Welcome to C.4512. This game is built on a foundation of modularity and expandability. The items, abilities, and skills presented in this rulebook are designed to be customized, created, and adapted. This approach allows the Game Master (GM) and the players to choose different modules to play with, tailoring the experience to their table's specific preferences.

The system is designed to foster cooperative storytelling, providing both the GM and the players with tools to influence and guide the direction of the plot. In this game, the GM is not an adversary to the players, though the non-Player Characters (NPCs) they control certainly can be.

Above all, remember the golden rules: Have Fun and Make Something Cool. Any rule that follows may be bent or broken in service of these principles.

Chapter 2: The Core Module

The d20 System

At its heart, C.4512 is a d20-based system. This means that for nearly every action a character attempts where the outcome is uncertain, you will roll a 20-sided die (a d20). To determine the result of the action, you will add a relevant modifier to the number rolled. For an action to succeed, the total sum of the d20 roll plus the modifier must meet or exceed a Difficulty Class (DC) set by the GM.

Formula for Success: d20 Roll + Modifier >= Difficulty Class (DC)

Levels of Success

Outcomes are not always simple pass/fail scenarios. C.4512 uses four levels of success to add nuance and dramatic effect to your actions.

Critical Success: Your roll is 10 or more points higher than the DC.
Success: Your roll meets or exceeds the DC, but by less than 10 points.
Failure: Your roll is below the DC, but by no more than 10 points.
Critical Failure: Your roll is more than 10 points below the DC.

Attributes, Stress, Health & Skills

Every character is defined by a combination of innate attributes and learned skills.

Attributes There are six fundamental attributes that represent a character's core capabilities, analogous to those found in systems like D&D or Pathfinder.

STR (Strength): Measures physical power and brawn.
DEX (Dexterity): Represents agility, reflexes, and coordination.
BOD (Body): A measure of health, stamina, and resilience. This attribute also quantifies your character's ability to receive cybernetic augmentations and use them effectively.
WIS (Wisdom): Reflects willpower, intuition, and awareness. It represents one way your character can connect disparate pieces of information to form a conclusion.
INT (Intelligence): Encompasses reasoning, memory, and analytical thinking. It represents another way your character can connect information through logic and deduction.
CHA (Charisma): Governs force of personality, persuasion, and leadership.

Saving Throws Each attribute is associated with a saving throw, which is a roll made to resist or avoid negative effects. The calculation for a saving throw is: d20 Roll + Attribute Modifier

Hit Points represent the player characters physical fortitude, whilst Stress represents their mental fortitude. In universe the character are not literally becoming hardier with increased hit points and stress but rather becoming more adept at minimizing damage. Once fatal gun shots become mere grazing hits.

Skills represent specific areas of knowledge or training your character has acquired, such as cooking, woodworking, close quarters combat, or computers. A skill is typically represented by a flat modifier that you add to a d20 roll when your character performs an action using that skill. As you level up, you will have opportunities to increase your skill modifiers, allowing you to take on more challenging tasks.

Skill Checks vs. Skill Challenges

While both are used to resolve complex situations outside of combat, it's important to understand their differences.

Skill Check: A Skill Check is used to overcome a static obstacle. It often involves a series of rolls made against a fixed DC set by the GM, who may choose to keep the DC secret or reveal it to the players. In a Skill Check, everyone involved generally rolls once, and the total number of successes determines the outcome. Different levels of success might yield more information or a more favorable result.
Example: The party needs to break into a secure server room. The GM calls for a Skill Check requiring a Computers roll to bypass the firewall, a Mechanics roll to disable the maglock, and a Stealth roll to avoid the cameras. The DC for each is 20. The more successes the party gets, the more quietly and efficiently they get inside.
Skill Challenge: A Skill Challenge is a dynamic contest where the players pit their skills against an active, opposing force. Instead of a fixed DC, the target number is set dynamically by the opposing party's roll. This creates a back-and-forth contest of wits or abilities. In a Skill Challenge, players are encouraged to be creative; if the opportunity presents itself, unique abilities and talents may be used in place of a standard skill roll.
Example: The party is chasing a rival thief across the city's rooftops. This is a Skill Challenge. The player might roll Athletics to leap between buildings, while the GM rolls Athletics for the thief. The player's roll must beat the thief's roll to gain ground. The next round, the player might decide to use a grappling hook (a piece of gear) or a short-range teleportation Talent instead of a basic skill, creating a new dynamic contest for that turn.

Plot Points / Resolve

Plot Points / Resolve are the engine of dramatic, player-driven storytelling in C.4512. Think of them as a tangible resource representing your character's luck, narrative importance, and ability to shape the world around them. Unlike abilities that are fixed on your character sheet, Plot Points provide a flexible way to declare truths about the story, overcome impossible odds, and ensure your character gets their moment in the spotlight. This system creates a "narrative economy" that flows between the players and the GM.

Spending Plot Points: Making Your Mark As a general rule, you can spend a Plot Point to temporarily take on a small part of the GM's role. This can manifest in two primary ways: influencing the mechanics of a roll, or directly editing the narrative of a scene.

