Dangerous Journeys: [HardWired Prime] In the near future, life is bleak. The corporations rule the world, governments are crumbling, and the streets aren't safe for anyone. HardWired is a set of cyberpunk rules for the Dangerous Journeys role-playing system. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Author's Note (READ THIS FIRST) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Index of material: * Introduction * Creating a Heroic Persona o Vocation Descriptions o Vocation Tables o K/S Area List * Combat o Armor o Weapons * Cybernetic Enhancements * Running a HardWired Campaign * Opponents * [Sample Adventure] * The Campaign and Gamemastering * Appendix I: K/S Area Descriptions * Appendix II: Cross-Genre Play * Appendix III: The Accursed in the Cyberpunk Milieu * Appendix IV: Prices Table * Appendix V: Glossary ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Author's Note I'm making an early and undeveloped version available for two reasons. One, I haven't had the time, or impetus to continue work on these rules (partly because I no longer have a group willing to experiment in this direction -- this will be remedied, but not in the immediate future). And two, I've been sitting on what material I have for a long time, and it's not fair to keep it completely with-held. Comments are welcome, of course, and assistance with portions as yet undeveloped would be nice. I have the beginnings of the cyberspace and advanced rules as scattered notes, but with no real reason to bring them to order, they're just sitting there. Using the standard Mythus Prime rules plus the alternates here, this game is playable, just not quite completed. Yet. (If you try to do something cyberspace related, I recommend doing some simple K/S vs. K/S contests until the rules become available.) I do plan on adding, updating, fleshing out, and further developing the material herein, and, in fact, have done some small things since opening the rules to the world's scrutiny. So, if nothing else, this is helping motivate my own work :-) Enjoy! Mike Phillips (msphil@widomaker.com) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Creating Your Heroic Persona Steps in HP Creation: * Generating Socio-Economic Class * Generating TRAITs * Selecting a Vocation o Vocation Descriptions o Vocation Table * Select K/S Areas & Determine STEEP o Common K/S Areas o Basic K/S List ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Generating Socio-Economic Class Unlike Mythus Prime, the average HardWired Heroic Persona is likely to be low on the totem pole of the world. To simulate this, Socio-Economic Class is determined by rolling 1D3 and adding 2 (1D3+2, 3 - 5). All other functions of SEC are as per Mythus Prime. (For an interesting variation on the normal Cyberpunk theme, the JM may want to consider a "Cyberprep" game, in which the HPs are all of SEC 1D3+6, and simply slumming. This suggestion was mentioned in GURPS Cyberpunk, a useful resource for the HardWired JM.) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Generating TRAITs 120 points may be spread between the three TRAITS: MENTAL, PHYSICAL, and SPIRITUAL. No more than 60 may be placed in a single TRAIT, and no fewer than 20. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Selecting a Vocation First, note that the Vocations are intended as skeletons, to be fleshed out from these options to more complete archetypes. Suggestions are made in the notes for each Vocation on standard cyberpunk directions that each Vocation can easily take. EXECUTIVE: This Mental Vocation forms the basis for any Corporate persona, ranging from the network administrator for a company to the persona supervising the company's postal room. Typically, executives will have received some assistance getting into their position, and never have an SEC of less than 4. In most cyberpunk games, this would cover nearly all corporate classes/occupations. REPORTER: Reporters bring the news to the people, either by pursuing corruption wherever it may be found (rooting it out), or simply to sell papers. With the disintegration of society, this position has become much more dangerous than it was before. MARINE: Marines are either currently in an armed force or have recently left. They are already trained in fighting. This makes a good base for a street fighter, a police officer, or any other combat-oriented occupation. P.I.: The Private Investigator is often cut from the mold of hard-boiled dicks. This is a popular under-dog Vocation, as