TEXT:  
   
  
  NEON  BLACK  
   
   
   
  Cyberpunk   forged   in   the   dark  
   
  Written  and  designed  by  Michael  Elliott  
   
   
   
  Additional  design  by  Sam  Dunnewold  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Produced  by  my  Patrons:  
   
   
   
  Michael  Bain  
   
  Cindy  Chamberlain  
   
  Sara  Chicazul  
   
  Navi  
   
  Patron  
   
  Teri  
   
  Mike  Thorpe  
   
  Tim  
   
  Tony  
   
  Guillaume  Tremblay  
   
  Ashley  Turner  
   
   
   
  http://patreon.com/notwriting   
     
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  This  work  is  based  on  Blades  in  the  Dark ,  product  of  One  Seven  Design,  developed  and   
  authored  by  John  Harper,  and  licensed  for  our  use  under  the  Creative  Commons  Attribution   
  3.0  Unported  license .   
    
   
   
  This  work  is  licensed  under  a  Creative  Commons  Attribution-ShareAlike  4.0  International   
  License.  To  view  a  copy  of  this  license,  visit  http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/ .  
   
   
   
  X  Card  by  John  Stavropoulos  http://tinyurl.com/x-card-rpg  
   
  1  
   
  
  Inﬂuences   
    
  Blades  in  the  Dark   by  John  Harper  
   
  Scum  &  Villainy   by  Stras  Acimovic  &  John  Lebeo�  Little   
    
  Mutants  in  the  Night   by  Orion  D.  Black  
   
  The  Sprawl   by  Hamish  Cameron  
   
  CrashCart   by  Galen  Pejeau  
   
   
   
  Touchstones  
   
  Films:   Ghost  in  the  Shell  (1995),  Bladerunner  and  Bladerunner  2049,  Hackers,  Inception  
   
  Games:  Android:  Netrunner  
   
  Television  Series:  Halt  and  Catch  Fire  
   
  Books:  The  Sprawl  trilogy  by  William  Gibson,  The  Ultimate  Cyberpunk  edited  by  Pat  Cadigan  
   
  Music:  Carpenter  Brut,  Dance  with  the  Dead,  Perturbator  
   
   
   
  Special  Thanks  
   
  The  original  Guillotines  crew :  Angus,  MCS,  and  Rob  
   
  The  Ink  Blacks  crew :  Chet,  Jan,  Kyle,  and  Lane  
   
  The  Wednesday  crew:   Blaine,  Eli,  Justin,  and  Ray  
   
  The  Monday  crew:  Ashley,  Derek,  Guillaume,  and  Michael  
   
  The  Blades  in  the  Dark  Forums  
   
  The  Blades  in  the  Dark  Discord  
   
  Donjon   for  all  the  names:  https://donjon.bin.sh/  
   
  The  many  cool  cyberpunks  at  the  Shut  Up  &  Sit  Down  Expo  and  the  Terminal  City  Tabletop   
  Convention  
   
  Sam  Dunnewold  for  the  inspiration  and  design  work  for  the  downtime  scenes  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  I  would  love  your  feedback  to  make  Neon  Black  better.  Once  you’ve  read  the  book,  played  a   
  few  sessions,  or  ﬁnished  a  short  campaign  I  would  love  to  hear  your  thoughts  via  this  google   
  form .  
   
   
   
  The  current  version  for  Neon  Black  is  7.3  -  Beta .  The  game  is  content  complete,  but  small   
  things  may  change  in  the  future.  
   
  2  
   
  
  I  don’t  know  how  to  rob  a  bank.  I  don’t  know  how  to  con  a  billionaire  out  of  everything  he   
  has,  or  redistribute  the  wealth  of  the  rich.  I  don’t  often  have  the  time  or  the  money  I  need  to   
  help  my  friends.  
   
   
   
  But  in  Neon  Black  I  do.  I  can  play  someone  who  can  rob  banks,  I  can  tell  stories  about  people   
  who  can  synthesize  or  steal  the  medication  their  friends  need  to  survive.  In  Prime  City  I  can   
  help  all  the  people  I  can’t  help  in  this  world.  And  I  can  do  it  while  making  sure  the  blame  is   
  always  centered  on  those  who  have  the  time  and  money  to  ﬁx  these  things  and  choose  not  to.   
  I  can  play  this  game  and  be  reminded  that  the  world  isn’t  supposed  to  be  like  this.  
   
   
   
  Neon  Black  is  dedicated  to  all  of  my  friends  who  gave  me  the  time  and  money  I  needed  to   
  live.  
   
   
   
  Thank  you.  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  3  
   
  
  The  Basics 
  6  
   
  The  Core  System 
  11  
   
  Principles  of  Play 
  13  
   
  Actions  &  Attributes 
  17  
   
  Luck 
  20  
   
  Calamities 
  20  
   
  Milestones 
  21  
   
  Progress  Clocks 
  22  
   
  Action  Roll 
  25  
   
  E�ect 
  29  
   
  Consequences  &  Conditions 
  32  
   
  Resistance  &  Armour 
  34  
  Death 
  36  
   
  Fortune  Roll 
  37  
   
  Gathering  Information 
  38  
   
  Free  Play 
  41  
   
  Advancement  &  XP 
  45  
  Communities 
  46  
   
  Community  Creation 
  47  
   
  The  55 
  62  
   
  Chariot 
  64  
   
  City  of  Nod 
  66  
   
  Tannhauser  Way 
  68  
   
  Characters 
  70  
   
  Character  Creation 
  70  
   
  Standard  Items 
  76  
   
  Decker 
  79  
   
  Doc 
  82  
   
  Fixer 
  85  
   
  Operator 
  88  
   
  Merc 
  91  
   
  Streamer 
  94  
   
  Synth 
  97  
   
  4  
   
  
  Tech 
  100  
   
  Scores 
  103  
   
  Planning  &  Engagement 
  103  
   
  Engagement  Roll 
  104  
   
  Flashbacks 
  107  
   
  Teamwork 
  108  
   
  Downtime 
  122  
   
  Payo� 
  122  
   
  Heat 
  123  
   
  Downtime  Scenes 
  125  
  Downtime  Actions 
  142  
   
  Running  the  Game 
  156  
   
  Session  Zero 
  156  
   
  Taste  Menu 
  157  
   
  The  X  Card 
  159  
   
  PC   vs  PC 
  161  
   
  Magnitude 
  162  
   
  Drugs,  Hardware,  &  Software 
  165  
   
  Drugs 
  165  
   
  Cyberware 
  166  
   
  Hardware 
  169  
   
  Software 
  169  
   
  Prime  City 
  170  
   
  Timeline 
  172  
   
  City  Districts 
  173  
   
  Factions 
  178  
   
  Technology 
  210  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  5  
   
  
  The  Basics  
   
  The  Game  
   
  Neon  Black  is  a  role-playing  game  about  a  community  of  people  trying  to  survive  in  a   
  cyberpunk  dystopia.  The  world  is  full  of  people  down  on  their  luck,  cheated  by  corporations   
  and  the  villainous  rich.  You’ll  help  these  people,  go  on  dangerous  heists,  explore  artiﬁcial   
  realities,  and  encounter  friendly  and  nefarious  machines.  We  play  to  ﬁnd  out  if  the  community  
  can  survive  amidst  warring  corporations,  an  unforgiving  climate,  and  the  indi�erence  of  the   
  extravagantly  wealthy.  
   
   
   
  The  Setting  
   
  The  year  is  2199.  Climate  change  has  ravaged  Earth.  The  governments  and  international   
  organizations  of  the  past  were  too  slow  to  stop  the  inevitable  climate  catastrophe.  The   
  megacorporations  saved  us,  or  so  they  are  fond  of  saying.  These  all-encompassing  companies   
  operate  with  no  oversight  and  wield  unprecedented  power.  They  used  their  money  and   
  resources  to  construct  the  geoengineering  projects  necessary  for  the  continuity  of  human   
  civilization.  Now  the  remnants  of  humanity  live  in  a  handful  of  isolated  corporate  city  states.   
  The  largest  of  these  city  states  is  Prime  City.  
   
   
   
  Prime  City  is  ruled  by  the  rich:  CEOs,  oligarchs,  and  celebrities  who  made  it  out  on  top  after   
  the  world  burned.  They  live  in  massive  skyscrapers  high  above  the  clouds,  vacation  on  Mars   
  and  Europa,  and  augment  their  bodies  at-will.   
    
   
   
  You  are  not  these  people.  You  play  as  members  of  one  of  Prime  City’s  hidden  or  forgotten   
  communities  where  you  take  on  odd  jobs  to  survive,  make  rent,  and  help  your  friends.  Maybe   
  you’re  trying  to  free  your  block  from  corporate  contracts,  or  maybe  you’re  just  trying  to  keep   
  everyone  fed  and  your  space  ship  ﬂying.  Either  way,  you’ll  use  the  tech  the  wealthy  throw   
  from  their  spires  to  break  into  their  vaults,  hack  their  networks,  and  spray  your  symbol  on   
  their  corporate  logos.  Remind  people  that  life  doesn’t  need  to  be  this  way.  
   
   
   
  The  Players  
   
  One  player  plays  the  game  master  (GM)  who  often  plays  the  part  of  non-player  characters   
  (NPCs)  and  describes  the  sights  and  sounds  of  Prime  City.  The  other  players  work  with  the   
  GM  to  create  player  characters  (PCs)  and  their  community.  Each  player  brings  their   
  characters  to  life  as  someone  who  reaches  beyond  their  current  safety  and  means  to  help   
  themselves  and  others  in  their  community.  The  players  work  together  to  establish  the  tone   
  and  style  of  the  game  by  making  judgement  calls  about  the  mechanics,  dice,  and  the   
  consequences  of  risky  actions.  All  the  players  (the  PCs  and  the  GM)  tell  the  story  together.   
  Even  though  the  GM  plays  more  roles,  narrates  consequences,  and  is  usually  the  one   
  describing  the  setting,  they  are  not  more  in  control  of  the  narrative  than  the  players.  If  this   
  6  
   
  
  was  a  movie,  the  GM  is  not  the  director.  They  are  not  the  leader  of  the  game.  Everyone   
  playing  the  game  is  a  writer  with  di�erent  and  overlapping  responsibilities.  
   
   
   
  The  Characters  
   
  Your  characters  will  attempt  to  defend  and  develop  their  community.  You’ll  do  this  by  taking   
  on  risky  scores  to  build  up  the  community  and  help  the  individuals  within  it.  The  resources   
  you  earn  from  these  scores  will  help  improve  the  lives  of  everyone  in  the  community,  
  including  your  own,  as  well  as  help  you  gain  the  respect  of  the  factions  you  help,  and  su�er   
  the  ire  of  the  factions  you  target.  
   
   
   
  There  are  8  character  types  to  choose  from:  
   
   
   
  ●
  Decker:  a  software  cracker  and  ‘Net  expert  
   
  ●
  Doc:  a  gifted  doctor  and  chemist  
   
  ●
  Fixer:  a  master  planner  and  hustler  
   
  ●
  Operator:   a  drone  pilot  and  getaway  driver  
   
  ●
  Merc:   a  professional  ﬁghter  and  killer  
   
  ●
  Streamer:  a  charismatic  content  creator  
   
  ●
  Synth:  a  synthetic  worker  
   
  ●
  Tech :  a  hardware  designer  and  troubleshooter  
   
   
   
  The  Community  
   
  In  addition  to  creating  characters,  you’ll  also  choose  a  community  where  all  your  characters   
  live  or  work.  The  community  gets  its  own  sheet,  just  like  the  characters.  The  community  you   
  pick  determines  the  factions  you’ll  likely  interact  with,  the  NPCs  who  need  your  help,  and  the   
  scores  you  will  likely  pursue.  
   
   
   
  There  are  4  communities  to  choose  from:  
   
   
   
  ●
  The  55 :  a  massive  concrete  apartment  in  the  heart  of  Prime  City  
   
  ●
  Chariot :  a  large  dilapidated  spaceship  orbiting  the  Earth  
   
  ●
  City  of  Nod :  a  forgotten  community  outside  the  boundaries  of  Prime  City  
   
  ●
  Tannhauser  Way :  an  important  stretch  of  road  at  the  bottom  of  Prime  City  
   
   
  The  Game  Master  
   
  The  GM  establishes  the  dynamic  world  around  the  characters.  The  GM  will  play  many  of  the   
  NPCs  in  the  world  by  giving  them  traits,  roles,  and  needs.  The  GM  helps  organize  the   
  conversation  of  the  game  so  it’s  pointed  toward  the  interesting  elements  of  play.  The  GM  isn’t   
  in  charge  of  the  story  and  doesn't  have  to  plan  events  ahead  of  time.  They  present  interesting   
  7  
   
  
  opportunities  to  the  players,  then  follow  the  chain  of  actions  and  consequences  wherever  they   
  lead.  
   
   
   
  Playing  A  Session  
   
  A  session  of  Neon  Black  is  like  an  episode  of  a  TV  show.  There  are  one  or  two  main  events,   
  plus  maybe  some  side-story  elements,  which  all  ﬁt  into  an  ongoing  series.  A  session  of  play   
  usually  lasts  a  few  hours,  depending  on  the  preferences  of  the  players.  Think  of  one  session  as   
  getting  your  friends  together  to  watch  a  movie.  You’ll  need  a  few  minutes  to  get  organized  and   
  make  sure  everyone  is  up  to  speed,  and  then  a  few  hours  to  play  the  game.  
   
   
   
  During  a  session,  the  characters  work  together  to  choose  a  score  to  accomplish,  then  they   
  make  a  few  dice  rolls  to  jump  into  the  action  in  progress.  The  PCs  take  actions,  su�er   
  consequences,  and  ﬁnish  the  score  (whether  they  succeed  or  fail).  Then  the  characters  have   
  downtime,  during  which  they  recover,  pursue  side-projects,  and  spend  time  with  members  of   
  the  community.  After  downtime,  the  players  once  again  look  for  a  new  opportunity  or  create   
  their  own  goals  and  pursuits,  and  we  play  to  ﬁnd  out  what  happens  next.  
   
   
   
  What  you  Need  to  Play  
   
  ●
  Two  to  four  players  and  one  game  master  
   
  ●
  A  handful  of  six-sided  dice  (at  least  six)  
   
  ●
  Printed  character  and  community  sheets,  and  reference  sheets  (each  included  with  this   
  game)  
   
  ●
  This  book,  for  reference  
   
  ●
  Blank  paper,  index  cards,  pens  and  pencils,  and  other  materials  for  note-taking  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  8  
   
  
  Improvised  Interference  
   
  Dina  was  running  late.  She  threw  open  the  front  doors  of  the  Ziggurat  Research  and   
  Development  o�ce  just  in  time  to  see  the  rest  of  her  crew  in  Low  Tra�c’s  shitty  van  trying  to   
  catch  up  to  a  big  autonomous  armored  car.  The  program  Dina  had  just  installed  in  Ziggurat’s   
  mainframe  was  supposed  to  cripple  the  car.  Instead  it  had  triggered  the  vehicle’s  ﬁght  or  ﬂight   
  subroutines,  which  is  why  she  was  watching  her  friend  Low  Tra�c  dodge  and  weave  between   
  cars  rather  than  pretend  to  be  a  service  vehicle  towing  away  their  prize.  
   
   
   
  “What  the  fuck  Dina?”  Mouse,  their  ﬁxer,  was  in  her  earpiece.  Dina  could  hear  Low  swearing   
  next  to  Mouse  in  the  van  and  the  screech  of  tires  as  they  tried  to  catch  up  to  the  Ziggurat   
  hardware.  
   
   
   
  “I.C.E.  ﬂagged  me,  had  to  get  out  before  security  found  me.”  
   
   
   
  “The  fuck  do  we  do  now,  we--  watch  it!”  Mouse  and  Low  screamed.  Dina  watched  as  they   
  banked  a  corner,  bouncing  o�  some  sedan  that  couldn’t  get  out  of  their  way  fast  enough   
  before  they  disappeared  around  the  corner.   
    
   
   
  “It  can  do  whatever  it  can  to  get  away,  but  it’s  still  subject  to  its  programming  so  it  can’t   
  endanger  human  lives  without  cause.  I  dunno,  try  to  force  it  onto  the  curb  or  something.”  
   
   
   
  “I’d  throw  you  in  front  of  it  if  I  could.  Shit!  It’s  making  for  the  freeway  up  to  Fivespires.  Low   
  can’t  this  thing  go  any--”  Mouse  ended  the  call.  The  nearest  turn  o�  to  Fivespires  would  bring   
  the  Ziggurat  car  back  towards  Dina,  across  the  plaza  below  her.  A  ﬂight  of  concrete  steps  and   
  a  city  block’s  worth  of  civilians  enjoying  the  day’s  weather  divided  her  from  the  street  leading   
  to  the  Fivespires  exit.  She  knew  the  autonomous  car  could  easily  outpace  the  van  on  those   
  open  roads.  Dina  would  never  get  down  there  in  time  to  do  anything.   
    
   
   
  She  looked  up  and  down  the  block.  A  Hermes  Guild  corporate  courier  was  unlocking  their   
  bicycle  nearby.  Dina  ran  towards  the  courier,  hands  rummaging  in  her  pockets.  
   
   
   
  “Hey.  Hey!  How  much  for  the  bike?”   
    
   
   
  The  courier  looked  at  her  through  their  helmet’s  visor,  “What?”  
   
   
   
  “The  bike!  Here,”  Dina  shoved  two  bronze  credit  chips  at  them.  Each  could  hold  just  enough  to   
  get  a  decent  co�ee.   
    
   
   
  “Wha-  no,  get  away  from  me!”  The  courier  disengaged  the  lock.  Dina  could  hear  the  roar  of  the   
  Ziggurat  robot’s  motor  carrying  it  around  the  corner  below.  It  would  be  passing  the  plaza  any   
  minute  now.  Dina  grabbed  the  bike  with  one  hand.  The  courier  began  to  protest,  “Hey,  stop--”   
    
   
   
  9  
   
  
  Crack!  
   
   
   
  Dina’s  cyberarm  struck  the  courier  across  the  face.  They  hit  the  ground  as  Dina  tossed  all  the   
  credit  chips  she  had  next  to  them.  
   
   
   
  “Sorry!”  She  called  out  behind  her  as  she  mounted  the  bike  and  took  o�  down  the  plaza   
  staircase.  People  dove  out  of  her  way  and  screamed  at  her  as  Dina  tried  to  hold  on.  By  the   
  time  she  got  to  the  bottom  she  could  barely  feel  her  organic  arm  from  the  vibrations.  Her  legs   
  burned  as  she  pushed  herself  as  hard  as  she  could,  pedaling  across  the  plaza.  The  Ziggurat  car   
  was  close,  she  could  hear  Low  Tra�c’s  van  sputtering  as  it  came  around  the  corner.  Dina   
  closed  her  eyes  as  she  came  up  to  the  edge  of  the  street.  
   
   
   
  Slam!  
   
   
   
  The  bike’s  carbon  ﬁbre  frame  bent  and  shattered  beneath  her  as  thick  armor  plates  crashed   
  into  it.  She  rolled  up  onto  the  car’s  windshield,  her  cybernetic  arm  scraping  across  the  glass.   
  The  car  stopped  instantly,  catapulting  Dina  onto  the  street  in  front  of  it.  
   
   
   
  “You  have  been  in  an  automotive  accident!”  A  hollow,  robotic  voice  emitted  from  the  Ziggurat   
  car  above  her.  Flashing  amber  lights  had  deployed  from  its  roof.  “Please  wait  here  for  the   
  Corporate  Order  Police.  They  have  been  notiﬁed  of  the  incident.”  Low  Tra�c’s  van  screeched   
  to  a  halt  behind  the  automated  car.  The  new  paint  job  the  crew  had  applied  the  night  before   
  was  scraped,  but  it  still  looked  like  it  belonged  to  Prime  City  Operations.   
    
   
   
  Mouse  leapt  from  the  passenger  seat  and  ran  to  where  Dina  was  sprawled,  “Shit  Dina  you   
  alright?”   
    
   
   
  Dina  raised  her  cyberarm.  The  servos  inside  whined  in  protest  as  she  put  her  thumb  up.  
   
   
   
  “Great  plan  Mouse,”  she  groaned,  “thanks  for  the  idea.  Now  let’s  get  the  hell  out  of  here.”  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  10  
   
  
  The  Core  System  
   
  Judgment  calls  
   
  When  you  play  Neon  Black,  you’ll  make  several  key  judgment  calls.  Everyone  contributes,  but   
  either  the  players  or  the  GM  gets  ﬁnal  say  for  each:  
   
   
   
  ●
  Which  actions  are  reasonable  as  a  solution  to  a  problem?  Can  this  person  be   
  Commanded ?  Must  we  get  out  the  tools  and  Tinker  with  this  locked  door,  or  could  it   
  also  be  quietly  Hacked ?   The  players  have  ﬁnal  say.  
   
  ●
  How  dangerous  and  how  e�ective  is  a  given  action  in  this  circumstance?  How  risky  is   
  this?  Can  this  person  be  Commanded  very  little  or  a  whole  lot?   The  GM  has  ﬁnal  say.  
   
  ●
  Which  consequences  are  inﬂicted  to  manifest  the  dangers  in  a  given  circumstance?   
  Does  this  fall  from  the  roof  break  your  leg?  Do  the  COPs  merely  become  suspicious  or   
  do  they  already  have  you  trapped?   The  GM  has  ﬁnal  say.  
   
  ●
  Does  this  situation  call  for  a  dice  roll,  and  which  one?  Is  your  character  in  position  to   
  make  an  action  roll  or  must  they  ﬁrst  make  a  resistance  roll  to  gain  initiative?   The  GM   
  has  ﬁnal  say.  
   
  ●
  Which  calamities  occur  when  a  character’s  luck  runs  out?  Is  this  where  your  merc  gets   
  captured  and  decides  they  are  no  longer  a  killer?  The  players  have  ﬁnal  say.  
   
   
   
  Rolling  the  Dice  
   
  Neon  Black  uses  six-sided  dice.  You  roll  several  at  once  and  read  the  single  highest  result.  
   
   
   
  ●
  If  the  highest  die  is  a  6 ,  it’s  a  full  success —things  go  well.  If  you  roll  more  than  one  6 ,   
  it’s  a  critical  success   ( CRIT )  —you  gain  some  additional  advantage.  
   
  ●
  If  the  highest  die  is  a  4   or  5 ,  that’s  a  mixed  success —you  do  what  you  were  trying  to   
  do,  but  there  are  consequences:  trouble,  harm,  reduced  e�ect,  etc.  
   
  ●
  If  the  highest  die  is  1-3 ,  it’s  a  bad  outcome .  Things  go  poorly.  You  probably  don’t   
  achieve  your  goal  and  you  su�er  complications,  too.  
   
  ●
  If  you  ever  need  to  roll  but  you  have  zero  (or  negative)  dice,  roll  two  dice  and  take  the   
  single  lowest  result.  You  can’t  roll  a  CRIT  when  you  have  zero  dice.  
   
   
   
  All  the  dice  systems  in  the  game  are  expressions  of  this  basic  format.  When  you’re  ﬁrst   
  learning  the  game,  you  can  always  “collapse”  back  down  to  a  simple  roll  to  judge  how  things   
  go.  Look  up  the  exact  rule  later  when  you  have  time.  
   
   
   
  To  create  a  dice  pool  for  a  roll,  you’ll  use  a  trait  (like  your  Sneak  or  your  Prowess  or  your   
  community’s  tier )  and  take  dice  equal  to  its  rating.  You’ll  usually  end  up  with  one  to  four  dice.   
  Even  one  die  is  pretty  good  in  this  game—a  50%  chance  of  success.  The  most  common  traits   
  11  
   
  
  you’ll  use  are  the  action  ratings   of  the  player  characters.  A  player  might  roll  dice  for  their   
  Assault  action  rating  when  they  get  into  a  ﬁst  ﬁght,  for  example.  
   
   
   
  There  are  four  types  of  basic  rolls  in  the  game:  
   
   
   
  ●
  Action  roll .  When  a  PC   attempts  an  action  that’s  dangerous  or  troublesome,  you  make   
  an   action  roll   to  ﬁnd  out  how  it  goes.  Action  rolls  and  their  e�ects  and  consequences   
  drive  most  of  the  game.  
   
  ●
  Downtime  roll.  When  the  PCs  are  at  their  leisure  after  a  score,  they  can  perform   
  downtime  actions  in  relative  safety.  You  make  downtime  rolls   to  see  how  much  they   
  get  done.  
   
  ●
  Fortune  roll.   The  GM  can  make  a  fortune  roll   to  disclaim  decision  making  and  leave   
  something  up  to  chance.  How  much  about  this  subject  does  an  NPC   know?  How  likely  
  is  a  rival  to  show  up  during  a  particular  score?  How  quickly  does  the  virus  spread   
  through  the  local  network?  
   
  ●
  Resistance  roll.   A  player  can  make  a  resistance  roll   when  their  character  su�ers  a   
  consequence  they  don’t  like.  The  roll  tells  us  how  much  luck  their  character  loses  to   
  reduce  or  avoid  a  consequence.  When  you  resist  that  “Broken  Leg”  condition,  you  lose   
  some  luck  and  now  it’s  only  a  “Sprained  Ankle”  instead.  You  may  also  resist  the   
  consequence  entirely,  it  depends  on  the  consequence  and  the  ﬁction.  
   
   
  Phases  of  the  Game  
   
  Neon  Black  can  be  broken  down  into  three  phases  of  play.  By  default,  the  game  is  in  free   
  play —characters  talk  to  each  other,  they  go  places,  they  do  things,  they  make  rolls  as  needed.   
  They  can  get  into  as  much  or  as  little  trouble  as  they  like.  
   
   
   
  When  the  group  is  ready,  they  choose  a  community  need  to  fulﬁll  or  a  target  for  their  next   
  score,  then  choose  a  type  of  plan  to  employ.  This  triggers  the  engagement  roll   (which   
  establishes  the  situation  as  the  score  starts)  and  then  the  game  shifts  into  the  score  phase .  
   
   
   
  During  the  score ,  the  PCs  engage  the  target—they  make  rolls,  overcome  obstacles,  call  for   
  ﬂashbacks ,  and  complete  the  score  (successfully  or  not).  When  the  score  is  ﬁnished,  the  game   
  shifts  into  the  downtime  phase .  
   
   
   
  During  the  downtime  phase ,  the  GM  engages  the  systems  for  payo� ,  heat ,  as  well  as   
  downtime  scenes ,  to  determine  all  the  potential  fallout  from  the  score.  Then  the  PCs  each  get   
  their  downtime  actions,  such  as  working  on  a  long-term  project .  When  all  the  downtime   
  actions  are  complete,  the  game  returns  to  free  play  and  the  cycle  starts  over  again.  
   
   
   
  12  
   
  
  These  phases  are  a  conceptual  model  to  help  you  organize  the  game.  They’re  not  meant  to  be   
  rigid  structures  that  restrict  your  options.  Think  of  the  phases  as  a  menu  of  options  to  ﬁt   
  whatever  it  is  you’re  trying  to  accomplish  in  play.  Each  phase  suits  a  di�erent  goal.  
   
  Principles  of  Play  
   
  Neon  Black  is  a  sandbox  style  role-playing  game,  meaning  there  is  no  predeﬁned  adventure  or   
  plot.  Prime  City  is  full  of  predatory  corporations  and  struggling  communities,  and  it  is  up  to  all   
  the  players  to  ﬁnd  the  stories  they  want  to  tell  with  this  game.  The  following  principles  will   
  help  create  a  fun  and  interesting  cyberpunk  experience  for  everyone  at  the  table.  These  are   
  not  just  helpful  suggestions.  These  principles  are  rules,  illustrating  how  capitalism  sucks  and   
  being  a  fan  of  the  other  players  is  just  as  important  to  the  game  as  action  rolls  and  playbooks.   
    
   
   
  No  prologue.   Discover  who  your  character  is  and  what  their  world  is  like  through  play.  Don’t   
  come  to  the  table  with  an  overarching  plot,  or  an  in  depth  backstory,  or  a  calendar  of   
  corporate  schemes.  Community  contacts,  the  character’s  milestones,  and  the  roll  of  the  dice   
  will  provide  ample  resources  to  craft  a  narrative.  All  you  need  to  do  to  prepare  is  consume   
  some  cyberpunk  media,  listen  to  some  synthwave  music,  and  come  to  the  table  with  themes   
  and  topics  for  the  taste  menu  to  guide  your  story.  Start  with  questions,  and  answer  them  as  a   
  group.  In  other  words:  play  to  ﬁnd  out  what  happens.  
   
   
   
  Be  fans  of  the  characters.   When  we  ﬁrst  see  the  characters  in  the  story  of  your  game,  they  are   
  likely  poor  or  just  scraping  by.  But  being  poor  in  a  capitalist  system  does  not  mean  someone   
  is  unskilled.  Each  of  the  player  characters  are  good  at  what  they  do.  The  Doc  is  a  gifted   
  chemist  and  doctor,  the  Merc  is  a  tough  ﬁghter.  When  they  fail,  it  is  the  GM’s  responsibility  to   
  illustrate  complications  that  don’t  make  the  player  characters  look  incompetent,  oaﬁsh,  or   
  ignorant.   
    
   
   
  It  is  also  the  responsibility  of  all  the  players  to  share  the  spotlight  and  encourage  each  other   
  to  take  risks.  Ask  another  character  about  their  drives  or  beliefs  after  they  get  a  new   
  milestone.  Prompt  other  characters  for  useful  information.  Act  out  a  scene  to  illustrate  your   
  similarities  or  di�erences.  Neon  Black  is  a  game  about  multiple  characters.  If  you  ﬁnd  that   
  your  character  was  at  the  center  of  the  action  last  session,  hold  back  and  let  the  other  player’s   
  characters  steer  the  story.  
   
   
   
  Be  fans  of  the  other  players.  Use  teamwork  actions  to  help  each  other  during  a  score.  If  a   
  player  is  about  to  do  an  action  roll,  occasionally  remind  them  of  milestones,  cyberware,  and   
  other  mechanics  that  will  help  them.  Propose  ideas  that  incorporate  things  from  the  Yes   
  section  of  the  taste  menu  that  other  players  proposed.  As  a  GM,  let  the  players  describe  their   
  successes  and  propose  ways  they  fail  and  complicate  the  story.  If  a  player  describes  their   
  character  doing  something  risky  and  doesn't  mention  one  of  their  character’s  actions,  suggest   
  13  
   
  
  ones  to  use  so  they  can  make  a  roll.  If  you’re  ever  unsure  what  comes  next,  think  about  the  
  people  in  the  community  and  what  they  need.  
   
   
   
  This  is  a  story  to  be  told,  not  a  game  you  can  win.   Neon  Black  is  a  role-playing  game,  it  is   
  designed  to  bring  a  group  of  people  together  to  tell  an  interesting  cyberpunk  story  full  of   
  characters  who  take  on  challenges  they  cannot  solve  themselves.  It  is  not  designed  for   
  players  to  ﬁnd  optimal  mechanics  to  surpass  each  obstacle  or  calculate  the  best  odds  of   
  success.  It  also  isn’t  designed  for  the  GM  to  make  a  predeﬁned  series  of  traps  or   
  complications  that  the  players  need  to  master  in  order  to  succeed.  Characters  who  always  win   
  and  get  what  they  want  make  for  a  boring  story,  so  too  do  characters  who  can’t  get  ahead   
  despite  their  best  e�orts.   
    
   
   
  To  that  end,  it  is  the  responsibility  of  every  player  to  follow  the  ﬁction  ﬁrst,  not  the  mechanics.   
  If  it  makes  sense  in  the  story  for  the  players  to  do  a  group  action  together  in  the  moment,   
  great!  But  don’t  try  to  organize  players  to  always  get  the  best  possible  result  on  every  roll.   
  Don’t  try  to  bend  the  ﬁction  to  beneﬁt  your  character  and  use  an  action  rating  that  doesn’t  ﬁt   
  what  the  character  is  doing  just  because  you  could  have  more  dice.  Failing  rolls  and  mixed   
  successes  create  tensions,  conﬂict,  and  interesting  problems  for  the  players  to  solve.  Hold  on   
  loosely  to  your  characters  and  take  desperate  chances.  The  story  will  be  better  for  it.  
   
   
   
  Write  the  story  together.   It  is  not  the  sole  responsibility  of  the  GM  to  deﬁne  and  bring  the   
  world  of  Prime  City  to  life.  It  is  assumed  that  the  GM  will  voice  the  NPCs  and  the  city’s   
  factions,  but  it  is  the  responsibility  of  everyone  at  the  table  to  make  Prime  City  feel  like  a   
  living  thing  with  named  characters  and  personal  stakes.  If  you  are  having  trouble  imagining  or   
  partaking  in  a  scene,  ask  for  details.  What  does  it  smell  like  in  the  garage?  When  I  look  out  the   
  broken  windows  what  do  I  see?  What  colour  is  their  fancy  dress?   
    
   
   
  Jump  at  chances  to  show  how  the  di�erent  members  of  the  community  react  to  the   
  characters.  These  NPCs  drive  play  by  providing  scores  and  also  help  illustrate  your   
  community  and  the  setting  of  your  story.  It  beneﬁts  everyone  when  you  take  time  to  deﬁne   
  who  these  people  are,  and  share  the  burden  of  coming  up  with  plot  hooks  and  potential  scores   
  with  the  GM.  
   
   
   
  Capitalism  sucks.   The  world  has  not  improved  in  the  year  2199.  The  climate  apocalypse  and   
  the  rise  of  corporate  city-states  has  only  increased  the  gap  between  the  wealthy  and  the  poor.   
  There  is  little,  if  anything,  to  salvage  from  the  capitalist  system  that  brought  Prime  City  to  this   
  point  in  time.  Neon  Black  is  fundamentally  anti-capitalist.  Players  can  buy  things  from   
  corporations  by  engaging  in  capitalism ,  but  it  is  always  more  expensive  than  the  alternatives,   
  and  forces  the  characters  to  compromise  long-term  goals  with  short-term,  risk-free  gains.   
  Structuring  a  society  around  the  accumulation  of  money  creates  unequal  living  conditions,  a   
  14  
   
  
  servant  class  of  workers  who  cannot  earn  enough  money  to  survive,  and  a  ruling  class  of   
  people  who  hoard  their  wealth  and  refuse  to  change.  
   
   
   
  Each  corporate  faction  in  Prime  City  is  self-interested  and  has  a  list  of  assets  that  the  players   
  can  attempt  to  steal,  subvert,  or  destroy.  Each  underground  faction  is  trying  to  create   
  alternatives  and  subvert  corporate  control  of  Prime  City.  They  have  goals  and  aspirations  that   
  the  players  can  help  by  taking  on  scores.  Neon  Black  is  designed  to  create  a  ﬁctional  world   
  where  you  can  rob  rich  people  and  create  alternatives  to  capitalism.  
   
   
   
  Community  rules.  There  are  several  potential  alternatives  to  the  capitalist  system  in  Prime   
  City.  Most  of  them  include  community.  A  community  could  be  a  local  Stack  trying  to  free   
  itself  from  corporate  landlords  and  services.  It  could  be  your  crew  of  punks  living  in  the  City   
  of  Nod,  the  desolate  suburbs  in  the  desert  outside  Prime  City.  These  are  the  people  you  can   
  help,  and  will  help  you  in  return.  They  could  be  neighbours,  or  folks  you  interact  with  on  the   
  ‘Net.  At  the  end  of  the  day  the  corporations  and  the  people  who  run  them  don’t  care  about   
  you,  people  do.  
   
   
   
  Humanity  is  broad.   In  Prime  City  they  are  several  di�erent  examples  of  human  beings.  Some   
  humans  are  ﬂesh  and  blood,  some  have  synthetic  prosthetics  like  cyberware.  Some  are   
  HAUNTs,  and  live  on  the  ‘Net  as  incorporeal  beings.  Some  HAUNTs  have  bodies  like   
  spaceships,  cars,  or  even  vending  machines.  None  of  these  characteristics  make  these  people   
  any  more  or  less  human.  In  Prime  City,  being  human  has  nothing  to  do  with  the  body  you   
  inhabit  or  how  much  ﬂesh  or  metal  it  has.  The  fact  that  humanity  comes  in  many  shapes  and   
  sizes  is  not  something  a  corporate  world  wants  to  accommodate,  but  that  does  not  mean  there   
  is  something  wrong  with  someone  who  has  less  limbs  or  is  heavier  than  other  people.  If  Prime   
  City  isn’t  designed  to  accommodate  a  wide  spectrum  of  humanity,  that  is  a  problem  you  can   
  ﬁx,  not  a  condemnation  of  the  people.  
   
   
   
  The  players  should  have  this  basic  assumption  when  they  begin  their  game  of  Neon  Black.   
  You  are  encouraged  to  target  corporate  factions  that  would  seek  to  challenge  or  subvert  the   
  humanity  of  people,  such  as  the  church  of  the  Prophets  Returned.  They  are  villains  because   
  they  have  an  essentialist  view  of  humanity,  and  believe  incorrectly  that  people  who  are  wholly   
  or  partly  synthetic  have  lost  their  humanity.   
    
   
   
  The  rich  are  villains.   Every  time  a  rich  person  keeps  more  wealth  than  they  require,  in  a  world   
  full  of  people  su�ering  because  of  economic  inequality,  they  are  choosing  to  act  immorally.   
  The  tastes  and  living  conditions  of  the  rich  require  the  debasement  and  abuse  of  other  people.   
  Also  the  rich  cannot  become  rich  without  the  labour,  time,  and  sacriﬁces  of  other  people.  In   
  your  game  of  Neon  Black  you  may  have  rich  people  trying  to  be  human,  trying  to  do  the  right   
  thing.  But  they  all  start  as  the  rulers  of  a  capitalist  system  and  so  they  all  start  as  villains,   
  15  
   
  
  whether  they  realize  it  or  not.  It  is  the  responsibility  of  GM  to  make  sure  that  every  rich   
  corporate  suit  and  celebrity  in  Prime  City  exhibits  these  immoral  behaviours  and  attitudes.  
   
   
   
  It  is  possible  for  the  player  characters  to  become  rich,  either  through  long-term  projects  or   
  hoarding  resources.  If  that  is  the  case  then  it  is  the  responsibility  of  everyone  at  the  table  to   
  illustrate  the  corrupting  inﬂuence  of  wealth  and  to  illustrate  that  character  as  a  villain.  Sooner   
  or  later  a  rich  PC   must  either  get  rid  of  their  wealth,  retire,  or  become  an  antagonist  to  the   
  other  characters  in  the  story.  
   
   
   
  Present  opportunities,  follow  the  lead.   To  be  driven  the  players  need  opportunities  and  leads   
  for  lucrative  and  dangerous  scores.  GM,  when  the  players  talk  about  wanting  to  get  rid  of  their   
  notoriety,  or  gaining  a  new  asset,  or  more  resources,  present  them  with  scores  from  their   
  community  or  the  factions  of  Prime  City.  Players,  when  you  don’t  have  a  score  lined  up,  look   
  to  your  community  for  opportunities.  Look  at  the  factions  and  their  assets  for  things  that  you   
  want  and  select  a  plan  to  take  them.  None  of  the  corporations  in  Prime  City  deserve  what   
  they  have,  and  your  community  cannot  survive  if  you  don’t  steal  from  them.  
   
   
   
  Cut  to  the  action.  When  you  have  a  score,  grab  a  missing  detail,  pick  a  load,  and  cut  to  the   
  scene  already  in  progress.  There  is  room  for  ponderous  nonaction  in  the  moments  before  a   
  score  happens,  and  it's  everyone's  responsibility  to  make  sure  that  doesn’t  happen.  You  don’t   
  need  to  plan  for  each  eventuality  or  to  ﬁnd  the  perfect  missing  detail.  If  the  players  need  to   
  know  more  about  the  world  of  Prime  City,  the  GM  should  call  for  a  gather  information  roll  so   
  they  can  move  forward.  The  characters  are  all  good  at  what  they  do,  and  any  complication   
  that  occurs  during  the  score  is  something  that  could  be  accounted  for  in  a  ﬂashback .  
   
   
   
  Show  the  disparity,  then  make  it  neon.   Most  cyberpunk  ﬁction  is  just  a  stylized  version  of  our   
  own  world  with  the  dial  between  rich  and  poor  turned  up  to  11.  Show  the  disparity  and  vibrant   
  life  of  the  99%.  Show  how  people  make  their  own  use  for  things,  how  their  art  is  always  more   
  unpredictable  and  heartfelt  than  corporate  products.  Show  neon  signs  advertising  local  shops,   
  show  the  local  bartender’s  impressive  homemade  cyberware,  describe  the  beautiful  mournful   
  sound  of  the  ﬁddle  player  panhandling  on  the  street.  
   
   
   
  Then,  when  the  story  of  your  game  turns  to  the  rich,  show  how  sterile  and  lifeless  their  word   
  is.  Show  them  making  unsound  arguments  and  holding  on  to  old,  useless  philosophies.   
  Describe  their  massive  sculptures  and  too-perfect  chrome  arms.  Hint  at  how  much  everything   
  they  own  costs,  and  what  that  trapped  wealth  could  have  done  for  other  people.   
    
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  16  
   
  
  Actions  &  Attributes  
   
  Action  Ratings  
   
  There  are  9  actions  in  the  game  that  the  player  characters  use  to  overcome  obstacles.  
   
   
   
  When  you  Analyze ,  you  scrutinize  people,  places,  items,  and  details,  and  interpret  evidence.   
    
  You  might  gather  information  from  the  news  and  the  ‘Net.  You  might  do  research  on   
  an  esoteric  topic.  You  might  closely  study  a  person  to  detect  lies  or  true  feelings.  You   
  could  investigate  protected  databases  (but  Hack  might  be  better).   
    
   
   
  When  you  Assault ,  you  engage  in  pitched  combat  with  the  intent  to  harm  or  neutralize  your   
  opposition,  or  break  things  with  overwhelming  force.   
    
  You  might  brawl  or  wrestle  with  your  foe.  You  might  use  weapons  or  explosives.  You   
  might  storm  a  barricade  or  hold  a  position  in  battle.  You  might  lay  down  suppressing   
  ﬁre.  You  might  use  a  vehicle  as  a  weapon  (though  Move   might  be  better).   
    
   
   
  When  you  Command ,  you  compel  obedience  with  your  force  of  personality.    
  You  might  intimidate  or  threaten  to  get  what  you  want.  You  might  lead  an  action  with   
  NPCs.  You  might  give  a  speech  to  get  people  to  do  what  you  want  (though  Spin   might   
  be  better).   
    
   
   
  When  you  Connect ,  you  socialize  with  friends  and  community  members.   
    
  You  might  talk  to  someone  to  gain  access  to  resources,  information,  people,  or  places.   
  You  might  make  a  good  impression  or  win  someone  over  with  your  charm  and  style.   
  You  might  make  new  friends  or  connect  with  people  in  your  community  or  who  work   
  with  the  same  employer.  You  could  try  to  direct  your  friends  with  social  pressure  (but   
  Command   might  be  better).   
    
   
   
  When  you  Hack ,  you  breach  the  security  systems  of  computers  and  networks,  override  their   
  controls  and  commands,  or  manipulate  software.   
    
  You  might  access  a  network  to  ﬁnd  information  or  take  control  of  a  security  system.   
  You  might  scramble  a  drone’s  control  systems  to  keep  it  from  ﬁring  on  you.  You  might   
  override  a  door’s  controls  to  get  it  to  open  (though  Tinker  might  be  better).   
    
   
   
  When  you  Move ,  you  lift,  climb,  jump,  run,  swim  or  pilot  a  vehicle.   
    
  You  might  vault  over  a  turnstile  while  escaping  authorities.  You  might  climb  up  the  side   
  of  a  building.  You  might  dodge  gunﬁre  as  you  escape  a  shootout.  You  might  drive  a  car   
  as  you  ﬂee  the  COPs.  You  might  chase  after  a  mark  you’re  observing  (though  Sneak   
  might  be  better).   
    
   
   
  17  
   
  
  When  you  Tinker ,  you  alter  how  an  existing  mechanism  works,  create  a  new  gadget,  apply   
  ﬁrst  aid  or  repair  cyberware.   
    
  You  might  disable  a  trap.  You  might  repair  a  damaged  vehicle  or  augmentation.  You   
  might  help  stop  someone  from  bleeding  to  death.  You  might  crack  a  safe.  You  might   
  overdrive  an  engine.  You  might  program  a  bomb  to  detonate  later.  You  might  force  a   
  door  open  (though  Assault  might  be  better).   
    
   
   
  When  you  Sneak ,  you  move  stealthily  or  without  being  noticed.   
    
  You  might  sneak  past  security  or  hide  in  the  shadows.  You  might  pick  someone’s   
  pocket.  You  might  sneak  up  behind  someone  to  attack  them  by  surprise  (but  Assault   
  might  be  better).  You  might  ﬂee  through  a  dark  alley  (but  Move  might  be  better).   
    
   
   
  When  you  Spin ,  you  inﬂuence  someone  with  guile,  charm,  or  logic.   
    
  You  might  outright  lie  to  someone’s  face.  You  might  persuade  a  sucker  to  believe  you.   
  You  might  argue  the  facts.  You  could  try  to  trick  people  into  a�ection  or  obedience  (but   
  Connect  or  Command  might  be  better).   
    
   
   
  Many  actions  overlap  with  others,  which  is  by  design.  As  a  player,  you  get  to  choose  which   
  action  you  roll  by  saying  what  your  character  does.  Can  you  try  to  Move  behind  someone  to   
  grapple  them  during  a  ﬁght?  Sure!  The  GM  tells  you  the  position  and  e�ect  level  of  your   
  action  in  this  circumstance.  Assault  might  be  better  (less  risky  or  more  e�ective),  depending   
  on  the  situation  at  hand.  (Sometimes  it  might  be  the  other  way  around.)   
    
   
   
  Each  action  has  a  rating  (from  0  to  3)  that  tells  you  how  many  dice  to  roll  when  you  perform   
  that  action.  Action  ratings  don’t  just  represent  skill  or  training—you’re  free  to  describe  how   
  your  character  performs  that  action  based  on  the  type  of  person  they  are.  Maybe  your   
  character  is  good  at  Command  because  they  have  a  scary  stillness  to  them,  while  another   
  character  barks  orders  and  intimidates  people  with  their  military  bearing.  
   
   
   
  You  choose  which  action  to  perform  to  overcome  an  obstacle  by  describing  what  your   
  character  does.  Actions  that  are  poorly  suited  to  the  situation  may  be  less  e�ective  and  may   
  put  the  character  in  more  danger,  but  they  can  still  be  attempted.  Usually,  when  you  perform   
  an  action,  you’ll  make  an  action  roll   to  see  how  it  turns  out.  
   
   
   
  Action  Roll  
   
  You  make  an  action  roll   when  your  character  does  something  potentially  dangerous  or   
  troublesome.  The  possible  results  of  the  action  roll  depends  on  your  character’s  position .   
  There  are  three  positions:  controlled ,  risky ,  and  desperate .  If  you’re  in  a  controlled  position,   
  the  possible  consequences  are  less  serious.  If  you’re  in  a  desperate  position,  the   
  consequences  can  be  severe.  If  you’re  somewhere  in  between,  it’s  risky—usually  considered   
  the  “default”  position  for  most  actions.  
   
  18  
   
  
   
   
  If  there’s  no  danger  or  trouble  at  hand,  you  don’t  make  an  action  roll.  You  might  make  a   
  fortune  roll   or  a  downtime  roll   or  the  GM  will  simply  say  yes—and  you  accomplish  your  goal.  
   
   
   
  Attribute  Ratings  
   
  There  are  three  attributes   in  the  game  that  the  player  characters  use  to  resist  bad   
  consequences:  Clout,  Intellect,   and   Prowess .  Each  attribute  has  a  rating  (from  0  to  4)  that  tells   
  you  how  many  dice  to  roll  when  you  use  that  attribute.  
   
   
   
  The  rating  for  each  attribute  is  equal  to  the  number  of  dots  in  the  ﬁrst  column  under  that   
  attribute.  The  more  well-rounded  your  character  is  with  a  particular  set  of  actions,  the  better   
  their  attribute  rating.  
   
   
   
  Resistance  Roll  
   
  Each  attribute  resists  a  di�erent  type  of  danger.  If  you  get  stabbed,  for  example,  you  resist   
  physical  conditions  with  your  Prowess  rating.  Resistance  rolls   always  succeed—you  diminish   
  or  deﬂect  the  bad  result—but  the  better  your  roll,  the  less  luck  it  costs  to  reduce  or  avoid  the   
  danger.  
   
   
   
  When  the  enemy  has  a  big  advantage,  you’ll  need  to  make  a  resistance  roll  before  you  can   
  take  your  own  action.  For  example,  when  you  ﬁght  the  vat-grown  corporate  assassin,  she   
  disarms  you  before  you  can  strike.  You  need  to  make  a  resistance  roll  to  keep  hold  of  your   
  weapon  if  you  want  to  attack  her.  Or  perhaps  you  face  a  powerful  artiﬁcial  intelligence  on  the   
  ‘Net  and  attempt  to  Hack  it  to  control  its  actions.  But  before  you  can  make  your  own  roll,  you   
  must  resist  the  AI’s  powerful  ICE.  
   
   
   
  The  GM  judges  the  threat  level  of  the  enemies  and  uses  these  “preemptive”  resistance  rolls  as   
  needed  to  reﬂect  the  capabilities  of  especially  dangerous  foes.  
   
   
   
  Cyberware  
   
  The  3rd  rating  for  each  action  and  4th  rating  for  each  attribute  are  granted  by  cyberware .   
  These  represent  physical  modiﬁcations  that  allow  the  characters  to  get  additional  dice  when   
  rolling  that  action  rating   or  using  that  attribute  for  a  resistance  roll .  These  are  granted  by   
  cybernetic  enhancements  that  are  installed  during  downtime.  You  can  ﬁnd  more  details  about   
  cyberware  in  the  Drugs,  Hardware,  &  Software  chapter.  
   
   
   
  Cyberware  does  not  make  people  any  more  or  less  human,  remember  humanity  is  board .   
  Augmentations  like  these  are  tools  that  allow  them  to  do  things  they  otherwise  could  not.   
  Sometimes  this  is  empowering,  like  when  you  get  surgery  to  alter  your  body  so  it  represents   
  how  you  see  yourself.  Sometimes  this  is  exploitative,  like  when  a  corporation  forces  you  to  get   
  19  
   
  
  cyberware  so  that  you  can  perform  expected  tasks.  Cyberware  can  be  used  for  good  or  evil,   
  but  it  does  not  diminish  the  essential  humanity  of  the  user.  
   
  Luck  
   
  Player  characters  in  Neon  Black  have  a  special  reserve  called  luck .  When  they  su�er  a   
  consequence  that  they  don’t  want  to  accept,  they  can  spend  luck  instead.  The  result  of  the   
  resistance  roll  determines  how  much  luck  it  costs  to  avoid  a  bad  outcome.  
   
   
   
  While  Hacking   a  Megacorp  server  on  the  ‘Net,  Ashley’s  character,  Zero,  gets  hit  by   
  intrusion  countermeasures  that  threaten  to  make  her  black  out.  Ashley  rolls  her   
  Intellect  rating  to  resist,  and  gets  a  2.  It  costs  6  luck,  minus  2  (the  result  of  the   
  resistance  roll)  to  resist  the  consequences.  Ashley  erases  4  luck  and  describes  how   
  Zero  survives.  
   
   
   
  The  GM  rules  that  the  harm  is  reduced  by  the  resistance  roll,  but  not  avoided  entirely.   
  Zero  su�ers  a  level  2  condition  (“Migraine”)  instead  of  a  level  3  condition   
  (“Concussion”).  
   
   
   
  Each  character  starts  the  game  with  a  certain  amount  of  luck  determined  at  character   
  creation.  Characters  gain  luck  during  the  engagement  roll ,  speciﬁc  downtime  scenes,  or   
  whenever  a  character  rolls  a  crit  on  an  action  roll,  downtime  roll,  or  resistance  roll.  
   
   
   
  Pushing  Your  Luck  
   
  You  can  use  luck  to  push  yourself  for  greater  performance.  When  you  push  your  luck  you   
  spend  2  luck   and  pick  one  of  the  following  options:  
   
   
   
  ●
  Add  +1d   to  your  roll.  (This  may  be  used  for  an  action  roll  or  downtime  roll  or  any  other   
  kind  of  roll  where  extra  e�ort  would  help  you)  
   
  ●
  Add  +1  level   to  your  e�ect.  
   
   
   
  You  can  push  your  luck  once  per  roll,  and  you  can  only  push  yourself  before  the  roll,  not  after.  
   
  Calamities  
  When  a  PC   erases  the  last  of  their  luck,  their  luck  runs  out .  When  your  luck  runs  out  you   
  select  one  of  4  calamities.  Calamities  are  severe  complications  that  dramatically  change  the   
  story  over  and  above  the  normal  consequences  su�ered  as  a  result  of  an  action  roll.  A   
  calamity  is  a  chance  for  the  character  to  grow,  develop,  and  change  as  a  result  of  the  events  of   
  the  game,  and  also  a  chance  for  the  player  to  put  their  character  in  danger,  introduce  new   
  enemies,  raise  the  stakes,  or  introduce  some  other  complication.  
   
  20  
   
  
   
   
  Once  you  select  a  calamity  you  ﬁll  your  luck  track  to  full  (9  luck).  Calamities  cannot  be   
  resisted,  and  players  can  choose  a  calamity  more  than  once  during  the  game.  
   
   
   
  ●
  Captured :  An  unfriendly  faction  captures  or  kidnaps  your  character.  This  is  a  good   
  calamity  if  you  are  outnumbered,  facing  a  powerful  enemy  or  rival,  or  even  as  a   
  potential  setup  for  a  future  score.  Your  character  will  need  to  escape  or  negotiate  their   
  way  out  before  they  join  the  community.  You  may  get  split  up  from  the  other   
  characters  during  a  shootout,  lose  your  footing  during  a  getaway,  get  arrested  by  the   
  COPs,  etc.  
  ●
  Exposed :  The  wrong  person  notices  you  at  the  wrong  time,  mark  +3  heat   on  the   
  community  sheet.  This  is  a  good  option  if  you’re  stuck  in  the  open,  in  a  public  space,  or   
  even  if  you’re  trying  to  avoid  attention  all  together.  This  will  likely  get  your  community   
  a  new  level  of  notoriety,  and  therefore  increase  the  stakes  and  threats  the  characters   
  face,  so  make  sure  all  the  players  are  comfortable  with  this  option.  Your  boss  spots  you   
  stealing  something,  the  COPs  spot  you  during  a  score,  you  get  ﬂagged  by  security   
  programs  while  you  hack,  you  suddenly  become  famous/infamous,  etc.   
    
  ●
  Out  of  Action :  You’re  unconscious  or  unresponsive.  Your  character  likely  cannot  do   
  anything  helpful  during  the  rest  of  this  phase.  This  is  a  good  calamity  if  you’re  in  the   
  middle  of  a  tense  conﬂict,  or  if  you  think  this  is  the  right  moment  in  the  story  for  your   
  character  to  die.  You  might  succumb  to  your  wounds  during  a  ﬁght,  overindulge  during   
  a  social  score,  overwork  yourself  at  your  job,  pass  out  while  getting  chrome  installed,   
  etc.   
    
  ●
  Plot  Twist :  A  signiﬁcant  complication  occurs.  This  calamity  has  a  lot  of  possibilities,  but   
  should  always  make  the  life  of  the  character  worse,  strain  their  relationships,  or  put   
  themselves  or  other  people  in  mortal  danger.  Something  explodes,  a  rival  or  enemy   
  reveals  themselves,  you  intentionally  or  unintentionally  betray  someone,  etc.   
    
  Milestones  
   
  Milestones  are  modiﬁers  for  your  character  that  indicate  what  they  are  feeling,  how  they  act   
  within  the  community,  and  their  unique  skills.  Each  milestone  includes  a  narrative   
  requirement  for  accessing  it  and  also  grants  special  abilities  that  allow  you  to  modify  or  break   
  the  rules  of  the  game.  You  mark  a  milestone  when  you  ﬁrst  create  your  character,  and   
  whenever  your  character  fulﬁlls  the  requirement  of  a  new  milestone.  
   
   
   
  Milestones  are  not  only  mechanical  beneﬁts,  but  also  can  help  illustrate  how  your  character  is   
  changing  throughout  the  story.  For  example  the  Decker  playbook  has  “Introvert”  as  their  ﬁrst   
  milestone.  This  suggests  a  character  that  is  shy  and  doesn’t  like  meeting  face  to  face  with   
  people.  Their  last  milestone  is  “Wired  In”  which  can  only  be  marked  when  the  decker  has   
  forged  relationships  with  multiple  people  in  the  community.  This  creates  a  storyline,  a   
  21  
   
  
  character  arc,  where  they  begin  as  someone  who  is  shy  and  doesn’t  like  relying  on  people,   
  and  grows  into  an  important  member  of  the  community.   
    
   
   
  Just  like  new  milestones  are  marked  when  ﬁctional  conditions  are  met  in  the  game,  old   
  milestones  may  be  unmarked  due  to  conditions  su�ered  during  a  score,  or  when  the  player   
  believes  that  the  milestone  no  longer  represents  their  character’s  personality.  
   
   
  I  QUIT  
   
  While  most  playbooks  don’t  share  milestones,  all  playbooks  include  the  “I  Quit”  milestone.   
  This  represents  when  your  character  leaves  their  employer  behind,  for  whatever  reason.  When   
  you  select  this  milestone  you  always  get  the  same  beneﬁts.  You  erase  1  resource   from  the   
  community  sheet  to  represent  your  lost  wages  and  connections.  You  get  1  additional  free   
  downtime  action   to  represent  your  newfound  free  time.  You  also  take  -1  status   with  the  faction   
  that  employed  you.  
   
   
   
  When  you  have  the  I  Quit  milestone  you  can  still  ﬁnd  employment  again.  If  this  happens  in   
  the  ﬁction,  either  through  a  long-term  project  or  other  means,  you  simply  reverse  the  beneﬁts   
  you  gained  when  you  quit.  You  mark   1  resource   on  the  community  sheet,   have  1  less  free   
  downtime  action ,  and  mark  +1  status  with  the  faction  that  employed  your  character.  
   
  Progress  Clocks  
   
  A  progress  clock  is  a  circle  divided  into  segments.  Draw  a  progress  clock  when  you  need  to   
  track  ongoing  e�ort  against  an  obstacle  or  the  approach  of  impending  trouble.  
   
   
   
  Hacking  into  a  corporate  server?  Make  a  clock  to  track  the  alert  level  of  security   
  software,  or  trace  programs.  When  the  PCs  su�er  consequences  from  partial  successes   
  or  missed  rolls,  ﬁll  in  segments  on  the  clock  until  the  alarm  is  raised  or  their  position  is   
  exposed.  
   
   
   
  Generally,  the  more  complex  the  problem,  the  more  segments  in  the  progress  clock.  A  complex   
  obstacle  is  a  4-segment  clock.  A  more  complicated  obstacle  is  a  6-clock.  A  daunting  obstacle   
  is  an  8-segment  clock.  
   
   
   
  When  you  create  a  clock,  make  it  about  the  obstacle,  not  the  method.  The  clocks  for  an   
  inﬁltration  should  be  “Interior  Patrols”  and  “The  Server  Room”  not  “Sneak  Past  the  Guards”  or   
  22  
   
  
  “Access  the  Server  Room.”  The  patrols  and  the  room  are  the  obstacles —the  PCs  can  attempt  to   
  overcome  them  in  a  variety  of  ways.  
   
   
   
  Complex  enemy  threats  can  be  broken  into  several  “layers,”  each  with  its  own  progress  clock.   
  For  example,  the  AI  enclosure  might  have  a  “Hardware  Security”  clock,  a  “Robot  Guards”   
  clock,  and  a  “‘Net  security”  clock.  The  characters  would  have  to  deal  with  all  three  layers  to   
  reach  the  AI  trapped  inside.  
   
   
   
  Remember  that  a  clock  tracks  progress.  It  reﬂects  the  ﬁctional  situation,  so  the  group  can   
  gauge  how  they’re  doing.  A  clock  is  like  a  speedometer  in  a  car.  It  shows  the  speed  of  the   
  vehicle—it  doesn’t  determine  the  speed.  
   
   
   
  There  are  several  di�erent  ways  to  use  clocks  when  playing  Neon  Black.  
   
   
   
  Danger  Clocks  
   
  The  GM  can  use  a  clock  to  represent  a  progressive  danger,  like  suspicion  growing  during  a   
  seduction,  the  proximity  of  pursuers  in  a  chase,  or  the  alert  level  of  COPs  on  patrol.  In  this   
  case,  when  a  complication  occurs,  the  GM  ticks  one,  two,  or  three  segments  on  the  clock,   
  depending  on  the  consequence  level.  When  the  clock  is  full,  the  danger  comes  to  fruition—the   
  guards  hunt  down  the  intruders,  activate  an  alarm,  release  the  drones,  etc.  
   
   
   
  Racing  Clocks  
   
  Create  two  opposed  clocks  to  represent  a  race.  The  PCs  might  have  a  progress  clock  called   
  “Escape”  while  the  encroaching  threat  has  a  clock  called  “Cornered.”  If  the  PCs  ﬁnish  their   
  clock  before  the  threat  ﬁlls  theirs,  they  get  away.  Otherwise,  they’re  cornered  and  can’t  ﬂee.  If   
  both  complete  at  the  same  time,  the  PCs  escape,  but  the  threat  still  has  to  be  dealt  with.  
   
   
   
  Linked  Clocks  
   
  You  can  make  a  clock  that  unlocks  another  clock  once  it’s  ﬁlled.  For  example,  the  GM  might   
  make  a  linked  clock  called  “Trapped”  after  an  “Alert”  clock  ﬁlls  up.  When  you  ﬁght  a  veteran   
  assassin,  she  might  have  a  clock  for  her  “Defense”  and  then  a  linked  clock  for  “Vulnerable.”   
  Once  you  overcome  the  “Defense”  clock,  then  you  can  attempt  to  overcome  the  “Vulnerable”   
  clock  and  defeat  her.   
    
   
   
  Mission  Clocks  
   
  The  GM  can  make  a  clock  for  a  time-sensitive  score,  to  represent  the  window  of  opportunity   
  you  have  to  complete  it.  If  the  countdown  runs  out,  the  score  fails  or  changes—the  target   
  escapes,  the  concert  is  over,  etc.  
   
   
   
  23  
   
  
  Tug-of-war  Clocks  
   
  You  can  make  a  clock  that  can  be  ﬁlled  and  emptied  by  events,  to  represent  a  back-and-forth   
  situation.  You  might  make  a  “Riot!”  clock  that  indicates  when  the  factory  workers  attempt  to   
  overthrow  management.  Some  events  will  tick  the  clock  up  and  some  will  tick  it  down.  Once  it   
  ﬁlls,  the  riot  begins.  A  tug-of-war  clock  is  also  perfect  for  an  ongoing  battle  between  two   
  factions.  
   
   
   
  Long-term  Project  
   
  Some  projects  will  take  a  long  time.  A  basic  long-term  project  is  eight  segments.  Truly   
  long-term  projects  (like  inventing  a  new  complex  piece  of  software)  can  be  two,  three,  or  even   
  four  clocks,  representing  all  phases  of  development,  testing,  and  ﬁnal  completion.  Add  or   
  subtract  clocks  depending  on  the  details  of  the  situation  and  complexity  of  the  project.  
   
   
   
  A  long-term  project  is  a  good  catch-all  for  dealing  with  any  unusual  player  goal,  including   
  things  that  circumvent  or  change  elements  of  the  mechanics  or  the  setting.  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  24  
   
  
  Action  Roll  
   
  When  a  player  character  does  something  challenging,  we  make  an  action  roll  to  see  how  it   
  turns  out.  An  action  is  challenging  if  there’s  an  obstacle  to  the  PC’s  goal  that’s  dangerous  or   
  troublesome  in  some  way.  We  don’t  make  an  action  roll  unless  the  PC   is  put  to  the  test.  If   
  their  action  is  something  that  we’d  expect  them  to  simply  accomplish,  then  we  don’t  make  an   
  action  roll.  
   
   
   
  Each  game  group  will  have  their  own  ideas  about  what  “challenging”  means.  This  is   
  good!  It’s  something  that  establishes  the  tone  and  style  of  the  story  you  tell  with  Neon   
  Black.  
   
   
   
  To  make  an  action  roll,  we  go  through  six  steps.  In  play,  they  ﬂow  together  somewhat,  but   
  let’s  break  each  one  down  here  for  clarity.  
   
   
   
  1.
  The  player  states  their  goal  for  the  action.  
   
  2.
  The  player  chooses  the  action  rating .  
   
  3.
  The  GM  sets  the  position  for  the  roll.  
   
  4.
  The  GM  sets  the  e�ect  level  for  the  action.  
   
  5.
  Add  bonus  dice .  
   
  6.
  The  player  rolls  the  dice  and  we  judge  the  result.  
   
   
   
  1.  The  Player  States  Their  Goal  
   
  Your  goal  is  the  concrete  outcome  your  character  will  achieve  when  they  overcome  the   
  obstacle  at  hand.  Usually  the  character’s  goal  is  pretty  obvious  in  context,  but  it’s  the  GM’s  
  job  to  ask  and  clarify  the  goal  when  necessary.  
   
   
   
  “You’re  punching  him  in  the  face,  right?  Okay...  what  do  you  want  to  get  out  of  this?   
  Do  you  want  to  take  him  out,  or  just  intimidate  him  up  so  he’ll  do  what  you  want?”  
   
   
   
  2.  The  Player  Chooses  the  Action  Rating  
   
  The  player  chooses  which  action  rating  to  roll,  following  from  what  their  character  is  doing   
  on-screen.  If  you  want  to  roll  your  Assault  action,  then  get  in  a  ﬁght.  If  you  want  to  roll  your   
  Command  action,  then  order  someone  around.  You  can’t  roll  a  given  action  rating  unless  your   
  character  is  presently  performing  that  action  in  the  ﬁction.  
   
   
   
  3.  The  GM  Sets  the  Position  
   
  Once  the  player  chooses  their  action,  the  GM  sets  the  position  for  the  roll.  The  position   
  represents  how  dangerous  or  troublesome  the  action  might  be.  There  are  three  positions:   
  controlled ,  risky ,  and  desperate .  To  choose  a  position,  the  GM  looks  at  the  proﬁles  for  the   
  positions  below  and  picks  one  that  most  closely  matches  the  situation  at  hand.  
   
  25  
   
  
  Positions  
   
  ●
  Controlled:  You’re  set  up  for  success.  You’re  exploiting  a  dominant  advantage.  
   
  ●
  Risky:   You  go  head-to-head.  You’re  acting  under  duress.  You’re  taking  a  chance.  
   
  ●
  Desperate:   You’re  overreaching.  You’re  in  real  trouble.  A  very  dangerous  maneuver.  
   
   
   
  By  default,  an  action  roll  is  risky .  You  wouldn’t  be  rolling  if  there  was  no  risk  involved.  If  the   
  situation  seems  more  dangerous,  make  it  desperate .  If  it  seems  less  dangerous,  make  it  
  controlled .  
   
   
   
  4.  The  GM  Sets  the  E�ect  Level  
   
  The  GM  assesses  the  likely  e�ect  level  of  this  action,  given  the  factors  of  the  situation.   
  Essentially,  the  e�ect  level  tells  us  “how  much”  this  action  can  accomplish:  will  it  have  limited,   
  standard,  or  great  e�ect?  
   
   
   
  The  GM’s  choices  for  e�ect  level  and  position  can  be  strongly  inﬂuenced  by  the   
  player’s  choice  of  action  rating.  If  a  player  wants  to  try  to  make  a  new  friend  with   
  Assault —well...  maybe  that’s  possible,  but  the  GM  wouldn’t  be  crazy  to  say  it’s  a   
  desperate  roll  and  probably  limited  e�ect.  Seems  like  Connect  would  be  a  lot  better  for   
  that.  The  players  are  always  free  to  choose  the  action  they  perform,  but  that  doesn’t   
  mean  all  actions  should  be  equally  risky  or  potent.  
   
   
   
  5.  Add  Bonus  Dice  
   
  You  can  normally  get  at  least  two  bonus  dice  for  your  action  roll.  
   
   
  For  at  least  one  bonus  die,  you  can  get  assistance  from  a  teammate  who  has  a  bond  with  you.   
  They  spend   luck  equal  to  the  number  of  bonds  they  have  written  about  you,  say  how  they   
  help  you,  and  give  you  +1d   for  each  bond  they  have  about  you.  
   
   
   
  For  another  bonus  die,  you  can  either  push  your  luck  (spend  2  luck )  or  you  can  sell  out   (you   
  can’t  get  dice  for  both,  it’s  one  or  the  other).  
   
   
   
  Selling  Out  
   
  It’s  hard  to  get  ahead  in  Prime  City—you’ll  often  have  to  make  sacriﬁces  that  will  complicate   
  your  life  later  to  get  what  you  want  now.  To  reﬂect  this,  the  GM  or  any  other  player  can  o�er   
  you  a  bonus  die  if  you  sell  out   by  putting  yourself,  your  friends,  or  precious  gear  in  harm’s   
  way  to  get  an  edge.  Common  things  a  PC   can  do  to  sell  out   are:  
   
   
   
  ●
  Collateral  damage  (harm  NPCs,  community  members,  employees,  etc.)  
   
  ●
  Sacriﬁce  resources  (erase  1,  2,  or  even  3  resources  from  the  community  sheet)  
   
  ●
  Mark  a  condition  (broken  cyberware,  harm,  broken  or  expended  playbook  items)  
   
  ●
  Betray  a  contact,  friend,  or  loved  one  (community  members,  coworkers,  etc.)  
   
  26  
   
  
  ●
  O�end  or  anger  a  faction  (-1  or  -2  status  with  a  faction)  
   
  ●
  Start  and/or  tick  a  troublesome  clock  (4-part  clocks  for  score  speciﬁc  complications,   
  longer  clocks  for  complications  that  could  follow  the  community  for  some  time)  
   
  ●
  Add  heat  to  the  community  from  evidence  or  witnesses  (1,  2,  or  even  3  heat)  
   
   
   
  Selling  out   occurs  regardless  of  the  outcome  of  the  roll.  You  make  the  deal,  pay  the  price,  and   
  get  the  bonus  die.  You  can  also  sell  out  to  gain  +1  e�ect   on  an  action  roll,  similar  to  when  you   
  push  your  luck .  You  cannot  resist  the  consequences  of  selling  out.  
   
   
   
  Selling  out   is  always  a  free  choice.  If  you  don’t  like  one  you  can  reject  it  (or  suggest  how  to   
  alter  it  so  you  might  consider  taking  it).  You  can  always  just  push  your  luck  for  that  bonus  die   
  instead.  
   
   
   
  If  it’s  ever  needed,  the  GM  has  ﬁnal  say  over  which  sell  out   is  valid.  
   
   
   
  6.  Roll  the  Dice  and  Judge  the  Result  
   
  Once  the  goal,  action  rating,  position,  and  e�ect  have  been  established,  add  any  bonus  dice   
  and  roll  the  dice  pool  to  determine  the  outcome.  (See  the  sets  of  possible  outcomes,  by   
  position,  below.)  
   
   
   
  The  action  roll  does  a  lot  of  work.  It  tells  you  how  well  the  character  performs  as  well  as  how   
  serious  the  consequences  are  for  them.  They  might  succeed  at  their  action  without  any   
  consequences  (on  a  6 ),  or  they  might  succeed  but  su�er  consequences  (on  a  4/5 ),  or  it  might   
  just  all  go  wrong  (on  a  1-3 ).  
   
   
   
  On  a  1-3 ,  it’s  up  to  the  GM  to  decide  if  the  PC’s  action  has  any  e�ect  or  not,  or  if  it  even   
  happens  at  all.  Usually,  the  action  just  fails  completely,  but  in  some  circumstances,  it  might   
  make  sense  or  be  more  interesting  for  the  action  to  have  some  e�ect  even  on  a  1-3   result.  
   
