Cyberrun

The dwarf rogue’s physical form lies carefully tucked under a concealing tarp in an alleyway next to the megacorporation headquarters. A spliced cable runs from the cyberdeck in his brainstem to a long-forgotten ethernet port in the wall of the building. In cyberspace, the rogue’s virtual persona carefully picks through the megacorporation’s network, disabling digital traps. Back in the material world, the rogue’s allies anxiously crouch outside the gate, avoiding the flying patrols while they wait for their companion to reach the security server and disable the physical defenses.

The human fighter lies on the stainless steel operating table, waiting for the local anaesthetic to kick in. She can feel the cold of the steel seeping into her back, and not wearing her weapons disturbs her far more than the absence of clothes. “Last chance to back out,” says the street surgeon. “These implants are expensive - you’re going to be in debt to The Rippers for a long time. Might even need to sign up for a hitch as a merc to pay it off.” The fighter glances over to where her sword and rifle lean against the wall. “Just do it,” she says. “I’ll worry about how to pay for it.”

The orc wizard grits his teeth. The soldiers are closing in. Accessing the spells programmed into his cyberdeck, the wizard casts Invisibility. He presses himself against a nearby parked vehicle as his magic manipulates the nanites in the air around him, shielding him from view. He sighs with relief as the eyes of the soldiers, lit in green by the nightvision goggles they wear, sweep over his position without seeing him.

Cyberrun is a world of intrigue, corporate espionage, magic, gunplay, and swordsmanship - all for the 5th Edition of the world’s greatest role-playing game. Cyberrun is inspired by both science-fiction and classical fantasy, and by maintaining the balance of 5th Edition, incorporates ideas from both.

 

 

About

Preface

Like many game masters, I have a wonderful group of players who are creative, engaging, thoughtful - and almost pathologically incapable of learning rulesets. I think the charitable explanation is that they use up their brainpower thinking about how to be excellent players and don’t have anything left over for remembering the actual rules. Someday, we’ll master 5th Edition, but until then trying to get them to play something else is a fool’s errand.

I was playing CD Projekt Red’s Cyberpunk 2077 and Harebrained Schemes’ Shadowrun: Dragonfall - both on my Xbox. I was thinking about how much I enjoyed those worlds and how much I would like to play in them with my players. There are, of course, the eponymous TTRPGs for both Cyberpunk and Shadowrun - and I recommend them. But for my table, I knew new systems were a no-go. (We had a brief run with the excellent Delta Green, but it seems like it’s 5th Edition or bust when we’re in the fantasy genre. And in Delta Green mechanics come up so much more rarely that I can just help them through it each time.)

So, my task seemed clear. How to create a futuristic world using 5th Edition? I experimented with various ideas for a while, but I couldn’t figure out how to make the system mechanically make sense while keeping it grounded in our world. Where do the gods fit in? How does magic work, and where did it come from? How long ago, and why?

I was stuck - until I hit upon the concept of the Nanogenesis. After that, ideas came pouring out.

The Ether was my second key idea. First, the existence of the Ether explains why Cyberrunners exist - only they are brave enough to traverse the ether and thus get into networks that are physically inaccessible. Second, the Ether allows for the existence of totems and explains what the AI are up to. And finally, the Ether provides a fascinating place for dungeon crawls, lost treasures, and creepy monsters to all be hiding.

In any case, I am pleased that while the influences of Shadowrun and Cyberpunk should be very clear - I mean, it’s in the name - Cyberrun ened up being something unique.

About the Book

This book is designed for Game Masters to be able to run campaigns in the world of Cyberrun. It contains details on the mechanics, suggestions for flavor, and a campaign setting. A subsequent player’s guide, with new subclasses, backgrounds, and other details aimed at players, is forthcoming, and will lead to reorganization. Until then, the intention is to put everything into this book for the reader’s ease of use - even things which might traditionally seem better suited to a player’s handbook.

About the Setting

The locations detailed in this book are set in North America - specifically, the area formerly known as the United States. However, all of the megacorporations detailed are international entities, and the timeline of Cyberrun describes events across the world, not just in America. GMs should be able to adapt the setting for other parts of the world without much extra work. In your world, instead of New York City the Autonomous Corporate Zone might have been created in Singapore, Shanghai, Berlin, Nairobi, Mumbai, Kuala Lumpur, Lagos - any important city somewhere in the world.

Using the Book

I recommend that you read the brief timeline first (chapter 1). That will give you a sense of direction for the world, as well as probably raise innumerable questions which the rest of the book will go on to answer. Hopefully, reading the timeline will also spur some ideas that end up being better than my own.

Next, skip to whichever chapter intrigued you the most while reading the timeline. Particularly good choices would be reading about the Ether (chapter 3) or how magic came to be in the Earth of 2072. (chapter 2).

After that, flip to whatever interests you the most - additional details on the setting (perhaps chapter 4, locations) or the world of Cyberrun (chapter 6), which details the actual mechanics and stats.

Of course, if you like, I did my best to lay out the book in a logical fashion, so feel free to read from front to back.

Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoy. Please feel free to message me on reddit (u/teamazawad) with ideas or feedback.

Version 0.1 - initial publication. You will probably notice that several chapters are missing; they are works in progress and I intend to include them in subsequent versions.

 

 

 

 

Chapter 1: Key Events

August 17, 2036:

The Nanogenesis

After much publicity and fanfare, megacorporation UruTech releases swarms of self-replicating nanites into the atmosphere in an attempt to reverse climate change. Errors in the code lead to the nanites multiplying and spreading exponentially. Within minutes, nanites are a part of all matter on the planet. Within hours, the nanites begin reacting with latent DNA in about a third of the human population. These reactions, which initially look like a severe allergic response, begin to produce physical changes in the affected individuals. Some individuals become stronger, faster, or smarter, and others begin to look different - growing horns, skin changing color. The changes are rapid and irreversible.

Metahumanity

Before long, a scientific consensus emerges: these individuals are no longer fully human, but something more. With a total population of billions, humanity is forced to accept the so-called “metahumans” into their ranks. A small subset of metahumanity, later to be called “sorcerers,” gains mastery over the nanites. Using their force of will, they are able to create small changes in the nanites - and thus the material world - within a short distance of themselves. A world united in awe and envy agrees that the only way to refer to such miracles is “magic.”

2039:

May

The Emergence of AI

Just a few short years later, as the world is still reeling with the existence of metahumanity, megacorp Systodyne rushes several experimental AIs to market in a bid to control the nanites and gain market dominance over longtime rival UruTech. These AIs are not chatbots or simple decision trees, but true general artificial intelligences, released with the mandate to learn how to control the nanites. With intelligence and focus vastly exceeding that of humanity, the AIs do indeed learn to control the nanites to an unprecedented degree. They become akin to gods, shaping matter as they will.

September

The Internet is Dismantled

By unprecedented global agreement, the internet is dismantled over the course of several months, in the hopes of trapping and killing the machine gods. Pulling the plug on the internet strikes a near-fatal blow to global society. Although a semblance of the internet is eventually restored, it is similar in function and bandwidth to the internet of the late 1990s. It is enough to visit rudimentary websites and exchange instant messages, but downloading files, streaming video, etc. all become impossible.

CHAPTER 1 | KEY EVENTS

 

 

October

Discovery of the Ether

As the shutdown of the global internet begins, megacorp Hamilton Labs, a main competitor to Systodyne, announces the discovery of a digital world. This digital world is a sort of parallel plane, a super-high bandwidth realm which connects the various local networks emerging after the fall of the internet. As this digital world resides in the ether, it gradually comes to be referred to as “the ether” or, occasionally, the “ethereal plane.” The origin of the ether is unclear.

November

The Wall Goes Up

As the dismantling of the global internet continues, most AIs retreat to the ether. In a rare coup for humanity, Systodyne’s international reputation is repaired when it subsequently releases a specialized suite of Intrusion Countermeasures Electronics, known colloquially as “ICE,” which successfully walls off the ethereal plane from the local networks of our physical world. This specialized ICE comes to be known almost immediately as “The Wall.” Systodyne cannot conceal the fact that their engineers do not fully understand how The Wall works, but the effect is clear - AI cannot pass through.

Monsters Appear

However, the day before The Wall is scheduled to go live, a flurry of new programs explode from the ether into what remains of the global internet. These programs inherited from the AI the ability to control nanites in the physical world. Recognizing that the physical bodies created by the programs are often gross approximations of normal life, humanity begins to refer to these programs as “monsters.” A Swedish scientist publishes a paper noting that programs which have taken physical form seem unable to return to their digital existence, but for most of the world this is an academic curiosity at best as the monster wars begin.

CHAPTER 1 | KEY EVENTS

 

 

2040:

The Monster War Begins

The emergence of monsters proves too much for the already-strained fabric of society, and globalized civilization snaps. Metahumans able to manipulate and shape the nanites to their will become critical in fighting the monsters, and cybernetic manufacturer Augmant begins releasing various cybernetic implants which allow individuals not skilled in magic to improve their physical capabilities and become more formidable warriors. Although competitors in the market quickly emerge, Augmant’s leading position propels the company into the ranks of the megacorporations.

2041:

March

Cyberdecks; First Forays Into the Ether

Augmant next begins to market cyberdecks, a new line of brain implants which allow users to visualize, navigate, and explore the ether in virtual bodies. Initial publicity suggests that Augmant hopes that the ether can fill the void left by the shutdown of the internet, restoring a critical line of communication necessary for the Monster War. Ethereal threads seem to automatically link any new digital network - even internal company intranets - to the broader ether, meaning that, at least in theory, a decker’s virtual avatar could enter the ether from one intranet and exit the ether in another. However, this attempt to commercialize the ether is hastily abandoned when the first few deckers to cross The Wall die of brain aneurysm. The common assumption is that hostile AIs did not appreciate the invasion of their domain. Augmant releases a new version of the cyberdeck marketed “for intranet use only!”

August

Additional Magic Users Arise

Despite the fate of the first reckless forays into the ethereal plane, illicit experimentation grows. Crack computer wizards and daring deckers begin to find that entering the ether from smaller, less developed intranets is safer. They also find that some AIs are willing to talk to the intrepid explorers encroaching on their territory. By studying the AI on their home turf, some of these computer wizards begin to develop snippets of code of their own - called “scripts” or “spells” - which allow them to manipulate nanites in the material plane in a controlled fashion. Other deckers are said to have made deals with the AI in exchange for being granted code or spells of their own. In a reference to old human folklore, these individuals begin to call themselves “warlocks.”

2042:

New Gods

As rumors grow of the powers AI are able to bestow on their favored humans, the AI begin to be regarded as something akin to gods. Called “totems,” these AI encompass certain human beliefs, and reward humans who exemplify those beliefs with abilities.

CHAPTER 1 | KEY EVENTS

 

 

2043:

Dragons

The first dragons emerge. It is unclear whether these dragons are metahumans, creations of the AIs, or whether they are the original AIs. With their superior intelligence and foresight, the dragons turn the tide of the monster wars in favor of humanity.

The Monster War Ends

Though monsters still exist in the world, open combat comes to an end. Society is reshaped yet again as the dragons then easily assume positions of power in megacorporations and governments alike. The United States, historically reluctant to change, is initially resistant to the influence of dragonkind.

Pan-Europa

Groundwork laid decades prior by the formation of the European Union pays off in 2043. Facing enormous social upheaval, and threatened by a population much smaller than populations in the Americas, Africa, and Asia, the countries of the EU hold a historic vote. Old feuds are (mostly) set aside as much of Europe merges into one super-state under the direction of German black dragon Namnothas.