the authorities often work at odds with the PI. HACKER: The Hacker is a Vocation encompassing Netrunning in all its forms, from early 90's terminal use to the far reaches of neural interfaces. This forms a basis for characters that, in other systems, might be called Netrunners, Crackers, Deckers, or others. Initial SEC is from around 2 to 5, although this can raise very quickly with some well-chosen hits. DRIVER: Drivers run vehicles around, whether they are military, private security, or commercial. They are the best at it, and they are needed for any long-ranging mission. Vocation Table Executive (Mental): Reporter (Spiritual): Business Admin. M 30 Journalism M 30 Crim. Act., Mental M 25 Charismaticism S 25 Charismaticism S 25 Comm & Broadcasting S 25 Deception M 20 Deception M 20 Political Science M 20 Library Research M 20 Leadership S 20 Disguise S 20 Jury-Rigging S 20 Creative Writing S 20 Economics M 15 Weapons, Small Arms P 15 Weapons, Small Arms P 15 Cinematic Arts S 15 Combat, Hand Weapons P 10 Crim Activities (P) P 10 Marine (Physical): P.I. (Mental): Weapons, Small Arms P 30 Criminology M 30 Weapons, Heavy Arms P 25 Weapons, Small Arms P 25 Combat, HTH Lethal P 25 Crim. Activities (P) P 25 Combat, HTH Nonlethal P 20 Deception M 20 Combat, Hand Weapons P 20 Combat, HTH, Nonlethal P 20 Military Science M 20 Disguise P 20 Jury-Rigging S 20 Escape P 20 Crim. Act., Physical P 15 Jury-Rigging S 15 Electronics M 15 Street-wise S 15 Mathematics M 10 Political Science M 10 Hacker (Mental): Driver (Physical): Cyberdeck User M 30 Mechanics P 30 Combat, Net M 25 Jury-Rigging S 25 Computer Science M 25 Combat, HTH Nonlethal P 25 Mathematics M 20 Weapons, Small Arms P 20 Art, Computer S 20 Spatial Reasoning S 20 Street-wise S 20 Street-wise S 20 Spatial Reasoning S 20 Combat, HTH Lethal P 20 Library Science M 15 Combat, Hand Weapons P 15 Weapons, Small Arms P 15 Electronics M 15 Electronics M 10 Robotics M 10 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Select K/S Areas & Determine STEEP Common K/S Areas Native Tongue M SECx5 Perception (Mental) M 30 Vehicles, Personal P SECx5 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Basic K/S Lists Mental Physical Spiritual Appraisal Combat, HTH, Lethal Animal Handling Biology Combat, HTH, Non-Lethal Charismaticism Bus. Admin. Combat, Hand Weapons Cinematic Arts Chemistry Combat, Hand Weapons, MissileComm. & Broad. Computer Science Criminal Act. (Physical) Creative Writing Criminal Act. (Mental) Disguise Cyberdeck User Criminology Drawing Dance Cybernetics Driving Impersonation Deception Escape Judgement Economics Explosives/Demolitions Jury-Rigging Electronics First Aid Leadership E/S Graces Games, Physical Poetry/Lyrics Foreign Language* Legerdemain Psychology Influence Mechanics Religion Journalism Mechanics, Cybernetic Spatial Reasoning Library Science Perception (Physical) Street-wise Mathematics Piloting Thespianism Medicine Surgery Military Science Survival Native Tongue Tolerance Perception (Mental) Weapons, Heavy Arms Political Science Weapons, Small Arms Physics Rarities Robotics ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Combat * Combat Procedure * Armor in HardWired Prime o Ancient Armor Types o Modern Armor Types * Combat in HardWired Prime o Body Weaponry o Hand Weapons o Missile Weapons o Small Arms o Heavy Arms ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Procedure ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Armor There are six types of traditional armor, listed on the table below. This armor is not generally available, and (except at appropriate gatherings or conventions) wearing it will likely result in a lot of attention. The armor is available in two types: Full Protection and Half Protection. Half generally refers to the main body-covering portion (e.g. a leather jerkin) and maybe one or two other peices, while Full includes all of that, plus helmet, gloves or gauntlet, appropriate boots and leg coverings, and potentially a shield. Averaged Armor Table (Ancient Armor Types) Armor Type Full Protection Half Protection Leather/Padded Armor 6 3 Studded/Reinforced Leather 8 4 Metal & Leather 10 5 Chain Mail 12 6 Plate & Chain 14 7 Plate Armor 16 8 Averaged Armor Table (Modern Armor Types) Armor Type Full Protection Half Protection Bulletproof clothing 6 3 Bulletproof vest * 4 Flak gear 12 6 Riot gear 14 7 Kevlar Security gear 18 9 Mechanized Armor, mk. I 32 * * This armor type is not available at this protection level ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Weapons Body Weaponry Attacks Table Attack Damage Attacks/CT Punch 1D3 each 2 Kick 1D6 1 Roundhouse 1D6 1* Head-butt 1D6 1 per BT** * This type of punch does more damage, but the swing is telegraphed and opponents may be able to avoid it, if they successfully roll a result equal to or less than their Physical TRAIT on D%. ** There is also a 50% chance of Dazing the opponent for 1D3 Critical Turns. Attackers, however, can use this form of attack no more than two or three times per day without Dazing themselves. Hand Weapon Damage Table Weapon Damage Bludgeon 2D6 Knife 2D6 Sword, Katana 4D6 Whip*, + 1D3 Whip, monofilament* 3D6 * A Special Failure with this weapon indicates that the attacker hit himself + A normal whip has a chance to entangle the attacked persona, provided the victim fails a check vs. half his Physical TRAIT Missile Weapons Attacks Table Attack Damage Attacks/CT Range Bow 3D6 1 200 yards Crossbow 4D6 1/2* 150 yards Dagger 2D6 2** P TRAIT in feet Hatchet 3D6 1 P TRAIT in feet Spear 3D6 1 P TRAIT in feet * One attack every other CT. The intervening CT is spend (re)loading the weapon. ** Assuming the persona has two daggers to throw! Firearms Attacks Table (These weapons take Weapons, Small Arms to use) Attack Damage Attacks/CT Range Automatic 3D6 2 35 yards Pistol 2D6 1 30 yards Shotgun 4D6* 1 35 yards Shotgun, sawed-off 4D6* 1 15 yards * This weapon receives an Exposure roll (multiply the damage by the result of 1D6) Heavy Arms Attacks Table (These weapons take Weapons, Heavy Arms to use) Weapon Damage Attacks/CT Range Assault Rifle 3D6 5 35 yards Laser Rifle 3D6* 1 25 yards * This weapon receives an Exposure roll (multiply the damage by the result of 1D6) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cybernetic Enhancements ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Campaign Setting ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Other Personas ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sample Adventure ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- JMing HardWired Prime ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Appendix I: K/S Area Descriptions * K/S versus K/S Contests * Cross-Application of K/S Areas * Mental * Physical * Spiritual ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- K/S Versus K/S Contests Occasionally, personas will come into conflict, using their K/S Areas against each other. For instance, police officers chasing a criminal, pitting the respective Driving K/S against each other. Each side of such a contest makes a standard K/S roll on D%, modified slightly. To determine the exact modifier, subtract the opposing STEEP from the persona's STEEP, and consult the table below. Once the D% modifier for each side has been determined, each of the participants makes the roll. If one succeeds, and the other does not, the former wins. Similarly, if both succeed, but one gets a Special Success, that persona wins, or if both failed, but one rolls a Special Failure, that persona loses. If both succeed or fail by a similar degree, the JM must decide what happens based on the exact situation. K/S Contest D% Modifiers Table Remainder Changes to the K/S test D% roll 11 or more -10 6 to 10 -5 5 to -5 - -6 to -10 +5 -11 to -20 +10 -21 or lower +20 For example: Bob the security guard is chasing George, a mercenary who has just stolen some important documents. Bob (Driving STEEP 35) is in his patrol car, George has just climbed back into his getaway vehicle, driven by Amelia, a professional driver (Driving STEEP 55). The table is consulted, resulting in a +10 penalty for Bob and a -10 bonus for Amelia. Bob rolls a 31 (which would ordinarily have made it, but the penalty makes it 41, a failure), and Amelia rolls a 47 (a clear success, since the effective roll is a 37, against her STEEP of 55). Amelia and George make a clean escape. (In this particular case, a pair of successes or a pair of failures would probably mean that Bob is still on George and Amelia's tail, but hasn't gained significantly.) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cross-Application of K/S Areas In the real world, there is continual cross-application of knowledge and skills, where knowledge in Botany (for instance) would be at least mildly helpful in Agriculture. The HardWired Prime game includes cross-feeding of STEEP, listed in each K/S Area description. Also, Journeymasters should feel free to allow cross-application of STEEP where appropriate in the campaign, particularly since the K/S range is slimmed down for the Prime rules. For instance, a persona with Drawing should be allowed to paint or create computer-based art, despite the fact that (in the Advanced game, at least) they are separate disciplines. The persona might be penalized an appropriate amount (say, 20 STEEP), however. