Nachtsicht-Drohne

Ja, ja, es gibt schon im hier und jetzt fernlenkbare Drohnen. Alter Hut, Cyberpunk NOW usw. Aber: Wusstet ihr schon, dass es auch schon fernlenkbare Drohnen mit Nachtsichtgerät für schmales Geld und jeden gibt?

spycar_1.jpg
Die Drohne kostet unter 140,- Euro und ist hier erhältlich. Sie liefert Nachtsicht-IR-Bilder, die auf dem mitgelieferten LCD-Headset wiedergegeben werden. Im gleichen Shop sind übrigens auch supergünstig Bewegungsmelder, ein LCD-Headset Paar mit Tastatur-Armband zum cyberpunkigen Übermitteln von Textnachrichten und anderer interessanten “Cyberpunk NOW” Kram erhältlich.

The evil guys – how to paint them black in a greyscale world

Villians are difficult do create and play for an Cyberpunk 2020 GM. In D&D, a evil aura is all you need for the groups paladin to cry “I shall smite this evil” and a fight will occur. Which will be Level-appropriate. And be won by the group after having expended the precalculated amount of spells, magic item charges and hitpoints. Boring.

So how do you give your PCs a villian they will remember? When I was young, you could identify them rather easily. They wore a tie. This is no longer an option – I have to wear a tie at work myself. But then, I’m probably a villian, too. Only less well payed. And no, we don’t get any cool guns or explosives. Not even super-powers.

Where was I? Ah, right. Yax, over at dungeonmastering.com, wrote an D&D related article on how to greate a love-to-hate villain. Some stuff (also taken from the comments) might be useful for cyberpunk, too. In the comments I found

Make the villain an ally, until story arcs climax, then betrayal then return in reacuring arcs. Annoying, frustrating, and appealing. Plus, get one of the players intimatly connected, like a relative, or childhood friend or lover. thats a hard thing to kill.

Okay, that’s basic for us. What else is there? Lot of stuff that might be innovative for D&D, but not new for cyberpunk. A selection of the best ideas:

The love-to-hate-them villains should:

  1. Speak slowly. Very slowly. Or have any other annoying vocal habit.
  2. Be good. That villain is lawful and good, but stupid or manipulated so that he doesn’t realize he’s causing harm. It’s hard to deal with someone who well-meaning, but they’re still annoying.
  3. Have the villain send a thug to beat the tar out of one of the PCs – not permanently damage them but beat them into unconsciousness (if they can). Of course the villain has an alibi but everyone KNOWS it was his/her order.
  4. Have the villain steal a prized magic item from one of the PCs and then wear/use it publicly, much to the adoration and amusement of the commonors in town.

I would love to collect your tips on how to create the most memorable and well-hated villians for cyberpunk 2020 in the comments. Yes, comments in german are willkommen.

DragonSkin Armor

For your next discussion about modern armor rules in Cyberpunk 2020.

[youtube KS0pSwdQfbY]

Stats provided by Karsten:

Dragonskin Vest – SP: 30 EV: -1: treats AP (armor-piercing) rounds like normal Ammo – 1200 eb.

(based on Chrome 4 Armor Costs revised: Vest: 25 eb, very good quality (x2), AP-proof (x3), SP30 (x6), extra 300 eb for reducing the EV by one – not on the list). Do you agree?

Ergänzende Texte zu Re-Chipped

Analog der ergänzenden Texte zu Fully Chipped hier nun ergänzende Texte zum Folge-Abenteuer Re-Chipped:

RE-CHIPPED – PROLOG

Night City, Freistaat Nordkalifornien – 2032-10-27

Das Wegwerf-Handy spielt einen Werbejingle von Biotechnica als Klingelton.

Diese kleinen Dinger nerven, sind aber praktisch, um seine Datenfährte im Globalen Dorf zu tarnen. Außerdem sind sie kostenlose Zugaben zu Frühstückskibble. Man nimmt sie aus den Flocken, registriert sie durch Anschalten am Hostserver, sie laufen ihre 7 Tage ab und das festinstallierte Chip-Account wird wieder gelöscht. Länger halten die festinstallierten Batterien eh nicht.


BIOLIFE BARS – nothing else tastes so good

BIOLIFE BARS – that is well understood

BIOLIFE BARS – come on and get them now

BIOLIFE BARS – real taste of chick or…

“Ja?”