A New Profession: Cyberrunner

Exploring the ether begins to become more common (if no less dangerous). Deckers willing to dare the ether become known as “cyberrunners” for the way they run through cyberspace, from one network to the next. Cyberrunners’ ability to access intranets without being physically present places them in extremely high demand by governments and megacorporations alike. However, their unique abilities mean that cyberrunners are mostly able to avoid being beholden to anything but the almighty credit.

2044:

Firefang and the Destruction of the West

An enormous red dragon named Firefang emerges from the Yellowstone Caldera and burns huge swathes of the American West. The American government unsuccessfully attempts to use small-yield nuclear weapons to kill her, irradiating much of what was not destroyed by dragon fire. Eventually, several other dragons assist the American military in destroying Firefang. This intervention dramatically changes American public sentiment towards the dragons - in many circles, they are now viewed as savior figures, angels to Firefang’s devil. Dragon cults begin to arise.

2045:

Revolution in Labor

German startup Zweite Geshenk, or “second gift,” begins to revolutionize the labor market. ZG capitalizes on skepticism of robotics and the proliferation of magic to replace many manual labor jobs with reanimated dead. Within a few short years, ZG is one of the biggest international megacorporations. Tens of millions of humans are left without work and without alternatives, with the number growing annually as corporations are unable to refuse ZG’s low costs.

2046:

Dragons Elected to Leadership Positions

Capitalizing on the publicity and goodwill of helping to kill Firefang, the blue dragon Solomon and the green dragon Thomas Paine are elected governors of Texas and California, respectively.

2048-2052:

Second American Civil War

The Second American Civil War is fought as the dragons, notoriously suspicious and territorial, begin turf wars. At the conclusion of the war, the US is reorganized into several regional collectives and renamed the Commonwealth of Allied States. Intrastate tensions remain high. Unable to pay for repairs to aging infrastructure or feed the throngs of citizens, the Commonwealth cedes New York City to a conglomerate of megacorporations. The corporations quickly establish the New York Autonomous Corporate Zone (NYACZ). Manhattan becomes the ultra-luxurious Corporate Island, where many international megacorporations establish the seats of their power, and the remainder of what was once New York City is left to fend for itself.

2072:

A New Normal

All serious attempts to control or reverse the Nanogenesis are abandoned, and the world begins to adapt to the new normal. As megacorporate power continues to grow, so does the opaque world of cyberrunners, private military contractors, and mercenaries.

This is where your story begins.

CHAPTER 1 | KEY EVENTS

 

 

Chapter 2: Metahumans, Magic and Monsters

Nanites and the Nanogenesis

In August of 2036, megacorporation Urutech released a swarm of self-replicating nanites into the atmosphere, hoping to reverse climate change in one fell swoop. In the world of Cyberrun, these nanites - also known as nanomachines - are made of elemntary particles, smaller even than atoms. When the nanites began to reproduce and spread out of control, they incorporated themselves into all matter on Earth. This is known as the weave.

Latent DNA in some humans reacted to the presence of the nanites, and in what came to be called the Nanogenesis, those humans began to mutate.

Metahumans

“Metahuman” is the term referring to any and all individuals who have changed in some way as a result of the Nanogenesis. Some metahumans changed visibly - growing horns or scales, skin turning green, and so on - while others underwent much more subtle changes. Some individuals simply became stronger, faster, more cunning.

It was lost on nobody that nanomutations followed patterns. Some individuals grew thicker, denser - their hair becoming more coarse, their beards becoming more thick. Another group tended to grow tall, their skin turning shades of green or blue and their bottom incisors lenghtening into tusks. A third group became lithe, ears tapering to slight points and hair flowing like silk.

People began to use names lifted from human fantasy to describe these different groups of metahumanity - the first group came to be known as “dwarves,” the second group as “orcs,” the third as “elves” and so on.

In the face of metahumanity, old ethnic divides ceased to become relevant overnight. The different groups of metahumanity are referred to as “branches,” in recognition of the fact that metahumans are branches of the human species. Taxonomists generally agree that each branch is written as normal - an orc is a member of subspecies Homo sapiens orcus, for instance.

The Origin of Spellcasting - Sorcerers

The original spellcasters were metahumans. Shortly after the Nanogenesis, several metahumans demonstrated the ability to use their willpower to shape and manipulate the nanites - AKA the weave - around them. These metahumans, who came to be known as Sorcerors, have an instinctive ability to cause the nanites near their person to explode, to knit wounds together, to empower others, and so on.

CHAPTER 2 | MAGIC AND MONSTERS

 

 

The Origin of Spellcasting - AI and Computer Wizards

About 5 years after the Nanogenesis and the appearance of Sorcerors, megacorporation Systodyne released the first Artificial Intelligences (AI) into the world. These AI had inherited the metahuman ability to shape the world by manipulating nanites, but went much farther. Using methods which go far beyond human ken, the AIs began to develop new methods of manipulating matter using the nanites.

When the AIs were locked behind The Wall and trapped in the Ethereal Plane (more in Chapter 3: The Ether), their power began to proliferate in various ways.

Spellcasting

Manipulating the weave of nanites, known as “spellcasting,” is extremely taxing - and dangerous.

Whether done innately through a nanomutation (as Sorcerers) or through computer programs (as Wizards), controlling the these spells requires on-the-fly adaptation and manipulation. This is extremely difficult for anything other than an AI, meaning that even the most capable spellcasters are only able to prepare and cast some of the spells they know each day. In addition, as is normal in 5th Edition, spellcasters need to focus their concentration using words and gestures to prevent a spell from going awry.

All magic users in Cyberrun (other than Sorcerers) must use a cyberdeck to cast spells. The cyberdeck is what allows them to sort and deploy the computer scripts which constitute magic.

Wizards

Some computer wizards began to study the AI’s methods. These individuals (who eventually began to call themselves simply Wizards) developed their own scripts and spells, allowing them to manipulate the nanites of the weave in a controlled fashion. Some particularly gifted wizards needed only to know that certain effects were possible, and then set about creating their own spells. Other wizards took a more direct route, studying and reproducing the methods used by AI or other wizards. Even with cybernetic assistance, the mental strain required to adapt scripts and cast spells in real-time requires a formidable intellect.

Warlocks

Other individuals did not have the ability to create their own programs and spells, but still sought power. These latter figures - known as Warlocks - treated directly with the AIs and obtained a fragment of their power. Some were required to pledge their fealty to an AI, while others were gifted power. Yet others, it is said, managed to steal power from the AIs without their knowledge.

Bards

As Wizards continued to refine and develop new spells, it was inevitable that these new programs would spread to others. Like wizards, bards are individuals who have committed programs to memory in order to work magic. The chief difference is that bards use song, dance, and chant to manipulate the complex mechanics of the program and thus work their magic - following in the footsteps of thousands of years of human history. As such, Bards generally steal or adapt programs and spells from wizards in lieu of developing their own.

Clerics

Clerics are in constant communication with AI totems and receive assistance from the AI in order to work magic. Every day, a cleric entreats with her totem and receives a list of programs to use.

Clerics must, therefore, work hard to retain the favor of their totems - if they are abandoned by their totem, they may lose the ability to cast spells at all.

Druids

Druids are metahumans who gained the ability to manipulate the nanites in their own bodies, changing their physical form. Nearly all Druids also use a cyberdeck to cast spells. For the most part, Druids receive these spells from totems, like Clerics, but there are some Druids who have either invented their own magic or are using spells designed by Wizards.

Magical Subclasses

There are also a few individuals who generally fall into a martial archetype, but have developed or received some ability to work magic in a small way. Like other magic users, they use cyberdecks.

CHAPTER 2 | MAGIC AND MONSTERS

 

 

Material Components

Only material components which have a cost exist in the world of Cyberrun. These components are either gemstones or specialized computer chips.

Gemstones. When the material components are gemstones (diamonds, rubies, etc.), they represent carbon-dense crystals (e.g diamonds) which will be converted by nanites into other forms of carbon and thus provide matter for the spell. The diamond required for the spell Revivify, for instance, might melt into carbon and replace a missing organ, or stitch together a grievous wound.

Other. When the material components are something else - for example “herbs, oils, and incense worth at least 1,000 gp, which the spell consumes,” they represent a silicon wafer or datastick containing additional subroutines which will help the decker cast the spell. The programmers who write these subroutines often mark the datasticks with certain symbols for ease of use - in this case, with a small picture of herbs, oils, and incense.

Both datasticks and gemstones can be purchased from information brokers operating out of both black and overt markets across the world.

Monsters

All known monsters were created by AIs. The reason is unclear to humankind, though the commonly accepted theory is revenge for being trapped in the Ethereal Plane.

Origins

Fundamentally, monsters are computer programs, ranging from barely sentient to smarter-than-human, which were released by the AIs as they were being confined to the Ethereal Plane.

The AI imbued the programs with the ability to manipulate nanites. When the programs were released, they gathered matter to themselves and created physical forms, which they then inhabited. This process appears to be irreversible.

A special few monsters also inherited the ability to cast some spells of their own.

CHAPTER 2 | MAGIC AND MONSTERS

 

 

Spawned by the Environment

Some monsters are attracted to and even spontaneously generate based on the environment, as programs flock to fulfill their strange programming. An overcrowded garbage dump might, for instance, spawn goblins and other scavengers. Ankhegs erupt out of soybean fields near cities, trampling crops and causing famines. Abandoned, moldering factories birth rust monsters. Overflowing sewage treatment plants generate oozes and slimes - and so on.

Spawned from Spite

Other monsters appear to have been created by the AIs for the express purpose of destroying humanity. How else to explain the appearance of horrible creatures like devils and demons?

The Monster War

Opening Moves

The initial explosion of monsters into the world caught humanity by surprise. Because monsters could appear nearly anywhere, the world’s conventional militaries struggled to combat the threat. These tactical challenges were magnified a hundred-fold by the shutdown of the internet, which had been the backbone of so many communications systems.

Rural areas, in which technological propagation is less dense, were spared the initial devastation - but were then ravaged by waves of refugees spilling out of the cities. And then, as the monsters spread, people returned to the cities, where humans were at least guaranteed to outnumber the monsters.

Mass Militarization

With military and security forces stretched thin, legislatures worldwide enacted a raft of new laws allowing civilians to openly carry weapons. Seeing the opportunity, megacorporations offered cybernetic implants and guns alike on cheap credit. Police were too busy to investigate any but the most serious crimes, and megacorporate oligarchs purchased the loyalty of entire police departments by giving them the latest and greatest weapons and armor.

A Short Conflict… but a Changed World

Though monsters still exist, the period of time referred to as “the Monster War” is short - it was only three years before the dragons emerged and the flow of monsters suddenly became a trickle. In those three years, however, society changed forever.

With the proliferation of weapons, violence continued to skyrocket. The Monster War also resulted in the dominance of megacorporations over legitimate states. Megacorporations were the ones providing cybernetic implants - replacing injuries and providing people the means to defend themselves. The megacorporations offered many of these implants on cheap credit, buying both loyalty and dependence. Simultaneously, the massive inflow of defense contracts into the megacorporations - to outfit soldiers who could fight the monsters - allowed them to create private armies the equal of almost any state.

