Corporia Quick-Start Guide

8/10/2019 Corporia Quick-Start Guide

1/50

Corporiaquick-start GUIDE


2/50

PREFACE TO THE QUICK-START GUIDE

This is an abbreviated, introductory version of the 208-page Corporia rule-

book. Sample characters are included, but many details about the setting,

character creation, advancement, monsters, relics, and so forth are not.

The Director (aka Game Master) should have a copy of the core rulebook.

THE SYSTEM

Corporia uses an intuitive mechanic that allows for

on-the-fly combinations of skills and abilities. Just add

one Core Value rank to a related Skill rank, then roll

the Flux Dice (2d6) and add the highest die result to

the total. If the grand total meets or exceeds the

Target Number (TN), the character succeeds.

Opposed checks work similarly, with the defender

getting the advantage on ties.w Characters are based on 13 mix-and-match

archetypescustomizable templates like the

Knight-Errant, Runner, Suit, and Witcher.

w A dynamic spellcasting system lets youcreate and modify spells with ease, using wands

as spell-enhancers and magical firearms.

w Group-friendly hacking rules not only lethackers turn technology against itself, but

also bring their allies along to battle living

computer programs in an infinite variety ofdigital multi-user dungeons.

w Use 1 private and 3 public traits to gainreality-manipulating Flux Points and create

greater character depth.

SIZING

For tablets, the best view for this book is in portrait

mode showing one page at a time.

To create a landscape viewing experience on yourdesktop monitor, set Adobe Acrobat or Reader to display

a spread of two full pages, as if it were an open book.

You can set this manually by selecting the following

options (Mac and PC versions are different but similar):

VIEW> ZOOM> FITHEIGHT

VIEW> PAGEDISPLAY> TWO-UP

VIEW > PAGEDISPLAY > SHOW COVERPAGEDURING

TWO-UP

P

RINTING

AND THE

F

INE

P

RINT

)

You may print an unlimited number of copies of this publi-

cation for personal use as well as for free distribution (only).

Copyright 2014 Brabblemark Press. All rights reserved.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, logos, businesses, institu-

tions, organizations, corporations, products, incidents, and locales either are co-

incidental products of the authors imagination or are used fictitiously.


3/50

W

HAT IS

C

ORPORIA

?

Corporia is a tabletop role-playing game set in The City,

a future metropolis ruled by an alliance of powerful

mega-corporations. Players take on the roles of members

of the Knightwatch, the elite supernaturally-powered

special operations unit of the Watchman private securitycompany, under the auspices of its mega-corporate entity

Valyant and Chief Executive Officer Lance Martinthe

reincarnated Sir Lancelot du Lac. The Knightwatch re-

solve extreme incidents involving manifestations of

other-dimensional energies (aka the Flux), including mu-

tated humans, monsters from other dimensions, and cor-

porate experiments gone wrong.

Members of the Knightwatch have been hand-picked

from individuals touched by the Flux, ironically gaining

their abilities from the very force that also transforms in-nocent citizens into dangerous mutants and provides fas-

cinating new resources for the mega-corps to exploit. Exactly how an individuals

powers manifest depends on his or her personality, social caste, and profession,

among other factors.

For instance, soldiers often become stronger and faster, executives gain influence

and mettle, Hackers usually discover they can transfer their minds into computers to

battle Flux-infused virtual life, fantasy writers might find themselves able to cast mag-

ical spells, and so on. An individual might even awake with memories and skills (and

obligations!) from a former life as a knight in King Arthurs court.

Because public knowledge of your characters abilities could lead to him or herbeing hunted down by cryptids, criminals, and rival mega-corporate research teams,

the Knightwatch is usually a characters only family. Thus, how your characters

interact with each other is as much a part of the Corporia experience as combat, if

not more so. For example, not every character may agree on the correct action to take

when a child insists on protecting her imaginary friend or when a doctor starts

stealing from the blood bank to support his wifes newly-acquired vampirism. Your

characters decisions are as equally valid a way to provide conflict as are the threats

of monsters, rogue Virtual Intelligences, and greedy mega-corporate overlords. Its

all about role-playing.

KNIGHTWATCH OPERATIONS

Although reincarnated Knights-Errant are a central focus of the game, you arent

required to play one. Instead, you can play a modern human who discovers that he

or she now has extranormal abilities. Just be sure to create a character that interests

you, and one that can work with other characters. Cooperation is keyat least, if

you want your character to survive.

Whether reborn or not, all players are considered knightsmembers of the elite,

superpowered team of modern monster-slayers known as the Knightwatch. They are

the central players in the ongoing battle between the forces of Order and Chaos,

striving to keep the balance and prevent a future apocalypse where ancient beings

rule as the overseers and oppressors of enslaved mankind. Because the Knightwatch

is supported by the mega-corporation Valyant (under cover of its Watchman private

security force), the Knightwatch is perceived by the public as a semi-covert special

ops team, with its true nature known only by a very few.

Your team is answerable to Valyants Chief Executive Officer, Lance Martin, his

personal assistant Vivienne Morrow, and Chief Operations Officer Kenneth Bridge-

CORPORIA QUICK-START GUIDE | 3


4/50

man, revealed to your team as the awakened reincarnations of Lancelot, Nimue, and

Percival, respectively. Another key character (with no official standing at Valyant)

is the Master Eye Registrar and Logistical Intelligence Network (aka M.E.R.L.I.N.).

This corporate Artificial Intelligence may appear to the player characters as the

seemingly normal in-company guide and business directory hologram, as a digitized

face on monitor screens, and as a powerful avatar in virtual space.

When Nimue receives a prophetic vision, or M.E.R.L.I.N. detects spikes of Fluxactivity, they dispatch the Knightwatch to quietly eliminate the threat. Once com-

plete, a Watchman security team arrives to clean up the scene and acquire any

(living or dead) specimens and magical materials. A Knightwatch team may also be

sent on other types of missions (such as covert or diplomatic) against rival mega-

corps and private security firms. They may even encounter threats while off-duty.

Knights receive room and board in Watchman Keep, plus a $10,000 monthly

salary, weapons training and a limited selection of equipment (due to citywide arms

restrictions). They can improve their abilities as they gain experience, and can pur-

chase additional personal firearms, relics, and other items.

WHAT YOULL NEED TO PLAY

Everyone should have their own copy of this bookthat way your friends not

twiddling her thumbs and waiting for you to hand her book back. You should also

bring pencils and paper, your character sheet, and some dice.

D

ICE

. Corporia uses 6-sided and other polyhedral dice as a way of randomizing

actions. You can purchase polyhedral dice at stores that sell role-playing games, or

direct from several dice manufacturers. A typical set includes seven different

numbered dice: one each of 4-, 6-, 8-, 10-, 12- and 20-sided dice, plus a special

10-sided die numbered 10, 20, 30 and so on up to 00. Corporia abbreviates these diceas d4, d6, d8, d10, d12, d20, and d%.

ROLLING THE DICE. If the rules say to roll 2d6, you roll two

6-sided dice, or one 6-sided die twice, and view the results. If

the rules call for 3d8, roll three 8-sided dice. As for d10, most

are numbered 1, 2, 3, and so on up to 0. If you roll 0 on a d10,

treat it as a 10, not a zero. If the rules ask you to roll d100, you

need to roll the d% together with the standard d10, which

provides a result of 1 to 100.

For example, a d% roll of 40 plus a d10 roll of 3 equals43, while a d% roll of 00 and a 1 on the d10 means you

got a total result of 1. If you roll 00 on the d% and 0 on

the d10, youve rolled 100!

B

ATTLEMATS AND

M

INIATURES

. These arent required,

but you can use them to better visualize the characters

and enemies in relation to each other. Any token or fig-

ure can represent your character, as long as its not

significantly bigger or smaller than everyone

elses, and you can remember which one is

yours. Battlemats, tokens, and miniatures are

available in most stores where RPGs are sold.

4 | CORPORIA QUICK-START GUIDE


5/50

CHARACTER ATTRIBUTES

After you have a idea of who your character will be, youll use numerical values to

define his abilities and what he can do in relation to other PCs, NPCs, and cryptids.

These abilities are primarily composed of Core Values and Skills.

A characters CORE COMPETENCY sets the number of points you can spend on your

PCs Core Values, Skill Set, and Assets. Core Competencies are listed as Touched,Gifted, and Fluxed. A character who is Touched by the Flux is unnaturally strong

and fast but has no supernatural assets, while a Fluxed character has the greatest

supernatural abilities but is weaker elsewhere. A Gifted character falls in-between.

CORE VALUES include Strength (STR), Deftness (DFT), Mettle (MTL), Knowledge

(KNO), Wits (WIT), and Magick (MGK). These are expressed as a number, typically

from 1 to 6. A normal person has only 1 or 2 in each of the first five core values and

none in MGK, while particularly strong, intelligent, or otherwise talented individuals

(such as members of the Knightwatch) might have 3 or better in one or more values.

A characters SKILL SET lists abilities mostly learned from life experience, such

as Crime, Firearms, Instinct, and Science. These are expressed as a number, usually

ranging from 0 (since a character need not have points in every skill) to 6. For

instance, a character with a military background or personal interest in firearms

might start with 3 points in Firearms but 0 points in Science: Biology. Each skill is

associated with a specific core value, such as Fisticuffs (STR) and Sorcery (MGK).