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mental K/S Area Descriptions Appraisal: This K/S Area needs to be tailored by the JM to the particular persona. For instance, a petty thief might be particularly good at appraising watches, clocks, VCRs, and other consumer items, whereas a mechanic might be good at appraising vehicles (rare and otherwise), parts, tools, etc. Appraisal covers such things as: Artworks, Furs, Crystal/Glasswork, China/Pottery, Rugs and Fabrics, Gold/Precious Metals, Jewelry, Handicrafts, Woodworks and Furniture, Garments, Buildings, General Goods/Workmanship, Animals, Land, and more. Note that the Rarities K/S Area allows a broad application of Appraisal application. Note also that trying to appraise something the JM rules is outside the persona's general range of knowledge will likely result in some penalties (+5, +10, +20, or worse, at the JM's discretion). This K/S Area cross-feeds the Rarities K/S by 10% of the STEEP. Biology: Business Administration: Chemistry: This deals with the properties and nature of the elements and various formulas. The HP with this K/S could run chemical analyses, make acids, and create various chemical compounds. The HP will also be familiar with current trends in research (e.g. drugs, cures, rarities such as room-temperature superconducting, etc.) and might be able to produce substances frowned upon by governments: explosives, poisons, gases, etc. The persona might also be able to invent whole new items, although the usual penalties would apply (a minor invention would likely have a +10 or +20 penalty, with months of research, experimentation, and lots of monetary outlay, and no guarantee of success!) The quality of the HP's laboratory, time available, materials at hand, and the importance of the discovery all should modify the D% roll. Computer Science: Criminal Activities (Mental): Criminology: Cybernetics: This is the knowledge of the various electronic and electromechanical parts that can be implanted in a biological organism to interface with that organism's body so as to create a cyborg; also the skill to design and construct such parts. A persona with this Area knows various standard types and can assess unknown cyborgs by observation of their performance. Actual implantation of cybernetic components requires this ability plus Medicine and Surgery K/S Areas. This Area cross-feeds Electronics, and Robotics by 10% of STEEP. This Area is crosfed by Mechanics, Cybernetic. Deception: Electronics: This K/S allows the HP to examine and repair electrical devices of all kinds, from batteries and computers to radios, televisions and communicators. It includes Radar, Sonar, and the like too! One roll should cover about a day's worth of work on a project of moderate complexity. Note that this K/S does not allow the actual construction of such objects, nor does it allow work to be performed on such items as transformer boxes or complex wiring systems in buildings. This K/S Area cross-feeds Cybernetics by 10% of STEEP. Etiquette/Social Graces: Economics: Foreign Language: Influence: Journalism: Library Science: This might seem to be a rather unpromising Area until you consider the benefits of having such an ability. This category enables the HP to find information in libraries and to locate objects in museums or other places. As STEEP points grow, the HP will know which libraries, museums, collections, etc. have what sorts of articles, including rare books, manuscripts, scrolls, tablets, artifacts, relics, and so forth. At upper levels (51+) the HP will be recognized and respected by chief librarians and curators of museums, and thereby have or gain access to the rarest works. Mathematics: Medicine: The HP is knowledgeable in all aspects of diagnosing and treating physical problems in humans. Medicine STEEP applies to First Aid, even if one does not have that K/S Area per se. With the proper equipment, broken bones can be set, diseases treated, medicines proscribed, etc. Note that one must have a minimum STEEP of 41 in this Area to qualify as a Medical Doctor. One successful roll will allow the patient to recover from wounds at the