Kingdomites: Brutal Frontier (A Review)

I never had television as a kid. Utility companies really hate running out to the ass end of Nowhere for a handful of people too stupid to leave a dying town and the aerial never picked up too well from any of the major stations half a state away. Given them circumstances, I never really got to see cartoons.

So when the OSR community goes on about their "Pirates of Dark Water" or their "Ducktales," I can only nod and pretend to fit in. I know of these things, osmosised from popular culture somehow, but the absolute specifics that friends of mine seem to run on are a mystery to me.

I'm just a Nexus-6 staring at shared memes, wondering who the hell these people were and trying to make connections. 

That being said, as soon as I started flipping through the physical copy I had made of "Kingdomites Brutal Frontier", one of the many games made by Hodag, my head snapped back like a Democrat president riding through Dallas. Neurons blazing connectivity in the nicotine soaked meat imprisoned in my fracture lined skull. Autogenic memories boiling to the forefront of Knowing. I was suddenly aware of what an Eternia was. What the hell a Battle Cat was and it's differences to a Snarf. The unfettered joy of crass commercialism and making shit up purely to sell toys. 

I sat and flipped through the physical prints: Three A4 sized booklets (The Player Guide and Character Maker; Villains and Vehicles; and the Balloids bonus zine) across 5 sheets of paper, double sided. Immediately what stuck out was the fact that these things were undeniably Hodag and completely DIY. Sure, these days it's easy enough to acquire publishing software and pump out something that looks good, but sterile. All smooth lines and clear, uniform text; readable and usable, but boring.

This? This is pure human made.  

Sections of the book are blocked off with a thick marker that wabbeled as Hodag's hand moved across the page. There's not a straight line in this. Marker ink blots in one place from a pause that lasted a moment too long. Hand written text that, with enough patience and careful copying, one can use to produce a letter that'll get Hodag in very big trouble with the local FBI office. Hell, you can even see where there was a piece of dust stuck on the scanner he was using. In these modern days flooded with AI slop, Hodag remains unapologetically human.

The pure, unadulterated DIY of this drug my mind back to the handmade concoctions that were the punk zines of the later 20th century. Hand made out of passion, scoffing at conformity, and dripping with attitude. Thems the sort I would find laying around the flophouse I lived in. Back when I was a feral teen clad in a leather jacket and fueled by horny anger. Scavenging cans for the deposit, just to afford a ticket to a show. My largest expenses being 40s and packs of cigarettes. Before this sorry state I've become. A sad, overweight, divorced, fifty year old man clad in depression and fueled by white monster energy drinks. I drive a minivan and own a sweater vest for god's sake.

I lit the remains of a dogged cigarette - I needed something to slow this train of thought down, countersteam this bastard before it threw me off the rails, sending me careening headlong into the shadowy gorge of forgotten memories. I sat with the lingering self doubts and regrets. Reassured myself that while I own the sweater vest, I cannot firmly verify its whereabouts. 

I just...Fuck. Alright. I get the cartoon nostalgia thing now. Better days, better days. 

The system itself is straight forward 2d6 "meet or beat" using a points array for the six attributes: Might, Magic, Mechanical, Marksmanship, Mobiles, Motivation. These are for exactly what they sound like (with the last two being for vehicle and emotional actions respectfully). Then there's your Play Points, which cover both your health and magic resources. Combat is simultaneous, with everyone acting at once and relying on the game master to interoperate rolls and make judgements based on the game flow and logic at the current situation. 

I can see the logic behind the Play Points lumping in health and magics together, I just ain't entirely sure how I feel about 'em. The points can be reduced by 1d6 via weapon damage, harmful magic, and are easily restored by 1d6 via healing magic. Technically this makes the attempt to heal "free," as you spend 1 Play Point to cast heal for 1d6 Play Point restoration, as long as you're playing a magic character; which you just can. If you want. Sure, why not. 

Honestly, a lot of this system relies on a "sure, why not" attitude of relying on the game master. Can your character do magic? "Sure, why not." Can I bring a character back next time after they've already been defeated? "Sure, why not." Can my fur wearing barbarian fly around on a photon powered hoverboard? "Sure, why not." Typically, something like this doesn't work terribly well - take the travesty that is the later books of the Dark Tower for instance. 

Wait, hold on. The system and setting are couched around the idea of action figures at play, with no character actually dying, just removed from play for a little bit. "Returning next episode." Alright, I talked myself into it. The Play Points work, you just gotta stop taking everything so seriously. Sure, why not.

Also, as I'm writing this I have the He-Man cartoon playing in the background. The Champion of Castle Greyskull has just invaded Hell with a mechanical elephant man and a laser cowboy. Also heaven was killed? So, sure, why the hell not.

Additionally, there's mention of "how to roll D66" that never really pays off anywhere. A little digging shows this to be a hold over from the "Kingdomites! Of Teknoskull Island" game that Brutal Frontier is based on. Just not really related to the current version. An odd, nominal mention, really. 