Whenever the rules refer to FLUX DICE, it means a roll of 2d6 where you keep the

high die result and drop the lowest. This so-called Flux is the effect of the other-

dimensional magics now pervading The City. Fortunately, your character is more in

tune with the Flux than most, and able to exercise a measure of control over it ( i.e.,

being able to instinctively choose the most favorable result).F

LUX

P

OINTS are a measure of your characters ability to manipulate the Flux.

During games, you earn Flux Points (FP) by playing your traits, and can spend them

to alter events. Every time you earn or spend FP in regard to your traits, you earn

one Building Point that can be used on core value, skill, and asset improvements.

Your character isnt just a faceless

set of numbers. Corporia allows you

to create your own special player

character with a unique personality

and mix of abilities and powers.



6/50

USING ABILITIES

When a situation calls for your character to perform an unopposed task, like hacking

a computer or jumping from one car roof to another, you need to make an ability

check. Choose the most appropriate [Core Value + Skill] combination, then roll the

Flux Dice (2d6) and add the highest die result to the [Core Value + Skill] total. If the

grand total meets or exceeds the Target Number (TN), the character succeeds.The Director chooses the Target Number based on the circumstances, so a mun-

dane task like opening an unlocked door would not require an ability check, but hack-

ing open an electronic lock might be Difficultand doing so in semi-darkness or while

being shot at might be Hard or Incredible. The Director determines the degree of suc-

cess based on the difference between the roll and the TN. Most important TNs will

probably be TN 9 or higher.

For example, Gwen needs to find a bureaucrats un-

listed phone number. The Director decides the Target

Number should be 11 (Hard). Gwen could use [WIT +

Influence] to ply the number from someone or use [KNO+ Sciences: Computer] to hack the phone servers. She

decides to use [KNO + Business] to make connections

and cut through the red tape. Gwens player adds her

KNO 3 to her Business 4, then rolls her 2d6 Flux Dice

and gets a 2 and a 4. Since 4 is the highest, her total is

[3 + 4 + 4 = 11], which is at least as high as the TN 11.

Gwen finds the phone number, but barely.

If her result had been slightly higher, the Director

might have said that she also found the bureaucrats

home address. If shed gotten a raise (5 points higherthan the TN), he might have given her the EyePhone

number, home address, and the name and location of a private club where the

bureaucrat likes to spend his time.

O

PPOSED

C

HECKS

. When two characters oppose each other, either in combat,

magic, or some other test of ability, the TN to beat depends upon the actions of the

characters themselves. In this case, both players (or one player and the Director)

make ability checks and compare them. The victor is the one with the highest result.

The Director may also impose situational modifiers based on the circumstances, or

decide that the defending/resisting character is not able to react.Lets say that Gwen wants to throw a punch at Rob. Throwing a punch requires a

straightforward Fisticuffs check, so Gwens player adds her STR 3 to her Fisticuffs 3,

for a result of 6. She then rolls her 2d6 Flux Dice, getting a 2 and a 5. She takes the 5

and ignores the 2. The result is [3 + 3 + 5 = 11], which means that Rob needs to meet

or exceed TN 11 to defend. Because Rob is an NPC, the Director makes the ability

check for Rob, who has DFT 3 and Fisticuffs 2. He then rolls the Flux Dice, getting a

5 and 4. Taking the 5, since its the highest, this results in a formula of [3 + 2 + 5 =

10]. Gwens 11 attack is higher than Robs 10 defense, so it succeeds.

T

IES

. When opposed combat rolls (e.g., attack vs defense) have equal results,

award the victory to the defender. However, in non-combat situations, the character

with the highest [Core Value + Skill] total (not counting Flux Dice) is the winner. If

the characters continue to tie, roll more opposed checks until someone wins. Each

roll represents the continuing struggle between the combatants.

UNSKILLED CHECKS. If your PC wants to use a skill that he doesnt have, add only

the relevant Core Value to his Flux Dice roll. A success means he just got lucky. Note

that MGK skills (aka disciplines) must be purchased; they cant be used unskilled.

TARGETNUMBERS

DIFFICULTY TNSIMPLE.................3

EASY ....................5AVERAGE .............7

DIFFICULT............9

HARD .................11

INCREDIBLE ........13

HEROIC ..............15EPIC....................17



7/50

CRITICALS. If you roll the highest number on a Flux Die (i.e., rolling a 6 on a d6),

you can roll that die again and add the total to the result. If you get a second crit on

the same die, add it to the running total and roll it again.

If both of the initial Flux Dice come up 6s, treat each one like a critical and keep

re-rolling as needed. However, instead of only keeping the highest Flux die after the

rolling is done, you keep and add both! These double crits also give you 1 Flux Point.

Critical Hit Location. To determine hit location (see page 9), you can choose to

use either the initial roll or whatever the Flux Dice show after you finish rolling.

Critical Damage.You dont get criticals on damage unless your character has the

Knights Prowess asset.

C

RASHES

. If both Flux Dice result in 1s, you dont get to keep and add either die.

If your [Core Value + Skill] (plus any bonus modifiers) give you a high enough total,

you might still succeed. Its just not as likely.

RAISES. Whenever an ability check exceeds a Target Number or opposed roll by

5 points or more, you get a raise. Each raise on a role-playing action indicates an

additional degree of success (see the Social Conflicts example on page 12). Raises onAttack actions allow you to target a specific hit location with no aiming penalty.

For example, lets say that Gwen attempts to attack Rob with her [STR 3 +

Fisticuffs 3]. She gets a 1 and 6 result on her Flux Dice, and since the 6 is a critical,

she rolls it again, getting a 4. Her final total is thus [3 + 3 + 6 + 4 = 16]. Rob defended

with an 10, and Gwen easily beat that by 6 points, giving her one raise. She can strike

Rob in any hit location or even attempt to knock an item from his grasp with no ad-

ditional aiming penalty.

C

OOPERATIVE

R

OLLS

Q

UOTAS

). Occasionally, the Director might present your group

with a challenging, higher-than-normal, non-combat TN that few (if any) characters

could reach on their own. However, when this occurs, the Director can allow multiple

players to combine their results in order to meet or exceed the Quota.

COMBINING CORE VALUES. Other [Core Value + Core Value] combinations are

possible, but should be used only when a special resistance check is requiredsuch

as when fighting to resist the effects of poison, disease, a spell, or a cryptids magical

ability. See the Sample Defense Actions chart on page 11.



8/50

C

OMBAT

Despite its beauty and wealth, The City is a dangerous place. The mega-corporations

relish their powers and are not about to relinquish them easily. Anyone foolish

enough to interfere with their plans will quickly find himself the target of security

forces. Worse, the PCs must also deal with the monstrous cryptids manifested by the

Flux or released by corporate researches into the arcane.

WHO GOES FIRST?

During most of the game, actions occur only as needed. For instance, Chris might

say I want to snoop in the Suits desk. The Director might ask How much time do

you want to spend? and give Chris some (or no) information depending on what is

there to be found. In combat, however, its important to note the order of events.

INITIATIVE. When the Director says its time for combat, each player should make

a standard [WIT + Instinct] check, adding the high Flux Dice result as usual. The

total is the characters Initiative score for that round.

R

OUNDS

. The amount of time it takes for everyone to have a turn is defined as a

round. Once the first round ends, each player again determines his Initiative to see

who gets the first turn, and combat continues from the previous round.

T

URNS

. The character with the highest Initiative goes first. A turn is loosely

defined as taking up to 10 seconds. During each turn, a player character can take two

actionsone Move and one Attack action, or two Move actions. Either action can be

replaced with a Combined Move/Attack action (though this has penalties). If a player

wants to perform an action that doesnt fit easily into either a single action, the

Director decides how many actions, turns, or even rounds it takes.

Simple actions like shouting a warning or drawing a weapon are free actions.Running to a parked car, leaping up onto its roof, and leaping off to slice a sword

through a flying creature could be three Move and one Attack actions (in that order),

requiring two turns to complete.



9/50

You may play proactively, declaring your characters actions and what youre

trying to achieve with a roll even before you pick up the dice. By telling your group

what youre trying to do, you can pre-define your characters intent, though this will

be modified by a rolls failure or success. Alternatively, you can play reactively and

wait for the Director to provide a description or ask you what you want to do. Theres

no right or wrong way; choose what you prefer.

S

URPRISE

.

When a character is surprised at the start of combat (e.g., an eldritchtentacle lashes out of the darkness at him), that character must attempt a [WIT +

Instinct] check. In most cases, the Director should set a low TN for characters on

alert, and a higher one for those who dont expect trouble. Characters who fail their

check get only [WIT + Instinct] (no Flux Dice roll) for Initiative on the first round of

combat. For the second and subsequent rounds, determine Initiative normally.

ATTACK ACTIONS

During an Attack action, the character may attempt to strike with melee or ranged

weapons, with magic, or in hand-to-hand combat. The Attack total (such as [STR +Fisticuffs + Flux Dice result + any modifiers]) must beat the opponents Defense total.

Note that a minimum Getting Medieval or Firearms skill is required to use a

melee or ranged weapon effectively. Otherwise, suffer the difference between the

requirement and your actual skill level as a penalty to the Attack roll.