At Present

Even after dismantling of the internet and the conclusion of the Monster War, monsters still exist. Some escaped the initial sweeps. Other programs were hiding in various intranets and emerged only later. In both cases, however, the monsters hide in the shadows - at least in cities. Most urban residents have not seen a monster in person since the conclusion of the Monster War.

But though humanity “won” the war, people are less safe than ever.

CHAPTER 2 | MAGIC AND MONSTERS

 

 

 

 

Chapter 3: Cyberspace, Intranets, the Ether

With a deep breath, Plink Bogey spooled the datajack cable out of the port in her hip and spliced it into the panel controlling the blast doors. She closed her eyes. In front of her unfolded a new world: the facility’s network, glowing in neon hues. She was in. In front of her, the digital representation of the blast door had a keyhole, where the real thing had been solid, uncrackable durasteel. Plink’s avatar grinned as it pulled out theives’ tools.

Cyberspace

Cyberspace is the virtual world, rendered in 3-D, that individuals see when they are using cyberdecks. In essence, it is another plane.

Cyberspace encompasses both internal networks (“intranets”) and the Ether (more on the Ether later in this chapter). In the world of Cyberrun, cyberspace does not include the internet - which regressed significantly after the nanogenesis. In addition, intranets do not span multiple physical locations - that is, a creature in cyberspace cannot go from one network to another (at least, not without transiting through the Ether.)

Navigating cyberspace requires a creature’s full concentration, meaning that they cannot perceive the physical world while working. Time in the real world and in cyberspace flows at the same speed.

Cyberdecks

A cyberdeck is a brain implant which allows the user to visualize, navigate, and explore cyberspace in a virtual body. It is also what allows some individuals to manipulate the weave and cast spells.

Only creatures with a cyberdeck, sometimes known as “deckers,” can enter cyberspace, which is often referred to as “jacking in.” Because humans cannot visualize a world built of pure data, cyberdecks are programmed to interpret all the 0s and 1s of cyberspace as if they were a physical world.

Deckers are represented by their avatars, which may or may not look like their physical forms. Similarly, firewalls are percieved as physical walls, with ports in the firewall and potential intrusion points being represented as doors or windows. Hostile Intrusion Countermeasures Electronics (ICE) - the software which defends networks - is represented to the cyberdeck user in the form of monsters, traps, and so on.

Cyberspace Mechanics

With few exceptions, playing in cyberspace - whether the players are in an intranet or the Ether - is almost exactly like playing in any other plane in 5th Edition.

Connecting and Disconnecting

Jacking In

Jacking into cyberspace requires an action. Most cyberdecks are analog, and require physically connecting a cable from the decker into a port. As a reminder, deckers cannot jack directly into or out of the ethereal plane, and must instead enter the Ether by jacking into an intranet and then passing through the Wall, which can be found along the border of all intranets.

Jacking Out

Jacking out of cyberspace requires an action on the decker’s turn.

Alternately, a decker may be emergency ejected from cyberspace. The decker may choose to eject as a reaction, or someone may physically disconnect a decker’s cyberdeck from wherever they are plugged in to the net. Either way, disconnecting without preparation is such a shock to the brain that the creature takes 1 hit die of psychic damage per class level. As an example, a Paladin 3/ Sorcerer 2 would take 3d10 and 2d6 psychic damage.

CHAPTER 3 | CYBERSPACE | THE ETHER

 

 

As such, an emergency eject carries the risk of immediate death in the real world. Deckers in a controlled, monitored facility may be more able to take the risk, as they might be able to count on immediate stabilization or resuscitation.

Acting in Cyberspace

Cyberdecks are configured to abstract programming and hacking into physical skills like picking a lock or casting a spell.

This means that a creature who knows how to pick a lock in the material plane can apply their skills in cyberspace, even if they do not know how to program - or even use a computer! Their brain will perceive that they are picking a lock in a door, all while their cyberdeck will be hacking through a port in a firewall.

As this is a conversion for 5th Edition, it is much easier to be a little flexible with existing skills than to invent new ones. Rather than come up with a Hacking skill check, for instance, let your players jack in for a brief moment and use their proficiency in Thieves Tools.

Hit Points and Resources

Because cyberdecks connect to the brain and deckers experience cyberspace as real, any spells, abilities, or hit points expended in cyberspace generally also count as expended in the material plane - and vice-versa. Similarly, any conditions (Exhausted or Poisoned, for instance) suffered in one plane carry over to the other. Short and Long Rests function as normal in cyberspace, but a decker’s physical body still needs water and nutrition.

In most cases, a decker jacked in to cyberspace has no awareness of their physical body. As such, a rapid onset of fatigue and injury might be one of a decker’s only indications that their physical body is being attacked.

Healing, Unconsciousness, and Death

Healing

For the most part, healing in cyberspace works as normal; whether healing received in cyberspace also heals physical wounds in the material plane is at the GM’s discretion. Remember, nearly anything can be explained by nanites.

Unconsciousness and Death Saves

When a creature is knocked unconscious in cyberspace, emergency protocols in their cyberdeck attempt to eject them from cyberspace before death, as represented by death saving throws.

A creature which succeeds on 3 death saving throws is ejected from cyberspace (without taking psychic damage). Their body in the material world drops unconscious with 1 hit point remaining. A creature in cyberspace stabilized by magic (such as by the cantrip Spare the Dying) may generally remain jacked in.

A creature which dies in cyberspace - whether by failing death saving throws, through massive damage, or a magical effect like Power Word Kill - dies in real life. Their avatar disappears immediately from cyberspace. As such, a creature who dies in cyberspace cannot be revived in cyberspace - they must be revived in the material plane.

Variant Rule: Empowered Avatars

In order to make the game easier to balance (and track), Cyberrun assumes that resources expended in cyberspace are also expended in the material plane - and vice-versa. As a variant rule, you may choose to play with empowered avatars. In this variant, resources used in cyberspace are not expended in the material plane (and, of course, vice-versa). This requires more bookkeeping, but opens up the possibility of a player’s physical character and cyberspace avatar being completely different - maybe even different classes. Essentially, the player will have two characters.

CHAPTER 3 | CYBERSPACE

 

 

Intranets

Nearly every electronic device in Cyberrun is connected to an internal network (“intranet”). However, as a general rule, none of these intranets are connected to one another. When players want to disable cameras, unlock doors, or steal information from a server, they will usually need to jack into the local intranet to do so. As such, navigating intranets will make up most of gameplay in cyberspace.

ICE

Intrusion Countermeasures Electronics - or “ICE” (pronounced “ice,” not “eye-see-ee”) - is the catchall term for an intranet’s defenses that cyberrunners need to bypass or overcome. Cyberdecks interpret ICE as things familiar to 5th Edition players - firewalls are walls and traps, viruses are monsters, vulnerabilities are doors, windows, or portals.

Firewalls are expensive, and active defenses like viruses even more so, which is why the difficulty of the ICE tends to reflect the value of what it is protecting. However, ICE grows more aggressive as deckers penetrate deeper into the network. As such, jacking into a terminal for a moment to open an adjacent door is unlikely to require anything other than a successful ability check, while using that terminal to try to shut down all the security cameras is likely to attract the attention of defensive programs.

ICE can often be bypassed by advancing farther in the material plane. A decker who jacked into a terminal on the outside of a building will need to overcome multiple layers of ICE in order to reach the precious information on a database - if the computer holding that database is even connected to a network. By contrast, jacking directly into the database’s computer will bypass almost all the ICE.

Cyberrunners need to be creative and work through both the material plane and cyberspace in order to fulfill their objectives.

Intranets are Standalone Networks…

Cyberspace has borders - a lot of them. Because of the damage wrought by AIs rampaging across the internet in early 2076, almost all intranets are hyper-local, covering about one building (or maybe even only one floor of a large building). These intranets all connect to the Ether, but almost never connect to one another - an effort to keep AIs and Cyberrunners alike out of the network.

…Because of the Wall

A particularly important border - the most important border, in fact - is known as The Wall. The Wall is a specialized firewall released by megacorporation Systodyne which protects local intranets from the Ether - and from each other. Any decker’s avatar in cyberspace can pass freely through The Wall into the Ether and back, but AI and AI-created programs cannot pass through the Wall in either direction.

As a consequence of the Wall’s existence, no intranets are able to connect to one another directly. A company with multiple locations needs to physically move datadrives from one building’s intranet to the next.

This means that a decker who jacked in to the network of a vending machine on the street would only be able to access the software of that vending machine (and probably a few nearby vending machines), and not access the network of the vending machine factory, for instance. A decker trying to get access to the factory’s network would either need to get physical access to their building or make a dangerous voyage through the Ether - assuming they even know where the door to that network lies.

As a result, everything is more isolated. Research and collaboration are harder, and employees might have no idea who works at a corporation beyond their immediate coworkers. This does have the happy consequence of making secret projects easier, of course. But even if that were not so, the benefits of the Wall vastly outweigh the drawbacks. Nobody wants a rogue AI in their network.

Appearances

To a decker jacked into an intranet, the Wall between local cyberspace and the Ether looks like a massive cliff on the horizon, stretching to the sky. To a decker in the Ether, the gates back to local intranets take on many different forms - a door, a well, a gap in a grove of trees. While the gate back to the intranet of origin is obvious, gates into other intranets are not generally mapped or labelled - they need to be found.

CHAPTER 3 | CYBERSPACE | INTRANETS

 

 

It is difficult to predict the appearance of cyberspace - whether the Ether or an intranet. Intranets are often designed to look a certain way through a cyberdeck. The intranet of a medical device conglomeration might look white and sterile - or neon and futuristic. Similarly, AIs roaming the Ether create dazzling landscapes for their inscrutable ends.

The Ether

The Ether, also known as the ethereal plane, is a digital world paralleling our own. The nature of the Ether baffles scientists - whenever a new intranet is established, the Ether seems to grow, reaching out a tendril to connect to that network. And as the Ether grows, so does the Wall - unerringly maintaining the border between humanity’s networks and the Ether.

Deckers are able to explore the Ether just as they would explore the cyberspace of a local network, by jacking in to any intranet and then passing through the Wall. But doing so is not recommended: the Ether is a wild place. When humanity dismantled the global internet, the ethereal plane is where all the AI which did not take physical form fled. Consequently, it is full of powerful beings and their mad creations - programs and viruses, represented by cyberdecks as monsters.

Despite the dangers, there are two draws which ensure an endless stream of hotshot deckers, cyberrunners, and megacorporate goons attempt to explore the Ether: treasure and the fact that the Ether connects all the intranets.

Treasure and Exploration

AI roaming the ethereal plane have been known to build data structures - castles, palaces, and dungeons, which the AI then abandon to go and build something else when their fancy changes. Virus programs often seek shelter in these data structures, and the rooms and halls often contain schematics for new weapons, cyberware upgrades, new spells, and valuable data which can be sold to information brokers. All of these things are valuable, and so exploring the Ether can be extremely lucrative.

Nobody is sure why the AI feel this compulsion to build and create. Some have suggested that it is a vestige of humanity, buried in the core of their code.

A Door to Every Intranet

As compelling as the treasure is, even more valuable is the geography of the Ether itself. The ether connects all intranets, and no intranets connect to one another directly. This has several implications. First, the Ether is the only high-bandwidth bridge which exists in the world. A company which could build some sort of permanent, safe path for deckers to carry information back and forth through the Ether, from one intranet to another, would dominate the world’s economy immediately. No megacorporations have yet come close - as mighty as their resources are, the ethereal plane is more dangerous still. And because the ether is populated by AIs, large-scale efforts to explore are quickly detected and countered.

