Six
Guseppe
Six’s father loves messing with mechanical things. He has his own garage where he is more than happy to tinker with anything that friends brings to him, as long as the costs are covered, his time is free.
Nunzio
The black sheep of the family, Nunzio has a degree of influence in the local mafia operations. He looks out for his family, but having been disowned when he made his choices he doesn’t keep close contact.
Kitty
Six’s rock through his troubled times. She hangs with a slightly different crowd of Street Racers and she keeps an ear out for any information that can get her boyfriend his car back.
Ash
Heckley
Heckley runs the Oakhouse, a small nightclub based in the Richmond district of San Francisco. The Oakhouse has become the place to be on an evening out in San Fran, with many famous live bands have performed within her diminutive lounge.
Leon
A sergeant in the Military Police, he spends most of his time thinking up the next scheme to make a quick buck. His present operation is bootleg tobacco and whisky.
Taylor
Dock operations manager. Nothing gets by this man without his say so, no ship docks, no cargo is unloaded without his say so. Rumour has it that he can be persuaded to turn a blind eye. Have you seen his new house in Diamond Heights?
Quin
Dealer to the Masses, Quin is the man who can find the substance you need. Well connected within the Mafia he is able to source the most hardcore BTL’s or the most headbanging narcotics, and he supplies some people you wouldn’t expect.
Zack
The story of Zack is a sorry one. A navy seal with a promising career was made the scapegoat for an incident, which remains classified. He turned Mercenary, and was hung out to dry on his first operation. He was arrested for crimes he did not commit and did hard time. A bitter man, he now helps anyone with enough money.
Daisy
Ash’s Sister, Daisy is the brains of the bunch. Graduated from tech-college she is a computer hacker par excellence. She finds the work and puts Ash on the case.
Drifter
Alexsy Gubarev
The fixer from Irkutsk. Said to be Ex KGB, said to have San Francisco lone star in his pocket, said to never sleep. Whatever the truth about this man, one thing is true; he has access to, or knows people who have access to anything, from anywhere. For a price of course.
Sgt. Karl Luther
Karl Luther is a Lieutenant in the EDF (Euro Defence Force), with a stern haircut and a powerful barking voice, you would be hard pressed to believe that he is kind, friendly and a secretly rebellious man who likes to fuck the system every now and then.
Desmond
Owner of Desmond’s Store. The store and adjoining coffee shop is where many a conversation takes place, and no one ever notices the shopkeeper. Desmond is a good source for local information and he quietly boasts about his high tech surveillance suite he has hooked up to his premises.
Ono
Kurokawa Masato
Masato-san, Ono’s tutor, moved to San Francisco a few years before his student followed him. He trains selected students privately in the martial arts, and has trailed and inspired some very interesting people in his new country.
Ki-Rin
Corporal Alfredo Mancini
A slightly over zealous half Italian man with a penchant for heavy weapons, also a capable commando. He is still in the Marines, and is very good friends with Jonny.
Private First-Class Michael Thorpe
A clever but combat shy New Englander. As Comms operator he is an expert in most things electrical. His flair for organization has had him posted at the Supply Wing based out of Nevada. Every now and then he gets the train to San Fran with Henry Fillacetti to hook up with Jonny for a game of cards.
Private First-Class Henry Fillacetti “Flash”
A happy go lucky young marine, with a can-do attitude. He has a slightly worrying fondness for explosives, though this has only been to his advantage so far. Keep him away from the C12 though!
Private First-Class Harrison McKensie
A talented pilot, not so confident on the ground, but if it flies then Harrison can pilot it. He now runs a private cargo and civilian short flights company out of Sacramento.
Thursday, February 23, 2006
The Players Contacts
in no particular I would like to introduce the characters contacts. These NPC’s will guide the players through the tumultuous times in San Francisco.
Wednesday, February 22, 2006
They call him the Drifter...
By N.Macpherson
Born on his parents farm in New Jersey Sam Ferrier lead a very normal farm boy childhood, working hard on his school and college work, helping his father with chores around the farm and loving his mothers cooking.
During his mid teens Sam realised there must be more to life than working on the farm.. He started researching into different career paths and wanted to make a difference, deciding that working for the government would be the best place to do this.
Sam started to slack on his chores around the farm and started putting all he could into his college work, passing all his projects and exams he graduated top of his class and immediately applied to the NSA as a security investigator, his grades and his enthusiasm allowed him several interviews and on his 21st birthday received his employment starter information. Finally he could make that difference.
Flying through all his basic training he was put through more and more intense weapons and combat training. Three years had passed since his original start date when he received a government sealed envelope. In this envelope were instructions on his first appointment.