Mechanical Influence (2 Points):
Dictate the Dice: Set any single d20 roll—your own, an ally's, or even an enemy's—to its maximum (a 20) or minimum (a 1) value after it has been rolled. This is a powerful tool for ensuring a critical action succeeds or a devastating enemy attack fails.
Narrative Influence (1 Point):
- The Uninterrupted Monologue: Take the "camera" and deliver a speech or internal thought without being interrupted.
- It's Always Been There: Declare that you've had a simple, mundane item on your person all along (e.g., a length of rope, a lighter, a specific key).
- Convenient Circumstances: Introduce a helpful element into the scene. This could be a specific type of shop appearing on a street, an NPC with just the right piece of information showing up, or a public announcement that provides a crucial clue.
- Instant Reload: Instantly reload a weapon or regain one charge for a limited-use item, bypassing the normal action cost.
- The Eureka Moment: Allow your character to instantly connect two or more pieces of information, solving a puzzle or realizing the solution to a problem.

The GM and Plot Points When a player spends a Plot Point, it is given to the GM, adding to their pool. The GM can then spend these points to heighten the drama and challenge.

(1 Point): Trigger an environmental hazard or introduce a complication not tied to a specific NPC.
(1 Point): Use a Legendary Resistance, allowing a major NPC to automatically succeed on a saving throw.
(Trading): The GM can offer a player one or more Plot Points to accept a complication. For example, "I'll give you a Plot Point if your gun jams at this exact moment." The player who accepts the complication and the Plot Point is usually the one most affected.

Earning Plot Points: Driving the Story The flow of Plot Points is what makes the game dynamic. Players earn them back from the GM by actively making the game more interesting, dramatic, and true to its genre. You can "steal" a Plot Point from the GM's pool by:

Embracing Complications: Intentionally choosing to fail a saving throw for dramatic effect (e.g., getting captured to learn more about the enemy).
Engaging with the World: Using the specific slang, lingo, and customs of the game's setting.
Taking Initiative: Making bold, significant decisions that push the plot in new and interesting directions instead of waiting for the GM to lead.
Leveraging Lore: Using your character's knowledge of the world to inform your decisions or make insightful connections.
Accepting a Compel: Allowing the GM to invoke one of your negative Aspects to complicate your life (see Chapter 5).

Advanced Narrative Integration Plot Points and Aspects are more than just roll modifiers; they are tools for collaborative storytelling. Think beyond the numbers and consider how they can shape the narrative directly.

Spend a Plot Point to introduce a flashback. This can be a powerful way to reveal why your character has a specific skill, knows a piece of information, or has a connection to an NPC you've just met.
Spend a Plot Point to declare a retroactive action. Did the party forget to pack climbing gear? Spend a point to declare that you, the thoughtful planner, packed it "off-screen" before you left.
Use an Aspect to bypass a roll entirely. If your character has the Aspect Idolized by the Street Gangers, you might not need to roll to get an audience with their leader; your reputation precedes you. The GM can simply agree that your Aspect makes it happen.
Let a Compel guide the story. If the GM compels your Incurably Curious Aspect, it might lead you to press a button that springs a trap. However, that trap might also be the secret entrance the party was looking for all along. Accepting compels often leads to the most interesting plot twists.

Death and dying

Finally when a player character reaches zero HP in combat, they are unable to continue fighting. It is up to the GM whether or not they are conscious. Every turn thereafter that player must spend one plot point to keep them stable. If they reach zero plot points that character is dead.

Chapter 3: Core Combat

Combat in C.4512 is conducted in turn-based rounds.

Initiative: At the start of combat, every participant makes a DEX check. The results determine the turn order, from highest to lowest.
Free Actions (FA): On your turn, you have a resource called Free Actions (FA). A character starts with 4 FA at level 1. You can spend these to perform various maneuvers.
- (1 FA): Move up to 30 feet on foot.
- (2 FA): Make a skill check, including an attack.
Attack Roll: An attack where the DC is determined by an opponent's Armor Class (AC).
Skill Save: An attack where you set the DC with your roll, and the opponent must make a saving throw to resist the effect.
Reaction: A reaction is an action that can be taken at the cost of one FA that can be taken outside of initiative order.

Chapter 4: Character Creation & Progression

Creating a Level 1 Character

Determine Attributes: Your six attributes (STR, DEX, BOD, WIS, INT, CHA) start with a base value of 8. You have 30 points to distribute among them. For every 2 points an attribute is above or below 10, it gains a +1 or -1 modifier, respectively.
Choose a Race: A list of official races can be found on the C.4512 creation website. Races can also be homebrewed with GM approval. A race's general "hardiness" determines its starting base HP, which will be between 4 and 12.
Calculate Health and Stress:
- Health: Your total HP is Base HP from Race + (5 + BOD Modifier).
- Stress: Your total Stress is 5 + CHA Modifier.
Allocate Ranks & Features (if using modules):
- Talent Ranks: 5
- Skill Ranks: 10
- Aspects: 3
- Abilities: Maximum of 6

Leveling Up

Each time you gain a level, your character improves in the following ways:

Max HP Increase: + (5 + BOD Modifier)
Max Stress Increase: + (5 + CHA Modifier)
Talent Ranks: +3
Skill Ranks: +10
Aspects: +1 Rank (if using the module)
Maximum Abilities: +1 (if using the module)

Milestone Advancement: Every 5 levels, you may choose one of the following benefits:

Add a total of 6 points to your base attributes.
Gain an additional 2 Free Actions (FA) to use on your turn in combat.

