Basic Rules (Beta v 20241127)

Equipment Packages

These packages are valued at $700 each, and serve as a starting set of equipment for a new character.  As part of character creation, players may choose one of these packages, and may “sell” and “buy” items at full price to customize their initial load out.

Package 1

• Gas Mask

• Tactical HUD

Package 2

• Cyberdeck

• Smart Glasses

Package 3

• Cyberdeck

• Meal Bars (5)

• Pepper Spray

• Seal Tape

Package 4

• Crowbar

• Cyberdeck

• High-Powered Flashlight

• Scrambler

Package 5

• 50-foot Chain

• Cutting Torch

• Scrambler

• Shortwave Communicator

• Spike Strip

Package 6

• 50-foot Cable

• Cable Winch

• Crowbar

• Seal Tape

• Gas Mask

• Meal Bars (5)

Package 7

• Cyberdeck

• Data Stick

• Lighter

• Low-Powered Flashlight

• Meal Bars

• Pepper Spray

• Water Purifier

Package 8

• 50-foot Chain

• Crowbar

• Flare Launcher

• Seal Tape

• Handcuffs

• Low-Powered Flashlight

• Meal Bars (5-pack)

• Shortwave Communicator

• Scrambler

Surplus Shop

Air Tank and Mask

Provides 2 hours of breathable air.  $250

50-foot Chain

1 inch thick, can hold 20,000 pounds.  Also useful as a makeshift weapon (*d4 Kinetic, Melee, Reach 10 feet, Two-Handed).  $50

50-foot Cable

3/8 inch thick, can hold 10,000 pounds.  $50

Cable Winch

Pull a cable with up to a 10,000-pound load.  $50

Clothing, Cold Weather

Resist cold environmental conditions.  $100

Clothing, Formal

Blend in with the aristocracy.  $200

Clothing, Street

Part of the everyday crowd.  $50

Crowbar

Grants Advantage to Affect + Brawn rolls when using leverage.  $50

Cutting Torch

Melt and break through most locks and barriers, given time.  $100

Cyberdeck

A custom pocket-sized tablet/smartphone device. Allows for internet use and non-secure communication.  Contains a multitude of functions, including cameras, language translation, terminal connectivity, and a low-powered flashlight.  $500

Data Stick

Universal data storage device, can hold recordings and information.  $10

Detention Binds

Advanced arm and leg restraints that restrict movement and can remotely deliver a shock to incapacitate the wearer as needed.  Difficulty 25 to escape.  $1,000

Fire Extinguisher

Uses an Action to put out 5 feet of fire.  Contains 20 uses.  $80

Seal Tape

A 10-foot long roll of highly versatile rubberized tape.  A 6-inch strip can be used to seal a one-inch wide hole in an exosuit, vehicle tire, or spaceship hull.  $50

Gas Mask

Immune to Airborne Biological effects, Disadvantage to Assess rolls.  $400

Grapple Gun

Fire a grappling hook on a cable, range 120 feet.  $750

Handcuffs

Metal wrist or ankle restraints.  Escaping or breaking requires Difficulty 20 Affect + (Balance or Brawn).  Lockpicking Difficulty 15, if tools are available.  $200

Hazmat Suit

Immune to Airborne and Waterborne Biological effects, Immune to Radiation Sickness. Cannot Wear Medium or Heavy Armor, Disadvantage to Assess.  $400

High-Powered Binoculars

Zoom in up to 1 mile.  $1,000

High-Powered Flashlight

Sheds 60 feet of bright light, and 60 additional feet of low light.  Lasts 1 hour, rechargeable over 15 minutes.  $50

iGPS Tracker Beacon

A small, coin-sized device that secretly emits a signal that can be tracked by the owner so long as it is within range of a communications array on a planet or space station.  Requires an iGPS Tool to sync and track location.  $100

Lighter

Lights a fire.  Sheds 5 feet of bright light, and 5 additional feet of low light.  $10

Low-Powered Flashlight

Sheds 20 feet of bright light, and 20 additional feet of low light.  Lasts 4 hours, rechargeable over 15 minutes.  $10

Metal Detector

Grants Advantage to Assess rolls when looking for metal objects nearby.  $1,000

Night Vision (Infrared) Goggles

Minor Action to equip or remove, Infrared Vision 60 feet, Disadvantage to Attack and Assess in Bright Light while wearing.  $3,000

Scrambler

Encrypts transmissions and recordings, used with communication devices and data sticks.  $100

