade on your hex that does not affect you. not suffer limb injury on the injury table. If you roll one
when downed in combat, simply fall unconscious and
Repulsion Sheath count yourself lucky you avoided serious harm.
Your levitation systems can create the effects
of a flowform sheath around yourself, allowing you to Hollow Hull
travel through water as though it wasn’t there. The Your tentacles are structured with voids inside
sheath is only about an inch from your body, however, them suitable for housing other components. Treat this
and grants no pressure, insulation, or suffocation pro- as having the prosthetic limb prerequisite for any op-
tection. erations requiring one.

Tentacled Hyperdexterity
Fine Tuning You hold up to 4 separate objects while still
Increase your Endure save, Readiness, or Endure having two hands free. You can duel wield two hand-
score by 1. This specialization can be taken multiple ed weapons. You can hold weapons while attacking
times, but each option can only be applied once. without them, transition to using weapons or not using
Naga locomotion: Change your shape to Long and them, can grapple while holding weapons, etc. This
decrease your Base Mass by one. Recalculate your soft essentially counts as having enough “hands” free to do
scores to reflect this but do not decrease your Wounds anything requiring a hand without having to drop other
from their previous max. things you’re carrying. However you can still only take
one action at a time.

284
SPECIALIZATION
Spade-Shaped Tentacles Area Dispersal
While underwater your movement rate be- You may walk on top of water at full speed.
comes 2x your normal listed movement score.
Extended Segmentation
Tether Tips You can double your leg length at will, allowing
You count as being equipped with a Pointshift you to walk right up on top of objects 15 feet high or
gauntlet and a Grapple Gauntlet. below, and span walls up to 5 hexes apart. You can
also stand 20 feet tall, which may give you better sight
Van der Waals Segments lines on an enemy. Bare in mind they can also see you.
You can scale flat walls and move along ceil-
ings as though you were climbing a cliff face, provided Linear Configuration
you aren’t wearing gloves or shoes and are not dressed Change your shape to Long and reduce your
in anything heavier than medium armor. You must mass by 1. Recalculate your scores and Increase your
make climb checks (Body Exert:Athletics) to scale these base movement by 1.
surfaces, but success will allow you to cling to most
anything that isn’t actively trying to shake you off. Wheeled Mechapods
Gain the attributes of the Wheeled chassis,
Hexapod except for boost
Fine Tuning .
Increase your Endure save, Dodge save, or Midline Arms
Wound score by 1. This specialization can be taken Your middle leg set is reconfigured to arms.
multiple times, but each option can only be applied These function as any extra arms would, but bare in
once. mind they’re oriented low.

Active Compensation Piston Assistance

If an injury would result in the loss of a limb, you You have a leap distance of roughly 30 feet,
can assume it to be a leg unless the narrative makes sufficient to use the Combat Flying technique (but not
that impossible, and you can continue to function un- the other flight related techniques). You also
impeded until the leg is restored. Your other legs will do not begin calculating fall damage until
compensate. you’ve fallen at least 30 feet.
285
SPECIALIZATION
 TRANSCENDENT IMPLANTS most of Sol, Transcendent Implants will only allow you
access to first Cuil abstractions, which are not par-
ticularly hazardous and tend not to break the laws of
There are many frightening and strange tech-
nature by any degree that can’t be recovered from.
nologies in the universe that are vastly more
When functioning properly, they can manifest fair-
physically impressive than transcendent tech-
ly reliable results themed in specific ways that are
nology, but each of them works off the same set of
nothing short of magical. But certain individuals have
standard scientific principles. Each can be reverse
the ability to reach deeper into their implant than is
engineered by those in the know. Each is, essen-
intended and use its translation matrix to pull from
tially, smoke and mirrors. Transcendent technology
more prominent abstractions, producing greater results.
is a whole new breed of scientific endeavor that
Each time this is done, 0 Cuil reality becomes unstable.
employs energies and understanding that travel in
Rules change. Physics breaks down. Repeated delving
OPERATIONS

drastically different directions from those of con-

into advanced abstractions can change the very rules
ventional science, and which has resulted in the
governing the existence of the implant itself or the ex-
creation of special technologies that affect reality
istence of the person using it, resulting in a catastroph-
in abstract and amazing ways without any sort of
ic meltdown where an abstraction is accessed with no
conventional power source or projector. Transcen-
system to focus it.
dent implants are etched into the very molecules of
TTI has been careful in its public descriptions of
their owners and cannot be removed or convention-
how these systems work. To Sol, transcendent implants
ally detected once installed.
are proprietary technology that make use of some
Transcendent implants are a cut above the
truly impressive science to grant some quasi-magical
day-to-day biological peculiarities of the Sol sys-
effects. And in fairness, they’re not incorrect, but the
tem. They work in ways that defy the established
details are hidden behind a wall of corporate privi-
laws of nature, provide effects that challenge their
lege. Even within TTI’s walls there are layers between
scale, and are at once enormously powerful and as-
who knows what. Transcendent research is a slow and
toundingly dangerous. Often as much to the owner
terrifying process, partially because of its inherently
as to anyone else.
random nature, and partially because certain quali-
Transcendent implants serve as a channeling
ties do not directly translate from one reality to the
and focusing system for energy funneled into standard
next. Scale, for instance. Transcendent researchers are
reality from realities beyond. The implant is attuned to
at any given point a breath away from accidentally
a particular abstraction of reality, where any number
boiling all the water in a room, or accidentally boiling
of things could be different or alien. Physics could work
all the water in the universe. While TTI corporate has
entirely different there, or not exist in any recognizable
more personally important reasons for wanting to keep
form. Thoughts, feelings, observations, nothing needs
the nature of this power under wraps, that reason
to coincide with our interpretation of the universe. Its
alone is generally sufficient for the lower levels.
very existence could be incompatible with ours, such
that its mere contact is inherently destructive. Without
a system to focus and manipulate the energy properly, Getting Trancendent Technology
it would vomit unconstrained all over our reality and First Cuil implants are available from TTI and
leave chaos in its wake. are reasonably “common,” in an elite sort of way. They
Each reality accessed by a transcendent event must be registered with the IRPF and are considered
can be harnessed in different ways. The more com- concealed weapons requiring registration, even though
plex the interaction, the deeper into abstraction the most of them aren’t inherently harmful. The IRPF just
implant has to travel. The depth of the abstraction is likes to know who can do unexpected things and who
measurable using a unit TTI unearthed from ancient can’t. Naturally, there are ways around this if you’re
Earth datastreams called a Cuil, which begins at 0 for cunning and/or unscrupulous.
general reality and increments one digit per level from First Cuil implants are quite stable and for
there. the majority of Sol’s population, that’s all they’ll ever
The implant serves not only as a gateway to encounter. It’s certainly all they’re told about. But there
this power, but a focusing system as well. Through the are rare individuals (like, say, the sort of people who
millions of interconnecting, machine-precision pieces forgo the traveled road to become free agents and
of the glyph that makes up a transcendent structure, seek their fortunes in glory and combat. The “player
a language is formed that will provide a (relatively) character” sort of people) who can achieve dramat-
reliable result when otherworldly energy is channeled ically higher levels of Cuil. TTI calls these individuals
through it. It’s taken TTI centuries to arrive at this point, “Radiants” and is particularly interested in them. This
and no shortage of mistakes during development have can be beneficial to you, as it provides a Transcendent
been swept under the rug. Radiant character with various support material they
The ultimate failing of transcendent need to help keep them safe, but also concerning. Hav-
implants is the necessity of reliability in a ing TTI eagerly watching your movements is often less
286 system that changes the rules of reality. For than desirable.

TRANSCENDENCE
CHANNELING TRANSCENDENT POWER

Channel Roll
Attempting to use a transcendent ability is
called channeling. Channeling works like a resolve save:

Roll a Resolve save. The Difficulty of this save is equal

to the Cuil Bloom of the scene, which typically begins
at 0 unless some pretty freaky shit is going down.
If you succeed in the channeling, you will manifest your

OPERATIONS
transcendent ability. If you fail the channeling, the abil-
ity does not manifest.

Cuil Bloom
Every time a transcendent ability is manifested
the veil between realities weakens in the vicinity of the
power. This is called Cuil bloom, and it increases by 1
if the last implant channeled was level 1-2, and 2 if it
was 3-4. It lasts until the end of a scene and applies
to every person trying to channel within that scene,
regardless of the type of implant they’re using. Cuil
bloom can get all the way up to 6 but caps there.

Player characters are exceptions to most every

rule in one way or another. When it comes to tran-
scendent technology, they have the option to become
a Radiant (Personal Quirk), giving them access to more Accessing Transcendent Abilities
powerful escalations of transcendent implants. How- A character can have as many Transcendent
ever, that is ultimately a player decision, and you don’t Implants as they have Landmarks. There are 3 ways to
need to be a radiant if you don’t want to. The vast ma- interact with a Transcendent implant for your charac-
jority of Sol does not escalate their implants when they ter. Each grants different levels of effect.
use them. Whatever strange property it is that causes The first is to buy one. This gives you access
Cuil bloom, they simply lack it, and your character can to the first Cuil level of the implant, as it would for
be missing this quality as well, if you wish. anyone else that buys it. The upper Cuils of the implant
The greater Cuil effects of transcendent im- are locked off from normal interaction unless you take
plants are known by TTI but kept hidden to avoid pub- the next few steps and you won’t be able to channel
lic concern about the comparatively rare phenomena it in combat, but you’ll have its simple utility benefit
of super powered people walking around. Equally quiet at no risk. All characters wishing to have transcendent
is the fact that a “level one” implant and a “level four” abilities will need to have them implanted.
implant are exactly the same thing. The difference in The second is to take the Radiant person-
behavior is brought on entirely by the individual, not al quirk. This unlocks the remaining Cuil levels of the
the implant. It simply works differently for different implant for you to call on. You’ll still need to buy the
people. implant to begin with, and you can’t use it in combat
Transcendent Implants cannot be removed. until you’ve taught yourself to channel quickly under
Once grafted inside you, they’re as much a part of your pressure using the Combat Channeling Technique, but
body as your DNA is. More so, in fact. Even cloning or you can use up to Cuil 4 out of combat rounds.
body replacement will not always remove the implant. The third is to take the Combat Channeling
TTI experimentation has shown that breaking continu- Technique. This indicates that your Radiant has learned
ity of self (creating a clone from an earlier stage in to focus enough to call on their abilities in the heat of
someone’s life so that the original does not interpret combat over a very short period. Combat
the clone as “themselves” when they die) has the great- Channeling is difficult and taxing on a body, but it is
est degree of success with regards to getting someone one of the more visibly effective ways to use
who had an implant to not have it anymore, but that Transcendent implants. Without this technique
also essentially equates to suicide. Once you’ve got it, you can’t use your Transcendent Implant while
you’re pretty stuck with it. in combat rounds. 287
TRANSCENDENCE
 Transcendent Catastrophe
Implants that have channeled beyond their
ability to remain coherent have the potential to
cascade into disruptive and bizarre events as they
disperse their accumulated abstraction into 0 Cuil
reality. Sometimes these events are immediate and
noticeable, other times they show up later, where
you least expect them. It is not in the nature of tran-
scendent phenomena to be predictable.
If a character attempts a channeling and fails
while the Difficulty is 6, the Guide rolls a D10 on
the Transcendent Catastrophe table and adds the
Cuil level the Radiant was attempting to channel
to the roll. A Radiant that initiates a Transcendent
Catastrophe cannot channel their powers again this
episode. The Guide should roll this in secret so the
players can find out the consequences through nar-
rative.

Many of these results make sense to happen

immediately, but any of them can be delayed to occur
when the party doesn’t necessarily expect it to happen,
or in unique ways. The important thing to keep in mind
about these events is their effects can, and should,
interact with the story in ways that go beyond the
current combat that caused them, and since they don’t
always happen right away, you can keep the party
paranoid if they push their luck too far.

288
TRANSCENDENT CATASTROPHE TABLE you don’t already know. You’ll freak out the people who see
you and Complicate all social interaction. TTI can remove this
problem but the operation costs 500 credits. And your soul, if
1: No harm done: You lucked out; the excess Cuil energy dissi-
you read the fine print.
pates into nothing. Or perhaps turns a flower into a toaster
somewhere on another planet. Regardless, you don’t need to
9: Blightspot: One NPC nearby will erupt from the inside,
worry about it much. Remember not to tell your players what
exploding into an organic nightmarescape far larger than
result you rolled. A little paranoia is a good thing.
their actual body was. The transcendent-fueled organism will
spread over walls and surfaces, through doors and corridors,
2: Reset: Counts as a Stun! result in combat. Outside of
and onward over the landscape for about a quarter-mile (or
combat, this is a bit like a sudden bout of narcolepsy. The
enough to fill most buildings if that’s where they started).
character will simply “shut down” for a minute or so without
warning, and then wake up mid sentence.
10: Incursion: Summon a transcendent manifestation Queen, 2
Knights, 2 bishops, 2 Rooks, and 10 pawns into the scene. They
3: Burn: Take your Base Mass in Wounds. If it reduces you to
begin as neutral, but if they are damaged by either side,
zero Wounds, take an Injury. This damage will manifest in
they will engage all combatants at random.
such a way as to resemble the type of implant that caused it.
11: Mass teleportation: You and everything around you in a 50
4: Heavy Burn: Take 2x your Base Mass in Wounds. If it re-
foot radius translocates to an extreme location.
duces you to zero Wounds, take an Injury. This damage will
Roll a D10.
manifest in such a way as to resemble the type of implant
1: Earth
that caused it.
2-4: Mars
5-6:Venus
5: Terrain Warp: The immediate terrain around the character
7-9: Random inhabited moon
will warp and fluctuate in a sudden and dramatic fashion re-
10: Space
lated to their implant. The range on this isn’t enormous (about
Once you arrive at your target world, refine your
a 50 foot radius) but it can be profound and troubling to look
position using character landmarks as reference. Was anyone
at, and it can make normally easy tasks (like opening doors or
in the party born on this world? Has anyone spent any time
getting across a road or into a building) suddenly impossible
here? Did anyone want to visit here, or more importantly, did
to do. This only happens once, but the condition will persist
anyone want to stay AWAY from here? If there’s any party
once it’s in place and usually requires either rebuilding the
attachment to any particular place, (especially a negative
surrounding area or calling in TTI to attempt to return it to
attachment), put the party there. If not, the Guide can deter-
its former state of matter.
mine where you end up.
1 and 10: Your characters will always arrive near
6: Item Warp: As above, but it affects equipment rather than
other sapient things. That is not always a good thing. Guide
terrain. This can result in the ruination of armor, weapons, or
mercy comes into play here, or Rescues if the players have
tools the player party has on them, up to a total of 1 object
them. Whispers and Palemen are sapient for the purpose of
per party member (though they don’t need to be dispersed
this result, but so are smugglers and blockade runners sneak-
like that. It could be 4 objects on 1 person in a 4 person
ing onto Earth in hopes of snagging something valuable.
party).
In space, there are many ships around that your
characters could appear in front of who might be able to
7: Attitude: An NPC of the Guide’s choice will completely
resuscitate you. However, TTI has created its share of space-
change their attitude toward the party, usually as a result of
worthy intelligent lifeforms you might also appear in front of
spontaneously forgetting they ever existed. What’s more, all
who are arguably less accommodating.
physical evidence ever putting the party in the same place
as the NPC will be rewritten. Mechanically, this will negate
12: Whisper Event: A whisper spawns from D3 opposing NPCs
previous tie-ins with this NPC and prevent new ones from
within the current scene. They are immediately aggressive
being formed with them, as they have no idea who you are
toward your party.
or why they should want to talk to you. However, from a nar-
rative standpoint, Guides are encouraged to use this result in
13: Transformation: You become a transcendent entity and
a way that will hit the characters on a more personal level
generate three other manifestations near you, as per the
than just losing an asset. Making family members forget them
Manifestation implant. You can pick which ones. They obey
can work, or personal heroes, lovers, etc. The social asset lost
you without question and for this scene or combat you can
here should be one of particular personal importance. If you
behave normally; however, you can’t speak or understand nor-
need a cheap and easy solution for this, voiding the party’s
mal language. The language of the manifestations is clear to
current contract works well.
you now, and you speak it fluently. At the end of the combat
or scene, the other manifestations enfold you into their arms
8: Appearance: Your appearance changes and warps to re-
and you exit this Cuil of existence permanently.
flect the effects of your implant. This is usually a subtle thing,
but a supernatural and animated one. Translocation might
14: Cuil 5 event: Your character and D10 others of your
result in your hand sometimes appearing three feet to your
choice within the same scene embrace the exoverse and are
left for a brief moment before snapping back into place;
subsequently removed from what we know as existence. If
excitation might result in superficial fires sometimes lighting
any of them are ever seen again, they will not be in any state
in your fur spontaneously. Cubes of your body might disap-
that could be considered sane or functional.
pear and reappear in a split second. Any number of troubling
results. While this is in effect, it’s pretty much impossible for
you to engage in normal day-to-day activities with people

289
 TRANSCENDENT IMPLANTS Excitation
Cuil 1: You can ignite something small and flammable
The descriptions in the Transcendent implant list
are specific so they can be used in combat with- within six feet of you as though you were holding a
out confusion. Remember, out of combat these match to it. This is instantaneous but must be a visible,
can be tweaked a bit to fit the scene. Use the flammable object and will not catch with any more fe-
Cuil level descriptions to craft an effect with the rocity than a match would. Moving objects like people
same general function and scale. typically extinguish this immediately.

Cuil 2: You can “mine” the hexes you move over for one
Translocation move action. The next thing to step on a mined hex will
Cuil 1: You can teleport objects no larger than a cause it to explode under them as though they were
shoebox and no more than a pound from up to 5
OPERATIONS

on top of a hotspot grenade. Mines last for d6 rounds

hexes away (short range) to your hands, provided or until detonated. Roll in secret and mark the number
said object is not held down or secured in some down, they all detonate at the end of it.
way, such as in someone’s hands or a vice.
Cuil 3: You can place an excitation ray on the hex grid
Cuil 2: You can swap positions with something of within one hex of yourself. When placing, mark down
equivalent total mass as you (must be equivalent) as the number of turns you want to “cook” it for in secret
a move action, provided you can see them without (up to six turns). The timer begins counting at the be-
technological assistance. If the subject is willing, ginning of your next turn. Once the timer has counted
this will happen immediately. If they are unwilling down, the ray fires at the beginning of the 0 turn in a
and would struggle against the process, scatter the direction of your choice.
landing positions of both characters in the same The Excitation pierces light terrain (plants, light
method as a thrown object and end your turn when walls) and ignores cover. It rolls to hit with 2d10+the
the process is over. number of turns it cooked for and deals 10 damage
multiplied by the number of turns it cooked to each
Cuil 3: You can teleport an object of equivalent object hit (excluding the mandatory round, so a max
Total Mass or lower to another location within 5 hexes of 5) and has the Exploit property. If it hits a target
of yourself. The target need only be in line of sight and in close combat, its energy will radiate through each
can be friendly or enemy. If the target is willing, no roll person in that combat, dispersing damage equally.
is required. If the target is struggling, roll a D8 when Once it has fired, roll a D10. On a 6+, the emitter can
you activate the power. On a 1-2, you will instead tele- be replaced in any position along the line it just fired.
port yourself to within 5 hexes of them. The attempt Treat it as though it has been placed again.
cannot be abandoned once begun. This counts as a Ray emitters appear as a tiny distortion in the
movement action. The landing positions of targets must air when they’re placed, and are completely invisible
be at the same relative level they began at and can- after that. There is no known way to remove a placed
not displace other objects (you can’t teleport someone ray emitter or identify where it is or what direction it’s
into the air, but if there’s a cliff nearby, you can drop facing once it’s down.
them over it.)
If used on yourself, this power will revert you Cuil 4: As the previous Cuil, but you can now extend
to a previous point in time. Place your character in the the timer to 10 turns instead of five, and place three
exact position they were in at the start of your previ- emitters instead of 1, all with different timers.
ous turn. Any changes to the character (damage, status,
etc.) that happened between last turn and this turn is
reversed. The time walk effects no one else, so actions
they did between turns still remain.

Cuil 4: You can re-position everyone on the battlefield

to new hexes as a move action. They must still be close
enough to see and you cannot effect people who are
hidden from view. Roll a D8. On a 1-2, the Guide then
gets to place your character following the same rules.
Your new location must be stable solid ground you can
normally stand on at around the same elevation you
were previously at, but beyond that, it can be any-
where on the field. Alternatively, you can apply the
Cuil 3 time walk to any one other character in
the scene.

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Dislocation Manifestation
Cuil 1: You can push objects mentally of no more than Cuil 1: You can create a mouse-sized manifestation
a few pounds up to 18 feet away (short range) which that only exists as long as no one looks at it.
can be used to push buttons, throw switches, or various You can direct this manifestation up to 300 feet
other tasks. Treat this as your own hand in the chat- away, and see through its eyes. It can continue
ter step, with just as much dexterity, but not as much to send visuals to you even if you leave your control
strength. It is possible to levitate objects with this range, but may decide to start wandering after a
ability, but only one object at a time, and no more than while. It can’t manipulate the world, and if anyone
a few pounds. You cannot levitate yourself. sees it, it will wink out of existence like a shape in
the dark darting just out of view. The manifestation
Cuil 2: You can grant yourself or someone else flight creates no noise, even when it walks over things, so
for a round, and benefit from the Combat flying provided it can remain out of line of sight its stealth

OPERATIONS
certification regardless of whether or not you have is considered perfect.
it. Alternatively, you can use this ability in response to
an enemy movement action to prevent said enemy of Cuil 2: Summon 1 rook or 3 pawns anywhere within
equal or less total mass to you from moving. 100 feet. Randomly determine what is summoned.