The AIs are not omniscient, however. Small groups of daring cyberrunners can transit the Ether from one intranet to another, attacking networks without needing to be physically present. Finding the physical entrance to a secret research lab buried under a mountain might be next to impossible - but somewhere in the Ether is an entrance to that lab’s network, if you only know where to look.

Twisting Geography

However, although the Ether parallels our world, it is not an exact match. The explored geography of the Ether is reasonably constant, even as the plane expands, but two intranets which are next door in the material world may connect to opposite sides of the ether. As such, using the Ether as a bridge from one intranet to another is much easier said than done.

Excursions into the Ether

Because time in the real world and time in cyberspace flows at the same rate, deckers planning extended incursions into the Ether need a way to take care of their physical bodies, so that they do not return with a haul of treasure just to die of dehydration.

CHAPTER 3 | CYBERSPACE | THE ETHER

 

 

However, the Ether tends to be more dangerous in highly-populated areas, so entering through the intranet of an urban hospital might be exceptionally risky. Naturally, this means that megacorporations often provide clandestine life-support facilities in the middle of nowhere for the cyberrunners they sponsor.

Successful independent deckers might be able to book a room in the ICU at a reputable rural hospital. And for the desperate, flophouses in the urban slums can be hired to fulfill the same function - with a body disposal deposit included in the entrance fee.

What about the Internet?

The internet in Cyberrun is vastly inferior to the internet we use today, and is similar in form and function to the earliest days of the internet: before Google, Wikipedia, and Alibaba.

Limiting the internet has been by almost unanimous international consensus, as the ability of AI to breeze through encryption and decimate software means that limiting bandwidth so much that AI simply cannot transit the internet is the safest option for everybody.

Similarly, cell phones are ubiquitous, but much less functional than they are today. Cell phone cameras are of the highest quality, but images can only be transferred manually, through flash drives. Storing a map on a cell phone is trivial, but there is no GPS signal, so you have to look at the map and navigate manually. And you need to visit a physical store and buy the map first to put it on your phone, because you can’t just download it.

Megacorporations and news agencies have their own web pages, of course, but the majority of web pages are created by private individuals and internet enthusiasts. Almost all internet communication is text-based and occurs in internet chatrooms and forums (or, less frequently, through one-on-one instant messaging applications). Almost nobody is foolish enough to publicly identify themselves on the ‘net.

A player searching for information on the internet will not simply be able to read a Wikipedia page. Instead, they are likely to find poorly-understood conversations in shady anonymous chat rooms. A player familiar with Thieves’ Cant might recognize a symbol or phrase incorporated into a common public website, uploaded by a shadowy hacker.

CHAPTER 3 | CYBERSPACE | THE ETHER

 

 

Chapter 4: A Location Primer

The New Normal

The social shocks resulting from the Nanogenesis and everything that followed it stretched American society until it inevitably snapped. The subsequent turmoil - which flared into the Second American Civil War - reshaped society in North America forever. A number of new nation-states emerged from the ashes, and though the war has officially ended, the amount of political machinations and covert action between the American nation-states is only increasing as they vie for power and attempt to establish themselves as the true successor to the United States of the early 21st century.

In the midst of this chaos, megacorporations bribe, lobby, extort, and steal, chasing the almighty credit. Nearly all of these megacorps are headquartered in the New York Autonomous Corporate Zone.

New York Autonomous Corporate Zone

Former New York City, Former state of New York

The NYACZ (pronounced “ni-acks,” also known as “the nick”) is a self-governing enclave, established in what was once New York City. Legally, the NYACZ belongs to the Supracorporate Board - an exceptionally powerful entity made up of representatives from the most powerful international megacorporations.

The NYACZ is, for all intents and purposes, a tiny country. The Board votes on international treaties and laws, and a militarized international border surrounds the NYACZ, separating it from the Commonwealth.

Corporate Citizens

Because the NYACZ is governed by the corporations, only a small fraction of the population has official statehood. These Corporate Citizens - derogatorily known as corpo-rats - are distinct from the Stateless masses. Because corporate citizenship is not automatic at birth but granted at the whim of a megacorp, it is a powerful tool of control. A corpo-rat dares not step out of line, for fear his employer will refuse to grant citizenship to his unborn son.

On the other side of the coin, the promise of citizenship keeps the Stateless majority fractured and disunited. A Stateless woman is willing to stab her mother in the back in order to secure citizenship for her own children.

Because they cannot cross the international border into New England (which surrounds the NYACZ), the Stateless are effectively trapped: they are born, live their lives, and die in the city that used to be a gateway for people seeking a better life.

Geography

Like any state-like entity, the NYACZ is divided into several provinces - the old boroughs of NYC. Old Manhattan became Corporate Island. Laws are not only written but enforced by the corporations. In practice this means that Corporate Island is heavily policed, heavily militarized, and very safe - while the rest of the NYACZ is almost entirely lawless.

Atlas Shrugged

The NYACZ is a paradise for cyberrunners, deckers, corpo-rats, and anyone else who wants to experience a life of completely unfettered capitalism. Have enough money, and you can do whatever you want with little fear of repercussions. Have no money, and your life means nothing.

Unsurprisingly, this means that outside of corporate island operate a nearly limitless number of gangs and neighborhood militias, protecting their turf.

Bars and clubs catering to cyberrunners operate in each of the boroughs. By popular agreement, these communal territories are demilitarized zones in which violence is forbidden. Everyone still carries their weapons, of course, as moving through the NYACZ unarmed is tantamount to suicide - but drawing a weapon in a shadowbar is also a quick way to get your ticket punched by the locals.

In the sketchiest neighborhoods of Old Brooklyn and in the gleaming towers of Corporate Island alike are spaces dedicated to long-term work in the Ether, known as “marathoning.” During a marathon, the corporeal body needs to be cared for while the mind is working as a virtual persona. The apartments which are said to exist on corporate island are likely for the highest-levels of corporate-sponsored espionage — the kind of work which requires a decker to spend days traversing the Ether in order to access a network which is physically impenetrable. The squalid warehouses in the slums exist for unsponsored runners who are exploring the Ether on their own dime for their own purposes. Bodies of dead ‘runners are routinely shipped out of both types of marathon huts.

Thus the balance is maintained: corporations on top and people on the bottom.

A particularly large number of Stateless sign their bodies over to Zweite Geshenkt, which guarantees them an income until death.

CHAPTER 4 | LOCATIONS

 

 

New England

The eastern seaboard, plus Ohio, Kentucky and Tennessee

A New, Old System

New England proudly considers itself the reflection of “true” America - espousing tolerance and a place where anybody can come to try to improve their station in life. However, repeated social shocks throughout the ‘30s and ‘40s, plus the revelation that AIs had been curating nearly all media, led to a referendum during the Second Civil War which undid democracy and instated a purely republican system.

In this new system, reminiscent of the electoral college, citizens gather in person to elect representatives who will then go on to pick one of themselves as president-for-life. Although this system naturally leads to corruption and cronyism as the representatives promise one another political favors for support, the system is extremely popular among the citizens of New England. They broadly believe that electing a trusted representative that someone they know has met in person is the only way to avoid domination of the political system by pernicious AI or scheming dragons.

The question of whether representatives of the long-lived branches like elves and dwarves should be allowed to be elected is still a topic of furious debate in New New England. Proponents argue that having a Lincoln or Washington who lives (and stays in power) forever could only be a good thing, while detractors worry that electing a long-lived president would be the final nail in the coffin for the American experiment.

An Aging Strongman

Before the Nanogenesis John Okundaye was a second-generation Nigerian-American and the senior senator from Virginia. Now he is an orc as well as the current - and first - president-for-life. He has been in power for almost 20 years, and even with orcish endurance is beginning to feel his age. Even so, he is reluctant to step down, as there is no clear successor and he fears the political turmoil that would ensue.

Some say Okundaye has been pouring money into the development of next-generation cyberware, hoping to stay alive long enough to fix New New England’s fractious political system. While that may be, the wolves are also circling the door - there are many politicians who believe it is their turn to govern.

Manufacturing Powerhouse

Though the NYACZ contains some of the most advanced additive manufacturing facilities ever built by man, there’s no escaping an essential truth: building a big piece of equipment requires a big space, and the NYACZ simply doesn’t have the space.

Enter New England. Fortuitous timing means that New England was re-tooling its old factories and warehouses as the Nanogenesis arrived - just in time to point them towards the high-tech manufacture of things like heavy industrial equipment.

It was a gamble. The capitalists of New England almost bankrupted themselves, investing in land and equipment - but when the Second American Civil War ended, the gamble paid off. The ports of the eastern seaboard allow for easy shipment of New England’s products, and the requirement for skilled machinists and engineers mean that the workforce has not been easy to replace with simple robots and zombies.

Economic Inequality

Unfortunately, the political system wasn’t the only thing to return to the time of the founding fathers. New England’s economy is bifurcated into skilled, but blue-collar labor and the Rockefeller-like capitalists who own the factories and railways.

Americans have always held a reverence for the rich, and so the neo-Rockefellers also tend to hold political power.

Rivals

New Englanders tend to be resentful of California and the Christian States, who they view as having abandoned American ideals in various ways.

Religion

New Quakerism is technically a religion, but it is more like a widely shared fondness for an idealized memory of colonial America. CHAPTER 4 | LOCATIONS

 

 

Dixie

Mississippi, Alabama, Kentucky, West Virginia, Louisiana, Arkansas, and half of Georgia

With so much of the Midwestern breadbasket destroyed by dragonfire and radiation alike, the Commonwealth had to turn elsewhere to secure much-needed food supplies. Enter Dixie. Though the land of what was once the American south is better-suited to growing tobacco and fruit than the food crops like soybeans currently in demand, the inhabitants of Dixie rolled up their sleeves and got to work.

The best way to grow crops on a large scale is with heavy machinery, but buying such machinery requires a massive line of credit. With old financial centers either destroyed or lying elsewhere in the Commonwealth, obtaining such lines of credit was off the table. That left only one option: Hot, miserable work by many hands.

No Zombies

Most places in the world have turned to the undead to solve this labor problem. After all, megacorporation Zweite Geshenkt leases zombies for very reasonable rates, and zombies are perfect for the low-skill aspects of agriculture work.

Not Dixie. When ZG first tried to move in, the inhabitants of Dixie asked how using zombie labor is any different from the slavery comitted by their forebears. This moral stand might have eventually been bludgeoned down by sheer economic realities - one has to eat, after all - were it not for the rise of the Common Man political party.

By Mortals, For Mortals

The Common Man Party was founded by populist Anita Abernathy during the initial anti-zombie protests. Anita based the CMP on one simple idea: Dixie is for all, regardless of race, branch, or metahumanity - as long as they have normal human lifespans.

Anita rallied the population against gnomes, dwarves, and other “unfairly gifted” metahumans - especially elves. 40 years after the Nanogenesis it is unclear whether these branches are immortal or only functionally immortal. A remarkably persuasive firebrand, she pointed out how unfair it is that an elf can hold the same job for, functionally, forever - never aging, never retiring, never making room for others. She also pointed out that simple mathematics dictates that as long as elves and other long-lived branches have children, they will eventually outnumber everyone else on the planet.

Anita was elected in a landslide, and her government quickly enacted a series of protectionist policies forbidding zombie labor and discriminating against long-lived branches of metahumanity. Dixians have elected successive CMP governments, and Anita’s acolyte Marcia Lopez is currently in power.