Chapter 5: Optional Modules

Module: Static Skills

This module provides a pre-defined list of skills tailored for a cyberpunk and sci-fi world. The full list and their descriptions can be found in Appendix One: Base Skills. When you make a check with a Static Skill, your total roll is: 1d20 + Attribute Modifier + Skill Ranks

Combat Skills: The Static Skills list includes six skills specifically for combat:

Defensive Measures (1 FA): Used for the Parry action. As a reaction, you can make a Defensive Measures roll and add the result to your AC against the next incoming attack.
CQC (Close Quarters Combat) (2 FA): Used for making melee attacks.
Ranged Combat (2 FA): Used for making ranged attacks.
Heavy Weapon Combat (2 FA): Used for making attacks with heavy weapons.
Utilities (1 FA): Used for deploying consumables, traps, and other utility items.
Tactics (1 FA): Used for the Read action. This allows you to learn an NPC's resistances, weaknesses, or one of the following: their next target, their next attack type, or their next move.

Item-Based Skills: The following skills are used in conjunction with specific types of items:

Computers: Allows for the use of Hacks and RAM points.
Arcana: Allows for the use of spells and mana points.
Cybernetic Augments: Allows for the use of Augment items.

Module: Dynamic Skills

This module allows the table and GM to create custom skills collaboratively, and it can be used alongside the Static Skills module.

Creating a Dynamic Skill: When creating a skill (e.g., Knife, Bluff, Pharmacy, Eldritch Knowledge), you must decide on its associated attribute and categorize its scope:

Broad: Widely applicable (e.g., Socializing).
General: Applies to a moderate range of situations (e.g., Piloting).
Narrow: Highly specific (e.g., Antique Vase Appraisal).

Instead of a fixed list, you can use one skill rank during level-up to create a new skill based on your character's recent experiences.

Improving Dynamic Skills: Your skill rank in a Dynamic Skill increases automatically through use. For every 5 successful checks you make with a skill:

The rank increases by 1 if it's Broad.
The rank increases by 2 if it's General.
The rank increases by 3 if it's Narrow.

If your character lacks an appropriate Dynamic Skill for a situation, they can roll using only the associated attribute modifier.

Module: Character Aspects

Aspects are short, descriptive phrases that define who your character is, what they believe in, or what connections they have. They are the truths of your character that exist beyond mere numbers. Where skills tell us what your character can do, Aspects tell us who your character is. They are a powerful tool for both roleplaying and gaining a mechanical edge. Aspects are associated with a number from 1 to 5, which dictates their potency.

Invoking an Aspect: Leaning into Your Strengths When you are in a situation where one of your Aspects is relevant and helpful, you can invoke it to gain an advantage. To do this, you declare which Aspect you are using and explain how it applies.

When you invoke a positive Aspect, you re-roll your d20 a number of times equal to the Aspect's level and take the highest result. You can always invoke an Aspect if it makes narrative sense.

Example: A character with the Aspect Ambitious (3) is trying to negotiate a promotion with their corporate superior. The player can invoke this Aspect on their persuasion roll. They would roll their d20 three times and take the highest of the three rolls, because their ambition is directly fueling their performance in this high-stakes negotiation.

The Philosophy of a Good Aspect: Be Proactive, Not Reactive When creating your Aspects, it is crucial to give them proactive potential. A good Aspect is one that compels your character to act and engage with the world, rather than one that only comes into play when the world acts upon them. They should be levers the GM can pull to introduce plot hooks and complications. An Aspect like "Protector of My Dog" is reactive; it only matters when the dog is in danger. A more proactive version might be "I Will Make This City Safe For All Dogs," a goal which drives the character to seek out and confront injustice, creating adventure rather than waiting for it.

Compels: When Aspects Complicate Your Life Aspects aren't just about advantages; they also represent your character's flaws, obligations, and entanglements. The GM can invoke one of your negative Aspects to introduce a complication into the story. This is called a Compel.

When the GM compels one of your Aspects, they offer you a Plot Point. If you accept the Plot Point, your character acts according to the Aspect, even if it's a bad idea. If you refuse, you must pay a Plot Point from your own pool to ignore the complication.

When a negative Aspect is invoked against you (a Compel), you re-roll the d20 a number of times equal to the Aspect's level and must take the lowest result.

Example: The same character with Ambitious (3) is trying to convince a group of low-ranking dockworkers to join their cause. The GM might say, "Your ambition makes you disdainful of those you see as beneath you. I'll offer you a Plot Point to compel your Ambitious Aspect, giving you a disadvantage on this social check as you can't help but talk down to them." The player can either accept the Plot Point and the disadvantage, or spend one of their own to resist the urge.

Types of Aspects and Examples in Play

Character Aspects: These represent your character's core identity, beliefs, and personality.
An Empathetic character might easily invoke this Aspect to convince NPCs, but the GM could compel it to make them hesitate before delivering a finishing blow in combat.