Cuil 3: You can throw an enemy of 8 or less total mass Cuil 3: Summon 1 rook or bishop or knight or 3
as though they were a grenade, provided they are pawns anywhere within 100 feet. Randomly deter-
within 10 hexes of you. The direction of travel must mine what is summoned. Roll a d10. On a 6+, summon
be directly away from you. They will take D6 Wounds one more of whatever was summoned.
on landing, and become prone. They are entitled to
a dodge save (2), which will prevent the prone effect Cuil 4: Summon 2 rooks, or 2 bishops, or 2 knights, or
and half the Wounds if passed. Flight-capable charac- 6 pawns, or 1 queen anywhere within 100 feet. Ran-
ters can dodge to prevent the landing damage entire- domly determine what is summoned. Roll a d10. On
ly as well as the prone effect. If a thrown character a 1 the Guide gains control of the summoned enti-
impacts anything over the course of the throw, deal an ties. They begin as neutral, but if they are damaged by
additional Wound to them for every object impacted either side, they will engage all combatants at random.
the Guide considers big or hard enough to hurt them.
Your manifestation ability can’t be used again until
Cuil 4: As the previous Cuil, but you can apply the all previous manifestations have been killed. Once
effect to up to 10+2D10 mass worth of targets. This summoned, you can control manifestations by giving
push is a solid wave; it can’t bypass objects between up your own actions to direct theirs, or leaving them
targets. Anything between your leftmost target and to their default behaviors. If you elect to control, your
rightmost target will also be repelled, and must be character is motionless this turn, but you can use any
considered as part of your mass allocation. Chairs and of the listed actions on all summons of a given type
random debris can be ignored, but large objects like (all pawns, all bishops, etc). They all activate on your
crates or cars (10+ mass for most vehicles) count. turn. If you let them behave on their own, follow their
described behaviors on your turn, after you have acted.
Manifestations do not get threat responses. Stats for
these manifestations can be found on the following
page.

291
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 Rook Bishop
Wounds: 5 Body Exert: 2 Wounds: 4 Body Exert: 2
Movement: 3 Body Perceive: 2 Movement: 10 Body Perceive: 4
Evade: N/A Mind Exert: 1 Evade: 15 Mind Exert: 1
Endure: 25 Mind Perceive: 1 Endure: 25 Mind Perceive: 1
Mass: 10/shape: standard Mass: 8/ shape: long
No attack actions, 1 movement action, no sup 1 move action. No attack actions. No support
port actions actions.

Abilities Abilities
Reject Reality: Maximum damage that can be Hovering: These creatures swoop and spiral
dealt to them by any one source is 1 Wound per through the air, trailing inky tendrils behind them
attack. that explode in dull, shuddering thuds. They can travel
Object Charisma: Ranged attacks that would over difficult terrain and through occupied hexes.
pass within three hexes of the rook will deviate to hit Variable Energies: These entities “mine” the
them as soon as they enter that area unless the shoot- hexes they move over every time they move. The
er rolled a critical hit. This overrides scatter for things next thing to travel into a mined hex will cause it to
like grenades. Melee attacks in range of the Rook will explode under them as though they were on a hotspot
redirect to hit it. grenade blast. Mines last for 2 rounds or until detonat-
Default Behavior: Rooks will instinctively stay ed. Bishops are not harmed by this blast.
within 1 hex of a target. That target is their summoner Void Birth: Bishops can envelop an enemy, de-
by default, but if they are instructed to go to a new forming into a ball from which a new bishop emerges.
target, like a character or hex, by taking control of If a bishop would travel into another character’s hex,
them, they will travel to that new target on their own have that character perform a Resolve save at Diffi-
when control is released. culty 2. If they fail, they are destroyed, and a
Transcendent Presence: While alive, the Cuil second Bishop spawns to join the first. If they resist,
bloom of the local area increases by 1 per rook. the Bishop is shoved to an adjacent hex. New Bishops
Reduce it by 1 when they no longer exist. formed this way are neutrally aligned and behave
using default behavior.
Knight Reform Reality: if a Bishop isn’t killed by the
Wounds: 5 Body Exert: 2 end of any given turn, return them to 0 Wounds.
Movement 3 Body Perceive: 3 Default behavior: Bishops travel toward the
Evade 20 Mind Exert: 1 most distant character and will pursue them until
Endure: 20 Mind Perceive: 3 they can reach them or they lose track of them. They
Mass: 4/shape: standard randomly redetermine their orientation upon complet-
No attack actions, 2 movement actions, no sup ing a void birth attempt. They will then travel to the
port actions next person. They do not discern friend from foe.
Transcendent Presence: While alive, the Cuil
Abilities bloom of the local area increases by 1 per Bishop.
Self Destruct: The knight explodes like a Reduce it by 1 when they no longer exist.
hotspot grenade when it exceeds max Wounds. Roll a
d10; on a 6+, the knight automatically re materializes Pawn
next to its summoner immediately after detonating. Wounds: 1 Body Exert: 1
Leap: The knight can be instructed to pounce on Movement: 4 Body Perceive: 1
an enemy in the chatter step by its summoner without Evade: 12 Mind Exert: 1
needing to control it. Endure: 20 Mind Perceive: 1
-The knight has a pounce range of 15. Roll a D6 on Mass: 4/ shape: standard
landing. If a 1-2 is rolled, the Knight scatters 2 hexes in 2 move actions. No attack action. No support
a random direction. action.
-The knight takes D10 Wounds on landing. When manifested, Pawns immediately advance
Default Behavior: knights stay within 1 hex of toward the nearest enemy.
the summoner unless controlled. If control is released,
they will run back to the summoner on their next move- Abilities
ment opportunity. Debilitating Aura: Pawns reduce the Evade and
Transcendent Presence: While alive, the Cuil Endure of every non-Transcendent entity within 1 hex of
bloom of the local area increases by 1 per knight. Re- them by 2.
duce it by 1 when they no longer exist. Transcendent Presence: While alive, the Cuil
bloom of the local area increases by 1 per pawn.
Reduce it by 1 when they no longer exist.

292 TRANSCENDENCE
Queen Abilities
Wounds: 5 Body Exert: 3 Reject reality: The maximum damage that can
Movement: 4 Body Perceive: 2 be dealt to this creature by any one source is 1
Evade: 19 Mind Exert: 3 Wound per attack.
Endure: 30 Mind Perceive: 1 Variable weaponry: can change from dual
Ranged attack: 3 assault rifles to dual swords without taking an action,
CQC: 3 and is capable of dual wielding both as though it had
RDB/MDB: 25 the appropriate techniques.
Mass:14/Shape: large Random anatomy: Roll a D8 when the Queen is
3 attack, move, or support actions summoned and apply the described result to it.
1: Tail: the manifestation can walk along walls
and ceilings as naturally as though gravity was pulling
it in that direction.
2: Fins: The manifestation can walk through
dense environments (like water or solid walls) com-
pletely unimpeded.
3: Wings: The manifestation moves naturally in
all directions and can hover in midair.
4: Four-legged: The manifesta-
tion cannot be forced to move from
its spot unwillingly by any effect. It is
rooted like a dimensional anchor. It
cannot be stunned or disrupted.
5: Additional eyes: The manifes-
tation appears to be able to foresee
attacks before they happen. Its Eva-
sion score becomes 26.
6: Snake body: If this manifesta-
tion kills someone, spawn a new man-
ifestation off their corpse as though
the manifestation implant cuil 2 was
channeling on their location. These
new manifestations are neutral and
Guide controlled.
7: Supernatural strength: Double
MDB and RDB.
8: Extra arms: The manifestation
gains the variable energies ability of
the Bishop, the Debilitating Aura of
the Pawn, the Object charisma of the
Rook, and the Leap of the Knight
manifestation abilities.

Transcendent Presence: While alive,

the Cuil bloom of the local area in-
creases by 3 per queen. Reduce it by 3
when it no longer exists.

TRANSCENDENCE 293
 Redirection Nullification
Cuil 1: You can halt an object that would collide Cuil 1: You can push your finger through an object, re-
with you one hex in front of your position. While moving material from it as though your finger was cut-
this technically works for anything, it is not a ting it away. This process takes 10 seconds to initiate
field or guess; your character must be able to and as such can’t be used in combat against enemies
physically track the object as it moves and direct it directly. This ability is limited to a cup of material per
to stop, and see the entirety of the object they’re day, regardless of how many times it’s used.
stopping. As such, it does not work on bullets or
things that are larger than the character. It can be Cuil 2: You can nullify energy that is directed at your
used on grenades or other scatterables in place of person into nothing. This includes any and all energy,
a Dodge; roll as the object is incoming. be it the kinetic force of a bullet impact or the blast
OPERATIONS

of a starship’s laser. You are effectively indestructi-

Cuil 2: You can attack for one action as though ble while this is active. You cannot, however, protect
line of sight was not a factor. Regardless of enemy yourself from damage caused by a LACK of something,
position, you are considered to be adjacent to them for instance lack of air, or lack of heat. You also gain
with clear view for the purposes of attacking, and no particular boost to your strength or physical abili-
they are treated as being prone. You do need to ties, so toxic fumes are still a threat. While your char-
have a relative idea of where they are, though. acter knows when this begins, they cannot sense when
it wears off. When you activate this ability, have the
Cuil 3: Activate this ability after you have been Guide roll a d10 and keep the results secret. You get
dealt damage. All damage you received this turn one automatic round of immunity, followed by however
will instead fire out of your hex in a random di- many turns the Guide rolled on their D10. The damage
rection. The first thing caught in the subsequent you take is stored somewhere in an alternate abstrac-
firepower will be hit as though the shooter aimed tion of reality, where all manor of changes and ac-
at them, and you will not take damage. Their Eva- celerations take effect on it. Keep track of how many
sion score is irrelevant; if it hit you, it hits them. The Wounds you would take during this period. When your
orientation of the redirection is based on the direction immunity timer ends, that energy will erupt from you,
of incoming firepower. Roll a D6 and count clockwise manifesting as per the Flood rules in the chatterstep
along adjacent hexes, with “1” always facing the cur- of your next turn. The flood direction is determined by
rent attacker. In close combat, this ability still works die roll as per a grenade scattering. All targets within
the same way. The close combat attacks will actually the cone take D10 damage for every Wound you would
reach out across space to impact someone in the line. have taken while invulnerable.
They will not benefit from weapon cover.
Cuil 3: As the previous cuil, but the damage you take
Cuil 4: You can manipulate any die rolled until your will centralize on a single target when the effect ends.
next turn by spending Wounds to increment the dice up Randomly determine the target using all potential tar-
or down at a rate of 1 for 1, or to re-roll them. This in- gets in the scene aside from yourself. This can affect
cludes rolls made by other people (though you do have friends and foes.
to be aware of them; rolls made in a separate scene
don’t count). You are effectively redirecting your own Cuil 4: As Cuil 2, but the energy is simply dissipated;
energy to change reality. This is not a subtle process, shunted off to some alternate reality or lost to the
and while it works outside of combat, it’s visually ob- void. No damage is redirected when the immunity timer
vious when it’s happening. It makes people’s fur stand ends, and there is no external indication that is has
on end and stomachs turn, and feels a little like being ended.
tugged around by strings. However, unless someone is
familiar with the effect (rare, it takes a very special
person to do it) they may not interpret it as what it
is. The effect lasts for one scene and you will visually
degrade in appearance as you use it.

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Etherial Stellarconception
Cuil 1: You can cause an item you can lift to act as Cuil 1: You can link your Mind or Body:Perceive score
though it has neutral buoyancy when you release it. It to an action, such as running, meditating, draw-
will hover in mid air, and can be pushed along by your- ing, singing, even sleeping. The action doesn’t
self or others. This effect lasts about a minute. require a check, just start doing it and activate
the implant with a channel roll like normal. While
Cuil 2: You can detach from material reality. You can you continue the action (often in an almost trance-
pass through solid objects as though they weren’t like state) you can boost either your mind:Perceive
there. Projectiles will pass through you, objects cannot or Body:Perceive score by 1 for every complication
collide with you and you likewise cannot effect any- you’re willing to take on any non-perception check
thing else. Your character has neutral buoyancy while you’re called on to make. For instance, if you linked
this power is in effect and must “swim” to move. While it to running, you could boost your Body:Perceive

OPERATIONS
your character knows when this begins, they cannot score by 2 if you agree to complicate any other
sense when it wears off. When you activate this ability, non-perception check by 2 for the duration of your
have the Guide role a D6 and keep the results secret. observations. You can maintain the benefits of this
That is how many rounds your ability lasts. Materializ- power for up to an hour provided you continue per-
ing inside an object will cause the object, and you, to forming the associated action. The Complications
explode. You can elect to end the ability early. associated with this power last for as long as you
use it, with a minimum of five minutes.
Cuil 3: As the previous Cuil, but you can now take
possession of an object or person you enter the hex Cuil 2: You create a point of reality that is tied to
of. The target must be capable of self-motivation (you your senses. Anything that passes through this area,
can endow it with will and intelligence, but not cause sounds in it, things that happen, can be experienced
it to move if it can’t move on it’s own). If the target is a by you as though you were there in person. Once
Vector or near-enough equivalent, you gain control of this point is made your senses are permanently
their next turn if they fail a Resolve save with Difficul- extended to it until you use this ability again to
ty equal to your Mind Exert score. This applies to any dismiss it.
object, even non-living ones. The repulsion is less an act The point is invisible and intangible but raises
of will than an outright refusal by reality. If the host the Cuil in the area by 1 and can be felt by things sen-
succeeds in expelling you, you are ejected from their sitive to that. You can place the point in any location
body. This may require some on-the-fly rulings if you you are standing without the process being noticeable
take over something like, say, construction equipment, and subsequently dismiss it with no visual or audi-
as we can’t very well provide stat pages for every ble affect if you can touch it. However, if you wish to
object in existence, but don’t let that stop you from place it in a location you are not physically in, you must
doing it. Typically, the environmental damage arrays be able to picture the area accurately in your mind
are sufficient for most vehicular assailants, and they’re (usually requires having been there before unless it’s a
limited to one action per turn. particularly generic spot like “the sky outside a build-
If you gain possession of an object or person ing”) and placing it there will be akin to setting off a
you can control their next activation as though it were repulsion grenade in the location you set. Likewise, if
your own. Use your own initiative slot if the object you wish to remotely dismiss the point, doing so will be
didn’t have one. Use theirs if it did. When their turn akin to setting off a compression grenade on the point.
ends you are ejected. You cannot attempt possession Distance is not a factor.
on any one enemy more than once in a scene. If a host All checks you make in the same location as
dies while you are in possession of it, take D6 Wounds. one of these points are complicated, as it produces
feedback in your mind.
Cuil 4: As the previous Cuil, but you now have addi-
tional options while not possessing a host. While ethe- Cuil 3: You can create objects based on thought. These
real and un-tethered, you can cause the the terrain to objects can be complex shapes but not complex me-
warp and distort, opening into vicious maws or re-con- chanically. Wedges, walls, stairs, doors, basic mech-
figuring as though haunted. Treat this like the Focus anisms are fine, but a gun, a car, or other multi-part
the Battlefield step that usually precedes combat. Roll mechanism is too much. These constructs have the
a D10. You have that many points to use to change the properties of any material your character chooses to
battlefield to your whims through supernatural dis- hold at the time of making them. If they have some-
tortion during the chatterstep. You may only buy one thing plastic, they feel plastic. If they have something
change per turn. metal, they feel metal, etc. Weight and durability is
likewise keyed to that material. Once the power has
been channeled, the user must make a Mind
Exert:Science or Engineering, their choice, to
properly conceive of the object. A simple
concept, like “stairs,” is Difficulty 1. Every ad- 295
TRANSCENDENCE
 ditional detail adds +1 Difficulty. “Hollow stairs” Cuil 4: You can create a living entity based on thought.
is Difficulty 2, “Hollow stairs with a safety rail” is Select a premade template from either this book or
Difficulty 3, etc. The object appears where you will another HSD resource. Create it using Mind:Exert +
it within view but must be visible itself (it cannot Science or Engineering, with Difficulty equal to its Bat-
be so small that it cant be seen or so large that tle Score/10. You are creating this creature with ener-
you cant see where it ends). It has a whiteish green gy, not summoning it, so its mannerisms, memories, and
color and is luminous, with gently oscillating swirls of behavior are up to you. You can even pitch abilities
white that play over its surface. to the Guide you want to include if you wish to make
The created object may not displace anything something custom, but for the sake of simplicity it’s
solid on arrival, and treat whatever position they advised you use existing material. The created creature
were conjured into as “the ground.” If it is conjured lasts 10 minutes for every additional point of Difficulty
in the air, it will remain there, as though its base added to your Mind check when you designed it. If you
OPERATIONS

were sitting on the floor. If it is a light material it fail the check to conceive of the creature, create a
can then be pushed and moved. If it is heavy you Glowdrop instead.
will need to exert the equivalent force required The created creature glows softly and is green-
to move something of its weight. It will not tip or ish white like created objects are, but it is possible to
topple if unstable: reorienting it out of its original sculpt its personality based on things you don’t know.
position would require manually turning it. For instance, you can say you want it to “be like that
The created object lasts 10 minutes for every person over there, but you want it to act as though it’s
additional point of Difficulty added to your Mind an old friend.” The psychoactive material that makes
check when you designed it. The first one is manda- up the creature can reach through time and space
tory (which is why your object always begins at Dif- and mimic the intended personality right down to
ficulty 1 rather than 0) and an additional 10 minutes their memories. However, the person being mimicked
can be given to its lifespan per Difficulty. will gain a sudden bout of dual consciousness, seeing
If you fail your check to conceive of the object, and hearing what their doppleganger sees and hears
the result will vary depending on the attempt. If the while it is active. They may perform a Resolve save
check was a simple object with no additional details with Difficulty 2 to refuse what they’re seeing, which
but had been Complicated because you were trying will terminate the link and cause the doppleganger
to make it last longer, the object appears but has a to transform into a Greater Glowdrop. If they fail the
lifespan of one minute. This means that you can always Dopple persists until it would naturally vanish, at which
achieve a 1 minute object even if you fail your concept time the cloned subject gets one more attempt to re-
check provided it’s a simple, un-detailed creation. If buke it at range and cause it to transform.
the conception check was Complicated in any way
because you were attempting to add details to the
object, you will instead create a Glowdrop which lasts
as long as the object would have.

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Glowdrop Greater Glowdrop
Wounds: 8 Body Exert: 1 Wounds: Equal to the highest max Wound count in the
Movement: 8 Body Perceive: 1 party
Evade: 17 Mind Exert: 1 Movement: Equal to the highest Movement score in the
Endure: 16 Mind Perceive: 1 party
Mass: 1/Shape: Small Evade: 12
Readiness: 0 Endure: 34/Shape: Large
RDB/MDB: 10 Stats: Exert and Perceive scores are equal to the high-
No Proficiencies est scores in the party
The nature of the near-cuil realm Glow is such Mass: 10
that its very existence is an infinite energy supply that Readiness: Equal to the number of people in the room,
can be molded to one’s needs, but has always proven including itself
too chaotic to use reliably. Explosive failure is the most RDB/MDB: Equal to the highest RDB and MDB scores
common result, with Glowdrops being next on the list. in the party
Glowdrops are Glow energy imbued with living pur- Proficiencies
pose, and resemble balls of greenish white about the CQC: 3
size of a basketball that migrate in fluid-like, swift Ranged Combat: 3
slides of motion. Glowdrops can range in danger from
minor to catastrophic depending on what they end Glowdrops that were conjured with greater
up interacting with, but must always be considered a intent have greater potential and sap nearby qualities
threat. Even if one has no where to go, it will eventual- like a sponge, which results in a terrifying creature
ly irradiate the area it’s in. possessing many of the best qualities of the things
Glowdrops are innately hostile and will attack around it. If that weren’t bad enough, Greater Glow-
with pseudopods with the stats of Knives. drops are simply larger creatures in general, which
increases their inherent destruction through emitted
Abilities radiation.
Fluid motion: Glowdrop movement is unaffect- Greater Glowdrops are innately hostile and will
ed by difficult terrain and can spiral through the air attack with pseudopods with the stats of Swords.
by deforming itself if in a weightless environment. It
cannot propel itself in vacuum and will dissipate if sub- Abilities
merged in about as much water as is required to fill a Fluid motion: as the Glowdrop ability.
hot tub. That water will become heavily irradiated. Radioactive: as the Glowdrop ability.
Radioactive: While the energy coming off a Amorphous Horror: as the Glowdrop ability,
Glowdrop isn’t the same sort of radiation commonly however the mass of the Greater Glowdrop allows
experienced in Sol’s local space, its interaction with it to manifest multiple weapons at once. Any time a
reality causes a breakdown that results in heavily Greater Glowdrop would make an attack action, it can
irradiated particles. Their halflife is mercifully low, but make that attack against every legal target in range.
they’re none too healthy for people caught in them. This does not reply to return attacks in combat, but on
Hexes a Glowdrop travels over in its previous its turn it can effectively shoot or swing at everyone it
movement (for one turn, you don’t need to track all its can reach. Use a single attack roll and apply it to all
previous turns) and all hexes surrounding the Glow- targets.
drop’s hex are radioactive. Roll on the Acid/Caustic Explosive Horror: when a Greater Glowdrop
Damage EDA if a character travels into or begins a is killed, roll a D6. On a 1, nothing happens. On a 2-5,
turn inside one of those hexes unless they have some each hex of the Greater Glowdrop explodes like a
sort of radiation protection. hotspot grenade that rolled max damage and irradi-
Amorphous: Glowdrops cannot be grabbed, ates a radius of about 30 feet for the next D3 days.
grappled, or restrained via physical means. When at- On a 6, scatter 6 of the previously mentioned explo-
tacking, the Glowdrop will instantly transform into any sions off of any of the Greater Glowdrop’s hexes and
weapon it can see in the scene. When moving it will then detonate the Greater Glowdrop itself as de-
transition back to its base form. These transformations scribed in 2-5. The surrounding area will be irradiated
do not happen at the same time, so if the Glowdrop for about a week.
has turned into a sword and is attacking, it effectively
benefits from the sword’s cover rating, but if it flees
the fight in the next action it will lose that cover.
Explosive: when a Glowdrop is killed, roll a
D6. On a 1, nothing happens. On a 2-5, the Glowdrop
explodes like a hotspot grenade and irradiates the
hexes in the explosion for several hours. On a 6, the
Glowdrop explodes like a hotspot grenade that rolled
max damage and irradiates a radius of about 30 feet
for the next D3 days.
297
 298
COMBAT
COMBAT times be difficult to measure if you’re using physical
models or tokens, so we have two ways of depicting
it. The first is through generic description, which
Combat in any time period is a dangerous,
you should default to during the game. This is a
dirty, and oftentimes commonplace activity, and the
role playing environment; the rules are just tools
setting of HSD is no exception. Chances are, like it or
to add consequences to our imaginations, not
not, you’re eventually going to end up fighting for your
to override them. If, however, you’re having trouble
life. Seeing as how this is an adventure game the goal
imagining just what rule should apply to a situation,
is to make combat fun and exciting, but it is nonethe-
we also have a second form of measurement that
less a mortally perilous activity for your character. Gird
will look at the physical position of your characters
your loins, you’re going in.
and guide that choice.
There are a variety of ways to hurt people in
Cover bonuses from battlefield conditions
HSD, but they all work off the same basic concepts.
are called environmental cover and do not stack,
Your character employs a weapon of their choice, at-
so you can’t be covered and half-covered, or dou-
tacks an enemy, and uses a check to determine if they
ble-covered, or any other iteration. The environ-
hit. Fighting continues until a logical conclusion for the
mental bonus awarded from cover is added to
conflict is reached. Often, that’s “when people can’t
your Evade score directly, making you harder to hit.
fight anymore,” but once in a while you can get ene-
Unless specified, environmental cover is typically not
mies to drop their weapons when they realize they’ve
awarded against melee attacks.
lost the upper hand. HSD generally pits players against
other sapient beings in fights. This grants certain con-
textual factors about most confrontations. Since play-
ing around with guns is usually a good way to end up
dead, most people don’t engage in combat unless they
PRE-FIGHT ACTIONS

have a pretty good reason to do so. Line of sight (LoS)
Depending on the terrain, there are four conditions
Terms your target can be in. Use these conditions to de-
termine the bonus awarded to a target’s Evasion.
Time
Combat is broken down into actions, turns, and Covered
rounds. Characters take actions during their turn, and If someone is ducked behind an adjacent object so
they each take one turn per round. that their body isn’t visible at all, they’re covered.
Each character turn is about 5 seconds long in Characters that can claim full cover cannot be at-
game time. Each round is about 7-10 seconds, reflect- tacked by people they are covered from.
ing that many people are moving at the same time.
Keep this in mind as you try to decide how much can Half-covered
get done during any given turn. If someone is trying to use an object adjacent to
them as cover but their body is too big to com-
Hexgrid pletely hide, or your angle is such that you can see
Hexes are intended to represent an area about a good portion of them but not all of them, they’re
3 feet wide. If you’re trying to scale a map to the grid, half-covered.
find a doorway. It should more or less fill up the middle Half-covered enemies can be shot at but have a +4
of one hex. While combat in this game is designed to environmental cover bonus.
use a hexgrid, it is still possible to play without one.
Use the three foot reference to judge distance, and Blocked
rules which make specific use of the anatomy of “a If someone is covered up by various other objects or
hex” in here will generally also include explanations for characters in front of them but isn’t actually close
how to interpret them without one. Hexes make for a enough to those objects to be using them as cover,
convenient measurement system that’s equidistant in they’re blocked.
all directions, but it’s not like they exist in the literal Characters can block characters, as can just about
environment of your character. If it looks like the model anything else of
should be able to fit, and the sizes seem right, ignore mass and consequence between you and the target.
the lines and make it work. Blocked enemies can be shot at but have a +2 envi-
ronmental cover bonus.