NATIONAL SECURITY AGENCY
Serial: L6789-54
CENTRAL SECURITY SERVICE
Congratulations on completion of your training, with effect of 2nd January 2064 you will be assigned to Investigation Unit 2914-01.
You are to immediately cease contact with friends and family and report to office RT56.
Unsigned
Unsure as to contact his parents or not he decided to report as requested. What followed was a highly classified and intense overseas mission, proving himself time and time again as the perfect marksman and investigator he was quickly promoted. With his new appointment came money, with this money and investments from the agency he upgraded himself with cyberware to enhance his capabilities and hopefully his career.
Two years later he was transferred and titled Col. Sam Ferrier with the purpose of overseeing the newly formed Paranormal Task Force. He has never spoke about what happened during this time and it is highly CLASSIFIED but many rumours suggest that he was in charge of ensuring paranormals were taken to the brink of extinction. He decided what they were doing was very wrong and whilst on a mission in Germany he just disappeared. On paperwork Sam is officially listed as 'Missing in Action, Presumed Dead' since the task force’s first mission. But he knows he is now hunted.
Sam used his contacts in Germany to assist him in getting back to America, knowing he needs to stay away from Washington and as unknown as possible he began to run the shadows of San Francisco.. Working for small corporations as an assassin he now goes by the name of Drifter. He never tells anyone his real name and if anyone were to ever call him by it he’d know the agency were on to him.
In tune with his surroundings Col. Sam Ferrier (Drifter) seems to be calm during any combat situation, this is due to the tough training he received during his time before the project, he is trained highly in weapons combat he is able to use any type of weapon in any situation.
Born on his parents farm in New Jersey Sam Ferrier lead a very normal farm boy childhood, working hard on his school and college work, helping his father with chores around the farm and loving his mothers cooking.
During his mid teens Sam realised there must be more to life than working on the farm.. He started researching into different career paths and wanted to make a difference, deciding that working for the government would be the best place to do this.
Sam started to slack on his chores around the farm and started putting all he could into his college work, passing all his projects and exams he graduated top of his class and immediately applied to the NSA as a security investigator, his grades and his enthusiasm allowed him several interviews and on his 21st birthday received his employment starter information. Finally he could make that difference.
Flying through all his basic training he was put through more and more intense weapons and combat training. Three years had passed since his original start date when he received a government sealed envelope. In this envelope were instructions on his first appointment.
NATIONAL SECURITY AGENCY
Serial: L6789-54
CENTRAL SECURITY SERVICE
Mr S. Ferrier
Congratulations on completion of your training, with effect of 2nd January 2064 you will be assigned to Investigation Unit 2914-01.
You are to immediately cease contact with friends and family and report to office RT56.
Unsigned
Unsure as to contact his parents or not he decided to report as requested. What followed was a highly classified and intense overseas mission, proving himself time and time again as the perfect marksman and investigator he was quickly promoted. With his new appointment came money, with this money and investments from the agency he upgraded himself with cyberware to enhance his capabilities and hopefully his career.
Two years later he was transferred and titled Col. Sam Ferrier with the purpose of overseeing the newly formed Paranormal Task Force. He has never spoke about what happened during this time and it is highly CLASSIFIED but many rumours suggest that he was in charge of ensuring paranormals were taken to the brink of extinction. He decided what they were doing was very wrong and whilst on a mission in Germany he just disappeared. On paperwork Sam is officially listed as 'Missing in Action, Presumed Dead' since the task force’s first mission. But he knows he is now hunted.
Sam used his contacts in Germany to assist him in getting back to America, knowing he needs to stay away from Washington and as unknown as possible he began to run the shadows of San Francisco.. Working for small corporations as an assassin he now goes by the name of Drifter. He never tells anyone his real name and if anyone were to ever call him by it he’d know the agency were on to him.
In tune with his surroundings Col. Sam Ferrier (Drifter) seems to be calm during any combat situation, this is due to the tough training he received during his time before the project, he is trained highly in weapons combat he is able to use any type of weapon in any situation.
Tuesday, February 21, 2006
Future Information
Nothing fundamental has changed for a runner in 2070; they still do the same jobs for the same sorts of people, using magic, cyberware, technology and their own skill to get it done.
As a starting runner you do not have access to everything you see in catalogues and in the hands of other prime runners. If it is too illegal or forbidden, a starting character probably cannot get hold off it. He must find a source for the item once he becomes a runner and has saved up enough money.
A Shadowrunners reputation is everything. New running teams have to work hard doing the poorly paid drek runs before they will be in contention for the better-paid work.
Fail a run, and word gets about pretty quick, if you loose enough street rep, you may as well go and get a day job, no well paid jobs will come your way without a catch.