“Hier ist Ray”

Du verziehst das Gesicht säuerlich. Wenn Schlips’ Schlagetot Ray anruft, handelt es sich um eine Sache, die deinem Schieber Schlips zu unwichtig ist, um sich persönlich damit zu beschäftigen. Oder er will Continue reading “Ergänzende Texte zu Re-Chipped”

Ergänzende Texte zu Fully Chipped

Da sich das Abenteuer Fully Chipped so großer Beliebtheit erfreut, hier zwei Texte, die für dieses Abenteuer bei mir zum Einsatz kamen und ggf. für andere nützlich sind. Der erste Text war mein Introtext für die damals neu entstehende CP2020 Runde, das zweite war der Epilog nach Abschluss des Abenteuers, in dessen Verlauf die Charaktere wie gesagt den Sniper Ike Turner gekillt hatten und verschwanden, ehe das Moore-Team vor Ort eintraf.

FULLY CHIPPED – PROLOG

Night City, Freistaat Nordkalifornien,2032-10-12

Die Nachricht kommt kurz vor Mittag. Sie ist von Schlips, einem Fixer aus der Northern Combat Zone. Sie ist kurz und lautet: “Meeting Purgatory 1600|2032-10-16. Kleiner Job, 1 Abend, lo risk, 100 eb oder IOU”.

Du lehnst dich zurück. Hörst dem monotonen Prasseln des Regens auf dem Synthplast der Scheiben zu. Es regnet seit Tagen. Es ist Herbst in Night City.

Irgendwo kreischt ein AV in die Häuserschluchten, während du dir eine selbsterhitzende Dose Soykaf Continue reading “Ergänzende Texte zu Fully Chipped”

Cyberpunk Abenteuer: Re-Chipped

Re-Chipped ist das zweite meiner älteren Abenteuer (eigentlich Prä-Cyb3rpunk, nämlich 2032) und das Folgeabenteuer des in diesem Blog bereits veröffentlichten Abenteuers Fully Chipped.

Der Natur der Sache gemäß baut dieses Abenteuer auf den Ereignissen von Fully Chipped auf – und zwar eigentlich auf den Ereignissen, die sich in MEINER Runde zugetragen haben.

Da aber keine Gruppe dasselbe Abenteuer auf die gleiche Art und Weise absolvieren wird, werden einige Vorschläge gemacht, wie dieses Folgeabenteuer “trotzdem” (leicht modifiziert) stattfinden kann.

Vorgeschichte:

Seiji Okano ist Leiter des NC Büro von Diverse Media Systems (DMS), einem gigantischen Unterhaltungskonzern. Vor kurzem führte DMS eine Black Ops gegen Verkäufer von DMS-Raubkopien durch, bei der 50.000 eb an Chipware sichergestellt werden konnten. Der Fixer Sandman und der größte Teil von dessen Organisation wurden von dem DMS Black Ops Team unter Paulinda Moore getötet. Beim Verhör des sterbenden Sandman erfuhr Moore von einem weiteren Lagerhaus von dessen Gruppe, in dem das Copy Equipment und Raubkopien im Wert von mehreren hunderttausend eb gelagert sind. Dies vermeldete sie an Okano.

Okano sah in der Situation eine vortreffliche Möglichkeit, schwarz etwas Geld für seine privaten Ambitionen bei der Kirche der Unsterblichen zu machen. Er gab den Auftrag an Moore aus, das Lager Continue reading “Cyberpunk Abenteuer: Re-Chipped”

Watch yourself bleed to death in slow motion

We’ve said it many times, and chances are we will keep on telling you: Cyberpunk’s not dead, it’s just turned into our present. Almost every day, we find stuff that most Cyberpunk authors may have once described in their visions of our future. And in a lot of cases, this future turned out to be a lot weirder than any SF author could have guessed.

So here’s another fine selection of weird and often quite inventive Cyberpunk stuff, this time from the incredibly imaginative website thinkgeek.com

Personal Soundtrack T-Shirt

The definitive add-on for each and every poser gang member. Don’t be satisfied by just looking like Kirk or marching like Vader. Let others hear your personal soundtrack in each and every situation. Catch more information and a funny video of the many uses of this piece of tech here. Available NOW! for 39.99$

Labyrinth Security Lock

Ever thought that security stuff that just slows down intruders (like Cyberpunk 2020 player characters) is unrealistic? You ain’t seen nothing yet. Even in 2020, there are geeks lurking behind every corner. They may even work in the R&D department of your next megacorporate target. Geeks LOVE labyrinths and puzzles. As you can see for yourself with this titanium labyrinth security lock. Available NOW! for 49.99$

Youtube Tazer

Big Brother is here. And chances are, he will never leave. Especially if he is so much fun to have around. Like when you taze that ‘punk that tries to assault you and instantly upload the video of your successful hit to Youtube. Or your security provider. Or the cops. Imagine all the fun you and your fellow Cyberpunks can have with Fashion Guncam versions of this idea. Watch yourself bleed to death in slow motion. Maybe even to your own soundtrack (check out the Soundtrack T-Shirt, above). Available NOW! for 99.99$.