Over all a firm 4 out of 5, with points off purely for Hodag's preference of Pepsi over Coke. 

To get Kingdomites: Brutal Frontier, simply email Hodag at (Hodagmag at Gmail dot com) with the subject line "GET BRUTAL". Additionally, more of Hodag's prolific library of work can be found at his blog, No Foes, No Traps, and his Itch.io page.

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Appendix N

It's another bandwagon day, and here's another bandwagon entry. This time around, it's an Appendix N. This one ain't gonna be exhaustive, because, well, I forgot about the assignment until zero hour. 

Now, working in both cyberpunk and the occasional fantasy, I should probably make two separate lists to keep things more sorted, but: No. 

Wayspell's Appendix N

Authors 

Gibson, William

It's a coincidence he's at the top of the list, but he certainly should be. His fingerprints are in just about everything cyberpunk related and my slop ain't no exception. And do you know how hard it is to steal things from cyberpunk stories when both Cyberpunk (RPG) and Shadowrun have already ransacked the place? Extremely.

Giraud, Jean 

Better known as Moebius, his work in comics is what got me developing a secret love for French science fiction - though I'll admit I'm woefully under-exposed to it. There's something about his surrealist stylings that feel both comfortable and mystical to me. I ain't educated enough to pin down the style (Ligne claire? That ain't it. Bande dessinee, maybe.) but the vibe is passed on in "Fifth Element" and "Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets." I've tried reproducing the style in my own drawings, but never seem to get the hang of it. 

Lovecraft, H.P.

A nerd read H.P. Lovecraft and now likes putting eldritch horrors in things? I'm shocked! SHOCKED I SAY! Well, maybe not that shocked. 

Prachett, Terry

I have a bad habit of carrying real life bs into playing pretend and getting things grim dark. That ain't exactly fun for me. But reading a bit of Prachett also evens my mood out and reminds me there can be some whimsy, even in the big serious times. 

Rucker, Rudy

Rouge AIs are good and all, but what if you made 'em psychopathic weirdos? Some one's probably going to try and bang them, unfortunately. But! Until then! Weirdo AIs.  

Thompson, Hunter S. 

Coming of age in a Conservative community between the times Bush was slamming planes into buildings (for making fake excuses to go to war with the family enemy) and when Bush was abandoning the city of New Orleans, was not an easy time for someone who can put two and two together. Finding Thompson's works, sadly near the end of his days before Bush had him assassinated, showed me the oligarch bastards have been pulling this depravity for sometime, and that, no, the conservative community was not Normal or Healthy but in need of being treated or put down. Also, a few have claimed his writing style has rubbed off on me. I reckon been kicked in the head by a mule. 

Wellman, Manly Wade 

What if Lovecraft, but less racist? And more hopeful? Silver John, that's what. Also, as I'm writing this, I'm starting to realize Manly Wellman may be the reason my fantasy worlds look more like the New World than whatever the hell medieval Europe looks like. 

Books

Dune (Frank Herbert) 

Deep time has always fascinated me, both towards the past and the future. While not the deepest out there (only 20K) there's still plenty of time for things to get weird. Also, the importantness of drugs and the boundless light of Allah. 

Hellboy (Mike Mignola)

You're mixing science AND magic? While throwing in old myths? How am I not going to aggressively borrow from this?

Hyperion  (Dan Simmons)

Sometimes you just need a spaceship that's a tree, powered by a black hole and crewed by clones, so that you can go on your Canterbury Tales rip off. 

Lord of the Rings (JRR Tolkien)

Sure, it's influential, but not in a good way. The story was fine (ignoring the crypto-fascism and pro-monarchy slant), but there was just so much needless nonsense bullshit stacked in the way. Not every tree needs a 10 page backstory. Sometimes a song is just a song. Cut out the fat and move on. This is a point of dissonance as, as a cyberpunk writer, I'm compelled to word vomit facts of a made up world into a gazette, as if anyone actually running a game has interest in that.  

Poetic Edda (as translated by Jackson Crawford)

Read and reread this to snag elements for a Viking themed larp I was helping run way back in the days of my back still working. I'll still drop Norse inspired elements into my games, be it ghosts using secrets as health or dragons being a result of sin.  

Snow Crash (Neal Stephenson) 

I've surely read other works by him, but my tired brain is not providing those answers at the moment. But, civil authority replaced by corporate city-states populated by an apathetic, ignorant populous while said corporations loot and plunder ancient artifacts is right up my alley. 

Movies and TV

Back to the Future (1985)

Don't shy away from time travel in your games, you cowards. 

Fifth Element (1997)

As mentioned above, the aesthetics of this movie are amazing. I really do need to run more weirdo science fiction games.