Your selection of contacts is what sets a good runner apart from a great runner. Your contacts are your source of information, your source of work, and they broaden your own skill base. Choose your contacts wisely; if they are loyal and well connected you would do well to keep them sweet.
Technological advances
The Matrix is no longer a network of hard-wired nodes, which are connected by cables; the second crash of 2064 put an end to that. The network is now a series of overlapping network signals, which interact with each other. Almost all manufactured items transmit data, from Soy-cans transmitting their sell by date to the store network node, to cyberarms transmitting their status to the users PAN and receiving instructions back. This network is almost completely wireless, and generally can be accessed anywhere in the world (with some notable exceptions)
The PAN (Personal Area Network) is each person’s area of the new matrix constantly broadcasting and receiving data. Controlled through your Commlink, it is your telephone, your ID, your Credstick, your personal organiser, and so much more.
You subscribe your bits of kit to route through your Commlink and control them through this device, either cybernetically or with smart contact lenses/glasses and trodes. Through your Commlink you can receive and transmit data, and you can access the matrix almost permanently through AR (Augmented Reality)
You can also send and receive data between friends Comlinks. You can could see what they see, and be aware of where they are. For a runner this can come in incredibly useful, as your team become synergetic, exchanging data at the speed of thought.
Your PAN operate is 3 modes.
Active – this is the default for most PANs. In active mode you can access and be accessed by nodes. Certain areas may require your PAN to be active (Airport, Police Station, Corporate building) so they can identify who you are and follow your activities.
Passive – The PAN can access but cannot be accessed by other nodes. The PAN will still show up as active on the local network.
Hidden – PANs in this mode are said to be ghosting, they are not detectable but it is discouraged to use PANs in this mode by the enforcement of harsh punishments.
Your PAN network is made up of all of your pieces of equipment transmitting data to one another, an integral part in this network are RFID tags (Radio Frequency Identification). These tags range in size from microscopic, to the size of clothing tag size and have many functions, Security, Sensor and Stealth being three of the main functions.
Security tags are used by megacorporations and can be implanted under the skin of employees. These tags monitor where they are and where they have been and systems in the corporate buildings can ensure that anyone without a suitable Security tag are not going where they shouldn’t. Sensor tags are small and are placed on items which need monitoring like Bone Lacing. The tags can monitor build up of heat or stress or almost anything, and transmit the data to a users Comlink. Stealth tags are used to track individuals and items. Usually lying dormant these tags are almost impossible to locate until certain criterion are met, at which point they activate and transmit their location.
Tags are nothing more than sophisticated chips and can be deactivated and wiped or even removed from items. (when purchasing a new item you can specify that you do not want the RFID tag embedded)
AR or Augmented Reality is an overlay, which enhances the real worldview that most people see. Imagine walking down the street and the advertising hoarding reads your profile which is broadcast by your comlink, the advertising hoarding then transmits an advert tailored specifically to your personal tastes directly into your PAN-enabled sunglasses, the advert seems to appear where the advertising hoarding sits in the real world.
Other examples of uses, which are more useful to the modern runner, are Maps and GPS, which can overlay your route across your direction of travel and indicate friends and other marked targets that you will pass, or SMS messages, which appear next to the person sending. AR is present in every facet of life and in almost every case it has enhanced the real world.
In addition to AR, is the fully immersive VR (Virtual Reality). VR can only be accessed Cybernetically (or mentally if you are a Technomancer). This environment is akin to the Matrix of old, and this is the domain of hackers. VR is also accessed wirelessly bit the user looses almost all awareness of the real world. Using VR is known as SIMing and is a much more powerful way of accessing the Matrix, (you are inside the network rather than looking at the broadcast outside) SIMing VR comes in two forms. The Cold Sim and the Hot Sim. Cold SIMing is when you access the network with feedback filters and other safety protocols and is not as fast as Hot SIMing, where no filters are applied. This second form of VR is highly potent, and highly addictive and highly illegal.
All electronic devices can be controlled through the Matrix; this includes doors, security cameras, phones, cyberware, weapons, vehicles and drones. (Control of vehicles and drones is known as rigging and will be mentioned below). Because all electronics can be controlled via the matrix, a degree of security savvy is needed, you or your hacker can access the Mr. Johnson’s Commlink, or his bodyguards Cyberware, however you must be aware that they sure as hell can do the same to you.
Any runner who fails to practice good data security will wind up pretty dead in a short space of time.
Don’t advertise - PANs have their uses but they are also detectable. If in doubt, run Hidden.
Limit your vulnerabilities – Wireless devices are whiz but if they are not well protected they are a hackers next meal. If you don’t need it turn it off, and if you do need it, beef up its protection.