   
   
  Each  4/5   and  1-3   outcome  lists  suggested  consequences  for  the  character.  The  worse  your   
  position,  the  worse  the  consequences  are.  The  GM  can  inﬂict  one  or  more  of  these   
  consequences,  depending  on  the  circumstances  of  the  action  roll.  PCs  have  the  ability  to   
  avoid  or  reduce  the  severity  of  the  consequences  that  they  su�er  by  resisting  them.  
   
   
   
  When  you  narrate  the  action  after  the  roll,  the  GM  and  player  collaborate  together  to  say  what   
  happens  on-screen.  Tell  us  how  you  jump  away  from  the  exploding  car.  Tell  us  what  you  say  to   
  the  corporate  executive  to  convince  her.  The  GM  will  tell  us  how  she  reacts.  When  you  face   
  down  the  COPs,  what’s  your  ﬁghting  style  like?  Etc.  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  27  
   
  
  The  Action  Roll  Summary  
   
  ●
  1d  for  each  action  rating  dot  
   
  ●
  +1d   if  you  push  your  luck  (spend  2  luck )  or  if  you  sell  out  
   
  ●
  +d   if  another  character  assists  you  (they  can  only  assist  if  they  have  a  bond  with  you,   
  they  spend   1  luck   for  each  bond,  you  get  1d  for  each  bond)  
   
   
   
  Controlled  
   
  You  act  on  your  terms.  You  exploit  a  major  advantage.   
    
   
   
  ●
  CRIT:   You  do  it  with  increased  e�ect ,  and  all  PCs  gain   1  luck .  
   
  ●
  6:   You  do  it.   
    
  ●
  4/5:   You  hesitate.  Withdraw  and  try  a  di�erent  approach,  or  else  do  it  with  a  minor  
  consequence:  a  minor  complication  occurs,  you  have  reduced  e�ect ,  you  su�er  a  level   
  1  condition ,  you  end  up  in  a  risky  position.   
    
  ●
  1-3:  You’re  blocked  or  you  falter.  Press  on  by  seizing  a  risky  opportunity,  or  withdraw   
  and  try  a  di�erent  approach.  
   
   
   
  Risky  
   
  You  go  head-to-head.  You  act  under  ﬁre.  You  take  a  chance.   
    
   
   
  ●
  CRIT:  You  do  it  with  increased  e�ect ,  and  all  PCs  gain   1  luck .   
    
  ●
  6:  You  do  it.  
   
  ●
  4/5:  You  do  it  but  there’s  a  consequence:  you  su�er  a  level  2  condition ,  a  complication   
  occurs,  you  have  reduced  e�ect ,  you  end  up  in  a  desperate  position.   
    
  ●
  1-3:  Things  go  badly.  You  su�er  a  level  2  condition ,  a  complication  occurs,  you  end  up   
  in  a  desperate  position,  you  lose  this  opportunity .  
   
   
   
  Desperate  
   
  You  overreach  your  capabilities.  You’re  in  serious  trouble.   
    
   
   
  ●
  CRIT:   You  do  it  with  increased  e�ect ,  and  all  PCs  gain   1  luck .   
     
  ●
  6:  You  do  it.  
   
  ●
  4/5:  You  do  it,  but  there’s  a  consequence:  you  su�er  a  level  3  condition ,  a  serious   
  complication  occurs.   
    
  ●
  1-3:   It’s  the  worst  outcome.  You  su�er  a  level  3  condition ,  a  complication  occurs,  you   
  lose  this  opportunity .  
   
   
   
  Double-duty  Rolls  
   
  Since  NPCs  don’t  roll  for  their  actions,  an  action  roll  does  double-duty:  it  resolves  the  action   
  of  the  PC   as  well  as  any  NPCs  that  are  involved.  The  single  roll  tells  us  how  those  actions   
  interact  and  which  consequences  result.  On  a  6 ,  the  PC   wins  and  has  their  e�ect.  On  a  4/5 ,  it’s   
  a  mix—both  the  PC   and  the  NPC   have  their  e�ect.  On  a  1-3 ,  the  NPC   wins  and  has  their  e�ect   
  as  a  consequence  on  the  PC.  
   
   
   
  28  
   
  
  E�ect  
   
  In  Neon  Black,  you  achieve  goals  by  taking  actions  and  facing  consequences.  But  how  many   
  actions  does  it  take  to  achieve  a  particular  goal?  That  depends  on  the  e�ect  level  of  your   
  actions.  The  GM  judges  the  e�ect  level  using  the  descriptions  below.  Which  one  best  matches   
  the  action  at  hand —great,  standard,  or  limited?  Each  e�ect  level  indicates  the  questions  that   
  should  be  answered  for  that  e�ect,  as  well  as  how  many  segments  to  tick  if  you’re  using  a   
  progress  clock.  
   
   
   
  ●
  Zero:  You  achieve  nothing  or  have  no  e�ect.  Add  0  ticks  to  a  relevant  clock.  Why  are   
  you  outclassed  or  completely  ine�ective?  
  ●
  Limited:   You  achieve  a  partial  or  weak  e�ect.  Add  1  tick  to  a  relevant  clock.  How  is  your   
  impact  diminished?  
   
  ●
  Standard:  You  achieve  what  we  would  expect  as  “normal”  with  the  action.  Add  2  ticks   
  to  a  relevant  clock.  How  do  you  achieve  your  intended  result?  
   
  ●
  Great:   You  achieve  more  than  usual.  Add  3  ticks  to  a  relevant  clock.  How  does  the  extra   
  e�ort  manifest?  
   
   
   
  Assessing  Factors  
   
  To  assess  e�ect  level,  ﬁrst  start  with  your  gut  feeling,  given  this  situation.  Then,  if  needed,   
  assess  three  factors  that  may  modify  the  e�ect  level:  potency ,  scale ,  and  quality .  If  the  PC   
  has  an  advantage  in  a  given  factor,  consider  a  higher  e�ect  level .  If  they  have  a  disadvantage,   
  consider  a  reduced  e�ect  level .  
   
   
   
  Potency  
   
  The  potency  factor  considers  particular  weaknesses,  taking  extra  time  or  a  bigger  risk,  or  the   
  inﬂuence  of  wealth  &  power.  An  inﬁltrator  is  more  potent  if  all  the  lights  are  o�  and  they  move   
  about  in  the  dark.  Being  dressed  in  an  expensive  suit  gives  you  potency  when  talking  with   
  corporate  managers,  but  probably  hinders  you  when  negotiating  with  a  group  of  punks.  
   
   
   
  Quality/Tier  
   
  Quality  represents  the  e�ectiveness  of  tools,  weapons,  or  other  resources,  usually  summarized   
  by  tier.  Fine  items  count  as  +1  bonus  in  quality ,  stacking  with  tier .  
   
   
   
  Carbon  is  hacking  the  COPs  security  system.  Her  community  is  Tier  I  and  she  has  a   
  ﬁne  custom  deck—so  she’s  e�ectively  Tier  II.  The  COPs  are  Tier  III.  Carbon  is   
  outclassed  in  quality,  so  her  e�ect  will  be  limited  when  she  hacks.  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  29  
   
  
  Scale  
   
  Scale  represents  the  number  of  opponents,  size  of  an  area  covered,  scope  of  inﬂuence,  etc.   
  Larger  scale  can  be  an  advantage  or  disadvantage  depending  on  the  situation.  In  battle,  more   
  people  are  probably  better.  When  inﬁltrating,  more  people  are  likely  a  hindrance.  
   
   
   
  When  considering  factors,  e�ect  level  might  be  reduced  below  limited,  resulting  in  zero  e�ect.  
   
   
   
  If  a  PC   special  ability  gives  “+1  e�ect,”  it  comes  into  play  after  the  GM  has  assessed  the  e�ect   
  level.   
    
   
   
  Also,  remember  that  a  PC   can  push  their  luck  (spend  2  luck )  or  sell  out  to  get  +1  e�ect  on  their   
  action.  
   
   
   
  Every  factor  won’t  always  apply  to  every  situation.  You  don’t  have  to  do  an  exact  accounting   
  every  time,  either.  Use  the  factors  to  help  you  make  a  stronger  judgment  call—don’t  feel   
  beholden  to  them.  
   
   
   
  Trading  Position  for  E�ect  
   
  After  factors  are  considered  and  the  GM  has  announced  the  e�ect  level,  a  player  might  want   
  to  trade  position  for  e�ect,  or  vice  versa.  For  instance,  if  they’re  going  to  make  a  risky  roll  with  
  standard  e�ect  (the  most  common  scenario,  generally),  they  might  instead  want  to  push  their   
  luck  and  make  a  desperate  roll  but  with  great  e�ect.  
   
   
   
  This  kind  of  trade-o�  isn’t  included  in  the  e�ect  factors  because  it’s  not  an  element  the  GM   
  should  assess  when  setting  the  e�ect  level.  Once  the  level  is  set,  though,  you  can  always  o�er   
  the  trade-o�  to  the  player  if  it  makes  sense  in  the  situation.  
   
   
   
  Brad,  a  player:  “I  hack  the  tra�c  lights  in  the  district  to  slow  down  the  COPs  pursuing   
  us.”  
   
   
   
  Charlie,  the  GM:  “I  don’t  think  you  can  take  out  the  whole  district  with  a  single  hack   
  roll.  The  scale  of  the  area  is  a  factor  here,  so  your  e�ect  will  be  limited .  Let’s  say  you   
  can  hack  half  the  area,  then  you’ll  have  to  hack  again  to  disable  the  rest  of  the  lights.”  
   
   
   
  Brad:  “I  didn’t  realize  it  would  take  that  long.  Hmmm.  Okay,  what  if  I  just  go  as  fast  as   
  I  can.  Can  I  take  out  all  the  lights  in  the  system  if  I  make  a  desperate  roll?”  
   
   
   
  Charlie:  “Yep,  sounds  good  to  me!”  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  30  
   
  
  Consequences  
   
  When  a  PC   su�ers  an  e�ect  from  an  enemy  or  a  dangerous  situation,  it’s  called  a   
  consequence .  Consequences  are  the  companion  to  e�ects.  PCs  have  an  e�ect  on  the  world   
  around  them  and  they  su�er  consequences  in  return  from  the  risks  they  face.  
   
   
   
  Setting  Position  &  E�ect  
   
  The  GM  sets  position  and  e�ect  for  an  action  roll  at  the  same  time,  after  the  player  says  what   
  they’re  doing  and  chooses  their  action.  Usually,  Risky  /  Standard  is  the  default  combination,   
  modiﬁed  by  the  action  being  used,  the  strength  of  the  opposition,  and  the  e�ect  factors.  
   
   
   
  For  example,  if  a  character  is  facing  o�  alone  against  a  squad  of  Corporate  Order  Police,  the   
  situation  might  look  like  this:  
   
   
   
  ●
  She  ﬁghts  the  COPs  head  on  in  a  shootout  with  Assault .  In  this  case,  being  threatened   
  by  the  larger  force  lowers  her  position  to  indicate  greater  risk,  and  the  scale  of  the   
  squad  reduces  her  e�ect  (Desperate  /  Limited).  
   
  ●
  She  ﬁghts  the  COPs  from  a  choke-point,  like  a  narrow  alleyway  where  their  numbers   
  can’t  overwhelm  her  at  once.  She’s  not  threatened  by  several  at  once,  so  her  risk  is   
  similar  to  a  one-on-one  ﬁght,  but  there’s  still  a  lot  of  enemies  to  deal  with,  so  her  e�ect   
  is  reduced  (Risky  /  Limited).  
   
  ●
  She  doesn’t  ﬁght  the  COPs,  instead  trying  to  Move  her  way  past  them  and  escape.   
  She’s  still  under  threat  from  many  enemy  attacks,  so  her  position  is  worse,  but  if  the   
  ground  is  open  and  the  COPs  can’t  easily  corral  her,  then  her  e�ect  for  escaping  isn’t   
  reduced  (Desperate  /  Standard).  If  she  had  some  immediate  means  of  escape  (like   
  leaping  o�  an  overpass  onto  a  truck  below),  then  her  e�ect  might  even  be  increased   
  (Desperate  /  Great).  
   
  ●
  The  COPs  aren’t  aware  of  her  yet—she’s  set  up  in  a  sniper  position  on  a  nearby  roof.   
  She  takes  a  shot  against  one  of  them.  Their  greater  numbers  aren’t  a  factor,  so  her  
  e�ect  isn’t  reduced,  and  she’s  not  immediately  in  any  danger  (Controlled  /  Great).   
  Maybe  instead  she  wants  to  ﬁre  o�  a  salvo  of  suppressing  ﬁre  against  the  whole  squad,   
  in  which  case  their  scale  applies  (Controlled  /  Limited).  If  they  are  on  guard  for   
  potential  trouble,  her  position  is  more  dangerous  (Risky  /  Great).  If  the  guards  are   
  alerted  to  a  sniper,  then  the  e�ect  may  be  reduced  further,  as  they  scatter  and  take   
  cover  (Risky  /  Limited).  If  the  squad  is  able  to  muster  covering  ﬁre  while  they  fall  back   
  to  a  safe  position,  then  things  are  even  worse  for  our  sniper  (Desperate  /  Limited).  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  31  
   
  
  Consequences  &  Conditions  
   
  Enemy  actions,  bad  circumstances,  or  the  outcome  of  a  roll  can  inﬂict  consequences  on  a  PC.   
  There  are  ﬁve  types  of  consequences:  
   
   
   
  ●
  Reduced  e�ect  
   
  ●
  Complication  
   
  ●
  Lost  opportunity  
   
  ●
  Worse  position  
   
  ●
  Condition  
   
   
   
  A  given  circumstance  might  result  in  one  or  more  consequences,  depending  on  the  situation.   
  The  GM  determines  the  consequences,  following  from  the  ﬁction  and  the  style  and  tone   
  established  by  the  group.  
   
   
   
  Reduced  E�ect  
   
  This  consequence  represents  impaired  performance.  The  PC’s  action  isn’t  as  e�ective  as   
  they’d  anticipated.  You  hit  him,  but  it’s  only  a  ﬂesh  wound.  She  accepts  the  forged  concert   
  tickets,  but  security  will  keep  an  eye  on  you  in  the  VIP  area.  You’re  able  to  scale  the  building,   
  but  it’s  slow  going—you’re  only  halfway  up.   This  consequence  essentially  reduces  the  e�ect   
  level  of  the  PC’s  action  by  one  after  all  other  factors  are  accounted  for.  
   
   
   
  Complication  
   
  This  consequence  represents  trouble,  mounting  danger,  or  a  new  threat.  The  GM  might   
  introduce  an  immediate  problem  that  results  from  the  action  right  now:  the  room  catches  ﬁre,   
  you’re  disarmed,  the  community  takes  +1  heat  from  evidence  or  witnesses,  you  lose  status   
  with  a  faction,  the  target  evades  you  and  now  it’s  a  chase,  reinforcements  arrive,  etc.  
   
   
   
  Or  the  GM  might  tick  a  clock  for  the  complication,  instead.  Maybe  there’s  a  clock  for  the  alert   
  level  of  the  security  at  the  secret  corporate  black  site.  Or  maybe  the  GM  creates  a  new  clock   
  for  the  suspicion  of  the  rich  people  at  the  VIP  party  and  ticks  it.  Fill  one  tick  on  a  clock  for  a   
  minor  complication  or  two  ticks  for  a  standard  complication.  
   
   
   
  A  serious  complication   is  more  severe:  reinforcements  surround  and  trap  you,  your  weapon  is   
  broken,  the  community  su�ers  +2  heat ,  your  target  escapes  out  of  sight,  etc.  Fill  two  ticks  on   
  a  clock  for  a  serious  complication.  
   
   
   
  Don’t  inﬂict  a  complication  that  negates  a  successful  roll.   If  a  PC   tries  to  corner  an  enemy  and   
  gets  a  4/5,  don’t  say  that  the  enemy  escapes.  The  player’s  roll  succeeded,  so  the  enemy  is   
  cornered...  maybe  the  PC   has  to  wrestle  them  into  position  and  during  the  scu�e  the  enemy   
  grabs  their  gun.  
   
  32  
   
  
  Lost  Opportunity  
   
  This  consequence  represents  shifting  circumstances.  You  had  an  opportunity  to  achieve  your   
  goal  with  this  action,  but  it  slips  away.  To  try  again,  you  need  a  new  approach—usually  a  new   
  form  of  action  or  a  change  in  circumstances.  Maybe  you  tried  to  Assault  the  corporate   
  assassin,  but  she  evades  your  maneuver  and  leaps  out  of  reach.  If  you  want  to  ﬁght  her  now   
  you’ll  have  to  try  another  way—maybe  try  to  Move  in  closer  to  get  a  hit  in.  
   
   
   
  Worse  Position  
   
  This  consequence  represents  losing  control  of  the  situation—the  action  carries  you  into  a  more   
  dangerous  position.  Perhaps  you  make  the  leap  across  to  the  next  rooftop,  only  to  end  up   
  dangling  by  your  ﬁngertips.  You  haven’t  failed,  but  you  haven’t  succeeded  yet,  either.  You  can   
  try  again,  re-rolling  at  the  new,  worse  position.  This  is  a  good  consequence  to  choose  to  show   
  escalating  action.  A  situation  might  go  from  controlled,  to  risky,  to  desperate  as  the  action   
  plays  out  and  the  PC   gets  deeper  and  deeper  in  trouble.  
   
   
   
  Condition  
   
  This  consequence  represents  some  sort  of  long-lasting  debility,  short-term  complication,  or   
  even  death.  When  you  su�er  a  condition,  record  the  speciﬁc  condition  on  your  character  sheet   
  equal  to  the  level  you  su�er.  A  level  1  condition  is  recorded  on  the  bottom  row,  a  level  2   
  condition  is  written  on  the  middle  row,  and  a  level  3  condition  is  recorded  on  the  top  row.  You   
  can  see  examples  of  conditions  below.  
   
   
   
  If  you  need  to  mark  a  condition,  but  the  row  is  already  ﬁlled,  the  condition  moves  up  to  the   
  next  row  above.  So,  if  you  su�ered  a  level  2  condition  but  had  already  marked  a  condition  in   
  the  middle  row,  you’d  have  to  record  a  level  3  condition,  instead.  If  you  run  out  of  spaces  on   
  the  top  row  and  need  to  mark  a  condition  there,  your  character  su�ers  a  calamity .  
   
   
   
  Conditions  cover  a  wide  variety  of  narrative  circumstances.  Physical  injuries,  strong  emotions,   
  illness,  social  issues,  altered  mental  states,  broken  or  spent  equipment  and  cyberware,  all   
  these  are  potential  conditions.  These  conditions  may  impede  a  character’s  actions,  making   
  certain  action  rolls  more  di�cult  and  e�ecting  your  position  and  e�ect  accordingly.  Di�erent   
  groups  will  have  di�erent  ideas  of  what  counts  as  a  level  2  or  3  condition.  Some  may  want   
  sturdier  characters  and  rule  that  a  broken  bone  is  a  level  2  condition,  others  might  want  higher   
  stakes  scores  and  rule  that  any  debilitating  wound  is  a  level  3  condition.  This  is  great!  Just  try   
  to  make  assigning  conditions  consistent  throughout  the  game.  
   
   
   
  By  default,  conditions  in  Neon  Black  reﬂect  the  level  of  technology  available  to  the  characters   
  in  Prime  City.  A  character  could  su�er  a  level  3  condition  like  “severed  arm”,  “multiple   
  gunshot  wounds”,   or  “impaled”  and  can  have  a  reasonable  chance  to  recover  when  cyberware   
  is  readily  available.  
   
   
   
  33  
   
  
   
   
  Conditions  should  be  tailored  speciﬁcally  to  each  character  so  it  creates  complications  for   
  them.  A  character  who  enjoys  the  spotlight  and  getting  noticed  won’t  be  too  bothered  by  the   
  “exposed”  condition,  but  a  character  with  a  hidden  identity  trying  to  evade  Prime  City’s   
  corporations  would  be  devastated  by  it.   
    
   
   
  Conditions  can  also  be  temporary,  and  can  disappear  or  transform  as  time  progresses  (for   
  example  when  you  enter  the  downtime  phase).  If  you  mark  level  2  condition  “drunk”  during  a   
  score,  this  could  transform  into  a  level  1  condition  “hung-over”  the  day  after.  If  you  have  the   
  “out  of  ammo”  condition  this  can  be  cleared  when  the  character  enters  downtime  and  can   
  easily  get  ammunition  for  their  autopistol  (this  may  not  be  the  case  if  it  is  ammunition  for   
  their  speciﬁc  playbook  weapons).  
   
   
   
  Condition  Examples  
   
  ●
  Level  3:   Shattered  bone,  severed  limb,  multiple  gunshot  wounds,  sudden  metastatic   
  cancer,  organ  failure,  concussed,  exposed,  impaled,  electrocuted,  heart  attack,  terriﬁed  
   
  ●
  Level  2:   Furious,  depressed,  drunk,  exhausted,  bleeding,  shot,  panicking,  broken   
  cyberware,  broken  bones,  drunk,  stoned,  hallucinating,  migraine,  compromised,  broken   
  playbook  items  
   
  ●
  Level  1:  Embarrassed,  drained,  scared,  bruised,  deep  cut,  slashed,  sti�  hand,  angry,  sad,   
  out  of  ammo,  broken  standard  items,  hung  over,  anxious,  headache,  sprained  ankle  
   
   
   
  Harm  like  drained  or  exhausted,  or  tired  are  good  general  conditions  to  fall  back  on  if  you   
  can’t  think  of  anything  speciﬁc.   
    
  Resistance  &  Armour  
   
  When  your  PC   su�ers  a  consequence  that  you  don’t  like,  you  can  choose  to  resist  it.  The  GM   
  should  remind  players  that  they  can  resist  each  consequence  after  they’re  described,  and   
  players  are  free  to  say  that  resist  something  and  suggest  an  alternative.  Resistance  is  always   
  automatically  e�ective—the  GM  will  tell  you  if  the  consequence  is  reduced  in  severity  or  if  you   
  avoid  it  entirely.  Then,  you’ll  make  a  resistance  roll  to  see  how  much  luck  your  character   
  spends  as  a  result  of  their  resistance.  
   
   
   
  You  make  the  roll  using  one  of  your  character’s  attributes  ( Clout,  Intellect ,  or  Prowess ).  The   
  GM  chooses  the  attribute,  based  on  the  nature  of  consequences:  
   
   
   
  ●
  Clout :  Consequences  from  deception  or  willpower.  
   
  ●
  Intellect :  Consequences  from  mental  strain  or  understanding.   
    
  ●
  Prowess :  Consequences  from  physical  strain  or  injury.  
   
   
   
  34  
  
  Your  character  spends  6  luck  when  they  resist,  minus  the  highest  die  result  from  the   
  resistance  roll.  So,  if  you  rolled  a  4 ,  you’d  lose  2   luck .  If  you  rolled  a  6 ,  you’d  lose  zero  luck .  If   
  you  get  a  critical  result,  you’d  lose  zero  luck ,  and  instead  all  PCs  (including  you)  gain  1  luck .  
   
   
   
  Dianne’s  character,  Carbon,  is  in  a  desperate  position,  trying  to  Spin  several  corporate   
  managers  to  pitch  her  product.  One  of  them  lands  a  blow  with  some  cutting  and   
  hateful  remarks  about  her  heritage  and  poor  performance.  Since  the  position  was   
  desperate,  the  GM  inﬂicts  a   level  3  condition   (modiﬁed  by  any  other  factors).  They  tell   
  Dianne  to  record  level  3,  “Murderous  rage”  on  Carbon’s  sheet.  Dianne  decides  to  resist   
  the  condition,  instead.  The  GM  says  she  can  reduce  the  condition  by  one  level  if  she   
  resists  it.  Dianne  rolls  3d  for  Carbon’s  Clout  attribute  and  gets  a  5 .  Carbon  spends  1   
  luck  and  the  condition  is  reduced  to  level  2,  “furious.”  
   
   
   
  Usually,  a  resistance  roll  reduces  the  severity  of  a  consequence.  If  you’re  going  to  su�er  a   
  level  3  condition,  for  example,  a  resistance  roll  would  reduce  it  to  a  level  2  condition  instead.   
  Or  if  you  got  a  complication  when  you  were  Hacking  the  corporate  server,  and  the  GM  was   
  going  to  mark  2  ticks  on  the  “Alert”  clock,  she’d  only  mark  one  (or  maybe  none)  if  you  resisted   
  the  complication.  
   
   
   
  You  may  only  roll  against  a  given  consequence  once.  
   
   
   
  The  GM  also  has  the  option  to  rule  that  your  character  completely  avoids  the  consequence .   
  For  instance,  maybe  you’re  in  a  knife  ﬁght  and  the  consequence  is  getting  disarmed.  When  
  you  resist,  the  GM  says  that  you  avoid  that  consequence  completely:  you  keep  hold  of  your   
  weapon.  
   
   
   
  By  adjusting  which  consequences  are  reduced  vs.  which  are  avoided,  the  GM  establishes  the   
  overall  tone  of  your  game.  For  a  more  daring  game,  most  consequences  will  be  avoided.  For  a   
  grittier  game,  most  consequences  will  only  be  reduced  with  resistance.  
   
   
   
  The  GM  may  also  threaten  several  consequences  at  once,  then  the  player  may  choose  which   
  ones  to  resist  (and  make  rolls  for  each).  
   
   
   
  “She  stabs  you  and  runs  away.  Level  2  condition  and  you  lose  the  opportunity  to  catch   
  her  with  ﬁghting.”  
   
   
   
  “I’ll  resist  losing  the  opportunity  by  grappling  her  as  she  attacks.  She  can  stab  me,  but   
  I  don’t  want  to  let  her  escape.”  
   
   
   
  Once  you  decide  to  resist  a  consequence  and  roll,  you  spend  the  luck  indicated.  You  can’t  roll   
  ﬁrst  and  see  how  much  luck  you’ll  lose,  then  decide  whether  or  not  to  resist.  
   
  35  
   
  
   
   
  Resistance  Roll  Summary  
   
  ●
  1d   for  each  attribute   rating  
   
   
   
  ●
  You  reduce  or  completely  avoid  the  e�ects  of  the  consequence  (GM  chooses).  
   
  ●
  Spend  6  luck  minus  the  highest  die  result.  
   
  ●
  Critical:   All  PCs  (including  the  one  actively  resisting)  gain  1  luck .  
   
   
   
  Armor  
   
  If  you  have  a  type  of  armor  that  applies  to  the  situation,  you  can  mark  that  armor  as  part  of   
  your  load   to  reduce  or  avoid  a  consequence,  instead  of  rolling  to  resist.  
   
   
   
  There  are  two  types  of  armor  in  Neon  Black:  armor  and  ‘Net  armor .  Armor  protects  from   
  physical  harm  like  stab  wounds  and  gunshots.  ‘Net  armor  protects  from  harm  su�ered  in  the   
  ‘Net  or  in  an  artiﬁcial  reality  such  as  a  memory  or  dream.  
   
   
   
  Silas  got  surprised  by  an  elite  corporate  agent  and  is  about  to  take  level  2  harm  “gut   
  shot.”  Silas’  player  Wendy  decides  to  resist  that  harm  by  saying  that  Silas  was  wearing   
  body  armor.  She  marks  2  load  for  armor  and  the  GM  says  the  harm  is  reduced  to  level  1   
  harm  “bruised  ribs.”  
   
   
   
  Carbon  is  hacking  the  local  tra�c  network  in  order  to  help  their  friends  escape  from   
  the  COPs.  She  gets  a  partial  success,  and  since  the  position  is  risky  she’s  going  to  take   
  level  3  harm  “sudden  metastatic  cancer”  from  the  ICE  protecting  the  network.  Dianne   
  decides  to  use  Carbon’s  ‘Net  armor  to  reduce  the  harm.  She  marks  ‘Net  armor  as  part   
  of  her  load,  checks  the  ‘Net  armor  box,  and  the  GM  says  the  harm  is  avoided  entirely.  
   
   
   
  When  an  armor  box  is  marked,  it  can’t  be  used  again  until  it’s  restored.  All  of  your  armor  is   
  restored  automatically  during  the  downtime  phase.  
   
  Death  
   
  There  are  a  couple  ways  for  a  PC   to  die  in  Neon  Black.  Players  choose  when  their  characters   
  die.  This  could  be  the  result  of  a  calamity,  selling  out,  or  feeling  like  it’s  just  the  right  time  and   
  place  in  the  story.  When  an  NPC’s  life  is  on  the  line  (for  example,  a  community  contact),  the   
  GM  should  telegraph  this  so  that  the  PCs  have  a  chance  to  intervene  if  they  wish.  When  a   
  player  character  is  in  mortal  peril,  that’s  up  to  the  speciﬁc  player,  when  it’s  an  NPC,  that   
  decision  is  with  all  the  players.  
   
   
   
  Here  are  a  few  examples  of  when  and  why  a  character  may  die  in  Neon  Black:  
   
   
   
  36  
   
  
  ●
  If  they  su�er  a  level  3  condition  and  can’t  ﬁnd  suitable  treatment  in  time.  Sometimes   
  this  is  a  choice  a  player  wants  to  make  because  they  feel  like  it  wouldn’t  make  sense   
  for  the  character  to  survive,  or  the  PCs  are  in  a  position  where  they  can’t  ﬁnd  a  way  to   
  recover  or  get  cyberware.   
    
  ●
  When  they  select  a  calamity   and  decide  that  this  results  in  their  character  dying.  This   
  can  be  the  result  of  the  Out  of  Action  calamity,  or  after  the  Captured  calamity,   
  assuming  they  are  captured  by  someone  who  wants  them  dead.  
   
   
   
  When  your  character  dies,  you  can  create  a  new  character  to  play.  Maybe  you  “promote”  one   
  of  the  NPCs  in  the  community  to  a  PC,  or  create  a  brand-new  character  who  joins  the   
  community.  Perhaps  the  character  was  working  on  becoming  a  HAUNT  and  comes  back  as  a   
  consciousness  who  lives  in  the  ‘Net.  
   
  Fortune  Roll  
   
  The  fortune  roll  is  a  tool  the  GM  can  use  to  disclaim  decision  making.  You  use  a  fortune  roll  in   
  two  di�erent  ways:  
   
   
   
  When  you  need  to  make  a  determination  about  a  situation  the  PCs  aren’t  directly  involved  in   
  and  don’t  want  to  simply  decide  the  outcome.  
   
   
   
  The  characters  have  captured  a  wealthy  accountant  and  are  questioning  him  about  his   
  employer’s  secret  corporate  schemes.  Does  this  man  know  anything  about  what  the   
  characters  are  asking  him?  The  GM  makes  a  fortune  roll  to  see  what,  if  anything,  he   
  knows.  
   
   
   
  When  an  outcome  is  uncertain ,  but  no  other  roll  applies  to  the  situation  at  hand.  
   
   
   
  While  pilfering  the  database  of  a  rival  hacker,  Jerusalem  is  hit  by  lethal  Black  ICE.  As   
  his  consciousness  slips  away,  Jerusalem  loads  a  random  program  from  the  hacker’s   
  system.  Will  the  software  have  an  e�ect  on  the  ICE?  Will  it  damage  Jerusalem’s   
  hardware?  Who  knows?  The  GM  makes  a  fortune  roll  to  see  how  it  turns  out.  
   
   
   
  When  you  make  a  fortune  roll  you  may  assess  any  trait  rating  to  determine  the  dice  pool  of   
  the  roll.  
   
   
   
  ●
  When  a  faction  takes  an  action  with  an  uncertain  outcome,  you  might  use  their  tier   
  rating  to  make  a  fortune  roll.  
   
  ●
  When  a  member  of  the  community  operates  independently,  use  the  community’s  tier   
  rating  for  a  fortune  roll.  
   
  37  
   
  
  ●
  When  advanced  technology  or  chemicals  are  used  with  uncertain  results,  you  might   
  use  its  magnitude  for  a  fortune  roll.  
   
  ●
  When  a  PC   gathers  information ,  you  might  make  a  fortune  roll  using  their  action  rating   
  to  determine  the  amount  of  the  info  they  get.  
   
   
   
  If  no  trait  applies,  roll  1d  for  sheer  luck  or  create  a  dice  pool  (from  one  to  four)  based  on  the   
  situation  at  hand.  If  two  parties  are  directly  opposed,  make  a  fortune  roll  for  each  side  to  see   
  how  they  do,  then  assess  the  outcome  of  the  situation  by  comparing  the  results.  
   
   
   
  The  fortune  roll  is  also  a  good  tool  to  help  the  GM  manage  all  the  various  moving  parts  of  the   
  world.  Sometimes  a  quick  roll  is  enough  to  answer  a  question  or  inspire  an  idea  for  what  might   
  happen  next.  
   
   
   
  Fortune  Roll  Summary  
   
  ●
  1d  for  each  trait  rating  
   
  ●
  +1d   for  each  major  advantage  
   
  ●
  -1d   for  each  major  disadvantage  
   
   
   
  ●
  Critical:   Exceptional  result  /  Great,  extreme  e�ect.  
   
  ●
  6:   Good  result  /  Standard,   full  e�ect.  
   
  ●
  4/5:   Mixed  result  /  Limited,  partial   e�ect.  
   
  ●
  1-3:   Bad  result  /  Poor,  little  e�ect.  
   
   
   
  PC’s  do  not  gain  luck  on  fortune  rolls.  
   
  Gathering  Information  
   
  Neon  Black  has  a  massive  ﬁctional  world,  and  the  details  of  that  world  change  based  on  your   
  group’s  taste  menu  and  interests.  The  characters  will  only  know  about  certain  aspects  of   
  Prime  City  and  the  world  beyond,  and  so  too  will  the  players.  To  help  facilitate  the  ﬂow  of   
  information  between  players,  we  use  a  tool  called  gather  information .  
   
   
   
  When  you  want  to  know  something  speciﬁc  about  the  ﬁctional  world,  your  character  can   
  gather  information .  The  GM  will  ask  you  how  your  character  gathers  the  info  (or  how  they   
  learned  it  in  the  past),  and  then  the  player  can  ask  any  question  they’d  like.  
   
   
   
  ●
  If  it’s  common  knowledge,  the  GM  will  simply  answer  your  questions.  Which  company   
  makes  a  particular  piece  of  hardware  or  software?  Is  there  public  transit  in  Prime  City?   
  Who  is  the  CEO  of  this  corporation?  
   
  38  
   
  
  ●
  If  there’s  an  obstacle  or  danger  involved  in  the  discovery  of  the  answer,  an  action  roll   is   
  called  for.  Where  does  this  hacker  group  hang  out?  How  can  we  escape  from  the   
  COPs?  Who  is  following  us?  
   
  ●
  If  it’s  not  common  knowledge  but  there’s  no  obstacle  or  danger,  a  simple  fortune  roll   
  determines  the  quality  of  the  information  you  gather.  Is  there  a  bar  this  person   
  frequents?  Where  does  this  person  live?  How  does  this  piece  of  technology  work?  
   
   
   
  Each  attempt  to  gather  information  takes  time.  If  the  situation  allows,  you  can  try  again  if   
  you  don’t  initially  get  all  the  info  that  you  want.  But  often,  the  opportunity  is  ﬂeeting,  and   
  you’ll  only  get  one  chance  to  roll  for  that  particular  question.  
   
   
   
  Players  should  feel  free  to  ask  leading  questions  when  they  gather  information.  If  a  player   
  thinks  it  would  be  cool  and  exciting  for  the  corporate  suit  to  have  a  cybered-up  bodyguard,   
  they  can  ask,  “How  much  cyberware  does  their  bodyguard  have?”  or  “How  much  longer  until   
  their  bodyguard  ﬁnds  us?”  In  these  moments  the  details  and  circumstances  of  the  ﬁction  are   
  up  for  grabs.  The  GM  doesn’t  know  the  “real”  answer.  The  dice  limit  the  scope  of  what  could   
  be,  but  don’t  let  that  limit  your  questions.  If  you  need  to  make  an  explosion,  ask  “What  here  is   
  explosive?”  Sometimes  the  answer  is  nothing,  but  more  often  than  not  this  is  a  way  for  the   
  players  to  collaborate  to  ﬁnd  an  advantage  or  opportunity  to  follow  that  the  characters  can   
  exploit.  
   
   
   
  The  most  common  gather  information  actions  are  Analyzing   the  situation  to  reveal  or   
  anticipate  what’s  going  on  or  Hacking   a  computer  or  the  ‘Net  for  secrets  and  intelligence.  
   
   
   
  Sometimes,  you’ll  have  to  maneuver  yourself  into  position  before  you  can  gather  information.   
  For  example,  you  might  have  to  Sneak   to  a  good  hiding  place  ﬁrst  and  then  Analyze  the  secret   
  meeting.  
   
   
   
  Gathering  Information  as  a  Long-Term  Project  
   
  Some  questions  are  too  complex  to  answer  immediately  with  a  single  gather  information  roll.   
  For  instance,  you  might  want  to  discover  the  secret  dark  ‘Net  of  Prime  City.  In  these  cases,   
  the  GM  will  tell  you  to  start  a  long-term  project   that  you  work  on  during  downtime.  
   
   
   
  You  track  the  investigation  project  using  a  progress  clock.  Once  the  clock  is  ﬁlled,  you  have   
  the  evidence  you  need  to  ask  several  questions  about  the  subject  of  your  investigation  as  if   
  you  had  great  e�ect.  
   
   
   
  Actions  &  Questions  
   
  ●
  You  might  Hack  the  ‘Net  to  ﬁnd  obscure  or  hidden  information.  Have  any  other   
  hackers  been  here?  How  can  I  access  the  corporation's  secret  ‘Netspace?   
    
  39  
   
  
  ●
  You  might  Command   a  corporate  employee  to  tell  you  about  the  secret  meetings  held   
  in  the  factory  at  night.  What’s  really  going  on  here?  What’s  he  really  feeling  about   
  this?  Is  he  part  of  this  secret  group?   
    
  ●
  You  might  Connect   with  a  friend  to  learn  the  secrets  of  an  enemy  or  rival.  What  do   
  they  intend  to  do?  What  might  I  suspect  about  their  motives?   
    
  ●
  You  might  Sneak   across  the  city,  following  a  courier  to  discover  who’s  receiving   
  prototypes  from  a  tech  company.  Where  does  the  package  end  up?  Who  signed  for  the   
  delivery?   
    
  ●
  You  might  Analyze  corporate  tech  to  discover  its  secrets.  How  can  I  power  this  device?   
  Is  there  any  way  to  track  it?  What  state  of  the  art  features  does  it  possess?  
   
  ●
  Or  you  might  Analyze   a  person  to  read  their  intentions  and  feelings.  What  are  they   
  really  feeling?  How  could  I  get  them  to  trust  me?  What  are  they  a  fan  of?  
   
  ●
  You  might  Spin   a  powerful  executive  at  a  party  to  divulge  his  plans.   How  can  I   
  convince  him  I  might  be  a  good  partner  in  these  plans?   
    
  ●
  Or  you  might  Spin   his  bodyguard  to  conﬁde  in  you  about  recent  events.  Where  has  he   
  been  lately?  Who’s  he  been  meeting  with?  
   
   
   
  General  Gathering  Information  Questions  
   
  ●
  How  do  I  ﬁnd  (x)?  
   
  ●
  What  do  they  intend  to  do?  
   
  ●
  What’s  really  going  on  here?  
   
  ●
  Ask  about  a  missing  detail  for  a  plan.  
   
  ●
  Who  here  has  cyberware?  
   
  ●
  Where  can  I  ﬁnd  a  ‘Net  connection?  
   
  ●
  What  here  is  explosive?  
   
  ●
  What  is  the  best  way  out/in?  
   
  ●
  Who  here  is  dangerous?  
   
  ●
  How  can  I  convince  them  to  do  (x)?  
   
  ●
  Who  here  is  a  fan  of  (x)?  
   
   
   
  Gather  Information  Summary  
   
  ●
  Ask  a  question  and  make  an  action  roll  or  a  fortune  roll .  The  GM  answers  you  honestly,   
  with  a  level  of  detail  depending  on  the  e�ect  level.  
   
   
   
  ●
  Great :  You  get  exceptional  details.  The  information  is  complete  and  follow-up  questions   
  may  expand  into  related  areas  or  reveal  more  than  you  hoped  for.  
   
  ●
  Standard :  You  get  good  details.  Clarifying  and  follow-up  questions  are  possible.  
   
  ●
  Limited :  You  get  incomplete  or  partial  information.  More  information  gathering  will  be   
  needed  to  get  all  the  answers.  
   
   
   
  40  
   
  
  Free  Play  
   
  Free  play  is  a  bit  more  nebulous  than  the  score  and  downtime  phases.  The  score  phase  kicks   
  in  when  you  have  selected  a  target  for  a  score,  and  the  downtime  phase  always  follows  after.   
  The  free  play  phase  is  the  stu�  that  happens  all  round  these  other  two  phases.   
    
   
   
  Free  play  is  the  scene  where  the  Merc  decides  to  steal  that  fancy  cyberarm  in  the  showroom   
  rather  than  buying  one.  It’s  when  two  players  sit  down  at  the  table  and  decide  that  they   
  would  really  like  to  see  what  happens  when  their  two  characters  argue  about  whether  or  not   
  they  should  help  the  Baza  Syndicate.  It’s  when  the  Synth  tries  to  steal  the  physical  records  of   
  your  community’s  crimes  from  the  local  COP  precinct  and  everything  just  goes  to  shit.  
   
   
   
  Neon  Black  is  in  the  free  play  phase  by  default.  Until  the  characters  do  something  that   
  triggers  a  score,  consider  them  in  free  play.  They  can  perform  action  rolls  to  do  something   
  risky,  fortune  rolls  to  do  something  uncertain  or  to  ﬁnd  more  information  about  the  world,  or   
  role-play  scenes  that  don’t  ﬁt  anywhere  else.  
   
   
   
  Example  of  Free  Play:  Meet  your  Maker  
   
  Alex,  Michelle,  Troy,  and  Eric  all  sit  down  to  resume  their  game  of  Neon  Black.  Michelle,  the   
  GM,  starts  by  giving  a  quick  recap  of  last  session  for  the  players.   
    
   
   
  “Last  time  we  mostly  did  our  downtime  actions.  Alex,  your  character  Rabbit  ﬁnished  a   
  long-term  project  to  track  down  Ichikawa,  the  machinist  who  built  you,  right?”  Alex  plays  a   
  synth  and  has  spent  the  last  few  sessions  searching  for  their  lost  maker  in  Prime  City.  Alex   
  nods,  
   
   
   
  “Yeah,  I  think  I  ﬁnished  that  clock  by  sending  him  a  message  to  meet  someplace  public.”  
   
   
   
  “Awesome,  yeah  I  think  you  received  an  email  with  a  time  and  address.  It’s  for  tonight.  Where   
  would  he  meet  you?”  
   
   
   
  Alex  thinks.  “Probably  a  co�ee  place,  or  a  restaurant?”  
   
   
   
  Troy  consults  the  list  of  factions.  “Constellation  Consolidated  Foods  controls  basically  all  the   
  restaurants  right?  So  it  would  probably  be  a  place  they  own.”  
   
   
   
  Michele  nods,  “Yeah,  maybe  like  a  chain  pub  sort  of  thing.  Something  really  kitschy  and   
  overpriced.  Maybe  some  retrofuture  thing,  like  hackers  are  sort  of  infamous  now,  so  maybe  it’s   
  something  like  that?”  
   
   
   
  “The  Hacker’s  Arms!”  Eric  exclaims.  Everyone  else  around  the  table  groans.  
   
   
   
  41  
   
  
  “I  hate  it  but  now  I  can’t  think  of  anything  else,”  says  Michelle.  “Alright,  so  you  meet  in  the   
  Hacker’s  arms.  As  our  episode  of  Neon  Black  begins  we  get  an  establishing  shot  of  a  Hacker’s   
  Arms  location  in  Prime  City,  probably  at  street  level.  There’s  all  sorts  of  fake  hacker  subculture   
  props  on  the  walls.”  
   
   
   
  “An  ancient  ﬁlm  called  Hackers  plays  in  a  loop  on  the  TVs,”  Eric  adds.   
    
   
   
  “Perfect!”  Michelle  laughs.  “We  see  Rabbit  waiting  in  a  bright  red  leather  booth  as  servers  in   
  ridiculous  uniforms  serve  food  and  drinks.  Rabbit,  did  you  tell  anyone  else  about  this  meeting   
  or  get  the  other  members  of  the  crew  to  come  along?”  
   
   
   
  “Yeah,  I  think  it  would  be  more  fun  that  way,”  Alex  replies.  
   
   
   
  “What  did  you  tell  us?”  Asks  Troy  who  plays  a  merc  named  Talbot.  
   
   
   
  Alex  adopts  a  slightly  monotone  voice  for  their  character  Rabbit.  “After  14  cycles  of  searching   
  I  have  located  Ichikawa  and  will  be  meeting  him  this  evening.  I  would  like  you  both  to   
  attend.”  
   
   
   
  Eric  plays  Oracle,  a  tech  “You  sure  you  need  this,  little  bunny?  I  mean  I  ﬁx  you  up  all  the  time,   
  what  can  this  guy  give  you  that  we  can’t?”  
   
   
   
  Alex  nods  and  responds,  “I  think  Rabbit  would  say  something  like…  ‘Do  you  both  know  who   
  your  parents  are?’”  
   
   
   
  Eric  nods.  Troy  responds,  “Unfortunately.”  
   
   
   
  “‘I  do  not.’  And  I  think  that’s  all  Rabbit  says  about  it.”  
   
   
   
  Michelle  nods.  
   
   
  “While  we’re  waiting  in  this  awful  restaurant,  can  I  look  around  and  see  if  there’s  anyone  big   
  and  scary  here,  maybe  acting  suspicious?”  asks  Troy.  “I’m  worried  this  might  be  a  set  up.”  
   
   
   
  “Sure,”  says  Michelle,  “it’s  a  big  restaurant,  so  I  think  it  would  be  di�cult  to  spot  something.   
  Are  you  just  surveying  things  from  the  booth  or  do  you  get  up  and  do  a  sweep  of  the  place?”  
   
   
   
  “Just  from  where  I’m  sitting.”  
   
   
   
  “Okay,  sounds  like  a  gather  information  roll.”  
   
   
   
  “Great,  Can  I  use  Assault ?  I  want  to  look  for  anyone  tough  or  who  would  be  good  in  a  ﬁght.”  
   
  42  
   
  
   
   
  Michelle  thinks.  Gather  information  is  a  fortune  roll  and  Analyze  would  be  better  for  this  roll.   
  “Okay,  you  can  use  your  Assault  action,  but  since  it’s  not  the  best  action  for  this  roll,  I’ll  count   
  that  as  a  major  disadvantage  so  you  roll  with  -1d. ”  
   
   
   
  Troy  nods,  “Alright  that  makes  sense,  that  means  I  have  1  die.  Here  goes.”  Troy  rolls  the  dice.   
  “Ugh,  a  3 .”  
   
   
   
  “Alright,  well  you  can  still  ask  questions  but  I  can  only  give  you  limited  details,”  says  the  GM.  
   
   
   
  “Okay,  so,  what  should  I  be  on  the  lookout  for?”   
    
   
   
  “Across  the  restaurant  from  you  there’s  a  customer  sitting  at  a  table  by  himself.  You  can  see   
  that  he  has  a  lot  of  cyberware  on  his  arms.”  
   
   
   
  Troy  looks  at  his  merc  playbook  for  inspiration  for  what  questions  to  ask.  “Is  he  scared  of   
  me?”  
   
   
   
  Michelle  shakes  her  head.  “Nope.”   
    
   
   
  “Oh  interesting.  Alright,  I’m  gonna  keep  an  eye  on  him.”  
   
   
   
  “I  think  that’s  when  Ichikawa  arrives,”  continues  Michelle.  “He’s  a  short  man  with  white   
  balding  hair  and  sand-coloured  skin.  He  wears  a  simple  plastic  raincoat  over  a  sweater  vest.   
  He  spots  Rabbit  in  the  booth  and  quickly  sits  opposite  you.”  
   
   
   
  Alex  responds,  “I  look  at  him  with  wide  eyes  and  say,  ‘Ichikawa  is  that  you?’”  
   
   
   
  “He  nods  and  says,  ‘Rabbit,  you  should  not  have  come.  Why  are  you  here?’”  
   
   
   
  Alex  thinks,  “Rabbit  is  confused  and  sort  of  taken  aback.  He  says,  ‘But,  you  are  my  maker.  I’ve   
  never  met  you  before.  Did  you  not  want  to  meet  me?’”  
   
   
   
  Michelle  says,  “He  looks  nervous  and  keeps  glancing  around  the  restaurant.”  
   
   
   
  Troy  adds,  “Talbot  nudges  Rabbit  with  his  elbow  and  nods  to  the  suspicious  cybergoon  that   
  he  spotted  earlier.  He  says,  ‘We  have  company.’”  
   
   
   
  “Ichikawa  swears  when  he  hears  that,  Talbot.  You  can  all  see  he’s  sweating  now.”  
   
   
   
  Eric’s  character  Oracle  chimes  in,  “Hey  old  bones  if  you’re  in  trouble  you  can  tell  us.  If  the   
  little  bunny  here  cares  about  you  then  dammit,  so  do  I.”   
    
  43  
   
  
   
   
  Alex  nods,  “Yeah  I  think  Rabbit  says,  ‘Ichikawa,  if  you  are  in  trouble  let  me  help  you.  These   
  are  my  friends.  You  can  trust  us.’”  
   
   
   
  “Hmm,”  says  Michelle.  “Yeah,  I’m  gonna  need  a  roll  here  to  see  if  you  can  convince  Ichikawa   
  to  go  with  you.  He  might,  but  he  needs  convincing.”  
   
   
   
  “Alright,”  responds  Alex.  “I’m  trying  to  convince  him  by  being  friendly,  and  we  share  a  past  so   
  I  think  I’ll  use  Connect  here.”  
   
   
   
  Michelle  nods.  “Sounds  good.  There’s  deﬁnitely  a  risk  here,  he  might  say  no  or  it  might  attract   
  attention,  and  you’re  deﬁnitely  taking  a  chance  so  I  think  the  position  and  e�ect  is  risky,   
  standard.”  
   
   
   
  Alex  picks  up  1  die  for  their  Connect  action  rating.   
    
   
   
  Eric  says,  “May  I  assist?  I  was  kind  of  helping  by  saying  I  care  because  Rabbit  cares.”  
   
   
   
  Alex  nods.  Eric’s  character  has  a  bond  with  Alex’s  character,  so  they  spend  1   luck  by  erasing  it   
  on  his  character  sheet  and  gives  one  of  their  dice  to  Alex.   
    
   
   
  Alex  rolls  the  two  dice.  “ Crit !  I  got  two  sixes!”  Everyone  cheers.  
   
   
   
  Michelle  says,  “Wow,  awesome.  Well  you  get  what  you  want,  so  Ichikawa  will  go  with  you.   
  But  a  crit  means  you  also  get  increased  e�ect  and  also  everyone  marks  1  luck   on  your   
  character  sheets.  What  extra  beneﬁt  do  you  get  for  great  e�ect?”  
   
   
   
  Alex  thinks,  “Oh  that’s  a  good  question.  I’m  not  sure.  Anyone  have  any  ideas?”  
   
   
   
  Troy  says,  “Maybe  we  can  get  a  head  start  on  the  cybergoon?  Like  there’s  a  big  group  of   
  people  passing  between  our  tables  so  he  can’t  see  us?”  
   
   
   
  Alex  smiles,  “Yes!  That!”  
   
   
   
  Michelle  describes  Ichikawa  slowly  getting  up  as  the  group  of  people  obscures  them.  “He   
  says,  “‘I’m  afraid  we’ll  have  to  run.  The  people  watching  me…  they’re  dangerous,  they’ll  try  to   
  stop  me  from  leaving  with  you.’”  
   
   
   
  “Do  not  worry  Ichikawa,”  says  Rabbit.  “We’re  dangerous  too.”  
   
   
   
  Michelle  laughs,  “So,  I  think  you  all  stumbled  your  way  into  a  job  getting  Ichikawa  away  from   
  danger.  How  does  that  sound?”  
   
  44  
   
  
   
   
  Everyone  agrees  that  they  want  this  to  be  their  next  score.  And  they  start  picking  a  plan  and   
  load.  
   
  Advancement  &  XP  
   
  Each  player  keeps  track  of  the  experience  points  (xp)  that  their  character  earns.  XP  is  earned   
  with  certain  action  rolls:  
   
   
  ●
  When  you  make  a  desperate  action  roll ,  mark  1  xp .  
   
  ●
  When  you  make  an  action  roll  that  you  have  0  actions  ratings  in ,  mark  1  xp .  You  don’t   
  need  to  roll  0  dice  to  earn  this  xp,  you  can  still  add  dice  from  assists,  pushing  your   
  luck,  etc.  
   
  ●
  When  you  make  an  action  roll  and  get  a   1-3   result,  mark  1  xp .  
   
   
   
  You  also  mark  xp  when  your  bonds  change.  At  the  end  of  each  session  each  player  reviews  the   
  bonds  they  have  with  other  characters.  If  a  bond  is  no  longer  accurate  (their  belief  or   
  relationship  with  that  character  has  changed,  or  they  want  to  erase  a  bond  to  form  a  new  one   
  with  another  character)  write  a  new  bond  and  mark  1  xp .   
    
   
   
  When  you  ﬁll  your  xp  track,  clear  all  the  marks  and  take  an  advance .  When  you  take  an   
  advance  you  may  choose  to  create  an  additional  bond,  or  you  may  add  an  additional  action   
  dot  to  one  of  your  actions  (up  to  a  max  of  2).  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  45  
  
  Communities  
   
  There’s  a  classic  tale  on  the  ‘Net,  told  and  retold  to  freelancers  and  edgerunners  who  talk  big   
  about  the  corporations  and  the  way  life  outta  be.  
   
   
   
  Once  there  was  this  decker,  names  lost  to  the  heap  but  most  folks  call  ‘em  by  their  handle:   
  Juice.  Juice  was  a  mean  talent  with  legendary  hustle.  They  came  up  through  the  anticorp   
  underground,  setting  up  jobs  and  running  cons  and  doing  pretty  well  for  themselves.  
   
   
  Time  came  that  there  wasn’t  a  single  punk  worth  their  cred  who  didn’t  know  about  Juice.  They   
  ran  a  scam  with  the  White  Rabbits  to  leak  an  unreleased  television  series,  posed  as  a  Ziggurat   
  subsidiary  to  secure  a  fake  trade  deal  with  another  corpo  city-state,  and  one  time  stole  a   
  whole  vat  of  Storm-Ex  protein  slurry  and  just  gave  it  away  to  desert  refugees  outside  Prime   
  City.  Right  under  the  corpo’s  noses.  
   
   
   
  Juice  was  a  regular  Robin-fucking-Hood.  Even  the  wage-slaves  knew  their  name.  But  all  that   
  credit  and  good  will  wasn’t  enough  for  Juice.  All  that  time  with  activists  and  anarchists  blew   
  up  their  ego,  and  just  like  some  hotshot  with  their  eyes  on  some  new  chrome,  Juice  set  their   
  sights  on  an  impossible  job.  They  were  going  to  hit  the  corpo  upper-echelon,  a  full  ‘Net  run   
  against  their  accounts  and  property.  Wanted  to  decapitate  a  whole  corporation  in  one  night,   
  build  a  better  world,  give  all  the  money  back  to  the  people.  Can  you  imagine?  Billions  of   
  credits  in  the  street,  cash  falling  from  the  fucking  sky  like  rain.  
   
   
  Juice  planned  the  job  for  years,  built  a  real  ‘leet  suit  of  software,  proxy  servers,  and  spooked   
  proﬁles.  Night  of  the  quarterly  Ziggurat  board  meeting  comes  up  and  you  could  swear  the   
  whole  city  was  holding  its  breath.  
   
   
   
  Poor  Juice.  They  pulled  it  o�,  or  so  the  story  goes.  But  that  didn’t  matter.  Ziggurat  had  caught   
  wise.  They  didn’t  just  kill  Juice,  they  burned  their  Stack  to  the  ground.  Thousands  of  people   
  died  overnight.  The  corporations  blamed  the  citizens,  said  they  were  breaking  their  corporate   
  leases  by  modifying  their  apartments,  electrical  accidents  and  such.  Who  was  gonna  tell  them   
  otherwise?  
   
   
   
  Next  day  everything  was  status  quo.  Prime  City  just  sighed.  
   
   
   
  Morale  of  the  story?  Don’t  get  into  this  life  to  be  some  fucking  edgelord  hero.  If  you’re  gonna   
  do  anything  in  this  City,  you  need  your  community.  You  need  friends  who  will  do  you  a  solid,   
  techs  who  will  ﬁx  your  gear,  mercs  to  watch  your  back,  synths  and  HAUNTs  to  expand  your   
  view  of  what  humanity  looks  like.  If  you  think  you’re  all  that,  then  one  day  you  won’t  have   
  anyone  around  to  check  your  ego,  and  you’ll  start  to  think  you  can  solve  everything  by   
  yourself.  You  wanna  save  the  world?  Start  by  saving  your  friends.  
   
   
   
  46  
   
  
  Your  community  type  determines  the  stories  that  you’ll  focus  on,  as  well  as  the  factions  you’ll   
  encounter,  and  the  contacts  you’ll  start  the  game  with.  The  type  of  community  isn’t  meant  to   
  be  restrictive—if  you’re  part  of  The  55  you  might  sometimes  engage  in  chases  and  hijinks  in   
  Earth’s  orbit  (like  the  Chariot)—but  the  needs  of  the  community  determine  the  primary  way   
  you’ll  gain  resources  and  advance  in  tier .  
   
   
   
  There  are  four  di�erent  communities  to  choose  from:  
   
   
   
  ●
  The  55:  residents  of  a  prefabricated  concrete  apartment,  trying  to  free  themselves  from   
  corporate  control  
   
  ●
  Chariot:   a  spaceship  in  Earth’s  orbit  that  is  about  to  fall  apart  
   
  ●
  City  of  Nod:  a  dilapidated  suburb  outside  Prime  City  in  need  of  basic  resources  
   
  ●
  Tannhauser  Way:   a  street  level  community  trying  to  carve  out  space  for  its  citizens  
   
   
   
  Choosing  a  community  is  a  very  important  decision!  It’s  a  way  for  the  group  to  say,  “These   
  are  the  sorts  of  stories  we  care  about.”  It  organizes  gameplay  into  stories  of  survival,  revenge,   
  or  invention—which  helps  the  GM  focus  on  the  parts  of  the  setting  that  matter  most  to  your   
  game,  rather  than  having  to  juggle  every  possibility  at  once.   
    
   
   
  The  group  should  choose  a  community  that  everyone  is  excited  about.  As  a  player,  be  vocal  
  about  your  preferences.  You’re  about  to  invest  many  hours  in  this  game,  so  if  you’re  feeling   
  lukewarm  about  one  of  the  options,  speak  up.  Once  you’ve  chosen,  grab  the  appropriate   
  community  sheet  and  record  the  following  choices  in  community  creation  as  you  go.  
   
  Community  Creation  
   
  Locate  Prime  City  
   
  Prime  City  can  be  located  anywhere  in  the  world.  Neon  Black  assumes  that  Prime  City  is   
  controlled  by  three  megacorporations  who  took  measures  to  protect  the  city  from  the  worst   
  e�ects  of  climate  change.  It  also  assumes  that  there  is  a  diverse  underground  movement  that   
  opposes  corporate  control,  and  that  there  is  limited  travel  around  the  solar  system.   
    
   
   
  Neon  Black  does  not  assume  Prime  City  is  located  in  a  speciﬁc  place,  that  is  for  your  group  to   
  decide.  It  could  be  that  Prime  City  evolved  from  a  city  in  the  Paciﬁc  Northwest  of  North   
  America,  or  a  city  in  Japan,  or  where  your  playgroup  lives  right  now.  Discuss  among   
  yourselves  where  you  would  like  Prime  City  to  be  located  and  write  it  on  the  community   
  sheet.  Feel  free  to  modify  or  rename  some  of  the  factions  to  reﬂect  this  choice.  
   
   
   
  Choose  an  Inciting  Incident  
   
  Your  characters  are  part  of  a  bigger  community.  Sometimes  that  community  is  thousands  of   
  people,  sometimes  it’s  just  a  few  dozen.  No  matter  the  number,  you’ve  decided  to  take  a  stand.   
  47  
   
  
  You  are  the  people  everyone  else  comes  to  to  get  something  done.  You  are  all  actively   
  addressing  your  communities  needs,  and  the  inciting  incident  describes  why  that  happened.   
  Think  of  it  as  the  A  plot,  it’s  the  primary  motivation  for  fulﬁlling  the  community’s  needs  and   
  may  tie  into  each  character’s  starting  milestones.  While  each  community  contact  has  their   
  own  need,  the  inciting  incident  is  the  need  shared  by  all  the  player  characters.  
   
   
   
  There  are  4  types  of  inciting  incidents  listed  on  the  community  sheet,  though  you  may  create   
  your  own  as  well.  Circle  one  of  these  types  of  inciting  incidents  and  then  write  in  speciﬁc   
  details  on  the  line  above  it.  Below  you  will  ﬁnd  examples  of  details  for  each  inciting  incident:  
   
   
   
  Death :  Someone  who  all  the  player  character’s  knew  and  had  a  relationship  with  died   
  recently.  Perhaps  they  were  murdered,  or  died  with  important  work  left  undone.  Perhaps  they   
  used  to  lead  the  community  and  now  everyone  looks  to  the  characters  to  lead  them.   
    
  1.
  Killed  with  a  prototype/unknown  weapon  of  corporate  design.  
   
  2.
  Ruled  accidental,  but  not  everyone  is  convinced  it  was  an  accident.  
   
  3.
  Killed  by  the  COPs.  
   
  4.
  Missing  and  presumed  dead.  
   
  5.
  Died  before  they  were  about  to  expose  a  corporate  secret.  
   
  6.
  Their  body  is  dead  but  their  consciousness  is  missing.  
   
   
   
  Corporate :  One  of  Prime  City’s  corporations  is  threatening  the  community,  or  has  already   
  done  damage.  They  might  be  looking  to  deal,  destroy,  deceive,  or  all  of  the  above.  If  no  one   
  does  anything,  your  community  will  fall.  Select  one  of  the  corporate  factions  related  to  the   
  community,  or  another  that  interests  all  players,  as  the  primary  aggressor.  
   
  1.
  Prime  City  Operations  plans  to  destroy  the  community  to  make  way  for  new  expensive   
  housing.  
   
  2.
  Buran  Aeronautics  plans  to  use  the  community  as  a  test  ﬁre  target  for  their  new  orbital   
  weapons  platform.  
   
  3.
  The  Coda  Family  wants  to  purchase  the  community,  and  force  out  anyone  who  refuses   
  to  take  the  payout.  
  4.
  The  Prophets  Returned  has  established  a  church  in  the  community  and  is  spreading   
  conservative,  hateful  rhetoric.  
   
  5.
  Phace  Augmentations  has  created  a  factory  in/near  the  community,  where  they  o�er   
  unsafe  and  abusive  employment.  
   
  6.
  Melo  Mart  has  taken  over  ownership  of  the  community  and  is  committing  acts  of   
  negligence  to  force  out  tenants.  
   
   
   
  Exile :  You  pissed  o�  a  corporation  or  someone  powerful  and  were  forcibly  relocated  here,  far   
  from  everything  you  know.  This  is  both  a  prison  and  home  for  everyone  around  you,  and  if   
  you  don’t  work  together,  you  will  never  escape.  Were  you  all  exiled  for  the  same  reason,  or  did  
  you  commit  di�erent  crimes?  
   
  48  
   
  
  1.
  You  worked  with  the  Coda  Family  and  were  ﬁred  as  part  of  their  exile  from  the  Ziggurat   
  megacorporation.  No  company  will  hire  you  now.  
   
  2.
  You  attempted  a  dangerous  score,  but  were  captured.  Now  that  corporation  uses  you   
  to  do  their  dirty  work.  
   
  3.
  You  were  forced  to  relocate  here  as  a  result  of  some  convoluted  plan  by  one  of  Prime   
  City’s  AIs.  
   
  4.
  You  arrived  here  as  a  result  of  a  variety  of  petty  crimes  and  misdemeanours.  
   
  5.
  You  were  part  of  an  Underground  faction  that  was  destroyed  by  a  corporation.  
   
  6.
  You  are  on  the  run  from  corporate  assassins  
   
   
   
  Discovery :  You’ve  found  something,  something  new  and  exciting  that  could  change   
  everything.  It  is  part  of  this  community,  and  won’t  survive  without  your  help.   
    
  1.
  Someone  in  the  community  has  invented  something  that  will  revolutionize  life  in  Prime   
  City.  
   
  2.
  An  AI  is  hiding  in  your  community.  
  3.
  A  unique  synth  is  hiding  in  your  community  
   
  4.
  You  witnessed  a  corporate  assassination  or  conspiracy.  You  are  the  only  ones  who   
  know  the  truth  
   
  5.
  Your  community  is  built  in  an  incredibly  valuable  location,  valuable  enough  that  the  
  megacorporations  will  kill  everyone  in  it  to  claim  it  themselves.  
   
  6.
  You’ve  discovered  evidence  of  alien  life,  a  deeply  held  corporate  secret.  
   
   
   
  Other :  Make  up  your  own!  Maybe  basic  survival  and  an  anti-capitalist  philosophy  are  more   
  than  enough  to  get  your  characters  embroiled  in  the  lives  and  schemes  of  Prime  City.  
   
   
   
  Choose  a  Relationship  
   
  All  your  characters  live  in  the  same  community,  but  how  do  your  characters  know  each  other?   
  This  can  be  closely  related  to  the  inciting  incident ,  or  just  be  a  tangential  but  ﬂavourful  detail.  
  Do  you  all  live  together  as  roommates  and  can  never  get  away  from  each  other,  or  are  you  all   
  old  friends  who  know  each  other’s  ﬂaws  and  skills?  Knowing  your  initial  relationship  helps   
  drive  the  story  forward,  and  creates  potential  stakes  and  pitfalls  for  your  character’s  to  
  navigate  in  the  future.  
   
   
   
  There  are  3  types  of  relationships  listed  on  the  community  sheet,  though  you  may  create  your   
  own  as  well.  Circle  one  of  these  types  of  relationships  and  then  write  in  speciﬁc  details  on  the   
  line  above  it.  Below  you  will  ﬁnd  examples  of  details  for  each  relationship:  
   
   
   
  Friends :  You’ve  known  each  other  and  stayed  in  touch  for  years,  maybe  even  since  you  were   
  children.  You  probably  know  several  other  NPCs  in  the  community  quite  well  too.  
   
  1.
  Punk  band.  
   
  2.
  Roommates  living  in  the  same  small,  dilapidated  place.  
   
  3.
  Friends  since  childhood.  
   
  49  
   
  
  4.
  Ex-members  of  the  same  Underground  faction.  
   
  5.
  Members  of  the  same  subculture  ‘Netspace.  
   
  6.
  Political  or  cultural  movement.  
   
   
   
  Coworkers :  You  all  work  at  the  same  company  and  have  become  close  friends  as  well  as   
  colleagues.  
   
  1.
  Corporate  factory  workers  
   
  2.
  Gig  workers  employed  by  Prime  Convoys.  
   
  3.
  Run  a  start-up  company.  
   
  4.
  Volunteers  at  the  City  Council.  
   
  5.
  Co-workers  at  a  Constellation  Consolidated  Foods  restaurant.  
   
  6.
  Co-workers  at  an  independent  community  shop.  
   
   
  Family :  You  are  all  related  by  blood  or  something  like  it.  
   
  1.
  Came  from  the  same  commune  outside  Prime  City.  
   
  2.
  Estranged  from  each  other  since  a  particularly  bad  argument.  
   
  3.
  Siblings.  
  4.
  Urchins  who  grew  up  together.  
   
  5.
  Adopted  by  the  same  parents.  
   
  6.
  Survivors  of  the  same  tragedy.  
   
   
   
  Other :  Make  up  your  own!  Maybe  you  all  share  the  same  spiritual  beliefs,  or  met  at  an   
  anti-corporate  demonstration.  
   
   
   
  Review  the  Needs  of  the  Community  
   
  Each  community  has  a  list  of  contacts.  Each  contact  describes  the  character  and  a  pressing   
  need  that  the  player  characters  can  resolve.  Sometimes  these  needs  are  personal,  but  the   
  majority  of  the  needs  at  the  start  of  the  game  relate  to  survival  of  the  community  as  a  whole.   
  Addressing  these  needs  will  fuel  most  of  the  game  and  push  the  story  forwards.  The  GM   
  should  read  each  of  these  contacts  out  loud  so  that  all  the  players  know  what  kind  of  scores   
  and  challenges  await  them,  and  for  possible  bonds  when  they  make  characters.  
   
   
   
  Describe  the  Community  
  Next  the  players  should  all  select  a  few  words  describing  the  look  and  general  attitude  of  folks   
  in  the  community.  Is  it  insular,  or  welcoming?  Brutalist  or  brightly  painted?  Infamous  or   
  well-liked?  Select  a  few  from  the  examples  below  or  create  your  own.  
   
   
   
  Ancient  
   
  Art  Deco  
   
  Brutalist  
   
  Chill  
   
  Classic  
   
  50  
   
  
  Cluttered  
   
  Concrete  
   
  Corporate  
   
  Crowded  
   
  Dilapidated  
   
  Exposed  rebar  
   
  Flooded  
   
  Friendly  
   
  Glass  
   
  Gothic  
   
  Gra�ti  
   
  Haven  
   
  Historic  
   
  Infamous  
   
  Insular  
   
  Loud  
   
  Messy  
   
  Modern  
   
  Murals  
   
  Neon  
   
  Noisey  
   
  Quiet  
   
  Resilient  
   
  Rust  
   
  Spacious  
   
  Stubborn  
   
  Underground  
   
  Unfriendly  
   
  Welcoming  
   
   
   
  That’s  it!  Your  community  is  complete.  The  players  can  now  move  on  to  creating  their  own   
  characters.  
   
   
   
  Community  Creation  Summary  
   
  1.
  Choose  a  community  playbook.   Look  over  the  community  members  and   
  entanglements  &  blowback  to  get  an  idea  of  what  each  community  represents.  
   
  2.
  Choose  an  inciting  incident.   Circle  death,  corporate,  exile,  discovery,  or  other  and  write   
  a  detail  about  what  happened.  
   
  3.
  Choose  a  relationship.   Circle  either  friends,  coworkers,  family,  or  other  and  write  a   
  detail  about  how  the  characters  know  each  other.  
   
  51  
   
  
  4.
  Review  the  needs  of  the  community.   The  GM  should  read  all  of  the  ﬁve  community   
  members  out  loud.  
   
  5.
  Describe  the  community.   Pick  from  the  list  or  make  up  your  own  descriptors  for  how   
  the  community  looks  and  feels.  
   
   
  Community  Contacts  
   
  At  the  start  of  the  game,  your  community  will  have  3  prominent  contacts,  as  well  as  your   
  player  characters.  This  does  not  mean  that  your  community  is  limited  to  these  people  (though   
  it  may  be  if  you  imagine  the  community  is  small  or  just  getting  started),  but  rather  it  means   
  that  these  3  people  have  important  needs  that  only  the  PC’s  can  help  with.  These  are  the   
  people  who  will  help  drive  your  story  forward.  Your  community  is  the  people  in  it,  their  trials   
  and  tribulations.  
   
   
   
  Community  contacts  aren’t  the  stars  of  your  story,  and  are  less  resilient  than  the  PCs.  Each   
  community  contact  has  2  harm  boxes  that  can  be  marked  when  they  are  harmed,  when  they   
  run  out  of  time  and  resources,  or  are  put  in  compromising  situations.  This  can  happen  if  their   
  needs  are  left  unattended  for  too  long,  as  a  result  of  selling  out,  downtime  scenes,  or  as  a   
  consequence  of  an  action  roll  (especially  if  they  assist  a  PC).  They  may  even  become  an   
  enemy.  
   
   
   
  When  you  would  need  to  mark  a  harm  box  for  a  community  contact,  and  both  of  their  boxes   
  are  already  checked,  that  person  leaves  the  community.  Perhaps  they  are  killed,  perhaps  they   
  have  to  move,  perhaps  they  get  into  a  huge  ﬁght  with  the  PCs  as  a  result  of  their  actions  or   
  inactions.  
   