Battlefield Conditions Clear sight

Battlefield conditions refer to the stuff be- If you can see a direct path between you and your
tween you and your enemy that’s stopping you from a target that isn’t interrupted by anything (no in-
quick and pretty victory. Usually, it’s cover that both tervening characters, no flapping flags, no frantic
sides are using to try and protect themselves. Cover is melee, etc.), attack using the normal shooting rules.
easy to describe in mind’s-eye terms, but it can some-

COVER
 Cover On The Grid
Before the combat begins, there are a few If you need help figuring out what sort
things the players can do to manipulate the of cover someone qualifies for, the following
game grid and pose their characters for conflict. physical methods will let you measure using
models and the hex grid. You’re welcome to use
Focus the Battlefield these to keep things consistent, but ultimately,
Characters can use Focus points to modify the the scene you’ve described is more important
battle grid before the fight. You can create cover than whatever visual representation you’ve put
for yourself in favorable positions, give yourself a together on the table and should be used as
potential escape route if one isn’t forthcoming, or the primary judgment tool.
set up environmental dangers for your enemies to
deal with. But for very few unique exceptions, this Covered
is the only place in combat where Focus is used. In If you can draw a line from the middle
addition to providing players some input on their of your hex through the middle of the enemy
hex, but the line passes through cover adjacent
COMBAT

play, this represents the sort of subconscious skew-

ing of odds a character may do to give themselves to the enemy, they are considered to be in cov-
the upper hand in a fight. It’s remembering to put er. This counts for any object considered large
your back to walls or taking note of vulnerabilities enough to duck behind, and you should gener-
in structures institutionally. To a degree, it’s also a ally be pretty lenient as to what grants it. Note
manifestation of luck. that using cover implies that your character is
Each character is allowed to modify a single actively hiding behind it while being shot at.
hex of terrain before combat begins, at the follow-
ing costs: Half-Covered
If you cannot draw a line from the
-Create a hole roughly 10 feet deep, create a middle of your hex to the middle of the enemy
pillar to the ceiling (or around 10 feet high), create hex without passing through cover adjacent to
or remove some static obstruction like a tree or them, but you can draw a line from any point
door, create difficult terrain, a ladder, window, etc: 1 on your hex to any point on their hex without
Focus point touching that cover, they are half-covered.
-Create a reactive object like a computer This happens most often with corners of ob-
console that can be hacked or blown up, an explosive jects, where you can probably see the enemy
barrel that explodes like a grenade when shot, a loose and draw a line from the corner of your hex
cable that electrifies a hex, or some other static but to a corner of their hex, but going through the
dangerous and potentially exploitable element: 2 Focus middle of their hex would pass through cover.
points If your line must pass through the edge of a
-Create an active object like a wall turret, a multi-hex target in order to hit the middle of
civilian bystander, a security camera, a dropped weap- another of their hexes, they still benefit from
on (gear score 1 or less), a patrolling drone, a fuel leak this.
that’s spreading, or some other active and dangerous
element: 3 Focus points. Physical objects created in this Blocked
way are intended as action scenery and will break or If you can draw a line from the middle
become useless, even for salvage, after the scene. of your hex through the middle of the enemy
hex, and the line passes through an object that
Terrain modification is always, always second- is considered to be large enough to be cov-
ary to the narrative of the scene. It is intended to give er but is not adjacent to the target, they are
players a chance to create fun cinematic scenarios for blocked.
themselves where they go rushing in and find a stray
weapon on the floor to snatch up and fight with, or Clear Sight
knock someone through a window that wasn’t drawn If you can draw a line from the middle
on the map to begin with. It is not intended to allow of your hex through the middle of the enemy
players to activate “attack mode” so they can then buy hex without passing through anything that
a hole in the roof of the bunker they’re standing on, or would be visually distracting, they are in clear
create completely inexplicable spikes under the feet of sight.
their opponents in an office building. The Guide always
gets the final say on terrain modification, and in the Lastly, one disadvantage to large char-
case of active objects, players should not expect things acters is that they have a harder time hiding
like wall turrets or patrolling guards to be friend- from gunfire. The above hex measuring tools
ly toward them purely because they made work on any targetable hex, even if the crea-
them. They should generally be neutral, and ture it belongs to has a three hex wide base
and two of them are covered. When you’re the
300 shouldn’t be made at all if the environment
size of a truck even having a portion of your
body exposed is a pretty big target.
 doesn’t support them. If you just broke into a top
secret vault, you should not be allowed to implant
a random civilian, for instance. As a rule, nothing
created via this system should be able to cause
immediate harm to anyone in the scene (like a
hole under their feet) on the turn combat begins,
nor should it be allowed to be placed in a location
that any reasonably intelligent enemy would avoid
(such as placing explosive barrels right next to
enemy hexes, which would suggest that they walked
into the room, found the nearest deadly object, and
sat on it). If a Guide vetoes a player’s changes to
Covered the scene and no compromise can be found, the
player simply gets their Focus back.

COMBAT
Initiative Allocation
After terrain has been modified but before
combat officially begins, decide how much of your
Readiness you’re going to allocate toward Initiative
and how much you’re going keep for +1’s and re-
rolls. You can put as much or as little as you want
Half-Covered into either category, and you can keep track of how
much is in each pool with a die on your desk. Initia-
tive and Readiness do the following things:

Initiative: This value will help you act first

in a combat round. In HSD, Initiative isn’t an order of
player actions in a combat round, but rather an order
of team actions. Any friendly character is allowed to
take their turn on any friendly Initiative slot, and any
enemy is allowed to take their turn on any enemy slot.
Blocked Naturally, you’re still limited to one turn per round.
Initiative can also be used to attempt to get bonus
actions on your turn, which is explained in the actions
section.
Readiness: This is a pool of spendable points
that represents your character going the extra mile to
make an action successful. Readiness works the same
way Focus does but is used specifically in combat while
Focus is used specifically out of combat. They follow
Clear Sight the same rules but for one exception: you cannot add
+1 to Wound rolls (but damage rolls are fine).

Make your allocation decisions carefully! Re-

rolls and +1’s are very powerful in combat, but they
won’t save you if your entire team is acting after the
enemy because none of you tried to get the jump
on them on the Initiative roll. The allocation decision
cannot be changed once Initiative has been rolled for.
Allocating Readiness represents tempering patience
A Taur in Clear Sight and caution with reaction and instinct and should be
based on the attitude of the individual character rath-
er than the player’s knowledge of some numeric value
in gamespace.

301
 Roll for Initiative
Once combat is inevitable, both sides roll for
Initiative.
Have each character on both teams roll a sin-
gle D10 and add however much Initiative they
have allocated to the roll. Put the results on a
scale, and that determines Initiative slots.
In HSD, Initiative slots can be used by any sin-
gle person in your party provided they don’t go
twice in a round. Just trade places with any of
the available slots that have not already been
used this turn. You’re not locked to a specif-
ic order on a person to person basis and can
rearrange them each round if you wish.

ANATOMY OF A
COMBAT
Before Combat:
Focus the Battlefield
Roll for initiative

Once Combat Begins:

1. Begin the combat round in initiative order.
Initiative slots can be traded with friend-
ly characters that have not acted yet this
round.

2. Begin your turn when it rolls around.

You may take actions in an order of your
choosing on your turn. Your chatter action is
free.

3. Select up to three (3) actions and execute

them. Only two (2) of the same action can be
taken per turn unless a bonus action is rolled.
Movement actions can be interupted with at-
tack or support actions and completed once
the other action has concluded.

4. Proceed to the next person’s turn.

302
 Actions
Each character gets three (3) total actions on
their turn, in any combination of the following
options:
Up to two (2) movement actions. These are used
to make the character move.
Up to two (2) attack actions. These allow the
character to attack.
Up to two (2) support actions. These are used
when doing complex actions like switching weap-
ons or manipulating things.

They also receive a free Chatter action, which is

used for various conversation and light
button-pressing actions.

Bonus Actions
Characters who have allocated substantial
Readiness to Initiative can use their height-
ened awareness to try and do more in less
time. This is called a bonus action, and it
allows you to use your third action in a turn
to do something you’ve already done twice.

If you have already made two of the same

action you may attempt to do it a third time
by rolling 2D10. If you roll equal or under your
Initiative score for this combat you can use
your remaining action to do the same action
you did previously, even though you’ve done it
twice. If you fail, however, you lose your third
action for this turn entirely.

Chatter
Chatter consists of in-game dialogue, instruc-
tions, or general conversation that takes place
during a fight. Chatter is probably taking place
throughout your full turn, but it represents a
general 5 second period in which you can talk,
shout commands, or say disparaging things
about the enemy’s parentage. If your chatter
consists of a full conversation or a task that
requires button-pressing to complete, it’s too
complex for chatter and should be treated as a
Support action. Chatter is also a catch-all role
play phase where you can have your character
look for things, begin an interaction with their
enemies, declare an ability, or briefly reflect on
the poor decisions they’ve made in life.
Chatter is automatic; it takes place at a
time of your choice during your character’s turn.
It just cant be done at the same time as anoth-
er action. You’re not obligated to do anything
during your chatter step, but it’s a good time to
describe your character’s posture, attitude, and
general behavior for their turn.

303
 Performing a Stunt
MOVE ACTIONS Narrate how you will relocate from your current
Move actions allow you to move up position to some other position with one or two move ac-
to your Movement score in hexes. Turning tions. Roll Body Exert:Athletics(2). For each point of action
in place is not a move action, but most in your narrative, add 1 Difficulty to your roll. If you pass
things that allow you to travel around the roll, you can arrive at your destination hex, bypassing
the battlefield are. anything that your narrative dictates. Determine “points
of action” by using the beginning of any given thing you’re
Difficult Terrain trying to do. For instance, “jump onto a table.” The “jump”
Each hex of difficult terrain counts as 2 is your action. The landing is just where the action ends. In
hexes of movement. practice this means it isn’t generally possible to perform
a stunt of less than 3 Difficulty unless some sort of special
Knocked Prone condition exists.
A prone character must use a move- Stunts allow you to get around a lot of terrain det-
COMBAT

ment action to get up, and is considered to riments provided you narrate things interestingly. That is
have their Evade score reduced by 5 while what they’re intended to do, but don’t expect them to be
prone. Prone enemies do not return attacks easy all the time. It is the Guide’s prerogative to set the
in close combat. Note that this term is stunt’s Difficulty. Additionally, if you fail a stunt, your move
referring to being physically knocked down ends about midway through where you would have been
in a debilitating way. If you’re just hunkered passing and the Guide may knock you prone if it seems
down to take advantage of cover, just say appropriate.
you’re ducking and use the usual cover rules.

Threat Response
If an enemy is deliberately moving to
a hex within 2 hexes of you and you have
a ranged weapon equipped and ready to
fire, you get a special action called Threat
Response. It triggers once the enemy steps
inside the 2 hex line and allows you to make an
immediate ranged attack that will have Exploit
if it hits. You may not make a threat response
attack while locked in melee combat.

Stunts
Stunts is a term for any of those ran-
dom neat maneuvers a player may want to do
that doesn’t fall within the realm of just running
from hex to hex. Doing a backflip over a table
is a stunt. Running along a wall and leaping
over a crowd is a stunt. Triple kickflip over an
enemy corpse into a rail-slide? Stunt. Even a
standard leap across several hexes is a stunt,
albeit only a simple one.
In practice, stunts are a combination
For Example
of up to two movement actions. They generally
T’nais is on a balcony above a brawl and wants
reflect your character overperforming in some
to get to the other side of a room without getting stuck
way in hopes of a greater outcome. In game,
in the melee. It’s within his double-move distance, but
we reflect this by adding some extra features
there’s a lot of action between there and here. His player
to your action, but making it a little tougher to
describes his stunt, saying that he wants to leap off the
do. Stunts are the primary means of bypassing
balcony, land on someone’s head, and leap to the
difficult terrain if you’re trying to emphasize
other side of the fight. Based on the distances involved,
movement. Run along walls and swing from
the Guide decides that it’s probably going to take two
chandeliers; make the stunts exciting and fun.
head-jumps to really make it work. That gives the stunt a
Your character is given pretty liberal sus-
total of 3 points of action: leap off the balcony, leap off
pension of disbelief during a stunt so long as
the first head, leap off the second head. Landing on the
you’re willing to make the roll for it.
other side is just the end of the last action and is not in-
cluded. Altogether, this stunt will have a Difficulty of 5 (2+

304 the number of actions). T’nais rolls the dice and succeeds.
He arrives on the other side of the fight, and probably
hurts a few necks in the process.
ATTACK ACTIONS SUPPORT ACTIONS
An attack works like a normal check does and Support actions represent the myriad of
uses the Ranged Combat and CQC (close quarters non-killy things you may be called on to do during
combat) Proficiencies for ranged and melee attacks a combat. If you need to hack locks, get doors
respectively. Your roll also adds the weapon’s Accuracy open, switch weapons, reload, or otherwise “act”
score to it as a bonus. So the syntax of an attack check without moving or attacking, it’s a support action. In
looks like this: addition to these, there are a couple useful generic
support actions you can do to help yourself or your
team.
Attacking at Range
Mind Exert:Ranged Combat (Difficulty 2). Add your Damage Control
weapon’s Accuracy score to the result. If you reach Damage Control represents your character
the enemy’s Evade score, you’ve hit. taking a moment to shove gauze in a wound, read-

COMBAT
just an armor plate, steel their nerves, or otherwise
Attacking in Close Combat improve their fighting condition.
Body Exert:CQC (Difficulty 2). Add your weapon’s A character can use a support action once
accuracy score to the result. If you reach the enemy’s per turn for Damage Control. They regain 1 Wound.
Evade score, you’ve hit. A character may not regain more Wounds
than half of their maximum total in this manner in a
The Difficulty of the check is almost always 2 for single combat.
combat, both ranged and melee (a few unique ene-
mies can tweak that, but normally it stays a 2). Boons/Faults
If you have a boon or fault in a skill other
than Ranged Combat or CQC that you’re using in
Attack Properties combat, change “Focus” to “Readiness” for the sake
Because combat is a structured skill, Boons and of the Boon/Fault ability descriptor.
Faults in the Ranged Combat and CQC proficiencies
have a specific effect in combat rather than simply Spotting
adding Focus. You can use a support action to help an ally by
being their eyes and tracking the battlefield for them.
Select an ally: that ally can use a bonus action on their
Ranged Combat/CQC Boon next activation without rolling for it. You can only do
Your Readiness points can be used to re-roll 1’s in
this for one ally per turn.
combat instead of requiring you to bump them up to
2’s first.
Switching Weapons
Switching weapons from one in-hand to one
Ranged Combat/CQC Fault you’re carrying is a support action. You can drop a
Your Readiness points cannot upgrade a 1 to a 2 in
weapon you’re carrying for free however, which will
combat (thus disallowing subsequent re-rolls).
allow you to draw a weapon with the Lightweight
property for free if you have one.
Simplifications
Simplifications work the same in combat as they do
out of combat, except that no roll can be Simplified
Reloading or Recovering
Reloading is a Support action. This applies to
to a Difficulty below 0. There’s too much happening
melee weapons as well and typically counts as fum-
too quickly to aim or move that reliably.
bling your grip or dropping your weapon. A support
action can be used to pick it up, reload it, adjust it,
or whatever else may be necessary to get it working
again. Until then, it can’t function. You can also volen-
Reloading or Recovering tarily disable a weapon you own and are holding with
If your hit roll totaled 2 on the dice, your a support action as though it needed to be reloaded.
weapon has run out of ammo (or jammed, overheated,
etc. Flavor it as you wish.) Use a Support action to
reload the weapon.

305
ACTIONS
 DAMAGE Exploit, Disrupt, and Stun
Damage is typically dealt by weapons (sur- Damage Results
prise!) and is applied against a target’s Endure score.
Each time you accumulate more damage than you have
There are many unique attack properties in HSD,
Endure, you’ll get a Wound. Wounds represent a lot of
but you’ll see these three most often.
things in HSD. They’re more than just “health,” It’s also
mental well-being, courage, fortitude, and overall mo-
rale. To avoid keeping track of several things at once, Exploit
it’s all wrapped up in a common pool that gets dam- If an attack with the Exploit property hits, one
aged by fighting. This is also why you’ll find yourself Wound is automatically dealt to the enemy before
taking damage sometimes even if you’re not directly damage is rolled. Then roll damage as normal.
hit: just because you’re not taking a bullet to the face You can only ever have one Exploit attack in a turn,
doesn’t mean combat isn’t physically and emotionally even if a mechanic would grant it to you more than
taxing. once (unless it specifically says it overrides this
rule.)

300c MC/IR-.H-22R Crucible

When you hit an enemy with a ranged or melee
200c MC/IR.H-10R Handgun
Disrupt
andgun (Gun)weapon, roll the amount
Small (1-Handed) listed in the weapon’s
Handgun (Gun) dam- If
Small (1-Handed) an attack with the Disrupt property hits, the vic-
age score and add your Ranged or Melee Damage tim must roll a Dodge or Endure save (their choice)
AMMO: Any Gear Score: 1 AMMO: Any Gear Score: 0
Bonus (RDB or MDB). This is the amount of damage at Difficulty 2. If they pass, nothing happens. If they
the
Single Target, Charge, Precise, Lightweight attack deals. Single Target, Precise, Lightweight fail, they lose their next action. Additional actions
cannot be lost until the first missing action is re-
solved, even if the character is hit with additional
1 6+2D6 3 4+2D4
+ RDB/MDB Disrupt effects. Once the effect passes they can be
Disrupted again.

Your
Pistol: Roll 1d10damage
instead accumulates
of 2d10 to over every attack
Pistol: you instead
Roll 1d10 make of 2d10 to Stun
this turn, and a
determine if a bonus attack can beWound is dealt each time you exceed
determine if a bonus attack can beStun is achieved by rolling maximum damage on
madethe withenemy’s Endure score. Any damage
this weapon. leftwith
made overthisat weapon. your weapon when attacking. If you (or an enemy)
the end of the turn that was not sufficient to Wound achieve this damage result, your attack has been
This weapon ignores the first reload is lost. tremendously effective. Deal damage as normal
result rolled per combat. and the victim is knocked prone. Narrate it however
you see fit; it could be damage to a critical system,
or a headshot that pinged off a helmet, but they’re
sent to the floor and will need to pick themselves
Too Many Wounds up again on their turn. Weapons that do not roll
Player characters who take more Wounds than damage cannot stun.
or those who need a handgun capable of A piece by many names, this standard handgun is a
their maximum are downed. They
putting degrees of aggression, the Crucible
are
reliable, unconscious,
versatile unre-minimal training to
weapon requiring
a favored sponsive, and otherwise
can charge itsunableuse toproperly.
participate in the
Carrying this gun concealed for personal
tool. This weapon
remainder of the fight.
mmunition to negate the active shielding of They are typically
protection not
is generally dead, ATTACK MODIFIERS
butanywhere provided
acceptable
you've cleared it with the local IRPF office.
they’re
anced active armorhurt, and
systems. It'swill require medical
considered treatment before This will Various
still significant die rolls or weapon combi-
be confiscated from you in private residences or offices
they
o be a service can return
weapon and a bitto consciousness
overkill for (and can’t typically nations
if it's noticed. Most of the populace of Sol owns a gun can have special effects on an attack.
alking around
do with,
so inbut stillmiddle
the within theofclass
a fight unless a special
much like ability
this one, though the number of active
would one allow
license. it). carriers is somewhat fewer.
+1’s
A downed character rolls on the Injury table. You can use +1’s from Readiness to modify
your damage roll, but not if your weapon does direct
00c
If something would reduce350c
MC-HM-40R Pinpoint
your Wounds MC/IR-.H-11R
to be- Plug Wounds
gun rather than damage.
low your maximum and you pass an Endure save (Diffi-
ndgun (Gun) culty=the number of Injuries you have),
Small (1-Handed) Handgunthey (Gun) can awak- Small (1-Handed)

AMMO: St en again and fight on. If they fail the check,

AMMO: St they will Out in the Open
Gear Score: 2
Gear Score: 1
have to remain unconscious until they can be brought If your enemy has no cover, no armor, and no
ingle Target,to a hospital.
Precise, Lightweight, Inaccurate tools
Single Target, Line, Precise that would impede an attack, your attack is con-
Enemy characters that are downed in a fight sidered to have the Exploit property against them.