Don’t leave tracks – Everywhere you go your PAN leaves a data trail That evidence can be used against you, spoof your data trail, or have a hacker do it for you.
Fake ID is your friend – Even if active mode isn’t required, running with legit looking ID might keep you from standing out in a crowd. Just don’t rely on it for too long.
Rigging is the control of vehicles or drones through the matrix network and has become an area of specialisation of hackers called rigging. Riggers control vehicles, which have been adapted for rigger control. The rigger can pilot the vehicle with commands alone allowing the vehicle to get on with the job, or can “Jump into” the vehicle in full VR mode and become the vehicle. With a Rigger in control of a vehicle in VR mode, his actions and processing speeds are akin to a hacker in the VR Matrix and is capable of calculating manoeuvres at the speed of thought.
SIN. To own a SIN (System Identification Number) is to be an authorised citizen, SINs are registered to Nations or Corporations. Anyone without a SIN number is classified as Probationary Citizen. The SIN number is made up of many pieces of data about the person and can be used to identify a persons place and date of birth, name, and place of registration. A SIN number is needed to obtain travel tickets (this includes domestic bus tickets) to hold a bank account, to vote and to acquire housing or a job. Without a SIN you have few rights, and are unable to legitimately go about your business. Most Shadowrunners do not have a SIN as the SINless have a good degree of anonymity.
The SINless who get arrested have few rights. They often disappear into the system and generally don’t have access to legal services. Those who do remain in the system are issued with a criminal SIN number, which records biometric and other verifiable data and is slightly worse than having no SIN at all.
Without a SIN you are unable to hold a bank account, which has created a boom industry in offshore bank accounts or proxy accounts set up by criminal organisations. To have the luxury and convenience of holding a Bank account the SINless pay a steep tariff.
Corporations are aware that some of their customers (and deniable assets) require electronic payments without bank accounts, so Credsticks are issued and accepted almost everywhere (although the use of a credstick would be frowned upon in an expensive restaurant for example). Credsticks are issued in colours determining the maximum amount held on them. Silver is the smallest with a ¥5,000 limit; the black credsticks hold ¥1,000,00
As a starting runner you do not have access to everything you see in catalogues and in the hands of other prime runners. If it is too illegal or forbidden, a starting character probably cannot get hold off it. He must find a source for the item once he becomes a runner and has saved up enough money.
A Shadowrunners reputation is everything. New running teams have to work hard doing the poorly paid drek runs before they will be in contention for the better-paid work.
Fail a run, and word gets about pretty quick, if you loose enough street rep, you may as well go and get a day job, no well paid jobs will come your way without a catch.
Your selection of contacts is what sets a good runner apart from a great runner. Your contacts are your source of information, your source of work, and they broaden your own skill base. Choose your contacts wisely; if they are loyal and well connected you would do well to keep them sweet.
Technological advances
The Matrix is no longer a network of hard-wired nodes, which are connected by cables; the second crash of 2064 put an end to that. The network is now a series of overlapping network signals, which interact with each other. Almost all manufactured items transmit data, from Soy-cans transmitting their sell by date to the store network node, to cyberarms transmitting their status to the users PAN and receiving instructions back. This network is almost completely wireless, and generally can be accessed anywhere in the world (with some notable exceptions)
The PAN (Personal Area Network) is each person’s area of the new matrix constantly broadcasting and receiving data. Controlled through your Commlink, it is your telephone, your ID, your Credstick, your personal organiser, and so much more.
You subscribe your bits of kit to route through your Commlink and control them through this device, either cybernetically or with smart contact lenses/glasses and trodes. Through your Commlink you can receive and transmit data, and you can access the matrix almost permanently through AR (Augmented Reality)
You can also send and receive data between friends Comlinks. You can could see what they see, and be aware of where they are. For a runner this can come in incredibly useful, as your team become synergetic, exchanging data at the speed of thought.
Your PAN operate is 3 modes.
Active – this is the default for most PANs. In active mode you can access and be accessed by nodes. Certain areas may require your PAN to be active (Airport, Police Station, Corporate building) so they can identify who you are and follow your activities.
Passive – The PAN can access but cannot be accessed by other nodes. The PAN will still show up as active on the local network.
Hidden – PANs in this mode are said to be ghosting, they are not detectable but it is discouraged to use PANs in this mode by the enforcement of harsh punishments.
Your PAN network is made up of all of your pieces of equipment transmitting data to one another, an integral part in this network are RFID tags (Radio Frequency Identification). These tags range in size from microscopic, to the size of clothing tag size and have many functions, Security, Sensor and Stealth being three of the main functions.
