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: Human - Standard issue pure stain human being. This includes all it's faults and flaws humanity has been battling since the beginning.
Tech Level: Ultratech Age - Worlds are completely terra-formed, and/or moved from their orbits into more suitable ones. Robots are often physically indistinguishable from life forms (and are often classed as life forms). Totally synthetic life forms are commonplace.
Home Culture: Decadent - These are cultures past the peak of their prime. Decay, particularly moral decay, has begun to set in at all levels of society and the people have become pleasure-loving and jaded. Tech Level remains constant, but few significant gains are being made. Governments are commonly those which function best with multiple layers of carefully partitioned authority and responsibility (like Bureaucracies, Corporations, and Democracies). The government becomes self-perpetuating and heedless of the people's needs. Although government support of the Poor is predominant, previously common civil liberties and government services begin to disappear. Inflation and unrestrained crime are often rampant. Gameplay Benefits: Street-smarts, survival in the streets, come naturally to this character. Give him additional skills in Urban Survival skill (additional skills, GMs Discretion). {1d6}. On a result of 1-3, select one Darkside trait. On a result of 4-5, select {1d3} Darkside personality traits and one Neutral Traits. On a result of 6, treat as a result of 4-5 but also select one Exotic Personality Traits. Roleplay: It is not uncommon for citizens of these cultures (even the lowliest slaves and street folk) to believe that their culture is not only at its dynamic prime, but that it and they are vastly superiorto everything else. A character from this culture could easily have a haughty attitude, looking down his nose at everything. Simple pleasures might easily bore a person from this culture. On the other hand, they could be so foreign to the character that they intrigue him to no end. Survival Skills: (additional skills, GMs Discretion).
Social Status: Well-to-Do - These folk are the upper end of the middle class. They typically own larger homes, have a household servant (a cook and/or maid), have conspicuous private transportation, and travel abroad (including interplanetary or interstellar travel). They often own more than one well-appointed home in more than one city. Their children are privately educated and attend prominent universities. Luxuries include elegant furnishings, artwork, libraries, parties, fine clothing, and some exotic foods. This class includes younger offspring of Nobility, highly skilled craftsmen and technicians, high-ranking military officers, successful merchants, ship owners, high-ranking clergy of prominent religions, high-level office and government workers. Outward appearances are often the be-all and end-all of this Social Status and these folk may try to act like they are Wealthy. A strong tendency hereto look on lower Social Statuses as something bordering on "unclean" and to attempt to associate only with those of equal or higher status. Of all Social Statuses, Well-to-Do folk are probably the least tolerant of their children becoming adventurers.
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: Mysterious - The person claims to be a relation, yet the character was not aware of the person's existence.
Other Family Relations: Aunt/Uncle - Aunt/Uncle.
Other Family Relations: Adopted Sibling
Other Family Relations: Sibling - Sibling.
Siblings: Brother - Brother
Other Family Relations: Great Grandparent - Great Grandparent.
Other Family Relations: First Cousin - The offspring of an uncle or aunt.
Siblings & Birth Order: 9 - nineth of 10
Home World: Racial Homeworld - Racial Homeworld
Home World Types: Hostile world - This world is unsuited to supporting life.
Place of Birth: Exotic Location - The character is born in an unusual or extraordinary environment. See below for results from Exotic Places.
Exotic Birth Place: Another Dimension - The character is born in a different dimension and is transported to this world {1d4} years after birth.
Unusual Events at Birth: None - Nothing unusual. Normal Birth
Parents/Family Details: Head of household has one occupation.
Parent 1
Occupations Selection: Occupation Group - High Income Jobs
High Income Occupations: Research Scientist: Biology
Noteworthy Items of Parents/NPCs: NPC possesses an unusual item.
Gifts & Legacies: A sealed trunk.
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: Virtuous - Chaste, pure, of excellent morals.
Noteworthy Items of Parents/NPCs: NPC is noted for an outstanding aspect of his personality. Noted for a Darkside personality trait.
Personality Traits: Darkside: Greedy - Hoards all for set
Parent 2
Appearances: Casual Demeanor - The character appears perpetually relaxed, rarely hurried or visibly stressed.
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: Preventing a future event.
Significant Adulthood Events: Offworld Inheritance - The character inherits property on another planet.
Significant Adulthood Events: Hobby Acquired - The character develops a personal hobby.
Hobbies: Type of Hobby: Archaeology.
Hobbies: Degree of Interest: Devoted. Given a choice, this is how the character spends his free time. About 10 to 15% of total income is spent on this hobby.