Shortwave Communicator

Secure communication, 30-mile range.  $50

Smart Glasses

Stylish eyewear covertly designed to present a head's up display to the user.  Includes a hidden camera and bone-conduction speakers only the wearer can hear.  Can be synced with a Cyberdeck or Shortwave Communicator for stealthy communication.  $200

Spike Strip

10 foot long, 2d4 Kinetic and half speed to affected vehicles.  $400

Tactical HUD

A wearable military-grade head's up display visor, with integrated camera and bone-conduction speakers only the wearer can hear.  Contains a built-in Shortwave Communicator and Scrambler for securely coordinating battlefield information.  $300

Water Purifier

Straw-like device that can be used to purify any source of water.  $20

Wireless Transceiver

Useful for remote control or detonation.  $60

Consumables

Antitoxin

Remove Poisoned Condition, Resistance to Biological 1 hour.  $8,000

Flare Launcher

1,000-foot range, can be seen for 25 miles.  Comes with 1 flare; cost $1 each.  $90

Glowstick

Bright Light 20 feet, Dim Light Additional 20 feet, 8 hours.  $10

Meal Bars

5-pack of basic protein meal bars.  Each pack is a modest-quality day of food.  $100

Nanobot Biorepair Serum

Injectable vial of swirling liquid.

• Tier 1, 2d4+2 HP, $5,000

• Tier 2, 4d4+2 HP, $50,000

• Tier 3, 8d4+2 HP, $500,000

• Tier 4, 12d4+2 HP, $5,000,000

Pepper Spray

Difficulty 10 Avoid + Build vs Blindness for 1 round.  $50

Parachute

Single use, activates when falling over at least 30 feet, and negates all fall damage.  $1,500

Radiation Treatment

Remove Radiation Sickness.  $15,000

Superacid

2d6 Biological damage, bypasses resistance and immunity.  $2,500

Expiration (Optional Rule)

Serums expire after time, causing them to become less effective.

After the “Best By” date, a serum’s effectiveness is halved.

After the “Use By” date, a serum is rendered inert, providing no benefit.

Serums purchased through a vendor are considered shelf-stable, and have a “Best By” equal to a number of weeks per every $5,000 in value, and a Use By twice that number.

After Best By date, serums are half strength.  After Use By date, serums are quarter strength.

v  Tier 1, Best By 1 week, Use By 2 weeks.

v  Tier 2, Best By 10 weeks, Use By 20 weeks.

v  Tier 3, Best By 100 weeks, Use By 200 weeks.

v  Tier 4, Best By 1,000 weeks, Use By 2,000 weeks.

All serums created by a Surge have a 24-hour “Use By” time, after which they are rendered completely inert and useless.

Drugs

“Spice”

+1 to Brain rolls, lasts 1 hour.  $1,000

If addicted, vulnerable to Mental damage while drug is not active in system.

“Bliss”

+2 Brain rolls, lasts 1 minute.  $10,000

If addicted, vulnerability to Mental damage while drug is not active in system.

“Serenity”

Advantage to Brain rolls, lasts 1 minute.  $5,000

If addicted, Disadvantage to Brain rolls while drug is not active in system.

“Shimmer”

+1 to Balance, lasts 1 hour.  $1,000

If addicted, vulnerable to Biological damage while drug is not active in system.

“Radiance”

Advantage to Balance, lasts 1 minute.  $5,000

If addicted, Disadvantage to Balance rolls while drug is not active in system.

“Nova”

Double move speed, lasts 1 minute.  $1,000

If addicted, move 10 feet slower while drug is not active in system.

“Void”

Gain an extra Action each round, lasts 1 minute.  $10,000

If addicted, lose a Minor Action each round, while drug is not active in system.

“Echo”

Advantage to melee Attacks and +1 damage, lasts 1 minute.  $10,000

If addicted, Disadvantage to Attack rolls while drug is not active in system.

“Mindrift”

+1 to d20 rolls for Surges, lasts 1 minute.  $1,000

If addicted, -1 to all d20 rolls for Surges while drug is not active in system.

“Overdraft”

Increases maximum Strain by +3, lasting 8 hours.  $1,000

If addicted, -1 to maximum Strain while drug is not active in system.

“Pulse”

Add +1 Stamina to Surges for free, lasts 1 minute.  $10,000

If addicted, Surges cost an extra +1 Stamina while drug is not active in system

* Drugs are addictive.  If a specific drug is used more than three times in a day, gain 1 Fatigue.  If it is used more twice 2 days in a row, become Addicted.  Start each day with +1 Fatigue until the drug is taken that day, which will alleviate the 1 Fatigue (as well as other specific drug addiction effects).  Addiction takes 7 days to wear off.