A character who is a Vengeful Widower could invoke this Aspect when hunting down the people who wronged their family. However, the GM could compel it to prevent them from entering a location filled with too many painful memories, forcing the party to find another way.
Plot Aspects: These tie your character directly to the ongoing story.
Examples: Chosen to Bring the Ring to Mordor, Protector of the Sacred Tome, On a Mission to Restore the Republic.
NPC Aspects: These define your character's relationship with other characters in the world.
A character with Connected to a Mafia Boss could invoke this in a desperate situation, calling in a favor to get out of trouble (likely at a future cost). The GM could also compel this by having the boss call at an inopportune time, demanding a favor that complicates the current mission.

A further list of example aspects can be found in Appendix Three

Module: Talents and Class Resources

Talents

Talents are passive and active abilities that function like class features, allowing for specialized and superhuman actions. They are divided into 5 tiers of increasing power.

Tier 1-3: Can be used at any appropriate time.
Tier 4-5: Require the expenditure of one Plot Point to activate.

Unlocking a talent requires one talent rank, and some talents can be upgraded further with additional ranks. Access to talents of a certain tier requires a minimum modifier in its associated skill. The full list of talents and their associated skill is found on the following web page.

Class Resources These are optional resources intended to reward specific playstyles. A character can choose to use a maximum of two class resources, but if they do, the maximum capacity of each resource is halved. The description and mechanics of each class resource can be found in Appendix Three: Class resources.

Module: Abilities

This module allows for the creation of completely custom abilities using a provided ability creator tool. Abilities are balanced around a concept of "ability strength," and any ability made with the creator is considered valid. In cases of ambiguous wording, the intended function of the ability is more important than the literal text, and the exact mechanics can be clarified with the GM and the table. The ability creator is found here:

Chapter 6: GM resources

NPCs

NPCs can be created using a dedicated NPC creator tool for use in both combat and narrative situations. NPCs can also be created using the online NPC creation tool in which their strength depends on their level and boss rating.

Boss NPCs: Major antagonist NPCs have access to special mechanics. They can use the GM's Plot Points to perform Environmental Actions or use Legendary Resistances.

Environmental Action: An attack or effect not directly associated with the NPC itself (e.g., causing a cave-in, activating a security system).
Legendary Resistance: Allows the NPC to automatically succeed on any saving throw.

Item Creation

The game includes a supplemental system for crafting items that revolves around Engineering, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, and Computer checks. Creating an item requires credits and a narrative means of fabrication and is managed through a dedicated item creation tool.

Appendix Zero: “Never Fade Away” A Guide to the Genre & Expectations

This guide is designed to help you tune into the unique frequency of this world, a blend of cyberpunk grit, hard sci-fi realism, and the unnerving whispers of cosmic horror. Understanding the "vibe" is just as important as knowing the rules.

The cyberpunk protagonist

Stories will often revolve around a diverse crew of these flawed, morally ambiguous people, bound together by debt, desperation, or a shared enemy. The central conflict is your struggle to make a name, make a living, or just make it to next week. It's a constant hustle to get the job, get paid, and not get zeroed in the process. You are not here to save the world; you're just trying to survive it, or die trying.

The Unifying Theme: Beyond Human

All the influences that shape this universe, from desert planets to rain-slicked chrome streets to the cold void between stars, are united by a single, driving concept: transhumanism. This is the idea of moving beyond the accepted limits of what it means to be human.

In the biological sphere, it's the selective breeding, genetic manipulation, and mind-altering substances that unlock new planes of consciousness and prescient awareness. In the technological sphere, it's the cybernetic augmentations, synthetic bodies, and artificial intelligences that are perfect mirrors of humanity, yet fundamentally alien. In the philosophical sphere, it's the forbidden knowledge and cosmic truths that can shatter a human mind, forcing it to expand or break.

In this universe, these paths are not separate; they are intertwined. This struggle to transcend is a metaphor for the breakdown of traditional ideas of humanity in a postmodern age. The central question of the game is not "How do we win?" but rather:

"What does it mean to live? To die? To be human?"

Core Theme 1: You Can't Slay the Corporation

In many games, the goal is to defeat the dark lord or destroy the evil empire. Here, the systems of power—hyper-corporations, entrenched governments, ancient syndicates—are not bosses to be beaten. They are the weather. They are monolithic, self-sustaining forces of nature, too vast and too integrated into the fabric of society to be "defeated."

The Goal is Survival, Not Revolution: Your objective is not to bring down OmniCorp. Your objective is to find a way to live, thrive, and protect what matters to you despite OmniCorp. It's about carving out a pocket of freedom, not liberating the world.

Victories are Small and Personal: A victory isn't killing the CEO. A victory is exposing a single illegal project, saving one person from corporate assassins, paying off your debt, or securing enough resources to disappear for a while. You fight for inches, not miles.

Core Theme 2: Knowledge is Dangerous

In this world, ignorance isn't just bliss—it's a survival trait. There are two kinds of dangerous knowledge:

The Conspiracy (Noir & Cyberpunk): The deeper you dig into a corporation's secrets, the more you become a liability. Learning the truth about a murder or a secret project doesn't give you a magic key; it puts a target on your back. Information is leverage, but it's also a burden that will get you killed if you can't use it wisely.