A

IMING

.A character can target a body part to cause a specific injury. Aiming for

the torso imposes a 1 penalty to the attack. Aiming for the groin or either arm is 2,

while a leg shot is 3 and a headshot is 4. Aiming while moving doubles this penalty.

However, when a character forgoes all movement for his turn so he can take careful

aim instead, he reduces the penalty by 1 (this cannot be reduced below 0). If the

character already used any Move action during this

turn, he cannot take careful aim.

H

IT

L

OCATION

. When not aiming, your total Flux

Dice roll reveals where an attack lands. An attack

that deals a wound (see Damage) imposes a 1

penalty, based on the body part struck.

For instance, a leg wound causes a 1 penaltyto Athletics checks involving movement. An arm

wound penalizes Firearms, Fisticuffs, Getting

Medieval, casting, and other actions that involve

arms or hands. Groin, torso, and headshots penalize

all actions, and headshots also cause +1d6 extra

damage. Penalties are cumulative with each wound.

SAMPLEATTACKACTIONS

CAST ASORCERYSPELL..............................................MGK + SORCERY DISCIPLINE

CAST A WITCHCRAFTSPELL ......................................MGK + WITCHCRAFT DISCIPLINE

FIRERANGED WEAPON(PISTOL,WAND, ETC.) .........DFT + FIREARMS

THROW WEAPON(KNIFE,AXE, ETC.)........................DFT + GETTINGMEDIEVAL

UNARMED ATTACK(PUNCH, KICK, ETC.) ..................STR + FISTICUFFS

USEMELEE WEAPON(AXE, BAT, SWORD, ETC.) ........STR + GETTINGMEDIEVAL

HITLOCATION(2D6)

ROLL TOHIT

2 ...................LEFTLEG

3 ...................RIGHTLEG4 ...................GROIN

5-9 ...............TORSO

10.................LEFT ARM

11.................R IGHT ARM

12.................HEAD



10/50

Fortunately, wound penalties apply after combat, not during. While in combat,

PCs unconsciously draw more energy from the Flux. When the combat ends, the body

and mind relax, the energy fades, and the character starts to feel the wound effects.

Penalties fade as wounds are healed. This avoids a death spiral where a wounded

character finds it increasingly harder to move, attack, and/or defend, and so the

chance of failure becomes ever more likely with each wound.

Optional: If your group prefers tougher combat, or in certain role-play situations,the Director may rule that all wound penalties are effective immediately.

THROWING.Your character can effectively throw an item with a [DFT + Getting

Medieval] attack for a base range equal to [STR + DFT + MTL] x 2 feet. Throwing at

a target beyond this range applies a minimum 2 penalty to the attack and damage.

Throwing at least twice the base distance adds another 2 (4 total), triple distance

adds another 2 (6 total), and so on up to the max distance x5 (10 total).

MOVE ACTIONS

During a Move action,your character can travel a

number of feet in any di-

rection, with the distance

depending on the action

and his [Athletics] score.

No [DFT + Athletics]

check is needed unless the

character is impeded by

obstacles, gaps between

buildings, attempting adifficult maneuver while

wearing armor, and so on.

A Move action to sprint must be preceded by a Move action to run, in the same

or immediately preceding turn.

Finally, note that characters with Athletics 0 (this is not a good idea...) can only

move [DFT 1] feet per turn.

COMBINED ACTIONS

Characters can also move and attack simultaneously. Running and gunning orsliding and slicing are most common, but any reasonable combination may be

allowed. Sorcerers and Witchers can even fast cast spells.

A character can perform a Combined Move/Attack action instead of a standard

Move or Attack action, but

with penalties. He must

accept the lowest result on

the Flux Dice roll, and the

distance he would nor-

mally move is reduced by

half (round down). Aiming

penalties are doubled.


SAMPLEMOVEACTIONS(FEET PER TURN)

WALK ..............................UP TO[ATHLETICS] X5

JOG.................................UP TO[ATHLETICS] X10

RUN .................................UP TO[ATHLETICS] X15

SPRINT(AFTER RUN).......UP TO[ATHLETICS] X25

LONGJUMP .....................UP TO[ATHLETICS] X4HIGHJUMP ......................UP TO[ATHLETICS] X2

CLIMB/SWIM ....................UP TO[ATHLETICS] X2

SAMPLECOMBINEDACTIONS

FAST-CAST.......................MGK + SPELLDISCIPLINE

RUN-AND-GUN ...............DFT + FIREARMS

SLIDE-AND-SLICE .............DFT + GETTINGMEDIEVAL


11/50

DEFENSE

To avoid an opponents attack, your Defense total must be equal to or greater than

his Attack total. Defense checks are reactions, and dont normally count as an action.

A Defense check is usually [DFT + Athletics], but might be one of several possible

combinations, together with any armor, shield, or other modifiers.

When confronted with a horror not meant for human eyes, youll need a successful

[MTL + Valor] check or lose your next action (though you can still defend yourself

see the Valor skill on page 17). Hackers attempting to digitally evade or block a foes

hacking attempts will use [KNO + Sciences: Computer].

A [DFT + Athletics] check allows your PC to dodge melee and area attacks and

other such deathtraps. If a character is aware of a shooter and trying not to get hit,

you can also use [DFT + Athletics to dodge each bullet (or laser, etc.) up to [MTL]

times per round. If the character is unaware of the attack, no Defense roll is possible.

To deflect a melee attack with a weapon or shield, use [DFT + Getting Medieval];

this attack is deflected, so no damage applies. When two unarmed characters battle,

use [DFT + Fisticuffs] to defend.

A few special defense checks use [Core Value + Core Value] results instead. A

[STR + MTL] check helps resist toxins, diseases, radiation, and other environmental

hazards. Resisting spells or spell-like abilities would use [DFT + MGK] for physical

manipulations. To shrug off a spell that would affect a PCs mind, use [WIT + MGK].

F

ULL

D

EFENSE

.

At the beginning of a turn, you can declare that your character isforgoing both his actions during this turn, in exchange for a Full Defense. Double the

result of any defense check you make against melee attacks.

PARTIAL DEFENSE.At the beginning of a turn, you can forgo all movement for this

turn to gain a Partial Defense. Double your characters Athletics rank on any defense

roll you make against melee attacks.

DAMAGE

To determine how much damage a successful attack inflicts, the attacker rolls the

damage dice for the weapon and adds any modifiers (e.g., STR bonus or extra damagefrom head wounds). The defender then subtracts his characters Damage Reduction

(e.g., armor and/or shield) from that total. If the remaining damage exceeds the

targets MTL, he suffers one woundalong with any hit location penalties.

Damage less than the targets MTL causes only incidental scratches and bruises

that impose no penalties. Alternatively, for faster combat, your Director might

declare that raises also apply to damage; every 5 points greater than MTL causes an

additional wound (e.g., 8 points of damage against MTL 3 inflicts two wounds).


SAMPLEDEFENSECHECKS

VSHACKING ...............................................KNO + SCIENCES: COMPUTER

VSHORROR(MONSTROUS ABILITY)...........MTL + VALORVSMELEE/RANGED(DODGE) ....................DFT + ATHLETICS

VSMELEE(BLOCK/DEFLECT) ......................DFT + GETTINGMEDIEVAL

VSMELEE(BOTH UNARMED)......................DFT + FISTICUFFS

VSPOISON/DISEASE/RADIATION...............STR + MTL

VSSPELL(PHYSICAL ATTACKS)....................DFT + MGKVSSPELL(MENTAL ATTACKS) ......................WIT + MGK


12/50


13/50

The City-wide weapons ban does not fully

apply to private security companies, but even

they are restricted in what weapons they can

distribute among their workers. When a new

mission begins, you can assume that the

character has the standard Knightwatch ar-

mory loadout as shown here. The starting

augment is only given to new characters; an

existing PC doesnt automatically receive a

new augment with each mission.

Characters may find it effective to purchase

their own custom gear, rather than go un-

armed when off-duty or wait for supplies that

take too long to arrive.

WATCHMANARMORYLOADOUT

1 PISTOL

1 ADDITIONALWEAPON

1 SHIELD AND/OR SUIT OF ARMOR

1 EYEPHONE

1 PERSONAL OR WEAPON AUGMENT*

*APPLIES ONCE TO NEW HIRES ONLY



14/50

SKILLS

When a situation calls for your character to perform an unopposed task, like hacking

a computer or jumping from one car roof to another, you need to make an ability

check. Choose the most appropriate [Core Value + Skill] combination, then roll the

Flux Dice (2d6) and add the highest die result to the [Core Value + Skill] total. If

the grand total meets or exceeds the Target Number (TN), the character succeeds.

The Director chooses the Target Number based on the circumstances, so a mun-

dane task like opening an unlocked door would not require an ability check, but

hacking open an electronic lock might be Difficultand doing so in semi-darkness

or while being shot at might be Hard or Incredible. The Director determines the de-

gree of success based on the difference between the roll and the TN. Most important

TNs will probably be TN 9 or higher.

ATHLETICS DFT)

If your character wants to dodge a blow, leap from rooftop to rooftop, jump, climb,swim, or perform any movement action such as acrobatics or gymnastics, this is the

skill to use. Athletics can also be used to move quietly or unseen.

EXAMPLES:Acrobatics, Climb, Dodge, Hide, Jump, Leap, Sneak, Swim, Tumble

SPECIAL 1:A PC can dodge shots from Firearms attacks, but no more than a

number of times per round equal to his MTL score.