Ghost in the Shell (1995)

Absolutely nothing like the manga, from what I recall. I'm sure the movie was chock full of philosophical ponderings about what what it means to be human in the day and age of cybernetic augments and complete body replacements, but the most important take away was clearly the spider tanks. Spider. Tanks.  

Hackers (1995) 

I'm pretty sure I filed the serial numbers off most things in this movie for the Console Jockeys. This and that one episode of Ghost Writer.  

Labyrinth (1986) 

Make. Goblins. Weird. Again.

Mad Max 1-4; Furiousa (1979, 1981, 1985, 2015; 2024)

Every generic teenage boy with no personality seems to have fetish for a "post-apocalypse" setting and story. I was no different. Even did a report on it. What I took away from it, besides the ultimate futility of man, is that major bad guy NPCs need to be over the top and violence needs to have a point to it.

Robocop (1987)

Oh boy, was I ever far too young when I first saw this. Later rewatchings, however, got the philosophic messages across, from the comments on personal identity to the statement of fact that is "Corporations are bastards."

Star Wars (1977)

I'm sure this was a surprise to no one. It's your basic, good old Hero's Journey with space wizard knights turned outcast adventurers in a world full of weirdos AND deep time? Put it in my veins.  

The Watch (2021)

Look, as a Discworld adaption, it was bad to the point of "adaption" being the wrong word. I do think, however, you take out the Discworld character names and the baggage that comes with them, and you've got something serviceable there. Either way, the _aesthetic_ is what I really like, and try to sneak it into any fantasy thing I'm running. 

Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets (2017)

So very French. So full of weirdos. And it's okay to have weirdos in your world. Perhaps better if so. So very pretty. ...Do I just like pretty looking space operas?  

  

Again, not the complete list, but a bit that comes to mind at 11:30 the night before it's due. The take away from this little moment of self reflection is that I need to run more fantasy again. I don't know what happened. I use to love it. I blame the larp. It's the source of my knee pain and liver cirrhosis, after all. 

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the Skull Hawker

The call starts simple enough, piercing the eternal silence of the Dungeon: 

"HEY"

Echoing so close, it can easily be mistaken for something someone in the party said. A sudden outburst in a place like this is not unheard of, and no shame to all but the most hardened adventurer. There would be no judgement.

"HEY? HEY!" 

This time slightly further away. Or perhaps behind. Certainty, now, that it is not one of the party. Yet, no other light source burns in the immediate area. What poor soul could be trapped down here with no light source? Soon the answer becomes all too obvious.

"YOU WANNA BUY A SKULL?"

the Skull Hawker

     [Travel Event] 

S 0 | P 0 | C 0 | W 1
H/D 1/0
Likes: Skulls, Haggling
Hates: Bright light, Slime

Scuttling from the darkness and every tight space in the general area, 10 + [discard value] leathery cephalopods, knee high to the average human and wearing skulls for shells, swarm the player characters, babbling away as they do so. 

"BUY? SKULL? YOU BUY!"

These creatures wish no ill will to the PCs, the opposite actually. They wish to provide the adventurers with the highest quality skulls possible. For a price of course. 

Barking and babbling, they'll call out various prices while showing off the various skulls they carry with them, just in case of a sale. Trouble is, they neither understand currency nor haggling. They sure as hell love it though. To the point they'll even begin swapping between themselves and the players, should the bastards get their fervor up. Should the players seem not interested in buying, the Hawkers will naturally see if they're interested in selling. 

"SKULLS HERE. GET YA SKULLS. ONLY ONE PREVIOUS OWNER! LIKE NEW!"

 Now, by themselves, they ain't much of a threat. They just want to buy and sell their skull collections. That's it. The problem comes with how damn loud they are, and the fact they refuse to take 'No' as an answer. Seemingly incapable of speaking quieter than a scream, they generate a huge racket, drawing the interest of any nearby dungeon horror. That, paired with encircling the players almost instantly, could spell trouble. 

"HEY BUDDY. I'LL GIVE YOU A GOLD FOR YOUR SKULL! YOU SELLING?"

Mechanically, this means that until the Skull Hawkers are convinced to go away, anything that would need peace and quiet, or extended concentration, automatically fails. Attempts at being stealthy are right out. When pulling from the Meatgrinder, pull twice, as both events happen at the same time. (Except for two instances of [Torches Gutter] being drawn at once. Just do it once.) 

"BUYING? BUY! SELL! 30 GOLD! YOU GIVE."

Now, why are they doing all this? It's sort of a cargo cult situation, really. Ever since their home, the Underworld, opened up to the surface, those damned surface dwellers have been coming down here to die. But why? The Hawkers are attempting to figure that out. Finding so many corpses of adventurers, the Hawkers' greatest minds examined them in detail, as they pulled on their beards and scratched their chins in deep thought. Eventually, a pattern was realized; there were almost always two things on the found bodies: coins and skulls. Surely these had to be related. Surely the surface dwellers valued these things. Why else would they bring them down here to be buried with? Thus, Hawker society suddenly formed a Merchant class, one that was immediately sent out to worship and barter with these Surfacers.