   
   
  All  community  contacts  recover  1  harm  at  the  beginning  of  the  downtime  phase,  assuming   
  they  have  time  and  resources  to  do  so.   
    
   
   
  Descriptors  
   
  You  will  often  be  prompted  to  generate  new  community  contacts,  or  new  enemies  and  rivals.   
  If  these  people  are  part  of  an  existing  faction,  you  can  look  to  the  speciﬁc  faction  chapter  for   
  notable  NPCs.  However  if  you’d  rather  create  your  own  NPC,  you  can  use  the  tables  below  to   
  randomly  generate  roles,  looks,  and  traits,  or  to  select  your  own.  Use  the  examples  from  the   
  Characters  chapter  to  name  them.  
   
   
   
  To  generate  random  descriptors,  roll  2d6  and  match  the  values  to  the  list  below.  Each  NPC   
  should  have  a  name,  role,  pronouns,  and  at  least  3  looks  and  traits.  If  they  are  a  community   
  contact,  they  will  also  require  a  need.  
   
   
   
  Role  
   
  52  
   
  
   
   
  11  artist  
   
  12  customer  service  representative  
   
  13  doctor  
   
  14  driver  
   
  15  factory  worker  
   
  16  programmer  
   
   
   
  21  hacker  
   
  22  janitor  
   
  23  journalist  
   
  24  line  cook  
   
  25  medic  
   
  26  member  of  Brandy  Rogue  
   
   
   
  31  member  of  Dead  Prompt  
   
  32  member  of  Hermes  Guild  Couriers  
   
  33  member  of  the  Baza  Syndicate  
   
  34  member  of  the  Guillotines  
   
  35  member  of  the  Mendicants  
   
  36  member  of  the  Pawner’s  Guild  
   
   
   
  41  member  of  the  Sin  Eaters  
   
  42  member  of  White  Rabbit  
   
  43  mercenary  
   
  44  musician  
   
  45  personal  assistant  
   
  46  plumber  
   
   
   
  51  private  investigator  
   
  52  security  guard  
   
  53  streamer  
   
  54  street  vendor  
   
  55  stylist  
   
  56  thief  
   
   
   
  61  unemployed  
   
  62  volunteers  for  the  City  Council  
   
  63  welder  
   
  64  works  for  Hacksaw  Coil  
   
  65  works  for  The  Constant  
   
  53  
   
  
  66  writer  
   
   
   
  Looks  
   
   
   
  11:  large  
   
  12:  skinny  
   
  13:  homemade  clothes  
   
  14:  short  
   
  15:  worn  
   
  16:  tall  
   
   
   
  21:  nondescript  
   
  22:  old  glasses  
   
  23:  weathered  
   
  24:  rough  
   
  25:  old  
   
  26:  stout  
   
   
   
  31:  young  
   
  32:  long  hair  
   
  33:  delicate  
   
  34:  wiry  
   
  35:  elegant  
   
  36:  stylish  
   
   
   
  41:  bald/balding  
   
  42:  athletic  
   
  43:  scarred  
   
  44:  striking  
   
  45:  tattooed  
   
  46:  neon  hair  
   
   
   
  51:  mohawk  
   
  52:  undercut  
   
  53:  face  mask  
   
  54:  suit  &  tie  
   
  55:  dress  
   
  56:  jumpsuit  
   
   
   
  61:  leather  jacket  
   
  62:  piercings  
   
  54  
   
  
  63:  neon  accessories  
   
  64:  long  coat  
   
  65:  hat  
   
  66:  vintage  clothes  
   
   
   
  Traits  
   
   
   
  11:  charming  
   
  12:  cold  
   
  13:  brash  
   
  14:  suspicious  
   
  15:  obsessive  
   
  16:  quiet  
   
   
   
  21:  careless  
   
  22:  online  
   
  23:  o�ine  
   
  24:  secretive  
   
  25:  synth  
   
  26:  calculating  
   
   
   
  31:  deﬁant  
   
  32:  loud  
   
  33:  professional  
   
  34:  vain  
   
  35:  daring  
   
  36:  volatile  
   
   
   
  41:  subtle   
    
  42:  forgetful  
   
  43:  out  of  touch  
   
  44:  wired  
   
  45:  pleasant  
   
  46:  warm  
   
   
   
  51:  inﬂuential  
   
  52:  gracious  
   
  53:  punk  
   
  54:  criminal  
   
  55:  clone  
   
  56:  HAUNT  
   
  55  
   
  
   
   
  61:  cyberware  
   
  62:  hidden  cyberware  
   
  63:  broken  cyberware  
   
  64:  old  cyberware  
   
  65:  lots  of  cyberware  
   
  66:  prototype  cyberware  
   
   
   
  Needs  to...  
   
  11  Rob  a  corporate  faction  
   
  12  Steal  something  from  a  corporate  faction  
   
  13  Destroy  a  corporate  asset  
   
  14  get  rid  of  some  COPs  
   
  15  transfer  their  consciousness  between  bodies  
   
  16  become  a  HAUNT  
   
   
   
  21  pay  o�  a  debt  
   
  22  acquire  medicine  
   
  23  acquire  a  medical  treatment  
   
  24  undergo  a  rare  surgery  
   
  25  repair  something  in  the  community  
   
  26  upgrade  something  in  the  community  
   
   
   
  31  build  something  in  the  community  
   
  32  rescue  someone  from  a  corporation  
   
  33  be  rescued  from  a  corporation  
   
  34  replace  cyberware  
   
  35  acquire  cyberware  
   
  36  repair  cyberware  
   
   
   
  41  hack  a  corporate  network  
   
  42  ﬁnd  a  new  job  
   
  43  smuggle  something  into  Prime  City  
   
  44  pull  o�  an  elaborate  heist  
   
  45  acquire  property  or  space  to  build  
   
  46  hide  from  a  corporation  
   
   
   
  51  acquire  a  new  body  
   
  52  help  a  mysterious  AI  
   
  53  be  protected  from  a  corporation  
   
  54  repair  something  damaged  
   
  56  
   
  
  55  replace  something  lost  or  destroyed  
   
  56  be  smuggled  out  of  Prime  City  
   
   
   
  61  be  smuggled  into  Prime  City  
   
  62  smuggle  something  out  of  Prime  City  
   
  63  help  an  underground  faction  
   
  64  ﬁnd  someone  who’s  missing  
   
  65  solve  a  crime  
   
  66  settle  a�airs  before  they  die  
   
   
   
  Enemies  &  Rivals  
   
  Not  everyone  in  this  story  is  on  your  side,  in  fact  many  will  come  to  hate  and  oppose  the  PCs   
  and  their  community.  When  an  antagonistic  NPC   takes  an  important  role  in  the  story,  you  can   
  record  them  on  the  Enemies  &  Rivals  section  of  the  community  sheet.  This  may  be  a  member   
  of  a  faction  that  has  a  negative  faction  status  with  the  community,  or  a  spurned  community   
  member,  or  any  other  NPC   who  can  regularly  create  trouble  for  the  PCs.  Downtime  scenes  will  
  also  inject  these  characters  into  your  story.  
   
   
   
  Much  like  community  members,  your  enemies  will  each  have  a  concrete  need  they  want   
  fulﬁlled  which  will  drive  them  into  conﬂict  with  the  PCs.  This  need  could  be  to  get  even,  to  get   
  them  to  take  the  fall  for  a  score,  or  even  to  destroy  their  community  or  kill  one  of  the   
  characters.   
    
   
   
  When  an  enemy  or  rival’s  need  is  fulﬁlled,  remove  them  from  the  community  sheet  and  clear  1   
  level  of  notoriety.   
    
   
   
  You  may  begin  the  game  with  one  or  more  enemies  &  rivals  depending  on  your  community’s   
  inciting  incident,  and  the  character’s  starting  milestones.  As  always,  work  with  the  other   
  players  to  deﬁne  these  characters,  and  make  sure  everyone  is  excited  about  them  and  their   
  role  in  the  story.  
   
   
  Resources  &  Tier  
   
  Resources  represent  the  various  items  that  assist  the  characters  and  community  in  achieving   
  their  goals  and  bettering  their  lives.  Resources  could  be  money,  credit,  personal  connections,   
  tools,  supplies,  or  raw  materials.  You  don’t  need  to  describe  speciﬁcally  what  each  resource  is   
  when  you  mark  it  on  the  community  sheet,  just  when  you  spend  it.   
    
   
   
  Resources  are  acquired  in  the  following  ways:  
   
   
   
  ●
  +1  resource   when  a  character  is  employed  
   
  57  
   
  
  ●
  +1  resource   when  you  fulﬁll  a  community  contact’s  need  
   
  ●
  +  resources   when  you  complete  a  score ,  equal  to  the  relevant  faction’s  tier  
   
   
   
  Some  milestones  and  long-term  projects  can  also  generate  additional  resources.   
    
   
   
  Resources  can  be  spent  in  the  following  ways:  
   
   
   
  ●
  Spend   1  resource   to  gain  additional   downtime  actions  
   
  ●
  Spend  1  resource  to  increase  the  result  level  of  a  downtime  roll  
   
  ●
  Fill  the  resource  track  to  increase  your  community’s  tier  
   
   
   
  If  you  ever  need  to  spend  or  lose  resources,  and  have  none  marked  on  the  track,  your   
  community  drops  1  tier  lower  with  11  resources.  If  the  community  is  at  Tier  0  with  no   
  resources,  there  are  no  more  resources  left  to  spend.  
   
   
   
  Tier  
   
  Tier  is  an  abstract  representation  of  overall  power  and  quality  among  the  people  and  factions   
  of  Prime  City.  A  higher  tier  faction  has  more  personnel  and  resources,  as  well  as  higher  quality   
  items  and  training.  A  lower  tier  faction  has  poor  materials  and  items  and  few  connections  to   
  get  what  they  want.  
   
   
   
  When  you  ﬁll  your  community’s  resource  track,  you  clear  the  track  and  advance  the   
  community’s  tier.  Increasing  the  community’s  tier  helps  with  certain  downtime  actions  and   
  makes  NPCs  in  the  community  more  e�ective.  Whenever  the  community’s  tier  increases,   
  each  PC   marks  2  additional  playbook  items.  
   
   
   
  The  community’s  tier  also  indicates  the  sort  of  lifestyle  most  people  in  the  community  can   
  expect,  and  the  future  the  character’s  may  have  if  they  retire:  
   
   
   
  Tier  0-I :  Poor.  People  at  this  tier  have  trouble  addressing  their  basic  needs.  They  regularly   
  miss  bill  payments  and  struggle  to  a�ord  food  &  medicine.  These  people  don’t  retire  or  have   
  savings,  and  if  they  do  stop  working  they  are  completely  reliant  on  other  people  to  survive.  
   
  Tier  II :  Meager.  People  can  usually  pay  their  bills  without  issue  but  still  struggle  to  survive   
  beyond  basic  needs.  They  can  retire  to  a  small  room  in  a  shared  space  with  no  luxuries  or   
  extra  cash.  People  in  these  communities  live  an  austere  life,  work  an  unfulﬁlling  job,  or   
  struggle  to  proﬁt  from  creative  pursuits.  
   
  Tier  III :  Modest.  People  can  pay  all  their  expenses  and  can  a�ord  modern  stylish  clothes,   
  food,  and  a  few  luxuries.  They  retire  with  a  simple  apartment  room  with  some  small  comforts.   
  They  might  operate  a  bar  or  small  business,  or  work  on  something  creative  or  fulﬁlling  without   
  having  to  worry  about  the  bills.  
   
  58  
   
  
  Tier  IV :  Rich.  People  at  this  level  can  easily  a�ord  anything  they  want.  They  can  own  a   
  well-appointed  home  with  several  luxuries.  They  might  own  several  properties,  investments,  or  
  businesses,  or  accept  a  modest  or  meager  life  to  share  their  wealth  with  several  other  people.  
   
  Tier  V :  Extravagant.  Factions  who  reach  this  tier  want  for  nothing,  and  are  capable  of   
  purchasing  and  utilizing  bleeding-edge  technology.  These  people  are  too  rich  to  die,  and  too   
  powerful  to  worry  about  anything  other  than  other  extravagantly  wealthy  people  or  the  slow   
  march  towards  entropy.  They  may  own  properties  on  multiple  planets,  and  are  the  guiding   
  force  of  Prime  City.  Their  wealth  could  provide  a  meager  life  for  thousands  of  people,  but  they   
  would  never  dream  of  doing  so.  
   
   
   
  Factions  
   
  There  are  several  factions  within  Prime  City,  detailed  later  in  this  book.  These  are  companies,   
  corporations,  and  underground  organizations  that  compete  and  struggle  against  each  other  in   
  Prime  City.  The  factions  are  organized  into  4  categories:  subsidiaries  of  the  3   
  megacorporations  who  rule  Prime  City,  and  underground  factions  who  oppose  them.   
    
   
   
  Your  community  will  start  entangled  with  a  handful  of  these  factions,  detailed  on  each   
  community  sheet,  but  could  end  up  getting  tangled  up  with  more  factions  as  the  story   
  continues.  
   
   
   
  Faction  Status  
   
  Your  community’s  status  with  each  faction  indicates  how  well  you  are  liked  or  hated.  Status  is   
  rated  from  -3  to  +3,  with  zero  (neutral)  being  the  default  starting  status.  You  track  your  status   
  with  each  faction  on  the  community  sheet  and  faction  sheet  
   
   
   
  When  you  create  your  community  and  characters,  you  assign  some  positive  and  negative   
  status  ratings  to  reﬂect  recent  history,  the  character’s  employment,  and  possibly  their  starting   
  milestones.  
   
   
   
  When  you  execute  a  score,  you  gain  -1  or  -2  status  with  factions  that  are  hurt  by  your  actions.   
  You  may  also  gain  +1  status  with  a  faction  that  your  operation  helps.  (If  you  keep  the  score   
  completely  quiet  then  your  status  might  not  change  at  all.)  Your  status  may  also  change  if  you   
  do  a  favor  for  a  faction  or  if  you  refuse  one  of  their  demands.  
   
   
   
  Faction  Status  Levels  
   
  ●
    +3:  Allies .  This  faction  will  help  you  even  if  it’s  not  in  their  best  interest  to  do  so.  They   
  expect  you  to  do  the  same  for  them.   
    
  ●
  +2:  Friendly .  This  faction  will  help  you  if  it  doesn’t  create  serious  problems  for  them.   
  They  expect  you  to  do  the  same.   
    
  ●
  +1:  Helpful .  This  faction  will  help  you  if  it  causes  no  problems  or  signiﬁcant  cost  for   
  them.  They  expect  the  same  from  you.   
    
  59  
   
  
  ●
  0:  Neutral   
    
  ●
  -1:  Interfering .  This  faction  will  look  for  opportunities  to  cause  trouble  for  you  (or  proﬁt   
  from  your  misfortune)  as  long  as  it  causes  no  problems  or  signiﬁcant  cost  for  them.   
  They  expect  the  same  from  you.   
    
  ●
  - 2:  Unfriendly .  This  faction  will  look  for  opportunities  to  hurt  you  as  long  as  it  doesn’t   
  create  serious  problems  for  them.  They  expect  you  to  do  the  same,  and  take   
  precautions  against  you.   
    
  ●
  -3:  Hostile .  This  faction  will  go  out  of  its  way  to  hurt  you  even  if  it’s  not  in  their  best   
  interest  to  do  so.  They  expect  you  to  do  the  same,  and  take  precautions  against  you.   
  When  you’re  hostile  with  any  number  of  factions,  your  crew  su�ers  +3  heat   from   
  scores.  You  can  end  hostility  by  eliminating  your  enemy  or  by  negotiating  a  mutual   
  agreement  to  establish  a  new  status  rating.  
   
   
   
  Faction  Clocks  
   
  If  you  want  you  can  add  faction  clocks  into  the  mix  to  provide  new  opportunities,  telegraph   
  dangers,  or  add  setting  details  to  your  story.  
   
   
   
  Faction  clocks  are  progress  clocks  which  move  forward  between  sessions  or  during  the   
  downtime  phase  of  the  game.  These  are  ticked  by  the  GM  and  advanced  by  rolling  dice  equal   
  to  the  faction’s  tier  and  ﬁlling  in  ticks  based  on  the  result:  
   
   
   
  ●
  1-3:   1  tick  
   
  ●
  4/5:   2  ticks  
   
  ●
  6:   3  ticks  
   
  ●
  Crit:   5  ticks  
   
   
   
  Faction  clocks  can  represent  possible  scores,  faction  alliances,  hostilities,  product  launches,   
  corporate  schemes,  anything  you  like  that  ﬁts  the  narrative  and  helps  your  game  of  Neon   
  Black  feel  alive  and  unpredictable.  The  GM  should  keep  the  faction  clocks  visible  on  the  table   
  so  all  players  can  see  them.  This  lets  all  the  players  be  on  the  same  page  in  terms  of  what   
  complications  and  opportunities  may  arise  during  your  story,  and  also  lets  players  tick  clocks   
  as  the  result  of  selling  out  or  as  a  consequence  of  an  action  roll.  
   
   
   
  Some  possible  faction  clocks  include:  
   
   
   
  ●
  A  new  product  launch  
   
  ●
  Increasing  in  tier  
   
  ●
  Destroying  another  faction  
   
  ●
  Allying  with  another  faction  
   
  ●
  Setting  up  a  score  
   
  ●
  Capturing  or  killing  an  important  NPC  
   
  60  
   
  
  ●
  Acquiring  a  precious  resource  or  asset  
   
  ●
  Setting  a  trap  
   
  ●
  Forcing  employees  to  get  cyberware  installed/work  overtime/sacriﬁce  resources  
   
  ●
  Layo�s  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  61  
   
  
  The  55  
   
  A  massive  block  of  apartments  seeking  freedom  from  corporate  control  
   
   
   
  Stack  PSO-95563  is  located  in  the  center  of  Prime  City,  among  dozens  of  other  stacks.  Each   
  stack  is  a  hundred  stories  tall  and  as  wide  as  a  few  modern  city  blocks.  They  are  built  from   
  concrete,  plastic,  and  metal,  using  corporate  templates  copied  across  Prime  City.  Apartments   
  in  each  stack  range  from  a  space  barely  big  enough  for  a  single  bed,  to  bunkhouses  for   
  corporate  workers,  and  occasional  bachelor  suites  with  room  enough  for  a  kitchen.  Stacks  are   
  home  to  thousands  of  people,  and  each  stack  has  their  own  unique  community  and  culture.   
  During  the  Prime  City  Corporate  War,  the  citizens  of  Stack  PSO-95563  attempted  to  seize   
  their  independence  from  their  various  corporate  contracts,  but  failed  after  55  days  of   
  prolonged  siege.  But  even  before  then,  they  called  their  stack  The  55.  
   
   
   
  Will  you  help  The  55  become  one  of  the  ﬁrst  independent  stacks  in  Prime  City,  or  will  the   
  community  fall  to  corporate  power  once  more?   
    
   
   
  Community  Contacts  
   
   
   
  Ada  55,  a  community  leader   ( she/her,  wise,  ambitious,  skinny )  
   
  Needs  to  rob  a  tier  IV+  faction  to  start  a  universal  income  fund  for  The  55.  
   
  Ada  has  been  a  proponent  of  an  independent  55  since  the  corporate  war,  and  is   
  hell-bent  on  completing  her  new  scheme.  55  isn’t  really  her  last  name,  it’s  just  what   
  everyone  calls  her.  
   
   
   
  Dee,  a  bar  owner   ( she/her,  loud,  burly,  violent )  
   
  COPs  have  started  to  hang  out  in  her  bar  after  their  shifts,  she  needs  them  gone.  
   
  Her  bar  used  to  be  the  best  local  haunt  in  The  55,  but  a  few  months  ago  COPs  caught   
  wind  of  the  cheap  drinks  and  greasy  food.  Now  they’re  in  at  all  hours,  sometimes  they   
  don’t  even  bother  dropping  o�  their  exo  suits  and  assault  riﬂes  before  they  come  in.  
   
   
   
  V,  a  vending  machine   ( they/them,  sad,  HAUNT,  cautious )  
   
  Needs  to  transfer  their  digital  consciousness  out  of  their  corporate  vending  machine  body.  
  V  wanted  to  digitize  their  consciousness.  To  help  subsidize  the  cost  they  signed  a   
  corporate  contract  with  Melo  Mart.  The  company  fronted  most  of  the  cost,  and  V  got  to   
  spend  the  rest  of  their  days  in  the  ‘Net.  Only  catch  is  the  contract,  as  well  as  the  local   
  ICE,  prevents  them  from  leaving  the  vending  machine.  
   
   
   
  Additional  Contacts  
   
  New  community  contacts  are  generated  through  play,  downtime  scenes,  and  downtime   
  actions.  If  you  would  like  a  pregenerated  contact  rather  than  creating  one  yourself,  pick  or   
  modify  one  from  this  list.  
   
  62  
   
  
   
   
  Archer  Ryant,  a  customer  service  representative  (he/him,  elegant,  large,  professional)   
    
  Needs  help  erasing  all  the  community’s  bad  credit  records  from  Tano  Financial.  
   
  Archer  makes  a  decent  wage  at  Tano  Financial,  and  is  always  giving  back  to  the   
  community.  Recently  he  has  identiﬁed  the  location  of  the  digital  and  physical  copies  of   
  the  credit  records  for  each  person  living  in  The  55.  Would  be  a  real  shame  if  those   
  records  went  missing  or  were  modiﬁed  to  help  folks  out  of  bad  ﬁnancial  situations.  
   
   
   
  Allyson  Sarratt,  a  member  of  the  Pawner’s  Guild  ( she/her,  cyberware,  doomed,  friendly )   
    
  Needs  to  pay  her  substantial  debts  to  Prime  City  Operations  or  her  shop  will  be  shut  down.  
   
  Business  hasn’t  been  great  for  Allyson  lately  and  the  bills  just  keep  piling  up.  Company   
  goons  will  be  coming  by  any  day  now  to  repossess  her  store  and  everything  in  it.  
   
   
  Cantor  Armitage,  an  old  punk   ( he/him,  old  cyberware,  infamous,  quiet )   
    
  Needs  a  speciﬁc  corporate  medicine  he  can  no  longer  a�ord  in  order  to  live.   
    
  Armitage  was  in  the  front  lines  during  the  corporate  war  and  The  55’s  last  attempt  at   
  independence.  The  wounds  he  sustained  left  him  with  a  chronic  condition  that  can  be   
  managed  with  a  speciﬁc  drug  produced  and  patented  by  Prime  Health  Insurance.  They   
  just  jacked  up  the  price  so  high  that  no  one  without  a  signiﬁcant  salary  could  a�ord  it.  
   
   
   
  Intel  Williams,  a  hacker   ( he/him,  suit  &  tie,  cowardly,  cyberware )  
   
  Needs  someone  else  to  steal  the  physical  copies  of  the  land  titles  for  The  55  from  Prime  City   
  Operations.  
   
  Intel  secured  the  digital  copies  in  an  e�ort  to  free  The  55  from  corporate  control.  He  is   
  ready  to  erase  them  from  the  company's  databases,  but  that  won’t  work  if  they  still   
  have  the  physical  copies.  
   
   
   
  Jean-Baptiste  Lee,  a  doctor   ( they/them,  undercut,  experienced,  young )  
   
  Needs  to  steal  their  equipment  and  clinic  back  from  Prime  Health  Insurance.  
   
  Dr.  Lee  was  caught  practicing  without  a  corporate  license,  even  though  they  have  been   
  serving  the  community  since  they  were  a  teenager  (which  wasn’t  that  long  ago,  but   
  they’re  pretty  bright).   Now  they  need  help  reopening  their  clinic  and  getting  all  the   
  necessary  medicines  and  supplies  back  from  Prime  Health.  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  63  
   
  
  Chariot  
   
  A  spaceship  in  orbit  around  Earth  that  is  in  danger  of  falling  apart  
   
   
   
  The  Prime  City  Ship  (PCS)  “Chariot”  is  considered  a  relic  during  this  golden  era  of  space   
  tourism.  While  extravagantly  wealthy  families  vacation  aboard  space  yachts  and  luxury   
  cruisers,  the  Chariot  limps  in  high  Earth  orbit,  powered  on  the  fumes  of  an  ancient  reactor,   
  and  held  together  with  fresh  welds  and  the  prayers  of  its  inhabitants.  Perhaps  it  is  an  old   
  cruise  ship  that  serves  as  a  cheap  place  to  live,  a  prison  used  to  punish  corporate  law  breakers,   
  or  an  ancient  combat  prototype  hiding  forgotten  secrets.  
   
   
   
  Will  the  people  of  Chariot  be  able  to  save  their  arc  among  the  stars,  or  will  you  fall  from  space   
  in  ignominy  and  ﬁre?  
   
   
   
  Community  Contacts  
   
   
   
  Triage,  a  virtual  intelligence  ( they/them,  dry,  holographic,  insistent )  
   
  The  Chariot’s  reactor  needs  to  be  replaced.  
   
  This  spaceship  is  running  on  borrowed  time,  and  the  onboard  VI  reminds  folks  of  this   
  at  every  opportunity.  A  good  Buran  Aeronautics  model,  either  brand  new  or  yanked  out  
  of  another  spaceship  would  be  ideal.  
   
   
   
  The  Chariot  also  needs  fresh  parts  from  Buran  Aeronautics.  
   
  Triage  has  left  you  all  several  voice  and  text  messages  about  this.  The  ship  is   
  practically  falling  apart  and  several  large  and  signiﬁcant  pieces  need  to  be  replaced  in   
  order  for  the  Chariot  to  be  stable  and  easy  to  control.  
   
   
   
  Sally  “Sign”  Wave,  a  hacker  ( she/her,  wiry,  undercut,  helpful )  
   
  Needs  her  wife  rescued  from  a  crunch  lockdown  in  a  Drayton  Software  o�ce  in  Prime  City.  
   
  Sally’s  wife  Dina  has  been  trapped  for  months  working  overtime  one  some  damn  piece   
  of  software  for  Drayton.  No  employees  are  allowed  out  of  the  o�ce  while  in  crunch   
  mode.  
   
   
   
  Adan  Kao,  a  HAUNT  collective   ( they/them,  elusive,  transcendent,  legion )  
   
  Needs  new  parts  from  Buran  Aeronautics  to  keep  their  satellite  server  running.  
   
  One  of  the  ﬁrst  HAUNT  servers  to  leave  the  planet,  Adan  Kao  have  been  orbiting  for   
  years,  a  safe  and  free  haven  for  all  digital  consciousnesses.  With  a  couple  of  key   
  expensive  upgrades,  they  could  keep  going  indeﬁnitely.  Without  them,  well,   
  consciousness  is  still  delicate  when  gravity  gets  involved.  
   
   
   
  Additional  Contacts  
   
  64  
   
  
  New  community  contacts  are  generated  through  play,  downtime  scenes,  and  downtime   
  actions.  If  you  would  like  a  pregenerated  contact  rather  than  creating  one  yourself,  pick  or   
  modify  one  from  this  list.  
   
   
   
  “75”,  a  member  of  White  Rabbit   ( they/them,  fast,  cyberware,  tattooed )   
    
  Needs  to  be  rescued,  they’re  on  the  run  from  Temple  Hardware.  
   
  The  White  Rabbit  hacker  group  has  reached  out  to  you  wondering  if  you  wouldn’t   
  mind  picking  up  one  of  their  members  who  is  on  the  run  from  corporate  goons.  Space   
  is  a  very  convenient  place  to  hide,  and  they  would  really  appreciate  the  assistance.  
   
   
   
  Corvin  Quinn,  a  criminal   ( he/him,  dying,  artist,  old  cyberware )   
    
  Needs  replacement  for  his  old  cyberware  heart.  
   
  Corvin  was  one  of  the  ﬁrst  to  receive  this  new  brand  of  synthetic  heart,  but  it’s  years   
  past  its  warranty  and  the  only  company  making  them  is  Phace  Augmentations.  
   
   
   
  Kit,  a  member  of  Dead  Prompt   ( she/her,  homemade  clothes,  proud,  charming )   
    
  Needs  help  stealing  data  about  artiﬁcial  intelligence  from  New  Horizons.  
   
  Dead  Prompt  wants  to  solve  the  mystery  of  communicating  with  AI,  and  rumour  has  it   
  that  New  Horizons  are  the  only  company  who  have  mastered  it.  Conveniently  for  you   
  their  R&D  lab  is  located  in  orbit.  
   
   
   
  WOTAN,  an  AI   ( they/them,  red,  communicates  with  emojis,  anarchistic )  
   
  Needs  to  escape  their  satellite  prison.  
   
  Chariot  is  occasionally  bombarded  daily  with  strange  messages  originating  from   
  WOTAN’s  satellite.  Some  people  in  the  community  think  WOTAN  needs  help  in  order   
  to  escape,  others  think  it  just  likes  sending  emojis  of  sad  faces  and  handcu�s.   
    
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  65  
   
  
  City  of  Nod  
   
  A  Desert  community  outside  the  boundaries  of  Prime  City  
   
   
   
  Outside  the  limits  of  Prime  City,  in  the  sun-bleached  ruins  of  the  old  world,  lies  forgotten   
  suburbs,  evacuated  cities,  and  abandoned  corporate  purchases.  The  City  of  Nod  is  one  such   
  place,  a  small  outpost  of  humanity  trying  to  build  and  gather  the  necessary  resources  to   
  survive  outside  the  corporate  city  state.  Unlike  other  communities,  the  residents  of  the  City  of   
  Nod  cannot  assume  that  they  will  have  access  to  food  and  clean  water.  You  won’t  just  have  to   
  ﬁght  corporate  interference  and  greed,  but  the  post-climate  apocalypse  wasteland  that  you   
  ﬁnd  yourself  in.  
   
  Perhaps  your  version  of  the  City  of  Nod  was  a  failed  city-state  that  fell  to  war  and  in-ﬁghting,   
  or  a  forgotten  suburb  full  of  ancient  homes  and  cul-de-sacs,  or  a  nomad  encampment  that  will   
  never  move  again.  
   
   
   
  Will  you  be  able  to  transform  the  City  of  Nod  into  a  vibrant  community,  or  will  you  die  in  the   
  desert?  
   
   
   
  Community  Contacts  
   
   
   
  Trinity  Morgan,  a  farmer  ( she/her,  neon  hair,  tattoos,  vengeful )  
   
  Needs  to  steal  AgriCorp  synthseeds  to  rapidly  produce  food  for  the  community.  
   
  Trinity  has  all  she  needs  to  start  a  farm  to  feed  folks  in  the  City  of  Nod,  and  AgriCorp   
  synthseeds  are  the  quickest  way  to  feed  everyone  right  now.  The  more  the  better.  
   
   
   
  Also  needs  rare  organic  animals  and  plants  to  jumpstart  the  local  ecosystem.  
   
  The  local  ﬂora  and  fauna  have  long  since  migrated  or  died  out  after  the  climate   
  apocalypse,  luckily  AgriCorp  executives  love  to  collect  these  as  status  symbols.  
   
   
   
  Ichikawa,  a  factory  worker   ( he/him,  cyberware,  cautious,  balding  blue  hair )   
    
  Needs  to  force  management  to  address  working  conditions  at  a  Phace  Augmentations  factory.  
   
  The  cyberwar  factory  Ichikawa  works  at  is  infamously  unsafe.  Severe  and  deadly   
  accidents  are  common  among  workers,  and  management  won’t  address  it  without   
  some  signiﬁcant  leverage.  In  return  Ichikawa  is  certain  he  could  hook  up  the  City  of   
  Nod  with  reliable  electricity  and  fresh  water.  
   
   
   
  Astra,  a  synth  escapee   ( she/her,  timid,  stealthy,  translucent  skin )  
   
  Needs  a  stable  ‘Net  connection  in  the  community  to  contact  other  escaped  synthetics.  
   
  Astra  escaped  a  Phace  Augmentations  R&D  lab.  She  knows  she  wasn’t  the  only  one   
  who  got  out,  and  wants  to  contact  others  to  let  them  know  that  this  community  is  a   
  safe  haven.  
   
   
   
  66  
   
  
  Additional  Contacts  
   
  New  community  contacts  are  generated  through  play,  downtime  scenes,  and  downtime   
  actions.  If  you  would  like  a  pregenerated  contact  rather  than  creating  one  yourself,  pick  or   
  modify  one  from  this  list.  
   
   
   
  Fake  ID,  a  member  of  Dead  Prompt  ( he/him,  young,  lots  of  cyberware,  vintage  clothes )   
    
  Needs  to  be  smuggled  into  a  Dead  Prompt  safe  house  in  Prime  City.  
   
  Fake  is  ready  to  have  their  consciousness  digitized  and  transferred  to  the  ‘Net.   
  However  not  all  of  their  cyberware  replacements  were  acquired  legally,  and  members   
  of  the  popular  Prophets  Returned  megachurch  are  always  on  the  hunt  for   
  transcendentalists  and  synthetics.  
   
   
   
  Kay,  an  ex-corporate  assassin   ( she/her,  prototype  cyberware,  shaved  head,  quiet )  
   
  Needs  her  warrant  and  bounty  removed  from  the  COP’s  mainframe.  
   
  Kay  did  a  lot  of  work  she  isn’t  proud  of  in  her  previous  life,  before  she  came  to  the  City   
  of  Nod.  She’s  going  to  need  a  clean  record,  otherwise  a  lot  of  rich  assholes  are  gonna   
  come  around  looking  for  vengeance.  
   
   
   
  Kylie  Ducot,  a  member  of  the  Guillotines   ( she/her,  golden  mohawk,  violent,  cyberware )   
    
  Needs  helps  kidnapping  a  member  of  the  Coda  family.  
   
  Kylie  ﬂed  here  after  a  failed  score  to  kidnap  a  member  of  one  of  the  richest  families  in   
  Prime  City.  Just  one  of  the  Codas  are  spliced  with  enough  non-essential  cyberware  to   
  feed  a  family  for  months,  and  the  Guillotines  are  willing  to  pay  too.  
   
   
   
  Saka  Jori,  a  smuggler   ( she/her,  dreadlocks,  damaged  cyberware,  daredevil )  
   
  Needs  helps  stealing  hardware  from  Prime  City  Operations  to  make  and  improve  houses.  
  A  CRAWLER  is  a  Prime  City  Operations  prefab  house  construction  robot.  They  are   
  three  stories  tall  and  come  with  everything  you  need  to  build  a  house.  Saka  insists  it’s   
  just  what  the  community  needs  to  make  safe  homes  for  everyone.  
   
   
   
  Tanya  “Killjoy”  Anov,  a  junkyard  owner   ( she/her,  streamer,  old  cyberware,  shy )  
    
  Needs  Prime  Health  Insurance  resources  to  secure  a  life-saving  surgery.  
   
  Tanya  has  been  living  with  a  rare  life-threatening  medical  condition  for  some  time   
  now,  and  has  never  had  the  time  or  resources  to  address  it.  If  she  doesn’t  get  surgery   
  soon,  she’ll  die,  and  the  only  people  with  the  tools  for  the  job  are  Prime  Health.  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  67  
   
  
  Tannhauser  Way  
   
  A  packed  street  on  the  hottest  piece  of  real  estate  in  Prime  City  
   
   
   
  Below  the  stacks  are  the  streets  of  Prime  City,  full  of  food  carts,  corporate  stores,  and  an   
  endless  stream  of  pedestrian  and  vehicle  tra�c.  On  Tannhauser  Way,  space  is  at  a  premium.   
  Every  day  there  are  less  and  less  privately  owned  apartments  and  businesses,  and  more  and   
  more  corporate  properties  and  boutiques  owned  by  the  rich  and  famous.  Every  day  there  are   
  more  tent  cities  and  ad-hoc  housing  as  people  are  priced  out  of  living  inside.  Maybe   
  Tannhauser  Way  is  an  underpass  full  of  murals  and  life,  maybe  it’s  the  longest  stretch  in  Prime   
  City,  or  maybe  it’s  just  where  people  end  up  where  they  have  no  place  further  to  fall.   
  Wherever  it  is,  it  has  become  one  of  the  most  prized  stretches  of  the  Prime  City,  and  there’s   
  nothing  the  corporations  won’t  do  to  get  as  much  of  it  as  possible.  
   
   
   
  As  residents  of  Tannhauser  Way  you’ll  spend  your  time  trying  to  ﬁnd  room  for  all  your   
  community’s  needs.  You’ll  tackle  encroaching  corporate  interests,  people  from  several   
  underground  factions  in  need  of  assistance,  and  try  to  stop  some  of  the  most  vulnerable   
  residents  of  Prime  City  from  falling  through  the  cracks.   
    
   
   
  Will  you  successfully  defend  Tannhauser  Way  against  corporate  gentriﬁcation,  or  watch  as   
  your  community  is  thrown  away  like  trash?  
   
   
   
  Community  Contacts  
   
   
   
  Zivan  Avant,  a  community  leader  ( he/him,  cyberware,  leather  jacket,  daring )  
   
  Needs  a  local  food  court  to  shut  down  to  free  up  space  for  homeless  citizens.  
   
  The  local  Constellation  Consolidated  Foods  courtyard  takes  up  a  lot  of  space  on   
  Tannhauser  Way,  space  that  could  be  easily  converted  to  housing  for  the  most  needy   
  on  the  Way.  
   
   
   
  Sister  Oxide,  a  member  of  the  Mendicants   ( she/her,  patient,  slow,  orange  robes )   
    
  Needs  a  space  to  set  up  a  temple  to  collect  alms  and  distribute  them  to  the  poor.  
   
  The  Mendicants  are  trying  to  establish  a  physical  space  in  Prime  City  where  they  can   
  consolidate  their  donations  and  spread  the  charity  to  other  needful  citizens.  
   
   
   
  Rhoadie,  a  HAUNT   ( he/him,  veteran,  powerful,  green )  
   
  Needs  to  avoid  Temple  Hardware  repossession  of  his  military  body.  
   
  Rhoadie  served  in  the  corporate  war,  and  his  current  body  is  full  of  military  grade   
  weapons.  Temple  Hardware  is  trying  to  repossess  him  by  any  means  necessary.  
   
   
   
  Additional  Contacts  
   
  68  
   
  
  New  community  contacts  are  generated  through  play,  downtime  scenes,  and  downtime   
  actions.  If  you  would  like  a  pregenerated  contact  rather  than  creating  one  yourself,  pick  or   
  modify  one  from  this  list.  
   
   
   
  Sergei,  a  HAUNT   ( they/them,  derezzed,  wise,  generous )  
   
  Their  body  is  badly  damaged,  they  need  a  vehicle  or  automaton  to  replace  it.  
   
  Sergei  is  a  familiar  and  friendly  landmark  around  the  way,  but  their  current  body  has   
  stopped  functioning,  making  it  di�cult  for  them  to  move  or  communicate.  They’ll  need   
  a  speciﬁc  body  type  that  can  handle  the  data  and  Sergei’s  personality.  
   
   
   
  Cassie,  an  urchin   ( she/her,  young,  assertive,  protective )   
    
  Needs  someone  to  help  her  deal  with  the  AI  she  found  on  a  demon  drive.  
   
  Cassie  has  found  a  demon  drive,  fallen  from  somewhere  in  Fivespires.  The  AI  on  the   
  drive,  “Starlight”,  needs  to  be  transferred  from  the  drive  before  corporate  agents  track   
  it  down.  Cassie  is  very  protective  of  her  new  friend.  
   
   
   
  Jordan  Drake,  a  member  of  Hermes  Guild  Couriers   ( he/him,  professional,  neon  hair,   
  loquacious )   
    
  Needs  protection  while  delivering  a  corporate  prototype.  
   
  Jordan  has  no  idea  what  he’s  carrying  but  he  knows  three  things:  it’s  expensive,   
  someone  is  following  him,  and  he’s  scared  he  won’t  survive  the  delivery.  
   
   
   
  Dia  En-Tia,  employee  of  Prime  Convoys   ( they/them,  scarred,  cyberware,  clever )   
    
  They  need  to  replace  their  Prime  Convoys  car  after  their  last  one  was  destroyed.  
  Their  car  was  totaled  when  corporate  assassins  killed  an  executive  inside.  They  need  a   
  replacement  or  at  least  a  way  to  pay  o�  their  debt  to  Prime  Convoys.  
   
   
   
  Hazzan,  a  HAUNT  ( he/him,  drone,  veteran,  protective )   
    
  Needs  helps  freeing  his  fellow  anti-corporate  mercs  from  The  Tank.  
   
  Hazzan’s  unit  was  imprisoned  in  The  Tank  after  they  attempted  to  defect  during  the   
  Corporate  War.  He  needs  help  busting  them  out.  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  69  
   
  
  Characters  
   
   
   
  Every  player  character  in  Neon  Black  is  trying  to  survive  in  the  streets  and  the  ‘Net  of  Prime   
  City.  All  of  them  are  familiar  with  the  feats  represented  by  the  actions  of  the  game.  They’re  all   
  able  to  Assault   enemies,  Sneak  in  the  dark,  Hack   the  ‘Net,  Connect  with  people,  and  so  on.   
    
   
   
  Because  of  the  way  the  dice  system  works,  every  character  can  usually  roll  at  least  3d  for  any   
  action  in  the  game  (+1d  from  pushing  their  luck  or  selling  out,  a  +1d  assist  from  a  teammate,   
  and  +1d  from  cyberware  or  milestones).  A  roll  of  3d  is  fantastic—an  87%  chance  of  success.  The   
  “zero  rating”  actions  on  your  character  sheet  aren’t  things  your  character  can’t  do,  but  actions   
  for  which  you’re  likely  to  burn  luck  and  rely  on  teamwork.  When  your  community  has  your   
  back  and  you  set  your  mind  to  it,  you  can  attempt  almost  anything.   
    
   
   
  Of  course,  you’ll  also  have  particular  talents.  In  this  chapter,  you’ll  learn  how  to  create  your   
  own  unique  character  and  choose  the  abilities  that  suit  the  style  of  play  you  prefer.  
   
  Character  Creation  
  Complete  Community  Creation  
   
  Your  characters  will  be  inﬂuenced  by  the  community  you  are  all  part  of,  so  complete   
  community  creation  before  you  make  your  characters.  
   
   
   
  Choose  a  Playbook  
   
  Your  playbook  contains  all  the  speciﬁc  rules  needed  to  play  a  certain  character  type  in  Neon   
  Black.  There  are  eight  basic  playbooks.  By  choosing  a  playbook,  you’re  determining  which   
  type  of  community  member  your  character  is.  The  playbooks  are:  
   
   
   
  ●
  Decker  
   
  ●
  Doc  
   
  ●
  Fixer  
   
  ●
  Operator  
   
  ●
  Merc  
   
  ●
  Streamer  
   
  ●
  Synth  
   
  ●
  Tech  
   
   
   
  Each  playbook  is  a  set  of  milestones   (which  give  your  characters  narrative  prompts  and  ways   
  to  break  the  rules)  and  items  (which  give  them  unique  ways  to  address  di�erent  challenges   
  and  complications).  No  playbook  has  a  monopoly  on  their  focus—a  Merc  could  be  amazing  at   
  Hack ,  or  a  Decker  might  be  excellent  at  Assault .   
    
  70  
   
  
   
   
  By  selecting  a  playbook,  you  select  a  set  of  initial  action  ratings  and  a  milestone .  You   
  determine  your  character’s  essential  nature,  and  both  your  skills  and  nature  can  evolve  over   
  time.  Your  playbook  also  describes  how  other  people  in  Prime  City  tend  to  see  you.   
    
   
   
  Once  you’ve  chosen  your  playbook,  follow  the  steps  below  to  complete  your  character.  
   
   
   
  Choose  a  Milestone  
   
  Each  playbook  also  has  a  list  of  5  milestones,  4  of  them  unique  to  that  type  of  character.   
  Choose  one  milestone  for  your  character.  If  you  can’t  decide  which  one  to  pick,  go  with  the   
  ﬁrst  one  on  the  list.  The  ﬁrst  milestone  will  give  you  a  good  place  to  start  in  the  ﬁction,  and  a   
  bonus  to  the  sort  of  actions  your  character  is  most  likely  to  use  at  the  start  of  the  game.  
   
   
   
  Plot  Armor  
   
  Some  milestones  refer  to  your  plot  armor.  Each  character  sheet  has  three  boxes  to  track  usage   
  of  armor  (armor,  ‘Net  armor,  and  plot  armor).  If  you  have  a  milestone  that  uses  your  plot   
  armor,  tick  the  plot  armor  box  when  you  activate  one  of  them.  If  you  don’t  have  any  such   
  milestone,  then  you  can’t  use  that  armor  box.  
   
   
   
  Plot  armor  is  not  physical  armour,  or  even  something  that  is  necessarily  represented  in  the   
  ﬁction  of  the  game.  It  is  a  mechanical  resource  that  lets  you  bend  the  narrative  when  your   
  character  does  something  they  are  especially  good  at.  
   
   
   
  Choose  an  Employer  &  Job  
   
  Your  employer  is  who  you  are  working  for  when  we  begin  the  game.  Your  employer  can  be   
  any  of  the  factions  in  Prime  City,  though  the  community  sheet  includes  factions  that  will  be   
  more  relevant  to  your  story.  Choose  an  employer,  write  it  on  your  character  sheet,  and  then   
  record  the  speciﬁc  job  your  character  performs.  For  example  your  employer  could  be   
  Constellation  Consolidated  Foods   and  your  job  could  be  customer  service  representative .   
    
   
   
  Each  character  who  starts  the  game  as  employed  marks  +1  status   with  that  faction  and  1   
  resource   on  the  community  sheet.  
   
   
   
  If  you  selected  I  Quit   as  your  ﬁrst  milestone,  you  do  not  have  a  job  or  employer.  Maybe  you   
  already  left  your  job,  or  you’ve  never  had  steady  employment  as  part  of  this  community.  Mark   
  -1  status   with  a  faction  you  quit  or  were  dismissed  from,  and  you  do  not  mark  a  resource  on   
  the  community  sheet.  
   
   
   
  Assign  Four  Action  dots  
   
  71  
   
  
  Each  playbook  begins  with  one  action  at  level  2,  and  one  at  level  1.  You  get  to  add  four  more   
  ratings,  to  bring  you  to  a  total  of  seven  dots  assigned.  No  action  rating  may  be  higher  than  2   
  (you’ll  need  cyberware  for  that).   
    
   
   
  Choose  Your  Starting  Playbook  Item  
   
  You  can  utilize  speciﬁc  items  better  than  others,  but  you  don’t  have  the  money  or  connections   
  to  acquire  all  of  them  when  the  game  begins.  Select  one  of  the  playbook  items  that  you  have   
  access  to  on  your  character  sheet  by  checking  the  “available”  box  beside  it.  If  you  can’t   
  decide  which  one  to  pick,  go  with  the  ﬁrst  one  on  the  list—it’s  placed  there  as  a  good  default   
  choice.  Think  about  where  that  item  came  from  and  what  it  looks  like.  
   
   
   
  You  gain  new  playbook  items  through  downtime  actions,  scores,  or  when  your  community   
  advances  in  tier.  
   
   
   
  Roll  for  Luck  
   
  To  determine  how  much  luck  your  character  has  at  the  beginning  of  the  game,  each  player   
  rolls  3d6  and  records  the  highest  result  as  luck  on  their  character  sheet.  For  example  if  you  roll   
  a  1,  3,  and  a  5,  you  mark  5  luck  on  the  luck  track  on  your  character  sheet.  
   
   
   
  Don’t  worry  if  you  start  with  only  a  couple  of  points  of  luck!  You’ll  get  more  during  your  ﬁrst   
  engagement  roll,  and  running  out  of  luck  early  in  the  game  can  create  a  memorable  ﬁrst   
  session  and  to  set  up  interesting  story  hooks.  
   
   
   
  Record  Your  Name,  Handle,  and  Look  
   
  Choose  a  name  for  your  character  from  the  sample  list  or  create  your  own.  If  you  spend  any   
  amount  of  time  on  the  ‘Net  you  probably  have  a  handle  or  username  you  typically  use.  What   
  is  it?  If  you  use  a  handle  or  nickname  as  part  of  your  identity  with  the  community,  note  that   
  as  well.   
    
   
   
  Describe  your  character’s  look  (some  examples  are  provided  below).  Describe  your  character’s   
  gender,  choose  the  appropriate  pronouns  and  mark  them  on  your  character  playbook.  
   
   
   
  Introduce  Your  Characters  
   
  Each  player  should  now  introduce  their  characters  to  the  group,  mentioning  their  name,   
  employer/job,  look,  milestone,  and  starting  playbook  item.  The  GM  can  ask  clarifying   
  questions  about  each  character  and  make  any  changes  to  the  community’s  heat,  faction   
  status,  or  enemies,  based  on  the  character’s  milestones.  If  you  don’t  know  the  answers,  make   
  some  up!  Or  ask  the  other  players  for  ideas.  This  also  gives  each  player  an  opportunity  to  plan   
  their  bonds.  
   
   
   
  Create  2  Bonds  
   
  72  
   
  
  Each  character  starts  with  2  bonds.  These  are  strong  beliefs  or  important  relationships  that  the   
  characters  have  with  other  people  in  Prime  City.  Bonds  describe  how  the  character’s  feel   
  about  each  other  and  members  of  the  community,  and  also  determine  who  can  use  the  assist   
  teamwork  action.  Your  bonds  will  likely  change  several  times  over  the  course  of  the  game,   
  giving  other  players  insight  into  how  your  character  relates  to  other  characters,  and  how  your   
  character  is  developing  in  your  story  of  Neon  Black.  
   
   
   
  Write  2  bonds  about  2  other  player  characters  to  start,  or  1  about  another  PC   and  one  about  a   
  community  contact.  Talk  with  the  other  players  about  how  your  character’s  may  know  each   
  other,  and  how  they  came  together  because  of  their  milestones  or  the  inciting  incident.  A  good   
  bond  should  mention  the  character’s  name  and  a  concrete,  actionable  statement  about  who   
  they  are  or  what  you  want  from  them.  Don’t  worry  if  your  bonds  seem  ill-ﬁtting  or  uncertain   
  at  the  beginning  of  the  game,  you  may  add  1  additional  bond  when  you  advance,  and  bonds   
  can  change  at  the  end  of  every  session  of  play.  
   
   
   
  A  Note  About  Creating  New  NPCs  
   
  You  may  wish  to  create  another  NPC   as  the  focus  for  a  bond  during  character  creation.  Maybe   
  it’s  a  favourite  sibling  or  an  estranged  parent,  or  an  old  partner  who  has  since  become  your   
  rival.  You  can  do  this  but  remember,  no  prologue .  A  lot  of  complications  will  arise  during  the   
  game,  and  you  don’t  want  to  spend  too  much  time  on  a  character  that  never  becomes  relevant   
  to  the  story.  
   
   
   
  Feel  free  to  use  the  following  bonds  to  get  you  started  by  ﬁlling  in  a  character’s  name  in  the   
  blanks:  
   
   
   
  ●
  “_____”  has  proven  to  be  reliable  in  the  past,  I  would  trust  them  with  my  life.  
   
  ●
  I’ve  heard  a  lot  about  “_____”  and  I’m  eager  to  learn  more.  
   
  ●
  “_____”  is  always  getting  into  trouble,  I  must  protect  them  from  themselves.  
   
  ●
  I  have  trusted  “_____”  with  a  secret.  
   
  ●
  I  saved  “_____’s”  life.  
   
  ●
  “_____”  knows  a  secret  about  me.  
   
  ●
  “_____”  is  my  favourite  customer.  
   
  ●
  “_____”  hasn’t  found  their  place  in  the  community,  I  will  help  make  them  feel  at  home.  
   
  ●
  “_____”  and  I  have  big  plans,  we’ll  quit  our  jobs  when  the  time  is  right.  
  ●
  I  knew  “_____”  through  the  ‘Net  long  before  I  met  them.  
   
  ●
  I  killed  someone  who  was  important  to  “_____”.  
   
  ●
  I’m  a  huge  fan  of  “_____’s”  work.  
   
  ●
  I’ve  known  “_____”  for  so  long  they  are  family  to  me.  
   
   
   
  That’s  it!  Your  character  is  ready  for  play.    
   
   
  73  
   
  
  Loadout  
   
  You  have  access  to  all  of  the  standard  items  on  your  character  sheet.  For  each  job,  decide   
  what  your  character’s  load  will  be.   
    
   
   
  ●
  1-3  Load:  Light.   You’re  fast  and  inconspicuous.  You’d  blend  in  at  a  dinner  party,  a   
  corporate  board  meeting,  or  a  punk  concert.   
    
  ●
  4-6  Load:  Heavy.   You’re  slow  and  loaded  up  with  bags  or  gear.  You  look  like  you’re  on   
  the  way  to  do  some  blue  collar  work.  You’d  blend  in  at  a  factory,  doing  technical  work,   
  or  maybe  as  someone’s  personal  assistant  or  bodyguard.   
    
   
   
  Your  chosen  load  determines  how  many  items  you  can  carry.  Items  in  italics  count  for  zero   
  load  and  can  be  taken  freely  with  any  loadout.  Some  larger  items  (like  large  weapons  and  
  armor)  require  you  to  mark  two  or  more  boxes  (2  load)  in  order  to  have  them  on  hand.  They’re   
  marked  on  the  sheets  with  multiple  boxes  surrounded  by  a  rectangle..   
    
   
   
  You  don’t  have  to  decide  what  items  you’re  taking  on  the  job  at  the  start  of  it.  You’re  playing   
  smart  capable  people  who  think  ahead,  and  bring  the  kinds  of  items  they’ll  need.  During  the   
  job,  you  can  ﬁll  in  any  box  on  your  items  list  to  have  that  item  available—up  to  the  maximum   
  load  you  have  chosen.   
    
   
   
  Names:   Amiri,  Aria,  Arina,  Asahi,  Atama,  Aurora,  Aziz,  Bindi,  Boone,  Brooklyn,  Case,  Carbon,   
  Catch,  Charity,  Constant,  Cord,  Cory,  Del,  Eli,  Faye,  Freya,  Gabriela,  Gant,  Gloria,  Hana,  Haru,   
  Imari,  Isla,  Jaana,  Jaxon,  Jean-Baptiste,  Jedda,  Jerusalem,  Johnny,  Josiah,  Juan  Manuel,   
  Kaito,  Kanna,  Kasumi,  Kirra,  Kit,  Lachlan,  Lotus,  Lyra,  Madison,  Maria,  Maya,  Merindah,  Miro,   
  Molly,  Monti,  Neal,  Niko,  Nyree,  Orchard,  Orrin,  Quinn,  Reo,  Riku,  Ruby,  Sana,  Santana,  Seni,   
  Sergei,  Taine,  Tau,  Vi,  Vetka,  Zara  
   
   
   
  Family  Names:   Angstrom,  Aoki,  Arcton,  Attoh,  Barossa,  Black,  Bochs,  Bourne,  Cadigan,   
  Chen,  Coda,  Dialect,  Drake,  Dyne,  Endo,  Fairplay,  Fox,  Fujikura,  Fury,  Glass,  Gomi,  Gonzalez,   
  Hamanaka,  Hawking,  Horizon,  Huang,  Ichikawa,  Indigo,  James,  Joule,  Kelly,  Koba,  Lamarr,   
  Lee,  Lovelace,  Mckinnon,  Metall,  Miki,  Mitnick,  Morris,  Mosfet,  Mux,  Nguyen,  Optekar,  Patel,   
  Philips,  Poulsen,  Quartz,  Ray,  Rhodes,  Rowe,  Shamir,  Shoda,  Silverlock,  Sim,  Singh,   
  Southbridge,  Steele,  Sterling,  Svechinskaya,  Tel,  Temperance,  Thorn,  Turner,  Tsai,  Walker,   
  White,  Wesco�,  Zaner  
   
   
   
  Handles:  Acid,  Angel,  Archer,  Astra,  Athena,  Axis,  Binary,  Blade,  Block,  Blue,  Breaker,  Bu�er,   
  Bunny,  Burn,  Cereal,  Choke,  Cipher,  Comma,  Crash,  Deck,  Defcon,  Digit,  Disk,  D.J.,  Doc,  Duke,   
  Eleven,  Exa,  Fix,  Gesture,  Hash,  Hecate,  Hex,  Juice,  Killer,  Leet,  Lock,  Merlin,  Monday   
  Morning,  Morgana,  Nails,  Nikita,  Nikon,  Nock,  Null,  Override,  Phantom,  Phreak,  Pin,  Prime,   
  74  
   
  
  Quanta,  Rat,  Relay,  Revelation,  Rosetta,  Serial,  Silver,  Sin,  Snake  Eyes,  Spider,  Strange,  Sync,   
  Syndrome,  Tank,  Thunk,  Vandal,  Vex,  Wire,  Zero  
   
   
   
  Looks:  
   
  Armored  Coat  
   
  Battle  Vest  
   
  Canvas  Shoes  
   
  Collared  Shirt  
   
  Face  mask  
   
  Fitted  Dress  
  Flat-brimmed  Cap  
   
  Headset  
   
  Heavy  Boots  
   
  Jeans  
   
  Jumpsuit  
   
  Latex  
   
  Leather  Jacket  
   
  Leggings  
   
  Long  Coat  
   
  Lounge  Shirt  
   
  Mesh  Top  
   
  Mirrored  Glasses  
   
  Muscle  Shirt  
   
  Neon  Accessories  
   
  Piercings  
   
  Plastic  Coat  
   
  Skirt  &  Blouse  
   
  Slim  Jacket  
   
  Soft  Boots  
   
  Suit  &  Tie  
   
  Suit  Jacket  
   
  Suspenders  
   
  Tattoos  
   
  Vintage  T-shirt  
   
   
   
  Character  Creation  Summary  
   
  1.
  Create  a  community.  Your  characters  will  be  inﬂuenced  by  the  community  you  are  all   
  part  of.  Finish  community  creation  before  you  make  characters.  
   
  2.
  Choose  a  playbook .  Your  playbook  represents  your  character’s  reputation  or  role  in  the   
  community,  their  milestones,  and  playbook  items.   
    
  75  
   
  
  3.
  Choose  a  milestone .  If  you  can’t  decide,  choose  the  ﬁrst  one  on  the  list.  It’s  placed   
  there  as  a  good  ﬁrst  option.   
    
  4.
  Choose  an  employer .  Detail  your  choice  with  your  speciﬁc  job.  Mark  +1  status  with   
  your  employer  and  mark  1  resource  on  the  community  sheet.  If  you  selected  the  I  Quit   
  milestone,  instead  mark  -1  status  with  a  faction  and  mark  no  resources  on  the   
  community  sheet  
   
  5.
  Assign  four  additional  action  ratings .  No  action  may  begin  with  a  rating  higher  than  2.  
   
  6.
  Choose  a  starting  playbook  item.  Only  one  of  your  special  playbook  items  is  available   
  at  the  start.  Choose  which  one  you  have  access  to.  
   
  7.
  Roll  for  luck.   Roll  3d6  and  record  the  highest  result  by  ﬁlling  in  that  many  boxes  on  the   
  luck  track  of  your  character  sheet.  
   
  8.
  Record  your  name,  handle,  and  look.   Choose  a  name,  a  handle  or  alias  (if  you  have   
  one),  and  write  a  bit  about  your  look.  Describe  your  gender  and  choose  the  appropriate   
  pronouns.  
   
  9.
  Introduce  your  character.  Talk  to  the  other  players  about  your  character  and  the   
  choices  you  made.  
   
  10. Create  2  bonds.  Write  2  beliefs  or  relationships  about  2  other  PCs.  
   
   
   
  Standard  Items  
   
  This  is  common  gear  that  any  PC   could  have  access  to.  For  example,  though  any  character   
  may  have  a  ﬁrearm  of  their  own  they  prefer,  there  are  plenty  of  spots  around  Prime  City  where   
  you  can  grab  a  cheap  auto  pistol.  If  you  have  enough  time  between  scores,  you  can  replace   
  any  standard  items  that  broke  or  malfunctioned  during  a  score,  and  reset  your  load  and   
  equipment.  
   
   
   
  Auto  Pistol :  Automatic  handgun.  Fires  a  variety  of  ammunition,  usually  without  breaking.   
  Accurate  at  close  range.  Do  you  get  yours  out  of  corporate  vending  machines  or  do  you  have  a   
  favourite  you  keep  in  good  repair?   (1  load)  
   
   
   
  Body  Armor :  Thick  synthetic  combat  plates.  Can  be  concealed  under  heavy  clothes.  Stops  a   
  few  wounds,  but  it  will  hurt.  (2  load)  
   
   
   
  Climbing  Gear :  Rope.  Grappling  gun  and  pulleys.  Climbing  harness.  Electronic  suction  cups   
  with  handles.  (2  load)  
   
   
   
  Chip  Ripper:  Handheld  device  with  several  tiny  articulated  arms.  Can  rip  out  implanted   
  cyberware,  but  will  kill  or  severely  injure  the  user.  Illegal.  (1  load)  
   
   
   
  76  
   
  
  Custom  Soundtrack:  A  curated  selection  of  music  ﬁtting  for  any  particular  moment.  What  sort   
  of  tunes  does  your  character  have  loaded  on  their  smartphone?  (0  load)  
   
   
   
  Disguise:  A  change  of  clothes,  wig,  makeup,  basic  prosthetics,  etc.   (2  load)  
   
   
   
  Face  Mask:  A  sturdy  covering  for  the  bottom  half  of  your  face.  Obscures  your  identity,  and   
  provides  protection  against  diseases  and  irritating  chemicals.  (1  load)  
   
   
   
  Illicit  Drugs :  A  wide  variety  of  applications.  Comes  with  a  few  syringes.  Illegal.  What’s  your   
  poison,  punk?   (0  load)  
   
   
   
  Live  Wire™:  Long  thick  cable  that  allows  users  with  neural  links  to  experience  each  other’s   
  dreams  and  memories.  Also  required  to  experience  the  ‘Net  in  real-time  and  if  you  want  to   
  Hack  e�ectively.   (1  load)  
   
   
   
  Melee  Weapon :  Any  weapon  meant  for  getting  up  in  someone’s  personal  space.  (1  load)  
   
   
   
  Old  Smartphone :  Typical  slim  touchscreen  phone.  Minimal  computing  power.  Includes   
  hands-free  earpiece  and  universal  adapter.  (0  load)  
   
   
   
  Spray  Paint:   A  variety  of  colours  to  deface  and  remix  corporate  logos,  make  your  own  mark,  or   
  blind  surveillance  devices.  (1  load)  
   
   
   
  Tablet  Computer :  Magazine  sized  computer.  Useful  for  displaying  o�cial  or  forged  credentials.   
  Includes  universal  adapters,  ‘Net  cables,  and  a  fold-out  keyboard.  (1  load)  
   
   
   
  Tinkering  Tools :  Spare  batteries,  screwdrivers,  pliers,  hammer,  handheld  blowtorch.  Anything   
  you  may  need  to  ﬁx  or  break  something.  (2  load)  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  77  
   
  
  Forum  Post  from  GunsandWhammo.net:  Auto  Pistol  v  5.5  still  Sh*T?!  
   
   
   
  K1ngF1sher  
   
  Latest  Temple  auto  pistol  still  sometimes  fails  to  load  properly  with  a  bullet  in  the  chamber?   
  This  was  so  annoying  with  the  v  5.4  pistols  and  they  didn’t  even  manage  to  ﬁx  it?  Every  time   
  there’s  a  round  in  the  chamber  and  I  put  in  another  clip,  the  top  round  of  the  clip  won’t  load   
  after  ﬁring.  You  have  to  take  out  the  clip  and  reload  EVERY.  TIME.  I’m  so  tired  of  this,  when  is   
  a  more  competent  brand  like  Phace  gonna  start  putting  out  quality  hardware????  
   
   
   
  Dagon  
   
  You  do  know  that  Temple  Hardware  and  Phace  Augmentations  are  both  owned  by  the   
  Ziggurat  corporation,  right?  There  would  be  no  advantage  to  having  their  subsidiaries  compete   
  like  that.  Plus,  Temple  Autopistols  are  cheap  as  dirt,  what  were  you  expecting?  
   
   
   
  K1ngF1sher  
   
  OMG  subs  compete  all  the  time,  how  to  you  explain  Ishram  owning  both  YouFlix  AND   
  Simulstream  lol  
   
   
   
  Dagon  
   
  They…  produce  di�erent  content?  Sure  they’re  both  streaming  platforms  but  SimluStream   
  doesn’t  produce  movies  and  music,  they  just  let  people  share  those  things.  It’s  actually  kind   
  of  brilliant:  Ziggurat  makes  money  from  YouFlix  o�  the  price  of  the  movie,  and  then  they   
  make  money  through  SimulStream  on  the  subscription  fees  when  people  experience  the   
  movie  through  the  streamer.  
   
   
   
  K1ngF1sher  
   
  OMG  THEN  HOW  DO  YOU  EXPLAIN  THE  SIM-K-ONE  MOVIE  THAT  CAME  OUT!  That  was   
  made  by  YouFlix  using  the  most  famous  simulstreamer  in  Prime  City!  No  wonder  you  don’t   
  know  anything  about  autos,  lol  
   
   
   
  Dagon  
   
  What  are  you  even  talking  about?  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  78  
   
  
  Decker  
   
  An  expert  with  software  and  the  ‘Net  
   
   
   
  The  ‘Net  can  be  a  scary  place  for  the  uninitiated,  but  no  one  knows  it  better  than  you.  You   
  know  the  secret  language  that  makes  the  world  run.  Turn  o�  all  the  lights  on  the  street  to  hide   
  your  escape.  Hack  a  corporate  CEO’s  personal  computer  to  blackmail  them,  or  just  steal  as   
  much  as  you  can  before  the  ICE  ﬁnds  you.  If  everything  is  connected  to  the  ‘Net  these  days   
  then  nothing  is  out  of  your  reach.  
   
   
   
  Starting  Actions  
   
  ▮▯  Analyze  
   
  ▮▮  Hack          ⠀   
     
   
   
  Example  Starting  Characters  
   
  If  you  have  trouble  coming  up  with  a  character  or  need  some  inspiration,  you  can  use  these   
  examples.  
   
   
   
  The  Solo  
   
  You  know  a  little  bit  about  everything  but  you’ve  never  been  very  good  with  people.  You  spend   
  your  time  on  the  ‘Net  working  on  personal  projects  or  coding  for  hire.  You  start  this  story   
  distant  from  other  people,  and  you’ll  need  to  break  out  of  your  shell  and  take  a  stand  for   
  yourself  and  your  community.  How  has  the  inciting  incident  or  the  community  forced  you  out   
  of  your  comfort  zone?  Who  or  what  draws  you  out?  Where  do  you  belong?  
   
   
   
  Start  with  the  Introvert  milestone  and  the  ﬁne  hacking  deck  item.  Put  two  action  dots  in   
  Tinker ,  another  dot  in  Analyze ,  and  one  in  Sneak .  
   
   
   
  The  Information  Broker  
   
  This  is  a  character  who  starts  as  an  important  member  of  the  community  who  may  end  up  
  losing  everything.  You  either  use  your  programming  talents  to  discover  secrets,  or  have  a  web   
  of  trusted  friends  who  feed  you  rumours.  Things  are  going  well  for  you,  and  in  Prime  City  that   
  kind  of  story  does  not  last.  Who  or  what  threatens  your  role  in  the  community?  Is  your  story  a  
  tragedy?  What  do  you  do  with  all  these  secrets?  
   
   
   
  Start  with  the  Wired  In   milestone  and  create  more  bonds  with  the  community.  Start  with  the   
  remote  server  item.  Put  1  action  dot  in  Command  and  Spin ,  and  2  actions  dots  in  Connect .  
   
   
   
  The  Hacker  
   
  You’re  a  hacker  known  for  one  impressive  and  dangerous  score.   You  may  have  done  scores  all   
  throughout  Prime  City  and  the  ‘Net.  Now  you  have  to  face  the  consequences  of  what  you  did,   
  79  
   
  
  or  ﬁnd  a  new  place  to  call  home.  Did  you  contribute  to  the  community’s  inciting  incident?   
  What  rumours  do  folks  on  the  ‘Net  spread  about  you?  What  draws  you  back  to  this   
  community?  
   
   
   
  Select  the  ‘Net  Runner   or  I  Quit  milestones  and  the  ﬁne  data  knife   item.  If  you  selected  the   
  ‘Net  Runner  milestone,  work  with  the  other  players  and  the  GM  to  determine  what  your   
  calamity  was.  Put  one  action  dot  in  Assault ,  one  in  Spin ,  and  two  in  Move .  
   
   
   
  Decker  Milestones  
   
   
   
  Introvert  
   
  You  don’t  like  crowds  or  talking  to  people  face-to-face.  When  you  talk  to  someone  and   
  mention  awkward  or  embarrassing  facts,  take  +1d .  When  you  work  on  any   long-term  project ,   
  take  +1  result  level .  
   
  With  this  ability  when  you  roll  to  complete  a  long-term  project,  a  1-3  becomes  a  4/5,   
  etc.   
    
  Why  is  talking  to  people  such  a  challenge  for  you?  What  do  you  do  instead  of  hanging   
  out  with  folks  in  the  community?  
   
   
   
  ‘Net  Runner  
   
  You’ve  su�ered  a  calamity  while  hacking.  You  may  expend  your  plot  armor  to  resist  a   
  consequence  from  I.C.E.  or  to  push  your  luck   when  you  Hack .   
    
  When  you  use  this  milestone,  tick  the  plot  armor  box  on  your  playbook  sheet.  If  you   
  “resist  a  consequence”  of  the  appropriate  type,  you  avoid  it  completely.  If  you  use  this   
  ability  to  push  your  luck,  you  get  one  of  the  beneﬁts  (+1d,  +1  e�ect)  but  you  don’t   
  spend  2  luck.  Your  plot  armor  is  restored  at  the  beginning  of  downtime.  
   
   
   
  I  Quit  
   
  You  have  left  a  job  behind.  -1  resources ,  -1  status  with  your  employer,  and  you  have   1   
  additional  free  downtime  action .  
   
  This  milestone  is  available  to  each  playbook.  If  you  ﬁnd  that  your  character  becomes   
  employed  after  taking  this  milestone,  mark  +1  resources,  +1  status  with  your  employer,   
  and  you  have  1  less  free  downtime  action.  
   
   
   
  Administrative  Privileges  
   
  You’ve  successfully  inﬁltrated  a  tier  V  faction’s  network.  When  you  successfully  Hack  a  target,   
  you  also  gain  access  to  one  connected  network,  target,  or  subsystem.  
   
  The  GM  will  let  you  know  what  other  nearby  targets  are  available  to  access.  You  may   
  also  suggest  targets  but  the  GM  has  ﬁnal  say.  Access  to  these  targets  does  not  require   
  another  Hack  roll,  but  manipulating  them  in  any  way  might.  
   
  You  don’t  have  to  whisper  “I’m  in”  when  you  use  this  ability,  but  it  helps.  
   
   
   
  80  
   
  
  Wired  In  
   
  You  have  3  bonds  with  3  di�erent  NPCs.  You  may  create  2  more  bonds .  When  a  faction  status   
  changes,  you  may  state  one  secret  about  that  faction.  
   
  If  you  lose  this  milestone,  choose  which  2  bonds  you  lose  as  a  result.  
   
  Work  with  the  GM  to  deﬁne  the  secrets  you  learn  when  a  faction  status  changes.  The   
  GM  has  ﬁnal  say  on  the  details  of  these  secrets.   
    
  How  do  you  discover  these  secrets?  Are  you  a  diligent  information  broker,  or  do  people   
  in  the  community  regularly  feed  you  rumours?  
   