full rate (see Healing) as well as reduce the Strength rating of a disease by 10% of the doctor's STEEP (see Disease). Possessing this K/S allows you to add 10% to your First Aid K/S, if you have it. The JM may rule that this K/S Area is not all-inclusive, and place limits on it to reflect the great complexity of this field (for instance, allowing only General medical knowledge, or perhaps a specialty in Neurology or Pathology). Military Science: This K/S does not deal with the actual physical practice of warfare (i.e. using weapons), but rather with the tactics and strategy of troop training and deployment, as well as the planning and execution of a military operation and battlefield command. The HP will know details of weapons and armored fighting vehicles, facts on artillery and bombs, and atomic, biological, and chemical warfare -- and about spacecraft too if of a sufficiently high technology level. A successful roll against this K/S will allow the HP to identify a given weapon or fighting vehicle (and state the various characteristics of such a vehicle, including weaponry, speed, range, crew, etc.), or get an idea how to plan some mission for maximum ease and efficiency. One roll should cover one weapon or vehicle, or a relatively short (less than 1 day) portion of an actual military operation. Native Tongue: Perception (Mental): Political Science: Physics: Rarities: Robotics: Possession of this ability enables the persona to identify standard robots, assess their basic potential if an unknown model, assist in assessing damage and repairing (reprogramming, replacement of parts) of robots, and possibly even in creating new designs at very high level of knowledge. The individual with the skill knows android anatomy, parameters (limitations, strengths, weaknesses, etc.), history, aberrations, growth processes, programming, and so forth. To program a robot, the individual must have Computer Science K/S. This Area is cross-fed by Cybernetics. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Physical K/S Area Descriptions Combat, Hand-to-hand, Lethal: Combat, Hand-to-hand, Non-lethal: Combat, Hand Weapons: Combat, Hand Weapons, Missile: Criminal Activities (Physical): Disguise: Drawing: Driving: The ability to drive a wide assortment of land-based vehicles is covered in this K/S. The following types of vehicles are included: ATVs (All Terrain Vehicles, including snowmobiles), Automobiles (including pickup trucks, vans, etc.), Hover vehicles, Motorcycles, Racing Cars, Tracked (bulldozers, tanks, etc.), and Trucks (large, tractor-trailer, huge, etc. --not small ones!). Escape: Explosives/Demolitions: This K/S Area measures one's ability to both use explosives and to recognize weak points in a building or other object (like a car) where explosives might be put to the best use. The HP with this skill can both design and build explosive set-ups including bundles of dynamite, shaped plastique charges, and arrangements with timed, wired or radio detonators. This is also the K/S covering attempts to defuse a bomb, and thus may come in very handy! First Aid: Games, Physical: Legerdemain: Mechanics: The ability to understand the workings of and to repair mechanisms, engines, motors, and similar devices. At higher levels of STEEP the individual might be able to devise better systems, ranging from anything as simple as a pulley to a complex reciprocating/combustion engine and beyond. This is a very useful skill with respect to things from clocks and gun mechanisms and music boxes to automobile or aircraft engines and even more advanced technology too. Additional Mechanics K/S Areas may be assumed as needed (for example, Mechanics, Cybernetic, below). Mechanics, Cybernetic: This Area cross-feeds Cybernetics by 10% of STEEP Perception (Physical): Piloting: Possession of this K/S enables the HP to fly various forms of aircraft, including aerospace vehicles. This K/S applies both for chases in the sky as well as staying on course and landing safely under difficult conditions. Surgery: In order to possess this Area, a persona must already have 41 or more STEEP points in Medicine. This K/S is necessary for the performance of surgery and the implantation and repair of cybernetic implants. In general, skill check rolls should be required only for the more difficult, non-routine operations or operations. This K/S is of limited use only in the field -- penalties for outside of the operating room tend to be high (+25 if everything is easily available