SPECIAL 2: For climbing and swimming checks, use [STR + Athletics] instead.

BUSINESS KNO)

This skill covers such subjects as the complexities of bureaucracy, economics,enforcing and studying law, leadership, stocks, politics, marketing, management,

administration, financial planning, and mathematical methods of assessing risk.

EXAMPLES:Assess Business Risks, Call in Minor Favors from Contacts, Deter-

mine Fair Pricing, Embezzle, Locate Information/Offices/Persons, Navigate

Through Maze-Like Office Buildings, Negotiate Deals, Network with Contacts, Track

Embezzlements, Understand Jargon

SPECIAL: You can replace [WIT + Influence] with [WIT + Business] when your

PC negotiates financial and other business deals.

C

RIME

KNO)

This skill provides a basic knowledge of criminals and criminalistics, as well as ways

to commit a crime. The worst criminals are usually limited to certain neighborhoods

or slumburbs, though anyone might commit a crime under the right circumstances.

EXAMPLES:Assess Risks/Penalties if Caught, Call in Minor Favors from Con-

tacts, Dispose of Corpse, Estimate Value of Illegal Merchandise, Find a Snitch, Find

Best Point of Break-In (Door, Window, etc.), Forge, Know Crime Scene Procedures,

Know Where to Find Black Market/Illegal Items, Locate Information/Persons/

Rumors, Negotiate Deals, Network with Contacts, Open (Non-Electronic) Lock,

Pretend to Belong to a Gang, Pick Pocket, Shoplift, Smuggle, Understand Slang

SPECIAL: Criminals may face higher TNs to know crime investigation techniques.

FIREARMS DFT)

This skill gives proficiency in loading, firing, cleaning and identifying powder-, laser-

or plasma-based firearms, plus ranged weapons such as a bow or crossbow.



15/50

FISTICUFFS STR)

Use this skill for unarmed fighting, whether you want to deliver a punch, kick, head-

butt, elbow to the face, or other move. It covers such specialties as boxing, judo,

wrestling, and other forms of unarmed combat.

SPECIAL: When youre unarmed, and need to block or deflect an unarmed or other

melee blow, combine Fisticuffs with DFT instead of STR.

GETTING MEDIEVAL STR)

The more points your PC has in this skill, the better he is at wielding bludgeoning,

hacking, and piercing melee weapons. Despite the skill name, this skill covers all

melee weapons, as traditional as a battleaxe or a modern as a baseball bat.

HUMANITIES KNO)

The Director may allow a character to attempt a skill check on a similar specialty

(such as a related art, language, musical instrument or religion) without purchasing

that additional specialty, but against a higher-than-usual Target Number.

Humanities skills further detailed in the core rulebook include: Antiques, Arts,

History, Language, Music, and Religion.

INFLUENCE WIT)

This skill represents a characters ability to persuade others, as well as his mental

resistance and morale against those same abilities.

EXAMPLES:Barter, Blend In, Calm, Charm, Fast Talking, Flatter, Interview,

Intimidate, Lie, Mediate, Persuade, Reassure, Seduce, Threaten

INSTINCT WIT)

The skill defines a characters gut feelings and perception of his environment, thus

enabling him to locate a possible ambush, a clue, and so forth. The player should

declare that his PC is focusing on the environment around him when he uses this

skill; you cant use Instinct as if it were a proximity alarm.

EXAMPLES:Drive at High Speeds, Find Route/Shortcut, Identify Relationships

Between Objects, Locate Ambush/Vantage Points, Spot Clues, Sense Trouble

S

CIENCES

KNO)

When putting points into the Sciences skill, a character must also choose a special-

ization. A character can have as many specialties as he or she can afford, though

its more effective to start with only one or two.

Sciences skills further detailed in the core rulebook include: Biology, Chemistry,

Computer, Mechanical, Medicine, Physics, and Psychology.

SORCERY MGK)

This skill allows a character to magically manipulate the natural order. When ranking

up, choose from Holography, Kinesis, Metamorph, or Technomancy. Note that theSpellcaster asset is required in order to actually cast spells.

EXAMPLES: Identify Sorcerous Items, Identify a Spell By Viewing the Spellcasting

or its Effect, Recall Beliefs or Historical Facts of Sorcery, Sense Presence of Magick,

Understand Magical Jargon

H

OLOGRAPHY

. Disciples of this magic are adept at creating temporary non-

tangible illusions. As the Sorcerers power increases, the illusions may be of great

size, emit sound, and even move as directed without constant supervision.



16/50

A

TTACK WITH

M

ELEE

W

EAPON

.....................................STR + G

ETTING

M

EDIEVAL

A

TTACK WITH

R

ANGED

W

EAPON

...................................DFT + F

IREARMS

A

TTACK WITH

T

HROWN

W

EAPON

..................................DFT + G

ETTING

M

EDIEVAL

A

TTACK WHEN

U

NARMED

.............................................STR + F

ISTICUFFS

B

ARTER

.....................................................................WIT + I

NFLUENCE

C

AST A

S

PELL

.............................................................MGK +

SPELL DISCIPLINE

C

LIMB

........................................................................STR + A

THLETICS

C

ON

G

AME

.................................................................WIT + I

NFLUENCE

D

EFEND VS

M

ELEE

/R

ANGED

DODGE

) ..........................DFT + A

THLETICS

D

EFEND VS

M

ELEE

/R

ANGED

WEAPON

/

SHIELD BLOCK

)..DFT + G

ETTING

M

EDIEVAL

D

EFEND VS

P

HYSICAL

S

PELL

........................................MGK + MTL

D

EFEND VS

M

ENTAL

S

PELL

..........................................MGK + WIT

D

EFEND WHEN

U

NARMED VS

U

NARMED

........................DFT + F

ISTICUFFS

D

ISGUISE

....................................................................WIT + A

RTS

ACTING

)

D

ODGE

.......................................................................DFT + A

THLETICS

D

RIVE

F

AST

WITHOUT CRASHING

).................................DFT + I

NSTINCT

H

IDE

..........................................................................DFT + A

THLETICS

I

NTIMIDATE

.................................................................WIT + I

NFLUENCE

K

NOW

H

OW TO

E

MBEZZLE

F

UNDS

................................KNO + B

USINESS

K

NOW

H

OW TO

H

ACK

E

LECTRONICS

............................KNO + C

OMPUTER

K

NOW

H

OW TO

H

EAL A

W

OUND

...................................KNO + M

EDICINE

K

NOW

H

OW TO

R

EPAIR

: C

OMPUTER

.............................KNO + C

OMPUTER

K

NOW

H

OW TO

R

EPAIR

: V

EHICLE

.................................KNO + M

ECHANICAL

L

ISTEN

.......................................................................WIT + I

NSTINCT

M

OVE

........................................................................DFT + A

THLETICS

P

ERSUADE

..................................................................WIT + I

NFLUENCE

R

ESIST

P

OISON

...........................................................STR + MTL

S

EARCH

.....................................................................WIT + I

NSTINCT

S

NEAK

.......................................................................DFT + A

THLETICS

S

POT

.........................................................................WIT + I

NSTINCT

S

WIM

.........................................................................STR + A

THLETICS

T

HROW

......................................................................DFT + G

ETTING

M

EDIEVAL

S

AMPLE

C

ORE

V

ALUE AND

S

KILL

C

HECKS



17/50

KINESIS. This specialization allows the caster to slow or speed an object in

motion, or to move an inert object from one place to another. The most powerful

Sorcerers can fly, teleport, or slow down a speeding bullet to such an extent that it

seems to be frozen in time.

M

ETAMORPH

. Sorcerers use this skill to transform one object into another through

the use of sympathetic magic. For instance, a Sorcerer might transform a screw-

driver into a knife, a walking stick into a rubber snake, a glass of water to a mug of

beer, or a ragged suit into designer clothing. Powerful casters may eventually learn

how to use the smallest bit of sympathy to morph themselves and objects into seem-

ingly unlike creations.

T

ECHNOMANCY

. Using this magic can bestow enhancements upon objectsusually

weaponsthough a creative Sorcerer can find new methods of improving other

items as well.

VALOR MTL)

Valor represents strength of mind and spirit, enabling PCs to face otherworldlyhorrors and grotesque sights with bravery. The consequences of failing a Valor check

depend on the situation, but in most instances the result is the character losing his

next action and holding his ground while he regains his composure. He can still

speak, but cannot attack, defend, or continue advancing until he composes himself.

His only other option is to spend a Move action to flee from the situation if possible.

(Enemies do not gain an additional free attack on PCs that fail their check, but can

use their Attack action as normal.)

SPECIAL 1: Valor checks are made against a cryptids Horror asset. A new charac-

ter starts the game with Valor 0 plus any points granted by the Lionheart asset. A PC

receives one Valor point after surviving his first encounter with a new horror. There

is no maximum Valor. Players cannot improve Valor with Building Points.

SPECIAL 2: A crash on the Valor check causes the character to lose a point of Valor.

A characters Valor cannot drop below starting Valor.

WITCHCRAFT MGK)

This skill covers ancient magics that affect mental, spiritual, and natural properties

such as energy, the elements, and life itself. A Witcher can specialize in as many of

the four disciplines as he can afford, though its usually best to focus on one or two.