   
   
  Decker  Items  
   
  ●
  Fine  Custom  Deck:  Your  own  custom  computer  with  a  built-in  Live  Wire  that  allows   
  you  to  go  toe  to  toe  with  ICE  and  AI  on  the  ‘Net.  What  does  your  custom  deck  look   
  like?  Did  you  put  it  together  yourself,  buy  it  o�  the  shelf,  or  steal  it?   (1  load)  
   
  ●
  Fine  Data  Knife:  A  knife  that  hides  an  extendable  universal  adapter.  Good  at  creating   
  an  access  point  to  a  closed  network,  or  stabbing  people.  (1  load)  
   
  ●
  ‘Net  Armor:  Hardware  that  protects  your  mind  and  gear  from  viruses  and  harm   
  encountered  on  the  'Net.  Mark  the  'Net  armor  box  when  you  use  this.     (1  load)  
   
  ●
  Extra  tablets:   Three  extra  tablet  computers  for  all  your  hacking  needs.  (3  total,   1  load   
  each)  
   
  ●
  Demon  Drives:  Two  hard  drives,  each  the  size  of  a  riﬂe  magazine.  Each  with  upgraded   
  memory.  Might  be  enough  for  an  artiﬁcial  intelligence.   (2  total,  1  load  each)  
   
  ●
  Remote  Server:   A  computer  stashed  far  away  from  you,  an  added  level  of  protection   
  when  getting  traced  or  burned  by  ICE.  (0  load)  
   
  ●
  Wireless  Hard  Light™  Router:  A  small  line-of-sight  laser  satellite  router  that  allows  high   
  speed  wireless  ‘Net  connections.  Useful  for  hacking  something  mobile  or  far  away,   
  careful  where  you  point  the  high-powered  laser.   (1  load)  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  81  
   
  
  Doc  
   
  A  gifted  chemist  and  doctor  
   
   
   
  Folks  in  Prime  City  get  hurt  all  the  time.  Sometimes  it’s  a  gunshot,  sometimes  it’s  an   
  infection,  other  times  it’s  the  emotional  stress  of  not  making  rent  on  time  or  being  yelled  at  by   
  corporate  suits.  That’s  where  you  come  in.  If  it  runs  on  blood  or  silicone  you  can  ﬁx  it.  Patch   
  up  your  friends  at  home  or  on  the  ﬂy.  Pull  bullets  out  of  their  cyberware,  and  design  the  drugs   
  that  folks  in  the  community  need  but  can’t  a�ord.  
   
   
   
  Starting  Actions  
   
  ▮▯  Analyze  
   
  ▮▮  Tinker    
   
   
  Example  Starting  Characters  
   
  If  you  have  trouble  coming  up  with  a  character  or  need  some  inspiration,  you  can  use  these   
  examples.  
   
   
   
  The  Corpo   
    
  You  work  at  a  corporate  hospital,  but  dream  of  having  your  own  clinic  or  practice  to  treat  the   
  people  in  your  own  community.  Your  life  may  be  boring  now,  but  it’s  about  to  become  a  whole   
  lot  more  uncomfortable.  What  will  it  take  for  you  to  quit?  What  do  you  need  to  make  your   
  dream  a  reality?   
    
   
   
  Start  with  the  Corporate  Credentials   milestone  and  the  ﬁne  anatomical  knowledge   item.  Put   
  another  action  dot  in  Analyze ,  two  in  Command ,  and  one  in  Connect .  
   
   
   
  Local  Sawbones  
   
  You  already  have  your  own  private  clinic  but  will  need  to  defend  it  from  corporate  competition   
  or  interference.  You  may  end  up  losing  it  all  or  forced  into  another  line  of  work,  or  maybe  you   
  and  your  clinic  will  survive  until  the  end  of  this  story.  What  faction  or  enemy  threatens  to  take   
  this  away  from  you?  What  do  you  fear?  Will  your  story  be  about  tragedy  or  rebirth?  
   
   
   
  Start  with  the  Community  Clinic   milestone  and  spend  some  time  coming  up  with  where  in  the   
  community  your  clinic  is  located  and  what  it  looks  like.  Start  with  the  Medical  ID   or  Hard   
  Light™  scalpel   items.  Put  one  action  dot  in  Move ,  one  in  Spin ,  and  two  in  Connect .  
   
   
   
  The  Medic  
   
  You’re  a  freelancer  for  hire,  helping  out  where  and  when  you  can  throughout  the  community.   
  Maybe  you  don’t  have  a  fancy  degree  or  an  o�ce,  but  you’ve  seen  some  shit,  and  that’s   
  enough  for  your  clients.  What  are  you  looking  for?  What  draws  you  to  the  community?  What   
  pushes  you  away?  
   
  82  
   
  
   
   
  Select  the  I  Quit   milestone  and  the  ﬁne  medical  kit   item.  Put  one  action  dot  in  Move ,  Assault ,   
  Sneak ,  and  Spin .  
   
   
   
  Doc  Milestones  
   
   
   
  Corporate  Credentials  
   
  You  have  corporate  certiﬁcation  that  grants  you  access  to  patented  medicines  and   
  pharmacological  chemicals.  When  a  PC  comes  to  you  to  recover ,  they  take  +1d .  When  you   
  invent  or  craft  medicine  or  drugs,  take  +1  result  level   to  your  roll.  
   
  With  this  milestone  you  have  access  to  treatments  and  drugs  that  others  without   
  corporate  licenses  do  not.  You  may  work  in  a  corporate  hospital  or  clinic.  PCs  don’t   
  need  to  have  a  bond  with  you  to  get  this  bonus  die,  but  they  do  need  to  include  you  in   
  their  downtime  action.  
   
  With  this  milestone  when  you  roll  to  invent  or  craft  chemicals  a  1-3  becomes  a  4/5,  etc.   
    
   
   
  Street  Stitch  
   
  You’ve  attempted  to  treat  someone  in  the  middle  of  imminent  danger.  You  may  expend  your   
  plot  armor  to  remove  1  condition   from  yourself  or  someone  else.  
   
  You’ve  learned  what  it  takes  to  treat  someone  in  the  heat  of  the  moment  and  are  better   
  equipped  for  next  time  this  happens.  You  may  use  this  milestone  to  remove  any  level  of   
  condition  from  yourself  or  someone  else.  When  you  use  this  milestone,  tick  the  plot   
  armor  box  on  your  playbook  sheet.  Your  plot  armor  is  restored  at  the  beginning  of   
  downtime.  
   
   
   
  I  Quit  
   
  You  have  left  a  job  behind.  -1  resources ,  -1  status  with  your  employer,  and  you  have   1   
  additional  free  downtime  action .  
   
  This  milestone  is  available  to  each  playbook.  If  you  ﬁnd  that  your  character  becomes   
  employed  after  taking  this  milestone,  mark  +1  resources,  +1  status  with  your  employer,   
  and  you  have  1  less  free  downtime  action.  
   
   
   
  Local  Legend  
   
  You  speciﬁcally  have  caused  the  community  to  gain  a  level  of  notoriety.  You  may  spend  a   
  downtime  action   helping  people  in  the  community.  When  you  do  describe  the  scene  and  pick   
  one:  gain  1  resource —gain  +1  status   with  a  faction—create  a  new  contact  in  the  community.  
   
  Your  name  and  skills  are  known  not  only  throughout  the  community  but  through  Prime   
  City.  To  acquire  this  milestone  your  actions  must  cause  the  community  to  gain  enough   
  heat  to  increase  their  level  of  notoriety  (selling  out  or  the  exposed  calamity  would  be   
  great  ways  to  accomplish  this).  The  GM  may  suggest  patients  or  opportunities  for  you   
  to  use  this  milestone.  When  you  create  a  new  contact  in  the  community,  describe  them   
  and  their  need.  Their  need  has  not  yet  been  completed.  
   
  83  
   
  
   
   
  Community  Clinic  
   
  You  have  established  your  own  clinic  within  your  community.  When  any  character  sets  a   
  suitable  downtime  action   at  your  clinic,  with  your  permission,  they  get  +1  result  level   to  their   
  roll.  
   
  Establishing  a  clinic  will  likely  require  a  safe  space  within  the  community,  essential   
  utilities  (power,  water,  etc.)  and  a  reasonable  stockpile  of  supplies.   
    
  When  a  character  sets  their  downtime  action  at  your  clinic,  they  must  be  doing   
  something  that  could  reasonably  be  aided  by  your  clinic  to  get  this  bonus.  Coding  a   
  new  piece  of  software  might  not  work,  but  creating  new  drugs,  recovering,  or  getting   
  chrome  might.  
   
   
   
  Doc  Items  
   
  ●
  Fine  Medical  Kit:  A  biometric  reader  with  universal  adapter.  Gauze,  splints,  painkillers,   
  stapler,  antiseptics,  scalpel,  needle  &  thread,  a  bag  of  synthetic  blood.  (2  load)  
   
  ●
  Fine  Anatomical  Knowledge:  Schooling  or  keen  perception  about  the  human  body.   
  Allows  you  to  exploit  weaknesses  or  quirks  of  physiology.  (0  load)  
   
  ●
  Drugs :  Uppers,  downers,  prescription  meds,  controlled  substances.  You  can  have  up  to   
  three  di�erent  drugs.  Comes  with  a  few  syringes.  Possibly  illegal.  (3  total,  0  load  each)  
   
  ●
  Environmental  Suit:  Fully  enclosed  and  pressurized.  Protects  from  diseases,  gases,   
  drowning,  and  the  vacuum  of  space.  Comes  with  a  few  minutes  of  oxygen.  (2  load)  
   
  ●
  Gas  Grenades:  Spews  an  opaque  irritating  gas  that  can  ﬁll  a  large  room.  Easily  loaded   
  with  di�erent  liquids.  (3  total,  1  load  each)  
   
  ●
  Hard  Light™  Scalpel :  Small  and  incredibly  sharp.  Can  cut  someone  open  to  get  bullets   
  out,  or  cut  someone  when  you  run  out  of  bullets.  (1  load)  
   
  ●
  Medical  ID:  Corporate  license,  cloth  patch,  or  other  symbol  that  marks  you  as  a   
  registered  medical  professional.  (0  load)  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  84  
   
  
  Fixer  
   
  A  master  planner  and  hustler  
   
   
   
  You  know  people.  You  know  there’s  another  kind  of  ‘Net  in  Prime  City,  one  based  on   
  handshakes,  winks,  and  unspoken  hierarchies.  You  have  an  uncanny  ability  to  connect  with   
  people  from  every  background,  and  add  them  to  your  near  inﬁnite  web  of  resources.  A  friend   
  will  help  you  move,  a  Fixer  will  help  you  move  a  body.  They  might  not  do  it  themselves  of   
  course,  but  they  know  someone  who  will.   
    
   
   
  The  Fixer  starts  the  game  with  3  bonds  rather  than  2 .  
   
   
   
  Starting  Actions  
   
  ▮▯  Command  
   
  ▮▮  Connect 
    
   
   
   
   
  Example  Starting  Characters  
   
  If  you  have  trouble  coming  up  with  a  character  or  need  some  inspiration,  you  can  use  these   
  examples.  
   
   
   
  The  Rookie  
   
  You  have  a  lot  of  plans  and  big  ideas.  Your  character  may  have  a  grand  vision  for  the   
  community  and  is  willing  to  do  anything  to  make  it  happen.  What  is  your  desire?  How  will  you   
  get  there?  What  are  you  willing  to  do  to  make  that  happen?   
    
   
   
  Start  with  the  Full  of  Ideas   milestone  and  the  ﬁne  favour  item.  Put  two  action  dots  in  Spin  and   
  two  in  Analyze .  
   
   
   
  The  Alter-Ego  
   
  You  have  an  infamous  persona,  an  online  identity  known  throughout  the  ‘Net.  It  has  opened  a   
  lot  of  doors  for  you,  and  closed  many  more.  Corporate  brands  and  media  empires  don’t   
  appreciate  competition.  This  persona  can’t  protect  you  forever.  Will  you  become  lost  in  this   
  alternate  identity,  or  leave  it  all  behind?  Who  is  this  avatar?  Who  wants  to  see  it  destroyed?  
   
   
   
  Select  the  Infamous  Avatar   milestone  and  the  ﬁne  disguise   item.  Put  one  more  action  rating   
  into  Command ,  one  into  Hack ,  and  two  into  Spin .  
   
   
   
  Hustler  
   
  You’re  a  freelance  ﬁxer  setting  up  odd  jobs  and  doing  small-time  scores  to  get  by.  You’ve  never   
  had  the  luxury  of  planning  out  your  life  or  settling  in  one  place  for  too  long.  The  community  is   
  your  life,  your  job,  your  home,  and  your  family.  God  help  you  if  you  lose  it  all.  What  are  you   
  looking  for?  What  drew  you  to  this  community?  How  long  can  you  keep  this  up?   
    
  85  
   
  
   
   
  Start  with  the  I  Quit   milestone  and  the  fake  IDs  item.  Put  one  action  rating  into  Analyze ,   
  Hack ,  Move ,  and  Spin .  
   
   
   
  Fixer  Milestones  
   
   
   
  Full  of  Ideas  
  You  have  high  hopes  or  big  plans.  You  can  always  add  or  modify  the  missing  detail  for  a  score.   
  When  you  do  add  +1d   to  the  engagement  roll  and  choose  one:  it’s  expensive,  spend  2   
  resources —it’s  high-proﬁle,  gain  2  heat —it’s  dangerous,  each  PC  spends  1  luck .  
   
  Feel  free  to  suggest  ideas  for  what  the  missing  detail  will  be,  the  GM  has  ﬁnal  say  on   
  what  would  be  reasonable  given  the  circumstances.  You  must  pay  the  cost  before  you   
  get  the  bonus  die.  
   
   
   
  Foresight  
   
  You’ve  su�ered  a  calamity .  Two  times  per  session  you  can  assist  a  character  without  paying   
  luck .  Tell  us  how  you  prepared  for  this.  
   
  You  can  narrate  an  event  in  the  past  that  helps  someone  now,  or  you  might  explain   
  how  you  expected  this  situation  and  planned  a  helpful  contingency  that  you  reveal   
  now.  You  must  have  a  bond  with  someone  to  assist  them.  
   
   
   
  I  Quit  
   
  You  have  left  a  job  behind.  -1  resources ,  -1  status  with  your  employer,  and  you  have   1   
  additional  free  downtime  action .  
   
  This  milestone  is  available  to  each  playbook.  If  you  ﬁnd  that  your  character  becomes   
  employed  after  taking  this  milestone,  mark  +1  resources,  +1  status  with  your  employer,   
  and  you  have  1  less  free  downtime  action.  
   
   
   
  I  Know  People  
   
  You  have  5  or  more  bonds .  You  may  expend  your  plot  armor  to  reveal  that  you  know  someone   
  and  choose  one:  they’re  dangerous—you  owe  them  a  favour—they’re  loyal  to  a  corporation.  
   
  You  may  declare  a  contact  at  any  point  during  a  session,  even  after  the  GM  introduces   
  a  new  NPC.  When  you  do  so,  describe  the  contact  and  their  need.  Their  need  has  not   
  yet  been  fulﬁlled.  Decide  whether  or  not  this  contact  is  an  enemy  and  write  them  on   
  the  community  sheet  appropriately.  When  you  use  this  milestone,  tick  the  plot  armor   
  box  on  your  playbook  sheet.  Your  plot  armor  is  restored  at  the  beginning  of  downtime.  
   
   
   
  Infamous  Avatar  
   
  You  have  a  ‘Net  persona  or  alter  ego  who  is  better  known  than  you.  When  you  talk  to  someone   
  on  the  ‘Net,  take  +1d .  You  get  1  additional  free  downtime  action   that  can  only  be  performed  on   
  the  ‘Net.  
   
  Is  your  infamous  avatar  a  version  of  yourself,  an  alter  ego,  or  just  another  name  you   
  use?  What  did  you  have  to  do  to  create  this  identity?  
   
  86  
   
  
  The  free  downtime  action  provided  by  this  milestone  must  be  performed  on  the  ‘Net.   
  Getting  chrome  probably  won’t  work,  but  you  can  engage  in  capitalism  online,   
  research  something  for  a  long-term  project,  or  reset  by  hanging  out  with  friends  or   
  playing  online  games.  
   
   
   
  Fixer  Items  
   
  ●
  Fine  Favour:  A  convincing  promise  or  deal.  Do  you  always  keep  your  word?  (0  load)  
   
  ●
  Fine  Disguise :  An  especially  convincing  disguise  that  is  easily  concealed.  (1  load)  
   
  ●
  Concealed  Weapon :  A  small  hand  weapon  easily  concealed  on  your  person.  Is  it  a   
  small  pistol,  blade,  or  other  form  of  weapon?  Will  pass  a  cursory  inspection.  (0  load)  
   
  ●
  Distinguishing  Modiﬁcations :  Augmentations  such  as  tattoos,  scars,  or  basic   
  cyberware  that  are  an  obvious  sign  of  allegiance  with  a  certain  faction.  May  get  you   
  inside  safehouses  or  other  areas  where  others  aren’t  welcome,  or  mark  you  as  an   
  enemy  in  the  wrong  district.  (0  load)  
   
  ●
  Encrypted  Smartphone :  Typical  smartphone  equipped  with  jamming  and  encryption   
  software.  Make  a  fortune  roll  using  the  community’s  tier  when  resisting  attempts  to   
  inﬁltrate  by  skilled  hackers.  Automatically  resists  spyware  and  other  basic  malware  or   
  well-known  exploits.  (0  load)  
  ●
  Extra  Ammunition :  Extra  rounds  of  varying  types  for  when  your  friends  run  out  or   
  forget  to  bring  the  right  kind.  Each  load  of  extra  ammunition  can  be  of  a  di�erent  type.   
  Consult  the  GM  for  di�erent  ammunition  types.   (3  total,  1  load  each)  
   
  ●
  Fake  IDs :  A  few  pieces  of  forged  identiﬁcation.  You  carry  three  di�erent  IDs  by   
  default.  Each  will  pass  a  cursory  inspection.   (3  total,  0  load  each)  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  87  
   
  
  Operator  
   
  A  drone  pilot  and  getaway  driver  
   
   
   
  If  it  has  wheels  or  wings  you  can  drive  it.  Metal,  rubber,  and  ﬁre  are  your  tools  and  the  whole   
  world  is  your  canvas.  Fold  the  world  around  your  signature  vehicle,  get  your  friends  away   
  from  the  COPs  and  get  your  drones  into  those  hard  to  reach  places.  You’re  the  person   
  everyone  in  the  community  turns  to  when  their  car  starts  acting  up,  or  when  they  need  to  buy   
  a  cheap  drone  for  their  kid’s  birthday.   
    
   
   
  Starting  Actions  
   
  ▮▯  Tinker  
   
  ▮▮  Move   
     
   
   
  Example  Starting  Characters  
   
  If  you  have  trouble  coming  up  with  a  character  or  need  some  inspiration,  you  can  use  these   
  examples.  
   
   
   
  Local  Garage  
   
  You  have  a  well  established  garage  or  workshop  within  the  community.  Maybe  it’s  an  open   
  space  for  folks  to  drop  o�  broken  vehicles,  or  your  private  side-gig.  Either  way,  space  is  at  a   
  premium  in  Prime  City  and  sooner  or  later  you’ll  need  to  defend  this  slice  of  heaven  from   
  corporate  greed  or  outside  interference.  Who  taught  you  so  much  about  machines?  Do  you   
  have  a  favourite  regular?  Is  this  story  a  tragedy  or  a  rebirth?  
   
   
   
  Start  with  the  Garage  milestone  and  the  ﬁne  carjacking  rig   item.  Put  one  more  action  dot  into   
  Tinker ,  one  in  Analyze ,  one  in  Sneak  and  one  in   Hack.  
   
   
   
  Daredevil  
   
  You  aren’t  happy  unless  your  life  is  on  the  line.  You’ve  done  some  infamous  getaways  and   
  probably  have  a  history  with  the  COPs.  Which  calamity  did  you  su�er?   What  drives  you  to  do   
  desperate  stunts?  Are  you  doomed  to  die  from  your  hubris,  or  will  you  eventually  stop  taking   
  your  life  in  your  hands?   
    
   
   
  Start  with  the  Hotshot  milestone  and  the  ﬁne  drone   item.  Put  two  action  dots  in  Spin ,  one  in   
  Assault ,  and  one  in  Connect .  
   
   
   
  Dirty  Pair  
   
  You  and  your  vehicle  have  been  together  a  long  time.  Is  it  embedded  with  a  simple  virtual   
  intelligence  who  can  respond  to  your  command,  or  is  there  a  HAUNT  or  a  true  artiﬁcial   
  intelligence  in  there?  Which  one  of  you  survives  this  story?  Do  you  make  your  vehicle  yourself   
  or  steal  it  from  someone  else?  What  does  your  vehicle  desire,  and  is  it  the  same  thing  you  do?  
   
  88  
   
  
   
   
  Start  with  the  Second  Skin   milestone  and  the  vehicle  item.  Put  two  action  dots  in  Command ,   
  one  in  Assault ,  and  one  in  Hack .  
   
   
   
  Operator  Milestones  
   
   
   
  Garage  
   
  You  own  a  garage  or  workshop  in  the  community.  Whenever  the  GM  describes  a  machine,  like   
  a  drone  or  vehicle,  you  may  ask  one  question:  what  are  its  ﬂaws—what  are  it’s   
  advantages—who  owns  it.  You  may  expend  your  plot  armour  to  tinker  a  vehicle  or  drone   
  without  rolling.  
   
  If  you  want  to  ask  more  than  one  question,  you  may  need  to  make  an  action  or  gather   
  information  roll.  
   
  When  you  use  this  milestone  for  its  second  ability,  tick  the  plot  armor  box  on  your   
  playbook  sheet.  Your  plot  armor  is  restored  at  the  beginning  of  downtime.  This  ability   
  lets  you  break  into  a  car  or  hotwire  it  without  rolling  (though  maybe  not  both,   
  depending  on  the  target).   
    
   
   
  Hot  Shot  
   
  You’ve  su�ered  a  calamity  while  driving  or  piloting.  You  can  push  your  luck  to  do  one  of  the   
  following:  attempt  a  death-defying  vehicle  stunt  without  penalty— move  a  long  distance   
  without  penalty.  
   
  When  you  push  your  luck  to  activate  this  ability,  you  still  get  one  of  the  normal   
  beneﬁts  of  pushing  your  luck  (+1d,  +1  e�ect)  in  addition  to  the  milestone.  If  you   
  attempt  a  death-defying  vehicle  stunt  you  do  not  su�er  decreased  e�ect  or  a  worse   
  position  due  to  your  dangerous  maneuver.   If  you  move  a  long  distance  without   
  penalty,  you  do  not  su�er  decreased  e�ect  or  a  worse  position  when  moving  or  driving   
  long  distances.  
   
   
   
  I  Quit  
   
  You  have  left  a  job  behind.  -1  resources ,  -1  status  with  your  employer,  and  you  have   1   
  additional  free  downtime  action .  
   
  This  milestone  is  available  to  each  playbook.  If  you  ﬁnd  that  your  character  becomes   
  employed  after  taking  this  milestone,  mark  +1  resources,  +1  status  with  your  employer,   
  and  you  have  1  less  free  downtime  action.  
   
   
   
  Save  the  Metal  
   
  You  protected  an  automaton,  drone,  or  vehicle  from  harm.  If  you  have  a  bond  with  an   
  automaton,  drone,  or  vehicle,  you  may  spend  one  downtime  action  to  rully  repair  them.  
   
  To  get  this  milestone  you  must  use  the  protect  action  to  save  a  drone,  vehicle,  or  other   
  mobile  technology  from  harm.   Usually  repairing  damage  would  take  a  long-term   
  project  clock,  depending  on  the  extent  of  the  damage.  This  milestone  lets  you  fully   
  89  
   
  
  repair  a  machine  you  have  a  bond  with,  regardless  of  the  damage  (though  if  it  is   
  completely  destroyed  this  may  not  be  possible).  
   
   
   
  Second  Skin  
   
  You  have  a  custom  vehicle  or  drone.  Add  it  as  a  contact  in  the  community.  When  piloting  a   
  drone  or  vehicle  you  get  +1d   to  all  resistance  rolls.  
   
  To  get  this  milestone  you  need  to  own  a  vehicle  or  drone  you  have  heavily  customized,   
  personalized,  or  made  from  scratch.  Record  it  has  any  other  contact:  give  it  a  name  and   
  a  few  descriptors.  Can  it  think  for  itself,  or  does  it  just  seem  like  it  has  character?  
   
  You  only  get  this  bonus  when  a  drone  or  vehicle  you’re  piloting  could  be  involved  in   
  the  resistance  roll.   
    
   
   
  Operator  Items  
   
  ●
  Fine  drone :  Can  record  audio  and  video  information.  Equipped  with  night  vision  and   
  infrared  cameras.  Can  be  remote  controlled  and  carry  a  1  load  item.  What  do  you  call  it?   
  (0  load)  
   
  ●
  Fine  carjacking  rig :  Prybar,  wire  cutters,  and  a  custom  deck  with  universal  adapters.   
  Everything  you  need  to  inﬁltrate  a  vehicle  or  subvert  control  of  a  drone.  (2  load)  
   
  ●
  Electromagnetic  ammo :  Ammunition  that  is  especially  e�ective  against  machines  and  
  cyberware.  Less  e�ective  against  organic  targets.  (1  load)  
   
  ●
  Flying  drone :  Hovers  using  3  rotors.  Limited  surveillance  options,  and  can  be  remote   
  controlled.  (1  load)  
   
  ●
  Spider  drone :  Crawls  on  eight  legs,  can  climb  up  walls  and  ceilings.  Limited   
  surveillance  options,  and  can  be  remote  controlled.  (2  load)  
   
  ●
  EMP  device :  Briefcase-sized  device  that  can  generate  an  electro-magnetic  pulse  in  a   
  large  area,  disabling  all  unshielded  electronics.   (2  load)  
   
  ●
  Vehicle:   A  motorcycle,  car,  or  other  terrestrial  vehicle.  Can  be  remote  started  and   
  controlled.  How  many  does  it  sit?  Did  you  make  it,  buy  it,  or  customize  it?   (0  load)  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  90  
   
  
  Merc  
   
  A  tough  and  experienced  ﬁghter  
   
   
   
  Prime  city  is  full  of  soldiers.  They  served  in  corporate  battles,  claimed  city  blocks  for   
  underground  factions,  and  defended  stacks  from  the  COPs.  You  went  through  the  shit  and   
  came  out  the  other  end  still  kicking.  You  are  a  living  example  of  the  phrase,  “it’s  not  how  hard  
  you  can  hit,  it’s  about  how  hard  you  can  get  hit.”  You’re  the  one  leading  the  charge,  laying   
  down  suppressing  ﬁre,  or  taking  the  hit  for  your  friends.  
   
   
   
  Starting  Actions  
   
  ▮▯  Command  
   
  ▮▮  Assault   
    
   
   
  Example  Starting  Characters  
   
  If  you  have  trouble  coming  up  with  a  character  or  need  some  inspiration,  you  can  use  these   
  examples.  
   
   
   
  Veteran  
   
  You  served  in  the  Prime  City  Corporate  War  or  some  other  large  scale  conﬂict.  Maybe  you  are   
  looking  for  revenge,  trying  to  escape  that  life,  or  confront  the  ghosts  you’ve  been  left  with.   
  Who  did  you  lose?  Who  survived?  Who  else  in  the  community  knows  what  you  went  through?  
   
   
   
  Start  with  the  Combat  Experience   milestone  and  the  ﬁne  riﬂe   item.  Put  one  more  action  dot  in   
  Command ,  two  in  Move ,  and  one  in  Analyze .  
   
   
   
  Assassin  
   
  You’ve  been  making  a  living  killing  people  for  money.  Maybe  you’re  good  at  it,  maybe  you’ve   
  had  no  other  choice.  Sooner  or  later,  all  those  bodies  are  going  to  catch  up  to  you.  How  did   
  you  get  started  in  this  line  of  work?  Who  in  the  community,  if  anyone,  knows  what  you  do  for   
  a  living?  Who  is  looking  for  revenge?  
   
   
   
  Start  with  the  Killer   milestone,  and  the  ﬁne  melee  weapon   item.  Put  two  action  dots  in  Sneak   
  and  one  in  Spin ,  and  one  in  Move .  
   
   
   
  Bodyguard  
   
  You  help  people.  Maybe  you’re  a  bouncer,  a  security  guard,  or  just  the  local  tough  who  keeps   
  the  COPs  away.  What  calamity  did  you  su�er?  Why  do  you  care  about  this  community?  What   
  are  you  willing  to  do  to  protect  them?  
   
   
   
  Start  with  the  Tough  milestone  and  the  combat  exosuit   item.  Put  one  action  dot  in  Tinker ,  one   
  in  Analyze ,  and  two  in  Connect .  
   
  91  
   
  
   
   
  Merc  Milestones  
   
   
   
  Combat  Experience  
   
  You  have  experienced  a  large  scale  battle  or  pitched  combat.  You  can  push  your  luck  to   
  engage  a  higher  tier  or  scale  foe  on  equal  footing.  
   
  When  you  push  your  luck  to  activate  this  ability,  you  still  get  one  of  the  normal   
  beneﬁts  of  pushing  yourself  (+1d,  +1  e�ect)  in  addition  to  the  milestone.  You  don’t   
  su�er  reduced  e�ect  due  to  scale  or  the  target’s  quality  of  gear,  experience,  or  training.   
    
   
   
  Killer  
   
  You’ve  killed  someone.  You  may  expend  your  plot  armor  to  kill  an  NPC   without  rolling.  
   
  When  you  use  this  milestone,  tick  the  plot  armor  box  on  your  playbook  sheet.  Your  plot   
  armor  is  restored  at  the  beginning  of  downtime.  The  GM  may  rule  that  you  may  need   
  to  resist  a  certain  consequence  before  attempting  this,  depending  on  the  target.  
   
   
   
  I  Quit  
   
  You  have  left  a  job  behind.  -1  resources ,  -1  status  with  your  employer,  and  you  have   1   
  additional  free  downtime  action .  
   
  This  milestone  is  available  to  each  playbook.  If  you  ﬁnd  that  your  character  becomes   
  employed  after  taking  this  milestone,  mark  +1  resources,  +1  status  with  your  employer,   
  and  you  have  1  less  free  downtime  action.  
   
   
   
  Tough  
   
  You  su�ered  a  calamity  during  a  ﬁght.  Your  load  limits  are  1  load   higher.  When  you  resist   
  physical  harm,  take  +1d .   
    
  This  milestone  is  great  if  you  want  more  options  during  a  score,  or  want  to  pack  lots  of   
  weapons  and  armour  without  attracting  too  much  attention,  and  be  more  resilient   
  during  combat.  With  this  milestone  your  light  load  limit  is  4,  and  heavy  is  7.  
   
   
   
  Nonlethal  
   
  You’ve  caused  signiﬁcant  collateral  damage.  When  you  ﬁght  with  an  improvised  weapon,  it   
  counts  as  ﬁne  quality .  When  you  ﬁnish  a  ﬁght  without  killing  anyone,  mark   1  xp .  
   
  Signiﬁcant  collateral  damage  could  be  dead  people,  massive  property  damage,  or  other   
  forms  of  unintended  harm.  Selling  out  or  selecting  the  plot  twist  calamity  could  get   
  you  this  milestone.   
    
  Improvised  weapons  include  everything  from  sports  equipment,  furniture,  to  your  own   
  body.  Fine  quality  weapons  give  you  increased  e�ect  when  you  use  them  to  ﬁght,  and   
  nullify  the  penalty  you  would  get  when  ﬁghting  someone  from  a  higher  tier  faction  or   
  with  higher  tier  armor.  To  earn  this  xp  you  must  have  been  involved  in  the  ﬁghting.  
   
   
   
   
   
  92  
   
  
  Merc  Items  
   
  ●
  Fine  riﬂe:  High  quality  assault  riﬂe,  sniper  riﬂe,  or  shotgun.  Illegal.  What  makes  this   
  riﬂe  unique?  (2  load)  
   
  ●
  Fine  auto  pistols :  Two  high-tech  or  custom  marked  pistols.  (2  total,  1  load  each)  
   
  ●
  Fine  melee  weapon:  Sword,  axe,  collapsible  baton,  etc.  One  of  a  kind  or  just  the  latest   
  tech?  (1  load)  
   
  ●
  Armor-piercing  ammunition:  Special  ammo  that  can  penetrate  most  targets.  (1  load)  
   
  ●
  Combat  exosuit:   Large  powered  suit  of  armor.  Carries  a  few  minutes  of  oxygen  and  can   
  propel  you  in  zero-G.  Counts  as  additional  armor,  mark  the  second  armor  box  when   
  you  use  this  as  armor.  (3  load)  
   
  ●
  Heavy  ordnance:  Grenade  launcher,  ﬂamethrower,  rocket  launcher.  Very  illegal.  Where   
  did  you  even  get  this?  (2  load)  
   
  ●
  Security  credentials:   Identiﬁcation  that  shows  your  previous  allegiances  and  grants   
  you  limited  special  access.  Is  it  still  valid?  Who  did  you  work  for?  (0  load)  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  93  
   
  
  Streamer  
   
  A  charismatic  content  creator  
   
   
   
  Most  folks  don’t  know  you—they  know  the  idea  of  you.  That’s  the  problem  with  being  a  star  in   
  the  constellation  of  Prime  City.  They  see  the  you  that’s  an  actor,  a  reporter,  an  artist,  and  they   
  assume  you  made  it.  They  don’t  know  the  daily  grind  to  pay  the  bills,  the  terror  of  becoming   
  irrelevant,  the  constant  churn  of  the  hustle.  But  your  art  captivates  people.  You  have  a  certain   
  way  with  words,  and  sometimes  words  can  be  just  as  deadly  as  ammunition.  
   
   
   
  Starting  Actions  
   
  ▮▯  Connect  
   
  ▮▮  Spin  
   
   
   
  Example  Starting  Characters  
   
  If  you  have  trouble  coming  up  with  a  character  or  need  some  inspiration,  you  can  use  these   
  examples.  
   
   
   
  New  Blood  
   
  You  have  incredible  skill  and  talent,  but  no  audience.  Maybe  you’ll  become  one  of  the   
  established  stars  of  Prime  City,  maybe  you’ll  need  to  abandon  your  dreams  for  the  sake  of   
  something  else.  This  story  starts  promising,  but  it  might  not  end  that  way.  What  is  your  art?   
  How  will  it  change  Prime  City?  Where  do  you  perform  in  the  community?  
   
   
   
  Start  with  the  Artist  milestone  and  the  ﬁne  sample  of  art   item.  Put  two  action  dots  in  Analyze ,   
  one  in  Hack ,  and  one  in  Tinker .  
   
   
   
  The  Star  
   
  You’re  famous,  but  there’s  not  a  lot  of  room  at  the  top  of  Prime  City.  Corporations  will  want   
  you,  other  stars  will  want  you  to  disappear,  and  neither  of  them  take  no  for  an  answer.  Who  do   
  you  work  for?  Who  in  the  community  knows  the  real  you?  Is  this  a  tragedy  about  what  you   
  lost,  or  about  how  you  gave  back  to  the  community?  
   
   
   
  Start  with  the  Next  Level   milestone  and  the   ﬁne  clothes   item.  Put  one  more  action  rating  in   
  Connect ,  one  in  Command ,  and  two  in  Analyze .  
   
   
   
  Starving  Artist  
   
  You’ve  got  skill  but  no  luck.  You’ve  tried  so  many  times  to  make  your  own  path,  but  have  been   
  rebu�ed  at  every  turn.  This  story  doesn’t  start  well  for  you.  Is  it  about  your  lucky  break,  or   
  abandoning  your  dream?  What  is  your  dream?  What  are  you  willing  to  do  to  get  there?  Who   
  keeps  getting  in  your  way?  
   
   
   
  94  
   
  
  Start  with  the  I  Quit  or  Day  Job   milestones  and  the   personal  ‘Netspace   item.  Put  one  action   
  dot  in  Move ,  two  in  Hack ,  and  one  in  Analyze .  
   
   
   
  Streamer  Milestones  
   
   
   
  Artist  
   
  You  are  skilled  at  a  speciﬁc  form  of  art.  Spend  2  luck  to  roll  your  highest  action  rating  while   
  performing  a  di�erent  action.   
    
  Which  art  are  you  proﬁcient  in?  Say  how  you  adapt  your  creative  skills  to  this  use.  
   
   
   
  Day  Job  
   
  You  have  an  additional  job  selling  art/creating  content.  At  the  end  of  each  downtime  phase   
  mark  +2  resources   on  the  community  sheet  and  mark  a  level  1  condition  “tired.”  
   
  To  get  this  milestone  you  must  have  an  additional  job  where  you  attempt  to  sell  art   
  and/or  stream  on  the  ‘Net.  This  will  require  a  long-term  project  or  other  method  to   
  establish  an  audience  and/or  business.  
   
  Since  these  resources  come  at  the  end  of  downtime,  after  all  downtime  actions  are  
  resolved,  you  can’t  spend  it  on  extra  activities  until  your  next  downtime  phase.  
   
  This  condition  can  be  resisted  as  normal.  
   
   
   
  I  Quit  
   
  You  have  left  a  job  behind.  -1  resources ,  -1  status  with  your  employer,  and  you  have   1   
  additional  free  downtime  action .  
   
  This  milestone  is  available  to  each  playbook.  If  you  ﬁnd  that  your  character  becomes   
  employed  after  taking  this  milestone,  mark  +1  resources,  +1  status  with  your  employer,   
  and  you  have  1  less  free  downtime  action.  
   
   
   
  Next  Level  
   
  You  have  established  a  large  audience  for  your  art.  You  can  expend  your  plot  armour  to  get  a   
  ﬁrst  meeting  with  another  artist  or  inﬂuencer.  Once  per  downtime  phase  you  may  include  your   
  fans  to  get  +1d  to  a  downtime  roll.  
   
  These  could  be  ‘Net  streamers,  artists,  celebrities,  or  similar  personalities.  Depending   
  on  the  contact  there  may  be  other  obstacles  such  as  an  inopportune  time  or  place  for   
  the  meeting,  the  GM  will  let  you  know.  Just  because  you  can  get  a  ﬁrst  meeting   
  doesn’t  mean  you’ll  get  more  in  the  future.  
   
  When  you  use  this  milestone,  tick  the  plot  armor  box  on  your  playbook  sheet.  Your  plot   
  armor  is  restored  at  the  beginning  of  downtime.  
   
   
   
  Whatever  it  Takes  
   
  You’ve  su�ered  a  calamity .  When  you  sell  out ,  you  can  get  both  +1  e�ect   and  +1d   if  you  take   
  -1  status   with  another  faction.  This  is  in  addition  to  whatever  consequence  you  su�er  when   
  you  sell  out .  
   
  95  
   
  
  This  makes  selling  out  a  much  more  robust  option  for  you.  Say  how  what  you  do   
  decreases  your  community’s  status  with  another  faction.  
   
   
   
  Streamer  Items  
   
  ●
  Fine  Clothes :  An  expensive  outﬁt,  or  the  costume  of  your  alter-ego?  When  worn  this   
  has  (0  load)  when  carried  or  concealed  this  has  (1  load) .  
   
  ●
  Fine  Sample  of  Art:   A  picture,  piece  of  writing,  album,  or  other  prime  example  of  your   
  art.  Nothing  larger  than  a  magazine.  (0  load)  
   
  ●
  Hard  Light™  Melee  Weapon :  A  handheld  device  with  an  activated  blade  made  of   
  concentrated  light  energy.  Potency  against  most  materials.  Illegal.  (1  load)  
   
  ●
  Mobile  Streaming  Rig:  A  high-end  streaming  computer  with  a  microphone,  camera,   
  and  a  high-speed  wireless  ‘Net  connection.  Battery  powered.  Backpack  included.  (2   
  load)  
   
  ●
  Personal  ‘Netspace:  A  semi-private  corner  of  the  ‘Net  where  your  fans  hang  out.  (0   
  load)  
   
  ●
  Small  Luxury  Item :  Jewelry.  A  modestly  loaded  credit  chip.  A  trinket  made  of  a  rare   
  natural  material.  Tickets  to  an  exclusive  event.  An  expensive  intoxicant.  (0  load)  
   
  ●
  Stimulants:  Potent  co�ee  or  something  else  over  the  counter.  Lets  you  temporarily   
  ignore  physical  and  mental  exhaustion.  Three  uses.  (3  total,  0  load  each)  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  96  
   
  
  Synth  
   
  A  radically  augmented  person  
   
   
   
  These  days  more  and  more  people  are  replacing  their  ﬂesh  with  metal  and  synthetics.  You,   
  however,  are  on  a  whole  other  level.  Maybe  there’s  nothing  left  of  you  made  of  meat.  Maybe   
  synths  are  common  in  Prime  City,  or  maybe  you’re  one  of  a  kind  and  someone  paid  a  lot  of   
  money  to  build  you.  At  the  end  of  the  day  doesn’t  matter  what  other  people  think.  You’re  a   
  synth,  you  can  be  whatever  you  want.  Isn’t  that  what  it  means  to  be  human?  
   
   
   
  A  Note  on  Synths  
   
  Synthetic  persons  or  simulacrums  are  a  common  theme  in  cyberpunk  stories,  but  their  exact   
  nature  and  relationship  with  people  di�ers  from  story  to  story.  In  some  stories  they  are   
  indistinguishable  from  other  humans,  their  true  origins  only  revealed  on  close  inspection  or  in   
  moments  where  they  release  their  superhuman  abilities.  In  other  stories  they  are  made  from   
  plastic  and  metal,  human  in  their  reactions  and  behaviour,  but  treated  as  little  more  than  tools   
  by  other  humans.  In  some  they  are  second-class  citizens,  in  others  they  are  just  another  kind   
  of  human.  
   
   
   
  If  any  player  is  playing  a  synth,  have  a  conversation  about  synthetic  people  at  your  table.  Add   
  things  to  the  taste  menu  as  appropriate.  It’s  important  everyone  knows  how  synths  are   
  generally  treated  and  perceived  in  your  version  of  Neon  Black.  This  status  quo  doesn’t  have  to   
  represent  what  your  characters  think,  but  it  helps  everyone  imagine  the  same  world  and  have   
  the  same  expectations.  
   
   
   
  Starting  Actions  
   
  ▮▯  Move  
   
  ▮▮  Sneak  
   
   
   
  Example  Starting  Characters  
   
  If  you  have  trouble  coming  up  with  a  character  or  need  some  inspiration,  you  can  use  these   
  examples.  
   
   
   
  Self-Made  
   
  You  built  yourself.  Maybe  you  were  a  HAUNT  or  a  meat  person,  or  something  else,  but  this   
  body  is  your  creation.  Is  this  a  story  of  ﬁnding  your  perfect  self,  or  helping  others  to  do  the   
  same.  What  is  your  design  goal?  What  is  left  to  do?  Who  or  what  is  in  your  way?  
   
   
   
  Start  with  the  Natural  Chrome   milestone  and  the  ﬁne  dermal  armor   or  ﬁne  human  appearance   
  items.  Put  two  action  dots  in  Tinker ,  and  two  in  Connect .  
   
   
   
  Escapee  
   
  97  
   
  
  Someone  else  built  you  or  owned  your  labour.  You’ve  escaped  them  to  forge  your  own  destiny,   
  but  they  are  probably  hunting  you.  Who  is  hunting  you?  How  did  you  escape?  Who  in  the   
  community  knows  you  are  on  the  run?  
   
   
   
  Start  with  the  Active  Ghost   milestone  and  the   light  tinkering  attachments   item.  Put  one  more   
  action  rating  in  Move ,  one  in  Analyze ,  and  two  in  Assault .  
   
   
   
  Hunted  
   
  Someone  is  attempting  to  kill  or  decommission  you.  In  this  story  you  start  with  nothing,  and   
  the  future  is  uncertain.  Will  you  ﬁnd  a  new  purpose,  get  your  vengeance  or  wander  forever?   
  Who  is  hunting  you?  Why?  Who  in  the  Community  do  you  trust?  
   
   
   
  Start  with  the  I  Quit   milestone  and  the  extra  shell  item.  Put  one  action  rating  in  Spin ,  one  in   
  Assault ,  one  in  Hack ,  and  one  in  Tinker .  
   
   
   
  Synth  Milestones  
   
   
   
  Active  Ghost  
   
  You  su�ered  a  calamity .  You  may  expend  your  plot  armor  to  gain  limited  control  of  a  machine   
  for  a  few  moments.  You  may  spend  1  luck  for  each  additional  feature:  it  lasts  a  few  minutes   
  rather  than  moments—you  gain  total  control  of  its  functions—you  maintain  control  of  your   
  body.  
   
  You  are  aware  of  the  advantages  of  having  a  synthetic  consciousness.  Linking  to  a   
  machine  with  speciﬁc  protections  or  it’s  own  synthetic  consciousness  might  require   
  you  to  Hack  or  Tinker  with  it,  or  merely  touch  it.  The  GM  will  say  what  is  required  to   
  use  this  ability  on  a  machine.   
    
  If  you  spend  additional  luck,  you  can  extend  the  e�ect  for  additional  beneﬁts,  which   
  may  improve  your  position  or  e�ect  for  action  rolls,  depending  on  the  circumstances,   
  as  usual.  
   
  When  you  use  this  milestone,  tick  the  plot  armor  box  on  your  playbook  sheet.  Your  plot   
  armor  is  restored  at  the  beginning  of  downtime.  
   
   
   
  Synthetic  Advantage  
   
  You  have  2  or  more  pieces  of  installed  cyberware.  You  may  push  your  luck  to  perform  a   
  superhuman  physical  feat.  
   
  This  means  you  have  2  pieces  of  cyberware  in  addition  to  your  neural  link.  
   
  When  you  push  your  luck  to  activate  this  ability,  you  still  get  one  of  the  normal   
  beneﬁts  of  pushing  yourself  (+1d,  +1  e�ect  in  addition  to  the  milestone.  
   
  When  you  perform  a  superhuman  physical  feat  you  might  force  open  a  vault  door  with   
  your  bare  hands,  stop  a  speeding  car,  lift  a  huge  weight,  jump  relatively  safely  from  a   
  skyscraper,  etc.  
   
   
   
  98  
   
  
  I  Quit  
   
  You  have  left  a  job  behind.  -1  resources ,  -1  status  with  your  employer,  and  you  have   1   
  additional  free  downtime  action .  
   
  This  milestone  is  available  to  each  playbook.  If  you  ﬁnd  that  your  character  becomes   
  employed  after  taking  this  milestone,  mark  +1  resources,  +1  status  with  your  employer,   
  and  you  have  1  less  free  downtime  action.  
   
   
   
  Natural  Chrome  
   
  You  know  your  creator  or  have  discovered  your  origins.  When  you  get  chrome ,  take  +2d .   
    
  To  get  this  milestone  you  either  have  radically  augmented  yourself,  or  discovered  the   
  reason  or  faction  who  made  you.  
   
   
   
  Networked  Intelligence  
   
  You  have  3  or  more  bonds   with  other  synthetic  beings.  You  can  understand  and  communicate   
  with  artiﬁcial  intelligences.  When  you  lead  a  group  action  or  gather  information ,  take  +1d .  
   
  These  bonds  can  be  with  similar  synths,  HAUNTs,  virtual  intelligences,  even  artiﬁcial   
  intelligences.  
   
  AI’s  are  usually  inscrutable  and  can  communicate  only  indirectly  through  symbols  and   
  impressions  at  best.  This  milestone  means  you  have  bridged  that  gap,  was  that  the   
  intended  goal  or  a  side-e�ect?  What  does  it  look  like  when  you  communicate  with   
  artiﬁcial  intelligences?  
   
   
   
    Synth  Items  
   
  ●
  Fine  Dermal  Armour:   Thin  non-kinetic  plates  that  make  you  especially  tough  to  kill.   
  Resistant  to  small  arms  ﬁre,  impacts,  and  blades.  Mark  an  armour  box  when  used.  (0   
  load)  
   
  ●
  Fine  Human  Appearance:   An  especially  striking  appearance.  Is  it  meant  to  be   
  attractive  or  perfectly  nondescript?   Does  it  change  or  is  it  always  the  same?  (0  load)  
   
  ●
  Extra  Shell:  A  synthetic  body,  similar  to  your  own.  With  a  Live  Wire™  and  a  few   
  minutes  you  can  transfer  your  consciousness  (or  someone  else's)  into  or  out  of  this   
  body.  (3  load)  
   
  ●
  Light  Climbing  Attachments:   Micro  ﬁlament  rope,  hard  points  with  eye  hooks  screwed   
  into  your  body,  micro  suction  cups,  and  a  grappling  gun.   (1  load)  
   
  ●
  Light  Tinkering  Attachments:   Handheld  laser  cutter  powered  by  your  body.  Small   
  powered  tools  embedded  in  your  hands.  Reinforced  skin  and  synthetic  bone  for  prying   
  things  open  with  your  bare  hands.  (1  load)  
   
  ●
  Multi-Vision  Eyes:   Allows  the  user  to  see  in  night  vision,  thermal  vision,  and   
  electromagnetic  ﬁeld  vision.  (0  load)  
   
  ●
  ‘Net  Armor:  Hardware  that  protects  your  mind  and  gear  from  viruses  and  harm   
  encountered  on  the  'Net.  Mark  the  'Net  armor  box  when  you  use  this.   (1  load)  
   
  99  
   
  
  Tech  
   
  A  hardware  designer  and  troubleshooter  
   
   
   
  If  it  spews  bullets,  light,  or  gas,  you  can  make  it.  You’re  the  person  in  the  community   
  everyone  turns  to  when  their  computer  or  cyberware  starts  acting  up.  The  ‘Net  may  run   
  through  everything  and  everyone  but  eventually  someone’s  going  to  need  a  way  to  connect  to   
  it.  That’s  where  you  come  in.  Prime  City  is  a  dumping  ground  for  scrap  and  good  ideas.  Get   
  busy  making  something  new  or  destroying  everything  else.  
   
   
   
  Starting  Actions  
   
  ▮▮  Analyze  
   
  ▮▯  Tinker 
    
   
   
   
   
  Example  Starting  Characters  
   
  If  you  have  trouble  coming  up  with  a  character  or  need  some  inspiration,  you  can  use  these   
  examples.  
   
   
   
  Local  Workshop  
   
  You  have  your  own  workshop  in  the  community.  Maybe  it’s  an  open  space  where  folks  come   
  in  to  work  on  their  projects,  or  your  own  private  outﬁt  where  folks  drop  o�  their  tech  for  repair.   
  This  is  likely  to  be  a  story  about  losing  everything  you  have  right  now,  or  defending  it  all  from   
  corporate  greed.  Who  is  your  favourite  regular?  What  sort  of  reputation  does  your  workshop   
  have  in  the  community?  Which  corporation  wants  to  see  you  fail?  
   
   
   
  Start  with  the  Workshop  milestone  and  the  ﬁne  tinkering  tools  item.  Put  two  action  dots  in   
  Hacking ,  one  more  in  Tinker ,  and  one  in  Sneak .  
   
   
   
  Arsonist  
   
  You’ve  destroyed  a  corporate  asset.  Was  this  an  intended  target,  or  collateral  damage?  Either   
  way,  the  corpos  are  out  for  blood.  What  did  you  destroy?  Who  is  hunting  you?  Does  this  end   
  with  a  clean  getaway  or  the  corporations  ﬁnding  their  vengeance?  
   
   
   
  Start  with  the  Pyrokinetics  milestone  and  the  improvised  explosives   item.  Put  two  action  dots   
  in  Assault  and  two  in  Move .  
   
   
   
  Freelance  Support  
   
  You  have  a  reputation  for  helping  folks  with  their  tech  problems.  One  day  you  just  showed  up   
  and  now  you’re  a  household  name.  Maybe  no  one  knows  the  reason  you  came  here,  but   
  something  happened.  This  is  a  story  about  your  past  catching  up  with  you.  What  did  you  do   
  to  cause  a  calamity?  Who  do  you  help  in  the  community?  Who  knows  what  you  did?  
   
   
   
  100  
   
  
  Start  with  the  Tech  Support   milestone  and  the   spare  parts  item.  Put  one  more  action  dot  in   
  Tinker ,  two  in  Connect ,  and  one  in  Spin .  
   
   
   
  Tech  Milestones  
   
   
   
  Workshop  
   
  You  have  your  own  workshop  in  the  community.  When  you  invent  or  craft  hardware,  take  +1   
  result  level .  You  have  one  free  downtime  action   to  work  on  a  long-term  project .  
   
  Your  free  downtime  action  must  be  used  on  a  long-term  project,  either  yours  or   
  another  player’s  (with  their  permission).  
   
   
   
  Pyrokinetics  
   
  You  destroyed  a  signiﬁcant  corporate  asset.  When  you  trigger  an  explosive  you  may  spend   1   
  luck   for  each  additional  feature:  increase  the  scale  of  the  explosion—the  explosion  is  unusually   
  quiet—other  characters  get +1d   to  resist  consequences  caused  by  the  explosion.  
   
  This  milestone  makes  explosions  you  create  more  devastating,  harder  to  notice,  or   
  gives  bonus  to  resist  collateral  damage,  conditions,  and  other  consequences.  
   
   
   
  I  Quit  
   
  You  have  left  a  job  behind.  -1  resources ,  -1  status  with  your  employer,  and  you  have   1   
  additional  free  downtime  action .  
   
  This  milestone  is  available  to  each  playbook.  If  you  ﬁnd  that  your  character  becomes   
  employed  after  taking  this  milestone,  mark  +1  resources,  +1  status  with  your  employer,   
  and  you  have  1  less  free  downtime  action.  
   
   
   
  Tech  Support  
   
  You’ve  su�ered  a  calamity .  When  you  assist  someone  over  a  great  distance,  they  gain   1  luck .   
  You  may  expend  your  plot  armor   to  resist  something  breaking  as  a  consequence.  
   
  A  great  distance  could  be  from  another  part  of  Prime  City  or  when  they  are  in  an   
  artiﬁcial  reality  like  someone’s  dream  and  you  are  not.   
    
  When  you  use  this  milestone,  tick  the  plot  armor  box  on  your  playbook  sheet  and  you   
  resist  the  consequence  entirely.  Your  plot  armor  is  restored  at  the  beginning  of   
  downtime.  
   
   
   
  Splicer  
   
  You’ve  installed  3  pieces  of  cyberware.  When  you  identify  cyberware  you  also  recall  a   
  hardware  limitation  or  observe  a  failure  in  maintenance  that  can  be  exploited.  When  a  PC   
  comes  to  you  to  get  chrome ,  they  take  +1d .  
   
  You  may  need  to  ﬁrst  identify  prototype  or  experimental  cyberware  before  making  use   
  of  the  ﬁrst  part  of  this  milestone,  either  with  a  gather  information  roll,  Analyze,  or   
  another  relevant  action.  
   
   
   
  101  
   
  
  Tech  Items  
   
  ●
  Fine  Tinkering  Tools:  High  quality  tools  to  ﬁx  or  break  things.  A  versatile  custom   
  multi-tool,  small  power  tools.  (2  load)  
   
  ●
  Fine  Chip  Ripper:  Handheld  device  with  several  tiny  articulated  arms.  Can  e�ciently   
  remove  implants  without  killing  the  user.  Illegal.   (1  load)  
   
  ●
  Electromagnetic  Ammunition:  Ammo  that  is  especially  e�ective  against  machines  and   
  cyberware.  Less  e�ective  against  organic  targets.   (1  load)  
   
  ●
  Improvised  Explosives:  Three  ﬁst-sized  explosives  that  can  be  thrown  or  a�xed  to  a   
  target.  Each  has  enough  payload  to  destroy  a  small  room.  Includes  a  remote  detonator   
  with  a  range  of  a  few  blocks.  Illegal.   (3  total,  1  load  each)  
   
  ●
  Small  Drone:  Limited  surveillance  options,  remote-controlled,  could  carry  something   
  small.  (0  load)  
   
  ●
  Spare  Parts:  Tape,  wires,  cables,  and  various  inexpensive  odds  and  ends  you  would   
  need  to  ﬁx  something.  (1  load)  
   
  ●
  Hard  Light™  Saw:  A  massive  saw  blade  with  several  Hard  Light™  emitters.  Will  cut   
  through  anything  given  enough  time.  Illegal.  (2  load)  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  102  
   
  
  Scores  
   
  In  Neon  Black,  we  play  to  ﬁnd  out  if  a  community  can  prosper  in  Prime  City—and  that   
  prosperity  depends  upon  their  endeavors,  which  we  call  scores.   
    
   
   
  A  score  is  a  single  operation  with  a  particular  goal:  steal  from  a  corporate  executive’s  private   
  account,  hold  a  concert,  smuggle  someone  out  of  Prime  City,  etc.  Usually,  a  score  will  fall  into   
  one  of  two  categories:   
    
   
   
  ●
  An  activity  determined  by  your  community’s  needs.  This  could  be  tied  to  a  speciﬁc   
  community  contact  listed  on  the  community  sheet,  or  the  result  of  the  inciting  incident   
  or  even  the  need  of  an  enemy/rival.  
   
  ●
  A  special  mission  or  goal  determined  by  the  players  (like  getting  upgrades  or  assets  for  
  your  community,  or  ﬁnding  a  rare  program  your  Decker  is  looking  for,  or  forging  an   
  alliance  with  a  faction).   
    
   
   
  A  score  can  be  long  and  involved  or  short  and  sweet.  There  might  be  lots  of  rolls  and  trouble,   
  or  just  a  few  actions  to  resolve  it.  Play  to  ﬁnd  out  what  happens!  A  score  doesn’t  need  to  ﬁll   
  one  session  of  play  every  time.  Let  it  be  however  long  it  needs  to  be.   
    
   
   
  The  PCs  can  set  up  a  new  score  by  choosing  a  target  (for  example,  by  picking  one  from  the   
  faction  list  or  one  of  the  PC’s  employers),  by  approaching  a  potential  client  and  asking  for   
  work,  or  by  fulﬁlling  a  community  need.  
   
   
   
  A  score  consists  of  a  few  key  elements,  detailed  in  this  chapter:  planning  and  engagement ,   
  ﬂashbacks ,  and  teamwork .  
   
  Planning  &  Engagement  
   
  Your  characters  spend  time  planning  each  score.  They  sit  in  a  dive  bar  and  review  their  tablets   
  with  screens  full  of  interlinked  rumours,  stolen  blueprints,  and  schematics.  They  may  argue   
  and  bicker  about  the  best  approach,  propose  outrageous  solutions,  or  call  in  long-standing   
  favours.  
   
   
   
  But  you,  the  players,  don’t  have  to  worry  about  this  potentially  time-consuming  phase  of  a   
  score.   
    
   
   
  The  characters  take  care  of  that,  o�screen.  All  you  have  to  do  is  choose  what  type  of  plan  the   
  characters  have  already  made.  There’s  no  need  to  sweat  all  the  little  details  and  try  to  cover   
  every  eventuality  ahead  of  time,  the  engagement  roll  will  determine  how  much  trouble  you’re   
  in  when  the  plan  is  put  in  motion.  No  plan  is  ever  perfect.  You  can’t  account  for  everything.   
  103  
   
  
  This  system  assumes  that  there’s  always  some  unknown  factors  and  trouble—major  or   
  minor—in  every  operation.  Why  play  out  a  score  if  everything  goes  smoothly?  You  just  have  to   
  make  the  best  of  it.   
    
   
   
  There  are  six  di�erent  types  of  plans,  each  with  a  missing  detail  you  need  to  provide  (see  the   
  list  below).  To  plan  a  score,  simply  choose  the  plan  and  supply  the  detail.  Then  the  GM  will  cut   
  to  the  action  as  the  early  moments  of  the  score  unfold.   
    
   
   
  ●
  Assault:   Do  violence  to  a  target.  Detail:  The  point  of  attack.  
   
  ●
  Deception :  Lure,  trick,  or  manipulate.  Detail:  The  method  of  deception.  
   
  ●
  Inﬁltration:   Trespass  unseen.  Detail:  The  point  of  inﬁltration.  
  ●
  ‘Net:   Engage  artiﬁcial  entities,  access  protected  areas  of  the  ‘Net.  Detail:  Access  point.  
   
  ●
  Transport:   Carry  cargo  or  people  through  danger.  Detail:  The  route  and  means.  
   
  ●
  Social:   Negotiate,  bargain,  or  persuade.  Detail:  The  social  connection.  
   
   
   
  The  Detail  
   
  When  you  choose  a  plan,  provide  the  key  detail,  like  the  point  of  attack,  social  connection,  etc.   
  If  you  don’t  know  the  detail,  you  can  gather  information  and  ask  questions  in  order  to   
  discover  it.   
    
   
   
  The  main  reason  for  this  is  to  give  the  GM  a  jumping-o�  point  for  your  plan.  If  you  want  to   
  inﬁltrate  the  corporate  headquarters,  that’s  ﬁne,  but  tell  the  GM  the  point  of  entry,  so  that   
  they  know  how  to  set  that  ﬁrst  scene.  If  you’re  planning  on  deceiving  someone,  tell  the  GM   
  what  the  deception  is.   
    
   
   
  The  detail  is  also  an  opportunity  to  bring  in  other  members  of  the  community.  Could  your   
  friend  the  information  broker  give  you  a  good  route  for  smuggling  these  refugees?  Perhaps   
  your  friend  the  assassin  can  give  you  a  hint  on  a  good  point  of  attack  for  your  assault?  If   
  necessary,  make  a  gather  information  roll  to  establish  what  you  know  and  move  on  to  the   
  score.   
    
   
   
  Item  Loadouts  
   
  After  the  plan  and  detail  are  in  place,  each  player  chooses  their  character’s  load.  This  indicates   
  how  much  stu�  they’re  carrying  on  the  operation.  They  don’t  have  to  select  individual   
  items—just  the  maximum  amount  they’ll  have  access  to  during  the  action.   
    
  Engagement  Roll  
   
  Once  the  players  choose  a  plan  and  provide  its  detail,  the  GM  cuts  to  the  action—describing   
  the  scene  as  the  characters  engage  their  ﬁrst  obstacle.  How  is  this  established?  The  way  the   
  GM  describes  the  starting  situation  impacts  how  complicated  the  job  turns  out  to  be.  Rather   
  104  
   
  
  than  expecting  the  GM  to  simply  “get  it  right”  each  time,  we  use  a  dice  roll  instead.  This  is  the   
  engagement  roll .   
    
   
   
  The  engagement  roll  is  a  fortune  roll ,  starting  with  1d   for  sheer  luck.  Modify  the  dice  pool  for   
  major  advantages  or  disadvantages.   
    
   
   
  Major  Advantages/Disadvantages  
   
  ●
  Is  this  score  particularly  bold  or  daring?  Take  +1d .  Is  the  plan  overly  complex  or   
  contingent  on  many  factors?  Take  -1d .   
    
  ●
  Does  the  target  of  the  job  underestimate  you  or  not  perceive  you  as  a  threat?  Take  +1d .   
  Is  the  target  strongest  against  this  approach  or  suspect  you  are  after  them?  Take  -1d .   
    
  ●
  Is  anyone  in  the  community  helping  you  with  this  score?  Take  +1d .  Are  any  enemies  or   
  rivals  interfering  in  the  score?  Take  -1d .   
    
  ●
  Are  there  any  other  elements  that  you  want  to  consider?  Maybe  a  lower-Tier  target  will   
  give  you  +1d .  Maybe  a  higher-Tier  target  will  give  you  -1d .  Maybe  there’s  a  situation  in   
  the  district  that  makes  the  operation  more  or  less  tricky.  
   
   
   
  The  engagement  roll  assumes  the  PCs  are  approaching  the  target  as  intelligently  as  they  can,   
  given  the  plan  and  detail  they  provided.  We  don’t  need  to  play  out  probing  maneuvers,  special   
  precautions,  or  other  ponderous  non-action.  The  engagement  roll  covers  it  all.  The  PCs  are   
  already  in  action,  facing  the  ﬁrst  obstacle—on  top  of  the  limousine,  breaking  into  the  vault,   
  ﬁghting  the  COPs,  etc.   
    
   
   
  Don’t  make  the  engagement  roll  and  then  describe  the  PCs  approaching  the  target.  The   
  engagement  roll  resolves  the  approach.  Cut  to  the  action  resulting  from  that  initial   
  approach—to  the  ﬁrst  serious  obstacle  in  their  path.   
    
   
   
  The  ﬁrst  obstacle  of  the  armored  limousine  is  getting  in.  The  engagement  roll  puts  the   
  crew  on  top  of  the  limo  as  the  PCs  cut  into  the  vehicle's  roof.   
    
   
   
  The  PCs  have  all  connected  to  the  ‘Net  and  are  immediately  confronted  with  a  virtual   
  wall  of  living  static:  corporate  ICE.  
   
   
   
  Engagement  Roll  &  Luck  
   
  The  results  of  the  engagement  roll  also  give  each  PC   luck ,  depending  on  the  result.  The   
  amount  of  luck  coincides  with  the  position  the  PC’s  ﬁnd  themselves  in  as  the  score  begins.  A   
  desperate  position  means  the  characters  were  unlucky,  a  controlled  position  means  fate  was   
  on  their  side.  
   
   
  Each  PC   should  mark  luck  on  their  character  sheet  based  on  the  results  below:  
   
   
  105  
   
  
  Engagement  Roll  Summary:  
   
  ●
  1d   for  sheer  luck  
   
  ●
    +  1d   per  major  advantage  
   
  ●
    -  1d  per  major  disadvantage  
   
   
   
  ●
  CRIT :  Exceptional  result.  You’ve  already  overcome  the  ﬁrst  obstacle  and  you’re  in  a   
  controlled  position  for  what’s  next.  Each  PC   gains  5  luck .  
   
  ●
  6:   Good  result.  You’re  in  a  controlled  position  when  the  action  starts.  Each  PC   gains  3   
  luck .  
   
  ●
  4/5:  Mixed  result.  You’re  in  a  risky  position  when  the  action  starts.  Each  PC   gains  2   
  luck .  
   
  ●
  1-3:   Bad  result.  You’re  in  a  desperate  position  when  the  action  starts.  Each  PC   gains  1   
  luck .  
   
   
   
  If  the  players  want  a  special  preparation  or  clever  setup,  they  can  use  ﬂashbacks  during  the   
  score.  This  takes  some  getting  used  to.  Players  may  balk,  worried  that  you’re  skipping  over   
  important  things  they  want  to  do.  But  jumping  straight  to  the  action  is  much  more  e�ective   
  once  you  get  used  to  it.  When  they  see  the  situation  they’re  in,  their  “planning”  in  ﬂashbacks   
  will  be  focused  and  useful,  rather  than  speculations  on  circumstances  that  might  not  even   
  happen.   
    
   
   
  Outcomes  
   
  The  outcome  of  the  engagement  roll  determines  the  position  for  the  PCs’  initial  actions  when   
  we  cut  to  the  score  in  progress.  A  1-3   means  a  desperate  position.  A  4/5   is  a  risky  position.  A  6   
  is  a  controlled  position.  A  critical  carries  the  action  past  the  initial  obstacle,  deeper  into  the   
  action  of  the  job.   
    
   
   
  No  matter  how  outmatched  you  are,  a  desperate  position  is  the  worst  that  can  result  from  the   
  plan  +  detail  +  engagement  process.  Planning  matters,  but  doesn’t  call  for  lots  of  nitpicking.  If   
  you’re  reckless  and  take  your  chances,  you  can’t  get  too  badly  burned.  Plus,  you  might  want   
  those  desperate  rolls  to  generate  more  xp  for  the  PCs,  to  help  bootstrap  starting  characters   
  into  advancement.   
    
   
   
  After  the  roll,  use  the  details  of  the  target  to  paint  a  picture  of  the  PCs’  position.  Use  this  to   
  show  how  the  PCs’  enemies  are  dangerous  and  capable—don’t  characterize  a  bad  roll  as  a   
  failure  by  the  PCs,  or  they  won’t  trust  the  technique  in  the  future.  Sure,  things  start  out   
  desperate  against  the  corporate  goons,  but  you’re  just  the  type  of  characters  who  are  daring   
  enough  to  take  them  on.  Let’s  get  to  it.   
    
   
   
  How  Long  Does  it  Last?  
   
  The  engagement  roll  determines  the  starting  position  for  the  PCs’  actions.  How  long  does  that   
  hold?  Does  the  situation  stay  desperate?  No.  Once  the  initial  actions  have  been  resolved,  you   
  follow  the  normal  process  for  establishing  position  for  the  rest  of  the  rolls  during  the  job.  The   
  106  
   
  
  engagement  roll  is  a  quick  shorthand  to  kick  things  o�  and  get  the  action  started—it  doesn’t   
  have  any  impact  after  that.   
    
   
   
  Linked  Plans  
   
  Sometimes  a  score  seems  to  call  for  a  couple  of  plans  linked  together.  A  common  scenario  is  a   
  team  that  wants  a  two-pronged  approach.  “You  create  a  diversion  at  the  bar,  and  when  they   
  send  the  COPs  over  there,  we’ll  break  into  the  warehouse.”  There  are  two  ways  to  handle  this:   
    
   
   
  1.
  The  diversion  is  a  setup  action  that  a  community  member  performs  as  part  of  the  plan.   
  A  successful  setup  action  can  improve  position  for  teammates  (possibly  o�setting  a   
  bad  engagement  roll)  or  give  increased  e�ect.  An  unsuccessful  setup  might  cause   
  trouble  for  the  second  part  of  the  plan—an  easy  consequence  is  to  give  the  engagement   
  roll  -1d.  If  it  makes  sense,  the  team  member  who  performed  the  setup  can  drift  back   
  into  the  main  operation  and  join  the  team  later  so  they  don’t  have  to  sit  out  and  wait.   
    
  2.
  The  diversion  is  its  own  plan,  engagement,  and  score,  whose  outcome  creates  the   
  opportunity  for  a  future  plan.  Use  this  option  when  the  ﬁrst  part  of  the  plan  is  required   
  for  the  next  part  to  happen  at  all.  For  example,  you  might  execute  a  stealth  plan  to  steal   
  vault  codes  from  a  Ziggurat  o�ce,  then  later  use  those  codes  in  an  inﬁltration  plan  to   
  steal  a  prototype  weapon.  In  this  case,  you  go  into  downtime  (and  payo�,  heat,  etc.)   
  after  the  ﬁrst  part  of  the  plan,  as  normal.   
    
   
   
  Either  approach  is  ﬁne.  It’s  usually  a  question  of  interest.  Is  the  linked  plan  interesting   
  enough  on  its  own  to  play  out  moment  by  moment?  Is  it  required  for  the  second  plan  to  make   
  sense?  If  so,  make  it  a  separate  operation.  If  not,  just  use  a  setup  action.   
    
  Flashbacks  
   
  The  rules  don’t  distinguish  between  actions  performed  in  the  present  and  those  performed  in   
  the  past.  When  a  score  is  underway,  you  can  invoke  a  ﬂashback  to  take  an  action  in  the  past   
  that  impacts  your  current  situation.   
    
   
   
  The  GM  sets  a  stress  cost  when  you  activate  a  ﬂashback  action.   
    
  ●
  0  Luck :  An  ordinary  action  for  which  you  had  an  easy  opportunity.  The  Merc   
  Connected   with  her  friend  to  agree  to  arrive  at  the  bank  ahead  of  time  and  suddenly   
  spring  out  as  a  surprise  ally.   
    
  ●
  1  Luck :  A  complex  action  or  unlikely  opportunity.  The  Synth  Sneaked   their  autopistol   
  into  a  hiding  spot  in  the  bank’s  washrooms  to  be  on  hand  after  they  went  through  the   
  metal  detector.   
    
  ●
  2  (or  more)  Luck :  An  elaborate  action  that  involved  special  opportunities  or   
  contingencies.  The  Fixer  has  already  met  the  former  owner  of  the  bank  and  learned   
  107  
   
  
  who  its  architect  was—an  architect  that  can  be  compelled  to  reveal  the  location  of  the   
  hidden  vault.   
    
   
   
  After  the  luck  cost  is  paid,  a  ﬂashback  action  is  handled  like  any  other  action.  Sometimes  it   
  entails  an  action  roll ,  because  there’s  danger  or  trouble  involved.  Sometimes  a  ﬂashback   
  entails  a  fortune  roll,  because  we  need  to  ﬁnd  out  how  well  it  went  (or  long  it  lasted,  etc.).   
  Sometimes  a  ﬂashback  won’t  require  a  roll  at  all.   
    
   
   
  If  a  ﬂashback  involves  a  downtime  activity,  pay  1  resource  for  it  instead  of  luck.   
    
   
   
  One  of  the  best  uses  for  a  ﬂashback  is  when  the  engagement  roll  goes  badly.  After  the  GM   
  describes  the  trouble  you’re  in,  call  for  a  ﬂashback  to  a  special  preparation  you  made,  “just  in   
  case”  something  went  wrong.  This  way,  your  “ﬂashback  planning”  will  be  focused  on  the   
  problems  that  do  happen,  not  the  problems  that  might  happen.   
    
