Future Genre Types: Dark Near Future - A bleak near future where no apocalypse ever came—though many wish it had. Civilization still stands, but only barely. Society has collapsed into a ruthless struggle where only the adaptable thrive. The economic divide has never been wider, and hedonism, greed, and short-term survival dominate daily life. Ethics survive only in archived history vids, not in the evening news. Most nations have devolved into repressive police states, maintaining order through surveillance and force rather than consent. This is the future of cyberpunk: neural interfaces and brain-to-computer links are commonplace, and the line between human and machine grows thinner every year. Humanity may have reached space—or may be trapped planet-side—but either way, the streets belong to violent highway warriors and their custom-built engines of mayhem. FeaturesFuture-Specific Events: Characters from this era use Dark Near Future Events.Personality: Any character from this future gains {1d4} Darkside personality traits from Darkside Traits and has a 50% chance to acquire an Exotic Personality Trait.Technology Level: Tech Levels typically range from 8–11, without interstellar travel capabilities.Cybernetics: A character has a 1 in 4 chance of starting play with implanted cyberlink hardware that allows direct neural connection to computer systems.
Character Species: Mutant Humanoid - This is your basic genetically altered human. He's stronger, smarter, and faster than the standard issue human. He's also chock full o' problems.
Tech Level: Stone Age - Fire has found its way into most homes; sharpened sticks and stones form the warriors basic armament; the lever is the most complex machine; domesticated animals provide food and companionship and building villages is coming into vogue. This covers everything from the classic cave man up to pre-Columbian American Indians.
Home Culture: Dynamic - This is a culture marked by rapid growth, development and expansion. New lands or worlds are being discovered and claimed. Technology is advancing by leaps and bounds, often progressing a full Tech Level within a generation or less. However, the fast growth also outpaces the ethical application of the new discoveries, leaving the culture wide open for future disasters. Governments are similar to Developing cultures, but access to political power moves out of the grasp of common people. Class stratification still exists as fewer and fewer people profit from new discoveries. It is a time of "Humanistic" theology, imagining the people of the culture to be the apex of creation, the "gods" of their universe. Gameplay Benefits: {1d6}. On a result of 3-5, select one Neutral trait. On a result of 6, select {1d3} Neutral personality traits and one trait Darkside Trait. Roleplay: Dynamic cultures are often self-centered, caught up in the wonderfulness of themselves. In their eyes, they can do no wrong. It is a culture of great Ego, one that believes that great risk taking and great intellect should earn greatthem reward. Moral bankruptcy has begun. A character from such a culture might share those values. Emphasis is placed on Neutral values.Survival Skills: (additional skills, GMs Discretion).
Social Status: Poor - Poor people have comparatively low income. They usually do not or cannot own property. Dwellings may be government subsidized and usually of lesser quality, sometimes due to uncaring landlords who may also be the Poor person's employer. Transportation is usually old and/or previously owned. Non-Nomadic Poor rarely raveland almost never leave the planet (or even town!) of their birth. Luxuries Include nice food, heal, pets and clean water, In some societies, the Poor are but a step above slaves_ Includes most laborers, low-level craftsmen and technicians, soldiers, peasants, public welfare recipients, some landowning farmers, apprentices, and low-level office or shop workers. Poor characters must work hard to keep what title they have, otherwise they would be Destitute. A Poor character might always be concerned about having enough to get by; but the Poor usually have hope that they or their children might have a better life If they can work hard and long enough (though government hand-out programs often sap these folk's image al self worth). Although a character from this Social Level may long for a better life, he or she could be satisfied with the way things are. Hard work is good and the rewards enjoyable. Of all the Social Levels, the Poor are most likely to strongly emphasize religious matters in their lives or be superstitious.
Underworld Experience : The Wrong Path: The character has a pathological urge to do wrong.
Underworld Experience: Types of Crimes: Organized burglary gang. The character is part of a gang, under the direction of gang leaders. The thieves are not a crime network and limit themselves to stealing and smuggling.