1 4+3D4 1 3+3D6
are considered killed unless the character fighting
them has an innately non-lethal weapon, is equipped Non-lethal force
with non-lethal ammunition, or has an Exert level 2 If your attacking Exert score (Mind or Body) is
points above the Difficulty of the attack and has 2+ above the Difficulty of the check, you can attack in
his weapon can be wielded
elected to not kill. by micros Pistol: Roll 1d10 instead of 2d10 to
such a way that you will not kill the enemy even if you
with no penalty. determine if a bonus attackmax can betheir Wounds. They fall unconscious instead.
made with this weapon.
306
Ballistic weaponry on the micro scale has always been a
allenge. The reduced size of the projectile means reduced
ect on the target, the smaller barrel means less speed and
uracy, and the smaller expansion chamber reduces overall This weapon cannot be modded with a
wer considerably. The Pinpoint is one of the few truly micro
Critical Hit Summary Execution
Striking at just the right moment or angle can Several events in combat (mostly stun results
inflict additional damage to an enemy. If your unmod- on damage) will cause enemies to become knocked
ified attack roll (full attack with bonuses, but without out temporarily. While this is puts the enemy out of
Readiness) exactly matches the enemy’s Evasion score, commission, it is not a full on unconsciousness for an
you’ve scored a critical hit. The attack gains the Exploit extended period but more of a wobbly, dazed state. In
property. However, if you’d like, you can forego the Ex- short: you cannot summarily execute someone in com-
ploit property to convey any of the following effects to bat unless they are deemed by the Guide to be in a
the attack provided it deals a Wound. Decide before more permanent, long term state of torpor. You can do
rolling damage: damage to them as normal instead, counting them as
prone.
-Push the enemy back D3 hexes. If something has happened to really knock them
-Make the enemy drop their weapon. out though, via some narrative effect or unique circum-
-Disengage the enemy from close combat or a wall stance, and they have no means of stopping you, you
they’re hanging onto. can do some serious damage to them before they are
-Perform a narrative effect. able to react. This also applies if you successfully sneak
up on an unaware enemy in a fashion that the Guide
Epic Strike agrees allows you to exploit their vulnerabilities with-
If an Exploit attack rolls unmodified max dam- out them being ready for it. If any of these conditions
age, you’ve achieved an Epic Strike. This is a pretty occur, you can deal 3+D6 Wounds directly to them in
rare event and has a pretty profound result. When an a single full-turn special attack. If they survive, you’ll
epic strike occurs, the Guide should allow one of the proceed into combat as normal.
two following options, depending on the nature of the
fight: “Mercy”
Casual encounter: If this is just a generic con- Combat is a very rapid process from the
flict, one of the many that will no doubt occur in your characters’ point of view, so once someone goes
game, an epic strike should outright defeat the enemy. down it’s rare that an enemy will expressly hunt down
Their remaining Wounds are irrelevant; have the player where they fell, spend time out of cover checking for
narrate a suitably amazing attack and leave the en- a pulse, and then pop a few in their head just to be
emy in ruin. It’ll make for a fun story to tell later. You sure, all while being shot at. Additionally, HSD is an
might even consider having their allies back off a bit. I age of ubiquitous technology and surveillance as well
mean c’mon. It’s pretty scary. as forensic evidence. A fight is a fight, but going up
Staged encounter: Some encounters in a game to an unconscious non-combatant and shooting them
are a pivotal part of the narrative where the whole is murder, easily traced, and generally more heat than
party has been looking forward to the conflict for your typical NPC wants to deal with. Essentially, unless
some time and probably all want to get their shots in. an enemy is particularly fanatical, feral, unhinged, or
In these fights, having luck just kill the enemy (even as- just plain unintelligent, they generally shouldn’t attack
tronomically good luck) cheats the rest of the party out a downed player, even if the entire player team is
of a fight they’ve eagerly awaited in the plot. Rather knocked out. They might loot the party, but killing them
than defeating the enemy as suggested in the casual usually isn’t worth the sort of consequences that action
encounter option, have the player who scored the epic would bring down.
strike deal damage as normal and immediately take Note that “typical” isn’t “always.” Lots of things
another turn. This represents them really digging into can drive an aggressive NPC to ensure a player death.
the enemy while their momentum is rolling and will no The most common (outside of general attitude) is the
doubt result in considerable damage, but will likely still sort of heat the player characters themselves brought
let other people get their attacks in. down. A simple handgun fight in an alley is the sort
of thing a street villain is used to on a weekly basis;
they’re probably not going to care about it any more
than they cared about the last one. But if the play-
ers charge in with grenades and flamethrowers, that
sort of escalation is likely to earn them a bullet in the
head if the enemy gets the chance. This discretion is
up to the Guide. If left alone (assuming their roll on the
injury table didn’t kill them) the party will eventually be
rescued by friendly NPCs if the location has them, or
recover 1 Wound and wake up anywhere between a
few minutes to an hour later.

307
 SHOOTING DETAILS Firing Into Close Combat
Because melee combat tends to be a station-
When making a shooting attack, pick your tar-
ary action, it’s pretty easy to hit SOMEONE in it, even
get and the firing mode you’ll be using to shoot with
if it isn’t the person you wanted to hit. Weapons firing
(described in Weapons) and engage in a normal
into an active close combat have a chance of hitting
attack as described in Attacks. This is a Difficulty
any of the people involved. When you declare a shot
2 Mind Exert roll using Ranged Combat as the Pro-
into close combat, randomly determine which of the
ficiency, adding the Accuracy score of the weapon
combatants, friend or foe, will end up in front of the
as a bonus. If you reach the enemy’s Evade score,
barrel at the moment you pull the trigger. Then fire
you’ve hit. Resolve damage and effects and move on
300c normally against 200c
MC/IR-.H-22R Crucible that target. You cannotHandgun
MC/IR.H-10R withdraw the
to the next action.
shot. If you wish to increase your chances of avoiding
Handgun (Gun) Small (1-Handed)
an ally, you can Handgun (Gun)
forgo the random roll Small (1-Handed)
by Complicating
A Character with 2 in Mind Exert and 2 in
AMMO: Any Gearyour
Score:shot
1 by 1 forAMMO:
eachAnyally your targetGear is in combat
Score: 0
Ranged Combat using a weapon with a 1 Accuracy
with.
COMBAT

score would roll the following: Single Target, Charge, Precise, Lightweight Single Target, Precise, Lightweight

Shooting From Cover

D8+D8+2+ 1 6+2D6

3 4+2D4
If your character is behind cover that can cover
their whole body, but they can reach a firing position
within one hex (basically, if they could stand up and
shoot, or shoot around a corner), they can do so as
Range Pistol: Roll 1d10 instead of 2d10 to Pistol: Roll 1d10 instead of 2d10 to
part of their attack. This doesn’t take any addition-
Most guns can fire as far as the scene
determine reaches,
if a bonus attack can be determine if a bonus attack can be
al actions, but it has a degree of implied movement.
but there are a few that have somemade different
with thisbe-weapon. made with this weapon.
Once you’ve peeked around and fired, enemies that
haviors depending on their proximity to the enemy.
wish to return fire at you on their turns treat you as
The only ranges that matter for this
This are Short
weapon ignoresrange
the first reload
being in half-cover rather than full cover. To return to
and Point blank range. Short range result is within
rolled5 per
hexes.
combat.
full cover, you must either move deeper into cover (a
Point blank range is within 1 hex.
full hex away from the edge you were peeking around)
or stop shooting for a turn.
Point Blank Shooting
Every shot fired at point blank range is fright-
ening and intimidating to be near. They’re almost sure
For those who need a handgun capable of A piece by many names, this standard handgun is a
to be damaging the opponent. outputting
If not physically,
degrees ofthen
aggression, the Crucible reliable, versatile weapon requiring minimal training to
just to their nerves. But it’s toughis to line up
a favored shots
tool. into can charge its
This weapon use properly. Carrying this gun concealed for personal
actual exposed areas when theammunition
opponenttoisnegate so close protection is generally acceptable anywhere provided
the active shielding of
you've cleared it with the local IRPF office. This will still
and moving fast. advanced active armor systems. It's considered be confiscated from you in private residences or offices
Shots fired at point blank to range
be a service
areweapon
Compli- and a bit overkill for if it's noticed. Most of the populace of Sol owns a gun
walkingMedium
cated but have the Exploit property. around with,and butlarg-
still within the class much like this one, though the number of active
er Ranged weapons cannot fire at point blank oneexcept
license. carriers is somewhat fewer.
as Threat Responses.

00c Shooting Stationary

MC/IR-.H-12R Palm shotObjects 200c MC-HM-40R Pinpoint 350c MC/IR-.H-11R Plug gun
Sometimes you’ll want to do damage to an ob-
ndgun (Gun)ject ratherSmall
than a person. Stationary
(1-Handed) Handgunobjects
(Gun) have an Small (1-Handed) Handgun (Gun) Small (1-Handed)

MMO: St, LLEvade score Gearof 8,Score:

which
1 mostly consists
AMMO: Stof the reality Gear Score: 1 AMMO: St Gear Score: 2
that you’re running around, attacking in a 5 second
Single Target,
span Precise,
whileLightweight
avoiding enemies, andSingle Target, Precise,
generally don’tLightweight,
have Inaccurate Single Target, Line, Precise
the time to take your best shot.

2 4+2D4
Shooting While Inside Close Combat
Ranged weapons are capable of firing inside
1 4+3D4 1 3+3D6
of melee but are typically rather bad at it. The range
Pistol: Rollmay
1d10be instead
short,ofbut
2d10 to
aiming This weapon
while trying to avoid can be beingwielded by micros Pistol: Roll 1d10 instead of 2d10 to
determinecleaved
if a bonusinattack can be
half or having your gun knocked around is with no penalty. determine if a bonus attack can be
madequitewith this weapon. Follow the rules
a challenge. for
Ballistic point
weaponry blank
on the micro scale has always been a made with this weapon.
challenge. The reduced size of the projectile means reduced
shooting. These are still ranged attacks, buttheyou
effect on the target, smallerare
barrel means less speed and
This weapon can be considered accuracy, and the smaller expansion chamber reduces overall This weapon cannot be modded with a
still considered to be in close combat, and your attacks
power considerably. The Pinpoint is one of the few truly micro Suppressor and will cancel your stealth
uipped even ifwill you’re holdingreturn
provoke other swings like
scalednormal
handguns, and (see Close of technologies to
uses a combination
when used despite any techniques or
things in the same hand.
Combat) even if you’re not
cause its projectile to expand considerably upon contact with
targeting your me-
the target, then contract and expand in various angles as it conditions to the contrary.
travels. The result is an almost “chewing” effect, which causes
lee opponent.
308
substantial damage after impact rather than during.

his miniaturized version of the standard This weapon is actually more “small shotgun” sized on a micro The Plugger is an effective shotgun replace-
SHOOTING
ndgun packs equivalent punch in a less than “handgun” sized, but it's about as small as it can get and ment when mobility and carry space is limited.
counts as a handgun (which can allow dual wielding if the
 CLOSE COMBAT DETAILS Drifting Brawl
Melee doesn’t remain motionless on the bat-
During a close combat, both sides fight at once
tlefield; it drifts and moves as the opponents fight
if both sides are equipped with melee weapons. On
each other. If your character is locked in combat
your turn, attack as described in Attacks (your enemy
at the end of their turn, use a D6 to determine
does the same). This is a Difficulty 2 Body Exert roll us-
a random direction and roll a D3 to determine
ing CQC as the Proficiency, adding the Accuracy score
distance. Move yourself and your opponent together
of the weapon as a bonus. If you reach the enemy’s
that many hexes in that direction. This represents
Evade score, you’ve hit. They’re attacking at the same
your melee drifting and moving as you fight. As your
time, so it’s entirely possible for you300c
to not only miss, MC/IR-.H-22Rcharacters
Crucible encounter
200cthings like MC/IR.H-10R
walls, other char-
Handgun
but to be hurt on your own attack if they hit you!
acters, etc., the Guide can impose various checks,
Handgun (Gun) Small (1-Handed) Handgun (Gun) Small (1-Handed)
saves, or have you change your positions to react to
A Character with 1 in Body AMMO:
Exert Any
and 3 in Gear
theScore: 1
battlefield. AMMO:
Much of Any
this is freeform; Gear ruleScore: 0
situa-
CQC using a weapon with a 1 Accuracy score would
tions as they happen.
roll the following: Single Target, Charge, Precise, Lightweight Single Target, Precise, Lightweight

COMBAT
Close Combat Sequencing
D6+D8+3+ 1 6+2D6

3
Simultaneous action: As described, both
sides fight at the same time in close combat. In 4+2D4
terms of game actions though, the following condi-
tions are what is actually happening:
Once either side of a meleePistol: Roll 1d10 instead
has successfully hit of 2d10 to Pistol: Roll 1d10 instead of 2d10 to
the other with a melee weapon, both determine
charactersif a bonus
are attack can be determine if a bonus attack can be
-If one charactermade in awith
close thiscombat
weapon.uses a
considered to be “in close combat.” This made with this
is typically weapon.
only
non-bonus attack action, the opposing character
important for determining if certain rules like firing
This weapon ignores they are targeting can use an attack action if they
into or out of a melee apply. If neither side is in rangethe first reload
have a melee weapon equipped.
to strike one another, the characters areresult rolled per
no longer in combat.
-If one character in a close combat uses
close combat. This means if someone with a ranged
a move action, any single opposing character in that
attack fires at you at point blank range, they haven’t
combat can use an attack action if they have a melee
actually locked you in combat, but if you swing back at
weapon equipped.
them with a sword and hit them, it will lock both of you
-If one character in a close combat uses a
and the close combat rules listed below For thosewill
whotake
needover.
a handgunnon-bonus
capable of support A piece by many
action ornames,
chooses this standard
not tohandgun
act atisall a
outputting degrees of aggression, the Crucible reliable, versatile weapon requiring minimal training to
when they couldusetake an Carrying
properly. action,thisany gunsingle
concealedopposing
for personal
Unarmed Close Combat is a favored tool. This weapon can charge its
character in that combat can use any action
protection is generally acceptable anywhere (attacking
provided
If you are so inclined you ammunition
can drop your weap-
to negate the active shielding of
advanced active armor systems. will
It's require
considered a melee weapon).
you've cleared it with the local IRPF office. This will still
on and engage in unarmed combat against an enemy be confiscated from you in private residences or offices
immediately, without making a support to be a action
service weapon
to draw and a bit overkill for if it's noticed. Most of the populace of Sol owns a gun
walking around with, Effectively,much thislikemeans
this one,that thethe only “safe”
a melee weapon. This gives you the advantage of but
an still within the class though number of active
one license. attack you can make against
carriers is somewhat fewer. a melee
an enemy with
instant melee weapon to trade blows with, but fighting
weapon in close combat is a bonus attack, signify-
bare-handed has its disadvantages.
ing that you slipped it in while they were defending
Unarmed attacks have an accuracy score of 0.
against your previous two, or a normal attack if your
300c Their damage
MC/IR-.H-12RisPalm
2D6 non-lethal. 200c
shot MC-HM-40R Pinpoint 350c
enemy only has ranged weaponsMC/IR-.H-11R
or a melee Plug gun
weapon
Unarmed attacks can only harm medium-ar-
Handgun (Gun) Small (1-Handed) Handgun (Gun) that can’t
Small (1-Handed) actually reach
Handgun (Gun) you. Be careful leaping
Small (1-Handed) into
mored characters and below.
swordfights, they’re fast and deadly.
AMMO: St, LL Gear Score: 1 AMMO: St Gear Score: 1 AMMO: St Gear Score: 2
Close Combat Cover (Blocking)
Single Target, Precise, Lightweight Precise, Lightweight,Range and Engaging
Much like ranged combat, Single
closeTarget,combat has Inaccurate Single Target, Line, Precise
Melee weapons typically only reach the adja-
cover. You can also think of it as “blocking,” or a combi-
cent hex, but larger weapons can go two, even three
2 4+2D4
nation of using skill and equipment to mitigate dam-
1
age. It functions the same as ranged combat does: the
enemy must exceed your Evade score to hit you. In close
4+3D4 1 3+3D6
hexes out. As long as you’re within someone’s range
in the combat and one of the two of you have swung
(and hit) in melee, you’re considered to be engaged in
combat though, your equipment, specifically your melee
Pistol: Roll 1d10 instead of 2d10 to This weapon can will
be wielded close combat with that Pistol:enemy.
Roll 1d10 They don’t
instead of have
2d10 toto be in
weapons, determines your cover. Weapon cards say by micros
determine if a bonus attack can be with no range to hit you for that
determineengagement
if a bonus to
attackcontinue,
can be and
how much cover they add to melee on the card, inpenalty.
the
made with this weapon. vice
Ballistic weaponry on the micro scale has always been a versa, provided at least
made one
with person
this is
weapon. in range.
shield icon. Cover bonuses from weapons only apply to
challenge. The reduced size of the projectile meansRemember
reduced that melee engagement doesn’t take place
attacks made while locked in close combat
effect on the target,unless
the smaller the
barrel means less speed and
This weapon can be considered accuracy, and the smaller expansion chamber reduces because you’reThis
just overall weapon
close cannotother;
to each be modded
someonewith adoes
weapon, or a special ability, says power
otherwise.
considerably. TheThey do
Pinpoint is one of the few truly micro Suppressor and will cancel your stealth
equipped even if you’re holding other have
scaled handguns, and uses a combination of technologies to to hit with a melee attack first.
work against ranged attacks, but cause
only if those attacks when used despite any techniques or
things in the same hand. its projectile to expand considerably upon contact with
are being made in close combat. You’re considered
the target, then contract and expandtoin various angles as it conditions to the contrary.
travels. The result is an almost “chewing” effect, which causes
be slapping their weapon around and making
substantial it harder
damage after impact rather than during.
to aim.
309
This miniaturized version of the standard This weapon is actually more “small shotgun” sized on a micro The Plugger is an effective shotgun replace-
MELEE than “handgun” sized, but it's about as small as it can get and ment when mobility and carry space is limited.
handgun packs equivalent punch in a less
counts as a handgun (which can allow dual wielding if the
 EXAMPLE COMBAT
The following pages simulate two combat rounds, including the narrative behind
the actions and the mechanisms that make them possible.

1
Feyrin can see a grouping of two lightly armed
combatants she needs to clear out. She decides
to wear them down at range before moving in
to finish them off. Her partner Nadia is a decent
shot but is lightly armored. Feyrin can wade in as
the fight continues to keep enemy attention off
First Attack
her more vulnerable ally.
To-Hit Evade
16 > 13
1. Feyrin activates and chooses a movement
HIT
action to take up a position behind some cov-
Damage Endure
er. She has a movement score of 7, so she can
14 < 18
move up to 7 hexes with this action. She has two
No Wound
actions remaining.

2. Feyrin signals to Nadia that she’s going to

Second Attack
begin her attack. This is a chatter action and
To-Hit Evade
doesn’t count against her total. She then uses
14 > 13
her second action to peek out from behind cover
HIT
and shoot at the closest enemy.
Damage Endure
14+12 > 18
3. Decent, but they manage to soak most of it.
WOUND
She uses her third action to keep the heat on
and attacks again. When added onto her previ-
ous attack, this one breaks through and Wounds!

2
First Attack
To-Hit Evade
14 < 12+4
Miss

The enemy is Wounded. It’s his turn to act now.

1. The enemy doesn’t want to hang out in the

open, so he uses his first action to move and
dives behind a nearby wall. The wall is difficult
terrain, which takes two hexes of movement to
cross. With his Movement score of 5, he makes it.

2. He uses his second action to draw his rifle.

Poor bastard didn’t even have it in his hands yet.
This is a Support action.

3. He uses his third action to attack. He can’t get

a clear shot on the center of Feyrin’s hex, so he
targets the corner, which grants her half-cover.
Feyrin’s cover protects her from the incoming
barrage.
310
 3
The second enemy activates. He has a solid view
of his target and wants to spend his turn attack-
ing, since his weapon was already in hand.

1. He uses his first action to attack. A hit, but

the damage isn’t enough to cross Feyrin’s Endure
threshold.

2. He attacks with his second action. Another

hit, and the damage has accumulated enough to
Wound her.

3. He attempts a third attack action by rolling

for a Bonus action. The attempt succeeds! He
takes the shot, but alas, this one misses.

First Attack Second Attack

To-Hit Evade To-Hit Evade
13 > 12 17 > 12 Bonus Attack
HIT HIT To-Hit Evade
Damage Endure Damage Endure 10 > 12
10 < 22 10+13 > 22 Miss
No Wound WOUND

4
Nadia’s turn is next. She’s in a good spot to take
advantage of the enemy in the open.

1. She uses her first action to attack. Her roll

matches his Evade score. A critical hit! This at-
tack will have Exploit automatically.

2. She uses her second action to attack again.

A miss. She grits her teeth and tries for a Bonus
attack action. It fails. She’s lost her third action
and the enemy knows shes there now.

First Attack
To-Hit Evade
13 == 13 Second Attack
CRIT To-Hit Evade
Damage Endure 9 < 13
16+Wound < 18 Miss
WOUND

END OF ROUND 1
311
 5
START OF ROUND 2

It’s Feyrin’s second turn now. Her ally’s position is

exposed, it’s time to get in there and keep their
attention.

1. She uses her first action to move, passing by
the enemy in the open to go for the one in cov-
er. She wants to deal with the one her ally will
have the hardest time hitting.
Threat Response

2. She uses her second action to move again. She

can’t afford to be slowed down by that wall, so
she leaps over it using a Stunt. Clearing the wall
is the only point of action, so the Difficulty is 3.
She passes, sailing over the barrier in a jump
that lands her next to her foe.

As she enters his threat response range, howev-

er, he gets to shoot! A hit! The rolled damage
didn’t get past her Endure score, but threat re-
sponse attacks are Exploit by default. She’ll take First Attack
a Wound from the hail of gunfire. To-Hit Evade
17 > 13
3. Feyrin’s third action is to attack with her ba- HIT
ton. It’s a lightweight weapon so she was able to Damage Endure
pull it for free. She swings and hits. Her enemy 12 < 18
has no melee weapon in hand, so they won’t get No Wound
to swing back on her turn.