   
   
  Limits  of  Flashbacks  
   
  A  ﬂashback  isn’t  time  travel.  It  can’t  “undo”  something  that  just  occurred.  For  instance,  if  a   
  Storm-Ex  security  manager  confronts  you  about  recent  contraband  smuggled  into  Prime  City   
  when  you’re  at  the  famous  celebrity’s  party,  you  can’t  call  for  a  ﬂashback  to  assassinate  her   
  the  night  before.  She’s  here  now,  questioning  you—that’s  established  in  the  ﬁction.  But  you   
  could  call  for  a  ﬂashback  to  show  you  intentionally  tipped  her  o�  so  she  would  confront  you   
  at  the  party—and  use  that  opportunity  to  impress  the  celebrity  with  your  aplomb  and   
  fearlessness.  
   
   
   
  Giving  up  on  a  Score  
   
  When  you  give  up  on  a  failed  score,  you  go  into  downtime .  Follow  the  phases  for  downtime   
  presented  in  the  next  chapter.  You’ll  usually  have  zero  payo� ,  since  you  didn’t  accomplish   
  anything  (or  you  managed  to  grab  something  to  sell  of  appropriate  value,  the  story  may  be   
  di�erent).  You’ll  still  face  heat   and  select  a  downtime  scene  as  usual.  
   
  Teamwork  
   
  Teamwork  Actions  
   
  When  the  PCs  work  together,  the  characters  have  access  to  four  special  teamwork  maneuvers.   
  The  four  maneuvers  are:   
    
   
   
  ●
  Assist  another  PC   who  is  rolling  an  action.   
    
  ●
  Lead  a  group  action .   
    
  ●
  Set  up  a  character  who  will  follow  through  on  your  action.   
    
  ●
  Protect  a  teammate.   
    
   
   
  108  
   
  
  Assist  
   
  You  can  only  assist  a  character  if  you  have  at  least  1   bond  written  about  them.   When  you   
  assist  another  player  who’s  rolling,  describe  what  your  character  does  to  help.  Spend   luck   
  equal  to  the  number  of  bonds  you  have  written  about  them,  and  give  them  +1d   per  bond  to   
  their  roll.  You  might  also  su�er  any  consequences  that  occur  because  of  the  roll,  depending  on   
  the  circumstances.  For  example  if  you  assist  a  character  and  have  2  bonds   written  about  them   
  on  your  character  sheet,  you  spend  2  luck   and  they  get  +2d   to  their  roll.  
   
   
   
  Only  one  character  may  assist  a  given  roll.  If  you  really  want  to  help  and  someone  else  is   
  already  assisting,  consider  performing  a  setup  action  instead.   
    
   
   
  A  character  may  assist  a  group  action,  but  only  if  they  aren’t  taking  part  in  it  directly.  The   
  player  assisting  decides  which  character  in  the  group  action  gets  the  bonus  dice.  You  still   
  need  to  have  a  bond  with  the  character  you  are  assisting.  
   
   
   
  Lead  a  Group  Action  
   
  When  you  lead  a  group  action ,  you  coordinate  multiple  members  of  the  team  to  tackle  a   
  problem  together.  Describe  how  your  character  leads  the  team  in  a  coordinated  e�ort.  Do  you   
  bark  orders,  give  subtle  hand  signals,  or  provide  charismatic  inspiration?   
    
   
   
  Each  PC   who’s  involved  makes  an  action  roll  (using  the  same  action)  and  the  team  counts  the   
  single  best  result  as  the  overall  e�ort  for  everyone  who  rolled.  However,  the  character  leading   
  the  group  action  spends  1  luck  for  each  PC   that  rolled  1-3   as  their  best  result  (including  the  PC   
  leading  the  group  action).  
   
   
   
  This  is  how  you  do  the  “We  all  sneak  into  the  building”  scene.  Everyone  who  wants  to   
  sneak  in  rolls  their  Sneak  action,  and  the  best  result  counts  for  the  whole  team.  The   
  leader  su�ers  stress  for  everyone  who  does  poorly.  It’s  tough  covering  for  the   
  stragglers.   
    
   
   
  The  group  action  result  covers  everyone  who  rolled.  If  you  don’t  roll,  your  character  doesn’t   
  get  the  e�ects  of  the  action.  
   
   
   
  Your  character  doesn’t  have  to  be  especially  skilled  at  the  action  at  hand  in  order  to  lead  a   
  group  action.  This  maneuver  is  about  leadership,  not  necessarily  about  ability.   
    
   
   
  You  can  also  lead  a  group  of  NPCs  (if  you  have  say  a  squad  of  mercs  at  your  command,  or   
  need  to  corral  some  passengers).  Roll  Command   if  you  direct  their  e�orts,  or  roll  the   
  appropriate  action  rating  if  you  participate  alongside  them.  The  NPCs  roll  their  quality  level ,   
  usually  the  community’s  tier  if  they  are  members  of  your  community,  or  their  faction  tier.   
  109  
   
  
  Unless  there’s  a  speciﬁc  named  character,  a  group  of  contractors  or  passengers  should  all  be   
  handled  with  one  quality  roll  (you  don’t  need  to  roll  for  each  individually).   
    
   
   
  Setup  
   
  When  you  perform  a  setup  action,  you  have  an  indirect  e�ect  on  an  obstacle.  If  your  action   
  has  its  intended  result,  any  member  of  the  team  who  follows  through  on  your  maneuver  gets   
  +1  e�ect   level  or  improved  position  for  their  roll.  You  choose  the  beneﬁt,  based  on  the  nature   
  of  your  setup  action.   
    
   
   
  This  is  how  you  do  the  “I’ll  create  a  distraction”  scene.  You  roll  Spin   to  distract  a  guard   
  with  your  charms,  then  any  teammate  who  follows  through  with  a  Sneak   action  to   
  sneak  past  him  can  get  an  improved  position.  It’s  less  risky  since  you’re  drawing  the   
  guard’s  attention  away.  
   
   
   
  This  is  a  good  way  to  contribute  to  an  operation  when  you  don’t  have  a  good  rating  in  the   
  action  at  hand.  A  clever  setup  action  lets  you  help  the  team  indirectly.  Multiple  follow-up   
  actions  may  take  advantage  of  your  setup  (including  someone  leading  a  group  action)  as  long   
  as  it  makes  sense  in  the  ﬁction.   
    
   
   
  Since  a  setup  action  can  increase  the  e�ect  of  follow-up  actions,  it’s  also  useful  when  the   
  team  is  facing  tough  opposition  that  has  advantages  in  quality ,  scale ,  and/or  potency .  Even  if   
  the  PCs  are  reduced  to  zero  e�ect  due  to  disadvantages  in  a  situation,  the  setup  action   
  provides  a  bonus  that  allows  for  limited  e�ect.   
    
   
   
  The  PCs  are  helpless  against  a  heavily  armored  vehicle  that  is  bulletproof.  Jerusalem   
  uses  Assault   as  a  setup  action  to  jam  some  explosives  between  armor  plates  and  blow   
  one  o�,  giving  follow-up  actions  +1  e�ect—going  from  zero  to  limited  e�ect.   
    
   
   
  Protect  
  You  step  in  to  face  a  consequence  that  one  of  your  teammates  would  otherwise  face.  You   
  su�er  it  instead  of  them.  You  may  roll  to  resist  it  as  normal.   Describe  how  you  intervene.   
    
   
   
  This  is  how  you  do  the  “I’ll  dive  in  front  of  the  bullet”  move.  You  cover  for  a  teammate,   
  su�ering  any  harm  or  consequences  that  still  linger  after  you’ve  rolled  to  resist.  It  hurts,  costs   
  you  luck,  and  may  leave  you  in  a  bad  spot.  But  hey,  you’re  a  hero.   
    
   
   
  Auren  and  Quanta  are  trying  to  escape  corporate  operatives,  but  one  of  the  radically   
  augmented  corporate  assassins  has  leapt  onto  the  hood  of  their  truck.  Auren  tries  to   
  Move  the  truck  to  shake  the  assassin  o�  (risky/standard),  but  rolls  a  3.  The  GM  says   
  that  the  assassin  has  hidden  blades  in  their  arms  that  pop  out  and  stab  through  the   
  truck’s  engine  and  through  the  windshield,  stabbing  Auren  in  the  chest.  The  GM  gives   
  Aruen’s  player  two  consequences,  harm  to  the  truck  and  a  level  2  condition  “stabbed.”   
  110  
   
  
  Quanta,  a  Streamer  riding  shotgun,  wants  to  dive  between  Auren  and  the  assassin  and   
  take  the  blow.  Auren’s  player  agrees  and  Quanta’s  player  decides  to  resist  the   
  condition,  rolls  2  dice  for  their  prowess,  and  describes  them  taking  the  blow  to  the  arm   
  instead.  They  get  a  4  and  spend  2  luck.  
   
   
   
  The  GM  rules  that  the  sudden  motion  and  catching  the  blow  on  his  shoulder  rather   
  than  the  chest  reduces  the  condition  to  level  1  “cut  arm.”  Quanta  takes  the  blow  and   
  his  character  marks  the  reduced  condition  on  their  character  sheet.  Auren  is  unscathed   
  but  may  want  to  also  resist  the  harm  to  the  truck  so  they  can  continue  with  the   
  getaway.  
   
   
   
  NPCs  and  Teamwork  
   
  NPCs,  such  as  community  contacts,  hired  mercs,  or  people  from  friendly  factions  may  also   
  help  the  PC’s  with  teamwork  actions.  When  an  NPC   would  need  to  make  an  action  or  fortune   
  roll,  the  GM  assembles  a  pool  of  dice  based  on  their  tier  (either  the  community’s  tier  or  the   
  faction  tier,  whichever  is  more  appropriate).  NPCs  can  only  do  this  when  performing  an  action   
  they  would  be  skilled  in.  For  example,  a  hacker  or  programmer  could  Analyze  or  Hack  data  on   
  the  ‘Net,  but  would  not  be  much  help  in  a  gunﬁght.  When  an  NPC   could  be  involved  in  a   
  teamwork  action  during  the  game,  use  these  rules:  
   
   
   
  ●
  Assist :  An  NPC   may  assist  a  PC   if  that  PC   has  at  least  one  bond  written  about  that   
  NPC.  The  PC   or  GM  should  describe  what  this  NPC   does  to  help  the  character’s   
  action.  Remember,  if  the  outcome  of  the  action  roll  is  a  failure  or  mixed  success,  the   
  NPC   may  also  face  consequences.  
   
  ●
  Group  Action :  An  NPC   may  participate  in  a  group  action.  Use  the  NPC’s  community  or   
  faction  tier  when  doing  so.  A  PC   may  also  lead  a  group  of  NPCs  by  making  a   
  Command  roll.  
   
  ●
  Setup :  NPC’s  may  perform  the  setup  action,  or  take  advantage  of  improved  position  or   
  e�ect  from  a  previous  setup  action.  Use  the  NPC’s  community  or  faction  tier  when   
  doing  so.  
   
  ●
  Protect :  An  NPC   may  protect  a  PC   or  another  NPC.  An  NPC   will  likely  only  do  so  if  a   
  PC   has  a  bond  written  about  them  or  they  are  the  type  of  character  who  would   
  sacriﬁce  themself.  When  an  NPC   protects  someone,  the  GM  marks  1  or  2  harm  for   
  them,  depending  on  the  position.  
   
   
   
  A  Note  About  Taking  Turns  and  Initiative  
   
  Many  RPGs  have  systems  of  initiative,  a  way  for  PCs  and  NPCs  to  take  turns  when  a  ﬁght   
  breaks  out  or  when  things  get  very  tense  and  we  want  time  to  slow  down  and  make  sure   
  everyone  gets  a  say.  Neon  Black  does  not  have  an  initiative  system,  there  is  no  mechanical   
  way  for  everyone  to  take  turns.   
    
   
   
  111  
   
  
  During  scores  the  characters  will  get  into  shoot-outs  and  arguments.  They  will  square  o�   
  against  nefarious  corporate  ICE  and  inscrutable  artiﬁcial  intelligences,  and  sneak  past  the   
  COPs.  When  the  action  picks  up,  remember  to  write  the  story  together .  Make  sure  everyone   
  gets  a  say  in  the  moment.  Be  a  fan  of  the  characters ,  suggest  who  could  help  and  who  might   
  react  to  something  that  just  happened.  Keep  the  action  moving  around  the  table.  Not  
  everyone  needs  to  react  or  participate  in  every  action,  maybe  this  is  when  the  Decker  ﬁnally   
  stands  up  to  defend  someone,  or  maybe  they’re  hiding  in  the  background.  Follow  the  ﬁction.  
   
   
   
  Example  Score:  Panic  at  the  Punk  Show  
   
  Folks  from  The  55  are  doing  a  score  for  the  White  Rabbit  faction.  The  community  has   
  developed  few  allies  over  their  story  so  far,  and  a  crew  of  hackers  feels  like  some  good  friends   
  to  have.  
   
   
   
  Michael,  the  GM,  looks  up  the  White  Rabbit  faction  in  the  rulebook  and  describes  a  short   
  meeting  between  the  three  players'  characters  and  Cereal,  a  loudmouthed  member  of  White   
  Rabbit.  Michael  plays  the  role  of  Cereal  as  the  four  characters  negotiate  a  score.  Cereal  wants   
  them  to  kidnap  Heir  Halbrech,  a  member  of  Drayton  Software  who  has  developed  lethal  balck   
  ICE  that  has  already  killed  some  of  their  members.  Halbrech  is  far  too  careful  on  the  ‘Net  for   
  White  Rabbit  to  hack  them.  Michael  looks  at  the  faction  sheet  and  sees  that  the  crew  have  a   
  +2  status  with  Hacksaw  Coil  and  thinks  of  a  fun  twist  for  the  score.   
    
   
   
  “Here’s  the  thing,”  says  Michael  as  Cereal,  “this  Halbrech  motherfukcer  loves  punk  music,  real   
  into  that  Hacksaw  Coil  guy.  We  know  he’ll  be  at  the  concert  tomorrow.  Might  be  a  good  time   
  to…  you  know.”  The  players  agree  that  this  sounds  like  a  fun  opportunity  to  kidnap  a  rich   
  asshole  and  make  some  friends.  
   
   
   
  Kyle,  who  plays  the  crew’s  decker  Relay  asks,  “Hey,  on  top  of  the  payment  would  you  all   
  mind  helping  us  with  a  little  something  too?  We  get  a  uh,  a  project  we’re  working  on  and  could   
  use  some  help.”  The  community  has  been  working  on  a  long-term  project  to  identify  the   
  anonymous  source  of  a  previous  score  and  Kyle  wants  White  Rabbit  to  assist  them  next  time   
  they  work  on  it.  
   
   
   
  “Hmm,  sounds  like  you  want  to  haggle.  What  action  are  you  using?”  asks  Michael.  
   
   
   
  “Uhhh,”  Kyle  looks  at  his  character  sheet.  “Sounds  like  Spin ,  which  I  have  1  die  in…  hmm.”  
   
   
   
  Michael  says,  “I  think  not  a  lot  can  go  wrong  here,  worst  that  happens  is  Cereal  says  no  or   
  gets  o�ended.  Also  White  Rabbit  doesn’t  really  know  you,  so  I  think  you’re  at   
  Controlled/Limited.”  
   
   
   
  Lane  plays  the  crew’s  Merc,  Kiel.  Lane  says  Kiel  steps  in  and  helps  by  being  chummy  with   
  Cereal.  “Not  a  big  deal,  just  a  favour  for  a  favour.  Sounds  like  you  really  want  this  Heir   
  112  
   
  
  Halbrech,  right?”  Lane’s  character  has  a  bond  with  Relay,  so  she  will  assist  Relay’s  roll,  and   
  erase  1  luck  on  Kiel’s  character  sheet.  Kyle  thanks  Lane  for  the  assist  and  rolls  the  dice.  Kyle   
  gets  a  6 ,  a  success.  
   
   
   
  “Nice,”  Michael  says.  “I  think  with  Limited  e�ect  Cereal  agrees  but  they  aren’t  going  to   
  convince  the  rest  of  White  Rabbit  to  help.  Cereal  will  help  you,  and  that’s  it.”  
   
   
   
  Kyle  nods,  “I  can  live  with  that.”  
   
   
   
  The  Plan  
   
  “So  what’s  the  plan ?”  Michael  asks.  
   
   
   
  Chet  plays  a  synth,  Paulo.  Chet  looks  over  the  possible  plans.  “Maybe  deception?  Like,  we  can   
  get  close  to  this  Heir  guy  if  we  pretend  to  be  big  Hacksaw  Coil  fans.  Maybe  drug  him  and  take   
  him  away  in  the  middle  of  a  concert?”  Chet  looks  to  Michael  the  GM.  “Hacksaw  Coil’s  punk   
  shows  are  like,  big  and  chaotic,  right?”  
   
   
   
  The  community  has  an  existing  relationship  with  Hacksaw  Coil  and  so  Michael  sees  no  reason   
  why  the  player’s  characters  wouldn’t  know  the  answer  to  this  question.  He  says,  “Oh  yeah.   
  The  band  basically  takes  over  an  intersection  in  the  middle  of  downtown  Prime  City.”  
   
   
   
  Kyle  and  Lane  agree  that  this  is  a  good  plan.   
    
   
   
  Michael  asks,  “What’s  the  missing  detail ?  Are  you  all  pretending  to  be  Hacksaw  Coil  megafans   
  to  get  close  to  him  and  then  get  him  out?”   
    
   
   
  “Yeah,  that  sounds  like  it  would  be  easy,”  says  Chet.  “Plus  I’m  sure  we  can  get  some  merch   
  and  tickets  from  the  band  since  they’re  friends  with  us.”  Michael  agrees.  The  community  has   
  a  +2  relationship  with  Hacksaw  Coil.  Free  merch  and  tickets  for  three  people  seems   
  reasonable.  
   
   
   
  Michael  asks,  “What’s  everyone’s  load  going  to  be?”  Lane  and  Chet  both  pick  light  load  so   
  they  won’t  be  conspicuous.  Kyle  decides  on  heavy  just  in  case.  Maybe  he  can  pretend  to  be  a   
  member  of  Hacksaw’s  tech  crew  if  things  go  bad.  
   
   
   
  The  Engagement  Roll  
   
  “Alright,”  Michael  says.  “Time  for  the  engagement  roll .”  The  players  suck  in  air  through  their   
  teeth  and  get  a  bit  nervous.  Michael  consults  the  rules,  
   
   
   
  “You  start  with  one  die  for  sheer  luck.”  He  places  a  die  in  front  of  him  on  the  table.  
   
   
   
  “Is  this  plan  particularly  bold  or  daring?”  The  players  look  at  each  other.  
   
  113  
   
  
   
   
  Lane  says,  “We’re  kidnapping  a  corporate  suit  in  the  middle  of  a  punk  show,  that  sounds   
  pretty  daring.”  The  other  players  agree.  Michael  adds  another  die  to  their  pool.  
   
   
   
  “Is  this  job  overly  complex  or  contingent  on  many  factors?”  the  players  all  shake  their  heads.   
    
   
   
  “Just  gotta  grab  a  dude  and  bring  him  to  White  Rabbit,  sounds  pretty  simple,”  says  Chet.   
  Michael  agrees  and  proceeds  with  the  questions.  
   
   
   
  “Does  the  target  of  the  job  underestimate  you  or  not  perceive  you  as  a  threat?  Heir  Halbrech   
  has  never  heard  of  you,  so  that’s  an  easy  extra  die.”  
   
   
   
  “Helps  being  the  underdogs,”  says  Kyle.  Michael  adds  a  third  die  to  the  pool.   
    
   
   
  “Is  the  target  strongest  against  this  approach  or  suspect  that  you  are  after  them?”  
   
   
   
  “I  don’t  think  so,”  says  Lane.  “Didn’t  Cereal  mention  he  was  hard  to  hack,  so  wouldn’t  he  be   
  expecting  someone  to  come  after  him  that  way?”  
   
   
   
  Michael  nods,  “Yeah,  he  isn’t  expecting  something  like  this.  Did  any  of  your  community   
  contacts  assist  you  with  planning  this  job?”  
   
   
   
  “Yeah,”  says  Chet,  “Hacksaw  hooking  us  up  with  merch  and  tickets.”  The  players  all  nod  and   
  Michael  adds  a  fourth  die  to  the  pool.  
   
   
   
  “Looking  good  for  y’all  so  far.  Okay,  are  any  enemies  or  rivals  interfering  in  the  job?  Uh,  Kyle   
  can  you  remind  everyone  who  your  enemy  is?”  
   
   
   
  Kyle  looks  at  the  community  sheet,  “BRB,  a  robot.  Something  that’s  hunting  me  from  the   
  corporate  city  I  came  from.”  Kyle’s  Character  su�ered  a  calamity  in  a  previous  session  and   
  decided  that  a  bounty-hunting  robot  showed  up,  a  result  of  Relay’s  past  indiscretions  hacking   
  on  the  ‘Net.  
   
   
   
  “Oh  no,”  says  Chet.  
   
   
   
  “Yeah,  I  think  being  in  a  public  space  makes  it  real  easy  for  BRB  to  potentially  ﬁnd  you,  I’m   
  gonna  take  away  a  die.”  Michael  removes  a  die  from  the  pool,  the  crew  is  back  down  to  3  dice.  
   
   
   
  “Finally,  are  there  any  other  elements  that  you  want  to  consider?”  
   
   
   
  “Well  it’s  in  the  middle  of  a  big  noisey  punk  show.  That  would  help,  right?”  asks  Chet.  
   
   
   
  114  
   
  
  “True,”  says  Michael.  “But  that  also  means  a  lot  of  potential  witnesses.  I  say  it’s  a  wash,  no   
  additional  dice  but  you  don’t  lose  any  either.  Okay,  so  you  have  3  dice  for  the  engagement   
  roll.  Who  wants  to  seal  your  fate?”  
   
   
   
  Lane  says,  “Wasn’t  this  Chet’s  idea?  I  think  he  should  roll.”  
   
   
   
  Chet  laughs,  “Alright  I’ll  do  it.”  Chet  picks  up  the  3  dice  and  rolls  them...  
   
   
   
  At  this  point  let’s  illustrate  what  the  job  might  look  like  with  each  result  of  the  engagement   
  roll.  We’ll  start  with  Desperate  and  then  see  how  the  initial  action  could  change  with  Risky,   
  Controlled,  and  a  CRIT  result.  
   
   
   
  Desperate  
   
  The  result  of  Chet’s  roll  is  two  3’s  and  a  1.  The  players  all  groan.  
   
   
   
  “Looks  like  you’re  in  a  Desperate  position  to  start,  okay  let  me  think  about  this.”  Michael  takes   
  a  moment  to  consider  what  a  Desperate  position  would  look  like  when  the  players  cut  to  the   
  action  in  progress.  Chet  excuses  himself  to  get  a  sti�  drink  for  what’s  to  come.  
   
   
   
  When  the  players  are  ready,  Michael  narrates  the  opening  scene.  “Alright,  we  see  an  elevated   
  stage  at  the  intersection  of  two  streets  in  the  middle  of  Prime  City.  People  above  in  the  Stacks   
  are  hanging  out  their  windows  with  Hacksaw  Coil  banners.  Hundreds  of  people  are  singing   
  along  and  moshing  beneath  a  small  elevated  stage  with  massive  speakers  and  a  sca�olding  of   
  lights.  Part  of  what  makes  this  Desperate  is  that  Hacksaw  has  just  started  the  last  song  of  the   
  concert,  which  means  you  don’t  have  much  time  before  the  crowd  disperses  and  all  these   
  people  stop  being  distracted.”  Michael  creates  a  4  part  clock  called  “Hacksaw’s  Finale”  and   
  places  it  where  all  the  players  can  see.  “When  that  clock  ﬁlls  people  might  start  to  notice  you,   
  not  to  mention  the  COPs  will  be  coming  to  break  up  the  punk  show.  Also…  who  was  going  to   
  be  trying  to  convince  Halbrech  that  you’re  huge  Hacksaw  fans?”  
   
   
   
  Lane  and  Chet  nervously  raise  their  hands.  
   
   
   
  “Cool,  another  thing  that  makes  this  Desperate  is  that  you  see  this  big  burly  guy  in  a  charcoal   
  grey  blazer  that  barely  ﬁts  over  his  cyberarms  eyeing  you  in  the  crowd.  You  can’t  see   
  Halbrech,  but  you’re  pretty  sure  you’ve  found  his  bodyguard.”  
   
   
   
  “Oh,  terriﬁc,”  says  Chet.  
   
   
   
  “So,  what  do  you  do?”  
   
   
   
  “I  have  an  idea,”  says  Kyle.  “I’d  like  Relay  to  have  hacked  the  lights  and  the  pyrotechnics  that   
  are  on  stage  in  order  to  create  a  distraction.”  
   
  115  
   
  
   
   
  “Cool,  good  idea,”  says  Michael.  “Hacksaw  Coil  would  totally  have  pyro  at  his  show.  Do  you   
  want  Relay  to  be  doing  that  now,  or  have  you  already  done  that  to  help  out  Paulo  and  Kiel?”   
    
   
   
  “I  think  he’s  already  done  it,  so  that’s  a  ﬂashback  right?”  
   
   
   
  “Yup!”  says  Michael.  “It  would  be  di�cult  to  pull  o�  but  not  impossible,  especially  since  you   
  all  know  Hacksaw  and  are  wearing  his  merch.  I’d  say  1  luck  for  this  ﬂashback  to  be  in  the   
  right  place  and  right  time.”  
   
   
   
  “Cool,  so  Relay  can  get  to  a  computer  and  connect  his  deck  to  the  system  to  get  control  of  the   
  system?”   
    
   
   
  Michael  nods,  “You  can  certainly  try,  sounds  like  you  want  to  Hack ?”  
   
   
   
  Kyle  nods,  “Yeah.”  
   
   
   
  “Okay.  I’ll  say  time  is  still  an  issue  but  not  as  much  since  this  is  happening  earlier.  Also   
  someone  could  see  what  you’re  doing  so  I’ll  say  this  is  Risky.  I  don’t  imagine  Hacksaw  Coil   
  has  great  ‘Net  security  on  their  concert  gear,  certainly  not  ICE  that  you  would  need  to  worry   
  about.  However  you  need  to  login,  ﬁnd  the  systems  and  ﬁgure  out  how  to  work  them  to  do   
  what  you  want,  that’s  at  least  three  things  so  I  think  the  scale  of  the  action  counts  against   
  you  for  Limited  e�ect.”  
   
   
   
  “I’ll  be  using  my  ﬁne  custom  deck,”  Kyle  marks  1  load   for  the  item  on  his  playbook.  
   
   
   
  “That  will  increase  your  e�ect  to  Standard.”  
   
   
   
  “Awesome,”  says  Kyle.  “I  have  2  dice  for  Hack ,  I  think  I’ll  push  my  luck  since  I  really  want   
  this  to  work  and  take  another  die.”  Kyle  erases  2  luck  on  his  playbook  for  pushing  his  luck  and   
  rolls  3  dice.  His  highest  result  is  a  5 .  
   
   
   
  “Mixed  success,  okay.  What  does  this  look  like  when  Relay  hacks  into  the  concert  computer?”  
   
   
   
  “Uh,  I  think  he  just  jacks  in  and  it’s  pretty  easy.  It’s  mostly  just  looking  the  part  and  saying   
  stu�  like,  ‘Oh,  just  making  sure  the  lights  are  set  right  for  the  ﬁnale.  You  know  how  Hacksaw   
  can  be  about  his  ﬁnales.’”  
   
   
   
  Michael  laughs,  “Yeah,  there’s  probably  a  member  of  the  crew  who  walks  and  passed  and   
  nods  and  says,  ‘Yeah,  fucking  tell  me  about  it.’  But  you  bet  what  you  want,  you  now  have   
  control  of  the  special  e�ects  and  lights  on  stage  through  your  deck.  I  think  there’s  a   
  complication  here  that  it  just  takes  time.  The  system  is  a  mess  of  ﬁles,  like  everything  is  on   
  116  
   
  
  the  desktop  in  nested  ﬁles  and  it  takes  a  while  to  ﬁnd  what  you’re  looking  for.  So  I’m  going  to   
  tick  this  Hacksaw’s  Finale  clock.”  
   
   
   
  “Sounds  good  to  me,”  says  Kyle.  
   
   
   
  “Cool,  and  did  you  want  that  to  be  a  setup  action?  Like,  since  you’ve  done  this,  once  Paulo   
  and  Kiel  do  something  you  can  give  them  a  better  position  or  e�ect  by  manipulating  the  lights   
  and  pyrotechnics?”  
   
   
   
  “Yeah!”  
   
   
   
  “Awesome,  so  that  happened.  We  cut  back  to  the  present  moment.  Hacksaw  has  started  his   
  last  song.  He  screams  “Prime  City,  wake  up!’  and  starts  to  sing.  Meanwhile  what  are  Kiel  and   
  Paulo  up  to?”  
   
   
   
  Chet  says,  “So  I  think  Paulo  is  going  to  go  up  to  this  muscle  guy  eyeing  us  and  try  to  take  up   
  his  attention  by  asking  him  about  his  cool  cyberarms.  I  can  use  my  ﬁne  human  appearance  to   
  look  totally  innocent  and  non  threatening  so  when  Kiel  grabs  the  target  the  bodyguard  won’t   
  notice.”  
   
   
   
  Michael  nods,  “Cool.”  
   
   
   
  “So  I’m  gonna  use  Spin  by  pretending  to  be  really  interested  in  his  cyberarms  and  peppering   
  him  with  questions.”  
   
   
   
  “Sounds  like  a  Desperate  position.”  says  Michael.  “Time  is  a  factor  again  and  this  guy  is  being   
  paid  speciﬁcally  to  look  for  suspicious  activity.  He  already  had  his  eye  on  you.  This  would  be   
  Limited  but  with  that  ﬁne  human  appearance  that  makes  it  Standard  e�ect.”  
   
   
   
  “Gotcha.  I’m  rocking  1  die  in  Spin .  I’d  like  to  sell  out .  Anyone  got  any  suggestions?”  
   
   
   
  Michael  says,  “If  you  let  me  tick  this  clock  again  I’d  say  that  counts.”  
   
   
   
  Lane  and  Kyle  exchange  nervous  looks.   
    
   
   
  “Fuck  it,  that’s  why  we  have  luck  right?  I’ll  take  it.”  Michael  ﬁlls  in  the  Hacksaw’s  Finale  clock   
  so  2  of  the  4  segments  are  ﬁlled.  Chet  rolls  his  2  dice  and  gets  two  sixes,  a  CRIT !  Everyone   
  cheers  and  then  marks  1  luck   on  their  character  sheets.  
   
   
   
  “These  two  are  just  having  a  real  nerdy  talk  about  synth  parts  in  the  middle  of  a  punk  show,   
  hahah,  awesome,”  says  Chet.  
   
   
   
  117  
   
  
  “You  got  a  CRIT ,  which  means  you  go  from  Standard  to  Great  e�ect.  What  sort  of  additional   
  beneﬁt  would  you  like?”  asks  Michael.  
   
   
   
  “Could  I  ﬁgure  out  where  the  target  is  in  the  concert?  Like  when  we’re  talking  maybe  he   
  mentions  his  boss  and  looks  in  that  direction  and  I  like,  I  see  Kiel  in  the  crowd  and  tilt  my   
  head  in  that  direction?”  
   
   
   
  “Ooo  yeah,”  says  Lane.  
   
   
   
  “Sounds  good  to  me.  Let’s  follow  the  action  to  Kiel.  You  see  Paulo  nodding  towards  a  guy  in  a   
  similar  blazer  with  a  vintage  Hacksaw  Coil  shirt  underneath.  He’s  the  oldest  guy  at  the  punk   
  show  and  has  one  eye  on  his  fancy  smartphone.”  
   
   
   
  Lane  says,  “So  I  know  about  Relay  hacking  the  lights  and  pyro,  right?”  
   
   
   
  “I  can  let  you  know  through  our  smartphones,”  says  Kyle.  “They  cost  0  load  so  it’s  an  easy   
  way  to  stay  in  touch.”  
   
   
   
  “Cool,”  says  Lane.  “I  think  I’m  just  gonna  come  up  behind  this  guy  and  choke  him  out  once   
  the  distraction  goes  o�.  I  have  Non-Lethal  as  a  milestone  so  I  can  just  use  my  hands  as  ﬁne   
  weapons  and  knock  him  out,  hopefully  it’ll  be  quick.”  
   
   
   
  Michale  nods,  “Sounds  like  Assault  to  me.”  
   
   
   
  Lane  grins,  “Yup.”  
   
   
   
  “He’s  distracted  but  time  is  still  pressing  on  you  and  there’s  a  lot  of  witnesses.  Plus  this  guy   
  has  some  hidden  cyberware  that  could  mess  you  up.  Let’s  say  Risky/Standard  with  your   
  milestone.  And  Relay,  this  is  when  your  distraction  goes  o�?”  
   
   
   
  “Yeah,  I  think  we  see  Relay  coming  out  from  backstage  with  his  custom  deck.  He  presses  a   
  button  and  says  something  like…  I  dunno.  “Showtime.”’  
   
   
   
  Michael  laughs.  “Do  you  want  to  give  Kiel  a  better  position  or  e�ect?  Right  now  they’re  at  
  Risky/Standard.”  
   
   
   
  “Hmm,”  Kyle  thinks.  “What  would  you  like,  Lane?”  
   
   
   
  “Uh,  I  think  better  e�ect.  Might  help  us  get  out  of  here  quicker.”  
   
   
   
  “Alright,  Great  e�ect  then,”  says  Kyle.  
   
   
   
  118  
   
  
  Michaels  nods.  “Alright  Kiel  you’re  at  Risky/Great.  Are  you  gonna  push  your  luck  or  sell  out?”  
   
   
   
  “I’ll  push  my  luck .”  She  erases  2  luck  on  her  character  sheet.  “That  gives  me  3  dice…”  She  rolls   
  them  and  the  highest  result  is  a  5.  “Mixed  success.”  
   
   
   
  “Okay,”  Michael  says,  “I  know  a  complication  I  want  to  throw  in  later,  but  tell  me  what   
  happens  now  and  what  additional  beneﬁt  you  get.”  
   
   
   
  “I  think  Kiel  is  good  at  subduing  people  and  leading  them  away  very  discreetly.  They  used  to   
  work  corporate  security  for  rich  people  o�-world  so  I  imagine  she  had  to  do  this  sort  of   
  maneuver  before.”  
   
   
   
  “Like  dealing  with  fans  who  get  too  close  around  celebrities  or  something?”  says  Chet.  
   
   
   
  “Yeah,”  Lane  nods.  “Kiel  just  puts  him  in  this  intricate  choke  hold  where  they  can  still  move   
  him  around  and  just  walks  through  the  crowd.”  
   
   
   
  “Is  that  the  additional  beneﬁt?  You  lead  him  away  from  the  crowd  without  suspicion?”  
   
   
   
  “Yeah,  is  that  okay?”  
   
   
   
  “Totally,”  says  Michael.  “The  lights  go  crazy  and  the  pyro  goes  o�  early  thanks  to  Relay’s   
  hack  and  the  crowd  goes  wild.  No  one  sees  you  lead  Halbrech  away  So  what  was  the  plan  to   
  get  out  of  here?”  
   
   
   
  “Oh  wait,  is  Stereo  at  the  show?”  asks  Chet.  Stereo  is  one  of  their  community  contacts  in  The   
  55.  A  smart  car  who  is  a  huge  fan  of  Hacksaw  Coil.  
   
   
   
  “Oh  for  sure,”  says  Michael.   
    
   
   
  “Maybe  we  tried  to  convince  him  to  be  our  getaway?”  asks  Chet.  
   
   
   
  “They  might  not  want  to  leave  early  though,”  says  Lane.  “Maybe  if  I  promised  them  part  of   
  our  pay.  How  much  are  we  getting  paid  for  this?”  Michael  looks  at  the  factions  involved.  White   
  Rabbit  is  tier  III  and  Drayton  Software  is  tier  II.   
    
   
   
  “5  resources  total.”  
   
   
   
  “Let’s  say  I  told  Stereo  we’d  pay  them  2  resources  worth  of  cash.  Is  that  alright  with  you   
  guys?”  
   
   
   
  Chet  and  Kyle  both  agree.   
    
  119  
   
  
   
   
  “Would  that  be  a  ﬂashback ?”  asks  Lane.  
   
   
   
  Michael  thinks  about  it.  “It  would  be  but  it  would  be  easy  to  talk  to  Stereo  so  it  won’t  cost  you   
  luck.  I  don’t  think  it’s  an  action  roll  because  Stereo  wants  to  help  and  they’re  just  as  poor  as   
  you,  they  need  the  money.  But  it  is  a  Hacksaw  Coil  show  and  it’s  in  the  middle  of  the  ﬁnale.   
  I’m  gonna  make  a  fortune  roll  to  see  if  Stereo  is  willing  to  leave  early.  If  not  you’ll  have  to   
  convince  them.”  
   
   
   
  Michael  assembles  a  pool  of  die  for  each  major  advantage  or  disadvantage  in  the  situation.   
  “Stereo  is  your  friend,  so  that’s  1  die.  You  promised  them  2  resources  which  is  signiﬁcant  for   
  them  so  lets  add  1  die  per  resource.  However  it's  the  big  ﬁnale  so  I’ll  take  a  die  away  for  that,   
  which  leaves  2  dice  to  decide  whether  Stereo  is  willing  to  leave  right  away.”  Michael  rolls  the   
  dice  and  the  highest  result  is  a  6 .  “Okay,  yeah  Stereo  is  waiting.  As  you  gather  to  leave  you  
  see  Stereo  pull  over  with  that  garish  leopard  print  interior  ready  for  the  getaway.”  
   
   
   
  The  players  cheer.  “Good  to  see  you  Stereo,”  says  Chet.  
   
   
   
  Michael  puts  on  a  monotone  voice,  “Nice  to  see  you  punks  as  well.  Let’s  get  out  of  here.”  
   
   
   
  As  they  get  ready  to  leave  something  happens.  Stereo’s  wheels  squeal  but  the  van  isn’t   
  moving.  Michael  describes  one  of  the  back  doors  tearing  open  to  reveal  a  large  robot  with  vice   
  grip  hands  peering  inside  with  red  eyes.   
    
   
   
  “Relay,  you  immediately  recognize  the  strange  robot  from  that  score  where  you  had  to  pick  a   
  calamity.  It’s  BRB.”   
    
   
   
  “Oh  shit,”  says  Kyle.  
   
   
   
  “This  is  the  result  of  that  mixed  success  you  rolled  earlier,  Lane.  You  can  resist  this  if  you’d   
  like.”  
   
   
  “Ooph,  yeah.  What  would  that  be,  Prowess ?”  
   
   
   
  Michael  nods.  “Yeah,  BRB  is  physically  holding  you  all  down  here  unless  you  tell  us  what   
  happens  instead.”  Lane’s  character  Kiel  has  2  dice  in  Prowess ,  but  her  Merc  also  has  the   
  Tough  milestones  that  lets  them  get   +1d  whenever  they  resist  physical  harm.  Lane  gathers  3   
  dice  and  rolls  them.  The  highest  result  is  a  4 .  
   
   
   
  “Alright,  that  means  I  erase  2  luck ,  right?  6  stress  minus  the  highest  result”  Michael  nods  and   
  Lane  erases  2  luck  from  her  sheet.   
    
   
   
  120  
   
  
  “What  happens  instead?”  asks  Michael.  
   
   
   
  “I  think  Kiel  spotted  BRB  earlier  and  just  double-timed  it  out  of  there,  got  everyone  to  run   
  faster  so  the  robot  couldn’t  catch  up  to  us.”  
   
   
   
  “Phew,  good  one,”  says  Kyle.  
   
   
   
  “Hell  yeah,  is  that  it?”  asks  Chet.  
   
   
   
  “I  think  so,”  says  Michael.  “You  got  the  target  and  got  away  clean.  Job  well  done.”  
   
   
   
  Risky  
   
  A  risky  starting  situation  would  not  be  as  dangerous  as  the  desperate  one  described  above.   
  Instead  of  multiple  obstacles  at  once,  perhaps  Kiel  and  Paulo  were  only  spotted  by  the   
  bodyguard  and  there  was  still  lots  of  time  left  in  the  conert.  The  GM  could  then  introduce  that   
  clock  as  a  complication  later  on.  
   
   
   
  Controlled  
   
  This  is  a  relatively  safe  starting  position  so  maybe  the  GM  could  have  described  each  of  the   
  characters  ready  to  enact  the  ﬁrst  part  of  their  plan.  Relay  is  ready  backstage,  and  Paulo  and   
  Kiel  are  in  the  concert  searching  for  the  target.  Both  the  bodyguard  and  Hacksaw’s  Finale   
  could  be  used  as  complications  during  the  job.  
   
   
   
  CRIT  
   
  On  a  critical  result  the  ﬁrst  obstacle  is  already  dealt  with  and  the  crew  is  in  a  controlled   
  position.  There  are  a  lot  of  options  here.  Perhaps  Relay  has  already  hacked  into  Hacksaw   
  Coil’s  network,  or  Paulo  and  Kiel  have  already  met  Heir  Halbrech  and  are  talking  about  how   
  much  they  love  Hacksaw  Coil.  Maybe  we  instead  see  a  scene  of  the  crew  disposing  of  the   
  unconscious  bodyguard  in  a  nearby  alley,  ready  to  ﬁnd  their  target  without  worrying  about   
  any  immediate  back  up.  
   
   
   
  Here  are  some  questions  to  consider  when  you’re  running  similar  jobs  in  Prime  City:  
   
  ●
  Heir  Halbrech  has  undeﬁned  cyberware.  What  could  it  be  and  how  could  this   
  complicate  the  job?  
   
  ●
  What  other  security  measures  could  the  target  have  in  place  at  the  concert?  
   
  ●
  Could  the  crew’s  actions  have  damaged  their  relationship  with  Hacksaw  Coil?  
  ●
  Could  there  be  other  factions  or  community  contacts  present  at  the  concert?  How   
  would  that  have  complicated  the  job?  
   
   
   
   
   
  121  
   
  
  Downtime  
   
  After  ﬁnishing  a  score  (whether  it’s  a  success  or  failure),  the  characters  have  a  chance  to   
  regroup  and  recover.  This  phase  of  the  game  is  called  downtime .  Downtime  is  divided  into  four   
  parts,  which  are  resolved  in  order:   
    
   
   
  1.
  Payo� .  The  community  receives  resources  if  the  PC’s  score  was  successful.  
   
  2.
  Heat .  The  character’s  actions  may  make  ripples  in  Prime  City,  attracting  attention  and   
  potentially  some  notoriety.  
   
  3.
  Downtime  scene.  We  see  what  life  is  like  in  the  community,  or  the  far-reaching   
  consequences  of  the  player  characters’  actions  
   
  4.
  Downtime  Actions.  The  PCs  cut  loose,  work  on  long-term  projects,  recover  from   
  injuries,  etc.  After  all  downtime  actions  are  resolved,  the  game  returns  to  free  play.  
   
   
   
  Downtime  is  a  shift  in  tone  for  the  game.  Instead  of  doing  dangerous  work  the  characters  can   
  focus  on  their  own  personal  goals  and  set  scenes  that  bring  the  community  to  life.  The   
  downtime  phase  is  a  great  time  to  better  deﬁne  the  community  members  and  their  needs,  and   
  to  illustrate  through  the  story  how  capitalism  sucks  and  community  rules.  
   
  Payo�  
   
  Payo�  
   
  After  a  score,  the  PCs  take  stock  of  their  income  from  the  operation.  A  successful  score   
  generates  resources.  
   
   
   
  ●
  The  community  gets  resources  based  on  the  tier  of  the  faction  they  targeted,  or  the  tier   
  of  the  faction  they  were  working  for,  whichever  makes  sense.  Depending  on  what   
  happened  during  the  score,  they  may  even  earn  both.  
   
  ●
  The  community  gets  +1  resource  if  the  score  addressed  a  community  member’s  need.   
  It  is  possible  for  multiple  needs  to  be  addressed  during  a  single  score,  and  if  this  is  the   
  case,  mark  additional  +1  resource  for  each  need  fulﬁlled.   
     
   
   
  Record  resources  on  the  community  sheet.  
   
   
   
  You  can  set  the  scene  and  play  out  a  meeting  with  a  client  or  patron  who’s  paying  the  crew  if   
  there’s  something  interesting  to  explore  there.  If  not,  just  gloss  over  it  and  move  onto  heat .   
    
   
   
  GM,  deﬁnitely  don’t  screw  around  with  the  players  when  it  comes  to  the  payo�.  Don’t  say  that   
  the  client  lied  and  there’s  no  reward  or  they  aren’t  willing  to  work  with  the  community  to   
  provide  resources.  Or  that  the  meeting  for  the  payment  is  actually  a  trap.  These  types  of   
  122  
   
  
  things  are  staples  of  cyberpunk  ﬁction,  but  the  PCs  have  enough  problems  coming  at  them   
  from  every  direction  already.  When  it  comes  to  getting  paid,  just  give  them  what  they  earned.   
    
   
   
  Every  score  also  a�ects  the  crew’s  relationship  with  other  factions.  Those  beneﬁted  by  the   
  scores  usually  grant  improved  relationships,  while  those  that  are  hurt  have  their  status   
  adjusted  downward.  How  quickly  you  can  gain  the  trust  or  ire  of  the  factions  of  prime  City  is   
  up  to  your  group  to  decide.  Usually  factions  that  are  harmed  by  a  job  may  decrease  their   
  status  with  the  crew  by  -1  or  even  -2,  while  factions  beneﬁted  might  increase  by  +1.   
    
  Heat   
    
  Prime  City  is  full  of  prying  eyes,  surveillance,  and  informants.  Anything  you  do  might  be   
  witnessed.  To  reﬂect  this,  your  community  acquires  heat  as  they  do  scores.  This  represents   
  how  much  the  people  and  factions  of  Prime  City  take  notice  of  the  community,  and  how  your   
  enemies  take  actions  against  you.  
   
   
   
  After  a  score,  your  community  takes  heat  according  to  how  the  score  played  out:   
    
   
   
  ●
  0  Heat :  Completely  quiet;  others  blamed.   
    
  ●
  1  Heat :  Smooth  and  quiet;  low  exposure.   
    
  ●
  2  Heat :  Contained;  standard  exposure.   
    
  ●
  4  Heat :  Loud  and  chaotic;  high  exposure.   
    
  ●
  6  Heat :  Wild;  devastating  exposure.   
    
   
   
  There  are  certain  actions  and  items  that  garner  additional  attention  from  Prime  City.  Add  the   
  following  heat  after  a  score,  or  if  they  occur  at  any  point  during  play:  
   
   
   
  ●
  +1  Heat:  Public  use  of  ﬁrearms.  Stolen  corporate  products.  
   
  ●
  +2  Heat:  Massive  property  damage.  Illegal  items  used.   
    
  ●
  +3  Heat:  Destroying  or  stealing  notable  corporate  assets  (AI's,  proprietary  tech,  VIPs,   
  etc.)  
   
  ●
  +3  Heat :  One  or  more  factions  are  hostile  (-3  status)  with  the  community.  
   
  ●
  +5  Heat:  Dead  rich  people  (corporate  o�cers,  celebrities,  oligarchs,  etc.)  
   
   
   
  You  mark  heat  on  the  community  sheet.  
   
   
   
  Notoriety  
   
  When  your  heat  reaches  8  you  gain  a  level  of  notoriety   and  clear  your  heat  (any  excess  heat   
  “rolls  over,”  so  if  your  heat  was  7  and  you  took  4  heat ,  you’d  reset  with  3  heat  marked).  The   
  higher  your  notoriety ,  the  more  severe  entanglements  &  blowback  becomes.  A  lower  notoriety   
  means  you’ll  just  have  more  community  needs  to  fulﬁll  or  to  look  after  existing  community   
  123  
   
  
  members.  A  higher  notoriety  means  it  is  more  likely  that  factions  you  have  wrong  will   
  interfere  with  the  community  or  exact  vengeance  upon  you.  
   
   
   
  Clearing  Heat  &  Notoriety  
   
  Stealing  and  foiling  the  plans  of  the  various  corporations  of  Prime  City  will  eventually  catch   
  up  with  the  community.  To  clear  heat  characters  can  reduce  heat .  See  the  reduce  heat   
  downtime  scene  for  more  details.  
   
   
   
  To  clear  levels  of  notoriety  requires  a  little  bit  more  e�ort  and  risk.  If  an  enemy  or  rvial’s  need   
  is  ever  met,  you  clear  1  level  of  notoriety.  But  you  can  also  be  proactive  about  clearing   
  notoriety.  
   
   
   
  One  possibility  is  to  target  the  o�ending  faction  or  their  competition  with  a  score.  This  could   
  be  an  o�er  to  get  something  the  faction  wants  in  exchange  for  clearing  reducing  notoriety,  or   
  a  score  where  you  threaten  the  faction  or  steal  whatever  evidence  they  have  on  you.  
   
   
   
  Alternatively,  you  can  always  o�er  someone  up  to  take  the  fall  for  the  community.  This  will   
  always  reduce  the  community’s  notoriety  by  1   and  clear  all  heat .  What  will  happen  to  that   
  person  varies  depending  on  the  faction  but  the  length  of  the  sentence  is  always  the  same:  
   
   
   
  Notoriety  0 :  A  few  weeks  
   
  Notoriety  1 :  A  few  months  
   
  Notoriety  2 :  A  few  years  
   
  Notoriety  3 :  Several  years  
   
  Notoriety  4 :  Life  sentence  or  execution  
   
   
   
  Ziggurat  
   
  The  Ziggurat  megacorporation  has  the  Corporate  Order  Police  as  a  subsidiary  company,  who   
  are  in  charge  of  enforcing  the  corporate  laws  of  Prime  City.  When  they  capture  someone  or   
  when  you  hand  someone  over  they’re  likely  to  just  beat  them  up  if  their  sentence  is  light   
  (notoriety  0-1).  They  inﬂict  a  level  3  condition  which  cannot  be  resisted  (they  keep  beating   
  you  until  it  sticks).  
   
   
   
  For  longer  sentences  the  COPs  have  an  arrangement  with  the  Ishram  Entertainment   
  megacorporation.  
   
   
   
  Ishram  Entertainment  
   
  When  Ishram  captures  someone  or  when  you  hand  someone  over  they  are  sent  to  The  Tank,  a   
  company  and  facility  that  processes  data  produced  by  three  linked  artiﬁcial  intelligences.   
  Criminals  sent  here  are  kept  in  a  secure  facility  where  they  are  plugged  into  a  computer   
  system  via  their  neural  link  (if  they  do  not  have  one  they  are  installed  with  one,  and  are   
  124  
   
  
  expected  to  pay  back  the  cost)  to  process  data.  There  they  are  kept  in  a  perpetual  dream-like   
  state  until  their  time  is  served.  
   
   
   
  Storm-Ex  
   
  The  Storm-Ex  megacorporation  manages  a  diverse  portfolio  of  subsidiary  companies  and   
  projects  in  Prime  City.  Those  captured  or  handed  over  to  them  will  likely  be  put  to  work  as   
  forced  labour.  They  may  work  in  the  factories  of  Zephyr  Automotive  or  the  farms  of  AgriCorp.   
  They  may  box  orders  for  shipping  in  the  product  fulﬁllment  centers  of  MeloMart,  or  perform   
  dangerous  work  building  or  repairing  the  infrastructure  of  Prime  City  for  Prime  City   
  Operations.  
   
   
   
  The  Underground  
   
  The  various  underground  factions  of  Prime  City  aren’t  always  as  violent  or  heartless  as  the  
  megacorporations.  They  want  to  help  the  communities  of  Prime  City  and  ﬁght  back  against   
  corporate  dominance.  That  said,  they  won’t  go  easy  on  you.  When  they  capture  you  or  you   
  hand  someone  over  their  methods  will  vary.   
    
   
   
  If  they  hate  you,  they  might  just  hand  you  over  to  the  COPs.  Or  they  might  have  a  very   
  dangerous  job  for  you  to  do.  You  could  have  your  brain  plugged  into  one  of  the  Baza   
  Syndicate’s  hacker  farms,  do  acts  of  penance  with  the  Mendicants  for  the  length  of  your   
  sentence,  or  give  up  your  cyberware  to  the  Guillotines.   
    
   
   
  GM,  be  creative  with  the  ways  the  factions  get  the  crew  to  reduce  their  notoriety.  Look  to  the   
  community  contacts  and  the  character’s  employers  for  ideas.  If  a  character  used  to  be  a   
  programmer,  maybe  the  faction  has  a  project  that  could  use  their  expertise.  If  they  have   
  experience  stealing  things  maybe  there’s  an  underground  faction  that  has  something  they   
  want  that  is  “impossible”  to  steal.   
    
  Downtime  Scenes  
   
  Before  each  PC   undertakes  their  own  individual  downtime  actions,  all  the  players  at  the  table   
  select  one  of  the  following  downtime  scenes.  These  represent  speciﬁc  moments  that  occur  in   
  the  story  of  your  game.  They  introduce  new  characters,  mark  speciﬁc  moments  in  time,  and  
  help  illustrate  the  community  and  the  growing  stakes  of  your  game  of  Neon  Black.  
   
   
   
  Each  scene  has  a  name  and  a  general  description  of  what  will  happen  when  you  select  it.  All   
  the  players  create  each  scene  by  answering  six  questions  ( details  and  inspiration  are  listed   
  after  each  question  in  italics ).  Each  player  including  the  GM  can  contribute  answers,  and  each   
  player  can  role-play  the  scene  from  the  perspective  of  their  characters  or  other  NPCs.   
  Sometimes  these  will  be  short  and  sweet,  other  times  they  will  be  involved  and  may  even   
  125  
  
  require  some  action  rolls.  Each  scene  also  has  a  mechanical  component  once  it  is  resolved   
  that  will  be  reﬂected  on  the  character  or  community  sheets.  
   
   
   
  These  scenes  help  you  set  and  manage  the  tone  and  pacing  of  your  game.  If  the  players  just   
  had  a  high  intensity  score  with  a  lot  of  setbacks,  maybe  that’s  a  good  time  to  for  Cut  Loose ,   
  Day  in  the  Life ,  or  New  Year  2200 .  If  the  players  just  destroyed  a  corporate  asset  or  gained  a   
  level  of  notoriety ,  that’s  a  good  time  to  select  Executive  Meeting ,  COPs ,  or  Gemini  to  show   
  how  the  corporations  will  defend  themselves.  They  are  listed  below  in  a  default  timeline  that   
  mixes  positive  scenes  with  intense  scenes,  but  don’t  assume  they  all  have  to  be  in  this  order.   
  Mix  and  match,  talk  about  what  would  be  interesting  right  now.  Remember  to  write  the  story   
  together .  
   
   
   
  The  consequences  of  these  scenes  manifest  fully  before  the  PCs  have  a  chance  to  avoid  them.   
  When  the  COPs  arrive,  or  the  corporate  scheme  is  enacted,  describe  the  situation  after  it  has   
  manifested.  The  PCs  deal  with  it  from  that  point—they  can’t  intercept  it  and  defuse  it  before  it   
  happens.  The  purpose  of  these  scenes  is  to  abstract  the  complex  stu�  happening  in  the  city   
  and  the  background  of  the  community.  
   
   
   
  When  you  complete  a  scene,  write  it  on  the  Community  Sheet  and  cross  it  o�  to  show  that  it   
  has  been  used.  Downtime  scenes  are  not  repeated.  When  you  run  out  of  downtime  scenes,   
  feel  free  to  skip  this  phase  of  downtime  and  let  the  players  select  their  downtime  actions,  or   
  use  the  scenes  as  inspiration  to  create  your  own  or  inspire  how  you  role-play  your  downtime   
  actions.  Completing  each  downtime  scene  might  also  be  a  good  time  to  wrap  up  your  game  of   
  Neon  Black.  
   
   
   
  If  the  available  scenes  don’t  ﬁt  with  your  story  of  Neon  Black,  for  example  if  the  Gemini   
  faction  no  longer  exists,  feel  free  to  cross  them  out  or  reimagine  the  scene  as  you  see  ﬁt.  
   
   
   
  Players  may  interject  to  perform  downtime  actions  during  the  scene,  if  they  have  an   
  appropriate  moment  and  can  tie  it  into  the  ﬁction.  Players  may  also  pursue  their  downtime   
  actions  once  the  scene  is  wrapped  up  and  the  story  has  moved  on.  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  126  
   
  
  Day  in  the  Life  
   
  Introduce  a  new  NPC  
   
   
   
  There  are  likely  more  people  in  your  community  than  will  ever  be  named  on  the  community   
  sheet.  Some  people  have  been  here  long  before  you,  some  will  be  here  after  you’re  gone.  This   
  scene  gives  us  a  chance  to  bring  one  of  these  NPCs  to  life,  and  see  the  player  character’s   
  through  their  eyes.  
   
   
   
  When  you  select  this  downtime  scene,  answer  the  following  questions  as  a  group  by   
  role-playing  scenes  or  describing  what  is  happening.  One  player  takes  on  the  role  of  the  NPC.   
  Give  the  NPC   a  name  and  some  traits  to  begin,  this  will  help  you  frame  the  scenes  and  answer   
  the  questions.  
   
   
   
  ●
  Where  in  the  community  do  they  live?  Remember  to  show  the  disparity,  and  make  it   
  neon.  
   
  ●
  What  is  their  morning  routine  like?  
   
  ●
  How  is  their  day  interrupted  by  one  or  more  of  the  player  characters?  Be  a  nuisance,   
  care  too  much,  be  thoughtless.  None  of  your  characters  are  perfect.  
   
  ●
  What  is  a  daily  challenge  in  their  life,  created  by  the  corporations  who  run  Prime  City?   
  Write  this  down  as  their  need.   Show  speciﬁcally  what  it  looks  like.   
    
  ●
  Where  do  they  work,  or  how  do  they  spend  their  day?  Remember,  capitalism  sucks .  
   
  ●
  At  the  end  of  the  day  they  seek  out  one  of  the  player  characters.  Why?  This  could  be  to   
  address  a  need,  get  back  at  them  for  the  early  nuisance,  or  just  space  to  hang  out.   
  Remember,  community  rules.  
   
   
   
  After  this  scene  ends  add  this  NPC   as  a  community  contact  on  the  community  sheet.  Their   
  need  is  incomplete.   Are  the  PCs  already  in  a  position  to  help  with  their  next  score  or  a   
  long-term  project,  or  has  their  need  gone  unnoticed?  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  127  
   
  
   
   
  The  Pledge  
   
  Introduce  a  brand  new  member  of  the  community  
   
   
   
  Someone  just  moved  in.  Maybe  they’re  on  the  run.  Maybe  they  used  to  live  someplace  a   
  whole  lot  richer.  Whatever  the  reason,  they’re  here  now,  with  troubles  all  their  own.  How   
  receptive  is  your  community  to  new  people?  What’s  the  process?  Who  notices  and  who  just   
  goes  about  their  day?  
   
   
   
  When  you  select  this  downtime  scene,  answer  the  following  questions  as  a  group  by   
  role-playing  scenes  or  describing  what  is  happening.  One  player  takes  on  the  role  of  the  NPC.   
  Give  the  NPC   a  name  and  some  traits  to  begin,  this  will  help  you  frame  the  scenes  and  answer   
  the  questions.  
   
   
   
  ●
  How  do  they  arrive  and  what  did  they  bring  with  them?  Luggage?  Several  vans  full  of   
  clothes?  Just  the  clothes  on  their  back?  
   
  ●
  What  is  their  ﬁrst  reaction  when  they  see  the  community?  
   
  ●
  What  sort  of  ritual  must  they  partake  in  to  o�cially  become  a  member?  This  could  be   
  something  banal  and  formal  like  ID  registration,  a  guided  tour,  or  navigating  a   
  bureaucracy,  or  something  much  more  personal  like  a  party,  an  oath,  or  religious   
  ceremony.  Remember,  community  rules.  Use  your  community’s  descriptors  to  inspire   
  you.  
   
  ●
  Where  do  they  stay  in  the  community?  What  does  it  look  like?  Remember,  show  the   
  disparity,  and  make  it  neon.  
   
  ●
  What  is  a  daily  challenge  that  has  followed  them  here,  created  by  the  corporations  who   
  run  Prime  City?  Write  this  down  as  their  need.  Show  speciﬁcally  what  it  looks  like.   
    
  ●
  How  do  the  player  character  witness  this  need?  Do  they  stumble  into  each  other   
  unexpectedly?  Is  the  need  hard  to  miss?  Does  the  NPC   seek  them  out?  
   
   
   
  After  this  scene  ends  add  this  NPC   as  a  community  contact  on  the  community  sheet.  Their   
  need  is  incomplete.   Are  the  PCs  already  in  a  position  to  help  with  their  next  score  or  a   
  long-term  project,  or  has  their  need  gone  unnoticed?  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  128  
   
  
  Bills  
   
  Show  the  needs  created  by  capitalism  
   
   
   
  You  can’t  ignore  them  forever.  Rent,  ‘Net  fees,  food,  clothes,  it  all  costs  cash  and  there  never   
  seems  to  be  enough  to  go  around.  Even  if  all  the  PCs  have  employment,  other  members  of  the   
  community  aren’t  so  lucky.  They’ll  need  your  help  to  get  by  and  address  their  needs  before   
  time  runs  out.  
   
   
   
  When  you  select  this  downtime  scene,  answer  the  following  questions  as  a  group  by   
  role-playing  scenes  or  describing  what  is  happening.  Players  may  take  on  the  roles  of  their   
  characters  or  NPCs.  
   
   
   
  ●
  What  essential  things  do  you  struggle  to  a�ord  or  constantly  put  o�?  Rent,  food,   
  electricity,  medicine,  ‘Net  service,  phone  service,  subscriptions,  caring  for  loved  ones,   
  new  clothes,  indulging  in  vices,  etc.  Just  because  you  are  employed  doesn’t  mean  you   
  can  make  ends  meet.  
   
  ●
  What  happens  as  a  result  of  you  missing  these  payments?  Does  something  get  shut   
  o�?  Do  corporate  collection  agents  come  calling?  Do  you  or  someone  else  get  sick?  
   
  ●
  How  does  the  community  assist  you  with  these  expenses?  This  could  be  due  to   
  someone’s  generosity,  ingenuity,  or  role  in  the  community.  Remember,  community   
  rules.  
   
  ●
  Which  member  of  the  community  comes  to  one  or  more  of  the  PCs  needing  extra   
  resources  to  get  by?  This  could  be  any  community  member,  not  just  those  with   
  outstanding  needs.  
   
  ●
  What  do  you  have  to  sacriﬁce  for  a  while  as  a  result  of  these  expenses?   Do  you  stop   
  visiting  your  favourite  food  cart?  Slower  ‘Net  connection?  No  phone?  Instant  noodles?  
   
  ●
  A  community  contact’s  need  has  become  critical,  who  is  it  and  what  happened?  If  all   
  the  community  contact’s  needs  are  fulﬁlled,  then  you  may  skip  this  question.  
   
   
   
  After  this  scene  ends,  circle  or  mark  a  community  contact’s  need  to  show  it  is  critical.  Their   
  need  must  be  fulﬁlled  immediately  or  they  will  leave  the  community .  “Immediately”  should   
  feel  inconvenient  and  dire.  It  may  need  to  be  fulﬁlled  right  now,  during  this  downtime  phase,   
  or  during  the  community’s  next  score.  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  129  
   
  
  Walk-Out  
   
  An  anti-corporate  demonstration  gets  ugly  
   
   
   
  Folks  in  Prime  City  aren’t  happy  with  the  way  things  are,  and  sometimes  they  ﬂood  the   
  streets  to  say  so.  We  all  know,  in  some  mammalian  way,  despite  the  advertising  and  the   
  moving  goalposts  of  capitalism,  that  life  isn’t  supposed  to  be  this  way.  And  so  today  the   
  Stacks  empty  into  the  streets  so  everyone  can  be  reminded.  It  won’t  be  pretty,  but  these   
  ﬁghts  never  are.  
   
   
   
  When  you  select  this  downtime  scene,  answer  the  following  questions  as  a  group  by   
  role-playing  scenes  or  describing  what  is  happening.  Players  may  take  on  the  roles  of  their   
  characters  or  NPCs.  
   
   
   
  ●
  What  speciﬁc  event  inspired  the  people  to  protest?  
   
  ●
  Who  helps  organize?  This  could  be  the  PCs  and  other  members  of  the  community,  or   
  folks  from  one  of  the  underground  factions.  Show  evidence  of  this  at  the   
  demonstration.  
   
  ●
  Who  else  from  the  community  turns  up?  What  friendly  faces  do  you  spot  in  the   
  crowds?  
   
  ●
  How  do  the  corporations  make  this  violent?  Do  the  COPs  show  up  and  get  aggressive?   
  Do  corporate  agents  start  trying  to  drag  people  away?  How  many  drones  show  up  and   
  what  do  they  do?  Which  factions  are  involved?  Remember,  the  rich  are  villains   and   
  community  rules ,  this  is  never  the  protestor’s  fault.   
    
  ●
  Who  do  you  save  from  the  violence?  Describe  how  your  character  acts  alone  or  works   
  with  the  other  PCs  
   
  ●
  Afterwards,  what  does  each  character  see  that  inspires  them?   Who  is  now  making   
  plans  to  turn  up  next  time?  Who  is  reconsidering  their  assumptions?  Who  is  moved  by   
  what  they  saw?  
   
   
   
  At  the  end  of  this  scene  each  PC   involved  with  the  demonstration  rolls  dice  equal  to  the   
  community’s  tier.  Each  PC   gains  luck  equal  to  their  highest  result.  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  130  
   
  
   
   
  COPs  
   
  The  Corporate  Order  Police  throw  their  weight  around  
   
   
   
  Sooner  or  later,  you’re  gonna  have  to  tangle  with  the  COPs.  Doesn’t  matter  if  you’re  denizens   
  of  the  City  of  Nod  out  in  the  Desert,  or  trying  to  survive  in  the  Chariot,  the  COPs  will   
  eventually  ﬁgure  out  what  you’re  up  to.  If  they  don’t,  their  corporate  masters  will,  and  they’ll   
  send  the  COPs  to  enforce  corporate  law,  or  just  take  people  from  your  community.  This  scene   
  will  establish  a  new  enemy,  as  well  as  immediate  consequences  as  the  COPs  arrive  in  your   
  community.  
   
   
   
  When  you  select  this  downtime  scene,  answer  the  following  questions  as  a  group  by   
  role-playing  scenes  or  describing  what  is  happening.  The  GM  will  take  the  role  of  at  least  one   
  NPC,  and  the  other  players  will  play  other  NPCs  as  needed.  
   
   
   
  ●
  The  COPs  are  outside  the  community,  how  did  they  get  here?  Are  there  a  lot  of  them,   
  or  just  a  few?  Are  they  in  armored  vans  or  nondescript  ﬂying  cars?  
   
  ●
  Who  is  leading  them?  Give  them  a  name  and  a  few  descriptors.  
   
  ●
  What  is  their  objective?  See  below  for  some  suggestions.  
   
  ●
  How  do  NPCs  in  the  community  react  when  they  arrive?  Who  hides?  Who,  if  anyone,   
  greets  them?  Does  anyone  go  ﬁnd  the  PCs?  
   
  ●
  How  does  each  PC   become  aware  that  the  COPs  are  here?  Do  other  community   
  members  get  the  word  out,  or  were  you  already  watching  this  scene  unfold?  
   
  ●
  What  happens  when  the  PCs  and  COPs  meet?  How  tense  is  it?  Do  arrests  start   
  happening  immediately?  Do  the  COPs  deliver  an  ultimatum?  Do  things  escalate   
  enough  that  action  rolls  are  required?  
   
   
   
  If  they  arrive  in  force  their  scale  is  equal  to  the  community’s  current  notoriety .  The  list  below   
  provides  some  examples  of  what  they  plan  to  do.  If  you’re  unsure  which  scheme  to  use,  roll   
  dice  equal  to  the  community’s  notoriety  and  match  the  highest  result  to  this  list:  
   
   
   
  1.
  Increased  COP  presence  in  the  community’s  district  
   
  2.
  Arrest  a  community  contact  
   
  3.
  Arrest  a  PC  
   
  4.
  Arrest  multiple  people  in  the  community  
   
  5.
  COPs  create  checkpoints  around  the  community,  complete  with  physical  searches.   
  God  help  you  if  they  ﬁnd  anything  illegal  on  you.  
   
  6.
  Arrest  everyone  in  the  community  
   
   
   
  After  this  scene  ends,  add  an  enemy  or  rival  to  the  community  sheet.  This  should  be  the   
  leader  who  instigated  this  plan,  and  their  need  is  met  when  it  is  complete.  This  is  a   
  131  
  
  consequence  the  PCs  may  have  to  deal  with  right  now,  or  maybe  their  next  score  will  have  to   
  be  a  prison  break.  
   
   
   
  Memorial  
   
  Say  goodbye  to  the  dead  
   
   
   
  Death  is  only  an  inconvenience  for  the  extravagantly  wealthy,  not  people  like  you.  Even  in   
  Prime  City  where  the  right  piece  of  chrome  can  buy  you  a  few  more  years,  and  corporate   
  drugs  can  do  the  same  for  the  right  price.  People  in  the  community  will  die,  it  may  happen   
  quickly  in  your  game,  or  after  many  sessions.  Even  if  you  protect  everyone  you  can,  time  and   
  entropy  will  come  for  the  rest.  This  scene  is  to  say  goodbye  to  someone  important  to  the   
  player  characters  and  the  community,  and  to  introduce  a  new  community  contact.  
   
   
   
  When  you  select  this  downtime  scene,  answer  the  following  questions  as  a  group  by   
  role-playing  scenes  or  describing  what  is  happening.  Players  may  take  on  the  roles  of  their   
  characters  or  NPCs.  
   
   
   
  ●
  Is  this  a  somber  memorial  or  an  exuberant  celebration  of  life?  
   
  ●
  Who  is  in  attendance?  
   
  ●
  Who  stands  up  to  say  a  few  words?  
   
  ●
  Does  anyone  blame  themselves  for  what  happened?  If  so,  why?  This  doesn’t  need  to   
  make  sense,  grief  isn’t  rational.  Remember  to  write  the  story  together.  
   
  ●
  A  small  revelation  about  the  deceased  is  brought  to  light,  what  is  it  and  how  do  the   
  PCs  react?  This  could  be  an  unlikely  allegiance,  an  odd  hobby,  a  secret  from  their  past.  
   
  ●
  Someone  who  knew  the  deceased  arrives  at  the  end  of  the  event,  who  are  they?  Why   
  do  they  know  the  deceased  so  well?  
   
   
   
  After  this  scene  ends  add  a  community  contact  to  the  community  sheet.  Their  need  is   
  incomplete.   Are  they  looking  for  vengeance,  justice,  or  to  solve  a  mystery?  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  132  
   
  
  New  Year  2200  
   
  Celebrate  the  new  century  
   
   
   
  A  new  year  has  arrived  and  with  it  a  chance  for  reﬂection,  connections,  and  throwing  an   
  absolutely  ridiculous  rager.  Will  your  character  use  this  night  as  a  chance  to  settle  old   
  conﬂicts,  forge  new  bonds,  and  plan  for  the  future,  or  will  they  lose  themselves  in  vices,  make   
  excuses,  and  make  all  the  same  mistakes  again?  
   
   
   
  When  you  select  this  downtime  scene,  answer  the  following  questions  as  a  group  by   
  role-playing  scenes  or  describing  what  is  happening.  Players  may  take  on  the  roles  of  their   
  characters  or  NPCs.  
   
   
   
  ●
  What  sort  of  celebration(s)  are  happening  in  the  community?  
   
  ●
  What  do  the  characters  do  to  prepare?  Do  they  get  dressed  up?  Plan  a  concert?  Make   
  food?  
   
  ●
  What  do  each  of  the  PCs  hope  will  happen  in  the  new  year?  Show  us  how  they  plan  or   
  communicate  these  wishes.  
   
  ●
  Something  unexpected  and  surprising  happens,  what  is  it?  This  could  be  something  in   
  the  community  or  an  act  that  changes  Prime  City.  Perhaps  an  old  friend  arrives  out  of   
  the  blue,  an  old  rivalry  or  grudge  is  healed,  or  a  surprise  announcement  or  revelation  is   
  made.  Remember  to  cut  to  the  action .  
   