Underworld Experience : Events: The character acquires proficiency as a thief (all thieving skills are learned at this proficiency rating). Thieving skills include wall climbing, lock picking, hiding, moving silently, disarming traps, security & surveilance devices, picking pockets, blueprint reading and evaluating stolen goods.
Social Status: Nobility: Commoner - Commoner/Not of a Noble Line
Birth Legitimacy: Legitimate - Legitimate Birth
Family Members: Relatives - More Relatives. Then select {1d6} additional relations from Other Relations.
Other Family Relations: Grandparent - Grandparent.
Other Family Relations: Descendant - {1d4} + 1. The result is the number of generations removed from the character.
Other Family Relations: Aunt/Uncle - Aunt/Uncle.
Other Family Relations: Great Aunt/Uncle - Great Aunt/Uncle.
Other Family Relations: 2nd Cousin - A cousin's child or a parent's cousin.
Other Family Relations: Grandparent - Grandparent.
Siblings & Birth Order: 6 - first of 7
Siblings & Birth Order: 7 - first of 8
Home World: Racial Homeworld - Racial Homeworld
Home World Types: Water world - Mostly oceans and small islands.
Place of Birth: Farm Building - The character is born in a barn or other agricultural outbuilding.
Unusual Events at Birth: 1 event
Unusual Births Events: At birth, the character is fitted with a symbiotic alien organism that replaces the function of a body part. Treat living part as if it were bionic.
Bionics: Replacement Parts: Brain - Cyber Brain
Bionics: Function: Experimental Prototype - The cybernetic component is experimental or poorly tested. It offers unusual capabilities but has a significantly increased chance of malfunction. Unexpected side effects are common.
Bionics: Function: Enhanced Function - (10% Malfunction Rate) The cybernetic part exceeds normal organic performance. It enhances any related skills or attributes (GM discretion) while otherwise functioning like the original body part.
Bionics: Device Appearance: Obvious Machine - The cybernetic part roughly resembles its biological counterpart and is integrated into the body, but it is unmistakably artificial. Exposed seams, metallic surfaces, or visible mechanisms make its nature obvious at a glance.
Bionics: Device Appearance: Duplicate Life - The cybernetic part is visually indistinguishable from a natural organ or limb. It mimics skin texture, coloration, warmth, and movement so perfectly that even the character may forget it is artificial.
Parents/Family Details: Head of household has one primary occupation which is performed full time and a secondary occupation which is performed on a part-time basis.
Parent 1
Appearances: Attractive - The character is generally considered good-looking.
Occupations Selection: Occupation Group - High Income Jobs
High Income Occupations: Courtier/Courtesan: an attendant in the court of a Noble or Royal ruler sometimes nothing more than a fancy prostitute (particularly the female courtesan).
Noteworthy Items of Parents/NPCs: NPC is noted for or hesitant to speak of something that occured in his past. NPC is famous for the occurance of a Significant Event, possibly even a hero.
Significant Adulthood Events: Unexpected Patronage - A powerful figure within a faction takes an interest in the character for unclear reasons.
Other Groups - Factions: Merchant Guild/Trade Combine - An organization controlling trade routes, tariffs, docking rights, and commercial access.
Other Groups - Factions, Merchant Guild: Silk Void Exchange - Luxury goods traders dealing in art, entertainment, and elite indulgences.
Noteworthy Items of Parents/NPCs: NPC untimely dies. If sibling, it occurs during adolescence. If parent or guardian, it occurs in early adulthood.
Death Situations: Victim dies of starvation. The victim dies due to circumstances initiated by someone (e.g., someone causes a grain crop to tail, which beggars the family, which causes them to have no money for food, so they starve).
Death Situations: Special Circumstances: No special circumstances surround this death
Noteworthy Items of Parents/NPCs: NPC was horribly wounded once.
Serious Wounds/Injury: Severed Left Leg - The character permanently loses their left leg. Movement speed is reduced to half unless an artificial limb is attached. Roll {d100} to determine the percentage of speed regained with the prosthetic.
Serious Wounds/Injury: Brain Injury - Head injury causes brain damage.