Hobbies Hobby Proficiency: Consuming Passion:
Parent 3
Appearances: Effeminate Mannerisms - The characters movements, posture, or behavior are perceived as delicate or graceful in contrast to local gender norms.
Occupations Selection: Occupation Group - Low Income Jobs
Low Income Occupations: Custodian: cleans up after everyone else
Noteworthy Items of Parents/NPCs: Accomplishing a future event.
Significant Adulthood Events: Broken Betrothal Tragedy - Following a whirlwind romance, a fateful event (or circumstances resulting from it) ends that romance on the day the character was to be married. A Tragedy Occurs.
Tragedies : The streets are swept by press gangs seeking "volunteers" for secret medical experiments. While passing a dark alley the character "volunteers." Police rescue him, but not before the character has been subjected to the experiment.
Exotic Personality Traits: Categories: Phobia - Phobia
Exotic Personality Traits: Phobia: Spiders (Arachnophobia)
Talents, Mutations & Alien Abilities: Adaptive Metabolism - The characters body rapidly adapts to new diets and environments, reducing penalties from unfamiliar food, gravity, or atmospheres.
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: Fabric. Allergies to wool or other natural and even synthetic fabrics can be unpleasant to the wearer.
Exotic Personality Traits: Categories: Sexual Disorder - Sexual Disorder
Exotic Personality Traits: Sexual Disorders: Masochism. Derive pleasure from having pain inflicted upon oneself. Often combined with sadiism.
Exotic Personality Traits: Categories: Sexual Disorder - Sexual Disorder
Exotic Personality Traits: Sexual Disorders: Transsexualism. Believe oneself to be the spirit of one gendertrapped in the body of the opposite gender. May express itself as constant transvestitism though sexual conversion surgery is also common.
Exotic Personality Traits: Categories: Phobia - Phobia
Exotic Personality Traits: Phobia: Monstrosities (Teratophobia ) - fear of monsters.
Noteworthy Items of Parents/NPCs: NPC's relationship with his family involves one of the following. NPC is particularly loving towards family.
Parent 4
Occupations Selection: Occupation Group - Low Income Jobs
Low Income Occupations: Farm worker: Farmer
Noteworthy Items of Parents/NPCs: NPC had 1 to 3 unusual birth circumstances.
Unusual Births Events: Character has identical twin (20% chance of being separated at birth). Also, roll a {1d6}. On a result of 6, the twin's personality is drastically different than that of the character, possibly even opposite (if one became good and noble of spirit, the other might become evil and cruel).
Unusual Births Events: Character's mother attempted to kill character immediately after birth, but was prevented. No justification was given at the time for her behavior.
Unusual Births Events: Character's mother attempted to kill character immediately after birth, but was prevented. No justification was given at the time for her behavior.
Noteworthy Items of Parents/NPCs: NPC is noted for an unusual ability or physical feature.
Talents, Mutations & Alien Abilities: Psionic Resistance - Character has a natural immunity to psionics. Use a system compatible with your system or {1d8}x5. The result is the percentage chance that the character will be immune to the effects of any psionic ability used against him.
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. - Darkside Trait
Personality Traits: Darkside: Greedy - Hoards all for set
Parent 5
Appearances: Military Garb - Regardless of background, the character consistently wears military-style uniforms or clothing.
Occupations Selection: Occupation Group - High Income Jobs
High Income Occupations: Research Scientist: Cybernetics
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 seeks a lifestyle filled with dangerous thrills and excitement.
Underworld Experience: Types of Crimes: Organized crime. This is a crime network which sets high morals and standards for its own members, but treats the rest of the world as ripe for plunder. See Crimes below for the types of crimes he regularly commits. The character gains a bonus in a weapon skill of his choice (such as pistol, laser, brass knuckles.)
Crimes: Crimes and Criminal Type: Smuggling - The character transported illegal or restricted goods. Penalty: {1d6} years imprisonment.
Crimes: Crimes and Criminal Type: Extortion/Blackmail - The character coerces victims through threats, secrets, or intimidation.Penalty: {1d8} years imprisonment.
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
Occupations Selection: Occupation Group - Blue Collar & Moderate Income Jobs
Blue Collar & Moderate Income Occupations: Construction Professional: Carpenter
Noteworthy Items of Parents/NPCs: NPC has a Rival. The Rival has not been heard from in a while
Rivals: Who?: A friend (rivalry other than "friendly" is kept secret).