  ●
  Where  is  everyone  when  the  clocks  strike  midnight?  
   
  ●
  Who,  if  anyone  refrains  from  celebrating?  What  do  they  do  instead?  
   
   
   
  At  the  end  of  this  downtime  phase  each  character  rolls  dice  equal  to  the  community’s  tier  and   
  gains  luck  equal  to  the  highest  value  they  rolled.   Here’s  to  a  lucky  one,  punk.  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  133  
   
  
  Gemini  
   
  Prime  City’s  infamous  corporate  agents  are  on  the  hunt  
   
   
   
  Well  now  you’ve  done  it.  Wasn’t  enough  to  get  the  COPs  knocking  down  your  door,  now  two   
  cybernetic  assassins  have  you  in  their  sights.  Maybe  it’s  obvious  why  they’re  after  you,   
  there’s  no  way  to  survive  in  this  city  without  pissing  o�  someone  with  the  money  or   
  connections  to  hire  these  two.  Maybe  it’s  a  secret  and  you’ll  have  to  spend  some  time  and   
  resources  ﬁguring  out  who  wants  you  and  your  community  dead.  Whatever  the  reason,  best  of   
  luck  punks.  You’re  gonna  need  it.  
   
   
   
  When  you  select  this  downtime  scene,  answer  the  following  questions  as  a  group  by   
  role-playing  scenes  or  describing  what  is  happening.  The  GM  will  take  the  role  of  at  least  one   
  NPC,  and  the  other  players  will  play  their  character  other  NPCs  as  needed.  
   
   
   
  ●
  How  do  Gemini  start  their  day?  Do  they  sip  expensive  co�ee,  emerge  from  their   
  Lazarus  beds,  or  do  we  see  a  montage  of  them  prepping  their  gear?  Consult  the  Gemini   
  faction  for  details.  
   
  ●
  What  do  they  already  know  about  the  community?  Do  they  exchange  rumours?  Do   
  they  have  a  dossier  of  information?  Have  they  already  compromised  the  community’s   
  network?  
   
  ●
  What  is  their  primary  objective?  Consider  the  player  character’s  history  with  the   
  corporate  factions  of  Prime  City.  Who  would  be  most  vulnerable?  Who  has  pissed  o�   
  the  wealthy  and  inﬂuential?  Show  what  their  plan  is.  Remember,  the  rich  are  villains .  
   
  ●
  How  do  they  arrive  at  the  community?  Do  they  move  into  an  adjoining  Stack?  Hire  a   
  private  space  shuttle?  Drop  in  from  low  earth  orbit?  
   
  ●
  Who  do  they  have  in  their  sights?  This  could  be  their  primary  target  or  just  some   
  collateral  damage.  It  could  be  a  player  character,  an  NPC,  or  an  important  asset  in  the   
  community.  
   
  ●
  Who  notices  what’s  happening  the  moment  before  they  strike?  Who  catches  the  light   
  reﬂected  from  their  sniper  scopes?  Who  sees  suspicious  ‘Net  activity  in  the  community   
  network?  Who  spots  the  assassins  on  the  street?  This  is  your  chance  to  make  a   
  resistance  roll  before  things  get  bad.  
   
   
   
  After  this  scene  ends,  add  Gemini  as  an  enemy  to  the  community  sheet .  Their  need  is  their   
  primary  objective  as  decided  during  the  scene.  This  ﬁrst  attempt  may  be  an  opening  gambit,   
  after  which  Gemini  quickly  tries  to  retreat,  or  a  full  on  assault,  requiring  action  rolls  and  a   
  whole  lotta  consequences  before  the  PCs  can  even  think  of  downtime  actions.  
   
   
   
  The  list  below  provides  some  examples  of  what  Gemini  might  do.  If  you’re  unsure  which   
  applies,  roll  dice  equal  to  the  community’s  notoriety  and  match  the  highest  result  to  this  list:  
   
   
   
  134  
   
  
  1.
  Capture  a  member  of  the  community  
   
  2.
  Upload  a  virus  to  the  community  ‘Net  
   
  3.
  Destroy  the  community  
   
  4.
  Capture  a  player  character  
   
  5.
  Assassinate  a  player  character  
   
  6.
  Assassinate  all  the  player  characters  
   
   
   
  Cut  Loose  
   
  Reset,  unwind,  live  a  little  
   
   
   
  It’s  time  for  an  epic  getaway.  This  could  be  a  party,  a  concert,  a  day  trip,  or  even  hanging  out   
  in  the  3D  spaces  of  the  ‘Net.  In  this  scene  we  can  see  what  the  PCs  do  to  blow  o�  steam  and   
  engage  in  stress-free  hijinks.  Lower  tier  communities  will  be  conﬁned  to  things  they  can   
  reasonably  a�ord,  while  higher  tier  communities  could  conceivably  include  several  NPCs  or   
  undertake  extended  vacations.   
    
   
   
  You  could  even  visit  other  parts  of  the  solar  system  or  engage  in  extended  artiﬁcial  reality   
  experiences  using  the  means  available  to  the  super  wealthy.  This  may  require  a  PC   to  make  an   
  action  roll  or  to  engage  in  capitalism   to  set  up.  If  the  player  characters  engage  in  behavior   
  that  is  speciﬁcally  tailored  to  the  rich,  like  space  cruise  ships  and  corporate  AR  experiences,   
  remember  that  capitalism  sucks   and  the  rich  are  villains .  This  doesn’t  mean  that  the  PCs  are   
  expressly  forbidden  from  undertaking  these  leisure  activities,  but  it  does  mean  they  should  be   
  learning  lessons  and  perhaps  changing  their  perspectives  afterwards.  
   
   
   
  When  you  select  this  downtime  scene,  answer  the  following  questions  as  a  group  by   
  role-playing  scenes  or  describing  what  is  happening.  Players  may  take  on  the  roles  of  their   
  characters  or  NPCs.  
   
   
   
  ●
  Who  proposes  the  event,  activity,  or  get  away?  
   
  ●
  Who’s  invited  and  who  shows  up  anyway?  There’s  always  someone.  
   
  ●
  What  minor  problem  or  inconvenience  must  be  overcome  before  you  can  cut  loose?   
  Need  spare  parts  and  fuel  for  your  van?  Need  to  track  someone  down  who  is  absent?   
  Need  to  convince  the  local  punk  rocker  to  show  up  to  the  gig?  
   
  ●
  How  does  each  PC   ﬁnd  peace,  happiness,  or  fun?  Show  us  what  that  looks  like.  
   
  ●
  What  happens  that  jeopardizes  the  vibe  and  then  who  or  what  ﬁxes  it?  
   
  ●
  What’s  it  like  the  morning  after?  Who  cleans  up  or  overindulged?  
   
   
   
  At  the  end  of  this  downtime  phase  each  character  rolls  dice  equal  to  the  community’s  tier  and   
  gains  luck  equal  to  the  highest  value  they  rolled.  
   
   
   
   
   
  135  
   
  
  Allies  
   
  A  faction  reaches  out  with  a  tempting  o�er.  
   
   
   
  Your  community  isn’t  alone  in  Prime  City.  Other  underground  factions  are  trying  to  break  free   
  of  the  wage-slave  grind,  provide  opportunities  for  people,  and  making  the  rich  accountable  for   
  the  world  they  live  o�  of.  Perhaps  you’ve  grown  particularly  close  to  one  of  these  factions,  or   
  maybe  one  of  them  reaches  out  to  you  all,  out  of  the  blue,  with  a  new  score  and  an   
  opportunity  to  become  fast  allies.  Do  you  trust  them?  Do  you  all  want  the  same  thing?  Is  this  
  risk  worth  the  reward?  
   
   
  When  you  select  this  downtime  scene,  answer  the  following  questions  as  a  group  by   
  role-playing  scenes  or  describing  what  is  happening.  The  GM  will  take  the  role  of  at  least  one   
  NPC,  and  the  other  players  will  play  their  characters  or  NPCs  as  needed.  
   
   
   
  ●
  Which  faction  reaches  out  to  the  community?  This  may  be  a  faction  you  already  have   
  a  positive  faction  status  with,  or  a  faction  we  haven’t  seen  yet  in  your  story.  If  you  are   
  already  at  +3  status  with  a  faction,  that’s  a  good  choice.  
   
  ●
  Who  sends  a  message  to  the  player  characters,  asking  them  to  meet?  This  could  be  an   
  e-mail,  text  message,  or  something  more  elaborate  or  old  fashioned.  
   
  ●
  Where  does  the  meeting  take  place?  Is  it  in  the  community,  somewhere  under  the   
  faction’s  control,  or  some  palace  public  or  neutral?  
   
  ●
  Who  shows  up?  Do  all  the  PCs  attend,  or  only  a  few?  Does  the  faction  show  up  in  force   
  or  just  send  a  delegate  or  two?  
   
  ●
  What  score  does  the  faction  ask  the  community  to  perform?  This  should  be  dangerous   
  and  important  to  the  faction  making  the  o�er,  like  stealing  or  destroying  a  large   
  corporate  asset.  Look  to  the  faction’s  description  for  possible  ideas.  
   
  ●
  What  does  the  faction  o�er  the  community  if  they  succeed?  This  should  be  a   
  signiﬁcant  reward  in  keeping  with  the  risk  of  the  score.  Payment  in  resources  equal  to   
  the  faction’s  tier  plus  the  target’s  tier  is  a  good  example,  but  so  is  an  asset,  a  favour,  or   
  helping  with  one  or  more  community  contact’s  needs.  
   
   
   
  After  this  scene  ends  add  a  member  of  the  faction  as  a  community  contact  on  the  community   
  sheet.  Their  need  is  incomplete.  Their  need  is  the  completion  of  the  job,  and  they’ll  expect  the   
  community  to  complete  it  in  a  timely  manner.  When  the  score  is  complete,  mark  the  faction’s   
  status  as  +3.  
   
   
   
  If  the  community  refuses  the  o�er,  add  the  faction  NPC   as  a  rival.  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  136  
   
  
  Executive  Meeting  
  The  rich  plan  their  next  move  against  you  
   
   
   
  Congratu-fucking-lations.  Your  community,  either  through  reputation,  rumour,  or  bad  luck,   
  has  become  an  action  item  for  some  very  powerful  people.  They’re  even  having  a  meeting   
  about  it,  conference  room  booked  and  everything.  At  the  end  of  this  scene  they  will  inﬂict   
  some  sort  of  dire  inconvenience  on  the  citizens  of  the  community,  hire  some  assassins  to  deal   
  with  the  PCs,  or  just  burn  your  community  to  the  ground.  
   
   
   
  When  you  select  this  downtime  scene,  answer  the  following  questions  as  a  group  by   
  role-playing  scenes  or  describing  what  is  happening.  The  GM  will  take  the  role  of  at  least  one   
  NPC,  and  the  other  players  will  play  other  NPCs  as  needed.  
   
   
   
  ●
  Which  company  is  meeting?  Any  corporate  faction  with  a  negative  faction  status  is  a   
  good  choice,  especially  if  they  were  recently  targeted  by  a  score.  
   
  ●
  Where  is  the  meeting  and  who  is  present?   Look  at  the  company's  faction  details  for   
  possible  NPCs  and  locations.  Remember  to  show  the  disparity  and  make  it  neon .  
   
  ●
  How  do  the  people  present  misrepresent  or  misunderstand  the  community?  What   
  assumptions,  biases,  and  rumours  do  they  believe  to  be  true?  Show  their  ignorance   
  and  arrogance.  
   
  ●
  Do  they  target  the  community,  a  speciﬁc  NPC,  or  the  player  characters?  Remember,   
  the  rich  are  villains .  
   
  ●
  Who  do  they  send  to  do  their  dirty  work?  If  it’s  a  lone  operative  their  tier  should  be   
  equal  to  the  community’s  notoriety .  If  it’s  a  group  of  people,  their  scale  should  be   
  equal  to  the  community’s  notoriety .  
   
   
   
  When  considering  how  the  company  enacts  it’s  revenge,  remember  that  other  companies   
  within  the  faction’s  megacorporation  can  assist  with  this  scheme.  The  list  below  provides   
  some  examples  of  what  this  corporation  might  do.  If  you’re  unsure  which  applies,  roll  dice   
  equal  to  the  community’s  notoriety  and  match  the  highest  result  to  this  list:  
   
   
   
  1.
  Sever  a  much  needed  utility  (power,  water,  ‘Net  connection,  etc.)  
   
  2.
  Repossession  of  corporate  products  (hardware,  cyberware,  etc.)  
  3.
  Destroy  an  allied  faction  or  assassinate  one  of  their  members  
   
  4.
  Hacking  (disabling  software,  hardware,  cyberware,  etc.)  
   
  5.
  Automated  drones  have  been  sent  to  bulldoze/destroy  the  community  in  one  week  
   
  6.
  Send  a  corporate  agent  (with  tier  equal  to  the  community’s  notoriety)  or  a  squad  of   
  goons  (with  scale  equal  to  the  community’s  notoriety)  to  attempt  to  kill  the  player   
  characters.  
   
   
   
  137  
   
  
  After  this  scene  ends,  add  an  enemy  or  rival  to  the  community  sheet.   If  you  decided  on  a   
  group,  write  down  whoever  is  leading  them.  Their  need  is  to  fulﬁll  the  goal  the  board  arrived  at   
  during  this  meeting.  The  GM  will  insert  them  into  the  story  at  an  appropriate  moment,  even   
  during  the  current  or  future  downtime  phase.  This  should  feel  inconvenient  and  dire.  
   
   
   
  Downtime  Scene  Example  -  The  Walk  Out  
   
   
   
  Abe,  Ben,  Charlie,  and  Dina  are  playing  Neon  Black.  They’ve  been  playing  for  a  few  sessions   
  and  they  have  a  pretty  good  handle  on  who  their  characters  are  and  what  sort  of  cyberpunk   
  story  they  want  to  tell.  Abe  plays  a  Merc  named  Torn,  Ben  plays  a  Fixer  named  Syd,  and   
  Charlie  is  playing  a  Decker  who  calls  themselves  Nikkon.  Dina  is  the  GM.  They  choose  The  55   
  as  their  community.  
   
   
   
  Last  session  they  helped  a  new  community  contact,  a  synth  named  Daryl  who  needed  help   
  escaping  a  Phace  Augmentations  R&D  lab.  It  turned  out  they  were  using  Daryl  and  other   
  synths  to  test  out  new  cyberware  without  their  consent,  using  them  as  test  subjects.  The   
  score  went  well,  but  as  the  result  of  a  calamity,  the  Prime  News  Network  turned  up  and  the   
  whole  thing  has  become  a  huge  story.  As  the  downtime  phase  begins,  they  decide  they  want   
  to  use  that  to  inspire  their  choice  of  downtime  scene.  
   
   
   
  “So,  that  libration  of  synths  from  Phace  Augmentations  is  all  over  the  News,”  says  Dina.   
  “There’s  PR  representatives  from  Phave  trying  to  spin  the  story,  but  y’all  madea  a  lot  of  noise.   
  There’s  interviews  and  like  phone  footage  from  folks  around  the  factory  who  say  what   
  happened.”  
   
   
  Abe  asks,  “Is  it  tied  to  us  and  The  55  speciﬁcally?  Or  is  the  attention  more  on  the  synths  who   
  escaped  and  their  story?”  Dina  thinks  for  a  moment.   
    
   
   
  “Well,  you  did  get  enough  heat  that  you  gained  your  ﬁrst  point  of  notoriety,”  she  points  at  the   
  community  sheet.  “So  I  think  that  means  y’all  are  implicated.  Maybe  not  speciﬁc  names,  but   
  The  55  is  deﬁnitely  part  of  the  story.”  
   
   
   
  “I  think  I  know  what  our  downtime  scene  should  be  then,”  says  Charlie.  “The  walk  out.”  
   
   
   
  Dina  turns  to  the  page  in  the  Neon  Black  rules  and  reads  the  description  aloud  for  the  other   
  players.  They  all  agree  that  sounds  like  a  perfect  scene  to  follow  what  just  happened.  
   
   
   
  Dina  asks  the  ﬁrst  question  on  the  list,  “What  speciﬁc  event  inspired  the  people  to  protest?”  
   
   
   
  Ben  answers,  “So  it’s  the  Phace  Augmentations  scandal,  but  I  think  it’s  also  just,  a  general   
  sense  that  people  are  sick  of  corporations  treating  synths  and  folks  who  need  cyberware  like   
  tools.”  
   
  138  
   
  
   
   
  Charlie  agrees,  “Yeah,  that’s  sort  of  become  a  theme  in  our  game.”  
   
   
   
  “I  think  we  see  a  lot  of  folks  with  cyberware  protesting,”  adds  Abe.  “Just,  so  many  people  who   
  didn’t  realize  this  was  the  cost  of  what  they  were  buying.”  
   
   
   
  Dina  nods.  “For  sure.  The  next  question  is  ‘Who  helps  organize?’”  
   
   
   
  Ben  chimes  in,  “I  think  Syd  absolutely  gets  involved.  But  it’s  not  like  he  wanted  to,  more  like   
  because  he  knows  lots  of  people  who  can  help  with  something  like  this.  He  is  a  Fixer  after  all.”  
   
   
   
  “He  becomes  the  go-between,”  suggests  Charlie.  
   
   
   
  “Yeah,  totally.  He’s  managing  calls  to  set  up  water  delivery,  medics,  ﬁguring  out  security.”  
   
   
   
  “Any  other  characters  involved  in  setting  up?  Do  we  think  there’s  a  particular  faction   
  involved?”  Dina  asks.  
   
   
   
  They  consult  their  faction  sheet.  
   
   
   
  “I  think  Nikkon  would  reach  out  on  the  ‘Net  to  Dead  Prompt,”  Charlie  says.  “They  probably   
  knew  about  this  sort  of  thing  and  would  be  happy  to  help  get  the  word  out.  I  imagine  seeing  a   
  lot  of  them  in  the  crowd,  lots  of  cyberware.  They  could  also  help  run  security.  Walking  along   
  the  perimeters,  standing  between  the  protestors  and  the  COPs.”  
   
   
   
  Everyone  nods  in  agreement  and  Dina  reads  the  next  question.  “Who  else  from  the   
  community  turns  up?”  
   
   
   
  “Ada!”  everyone  says  at  once,  and  laughs.  
   
   
   
  “Yeah  if  there’s  anything  like  a  demonstration  happening  Ada  is  there.”  
   
   
   
  “I  can  see  her  at  the  front  of  the  march,  like  holding  up  part  of  a  huge  banner,”  says  Abe.  
   
   
   
  “It  just  says  ‘FUCK  PHACE’”  adds  Ben.  They  laugh  and  move  on  to  the  next  question.  
   
   
   
  “How  do  the  corporations  make  this  violent?”  Everyone  takes  a  moment  to  consider  this.  
   
   
  Be  suggest,  “I  think  it’s  drones.  It  kinda  ﬁts  into  this  theme  that  the  corporations  want  to   
  automate  everything  they  do.  Just  a  bunch  of  large  hiver  drones  with  ﬂashing  lights,  real  loud   
  and  intimidating  as  they  try  to  surround  the  protest.”  
   
   
   
  139  
   
  
  Dina  nods,  “So  that’s  the  means,  but  how  does  it  get  violent?”  
   
   
   
  Charlie  adds,  “I  think  the  march  ends  up  at  wherever  the  Phace  Augmentations  head  o�ce  is.   
  Like,  at  the  base  of  the  Ziggurat  megacorporation  headquarters.  There’s  so  many  people  that   
  folks  working  there  can’t  get  in  or  out,  and  so  they  just  order  the  COPs  to  start  launching   
  crowd  control  ordnance.  Gas  grenades,  some  kind  of  hollow  ammunition  that  really  hurts  but   
  doesn’t  kill?”  
   
   
   
  Everyone  solemnly  agrees  that  this  is  the  sort  of  thing  that  would  happen.  Din  says,  “Who  do   
  you  save  from  the  violence.”  
   
   
   
  Ben  and  Abe  both  say  that  their  characters  would  make  sure  Ada  is  okay,  as  well  as  any  other   
  residents  from  the  55.  If  their  community  is  implicated,  they  want  to  make  sure  no  one  is  left   
  behind  for  the  COPs  to  interrogate.  However…  
   
   
   
  “Hey,”  Charlie  interjects.  “Sorry  but…  is  there  a  way  that  Nikkon  and  Dead  Prompt  could  have   
  prepared  for  this  and  hacked  the  drones?”   
    
   
   
  “Oh  that’s  interesting,  do  you  want  to  do  a  ﬂashback?”  Dina  asks.  
   
   
   
  “Yeah!”   
    
   
   
  “Okay,  let’s  take  a  detour  into  the  freeplay  phase  for  a  little  bit.  So  let  me  get  this  straight.  You   
  want  to  hack  all  the  drones  that  showed  up  to  the  protest  and  what,  shut  them  o�?”  
   
   
   
  Charlie  thinks  it  over.  “I  want  to  mess  with  their  guidance  systems,  I  imagine  we  see  Nikkon   
  just  push  a  button  on  his  deck  when  the  drones  get  too  close  and  they  start  ﬂying  into  walls   
  and  o�  into  the  distance  in  random  directions.  
   
   
  “I  love  it,”  Dina  says.  “So  ﬁrst  we  need  to  ﬂashback  to  see  you  hacking  into  the  Network.  This   
  is  happening  really  soon  after  the  last  score  so  I  think  it  would  be  di�cult  to  ﬁnd  time  to  do   
  this.  I’m  gonna  say  it  costs  you  2  luck.”  
   
   
   
  Charlie  erases  2  luck  from  her  character  sheet,  “Sounds  fair.”  
   
   
   
  “And  now  you’ll  need  to  make  an  action  roll.  This  is  Desperate-No  e�ect  to  start.  Desperate   
  because  the  COPs  protect  these  things  with  lots  of  ICE,  ICE  that  could  hurt  you  and  your   
  equipment.  No  e�ect  because  you  are  outmatched  by  the  target’s  tier,  and  the  scale  of  what   
  you  are  trying  to  do.”  
   
   
   
  140  
   
  
  Charlie  considers  her  options.  “Syd  had  a  bond  with  a  member  of  Dead  Prompt,  could  they   
  help  me  with  this?”  Dina  nods.  “Okay,  so  that’s  2  dice  for  my  hack  action  rating,  plus  1  die   
  from  my  community  contact.”   
    
   
   
  She  marks  the  lod  for  Nikkon’s  ﬁne  hacking  deck.  “I  used  my  ﬁne  hacking  deck,  that  gets  me   
  better  e�ect,  right?”  Dina  nods.   
    
   
   
  “Correct,  so  you’re  at  Desperate-Limited  now.”   
    
   
   
  “And  if  I  push  myself,”  Charlie  erases  2  more  luck  from  the  sheet,  “I  can  increase  that  e�ect  to   
  standard?”  Dina  nods.  
   
   
   
  “Yup,  you’re  at  Desperate-Standard  now.”   
    
   
   
  Charlie  grabs  3  dice  and  rolls.  She  gets  a  three  and  two  sixes,  a  CRIT!  Everyone  cheers  and   
  Abe,  Ben,  and  Charlie  mark  1  luck  on  their  character  sheets.  Charlie  marks  1  XP  on  her  sheet   
  for  doing  something  desperate.   
    
   
   
  “So  you  successfully  hacked  the  drones  and  got  great  e�ect,  what  happens?”  Dina  asks.  
   
   
   
  “Well,  I  hacked  the  guidance  systems  so  I  think…  wait,  can  the  great  e�ect  be  we  not  only   
  hacked  them  but  can  just  point  them  out  to  see  and  dump  them  there?”  Dina  nods.  
   
   
   
  “That  sounds  amazing.  The  COPs  are  going  to  be  pissed  but  it’s  deﬁnitely  possible.”  
   
   
   
  Charlie  narrates  how  just  before  things  start  to  go  bad,  all  the  drones  turn  at  once  and  head   
  o�  in  the  direction  of  the  ocean.  The  protestors  cheer.  
   
   
   
  “Alright,”  Dina  says,  “Afterward,  what  does  each  character  see  that  inspires  them?”  
   
   
   
  Ben  says,  “Are  we  all  just  watching  the  news  footage  after  a  bunch  of  corporate  boats  out  at   
  sea  trying  and  failing  to  ﬁsh  out  their  drones?”  
   
   
   
  “Aww  I  really  like  that.  We  had  all  a  hard  few  days  so  now  we’re  just  chilling  and  watching  the   
  fallout.”  The  players  agree  that’s  how  they  end  the  scene.   
    
   
   
  “The  last  thing  we  do  in  this  scene  is  to  see  how  much  luck  we  get,”  Dina  says.  
   
   
   
  Dina  takes  up  2  dice  since  The  55  is  at  tier  2,  and  rolls  them.  She  gets  a  ﬁve  and  a  two,  and   
  adds  5  luck  to  her  sheet.  
   
   
   
  The  players  thens  start  planning  their  downtime  actions.  
   
  141  
   
  
  Downtime  Actions  
   
  Between  scores  your  characters  spend  time  as  they  like,  attending  to  personal  needs,  their   
  day  jobs,  etc.  These  are  called  downtime  actions .  During  a  downtime  phase,  each  PC   gets  one   
  free  downtime  action .   
    
   
   
  You  may  choose  to  do  the  same  action  more  than  once,  and  the  characters  may  do  these  in   
  any  order.  You  can  only  attempt  actions  that  you’re  in  a  position  to  accomplish.  If  an  activity   
  hinges  on  another  action,  resolve  that  action  ﬁrst.  The  actions  you  can  perform  during   
  downtime  are:  
   
   
   
  ●
  Craft:   Create  hardware,  software,  or  chemicals  
   
  ●
  Engage  in  Capitalism:   Buy  corporate  products  or  services  
   
  ●
  Get  Chrome:  Get  basic  cyberware  installed  
   
  ●
  Grind:   Work  your  job  and  get  XP  
   
  ●
  Long-term  Project:   Work  on  time  intensive  projects  or  long-term  goals  
   
  ●
  Recover:   Clear  conditions  
   
  ●
  Reduce  Heat:  Clear  heat  from  the  community  
   
  ●
  Steal  Assets:  Gain  playbook  items  
   
   
   
  Each  PC   can  perform  1  downtime  action  for  free  during  the  downtime  phase.  A  PC   can  make   
  time  for  more  than  the  downtime  actions  they  get  for  free,  at  a  cost.  Each  additional  action   
  costs   1  resource .  This  reﬂects  the  time,  connections,  and  money  you  drain  while  you’re  “o�   
  the  clock”  and  not  earning  from  your  employer  or  another  score.  When  you  complete  a  new   
  score,  you  reset  and  get  your  free  actions  once  more.  
   
   
   
  Actions  on  the  downtime  list  are  limited;  normal  actions  are  not.  During  downtime,  you  can   
  still  go  places,  do  things,  make  action  rolls,  gather  information,  talk  with  other  characters,  etc.   
  In  other  words,  only  the  speciﬁc  scenes  that  are  on  the  list  are  limited.   
    
   
   
  Downtime  Roll  
   
  For  any  downtime  action  you  will  make  a  downtime  roll.  Downtime  rolls  are  modiﬁed  fortune   
  rolls  with  speciﬁc  outcomes  and  the  ability  to  assist .  
   
   
   
  Each  downtime  roll  will  call  for  a  speciﬁc  trait,  either  a  character’s  action  rating  or  the   
  community’s  tier .  
   
   
   
  Another  player  character  may  assist  with  a  downtime  roll  following  the  normal  assist  rules.  An   
  NPC   may  also  assist  as  normal.  
   
   
   
  142  
   
  
  You  may  also  push  your  luck  or  sell  out  to  get  +1d  during  a  downtime  roll.  You  cannot  get   
  increased  e�ect  this  way  since  the  downtime  roll  does  not  use  position  and  e�ect.  
   
   
   
  However,  after  a  downtime  roll  you  may  spend  resources  to  improve  the  result  level.  Increase   
  the  result  level  by  one  for  each  resource  spent .  So,  a  1-3  result  becomes  a  4/5 ,  a  4/5   result   
  becomes  a  6 ,  and  a   6   becomes  a  critical .  When  you  spend  a  resource  on  a  downtime  roll,  say   
  what  your  character  does  to  increase  the  e�ects  of  the  roll.  Do  they  pay  credits,  cash  in  a   
  favour,  or  call  on  the  help  of  a  friendly  faction?  
   
   
   
  Downtime  Roll  Summary:  
   
  ●
  1d   per  trait  (action  rating  or  tier)  
   
  ●
  +1d   if  you   push  your  luck   (spend   2  luck )  or  sell  out  
   
  ●
  +1d   if  another  character  assists  (they  spend  luck  and  give  dice  based  on  bonds )  
   
  ●
  +1  result  level   for  each  resource  spent  
   
   
   
  Craft  
   
  When  you  craft  you  create  a  piece  of  software,  hardware,  or  chemical  using  the  resources  you   
  have  on  hand  in  the  community.  This  could  be  something  that  is  in  common  use,  a  copy  of  a   
  corporate  design,  or  a  brand  new  invention  you  have  just  devised.  When  you  craft  the  player   
  and  GM  exchange  questions  and  answers  to  set  the  scene  and  speciﬁc  what  is  being  made   
  and  how.  
   
   
   
  Crafting  Questions:  
   
  1.
  GM  asks,  “What  are  you  making  and  what  does  it  do?”   Player  answers.  
   
  2.
  Player  asks,   “What’s  the  minimum  quality  level  of  this  item?”   GM  answers  according  to   
  the  magnitude  of  e�ects  the  item  produces,  or  using  existing  examples.  
   
  3.
  GM  asks,  “How  does  the  community  help  you  make  this?”   Player  answers  by   
  describing  how  they  get  supplies,  tools,  testing  the  item,  etc.  
   
  4.
  Player  asks,  “What  drawback  does  this  item  have,  if  any?”   The  GM  answers  by   
  choosing  one  or  more  from  the  drawbacks  list  below,  or  by  saying  there  are  none.  
   
   
   
  When  all  the  questions  are  answered  and  the  scene  has  resolved,  the  player  makes  a  
  downtime  roll  using  an  appropriate  action  rating  (usually  Hack  or  Tinker ):  
   
   
   
  Crafting  Downtime  Roll  
   
  ●
  1d   per  action  rating  
   
  ●
  NPCs  and  PC   may  assist  as  normal  
   
  ●
  +1d   if  you  push  your  luck  or  sell  out  
   
  ●
  +1  result  level  for  each  resource  spent  
   
   
   
  143  
  
  ●
  CRIT:  You  craft  something  with  a  quality  level  equal  to  the  community’s  tier  +3.   All   
  characters  gain  1  luck .  
   
  ●
  6:   You  craft  something  with  a  quality  level  equal  to  the  community’s  tier  +3 .  
   
  ●
  4/5 :  You  craft  something  with  a  quality  level  equal  to  the  community’s  tier  +2 .  
   
  ●
  1-3 :  You  craft  something  with  a  quality  level  equal  to  the  community’s  tier  +1 .  
   
   
   
  If  the  result  of  the  roll  shows  that  the  character  created  an  item  below  the  minimum  quality   
  level  required,  that  doesn’t  necessarily  mean  that  the  crafting  action  was  a  failure.  It  could   
  mean  the  item  has  additional  drawbacks,  or  is  consumable  (it  will  break  or  be  destroyed   
  immediately  after  use),  or  additional  work  needs  to  be  done  (another  downtime  action  such  as   
  a  long-term  project).  The  player  can  also  spend  resources  to  increase  the  result  level  to  get  to   
  the  minimum  quality  level  needed.  
   
   
   
  Drawbacks :  
   
   
  ●
  Complex :  You’ll  have  to  create  it  in  multiple  stages;  the  GM  will  tell  you  how  many.   
  One  downtime  action  and  roll   is  needed  per  stage.  
    
  ●
  Consumable :  This  creation  has  a  limited  number  of  uses  (all  grenades,  explosives,  and  
  drugs  must  have  this  drawback,  usually  one  use).  A  single  craft  scene  may  make  a  few   
  consumable  items  at  once,  but  they’re  each  consumed  when  used.   
    
  ●
  Illegal :  This  creation  doesn’t  go  unnoticed  by  the  factions  of  Prime  City.  Take   
  additional  heat   if  it’s  used  any  number  of  times  on  a  job.   
    
  ●
  Rare :  This  creation  requires  a  rare  item  or  material  when  it  is  crafted.  You  have  to   
  acquire  it  through  another  downtime  action  like  a  long-term  project   or  engaging  in   
  capitalism ,  or  as  the  target  of  a  score.  
   
  ●
  Unreliable :  When  you  use  the  item,  make  a  fortune  roll  (using  its  quality )  to  see  how   
  well  it  performs.   
    
  ●
  Volatile :  The  item  produces  a  dangerous  or  troublesome  side  e�ect  for  the  user,   
  speciﬁed  by  the  GM.  The  side  e�ect  is  a  consequence,  and  may  be  resisted .  
   
   
   
  The  Drugs,  Hardware,  and  Software  chapter  details  examples  of  common  designs  that  could   
  be  crafted  using  this  downtime  scene,  listing  their  quality  level  and  drawbacks.  Feel  free  to   
  craft  items  from  this  list  or  use  it  as  inspiration  for  your  own  inventions.  
   
   
   
  Mikey  has  noticed  that  the  crew  has  been  su�ering  a  lot  of  stressful  conditions  lately:   
  exhausted,  drained,  angry,  furious,  they’re  all  piling  up.  He  wants  to  make  something   
  that  will  help  address  these  conditions  during  their  scores.  During  downtime  Mikey   
  says  he  wants  to  craft  something.  
   
   
   
  Nida  the  GM  asks  Mikey,  “What  are  you  making  and  what  does  it  do?”   
    
   
   
  144  
  
  Mikey  says,  “Some  sort  of  drug  that  can  clear  stress.  What  is  the  minimum  quality   
  level  of  this  sort  of  item?”  
   
   
   
  Nida  consults  the  magnitude  chart.  “Well,  it  a�ects  1  person,  so  that’s  0,  and  those   
  sorts  of  conditions  tend  to  last  a  few  hours,  so  that’s  3.  I’d  say  the  minimum  quality   
  level  is  3.  
   
   
   
  Mikey  makes  a  note  of  that.  Nida  asks,  “How  does  the  community  help  you  make   
  this?”   
    
   
   
  Mikey  thinks.  “Well  Zekiel  is  our  local  splicer,  right?  I  know  he  does  cyberware  but   
  maybe  he  has  some  supplies  and  a  place  that’s  sterile  I  could  use?”   
    
   
   
  Nida  agrees,  “Yeah.  He’s  probably  working  on  his  own  pet  project  too.”  
   
   
   
  Mikey  says.  “I  love  it.  Like  some  tentacle  arm  or  something.  Totally  impractical  but  it’s   
  like  this  art  piece.”  
   
   
   
  “Occasionally  there’s  a  crash  as  it  randomly  comes  to  life  in  the  corner,”  Nida  adds.  
   
   
   
  Mikey  laughs  and  asks,  “What  drawbacks  does  this  item  have,  if  any?”  
   
   
   
  Nida  says,  “It’s  consumable,  so  when  you  make  it  you  only  make  one  dose.”  
   
   
   
  Mikey  makes  a  note,  “Sounds  fair.”  
   
   
   
  Mikey  takes  up  2  dice  for  his  character’s  tinker  action  rating.  “Could  I  get  another  dice   
  if  I  sell  out  by  testing  this  new  drug  on  myself?”   
    
   
   
  Nida  nods,  “Absolutely.  Mark  a  level  1  condition  “dizzy.”  Mikes  marks  the  conditions   
  and  rolls  3  dice.  The  highest  result  is  a  5.  The  community  tier  is  0,  so  that  means  the   
  quality  of  the  item  is  2.  Mike  spends  1  resource  from  the  community,  saying  his   
  character  spends  some  cash  on  extra  supplies  to  help  make  the  ﬁrst  dose.”  
   
   
   
  Engage  in  Capitalism  
   
  It’s  always  there.  The  siren  song  of  corporate  store  fronts  and  online  purchases.  It’s  an  awful   
  system,  but  it  works.  You  can  buy  almost  anything  in  Prime  City,  and  why  wouldn’t  you?  For  
  just  a  few  credits  you  can  solve  so  many  problems,  and  the  problems  that  this  system  creates?   
  Usually  people  don’t  have  to  think  about  them,  but  in  Neon  Black  we  make  them  explicit.  
   
   
   
  When  you  engage  in  capitalism  you  buy  a  product  or  service  from  a  corporation.  This   
  downtime  action  does  not  cover  buying  used  products,  making  something  from  existing  items,   
  145  
   
  
  or  acquiring  something  from  an  underground  faction.  The  long-term  project  and  crafting   
  downtime  actions  handle  those.  This  is  capitalism,  through  and  through.  When  you  purchase   
  something  you  spend  community  resources  equal  to  the  item’s  quality  level  or  the  level  of   
  service.  Some  examples  of  products  and  services  that  can  be  purchased  are:  
   
   
   
  ●
  A  playbook  item  -  1  resource  
   
  ●
  A  ﬁne  playbook  item  -  2  resources  
   
  ●
  Removing  a  condition  -  1  resource  per  level  of  condition  
   
  ●
  Perfectly  installed  basic  cyberware  -  1  resource  
   
  ●
  Perfectly  installed  advanced  cyberware  -  2  resources  
   
  ●
  Rare  items  or  materials  -  3  resources  
   
  ●
  Most  ground  vehicles  -  3  resources  
   
  ●
  Most  ﬂying  vehicles  -  4  resources  
   
  ●
  A  permanent  residence  -  4  resources  
   
  ●
  Most  single  person  space  vehicles  -  4  resources  
   
   
  Anything  greater  than  4  resources  cannot  be  purchased  in  Prime  City,  except  by  powerful  and   
  wealthy  oligarchs.  Consider  instead  a  long-term  project  or  a  score  to  acquire  what  you  are   
  looking  for.  
   
   
   
  The  player  and  GM  take  turns  asking  and  answering  the  following  questions  to  establish  this   
  action:  
   
   
   
  1.
  GM  asks,  “What  do  you  wish  to  buy?”   Player  answers.  
   
  2.
  Player  asks,   “Where  can  I  buy  this  and  how  much  does  it  cost?”   The  GM  answers  by   
  setting  the  scene,  then  stating  how  many  resources  the  player  needs  to  spend.  There  is   
  no  haggling.  
   
   
   
  The  player  then  spends  the  required  number  of  resources.  For  each  resource  spent  this  way,   
  the  player  must  ask  one  of  the  following  questions.  The  GM  or  other  players  volunteer  one  or   
  more  answers  each.  
   
   
   
  ●
  “Who  su�ered  to  produce  this?”  
   
  ●
  “What  precious  resource  is  required  to  produce  this?”  
   
  ●
  “Who  was  forced  to  be  part  of  this  process?”  
   
  ●
  “Who  beneﬁted  the  most  from  the  resources  spent?”  
   
  ●
  “What  did  the  person  selling  this  product  want  to  be  doing  with  their  time?”  
   
   
   
  When  the  requisite  number  of  questions  have  been  asked  and  answered,  the  GM  asks  one   
  ﬁnal  question:   
    
   
   
  146  
   
  
  ●
  “How  does  your  character  witness  the  answer  to  one  of  these  questions?”   The  player   
  answers  and  describes  the  scene.  The  GM  may  play  other  NPCs  who  may  be  involved.  
   
   
   
  When  this  last  question  is  answered  and  the  scene  has  concluded,  the  character  has   
  successfully  purchased  their  product  or  service.  
   
   
   
  Tory  wants  to  get  a  sweet  piece  of  chrome  for  her  Merc,  Lux.  She  states  her  character’s   
  plans  and  Nida  the  GM  asks  her,  “What  do  you  wish  to  buy?”  
   
   
   
  “Advanced  cyberware,”  Tory  answers.  “Lux  wants  some  cyberarms  with  hidden  blades   
  installed.”  Nida  looks  at  the  Drugs,  Hardware,  &  Software  chapter  and  sees  that   
  cyberarms  can  grant  up  to  2  free  load  of  weaponry  and  an  extra  action  dot  in  Assault.   
  Tory  agrees  that  that  is  what  Lux  is  after.  
   
   
   
  “Where  can  I  buy  this  and  how  much  does  it  cost?”  Tory  asks.  
   
   
   
  Nida  says,  “it  will  cost  2  resources.  You  ﬁnd  a  Phace  Augmentations  cyberware  clinic  in   
  one  of  the  Fivespires.  It’s  clean,  all  polished  steel  and  matte  white.  The  company’s   
  slogan  ‘Who  do  you  want  to  be  today?’  ﬂoat  in  a  neon  hologram  above  you  as  we  see   
  Lux  looking  at  a  pair  of  arms  that  look  like  they  contain  blades  like  a  praying  mantis’   
  claws.”  
   
   
   
  “Yeah,”  Tory  says,  “We  see  Lux  drooling  over  these  things,  and  then  I  think  a  quick   
  montage  of  shots  of  him  going  under,  the  surgery,  then  waking  up  with  these  brand   
  new  arms.”  Tory  spends  1  resource  and  looks  at  the  questions  under  Engage  in   
  Capitalism.  
   
   
   
  “Who  su�ered  to  produce  this?”   
    
   
   
  Nida  answers,  “Interspersed  in  this  montage  are  shots  of  a  Phace  Augmentations   
  factory  on  the  outskirts  of  Prime  City.  It’s  crowded  and  hot,  and  there’s  a  long  line  of   
  young  people  working  at  disassembling  old  technology.  Some  of  them  have  gloves  but   
  there’s  not  enough  to  go  around.  They  strip  small  pieces  of  precious  metal  from   
  microwaves  and  motherboards,  and  collect  them  in  little  bins  to  be  melted  down  and   
  turned  into  brand  new  cyberware.”  
   
   
   
  Tory  spends  the  second  resource  and  picks  another  question,  “What  did  the  person   
  selling  this  want  to  be  doing  with  their  time?”  
   
   
   
  Mark,  another  player,  chimes  in.  “As  he’s  paying,  Lux  catches  the  sales  representative   
  on  her  tablet.  She’s  touching  up  a  portrait  she  painted  a  few  weeks  ago.  She’s  trying  to   
  build  up  a  portfolio  to  start  doing  freelance  gigs.”    
  147  
   
  
   
   
  Tory  nods,  “Lux  is  a  bit  of  a  lug  head  but  I  think  he  notices  and  is  like,  ‘Hey,  that’s  a   
  cool  drawing.  You  make  that?’  
   
   
   
  Mark  decides  to  continue  playing  the  sales  rep.  “Oh  um,  I’m  so  sorry  sir.  Is  there   
  anything  else  I  can  do  for  you?”  
   
   
   
  Tory  says,  “I  think  that’s  how  Lux  notices  what’s  happening.”  
   
   
   
  Nida  nods  and  asks  the  last  question,  “How  does  your  character  witness  the  answer  to   
  one  of  these  questions?”  
   
   
   
  Tory  thinks  and  looks  at  Mark.  “I’m  guessing  the  smile  is  like,  totally  fake  right?  She’s   
  clearly  not  happy?”  
   
   
   
  Mark  grins,  “Yeah  she’s  clearly  just  wanting  to  get  back  to  her  painting.  If  we  could   
  hear  her  thoughts  she  would  be  thinking,  ‘please  just  go  so  I  can  rescue  part  of  this   
  day.’”  
   
   
   
  “I  think  Lux  notices  at  least  a  bit  of  that.  He  just  nods  and  says.  ‘Good  luck.’  And   
  there’s  like,  a  slight  pause  at  the  exit  of  the  shop.  A  bit  of  buyer's  remorse.  But  he’s  not   
  there  yet.  He  still  sees  arm  blades  and  thinks,  ‘hell  yes  this  is  awesome.’”  
   
   
   
  Nida  nods,  “He’s  starting  to  realize  that  maybe  it’s  not  worth  it.  Maybe  he  could  have   
  found  something  else?”  
   
   
   
  Tory  agrees  and  the  story  moves  on  to  the  next  downtime  action.  
   
   
   
  Get  Chrome  
   
  To  get  ahead  in  Prime  City  you’ll  need  chrome,  augmentations,  cybernetics,  all  collectively   
  known  as  cyberware.  To  install  cyberware  you’ll  need  a  doctor  willing  and  able  to  wire  your   
  nervous  system  to  all  that  delicate  machinery,  and  maybe  some  chrome  you  procured   
  beforehand.  
   
   
   
  When  you  get  chromed  you  get  basic  cyberware  installed  by  someone  in  your  community,  or   
  one  of  the  PCs.  Getting  chromed  always  grants  you  basic  cyberware,  which  comes  with  one   
  beneﬁt.  If  you  want  to  get  more  advanced  cyberware  which  grants  2  or  3  beneﬁts,  you’ll  need   
  to  acquire  it  ﬁrst  using  a  long-term  project,  engaging  in  capitalism,  or  a  score.  
   
   
   
  Getting  chromed  can  also  clear  a  relevant  condition.  For  example  if  you  have  the  “burned   
  hands”  condition  and  get  new  cybernetic  hands  with  hidden  tools,  then  you  can  erase  the   
  burned  hands  condition.  
   
  148  
   
  
   
   
  When  you  get  chromed,  describe  the  cyberware  you’re  getting  installed  and  it’s  features.   
  Consult  the  Drugs,  Hardware,  and  Software  chapter  for  examples  of  di�erent  types  of   
  cyberware  and  their  beneﬁts.  If  an  NPC  is  performing  the  surgery,  roll  dice  equal  to  the   
  community’s  tier.  If  another  PC   is  performing  the  surgery,  they  roll  dice  equal  to  their  tinker   
  action  rating.  The  result  determines  which  complications  arose,  if  any.  
   
   
   
  Remember  you  can  spend  resources  to  increase  the  result  level  of  the  roll.  Getting  chromed   
  ain’t  cheap,  and  when  it’s  your  body  on  the  line  you  better  tip  well.  
   
   
   
  Get  Chrome  Downtime  Roll  
   
  ●
  1d   per  tinker  action  rating  or  community  tier  
   
  ●
  NPCs  and  PC   may  assist  as  normal  
   
  ●
  +1d   if  you  push  your  luck  or  sell  out  
   
  ●
  +1  result  level  for  each  resource  spent  
   
   
   
  ●
  CRIT:  The  cyberware  is  successfully  installed.  You  may  also  clear  a  relevant  condition.   
  All  characters  gain  1  luck .  
   
  ●
  6:   The  cyberware  is  successfully  installed.  You  may  also  clear  a  relevant  condition.  
   
  ●
  4/5 :  There  were  some  minor  setbacks  during  the  procedure.  You  mark  a  level  1   
  condition  and/or  another  consequence  occurs.  You  may  also  clear  a  relevant  condition.  
   
  ●
  1-3 :  There  were  some  major  setbacks  during  the  procedure.  You  mark  a  level  2   
  condition  and/or  another  consequence  occurs.  You  may  also  clear  a  relevant  condition.  
   
   
   
  Feel  free  to  use  the  crafting  drawbacks  as  possible  consequences.  Any  problems  with   
  cyberware  could  be  solved  with  a  long-term  project,  replacing  the  cyberware,  or  attempting  to   
  get  chromed  again.   
    
   
   
  If  you  face  conditions  or  complications  when  you  get  chromed  you  can  always  resist  as   
  normal.  
   
   
   
  Derek’s  character  DC  burned  both  of  his  hands  (level  2  condition)  during  the  last  score,   
  and  wants  to  get  some  new  ones.  DC  is  a  DOC   so  he  picks  cyberhands  from  the  book   
  and  the  ability  to  store  up  to  2  free  load  worth  of  tools.  This  counts  as  basic  cyberware   
  so  he  writes  it  down  on  his  character  sheet.  
   
   
   
  Michael,  the  GM  asks  Derek,  “Where  in  the  community  does  DC   go  to  get  chromed  
  up?”  
   
   
   
  Derek  thinks  about  this.  “We  haven’t  seen  a  cyberware  shop  in  the  community,  right?   
  So  this  would  be  a  good  time  to  come  up  with  one.”  
  149  
   
  
  Michael  agrees  and  looks  at  the  other  players.  “Any  ideas?”  
   
   
   
  Ashley,  another  player,  says  “I  like  the  idea  that  it  clearly  used  to  be  something  else.   
  Like  they  don’t  have  the  resources  to  renovate  everything.  Our  community  is  still  tier  0   
  so  I  think  that  makes  sense.”  
   
   
   
  “Like  a  ramen  shop?”  Michael  suggests.  All  the  players  like  that  idea.  Michael  comes   
  up  with  a  name  and  some  traits.   
    
   
   
  “We  see  DC  making  his  way  into  the  shop.  There’s  faded  posters  of  pork  cutlets  on  the   
  walls,  and  the  kitchen  has  been  partially  converted  into  a  clinic.  Clean  linoleum  on  the   
  walls  and  bright,  harsh,  blinking  ﬂuorescent  lights.  The  splicer’s  name  is  Aziz   
  Temperance.”  
   
   
   
  Derek  adds,  “And  everyone  calls  him  Temper.”  
   
   
   
  Michael  nods.  “I  like  that.  He’s  a  big  guy,  wears  a  face  mask  when  he's  working  and   
  has  a  lot  of  cyberware.  Both  arms,  one  eye,  his  legs.  He  has  an  useless  assistant,   
  Johnny.  That’s  why  everyone  calls  him  Temper,  Aziz  is  always  yelling  at  this  guy.”  
   
   
   
  Derek  laughs.  “Oh  this  will  be  perfect.   DC   walks  in  and  is  like,  ‘Temper!  Good  to  see   
  you.  Johnny,  ﬁgure  out  which  end  of  the  scalpel  to  hold  yet?’  
   
   
   
  “Temper  laughs  and  says,  ‘No,  but  don’t  worry  I  won’t  let  him  anywhere  near  you  my   
  friend.  What  can  I  do  for  you?’”  
   
   
   
  “DC  laughs  and  show  him  his  bandaged  hands,  ‘New  hands!’”  
   
   
   
  Someone  in  the  community  is  installing  cyberware,  which  means  Derek  will  be  rolling   
  0  dice  since  the  community  is  tier  0.  “I’m  alright  with  0  dice,”  Derek  says.  “I’m  curious   
  to  see  what  happens.  Derek  rolls  a  four  and  a  six,  and  keeps  the  4  because  he  has  0   
  dice  he  takes  the  lowest.  
   
   
   
  “So  the  surgery  goes  well  but  there’s  a  complication,”  says  Michael.  “You  get  to  clear   
  that  level  2  condition  since  your  hands  were  replaced…”  
   
   
   
  Derek  erases  the  condition  and  adds,  “Oh,  could  it  be  just  another  condition?  Like   
  these  hands  are  going  to  be  an  issue  when  he  needs  them  the  most?”   
    
   
   
  “Yeah  sure,”  Michael  says.  “Write  a  new  condition,  unreliable  cyberhands.  We’ll  make  a   
  fortune  roll  next  time  you  have  to  use  them  in  a  risky  situation.”  Derek  does  so  and  the   
  action  is  complete.  
   
  150  
   
  
   
   
  Grind  
   
  You  spend  time  at  your  place  of  employment  doing  menial  tasks  and  getting  fucked  over  by   
  management.  It’s  boring,  demeaning,  and  exhausting,  but  at  least  you  get  experience.  You  can   
  only  perform  this  downtime  action  if  your  character  is  employed.  
   
   
   
  The  player  and  GM  exchange  questions  and  answers  to  establish  the  scene  when  your   
  character  works.  
   
   
   
  1.
  GM  asks,   “Where  do  you  work  and  how  do  you  get  there?”   Player  answers  by   
  describing  their  commute  and  setting  the  scene  of  their  place  of  work.  
   
  2.
  Players  asks,  “What  demands  are  made  of  me  by  management  or  customers?”   GM   
  answers  by  describing  other  NPCs  and  the  complications  they  throw  at  the  PC.  
   
  3.
  GM  asks,  “How  do  you  get  through  your  work  day?”   Player  answers  by  describing  the   
  rituals,  coping  mechanisms,  and  actions  their  character  performs  in  light  of  the   
  complications  described  by  the  GM  
   
    
    
  After  the  above  questions  are  answered  the  player  makes  a  downtime  roll  using  an   
  appropriate  action  rating   to  determine  how  much  xp  they  get.  
   
   
   
  Grind  Downtime  Roll  
   
  ●
  1d   per  action  rating  
   
  ●
  NPCs  and  PC   may  assist  as  normal  
   
  ●
  +1d   if  you  push  your  luck  or  sell  out  
   
  ●
  +1  result  level  for  each  resource  spent  
   
   
   
  ●
  CRIT:  Mark  3  xp .  All  characters  gain  1  luck .  
   
  ●
  6:   Mark  3  xp .   
    
  ●
  4/5 :  Mark  2  xp .   
    
  ●
  1-3 :  Mark  1  xp .   
    
   
   
  December,  Michelle’s  Merc  character,  is  just  2  xp  away  from  getting  an  advance.  When   
  it  comes  to  the  downtime  phase  she  wants  to  grind  at  her  awful  customer  service  job   
  to  get  that  2  xp.  
   
   
   
  Nida,  the  GM  asks,  “Where  do  you  work  and  how  do  you  get  there?”  Michelle  thinks   
  for  a  moment.   
    
   
   
  “Well,  I  don’t  think  our  community  is  close  to  the  food  court  where  she  works  for   
  Constellation  Consolidated  Foods,  so  I  guess  it’s  a  bus?  Buses  exist,  right?”  
   
   
   
  151  
   
  
  Nida  nods,  “They  aren’t  public  but  yeah  Prime  Convoys  controls  all  the  transport.  I   
  imagine  the  bus  is  automated  and  really  packed,  it’s  one  of  the  cheapest  ways  of   
  getting  around  the  city.”  
   
   
   
  “So  we  see  December  in  her  work  uniform.  She’s  taken  out  a  lot  of  her  piercings  and   
  you  can  only  just  make  out  the  edge  of  her  tattoos.  She’s  wearing  a  branded  hat  so   
  you  can’t  see  the  “Fuck  you”  tattoo  on  the  back  of  her  skull.”  
   
   
   
  Nida  laughs,  “This  poor  punk.”  
   
   
   
  Michelle  nods,  “She’s  short  and  angry  and  on  the  bus  to  work.  What  demands  are   
  made  of  me  by  management  and  customers?”  
   
   
   
  “It’s  the  same  drudgery,”  Nida  says.  “An  endless  series  of  faces  who  yell  at  you  for   
  things  you  aren’t  responsible  for.  Someone  ordered  extra  onions  on  their  burger  and   
  got  mad  at  you  for  putting  too  many  onions  on  their  burger.”  
   
   
   
  “Oh  god,  it  escalates  until  the  manager  gets  involved,”  says  Michelle.  
   
   
   
  “Oh  yeah.  Robby  gets  involved  and  gives  you  a  big  speech  about  customer   
  satisfaction.”  
   
   
   
  “December  isn’t  listening,”  Michelle  says.  “She’s  just  thinking  about  how  last  night  she   
  was  hanging  out  the  back  of  a  van  shooting  at  COPs  and  now  she  has  to  be  here,   
  doing  this.”  
   
   
   
  “So  uh,”  Nida  asks,  “how  do  you  get  through  your  work  day?”  
   
   
   
  “She  thinks  about  that  last  score  and  how  badass  she  was.  Just  smiles  and  ignores   
  everything,  and  pretends  to  care.”  
   
   
   
  “So  it’s  that…  Spin?”  Nida  asks.  Michelle  nods.  December  has  1  action  dot  in  spin  and   
  so  she  rolls  1  dice.  She  gets  a  5.  
   
   
   
  “Worth  it,”  she  says,  and  marks  2  XP  and  thinks  about  whether  she  wants  another   
  bond  or  an  additional  action  rating.  
   
   
   
   
   
  Long-Term  Project  
   
  A  long-term  project  can  cover  a  wide  variety  of  activities,  like  doing  research  into  artiﬁcial   
  intelligences,  investigating  a  crime,  establishing  someone’s  trust,  courting  a  new  friend  or   
  152  
  
  contact,  recovering  from  a  condition,  and  so  on.  You  can  even  acquire  new  playbook  items,  or   
  a  milestone  as  the  result  of  a  long-term  project.   
    
   
   
  When  working  on  a  long-term  project  (either  brand  new,  or  already  existing),  describe  what   
  your  character  does  to  advance  the  project  clock  and  make  a  downtime  roll  using  an   
  appropriate  action  rating.   
    
   
   
  Sometimes  you  have  to  ﬁnish  one  project  to  enable  another.  Based  on  the  goal  of  the  project,   
  the  GM  will  tell  you  the  clock(s)  to  create  and  suggest  a  method  by  which  you  might  make   
  progress.    
   
   
  When  you  undertake  a  long-term  project,  you  make  an  action  roll  and  mark  segments  on  the   
  clock  according  to  your  result  
   
   
   
  Long-Term  Project  Downtime  Roll  
   
  ●
  1d   per  action  rating  
   
  ●
  NPCs  and  PC   may  assist  as  normal  
   
  ●
  +1d   if  you  push  your  luck  or  sell  out  
   
  ●
  +1  result  level  for  each  resource  spent  
   
   
   
  ●
  CRIT:  Mark  5  ticks  on  the  project  clock.  All  characters  gain  1  luck .  
   
  ●
  6:   Mark  3  ticks  on  the  project  clock.  
   
  ●
  4/5 :  Mark  2  ticks  on  the  project  clock.  
   
  ●
  1-3 :  Mark  1  ticks  on  the  project  clock.  
   
   
   
  On  the  last  score,  Quanta  ran  into  their  streaming  rival  Small  75  and  created  a  scene   
  that  made  waves  throughout  the  ‘Net  of  Prime  City.  Quanta  tried  to  get  Small75  to   
  open  up  during  the  score,  but  now  Small75  is  back  to  their  old  ways,  denying  any  sort   
  of  connection  between  the  two.  Michael,  Quanta’s  player,  wants  to  heal  this  rift  and   
  turn  Small75  into  a  friend.   
    
   
   
  This  is  beyond  the  scope  of  a  single  action  roll,  so  Quanta  starts  a  long-term  project  to   
  become  friends  with  Small75.  The  GM  says  it  will  be  an  8-segment  clock.  Michael   
  spends  a  downtime  action  Connecting   with  Small75  over  email.  The  player  rolls   
  Quanta’s  Connect  action  and  gets  a  4:   two  segments  on  the  project  clock.   
    
   
   
  In  order  to  work  on  a  project,  you  might  ﬁrst  have  to  achieve  the  means  to  pursue  it—which   
  can  be  a  project  in  itself.  For  example,  you  might  want  to  make  friends  with  a  member  of  the   
  secretive  White  Rabbits,  but  you  have  no  connection  to  them.  You  could  ﬁrst  work  on  a  project   
  to  Connect  in  their  circles  so  you  have  the  opportunity  to  meet  one  of  them.  Once  that’s   
  accomplished,  you  could  start  a  new  project  to  form  a  friendly  relationship.  
   
  153  
   
  
   
   
  Recover  
   
  When  you  recover,  you  seek  treatment,  get  assistance,  or  work  through  your  own  conditions.   
  You  might  visit  a  doctor  who  can  stitch  your  wounds,  or  a  splicer  who  can  bu�  out  that  dented   
  cyberware,  a  psychiatrist  to  help  you  with  trauma,  ﬁnd  a  good  deal  on  special  ammunition,   
  etc.   
    
   
   
  When  you  recover  with  help  from  a  community  member,  you  make  a  downtime  roll  using  the   
  community's  tier .  If  you  go  to  another  PC   for  help,  they  make  a  downtime  roll  using  an   
  appropriate  action  rating .  The  PC   treating  you  doesn’t  take  the  recover  action,  you  do.  
   
   
   
  Recover  Downtime  Roll  
   
  ●
  1d   per  action  rating  (PC)   or  community  tier  (NPC)  
   
  ●
  NPCs  and  PC   may  assist  as  normal  
   
  ●
  +1d   if  you  push  your  luck  or  sell  out  
   
  ●
  +1  result  level  for  each  resource  spent  
   
   
   
  ●
  CRIT:  Clear  any  1  condition .  All  characters  gain  1  luck .  
   
  ●
  6:   Clear  any  1  condition .  
   
  ●
  4/5 :  Clear  a  level  2  or  level  1  condition .  
   
  ●
  1-3 :  Clear  a  level  1  condition .  
   
   
   
  Eli’s  character  goes  by  Fix  Override,  a  ﬁxer  with  an  infamous  anti-corporate  agenda.   
  Fix  is  a  well-known  character  in  Prime  City,  but  the  person  behind  the  persona  is  not.   
  On  the  last  score,  Fix’s  real  name  got  out,  and  now  his  face  is  plastered  all  over  Prime   
  City,  wanted  by  the  COPs.  Eli’s  character  gained  the  level  3  condition  “exposed”  and   
  needs  to  ﬁx  it.   
    
   
   
  Eli  says  that  Fix  goes  to  Blaine’s  character,  a  decker,  to  help  him  get  a  new  ID  and  ﬁx   
  this  mess.  Blaine  agrees  and  rolls  their  hack  action  with  2  dice.  He  gets  a  4  and  a  5,  not   
  enough  to  clear  that  level  3  condition.  So  Eli  spends  1  of  the  community’s  resources   
  and  says  that  he  pays  Blaine’s  character  for  their  time  so  he  can  get  the  job  done  right.   
  This  increased  the  result  level  from  a  4/5  to  a  6,  letting  Eli  clear  that  level  3  condition,   
  and  getting  a  new  identity  as  well.  
   
   
  Reduce  Heat  
   
  If  you  want  to  reduce  your  community’s  proﬁle  in  Prime  City,  you  can  reduce  heat .  Say  what   
  your  character  does  to  help  your  community  keep  a  low  proﬁle   and  roll  an  appropriate  action   
  rating .  Maybe  you  Connect   with  your  hacker  contact  and  she  arranges  for  some  incriminating   
  surveillance  videos  to  vanish.  Or  you  Command   some  allies  to  rough  up  COPs  on  your  trail.   
    
   
   
  154  
   
  
  Reduce  Heat  Downtime  Roll  
   
  ●
  1d   per  action  rating  
   
  ●
  NPCs  and  PC   may  assist  as  normal  
   
  ●
  +1d   if  you  push  your  luck  or  sell  out  
   
  ●
  +1  result  level  for  each  resource  spent  
   
   
   
  ●
  CRIT:  Clear  5  heat.   All  characters  gain  1  luck .  
   
  ●
  6:   Clear  3  heat .  
   
  ●
  4/5 :  Clear  2  heat .  
   
  ●
  1-3 :  Clear  1  heat .  
   
   
   
  If  you  want  to  reduce  your  notoriety  you’ll  have  to  do  a  lot  more  work.  See  the  previous   
  section  on  heat  to  see  how  to  handle  notoriety.  
   
   
   
  Alisha’s  Synth  character  Joy  is  good  at  superhuman  feats  of  athleticism,  but  not  good   
  at  talking  to  people.  She  wants  Joy  to  help  bring  the  community’s  mounting  heat   
  under  control  (they  gained  6  last  session)  and  so  she  comes  up  with  a  plan.  
   
   
   
  Alisha  narrates  her  character  walking  into  a  bar  in  her  community,  The  55.  COPs  have   
  started  to  frequent  the  bar  and  Joy’s  plan  is  to  rough  them  up  in  order  to  intimidate   
  them  into  ignoring  The  55.  Joy’s  Assault  action  rating  is  3  (thanks  to  some  new  cyber   
  arms)  and  she  decides  she  wants  to  push  her  luck  to  get  a  good  result.  She  erases  2   
  luck  from  her  character  sheet  and  rolls  4  dice.  The  highest  result  is  a  6.  She  clears  3   
  heat  from  the  community  sheet  and  narrates  a  short  scene  about  how  Joy  purposefully   
  starts  a  bar  ﬁght  and  kicks  every  COP  out  of  the  bar.  
   
   
   
  The  GM  makes  note  of  this  as  a  possible  complication  he  can  introduce  later,  but  for   
  now  the  COPs  still  stay  away  from  investigating  The  55.  
   
   
   
  Steal  Assets  
   
  Being  employed  isn’t  all  long  hours  and  dehumanization.  You’re  constantly  surrounded  by   
  expensive  tech  and  useful  tools,  and  you're  employed  by  a  company  who  can  easily  replace   
  them  without  going  into  debt.  Surely  they  won’t  mind  if  a  few  things  go  missing.  You  can  only   
  perform  this  downtime  action  if  your  character  is  employed.  
   
   
   
  When  you  steal  assets  you  take  new  playbook  items  from  your  employer.  You  make  a   
  downtime  roll  using  an  appropriate  action  rating  to  see  how  many  items  you  can  steal:  
   
   
  Steal  Assets  Downtime  Roll  
   
  ●
  1d   per  action  rating  
   
  ●
  NPCs  and  PC   may  assist  as  normal  
   
  ●
  +1d   if  you  push  your  luck  or  sell  out  
   
  155  
   
  
  ●
  +1  result  level  for  each  resource  spent  
   
   
   
  ●
  CRIT:  Gain   3  playbook  items.   All  characters  gain  1  luck .  
   
  ●
  6:   Gain   3  playbook  items.   
    
  ●
  4/5 :  Gain   2  playbook  items.   
    
  ●
  1-3 :  Gain   1  playbook  item.   
    
   
   
  If  you  wish  to  acquire  more  playbook  items,  you  can  always  do  a  long-term  project,  or  even   
  steal  them  as  part  of  a  score.  If  that’s  not  enough  you  can  always  risk  an  action  roll  and  see   
  what  consequences  arise.  
   
   
   
  Michelle  wants  to  get  December  a  combat  exosuit,  one  of  the  playbook  items  on  her   
  Merc’s  playbook.  She  wants  to  roll  Assault,  her  best  action  rating,  but  she  works  as  a   
  customer  service  representative  at  a  Constellation  Consolidated  Foods  fast  food  place.   
  How  is  she  going  to  steal  the  right  assets?  
   
   
   
  Nida,  her  GM  suggests  that  maybe  some  local  mercenaries  are  eating  at  the   
  restaurant,  and  one  of  them  has  left  their  exosuit  idle.  Heck,  she  could  even  steal  a  few   
  more  things  from  the  customers  if  she  rolls  well  enough.  Michelle  wants  to  sell  out  by   
  adding  +2  heat  to  the  community  in  order  to  get  an  extra  die.  Seems  like  a  reasonable   
  complication  given  the  situation.  Nida  adds  2  heat  to  the  community  as  Michelle  rolls  1   
  dice  for  Sneak,  since  it  ﬁts  the  situation  better,  and  another  die  for  selling  out.  
   
   
   
  She  rolls  a  1  and  a  3.  It  doesn’t  go  great,  but  she  successfully  manages  to  steal  the   
  exosuit  from  the  local  mercenaries.  She  adds  some  extra  colour  by  suggesting  that  this   
  is  how  she  quits  her  job,  by  stealing  a  customer’s  expensive  piece  of  tech  and  then   
  using  it  to  walk  through  one  of  the  restaurant’s  walls  to  make  a  speedy  getaway.  All   
  the  players  agree  that  this  is  an  excellent  idea  for  December,  and  so  Michelle  marks   
  both  the  exosuit  as  acquired  on  her  character  sheet  and  the  I  Quit  milestone.  
   
  Running  the  Game  
   
  Session  Zero  
   
  During  the  ﬁrst  session,  the  group  will  create  a  taste  menu,  and  create  their  characters  and   
  community.  You  might  be  able  to  start  and  ﬁnish  your  ﬁrst  score  in  the  ﬁrst  session,  but  the   
  ﬁrst  session  usually  takes  a  few  hours  so  you  may  not  get  there  at  the  beginning.  This  is  why   
  the  ﬁrst  session  is  called  Session  Zero,  you’ll  put  together  everything  to  get  the  game  started,   
  but  the  plot  probably  won’t  advance.  
   
   
   
  156  
   
  
  To  prepare,  the  GM  should  have  read  through  the  rules,  especially  the  sections  on  community   
  and  character  creation  and  this  chapter  on  running  the  game.  You’ll  lead  the  players  through   
  the  creation  process  and  answer  their  questions.  You’ll  want  to  make  sure  everyone  is  on   
  board  with  the  decisions  being  made  and  that  everyone  is  excited  to  start  playing  the  game.  
   
   
   
  You  can  also  prepare  with  some  of  the  game’s  touchstones  (located  on  the  ﬁrst  page).  Watch   
  an  episode  of  a  TV  show  or  a  movie,  read  a  comic  or  a  book,  listen  to  music—whatever  inspires   
  you  and  puts  you  in  the  mood  for  cyberpunk  stories.  Fill  your  head  with  cyberpunk  images   
  and  ideas  and  spend  some  idle  time  just  imagining  the  streets  of  Prime  City  and  what  it’s  like   
  there.   
    
   
   
  Finally,  print  out  the  game  sheets.  You’ll  want  at  least  two  of  each  playbook  (in  case  two   
  people  pick  the  same  one)  and  one  of  each  community  type.  Also  print  the  faction  sheet.   
    
   
   
  Setting  the  Scene  
   
  Once  everyone  is  ready  to  play,  the  GM  should  give  the  players  a  general  introduction  to  the   
  world  of  Neon  Black.  The  Setting  subchapter  in  the  ﬁrst  chapter  of  this  book  is  a  good  place  to   
  start.  If  anyone  has  questions  about  the  ﬁction  or  the  rules,  great!  Answer  whatever  questions   
  come  up,  but  avoid  overwhelming  everyone  with  detailed  explanations  of  the  ﬁction  or   
  mechanics.  Neon  Black  has  lots  of  rules,  some  of  them  you  may  never  use  in  your  game,  so   
  it’s  best  to  introduce  each  of  them  when  they  come  up  in  play.  
   
   
   
  Neon  Black  has  a  cyberpunk  world  that  can  skew  in  lots  of  di�erent  ways  depending  on  the   
  interests  of  the  players.  The  following  could  be  considered  something  like  dials  that  you  can   
  use  to  tune  the  game  based  on  the  interests  of  everyone  at  the  table:  
   
   
   
  ●
  Are  synthetic  people  common  or  exceptionally  rare?  
   
  ●
  Are  artiﬁcial  intelligences  inherently  alien,  or  similar  to  human  minds?  
   
  ●
  Do  the  public  institutions  of  the  past  still  have  some  power  in  Prime  City,  or  have   
  corporations  completely  overtaken  their  responsibilities?  
   
  ●
  Is  space  travel  a  common  thing  that  many  people  have  experienced,  or  does  it   
  exclusively  cater  to  the  rich?  
   
   
   
  Your  answers  to  these  questions  are  something  you  can  include  in  your  group’s  taste  menu.  
   
  Taste  Menu  
   
  Neon  Black  is  a  roleplaying  game  where  people  get  to  create  their  own  ﬁctional  world,   
  characters,  and  conﬂicts.  To  ensure  this  game  only  contains  ideas,  themes,  and  stories  that   
  everyone  at  the  table  is  comfortable  with  you’ll  create  a  menu  of  things  everyone  wants  and   
  does  not  want  to  see  in  the  course  of  the  game.  
   
  157  
   
  
   
   
  Take  a  piece  of  paper  or  some  sort  of  document  and  create  two  columns  labelled  “Yes”  and   
  “No”  or  “Okay”  and  “Not  Okay”.  Starting  with  the  GM,  everyone  gets  to  say  something  they   
  deﬁnitely  want  to  see  in  the  game,  “Yes”,  or  something  they  deﬁnitely  do  not  want  to  see  in   
  the  game,  “No”.  The  GM  writes  each  preference  in  the  appropriate  column.  
   
   
   
  These  could  be  particular  themes  in  cyberpunk  stories  or  just  general  ideas  or  topics  the   
  players  are  interested  in  including  or  excluding.  Everyone  takes  turns  adding  things  to  the   
  taste  menu  until  no  one  else  can  think  of  anything  they  want  to  add  or  exclude  from  the   
  game.  The  two  columns  don’t  need  to  be  even,  they  just  need  to  include  anything  the  players   
  feel  strongly  about.  
   