Exotic Personality Traits: Mental Affliction: Compulsive Lying - The person cannot tell the simple truth, but must always reinterpret or expand upon it.
Parent 2
Appearances: Stooped Posture - Poor posture causes the character to hunch or slouch habitually.
Occupations Selection: Occupation Group - High Income Jobs
High Income Occupations: Courtier/Courtesan: an attendant in the court of a Noble or Royal ruler sometimes nothing more than a fancy prostitute (particularly the female courtesan).
Noteworthy Items of Parents/NPCs: NPC has an obsession regarding something that had happened (or might happen), something that dominates the rest of his life. The working out of a personality trait. - Lightside Trait
Personality Traits: Lightside: Peaceful - Serene of spirit.
Noteworthy Items of Parents/NPCs: NPC is noted for an outstanding aspect of his personality. Noted for a Lightside personality trait.
Personality Traits: Lightside: Wise - Understands what is true, right or lasting.
Noteworthy Items of Parents/NPCs: Preventing a future event.
Significant Adulthood Events: Unexpected Patronage - A powerful figure within a faction takes an interest in the character for unclear reasons.
Other Groups - Factions: Spacer Union - A brotherhood of pilots, engineers, and spacers who protect their own and enforce informal codes.
Other Groups - Factions, Space Unions: Atmospheric Entry Guild - Specialists in planetary landings, reentry operations, and hazardous descents.
Sibling 1
Occupations Selection: An unusual skill is practiced as an occupation.
Unusual Skills: Computer Expertise - Able to program or operate most computers within one Tech Level of the characters own.
Noteworthy Items of Parents/NPCs: NPC has a Rival. The Rival seeks out the character.
Rivals: Who?: A friend (rivalry other than "friendly" is kept secret).
Rivals: Why?: They love the same person.
Rivals: What?: Intense: Rival hates the character, and goes out of his way to foil him. Secretly hopes for the chance to injure the character in some way (physically, emotionally, financially, socially, etc.)
Noteworthy Items of Parents/NPCs: NPC is noted for his extremely unusual personality. Link the Exotic Personality Traits together in some fashion. Collectively, they should make the NPC character even stranger, possibly a real weirdo.
Exotic Personality Traits: Categories: Allergy - Allergy
Exotic Personality Traits: Allergies: Food - an exotic or alien food. Use your imagination and consider what an alien might find yummy.
Noteworthy Items of Parents/NPCs: NPC is noted for his appearance.
Appearances: Unusually Frail - The character appears weak, delicate, or physically fragile.
Appearances: Attractive - The character is generally considered good-looking.
Sibling 2
Occupations Selection: Occupation Group - Low Income Jobs
Low Income Occupations: Spacer: the crewman on a spacecraft.
Noteworthy Items of Parents/NPCs: NPC is noted for an outstanding aspect of his personality. Noted for a Darkside personality trait.
Personality Traits: Darkside: Suspicious - Trusts no one.
Sibling 3
Occupations Selection: Occupation Group - High Income Jobs
High Income Occupations: Research Scientist: Medicine
Noteworthy Items of Parents/NPCs: NPC has a patron.
In the Service of - Who is the Patron: A foreigner. See Others.
Others: The character's lover/best friend or close friend that is opposite gender
In the Service of - Why a Patron: The patron admires the characters skills.
In the Service of - What happened: Travel widely with patron. Learn the land (or galaxy).
Noteworthy Items of Parents/NPCs: NPC has many enemies. The rivals seeks out the character.
Rivals: Who?: An enemy of the family.
Rivals: Why?: Their parents were rivals.
Rivals: What?: Jealous: Rival dislikes the character, and takes secret pleasure in embarassing, thwarting or beating him. Physical injury is usually not intended, but if it happens, it happens. Rival may be appear to be a friend or ally.
Rivals: Who?: A former lover/best friend/love interest/crush.
Rivals: Why?: Multiple Reasons
Rivals: Why?: Rival is jealous of the character's possessions.
Rivals: What?: Intense: Rival hates the character, and goes out of his way to foil him. Secretly hopes for the chance to injure the character in some way (physically, emotionally, financially, socially, etc.)