The Cosmic Truth (Lovecraft & Cosmic Horror): Some secrets were never meant for the human mind. The universe is ancient, and humanity is a fleeting anomaly. Investigating precursor ruins or peering too deep into the void can expose you to truths that are actively hostile to sanity. The goal isn't to understand the aliens; it's to survive the encounter with your mind intact.

How to Solve Problems: The Sci-Fi Toolset

Your fantasy instincts might be to fight your way through a problem. Here, a drawn gun is often the last resort, and rarely the best one. The world runs on information and leverage.

Information is Ammunition: The most powerful weapon is not a plasma rifle; it's a piece of blackmail on a corporate executive. A fight can get you killed, but a data file can get you paid, get you a favor, or get you out of town.

Leverage, Not Morality: Appeals to a villain's better nature will fail. They don't have one. Instead, find what they want and use it. Everyone has a price, a secret, or a weakness.

Running is a Valid Strategy: Knowing when to cut your losses and disappear to fight another day is a key skill. A tactical retreat is not a failure; it's a professional decision.

Common Operations and In-Genre Tactics To achieve your goals, you'll need to think like a professional operative. Most missions will involve a combination of the following tropes:

Hitting the Books: Digging through vast data archives—whether dusty corporate libraries or encrypted government servers—to find a single name, date, or schematic that breaks a case wide open.

Working Your Contacts: You can't know everything. A huge part of the game is knowing who to ask. You'll need to cultivate a network of informants, fixers, disgruntled ex-employees, and back-alley cyber-docs who can provide clues, gear, or access for the right price.

Diving the Net: Sending your consciousness into the virtual world to bypass security, steal paydata, or plant false information. The Net is a battlefield all its own, with corporate ICE (Intrusion Countermeasures Electronics) and rival hackers as the enemy.

Physical Infiltration: Sometimes, you just have to be there. This means breaching a private corporate arcology, sabotaging a secure data center, or planting a bug in a CEO's office. Stealth, disguise, and social engineering are paramount.

Following the Trail: The classic noir trope. Tailing a suspect, staking out a location, and piecing together seemingly unrelated clues to see the bigger picture they're hiding.

Talking the Talk: Lingo and Specs

The language of the street is a mix of slang, jargon, and technical specifications. In a world saturated with brands and technology, people define themselves by their gear. Don't just say you have a pistol; specify its make and modifications. It's not just a car; it's a "Villefort Alvarado V4F 570." This isn't just for flavor; it's a way characters signal their expertise, their status, and what they value. Dropping the full manufacturer's name and specs for your weapon or cyberdeck shows you're a professional who knows their tools inside and out. Feel free to make up lingo as you go.

On magic

Work In progress

The Lore

The lore can be found on this site.

Appendix One: Base Skills

This appendix details the list of Static Skills available for use in the game. Each skill is a measure of a character's training in a specific field. When you make a skill check, the formula is: d20 + Attribute Modifier + Skill Ranks.

Combat Skills

These skills govern your character's effectiveness in a fight, from direct attacks to tactical analysis.

Defensive Measures (BOD) This skill represents your ability to actively protect yourself in combat. It covers the use of shields, personal armor, and even heavy power armor and exoskeletons to deflect or absorb incoming attacks.

Close Quarters Combat (DEX) CQC is your proficiency with weapons used at intimate ranges. This includes fighting with melee weapons (under 20kg), as well as the use of pistols, SMGs, and personal defense weapons in tight, close-quarters situations (less than 30 ft).

Ranged Combat (DEX) This skill governs the use of projectile and energy weapons at a distance. It is used for attacks with rifles, shotguns, sniper rifles, machine guns, and bows, as well as pistols and SMGs when engaging targets beyond 30 ft.

Heavy Weapon Combat (STR) When you need to bring overwhelming force to bear, this is the skill you use. It covers the operation of massive melee weapons (20kg or heavier), high-caliber firearms (greater than 20mm), and devastating area-of-effect weapons like flamethrowers and rocket launchers.

Tactics (INT) A sharp tactical mind can be more valuable than the biggest gun. This skill allows you to analyze a combat situation, predict enemy movements and intentions, identify the strengths and weaknesses of an opposing force, and formulate effective countermeasures.

Throw (DEX) This skill is used for accurately throwing objects, whether it's a grenade at an enemy position, a weapon to a disarmed ally, or even a smaller creature.

Technical & Crafting Skills

These skills involve the creation, manipulation, and understanding of technology and specialized materials.

Computers (INT) Your mastery of the digital world. This skill is used for hacking and resisting hacks, writing and interpreting code, navigating virtual realities, programming AIs, and even damaging or repairing software.

Cybernetics and Augments (BOD) This skill represents your ability to integrate with and control your own cyberware. It's used to activate the specific abilities of your augments, resist the mental strain of technopsychosis, and acclimate your body to new chrome.

Engineering (INT) The skill of designing, creating, and understanding complex machinery. It is used to build new technology, analyze the structural integrity of a building, or comprehend the workings of an unfamiliar device.

Mechanical Repair (INT) This skill allows you to diagnose and fix problems in vehicles and other machinery. It's also used for stripping down tech for salvageable parts or performing field-expedient repairs under pressure.