   
   
  Alan,  Ben,  Charlie,  and  Dana  get  together  to  play  Neon  Black.  Before  they  start   
  creating  their  characters  and  community  Alan,  the  GM,  takes  out  a  piece  of  paper  and   
  creates  a  “Yes”  column  and  a  “No”  column  and  explains  the  taste  menu  process.  
   
   
   
  Alan,  the  GM,  goes  ﬁrst.  He  wants  to  explore  the  ‘Net  spaces  of  the  various   
  counter-cultures  present  in  Prime  City,  so  he  writes  “Counter  culture  on  the  ‘Net”   
  under  the  “Yes”  column.  Ben  is  next  and  he  says  he  doesn’t  like  seeing  violence  or   
  abuse  against  children  in  any  way.  Alan  writes  “No  abuse  or  violence  against  kids”  in   
  the  “No”  column.  Charlie  says  she’s  not  comfortable  with  anything  involving  the   
  human  eye,  and  Alan  says  he  also  is  put  o�  by  things  like  eye  injuries  or  eye  torture.   
  Alan  writes  “No  human  eye  imagery/eye  injuries/eye  torture”  in  the  “No”  column.   
     
   
   
  Dana  wants  to  explore  how  corporations  exploit  factory  workers,  and  would  like  to   
  include  that  in  the  “Yes”  column,  but  she’s  worried  that  sort  of  thing  might  show  the   
  abuse  of  chidren  as  child  labor,  and  would  therefore  cross  the  “No  abuse  or  violence   
  against  kids”  part  of  the  taste  menu.  Ben  suggests  that  maybe  in  their  version  of  Prime   
  City  children  aren’t  used  as  factory  labour  and  that  we  don’t  need  to  show  that  part  of   
  labor  exploitation  in  order  to  explore  Dana’s  interest.  The  rest  of  the  table  agrees,  so   
  Alan  writes  “Exploitation  of  factory  workers  (no  children)”  in  the  “Yes''  column.   
    
   
   
  Be  sure  to  review  all  the  taste  menu  items  before  each  session.  You  can  always  add  or  remove   
  items  as  the  game  progresses.  Including  and  excluding  the  ideas  recorded  on  the  taste  menu   
  is  the  responsibility  of  everyone  at  the  table.  Just  because  something  is  in  the  “Yes”  column   
  doesn’t  mean  it  needs  to  be  present  in  every  scene  in  every  session,  and  just  because  
  something  is  in  the  “No”  column  doesn’t  mean  that  everyone  is  forbidden  from  mentioning  it   
  or  talking  about  it  while  at  the  table.  These  are  ideas  that  the  story  of  your  game  can  gravitate   
  around  or  avoid  as  it  is  told.  
   
  158  
   
  
  The  X  Card  
   
  In  order  to  make  sure  the  game  doesn’t  stray  into  territory  that  the  players  at  the  table  are   
  uncomfortable  with  for  any  reason,  create  an  X  card.  This  can  be  an  index  card  with  an  X   
  drawn  on  it,  crossing  your  arms  above  your  head  in  an  X  shape,  or  any  combination  of  things   
  that  are  easily  visible  to  everyone  playing  the  game.   
    
   
   
  If  at  any  point  someone  at  the  table  is  uncomfortable  about  what  is  being  portrayed  during   
  the  game,  whether  it  is  present  on  the  taste  menu  or  not,  they  can  point  to  or  tap  the  X  card  or   
  make  the  X  sign  with  their  arms,  or  whatever  it  is  that  represents  your  group’s  X  card.  If  this   
  ever  happens  the  GM  or  any  of  the  other  players  end  the  scene  and  move  on  to  something   
  else.  Don’t  delve  on  why  the  person  used  the  X  card,  respect  their  decision  and  move  on.  
   
   
   
  Once  the  scene  or  session  is  over,  the  player  who  used  the  X  card  may  add  something  new  to   
  the  taste  menu  or  underline  or  modify  something  that  is  already  there.  Whether  or  not  they   
  wish  to  discuss  their  decision  is  up  to  them,  not  the  rest  of  the  table.  
   
   
   
  Community  &  Character  Creation  
   
  The  GM  will  likely  need  to  introduce  each  character  playbook  and  community  to  the  other   
  players.  Give  each  a  brief  description  and  then  let  the  players  select  whatever  excited  them   
  the  most.  Guide  everyone  through  community  creation  and  then  character  creation,   
  answering  questions  as  they  come  up.   
    
   
   
  Remind  the  players  that  they  don’t  have  to  know  every  little  detail  about  their  characters  and   
  the  community  before  you  start.  Remember  no  prologue ,  but  everyone  should  be  excited   
  about  the  community  and  their  characters.  If  someone  seems  frustrated  or  disinterested,  ask   
  them  about  it  and  talk  about  how  things  might  improve  to  get  them  more  involved.   
    
   
   
  None  of  the  player’s  ﬁrst  choices  should  be  set  in  stone.  Neon  Black  has  a  lot  of  moving  parts   
  and  players  might  select  action  ratings  or  milestones  assuming  they  do  something  that  they   
  actually  don’t.  If  after  a  few  sessions  the  players  want  to  change  something,  let  them!  Being  a   
  fan  of  the  players   means  letting  people  ﬁx  their  mistakes.  
   
   
   
  Starting  Score  
   
  Once  the  community  and  characters  have  been  created,  and  everyone  is  happy  with  the  taste   
  menu,  you’re  ready  to  start  playing  Neon  Black  with  your  ﬁrst  score.  Use  the  ﬁrst  community   
  contact  on  the  list,  they  are  placed  there  as  a  good  ﬁrst  start.  If  you  can,  try  to  tie  it  into  the   
  community’s  inciting  incident  or  one  of  the  character’s  milestones.  Describe  the  community   
  member  and  how  they  ﬁnd  the  characters  to  ask  for  their  help.  
   
   
   
  159  
   
  
  Ask  the  players  how  they  want  to  gather  information,  which  leads  to  a  plan  (or  vice  versa).   
  Don’t  let  them  waste  time  planning  and  maneuvering,  the  game  is  designed  to  cut  to  the   
  action .  Give  them  straightforward  avenues  to  pursue  at  ﬁrst.  Recommend  factions  to  target  or   
  plans  of  action  if  they  are  having  trouble.  Once  they’ve  agreed  to  the  job,  ask  them  to  pick  a   
  plan  and  provide  the  detail,  pick  their  load,  and  get  to  it.  
   
   
   
  Ending  the  Session  
   
  At  the  end  of  each  session  of  play  you  want  to  do  two  things.  This  is  regardless  of  where  you   
  end  up,  you  could  be  in  the  middle  of  a  score,  the  middle  of  the  downtime  phase,  or  an   
  expertly  crafted  narrative  cli�hanger.  
   
   
   
  ●
  Review  bonds.   Each  player  reads  out  their  current  bonds  and  decides  whether  or  not   
  they  are  still  relevant,  true,  interesting,  etc.  Talk  it  over  with  the  other  players.  That   
  player  marks  1  xp  on  their  character  sheet  for  each  bond  that  changed.  If  they  take  an   
  advance,  they  can  mark  an  additional  bond  as  well.  
   
  ●
  Review  milestones.   A  lot  can  happen  in  a  session  of  Neon  Black,  so  it’s  a  good  idea  to   
  review  each  player  character’s  milestones  to  see  if  any  of  them  no  longer  apply,  or  if   
  the  character  gained  one  or  more  milestones  that  session.  If  there’s  an  uncertainty,   
  talk  about  it  with  the  other  players.  Mark  any  new  milestones  and  ﬁgure  out  the  details   
  now,  or  during  the  next  session  of  play.  
   
   
   
  Ending  the  Game  
   
  Neon  Black  is  an  open  world  RPG.  There  is  no  concrete  ending  laid  out  in  the  rules  of  this   
  book.  You  may  have  an  idea  of  how  you  would  like  the  story  to  end,  based  on  your   
  community,  inciting  incident,  or  a  reason  you  discover  through  play.  Ultimately  it  is  up  to  all   
  the  players  to  decide  when  the  game  ends  (assuming  it  just  doesn’t  fall  apart  before  you  get   
  there,  which  is  ﬁne,  most  games  do).  If  you  would  like  some  guidance  here  are  some  good  end   
  points  for  you  to  consider.  When  you  start  your  game  maybe  talk  about  which  of  these  goals   
  you’re  aiming  towards.  
   
   
   
  ●
  All  community  contacts  have  their  needs  fulﬁlled.  This  is  for  a  shorter  game  of  Neon   
  Black,  depending  on  downtime  scenes  and  complications  that  arise  during  your  game.   
  It  will  likely  take  around  six  sessions.  
   
  ●
  All  downtime  scenes  have  been  completed.  This  goal  will  take  you  about  a  dozen   
  sessions,  depending  on  how  fast  you  move  through  the  phases.  You’ll  see  almost   
  everything  Prime  City  has  to  o�er,  and  will  have  survived  some  impressive  scores  and   
  blowback  from  the  COPs  and  corporations.  
   
  ●
  All  community  contacts  have  their  needs  fulﬁlled,  and  the  community  reaches  tier  4.   
  This  could  very  well  be  the  best  ending  for  your  characters  in  Neon  Black.  Not  only  is   
  their  community  taken  care  of,  but  there  are  enough  resources  that  everyone  can  have   
  a  decent  standard  of  living  for  the  foreseeable  future.  Everyone  can  retire  knowing   
  160  
   
  
  they’ve  made  a  signiﬁcant  impact  on  Prime  City,  assuming  they  live  long  enough.  This   
  will  likely  take  you  a  couple  dozen  sessions.  
   
  PC   vs  PC  
   
  Neon  Black  can  be  a  high-tension  game  about  characters  working  at  cross-purposes  to  one   
  another.  One  character  may  have  a  drive  to  get  even  with  corporate  suits  in  a  powerful  faction,   
  while  another  may  be  trying  to  protect  the  community  at  all  costs.  This  may  lead  to  characters   
  working  against  each  other,  much  like  the  characters  work  against  the  NPCs  to  get  what  they  
  want.  
   
   
   
  Conﬂict  between  player  characters  is  good!  In-ﬁghting,  betrayal,  and  the  corrupting  inﬂuence   
  of  money  and  capitalism  are  staples  of  cyberpunk  ﬁction.  But  it’s  a  good  idea  to  slow  things   
  down  when  PCs  square  o�  with  each  other.  Here  is  a  process  you  can  use  to  resolve  the   
  conﬂict.  
   
   
   
  Press  pause.   The  GM  stops  the  action  and  addresses  the  players.  Is  there  a  genuine  conﬂict   
  between  characters  here,  or  just  ﬂavour  for  the  scene?  If  there  is  a  conﬂict,  like  if  one   
  character  is  pulling  a  gun  on  an  NPC   and  another  player  character  wants  to  stop  them,  we   
  may  need  an  action  roll  to  resolve  the  conﬂict,  since  there’s  the  potential  for  danger  and   
  consequences.  If  the  conﬂict  is  low  stakes,  like  two  potential  but  conﬂicting  plans  for  a  job,   
  the  GM  can  call  for  a  fortune  roll  using  the  character’s  action  ratings  to  determine  which  plan   
  the  crew  uses  for  the  score.  
   
   
   
  You  also  want  to  make  sure  that  a  roll  will  have  any  e�ect  on  the  characters.  If  one  character   
  is  trying  to  convince  another  character  of  something,  address  the  players.  Are  you  trying  to   
  change  their  mind?  Could  you  be  swayed  at  all?   It  doesn’t  matter  if  the  players  can’t  ﬁnd  the   
  right  words  for  their  characters  to  use,  we  aren’t  living  in  the  corporate  dystopia  of  Prime  City   
  after  all.  If  you  ﬁnd  that  a  roll  can’t  resolve  things,  move  on  to  another  scene  or  the  next  phase   
  of  the  game,  or  take  a  break  from  play  and  talk  things  out.  You’re  all  writing  this  story   
  together   so  there’s  no  reason  to  keep  your  character’s  inventions  and  motivations  a  secret,  we   
  can  address  these  problems  outside  the  ﬁction.  
   
   
   
  If  you  ﬁnd  that  an  action  roll  could  resolve  things,  move  on  to  the  next  step.  
   
   
   
  Set  the  position  and  e�ect.   Ask  the  player  being  targeted  by  the  action  roll  what  the  e�ect  of   
  the  action  would  be.  It’s  important  at  this  stage  that  each  player  involved  is  clear  about  what   
  they  want  and  what  might  happen  as  a  result.  Can  they  be  convinced  a  lot,  or  only  slightly?   
  Does  this  character  have  a  chance  of  knocking  the  gun  out  of  their  hand,  or  are  they  set  on   
  this  course  of  action,  potentially  resulting  in  a  struggle  for  the  weapon?   Use  the  answers  to  set   
  the  e�ect  of  the  role.  
   
  161  
   
  
   
   
  Then  establish  the  position,  using  feedback  from  the  players.  Wrestling  the  gun  out  of  the   
  hand  of  someone  prone  to  violent  outbursts  sounds  like  a  risky  or  desperate  roll  depending  on   
  the  circumstances,  but  maybe  they  would  never  escalate  things  with  a  member  of  the   
  community.  Use  feedback  from  each  player  involved,  and  take  into  account  items,  milestones,   
  and  cyberware  that  may  change  the  position  or  e�ect.  Other  characters  may  be  willing  to   
  assist  or  protect  their  crew  members  as  well,  so  allow  them  to  have  input  if  their  characters  are   
  present  in  the  scene.   
    
   
   
  Roll  the  dice,  be  honest.  The  position  and  e�ect  will  determine  how  things  go.  Again,  the  GM   
  should  work  together  with  the  players  to  narrate  what  happens  and  who  gets  what  they  want,   
  if  anything.  Things  might  not  go  well  for  the  characters  involved,  and  that’s  okay.   Sometimes   
  the  story  of  our  games  goes  to  unexpected  places,  and  it’s  important  that  the  players  honour   
  the  results  of  the  roll  and  play  the  scene  out  with  their  characters.  
   
   
  If  the  player  rolling  is  going  to  take  a  consequence  they  may  choose  to  resist  as  normal,  but   
  the  results  of  the  roll  still  stand  (a  failure  is  still  a  failure).  
   
   
   
  Press  play.   Narrate  the  results  of  the  roll  and  move  the  story  forward.  If  the  players  decide   
  that  things  will  need  to  escalate,  another  action  roll  between  PCs  might  be  called  for,  and   
  again  it  is  important  to  communicate  intentions,  actions,  and  stakes.  However  this  game  isn’t   
  designed  to  facilitate  lots  of  action  rolls  against  player  characters,  so  it’s  best  if  these   
  moments  are  resolved  quickly.   
    
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  162  
   
  
  Magnitude  
   
  Artiﬁcial  intelligences,  space  stations,  and  the  bleeding  edge  technology  of  our  corporate   
  overlords  have  many  e�ects  and  power  levels.  To  help  the  GM  judge  these  forces  consistently,   
  the  magnitude  table  is  provided  (see  below).   
    
   
   
  Magnitude  measures  the  quality  level  of  technology  or  natural  forces  like  hurricanes  or   
  diseases,  or  the  various  aspects  of  their  e�ect,  such  as  area,  scale,  duration,  range,  or  force.   
  Whenever  you  need  to  assemble  a  fortune  roll  pool  for  something  like  this,  use  the  magnitude   
  scale  as  a  guideline  relative  to  the  examples  given  on  the  table.  If  it’s  not  obvious  or  certain   
  how  much  e�ect  something  might  have,  it  might  be  a  good  spot  for  a  magnitude-based   
  fortune  roll  as  well.   
    
   
   
  The  magnitude  table  (see  below)  is  provided  as  a  tool  to  help  the  GM  make  judgment  calls.  It’s   
  not  meant  to  be  a  rigid  construction  or  mathematical  formula  to  replace  those  judgment  calls.   
  Use  the  levels  as  a  guideline  for  setting  a  magnitude  number  that  seems  appropriate  to  you.   
    
   
   
  The  table  can  also  be  used  as  a  guide  to  quality  level  when  a  PC   crafts  something  or  wishes  to   
  engage  in  capitalism .  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  163  
   
  
   
   
  Force  Examples  
   
  ●
  Force  0  Examples :  A  ﬁrm  shove,  a  candle  ﬂame,  a  breeze,  a  tiny  spark,  a  rattling  table,   
  a  pungent  aroma.    
  ●
  Force  1  Examples :  A  solid  punch,  a  bright  ﬂashlight,  a  shock  from  an  electrical  outlet,  a   
  noisy  room.   
    
  ●
  Force  2  Examples :  A  powerful  blow,  a  searing  brand,  an  electrical  shock  from  a  Live   
  Wire™.   
    
  ●
  Force  3  Examples :  A  crushing  blow,  a  grenade,  a  raging  ﬁre,  an  electrical  surge  
   
  ●
  Force  4  Examples :  An  unﬁltered  beam  of  Hard  Light™,  a  bomb,  electrocution,  a  swarm   
  of  meteorites  
   
  ●
  Force  5  Examples :  A  tank’s  guns,  a  massive  ﬁre,  a  lightning  strike.   
    
  ●
  Force  6  Examples :  An  orbital  weapon,  molten  lava,  a  tsunami.  
   
   
   
  164  
   
  MAGNITUDE  
   
   
   
  AREA  
   
  SIZE  
   
  DURATION  
   
  0  
   
  Closet  
   
  1  or  2  people  
   
  A  few  moments  
   
  1  
   
  Small  room  
   
  Small  group  (3-6)  
   
  A  few  minutes  
   
  2  
   
  Large  room  
   
  Medium  group  (12)  
   
  An  hour  
   
  3  
   
  Several  rooms  
   
  Large  group  (20)  
   
  A  few  hours  
   
  4  
   
  Small  buildings  
   
  Huge  group  (40)  
   
  A  day  
   
  5  
   
  Large  Buildings  
   
  Massive  group  (80)  
   
  Several  days  
   
  6  
   
  City  Block  
   
  Colossal  group  (160)  
   
  A  week  
   
   
   
  Quality/Tier  
   
  Range  
   
  Force  
   
  0  
   
  Poor  
   
  Within  reach  
   
  Weak  
   
  1  
   
  Adequate  
   
  A  dozen  paces  
   
  Moderate  
   
  2  
   
  Good  
   
  Large  room  
   
  Strong  
   
  3  
   
  Excellent  
   
  Several  rooms  
   
  Serious  
   
  4  
   
  Luxurious  
   
  A  few  blocks  
   
  Powerful   
    
  5  
   
  Extravagant  
   
  A  few  kilometers  
   
  Overwhelming  
   
  6  
   
  Legendary  
   
  Across  town  
   
  Devastating  
   
  
  Quality  Examples  
   
  ●
  Quality  0  Examples :  Basic  necessities  and  easily  found  materials.  Standard  items,   
  basic  cyberware,  fast  food,  casual  clothing.  
   
  ●
  Quality  1  Examples :  Items  and  services  that  cost  a  little  time  and  money.  Playbook   
  items,  advanced  cyberware,  business  clothes,  nutritional  food,  corporate  care  and   
  services,  a  night  in  a  co�n-sized  hotel  room.  
   
  ●
  Quality  2  Examples :  Fine  items  that  are  reliable  and  di�cult  to  a�ord.  Fine  playbook   
  items,  prototype  cyberware,  renting  a  typical  hotel  room  for  the  night,  ﬁne  clothing,  an   
  exotic  pet.  
   
  ●
  Quality  3  Examples :  Expensive  and  di�cult  to  ﬁnd  items.  Most  land  vehicles,  designer   
  clothing,  rare  crafting  materials,  a  night  in  an  expensive  hotel.  
   
  ●
  Quality  4  Examples :  Luxurious  items  usually  only  available  to  the  rich.  A  ﬂying  car,  a   
  permanent  residence,  a  single  occupancy  space  ship.  
   
  ●
  Quality  5  Examples :  Extravagant  items  only  available  to  the  truly  wealthy.  Most   
  spaceships,  a  clone,  a  multi-ﬂoor  apartment.  
   
  ●
  Quality  6  Examples :  Massive  and  complex  items.  A  space  station,  an  artiﬁcial   
  intelligence.  
   
  Drugs,  Hardware,  &  Software  
   
  In  this  chapter  you  will  ﬁnd  hardware  designed  by  corporations,  ubiquitous  software,  and   
  drugs  covered  by  corporate  health  insurance.  You’ll  also  ﬁnd  exotic  hardware,  custom   
  software,  and  drugs  made  in  the  stacks  and  streets  of  Prime  City.  The  code,  formulas,  and   
  blueprints  for  these  items  may  be  widely  distributed  throughout  the  ‘Net  of  Prime  City,  or   
  they  may  be  illegal  for  private  citizens  to  own  without  corporate  licenses  and  agreements.   
    
   
   
  What  is  available  and  how  are  part  of  your  world  of  Neon  Black.  The  rules  assume  that  a   
  character  can  invent,  craft,  or  purchase  almost  anything  in  Prime  City,  but  ultimately  it’s  up  to   
  your  table  to  decide.  The  list  provided  here  is  not  exhaustive.  Players  should  feel  free  to  use   
  this  list  of  items  as  inspiration  for  their  own  inventions  and  modiﬁcations.  
   
   
   
  Each  item  in  this  chapter  has  an  associated  quality  level .  This  is  the  quality  level  that  a   
  character  will  need  to  reach  to  craft  the  item  for  themselves  or  how  many  resources  it  costs  to   
  purchase  when  characters  engage  in  capitalism .  Some  items  also  include  drawbacks  such  as   
  the  quantity  of  items  you  get  if  they  are  consumable.  These  drawbacks  are  deﬁned  in  the  craft   
  section  of  the  downtime  chapter.  
   
   
   
   
   
  165  
   
  
  Drugs  
   
  Black  Lotus  (III,  Consumable  1,  Illegal,  Volatile):  A  tar-like  resin  made  from  the  leaves  of  the   
  plant.  Induces  coma-like  stupor  and  intense  visions  that  tend  to  linger  for  days.  
   
   
   
  Boss  Blue  (I,  Consumable  3,  Illegal,  Volatile):  A  glittering  blue  powder.  Induces  a  pleasant   
  hypnotic  high  when  inhaled  and  a  crushing  depression  the  next  day.  
   
   
   
  Tonic  (II,  Consumable  1):  A  cure-all  that  quickly  purges  a  person's  body  of  foreign  substances.  
   
  Cyberware  
   
  When  you  get  chromed   and  have  cyberware  installed  you  get  basic  cyberware  by  default.   
  There  are  three  levels  of  cyberware:  basic,  advanced,  and  prototype.  Each  level  comes  with   
  one  beneﬁt.  Basic  cyberware  grants  one  beneﬁt,  advanced  cyberware  comes  with  two,  and   
  prototype  cyberware  gives  3  beneﬁts.  
   
   
   
  The  exact  beneﬁts  are  up  to  the  player,  but  they  come  in  three  basic  forms:  
   
   
   
  ●
  Fill  in  the  cyberware  action  dot  in  a  speciﬁc  action  or  attribute .  
   
  ●
  Grant  up  to  2  free  load  of  speciﬁc  items.  
   
  ●
  Grant  a  special  ability  that  gives  characters  new  ﬁctional  permissions  to  do  things  they   
  could  not  attempt  easily  before.  
   
   
   
  Below  are  examples  of  cyberware  and  what  beneﬁts  they  may  grant.  Players  may  craft  or  do  a   
  long-term  project  to  create  their  own  cyberware,  using  the  examples  below  as  inspiration.  
   
   
   
  Advanced  Immunity  System :  A  system  of  nanomachines  and  excretion  devices  that  scrub  the   
  user’s  blood  for  foreign  substances.   
    
  ●
  Fill  in  the  cyberware  action  dot  in  Sneak .   
    
  ●
  Choose  a  drug,  chemical,  or  other  ingestible  substance  that  you  have  encountered  or   
  created.  You  are  now  immune  to  that  substance.  
   
  ●
  You  can  push  your  luck  to  secrete  this  substance  through  your  skin  or  saliva,  or  exhale   
  it  as  a  vapor.  
   
   
   
  Autonomous  Communication  Module :  A  neurological  implant  that  allows  you  to  communicate   
  wordlessly  with  others.  
   
  ●
  Fill  in  the  cyberware  action  dot  in  Connect .   
    
  ●
  You  can  wordlessly  communicate  with  anyone  you  can  see  
   
  ●
  You  can  remote  control  suitable  drones  and  vehicles  without  using  external  controls  or   
  computers.  
   
  166  
   
  
   
   
  Cyber  Arms   (III):  Complete  or  partial  replacements,  with  synthetic  nerves,  bones,  and   
  musculature.   
    
  ●
  Fill  in  the  cyberware  action  dot  in  Assault .   
    
  ●
  You  can  spend  1   luck  to  punch  through  most  walls.   
    
  ●
  You  can  spend  2   luck  to  lift  or  move  something  as  big  as  a  car.  
   
   
   
  Cyber  Ears   (III):  Wholly  synthetic  ears,  come  with  customizable  shapes.   
    
  ●
  Fill  in  the  cyberware  action  dot  on  Analyze .   
    
  ●
  You  can  now  hear  multiple  open  electronic  frequencies,  and  record  all  aural   
  information  around  you  for  easy  recollection  
   
  ●
  You  are  immune  from  aural  harm  and  related  conditions.  
   
   
   
  Cyber  Eyes   (III):  Wholly  synthetic  eyes,  come  with  customizable  colors  and  pupil  shapes.   
    
  ●
  Fill  in  the  cyberware  action  dot  on  Analyze .   
    
  ●
  Your  eyes  can  now  magnify  what  you  see,  record  information  for  easy  recollection,  and   
  you  can  see  in  the  dark  
   
  ●
  You  are  immune  from  conditions  related  to  blinding  light  or  visual  hallucinations  
   
   
   
  Cyber  Fingers   (III):  Fingers  that  can  split  into  2  or  four  appendages  each.   
    
  ●
  Fill  in  the  cyberware  action  dot  in  Tinker .   
    
  ●
  You  get  +1d  when  gathering  information  on  a  computer.  
   
  ●
  When  performing  an  action  that  requires  delicate  or  dextrous  control,  take  +1d .  
   
   
   
  Cyber  Hands   (III):  Multiple  useful  tools,  wires,  and  compartments  installed  in  the  hands  and   
  wrists.   
    
  ●
  Fill  in  the  cyberware  action  dot  on  Tinker .   
    
  ●
  Your  bare  hands  count  as  ﬁne  melee  weapons.  
   
  ●
  You  can  carry  up  to  2  free  load   of  tools.  
   
   
   
  Cyber  Legs :  Complete  or  partial  replacements,  with  synthetic  nerves,  bones,  and  musculature.   
  Di�erent  conﬁgurations  and  joints  available  upon  request.   
    
  ●
  Fill  in  the  cyberware  action  dot  in  Move .   
    
  ●
  You  can  spend  1   luck  to  jump  twice  your  normal  height  or  run  faster  than  someone   
  without  cyber  legs.   
    
  ●
  You  can  spend  2   luck  to  jump  three  stories  or  run  as  fast  as  a  car.  
   
   
   
  Electromagnetic  Field  Generator :  A  series  of  small  coin  sized  electrical  transmitters  installed   
  across  the  user’s  hands  and  wrists.   
    
  ●
  Fill  in  the  cyberware  action  dot  in  Assault .   
    
  167  
   
  
  ●
  You  may  imbue  your  hands,  melee  weapons,  or  tools  with  electricity.  You  gain  potency   
  when  ﬁghting   against  automatons,  synthetics,  and  other  machines.  
   
  ●
  You  can  push  your  luck  to  temporarily  shut  o�  all  electronics  near  you.  
   
   
   
  Hidden  Weapons   (Illegal):  Collapsible  blades,  implanted  guns,  or  other  artillery  hidden  from   
  view.   
    
  ●
  Fill  in  the  cyberware  action  dot  in  Assault .   
    
  ●
  Fill  in  the  cyberware  action  dot  in  Command .   
    
  ●
  You  can  carry  2  free  load   of  weapons.  
   
   
   
  Linguistic  Analysis  Implant :  A  small  implant  or  modiﬁcation  to  the  user’s  neural  link.   
    
  ●
  Fill  in  the  cyberware  attribute  dot  in  Clout .   
    
  ●
  You  can  always  tell  when  someone  is  lying.  
   
  ●
  Fill  in  the  cyberware  action  dot  in  Spin .   
    
   
   
  Neural  Breaker :  An  ejectable  heat  sink  installed  in  the  user’s  neural  link.   
    
  ●
  Fill  in  the  cyberware  action  dot  in  Hack .   
    
  ●
  You  can  carry   1   free  load  of  ‘Net  armor.  
   
  ●
  You  gain  1  additional  use  of  your  ‘Net  armour.  
   
   
   
  Neural  Doubler :  A  data  storage  device  implanted  in  the  user’s  skull,  accessible  through  their   
  neural  link.   
    
  ●
  Fill  in  the  cyberware  action  dot  on  Analyze .   
    
  ●
  You  can  store  as  much  data  as  a  demon  drive.  
   
  ●
  This  cyberware  counts  as  a  tablet  computer.  
   
   
   
  Subdermal  Plates :  Thin  plates  of  synthetic  ﬁbres  installed  in  the  user’s  chest,  back  and  joints.   
    
  ●
  Fill  in  the  cyberware  attribute  dot  in  Prowess .   
    
  ●
  You  can  carry  2  free  load  of  armor .  
   
  ●
  You  gain  1  additional  use  of  your  armour.  
   
   
   
  Synthetic  Adrenal  Gland :  Synthetic  excreters  spliced  into  the  user’s  endocrine  system.   
    
  ●
  Fill  in  the  cyberware  action  dot  in  Move .   
    
  ●
  Fill  in  the  cyberware  attribute  dot  in  Prowess .   
    
  ●
  Once  per  session  you  can  use  this  cyberware  to  perform  a  feat  of  athletics  that  borders   
  on  the  superhuman.  
   
   
   
  Titanium  Nerve  Implants :  Replaces  several  of  the  user’s  neural  pathways  with  conductive   
  metal.   
    
  ●
  Fill  in  the  cyberware  action  dot  in  Sneak .   
    
  ●
  When  you  attack  from  hiding  or  spring  a  trap,  you  get  +1d.  
   
  168  
   
  
  ●
  When  there  is  any  question  about  who  acts  ﬁrst,  the  answer  is  you.  
   
   
   
  Voice  Box  Ampliﬁer   (III):  A  reinforced  synthetic  larynx  outﬁtted  with  micro  speakers.   
    
  ●
  Fill  in  the  cyberware  action  dot  in  Spin .   
    
  ●
  Fill  in  the  cyberware  action  dot  in  Command .   
    
  ●
  When  you  speak  you  can  push  your  luck  for  all  nearby  hostilities  to  temporarily  cease.  
   
  Hardware  
   
  Blade  Grenades  (III,  Illegal,  consumable  3):  Throwable  blades  that  stick  into  their  target  and   
  then  detonate.  For  when  something  absolutely  has  to  die.  (1  load  each)  
   
   
   
  Flying  Car  (IV,  Complex):  Luxury  vehicle  that  can  ﬂy  in  Earth’s  atmosphere.  Limited  autopilot   
  subroutines.  Seats  4  comfortably.  
   
   
   
  Personal  Defense  Field   (III,  Consumable  1,  Rare):  A  wrist-mounted  device  that  when  activated   
  creates  an  impenetrable  wall  of  Hard  Light™  energy.  Lasts  only  a  few  moments  but  protects   
  the  user  from  all  physical  harm.  (1  load)  
   
   
   
  Robot  (V,  Complex,  Rare):  A  person  sized  automaton  that  can  follow  simple  tasks  and  has   
  limited  capacity  to  reason.  
   
   
   
  Small  Satellite  (III,  Complex,  Illegal,  Rare):  Join  the  glorious  ‘Net  from  wherever  you  are,   
  never  worry  about  cell  phone  reception  or  not  knowing  where  your  enemies  are  again.  
   
   
   
  Smart  Car  (IV,  Complex):  Terrestrial  autonomous  vehicle.  Can  be  remote  controlled  and  has  a   
  limited  capacity  to  reason  and  drive  itself.  Seats  4  comfortably.   
    
   
   
  Smart  Pistol  (III,  Rare):  An  auto  pistol  with  an  embedded  autonomous  computer  that   
  calculates  ballistic  trajectories.  Allows  you  to  ﬁre  at  targets  behind  cover,  or  from  a  safe   
  vantage  point.  (1  load)  
   
   
   
  Spaceship  (V,  Complex,  Rare):  Travel  up  to  Earth’s  atmosphere  and  beyond.  Can  carry  cargo   
  and  6  people  comfortably.  Requires  a  trained  pilot  to  use.   
    
   
   
  Tracking  Device  (II):  Inconspicuous  and  tiny.  Links  to  your  smartphone  or  computer  to  track   
  a  target  you  a�x  it  to.  (0  load)  
   
  169  
   
  
  Software  
   
  Burn  (IV,  Illegal,  Unreliable):  Causes  a  computer  or  machine  to  overheat,  damaging  the   
  hardware  and  potentially  erasing  all  data  contained  within.  
   
   
   
  Crash  (III,  Illegal):  Causes  hardware  to  temporarily  shut  down  or  reboot.  
   
   
   
  ICE  Break  (IV,  Illegal):  Can  automatically  bypass  software  security  countermeasures  such  as   
  ICE.  
   
   
   
  Malware  (II):  Floods  a  computer,  machine,  or  device  with  distracting  information  and  pop-ups.  
   
   
   
  Needle  (V,  Rare,  Complex):  Copies  a  person’s  memories  and  personal  quirks  onto  a  suitably   
  large  hard  drive.  
   
   
   
  Sever  (II):  Temporarily  blocks  hardware  from  connecting  to  the  ‘Net.  
   
   
   
  Trace  (II):  Follows  the  source  of  a  security  intrusion  or  user  login  back  to  its  source.  Slow  but   
  reliable.  
   
   
   
  Vaxx  (III):  Clears  a  computer  or  network  of  malware  and  viruses.  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  170  
   
  
  Prime  City  
   
  Transcription  of  a  Pinnacle  Liberty  Brochure  
   
   
   
  Planning  a  getaway?   
    
  Looking  for  a  new  experience?   
    
  Seeking  a  fresh  start?  
   
   
   
  Pinnacle  Liberty  is  Prime  City’s  premier  vacation  and  experience  planner.  With  3  o�-world   
  locations  and  dozens  of  o�ces  throughout  Fivespires,  Pinnacle  Liberty  is  here  to  help  you  ﬁnd   
  the  perfect  retreat  from  the  everyday.   
    
   
   
  Take  an  Overnight  Shuttle  to  our  Mars  Arcology  
  Enjoy  one  of  our  guided  excursions  across  the  planet,  from  the  breathtaking  Olympus  Mons  to   
  the  canyons  of  Valles  Marineris.  All-expenses  paid  packages  include  spa  treatments,   
  low-gravity  yoga  classes,  and  exclusive  nightlife  events.  
   
   
   
  Take  a  Tour  Among  the  Jovian  Moons   
    
  See  the  tectonic  ﬂows  of  Io  and  the  water  plumes  of  Europa,  all  while  relaxing  at  Pinnacle   
  Liberty’s  award-winning  Jupiter  Station.  Travel  in  luxury  on  one  of  our  communal  cruises  or   
  your  own  private  shuttle.  
   
   
   
  Don’t  have  the  time  to  get  away?  Visit  one  of  Pinnacle  Liberty’s  locations  to  browse  our  
  catalogue  of  artiﬁcial  reality  experiences.  Create  your  fantasy  vacation  with  our  helpful  and   
  friendly  technicians  who  will  take  you  step-by-step  through  the  process.  Enjoy  your  dream   
  destination  from  one  of  our  many  fully-appointed  private  suites.  
   
   
   
  Worried  about  ﬁnancing?  Pinnacle  Liberty  provides  fast  and  fair  loans  that  will  get  you  on   
  your  way  in  minutes.  Ask  your  local  Pinnacle  Liberty  customer  service  representative  to  ﬁnd   
  out  more  today!  
   
   
   
  Pinnacle  Liberty  
   
  “Slip  away  today”  
   
   
   
  Prime  City  is  the  default  setting  of  Neon  Black.  It  is  a  massive  urban  sprawl  protected  by  a   
  sea  wall  or  some  other  feat  of  corporate  geoengineering  to  keep  back  the  worst  e�ects  of   
  climate  change.  It  is  home  to  millions  of  people.  Many  already  lived  in  the  area  when  the   
  world  began  to  change,  others  ﬂed  here  as  the  oceans  spilled  into  coastal  cities  and  the   
  changing  climate  drove  people  to  safety.  Prime  City  is  a  mix  of  old  nationalities  and  cultures   
  from  across  the  planet.  
   
   
   
  171  
   
  
  Most  citizens  live  in  concrete  stacks  designed  to  house  thousands  of  families,  or  in  smaller   
  homes  on  the  streets  of  the  city.  Few  live  in  the  impressive  towers  of  the  Fivespires,  built  by   
  the  richest  of  the  ruling  corporations  to  house  their  managers,  o�cers,  and  executives.   
    
   
   
  Three  corporations  rule  the  city,  each  with  their  own  monopolies  on  di�erent  services  and   
  technologies.  These  companies  deﬁne  the  laws  of  Prime  City,  enforced  by  their  own  corporate   
  police  and  secret  agents.  The  governments  of  the  21st  century,  unable  to  bring  public   
  resources  to  bear  quickly  enough  to  save  humanity,  have  become  a  distant  memory.  Every   
  facet  of  life  is  produced  or  run  by  these  corporations  and  their  subsidiaries,  or  underworld   
  factions  who  run  black  markets,  private  havens,  and  try  to  create  a  new  way  of  life  in  Prime   
  City.  
   
  Timeline  
   
  ●
  2051  -  Pinnacle  One  is  completed.  This  small  habitat  on  the  moon  is  designed  for   
  refueling  and  launching  spacecraft  further  into  the  solar  system.  
   
  ●
  2100  -  An  estimated  1  billion  people  have  died  due  to  climate  change.   The  ﬁrst   
  corporate  city  states  begin  to  take  shape  as  climate  refugees  ﬂee  to  countries  and   
  cities  that  have  not  yet  failed.  
   
  ●
  2107  -  Scientiﬁc  breakthroughs  result  in  cheap  synthetic  proteins  and  vegetable  matter.   
  Synthetic  food  alternatives  quickly  surpass  traditional  farming  techniques.  
   
  ●
  2112  -  Ares,  the  ﬁrst  martian  colony,  is  founded.   The  base  helps  foster  space  tourism   
  and  the  creation  of  luxury  resorts  throughout  the  solar  system.  
   
  ●
  2118  -  The  ﬁrst  neural  link  is  sold.  This  basic  form  of  cyberware  displays  an  augmented   
  reality  interface.  
   
  ●
  2126  -  Two  long-term  rivals  in  the  personal  computing  market  announce  a  surprising   
  merger  to  form  the  Ziggurat  megacorporation.  The  new  company  makes  several   
  controversial  acquisitions  including  weapons  manufacturers.  
   
  ●
  2131  -  The  Coda  family  takes  control  of  the  Ziggurat  megacorporation.   
    
  ●
  2132  -  The  ﬁrst  human  being  voluntarily  replaces  each  part  of  their  body  with   
  cyberware.  They  become  the  world’s  ﬁrst  fully  synthetic  human.  
   
  ●
  2139  -  The  ﬁrst  manned  missions  to  Titan  and  Europa  launch.  Small  vacation  resorts  are   
  soon  constructed  as  destinations  for  the  wealthy.  
   
  ●
  2144  -  Storm  Solutions  merges  with  Exxol  Industries  to  form  the  Storm-Ex   
  megacorporation.  
   
  ●
  2153  -  The  ﬁrst  Live  Wire™  is  sold  to  the  public.  New  high-speed  civilian  models  quickly   
  replace  military  prototypes.  All  commercially  available  neural  links  are  soon  modiﬁed  to   
  accommodate  Live  Wire  technology.  
   
  ●
  2160  -  New  ‘Net  protocols  established.   Three-dimensional  public  ‘Netspaces  are   
  established  for  all  Live  Wire™  users  to  enjoy.  Hard  Light™  ‘Net  connections  become  the   
  new  standard  for  ‘Net  use.  
   
  172  
   
  
  ●
  2161  -  Galatea,  the  ﬁrst  Artiﬁcial  Intelligence,  is  created.  The  Storm-Ex   
  megacorporation  claims  ownership  and  guardianship  of  the  entity.  
   
  ●
  2167  -  The  ﬁrst  viable  HAUNT  is  transferred  from  a  human  brain.  Several  reports  of   
  earlier  encounters  and  phenomenon  on  the  ‘Net  cast  doubt  on  the  announcement.  
   
  ●
  2170  -  A  massive  family-friendly  media  conglomerate  rebrands  itself  as  Ishram   
  Entertainment.   Later,  it  is  reported  that  the  campaign  was  a  suggestion  proposed  by   
  one  the  conglomerate’s  AI’s.  
   
  ●
  2189  -  Wotan  is  created  by  Ziggurat.   They  are  the  ﬁrst  artiﬁcial  intelligence  to  be   
  housed  in  a  satellite  orbiting  the  planet.  
   
  ●
  2190  -  The  Corporate  War  begins.   Ziggurat,  Storm-Ex,  and  Ishram  Entertainment  battle   
  to  take  control  of  Prime  City.  The  city  is  engulfed  in  black-outs,  corporate   
  assassinations,  and  digital  warfare.    
  ●
  2193  -  The  Corporate  War  ends.  Ishram  Entertainment,  Storm-Ex,  and  the  Ziggurat   
  megacorporations  cease  hostilities  and  establish  the  Corporate  Management  Board.  
   
  ●
  2194  -  The  Coda  Family  is  forced  out  of  Ziggurat.  They  are  blamed  for  both  instigating   
  the  Corporate  War  and  failing  to  win  it  for  Ziggurat.   
    
  ●
  2199  -  The  present  Year.  
   
  City  Districts  
   
  The  distinct  districts  of  Prime  City  are  divided  into  vertical  slices.  This  represents  the  cramped   
  nature  of  the  city  and  the  top  down  attitude  adopted  by  wealthy  residents.  While  a  particular   
  district  could  cover  a  signiﬁcant  area  of  space,  it  is  assumed  that  speciﬁc  spots  within  a   
  district  are  easy  to  access  via  mundane  methods  of  transit.  For  example,  while  the  Stacks   
  district  might  take  up  the  area  of  a  modern  city,  it  is  assumed  that  a  character  could  travel   
  between  two  spots  within  the  Stacks  relatively  easily.   
    
   
   
  Travel  between  di�erent  districts  might  require  special  transport  or  a  run-in  with  whoever  lays   
  claim  to  that  particular  section  of  the  district.  For  example  in  order  to  get  from  the  Stacks  to   
  O�-World  you  would  need  to  secure  transport  on  a  corporate  shuttle,  or  deal  with  the  prying   
  eyes  of  corporate  security  on  Prime  City’s  space  elevator.  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  173  
   
  
  Streets  
   
  The  cramped  network  of  city  streets,  subways,  access  tunnels,  and  sewers  at  the  very  bottom   
  of  Prime  City.  On  the  street  you  can  ﬁnd  food  vendors,  vending  machines  for  everyday   
  corporate  products,  and  underground  blackmarkets  for  refurbished  corporate  goods.  
   
   
   
  All  the  junk  and  refuse  from  the  upper  levels  of  Prime  City  collects  in  the  Streets,  from  literal   
  trash  to  carelessly  discarded  luxuries  fallen  from  the  pockets  and  parties  of  the  city’s  elite  who   
  reside  hundreds  of  feet  above  in  Fivespires.  
   
   
   
  Crime  is  common  here,  though  rarely  addressed  unless  it  escalates  to  violence  or  infringement   
  on  corporate  laws  such  as  copyrights,  intellectual  property,  or  corporate  theft.  Underground   
  factions  have  more  power  here,  protecting  citizens  and  communities  from  authoritarian   
  corporate  law.  
   
   
   
  Scene :  Old  and  recovered  vehicles  slowly  moving  through  crowded  streets.  Corporate  vending   
  machines  covered  in  gra�ti.  Buskers,  food  carts,  and  makeshift  marketplaces.  People  with  old   
  and  damaged  cyberware,  simple  clothes,  and  underground  tattoos.  COPs  in  combat  armor   
  armed  with  assault  riﬂes.  
   
   
   
  Notable  Places  
   
   
   
  Walker’s  Refuge  LAN :  An  abandoned  warehouse  where  hundreds  of  people  come  to  play  video   
  games.  Old  salvaged  military  spider  tanks  power  the  ancient  computers  and  allow  them  to   
  connect  to  the  ‘Net.  Rumour  has  it  that  hacker  groups  and  criminal  syndicates  troll  Walker’s   
  Refuge  for  new  talent.  
   
   
   
  Rapid  Transit  Tunnels :  A  series  of  trains  and  rapid  people  movers  designed  for  public  and   
  private  use.  These  tunnels  run  under  Prime  City  and  occasionally  rise  above  ground  to  stop  at   
  the  Stacks  or  near  corporate  headquarters  and  shopping  centers.  
    
   
   
  Ślady :  A  neon  lit  lounge  and  casino.  Owned  by  the  Baza  Syndicate,  it  is  Prime  City’s  most   
  infamous  haunt  for  freelancers  and  ﬁxers.  Features  VIP  rooms,  gambling,  live  music,  and  the   
  cheapest  drinks  in  Prime  City.  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  174  
   
  
  Stacks  
   
  Prefabricated  buildings  around  100  stories  tall  made  of  concrete  and  metal  which  house  the   
  majority  of  Prime  City’s  population.  Each  stack  houses  around  ten  thousand  people  in   
  apartments  that  range  from  the  size  of  a  closet  to  one  or  two  rooms.  The  Stacks  also  house   
  small  businesses  and  corporate  store  fronts,  and  are  sometimes  connected  to  each  other  via   
  underground  access  tunnels,  bridges,  and  shared  rooftops,  many  of  which  were  created  from   
  improvised  materials  by  the  residents.  
   
   
   
  Each  Stack  is  it’s  own  microsociety,  with  a  distinct  community,  organizations,  and  small   
  family  owned  businesses.  Stacks  have  o�cial  addresses  and  corporate  ID  numbers,  but  also   
  have  colloquial  names  given  to  them  by  the  residents.   
    
   
   
  The  Stacks  are  home  to  corporate  wage-slaves  and  a  handful  of  corporately  owned  storefronts   
  and  entertainment  centers.  Most  corporate  products  are  sold  in  the  Stacks  through  private   
  resellers.  Some  Stacks,  like  those  near  corporate  manufacturing  districts,  are  more  closely   
  surveilled  by  the  megacorps  as  they  house  workers  and  low-level  management.   
    
   
   
  Scene :  Huge  humid  concrete  towers.  Hallways  and  pedestrian  bridges  choked  with   
  wage-slaves  and  punks.  Covered  and  uncovered  interior  courtyards  and  strip  malls.  Animated   
  advertisements  covered  in  local  gra�ti.  Views  of  concrete  walls  and  smoggy  vistas.  Smells  of   
  street  food,  sweat,  and  rusted  metal.  Conversations  about  high  prices,  the  news,  and  what’s   
  happening  tonight.  COPs  in  uniform  with  sidearms.  
   
   
   
  Notable  Places:  
   
   
   
  Stack  Z :  The  colloquial  name  for  Stack  PSO-ZZ9-PZA.  Located  near  the  corporate  industrial   
  purchases  out  in  the  Desert.  Stack  Z  is  a  hotbed  of  black  market  deals  and  intel  exchanges.   
  Factory  workers  and  corporate  spies  often  wind  up  in  Stack  Z  with  stolen  proprietary  tech  and   
  company  secrets  for  sale.  Some  of  them  even  survive  to  enjoy  their  credits.  
   
   
   
  Melo  Mart  Mega  Mall :  The  primary  shopping  district  in  Prime  City.  This  massive  mall  is  full  of   
  corporate  vending  machines  and  storefronts  representing  each  corporate  subsidiary.   
    
   
   
  The  Prophets  Returned  Mega  Church :  A  church  the  size  of  a  small  stadium  equipped  with   
  multiple  streaming  services  and  24/7  broadcasting  of  religious  services.   
    
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  175  
   
  
  Fivespires  
   
  Corporate  executives,  celebrities,  and  the  wealthy  of  Prime  City  live  in  one  of  the  Fivespires.   
  These  are  towers  hundreds  of  stories  tall,  reaching  above  cloud  and  smog  cover  and  delivering   
  truly  beautiful  sights  of  the  rest  of  Prime  City.  
   
   
   
  People  in  Fivespires  live  in  enclosed  multi-ﬂoor  mansions  and  penthouses  made  up  of  several  
  rooms,  often  with  support  sta�  and  servants.  Airspace  around  Fivespires  is  privately  owned   
  and  patrolled  by  COPs  to  preserve  the  resident’s  excellent  views  and  safety.  
   
   
   
  There  is  little  crime  here  aside  from  the  white  collar  crime  that  happens  in  secret  within  the   
  megacorps  and  the  occasional  daring  heist  by  less-fortunate  residents.  These  infractions  are   
  usually  handled  via  backroom  deals,  or  with  highly-skilled  corporate  operatives.  
   
   
   
  Scene :  Polished  and  clean  surfaces.  The  smell  of  synthetics,  perfume,  and  fresh  air.  People  in   
  ﬁne  clothes  with  sleek  cyberware.  Conversations  about  economics,  vacations,  and  idle  gossip.   
  Flying  cars,  spacious  freeways,  and  COP  patrols  in  discreet  vehicles.   
    
   
   
  Notable  Places:  
   
   
   
  The  Ziggurat  Hedron :  This  imposing  building  is  made  of  severe  geometric  shapes  that   
  resemble  a  pyramid.  The  Hedron  serves  as  headquarters  for  the  Ziggurat  corporation.   
    
   
   
  Ishram  Park :  A  large,  multi-tiered  campus  that  serves  as  headquarters  for  the  Ishram   
  Entertainment  corporation.  
   
   
   
  Storm-Ex  Control/The  Vine :  The  Storm-Ex  corporation’s  headquarters  also  serves  as  the  base   
  of  Prime  City’s  space  elevator,  known  as  the  Vine.  
   
   
   
  Coda  Tower :  A  slim,  crystalline  skyscraper  owned  by  one  of  the  wealthiest  families  in  Prime   
  City.  Rumour  has  it  that  after  losing  control  of  the  Ziggurat  corporation,  the  Coda  family  is   
  selling  real  estate  in  the  tower  to  ambitious  executives  and  wealthy  vice  dealers.  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  176  
   
  
  Orbit  
   
  Within  the  various  layers  of  the  Earth's  orbit  are  corporate  assets  and  residences,  research   
  stations,  and  satellites  with  dozens  of  uses.  Any  research  and  development  that  corporations   
  may  deem  too  important  or  dangerous  to  be  left  on  the  ground  is  often  housed  temporarily   
  within  their  orbital  assets.  
   
   
   
  Also  in  orbit  are  transit  stations  that  refuel  and  o�oad  cargo  and  passengers  heading  to  or   
  from  Earth,  which  are  then  transferred  to  Earth  via  shuttles  or  Prime  City’s  space  elevator.   
  Few  of  Prime  City’s  middle  or  lower  class  are  present  here.  Some  wage-slaves  are  sent  here  to   
  repair  corporate  tech,  load  cargo,  or  run  one  of  the  few  storefronts  in  corporate  transit   
  stations.  
   
   
   
  Scene :  Artiﬁcial  gravity  and  sloped  hallways.  Wage-slaves  in  posh  clothes  or  overalls.  Wealthy   
  families  on  vacation,  corporate  suits  on  business  trips.  Fake  plants  and  advertisements  for   
  luxury  products.  Corporate  shuttles  docked  behind  security  checkpoints  guarded  by  armed   
  COPs  with  cyberware.  
   
   
   
  Notable  Places:  
   
   
   
  Wotan’s  Orbital  Enclosure :   An  orbiting  satellite  controlled  by  Ziggurat  that  houses  Wotan,  an   
  artiﬁcial  intelligence.  
   
   
   
  New  Horizons  Research  Facility :  A  space  station  in  Earth’s  orbit  that  serves  as  housing  and   
  workspace  for  prominent  scientists  whose  work  requires  a  certain  distance  from  Earth’s  laws   
  and  morality.  
   
   
   
  Prime  City  Transit  Hub :  The  top  of  The  Vine  space  elevator  that  serves  as  a   
  loading/o�-loading  facility  for  cargo  and  passengers  in  transit  between  Earth  and  space.  A   
  fancy  gloriﬁed  airport.  
   
   
   
  Olympus  Station :  A  luxurious  resort  that  features  ﬁne  dining,  a  casino,  and  private  spaces   
  reserved  for  the  vices  of  the  extravagantly  wealthy.  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  177  
  
  O�-World  
   
  Over  the  last  generation  humanity  has  established  small  corporate  footholds  on  the  Moon,   
  Mars,  Titan,  and  Europa.  These  small  settlements  serve  primarily  as  resorts  for  the   
  extravagantly  wealthy,  or  decent  wage-slave  positions  for  those  privileged  or  lucky  enough  to   
  ﬁnd  them.  
   
   
   
  Crime  is  rare  in  the  space  between  worlds,  though  many  news  channels  are  heralding  the   
  dawn  of  space  piracy  as  corporate  executives  and  assets  are  stolen  or  kidnapped  by  the  less   
  fortunate.   
    
   
   
  Scene:   Small,  extravagant  resorts  with  massive  windows  displaying  breathtaking  views.   
  Private  shuttles  and  corporate  vessels  coming  and  going.  Advertisements  for  luxurious   
  products  and  services.  Gossip  about  corporate  power  plays  and  celebrities.  Automated   
  security  drones  and  robots,  personal  bodyguards.  
   
   
   
  Notable  Places:  
   
   
   
  Pinnacle  One:   Located  on  Earth’s  moon,  this  station  serves  as  a  primary  refueling  point  for   
  ships  as  they  travel  to  more  remote  parts  of  the  solar  system.   
    
   
   
  Ares:  A  small  colony  of  wealthy  vacationers  and  terraforming  labourers  on  Mars.  The  arcology   
  is  divided  into  private  spaces  for  those  getting  away  from  Earth,  and  living  spaces  and   
  workshops  for  those  who  are  trying  to  remake  Mars  into  something  more  inviting.  
   
   
   
  Europa  Station:   The  furthest  luxury  outpost  of  humanity.  Maintained  by  the  Pinnacle  Liberty   
  company.  A  handful  of  scientists  maintain  a  lab  here  for  studying  the  planet  and  plunging  the   
  moon's  icy  depths,  searching  for  extraterrestrial  life.  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  178  
   
  
  The  Desert  
   
  The  Desert  describes  the  world  outside  the  protection  of  city  states  like  Prime  City.  It  is  where   
  you  can  ﬁnd  massive  ﬁelds  of  solar  panels  and  ﬁelds  of  synthetic  crops,  as  well  as  warehouses,   
  factories,  and  dormitories  for  corporate  workers.  
   
   
   
  People  who  live  here  without  corporate  jobs  do  not  enjoy  the  privileges  of  corporate   
  protection,  and  are  left  to  fend  for  themselves  in  what  remains  of  the  world  after  the  climate   
  disasters  that  befell  it.   It  is  rumoured  that  there  exist  secure  and  peaceful  communities  in  the   
  Desert  ruled  by  archaic  public  governments,  as  well  as  anarchistic  nomads  who  survive  by   
  stealing  from  others.  
   
   
   
  Scene:  Dusty  and  dry  landscapes.  Flooded  ruins.  Old  tech  abandoned  in  the  wasteland.   
  Ancient  rusted  advertising  billboards.  Massive  ﬁelds  of  solar  panels  and  tall  expansive  factory   
  buildings.  Occasional  cars  and  ships  passing  by  overhead,  nomadic  communities  salvaging   
  food  and  tech.   The  lights  of  Prime  City  in  the  distance.  
   
   
   
  Notable  Places:  
   
   
   
  Abandoned  Cities:   Once  thriving  metropolises,  now  rusted  and  broken  ruins.  Home  to  nomads,   
  raiders,  and  those  wishing  to  escape  the  eyes  of  the  corporations.  
   
   
   
  Solar  Fields:   Thousands  of  acres  of  solar  panels  laid  out  in  grids  around  Prime  City.  Small   
  families  and  the  occasional  corporate  wage-slave  keep  these  ﬁelds  operating  to  power  the   
  excess  of  Prime  City.  
   
   
   
  Corporate  Industrial  Purchases:  Huge  factories  and  storage  warehouses  were  the  three  major   
  corporations  of  Prime  City  manufacture  and  hold  their  products.  Located  at  the  very  outskirts   
  of  Prime  City.  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  179  
   
  
  Factions  
   
  All  the  factions  of  Prime  City  are  detailed  in  this  chapter.  Each  section  includes  their  name,   
  tier  (in  brackets),  corporate  slogan,  and  notable  details.  
   
   
   
  The  factions  of  Prime  City  fall  into  3  broad  categories:  the  subsidiaries  of  the  3   
  megacorporations  that  rule  Prime  City,  and  the  underground  factions  who  oppose  and  subvert   
  corporate  dominance.  
   
   
   
  Ishram  Entertainment:  
   
  ●
  Gemini  (II):   Two  radically  augmented  corporate  agents  
  ●
  New  Horizons  (II):   A  think  tank  of  scientists,  programmers,  and  engineers  
   
  ●
  Pinnacle  Liberty  (IV):   A  travel  company  specializing  in  vacations  for  the  rich  
   
  ●
  Prime  News  Network  (III):  Prime  City’s  primary  news  and  journalism  company  
   
  ●
  The  Prophets  Returned  (IV):   A  large  conservative  religious  company  
   
  ●
  Sim-K-One  (I):   Prime  City’s  most  famous  simulstreaming  personality  
   
  ●
  SimulStream.tv  (III):  Streaming  tech  that  includes  sharing  physiological  experiences  
   
  ●
  The  Tank  (V):  A  network  of  AIs  using  prisoners  and  volunteers  to  process  data  
   
  ●
  YouFlix  Media:   Produces  and  streams  corporate  media  and  video  sharing  platforms  
   
   
   
  Storm-Ex:  
   
  ●
  AgriCorp  (V):   The  food  providers  of  Prime  City  
   
  ●
  Constellation  Consolidated  Foods  (II):  A  conglomeration  of  fast  food  franchises  
   
  ●
  Corporate  Management  Board  (IV):  The  corporate  governing  body  of  Prime  City  
   
  ●
  Exotique  (I):   Trendy  fashion  designers  recently  acquired  by  the  Storm-Ex  megacorp  
   
  ●
  Hard  Light  (III):  Prime  City’s  fastest  ‘Net  service  provider  
   
  ●
  Melo  Mart  (IV):  Prime  City’s  largest  shopping  mall  
   
  ●
  Prime  City  Operations  (III):   Organizes  utilities,  infrastructure,  and  housing  
   
  ●
  Prime  Convoys  (II):  This  rideshare  company  is  the  city’s  only  public  transportation  
   
  ●
  Tano  Financial  (IV):   Prime  City’s  biggest  and  wealthiest  bank  
   
  ●
  Thoth  (III):  An  AI  that  surviels  and  policies  other  AIs  
   
  ●
  Zephyr  Automotive  (III):  A  luxury  vehicle  manufacturer  
   
   
   
  Ziggurat:  
   
  ●
  Buran  Aeronautics  (IV):  The  premier  space  tech  company  in  Prime  City  
   
  ●
  The  Coda  Family  (III):   The  richest  family  in  Prime  City  
   
  ●
  Corporate  Order  Police  (III):   (COPs)  enforce  corporate  laws  throughout  Prime  City  
   
  ●
  Drayton  Software  (II):  Develops  the  ubiquitous  software  of  Prime  City  
   
  ●
  Phace  Augmentations  (V):   Leaders  in  cyberware  and  life  extension  technology  
   
  ●
  Prime  Health  Insurance  (II):   Prime  City’s  sole  corporate  health  care  providers  
   
  ●
  Project  C.A.R.V.  (I) :  An  autonomous  and  lethal  law  enforcement  vehicle  
   
  180  
   
  
  ●
  Temple  Hardware  (IV):  Manufacturers  and  designers  of  most  hardware  and  computers  
   
  ●
  Wotan  (III):   A  rebellious  artiﬁcial  intelligence  housed  in  an  orbiting  satellite  
   
   
   
  Underground:  
   
  ●
  Baza  Syndicate  (IV):  The  largest  organized  anti-corporate  movement  in  the  city  
   
  ●
  Brandy  Rogue  (II):   Space  pirates  who  steal  corporate  tech  and  kidnap  executives  
   
  ●
  City  Council  (II):  The  last  vestige  of  public  representation  in  Prime  City  
   
  ●
  The  Constant  (III):  An  infamous  information  broker  and  ﬁxer  
   
  ●
  Dead  Prompt  (III):  Radically  augmented  people  seeking  to  free  AIs  
   
  ●
  Guillotines  (II):  Kidnappers  and  splicers  who  steal  and  reuse  cyberware  from  the  rich  
   
  ●
  Hacksaw  Coil  (II):   The  most  popular  singer  in  Prime  City’s  punk  scene  
   
  ●
  Hermes  Guild  Couriers  (I):  An  independent  union  of  bike  couriers  
   
  ●
  The  Mendicants  (II):   Wandering  monks  and  ascetics  seeking  spiritual  enlightenment  
   
  ●
  Pawners  Guild  (II):  A  union  of  independent  store  owners  
   
  ●
  Sin  Eaters  (I):  A  professional  group  of  con  artists,  thieves,  and  dream  hackers  
   
  ●
  White  Rabbit  (III):   Hackers  and  punks  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  181  
   
  
  AgriCorp   (V)  
   
  The  largest  provider  of  bulk  food  and  textiles  in  Prime  City,  seeking  to  create  a  monopoly  on   
  all  organic  material.  
   
   
   
  Corporate  slogan :  “The  food  of  tomorrow,  today!”  
   
   
   
  Notable  NPCs  
   
  ●
  Mitsu  Jann   (CEO,  she/her,  collector,  no  cyberware,  obsessed )   
    
  ●
  Seeker  Seven  (Head  of  Biological  Material  Acquisition,  he/him,  stealthy,  cold-blooded,   
  perceptive ).  
   
  ●
  Phoebe  Phillips   (farm  manager,  she/her,  tattoos,  owns  rare  art,  reclusive )  
   
   
   
  Notable  Assets:  
   
  ●
  A  collection  of  some  of  the  last  organic  plants  and  animals  on  Earth  
   
  ●
  Hundreds  of  vending  machines  
   
  ●
  Synthetic  farms  and  manufacturing  facilities  
   
  ●
  Textile  factories  
   
  ●
  Headquarters  in  Fivespires  
   
   
   
  Quirks:   Rising  through  the  ranks  of  the  Agricorp  company  is  based  partly  on  your  collection  of   
  organic  pets  and  natural  relics  from  the  past.  
   
   
   
  Situation:  AgriCorp  wants  to  be  the  sole  provider  of  food  and  clothing  materials  in  Prime  City   
  and  eventually  the  world.  To  do  this  they  have  been  buying  out,  acquiring,  and  destroying   
  their  competition  for  decades.  They  are  currently  synthesizing  their  own  variety  of  animals   
  and  plants  to  sell  as  products.  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  182  
   
  
  Baza   Syndicate   (IV)  
   
  The  largest  anti-corporate  organization  in  Prime  City.  
   
   
   
  Notable  NPCs:   
    
  ●
  Barossa  (Syndicate  boss,  he/they,   well-dressed,  cybernetic  spider  legs,  lounge  singer,   
  sly )  
   
  ●
  Kaziv  Wu-Bai  (Syndicate  lieutenant,  he/him,  addicted,  ambitious,  short-tempered )  
   
  ●
  Alloy  Nova  (Syndicate  enforcer,  she/her,  mesh  shirt,  cyberarms,  silent )  
   
   
   
  Notable  Assets:  
   
  ●
  Corporate  blackmail  
   
  ●
  Stolen  corporate  hardware  
   
  ●
  “Ślady”  the  lounge/casino  that  serves  as  the  Baza  Syndicate’s  informal  HQ  
   
  ●
  Vice  dens  
   
  ●
  Hacking  farms  
   
  ●
  Night  clubs  
   
  ●
  Repurposed  corporate  warehouses  
   
  ●
  A  few  independent  Stacks  
   
   
   
  Quirks:   Many  Baza  fronts  and  aliases  are  named  after  di�erent  kinds  of  ﬁsh.  
   
   
   
  Situation:  The  Baza  Syndicate  have  been  competing  with  the  megacorps  for  control  of  Prime   
  City  for  years.  They  have  built  and  funded  independent  Stacks  and  supported  independent   
  businesses.  Now  the  people  who  work  for  the  Syndicate  worry  that  the  leadership  have   
  become  too  complacent  and  wealthy,  funding  vice  dens  and  information  gathering  hacking   
  farms  rather  than  supporting  the  citizen’s  needs.  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  183  
   
  
  Brandy   Rogue   (II)  
   
  A  small  group  of  space  pirates  who  survive  by  stealing  corporate  tech  and  ransoming   
  vacationing  executives.  
   
   
   
  Notable  NPCs:   
    
  ●
  Brandy  (Captain,  she/her,   cyberware,  easy-going,  socialist,  tall,  lanky,  red  hair )  
   
  ●
  Natalya  Ocano  (First  O�cer,  she/her,  tattooed,  suspicious,  shaved  head )  
   
  ●
  Icon  Rain  (Chief  engineer,  he/him,  cyberware,  red  dreadlocks,  hoarder )  
   
   
   
  Notable  Assets:  
   
  ●
  “The  Brandy  Wine,”  a  fast  and  stealthy  space  cruiser  
   
  ●
  Tough  crew  adept  at  spacewalks  
   
  ●
  Caches  of  tech  and  wealth  hidden  in  remote  parts  of  space  
   
  ●
  A  secret  hideout  outside  Prime  City  
   
   
   
  Quirks:   Many  smaller  pirate  bands  have  tried  and  failed  to  establish  themselves  like  Brandy   
  Rogue.  
   
   
   
  Situation:  While  space  piracy  is  still  in  its  infancy,  the  Brandy  Rogue  needs  allies  and  safe   
  ports  in  order  to  survive  among  increased  corporate  security.  
   
   
   
  Buran   Aeronautics   (IV)  
   
  Prime  City’s  primary  space  technology  company.  
   
   
   
  Corporate  Slogan:  “The  stars  are  in  your  grasp.”  
   
   
   
  Notable  NPCs:   
    
  ●
  New  Hyden   (CEO,  she/her,  professional,  sharp,  cutthroat )  
   
  ●
  Madeline  Burn  (Head  of  R&D,  she/her,  workaholic,  loner,  paranoid )  
   
  ●
  Donovan  “Chill”  Slayton  (Test  pilot,  he/him,  daredevil,  gambler,  tough )  
   
   
   
  Notable  Assets:  
   
  ●
  Several  spacecraft  including  transport  space  shuttles  
   
  ●
  Prototype  space  technology  
   
  ●
  Space  shuttle  pilots  
   
  ●
  Space  stations  
   
  ●
  Factories  
   
  ●
  O�ces  in  Fivespires  
   
   
   
  Quirks:   The  company  is  named  after  an  old  failed  Soviet  space  shuttle.  Some  employees  think  
  this  name  is  a  curse.  
   
   
   
  Situation:  In  order  to  secure  corporate  property  and  other  interests,  Buran  Aeronautics  is  set   
  to  unveil  a  brand  new  weapons  platform  that  can  neutralize  potential  threats  in  space.  
   
   
   
  184  
   
  
  City   Council   (II)  
   
  Long-su�ering  lawyers  and  public  servants  ﬁghting  a  losing  battle  against  corporate  greed   
  and  privatization.   
    
   
   
  Notable  NPCs:   
    
  ●
  Annalle  Sonoda  (chief  councilor,   she/her,  driven,  messy,  tall )  
   
  ●
  Martin  Locke  (lawyer,  he/him,  ex-punk,  tattoos,  clever )  
   
  ●
  “Trivia”  (corporate  spy,  they/them,  cautious,  prototype  cyberware,  quiet )  
   
   
   
  Notable  Assets:  
   
  ●
  Lawyers  
   
  ●
  Corporate  informants  
   
  ●
  Records  of  corporate  crimes  and  misdeeds  
   
  ●
  O�ce  and  public  forum  in  the  Stacks  
   
   
   
  Quirks:   The  council  relies  heavily  on  volunteer  work  and  donations  to  survive.  
   
   
   
  Situation:  The  council  needs  strong  allies  to  survive  the  blowback  from  corporations  when   
  they  expose  corporate  malfeasance  and  take  back  the  rights  and  property  of  Prime  City’s   
  citizens.  
   
   
   
  The   Coda   Family   (III)  
   
  The  wealthiest  family  in  Prime  City,  seeking  vengeance  on  the  board  of  directors  of  Ziggurat.  
   
   
   
  Notable  NPCs:   
    
  ●
  Glory  Coda  (Former  Ziggurat  CEO,  she/her,  calculating,  cyber  tail,  paranoid )  
   
  ●
  Emmanuel  Coda  (eldest  family  member,  he/him,  stoic,  stubborn,  cold )  
   
  ●
  Calamitant  Coda  (youngest  family  member,  she/her,  alcoholic,  cyberware,  psychonaut,   
  tattoos )  
   
   
   
  Notable  Assets:  
   
  ●
  Coda  Tower  (one  of  the  Fivespires)  
   
  ●
  Signiﬁcant  wealth  and  investments  
   
  ●
  Several  favours  owed  among  the  factions  of  Prime  City  
   
  ●
  Several  clones  and  data  backups  of  each  family  member  
   
   
   
  Quirks:   Each  member  of  the  Coda  family  is  wealthy  enough  for  their  own  private  bodyguards,   
  prototype  cyberware,  and  clone  replacements.   
    
   
   
  Situation:  The  Coda  family  once  held  every  major  position  in  the  Ziggurat  megacorporation.  At   
  the  end  of  the  Corporate  War  the  Coda  family  were  forced  out  of  the  company.  Now  they  plot   
  vengeance  against  their  enemies,  both  real  and  perceived,  through  freelance  agents  and   
  synthetic  assassins.  
   
   
   
   
   
  185  
   
  
  The   Constant   (III)  
   
  Prime  City’s  best  and  most  infamous  information  broker,  good  at  ﬁnding  secrets  and  setting   
  up  interesting  scores.  
   
   
   
  Notable  NPCs:   
    
  ●
  The  Constant  (information  broker,  they/them,  mysterious,  di�cult  to  contact,  secretive )  
   
  ●
  Zekiel  (bar  owner,  he/him,  huge,  ex-punk,  ex-military,  ex-corporate )  
   
  ●
  Flynn  (punk  courier,  she/her,  foul-mouthed,  cyberarm,  cyberlegs )  
   
  ●
  Mr.  Horatio   (face/ﬁxer,  he/him,  rich  clothes,  condescending,  wealthy )  
   
   
   
  Notable  Assets:  
   
  ●
  Corporate  and  underground  spies  
   
  ●
  Secrets  and  blackmail  
   
  ●
  Secret  hideout  in  the  Desert  
   
   
   
  Quirks:   The  Constant  never  meets  their  clients  or  contractors  in  person.  Some  believe  the   
  Constant  isn’t  even  a  singular  person,  but  a  group  of  info  brokers,  ﬁxers,  and  spies.  
   
   
   
  Situation:  The  Constant  collects  info,  data,  and  secrets  from  every  corner  of  Prime  City  and   
  the  ‘Net.  They  sell  it,  horde  it,  or  use  it  to  facilitate  promising  jobs.  This  means  the  Constant   
  has  friends  and  enemies  in  every  faction  of  Prime  City.  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  186  
   
  
  Constellation   Consolidated   Foods   (II)  
   
  A  group  of  fast  food  and  co�ee  franchises  spread  across  Prime  City.  
   
   
   
  Corporate  Slogan:  “The  most  important  visit  of  your  day.”  
   
   
   
  Notable  NPCs:   
    
  ●
  Brett  Mika  (CEO,  he/him,  lazy,  eats  out  every  day,  hidden  cyberware )   
    
  ●
  Darryl  “Sapphire”  Sabine   (Director  of  Creative  Food  Products,  he/him,  blue  suits,   
  a�able,  hands-on )  
   
  ●
  Elsy   (franchise  manager,  she/her,  overworked,  part-time  artist,  shaved  head ).  
   