Rivals: Why?: Rival is jealous of the character's possessions.
Rivals: What?: Intense: Rival hates the character, and goes out of his way to foil him. Secretly hopes for the chance to injure the character in some way (physically, emotionally, financially, socially, etc.)
Rivals: What?: Friendly: Rival and character can still be friends. Rival enjoys competing against the character. Rival may even remain a good friend.
Rivals: Who?: Sibling (older).
Rivals: Why?: They seek the same goal.
Rivals: What?: Jealous: Rival dislikes the character, and takes secret pleasure in embarassing, thwarting or beating him. Physical injury is usually not intended, but if it happens, it happens. Rival may be appear to be a friend or ally.
Rivals: Who?: A total stranger. See Others.
Others: The character's lover/best friend or close friend that is opposite gender
Rivals: Why?: They love the same person.
Rivals: What?: Jealous: Rival dislikes the character, and takes secret pleasure in embarassing, thwarting or beating him. Physical injury is usually not intended, but if it happens, it happens. Rival may be appear to be a friend or ally.
Rivals: Who?: Sibling (older).
Rivals: Why?: Their parents were rivals.
Rivals: What?: Friendly: Rival and character can still be friends. Rival enjoys competing against the character. Rival may even remain a good friend.
Sibling 4
Occupations Selection: Occupation Group - High Income Jobs
High Income Occupations: Medical Doctor: General Practioner
Noteworthy Items of Parents/NPCs: NPC has a secret identity.
Social Status: Comfortable - This is the middle class of any Culture, regardless of the Tech Level or average wealth of its citizens. These folk usually live in clean, nicely apportioned homes or apartments, often in better neighborhoods. They eat regularly and occasionally very well. Children are schooled and often go on to higher education. They usually own conservative forms of transport - a modest ground car or other inexpensive vehicle. Luxuries include travel vacations, good food, the ability to hire occasional menial services, nice clothing, and leisure devices. This class includes "impoverished" nobility, upper level office workers, professors and teachers, skilled craftsmen and technicians, highly-skilled laborers, lower govem ment officials, low-ranking military officers, lesser clergy, and shopkeepers. Folk from this Social Status are considered to represent the mainstream of their Culture's beliefs and attitudes.
Social Status: Nobility: Commoner - Commoner/Not of a Noble Line
Occupations Selection: Occupation Group - High Income Jobs
High Income Occupations: Courtier/Courtesan: an attendant in the court of a Noble or Royal ruler sometimes nothing more than a fancy prostitute (particularly the female courtesan).
Noteworthy Items of Parents/NPCs: NPC's relationship with his family involves one of the following. NPC has married more than once, current spouse is number (roll {1d4}).
Noteworthy Items of Parents/NPCs: NPC has a secret identity.
Social Status: Poor - Poor people have comparatively low income. They usually do not or cannot own property. Dwellings may be government subsidized and usually of lesser quality, sometimes due to uncaring landlords who may also be the Poor person's employer. Transportation is usually old and/or previously owned. Non-Nomadic Poor rarely raveland almost never leave the planet (or even town!) of their birth. Luxuries Include nice food, heal, pets and clean water, In some societies, the Poor are but a step above slaves_ Includes most laborers, low-level craftsmen and technicians, soldiers, peasants, public welfare recipients, some landowning farmers, apprentices, and low-level office or shop workers. Poor characters must work hard to keep what title they have, otherwise they would be Destitute. A Poor character might always be concerned about having enough to get by; but the Poor usually have hope that they or their children might have a better life If they can work hard and long enough (though government hand-out programs often sap these folk's image al self worth). Although a character from this Social Level may long for a better life, he or she could be satisfied with the way things are. Hard work is good and the rewards enjoyable. Of all the Social Levels, the Poor are most likely to strongly emphasize religious matters in their lives or be superstitious.
Underworld Experience : The Wrong Path: The character unwittingly got involved with criminal activity and realized it was a drime too late.
Underworld Experience: Types of Crimes: Petty theft. The character and several pals steal things they want or need. They act in violation of any organized thieves guild.