Wii Pee Game

No. It’s not real. You have not just discovered that there is a peeing game for the Wii console. Super Pii Pii brothers? Give me a break. Sorry pal. No rest for the wicket. The peeing game is here (yes, there is a video as well). Available NOW! fpr 34.99$. Peeing controller included.

Snooze and Lose

This one gets a bonus point for creativity in getting the wage slaves off their fat asses and earning the megacorp even more money. Originally, this alarm clock is intended to donate money every time you hit the snooze button to a charity organisation you HATE – giving you a great incentive to get up immediately, instead of snoozing on. By 2020, this gizmos are bound to be installed in every wageslaves appartment. Hit the snooze button, and your employer will receive a payback from your bank account. Hit the snooze button three times, and you may receive the ultimate wakeup call by that tazer they built into your corporate appartment’s bed. They may even share your tazed early morning self via that handy youtube tazer application, feeding the vid directly into the megacorporate employees network. The original SnūzNLūz is available HERE for 39.99$

Have Fun At Thinkgeek.com

There are a lot of other nifty things available there, like the deadly annoying Sonic Grenade, the easily upgraded USB Webcam Rocket Launcher, the highly useful 1.3 Megapixel Spy Camera Glasses, The dream of every Orion Battlelord (see SSDC page for Battlelord RPG info – Orions are aliens that wear kilts) Utility Kilt, the amazing Ultimate Hoody with built-in Personal Area Network, the very first in Urban Flash jewelry, the uber-cool Aurora Borealis Mood Projection Lamp (how could anyone ever live without it!), a f**cking lot of High-Tech watches from Video to WiFi Detection, a top-of-the-notch RFID Experimentation Kit, the TOTALLY innovative Driving LED Emoticon with which you can show other drivers smileys, the TeleSpy Intrusion Detector that gives you a call if it spots any movement in your home, a (soon) very useful RFID Blocking Wallet and the likewise very useful Hidden Camera Detector

Cyberpunk Art 6: Tank Time

Always looking for a fashionable way to move through the post-apocalypse: The Tank!

Tank in the rain

Tank in the rain This armored scoutcar is the ideal urban tank. Fast and well armed, no punk can do better! Found as Vehicle concept on Gorilla Artfare
Click on the image for a larger picture.

Programming 108: It's the Law, 'punk!

Programming 108: It’s the Law, ‘punk!

Snitch
CLASS: Alarm COST: 580eb
STRENGTH: 4 MU: 4
PROGRAMMING: 174 DIFFICULTY: 29
FUNCTION(S): Alarm
OPTION(S): Memory, Icon (superrealistic)
COST MULTIPLIER: x2 (Alarm x2)
ICON: Snitch has a database consisting of thousands of pictures. You nevah know who can be airin’ your dirty laundry.
DATA: After the intruding netrunner has been detected, the program will alert the sysop on duty so he can deal with the threat first hand.
Handcuffs
CLASS: Anti-Personnel COST: 7,000eb
STRENGTH: 3 MU: 4
PROGRAMMING:168 DIFFICULTY: 28
FUNCTION(S): Anti-Personnel Continue reading “Programming 108: It's the Law, 'punk!”

Easter Linking

If you came over to read stuff, you’re going to be disappointed. Even I have something better to do on Easter then to write for you.

But fear not: Others wrote stuff worthy of your attention:

  1. Wired shows you how to create your own combat bot. Ground, aerial and submerged bots for you to build – for just some 100s or 100s of $. It’s a wiki, so you can help. I wonder when homeland security takes down that site. Terrorists might use the cheap combat bots… :) (Am I the only one who thinks that “Homeland security” sounds deliciously fascist?
  2. Contact lenses that can do some stuff we thought cybereyes would needed for, esp. a HUD (head up display, showing you images superimposed over your view – today used by fighter pilots)
  3. A Cyberpunk documentary from 1993. Look how William Gibson looked like 14 years ago:
The young William Gibson, ca 1993
Click for bigger size