Security tags are used by megacorporations and can be implanted under the skin of employees. These tags monitor where they are and where they have been and systems in the corporate buildings can ensure that anyone without a suitable Security tag are not going where they shouldn’t. Sensor tags are small and are placed on items which need monitoring like Bone Lacing. The tags can monitor build up of heat or stress or almost anything, and transmit the data to a users Comlink. Stealth tags are used to track individuals and items. Usually lying dormant these tags are almost impossible to locate until certain criterion are met, at which point they activate and transmit their location.
Tags are nothing more than sophisticated chips and can be deactivated and wiped or even removed from items. (when purchasing a new item you can specify that you do not want the RFID tag embedded)
AR or Augmented Reality is an overlay, which enhances the real worldview that most people see. Imagine walking down the street and the advertising hoarding reads your profile which is broadcast by your comlink, the advertising hoarding then transmits an advert tailored specifically to your personal tastes directly into your PAN-enabled sunglasses, the advert seems to appear where the advertising hoarding sits in the real world.
Other examples of uses, which are more useful to the modern runner, are Maps and GPS, which can overlay your route across your direction of travel and indicate friends and other marked targets that you will pass, or SMS messages, which appear next to the person sending. AR is present in every facet of life and in almost every case it has enhanced the real world.
In addition to AR, is the fully immersive VR (Virtual Reality). VR can only be accessed Cybernetically (or mentally if you are a Technomancer). This environment is akin to the Matrix of old, and this is the domain of hackers. VR is also accessed wirelessly bit the user looses almost all awareness of the real world. Using VR is known as SIMing and is a much more powerful way of accessing the Matrix, (you are inside the network rather than looking at the broadcast outside) SIMing VR comes in two forms. The Cold Sim and the Hot Sim. Cold SIMing is when you access the network with feedback filters and other safety protocols and is not as fast as Hot SIMing, where no filters are applied. This second form of VR is highly potent, and highly addictive and highly illegal.
All electronic devices can be controlled through the Matrix; this includes doors, security cameras, phones, cyberware, weapons, vehicles and drones. (Control of vehicles and drones is known as rigging and will be mentioned below). Because all electronics can be controlled via the matrix, a degree of security savvy is needed, you or your hacker can access the Mr. Johnson’s Commlink, or his bodyguards Cyberware, however you must be aware that they sure as hell can do the same to you.
Any runner who fails to practice good data security will wind up pretty dead in a short space of time.
Don’t advertise - PANs have their uses but they are also detectable. If in doubt, run Hidden.
Limit your vulnerabilities – Wireless devices are whiz but if they are not well protected they are a hackers next meal. If you don’t need it turn it off, and if you do need it, beef up its protection.
Don’t leave tracks – Everywhere you go your PAN leaves a data trail That evidence can be used against you, spoof your data trail, or have a hacker do it for you.
Fake ID is your friend – Even if active mode isn’t required, running with legit looking ID might keep you from standing out in a crowd. Just don’t rely on it for too long.
Rigging is the control of vehicles or drones through the matrix network and has become an area of specialisation of hackers called rigging. Riggers control vehicles, which have been adapted for rigger control. The rigger can pilot the vehicle with commands alone allowing the vehicle to get on with the job, or can “Jump into” the vehicle in full VR mode and become the vehicle. With a Rigger in control of a vehicle in VR mode, his actions and processing speeds are akin to a hacker in the VR Matrix and is capable of calculating manoeuvres at the speed of thought.
SIN. To own a SIN (System Identification Number) is to be an authorised citizen, SINs are registered to Nations or Corporations. Anyone without a SIN number is classified as Probationary Citizen. The SIN number is made up of many pieces of data about the person and can be used to identify a persons place and date of birth, name, and place of registration. A SIN number is needed to obtain travel tickets (this includes domestic bus tickets) to hold a bank account, to vote and to acquire housing or a job. Without a SIN you have few rights, and are unable to legitimately go about your business. Most Shadowrunners do not have a SIN as the SINless have a good degree of anonymity.
The SINless who get arrested have few rights. They often disappear into the system and generally don’t have access to legal services. Those who do remain in the system are issued with a criminal SIN number, which records biometric and other verifiable data and is slightly worse than having no SIN at all.
Without a SIN you are unable to hold a bank account, which has created a boom industry in offshore bank accounts or proxy accounts set up by criminal organisations. To have the luxury and convenience of holding a Bank account the SINless pay a steep tariff.
Corporations are aware that some of their customers (and deniable assets) require electronic payments without bank accounts, so Credsticks are issued and accepted almost everywhere (although the use of a credstick would be frowned upon in an expensive restaurant for example). Credsticks are issued in colours determining the maximum amount held on them. Silver is the smallest with a ¥5,000 limit; the black credsticks hold ¥1,000,00
SR4 rules in (very) brief
To make the transition from SR2 to SR4 in one easy painless step. Please see below the key rules the players will need to grasp. The rest of the SR4 rule book is firmly memorised by me. Honest.