Since combat is now offciialy locked, the brawl

drifts at the end of the turn. Both characters It’s his turn now.
tumble around each other, moving the fight
downward as reflected in scene 6. 1. His first action is to drop his rifle to get it out
of the way, and draw his sword. Dropping the
rifle is free, but drawing the sword is a Support
action. Feyrin gets to swing at him for making a
Support action while already engaged in com-
bat. It’s a fresh turn though, so the damage from
Previous turn drift: this attack is starting from 0, not from what she
3 hexes toward 3 did at the end of her previous turn.

2. His second action is to attack with the sword.

Feyrin has a melee weapon, so she gets to at-
tack as well. He hits, but doesn’t pass her Endure
score. She hits as well, and her damage stacks
on top of her previous attack, resulting in a
Wound. He’s down to his last one.
Current turn drift:
4 hexes toward 1 3. His last action is another attack. Feyrin swings
too. Both combatants clash off each other’s
weapons, failing to hit.

6
The brawl continues to drift around the battle-
field, this time taking them up and to the right,
further from their allies.

312
 The second enemy will have to
move if he wants to pursue Na-
dia, but if he fires into the melee
he’ll not only risk his own ally, First Attack Second Attack
he’ll have the cover from the wall To-Hit Evade To-Hit Evade
to deal with too. He decides to 18 > 15 16 > 15
reposition. HIT HIT
Damage Endure Damage Endure
1. His first action is to move to 16 > 14 10+2 < 14
where he can better see Nadia. WOUND No Wound
He could’ve attacked from there,
but he’s hoping to pre-empt her
retreat.

2. His second action is to shoot.

He’s got a pretty clear line
on her this time. He hits and
Wounds.

3. His third action is another shot.

7
He hits, but even with the resid-
ual damage from his first attack,
he fails to Wound.

8 First Attack
To-Hit Evade
Second Attack
To-Hit Evade
It’s Nadia’s turn again. She’s trading fire with
someone across from her and decides to priori-
tize that. Feyrin seems to have the upper hand in
the other combat.

20 > 13 15 > 13 1. Her first action is to attack. A hit, just shy of

HIT HIT enough damage for a Wound.
Damage Endure Damage Endure
17 < 18 17+20 > 18 2. She attacks again. This time the damage
No Wound TWO WOUNDS crosses the threshold not just once, but twice!
Two Wounds! He’s down to only one. She tries for
a Bonus action, and succeeds!

3. She attacks a third time as a Bonus. Another

Critical hit! The automatic Wound from Exploit
takes him down.

Bonus Attack
To-Hit Evade
13 == 13
CRIT
Damage Endure
1+14+Wound < 18
WOUND

END OF ROUND 2

313
 ADVANCED COMBAT
The following rules are standard to HSD’s combat but are a bit more “action specific” and won’t come into
play in every fight. They’ve been placed here so that you can find any unique combat effects without having
to fish through the basic combat rules chapter.

Movie-time Chatter
In movies, we often see moments mid-gunfight chatter step to pause the turn succession for a few
where the heroes hunker behind cover and have a moments to converse with your team (provided they
short conversation about where they need to go or can hear you). No skillchecks or actions can be taken
what they need to do. It’s not terribly realistic, but it during this time, but multiple people can talk to each
helps the audience understand the scene’s motivations other and decisions can be made, provided it’s realis-
and establishes what’s going to be happening next. In tically brief. When the conversation ends, just continue
an RPG, this is also a pretty useful tool, because it gets the turn as normal. It’s assumed that the enemy is still
all the players on the same page. shooting at you during this period and you’re hunkered
If all the friendly characters you need to talk to down to avoid it. To avoid unnecessary number track-
are in at least half-cover and are not currently en- ing, there aren’t really any rules or limits attached to
gaged in hand to hand combat, you can use your this, but you should be realistic about it as players and
guides. It works well if the enemy is likewise engag-
ing in a ranged war. If they’re charging your position,
freezing time for a chat doesn’t really fit the scene.

314
MOVEMENT Sneaking
When you leave the enemy’s view, you can

attempt to hide yourself in order to gain an advan-
Flight tage in combat. Generally, the enemy already
Anything capable of flying can take to the sky can’t see you if you’re in a position where you
during a fight with or without a Technique, but basic can claim cover from every enemy in the combat,
flight is typically a detriment to your evasion rather but they have a pretty good idea of where you are.
than a help. Take to the sky with two movement ac- However, if they can be distracted, you have the
tions, which will bring you up to a level of about 30 opportunity to relocate unseen and begin sneaking.
feet. From there, you can move at your normal move- To begin sneaking, Roll Body:Exert+Stealth(2)
ment rate while ignoring terrain or enemies that can’t in the chatter step before moving. You must be-
reach you from 30 feet below. This also keeps you gin your turn out of sight of the enemy (blocked,
safe from melee attacks. However, you are very visible half-covered or behind cover) and end it out of
and very vulnerable to incoming fire. Your Evade and sight of the enemy behind a different piece of

COMBAT
Endure score are both reduced by 5 while flying. In ad- cover, without being seen on the way there. You
dition, most things that fly use their arms to flap, and may not attack on a round you are trying to begin
as such cannot also attack from this position. Landing a sneak in. Sneaking cannot be initiated within short
takes two movement actions to do safely. Alternatively, range of an enemy.
you could just fall if you need to get down in a hurry. While moving between cover, enemies are
entitled to a Body Perceive(2) check against your
Combat Flying (requires Technique) sneak check to notice you if you cross their line of
If you possess the necessary Technique (and a sight, but only once per enemy, per turn. If you suc-
means to fly) you can engage in combat leaps that can ceed in relocating to a new piece of cover without
let you travel at high speed. Combat flying isn’t actu- being seen by the enemy, you are considered to be
ally “flying” but rather fast leaps and brief hovers that sneaking. That sneak will be maintained as long as
are much safer than standard flight. Combat flying you remain hidden behind cover and do not attack.
works in the following way: You can continue to move without having to roll addi-
tional checks unless you would cross out into the open,
Your first movement action is a leap upward, taking in which case you roll to sneak as described above
you to a height of around 30 feet and allowing you to and enemies would again have an opportunity to try
travel 10 hexes in any one direction. You are consid- and notice you. Enemies are also entitled to a Body
ered aloft at the end of this action. Perceive(2) check if you walk into their threat response
range from an angle they can’t see.
Your second Movement action is a dive downward in Attack actions launched from a sneaking po-
the same direction (straight line) as the first action sition are Simplified and have the Exploit property.
with up to 10 hexes of movement. Since this second Sneaking ends immediately after you attack, when you
action starts from some 30 feet in the air, chances are are noticed, or if you end your movement where an
quite high that most things on the battlefield can see enemy can see you. Remember that although stealthed
you when you begin it. attacks have Exploit, only one instance of Exploit can
affect an enemy per turn.
You may not take a third action when Combat Flying.
Launching a Sneak Attack
If you are initiating a combat from a complete-
ly undetected position, while sneaking, you can use the
summary execution rules for one first attack. This works
once, for the first single attack in combat, after which
point your combat will proceed in initiative order. You
must be actively sneaking for this to work and the
enemy has one opportunity to try and spot you before
you attack. Once combat has begun people are too
alert for summary execution to work unless someone is
completely unconscious.

315
ADVANCED
 ATTACKING Outnumbering
Outnumbering an enemy in close combat is de-
termined by hex occupancy rather than individu-
Two Weapons (requires Technique) al people.
Advanced combatants will sometimes
sacrifice accuracy for the extra firing rate
To outnumber an opponent, the total engaged
of two guns shooting at once. This ability has
allied hexes must outnumber the enemy’s by at
a Technique prerequisite for both melee and
least 2, and the contributing allies must not be
ranged weapons (it’s not an easy thing to do
engaged in another melee.
well). Typically, only one-handed weapons can
be dual-wielded, and both weapons must be
If the opponent has a Shape of a single hex, you
of the same classification (handgun, SMG, etc.).
can outnumber them with three single-hex char-
Weapons labeled “Projector” in their weapon
acters, or one 2-hex character and one single
type cannot be dual-wielded. A character with
COMBAT

hex character, etc. If the enemy is a monstrous

four arms can dual-wield 2-handed weapons if
creature occupying 6 hexes, you will need a total
they have the proper Techniques. As implied in
of 8 hexes worth of allied characters to outnum-
the title, using two weapons involves using both
ber them in close combat.
hands at once, which precludes having a free
When determining outnumbering, only count
hand unless you drop or stow one of your weap-
characters who are engaged in the melee
ons.
(they’ve already swung, they’re not just standing
nearby). If a character engaged in another, sep-
Dual wielding does not deal two weapons
arate melee wants to reach in and take a swing,
worth of damage in a single attack. Instead, it
they can, and will benefit from outnumbering
is reflected by guaranteeing a bonus attack you
if the target is already outnumbered, but they
would normally have to roll for.
won’t contribute to outnumbering themselves.
When attacking with two weapons (ranged or
They’re too busy with their own fight.
melee) you can choose at the beginning of your
In a close combat battle where one side
turn (before any attacks are made) to Complicate
outnumbers the other, follow the usual rules for
your attacks this turn. Doing so allows you to have
a 1v1 fight, but the team that is larger gets a
your bonus attack automatically. Decide which
few advantages:
weapon you’re using per attack. In close combat,
you can interchange the cover and damage prop-
Close combat attacks against an outnumbered
erties of both weapons. Choose which weapon
opponent are Simplified.
you’re blocking with and use its cover rating; the
other weapon is used for attacking.
Attacks against an outnumbered opponent get
+5 bonus damage per hit (even incoming ranged
Improvised Weapons attacks).
Random sticks, ranged weapons wielded
as clubs, and held objects can all be used in close When you are being attacked in an outnum-
combat as improvised weapons. Many of them bered combat, your return attack must be
have enough heft and mass to be quite damaging against the person attacking you unless that
if wielded well, but they’re un-honed and lack the person is out of range.
precision and control of a real weapon.
The accuracy score for rolling to hit with an impro-
vised weapon is 1. It does 2D8 lethal damage.
It cannot continue to function as its default purpose
unless explicitly listed in its item entry. This basically
means that, unless a gun is specifically designed to
be used as a sword, it will become too damaged
to fire once it has been used as a melee weapon
in close combat.
You can toy around with improvised weap-
on damage if your Guide wants to. If the object
has unique properties, sometimes it’s fun to apply
weapon properties to it.
Even Green Is
OUTNUMBERED

316
Grenades and Throwables Dropping Grenades
Grenades and other throwables are utility and You can drop up to two grenades into an
area of effect weapons that aren’t particularly pre- adjacent (or your own) hex as a single attack action
cise when chucked in the heat of battle but can drop without having to roll anything for it. You just let
considerable damage into a localized area. Throwing go of the things. This counts as having them land
a perfect grenade is more luck than planning, as most as though they were thrown (but isn’t a throw
of the time it will bounce and roll, but if you pick your itself and gains no bonuses from any applicable
occasions carefully and throw them to spots with walls Techniques), and allows both you and anyone adja-
behind them, or into narrow corridors, you can limit cent to you to Dodge. You can only drop grenades
your chances of missing. Proper training through Tech- in this fashion once per turn.
niques can also increase your accuracy with thrown The grenade drop rule is specifically limiting
explosives. to avoid obvious abuses of game rules that lead to
immersion-shattering combat scenes. The abilities
Grenades count as an attack action. Throw them as and powers in this game are intended to be fun

COMBAT
you would any thrown object. and versatile, but because every contingency cannot
be included without needlessly cluttering the book,
Dodging A Grenade it is possible to do things like wire a dozen gre-
If someone would be in a grenade’s effective nades to your chest and hug the enemy while count-
area, they can choose to dodge to get out of its blast ing on a game mechanic to perpetually protect you.
radius. This is a pretty unrealistic philosophy to apply to
what is supposed to be a living person in a dynamic
Roll a Dodge save, Difficulty 2. If you succeed, take half world. It’s fine for a single, cinematic scene, but it
damage from the grenade. If the grenade would inflict takes a lot of the fun out of the game if it’s used as
automatic Wounds damage, reduce the number by 1 to a generic catch-all combat strategy just because
a minimum of 0 on a successful save. Complicate the the player knows it’s tough to avoid. Guides, if you
Dodge save for each grenade dodged in a single turn. want to make exceptions to this for the sake of a
fun and exciting character-end or a last ditch effort
to kill an enemy, feel free to do so, but I recommend
Throwing grenades while in melee not allowing players to drop more than two explosives
If you throw a grenade or other object while per turn in their own hexes in a standard combat. It
in melee the enemy gets an attack on you as normal. If encourages things like Wound counting and meta-logic
their attack hits at all the thrown object automatically to deal unavoidable damage that doesn’t reflect the
scatters. thoughts of the characters within the game itself.

Grenade Firing Modes Throwing Random Stuff

All weapons labeled “Grenade” have three When throwing a Balanced weapon, it will
firing options. Select which one you’re using before you most often have a damage score for determining what
attack. damage it does, but when you’re just throwing random
stuff at people it’s a bit more freeform. Treat this like
Standard mode: The grenade detonates upon landing, unarmed damage unless the object is particularly dan-
using the rules as normal. gerous (read: more dangerous than a bullet). At that
Remote detonation mode: Delay detonation until a point the Guide can treat it like a lethal improvised
signal from the grenade’s pin is received. This is a free weapon or liken it to a specific throwing weapon.
action that can be done out of turn sequence. The
receiver becomes active 1 turn after landing.
Proximity mode: Delay detonation until something
moves through the grenade’s blast range, then det-
onate immediately. The sensor becomes active 1 turn
after landing.

317
ADVANCED
 “I want to drop shit on them”
Occasionally, a character will want to use the world around them as a weapon against the enemy. This
can make for a lot of fun in the narrative: you can shoot down heavy light fixtures to drop them on people
behind cover, or knock over statues to crush people, or even collapse parts of the building to send people
falling down. Improvised or environmental explosives also work well for this. Non-combat explosives (like the
Egress system) are designed to be affixed to objects and secured before firing and really don’t work that
well as combat tools, but if you’re lucky, you can deal significant damage with them.

Use the falling and collision Environmental Damage Array to determine damage when using obscure or
environmental objects.

This damage is assuming that the object being employed as a weapon is of significant mass and damage
potential. Read: more than the gun you shot it with. Rocks larger than people falling from the sky, giant
statues, collapsing a cement roof, things like that. If your object is something less damaging than that, but
still large enough to cause some sort of harm, just roll a D10, with a 10 being a Stun. Who knows, you could
get lucky if you drop a light fixture on someone’s head at just the right angle.

The EDA should probably only be usable once or twice per fight, unless you’re in someplace like a warehouse
that’s stuffed with heavy, exploitable objects. The Guide has discretion on this point, but the general idea
here is that it’s rare for people to be in an area where there’s enough random objects of significant size to
be damaging that can be easily knocked free by a few bullets or a hard shove, to the degree that it can be
done multiple times in a combat while being more effective than your actual weapon.
In most cases, you can dodge a falling damage source in the same way you can dive away from an explod-
ing grenade, resulting in half damage if you succeed in a Dodge save at Difficulty 2.

Grappling Using Transcendent Implants in Combat

Using your body to physically restrain the ene- (Support Action, requires Technique)
my can be done by attacking them in close combat. If The full rules for channeling and manipulating
you succeed in inflicting a Wound and have two hands Transcendent Implants are in the Surgery section. Using
or similiar appendages free, you can sacrifice that Transcendent Implants in combat requires more con-
Wound to engage in an opposed Body Exert:Athlet- centration and practice than using them outside of it.
ics check that is Simplified if you have greater Base It is a support action requiring the Combat Channeling
Mass than they have and Complicated if you have less. Technique. You may only attempt to channel an implant
Assuming you succeed in the check, the enemy is held. once per round. The channel roll is the same as it is out
You still count as being in close combat with them, but of combat, and Cuil bloom applies as normal. The de-
neither of you can perform any other actions beyond scriptions in the Transcendent Implant list (in Surgeries)
holding or trying to escape. If ever you or your enemy are intended as in-combat descriptions.
has the opportunity to perform any type of action, it
must be an opposed Body Exert:Athletics check to gain
control of the grapple.
Breaking a grapple is free when you have con-
trol over it (while you are the person who most recently
passed the exert check).
While you have control of a grapple you can
relocate yourself and your enemy to any orientation
and direction that would be allowed within the move-
ment range of the Drifting Brawl roll. You’re basically
dragging them along.

318
 VEHICULAR ASSISTANCE
The modern era has various bits of machinery and transit devices all over the place. Some of them are even use-
ful (others just do sick spins). Chances are, you’ll find yourself able to take advantage of one or another in a fight
at some point. Here’s how you do that.
These rules are for small, non-combat vehicles that your character is exploiting for some extra movement or a
harder hit, but they don’t have the staying power to remain in a fight for extended periods and aren’t designed
for this purpose, so they have a few drawbacks with their benefits. Everything from a golf cart to a forklift to a
hover-board falls into this category.

319
 Using Vehicles object from the front of wherever the vehicle stopped.
Random civilian exploitable vehicles come in They are now prone. The vehicle must travel at least
two flavors: Fast or Strong. Before you board a ve- half its max distance for a ram to count. Otherwise,
hicle, figure out which category it falls into. This the opposing character can simply move aside.
is something to run by your Guide and logic out.
Motorcycles, personal conveyance systems, any- Thwarting
thing designed to make a person go faster without Non-combat vehicles are superior to a normal
really making the person more powerful is a Fast person standing alone but are generally easily thwart-
vehicle. Construction equipment, earth-movers, or ed by enhanced individuals with boosted strength
builders are all Strong vehicles and sacrifice speed and reflexes. If a vehicle is ramming, or moving into
to grant power and protection. combat with, a character that has physical enhance-
Boarding a vehicle requires one movement ment surgery (or something that grants the abilities
from an adjacent hex and can be done as part of of physical enhancement surgery), the character may
a movement action. Vehicles require a free hand to
COMBAT

roll an Endure save with Difficulty 3 for Strong vehicles

operate. Leaving a vehicle is free and puts you in and 2 for Fast vehicles. On a success, they will actual-
a hex adjacent to it. While onboard a vehicle, you ly overturn the vehicle and use the rider’s momentum
do not get bonus actions. Vehicles must move their against them. The vehicle becomes disabled and the
entire Movement score per movement action. This driver takes damage as though they were charged by
represents the extra distance required for acceler- a vehicle from the same distance. They then skid to a
ation, turns, and momentum. stop wherever the vehicle would have stopped had it
been allowed to continue its movement and are prone.
Moving
Fast Vehicles have a Movement score of 16. Destroying
Strong Vehicles have a Movement score of 8. Strong Non-combat vehicles are exactly that: not
Vehicles are not affected by difficult terrain. Fast intended for combat. Even the tough ones are going to
vehicles cannot cross difficult terrain. Vehicles need become pretty unusable after a few shots to a vul-
to move every turn you’re in them to be considered “a nerable area. For ease of use, they have the following
vehicle.” Otherwise you’re just using it as cover. stats universally:

Attacking Fast vehicle: Evade: 20 Endure: 15 Wounds: 5
You may attack while driving a vehicle. If that
attack action is melee, you can use it while passing Strong Vehicle: Evade: 8 Endure: 40 Wounds: 5
within range of an enemy. If you hit, you will deal dam-
age as normal and continue however much Movement Upon being reduced to zero Wounds, the vehi-
you still had available before the attack took place cle is no longer usable. Attackers can determine if they
(so in a Fast vehicle, if you had moved 10 hexes into want to shoot at the vehicle or the operator when they
combat, you move 5 hexes back out again). It counts attack, but do keep the nature of the vehicle itself in
as an extension of the first movement action (so, not a mind. Fully enclosed machines don’t really offer their
new action). If you chose to stay in combat instead of operators as a target or will at least cover them a bit,
hitting and passing through, you must dismount your ve- and riders will use the vehicle’s Evasion score if it is
hicle at the point of contact. The vehicle will continue higher than their own.
off in the direction it was traveling until its movement
ends. So long as you are still riding the vehicle, enemies Practicality
cannot attack back at you when you attack on the way These vehicle rules are for making use of
past. They still get Threat Responses. mobile objects that happen to be in a combat scene
when it occurs, and the vehicles described here really
Ramming aren’t practical to bring with you from place to place
To ram an enemy, travel through their hex with in the hopes of getting to use them in a fight for a
a vehicle. The enemy you’re passing through can roll bonus. Don’t count on having these in most fights. Not
a Dodge save (Difficulty 2) to leap out of the way. If every location is going to have a vehicle sitting in it.
they succeed, put them aside via the shortest possible Bringing one with you probably also isn’t very practical
route and pass the vehicle strait through to wherever in most situations. If the enemy didn’t notice you rolling
it was heading. If they fail the save, deal D3 Wounds if up the road at 10mph in your future-Zamboni in the
the vehicle was Fast and D8 if the vehicle was Strong. hopes of using it to run them over, well, they probably
In both events, the vehicle itself takes a Wound. deserve to get hit. Chances are, though, most of them
Continue the vehicle’s movement until the will see it coming long before it becomes a threat.
movement would end and scatter the impact-

320 ed character as though they were a thrown

VEHICLES
MOUNTS
Riding animals into war is a bit of a bygone
era, but that doesn’t change the tactical advantage
of having a mount when the enemy does not. Alas, you
probably won’t be leading a large attack animal or
bioprobe around on a leash through most cities. How-
ever, in Sol, the variety of bodies and morphisms have
given way to some respectable tactics involving similar Vehicle Example
behavior and are a little easier to pull off. Assuming Rocky spots his foe Ken skulking about the
you have a willing partner. warehouse. Seizing an opportunity, he uses a
Riding a mount requires a saddle item if you movement action to leap onto a forklift in a
want to do it in combat. It’s not always a literal “sad- hex he can reach. He slams the throttle with a
dle,” but it’s purchased under that name to signify second movement action and careens toward
whatever equipment would be needed to make the Ken, hoping to ram him for a devastating D8
operation practical. It also requires a willing mount, Wounds.
which could consist of an animal the Guide deems The forklift is a Strong vehicle with a move-
mountable, or a character whose Base Mass exceeds ment score of 8. Ken is only 7 hexes away, so
your Base Mass. the vehicle will collide with him unless he tries
If the character is wearing a saddle, you can to dodge out of the way. But Ken is hiding a
mount them in the same fashion as a vehicle. They secret: physical enhancement surgery. As Rocky
must be willing to receive you, as this is a collabora- collides with his hex he reaches up to grab the
tive action. From this point forward until you dismount, forks and rolls an Endure save, Difficulty 3. If he
you and the mounted character will share a turn slot fails, he’ll take the damage from the collision.
instead of having separate ones (but each of you still But if he succeeds Rocky will be thrown from
get your own actions). Proceed just like you would with the cab and land in the hex behind him where
the vehicle rules, but using the mount’s stats rather the vehicle would have ended up, taking D8
than the vehicle stats. For characters this is simple, but Wounds himself.
if the Guide has given you a living critter of some kind,
you can use the vehicle stats instead and tweak any- Mounted Example
thing you feel is relevant to the mount. Obe1 is in pursuit of an enemy fleeing on a
motorcycle. He doesn’t have much hope of
Character mounts add +2 to their Movement and catching up, but one of his partners is a lat-
Evade score, as they’re focused primarily on moving. eral macro lizard, and they’d bought a saddle
Unlike vehicles, mounts can stop before their max for them just in case this sort of situation ever
distanced is covered, and they can still have Bonus popped up. Obe1 takes a flying leap onto the
actions. lizard’s back and ends his actions. The mount
Attacking is now sharing a turn with Obe1 until he dis-
While acting as a mount, a character cannot mounts and has +2 to his already considerable
attack; they are focused on moving and evading. If you movement score, so he uses his own actions to
move your mount into combat and stay there, you dis- tear off after the fleeing bike. With the benefit
mount as you attack. Your mount now operates normally of Bonus action movement they close the gap.
and is likewise considered to be engaged in combat Once they get there, Obe1 can start using his
with the enemy you attacked. They can attack on their actions to attack while his mount uses theirs to
turn and support combat as normal from here on out. continue moving.