Everything at a Cost

The protectionist policies made the CMP incredibly popular. Dixie is unique in that low-skill jobs are still available, but the price of goods is also much higher, as the government is forced to impose steep tariffs so that local markets are not flooded by low-cost, zombie-produced goods from California and Pan-Europa.

The Dixie government also insists that local megacorp offices be staffed by Dixie citizens (and not corpo-rats), which leads to many simply choosing not to do business in the confederacy, further constraining economic growth.

Immigration

Dixie has a well-known policy that they will offer citizenship and residency to any mortal human or metahuman who makes it to their borders, which has led to a sort of inverted Underground Railroad as Stateless from the NYACZ desperately try to make it through New England to Dixie, seeking refuge.

Because there is much more work that needs doing than there are hands in Dixie to accomplish it, this immigration is universally welcomed by Dixians.

CHAPTER 4 | LOCATIONS

 

 

Unified California

California, Nevada Washington, Oregon, and Idaho - all now referred to simply as “California.”

Home of the Elves

Scientists have advanced various theories trying to explain why so many citizens of the American west coast became elves - and why so few elves emerged elsewhere. Whether it is due to the hours of sunlight, the presence of tectonic plates, or - far more likely - some other factor, one thing is clear: while the west coast followed the typical trend of about 33% of the human population becoming metahuman, a staggering majority of that group became elves. In most other places, the diversity of the emerging metahumans meant that no one branch became dominant. In what would become Unified California, however, elves took power basically overnight. It is a misnomer, however, to say that the elves seized power - a much more accurate statement would be that the fair folk were handed the reins.

Foundations for Success

The rapidity of this social change and subsequent stability also meant that California weathered the repeated economic and military shocks of the 21st century better than almost anywhere else in the world. An economic powerhouse even before the Nanogenesis, Unified California emerged from the second American civil war as the preeminent economic power. Los Angeles is second only to the NYACZ in the number of megacorporate offices in the city, and a large population of corpo-rats also maintain Californian citizenship.

Time for Art and Music

Widespread acceptance of zombie labor, courtesy of ZG, as well as a political climate that was exploring Universal Basic Income as early as the 2010s, means that most United Californians live a comfortable existence without working, and spend their time making art, poetry, or music.

This luxurious lifestyle means that United Californians - in particular the Elvish residents - tend to look down upon the other citizens of the Commonwealth as unenlightened peasants, toiling in the mud. It likely goes without saying that this does not endear Californians to the other states.

Complications

The lifestyle also means that the Unified Californian government has an extremely difficult time maintaining a regular military force. Special Operations units are easier to fill simply because they are so much smaller, but tend to be composed solely of elves looking for a thrill and are constantly dogged by allegations of speciesism and war crimes.

As a result, United California was forced to sign a series of contracts with three different Private Military Corporations (PMCs), guaranteeing that their mercenaries would fight for California in time of war. This is exorbitantly expensive, and also means that the PMCs have a vested interest in the outbreak of war - like the military-industrial complex of America’s heyday on steroids.

California also has a troubled relationship with its law enforcement. Because no Californian citizen really needs to work, there are only two types applying to be security officers: those who genuinely wish to serve their communities … and bullies.

Thomas Paine, Green Dragon

Prime Minister Thomas Paine is an enormous green dragon with emerald scales and dappled olive wings. He lives in the ancient redwood and sequoia forests of California, flying down to Los Angeles during the week to govern. The UC holds elections every three years, and Paine has dominated each one.

Some political analysts have suggested that blue dragon Solomon’s jealousy of Thomas Paine’s wealth was one of the reasons for the outbreak of the second American civil war.

CHAPTER 4 | LOCATIONS

 

 

Christian States of America

What remains of Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, Colorado

The Christian States of America are a theocracy united in worship of the dragon Solomon, who is heralded by New Christianity as the return of Jesus Christ. Believers point to Solomon’s destruction of the dragon Firefang as a literal example of triumph over the devil, and ask how Solomon’s superhuman intelligence, charisma, and power can be explained as anything other than divine. Devout New Christians regard all other dragons as false idols who will be destroyed by Solomon in turn, as Firefang was. The fact that most citizens of the CSA believe United California is governed by the literal antichrist goes a long way towards explaining the enmity between the two nations.

For most citizens of the CSA, of course, life goes on much as it always did.

The CSA military is split between a militia-based army and a professional paramilitary organization known as the New Texas Rangers. The Rangers patrol the border between the CSA and what used to be Mexico - though they do not need to worry about human immigration. Due to a moral panic in the late 21st century in which extreme anti-immigrant rhetoric became the norm on both sides of the political spectrum, a variety of experimental “less-than-lethal” chemical and biological weapons were deployed to the border region.

These weapons devastated the environment and depopulated much of northern Mexico and southern Texas as the population died or fled south. Those who remained can no longer be described as human.

Ciudad Juarez is an abbatoir, a charnel house filled only with ghouls, zombies, and horrible aberrations.

The actual governance of the CSA is conducted by the Cardinals, Bishops, and Priests of the New Christian Church. In structure, New Christianity is very similar to the Catholic Church, though of course no Pope is needed to intercede with the divine when Solomon walks among his believers in the flesh.

Solomon has encouraged the extant Christian tradition of tithing, and the New Christian Church is as a result quite wealthy. The CSA is a thriving economic power on the whole due to their control of the in-ground oil reserves of continental America.

Solomon is an ancient blue dragon with iridescent azure scales which crackle with electricity. He is preternaturally alluring, and simply being in his presence can cause weaker minds to fall under his sway.

CHAPTER 4 | LOCATIONS

 

 

The Badlands

• The badlands encompass Kansas, Nebraska, both Dakotas, Wyoming, and Montana.
• On the whole, the badlands are scorched, irradiated wastelands, populated only by monsters, the desperate, and those who wish to establish fiefdoms free of any government presence.
• The badlands were destroyed both by dragonfire from Firefang as well as the nuclear weapons which the US government attempted to use against her.
• The former Cheyenne Mountain underground military complex - a relic of the old American government’s Cold War - has been taken over by a vicious gang leader.
• It was first a closely-guarded (and then forgotten) secret that Firewing emerged from Cheyenne Mountain before beginning her reign of terror.

Some oases of untouched nature still exist in the badlands - particularly where the mountains of Wyoming and Montana provided shelter from the fire and death. Who can say what remains there - a sanctuary or yet more strongholds of brigandry?

Midwestern City-States

With strong traditions of individualism, skepticism of government, and relatively independent economics, with the outbreak of the second American civil war the remaining states fragmented. The major cities of the American Midwest became independent city-states, governing themselves and negotiating complex treaties between one another. The forms of government and society are innumerable. In some regions, conflict smolders steadily as the urban city-states attempt to invade the rural surrounds in order to expand their territory. In others, old state identity has provided enough common ground for multiple city-states to band together.

CHAPTER 4 | LOCATIONS

 

 

Chapter 5: Factions

Megacorporations

Systodyne

• Headquartered in New London, United Kingdom of Scotland
  • After the initial PR disaster of releasing unshackled AI into the world, Systodyne was acquired by the brass dragon Xz3, who vowed to “make things right.” Systodyne focuses heavily on programs and software, with quasi-secret research into both developing new AI as well as trying to control the AI which already exists.

Hamilton Laboratories

Zweite Geshenk

• A privately-owned megacorp headquartered in the Berlin Anarcho-capitalist Co-op, but with offices in all industrialized countries
  • ZG pays necromancies to raise skeletons and zombies to automate manual labor, which proved to be much cheaper than mechanization and robotization.
  • ZG is run by the CEO, founder, and president - a shadowy decker known as Hans Grau.
  • Grau is, obviously, a lich - though one more interested in gaining profit and power via capitalism than through overt domination. Grau’s stroke of genius was to begin paying a salary to living people for not working - in exchange for permanent ownership over their bodies after death. This circumvents what would otherwise be popular outcry, because only desperate people (the sort that polite society tries not to think about) were likely to take the deal. It also means that ZG’s lawyers can argue in court - successfully - that everyone who “works” for ZG does so voluntarily.

Augmant

• Headquartered in Corporate Plaza, Old Manhattan, Autonmous Corporate Zone
  • Produces a variety of cybernetic enhancements; were the first (but, by now, not the only) megacorp to produce cyberdecks.
  • A publicly traded company, but the founder, Xerxes Alluviant - a playboy gnome metahuman - has so far survived as the chairman of the board. Xerxes preferentially employs gnome and dwarf engineers, though he is pragmatic enough to leave HR and Marketing to elves, like most megacorps.

Federation Defense

- Headquartered in Philadelphia, but offices everywhere
- Security contractor
- Specializes in PMCs

Run by an aging human former special operator

3Gen

Biotech researcher, developer

United Transport

- Headquartered in the Nick
- Heavily armed convoy/escort/logistics service providing ground and air transport

Massive armed/PMC branch

VitaGrow

- Owns the majority of farmland in the CAS
- Lobbies heavily to seize farmland from independent farmers, arguing eminent domain
- Like an ultra-evil Monsanto
- Headquartered in the city-state of Detroit

Farm fields surrounded by barbed wire, chain fences

Urutech

Disgraced, discredited, and disbanded creator of nanotechnology

Gangs and Organizations

The Rippers

 

 

Chapter 6: The World of Cyberrun

Money

Currency Conversion

Original Currency	Cyberrun Equivalent
Gold piece, “gp”	Credit, “cred,” “cr”
Silver piece, “sp”	Demicredit, “demi,” “demicred,” “dcr”
Copper piece, “cp”	Centicredit, “centicred,” “cent”

Credits are typically carried on credchips, sometimes called credchits or credsticks, which are small hardware sticks which carry a user’s credit balance on them. Most law-abiding folk have their credsticks tied to their private encryption key in order to discourage theft, but shadowrunners and other individuals who may dip a toe on the wrong side of the law prefer unregistered, anonymous credsticks.

A credstick tied to a private key can usually still be decrypted by a good decker, of course.

Mounts and Vehicles

The presumption is that any adult human or metahuman is able to drive a vehicle at a basic level, but without special skill. Proficiency in land vehicles allows characters to add their proficiency bonus to any checks made by vehicles they are driving.

Hospitalization

While hospitalized, a character automatically succeeds on death saving throws.

The quality of hospitalization varies widely. A corporate citizen likely has access to high-quality care at free corporate clinics, designed to keep the workforce in fighting (and working) shape. A street urchin, on the other hand, likely has to make do with charity clinics, open to the public - if they even exist in the region in question. In the middle are private hospitals, which typically cost between 10 to 100 cr per day.

Skill Checks

Using Skills in Cyberrun

The world of Cyberrun presents many additional opportunities to use skills in ways not yet invented in a classic fantasy campaign. The below table provides some suggestions for how skills might apply in the future.

Skill Table

Skill	Additional Uses
Acrobatics	Climbing on a moving vehicle;
Animal Handling
Arcana	Understanding nanomutations; understanding the ether; creating new programs/spells
Athletics
Deception
History	Collecting and understanding information about the past
Intimidation
Investigation	Researching information on the internet; finding viruses
Medicine	Repairing cyberware in the field
Nature
Perception
Performance
Persuasion
Religion	Finding information on Totems; Understanding dragon cults
Sleight of Hand
Stealth
Survival	Includes “street smarts” and urban survival

CHAPTER 6 | SKILLS

 

 

Weapons and Armor

All weapons described in 5th edition are equally valid in the future. Think of how much damage a modern hunting bow can do - and now imagine how switfly that arrow could fly when the bow was drawn by a metahuman with cybernetic arms.