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[HMtW] Cybernetics for the Worm

 
Some time ago I had been working on a cyberpunk hack of His Majesty the Worm I had been calling "A COMPUTER CAN NEVER BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE" - named after the page from the 1979 IBM training manual. My main motivation for it was the chance at releasing the hack before the actual game itself. Had years to work on it. But, like most poor decisions in my life, I was talked out of it and grew bored of the joke. 

I figured I may as well share the augments for it. 

"Where are the prices?" 

Never got that far. 

Changes to the Base System 
     The intention was to cut out the middle man of charging the Bonds and holding onto the points until a Camping phase, where they become Resolve. Instead, "Charging a Bond" automatically restores a point of Resolve. The hope here is that role play is brought to the forefront and used to power the augments repeatedly. The augments were then changed to not use Resolve, but I still liked the removal of the extra step.

Installation
     Capitalism forces the Worker to sell their body far below its value, then simply replaces them when said body begins to fail. With the invention of the cybernetic augmentations, the Capitalist is now able to sell replacement parts for the broken Worker, keeping them further in debt and producing surplus value they’ll never take part in. 

At first, the cybernetics were simply a prosthetic medical device, replacing lost limbs with neural feedback capable robotic replicas. With each additional iteration, however, came further and further functionality. Then, one day, it happened. A line was crossed: Someone took the leap of replacing perfectly functional organic parts with the newest in cybernetic. 

From there, it was a short matter of time until certain augments were required to stay a prospect in the job market. Or even functional in your day-to-day. Due to this, everyone is assumed to have had a Vivo/Silico  Interface modulation device (VSI) installed in their head during childhood, which is the time the organic neural network is still plastic enough to adapt to the presence of the VSI implant. The VSI comes with one external data port and is easily upgradeable to account for interfaced augments. 

(Design note: The VSI implant is manufactured by and purchased from one of the four major corporations: SWORDS Weapons Technologies; PENTACLES Biomedical; CUPS Research Limited; WANDS International Industries. The chosen brand would relate to the character's Path. Nothing of importance to Note here, just showing you what a clever boy I am.) 

The Augments
More would be needed for an actual game, but these are what I had listed out. 

Biomonitor Beacon - Not really useful for you, but anyone attempting First Aid on you, while using AR, receives Favor on their attempt. Also allows your teammates to see, and take In Character, your current Status. Not that anyone was terribly worried about that anyway. 

Boltagon Modulator - There's modulating your voice, then there's weaponizing it. Specialize audio equipment lodged in your throat allows you to spend a Resolve and play a card to Roughhouse (Deafen) a target, or Notch a target object. By yelling at it. 

Brain Box - Your skull has been encased in a titanium webbed mesh, embedded with a micro life support system, and an explosive ejection system at the base of your neck. Upon reaching (and marking) Death's Door, the Brain Box explodes from your body, rocketing off to a presumed 'safe' location, and begins emitting a locator beacon. The system contains power for 24 hours of operation once activated. The Deluxe version is gold plated and includes psychoactive chemicals and a solitaire program, to entertain the user until recovery. 

Bright Eyes - Overcharged LEDs are hidden among the VSI status lights in your irises. By spending a Resolve and playing a card on your action, you may Roughhouse (Blind) a target who you’re currently Engaged with.

Drone Control Unit - Shares a single, specially connected drone's sensory data with the user. Commands to the drone still require CUPS, but it can be done so without a remote or physically speaking. An additional unit(s) allows for an additional drone(s) to be controlled. 

Embedded Weapon - Box off an inventory slot and add a single handed weapon to it. This weapon is now jammed inside your forearm and immune to Disarming. The weapon does not need a hand to be “carried,” but it does need a hand to be “used.”

Extra Arm - You gain an extra hand slot, +50% to armor costs for the customization, and weird looks from people you meet on the street. 

Hand Grenade - Why yes, I am going to continue to make this joke. In a moment of desperation, or boredom, you may detach the hand and use it as a grenade (attacking everyone in the zone). Obviously, it's consumed on use and you're out of a hand slot until replaced.

Internal Communication Device - Modern day version of the phone. Installed in your head with a translucent display under a pupil, and an indicator light in your iris, you've but to concentrate on a contact and the device will dial their number, allowing for communication without speech. Additional user interface is provided through tongue gestures. 

Internal Gyroscope - You've got yourself a gyroscope jammed in your chest cavity. What's it doing in there? Spinning. Constantly. Keeping you upright. Gain the motif "Internally Gyroscoped." 

Knowing Port - Allows the use of Knowledge Chips (one per port) and making Lore bids against the subject contained on them. Usually installed just behind an ear, next to the data port.