SR4 use D6.
The pass target number is always a 5 or a 6. (Never will we see target number 12 again)
Dice rolled to pass a test is equal to attribute + skill (and in some instances attribute + attribute or attribute alone) with a threshold target (number of dice needed to score a 5 or 6) determined by GM.
Scoring 1s on more than 50% of the total dice rolled means that a character will suffer a glitch. A glitch is something that goes wrong, but is not too serious.
You can pass a test but still achieve a glitch. (You jump over a wall, but trip over as you land.)
All 1’s on the dice rolled is a critical glitch and is very bad for the player. (GM loves them though)
Combat
Roll number of dice equal to initiative. Hits are added to initiative attribute gives initiative score.
Being initiative pass. Highest initiative first.
Damage
Damage is either Physical or Stun, and is noted with either a P or S in the damage code.
The number in the damage code is the amount of boxes the weapon inflicts on the condition monitor.
The AP value of a weapon reduces the armour value.
Once the character has suffered damage, which exceeds their condition monitor they become unconscious and loose one box from their damage overflow every combat turn until they are stabilised with drugs and first aid, or die. Whichever is soonest.
Damage is resisted with a body + armour (modified by AP of attackers weapon) roll. Hits (5 or 6s on the dice) reduce the damage by one box.
SR4 use D6.
The pass target number is always a 5 or a 6. (Never will we see target number 12 again)
Dice rolled to pass a test is equal to attribute + skill (and in some instances attribute + attribute or attribute alone) with a threshold target (number of dice needed to score a 5 or 6) determined by GM.
Scoring 1s on more than 50% of the total dice rolled means that a character will suffer a glitch. A glitch is something that goes wrong, but is not too serious.
You can pass a test but still achieve a glitch. (You jump over a wall, but trip over as you land.)
All 1’s on the dice rolled is a critical glitch and is very bad for the player. (GM loves them though)
Combat
Roll number of dice equal to initiative. Hits are added to initiative attribute gives initiative score.
Being initiative pass. Highest initiative first.
Damage
Damage is either Physical or Stun, and is noted with either a P or S in the damage code.
The number in the damage code is the amount of boxes the weapon inflicts on the condition monitor.
The AP value of a weapon reduces the armour value.
Once the character has suffered damage, which exceeds their condition monitor they become unconscious and loose one box from their damage overflow every combat turn until they are stabilised with drugs and first aid, or die. Whichever is soonest.
Damage is resisted with a body + armour (modified by AP of attackers weapon) roll. Hits (5 or 6s on the dice) reduce the damage by one box.
Oh! no. It's Ono.
By S.Burns
I am Shinzo Oritomo and I was born in 2048 in a small village outside Tokyo. Born to a Japanese mother and father I was raised with the traditional beliefs of our ancestors, the samurai, believing in their honour and rules.
From an early age, I have been told 3 but I was too young to accurately remember, I was trained in the old ways. My father was an old Sensei of various styles including Kobudo and Jiu-Jitsu and knew all of the martial techniques that would get me through life, training me for 8 hours a day on both unarmed and armed combat and spiritual techniques to improve my mind and body. After father had finished mother would take over for a further 8 hours schooling me in mathematics and calligraphy, and also English which had become the language of the world, “Without knowledge there is no power” she use to say.
Every day my father would stress to me that “even though someone appears to be the bad guy, they are the good guy to someone”. At first I did not understand what was meant by that, it seemed ridiculous, bad guys are bad and good guys are good but I found out later in life that my father was right all along.
My childhood did not hold much time for me to play and as such I was born with more of a sense of purpose in life, to protect those I loved and those whom I owed a debt. I was training to be one of the defenders of the town, a group known as the “Dragon’s Talons” people prepared to give their lives to maintain the village in the way it was and the way it had been for centuries.
Some time in my early to mid teens, I can’t quite remember when, I changed. I became a Troll and I thought my life was going to end. Looking back it must have been funny for everyone, me changing in looks on a day to day basis, although the pain was more than I could bear at times. Only the Techniques my father taught me kept the pain at bay and allowed me to live a next to normal life for the period of my change.
Not long after this I was asked to join the Dragon’s Talons, My father was their Sensei and Nagesoma Tanaka, their Daimyo which is an old title meaning Feudal Lord, had seen me training one day when my father over-ran with the training. It turned out later that he had done it on purpose so that Nagesoma would see my abilities.
The other members of the Dragon’s Talons believed I had only been invited to join because of my father’s status and as such made it as difficult for me as possible during training. At first I was annoyed as my father did nothing to stop them, but now I am glad he did not, it made me realise that all obstacles that fall before us are for us to deal with alone. This is what makes us strong.