Ramming
Unless it is a specific property of the mount,
mounts can’t ram as an attack.

VEHICLES
 SCALING ENEMY FIGHTS The Battlescore Table

The following system is in place to help scale Like the wholeness chart, the Battlescore ta-
enemy encounters to the party in a way that ble considers your equipment and your natural
will be challenging and fun without being over- abilities and provides you a number you can
whelming. The idea behind that philosophy is to use to help gauge your overall battle prowess.
provide exciting combat situations without caus- The tables increase at a steady rate, so if your
ing so much damage that it ends your narrative scores exceed what is printed just continue the
progress on a regular basis. This is not a tabletop brackets logically.
wargame; the enemy points scale is not intended
to produce an “even” fight, it’s intended to pro- Gear scores and Techniques
duce a fight in which the PC’s will be in danger, Take your combined gear scores and technique
but emerge victorious, so the plot of your story can points and apply them to the table below. In-
COMBAT

continue. corporate all surgery and equipment gear-

Begin by calculating every party member’s scores, but only the highest single gearscore of
Battlescore using the system at right. Once you’ve your weapons and malware if you have multi-
figured it out, add all the Battlescores together ples of either.
to determine the overall battle value of the party.
You can use that number to “buy” enemies, either
from the templates provided here and in other
Gear score and Techniques Score
HSD books, or from characters you’ve built yourself, 0-10 0
until you arrive at an equivalent battle total. 11-15 1
Don’t worry too hard about nailing the party’s
exact level on points. As long as you’re not outright 16-20 2
doubling their value, you’ve got a pretty safe buf- 21-25 3
fer area. As you get a feel for the challenge level 26-30 4
your party prefers, you can decide how high you’d like
to push the points bonus on your side to keep them 31-35 5
interested. Remember to build your fights with narra- 36-40 6
tive in mind, not how you can best cram more bodies
41-45 7
into a combat.
Be wary about fights with large numbers of
enemies vs. players. The points may add up right, but Stats
the fight will become increasingly more deadly the Take your MDB score, RDB score, Ranged Com-
more people are involved in it. This is mostly true with bat Proficiency and CQC Proficiency and com-
minions, who are very easy to kill but have compa- bine them. Apply this to the table below.
rable damage output to a normal person. 1 typical
player can take on 3 minions in most situations and Stats Score
survive the experience. By points, 4 players can take
on 12 minions, and this is likely true, however the 0-5 0
combined firepower of 12 enemies is almost certain 6-10 1
to down several of those players before the fight is 11-15 2
over. The threat level to the player party increases
when there are more guns pointed at them in a way 16-20 4
that is not necessarily reflected in the points scale. 21-25 6
To adapt for this, it is typically not recommended to
26-30 8
fight player parties with more than double their num-
bers in enemies. If nothing else, it will keep the fight 31-35 10
from lasting too long. 36-40 12

Take the two “Score” results you got from the

table and combine them. Add your Mind Exert
and Body Exert scores to the result. This is your
Battlescore.

As long as your enemy team is within a couple

battle score points of your team, you’ve got a
fairly even match.
322
Building Adversaries
Enemies don’t tend to have all the quirks, stats
and characteristics of player characters, particularly
because most of them won’t come into play during a
fight and just load the Guide down with information
they don’t need. To help generate enemies quickly,
there are a few template concepts that can apply to
a large array of combats.
The following page will give you a step
by step process for generating enemies of various
degrees of challenge for the party, and ends with a
summary and several examples.

Proficiency Limits
Enemies are considered to have the following proficien-
cies by default. The number of points they have in those
scores varies based on how difficult the enemy is. If the
enemy is required to make a check on a Proficiency they
don’t have listed, they have 0 points in it.

Ranged Combat
CQC
Athletics
Stealth

Single Enemies
Combat in HSD is structured toward having multiple
targets on both sides of the fight. When your party of
multiple people has only one enemy to fight, certain
adjustments are recommended in order to keep the fight
interesting. Only apply these to enemies that are intend-
ed to be solo dangerous fights and legitimate encoun-
ters; the last enemy standing or a random NPC doesn’t
get these qualities.

Stun! Barrier: Solo enemies ignore the first x Stun! results

dealt to them, where x is the number of characters in
the player party engaging in the fight. Apply the dam-
age as normal, but they do not suffer additional effects.

Large Presence: for the purposes of outnumbering, solo

enemies count as having one extra hex.

Extra Activations: Solo enemies cannot be outnumbered

more than 2 to 1 on turn activations. Place the solo en-
emy on the initiative table wherever they roll, and add
turns for them after every two player slots. Two party
members can act, then the solo enemy will act, then two
party members, then the solo enemy, etc. This can result
323
in the enemy’s turn migrating a little as rounds proceed.
That’s fine; they’re being crafty.
ADVERSARIES
Proficiency Points Civilians: 0
The following points apply to the Proficien-
cies enemies are listed as having. If a floating point Simple Enemies: 0
is listed, the guide can assign that to any Proficiency
they wish, even one that isn’t listed. Unless specifically Adequate Enemies: 5
noted, enemies don’t have preeminent (5 point) Profi-
ciencies. Challenging Enemies: 10

Civilians: 0 in everything, 1 point floating Dangerous Enemies: 15

Simple Enemies: 1 in everything, 1 point floating Gear Scores

The basic enemy template comes unequipped.
Adequate Enemies: 2 in everything, 1 point floating Each type of enemy has a Gear score allotment based
on the narrative role of the enemy. You can equip the
Challenging Enemies: 2 in everything, 4 points enemy with up to that number of gear points without
floating changing its battlescore. If you wish to over-equip
them, increase their battle score by the excess amount.
Dangerous Enemies: 3 in everything, 2 points
floating, one preeminent Proficiency allowed. Civilians: 5 pts

Stats Simple Enemies: 8 pts

Enemy stats are listed in 3 scores. The Guide
can apply those scores to any Exert trait they feel is Adequate Enemies: 10 pts
appropriate for the character. As with Proficiency
points, a floating score here can be applied anywhere. Challenging Enemies: 14 pts
Use the same spread for Perception scores, emphasiz-
ing the one you feel best fits the character’s job. Dangerous Enemies: 18 pts
In addition to these stats, the enemy gets a
few custom points. These can be spent on any of the
Landmark Purchase options on the Progression sheet Focus and Readiness
in order to provide a little variety to each enemy. You Rather than tracking individual Readiness
can use it to offset movement penalties from armor, scores for enemies, the Guide is generally aloted a
make them a bit more evasive, or have them kick out a total of D4+ however many players are in the game in
bit more damage. Readiness, which they can then distribute among their
NPC characters as needed.
Civilians
1, 1, 1, with 1 point floating. 0 custom points. Techniques
While it is reasponable to assign a certain
Simple Enemies number of Technique points to these character
2, 1, 1. 1 custom point. concepts, that adds a degree of granularity that is
only a few steps removed from just making the enemies
Adequate Enemies as characters. Instead, pick a couple techniques you
2, 1, 1, with 1 point floating. 2 custom points feel help the enemy do their job properly and leave it
at that unless you can think of a story driven reason to
Challenging Enemies give them more.
2, 2, 1, with 2 points floating. 4 custom points.
Final Battlescore
Dangerous Enemies The following Battlescore levels reflect enemies
3, 2, 2, with 2 points floating. 8 custom points. put together using the prompts and basic player char-
acter mass scores, armor, and morphisms.
Damage Bonuses
Enemy combatants can use any weapons the Civilian: 3
players can use, and apply the same item bonuses to
their attacks. In addition, much like players can in- Simple Enemy: 6
crease their damage scores, enemies are expected to
have improved versions of the standard fare. Apply Adequate Enemy: 12
bonuses to their RDB and MDB. The scores listed below
indicate the maximum bonus on either RDB or MDB. Challenging Enemy: 16
They can have it on both, if it’s appropriate to the en-
emy type. Typically one will be a little better than the Dangerous Enemy: 20
other.
Examples Rank and File (Adequate Enemy) Batlescore 12
This is a good template for any actual sol-
Street Thug (Simple Enemy) Batlescore 6 dier in a legitamate, trained combat organization.
A good stand-in for a minor threat. This enemy They’re not the best, but they’re well equipped
is a lightly equiped annoyance that can take a few hits and they know how to use their tools. One alone
before dropping but won’t be much of a problem for a isn’t a huge problem, but several of these to-
reasonably equipped party. If you’re out in the streets gether with varied equipment can form a consider-
with no gear, though, it may catch you by surprise. able threat to the party. The one depicted below is
focused on range, but rearranging a few stats will
result in a melee focused alternative.
STATS
Mind Exert 1 STATS
Mind Perceive 1 Mind Exert 3
Body Exert 2

COMBAT
Mind Perceive 1
Body Perceive 2 Body Exert 2
Community Exert 1 Body Perceive 2
Community Perceive 1 Community Exert 1
Community Perceive 2
SCORES
Wounds 10 SCORES
Total Mass 5 Wounds 10
Movement 3 Total Mass 9
Endure 15 Movement 3 (2+1 custom point)
Evade 13 Endure 20
MDB 2 Evade 12 (11+1 custom
RDB 1 point)
MDB 6
PROFICIENCIES RDB 8
Ranged Combat 1
CQC 2 PROFICIENCIES
Athletics 1 Ranged Combat 3
Stealth 1 CQC 2
Athletics 2
Equipment
Armor: Bulletproof Vest Stealth 2
Melee Weapon: knife
Ranged Weapon: handgun Equipment
Armor: Riot Armor
Street thugs might have more advanced gear Melee Weapon: knife
if they were awarded them from the heirarchy of their Ranged Weapon: assault rifle
organization or stole them. Tougher versions of this en- Misc: Hotspot grenade
emy might have a light MarsCo Hard Case and a gun
with more stopping power. Officer ranks of this foe will probably carry
more advanced rifels or shotguns, such as the Storm or
the Sharpbark. Characters with this statline are con-
sidered skilled enough that most weapons that arent
projectors or heavy weapons are within their ability to
handle, so you can vary their equipment a bit.

325
ADVERSARIES
 Specialist (Challenging Enemy) Batlescore 18 Specialist (Challenging Enemy) Batlescore 18
This example is a trained and experienced spe- A ranged companion for the previous specialist,
cialist with equipment that will help them in their this character makes for a deadly sniper for picking
task. This one is tuned for dispatching characters off heavily armored foes while staying hidden.
in melee and would make for a good assassin
enemy, sacrificing durability for evasion. STATS
Mind Exert 4
STATS
Mind Perceive 2
Mind Exert 3
Body Exert 3
Mind Perceive 2
Body Perceive 4
Body Exert 4
Community Exert 2
Body Perceive 4
COMBAT

Community Perceive 3
Community Exert 2
Community Perceive 3
SCORES
Wounds 10
SCORES
Total Mass 9
Wounds 10
Movement 6 (2+4 custom
Total Mass 7
points)
Movement 3
Endure 20
Endure 17
Evade 11
Evade 16 (12+4 custom
MDB 11
points)
RDB 16
MDB 16
RDB 11
PROFICIENCIES
Ranged Combat 4
PROFICIENCIES
CQC 2
Ranged Combat 2
Athletics 3
CQC 4
Stealth 3
Athletics 3
Stealth 3 Equipment
Armor: O&R recon suit with Chemeleon Display
Equipment Melee Weapon: Knife
Armor: Mobility Augmentation Rig Ranged Weapon: Longarm, Tech Assembly Bow, Hand-
Melee Weapon: Occam’s Razor, Burn Job gun
Ranged Weapon: Shardshot Misc: Bombard Emitter
Misc: Scatterline (Boosts Evasion to 17)
This character relies on stealth to avoid de-
Remaining Gear score points on a specialist en- tection while lining up a good shot. Give them a few
emy should be spent on tools and equipment that will techniques to make them a more effective stealth
help them capatalize their advantages. This particular attacker and use their bombard emitter coupled with
enemy has armor that lets them combat jump to offset techniques that make their reaction shots more effec-
their low movement. Items that let them swing or cling tive to punish anyone approaching them.
to walls could help them exploit that so they could get
the drop on someone from above.

326
ADVERSARIES
VARIANT ENEMIES PREFERRED TERRAIN
Preferred terrain is a template that rep-
Minion resents the enemy being in a location they have a
You know those scenes where the characters personal advantage in. Their “home turf” wherein
are on their way to the big fight, and there are a they could be hiding weapon stashes, escape
bunch of people in the way with guns that make for a routes, or friendly defenses. Ideally, preferred ter-
big, flashy scene before hand, but you know are other- rain should have something to do with the enemy
wise pretty unimportant? Those are minions. We have you’re fighting, but in the situation of building via
minions too! This enemy template will provide an easy quick points like we are here it’s difficult to list
to kill foe that’s still armed with a dangerous weapon, values for every conceivable enemy. Instead, think
which will give your party cause to worry when fighting about what sorts of advantages your enemy’s pre-
them (getting shot does still hurt, after all) but it won’t ferred terrain grants them and add the following
eat up your entire game session with a fairly trivial battlescore bonuses to each enemy on the field if
they’re fighting in that terrain. Terrain can provide

COMBAT
combat. Its a good way to soften the party up before
the real fight, or to play out those fun cinema-like multiple benefits, so stack the costs accordingly.
scenes of room-clearing without dedicating hours to Preferred terrain shouldn’t be a factor in
the process. every fight. This is really representational of an ene-
my knowing where they are, what they can use, and
Minions typically only use the Rank and File template. having things set up ahead of time in their favor.
Keep all the stats as normal but reduce the Wounds to Headquarters and ambush sights could be like this,
3. but even if you happen to get in a fight on their
Minions are worth a quarter of what their Battlescore familiar streets, unless they realistically had the time
otherwise would be if they were normal. to rig up every part of their territory for a staged
fight, these shouldn’t apply.

Commander Escape Routes (4 pts): the terrain has lots of hid-

You can add some extra threat to the bat- den in’s and outs the enemy knows about. At any point
tlefield by over-equiping one of your assailants and that they are out of line of sight of the party they can
making them “the leader” of the current group. Add take a full move action to remove themselves from the
this Commander template to either the Simple or Ade- battlefield.
quate enemy templates. Stronger enemies were usually
high ranking officers to begin with. Supply Caches (6 pts): The enemy had ample supplies
for their disposable items ready for them at the site,
Commanders get 1 extra floating Stat point and 2 ex- hidden out of view. If they had grenades or other
tra floating Custom points. Their Gear score alotment single use items they can spend a Support action while
increases by 2 and so does their MDB and RDB. out of sight of the party to re-arm what they’ve used.
Commanders are 4 more Battlescore points than their
base level. Passive Defenses (5 pts): The enemy has littered the
area with well hidden traps in preparation for the
Radiant party’s assault. Each enemy can lay 1 trap somewhere
Transcendent Radiants are dangerous foes that on the battlefield, usually in the form of a mine, rigged
often have more destructive potential than is reflected grenade, laser trap, etc. They are assumed to be in
in just the Gear score of the implant. If you want to place when the characters enter the scene and do not
create a villian template that includes a Transcendent need to be considered as part of the enemy’s inventory
implant and a means to use it in combat, adjust their (they’re accounted for via the preferred terrain cost.
Battlescore as follows:
Atmospheric Manipulation (8 pts): The battlefield has
Radiants are 8 more Battlescore points than their base been manipulated in a way that is one-sided, hurting
level. the player party without hindering the enemies. Com-
plicate attacks against the enemy OR Simplify attacks
against the player party. Many things can cause this
effect, but what is significant is that it is deliberately
one-sided. If an effect in the area, such as darkness,
would be debilitating to both sides, you don’t need to
incorporate it as a preferred terrain bonus.

327
ADVERSARIES
TECHNIQUES 1 POINT TECHNIQUES
Over their lifetime characters accumulate Close Combat
a great many skills and abilities that help dif- Bait and Switch: When performing Drifting
ferentiate their performance on the battlefield. Brawl moments in combats you are in, you can de-
Sometimes these skills are taught, sometimes termine the direction traveled on your turn.
they’re absorbed through a Neuroplex or picked
up out of a service manual. They could be publicly Brawler: When fighting with gloves or unarmed on
accredited and recognized by large agencies or your turn, you can continue to use attack actions in
secret talents that no one knows you have un- close combat until someone is hit. Enemies swing
til you use them. Collectively, these abilities are back as normal.
called techniques, which your character can col-
lect as they grow to turn them into more special- Guarded: Your unarmed and gloved attacks grant
ized, powerful individuals. +2 cover in close combat.
Techniques are purchased using technique
points at the listed costs. In general, information Heavy Handed: unarmed attacks deal +2 damage.
and abilities don’t just leap into your character,
even though you get the use of them as soon as Lock it Down: You can prevent Drifting Brawl move-
you purchase them in the character progression ments in combats you are in on your turn.
chart. These technique abilities need to come
from somewhere in-game. Learning from NPC’s, Martial Arts Training: Your unarmed attacks gain +1
classes, manuals or other methods can allow you to their accuracy score.
to work roleplay into your character advancement
process and is encouraged for people looking to Master of Improvisation: Improvised weapons (but
find things to do during “down-time,” those mo- not guns, only objects retrieved in the scene) are
ments between contracts when your characters treated as though they have all the properties of
are catching their breath a bit. Ideally, this should a melee weapon of equivalent size. Use a sword,
coincide with getting techniques on your progres- knife, or baton, whatever seems closest. They will
sion chart (you’re just paying a mentor instead of break at the end of combat.
a Neuroplex), but if your Guide wants to make a
deal to award a technique in return for investing Perfect Stance: Enemies count you as having one
additional time roleplaying, that’s their prerog- additional hex when checking to see if they outnum-
ative. There are more techniques available than ber you (but not if you outnumber them).
there are points in the progression chart, so they
make for a nice reward once in a while. Play Rough: When fighting with small melee weap-
A warning to Guides, though: the limits ons, you can grant Exploit to both your own attack
in place for how many techniques a player can and the enemy’s provided you have both succeeded
have are there to make people actively chose in hitting each other.
their benefits vs. what they leave behind so that
everyone’s character can be unique. Passing out Right Moment: If your melee attack would stun or kill
free techniques may eventually lead to everyone an enemy you’re in close combat with, they do not
having all the same roles, which tends to make get a return attack this turn. Disregard it if it was
them less distinct during play. You’ve got a lot of already rolled.
wiggle room there, though. There are a little over
100 techniques, so passing out a couple over the Riposte: When enemies attack you in close combat,
course of a character’s lifetime as special bonuses you can grant Exploit on their attack to Simplify
isn’t going to ruin your selection. your own. Decide before attacks are rolled.

Small problem: If you have a Shape score of less

than one hex, you count as 1 hex for the purposes of
outnumbering.

Swing for the Fences: When performing Drifting

Brawl movements in combats you are in, roll D6 for
distance instead of D3 on your turn.

Twin-Blade: Allows dual wielding of melee weapons

whose size allows it. (*See Advanced Combat rules).

TECHNIQUES
Ranged Walls are Floors, too: Simplify your athletics checks
Dammit!: Allows you to abandon a shot you would have on stunts.
taken into close combat upon discovering that said
shot would hit an ally. You may take another action Support and Restoration
instead but may not try to shoot into that combat in Damage Assessment: As a standard action, check
the same turn. enemy’s remaining Wounds.

Grenadier: You may use Ranged Combat instead of First Aid: Allows you to use Damage control to
Athletics for throwing grenades and other similar restore D3 Wounds instead of 1. Characters may
objects. choose to restore fewer Wounds than the number
rolled.
Gunslinger: Allows dual wielding of guns whose size
allows it. (*See Advanced Combat rules). Get Down!: If a character in an adjacent hex would
take a Wound from a ranged attack you can per-

TECHNIQUES
Long-range: Increase your short-range distance by 1. If ceive and your character can move clearly between
your weapon has Stable, increase that distance by 1. the shot and the target, you can move to that hex
and take the incoming Wounds in place of the tar-
Quick setup: Reduces the Lurk minimum range benefit get, plus 1.
by 5 hexes.
It’ll Do For Now: Allows you to remove complica-
Armor, Shields, and Defense tions to a character as the result of an injury for
Armor Trained: Add 1 to your Endure score while in this combat. It’s not a pretty fix, and will still need
armor. real treatment afterward. Other results of the injury
beyond complications still apply. If the injury has any
Modular design: You can elect to drop your armor’s En- negatives associated from sustaining the same injury
dure bonus to avoid taking a Wound. This can be done again, those will apply too if it occurs.
once per combat. It returns to normal after combat.

Reinforced stance: Allows use of dual-wielding weap-

ons with medium shields. Requires the ability to duel
wield weapons.

Shed: You can remove your armor from your character

in the chatter step. Your Total mass and all related
scores will adjust accordingly. You can retrieve your
armor at the end of the fight.

Shieldwall: When rooting or uprooting a shield, all

friendly characters with shields that have the root
ability and are within range of their shields to use it
can do so for free, without spending an action.

Shove: Small shields can use the Slam ability.

Tailored: Treat your armor as though it was one mass

lower and increase its Endure bonus by 1. Applies to
any armor you wear, but only while armored.

Movement
Combat Flying: Enables combat flying (*See Combat
Flying in the advanced combat rules).