Note that the Spellcaster asset is required in order to actually cast spells.EXAMPLES: Identify Witchcraft Items, Identify a Spell By Viewing its Casting or

Effect, Recall Common Beliefs and Historical Facts about Witchers, Sense Presence

of Magick, Understand Magical Jargon

C

HARM

. This discipline controls another persons mind, usually in order to cause

accident or misfortune. For instance, he might not look both ways before stepping

into traffic, or he might start to swear at his boss. Charms may also be useful for

casual mind control such as Hi, Bob! Remember me, your old buddy from college?

E

LEMENTAL

. The elementalist can summon and control earth, air, fire, and water.

This might involve summoning water to extinguish a fire, creating a wall of fire,

causing a gust of air to disarrange carefully arranged legal documents, and so on.

PERCEPTION.A Witcher uses this discipline to recognize the presence of unseen

spirits or magical energies and auras, as well as for the purposes of astral sight,

divination, and prophecy.

S

PIRITISM

. Practitioners manipulate the very energy of life itself, communing

with spirits and healing wounds, but also animating corpses or draining life force.



18/50


PERSONALITY TRAITS

Traits define your characters personality, covering a wide range of motivations,

beliefs, duties, loyalties, and emotions. Each character should have a set of four traits:

three public traits and one private trait.

Public traits are those that other people can see from interacting with your char-

acter on a daily basis, and sound positive but might have both positive and negativeconsequences. These could include Obeys Authority, Generous, Flighty, or Sucker

For A Pretty Face, just to name a few.

Private traits are those hidden thoughts, goals, phobias, or emotions your char-

acter keeps locked away inside and rarely expresses, and are usually negative liabil-

ities. This could be as simple as Afraid of Heights or as complex as Double Agent,

Will Betray Friends for Wealth, or Reincarnated as the Opposite Sex.

FLUX POINTS

Flux Points (FP) are a measurement of your characters ability to alter his or her

fate. New characters start with FP equal to their [KNO + WIT + MGK] total. Your

characters FP are point buy currency for bonuses and improvements.

H

OW

F

LUX

P

OINTS

W

ORK IN

G

AMEPLAY

. Traits add flavor to your character, but can

also be a method of spending and earning Flux Points. All thats required is for the

player or Director to announce that a particular trait is coming into play, then barter

for the number of FPs it would take for the character to use that trait.

Shannon has a public Does Daring Deeds trait. Imagine her PC in a situation

where she can perform such a deed, but doing so would be irrational and detrimental.

For instance, this could involve leaping from a higher roof onto a lower skylight and

crashing through it. This would be impressive, but could cause falling damage, not tomention leaving her at the mercy of whatever lurks inside, without the help of her com-

panions stranded on the other rooftop.

To tempt Shannon into making the leap, the Director could offer a free Flux Point.

If she wants to resist the temptation, the Director can offer more FP (up to a maximum

of 6) until she succumbs, or its obvious that she wont take the bait.

On the other hand, Shannon might realize that a daring deed is right in front of

her, and she wants to tempt the Director into handing over some Flux Points. In that

case, she might point out that her trait has come into play, and then barter with the

Director to see how many Flux Points she can get for her deed of derring-do.When a character ends up in a situation where traits may cause problems, the

player can spend Flux Points to avoid succumbing to the temptation. This could occur

with private traits or public traits, depending on the circumstances.

Hiro Two Lanterns has the Kleptomaniac trait. When left alone with small and

valuable antiques, the Director tells Hiros player that this trait has come into play. He

can decide to succumb and steal the antiques, or spend FP to resist.

If the antiques were in a public office and the theft of even one of them would be

rapidly noticed, Hiros player probably only needs to spend 1 point to resist. On the

other hand, if the antiques were in a little-used storage room and Hiro knows that the

curator of these objects is deceased, the temptation to steal them would be greater, and

the Director could require Hiros player to spend up to 6 FP to resist.

S

PENDING

F

LUX

P

OINTS

TO

S

HRUG

O

FF

W

OUNDS

). A character can spend FP to

ignore a wound and its subsequent penalty. For example, an attack (after Damage

Reduction) deals 7 points of damage to a character with MTL 3, causing a wound. He

can then spend 7 FP to shrug off the wound; it does not count towards his

maximum wounds or impose any penalties, nor does it need to be healed.


19/50

SPENDING FLUX POINTS TO GAIN TEMPORARY BONUSES). Before you roll the dice,

you can spend 1 FP to add a 1-point bonus to that result. However, the maximum

number of FP you can spend is equal to the characters rank in the related skill. For

example, a PC with Firearms 3 can spend up to 3 FP for a +3 bonus to a Firearms

check, while one with Firearms 5 can spend up to 5 FP for a +5 bonus.

REPP P

OINTS

OPTIONAL

)

Really Effective People Promotions, or REPP, is a database and algorithm managed

by the Akihabara Group (detailed in the city guide). Persons who sign up for a REPP

account have their social media catalogued on the REPP scale (1 to 100+). Where

an individual appears on the scale depends on his celebrity status, how many people

follow and repost his media, how many follow those followers, and so on.

For instance, most celebrities have REPP scores of 70 or higher. When they check

into a hotel that participates in the REPP network, they usually receive a free up-

grade to a better room or other special perks, in hopes that theyll tell their followers

about it and thus promote the business. Mega-corporations might even invite high-ranking REPPers to special events, let them test out new technologies, and so forth.

If youd like your PC to participate, he has a starting score equal to [WIT x 6].

Whenever you want to improve this REPP score, simply tell the Director that the

character is REPPing an event or location; in other words, the character is posting

his status, thoughts, location, and/or pictures about where he is and what hes doing.

The more interesting the event, the higher and faster the REPP score will grow.

At certain times, your character will receive special promotional items, gifts,

invitations, and the like. The Director chooses what items your character receives,

and when. As well as making your character feel more like a part of the setting, this

also provides the Director with an additional way to offer adventure hooks, so feelfree to take full advantage of it. You cant lose... right?


REPP can be very

important to the

Lister archetype

(A, B, C, and D-list

celebrities)!


20/50

ASSETS

Assets are special talents and abilities. They can be purchased during character

creation. Hackers, Sorcerers, and Witchers should review the detailed assets below.

L

IST OF

G

ENERAL

A

SSETS

. Bloodline, Bravado, Detective, Everyman, Fortitude,

Funding, Hack, Influential, Knights Prowess, Lady Luck, Lionheart, Master of RedTape, Network, Null, Prudent, Quester, Safehouse, Star Power, Street Fighter,

Traceur, Wall Run, Weapon Master

L

IST OF

S

UPERNATURAL

A

SSETS

. Neurotik, NT3RF4C3, Spellcaster

Each archetype receives a unique asset discount during character creation!

HACKING

H

ACK

G

ENERAL

A

SSET

)This asset hacks and controls electronics (e.g., cameras, locks, vehicle controls, home

webcams, etc). Detecting a network is automatic, but time spent on a manual or Eye-

Pad keyboard, followed by a [KNO + Sciences: Computer] check, is required. The

Director determines if more time/checks are required after the initial hack.

Devices with direct neural interfaces, like EyePhones, can also be hacked.A

Hacker can profile the users device ID (perhaps personalized with the users name),

music playlist, list of applications, and so forth, without having any direct control

over it, though control may be achieved with a higher TN. The Director determines

how far a device can be accessed. Vehicles with autonomous controls have a limited

access range of [5 x C] feet, where C is the Hackers Sciences: Computer rank.The Director may increase a TN by at least +2 if the Hacker is not inside the

targets wireless signal range, and/or decrease the TN by 2 per day spent probing

the network in advance. The Director also decides if an alarm or other result trig-

gers, based on the severity of a failed ability check.


3.2 | SAMPLEHACKTNS(WITH TIME REQUIRED TO ACCESS)

TN 3 (SIMPLE; 1 ACTION)TARGET:OBSOLETE CELLULAR PHONE OR SIMILAR HANDHELD DEVICE

TN 5 (EASY; 1 ACTION)

TARGET:UNSECURED TOUCHSCREEN OR WEBCAMTN 7 (AVERAGE; 1 ACTION)

TARGET: PERSONAL COMPUTER; SECURED TOUCHSCREEN OR WEBCAMTN 9 (DIFFICULT; 1 TURN)

TARGET: SECURITY CAMERA; EYEOS DEVICE(PROFILE); VEHICLE(PROFILE)

TN 11 (HARD; 1 ROUND)

TARGET: PASSWORD-PROTECTED SERVER/WEBPAGE(DEEP WEB); AUTAC

TN 13 (INCREDIBLE; 2 ROUNDS)TARGET: SMALL CORPORATION NETWORK; VEHICLE(TURN ON/OFF)

TN 15 (HEROIC; 3 ROUNDS)

TARGET:WELL-SECURED NETWORK/WEBPAGE(DARK WEB); EYEOS DEVICE(CONTROL)

TN 17 (EPIC; 4 ROUNDS)

TARGET:HEAVILY RESTRICTED RULING MEGA-CORPORATION NETWORK; VEHICLE(CONTROL)


21/50

NT3RF4C3 SUPERNATURAL ASSET)

Unlike other Hackers who ply their skills using rapid-fire typing, augmented real-

ity interfaces, and an extensive knowledge of code, Hackers with this asset go be-

yond. They actually dive in to the networks, which they see as virtual

representations (aka MUDs, for Multi-User Dimensions) of objects, landscapes,

and anthropomorphic personifications. For example, a firewall might appear as a

garden maze, a minefield, or a wall of fire, and a secured file might be a glitteringruby in the heart of a castle.