Every training session I would enter the grounds and the others would say “Oh no here comes Shinzo”. As I was home taught they did not realise I could speak English and they had said it in English to try to hide it from me. I thought about it and adopted Ono as my name it seemed right for some reason which I could not explain, I suppose it was because it was close to Oni which is the Japanese for Demon, and also it is a type of battle axe. Either way I liked it and it became my call sign.
Training every day was a part of my life for years, training and learning and putting into practice the strictures of being a Samurai, I was given a set of armour and my father passed me the family sword, it was an over long 36” blade Katana with a Di-coated cutting edge. The sword was intricately decorated with jade and gold and the tsuka was in the shape of two dragons attacking each other.
A couple of years ago my life changed though. Big business caught site of our village and decided it would make a good site for a theme park, they didn’t care about the traditions being upheld or the people that lived their, all they cared for was money. These “Law abiding” people wrecked the lives of thousands of people a day and were allowed to get away with it. What my father had said before was true “even though someone appears to be the bad guy, they are the good guy to someone” and it appeared that these business men were the good guys to the banks and the law.
My village was wiped out by Earth movers and diggers in one day, I remember it as clear as if it were happening now.
I had fought through a number of enemies and in the process had come across a Troll in security armour working for Kanetaka corporation, the battle that ensued caught the attention of all of the other fighters as I had my sword still sheathed and was standing still while the other troll circled me. After a number of circles the Corp Troll lunged forward and I sidestepped, drawing My blade and slicing in a downward arc. The blade struck deep but did not kill, and I sheathed it again in one fluid movement. I had always been taught that the blade should not be exposed unless you intend to kill with it.
“Leave and you can live” I told the other Troll who was holding the deep cut across his abdomen. With Fury building in his eyes he lunged forward again and aimed his sword right at my throat. I realised that he was going to have to kill this Troll and I was sorry for the waste of life, especially as I knew he was only following the words of another, but I knew that it must be done. As the blade of the Corp troll reached me, I side stepped, spun around drawing my blade and struck across the back of his neck. The blade cut through the armour and removed the trolls head from his shoulders.
When the corporate boss, a man called Toshahiro Kanetaka, saw his men being beaten back he ordered the machines to move in. the village was crushed under the machines and many of my friends perished including my parents.
I slumped into a terrible state for a number of months but finally had a vision in one of my restless dreams. My father and mother spoke to me and told me that I should not be running from life, this was one of the obstacles that I must overcome and that I must do it alone. As they faded I remember the last phrase was “even though someone appears to be the bad guy, they are the good guy to someone”
I looked into this Toshahiro Kanetaka and found that he had moved to the U.S. I had to avenge my family and friends but I did not know where to start. My fathers words reverberated in my mind and I realised that there were a section of society that were known as shadow runners, these people were all over the place and were seen by most as common criminals. “Although someone appears to be the bad guy, they are the good guy to someone” Shadow runners would not have jobs if it were not for people seeing them as the good guys.
I caught a flight out to America, San Francisco to be precise. It was the last place that HE had been spotted and it seemed like a good place to start working. It took me a while to find contacts that pointed me in the right direction but there were a few people who listened to my plight and tried to help in any way possible.
Jobs started coming in but I kept my traditional values, making sure that I washed after every fight to keep the un-clean blood off my clothing, never touching the dead and praying for the spirits of the departed.
My moral code is long but I think it has secured me a few jobs in the past, it is better to have someone with a strict moral code than someone who has none…
Ono’s Description.
Facial
Ono’s facial features are Still distinctively Japanese. His eyebrows and nose have greatly expanded and his brow has become a lot harder and more pronounced but beneath it all there is still the traditional fine lines of a Japanese face.