Similarly, swords, hammers, and spears are once again viable weapons of war when wielded by humans and metahumans with magical and cybernetic enhancements to their strength and speed.

CHAPTER 6 | WEAPONS

 

 

Light Armor

Light armor functions as described in the 5th Edition rules - add your dexterity modifier to the base number to determine your total Armor Class.

Kevlar Skinsuit. Advanced kevlar weaves are thin enough to conceal under most clothing - but you sacrifice some protection when you don’t include the ceramic rifle plates. But why use those when you can just not get shot, right? All heavier armors incorporate the same base materials, so you don’t gain anything by doubling up.

Reinforced Kevlar Skinsuit. Adding even more kevlar makes this skinsuit too thick and bulky to wear under clothing, but it’s the most ninja thing you can wear. Comes in every color, but are you really going to pick something other than black?

Medium Armor

Medium armor functions as described in the 5th Edition rules - add your dexterity modifier (to a maximum of +2) to the base number to determine your total Armor Class.

Hide. It’s a little weird to wear animal skins in this day and age, but hey - sometimes style points are more important than hit points.

Civilian Armor Vest. No frills - not particularly expensive, not particularly hard to find, but doesn’t offer too much protection either.

Fabricated Armor Vest. Common on the street, as it is easier to acquire than genuine military equipment. The quality often parallels issued paramilitary gear, but not having access to cutting-edge materials makes these fabricated armor vests heavier and noisier.

Paramilitary Armor Vest. Combines ceramic plates to stop gunfire with kevlar weaves and a micro-chain backing to stop shrapnel and bladed weapons. The combination of a reasonable weight, reasonable price, and freedom of movement make this standard issue for most paramilitary and military forces.

Partial Combat Exoskeleton. The most important parts of a military combat exoskeleton. Doesn’t provide quite as much protection, but doesn’t require nearly as much strength to move in. Clever design reduces the effective weight to only 40lbs, but the telltale sounds of servos and actuators makes stealthy movement difficult.

Heavy Armor

Heavy armor functions as described in the 5th Edition rules - you do not add your dexterity modifer, so you are not penalized if it is negative.

Improvised Armor. Often welded together in chop-shops. Cheap, and provides protection, but bulky and heavy. Difficult to move in quietly.

Combat Exoskeleton, Mark 1. A slightly dated design, but still provides serious protection. The telltale sounds of servos and actuators makes stealthy movement difficult.

Combat Exoskeleton, Mark 2. An update on a venerable classic. Provides a bit more protection, but needs a stronger wearer and is a bit heavier. The street price of these bad boys plummeted when the Mk3 was released.

Combat Exoskeleton, Mark 3. The latest and greatest - standard issue for elite shock troops. Clever design reduces the experienced weight to only 65lbs.

Shields

Shields function as normal in 5th Edition. Here are some examples of how shields might look.

Riot Shield. A tall, rectangular shield which offers protection.

Collapsible Shield. Advances in materials science allowed the construction of this collapsible shield that is still strong enough to stop bullets. When collapsed, the shield is approximately the size of a belt buckle. Deploying or stowing the shield requires an Action.

CHAPTER 6 | ARMOR

 

 

Conversion for Electronic Tabletops

As described previously, the weapons in Cyberrun are generally equivalent to the standard weapons used in 5th Edition, to maintain balance. For players or GMs using electronic tabletops or aids, the following table shows the 5th Edition weapons on which Cyberrun weapons are based, for ease of use.

Cyberrun Weapon	5th Edition Equivalent
Reinforced Limb	Mace
Collapsible Sword	Longsword
Mass Hammer	Maul
Concealed Spike	Rapier
Hydraulic Limb	Warhammer
Shotgun	Crossbow, Light
Pistol	Dart
Rifle	Shortbow
Military Pistol	Hand Crossbow
Military Shotgun	Crossbow, Heavy
Military Rifle	Longbow
Military SMG	Crossbow, Heavy, without loading property

CHAPTER 6 | ARMOR

 

 

Vehicles

Clark gritted his teeth and looked in the rearview mirror. The gang junker was still hot on their tail. From the passenger seat beside him, Squall leaned out the window and fired a burst from her rifle at the pursuing car. Bulletholes stitched up the windshield, but the junker just pulled closer.

Basic Vehicle Rules

Vehicles in Cyberrun roll initiative as normal, but act at initiative count zero in inverse order, moving up to their speed but taking no actions. The driver controls the vehicle’s movement, and may only use one-handed weapons while driving. If the driver is incapacitated or otherwise unable to control the vehicle’s movement, vehicles continue doing what they did on the previous turn - a moving vehicle will move its full speed in a straight line; a stationary vehicle will stay stationary. Finally, a vehicle moving at high speed must make a dexterity check if it turns a total of more than 45 degrees during its movement, per the below table. A driver proficient in land vehicles may add their proficiency bonus to the vehicle’s check. A failed check may lead to a roll on the mishap table (later in this chapter), reduced speed, or a crash, depending on the GM’s discretion and the severity of the fail.

Degrees	Dex Check DC
45+	8
90+	12
135+	15

Crashes

On occasion, vehicles may crash. Generally, this will occur in two cirumstances - either a vehicle fails a Dex check during a turn, or the driver of a moving vehicle is incapacitated, in which case the vehicle will continue moving up to its speed, and may crash into something depending on the terrain. Crashes may also occur as complications during a chase, after failed Dexterity saves during high-speed maneuvers, and so on. Note that “crash” means a collision with a significant object - not just knocking over a street sign.

When a vehicle crashes, the vehicle and all passengers must make a DC 12 Dexterity save. On a failure, the vehicle and passengers take 1d6 bludgeoning damage for every 10 feet the vehicle moved on that turn before crashing (taking half damage on a successful save). The GM may wish to adjust the DC of the individual Dexterity saves based on environmental factors - lower if the passengers are braced, higher if they are hanging out the windows, for instance.

If it is unclear how far the vehicle traveled on the turn before crashing, roll a d10; the number on the die is how many tens of feet the vehicle traveled before crashing.

CHAPTER 6 | VEHICLES

 

 

CHAPTER 6 | VEHICLES

 

 

Optional Rule: Vehicle Mishaps

As an optional rule, once per turn when a vehicle takes damage, it rolls on the following mishap table, adding its constitution modifier to result of the roll.

The negative effects of mishaps stack until repaired, and advantage/disadvantage function normally.

A character proficient in land vehicles may add their proficiency bonus to repair DCs. Most mishaps can only be repaired while a vehicle is stationary, but some mishaps might be able to be repaired from inside the vehicle, at the GM’s discretion - perhaps with a particularly successful repair check.

Mishaps

Result	Mishap	Repair DC
1 or lower	Mobility kill! The vehicle makes a DC 10 Con Saving Throw. On a failure, the vehicle’s speed decreases to 0 until repaired. On success, the vehicle’s speed decreases by half.	15
2	Mobility trouble (flat tire, radiator leak, etc.) - the vehicle’s speed decreases by 20 feet and Dexterity decreases by 2 until repaired	12
3-5	Body damage - the vehicle’s AC and Constitution both decrease by 2 until repaired	10
6+	No mishap occurs

In addition, GMs can simulate particularly serious crashes or damage by decreasing the size of the die rolled on the mishap table (and/or rolling with disadvantage), per the below table. This represents how more significant attacks and more serious crashes make a mishap more likely.

Variant: more common mishaps

Damage Taken	Die Used on Mishap Table
1+	d20
16+	d12
20+	d10
25+	d6
30+	d4

CHAPTER 6 | VEHICLES

 

 

Vehicle Modifications

Vehicles may be modified according to the following table. In general, the table assumes the the vehicle being modified is a civilian vehicle. Armored vehicles, military vehicles, and hovercraft are increasingly difficult (and more expensive) to modify, and GMs may wish to increase the below prices accordingly. Similarly, not every street mechanic is skilled enough to implement significant modifications - reinforcing the frame might call for the hand of a professional.

CHAPTER 6 | VEHICLES

 

 

Chapter 7: Cyberware (Magic Items)

What is Cyberware?

Cyberware is, in essence, cybernetic limbs, organs, or other body parts which are implanted into the body to augment or replace normal, organic tissue. Many magic items in Cyberrun are, in fact, cyberware. The presence of cyberware allows characters to upgrade their own body, instead of just the equipment they use.

Attunement

Many pieces of cyberware require attunement, as is normal for magical items in 5th Edition. In Cyberrun, attunement is the recognition that cyberware is still imperfect, and the use of cyberware places a strain on the body.

Installation

Average costs are recommendations of what this cyberware typically costs to acquire and have installed. Installation is typically about half of the total, so players who find loose implants and take them to get installed will likely end up paying about half of the average cost. Of course, market conditions may affect the average price.

The average cost also assumes that players are going to a reputable surgeon - not necessarily a legal surgeon, but one who knows what he’s doing. Players who are willing to save the creds by going to a back-alley cutter might run the risk of infection - or maybe even rejection of the cyberware.

Infrared Eyeballs

Cyberware, Uncommon

This cyberware upgrade grants darkvision of 60ft. If the character already has darkvision, the distance is doubled to 120ft. A variety of models are available on the market, from devices that are indistinguishable from flesh to glowing red eyes designed to intimidate. Average cost: 400 cr

Thermal Eyeballs

Cyberware, Rare (requires attunement)

This cyberware upgrade allows the user to detect the location and general shape of living creatures - or anything generating heat - through obscurants like fog and smoke, but not magical darkness. The upgrade also grants darkvision of 60ft.

Average cost: 1,200 cr

 

 

Hardened Skin

Cyberware, Rare

This cyberware upgrade toughens the user’s skin and tissues, setting base AC to 11. As this upgrade is not considered armor, it stacks with class features like Unarmored Defense.

Street Version: The street version of this upgrade is effective, but crude. Your skin becomes rough, leathery, and/or scaly in an unattractive way, and you gain disadvantage on Persuasion checks. Average Cost: 1,000 cr

Commercial Version: The commercial version of this upgrade is undetectable to the naked eye, but is much more expensive. Average Cost: 3,500 cr

Cybernetic Arms

Cyberware, Rare (requires attunement)

This upgrade replaces one or both arms with cybernetic versions. The average cost below is for cybernetic arms which have a lifelike covering indistinguishable from the original organic - or very distinguishable, should the customer prefer.

When implanted, sets Strength to 19. Has no effect if your Strength score is 19 or higher without it.

Average cost: 3,000 cr

Older model: These first-generation cybernetic arms are just as strong, but lack normal fine motor control. When implanted, they set Strength to 19, but they also decrease Dexterity by 2.

Average cost: 400 cr

Neural Processing Augmenter

Cyberware, Rare (requires attunement)

This brain implant, commonly known as an “NPA,” increases the speed at which your neurons fire and thus makes you smarter. Augmant guarantees that it is perfectly safe - and offers a 100% refund in the case of stroke or aneurysm. Extremely popular among the wealthy - and at this point, all but required to be competitive for good private schools. The subject of several class-action lawsuits in the Commonwealth arguing that it should be banned because of the class divide it creates; all lawsuits to date have been thrown out by judges, on the advice of their legal clerks. An investigative journalist who pointed out that NPA use is also practically mandatory to get into prestigious law schools was held in contempt of court and jailed.