Because the Hacker now naturally intuits codes in this manner, all hacking

Target Numbers are reduced by 2, and all access times of one round or more are

reduced to a single turn (though it may seem to take more time while in the MUD).

P

LAYING IN

MUD

S

. The Director determines the full appearance and extent of

the MUD. For example, you might see a digital grid like in TRON, a false reality

like in The Matrix, or a mix of themes as in Sucker Punchso be prepared for any-

thing.

Heavily-secured networks may be inhabited by one or more forms of Flux-

evolved digital life known commonly as Virtual and Artificial Intelligences (sen-

tients and sapients, respectively). Once a Hacker breaches a MUD that contains a

living VI or AI, he can expect to eventually confront it in some fashion.

GOD MODE.A Hacker can use his Sciences: Computer rank to boost his physical

skills (STR, DFT, MTL) while inside of a MUD. He can even redistribute these

points once each round. His Sciences: Computer rank does not change.

For example, Hacker Ghaleon has Sciences: Computer 5. In one round, he could

put all five points into one core value (e.g., STR +5), or spread them out (e.g., STR

+2, DFT +2, MTL +1). The next round, he might change this to DFT +5.

O

THER

P

LAYERS AS

A

VATARS

.

Of course, a virtualbattle wouldnt be much fun if everyone else has

to sit around and watch. Fortunately, the Hacker

can bring his allies along. After a Hacker succeeds

at his initial hack and enters the MUD, he can at-

tempt a second [KNO + Sciences: Computer] check

to link into the EyePhones of his accompanying al-

lies and create virtual avatars of them, as shown

in the sidebar. The Hackers ability to create his

own construct is automatically successful.Each avatar is an autonomous subroutine that

appears as a digitized character, complete with

equipment. This keeps the other players involved

by allowing them to control their avatars just as they would their PCs. Armor,

shields, weapons, and most augments function in the MUD just as they do in the

real world, with two exceptions. First, any devices (including augments) that allow

access to external communication or data do not work. Second, virtual FCG

grenades act like plasma grenades instead.

C

OMBAT

.Virtual combat works just like combat in reality, but each avatars MTL

score is equal to the Hackers KNO rank. When wounded, the character running

that avatar suffers an equivalent number of 1 penalties to all avatar actions. After

suffering a number of wounds greater than the Hackers [KNO x 2] score, the avatar

is fragmented (dies) and the character wakes in the real world. A Hacker may

spend a full turn trying to re-connect the character. At the end of that turn, the Di-

rector allows a [KNO + Sciences: Computer] check versus TN 9 or higher. If the

check is successful, he has reconnected the character to his avatar.


VIRTUALAVATARS

LIMITATION TN

ALL PCS .......................5

+1 NPC .......................7

+2 NPCS .....................9

+3 NPCS ....................11

+4 NPCS ....................13

+5 NPCS ....................15

+6 NPCS ....................17


22/50

SPELLCASTING

SPELLCASTER SUPERNATURAL ASSET)

With the Spellcaster asset, your PCs can cast almost any spell he or she can imagine,

within their spell disciplines and certain natural limits. Magic may be bleeding into

the world, but nature has a way of regulating itself. No matter how much imagina-tion a caster has, there isnt enough magical energy in the world (yet!) for a spell to

turn the oceans to blood or cause the forests to wither and die. Theres also a limit

to how much energy a caster can channel each day without suffering ill effects.

The core rulebook contains 64 sample spells (8 for each discipline).

C

ASTING

S

PELLS

. Each spell has a maximum range, area or number of targets,

and duration. These limits may be defined by a set number or based on the [MGK

+ discipline] total. To summon magical energy, your character attempts to beat a

certain Target Number defined by the Director. If successful, the spell functions.

Living creatures and any items altered by the Flux may attempt to resist your

characters spellas seen on the Sample Casting Checks table. Non-magical objects

have no resistance to spells, though objects held by a living being resist in the same

manner as that being. Augments (e.g., EyePhones) are considered part of a living

being and cant be targeted separately.

Casters require specific ingredients (i.e., material components) to cast spells. For

Witchers, this may be herbs, bones, salt, chalk, and so forth, while Sorcerers usespray paint, computer chips, etc. These are readily available and can be considered

part of the armory loadout (page 13). Powerful spells may need special components.

COUNTERSPELLS. Casters can attempt to block an enemys spell with a counter-

spell. This requires the character to cast a spell of the same type [MGK + appropri-

ate discipline] and meet or exceed the opponents original casting TN. If successful,

the spells cancel each other out. If unsuccessful, the enemy spell functions normally.

S

PELLS

P

ER

D

AY

.A Sorcerer or Witcher can cast a number of spells per day equal



23/50


to his MGK score, without harm. For each additional spell cast beyond this limit,

the character suffers a cumulative 1 penalty to the casting. Furthermore, any time

a caster fails his TN with one of these excess spells, he suffers painful mental feed-

back and can no longer cast for the rest of his turn and the entirety of the next.

A character with MGK 4 can cast 4 spells per day with no ill effects. On his fifth

spell, he suffers a 1 to his Flux Dice roll. On his sixth spell, the penalty increases

to 2. On his seventh, the penalty increases to 3, and so on.If the fifth, sixth, or seventh (and so on) casting fails to meet or exceed the required

TN, the caster loses all casting for the remainder of the current turn and the entirety

of the next. Afterwards, he can attempt to start casting again. The penalties continue.

M

ODIFYING

S

PELLS

.A caster can double (triple, quadruple, etc.) the spell range,

duration, and number of targets as desired, with limitations. For each improvement,

the TN increases by a cumulative +2. If a modified spell fails, the caster suffers an

agonizing mental feedback equivalent to 1 head wound.

For example, if a character doubles the range of a TN 9 spell, the TN increases

by one step to 11. If he doubled range and duration, the spell increases two steps to

TN 13. Likewise, if he triples the range of a TN 9 spell, it becomes TN 13 (doublingtakes it to TN 11, and tripling to TN 13). If the modified spell fails to meet or exceed

the required TN, the caster suffers 1 head wound and associated penalties.

Spells that may be cast on other persons may also be cast on oneself, but

modifying spells that have a normal range or target of Self to cast them on other

creatures or objects increases the TN by at least +2.

L

EARNING

S

PELLS

. For your PC to invoke a spell, determine what youd like the

spell to do. You might want to wave your wand and turn off a characters EyePhone,

cast a bolt of ultraviolet light (i.e., artificial sunlight) at a suspected vampire, slow

a bullet in midair, raise a wall of earth, or something else entirely.

Exactly what youre able to try is limited only by your imagination. Its the level

of your magic skill specialty, and the difficulty of the spell, that determines what

you can actually do. Casting a small fireball at a single person is much easier than

conjuring a fiery cloud to rain blazing hail over a city block.

WANDS. Wands are special ranged weapons used to hurl a bolt of raw magical

energy. Like firing a pistol, it requires a successful Firearms attack to hit the target.

The bolt deals damage equal to the casters MGK; a caster with MGK 4 may fire a

magical bolt dealing 4 points of damage. This power bypasses Damage Reduction

from armor and shields, but is limited to MGK uses per day.

A caster may own as many wands as he can collect, but can only use one at atime. A caster cannot dual-wield two wands. Using someone elses wand has a

greater chance of failure, equal to [50 X ]%, where X is the casters [MGK x 2]

score. For example, a character with MGK 4 has a 42% chance of failure (50 8 =

42) when using a wand thats been attuned to another caster.

Witchers may only utilize wooden wands, just as Sorcerers are limited to artifi-

cial wands. Otherwise, the attack roll has a chance of backfire equal to [90 X ]%,

where X is the casters [MGK x 2] score.A character with MGK 4 has an 82% chance

of failure (90 8 = 82) when using an opposing wand.

The core rulebook contains 29 sample wands with special powers.

A

UGMENT

P

ENALTIES

. Permanent augment applies a cumulative 1-point penalty

to MGK-related checks. Non-permanent tech (e.g., the EyePhone) does not.


24/50

MELEE WEAPONS

S

KILL

R

ANK

.You must have a minimum Getting Medieval or Firearms skill

rank to use melee or ranged weapons effectively. These skills and their ranks rep-

resent your proficiency with a particular weapon. If you dont have sufficient expe-

rience using and maintaining this type of weapon, youll suffer the difference

between the skill rank requirement and your skill level as a penalty to your Attack.T

WO

-W

EAPON

F

IGHTING

. Wielding two weapons on one action requires an Attack roll

for each, and you must take the low Flux Dice roll. Aiming penalties are doubled.

MGK B

ONUS

. Whenever you wield an iron melee weapon against a cryptid, add

+MGK to your damage result. Ranged weapons, even bows and thrown weapons,

do not carry the same power.

R

AYPIER

. Raypiers deal energy (not melee) damage.

RANGED WEAPONS

B

ASE

R

ANGE

.Attacking a target past base range applies a 2 penalty to both at-

tack and damage. More than double the base range adds another 2 (4 total), dis-tance x3 adds another 2 (6 total), and so on to the max range x5 (10 total).

