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: 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: 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).