Overclocked Muscles - Your muscle meat has been spliced with gorilla DNA, soaked in growth hormones, and bound by carbon fiber reinforced tendons, allowing you to perform incredible feats of strength. Gain the motif "Overclocked Muscles" and +50% armor price, as it now has to be tailored to fit over your massive muscles.

Speech Encryption - By two (or more) players spending Resolve, the characters may now speak in what any outside observer interrupts only as babble. To each other though, the speech is completely understandable and, through quantum bullshit, completely secure. Activation lasts an entire scene, and characters may slip in and out of the encryption when speaking to/around people without the augment. 

Sub-dermal Armor - Block off an inventory slot and mark it “Armor.” This inventory slot may now be wounded as if it was armor. Because it is, and must be Repaired in the same manner, though checking all the notches doesn't destroy it like normal armor. 

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[HMtW] Ranged Weapons in HMtW

Josh R.R. Worm wanted to know my thoughts on firearms in His Majesty the Worm on the Discord. While I missed most of the discussion (I am bad at Discord), I figured I should get down the ideas I toyed with for a now abandoned cyberpunk hack. 

While not everything is a perfect representation of real life, that's honestly alright. His Majesty ain't a combat sim. A lead bullet gets inside steel plate armor, it's gonna bounce around inside, grinding up the meat into a big damn mess that's certainly more than "one damage." Armor is assumed to be at the 'tech level' due to this.

Antiquity

Alchemical Bomb - As the book (pg 235). They're basically single target grenades. 

Bow - As the book. Gain access to the Aim action. 

Crossbow - As the book. All attacks deal Piercing damage.

Greek Fire - Probably called something else in a setting without a Greece. The mysterious liquid within the fragile container sets the target on Fire and damages them every round unless they take time to Recover by putting out the flames. 

Slings - Two cords attached to a pouch, used for slinging small almond shaped stones called bullets (12 bullets to a pouch/slot; sling and bullets take up one slot together).  Due to the construction of the sling, it may be used as a melee weapon for any target engaged with the slinger, but suffers a notch each time and you're still considered 'unarmed'. Bullets can be restored via the Fletch Arrows camp action.

Industrial

While the conversation moved on, hours before I showed up, rules for powdered weapons over at Pastel Dungeon were shared.  I tell ya, they're pretty solid, and I will be stealing borrowing a few. In pirate themed dice based games, I always had the flintlocks do a huge amount of damage, but take so long to reload that doing so in combat wasn't worth it. This led to the good image of the pirates wearing bandoleers of pistols, each firing a single shot and dropping it, until it was time for swords. (Buying multiple pistols also ate through their gold, another plus.)

Usage of powder weapons requires powder (usually stored in a horn) and a shot bag (12 shots per bag, to keep the count constant). OR these are required to generate paper cartridges during the Fletch Arrows camp action, which in turn are used as ammo. Either way, if the powder gets wet it's useless. If the powder catches on fire, it explodes. Additionally, the quickest (practiced, well trained) reload of a powdered weapon is about 20 seconds, or roughly 3 rounds. It's a damn stretch your little dude could do it, but if you're so insistent, I'll not stop you: Reloading takes 3 rounds of miscellaneous actions, you masochist.

Musket - All attacks do Piercing damage AND you gain access to the Aim action. Takes up 2 slots. 

Pistol - All attacks do Piercing damage. Unlike most missile weapons, they do not offer attackers Favor against you in melee combat. Requires 3 rounds to reload - but again, why bother? 2 pistols can be stacked into 1 slot (it's called a Brace). 

Powder Grenade - Iron spheres packed with powder and fitted with slow burning fuses. While the lit bomb doesn't go off until the next round, it Attacks every target in the Zone. (Place the card as you would a Riposte or Dodge, but face up) Consumed on use, obviously.

Modern

This is where most of my thinking set, given the cyberpunk nonsense I go on about. A major difference is that given the improvements in modern armor, guns lose their Piercing properties. Though, each one does gain the Aim action, and, typically, reloading is a Miscellaneous action after 12 shots (just to keep that number consistent.) Note: I'm still measuring things in HMtW Zones here, but would advise using meters should a cyberpunk hack actually be wanted.

Flame Thrower - One of the most horrific things mankind has created. Belches out a flame so hot that it not only ignites the target, doing damage to them until they Recover, but also heating up their bones enough that they continue to cook after the flames are gone (does 1 more damage the round after Recovery). On the other hand, you are wearing a tank full of combustible gas: Should the flamethrower suffer 2 notches, the tank explodes, taking you with it. Takes up 2 slots, requires 2 hands. 

Grenades - Each attacks everyone in the Zone and is consumed on use. ("But Wayspell, ain't the effective casualty radius of a grenade around 15 meters? What if the Zone is smaller than that?" Welcome to shrinkflation, I guess. Seems not even the weapons industry is immune to it.) Does not gain the Aim action, but does go off this round, unlike the Powder Grenade. 