Flighty: If you use two movement actions in a turn, you

can get your bonus move action without having to roll
for it.

Stealth Fighter: Grants +1 to your Stealth score while in

combat.
329
TECHNIQUES
 2 POINT TECHNIQUES Ranged
Death Spiral: Applies the Spin firing pattern to SMG’s
and Handguns you’re carrying. Its range is limited to
Close Combat point blank.
Block: In close combat, rather than attacking
simultaneously with an enemy’s attack, you can Disarm: You can treat an enemy’s shooting attack as
add your weapon’s accuracy score to your Evade a trigger for a an immediate single-target shooting
along with its usual Evasion bonus. Requires a melee attack. Your target is the enemy’s gun. It counts as
weapon and an enemy within 3 base mass of you. having an Evade score of 20, but if you successfully hit
Declare the block before attack rolls are made. it, you will knock it away and negate the attack. The
enemy will have to use a support action to retrieve the
Haymaker: When attacking in melee, you can decide weapon and the attack they used that resulted in this.
(before rolling dice) to add 2D12 to your damage. They still count as having spent an attack action.
This is the only attack roll you can make this turn,
TECHNIQUES

and applies only to a single target regardless of Gun-Fu: When attacking with one handed guns in me-
how many targets are hit. lee, they count as granting +1 to melee cover.
Relentless: You may reduce your own evasion score Good Arm: Simplify hit checks when throwing grenades
by 4 to reduce the evasion of one enemy you’re in and similar objects.
close combat with by 2 before attacking.
Living Weapon: You can weaponize any random scenery
Martial Arts Master: Your unarmed attacks gain +1 object, allowing you to use it like a throwing weapon
to their accuracy score. using the knife damage card. This can apply to desk
items, random rocks, sticks, pens, anything with a rigid
Mixed Weapon Melee Specialist: If using a ranged body (excluding things with actual throwing mechanics,
weapon and a melee weapon as a mixed du- such as grenades). This is intended to be ubiquitous: as
al-wield set, gain the benefits usually provided to long as the room you’re in isn’t specifically supposed to
dual-wielding weapons of the same type for close be sparse for plot reasons (a jailcell, for instance) your
combat. character can find something to throw provided you
can describe it. This applies to throwing only; the item
Redirect: You gain a new Threat Response option. If an gains no special properties for general close combat.
enemy enters your threat response range and you are Picking up the item to throw is free in this case.
able to reach them (your grab range is considered to
be 2 hexes for this ability unless surgery or abilities Lob Bomb: When throwing into areas you can’t see,
have granted you longer) you can instantly redirect ignore the throwing blind rule and throw as normal.
them to another hex in your arm range. This does not
work on vehicles (use thwart instead). The victim must Low Profile: Reduces the Lurk minimum range benefit by
roll a Dodge save (2) or be prone. If they succeed, they 5 hexes.
can use any unused movement from their new position
and continue with their turn. Muscle Memory: When using a bow you can use a D6 in
place of its accuracy score.
Situational Awareness: If an ally is going to shoot a
ranged weapon into a melee you are participating in, Mixed Weapon Ranged Specialist: If using a ranged
you can use your Readiness to assist their rolls during weapon and a melee weapon as a mixed dual-wield
the attack, including affecting the chance to hit you. set, gain the benefits usually provided to dual-wielding
weapons of the same type for shooting.
Solid Defense: One melee weapon you are wielding
grants its melee cover bonus to Endure instead of Penetrating Shot: When firing in Line configuration,
Evade. The endure bonus applies only to melee. apply your initial damage roll to all affected targets
rather than rolling separately. You still need to hit
Strongarm: unarmed and one-handed melee weapon them.
attacks deal +2 damage.
Sawed Off Training: Your shotgun loses the “stable”
property, but is now a small weapon with the light-
weight property.

Shotgun Surgeon: You can treat shotguns as having the

Single Target firing type.

330
TECHNIQUES
Target Priority: You can treat any enemy thrown or Movement
launched projectile (anything that could scatter before Bob and Weave: If you succeed in a Stunt of total
impact) as a special trigger for an immediate single Difficulty +5 or greater and attack afterward your
target shooting attack. It counts as having an Evade attack gains the Exploit property.
score of 20, but if you successfully hit it, it will knock it
away and negate the attack. If the projectile happens Damned Evasive: When using movement in close
to be explosive, treat it as though it had landed right combat that does not involve leaving the close com-
on the thrower and detonate it. bat, it does not provoke attacks.
Evasive Maneuvers: Allows you to change the direc-
Armor, Shields, and Defense tion of your second move while combat flying.
Braced: When armored, you have +1 Wound.
Fleetfoot: Difficult terrain counts as normal terrain
Glancing Strikes: If an enemy attack has Exploit, roll a for movement.
Dodge save (2) to remove that property when it hits

TECHNIQUES
you. Power Climb: If you can fly, in areas open to the sky,
you can use your first move action to ascend as per
Heavy Armor Adept: Pick one option when you take Combat flying (though the technique is not re-
the technique, it applies to any heavy armor you wear: quired) and your second move to ascend beyond the
Increase this armor’s Endure bonus by 1, or increase battlefield, taking you clear of attack. You will re-
your Evasion score while in this armor by 2. turn to it in your first move action of a turn of your
choice in any location and land in the second move
Light Armor Adept: Pick one option when you take the action. You cannot fire, or otherwise interfere with
technique, it applies to any light armor you wear: In- combat while not on the map. You can effectively
crease this armor’s Endure bonus by 2, or increase your leave the combat scene however. At high altitudes
Evasion score while in this armor by 1. while escaping, you’re considered to have an Evade
of 25 until you are effectively out of range if anyone
Medium Armor Adept: Increase this armor’s Endure bo- wants to shoot at you on the way out.
nus by 1 and your Evasion score while wearing this ar-
mor by 1. This applies to any medium armor you wear. Sneak Attack: If an enemy would roll to detect you
rmor as 1 mass higher for the purposes of Endure. while combat sneaking, complicate their check.

Push Back: Medium shields count as cover against Windsprint: As a full turn action you can travel a dis-
Flood weapons. tance of up to 4x your movement score in one direction
(reasonable diversions are okay, but you are running
Narrow Escape: If an attack would do more than one flat-out in one direction).
Wound to you, take one Wound and disregard the rest
of the damage. Usable once per combat. Support and Restoration
Back in the Fight: You can get a prone ally back on
Heavy Advance: Removes any movement penalty on their feet during the chatter step provided you can
shields. get somewhere they see or hear you.

Shadow Guard: Allies treat your hex as a solid pil- Combat Rush: If you successfully eliminate an enemy
lar that provides full cover while you’re using a large (drop them to 0 Wounds or otherwise eject them from
shield. combat definitively) restore D3 Readiness points.

Wall Guard: If you are adjacent to a wall or other sol- Command: When you use the spotting action, you can
id object, add +2 to your close combat cover. apply it to D3 allies instead of 1.

Light on the Feet: Increase your Evasion score by 1 if Expose: If your weapon would roll Stun, you instead
your Base Mass is 7 or higher. reduce the enemy’s Endure score by 5 until the end of
combat, or until you are reduced to 0 Wounds. If you
Knee-height Flight: Increase your Movement score by 1 have multiple techniques that replace Stun, choose
if your Base Mass is 3 or lower. which one you want to use when a Stun Result is rolled.

Roll with the Punches: Increase your Endure score by 1 if

your Base Mass is 4, 5, or 6.

331
TECHNIQUES
 Inspiring Presence: If your weapon would roll
Stun, you instead grant each of your allies and
3 POINT TECHNIQUES
yourself Exploit to all attacks until your next turn.
If you have multiple techniques that replace Stun, Close Combat
choose which one you want to use when a Stun Body Armor: If you successfully kill an enemy in melee,
result is rolled. you may dedicate an arm to wielding their body like
a shield as though you had the grip shield item. Most
Misfire: If your weapon would roll Stun, instead have body shields will be considered medium to large.
your target immediately execute an attack with
any legal weapon against a random enemy target Combo: Your melee bonus attacks are simplified.
that can be legally targeted. If you have multiple
techniques that replace Stun, choose which one you Dirty Fighting: In a melee fight where your team
want to use when a Stun Result is rolled. outnumbers the enemy, Simplify your ranged attacks
against that enemy.
TECHNIQUES

No. Bad.: If your weapon would roll Stun, you in-

stead knock the enemy’s weapon away. It scatters Ironclad: In a melee where you are outnumbered by the
D8 hexes in a random direction. If you have multi- enemy, simplify your melee attacks against them.
ple techniques that replace Stun, choose which one
you want to use when a Stun Result is rolled. Really Damned Evasive: You do not provoke attacks
when moving in close combat provided you are out of
Opportunist: If your weapon would Stun, you in- range of said melee attack when the movement ends.
stead get a free movement action immediately. If
you have multiple techniques that replace Stun,
choose which one you want to use when a Stun Ranged
result is rolled. Braced Shooting: Allows small shaped characters to
use guns of the Medium category if they only use one
Under Pressure: If your weapon would roll Stun, you movement action, and Large category if they don’t use
instead gain back any Readiness spent this combat any movement actions.
(unless it was spent on Initiative). If you have multi-
ple techniques that replace Stun, choose which one Brutal Efficiency: When rolling damage for ranged
you want to use when a Stun result is rolled. weapons, you can elect to have your damage dice
simply do half their value rather than rolling. This no
Walk it off: Allows you to use your own Damage Con- longer counts as a roll and as such cannot be modified
trol actions on someone else in an adjacent hex. like one. Does not apply to damage rolls that do direct
Wound damage.
Weighty: If you cause 2 Wounds with a single attack,
move the enemy D6 hexes away from you. Dunk: If a grenade or similar object you throw would
scatter, you determine the scatter direction.
You Dropped This: If a thrown object such as a gre-
nade would land within 1 hex of you, immediately roll Fearsome Aim: Reduce any cover bonuses to evade by
a Dodge save (2). If you are successful, you catch the 2 for ranged attacks.
grenade and immediately throw it, following normal
grenade rules. Instinctive Firing: Automatically hit when firing threat
response shots.

Long look: When firing a gun from 20 or more hexes

away, simplify the attack.

One-Two: When firing guns, you can decide (before

rolling dice) to add 2d12 to your damage. This is the
only attack roll you can make this turn, and applies only
to a single target regardless of how many targets are
hit.

Pistol-Whip: You may return attacks in melee with a

one-handed ranged weapon as though it were a me-
lee weapon. Fire like normal for point-blank targets.

Point-Blank shooter: When shooting at point-blank

332 range, do not complicate the attack.

TECHNIQUES
Saturated Fire: Increase the accuracy score of your Slash and Dash: You can make a free move action
weapon by 2 for one attack. The weapon must be after a 2-move, 1 attack turn, provided your attack
reloaded after this attack. This can only be used once was with a lightweight weapon.
per turn.
Latch On: Allows you to move with another will-
Spares: Throw two grenades at the same hex with a ing character provided you are within one hex
single attack, but they automatically scatter. Scatter of them, have 1 hand free, and your Base Mass
them separately. Both grenades must be of the same is at least 3 points lower than theirs. You can elect
type. to do it when another willing character of suitable
strength passes by.
Sureshot: When shooting at enemies in half-cover,
treat them as being blocked instead. Support and Restoration
Caught You: When making a threat response attack,
Stable Platform: Allows heavy weapons to use bonus the Exploit attack deals D3 Wounds instead of 1.

TECHNIQUES
attacks.
Combat Channeling: You can use Transcendent Im-
Triggernomatry: If you make a successful single-target plants in combat, provided you have one. Regardless
shooting attack against an enemy using a pistol, you of if the channeling attempt succeeds or fails, roll
can make a subsequent free attack against another D3. You cannot channel again for that many rounds.
enemy within short range of the first as though you
were standing in the first enemy’s hex. Complicate this Cybermancy: You can use malware while in combat,
free attack. If you choose to use this technique your provided you own it and have a means of delivering
pistol gains no bonuses to its chance to roll a bonus at- it to the enemy.
tack this turn. The free attacks cannot generate addi-
tional attacks using this ability and do not benefit from Heal Thyself!: Allows you to use the First Aid ability
any additional techniques. on a party-member regardless of range provided
you can see and talk to them. If you have the Com-
Armor, Shields, and Defense mand technique, you can use First Aid instead of
Armor Expert: Add 2 to your Endure score while in Spotting for its ability.
armor.
Lead the Target: You can increase a target’s Evade
Bear with It: Simplify Endure saves in combat. score by 5 in order to apply exploit to your next attack.

Deflection: When using a 2 handed melee weapon Lightning Draw: You can draw a weapon of up to
with 2 hands, apply the melee cover bonus to ranged medium size from inventory for free without spending
attacks as well. a support action. You can return a weapon of up to
medium size to your inventory for free without using a
Full Absorption: Roll a Dodge save (2). If you are suc- support action, but only once per turn.
cessful, undo the damage amount that was just done
to you. This is done immediately after damage is dealt, Momentum: When rolling for bonus actions, roll 2D8
once per combat. rather than 2D10.

Ricochet: If you successfully deflect a ranged attack Not On My Watch: Allows you to revive party mem-
(the hit roll is above your evasion score but below the bers who have been reduced to zero Wounds with a
evasion bonus provided by your shield or your close Mind:Medicine check as a support action with Diffi-
combat weapon using the Deflection technique) you culty equal to the number of times they’ve fallen this
can apply the attack against another enemy in short combat. They gain D3 Wounds and will still roll on the
range. The attack you bounced must originate from at injury table.
least 2 hexes away.
Popshot: You may take a third action while combat
Shield Adept: When slamming with a shield, treat your flying. Two of your actions must still be movement.
mass as though it is 2 points higher than it is.
Serpentine!: Simplify your Dodge saves in combat.
Solid Footing: Increase your Evade or Endure score by 1.
Withering Hail: If you are dual-wielding ranged weap-
Movement ons you can make two threat-response attacks
Hit and Run: Roll a dodge save (2) if you would trigger against an incoming enemy instead of one.
a threat response. On a success, you do not.
333
TECHNIQUES
 SKILL CHECKS PROPERTIES SIMPLIFY AND
(p.109) (p.111) COMPLICATE
Checks are written as Checks that are rolled on Boons have a free, (p.111)
Stat Trait:Pro�iciency (Dif�iculty) automatic Focus point that can be used on them Simpli�ied checks decrease the Dif�iculty score of a
and add a positive Property to their success. check by 1.
and are resolved as follows: Checks that are rolled on Faults add a negative Complicated checks increase the Dif�iculty score of a
Roll two dice (determined by Dif�iculty), then add their sum Property to their failure and a Focus must be spent check by 1.
total to your Pro�iciency score. If the �inal total reaches 12, to allow other Focus points to be used to modify the
you pass. check. DICE MODIFICATION
(p.112)
Positive Properties If you have an ability that allows it you can modify your
DIFFICULTY -You performed the task silently. dice rolls in one of the following two ways:
(p.109) -You performed the task in a way that was
Determines which dice to roll for a check. untraceable. +1’s
If your Trait score (1-5) meets the Dif�iculty of the check, -You achieved a 10% discount on your negotiation. +1’s can be +1 or -1 if the user chooses.
roll 2D8 for your dice -You use fewer resources. +1’s are applied to dice after they’ve been rolled, once the
If it exceeds the Difficulty by 1, roll D8+D10 -You recieve a greater social effect. total is known.
If it exceeds by 2, roll D10+D10 -Your action has greater longevity. +1’s can be applied to any combination of dice in a single
If it exceeds by 3, roll D12+D10 check a maximum of 3 times (so no more than +3 on one
If it exceeds by 4, roll D12+D12 Negative Properties check).
If it exceeds by 5+, roll D12+D12 with a property -You have damaged the situation to the point of not +1’s cannot be applied to any check labeled RISKY.
being able to attempt a second check.
-You were loud and obvious, or your attempt is Re-rolls
If it is less than the Difficulty of the task by 1, roll a D6+D8 clearly visible to passers by.
If it is less by 2, roll D6+D6 1’s cannot be re-rolled.
-You have insulted whoever you’re speaking to and You cannot re-roll a re-roll.
If it is less by 3, roll D6+D4 are either ejected from negotiations or have raised
If it is less by 4, roll D4+D4 The result of a re-roll cannot be more detrimental than the
the price 10%. original roll was. If it is, revert to the original roll.
If it is less by 5+, roll D4+D4 with a -A failure on this check is particularly catastrophic.
property Re-rolls cannot be applied to any check labeled RISKY.
-Your success only accomplishes part of what you
wanted.

OPPOSED CHECKS SAVES PERCEIVE CHECKS

(p.112) (p.113) (p.112)
When rolling opposed checks, both players roll the Saves roll just like checks, using the following scores: Perception is a check like normal, except that you use
applicable stat (usually Body in this case) and add the your Perceive trait score for comparing Dif�iculty
applicable Pro�iciency bonuses like normal. The same Dodge: Use Body Perceive vs the Dif�iculty of the save (Body for noticing physical things, Mind for noticing
Stat and Pro�iciency is used by both players. Dif�iculty and add your Dodge Save to the roll. patterns or metaphysical things, and Community for
is determined by comparing the two Stat scores. Both noticing lies, deceit, or other interpersonal tells)
characters need a 12 to pass like normal, but in the Endure: Use Body Exert vs the Dif�iculty of the save and instead of your Exert score, and add your Exert score
event that both pass, whoever totals higher wins. add your Endure Save to the roll. instead of a Pro�iciency score. The Dif�iculty on this
check begins at 2 and can be further complicated or
In an opposed check, the stat and Pro�iciency being Resolve: Use the weaker of your two Mind scores vs the simpli�ied based on the conditions of the scene.
applied is the same Pro�iciency on both sides. (Body Dif�iculty of the save and add your Resolve save to the
Exert:Sabotage vs. Body Exert:Sabotage, or Body roll. For Example
Exert:Athletics vs. Body Exert:Athletics, for instance). Jae walks into an unfamiliar room and looks around
SAVE SCORES for any indication of other people. He’s physically
For Example (p.122) looking for objects, so his check will be Body
If someone is trying to physically overpower an Dodge Save Perceive. The Guide feels the conditions are normal
opponent in a contest, such as arm wrestling, they’ll For every 10 points you have in Evade, your Dodge save so they assign the check a Dif�iculty of 2. Jae has a
roll Body Exert: Athletics. We’ll say their Athletics goes up by 1. Adjust it up or down if your Evade adjusts. Body Perceive of 2, so he’s equal to the task. He’ll roll
score is 2 and their Body Exert score is 3. Their D8+D8+his Body Exert score, which is 3.
opponent will also roll Body Exert:Athletics. Their Endure Save
Athletics score is 3 and their Body Exert score is 2. For every 10 points you have in Endure, your Endure OPPOSED PERCEIVE
The is a difference of 1 between both character’s save goes up by 1. Adjust it up or down if your Endure CHECKS
Exert scores, so the opponent will be rolling adjusts. (p.113)
D8+D6+3, and the �irst player will be rolling When rolling to see things that have been hidden
D8+D10+2. They roll off and the opponent wins. If Resolve Save deliberately by checks made by other people you
they’d tied, they’d try again after a little narration For every landmark you have, your Resolve save goes up must meet or exceed their roll as you do with
explaining that they’d deadlocked each other. by 1. Landmarks are explained on pg. 132 Opposed Exert checks.

ENVIROMENTAL DAMAGE ARRAYS (p. 172)

Fire Damage EDA (Risky) Fall/Collision Damage EDA (Risky) Electric/Disruptive Damage EDA Acid/Caustic Damage Weakness/Delirium EDA
Roll a Dodge save at Dif�iculty 2 Count every foot in excess of 30 as a (Risky) EDA (Risky) (Risky)
to see if they catch on �ire Wound before rolling. Roll a Dodge or Endure save at Dif�iculty Roll an Endure save at Whenever your character is
themselves. The Dif�iculty of the Light damage (Collisions within 3 3 every time they try to take an action Dif�iculty 2 to see if scared or stressed, has been
save increases by 5 for each Mass of yourself, falls between until they have left the area of effect and they’re burned by the sapped of strength by
turn they remain exposed. 15-20 feet) will lose the action if they fail. If the chemicals. The Dif�iculty fatigue, or is under extreme
D3 Wounds effect was temporary, apply this to their of the save increases by 5 emotional pressure,
Ignited characters take 1 Medium damage (Collisions with next turn. for each turn they remain Complicate all of their
Wound at the end of each of dangerous but not immediately If the danger is electricity based, roll a exposed. checks. They can roll a
their turns until extinguished. lethal objects, falls between 20-30 D6. On a 3+, all the PPCs, internal Resolve save at Dif�iculty 2
They can be put out through feet) batteries and reactors, and anything else A chemically burned to ignore this Complication.
any logical extinguishing item D6 Wounds that stores energy that the character is character takes 1 Wound The Dif�iculty of this check
or by spending a full turn Heavy damage (Collisions with wearing or has will completely recharge. at the end of each of their can be increased if multiple
rolling around, which will leave objects of lethal mass compared to On a 2, each of those items do 10 turns for the next D3 factors are contributing to
them prone but no longer yourself, falls in excess of 30 feet) damage to the owner. On a 1, each of turns. it.
burning. D12 Wounds those items do D3 Wounds to the owner.
 INITIATIVE COMBAT STRUCTURE
ACTIONS (p.303)
Each character on both teams rolls a single D10 and 1. Begin the combat round in initiative order.
Each character gets three (3) total actions on their
adds however much Initiative they have allocated to Initiative slots can be traded with friendly characters that
turn, in any combination of the following options:
the roll. Friendly characters can trade places on the have not acted yet this round.
Up to two (2) movement actions. These are used to
initative order. 2. Begin your turn when it rolls around.
make the character move.
You may take actions in an order of your choosing on your
Up to two (2) attack actions. These allow the BONUS ACTIONS turn. Your chatter action is free.
character to attack. If you have already made two of the same action you 3. Select up to three (3) actions and execute them. Only two
Up to two (2) support actions. These are used when may attempt to do it a third time by rolling 2D10. If
(2) of the same action can be taken per turn unless a bonus
doing complex actions like switching weapons or you roll equal or under your Initiative score for this action is rolled. Movement actions can be interupted with
manipulating things. combat you can use your remaining action to do the attack or support actions and completed once the other
They also receive a free Chatter action, which is used same action you did previously, even though you’ve
action has concluded.
for various conversation and light done it twice. If you fail, however, you lose your third 4. Proceed to the next person’s turn.
button-pressing actions. action for this turn entirely.