or good substitutes are around, +50 or worse under hard conditions). Survival: Tolerance: Weapons, Heavy Arms: This K/S Area includes the ability to load and service all manner of heavy weapons including the following sorts: Cannons, flame throwers, guns, howitzers, machine guns, mortars, recoilless rifles/rocket launchers, rocket batteries, triggered mines (claymore, etc.) and the like. These range from gunpowder weapons to those employing laser and sonic attack forms. Note that there is no damage bonus for high PMP with these weapons, but the one high STEEP applies. Also, the attack rate of firearms does not vary with STEEP levels. All firearms of the same type fire at the same rate, regardless of who wields them. Weapons, Small Arms: This K/S is similar in all ways to Weapons, Heavy Arms, but covers the following sorts of instruments of death: Grenade Launchers, Hand-Loading and Repair, Gunpowder Arms, Pistols, Rifles & Shotguns, and Sub-Machine Guns. The Hand Loading and Repair Sub-Area includes knowledge of muzzle-loading and cap-and-ball firearms. It enables the HP to alter ammunition, cast special bullets, and make repairs on jammed or malfunctioning weapons. Duds and blanks can be made, firing pins removed, silencers made, sear pins filed or other adaptations made to convert semi- to full-automatic weapons, etc. Note: Hurled bayonets and hand grenades do not fall under this Area. Bayonets are covered under either Combat, Hand Weapons, Spear (when affixed to the firearm) or Dagger/knife when hand held. Hand grenades are covered under Combat, Hand Weapons, Missile,, Dart, just as is a rock. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Spiritual K/S Area Descriptions Animal Handling: Charismaticism: Cinematic Arts: The ability to direct as well as to appreciate and critique films and similar visual presentations are covered under this K/S. The persona with this skill and knowledge will be able to produce and edit such work for viewing by others. For example, a successful roll will allow the HP to make a short (up to about 30 minutes) visually recorded presentation that might inspire or otherwise create a strong emotional impression on an audience, such as a documentary, propaganda piece, or even a really memorable rock video. Longer works can be directed successfully with more rolls, at generally the rate of 1 roll per 10 to 30 minutes of presentation length. The DR will vary greatly depending on the skill of the actors (see the Thespianism K/S) and/or the quality and quantity of the resources available. Communication & Broadcasting: Similar to other creative areas, this K/S enables the individual to determine the most effective delivery technique and method to get across the desired message -- and naturally such other abilities as Influence and Charismaticism come into play, as might Cinematic Arts and Creative Writing. Commercials, propaganda, and various forms of news and reporting rely upon Communications & Broadcasting ability. Media included are print, radio, television, film, and advanced technology media as well. A persona with this K/S Area can effectively get a message across, be believed by some, with a successful roll against STEEP for the less trusting or otherwise jaundiced. Creative Writing: Cyberdeck User: Dance: Impersonation: Judgement: This is the ability to be able to assess varying things having involvement with personas or animals. There are the following areas of this K/S: Animals, Background, Business, Character, Honesty, Motive, and Occupation. Animals: This deals with the general quality as well as friendliness and capacity of an animal to respond to training, signals, kindness, etc. It lends 10% of its STEEP to the Animal Handling K/S Area Background: This is the capability of judging what sort of SEC and family background a persona had. Etiquette/Social Graces feeds 10% of its STEEP to this Sub-Area. Business: This is the ability to assess what chances for success a business deal has. All the facts of the sort of business, the agreement, and the personas involved must be known in order to make a judgement without a penalty. Character: This concerns the general ethics, morals, strengths, and weaknesses of a given persona. Is he greedy? cowardly? reactionary? This Sub-Area will give the individual the opportunity to make an assessment in this regard. Psychology lends 10% of its STEEP to this Sub-Area. Honesty: This is simply a judgement ability in the area of whether or not someone who is