Pistols - Using your free hand to steady your shooting hand, modern pistols qualify for the Two-Handed Focus. Also, does not allow melee attacks against you to take Favor. 1 slot each. 

• Gunkata Pistol - I know you were thinking it; I certainly was. Look, despite the name, regular pistols aren't made for pistol whipping. It fucks 'em up. Now _these_ special pistols have been reinforced to withstand improper usage, as well as contain hidden metal prongs in the grips, for when you really need to club the shit out of someone. With a gun.

Rifles - Where the bow allows you to attack 2 zones over, the improved accuracy of rifles increases this range to 3 zones. Additionally, a standardized rail integration system allows for attachments, adding various options to your weapon. 2 slots, 2 hands.

• Chainsaw - Hell yeah brother, let's fucking goooooo. You Notch anything you jam this bad boy into. 
• Bayonet - You now have a Dagger on the end of your rifle, with all that that implies.
• Flamer - It's a mini flamethrower, though it needs to be reloaded with a new canister after every usage.
• Flashlight - Makes light, allowing you to shine it on things. 
• Net Launcher - Launches a net that Roots the target. 

Shotguns - Why aim when you can just pull the trigger? Provides Favor when shooting at a target within your zone. (If you're using meters, rather than zones, "Attacks two adjacent targets at the same time" would also be an acceptable ability) An idea is stirring that there might be enough tactical difference with a Sawed Off, but my brain is too sleepy at the moment. I'll let you make it. 2 slots, 2 hands.

Future

Oh, boy, that's a huge can o' worms, ain't it? It really depends on what sort of future you're going for. The 2179 of Star Trek looks a hell of a lot different than the 2179 of Alien. Adding magic in there? Even more different. What's listed is applied to Modern weapons (mainly Pistols and Rifles) and include the traits inherited from them.

Blaster - Fires a bolt of particle beam energy, doing Piercing damage in the process. Powered by power packs, kept 2 to a slot. 

Dissolvo Ray - Shoots out a green laser beam while going 'whom whom whom whom.' Bestows 2 Notches objects hit by it. 

Grenades - Paired with a targeting headset (worn on the Helm slot), the grenades automatically teleport from your inventory to the designated location, detonating upon arrival. 

Magneto - The gun has two buttons: "Attract" which Disarms targets of anything metal, and "Repel" which fires a chaotic mass of assorted metal objects at a target that's about to have a really bad day.

Neural Disruptor - Overloads the target's brain meat for a moment, leaving them Stunned and draining a point of Lore. 

Phaser - Generates a harmful beam of light, but is adjustable between 2 settings: Stun and Combat, the later doing normal damage. 

All the Damn Grenades I Came Up With

At one point I had these listed with the grenade sections, but that was getting too specific for HMtW's weapon categories. But I liked them. So they're here now. 

• Anti-Magic - This game is magical after all. Must remember that. The grenade fills the Zone with iron particles, enough that breathing hurts and magic is disrupted. 
• Expanding Foam - Used in riot control situations. Roots the target(s) in an expanding and rapidly hardening foam.  
• Flash Bang - Both Blinds and Deafens the target(s).
• Knockout Gas - I'm sure you can guess.
• Light - Golden egg looking thing with the words "Pick Me Up" embossed on the side. Once armed, anyone picking it up is Destroyed.
• Micro Black Hole - Look, my cyberpunk gets weird occasionally. Trips the target(s) as they're dragged towards the quickly evaporating gravitational anomaly. 
• Micro White Hole - Displaces the target(s) out of the Zone as they're repealed by the quickly evaporating theoretical gravitational anomaly.
• Quantum Maleficence - Probability weaponized and canned. On detonation, it briefly opens a portal to a Far Realm, flooding the area with Maleficence. 
• Silence - More of an aggressive noise cancelling speaker, generating the counter wave to whatever noise it detects. Effectively, and awkwardly, Silences the area. 
• Stun - A lower strength (and cheaper) version of the Flash Bang. Stuns the target(s).
• Tear Gas - Technically a war crime. One that the American police force has no problem committing against the population, all the while collecting overtime. Shrouds the target(s), but anyone starting their turn in the cloud of gas is Exhausted.

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[SWS] Hole in Your Soul, or Lack Thereof

 

A thing that ain't ever fully set right with me in cyberpunk games is how the installation of cybernetics always seem to make you 'less' of a person. Be it the lose of 'humanity' or 'soul', the wearer of such prosthetics is treated as less of a person. Okay, yes, fine, given the typical systems for this sort of thing, some form of balance needed to be found, but - maybe - that weren't it. 