Utility (INT) A measure of your cleverness and ability to use technology in unconventional ways. This skill is used for creating improvised weapons, using specialized tools for tasks like surgery or construction, and setting or disarming traps.

Chemistry (INT) Your knowledge of chemical compounds and their interactions. This is used for synthesizing drugs and explosives, analyzing a material's composition, understanding thermodynamics, and safely handling hazardous reagents.

Physics (INT) This skill represents your understanding of the fundamental laws of the universe. It's used for calculating projectile trajectories, creating advanced energy weapons (gauss, plasma, laser), and comprehending complex phenomena like quantum mechanics, electromagnetism, and the mathematical nature of the Void.

Social & Interpersonal Skills

These skills govern your ability to navigate social situations, from honest negotiation to blatant deception.

Fast Talk / Deception (CHA) The art of the convincing lie. This skill is used for bluffing your way past guards, cheating at cards, improvising a plausible cover story on the spot, and generally acting the part.

Intimidation (CHA) This skill is used to get what you want through threats and force of personality. It's about making others too scared to stand in your way or withhold information.

Performance (CHA) Your ability to captivate an audience. This can be used for performing in plays or concerts, giving a rousing speech, or creating a public distraction.

Persuasion and Negotiation (CHA) This skill is about finding common ground and achieving your goals through dialogue. It's used for haggling for better prices, negotiating contracts, de-escalating conflicts, and convincing others to see your point of view.

Psychology (WIS) Your insight into the inner workings of the mind. This skill allows you to read body language and emotions, identify psychological weaknesses in an opponent, and help yourself or others manage stress.

Knowledge & Investigation Skills

These skills represent your character's education and their ability to uncover secrets.

Appraise (CHA) This skill allows you to determine the authenticity and monetary value of an item, from a piece of art to a black-market cybernetic.

Arcana (INT) Your understanding of powers and phenomena that defy conventional scientific explanation. This skill is used to wield arcane energies, create esoteric artifacts, and analyze the strange relationship between society and unexplained manifestations.

Biology (INT) The study of living systems. This skill is used to analyze alien flora and fauna, understand ecosystem dynamics, create viruses or their cures, and extract naturally occurring poisons or medicines.

Earth Science (INT) Your knowledge of planetary systems. This is used for interpreting seismic data, predicting environmental hazards, locating natural resources, and understanding geological formations.

History and Anthropology (INT) This skill is your understanding of the past and the cultures that shape the present. It's used to recall historical events, analyze old media, understand a society's customs and traditions, and trace linguistic evolution.

Library Use (INT) The skill of navigating large repositories of information, both physical and digital. It's crucial for digging through archives for a specific piece of data and for determining if a source of information is credible.

Occultism / Religion (WIS) Your knowledge of belief systems, from mainstream religions to esoteric cults. This skill is used to recall the details of rituals and rites, interpret religious texts, and understand the taboos and traditions of a particular faith.

Tracking / Investigation (WIS) The skill of finding what is hidden and piecing together clues. It covers forensic analysis, performing autopsies, tracking people through urban or natural environments, interrogation, and connecting disparate evidence to solve a mystery.

Physical Skills

These skills represent your character's physical prowess and control over their own body.

Acrobatics (DEX) Your command of balance, agility, and bodily flexibility. This skill is used for parkour, balancing on narrow ledges, and contorting your body to fit into tight spaces.

Athletics (STR) A measure of your raw physical power. Athletics is used for physically demanding actions like climbing, jumping, lifting heavy objects, and running.

Drive / Pilot (DEX) This skill represents your ability to operate vehicles, from ground cars to atmospheric flyers. It's used for everything from basic travel to performing expert maneuvers in a high-speed chase and resisting the effects of G-forces.

Perception (WIS) Your ability to notice details using all of your senses. Perception is used to spot hidden enemies, remember a specific detail you saw, hear a faint sound, or generally get a good sense of your surroundings.

Stealth / Infiltration (DEX) The art of remaining unseen and unheard. This skill is used to hide from both biological and technological surveillance, create disguises, mimic voices, and gather information without being detected.

Sleight of hand / thievery (WIS/DEX) TThe ability to do thing unnoticed, perform tricks, steal all without alerting attention.

Appendix Two: Class Resources

Class Resources are an optional module designed to add a layer of tactical depth and reward specific playstyles. These resources provide a unique pool of energy or focus that fuels a character's most specialized abilities.

You can choose a maximum of two Class Resources to use for your character. If you do, the maximum capacity for both resources is halved.

Mana

Archetype: The Void-Touched, the Psion, the Arcane Scientist. This resource is for characters who draw power from sources beyond conventional science—the strange energy of the Void, the latent psionic potential of the mind, or the esoteric principles of "arcane" technology. They are the space-witches, the telepaths, and the reality-benders of the universe.

Description: Used to fuel magic-like attacks and reality-transmuting effects.

Rules: You start each encounter with your maximum Mana. If you use Mana, you gain the ability to spend five mana freely to set the range of your next mana-spending ability to line of sight. Abilities that use Mana can transmute their damage to any other kind of damage.