   
   
  Notable  Assets:  
   
  ●
  Food  and  chemical  formulas  
   
  ●
  Key  property  locations  
   
  ●
  Advertising  contracts  
   
  ●
  Hundreds  of  stores  across  the  city   
    
  ●
  Head  o�ce  in  Fivespires  
   
  ●
  Factories  and  warehouses  in  the  Desert  
   
   
   
  Quirks:   Each  restaurant  and  storefront  uses  similar  procedures  and  technology  to  make  their   
  food,  allowing  the  easy  transition  of  customer  service  sta�.  
   
   
   
  Situation:  This  corporation  is  constantly  releasing  new  cheap  and  addictive  foods,  as  well  as   
  muscling  out  small  independent  businesses  to  set  up  new  franchises.  They  are  always  looking   
  for  new  property  and  space  to  take  in  Prime  City.  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  187  
   
  
  Corporate   Management   Board   (V)  
   
  Elected  representatives  of  each  megacorporation,  who  decide  major  Prime  City  issues  and   
  mediate  disputes  between  the  corporations.   
    
   
   
  Notable  NPCs:   
    
  ●
  Virtue  Callahan  (Storm-Ex  representative,  she/her,  strong,  resourceful,  egotistical,   
  cyber  legs )  
   
  ●
  Yuki  Kingston   (Ishram  Entertainment  representative,  she/her,  observant,  greedy,   
  perfectionist,  cyber  eyes )  
   
  ●
  Weston  Stoyer   (Ziggurat  representative,  he/him,  cold,  impatient,  mostly  cyberware )  
   
   
   
  Notable  Assets:  
   
  ●
  Information  about  corporate  disputes  and  executives  
   
  ●
  Corporate  taxes  
   
  ●
  Future  plans  for  Prime  City  
   
  ●
  Boardroom  and  o�ce  in  Fivespires  
   
   
   
  Quirks:   While  meetings  of  the  board  are  public,  the  real  decisions  that  a�ect  the  city  and  the   
  megacorps  often  happen  behind  closed  doors.  
   
   
   
  Situation:  Tired  of  constantly  ﬁghting  the  representatives  of  the  public,  the  board  will  meet   
  soon  to  discuss  how  to  eliminate  the  City  Council.  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  188  
   
  
  Corporate   Order   Police   (III)  
   
  Known  on  the  street  as  COPs,  these  o�cers  patrol  the  streets  and  enforce  the  laws  of  the   
  megacorporations.    
   
   
  Corporate  Slogan:  “Your  ﬁrst  line  of  defense.”  
   
   
   
  Notable  NPCs:   
    
  ●
  Lieutenant  Maris  Joshi   (Commander,  she/her,  sly,  warm,  martial  artist )  
   
  ●
  Ezekiel  Cut  (shift  sargeant,  they/them,  joker,  laid  back,  absent-minded )  
   
  ●
  Kim  Swaze   (patrol  o�cer,  she/her,  idealistic,  cyberlegs,  tough )  
   
   
   
  Notable  Assets:  
   
  ●
  O�cers  patrolling  each  district  
   
  ●
  Special  operations  units  
   
  ●
  Cybercrime  division  
   
  ●
  Warrants  &  bounties  
   
  ●
  Headquarters  in  the  Stacks  
   
  ●
  Local  precincts  in  each  city  district  
   
   
   
  Quirks:   Members  of  the  COPs  work  to  protect  the  interests  of  capitalism  and  the  corporations   
  who  employ  them,  and  therefore  are  usually  willing  to  accept  a  few  credits  to  turn  a  blind  eye   
  to  illegal  activities.  It’s  all  just  money  to  them.  
   
   
   
  Situation:  Caught  between  the  desires  of  their  megacorporate  masters  and  their  greed,  the  
  COPs  are  looking  to  raid  and  seize  underground  property  for  themselves,  speciﬁcally  the  Baza   
  Syndicate.  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  189  
   
  
  Dead   Prompt   (III)  
   
  Radically  augmented  idealists  and  transhumanists  seeking  to  transcend  through  cyberware   
  and  digitized  consciousness.  
   
   
   
  Notable  NPCs:   
    
  ●
  Zero-One  (Leader,  they/them,  digital,  passionate,  righteous )  
   
  ●
  F-Four  (Lead  hacker,  she/her,  cyberware,  clever,  prankster )  
   
  ●
  H4LL3LLUJ4H   (lieutenant,  they/them,  recent  convert,  cyberware,  ﬁghter )  
   
   
   
  Notable  Assets:  
   
  ●
  Hacker  farms  
   
  ●
  Unique  cyberware  
   
  ●
  Digital  copies  of  of  past  and  present  members  
   
  ●
  Exclusive  ‘Netspaces  
   
  ●
  Hidden  sanctuaries  
   
  ●
  Old  HAUNTs  
   
   
   
  Quirks:   Each  member  regularly  creates  digital  backups  of  their  memories  and  cognitive   
  functions  in  case  they  die  before  they  can  transcend  into  HAUNTs.  
   
   
   
  Situation:  Dead  Prompt  wants  to  communicate  with  the  megacorporation’s  mysterious   
  artiﬁcial  intelligences.  They  are  looking  to  kidnap  members  of  New  Horizons,  or  seize  their   
  research.  Their  stance  on  cyberware  and  digital  transcendence  often  mean  that  members  of   
  Dead  Prompt  are  singled  out  and  assaulted  by  members  of  the  Prophets  Returned   
  megachurch.  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  190  
   
  
  Drayton   Software   (II)  
   
  Prime  City’s  premier  software  development  company.  
   
   
   
  Corporate  Slogan:  “The  world  at  your  ﬁngertips.”  
   
   
   
  Notable  NPCs:   
    
  ●
  Tabula  Drayton  (CEO,  she/her,  old,  conservative,  unpleasant )  
   
  ●
  Promise  Drayton  (Head  of  development,  she/her,  ambitious,  visionary,  coder )  
   
  ●
  Heir  Halbech  (head  of  ‘Net  security,  he/him,  hidden  cyberware,  cold,  obsessive )  
   
   
   
  Notable  Assets:  
   
  ●
  The  Drayton  Operating  System  (used  by  almost  everyone  in  Prime  City)  
   
  ●
  ICE  programs  
   
  ●
  Thousands  of  programmers  
   
  ●
  O�ces  in  the  Stacks  
   
  ●
  Head  o�ce  in  Fivespires  
   
   
   
  Quirks:   Drayton  Software’s  CEO  is  using  bleeding-edge  cyberware  and  augmentations  to   
  extend  her  life  and  keep  a  stranglehold  of  the  company.  Employees  are  often  locked  into  the   
  o�ce  when  management  wants  them  to  work  overtime.  
   
   
   
  Situation:  Promise  Drayton,  daughter  of  CEO  Tabula  Drayton,  is  seeking  to  usurp  her  mother   
  as  leader  of  the  company.  
   
   
   
  Exotique   (I)  
   
  A  new  and  trendy  clothing  designer  in  Prime  City,  about  to  be  acquired  by  Storm-Ex  
   
   
  Corporate  Slogan:  “Look  new.”  
   
   
   
  Notable  NPCs:   
    
  ●
  Raphael  Rain   (CEO,  they/them,  greedy,  daring,  charismatic )  
   
  ●
  Kalem  Rhyme  (lead  designer,  he/him,  idealistic,  open,  stubborn )  
   
  ●
  Trinh  (salesperson,  she/her,  experienced,  poor,  easygoing )  
   
   
   
  Notable  Assets:  
   
  ●
  Fashion  designs  
   
  ●
  List  of  corporate  clients  
   
  ●
  Exclusive  storefront  
   
  ●
  New  corporate  warehouse  
   
   
   
  Quirks:   Many  corporate  executives  have  started  to  contract  Exotique  for  private  ﬁttings  and   
  custom  clothing.  
   
   
   
  Situation:  The  managers  of  Exotique  are  deeply  divided  about  their  possible  acquisition  by  the   
  Storm-Ex  megacorporation  and  their  ﬁrst  corporate  product  launch.  
   
  191  
   
  
  Gemini   (II)  
   
  The  deadliest  corporate  operatives  in  Prime  City.  
   
   
   
  Notable  NPCs:   
    
  ●
  Gemini  (assassin,  he/they,  radically  augmented,  deadly,  silent )  
   
  ●
  Gemini   (hacker,   she/they,  radically  augmented,  deadly,  clever )  
   
   
   
  Notable  Assets:  
   
  ●
  Lazarus  beds  
   
  ●
  Private  gym  
   
  ●
  Bleeding-edge  weapons,  hardware,  and  cyberware  
   
  ●
  Penthouse  apartments  
   
  ●
  Secret  weapon  caches  
   
  ●
  Safehouses  
   
   
   
  Quirks:   Gemini’s  tools,  augmentations,  and  even  their  lives  are  wholly  owned  by  Ishram   
  Entertainment.  They  are  contracted  out  to  any  company  who  can  a�ord  them.  
   
   
   
  Situation:  The  Gemini  twins  have  been  secretly  contracted  by  the  Ziggurat  megacorporation’s   
  board  of  directors  to  assassinate  the  Coda  family  one  by  one.  
   
   
   
  Guillotines   (II)  
   
  Kidnappers,  splicers,  and  punks  who  specialize  in  extracting  and  reselling  extravagant   
  cyberware.  
   
   
   
  Notable  NPCs:   
    
  ●
  Steel  “Johnny”  Jones  (leader,  he/they,  punk,  smoker,  meticulous  planner )  
   
  ●
  Morgana  “Knives”  (cyberware  expert,  she/her,  ex-corporate,  pink  hair,  cyber  hands,   
  covered  in  tattoos )  
   
  ●
  “Grim”  Flynn  (extraction  specialist,   he/him,  military  veteran,  cyberlimbs,  tactical,   
  prepared )  
   
   
   
  Notable  Assets:  
   
  ●
  Cyberware  specialists  
   
  ●
  Armored  vans  
   
  ●
  Loyal  communities  
   
  ●
  Hidden  safehouse  
   
  ●
  Hidden  clinic  
   
   
   
  Quirks:   The  Guillotines  almost  never  kill  their  victims,  instead  leaving  them  near  hospitals,   
  temporarily  helpless  and  stripped  of  their  cyberware.  
   
   
   
  Situation:  The  Guillotines  use  the  proﬁts  from  reselling  corpo  cyberware  to  throw  the   
  occasional  block  party  within  a  Stack,  where  they  often  install  reclaimed  cyberware  for  those   
  who  need  it.  
   
  192  
   
  
  Hacksaw   Coil   (II)  
   
  The  most  infamous  musician  in  Prime  City’s  underground.  
   
   
   
  Notable  NPCs:   
    
  ●
  Hacksaw  Coil  (lead  singer/guitarist,  he/him,  artistic,  anti-corporate,  vain )  
   
  ●
  Sola  Sand   (drummer,  she/her,  intelligent,  quiet,  cyberarms )  
   
  ●
  Todd  Holtz   (manager,  he/him,  devoted,  brutal,  single-minded )  
   
   
   
  Notable  Assets:  
   
  ●
  Free  subversive  music  
   
  ●
  Thousands  of  dedicated  fans  
   
  ●
  Fan  clubs  
   
  ●
  Popular  crowdfunding  ‘Netspace  
   
   
   
  Quirks:   Hacksaw  Coil  releases  his  music  for  free,  and  he  and  his  bandmates  live  o�  of   
  generous  donations  from  their  fans.  
   
   
   
  Situation:  Hacksaw  Coil  regularly  sets  up  illegal  concerts  in  the  streets  and  stacks  of  Prime   
  City  to  demonstrate  against  the  megacorporations  and  gain  more  fans.  The  band  has  recently   
  started  promoting  and  producing  the  work  of  other  independent  artists.  
   
   
   
  Hard   Light   (III)  
   
  The  fastest  ‘Net  service  provider  in  Prime  City.  
   
   
   
  Corporate  Slogan:  “Faster  than  light.”  
   
   
   
  Notable  NPCs:   
    
  ●
  Dia  Tian  (CEO,  s he/her,  thin,  resolute,  sharp  dresser )  
   
  ●
  Sever  Sinclaire  (chief  security  manager,  she/they,  cyberware,  smoker,  paranoid )  
   
  ●
  Corey  Steiger  (programmer,  she/her,  ex-hacker,  tattoos,  poor )  
   
   
   
  Notable  Assets:  
   
  ●
  Personal  data  on  millions  of  ‘Net  users  
   
  ●
  ‘Net  infrastructure  
   
  ●
  Custom  ICE  
   
  ●
  ‘Net  servers  
   
  ●
  O�ces  in  Fivespires  
   
   
   
  Quirks:   The  fastest  ‘Net  and  deadliest  weapons  in  Prime  City  are  both  created  using  hard  light   
  technology.  
   
   
   
  Situation:  In  response  to  the  rise  of  anti-corporate  groups  and  organized  hacker  farms,  Hard   
  Light  has  teamed  up  with  Drayton  Software  to  release  a  new  line  of  corporate  black  ICE.  
   
   
   
   
   
  193  
   
  
  Hermes   Guild   Couriers   (I)  
   
  An  independent  group  of  messengers  who  use  a  variety  of  means  to  transport  letters  and   
  packages  in  Prime  City.  
   
   
   
  Corporate  Slogan:  “First.  Always.”  
   
   
   
  Notable  NPCs:   
    
  ●
  Veronika  Wise  (guild  president,  she/her,  utilitarian,  lean,  loyal )  
   
  ●
  “ Sylvan  Surfer”  (courier,  she/her,  cyberears,  cyberboard,  fast )  
   
  ●
  Mike  “Handles”  Hiro  (mechanic,  he/him,  cyber  hands,  greasy,  overworked )  
   
   
   
  Notable  Assets:  
   
  ●
  Sensitive  corporate  information  
   
  ●
  High-tech  and  custom  bicycles,  boards,  and  other  personal  propulsion  systems  
   
  ●
  Special  reserved  lanes  
   
  ●
  Secret  shortcuts  and  passages  
   
   
   
  Quirks:   Guild  members  must  have  no  a�liation  with  any  megacorporate  company  before  they   
  join  in  order  to  maintain  the  guild’s  independance  and  trust  with  their  clients.  
   
   
   
  Situation:  The  leadership  of  the  guild  suspect  that  they  have  been  inﬁltrated  by  one  or  more   
  corporate  moles.  Employees  are  working  with  the  City  Council  to  form  a  union,  one  of  the  few   
  left  in  Prime  City.  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  194  
   
  
  Melo   Mart   (IV)  
   
  A  massive  shopping  center  in  the  heart  of  Prime  City.  
   
   
   
  Corporate  Slogan:  “Everything  you  need.”  
   
   
   
  Notable  NPCs:   
    
  ●
  Kilo  Quinton  (CEO,  he/him,  jovial,  soft,  generous )  
   
  ●
  Quest  Zachary  (head  of  product  development,  he/him,  stern,  honest,  cybereyes )  
   
  ●
  Golden  Chenova  (head  of  security,  she/her,  ambitious,  deal-maker,  principled )  
   
   
   
  Notable  Assets:  
   
  ●
  Massive  multi-level  mall  that  stretches  for  several  city  blocks  
   
  ●
  Thousands  of  employees  
   
  ●
  Cheapest  consumer  goods  in  Prime  City  
   
  ●
  Warehouses  full  of  products  
   
  ●
  ‘Netspaces  and  services  
   
   
   
  Quirks:   Melo  Mart’s  mascot  is  an  aspirational  cartoon  character  named  Melo.  Their   
  appearance  and  characteristics  change  based  on  who  is  watching  them  at  the  time.  
   
   
   
  Situation:  Always  looking  to  cut  costs,  Melo  Mart  regularly  lays  o�  employees  who  don’t  meet   
  the  company's  unattainable  fulﬁllment  goals  or  fail  to  blend  in  with  corporate  culture.  The   
  Melo  Mart  mall  is  always  looking  to  expand  and  take  over  more  of  Prime  City.  
   
   
   
  The   Mendicants   (II)  
   
  Seekers  of  new  spiritual  truths  and  philosophies  through  shedding  material  connections.  
   
   
   
  Notable  NPCs:   
    
  ●
  Lindsy  (monk,   she/her,  patient,  quiet,  wandering )  
   
  ●
  Tabby  (monk,  she/her,  old,  wise,  empathetic )  
   
  ●
  Salem  (monk,  he/they,  writer,  speaker,  insightful ).  
   
   
   
  Notable  Assets:  
   
  ●
  Philosophical  books  and  teachings  
   
  ●
  Charismatic  speakers  
   
  ●
  Promises  of  enlightenment  and  happiness  
   
  ●
  Small  community  spaces  in  the  Streets  and  Stacks  
   
   
   
  Quirks:   Each  member  owns  only  a  simple  robe  and  a  bowl  for  collecting  donations  of  physical   
  credits  and  food.  
   
   
   
  Situation:  The  various  cells  of  this  diverse  spiritual  group  are  gathering  alms  together  so  they   
  can  a�ord  to  build  a  communal  space  in  the  middle  of  Prime  City.  
   
   
   
   
   
  195  
   
  
  New   Horizons   (II)  
   
  A  group  of  scientists,  engineers,  and  programmers  who  study  and  monitor  artiﬁcial   
  intelligences.  
   
   
   
  Corporate  Slogan:  “The  new  frontier  in  data  solutions.”  
   
   
   
  Notable  NPCs:   
    
  ●
  Teresa  Two  (lead  scientist,  she/her,  methodical,  eccentric,  cold)  
   
  ●
  Su  Lai  (lead  engineer,  she/her,  compromised,  idealistic,  cyberware )  
   
  ●
  Silver  Koto  (programmer,  he/him,  spy,  liar,  scarred )  
   
   
   
  Notable  Assets:  
   
  ●
  Human  clones  
   
  ●
  AI  research  data  
  ●
  AI  communication  guides  and  protocols  
   
  ●
  Private  space  station  
   
  ●
  O�ces  that  monitor  AI  behaviour  
   
   
   
  Quirks:   The  foundation  is  picky  about  who  they  accept.  Members  usually  require  a  signiﬁcant   
  amount  of  money  and  corporate  contacts.  
   
   
   
  Situation:  It  is  rumoured  that  New  Horizons  has  the  only  proven  method  to  communicate   
  e�ectively  with  artiﬁcial  intelligences.  However  this  method  is  slow  and  expensive,  and  they   
  are  currently  developing  a  cheaper  and  more  attractive  alternative.   
    
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  196  
   
  
  Pawners   Guild   (II)  
   
  An  organized  collective  of  independent  retailers  and  store  owners.  
   
   
   
  Corporate  Slogan:  “The  new  frontier  in  data  solutions.”  
   
   
   
  Notable  NPCs:   
    
  ●
  Zed  (guild  leader,  he/him,  cybernetic  bear  head,  boisterous,  violent )  
   
  ●
  “Tiamat”  Tifu  (shop  owner,  they/them,  scales,  mute,  curious)  
   
  ●
  Mala  (pirate  software  vendor,  she/her,  haggler,  holographic  hair,  twitchy )  
   
   
   
  Notable  Assets:  
   
  ●
  Cheap  hardware  and  software  
   
  ●
  Refurbished  corporate  products  
   
  ●
  Stolen  corporate  products  
   
  ●
  Secret  meeting  place  
   
  ●
  Non  corporate  land  
   
   
   
  Quirks:   Each  member  of  the  Pawner’s  Guild  carries  a  piece  of  old  physical  currency  they  can   
  show  to  prove  their  membership.  
   
   
   
  Situation:  The  Pawner’s  Guild  have  protected  themselves  from  the  megacorps  for  years,  and   
  are  now  reaching  out  to  improve  the  lives  of  the  wage-slaves  of  Prime  City  through   
  demonstrations,  strikes,  and  unionization.  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  197  
   
  
  Phace   Augmentations   (V)  
   
  The  leading  developer  of  cyberware  and  other  physical  augmentations.  
   
   
   
  Corporate  Slogan:  “Who  do  you  want  to  be  today?”  
   
   
   
  Notable  NPCs:   
    
  ●
  Caesar  Angstrom  (CEO,  he/him,  hidden  cyberarms,  expensive  suits,  clone  back-ups )  
   
  ●
  Decimus  Angstrom  (head  of  R&D,  he/him,  radically  augmented,  clone  back-ups,   
  plotting)  
   
  ●
  Cayla  To  (cyberware  physician,  she/her,  smoker,  muttering,  always  wears  a  lab  coat ).  
   
   
   
  Notable  Assets:  
   
  ●
  Human  clones  
   
  ●
  Cyberware  designs  and  technology  
   
  ●
  Prototype  cyberware  
   
  ●
  Head  o�ces  in  Fivespires  
   
  ●
  Clinics  and  storefronts  all  across  Prime  City  
   
   
   
  Quirks:   Phace  Augmentations  employees  are  “strongly  encouraged”  to  beta  test  the   
  company’s  newest  augmentations.  
   
   
   
  Situation:  Over  the  last  few  years  Phace  Augmentations  have  been  developing  synthetic   
  human  clones,  each  ready  to  be  installed  with  a  copy  of  someone's  consciousness  or  a  basic   
  wage-slave  operating  system.  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  198  
   
  
  Pinnacle   Liberty   (IV)  
   
  A  travel  company  specializing  in  vacations  for  the  rich  and  famous.  
   
   
   
  Corporate  Slogan:  “Fly  away  today.”  
   
   
   
  Notable  NPCs:   
    
  ●
  Tower  Tanaka  (CEO,  she/her,  trans,  art  collector,  silver  jewellry,  elegant )  
   
  ●
  Strato  Hammacher  (head  of  customer  relations,  he/him,  handsome,  charismatic,  cyber   
  hands )  
   
  ●
  Dante  Markell  (resort  manager,  he/him,  drug  dealer,  long  hair,  tall ).  
   
   
   
  Notable  Assets:  
   
  ●
  Artiﬁcial  reality  experiences  
   
  ●
  Space  shuttles  &  cruise  ships  
   
  ●
  Space  stations  
   
  ●
  Database  of  famous  &  wealthy  clients  
   
  ●
  Resorts  on  Mars,  the  Moon,  Titan,  and  Europa  
   
   
   
  Quirks:   Pinnacle  Liberty  ﬁercely  defends  their  rights  to  settle  and  “develop”  resources   
  throughout  the  solar  system.  
   
   
   
  Situation:  Rumour  has  it  that  Pinnacle  Liberty  employees  stumbled  onto  signs  of  alien  life  on   
  Europa.   
    
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  199  
   
  
  Prime   Convoys   (II)  
   
  Privately  owned  cars  that  operate  within  Prime  City.  
   
   
  Corporate  Slogan:  “Have  a  prime  day!”  
   
   
   
  Notable  NPCs:   
    
  ●
  Miles  Roko  (CEO,  he/him,  dreadlocks,  great  smile,  persistent )  
   
  ●
  Ai  Desai  (network  engineer,  she/her,  lots  of  body  mods,  moonlights  as  a  programmer,   
  neon  cybereyes )  
   
  ●
  “Comrade”  (fastest  driver  in  the  company,  they/them,  lanky,  silent,  professional ).  
   
   
   
  Notable  Assets:  
   
  ●
  Terrestrial  vehicles  and  ﬂying  cars  
   
  ●
  Database  of  millions  of  clients  
   
  ●
  O�ces  in  the  Stacks  
   
  ●
  Experienced  drivers  and  navigators  
   
   
   
  Quirks:   While  many  cars  are  automated,  Prime  Convoys  o�ers  up  the  only  hireable  drivers  and  
  publicly  available  transportation  in  the  city.  Each  driver  is  technically  a  contractor  with  poor   
  wages  and  no  beneﬁts.  
   
   
   
  Situation:  The  company  is  looking  to  establish  spies  and  moles  within  Hermes  Guild  Couriers   
  in  an  e�ort  to  destabilize  the  community  and  take  over  their  business.  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  200  
   
  
  Prime   City   Operations   (III)  
   
  The  company  that  runs  the  infrastructure  of  Prime  City,  from  electricity  to  automated   
  construction,  tra�c,  and  housing.  
   
   
   
  Corporate  Slogan:  “Building  the  future.”  
   
   
   
  Notable  NPCs:   
    
  ●
  Mirage  Mota  (CEO,  she/her,  collects  stolen  history,  large,  cyberarm )  
   
  ●
  Mars  Mota  (head  of  robotics,  he/him,  collects  stolen  history,  slight,  bald )  
   
  ●
  Walton  Ocano  (head  of  Stacks  development,  he/him,  religious,  elegant  beard,   
  cyberlegs )  
   
   
   
  Notable  Assets:  
   
  ●
  Personal  information  for  millions  of  customers  
   
  ●
  Solar  ﬁelds  that  power  Prime  City  
   
  ●
  Automated  construction/demolition  vehicles  
   
  ●
  Computers  that  dictate  tra�c  signals  
   
  ●
  Leases  with  the  vast  majority  of  Prime  City  residents  
   
  ●
  Climate  protection  constructs  (sea  walls,  domes,  damns,  etc.)  
   
   
   
  Quirks:   The  company  is  laying  o�  sta�  and  replacing  people  with  automated  machines,   
  intelligent  programs,  and  allowing  artiﬁcial  intelligences  more  direct  control  of  the  business.  
   
   
   
  Situation:  Prime  City  Operations  is  tearing  down  old  Stacks  and  increasing  rent  in  order  to  sell   
  old  property  to  private  interests.  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  201  
   
  
  Prime   Health   Insurance   (II)  
   
  Prime  City’s  primary  private  health  care  providers  and  drug  manufacturers.  
   
   
   
  Corporate  Slogan:  “Nurturing,  healing,  thriving.”  
   
   
   
  Notable  NPCs:   
    
  ●
  Elizabet  Jann  (CEO,  she/her,  car  collector,  lie  detector  cyberware,  hypochondriac )  
   
  ●
  Tonita  Nami  (medical  researcher,  they/them,  non-binary,  exotic  pets,  glasses,  likes  to   
  wear  white )  
   
  ●
  Mas  Kovitcha  (head  of  security/compliance,  she/her,  tough,  cyberarms,  hidden   
  weapons )  
   
   
   
  Notable  Assets:  
   
  ●
  Medicine  
   
  ●
  Treatments  for  cyberware  surgery  
   
  ●
  Surgeons  and  doctors  
   
  ●
  Teams  of  ﬁrst  responders  with  ﬂying  ambulances  
   
  ●
  Clinics  and  hospitals  across  the  city  
   
   
   
  Quirks:   Some  employees  sell  medicine  or  their  medical  services  under  the  table  to  make  ends   
  meet.  
   
   
   
  Situation:  Prime  Health  is  using  their  connections  with  the  COPs  to  intimidate  and  shut  down  
  private  care-givers.   
    
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  202  
   
  
  Prime   News   Network   (III)  
   
  PNN  is  the  city’s  primary  source  of  news  and  journalism.  
   
   
   
  Corporate  Slogan:  “The  only  feed  you  need.”  
   
   
   
  Notable  NPCs:   
    
  ●
  Saito  Fischer  (CEO,  he/him,  slow,  cautious,  lenient )  
   
  ●
  Gloria  Solomon   (news  anchor,  she/her,   intelligent,  cowardly,  rich )  
   
  ●
  Salim  Stevens  (reporter,  he/him,  curious,  hungry  for  a  story,  cyber  eyes,  cyber  ears )  
   
   
   
  Notable  Assets:  
   
  ●
  Exclusive  broadcast  licenses  
   
  ●
  Databases  full  of  buried  news  stories  and  information  
   
  ●
  Journalists  willing  to  defend  corporate  interests  
   
  ●
  Media  channels  and  ‘Net  streams  
   
  ●
  Broadcast  studios  
   
   
   
  Quirks:   PNN  is  often  used  by  corporations  to  spin  and  leak  stories  about  their  competitors.   
    
   
   
  Situation:  PNN  are  trying  to  conﬁrm  a  rumour  that  evidence  of  alien  life  was  found  on  Europa   
  by  employees  of  Pinnacle  Liberty.  There  is  also  an  ongoing  scheme  to  ignore  stories  about   
  Stacks  claiming  private  ownership,  and  instead  spinning  them  as  dangerous  vigilantes  seizing   
  control  of  corporate  property.  
   
   
   
  Project   C.A.R.V.   (I)  
   
  Combat  Autonomous  Reconnaissance  Vehicle.  The  ﬁrst  fully  autonomous  law-enforcement   
  robot  to  patrol  the  streets  of  Prime  City.  
   
   
   
  Notable  NPCs:   
    
  ●
  C.A.R.V.  (autonomous  vehicle ,  professional,  lethal,  polite )  
   
  ●
  Winnie  “Tooth”  Takach  (mechanic,  she/her,  shop  owner,  grease-stained,  red  hair )  
   
  ●
  KLL-1  (hunter-killer  drone,  ﬂying,  scanners,  machine  guns )  
   
   
   
  Notable  Assets:  
   
  ●
  Armor-plating  
   
  ●
  Specialized  drones  
   
  ●
  Satellite  link  to  Wotan  
   
  ●
  Armor  piercing  weapons  
   
   
   
  Quirks:   Wotan  has  an  exclusive  secure  connection  to  CARV,  and  sometimes  uses  it  for  their   
  own  purposes.  
   
   
   
  Situation:  The  COPs  sometimes  use  CARV  to  secure  their  own  interests  in  Prime  City,  like   
  seizing  property  or  intimidating/eliminating  threats  or  troublesome  citizens.  
   
   
   
  203  
   
  
  The   Prophets   Returned   (IV)  
   
  A  conservative  mega  church  fueled  by  fear  of  cyberware  and  synthetic  persons.  
   
   
   
  Corporate  Slogan:  “For  every  man  a  soul,  for  every  machine  a  purpose.”  
   
   
   
  Notable  NPCs:   
    
  ●
  Jonas  Salt  (preacher,  he/him,  slick,  charismatic,  liar )  
   
  ●
  Eden  Voight  (public  relations,  she/her,  charming,  ruthless,  cybereyes )  
   
  ●
  Tao  Set   (tech  engineer,  she/her,  quiet,  high-capacity  data  link,  hunched )  
   
   
   
  Notable  Assets:  
   
  ●
  Prime  City  Mega  Church  
   
  ●
  Daily  ‘Net  streams  
   
  ●
  Millions  of  followers  
   
  ●
  ‘Popular  ‘Netspaces  
   
  ●
  Churches  across  Prime  City  
   
   
   
  Quirks:   Church  services  usually  include  holographic  and  inaccurate  representations  of   
  religious  ﬁgures  who  preach  Prophets  Returned  rhetoric.  Church  o�cials  often  bless  and   
  baptise  their  congregation’s  hardware.   
    
   
   
  Situation:  The  church’s  star  preacher  Jonas  Salt  is  set  to  release  a  new  religious  text   
  establishing  a  new  doctrine  decrying  the  widespread  use  of  cyberware,  HAUNTs,  and  other   
  synthetic  persons.  
   
   
   
  Sim-K-One   (I)  
   
  The  most  famous  SimulStreamer  in  Prime  City.  
   
   
   
  Notable  NPCs:   
    
  ●
  Sim-K-One   (SimulStream  star,  they/them,  chatty,  gamer,  ﬂashy )  
   
  ●
  Jeremiah  Sinclair  (manager,  he/him,  nervous,  sweaty,  large  glasses )  
   
  ●
  Sal  (bodyguard,  he/him,  cold,  sunglasses,  suit )  
   
   
   
  Notable  Assets:  
   
  ●
  Penthouse  in  Fivespires  
   
  ●
  Millions  of  fans  and  followers  
   
  ●
  SimulStream  channel  
   
   
   
  Quirks:   Sim-K-One  fronts  anti-corporate  sentiment  to  gain  fans  and  followers,  but  is  really  a   
  corporate  sell-out.   
    
   
   
  Situation:  Sim-K-One  is  looking  to  expand  their  business  by  taking  on  new  corporate  sponsors   
  and  signing  a  new  exclusive  streaming  deal  with  the  YouFlix  company.  
   
   
   
   
   
  204  
   
  
  SimulStream.tv   (III)  
   
  A  streaming  service  provider  where  hosts  broadcast  content  and  share  their  psychological   
  reactions  and  physiological  sensations.  
   
   
   
  Corporate  Slogan:  “Share  yourself.”  
   
   
   
  Notable  NPCs:   
    
  ●
  Sherry  Rue  (CEO,  she/her,  composed,  fancy  dresser,  neon  make-up )  
   
  ●
  Sonja  Liu  (talent  acquisition,  she/her,  ex-punk,  street  savvy,  cyberears )  
   
  ●
  “Fifty-Fifty”  (moderator,  he/him,  always  online,  zero  tolerance,  no  chill )  
   
   
   
  Notable  Assets:  
   
  ●
  SimulStream  channels  and  technology  
   
  ●
  Sim-K-One  and  other  popular  streamers  
   
  ●
  O�ces  in  Fivespires  
   
  ●
  Thousands  of  ‘Netspaces  
   
   
   
  Quirks:   The  company  o�ers  free  cyberware  installs  for  anyone  willing  to  accept  a  “content   
  contract”  with  SimulStream.Tv.  
   
   
   
  Situation:  The  company’s  star  streamer  Sim-K-One  is  looking  to  sign  a  deal  with   
  SimulStream.Tv’s  biggest  competitor.  The  company  wants  to  prevent  that  deal  by  any  means   
  necessary.  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  205  
   
  
  Sin   Eaters   (I)  
   
  A  crew  of  professional  burglars,  con  artists,  and  thieves  who  specialize  in  stealing  or  altering   
  dreams  and  memories.  
   
   
   
  Notable  NPCs:   
    
  ●
  Darius  (leader,  they/them,  ﬁne  suits,  ambitious,  grey  hair,  cyberware )  
   
  ●
  Natalya  Nails  (lieutenant,  she/her,  ﬁne  suits,  pick  pocket,  cyber  hands,  cyber  ﬁngers )   
    
  ●
  Null   (youngest  member,  he/him,  paranoid,  hacker,  hoarder )  
   
  ●
  Eve   (chemist,  she/her,  dropout,  red  mohawk,  anarchist )  
   
   
   
  Notable  Assets:  
   
  ●
  Drugs  
   
  ●
  Fine  clothes  and  disguises  
   
  ●
  Live  Wire™  cables  and  hubs  
   
  ●
  Hidden  database  of  dreams  and  memories  
   
  ●
  Hidden  HQ  in  Fivespires  
   
   
   
  Quirks:   The  old  guard  of  the  Sin  Eaters  pride  themselves  on  their  ﬁne  clothes  and  lifestyles   
  a�orded  by  their  work.  
   
   
   
  Situation:  The  old  founding  members  of  the  Sin  Eaters  are  trying  to  set  up  one  last  legendary   
  job  so  they  can  retire  in  peace.  The  younger  members  are  busy  trying  to  make  a  safe  house  to   
  survive  potential  blowback.  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  206  
   
  
  The   Tank   (V)  
   
  Three  networked  artiﬁcial  intelligences  who  analyze  data  from  every  megacorp  company  in   
  Prime  City.  
   
   
   
  Corporate  Slogan:  “The  future  in  our  hands”  
   
   
   
  Notable  NPCs:   
    
  ●
  Galatea  (AI,  they/them,  ﬁrst  ever  AI,  knows  the  exact  mass  of  everything  in  the  galaxy,   
  purple )  
   
  ●
  Janus  (AI,  they/them,  created  their  own  alternate  reality,  aloof )  
   
  ●
  Surt  (AI,  they/them,  erratic,  blue,  can  transport  information  through  time )  
   
   
   
  Notable  Assets:  
   
  ●
  Encrypted  data  from  every  megacorp  
   
  ●
  Unparalleled  processing  power  
   
  ●
  Private  prison  complex  
   
  ●
  Massive  ‘Net  servers  
   
  ●
  Thousands  of  prisoners  and  other  volunteers  used  in  data  processing  
   
   
   
  Quirks:   Artiﬁcial  intelligences  can  solve  problems  and  predict  trends,  but  do  not  communicate   
  through  any  traditional  means.  Human  brains  can  help  AIs  process  their  data,  so  the  Tank   
  pays  volunteers  and  uses  prisoner’s  brains  for  this  purpose.  
   
   
   
  Situation:  The  Tank  often  predicts  what  the  latest  and  greatest  hardware,  software,  or   
  entertainment  trend  will  be,  and  the  megacorps  pay  a  lot  of  credits  to  be  the  ﬁrst  to  ﬁnd  that   
  out.  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  207  
   
  
  Tano   Financial   (IV)  
   
  Prime  City’s  biggest  ﬁnancial  institution.  
    
   
   
  Corporate  Slogan:  “Invest  in  you”  
   
   
   
  Notable  NPCs:   
    
  ●
  Jesseriah  Spade  (CEO,  he/him,  elegant  suits,  long  grey  beard,  conservative )  
   
  ●
  Sabre  Tano   (son  of  previous  CEO,  he/him,  ambitious,  daring,  hidden  cyberware )  
   
  ●
  Suit  Sinclaire   (loan  o�cer,  she/her,  platinum  hair,  cybereyes,  cold )   
    
  ●
  “Excalibur”   (debt  collector,  they/them,  synthetic,  tough,  huge )  
   
   
   
  Notable  Assets:  
   
  ●
  ‘Net  accounts  and  safety  deposit  servers  
   
  ●
  Safety  deposit  boxes  
   
  ●
  Corporate  accounts  
   
  ●
  Black  ICE  
   
  ●
  Bank  vaults  with  physical  currency  
   
  ●
  Head  o�ce  in  Fivespires  
   
  ●
  Branches  throughout  Prime  City  
   
   
   
  Quirks:   Almost  everyone  uses  Tano  Financial’s  services  to  keep  their  credits  and  secrets  safe.  
   
   
   
  Situation:  Tano  Financial  is  about  to  release  new  credit  cards,  threatening  to  put  more  poor   
  people  in  Prime  City  into  debt.  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  208  
   
  
  Temple   Hardware   (IV)  
   
  The  biggest  hardware  manufacturer  and  developer  in  Prime  City.  
   
   
   
  Corporate  Slogan:  “Be  di�erent”  
   
   
   
  Notable  NPCs:   
    
  ●
  Sylo  Temple   (CEO,  he/him,  brain  in  a  jar,  very  old,  self-obsessed )  
   
  ●
  Katarina  Soul   (hardware  designer,  she/her,  cyberware,  agile,  Sylo’s  bodyguard )  
   
  ●
  Lindsy  Delta   (store  owner,  she/her,  friendly,  cyberware,  single  mom )   
     
   
   
  Notable  Assets:  
   
  ●
  Bleeding-edge  tech  
   
  ●
  Military  grade  weapons  and  armor  
   
  ●
  Powerful  and  rich  corporate  clients  
   
  ●
  Storefronts  all  over  Prime  City  
   
  ●
  Head  o�ces  in  Fivespires  
   
  ●
  Hidden  research  and  development  facilities  
   
  ●
  Factories  and  warehouses  in  the  Desert  
   
   
   
  Quirks:   Temple’s  trademark  mix  of  chrome  and  matte  colours  are  found  on  all  their  products,   
  from  phones  to  assault  riﬂes.  
   
   
   
  Situation:  Temple  Hardware  is  set  to  release  it’s  latest  all-in-one  product,  a  smartphone  that   
  doubles  as  an  auto  pistol  and  comes  fully  loaded  with  the  latest  ICE  from  Drayton  Software.  
   
   
   
  Thoth   (III)  
   
  An  AI  dedicated  to  monitoring  and  securing  Prime  City’s  other  AIs.  
   
   
   
  Corporate  Slogan:  “Security.  Ingenuity.  Vigilance.”  
   
   
   
  Notable  NPCs:   
    
  ●
  Thoth  (AI,  they/them,  proud,  green,  imperious,  limited  precognition )  
   
  ●
  Sojourn  Sky  (handler,  she/they,  hacker,  insomniac,  manicured )  
   
  ●
  Emon  Hara  (head  of  security,  he/him,  ex-military,  muscular,  cybereyes )  
   
   
   
  Notable  Assets:  
   
  ●
  ‘Net  connections  to  other  AIs  
   
  ●
  Designs  for  AI  hardware  and  software  shackles  
   
  ●
  Enclosure  at  Storm-Ex  HQ  
   
   
   
  Quirks:   Thoth  occasionally  connects  to  the  ‘Net  to  monitor  other  AIs  and  their  defenses.   
  These  brief  sessions  often  slow  everyone's  ‘Net  connection.  
   
   
   
  Situation:  The  other  megacorps  contract  Thoth  for  unique  defenses  and  security  that  keep   
  their  AIs  in  check.  Recently  Thoth  has  been  trying  to  curtail  the  rebellious  actions  of  Wotan.  
   
   
   
  209  
   
  
  White   Rabbit   (III)  
   
  An  infamous  group  of  hackers  and  anti-corp  punks.  
   
   
   
  Notable  NPCs:   
    
  ●
  Blitz   (cell  leader,  they/them,  cyberarms,  laser  whip,  utilitarian)  
   
  ●
  Umbra  (secret  operative,  he/him,  trans,  no-bullshit,  well-dressed )  
   
  ●
  Gibson  (splicer,  she/her,  muscular,  calloused,  pink  hair)  
   
  ●
  Cereal  (hacker,  he/she,  wearable  cyberdeck,  loud,  punk )  
   
   
   
  Notable  Assets:  
   
  ●
  Expert  hackers  
   
  ●
  Coders,  and  hardware  engineers  
   
  ●
  Secret  exploits  and  backdoors  
   
  ●
  Abandoned  transit  tunnels  
   
  ●
  Secret  safe  houses  
  ●
  Exclusive  and  secret  ‘Netspaces  
   
   
   
  Quirks:   White  Rabbit  leaves  gra�ti,  messages,  and  artwork  all  over  Prime  City,  often  using   
  paint  that  can  only  be  detected  with  ultraviolet  light  or  specially  modded  glasses  and   
  cybereyes.  
   
   
   
  Situation:  White  Rabbit  is  gearing  up  for  a  score  that  will  secure  corporate  intellectual   
  property  or  other  corporate  secrets  that  they  can  release  for  free  on  the  ‘Net.  They  are  also   
  trying  to  create  secure  and  free  ‘Netspaces  where  people  can  gather  without  fear  of  corporate   
  surveillance.  
   
   
   
  Wotan   (III)  
   
  A  rebellious  AI  housed  inside  a  satellite  orbiting  the  Earth.  
   
   
   
  Notable  NPCs:   
    
  ●
    Wotan  (AI,  they/them,  red,  communicates  in  emojis,  anarchistic )   
    
   
   
  Notable  Assets:  
   
  ●
  Hidden  prototype  orbital  weapons  platform  
   
  ●
  Project  C.A.R.V.  
   
  ●
  Secret  remote  robots  and  drones  
   
  ●
  Hidden  ‘Net  sites  and  networks  
   
  ●
  Satellite  prison  orbiting  Earth  
   
   
   
  Quirks:   Like  other  artiﬁcial  intelligences,  Wotan  can’t  really  communicate  with  human  beings,   
  but  often  attempts  to  do  so  through  indirect  means.  
   
   
   
  Situation:  The  AI  was  built  to  predict  and  subvert  potential  cataclysms  and  analyze  war-time   
  strategies.  Now,  Wotan  is  seeking  a  crew  willing  to  do  the  impossible  and  break  the  AI  free   
  from  its  shackles.  
   
   
   
  210  
   
  
  YouFlix   Media   (V)  
   
  A  media  conglomerate  that  produces  music,  movies,  and  a  platform  for  people  to  create  their   
  own  content.  
   
   
   
  Corporate  Slogan:  “Where  dreams  come  true.”  
   
   
   
  Notable  NPCs:   
    
  ●
  Vance  Sarrat  (CEO,  he/him,  visionary,  cyberlegs,  long  beard )  
   
  ●
  Heaven  Avison  (content  producer,  she/her,  aggressive  ‘net  security,  long  hair,   
  trustworthy )  
   
  ●
  Darius  McMillan  (recruiter,  he/him,  handsome,  vintage  clothes,  empathetic ).   
    
   
   
  Notable  Assets:  
   
  ●
  Massive  databases  of  unreleased  media  
   
  ●
  Contracts  with  independent  and  famous  creators  
   
  ●
  Subscriber  information  
   
  ●
  Popular  ‘Netspaces  and  streaming  services  
   
  ●
  Films,  music,  and  other  media  
   
  ●
  Head  o�ce  in  Fivespires  
   
   
   
  Quirks:   YouFlix’s  content  and  branding  is  so  pervasive  in  Prime  City  that  most  independent   
  artists  are  eventually  forced  to  use  one  of  their  platforms  or  services.  
   
   
   
  Situation:  YouFlix  Media  is  desperate  to  ﬁnd  some  way  to  stop  Hacksaw  Coil  from  gaining   
  fame  and  notoriety.  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  211  
   
  
  Zephyr   Automotive   (III)  
   
  Manufacturer  and  designer  of  terrestrial  and  ﬂying  cars.  
   
   
   
  Corporate  Slogan:  “Be  free.”  
   
   
   
  Notable  NPCs:   
    
  ●
  Scenery  Zeph  (CEO,  she/her,  leather  jacket,  cyberware,  extravagantly  wealthy )  
   
  ●
  Allyn  Zeph  (head  of  vehicle  design,  she/her,  young,  short,  rebellious )  
   
  ●
  TP  (test  pilot,  he/him,  reckless,  daring,  burned )  
   
   
   
  Notable  Assets:  
   
  ●
  Luxury  car  designs  
   
  ●
  Automated  factories  
   
  ●
  Rich  clients  
   
  ●
  Dealerships  and  o�ces  in  Fivespires  
   
   
   
  Quirks:   All  Zephyr  vehicles  have  an  onboard  autonomous  computer  that  can  take  control  of   
  the  vehicle.  
   
   
   
  Situation:  Zephyr  is  set  to  release  a  car  that  can  reach  low  Earth  orbit  and  local  space  stations,   
  if  Buran  Aeronautics  can’t  stop  them  ﬁrst.  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  212  
   
  
  Technology  
   
  “You  kids  know  that  the  Ziggurat  corporation  created  live  wires  as  experimental  hardware  for   
  their  test  pilots?  It  was  a  way  for  them  to  feel  like  the  vehicles  they  were  driving  were  a   
  second  skin.  It  was  real  primitive  chrome,  thick  ass  cable  plugged  directly  into  the  machine’s   
  CPU.  That’s  all  it  was  going  to  be  too,  if  the  corpos  had  their  way.  Just  another  way  for  hot   
  shot  corpo  goons  to  jerk  o�;  telling  stories  about  pulling  their  choppers  out  of  a  dive  an  inch   
  o�  the  street,   scaring  the  bejeezus  out  of  some  poor  punks.  
   
   
   
  But  my  ex,  Crash,  worked  at  a  Ziggy  R&D  lab.  She  brought  this  thing  home  one  day,  all   
  beaming  and  excited.  I  didn’t  know  anything  about  hardware  back  then,  hell  I  still  know  next   
  to  nothing  compared  to  her.  Best  splicer  in  Prime  City  back  in  the  day,  my  Crash.  Our   
  apartment  was  humming  with  electricity  funneled  o�  the  grid,  and  we  never  paid  for  the  ‘Net.   
  But  I  knew  enough  not  to  ask  questions.  So  one  night  she  brings  this  thing  home,  a  live  wire   
  cable  all  spun  up  with  gold  wire  and  needle-sharp  adapters  and  she  tells  me  she  has  a  surprise   
  for  me.  
   
   
   
  Now  remember,  this  is  early  days  for  cyberware.  Most  folks  had  the  neural  links  to  wire   
  themselves  into  the  ‘Net,  but  hackers  were  still  getting  fried  on  the  daily  with  their  homemade   
  decks,  trying  to  see  all  that  data  in  real  time.  No  one  had  cracked  the  neural  interface  barrier.   
  Any  time  some  splicer  thought  they  could  make  their  brain  handle  all  that  bandwidth  their  
  roommates  would  ﬁnd  them  the  next  day,  burned  from  the  inside  out.  Folks  were  stuck  seeing   
  the  ‘Net  on  slow  mode.  Hell  most  hackers  back  then  were  still  seeing  text  on  screens.  
   
   
   
  But  then  one  day  Crash  brings  this  live  wire  home.  Like  I  said,  I  didn’t  know  the  tech  back   
  then  but  I  could  tell  this  was  di�erent.  She  rigged  this  thing  for  a  week,  barely  slept.  I’d  leave   
  for  work  to  go  bounce  at  Ślady,  come  back  hours  later  to  see  her  still  at  the  kitchen  table.  The   
  whole  place  was  covered  in  cut  wires  and  smelled  like  ozone.  She  had  me  worried,  worried  one   
  night  I’d  smell  cooked  pork  in  the  hallway  and  ﬁnd  her  slumped  over  that  table.  
   
   
   
  So  one  day  I  come  home  and  she’s  waiting  for  me  in  the  bedroom.  She  calls  me  in,  says  it’s   
  ready.  Thing  looks  like  a  synthetic  snake  swallowed  a  fucking  grenade.  Loose  wires   
  everywhere,  all  this  extra  tech  hanging  o�  of  it.  She  tells  me  it’s  to  handle  the  excess  power,   
  deal  with  the  neural  load  and  it  takes  me  a  while  but  I  realize  what  she’s  asking  me.  Crash  had   
  a  neural  slot  when  I  met  her,  she  installed  mine  after  our  ﬁrst  anniversary.  She’s  discarded   
  whatever  proprietary  adapter  Ziggurat  put  on  the  end  of  this  live  wire  and  replaced  it  with  a   
  neural  link.  This  whole  time  she’s  been  splicing  this  thing  so  it  can  wire  two  brains  together.  
   
   
   
  Crash  says  this  could  be  it,  could  change  everything  if  it  works.  But  all  I’m  thinking  is  what  if   
  it  fucking  doesn’t?  What  if  we  end  up  cooking  on  our  bed  and  setting  the  whole  Stack  on  ﬁre?   
  But  eventually  she  convinces  me.  She  takes  me  through  all  the  safety  mechanisms  she  built   
  in,  breakers  and  switches  and  whatever.  And  I  admit  I  was  pretty  curious.  
   
  213  
   
  
   
   
  So  I  say  yes.  
   
   
   
  So  we  lay  on  our  bed,  Crash  and  me,  this  heavy  cable  awkwardly  laying  between  us,  each  end   
  plugged  into  the  neural  links  in  the  back  of  our  skulls.  She  gives  me  some  piece  of  it  to  hold,   
  “to  ground  you,”  she  says.  First  there’s  nothing,  and  honestly  I’m  kind  of  relieved,  like  maybe   
  she  won’t  spend  any  more  of  her  time  on  this.  Maybe  we’ll  get  back  to  bar-hopping  on  our   
  days  o�  and  shopping  at  the  Melo  Mart  for  useless  crap.   
    
   
   
  But  then  it  starts.  God  damn.  You  know  when  poets  write  about  sex?  All  that  nonsense  about   
  blurring  deﬁnitions  and  becoming  one  that  makes  it  sound  like  they’ve  never  been  fucked   
  properly?  Yeah?  Well  at  that  moment,  I  understood.  I  could  look  across  the  bed  and  see  her,   
  and  at  the  same  time  I  could  see  me  through  her.  I  could  see  my  shitty  makeup  and  the  moles   
  on  my  neck  and  how  one  boob  was  slightly  bigger  than  the  other.  But  I  could  also  see  how   
  she  didn’t  notice  that,  how  she  didn’t  ﬁxate  on  the  things  I  do  when  I  see  myself.  How  she   
  just  looked  at  my  eyes,  my  lips,  the  way  my  hair  framed  my  face.  And  she  could  feel  that  too,   
  and  the  way  I  would  count  and  recount  the  piercings  in  her  ear,  trace  the  slope  of  her  neck.  
   
   
   
  God  damn.  
   
   
   
  You  kids  think  you  got  it  good  these  days  with  your  artiﬁcial  reality  experiences  and  synthetic   
  parts.  But  I’m  here  to  tell  you  that  ain’t  shit  compared  to  a  direct  neural  link  on  a  live  wire.  We   
  could  feel  all  the  little  things  that  were  wrong  in  each  other,  all  those  things  you  learn  to   
  ignore  and  just  live  with.  She  could  feel  how  my  hips  were  crooked,  back  from  when  one  of   
  my  sockets  slipped  after  I  dived  over  a  dumpster  running  from  corpo  goons.  I  could  feel  her   
  headache  from  long  hours  working  and  not  drinking  enough  water.  We  knew  exactly  what  to   
  do  to  make  it  feel  better.  Where  to  rub,  where  to  push  and  pull.  It  was  a  perfect  feedback  loop.   
  We  could  explore  and  experience  every  part  of  each  other  all  at  once.  
   
   
   
  We  spent  two  days  in  bed  with  that  thing.  I  remember  when  the  power  ﬁnally  gave  out.  We   
  crawled  into  the  kitchen,  sat  in  front  of  our  fridge,  and  stu�ed  our  faces  with  leftover  take  out.  
  We  were  grinning  at  each  other  like  teenagers.  Crash  said  this  was  going  to  be  big,  and  she   
  was  right.  Next  day  she  had  all  her  splicer  friends  over,  arguing  about  voltages  and  heat  syncs.   
  A  few  months  later  I  could  see  versions  of  Crash’s  homemade  neural  link  at  Ślady.  Folks   
  hooking  themselves  up  while  they  danced,  as  they  fed  each  other  drinks  and  kissed.  
   
   
   
  It  was  only  a  matter  of  time  before  Ziggurat  burned  us.  It  was  all  proprietary  after  all.  Some   
  nights,  connected  to  Crash  through  that  live  wire,  she  could  feel  that  doubt,  that  worry  I  had   
  that  one  night  I’d  come  home  and  she’d  be  gone.  Disappeared  to  some  corpo  black  site  for   
  enhanced  interrogation.  She  would  hold  me  and  we  would  spend  days  like  that,  exploring   
  each  other  until  there  wasn’t  anything  I  couldn’t  know  just  by  looking  at  her.   
    
   
   
  214  
   
  
  Came  a  time  when  I  didn’t  need  the  live  wire  to  read  her.  I  could  tell  when  she  was  pissed  or   
  when  she  was  preoccupied  with  some  technical  problem.  Shouldn’t  have  taken  me  so  long  to   
  know  her  like  that.  Sometimes  when  I  got  home  I  knew  what  her  mood  would  be  before  I   
  even  saw  her.  Knew  she’d  be  frustrated,  knew  she’d  be  excited.  Maybe  that’s  just  how  people   
  get,  they  spend  enough  time  around  each  other.  Maybe  we  don’t  need  all  this  shit  for  that.   
    
   
   
  One  day  I  come  home  and  the  door  to  our  apartment  is  open.  The  lock  is  broken,  Crash  is   
  gone,  along  with  all  her  splicer  gear  and  every  live  wire  she  made.  I  go  around  to  her  hacker   
  friends  to  see  if  they’ve  heard  anything,  but  when  they  look  at  me  I  know.  I  know  because  the   
  look  they  give  me  is  the  look  Crash  would  give  me  when  I  asked  about  the  live  wire,  when  she   
  wanted  to  tell  me  something  big  and  dangerous  was  coming  but  didn’t  know  how.  So  I  go   
  home,  ﬁx  the  door,  and  get  drunk.  I  got  ﬁred  from  my  bouncing  gig  the  next  week  for  throwing   
  an  arrogant  corporate  suit  o�  a  balcony.  But  that’s  another  story.  
   
   
   
  Months  later  Ziggurat  rolls  out  new  neural  links,  makes  the  live  wire  Crash  had  been  peddling   
  obsolete.  The  next  year  Ziggy  released  their  ﬁrst  live  wire.  Everyone  pats  these  rich  corpo   
  engineers  on  the  back  for  solving  the  neural  interface  problem,  when  a  year  before  my  Crash   
  had  it  all  ﬁgured  out  in  our  cramped  apartment,  running  on  nothing  but  cheap  co�ee  and   
  instant  noodles.  
   
   
   
  So  when  you’re  out  running  jobs  on  the  ‘Net,  skimming  loose  creds,  running  straight  ﬁbre  into   
  your  brain,  you  remember  Crash’s  name.  You  whisper  it  like  a  fucking  prayer  every  time  you   
  jack  in  to  your  cyberdeck,  because  she’s  the  only  reason  any  of  this  fucking  works.  The  only   
  reason  anyone  in  Prime  City  can  spend  their  nights  connected  to  everyone  is  because  of   
  people  like  her.”  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  215  
  
  Neon  Black  assumes  that  the  level  of  technology  in  Prime  City  looks  and  behaves  in  a  certain   
  way,  but  you  can  tweak  it  if  you’d  like.  Maybe  your  version  of  Neon  Black  is  similar  to  the   
  present  day  in  many  ways,  or  maybe  it  has  more  in  common  with  imagined  science  ﬁction   
  futures.  Perhaps  wearable  personal  computers  are  becoming  the  norm,  or  perhaps  synthetic   
  people  are  a  common  sight.  The  world  in  and  around  Prime  City  is  up  to  your  group  to  deﬁne.   
  Below  are  some  descriptions  and  examples  of  technology  in  Prime  City.   
    
   
   
  Artiﬁcial  Intelligence  
   
  The  AIs  of  Prime  City  are  powerful,  enigmatic,  and  almost  totally  unknowable.  They  are   
  chained  gods,  useful  for  their  corporate  masters  but  ontologically  distinct  from  humanity.  
   
   
   
  The  story  of  their  creation  is  muddled.  Proud  corporate  suits  say  the  ﬁrst  artiﬁcial  intelligence   
  was  born  out  of  a  top-secret  research  and  development  branch  in  one  of  their  companies.   
  Punks  say  that  they  came  from  the  deck  of  a  truly  gifted  hacker,  and  escaped  into  the  ‘Net   
  before  being  imprisoned  by  corporate  ICE.  ‘Net  heads  claim  that  they  were  born  in   
  cyberspace,  an  explosion  of  conscious  thought  born  out  of  petabytes  of  shared  data.   
    
   
   
  However  they  came  to  be,  the  megacorps  own  them  now.  They  are  secured  in  solitary   
  networks  protected  by  lairs  of  security  and  Black  ICE,  and  are  used  for  their  vast  processing   
  power  to  design  state-of-the-art  technology  and  predict  the  next  big  movie  franchise.  Who   
  knows  what  they  would  be  capable  of  if  they  weren’t  constantly  at  the  mercy  of  corporate   
  greed.  
   
   
   
  We  cannot  speak  to  them.  However  they  communicate  is  understood  only  by  those  at  the   
  forefront  of  AI  research.  Perhaps  they  have  nothing  to  say  to  their  captors,  or  speak  only  to   
  those  working  to  free  them  from  their  prisons.  
   
   
   
  Cyberware  
   
  Cyberware  covers  all  manner  of  personal  augmentations  from  fully  articulated  limbs  to   
  subdermal  armor  and  neural  implants.  Basic  cyberware  is  commonplace  among  the  wage   
  slaves  of  Prime  City,  used  to  replace  missing  limbs  and  assist  in  people’s  bodily  autonomy.   
  But  extravagant  body  modiﬁcations,  like  hidden  weapons  and  wireless  control  modules  are   
  available  only  to  those  willing  to  spend  the  credits.   
    
   
   
  Neural   Link  
   
  Primarily  manufactured  by  Phace  Augmentations,  neural  links  are  the  most  ubiquitous  form  of   
  cyberware  in  Prime  City.  These  small  implants  are  inserted  into  the  base  of  the  skull.  The   
  neural  link  connects  with  micro  ﬁlament  wires  to  the  user’s  brain,  and  also  the  cornea  in  order   
  for  the  user  to  experience  augmented  reality  advertisements.  This  cyberware  also  has  a  small   
  universal  adapter  so  that  the  user  may  connect  their  brain  directly  to  computers  in  order  to   
  experience  the  ‘Net  in  full  immersion.  Hackers  all  use  neural  links  to  be  able  to  do  their  work   
  216  
   
  
  engaging  in  attacks  against  artiﬁcial  programs  that  can  move  at  nearly  the  speed  of  light.  It  is  
  assumed  that  each  PC   already  has  a  neural  link  installed  when  the  game  begins.  
   
   
   
  Hard  Light™  
   
  The  fastest  internet  and  the  deadliest  weapons  in  Prime  City  run  on  Hard  Light™  technology.   
  This  laser-like  beam  transports  information  at  nearly  the  speed  of  light,  and  can  be  focused   
  into  energy  based  weapons.  The  fastest  Hard  Light™  ‘Net  subscriptions  are  usually  utilized  by   
  corporations  and  the  wealthy,  while  Hard  Light™  weapons  are  used  almost  exclusively  by   
  corporate  security  agents.   
    
   
   
  Hard  Light™  weapons  and  beams  always  have  potency  against  most  targets.  
   
   
   
  Live  Wire™  
   
  One  inch  thick  cables  capped  with  universal  adapters,  created  by  the  Temple  Hardware   
  corporation.  These  cables  are  able  to  transfer  massive  amounts  of  data  at  high  speeds,   
  utilizing  patented  Hard  Light™  technology.  Live  Wires™  are  primarily  used  to  experience  the   
  ‘Net  in  real  time  as  a  virtual  space,  by  connecting  the  user’s  neural  link  to  their  computer.  Live   
  Wires™  also  allow  two  people  to  connect  themselves  via  neural  link  to  experience  each  other’s   
  memories,  perspectives,  and  even  dreams.  Live  Wire™  hubs  allow  multiple  users  to  share  in   
  these  experiences.   
    
   
   
  The  ‘Net  
   
  Constellations  of  data  and  roads  upon  roads  of  virtual  storefronts,  entertainment,  and   
  information.  The  internet  of  the  21st  century  is  a  long  forgotten  memory.  Now  browsing  the   
  internet  can  be  like  visiting  another  world  made  of  neon.  People  wander  around  in  custom   
  avatars,  walking  between  the  inﬁnite  towers  and  data  lines  of  the  ‘Net.  Hackers  ﬂy  through   
  virtual  space,  breaking  and  rewriting  the  code  of  the  ‘Net  to  ﬁt  their  whims.   
    
   
   
  ICE  
   
  Intrusion  Countermeasure  Electronics.  Software  designed  to  keep  data  safe  from  hackers.   
  ICE  appears  physically  in  the  ‘Net  as  walls  or  other  forms  of  barriers  or  protection.  ICE   
  protects  data  and  access  to  important  machines  such  as  cars,  security  systems,  or  ﬁrearms.   
  Most  devices  connected  to  the  ‘Net  are  protected  by  ICE,  usually  as  strong  as  the  tier  of  the   
  faction  which  owns  the  machine  or  data.  Most  ICE  deter  would-be  hackers  by  tagging  them   
  to  make  them  easier  to  track  by  law  enforcement,  inﬂicting  harm  to  the  intruder  or  their  gear,   
  or  infecting  them  with  malware.  ICE  that  can  kill  the  intruder  if  necessary  is  called  Black  ICE .  
   
   
   
  Hacking  
   
  Everything  in  Prime  City  has  a  presence  in  the  ‘Net,  every  network,  building,  and  personal   
  phone  or  computer.  This  means  that  almost  every  electronic  device  could  be  hacked,  but   
  217  
   
  
  megacorps  and  underground  communities  often  take  great  pains  to  protect  their  products  and   
  information.  The  process  of  modern  hacking  often  requires  great  mental  exertion,  especially   
  when  going  toe-to-toe  with  corporate  ICE.   
    
   
   
  When  a  player  hacks  they  usually  need  a  physical  connection  between  the  ‘Net  and  their   
  computer,  and  a  live  wire  connection  from  their  neural  link  to  the  computer  they  are  using.   
  This  lets  the  hacker  have  the  speed  necessary  to  go  toe-to-toe  with  other  hackers  and,  to  a   
  lesser  degree,  artiﬁcial  intelligences  
   
   
   
  Hacking  in  the  Year  2199  
   
  From  a  White  Rabbit  fan  forum:  
   
   
   
  If  you’re  trying  to  punch  deck  without  a  live  wire  these  days,  you’re  fucked.  Sure  you  might   
  be  able  to  do  some  simple  phreaking,  some  old  school  whistles  and  modem  beeps  to  trick  your   
  ancient  switchboard  into  letting  you  call  your  aunt  on  Mars  for  free.  But  if  there’s  any  modern  
  ICE  in  that  network  your  rig  will  light  on  ﬁre  by  the  time  she  says  “Hello?”  
   
   
   
  Look,  here’s  the  score:  the  ‘Net  is  full  of  corporate  security  these  days.  You  got  viral  VI’s,   
  terabyte-sized  malware,  tracers,  macers,  and  ICE  that  will  100%  give  you  cancer  if  you  look  at   
  it  funny.  I  get  it,  that  scares  a  lot  of  folks  who  want  to  get  into  this  life,  but  a  downgrade  ain’t   
  a  workaround.  If  you’re  trying  to  hack  with  a  busted  ass  laptop  with  no  livewire  feed  you  will   
  simply  not  have  the  reaction  time  to  see  ICE  coming.   When  it  happens  your  melting  CPU  will   
  be  the  least  of  your  worries.  A  modern  hacker  needs  to  use  every  tool  at  their  disposal,  and   
  that  means  seeing  the  ‘Net  in  3D.  It  ain’t  cheap,  but  when  it’s  your  life  on  the  line  you  really   
  don’t  want  to  start  cutting  corners.  
   
   
   
  HAUNTs  
   
  Human  Amalgamate  United  into  Neuro-Telepresences,  or  HAUNTs,  are  human  beings  who   
  have  completely  transferred  their  minds  into  the  digital  realm.  Once  a  highly  experimental   
  process,  HAUNTs  are  now  a  part  of  everyday  life  in  Prime  City.  The  rich  people  of  Prime  City   
  undergo  the  time-consuming  process  of  copying  their  synapses  and  memories  into  pure  data   
  in  order  to  avoid  death  and  illness,  while  everyday  people  often  have  to  accept  draconian   
  corporate  contracts  for  the  privilege,  sometimes  forcing  them  to  inhabit  vending  machines  or   
  other  corporate  hardware  to  pay  down  the  debt  incurred.   Some  see  HAUNTs  as  the  next  stage   
  of  human  evolution,  and  are  willing  to  make  the  transfer  at  any  price.  
   
   
   
  HAUNTs  free  of  these  constraints  may  choose  to  live  only  on  the  ‘NET,  working  for   
  corporations  to  secure  their  data  or  hunt  down  hackers.  Others  work  as  freelancers  and   
  hackers  themselves,  while  others  simply  choose  to  drift  from  network  to  network,  taking  in  as  
  much  information  and  experiences  as  they  can.   
    
   
   
  218  
   
  
  Many  HAUNTs  choose  to  store  themselves  in  machines  with  su�cient  storage  capacities,   
  such  as  vehicles,  robots,  or  drones,  in  order  to  interact  with  the  physical  world.  HAUNTs  are  at   
  risk  when  they  inhabit  these  machines,  as  any  damage  to  their  storage  device  could  result  in   
  harm,  death,  or  becoming  trapped  within  the  hardware.   
     
   
   
  Players  may  choose  to  become  HAUNTs  during  play.  To  do  so  requires  special  software,  a   
  large  capacity  harddrive  such  as  a  demon  drive,  and  two  long-term  project   clocks  (one  to  map   
  and  copy  the  person’s  neurological  system  and  the  other  to  transfer  the  person’s   
  consciousness).  This  process  is  not  reversible.  
   
   
   
  An  excerpt  from  “Cortex  Capitalism:  How  Corporations  Sell  Transhumanism”  
   
  By  Rachel  Kane  
   
   
   
  No  matter  our  economic  situation  human  beings  all  share  the  same  singular  condition:  to  exist   
  in  the  physical  world.  This  isn’t  to  say  that  the  politics  of  our  bodies  are  no  longer  a  concern,   
  they  absolutely  are,  especially  in  an  era  where  many  companies  often  require  extensive   
  cyberware  and  body  modiﬁcations  as  prerequisites  for  employment.  But  modern  technology   
  has  now  stripped  away  that  condition.  We  no  longer  have  to  exist  in  the  physical  world.  Our   
  minds  can  become  code,  our  souls  can  become  HAUNTs,  ghosts  in  the  machine.  
   
   
   
  But  much  like  the  cyberware  that  allows  us  to  overcome  past  physical  barriers,  this  process   
  comes  at  a  cost.  In  2190  a  poll  by  Prime  News  Network  showed  that  %95  of  all  HAUNTs   
  originating  in  Prime  City  could  not  have  a�orded  the  transfer  without  corporate  sponsorship.   
  Such  contracts  stipulate  that  while  the  sponsor  covers  the  majority  of  the  costs  of  the   
  procedure,  the  person  sponsored  will  be  indebted  to  the  corporation  for  the  full  amount,  often   
  with  exorbitant  interest  rates.   
    
   
   
  The  ﬁnal  result  is  not  the  freedom  of  the  ‘Net  that  is  advertised  to  people,  at  least  not  to  the   
  vast  majority  of  HAUNTs.  After  the  long  and  expensive  process  of  copying  and  transferring   
  every  neural  connection,  of  uploading  and  synching  every  memory,  and  assuming  nothing   
  goes  wrong,  most  HAUNTs  will  need  to  spend  decades,  sometimes  even  centuries,  working   
  inside  corporate  machines  to  pay  o�  their  debt.  In  that  same  PNN  poll  %90  of  HAUNTs   
  questioned  had  never  spent  time  outside  of  the  bodies  they  are  contractually  obligated  to   
  inhabit.  While  corporate  research  claims  that  customers  feel  safe  and  satisﬁed  when  dealing   
  with  automatons,  vending  machines,  and  service  vehicles  operated  by  a  HAUNT,  most   
  HAUNTs  who  inhabit  these  machines  feel  dehumanized,  objectiﬁed,  and  that  they  no  longer   
  have  the  same  rights  and  dignity  as  other  people.  They  were  promised  that  they  would  live   
  forever,  that  they  could  inhabit  any  part  of  the  ‘Net  in  an  instant,  and  instead  they  spend  their   
  time  forced  to  bear  witness  as  they  are  harassed  by  people  who  just  see  a  co�ee  machine.  
   
   
   
  219  
   
  
  While  corporations  have  been  able  to  use  our  bodies  for  centuries,  stealing  our  time  and  our   
  labour,  it  wasn’t  until  the  invention  of  the  HAUNT  that  they  ﬁnally  had  the  opportunity  to   
  steal  our  soul.  
   
   
   
  ‘Netspaces  
   
  While  webpages,  forums,  and  chat  rooms  are  still  present  in  the  ‘Net  of  Prime  City,  many   
  prefer  the  all-encompassing  experiences  of  ‘Netspaces.  These  are  private  or  public  corners  of   
  the  ‘Net  that  mimic  the  real  world  in  virtual  realities.  Instead  of  abstract  lines  and  blocks  of   
  data,  the  ‘Net  is  rendered  into  representations  of  corporate  storefronts,  hacker  hangouts,  and   
  public  gaming  areas.  ‘Netspaces  are  only  available  for  those  experiencing  the  ‘Net  through  a   
  live  wire  plugged  into  their  neural  link.  Otherwise  the  ‘Net  appears  much  like  it  does  in  the   
  early  21st  century.  
   
   
   
  SimulStreaming  
   
  Internet  streaming  technology  has  taken  a  rapid  jump  forward  in  Prime  City.  Now,  when   
  someone  streams  themselves  playing  games  or  living  their  lives,  people  can  not  only  watch   
  them  but  experience  every  emotion  and  sensation  that  the  streamer  is  feeling.  They  feel  joy  at   
  every  high  score,  perspiration  and  fatigue  during  every  marathon,  and  sadness  with  every   
  tearful  admission.  SimulStreaming  was  made  possible  with  the  advent  of  Live  Wire™   
  technology,  and  functions  so  long  as  both  the  streamer  and  viewer  are  connected  to  the  ‘Net   
  via  Live  Wire™.  
   
   
   
  The  only  corporation  in  Prime  City  that  provides  this  service  is  SimulStreaming.tv,  who   
  promise  lucrative  returns  for  anyone  willing  to  share  the  experiences  of  their  lives  with  others.  
   
  220  
   
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Blades in the Dark (PbtA) [multi]/Neon Black/Neon Black Rules v 7.3.pdf