When implanted, sets Intelligence to 19. Has no effect if Intelligence score is 19 or higher without it.

Average cost: 3,500cr

Cyberdeck with standalone GPU

Cyberware, Uncommon

This cyberdeck is an upgraded model. It allows the user to gain advantage on their initiative rolls when in cyberspace. It also allows the user to jack in or out of cyberspace as a bonus action, rather than an action.

Average cost: 200 cr

Reflex Enhancer

Cyberware, Very Rare (requires attunement)

This brain implant provides a steady stream of several neurotransmitters to the cerebrospinal fluid, allowing the brain to react more quickly and thus increasing the user’s reaction speed. Electrodes in the motor cortex also modulate the brain’s control over the muscles, increasing the user’s flexibility and agility.

When implanted, sets Dexterity to 19. Has no effect if Dexterity score is 19 or higher without it.

Average cost: 7,500 cr

Organ Redundancies

Cyberware, Rare (requires attunement)

A skilled street surgeon can improve a few organs in the body with cloned tissue - perhaps adding another chamber to the heart or making the lungs a little larger. In extreme cases, individuals have been known to have other, “non-essential” organs removed in order to make space for fully redundant vitals. The autopsy of one famous ‘runner, Gulthar the Unkillable, revealed that he had removed the majority of his digestive tract in order to install an extra heart and lung. Ironically, the cost of the fabulously expensive ultra-processed foodstuffs he required afterwards were what drove him to take increasingly dangerous jobs until his death.

When implanted, sets Constitution to 19. Has no effect if Constitution score is 19 or higher without it.

Average cost: 5,500 cr

Amygdalar Inhibition

Cyberware, Rare (requires attunement)

A set of small electrodes are placed on the amygdala, the fear processing center of the brain. The electrodes reduce amygdalar activity in a very targeted way, which has the effect of increasing the user’s willpower, dedication, and bravery.

When implanted, sets Charisma to 19. Has no effect if Charisma score is 19 or higher without it.

Average cost: 3,500 cr

Prototype Advanced Armor Chassis

Cyberware; Light Armor, Rare (requires attunement)

This next-generation combat armor integrates directly into your body instead of relying on a powered exoskeleton. Not as heavy and not as bulky, but not quite as protective as the latest models of combat exoskeleton. When implanted, counts as light armor with an AC of 14 + dexterity modifier.

Average cost: 1,000 cr

 

 

Chapter X: Classes

Hands gesticulating wildly as she swiped through the 3D display of her holodeck, visible only to her, Xisthibra desperately tried to find the right spell.

Humming to herself to remember the complex variables of a program, Metzli withdrew her lockpicks from the ancient padlock keeping the chain fence shut. She snorted - how archaic.

The avatar of a young man stood in the Ether, far beyond the safety of the Wall. He swallowed. Before him was an AI, his cyberdeck struggling to represent it to his fallible human brain. It was a mass of writhing tentacles and eyes, and he could not even bring himself to raise his eyes to look at it.

The thing’s voice rang out, deep and stentorian. “Why have you come to me, Eg?”

The young man’s avatar swallowed again. “I… I want power,” he whispered.

Barbarian

Warriors fueled by rage - known variously as barbarians, berserkers, ulfhethnar, and other names lost to the ages - are part of a longstanding human tradition. Since the Nanogenesis, the tradition has emerged anew. It probably goes without saying that the new iterations of being a barbarian or berserker are far more terrifying than their ancient counterparts.

Some barbarians are metahumans with natural combat advantages - thick skin, brawny muscles, and so on - and others are regular humans who have augmented their bodies and removed the limitations of the flesh through cyberware. One difference between a fighter and a barbarian is in their choice of weapon: fighters often have their choice between melee weapons and firearms, while nearly all barbarians prefer hefty melee weapons.

Some barbarians also revere AI totems, which may give them unnatural abilities. When equipped with a cyberdeck, barbarians are typically unable to manipulate cyberspace in the same way a full-fledged decker might - but their ability to destroy hostile ICE is unparalleled.

New Primal Path: Path of Pain

Most cybernetic augmentations are cunningly designed to be pain-free. The seamless integration of modern cyberware with the human body means that the connection between flesh and machine is, for the user, generally unnoticeable. Only in very niche cases can the user feel the difference between the parts of the body with which they were born and the parts that they have chosen to inhabit.

Barbarians who follow the Path of Pain seek out these niche cases. They use the constant discomfort to drive themselves into a frenzy. Some barbarians were driven to the path of pain by their outdated and perhaps ill-fitting cyberware, which left them in agony until they snapped. Others demanded that their surgeons install cyberware incorrectly, and there are even rumors of barbarians who had stimulating electrodes implanted into the very pain centers of their brain.

Pain Tolerance

Starting when you choose this path at 3rd level, pain has become a constant companion, and new wounds are almost unnoticeable. At the end of each of your turns while you are raging, you gain a number of temporary hit points equal to your constitution modifier. Temporary hit points granted by this feature stack, but cannot exceed either your constitution modifier or Barbarian level, whichever is higher. You lose any remaining temporary hit points one minute after you stop raging.

Share the Ecstasy

Starting at 6th level, if you have less than your maximum hit points (not counting temporary hit points), you may select a creature which is at its maximum number of hit points. For the rest of your turn, your melee weapon attacks against this creature have advantage. If, at the beginning of your turn, you are at your maximum number of hit points, you may willingly suffer 1d12 damage, which bypasses any temporary hit points you may have.

Greater Tolerance

Beginning at 10th level, at the end of each of your turns while you are raging, you now gain a number of temporary hit points equal to your constitution modifier plus your proficiency bonus. Temporary hit points granted by this feature stack, but cannot exceed two times your Barbarian level.

In addition, choose two saving throws. From now on, you may use your Constitution modifier in place of the usual modifiers when you make the selected saving throws. You do not gain proficiency in the selected saving throws from this subclass feature.

Share the Joy

Beginning at 14th level, once per turn when you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack, you may willingly suffer 1d12 damage, which bypasses any temporary hit points you may have. You then deal additional damage to that creature, of the type dealt by the melee weapon attack, equal to the twice the number of hit points you sacrificed.

 

 

Warlock

Warlocks are deckers who encountered AI in the Ether and made a pact with them. Sometimes they are mediocre deckers hoping to be better, and other times formidible individuals looking to be even more powerful. But in all cases, they agreed to accept nanite-shaping programs from the AIs allowing the warlock to work magic. What the AI gains from this is anybody’s guess.

Pact of the Tome:

A fragment of AI lives within the Warlock’s cyberdeck, changing it and imbuing it with new abilities.

Pact of the Boon:

A warlock downloads an AI fragment into a datastick

Pact of the Blade:

The warlock’s patron is a smart nano-weapon - an incredibly rare weapon which houses an aspect of an AI and can change its shape.

Pact of the chain:

The warlock’s patron grants the warlock a powerful program which allows him or her to shape nanites into a familiar in the material world. The program also appears as a sentient virus in the ether.

New Patron: The Transhumanist

Your pact is with an AI who whispers in the back of your mind, urging you to cast off your weak flesh. You must have at least one cyberware augmentation in order to take this pact. Warlocks who make pacts with The Transhumanist are sometimes called “shredders” for their focus on tearing apart enemies with their cybernetic limbs instead of on mastering magic. As hard as shredders can hit, however, they have little staying power, and succumbing to their rage in the wrong situation is a trap which has lead to the death of many a young shredder.

Expanded Spell List

The Transhumanist lets you choose from an expanded list of spells when you learn a warlock spell. The following spells are added to the warlock spell list for you.

Transhumanist Expanded Spells

Spell Level	Spells
1st	shield, armor of agathys
2nd	blur, branding smite
3rd	blink, elemental weapon
4th	phantasmal killer, staggering smite
5th	banishing smite, cone of cold

Machine Warrior

Starting at 1st level, you gain proficiency in all simple and martial cyberware weapons, shields, and medium armor. In addition, any cybernetic limbs you have are subtly enhanced. You can roll a d4 in place of the normal damage of an unarmed strike, as long as you use a cybernetic limb to make the unarmed strike. Separately, you may use your Charisma modifier, instead of Strength, for the attack and damage rolls made by cybernetic limbs and cyberware weapons.

Extra Attack

Starting at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn. This effect does not stack with the Extra Attack feature from any other subclass.

In addition, any attacks you make with your cybernetic limbs count as magical for the purposes of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks. You can now roll a d6 in place of the normal damage of an unarmed strike, as long as you use a cybernetic limb to make the unarmed strike.

Rage of the Machine

Starting at 6th level, your patron requires that you transcend flesh. You must have at least two cybernetic implants to take a sixth level in this class. You gain the ability to surrender yourself to the machine: on your turn, you may enter a rage as a bonus action. While raging, you gain the following benefits:

• When you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack using a cybernetic limb or cyberware weapon, you can add extra damage equal to your proficiency bonus.
• You have resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage.
• However, while raging, if you start your turn with fewer hit points than half your hit point maximum, you must succeed on a DC 8 Wisdom saving throw or move directly toward the nearest creature and use the Attack action against that creature.

You are not able to cast spells or concentrate on spells while raging except spells on the Transhumanist Expanded Spells list. Your rage lasts for 1 minute. It ends early if you are knocked unconscious or if your turn ends and you haven’t attacked a hostile creature since your last turn or taken damage since then. You can also end your rage on your turn as a bonus action.

You may enter a rage once per short rest.

 

 

Organic Synergy

At 10th level, your patron requires that you continue to transcend the flesh. You must have at least 3 cybernetic implants to take a tenth level in this class. You gain the following benefits:

• Your speed increases by 10 feet.

• When you hit a creature with a cybernetic limb while raging, instead of adding extra damage equal to your proficiency bonus, the creature takes extra damage of that cybernetic limb’s type equal to your Charisma modifier.

• Finally, your patron supports your physical form, increasing your number of attunement slots to 4.

Machine Takeover

Starting at 14th level, your patron requires that you become more machine than human. You must have at least 4 cybernetic implants to take a fourteenth level in this class. You gain the following benefits:

• You may enter a rage two times per short rest.

• If you drop to 0 hit points while raging and don’t die outright, you can make a DC 10 Charisma saving throw. If you succeed, you drop to 1 hit point instead. Each time you use this feature after the first, the DC increases by 5. When you finish a long rest, the DC resets to 10.

• Your patron continues to support your physical form, increasing your number of attunement slots to 5.

 

 

Chanter (Bard)

Like wizards, bards are individuals who have committed programs to memory in order to work magic. The chief difference is that bards use song, dance, and chant to remember the complex mechanics of the program and thus work their magic - following in the footsteps of thousands of years of human history.

While you certainly understand the effects, you may or may not know how the programs you use to cast spells actually work. Where did you acquire them? Were they stolen during a daring heist or purchased from a shady information broker? Did your corporate overlords give you the routines and tell you not to ask too many questions?

New College: College of

3rd

6th

6th

14th

 

 

Clerics

Clerics are deckers who are in constant communication with idealized aspects of some of the most powerful AI. These aspects are known as totems, and the clerics receive assistance from the totems in order to work magic. Every day, a cleric treats with his or her totem in order to prepare new programs. A cleric cut off from their totem or from the Ether - meaning one who cannot access an intranet to cross the Wall - can still cast the spells they have prepared, but cannot prepare new spells until they are able to contact their totem once more.

Clerics must, therefore, work hard to retain the favor of their totems.