Maximum Mana: (2 + INT, WIS, or CHA Modifier) per Level

Combo Points (CP)

Archetype: The Methodical Assassin, the Street Brawler, the Martial Artist. Combo Points are for the combatant who relies on precision and rhythm. They don't just attack; they build a sequence of strikes, feints, and maneuvers, waiting for the perfect moment to unleash a devastating finishing move.

Description: Use abilities to build up Combo Points, which are then consumed to unleash powerful "finisher" abilities.

Rules: You start each encounter with 0 Combo Points. Abilities that consume 3 or more Combo Points have a special modifier of 1/4.

Maximum Combo Points: (2 + DEX, STR, or WIS Modifier) per Level

Focus (FP)

Archetype: The Sharpshooter, the Patient Duelist, the Tactical Mastermind. Focus is the resource of the calm and collected professional. These characters wait for the perfect opening, analyzing their opponent's every move. They thrive on exploiting weaknesses and turning an enemy's mistake into a fatal blow.

Description: Spend Focus to take advantage of openings and capitalize on an enemy's vulnerability.

Rules: Start the encounter with maximum focus. Focus is only regained after a short rest. Abilities that use focus have +(level*d8) bonus effect die against enemies which have disadvantage against your attacks or against enemies that you have advantage against. Focus has a 1/3 special modifier

Maximum Focus: (2 + WIS, BOD, or CHA Modifier) per Level

RAM

Archetype: The Netrunner, the Cyber-Decker, the Combat Hacker. RAM is the mental processing power and memory buffer used by hackers to execute complex programs and unleash digital viruses in the heat of battle. For these characters, the network is as real a battlefield as the street, and their mind is the ultimate weapon.

Description: A special resource used for hacking, deploying digital viruses, and manipulating technology.

Rules: You start each encounter with your maximum RAM. Abilities that use RAM have a 0.5x special modifier when debuffing or buffing. Opponent abilities have a special modifier of 1/5 when targeting technological items (e.g., overclocking guns). RAM is regained after every short rest.

Maximum RAM: (2 + WIS or INT Modifier) per Level

Inspiration (IP)

Archetype: The Brilliant Inventor, the Lucky Scoundrel, the Impeccable Artist. Inspiration is not a resource to be managed, but a sudden flash of genius. It represents those moments where everything clicks—a wild plan that just might work, a shot in the dark that hits its mark, or a sudden understanding of a complex problem.

Description: A flash of genius that dramatically improves the outcome of an action.

Rules: Abilities made with Inspiration add twice the total skill modifier to the flat mod of a roll. Inspiration is only regained by critically succeeding on any skill check.

Maximum Inspiration: No Maximum

Adrenaline (AP)

Archetype: The Chrome-Fueled Berserker, the Street Samurai, the Desperate Survivor. Adrenaline is for the combatant who gets stronger, faster, and deadlier as the fight goes on. They thrive in the chaos of battle, pushing their bodies and cybernetics to the absolute limit as the scent of blood and cordite fills the air.

Description: Get more powerful as an encounter progresses, fueled by the thrill of combat.

Rules: You start each encounter with 0 Adrenaline. Choose 3 skills that have modifiers increased by twice your total adrenaline. Choose 3 attributes that have saves that have been modified by twice your total adrenaline. Choose 4 damage types (or healing) that gain a +(Adrenaline Points)d6 bonus die.

Maximum Adrenaline: (2 + DEX, BOD, or INT Modifier) per turn

Balance Points (BP)

Archetype: The Transhumanist Monk, the Bio-Augmented Soldier, the Unstable Cyber-Psycho. This resource is for characters defined by a struggle between two opposing forces—humanity and machine, calm and rage, creation and destruction. They constantly shift between two modes, sacrificing one aspect of their being to empower another.

Description: Switch between two opposing modes, gaining powerful benefits in one by accepting penalties in the other.

Rules: You start each encounter with 0 Balance Points. Each ability either adds or subtracts Balance Points. The minimum is -5 and the maximum is +5. Choose 3 attributes and the skills related to those attributes to have advantage on when at maximum balance points. You have disadvantage on all other attribute and skill checks. The inverse is true when at minimum balance points. Furthermore, choose either AC or damage to increase for every balance point. Damage increases by 2 while AC increases by 1. They decrease in equal amount.

Abilities that use Balance Points cannot use the Class Resource Gain special modifier.

Maximum Balance Points: 1 per Level

Appendix Three: Aspect Ideas and uses.

This appendix provides a list of sample Aspects suitable for a cyberpunk or hard sci-fi setting. Use these as inspiration when creating your own. Remember, the best Aspects are double-edged swords: they can be invoked for a bonus but also compelled to introduce complications. They should be categorized into a few key types: Backgrounds, Roles, and Personality Traits.

Background & History Aspects

These Aspects relate to your character's past experiences, origins, and the significant events that shaped them.

1. Last Survivor of the Xylos Colony

Description: Your off-world colony was wiped out by something terrible—a rival corp, an alien plague, a technological disaster. You alone escaped, and the trauma defines you.

Invoke: To draw upon your specialized colony survival skills (like terraforming or alien biology), recognize the threat that destroyed your home, or find common ground with other victims of tragedy.