Rivals: Why?: Rival is jealous of the character's looks.
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 an outstanding aspect of his personality. Noted for a Neutral personality trait.
Personality Traits: Neutral: Rough - Rough: unpolished, unrefined.
Parent 6
Occupations Selection: Occupation Group - Low Income Jobs
Low Income Occupations: Laborer: Lumberjack
Noteworthy Items of Parents/NPCs: NPC is very religious and constantly seeks to evangelize others to join his religion, faith, or cult.
Religion: Religions: Splinter faith. This religion believes in the same God as Universal Monotheists, but disagrees with the way that God is worshipped.
Religion: How it Begins: An inner need. The character feels he must seek out the believers of religion.
Religion: Religious Events: Character makes a pilgrammage to an important but distant shrine of the religion, possibly on another planet.
Sibling 1
Occupations Selection: Occupation Group - Special Income Jobs
Special Income Occupations: Clergyman: Full priest/minister
Religion: Religions: Radical personality cults. Belief in the deity or special calling of a charismatic leader. Cult often ends tragically.
Religion: How it Begins: Refuge. It was storming. The church was the only warm and dry place with an open door.
Religion: Religious Events: Character joins the religion. The character's strength of the characters devotion - Merely a church goer, no serious devotion.
Noteworthy Items of Parents/NPCs: NPC is noted for an outstanding aspect of his personality. Noted for a Darkside personality trait.
Personality Traits: Darkside: Liar - Hardly ever tells the truth.
Sibling 2
Occupations Selection: Occupation Group - High Income Jobs
High Income Occupations: Landlord: owns property, rents it to others. Roll {1d10} for the number of properties owned.
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. - Neutral Trait
Personality Traits: Neutral: Loquacious - Loquacious: talks and talks and talks and
Noteworthy Items of Parents/NPCs: NPC has {1d6}+1 jilted ex-lover/best friends (most are still angry!).
Noteworthy Items of Parents/NPCs: NPC is noted for an outstanding aspect of his personality. Noted for a Darkside personality trait.
Personality Traits: Darkside: Disrespectful - Does not show respect.
Sibling 3
Occupations Selection: Occupation Group - High Income Jobs
High Income Occupations: Merchant
Merchants: Tavern keeper: Sells alcoholic beverages, a cheerful atmosphere and a limited meal menu.
Noteworthy Items of Parents/NPCs: Devotes time to a hobby.
Hobbies: Type of Hobby: Gameplaying: Roleplay gaming
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: Casual:
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 was killed In self-defense.
Death Situations: Special Circumstances: No special circumstances surround this death
Sibling 4
Occupations Selection: Occupation Group - High Income Jobs
High Income Occupations: Research Scientist: Astrophysics
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: Behavior Tag - Behavior Tag
Exotic Personality Traits: Behavior Tags: Squeamish - Can't stand to be around little creepy-crawly things, or touch slimy stuff or watch other people bleed, or eat certain types of foods.
Exotic Personality Traits: Categories: Allergy - Allergy
Exotic Personality Traits: Allergies: Food - a common, usually high protein food. Cheese, eggs, red meat and wheat flour are examples.
Exotic Personality Traits: Categories: Mental Affliction - Mental Affliction
Exotic Personality Traits: Mental Affliction: Obsessive behavior - The need to perform some action to the exclusion of everything else. The character cannot be comfortable, or in extreme cases, think rationally, until the obsession is resolved. The obsession can vary from something simple, like cleaning, to a need to expunge evil (or good) from the universe.
Exotic Personality Traits: Categories: Mental Affliction - Mental Affliction
Exotic Personality Traits: Mental Affliction: Kleptomania - An obsessive impulse to steal, regardless of want or need.
Noteworthy Items of Parents/NPCs: NPC is noted for an unusual ability or physical feature.
Talents, Mutations & Alien Abilities: Intersex Physiology - The character is a true hermaphrodite with functioning male and female organs and an androgynous appearance.
Noteworthy Items of Parents/NPCs: NPC possesses an unusual item.
Gifts & Legacies: An Unusual Pet. This pet will survive at least until the character starts adventuring.
Unusual Pets: Types: Big spider
Unusual Pets: Abilities: Pet has unusual size. - pet is unusually large for its species (even gigantic).
Sibling 5
Occupations Selection: Occupation Group - Special Income Jobs
Special Income Occupations: Business Owner: Business is based on a future history occcupation. The type of activity the business performs is below. The character does not actually do this service, but has employees who do it.