Say you're out and about in your dystopian future of choice, minding your own business, just doing a job you were hired for, probably arson, no biggie, when some jerk starts screaming about "don't burn down my business" and swinging a katana who's edge has been honed down to an atom's thickness. Real day ruiner. Long story short, you're down an arm. Mechanically, you're still a 'full' person at this point (which is correct), but as soon as you decide to replace your missing limb with a prosthetic, you're somehow no longer fully human? Your soul is diminished because you've...had a surgery? 

Awful. Garbage. Get the fuck outta here. 

The human body is able to adapt in some amazing ways. You know when you pick up a set of tongs and you give them a good clicking to see if they still work? That's your brain forming and calibrating the new addition to your body that exists via the tongs. Ya getting your soul eaten every time you pick up a set of tongs? Hell, the sack of meat in your skull can even adapt to completely altered input, adjusting to the new orientation in just days. 

When you install cybernetics, you should be less worried that your somehow "less of a person", and more concerned that by integrating this technology into your body, you run the risk of being over dependent upon said technology and the people who control it. While some may have altruistic goals to providing the technology, ultimately the corruption of capitalism (which actually eats away at your soul) bring them to offering 'subscription plans' or 'cost cutting measures' or some other bullshit that cheats the consumer. 

Additionally, to address the 'balance' issue mentioned above: I don't...care? Some Weird Sin is perhaps too lethal of a system and if you want to jam your cyberarm full of weaponry, boom box, thief's tools, bar supplies, phone kit, kitchen sink, additional sensory organs, and whatever else you can imagine, go ahead. Enjoy yourself. Your character will probably be dead soon. Unbalance shouldn't be feared by the player, nor the General Manager. (But I'm the sort to give a character of a template variant a nuke, just for showing up)

Instead of harassing and insulting people with disabilities, I look to ask the player a set of questions to get them thinking about their choices, leaning into the roleplaying side of things, rather than the purely mechanical. The explanations offer more sub questions, to really press the issue if you want. It's neither a long, nor complicated list, but I have seen it help the player consider and role play their decisions. Which is something that, obviously, should be striven for. Far too often I've seen a Shadow run player say "I've got a chip in my head" at character creation, then it never get brought up again.

1. Why have you chosen to give up a part of yourself? 

Obviously, if the augment is replacing a missing part, this is apparent. But, if the player is replacing a perfectly working organic part: Why? What is leading you to give it up? Do you fear falling behind the competition? Or is it fashion wear you're trying to use to fit in? That part is you and has been since birth. Why get rid of it now?

2. Why make yourself a Product?

Despite what they try to tell you, personality can't be bought at Hot Topic. Not many people have what you're installing, sure, but it's still a Product made by a company. One unit out of countless thousands produced every single day. That meat was yours, and yours alone. Your new eyes are now shared, potentially, with any random person on the street. 

3. Which company do you bind yourself to?

Ultimately, you're giving up a part of your organic self and replacing it with company made product. Almost every company in the biomedical business has a version of the part you're looking for. You're now going to be dependent on their fabrication, their firmware updates, their back doors into your ware. What makes this company better? Why give your freedom to them? What are you planning to do when a back door hack into their software is discovered and almost any hacker punk can take control of your body part? 

4. What do you plan to do if they go out of business?

Cattle die, kinsmen die, all things must end. Including businesses in this corporate-eat-corporate world these days. What are you planning to do when the company goes out of business and the DRM expires, leaving a chunk of your brain unusable, locked behind security protocols, waiting for the key from a company that no longer exists. (I secretly hope the players look to jailbreak their gear and make it truly theirs, but that has yet to be) 

5. Cash or Credit?

In the possibly implied setting (or at least the one I use at my table, parts of which may have slipped into the rule book for space filling fluff. I drift, I admit it.) physical paper currency, such as the Soviet Ruble, is illegal as it is untraceable and easily hidden. Credits, on the other hand, store all transaction data to a distributed ledger, making every single transaction public and searchable. Will you keep your privacy after all this, or brazenly flaunt your actions? (There's a correct answer here) So after all the decisions are made, the process complete, and the doctors need paying. So "cash or credit?"

Again, not a terribly complicated list, but it puts the roleplay first and fresh in the player's minds. Giving other players and the GM a glimpse into the character's position. 

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Cardinal Goons

 The Pope is dead, again, and the leader of the capitalist world is proposing the dumbest thing ever, again, and now his mega rich followers have gone to the Vatican to combine the two situations. I needn't tell you how these people's messiah would whip the shit out of them with a whip of his own braiding. They lack self awareness and the critical thinking to realize this, however.

But, now a game of how Cardinals become Popes. Strangely it doesn't involve shedding skin during metamorphosis.

Cardinal Goons

The Gist

Six candidate Cardinals must delve into the catacombs of Vatican City. There, they will face unknown and terrifying challenges; tests to ensure their Devotion, Piety, and Infallibility. They must delve deep and retrieve the triregnum, to return with it and sit upon the Cathedra. 

But be warned: The throne only seats one. 