ATTACK QUALITIES WEAPON DAMAGE TYPES

(p.306) (p.233)

Exploit Charge
If an attack with the Exploit property hits, one Wound is automatically dealt to This weapon treats enemy Endure scores as 2 lower than listed. If this weapon
the enemy before damage is rolled. Then roll damage as normal. You can only rolls a critical hit treat it as a source of electric damage as per the Environmental
ever have one Exploit attack in a turn, even if a mechanic would grant it to you Damage array rather than applying Exploit. If an enemy is downed by a Charge
more than once (unless it speci�ically says it overrides this rule.) weapon they are energized and their bodies fuse with their equipment. Anything
explosive they may have on their person explodes. Gear cannot be harvested from
Disrupt them nor can they be claimed as bounties.
If an attack with the Disrupt property hits, the victim must roll a Dodge or
Endure save (their choice) at Dif�iculty 2. If they pass, nothing happens. If they Cut
fail, they lose their next action. Additional actions cannot be lost until the �irst If this weapon would STUN! An enemy, deal 1 Wound to them instead.
missing action is resolved, even if the character is hit with additional Disrupt
effects. Once the effect passes they can be Disrupted again. Explosive
This weapon treats full cover as half cover, allowing it to �ire at enemies behind
Stun walls provided they are only blocked by 1 hex. If an enemy is downed with this,
Stun is achieved by rolling maximum damage on your weapon when attacking. their body explodes as per a Hotspot grenade. Gear cannot be harvested from
If you (or an enemy) achieve this damage result, your attack has been tremen- them nor can they be claimed as bounties.
dously effective. Deal damage as normal and the victim is knocked prone.
Narrate it however you see �it; it could be damage to a critical system, or a Force Displacement (FDT)
headshot that pinged off a helmet, but they’re sent to the �loor and will need to Energy: Weapons and items with the FDT tag use power points from external
pick themselves up again on their turn. Weapons that do not roll damage cannot power sources to activate their full potential. Activating an FDT weapon allows it
stun. to use its listed FDT ability once at the cost of one power point. Power points are
only required by listed FDT abilities; they do not use their energy for passive
Cover (p.295) effects like melee cover or the standard damage template listed on the FDT
Characters that can claim full cover cannot be attacked by people they are covered weapon. The most common suppliers of power points are from FDT armor, the
from. PPC item (which counts as a single one-use power point) and the internal reactor
Half-covered enemies can be shot at but have a +4 environmental cover bonus. surgery. Each point counts towards another use. Loading a PPC counts as a
Blocked enemies can be shot at but have a +2 environmental cover bonus. support action.
FDT repulsion: When FDT weapons clash they can violently de�lect each other’s
Out in the Open energy. If you would hit an enemy with your FDT weapon but fail to pass the
If your enemy has no cover, no armor, and no tools that would impede an attack, cover provided by their FDT weapon (or if they have an FDT armor or shield with
your attack is considered to have the Exploit property against them. any active energy in it) do not deal damage. Instead, pick a random line of hexes
off the enemy and send a line D10 hexes in that direction. The �irst object hit in
Non-lethal force that line takes the de�lected damage.
If your attacking Exert score (Mind or Body) is 2+ above the Dif�iculty of the
check, you can attack in such a way that you will not kill the enemy even if you Incendiary
max their Wounds. They fall unconscious instead. This weapon ignores cover bonuses unless they are from a shield. If this weapon
rolls a critical hit treat it as a source of �ire damage as per the Environmental
Critical Hit Damage array rather than applying Exploit. If an enemy is downed with this they
If your unmodi�ied attack roll (full attack with bonuses, but without Readiness) are lit a�lame and will run D10 hexes in a somewhat random (the Guide can play
exactly matches the enemy’s Evasion score, you’ve scored a critical hit. The with this) direction, setting the hexes they pass through on �ire. The hexes burn
attack gains the Exploit property or any of the following effects to the attack for 5 turns and count as sources of ignition as per the �ire EDA to anything
provided it deals a Wound. Decide before rolling damage: passing through them. Gear cannot be harvested from the body nor can they be
claimed as bounties.
-Push the enemy back D3 hexes.
-Make the enemy drop their weapon. Less than lethal
-Disengage the enemy from close combat or a wall they’re hanging onto. Downing an enemy with this weapon will knock them out instead of killing them.
-Perform a narrative effect.
Melt
Epic Strike This weapon treats enemy Evasion scores as 2 lower than listed. If this weapon
If an Exploit attack rolls unmodi�ied max damage, execute the enemy rolls a critical hit treat it as a source of acidic damage as per the Environmental
if it is a casual foe, or begin an immediate extra turn if it is a staged plot Damage array rather than applying Exploit. If an enemy is downed by a Melt
encounter. weapon they are lique�ied into a caustic puddle the size of their hex occupancy
that is treated as dif�icult terrain and will open a hole in the �loor if the �loor isn’t
Summary Execution reinforced or particularly durable. Gear cannot be harvested from them nor can
A completely unaware or completely helpless enemy can be hit with a summary they be claimed as bounties.
execution attack. Deal 3+D6 Wounds directly to them in a single full-turn
special attack. If they survive, you’ll proceed into combat as normal. Once any Poison
degree of combat has begun enemies are too warry to be hit with this profound Enemies that have taken a Wound from this weapon will continue to take Wounds
a strike, even if snuck up on. at a rate of 1 every minute. Poison can be neutralized with a Mind Exert:Medi-
cine(3) check if you have a PERK or equivalent item.
 COMMON RANGED FIRE VARIANTS COMMON MELEE VARIANTS
Point Blank Shooting: Shots �ired at point blank range are Complicated but have Locked in combat: Once either side of a melee has successfully hit the other
the Exploit property. Medium and larger Ranged weapons cannot �ire at point with a melee weapon, both characters are considered to be “in close combat.” If
blank except as Threat Responses. neither side is in range to strike one another, the characters are no longer in close
combat.
Stationary Objects: Stationary objects have an Evade score of 8. Unarmed close combat: Unarmed attacks have an accuracy score of 0. Their
damage is 2D6 non-lethal. Unarmed attacks can only harm medium-armored
Shooting While Inside Close Combat: Follow the rules for point blank shooting. characters and below.
These are still ranged attacks, but you are still considered to be in close combat,
and your attacks will provoke return swings like normal even if you’re not Drifting Brawl: If your character is locked in combat at the end of their turn, use
targeting your melee opponent. a D6 to determine a random direction and roll a D3 to determine distance. Move
yourself and your opponent together that many hexes in that direction.
Firing Into Close Combat: When you declare a shot into close combat, randomly
determine which of the combatants, friend or foe, will end up in front of the
barrel at the moment you pull the trigger. Then �ire normally against that target.
Grappling: If you succeed in in�licting a Wound and have two hands or similiar
appendages free, you can engage in an opposed Body Exert:Athletics check that is
You cannot withdraw the shot. If you wish to increase your chances of avoiding an
Simpli�ied if you have greater Base Mass than they have and Complicated if you
ally, you can forgo the random roll by Complicating your shot by 1 for each ally
have less. Assuming you succeed in the check, the enemy is held. You still count as
your target is in combat with.
being in close combat with them, but neither of you can perform any other
actions beyond holding or trying to escape. If ever you or your enemy has the
Shooting From Cover: If your character is behind cover that can cover their
opportunity to perform any type of action, it must be an opposed Body Exert:Ath-
whole body, but they can reach a �iring position within one hex (basically, if they
letics check to gain control of the grapple.
could stand up and shoot, or shoot around a corner), they can do so as part of
Breaking a grapple is free when you have control over it (while you are the
their attack. This doesn’t take any additional actions, but it has a degree of
person who most recently passed the exert check).
implied movement. Once you’ve peeked around and �ired, enemies that wish to
While you have control of a grapple, you can relocate yourself and your enemy to
return �ire at you on their turns treat you as being in half-cover rather than full
any orientation and direction that would be allowed within the movement range
cover. To return to full cover, you must either move deeper into cover (a full hex
of the Drifting Brawl roll. You’re basically dragging them along.
away from the edge you were peeking around) or stop shooting for a turn.
COMMON SUPPORT ACTIONS
Two Weapons (ranged and melee) (requires technique) Damage Control: A character can use a support action once per turn for Damage
(p.312):Dual weilding does not deal two weapons worth of damage in a single Control. They regain 1 Wound. A character may not regain more Wounds than
attack. Instead, it is re�lected by guaranteeing a bonus attack you would normally half of their maximum total in this manner in a single combat.
have to roll for.
When attacking with two weapons (ranged or melee) you can choose Spotting: You can use a support action to help an ally by being their eyes and
at the beginning of your turn (before any attacks are made) to Complicate your tracking the battle�ield for them. Select an ally: that ally can use a bonus action on
attacks this turn. Doing so allows you to have your bonus attack automatically. their next activation without rolling for it. You can only do this for one ally per
Decide which weapon you’re using per attack. In close combat, you can turn.
interchange the cover and damage properties of both weapons. Choose which
weapon you’re blocking with and use its cover rating; the other weapon is used Switching Weapons: Switching weapons from one in-hand to one you’re
for attacking. carrying is a support action. You can drop a weapon you’re carrying for free
however, which will allow you to draw a weapon with the Lightweight property
Grenades (p.186): Throw grenades as you would any thrown object. Each for free if you have one.
throw is an Attack action
Dodging a Grenade: Roll a Dodge save, Dif�iculty 2. If you succeed, take half Reloading or Recovering: Reloading is a Support action. This applies to melee
damage from the grenade. If the grenade would in�lict automatic Wounds weapons as well and typically counts as fumbling your grip or dropping your
damage, reduce the number by 1 to a minimum of 0 on a successful save. weapon. A support action can be used to pick it up, reload it, adjust it, or
Complicate the Dodge save for each grenade dodged in a single turn. whatever else may be necessary to get it working again. Until then, it can’t
Throwing grenades while in melee: If you throw a grenade or other object function.
while in melee the enemy gets an attack on you as normal. If their attack hits at
all the thrown object automatically scatters.
Firing modes: Grenades have three �iring options. Select which one you’re using
COMMON MOVEMENT VARIANTS
before you attack. Dif�icult terrain (p.304): A character attempting to climb or move over
Standard mode: The grenade detonates upon landing, using the rules as normal. areas of dif�icult terrain counts each 1 hex as 2 when in that area.
Remote detonation mode: Delay detonation until a signal from the grenade’s pin
is received. This is a free action that can be done out of turn sequence. The Sneaking (p.315): Roll Body:Exert+Stealth(2) in the chatter step before
receiver becomes active 1 turn after landing. moving. If you pass, you may move undetected provided you began and ended
Proximity mode: Delay detonation until something moves through the grenade’s each movement action (including the �irst) behind cover that is suf�icient to hide
blast range, then detonate immediately. The sensor becomes active 1 turn after your body. While moving between cover, enemies are entitled to a Body
landing. Perceive(2) check against your sneak check to notice you if you cross their line of
sight, but only once per enemy, per turn.

TRANSCENDENCE (p.286) Combat Flying (requires Technique) (p.315): Your �irst movement
action is a leap upward, taking you to a height of around 30 feet and allowing you
Channel Roll: Roll a Resolve save. The Dif�iculty of this save is equal to the to travel 10 hexes in any one direction. You are considered aloft at the end of this
Cuil Bloom of the scene, which typically begins at 0 unless someone has already action.
channeled. Your second Movement action is a dive downward in the same direction (straight
If you succeed in the channeling, you will manifest your transcendent ability. If line) as the �irst action with up to 10 hexes of movement. Since this second action
you fail the channeling, the ability does not manifest. starts from some 30 feet in the air, chances are quite high that most things on the
battle�ield can see you when you begin it.
Cuil Bloom: Increases by 1 if the last implant channeled was level 1-2, and 2 if You may not take a third action when Combat Flying.
it was 3-4. It lasts until the end of a scene and applies to every person trying to
channel within that scene, regardless of the type of implant they’re using. Cuil Stunts (p.304): Narrate how you will relocate from your current position to
bloom can get all the way up to 6 but caps there. some other position with one or two move actions. Roll Body Exert:Athletics(2).
For each point of action in your narrative, add 1 Dif�iculty to your roll. If you pass
Transcendent Catastrophe (p. 285): If a character attempts a channeling and the roll, you can arrive at your destination hex, bypassing anything that your
fails while the Dif�iculty is 6, the Guide rolls a D10 on the Transcendent Catastro- narrative dictates. Determine “points of action” by using the beginning of any
phe table and adds the Cuil level the Radiant was attempting to channel to the given thing you’re trying to do. For instance, “jump onto a table.” The “jump” is
roll. A Radiant that initiates a Transcendent Catastrophe cannot channel their your action. The landing is just where the action ends. In practice this means it
powers again this episode. isn’t generally possible to perform a stunt of less than 3 Dif�iculty unless some
sort of special condition exists.
CARRYING AND WEIGHT MOTION AND ACTION INJURY TABLE
(p.163) (p.163) (p.183)
Lifting Running: A run is equal to the number of hexes you If you exceed your max Wounds, roll a D12 and take
Dif�iculties for Lifting are based on how close to a can move in a single combat turn, in miles per hour. the result on the table. Each result on the injury table
character’s average heavy load a task is. As a general For instance, if your character has a movement score can be �ixed through General Surgery (150 credits) but
guide, a heavy load for a normal character is about 50 of 4 and can manage 12 hexes of movement in a full your character must be stabilized before they can be
pounds carried in their arms. This is considered turn of combat, they can maintain a run of 12 mph as operated on.
substantial enough to be tiring while not impossible to hard labor. A full-on, exausting spint is double that
move around with at speed. A normal character is able score and should be considered extreme labor. 1: General trauma: Complicate Athletics and Stealth
to lift this load at Dif�iculty 1. This number �luctuates a checks.
bit if your character has unique anatomy, like micros Dif�icult terrain: As in combat, dif�icult or unstable 2: Broken limb: All Body checks that would involve
or macros. terrain halves your movement rate. that limb are Complicated. Movement is decreased by
This base load is also the carrying load for the 1 if a leg is involved. Flying is disabled if a wing is
character to handle comfortably on their back without Swimming: Unless you possess unique aquatic involved. Objects cannot be carried on the applicable
interfering with their motion. If your cargo exceeds bonuses, you swim at half your movement rate and side if an arm is involved.
your base load, you’ll need to begin taking Athletics cannot sprint. 3: Facial injury: Complicate Community checks
checks for the extra weight. involving face-to-face communication.
Extreme labor: 1 Dif�iculty for every minute 4: Head injury: Complicate all checks.
Basic Load Guide (Dif�iculty 1) Hard labor: 1 Dif�iculty for every 10 minutes 5: Severe trauma: Doubly Complicate all Athletics and
Micro: 25 pounds Medium labor: 1 Dif�iculty for every 1 hour Stealth checks.
Normal: 50 pounds Basic labor: 1 Dif�iculty for every 2 hours 6: Lost limb: All Body checks that would involve that
Macro/Enhanced: 100 pounds limb are doubly Complicated. Movement is reduced to
Throwing (p.165): Throwing an object assumes that 1 if a leg is involved. Flying is disabled if a wing is
Treat base loads as Dif�iculty thresholds. So one base you’re aiming for a hex, rather than a person (though involved. Objects cannot be carried on the applicable
load is Dif�iculty 1, 2 is Dif�iculty 2, 3 is 3, etc. A normal there may be a person on that hex). Throw a handheld side if an arm is involved, and two-handed actions
character rolls Body Exert:Athletics(3) to lift 150 object (rocks, grenades, etc.) with a Body Exert:Athlet- cannot be taken at all.
pounds. A Macro character lifting the same amount ics check. Success will land in the target hex. Failure 7: Severe concussion: Complicate all checks.
rolls Body Exert:Athletics(1), as 150 pounds doesn’t will cause the object to scatter. 8: Blind: You are unable to make Body:Perceive checks
reach their 200 pound threshold for Dif�iculty 2. If you related to vision, and doubly Complicate all attack
succeed at a Lift check, you can move the object freely Dif�iculty: rolls. If you possess sensory enhancement of some
around for a couple minutes (or a scene, if you don’t Within 5 hexes: 1 | 6-10 hexes: 2 | 11-15 hexes: 3 | kind that is not vision related, perhaps through
want to �ill the scene with dice rolling). If all you’re 16-20 hexes: 4 | 21-25 hexes: 5 | 26-30 hexes: 6 Reclamation surgery, and said abilities are available in
doing is a simple one-time lift below your base load, the context of the scene, you can attack normally.
don’t bother rolling. Scatter: If your object scattered, roll a D6 and start 9: Deaf: You are unable to make Body:Perceive checks
counting the hexes surrounding your target hex related to hearing and must make Community:Percieve
Carrying Capacity clockwise beginning from the top. The resulting checks to understand what someone is trying to
To avoid being encumbered by your load, the things number is where the object lands. It will then travel D6 communicate to you face to face unless it is written
you’re carrying may not weigh more than your base hexes away from the target hex in the direction that it down.
load (by your best estimation, dont slow up the game landed. 10: Mute: You are unable to speak, and anything
fretting over if something weighs 5 pounds or 6) and complex you attempt to convey without writing or
may not have more cargo points than your carrying Throwing blind: Pick your target hex as normal, but signing will require Community Exert:Communication
capacity. Your worn armor and a single weapon you Complicate the check. checks, and subsequent successful Community:Per-
carry regularly are free, and most Passive and Active cieve checks to understand. You cannot give orders in
systems (unless expressly described otherwise) are Sneaking (p.16): From a position out of sight, roll combat or do anything else that would require quick
integrated into your armor and likewise don’t count. Body Exert:Stealth with a Dif�iculty determined by the verbal conveyance of information unless your hands
overall condition of the environment. You will need to are free to sign with.
Determine your character’s Carrying Capacity: pass the check to be considered stealthed at all, but if 11: Near death: Your Wounds are extremely severe;
you do, enemies will need to roll Body Perceive checks pass an Endure check at Dif�iculty 2 or the character
Base Mass + Hex Occupancy + Body score = to notice you as you move along. The Dif�iculty of their dies.
Carrying Capacity. checks is likewise based on the environment (so if 12: Fatal Wounds: The character dies.
you’re standing right next to them, expect it to be
Determine how many cargo points you’re carrying: pretty low) but they will need to beat the score you
rolled to notice you. HEALING
Tiny objects (p.181)
(lighters, toggles, loose change, bitty sundries): Hacking (p.166): All networked systems have three Personal healing: Requires a PERK or medical
.5 points levels of interaction beyond the basic interface. equipment. Roll Mind Exert:Medicine (or Engineering
Small objects Penetrating each layer requires a hack check (Mind for cogs) and set the Dif�iculty yourself. You remove 2x
(Small weapons, grenades, hand-held tools, objects Exert:Sabotage) with Dif�iculty determined by the the Dif�iculty score worth of Wounds, provided you
that function normally and comfortably in one quality of the system itself. Failing an attempt to succeed at the check. Each check takes 1 hour. PERK
hand): breach a layer (or being ejected from the system) can be reused on success.
1 point means you cannot access it again in this scene. PERK autodoc: Mind Exert:Operate (2). Removes D6
Medium objects Wounds in 5 minutes per PERK. Depletes the PERK.
(Medium weapons, two-handed tools, objects that Kicking a Hacker: Once a system has noticed you, Overnight healing: Remove D3 Wounds per night, +1
function normally and comfortably in 2 hands): you’ll need to roll Resolve saves to stay connected for each night rested beyond the �irst.
3 points every turn. The Dif�iculty of the save is determined by Facility healing: Restores Wounds to 0 at 10 credits
Large objects how powerful the system is. You can scale this based per Wound. Generally takes a day. Injuries can be
(Heavy weapons, two-handed bulky tools, objects on your perception of the system’s complexity, but if removed with General Surgery (150 credits).
that can be wielded in two hands but require effort you want a quick �igure you can just use the hacking
and are awkwardly shaped): Dif�iculty. REPAIRING ARMOR
5 points (p.181)
Very large objects Turning off the wi�i: If a cyber system intended to be Armor breaks when you exceed max Wounds.
(Objects roughly the size of a standard person. 6 wirelessly augmented is removed from its connection, Patchkit repair: Mind Exert:Operate (2). Check failure
feet long, several hundred pounds, awkwardly impose the following negatives: ruins patchkit with no positive affect. Success repairs
shaped and not intended for carrying around All its attacks are Complicated. the armor and depletes the patchkit. Takes about 5
long-term): It will always prioritize the closest enemy when minutes.
8 points attacking. Facility repair: Restores armor for 10 credits per
People It cannot make bonus actions. armor Mass. Generally takes a day.
Total Mass = points It can no longer make use of any Personal repair: Mind Exert:Engineering (2). Takes
abilities it may have that rely on networking. about an hour.
 CREDITS Ben Wedel
Benjamin Boardwell
Benjamin Kleiner
Benjamin Phillippe
With special thanks to the the primary Blackpaw
Blaise Simpson
2.0 testing crew: Boing the Goat
Boris Volk
Alice Brown Brandon Abbott
Brandon Morgan
Amanda Numainville (Bravest of Guides) Brandon Petrosky
Anthony DiGeorgio Brenden Tomas Sourbeck
Daniel Walker Brent Walters
Brett Dever
Eric Canapini Brian Chrysler
Travis Pearce Brian Collins
Brian Reddersen
Brian Weisberg
And to all who helped test 2.0 Bryan Miller
Caitlin Jane Hughes
Caleb Gant
Camden Liverman
Cameron Watkins
Kickstarter Backers Caraig
5 Pyr Carter
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Acejt Cedric Lewellyn Kulacz
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Al Fisher Charles K.
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AmazingAdrian Cody O’Hara
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Andrea Martinelli ComPewTrNerd
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Andy Cyrix.. (picture donation for the project)
Anthony DiGeorgio D
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Austin S. Hemmelgarn Daniel
Azy Steelheart Daniel Salmeron
BL Daniel T. Kulhanek
Bastian Daniel Willis
Ben Dagenhart Darby Keene

338
David Ackermann Henry McCall
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GenericPonyName John Moore
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Glassan Jonathan
Gray Jonathan Don
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Gregory Justin Koza Jonathan Nguyen
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Guest 1634980516 Jonathan V
Guest 1806506521 Jonathan smith
Guest 1977918162 Joseph
Guest 341587362 Joseph Bovenmyer
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G’lek Julio A Martell Jr.
HFM Justin Coleson
Hachemalum Justin Dowell
Hanatoro Justin Glenn
Hard Cider Justin Kaufman

339
 KVet92 Nick Roach
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340
Sean Michaels Wolf
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341
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