dealing with the persona is being open, forthright, and above-board, i.e. totally honest, reserving something, or false. Psychology lends 10% of its STEEP to this Sub-Area. Motive: Motive deals with the persona's reasons for doing something. It is a sort of inductive assessment of why one is behaving as he does. Psychology lends 10% of its STEEP to this Sub-Area. Occupation: As it suggests, this Sub-Area enables the persona to see an individual and have some idea as to what he or she does for a living. For instance, a street-wise criminal will use this sort of ability to judge of the individual approaching is a mark, a law officer, or something else. This Area cross-feeds 10% of STEEP with Street-Wise. Jury-rigging: Leadership: Poetry/Lyrics: Psychology: Although in actuality there are many fields of Psychology, for game purposes only that which treats mental disturbance, imbalance, and aberrant behavior is primarily considered here. A successful roll against the Psychology K/S can repair Mental or Spiritual damage (but not a Cybernetic-induced Spiritual TRAIT loss) in the same way a roll against Medicine STEEP repairs Physical Damage. Psychology feeds Influence by 10% of Area STEEP. Religion: Spatial Reasoning: The ability to not only see what shapes are related and fit where, but also the ability to understand various components of things as they relate to a whole operating apparatus. This ability enables the individual to look, see, and sense the form or and/or operations of something and understand what is not functioning as it should. For example, a persona with this K/S Area could look at a clock and tell what gears did what and know if one of them, or a spring, perhaps, was not properly working, with a successful roll at a STEEP or, perhaps, +10 or +20, depending on circumstances and his other abilities. Street-wise: Thespianism: ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Appendix II: Cross-Genre Play When Mythus Prime stood alone as the only Dangerous Journeys Prime rule set, there was no need of cross-genre considerations. In fact, since the Prime rules were intended as nothing more than a stepping stone to the full rules anyways, this was not a problem. However, in practice, not all persons are willing to play the Advanced rules (they can be overwhelming to the mere dabbler), and when one wishes nothing more than a quick "pick-up" game, perhaps a single night's entertainment, they are often more than enough. Further, the Advanced rules are sufficiently complicated to make quick conversions from other source material into a formidable task, one not easily completed in a short span of time. Many other gaming systems, however, can be readily converted to the Prime rules, and genre-development is significantly eased (witness the release of the HardWired Prime rules well before the Advanced rule set). For these reasons, it is worth examining cross-genre play within the context of a Dangerous Journeys Prime game as well. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Transferring Heroic Personas First and foremost, an HP crossing time or dimensional barriers is likely to encounter some initial culture shock, and most applicable K/S Areas will not transfer particularly well. For instance, magick is not active in every setting (in some places, being so weak as to be subsumed into a mere one or two K/S Areas, and powered by vril rather than Heka), and technology can be vastly different even within the span of a few decades. The easiest way to track this is to create a new K/S list, transferring the K/S Areas as outlined below. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cross-Genre Play Cross-genre play is very different from mere transference of an HP. It covers mixing and matching genres within a setting, or moving more than a lone persona or two around. The most obvious crossing of this sort would be mixing Mythus and HardWired, a la ShadowRun*. In this case, the Mythus Prime magick system should be changed in one very important way: casting grades should be gained more slowly (every 20 STEEP rather than every 10). Casting Grades Table HP'S STEEP Highest Casting Grade Possible Under 21 I 21-40 II 41-60 III 61-80 IV 81+ V * BUGHUNTERS Prime (a conversion of the Amazing Engine* BUGHUNTERS sourcebook) offers some interesting possibilities, ranging from advancing the HardWired setting forward a few decades to having the HPs put into cryofreeze and waking up as newly-created soldiers (complete with their past