Compel: To be paralyzed by a flashback when confronted with something that reminds you of the disaster (e.g., the sound of a specific alarm, the sight of a particular corporate logo).

2. Haunted by a Dead Man's Chrome

Description: A significant piece of your cyberware was salvaged from a dead person, and their memories, personality quirks, or even their ghost still echoes within the machine.

Invoke: To access a specific skill or memory the original owner possessed (e.g., suddenly knowing the layout of a building you've never been in).

Compel: To have the personality fragment take over at a stressful moment, causing you to act erratically or speak in another person's voice. It might also cause you to see visions of the person's death.

3. Branded a Heretic by the Neo-Luddites

Description: You have a public and violent history with an anti-technology faction. They see your cybernetics and tech-reliance as a perversion and will go out of their way to destroy you.

Invoke: To predict the tactics of a Neo-Luddite attack, exploit their rigid ideology in a social situation, or prove your anti-Luddite bona fides to a pro-tech group.

Compel: To have a Neo-Luddite cell show up to sabotage your mission, not because they were hired, but simply because you are involved.

Role & Relationship Aspects

These Aspects define your character's current place in the world, their job, and their connections to factions and other people.

4. Daughter of an OmniCorp CEO

Description: You are the child of one of the most powerful corporate figures in the city. This connection opens doors and puts a massive target on your back.

Invoke: To get a reservation at any restaurant, call in a favor from corporate security, or use your name to intimidate a business rival.

Compel: To have your parent's enemies try to kidnap or leverage you. Your parent might also meddle in your life, sending "help" you don't want or cutting off your resources if you misbehave.

5. Chosen Emissary of the Machine God

Description: You are a recognized figure within a techno-cult that worships AI. You speak with the authority of your faith, and its followers will heed your words.

Invoke: To gain sanctuary in a cult-run temple, requisition cult resources for a "holy" mission, or have a crowd of believers part before you.

Compel: To be forced to uphold a strict religious dogma, even when it's inconvenient. A rival faction within the church might also try to discredit you or challenge your position.

6. I Owe a Blood Debt to the Red Dragons

Description: You were saved or spared by a powerful criminal syndicate, and now you owe them a life debt. They can call on you at any time, for any reason.

Invoke: To seek sanctuary in Red Dragon territory, get access to black market weapons, or ask for a bit of muscle to back you up on a job.

Compel: To have the syndicate call in their marker, forcing you to drop everything to perform a dangerous and likely illegal task for them, complicating your current objectives.

7. My Face is on Every Ad for Synth-Soul

Description: You were once a famous media personality or corporate model. Your face is incredibly well-known, for better or for worse.

Invoke: To use your celebrity status to charm your way into exclusive parties, gain the trust of a star-struck fan, or draw a crowd when you need a distraction.

Compel: To be instantly recognized while trying to be incognito. An obsessive fan or a media rival could also appear to complicate your life.

Personality & Belief Aspects

These Aspects are about your character's internal world—their quirks, morals, goals, and how they see their environment.

8. Street Samurai with a Code of Honor

Description: You're not just a killer for hire; you live by a strict personal code (e.g., never harm the innocent, always face an enemy head-on, never draw your blade for a lie).

Invoke: To gain respect from others who value honor, or to steady your nerves and push through pain by focusing on your code.

Compel: To force you to accept a disadvantageous fight because your code demands it, or to prevent you from taking an easy but "dishonorable" solution to a problem.

9. Incurably Curious about Precursor Tech

Description: Nothing gets your circuits firing like the mystery of the Star-Builders. You are obsessively driven to find, understand, and activate any piece of their alien technology you come across.

Invoke: To notice a subtle clue or detail on a piece of precursor tech that others would miss, or to push through exhaustion when you're on the verge of a breakthrough.

Compel: To force you to divert from a mission to investigate a faint energy signal, or to make you touch the big glowing button even when everyone is telling you not to.

10. Sees the Beauty in Urban Decay

Description: While others see slums and ruin, you see a vibrant ecosystem. You are a "city lover," more at home in the rusted, rain-slicked alleys of the undercity than in any sterile corporate arcology.

Invoke: To find a specific resource in a scrap heap, navigate the "unmapped" parts of the city, or earn the trust of other street dwellers who recognize you as one of their own.

Compel: To make you linger too long aGMiring a piece of street art while you're supposed to be fleeing, or to have your preference for low-tech solutions be a liability in a high-tech facility.

11. Subway Tunnel Rat

Description: You know the city's secret highways: the maintenance tunnels, sewer lines, and abandoned subway systems. You are a master of the urban underground.

Invoke: To find a shortcut that bypasses a corporate checkpoint, to lose a tail in a maze of steam pipes, or to know the location of a hidden smuggler's den.

Compel: To have the "safe" path you know be unexpectedly flooded, collapsed, or infested with something dangerous. Your knowledge isn't infallible.

12. All Information Should Be Free

Description: You are a "ghost in the machine," a hacktivist who believes that corporate and government secrets are chains on the people. You will risk anything to uncover and release data.

Invoke: To find a subtle backdoor in a security system, notice a hidden trace in a data stream, or leave an anonymous tip for a fellow hacktivist.