R

ATE OF

F

IRE

. Some firearms allow multiple shots per Attack action, but each shot

beyond the first suffers a cumulative 2 penalty to the Attack. If you distribute shots

among multiple targets, you must attempt a [DFT + Firearms] check for each; target

defends as normal. Damage listed is for each individual bullet.

R

ELOAD

D

IE

A

MMUNITION

). If you dont want to track ammo consumption, use this

simple rule to streamline combat. If your Flux Dice roll on a Firearms attack

results in doubles of any kind (1s, 2s, 3s, etc.), roll the Reload Die. On a result of

1-2, it means your weapon is out of ammo, jammed, or overheated (energy weapons).

You can reload, unjam, or cool it down by spending one action to do so.

T

HROWING

. To throw a weapon, use [DFT + Getting Medieval]. The base range is

a number of feet equal to your [STR + DFT + MTL] x2. Roll melee damage with half

Strength (round down).

To determine the direction of a failed throw, imagine your PC standing on a flat

analog clock (you are the 6 facing the 12 target), then roll a d12. Thus, a 711 goes

left, a 15 goes right, a 12 overshoots the target, and a 6 falls short.


Melee

Weapons

Skill

Rank Price

Base

Range ROF Damage

Reload

DieUnarmed 0 - - - STR -

Dagger, Knife 1 $75 - - STR + 1 -

Hand Axe 1 $105 - - STR + 1d4 -

Short Sword 2 $1300 - - STR + 1d6 -

Com/Bat 2 $1700 - - STR + 1d8 -

Longsword 3 $2400 - - STR + 1d10 -

War Axe 4 $3100 - - STR + 2d4 -

2Hand Sword 5 $5000 - - STR + 2d6 -

Raypier (E) 6 $8000 - - STR + 2d8 -


25/50

S

HOTGUNS

. This double-barreled 12 gauge features a natural wood stock and

carbon steel barrel with blued satin finish. Within 110 feet, one barrel of buckshot

inflicts 3d6 points of damage. Within 1120 feet, damage becomes 2d6, and damageto targets from 2030 feet is reduced to 1d6. Double-barrelled shotguns can fire both

barrels at once or separately.

S

UBMACHINE

G

UNS

. This SMG uses .223/5.56 ammunition, and has a limited mag-

azine of 21 rounds. A burst fires three bullets (2d6 each). Roll to attack as normal,

but treat the second bullet as Attack result 1 and the third as Attack result 2. Auto-

fire (2+ bursts) is also possible, if you dont mind wasting ammo. Just apply the ROF

penalty (cumulative 2) to the 2nd+ bursts, and the cumulative 1 to each bullet.

T

ASER

. The electrical shock requires the target to succeed at a [STR + MTL] check

versus TN 15. A failed check means the target is stunned for his next turn and un-

able to react. The attacker may extend this for two more turns, by forgoing otheractions and leaving the taser attached to the victim. Tasers can penetrate energy

shields and clothing, but not physical shields or light, medium, and heavy armor.

W

AND

. Up to MGK times per day, Sorcerers and Witchers can use wands to fire

an arcane bolt or ray dealing damage equal to their MGK rank. This damage ignores

normal Damage Reduction.

X-C

ALIBRE

. These pistols deal energy (not high-velocity) damage.


Ranged

Weapons

Skill

Rank Price

Base

Range ROF Damage

Reload

Die

Taser 1 $1625 15 ft (max) 1 d4 + stun see text

Wand 1 $375 MGK x5 ft 1 MGK n/a

Dagger/Knife 2 $75 throw 1 12STR + 1 n/a

Hand Axe 2 $105 throw 1 12STR + 1d4 n/a

Pistol 2 $1300 30 ft up to 3 2d6 d8

Shotgun 2 $1120 see text up to 2 1d6 to 6d6 d4

Bow 3 $1950 70 yds 1 2d4 d12

Rifle 3 $3900 200 yds 1 3d8 d6

SMG 4 $4900 40 yds see text see text d4

X-Calibre (E) 4 $6500 20 ft up to 2 4d6 d20


26/50

PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT ARMOR AND SHIELDS)

DFT Modifier.The weight and unwieldiness of each P.P.E. means that it re-

duces damage the wearer might take, but makes him slower and easier to hit. Com-parative modifiers for GP-brand shields and armors are listed in the charts, followingP.P.E. industry standard numerical terms. For example, a private guard carrying a riotshield and wearing heavy modern body armor suffers a 5 penalty to all checks involving DFT.

Damage Reduction. DR is represented as series of three numbers. The firstrepresents DR vs melee weapons, the second vs high velocity (usually gunpowderbased) firearms and frag grenades, and the third vs energy weapons (raypiers and

X-Calibres) and plasma grenades. The wearer suffers any remaining damage. Thus,each item is named for its DR values, such as the Globex SW 221 for the SuitWeave 2/2/1. Please have the desired values ready when ordering your item.

Casting Modifier. Sorcerers and Witchers need a full range of motion to

perform the magical gestures required for spell-casting. However, P.P.E.s tend toinhibit this motion, imposing penalties on MGK casting checks.

Blur Suit.This black jumpsuits microscopic carbon nanotube fabric actuallybends light rays, making the wearer appear as a shimmering ghostly blur and provid-ing a DFT bonus versus detection and attacks. Using the wrist button to turn on thesuit stimulates low levels of electricity through the fabric and is what makes themirage possible.

Body Armor.These P.P.E.s range from reproductions of leather (light), chain-

mail (medium), or functional plate (heavy) to more modern wear. Modern armorsinclude various concealable bullet-resistant vests (light), tactical vests (medium), orassault/riot jackets (heavy) composed of ballistic and energy-resistant materials.Helmet and flack pants included. The Director may declare lower DRs on the legs,arms, or back, depending on the type of armor worn.

Shield, Energy.This P.P.E. consists of a small cloud of nanomachines thatfloats around the wearer, reacting to intense bursts of energy and providing a low-level force field. These nanomachines are digitally tied to a large bracer on one of

the wearers forearms. When this control device is removed or damaged (i.e., one ormore wounds on that hit location), the nanomachines refuse to function.Shield, Riot. Used primarily by Badges, it is long enough to cover an average

sized man from the top of the head to the knees. This provides excellent defensivepower, but requires two hands to manipulate and eliminates the users ability to fightback. All Attack actions must be replaced with Move actions while wielding a riot

shield. Casting spells is impossible while using a riot shield.Shield, Wooden. Hand-painted designs and decorations are available.Suit Weave.These protein-engineered fabrics provide greater tensile strength

and elasticity than normal cloth, and thus additional protection against most dis-gruntled employees. For only $1000, any piece of clothing can become 1/1/1 suitweave, not just business attire. Some sellers may offer suit weaves with higher DRs,but with a cost of at least +$1000 for each additional point of DR. Suit weave cloth-

ing can be worn over light modern armor or under traditional and heavier armorsin order to stack an extra layer of protection.



27/50


A

UGMENTS

Augments include neural-biosynethic, nanotechnological, and other near-future

modifications of the human body, along with designer drugs and special weapon andarmor augments. Each sample character in this quick-start guide already has one

or more augments provided. A full listing and price guide for augments appears in

the core rulebook.

L

IST OF

P

ERSONAL

A

UGMENTS

. Cloak, Eyephone (plus EyePad and EyePhoto add-

ons), Hardened, Jumper, Metamuscle, Nanodetoxifiers, Nanorebuilders, Prosthetic

Limb, Silkskin, Spec.Tac.Le, Speedster

L

IST OF

S

UBSTANCE

A

UGMENTS

D

ESIGNER

D

RUGS

). Flatliner, Goldrush, Hard Snow,

Lotus/Pax, Morpheus, OP8, Psykadel, Solvit, Tweek, U4EA, Zodiaz

L

IST OF

A

RMOR

/S

HIELD

A

UGMENTS

. Damage Reduction, Magic Resistance

L

IST OF

W

EAPON

A

UGMENTS

.Ammunition, Damage, Range

Armor Price

DFT

Mod

DR vs

Melee

DR vs

Hi-Velocity

DR vs

Energy

Casting

Mod

Blur Suit $25,000 +3 0 0 0 0

Body, Lt

Modern $1300 1 2 5 3 1

Body, Lt

Traditional $1300 1 4 2 4 2

Body, Med

Modern $1850 2 6 10 7 2

Body, MedTraditional

$1850 2 9 5 8 3

Body, Hvy

Modern $2400 3 11 15 11 3

Body, Hvy

Traditional $2400 3 14 10 12 4

Suit Weave +$1000 0 1 1 1 0

Shields Price

DFT

Mod

DR vs

Melee

DR vs

Hi-Velocity

DR vs

Energy

MGK

Mod

Energy (E) $1400 0 0 1 4 1

Wooden $130+ 1 4 2 2 4

Riot $225 2 8 4 6 n/a


28/50


SAMPLE CHARACTERS

The following 13 sample characters provide examples of one of each archetype typ-

ically found in Corporia. Supplements often contain additional archetypes.

When creating a character from scratch using the creation rules in the main

rulebook, you can choose either a standard archetype or combine it with one of thethree special archetypes in the core rules (Knight-Errant, Sorcerer, and Witcher).

You cant combine two special archetypes.