memories). * Chaos Changeling offers a multitude of genres within its setting: psychogenics, magick, cybernetics, androids, with the potential of space exploration. Except for the attitude, Chaos Changeling already encompasses much of the HardWired material! * Unhallowed offers the possibility of crossing cyberpunk with horror. Terrible fiends, summoned by monstrous cyber-magi, would be fearsome indeed (doubly so with magic at a premium!), and one particularly dark vision of this is available in the GURPS* CthulhuPunk sourcebook. * Abyss does not offer easy transfer, as far in the future as it is set. However, spatial anomolies, the machinations of the Accursed, or a transfer via Changeling or BUGHUNTERS offer possibilities. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- * indicates a property trademarked by someone else; the use of this trademark should not be construed as a challenge to the validity of said trademark. ShadowRun is a product of FASA. Amazing Engine and BUGHUNTERS are products of TSR, Inc. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Appendix III:The Accursed in the Cyberpunk Milieu The Mythus game introduced the Accursed, "enemies of humanity", and, in fact, the unpublished game Unhallowed was going to deal with this in much greater depth. Why bother with such a group? Is not an arch-enemy formidable enough? Yes, sort of. There reaches a point, however, when said arch-enemy's escapes stop being believable. This becomes a double problem if the HPs travel from dimension to dimension, hopping from genre to genre. But if the villains are tied together through a loose network, they can be defeated, and yet more is happening, and newer, worse villains can be brought forth believably. Or, the villains can become the thread linking the various genres, as players hop from HardWired to Chaos Changeling to Mythus, and so on and so forth. Does a group as evil as this have a place in a Cyberpunk setting? Of course it does, that should be plain. However, the Accursed generally operate via magic and evil beings. In Cyberpunk, such stuff is usually the domain of mythology and legends. (The reader is referred to the section on cross-genre play for an alternate approach.) In HardWired, the Accursed take on behind-the-scenes roles. They finance certain corporate activities, and perhaps some research labs; if one wants a truly illuminated game, they could be a grand conspiracy, secretly pulling the strings of world governments and corporations. Some potential roles for the Accursed: * The Accursed are the Secret Masters, controlling the massive corporations and corrupt governments from behind the scenes. They are using this world as a stepping stone, a staging area from which they drain the resources before bringing them to bear. Further, since the Accursed span multiple parallel worlds, certain of their number have strong, mythical allies (Fiends and such), and can bring such forces to bear on a party which has taken a heroic turn. (GURPS CthulhuPunk and GURPS Voodoo would be particularly helpful in planning and playing such a scenario.) * The Accursed may be merely beginning to invade this timestream, using this parallel world as a test of humanity's self-destruction. They may be operating to drive humanity further into the downward spiral, encouraging corruption and despair. Perhaps they intend to drive the world into a mad holocaust, with feeble governments bowing to the whims of fanatics, wiping each other from the face of the planet with nuclear devices. * Perhaps the Accursed are making the first strides into space, and are based on the less technologically-advanced parallels, and so are using front companies to finance space vehicles which will later be transported back to Ærth or others, to wipe their continual enemies out once and for all! Having such a bunch of villains can add continuity to the campaign, and can do something rare in the true Cyberpunk tradition: give the HPs a reason to believe that they can make a difference! ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Appendix IV: Price Lists The following tables provide suggested prices for certain materials. If something is not on the list, the JM should assign a price based on the current (or projected) real-world value of the item, one of the beauties of using the BUC monetary system. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Appendix V: Glossary ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mike Phillips (msphil@widomaker.com)