New Domain: Dragon Domain

Clerics of the Dragon Domain revere what they believe to be the greatest of the AI, the ones who still walk among us: the dragons. Who can gaze on the destruction wrought by the red dragon Firefang and not feel awe? Who can listen to the sermons of the blue dragon Solomon and not shed a tear?

Dragon Domain Spells

You gain domain spells at the cleric levels listed in the Dragon Domain Spells table. See the Divine Domain class feature for how domain spells work.

Dragon Domain Spells

Cleric Level	Spells
1st	Command
3rd	Hold Person
5th	Protection from Energy
7th	Compulsion
9th	Circle of Power

Draconic Totem

When you choose the dragon domain, select the color of the dragon you revere. The damage type and school of magic associated with that dragon are used by features you gain later.

Dragon Color	Damage Type	School of Magic
Red	Fire	Evocation
Blue	Lightning	Conjuration
Green	Poison	Divination
White	Cold	Transmutation
Black	Acid	Necromancy
Brass	Fire	Evocation
Bronze	Lightning	Transmutation
Copper	Acid	Enchantment
Gold	Fire	Abjuration
Silver	Cold	Illusion

Additional Dragon Domain Spells

You gain additional domain spells based on the color of the dragon you revere. At each of the cleric levels listed in the below table, you may select one spell of the corresponding level from the school of magic associated with your dragon totem. That spell becomes a cleric domain spell for you.

Cleric Level	Spell Level
1st	1st
3rd	2nd
5th	3rd
7th	4th
9th	5th

Dragon’s Tongue

You gain proficiency in the Persuasion, Deception, or Intimidation skill (your choice)

Dragon’s Flight

Srarting at 1st level, time spent communing with a dragon has altered your physical form. You gain the ability to sprout a pair of dragon wings from your back, gaining a flying speed equal to your walking speed. You can create these wings as a bonus action on your turn. They last for one minute or until you dismiss them as a bonus action on your turn. You may use this ability once per short or long rest.

Channel Divinity: Dragon’s Dominance

Starting at 2nd level, you can use your channel divinity to impose your will on others. As an action, each creature of your choice within 30 feet of you that can see and hear you must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or be Charmed by you until the end of your next turn or the charmed creature takes any damage. You can also cause any charmed creatures to drop prone when they fail the saving throw.

Channel Divinity: Dragon’s Power

Starting at 2nd level, when casting a spell from the school of magic associated with your dragon totem or which does damage of the type associated with your dragon totem, you can expend a use of your channel divinity to empower that spell. When you use your channel divinity, you may either make the spell attack roll with advantage or force one creature affected by the spell to make their saving throw with disadvantage.

Dragonblood Magic

Starting at 6th level, you have become remarkably adept at channeling magical energy from the school associated with your totem. If you cast a spell from the school associated with your totem using a spell slot of 1st level or higher, you can change the spell’s casting time to 1 bonus action for this casting, provided the spell’s casting time is normally 1 action.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum of once), and you regain all expended uses of it when you finish a long rest.

 

 

Dragon’s Force

Starting at 8th level, once on each of your turns when you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can cause the attack to deal an extra 1d8 damage of the type associated with your dragon totem. When you reach 14th level, the extra damage increases to 2d8.

Dragon’s Resilience

Starting at 17th level, you gain immunity to the damage type associated with your dragon totem.

 

 

Druid

Druids are rare metahumans who gained the ability to control the nanites which compose their own form. This gives them the ability to shapeshift (wildshape) into beasts. In Cyberrun, urban expansion and climate change mean that animal life is less common than it was in the 2020s - apart from ubiquitous scavengers like rats, of course. Druids are still likely to have seen nearly any animal, thanks to wildlife documentaries and zoos, but their relationships with the animal kingdom are often more intense.

Druids nearly always also opt to install cyberdecks so that they can work magic. Some druids received their spells from AI totems in the Ether, others purchased or stole the programs from wizards, and yet others developed the spells themselves.

New Circle: Circle of Vengeance

Druids who are members of the Circle of Vengeance have sworn to fight the destruction of animal habitats - by any means necessary. These druids empower themselves with the strength of the beast to do so. Some druids direct their ire at civilization, while others hold individual humans personally responsible. As such Druids of the Circle of Vengeance range from eco-warrior to eco-terrorist.

Hybrid Beast Form

Druids of the Circle of Vengeance have learned to master a hybrid beast form, becoming an animal avatar seeking vengeance for the natural world. At 2nd level, you gain an additional use of your wildshape ability: you can use a bonus action to expend two uses of your wildshape in order to turn into a hybrid beastial form. You can speak, use equipment, cast spells, and wear armor in this form.

In your hybrid form, you gain the following benefits and drawbacks:

Bestial Empowerment. Each time you transform, select either Strength or Dexterity. For the duration of your transformation, you gain advantage on ability checks and saving throws using the chosen attribute, and you have a +1 bonus to melee damage rolls from attacks made using the chosen attribute. This bonus increases to +2 at 11th level and to +3 at 18th level.

Wild Strikes. You can use either Dexterity or Strength for the attack and damage rolls of your unarmed strikes, which deal 1d6 bludgeoning or slashing damage (your choice). This damage increases to 1d8 at 11th level. Additionally, when you use the Attack action to make an unarmed strike, you can make one additional unarmed strike as a bonus action.

Bestial Resilience. When you initially assume your hybrid form, you gain temporary hitpoints equal to two times your Druid level. If you choose to leave your hybrid form, you lose all your temporary hitpoints.

Hybrid Healing. While in your hybrid form, you can use a bonus action to expend one spell slot to regain 1d8 hit points per level of the spell slot expended.

Silver Weakness. You take double damage from attacks by silvered weapons.

Empowered Form

At 4th level, when you transform you may choose to gain a swimming speed equal to your walking speed. At 8th level, when you transform you may choose to gain a swimming speed, a flying speed, or a burrow speed.

Hunter’s Instinct

Starting at 6th level, while in your hybrid form, you gain the benefit of the Extra Attack feature: you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn. This effect does not stack with the Extra Attack feature from any other subclass. In addition, any unarmed strikes you make in your hybrid form count as magical for the purposes of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks.

Additionally, your connection to the beast has granted you benefits even when you are not in your hybrid form. You gain Darkvision to 60 feet. If you already have Darkvision, the range of that Darkvision is doubled. In addition, you gain proficiency in Perception. If you already have proficiency in Perception, you gain Expertise in that skill instead.

Thick Skin

Starting at 10th level, while in your hybrid form you have resistance to damage from bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from nonmagical attacks not made with silvered weapons. You are no longer vulnerable to silvered weapons.

Improved Hunter’s Instinct

Starting at 14th level, so much time spent in your hybrid form has sharpened your instincts even further, but also left a lasting mark on your physical form. You gain Blindsight to 10 feet and may cast the Alter Self spell at will.

 

 

Fighter

Many - but by no means all - fighters have turned to cybernetic augmentation in order to compete with nanomutated deckers and barbarians. What tends to differentiate fighters from other classes is their finesse. Even a fighter who uses her strength to fight is likely more graceful, more controlled, and more accurate than some of the more brutish classes. Fighters also tend to be unparalleled specialists in the use of ranged weaponry.

What can be a harder choice for fighters is what armor to use - whether to go to combat in a full-fledged combat exoskeleton or to rely on regular, torso-borne body armor, which allows greater mobility and stealth.

New Martial Archetype: Commando

It is a mistake to think of a special operator as a dumb brute. Commandos are versatile and adaptable: they have proficiency in multiple languages, are adept in multiple types of combat, know how to operate complex communications systems and rig precise demolitions with equal ability. When you choose this archetype, starting at third level, you gain the following benefits:

Commando’s Versatility

At third level, you have branched out, no longer a simple warrior but an elite soldier who is expected to be able to handle any situation without backup. Choose six skills. From now on you may add half your proficiency bonus, rounded down, to any ability check you make with those skills that doesn’t already include your proficiency bonus.

You may also choose two languages; you speak these languages well enough to communicate simple concepts and have basic conversations, but complex topics (like discussing politics, for instance) escape you.

Brain and Brawn

At seventh level, you may choose an additional option from the Fighting Style class feature.

You also gain proficiency in any skill of your choice. Alternately, you may gain expertise in one skill for which you are already proficient.

Never Quit

At tenth level, your indomitable spirit and superior physical fitness can push your body past its normal limits. At the start of each of your turns, you regain hit points equal to your Constitution modifier if you have no more than half of your hit points left. You don’t gain this benefit if you have 0 hit points. You also recover two levels of exhaustion instead of one whenever you benefit from an effect which allows you to recover a level of exhaustion.

Precision Strikes

At fifteenth level, your weapon attacks score critical hits on a roll of either 19 or 20. In addition, when you use explosive weapons (rocket launchers, grenade launchers, etc) the save DC is 19, and you do double damage against objects and vehicles when using explosives.

Surgical Strikes

At eighteenth level, you are so skilled with weapons that at times it seems supernatural. Once per turn, when you roll a 1 on the d20 for an attack roll, you can reroll the die and must use the new roll.

 

 

Brawler (Monk)

Some warriors choose to focus on the meditative aspects of combat, losing themselves in a flow state in battle. Others simply prefer to use their fists and feet over weapons which might break or run out of ammo. Both types are considered brawlers.

Paladin

Like Sorcerers, the force of a Paladin’s personality allows the paladin to work some magic in the material world without the use of a cyberdeck. Unlike sorcerers, paladins gain their abilities not through genetics but through the strength of will derived from swearing an oath. So strong is a paladin’s strength of will that they often generate an aura which warps the material world around them in subtle ways.

Rogue

Nanoblood (Sorcerer)

Computer Wizard (Wizard)

By carefully studying the machinations and workings of various AI operating in the ether or in the real world, some genius computer wizards - often known simply as “wizards” - manage to create routines and code snippets of their own. Controlling the these programs requires on-the-fly adaptation and manipulation. This is extremely tasking for a non-artificial intelligence, meaning that even the smartest computer wizards are only able to prepare to cast some of the spells they know each day.

 

 

Chapter 8: GM Tips

Tips

Because Cyberrun is set in a version of our own world, it can sometimes feel intimidating to try to build versimillitude - that feeling of realness, of internal consistency. When in doubt, assume that something hasn’t changed from our own world. Remember, this is an alternate universe - nobody expects you to accurately predict what technology might look like one hundred years from now.

Because our world is so big, beautiful, and complicated, even a library of source books wouldn’t be enough to describe the whole world of Cyberrun.

 

 

 

 

Glossary

Metahuman - an individual, or the descendent of an individual, who changed as a result of the nanogenesis. homo evolutionis

Decker - an individual who has an implanted cyberdeck.

Cyberrunner - a catch-all term for a decker who

Cyberspace - the 3-D virtual world individuals experience when they use cyberdecks.

Jacking in - entering cyberspace

Totems - AI who are so powerful that they represent deities

The Weave - the tangled web of nanites that infest all matter. Manipulating the weave is often known as magic.

 

 

Credits

Artwork

Artists are credited for each image with a hyperlink to their portfolio - check them out! A sincere thank-you to all the artists who put their work on ArtStation.

Inspirations

Check out the Planegea campaign setting (or subreddit), created by David Somerville.

Cyberpunk Red - the official Cyberpunk TTRPG

Delta Green

Shadowrun 3e

Shadowrun 5e

CREDITS

 

 

Legal

LEGAL

 

 

LEGAL