Of course, even though youre not creating the following archetypes from

scratch, you may still want to consider some of the following items for your charac-

ter. The core rulebook provides specific suggestions on each of these for every ar-

chetype, as well as details on Signs and Personality Traits, Role, Key Core Values

and Skills, Assets, Weapons and Equipment, Augments, and Inspiration.

B

ACKGROUND

. Where is he from? How old is he? What was his childhood like?

What was his career before being recruited by the Knightwatch? And so on.

The Knightwatch keeps an eye on hospitals and news reports in order to locatepotential recruitsbut why did your PC join? Is she afraid of being captured by

another mega-corporation and experimented on? Does she have a family to support?

Or does she just get off on the adrenalin rush?

NAMES.A characters name or alias usually reflects who he is. The name Razor

sounds like a Radical with violent tendencies and talent with a blade, while Alain

Winterbottom the Fourth sounds like a Suit with high resources. Of course, you can

also twist this around. There are lots of big guys nicknamed Tiny, after all.

L

OOK

. Your characters look is his style (e.g., casual, business, metro, punk,

etc.), but you should also consider his appearance. How tall is he? What color arehis eyes? Whats his hair style and color? Is he slim, fat, or muscular? Is he dark or

fair-skinned?

Each of the following sample archetypes also includes a statistics block. The first

paragraph is a quick summary of general combat abilities for easy reference, while

the following paragraphs list abilities, movement speeds, assets, augments, traits,

and sample names. Corporias stat block is much like those of other role-playing

games, but with its own formatting. Dont worry; using it will quickly become second

nature!

Heres a detailed look at each item in the Quick Reference combat summary:

QR: INITIATIVE + [WIT + INSTINCT]; ATTACK + [STR + FISTICUFFS] UNARMED [DAMAGE FROM STR], + [STR

+ GETTING MEDIEVAL] MELEE [MELEE WEAPON DAMAGE], + [DFT + FIREARMS] RANGED, [RANGED WEAPON DAMAGE];

DEFENSE + [DFT + ATHLETICS ANY ARMOR/SHIELD MODIFIERS]; DAMAGE REDUCTION VS MELEE/VS HIGH VELOCITY

(RANGED)/VS ENERGY(ARMOR DESCRIPTION); MAXIMUM WOUND LEVEL [MTL X 2]

And heres that same summary again, but abbreviated with statistics:

QR: INIT +5; ATK +6 UNARMED [3 STR], +6 MELEE [3 + 1D8 COM/BAT], +7 RANGED [2D6 PISTOL];

DEF +3 (5 2 ARMOR); DR 6/12/7 (MED MOD, SILKSKIN); WD 6

To aid in quick home game and convention play, these sample characters also in-

clude wound boxes (such as qqqqqq) following the characters normal maximum

wound level. If you want to take one of these sample characters and use it for long

term play, you may find it easier to transfer it to the standard character sheet pro-

vided as the last page of this quick-start guide.


29/50


30/50

hacker

SAMPLE HACKER

QR: INIT +5; ATK +2 unarmed [STR 1], +3 melee [1+1d8 short sword], +4 ranged [2d6 pis-

tol]; DEF +5 (+8 vs electronics); DR 2/2/1 (suit weave); WD 4 qqqqAbilities: STR 1, Fisticuffs 1, Getting Medieval 2; DFT 2, Athletics 3, Firearms 2; MTL 2,

Valor 0; KNO 4, Sciences: Computers 5+1; WIT 2, Influence 2, Instinct 3; MGK 1

Move: walk 15, jog 30, run 45, sprint 75, long jump 12, high jump 6, climb/swim 6

Assets: Funds - $6500

Hack - Can hack and control electronics

Lady Luck - Get one free re-roll per game session

NT3RF4C3 - Hacking TNs -2, Hack access times 1 round max, virtual interfaces

Quester - Gain +1 bonus on Sciences checks

Augments: Cloak - Gain +3 bonus to hide from robots and other electronics

EyePhone - contact lenses with augmented reality display and wireless earbuds

EyePad - can interact with augmented reality, holographic keyboard

EyePhoto - record high-def videos/photos and save to earbud or cloud

Traits: Easily bored, Humorous, Organized; Obsessed with a celebrity



31/50

SAMPLE HEADHUNTER

QR: INIT +5; ATK +3 unarmed [STR 2], +5 melee [2+1d10 longsword], +9 ranged [2d6 pistol];

DEF +7; DR 2/4/1 (suit weave, silkskin); WD 6 qqqqqqAbilities: STR 2, Fisticuffs 1, Getting Medieval 3; DFT 4, Athletics 3, Firearms 5; MTL 3,

Valor 0; KNO 2, Business 2; WIT 2, Influence 3, Instinct 3; MGK 1


Assets: Funds - $33,000 (including Funding 2)

Knights Prowess - Critical hits apply to damage rolls with bladed weapons

Network 2 - Has two minor NPC contacts

Augments:EyePhone - contact lenses with augmented reality display and wireless earbuds



Silkskin - Reduces high-velocity damage by 2 points

Spec.Tac.Le - Reduces Rate of Fire penalties by -1

Traits: Analytical, Perfectionist, Slow to act; Will sacrifice allies to complete a mission

headhunter



32/50

SAMPLE JOURNO

QR: INIT +7; ATK +3 unarmed [STR 2], +4 melee [2+1d8 com/bat], +6 ranged [2d6 pistol];

DEF +6; DR 4/2/1 (suit weave, hardened); WD 4 qqqqAbilities: STR 2, Fisticuffs 1, Getting Medieval 2; DFT 3, Athletics 3, Firearms 3; MTL 2,

Valor 0; KNO 2, Business 1, Crime 2; WIT 4, Influence 5+1, Instinct 3; MGK 1


Assets: Detective - Gain +2 bonus on KNO checks involving research and investigation

Funds - $31,500 (including Funding 1)Influential - Gain +1 bonus on Influence checks

Network 6 - Knows high-ranking NPC Badge with a small network of his own

Augments: EyePhone - contact lenses with augmented reality display and wireless earbuds



Hardened - Suffers -2 less damage from bladed or bludgeoning melee weapons

Traits: Easily bored, Skeptical, Worrier; Emotionally detached

journo



33/50

SAMPLE KNIGHT-ERRANT

QR: INIT +5; ATK +6 unarmed [STR 3], +7 melee [3 + 1d10 longsword], +4 ranged (2d6 pis-

tol); DEF +4 (6 2 armor); DR 11/5/8 (med. trad. armor; hardened); WD 8 qqqqqqqqAbilities: STR 3, Fisticuffs 3, Getting Medieval 4; DFT 3, Athletics 3, Firearms 1; MTL 4,

Valor 0; KNO 1, Humanities (Antiques 2, Religion 2); WIT 2, Influence 2, Instinct 3; MGK 1


Assets: Funds - $10,000

Fortitude - Gains +X attack when wounded (X = number of wounds in current fight)

Knights Prowess - Critical hits apply to damage rolls with bladed weapons

Lady Luck - Get one free re-roll per game session


Hardened - Suffers -2 less damage from bladed or bludgeoning melee weapons

Traits: Chivalrous, Courageous, Loyal; Thinks all spellcasters are secretly evil

knight-errant



34/50

SAMPLE LISTER

QR: INIT + 5; ATK +5 unarmed [STR 2], +4 melee [2+1d8 com/bat], +4 ranged [2d6 pistol];

DEF +5; DR 2/2/1 (suit weave); WD 4 qqqqAbilities: STR 2, Fisticuffs 3, Getting Medieval 2; DFT 2, Athletics 3, Firearms 2; MTL 2,

Valor 0; KNO 1; WIT 3, Influence 3+1, Instinct 2; MGK 2, Holography 3


Assets: Funds - $61,800 (including Funding 3)

Influential - Gain +1 bonus on Influence checks

Lady Luck - Get one free re-roll per game sessionStar Power 2 - Gained +80 REPP for a total REPP 96

Neurotik - Can cast 2 Holography spells/day (succeed at ability check or lose spell)




Nanodetoxifiers - Double result of checks to resist poisons/drugs/alcohol

Traits: Clever, Loves attention, Superficial; Insecure about career

lister



35/50


36/50

SAMPLE RUNNER

QR: INIT +9; ATK +3 unarmed [STR 1], +3 melee [1+1d6 short sword], +8 ranged [2d6

pistol]; DEF +10; DR 2/2/1 (suit weave); WD 6 qqqqqqAbilities: STR 1, Fisticuffs 2, Getting Medieval 2; DFT 5, Athletics 5, Firearms 3; MTL 3,

Valor 0; KNO 1, Crime 1; WIT 4, Influence 2, Instinct 5; MGK 0


Assets: Funds - $10,000

Network 4 - Has 4 NPC allies within the Runner network

Null - Cannot be detected magically; cannot resist MGK or use relics

Traceur 4 - Treat Move actions as if having Athletics 7

Wall Run - Can run along vertical surfaces for a distance of 18 feet


Jumper - Can high jump 30 ft, long jump 60 ft, reduce falling damage by 2d6

Traits: Independent, Unorganized, Witty; Superstitious

runner



37/50

SAMPLE SORCERER

QR: INIT +5; ATK +1 unarm

Corporia Quick-Start Guide

Documents

Transcript of Corporia Quick-Start Guide