Loot

Items that are not regularly available on the free market, these are often found upon the bodies of fallen enemies or perhaps awarded by the benevolence of a benefactor.

Auto-injector

(Advanced)

Filled with the serum of choice, this device injects a pre-loaded syringe into the wearer as a Reaction.  Reloading the injector with a new serum takes an Action.

Energy Barrier Generator

(Epic)

As a Reaction when you take damage, create an instant temporary shield against all damage until the beginning of your next turn.  Any damage you would have taken upon triggering this is negated.  This device recharges after a Long rest.

Energy Siphon

(Basic)

A device that drains electrical charge from one device and gives it to another, such as energy cells for a laser or taser weapon.

Enhanced Avoidance Armor or Shield

(Basic, Advanced, or Epic)

This armor or shield enhances the bearer’s Defense (Avoid + Balance) against Attacks.  Add +1, +2, or +3 to the roll, depending on the rarity (Basic, Advanced, or Epic).

Folded Space Pocket

(Advanced)

Fitted into a piece of clothing, this pocket can hold an object up to 5 feet in length, provided it can fit into the pocket opening.  The pocket appears flat and empty from the outside.

Gravity Boots

(Basic)

Creates a localized gravity field, allowing the wearer to walk on any surface at the gravity force of their choosing.  The effect requires a Major or Minor Action to activate, and lasts for 1 hour, recharging over a Long Rest.

Holographic Decoy

(Advanced)

Store a hologram recording no longer than 1 minute and no larger than a 5-foot cube in a small 1-inch disc device.  The device will replay based on a trigger of the users choice, such as when a specific person approaches within a certain distance.

Holo-Wardrobe

(Basic)

Shifting outfits that can change shape and color.  Over the course of a minute, a business suit can change to a mini skirt, or a biker jacket to military uniform.  If trying to duplicate an existing outfit or uniform, the accuracy is determined by an Affect + Brain roll.  This can be applied to any Light armor.

Mind Jack

(Basic)

Connect into a virtual reality simulation, usable to view imagery, such as memories or simulations, or to hijack systems.  The jack requires a physical cable connection to function.  The connection can be made directly into the mind of a subdued target creature, or across an internet connection into a target system of similarly connected individual.  Connections can be shared among a group with multiple Mind Jack devices.

Mindlink

(Basic)

Establish secure telepathic-like communication with another humanoid mind.  One-on-one, share visual and audio input at will with a willing person.  Abstract thought and emotion can also be shared within the link.  The connection must be first established within 30 feet, but may be maintained while within 1 mile of each other.

Miniature Holographic Projector

(Basic)

Creates small illusory projections no larger than 1 cubic foot.  The projection may move up to 30 feet away, and makes no sound.  A creature may inspect the illusion with Assess + Brain vs your Affect + Brain to determine that it is not real.

Neural Accelerator

(Advanced)

Activate as a Minor Action to grant Advantage to Brain rolls for 1 minute.  This device recharges after any Short or Long rest.

Neural Imager

(Basic)

Record memories, to be displayed via hologram or virtual reality.  If a complete backup is taken willingly, a mind can later be copied into a new body.  Memories taken unwillingly are a contest of (Affect or Assess) + Brain vs Avoid + Brain.

Phase Displacer

(Epic)

Temporarily walk through walls.

Plasma Shield

(Advanced)

A handheld collapsible protection field, granting 50% Resistance to Thermal and Electrical damage while held in one hand.  As a Reaction to a hit from a melee attack, you can send 2d10 damage (choose either Thermal or Electrical) back upon the attacker, once per rest.

Remote Storage Container Ring

(Advanced)

This collapsible ring unfolds to 1 foot wide, and activates as an Action to open a wormhole to a storage container.  The remote container must be within 1,000 miles, and is a 5’ cube inside.

Signal Jammer

When activated, this handheld device disrupts and blocks wireless signals within a range of 120 feet, which may include internet communication, audio and video transmission, remote drone control, etc.

Stealth Suit

(Advanced)

Active camouflage that bends light.  Invisibility, up to 1 hour, once per long rest.

Temporal Disruptor

(Advanced)

Speed up or slow down time.  Choose a creature, unwilling may make opposed Avoid + Build vs your Affect + Brain.  Lasts for up to 1 minute.

Speed up: Double speed, Take 3 Major Actions and 1 Minor Action on a turn.

Slow down: Half speed, Take 1 Minor Action and on a turn.