Underworld Experience : Events: The character learns the secret passages, entrances and exits to an important local leader's estate.
Social Status: Nobility: Commoner - Commoner/Not of a Noble Line
Occupations Selection: Occupation Group - Blue Collar & Moderate Income Jobs
Blue Collar & Moderate Income Occupations: Aircraft Pilot: can fly most standard aircraft.
Sibling 5
Occupations Selection: A hobby practiced as an occupation.
Hobbies: Type of Hobby: Sports and Athletics: Wrestling
Hobbies: Degree of Interest: Sporadic and Variable. Interest runs in spurts, intense at times, totally ignored at others. Character will easily spend 1% of his total income on this hobby.
Hobbies Hobby Proficiency: Consuming Passion:
Noteworthy Items of Parents/NPCs: NPC is noted for an outstanding aspect of his personality. Noted for an exotic personality trait.
Exotic Personality Traits: Categories: Behavior Tag - Behavior Tag
Exotic Personality Traits: Behavior Tags: Practical Joker - Enjoys pulling off jokes at others expense. He's a guy who short-sheets cold sleep chambers, puts shoe-polish on the eyepieces of electro-scan telescopes, and soaps the windows of your all-terrain vehicles. Whose side is he on anyway?
Sibling 6
Occupations Selection: Occupation Group - High Income Jobs
High Income Occupations: Business Owner: The type of activity the business performs is below. If the result makes no sense or is too difficult to work out, reroll. The character does not actually do this service, but has employees who do it.
Low Income Occupations: Technician: Electrical
Noteworthy Items of Parents/NPCs: NPC is noted for his extremely unusual personality. Link the Exotic Personality Traits together in some fashion. Collectively, they should make the NPC character even stranger, possibly a real weirdo.
Exotic Personality Traits: Categories: Sexual Disorder - Sexual Disorder
Exotic Personality Traits: Sexual Disorders: Voyeurism. A "Peeping Tom" who is sexually excited by watching others perform sexual acts.
Noteworthy Items of Parents/NPCs: NPC is noted for an outstanding aspect of his personality. Noted for a Neutral personality trait.
Personality Traits: Neutral: Skeptic - Skeptic: disbelieving of things unproven.
Sibling 7
Occupations Selection: Occupation Group - High Income Jobs
High Income Occupations: Marketing Specialist: knows how to promote and popularize people, consumer goods, corporations and so on
Noteworthy Items of Parents/NPCs: NPC is noted for or hesitant to speak of something that occured in his past. NPC is persecuted or villainized for the occurance of an event.
Significant Adulthood Events: Hobby Acquired - The character develops a personal hobby.
Hobbies: Type of Hobby: Partying.
Hobbies: Degree of Interest: Sporadic and Variable. Interest runs in spurts, intense at times, totally ignored at others. Character will easily spend 1% of his total income on this hobby.
Hobbies Hobby Proficiency: Sporadic and Variable:
Significant Childhood Events:
Character serves a Patron.
In the Service of - Who is the Patron: A relative from See Other Relations.
Other Family Relations: Distant Relative - Shares a common ancestor.
In the Service of - Why a Patron: The character is part of a complicated wager.
In the Service of - What happened: Patron Is in love with the character (the character may choose this to be only a one-sided affair).
Significant Childhood Events: Character serves a Patron.
In the Service of - Who is the Patron: A relative from See Other Relations.
Other Family Relations: 2nd Cousin - A cousin's child or a parent's cousin.
In the Service of - Why a Patron: The character was chosen at random.
In the Service of - What happened: The character leaves the patron's entourage after {1d6} years. Gains gift of years x 1,000 credits.
Significant Childhood Events: Character runs away from home ... to another world.
Otherworld Events: Other Worlds: Chemical Ice-ball. Surface entirely composed of frozen substances like ammonia and methane. No breathable atmosphere.
Otherworld Events: Events: The character survives a deadly encounter with a hostile alien monster. Unfortunately, there is a chance that during the encounter the character was infected with the monster's genetic material. The truth, and any possible cure can only be discovered on this planet where the encounter took place.