(You know Tunnel Goons? It's that, but with select cardinals. The majority is rehashed here for convenience.)  

Action Rolls

When the outcome of an action is uncertain, roll 2d6 + ability + 1/relevant item. If the result is equal to or greater than the assigned Difficult Score (DS), then it is a success. If the action is potentially dangerous (ie. attacking a roaming Head of John the Baptist), then the difference in the resulting roll and the DC is the amount of damage done. Basically, if you fail the roll, you take damage equal to the difference. If you succeed, you give the damage. 

Difficulty Score

Easy: 8 | Medium: 10 | Hard: 12

Inventory

The Inventory Score is how many things you can stuff into your adventure sack. Anything over this number causes a -1 to be added to your Pius and Sin rolls. 

Characters come with 3 unique items, but the rest of the pack is yours to fill. Or overfill, even.

Inventory Score starts at 8. 

Heath and Death

Heal starts at 10. When you reach 0, you are dead. 

Regain all Health lost by stopping for a meal of pasta and wine. This takes about 30 minutes.

Advancement

If you’re still playing this for some reason, you advance every 2 game sessions. Raise 1 attribute (below) and choose your Inventory or Health to also increase by 1. 

Attributes

Every character starts off with 0 or more points in the following attributes. 

Pius - Your ability to avoid the devil. Literally dodging away from him.

Devotion - Your dedication to scripture, both the written and spoken word.  

Sin - Your ability to do terrible things. Hitting, stealing, trials of the flesh.

Also, everyone speaks their native language and Latin. 

The Papabili

Cardinal Chook Duggery

_The Tree Hugger_

P 2 | D 1 | S 0

* Habit of Francis of Assisi - Allows for speaking with Animals.

* Corked Galero - Protects against swarms of things. 

* Crozier of Saint Fiarce - Functions as a Staff weapon, but also can cause Grasping Vines to grow (DC 10) 

Cardinal Giuseppe Archette

_The Studious_

P 1 | D 2 | S 0

* Scroll of Saint Floran (DC 10) - Spits a fireball at the target. Consumed on Failure.

* Scroll of Jude Thaddeus (DC 10) - Restores Health. Consumed on Failure.

* Finger Bone of Saint Anthony of Padua - Protects against the Undead as Armor. 1st degree artifact. 

Cardinal Godric Foundling

_The Knight_

P 0 | D 1 | S 2

* Armored Mitre - Dented and bloodied, but it perceivers 

* Sword of Saint Catherine - Yes, that one. 

* Rib Bone of Saint George - Provides divine protection from the knight of knights. 

Cardinal Ignacio Marquez

_The Red_ 

P 1 | D 0 | S 2

* Piano wire reinforced rosary beads

* Dagger (hidden within crucifix) 

* Red silk gloves

Cardinal Jean-Claude Chisanga 

_The Untouchable_

P 2 | D 0 | S 1

* Ankle Bone of Saint Christopher (DC 10) - When set to a trip line, causes an alarm to cry once the line is tripped. 

* Habit of Saint Nicholas Owen (DC 10) - Allows the wearer to appear to be up to five feet from their actual location. Consumed on failure. 

* Sack of Golden Caltrops

Cardinal Lucien De Vos

_The Raven_

P 3 | D 0 | S 0

* Toe Knuckle of Saint Casila - Aids in sneaking. 1st degree artifact.

* Lockpick of Saint Baldomerus - Set of lockpicks used by Baldomerus of Lyons. 2nd degree artifact. 

* Hand of Glory - Unlocks any door. Once. Consumed on use.

Cardinal Seamus O’Brien

_The Lich_ 

P 0 | D 3 | S 0

* Scroll of Saint Rita of Cascia (DC 10) - Raises a servant from a currently unused corpse. Consumed on failure. Fails if a servant currently exists. 

* Blood of Saint Januarius (DC 10) - Allows for the viewing of ghosts. 1st degree artifact. Consumed on failure.

* Thurible (as mace) - Billows sweet smelling smoke as it swings. 

Cardinal Stanislaw Kovacs 

_The Serpent Tongued_

P 0 | D 2 | S 1

* Pickled Tongue of Saint Bartholomew - When placed in the user’s mouth, anything they speak detects as the truth. 

* Scroll of Saint Joseph of Cupertino (DC 10) - Makes the target forget the last few moments. Consumed on failure. 

* Silver snake dagger 

Cardinal Tex Smith

_The American_

P 0 | D 0 | S 3

* Thoughts - Gold plated desert eagle. Twined with Prayers.

* Prayers - Gold plated desert eagle. Twined with Thoughts.

* Plate of Deep Fried Spaghetti (ration)

Doug Nash

_The Lost Tourist_

P 1 | D 1 | S 1

* Cell Phone - No reception

* Sacred Heart of Jesus statue (as Club) - Bought from the gift shop

* Tourist Guide Book - Good for looking things up. 

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