Significant Childhood Events: Childhood Special Events
Special Childhood Events: An Exotic Event occurs.
Exotic Events: The character makes first contact with an alien race (See Aliens). This encounter greatly affects all future relations with the beings. The alien was the lone survivor of his race and passed on a gift to the character. See Gifts & Legacies.
Aliens: Cetacean - Whale- or dolphin-like beings. Often highly intelligent and adapted to aquatic environments, sometimes with advanced communication methods.
Gifts & Legacies: A weapon.
Gifts & Legacies: Weapons: An ornate sword.
Significant Childhood Events: Family has the a certain attitudes towards the character. Father is distant and cold towards the character.
Significant Adolescence Events: Exotic Event - Something strange, alien, or inexplicable happens to the character.
Exotic Events: Through a complicated chain of events, the character has been marooned, left for dead on a remote alien world. Yet he survives and returns to civilization. As a result of the encounter, the character's Wilderness Survival skill. See Other World Events for the events that occurred on the alien planet. The character has a burning desire to "pay back" those who abandoned him - Government forces, soldiers of the ruling power.
Otherworld Events: Other Worlds: Hostile world. Something about this world is unsuited to supporting the character's race. Either the atmosphere is poisonous or corrosive or the climate is violently dangerous. Life as the character knows it can only exist in self-contained outposts or in subterranean cavern complexes.
Otherworld Events: Reasons for Being Here: Explorer. The character finds himself aboard an exploratory ship, looking for untapped resources.
Otherworld Events: Events: The character and his companions discovers an outpost of a hostile alien race. As a result, an "incident" occurs in which several of the aliens and several of the companions are killed or injured. Both sides hush up the incident. However, the character is marked as a potential danger by both sides involved.
Education : Outstanding Education.
Occupations Selection: Occupation Group - High Income Jobs
High Income Occupations: Research Scientist: Paranormal
Occupations Selection: A hobby practiced as an occupation.
Hobbies: Type of Hobby: Gameplaying: Cards
Hobbies: Degree of Interest: Casual. Easy to put aside when necessary. Spending money on this hobby is a rare occurance.
Hobbies Hobby Proficiency: Devoted:
Significant Adulthood Events: Sudden Fame - Due to an event, the character becomes widely known or famous.
Gifts & Legacies: Property: An ancient fortress
Significant Adulthood Events: misadventure - The character has a misadventure on another planet.
Otherworld Events: Other Worlds: Ice-ball. Entirely iced over, little or no breatheable atmosphere.
Otherworld Events: Reasons for Being Here: Religious pilgrammage.The world contains a holyshrine which the character has come to visit.
Otherworld Events: Events: The character discovers illegal activity going on in a restricted area of the planet. The character is forced to flee for his life and is marked as an enemy by the head of a very powerful corporation (have the GM select an appropriate company).
Significant Adulthood Events: Run-In with Authority - Patron - The leader becomes a patron and benefactor.
Personality Traits: Darkside: Cheat - Shortchanges others of their due.
Personality Traits: Darkside: Suspicious - Trusts no one.
Personality Traits: Darkside: Liar - Hardly ever tells the truth.
Personality Traits: Darkside: Flippant - Unable to be serious about anything.
Exotic Personality Traits: Categories: Phobia - Phobia
Exotic Personality Traits: Phobia: Strangers (Xenophobia) including aliens!
Personality Traits: Neutral: Self sufficient - Self sufficient: does not need others.
Personality Traits: Neutral: Conservative - Conservative: restrained, resistant to change for change sake, traditional valued, individualistic
Personality Traits: Neutral: Emotional - Emotional: rarefy keeps emotions in check,
Personality Traits: Darkside: Liar - Hardly ever tells the truth.
Personality Traits: Darkside: Harsh - Ungentle, sharp-tongued.
Personality Traits: Neutral: Precise - Precise: always exacting.
Personality Traits: Neutral: Precise - Precise: always exacting.
Personality Traits: Darkside: Unenthusiastic - Can't get excited.
Personality Traits: Darkside: Selfish - Unwilling to share time and possessions.