Eyes: Black
Hair: Blue/Black
Complexion: Pale/Yellow
Body
Ono’s Body is hugely muscled, he is toned and he has started growing hair from his chest, this is a result of the Trollification as he never used to hair chest hair. Toned by years of training and meditation, there is not an ounce of Fat on Ono’s body giving him a very “ripped” appearance. Ono’s body stat’s are as follows;
Height: 3.1 Metres (in his socks)
Weight: 26 Stone (364Lbs or 165.5Kg)
Waist: 38 Inch
Chest: 64 Inch
Shoes: Size 18
Ring: Size Z (Ring finger on both hands)
Wrist: 8 Inches
Clothing
Ono is mostly at home in traditional Japanese clothing such as Hakima and kimono, however he realises that this is impractical for street use. During his time on the streets he has learnt how the average “joe” dresses but even so he is never far from his roots. His clothing is of western construction but in the Eastern style, a blend of both worlds which work surprisingly well. On a couple of occasions he has been complimented on his clothing. His normal clothing consists of:
· Lined coat (black with a shiny black dragon talon on the back. The dragon talon only shows in either ultraviolet light or when the light catches it right
· Linen shirt (Cream with Japanese characters written on the back saying “loyalty” down one side and “honour” down the other)
· Linen Trousers (black modified Hakima which fit inside Ono’s Boot. The bottom of the trousers have a silvered Dragon climbing the right leg)
· Bikers Boots (Slightly modified so that the clasps on the boots are in the shape of Dragons Talons. A dragon has been crafted into the sole which is left behind in Snow, mud or other Viscose substances
Sword
Ono’s Sword is an ancestral blade. The metal of the blade was folded a total of 56 times, which makes the sword one of the finest ever crafted in the old style. Newer blades are as deadly but they do not have the “Soul folds” where the spirits of their ancestors lay within the blade.
Blade has been made from folded steel which gives off a strange blue tint as though it was blued steel that was used. There is no blood groove which is so common in swords of modern times as this sword was made in the 1500’s
The hand guard and pommel is covered in fine gold leaf and has been lacquered so that the gold leaf will never wear, the gold and lacquer combination gives of a sparkle beyond belief. The design of the Tsuka or hand guard is that of two dragons locked in mortal combat.
The handle is bound in silk rope over two charms in the handle. The charms, made of gold depict the craftsman and the original owner of the sword, one on either side
The scabbard is coloured with a unique dragon design and written along the scabbard are the words “wind” and “Fury”
Ono, also has the matching Wakasashi which was the original sword of the Samurai, this is always kept crossing the Katana on Ono’s Quick draw rig which he designed himself
Crossbow
Ono’s crossbow is much the same as any other heavy crossbow although the stock is shaped like a dragon.
Ono’s Honour code.
Must not do’s
1. Never use firearms, they are not the way of Bushido
2. Never attack a person from behind, show them the honour of seeing their end coming.
3. Never hurt an Unarmed person unless they pose a threat
4. Never touch the bodies of the dead, they are unclean and should only be touched by those shown how to do so.
5. Never draw my weapon unless I am going to use it. It is the soul of my ancestors and not a display piece.
Must do’s
1. Assist my friends even if it means I am injured or captured
2. Always Meditate for 1 hour each night
3. Always ritually bathe after a battle, blood is unclean and shall be removed as soon as possible.
4. Always take care of my Armour and weapons. They are what keeps me alive
5. Put the value of life above money at ALL times
6. Always answer the call of those I owe a debt even if I am in the middle of something else. If more than one person I owe a debt, needs me at one time help the one who’s debt is greater first.
7. protect the integrity of my Sensei at all times
8. Maintain my countries traditional heritage in all that I do,Never bring shame on my family name
I am Shinzo Oritomo and I was born in 2048 in a small village outside Tokyo. Born to a Japanese mother and father I was raised with the traditional beliefs of our ancestors, the samurai, believing in their honour and rules.
From an early age, I have been told 3 but I was too young to accurately remember, I was trained in the old ways. My father was an old Sensei of various styles including Kobudo and Jiu-Jitsu and knew all of the martial techniques that would get me through life, training me for 8 hours a day on both unarmed and armed combat and spiritual techniques to improve my mind and body. After father had finished mother would take over for a further 8 hours schooling me in mathematics and calligraphy, and also English which had become the language of the world, “Without knowledge there is no power” she use to say.
Every day my father would stress to me that “even though someone appears to be the bad guy, they are the good guy to someone”. At first I did not understand what was meant by that, it seemed ridiculous, bad guys are bad and good guys are good but I found out later in life that my father was right all along.
My childhood did not hold much time for me to play and as such I was born with more of a sense of purpose in life, to protect those I loved and those whom I owed a debt. I was training to be one of the defenders of the town, a group known as the “Dragon’s Talons” people prepared to give their lives to maintain the village in the way it was and the way it had been for centuries.
Some time in my early to mid teens, I can’t quite remember when, I changed. I became a Troll and I thought my life was going to end. Looking back it must have been funny for everyone, me changing in looks on a day to day basis, although the pain was more than I could bear at times. Only the Techniques my father taught me kept the pain at bay and allowed me to live a next to normal life for the period of my change.
Not long after this I was asked to join the Dragon’s Talons, My father was their Sensei and Nagesoma Tanaka, their Daimyo which is an old title meaning Feudal Lord, had seen me training one day when my father over-ran with the training. It turned out later that he had done it on purpose so that Nagesoma would see my abilities.
The other members of the Dragon’s Talons believed I had only been invited to join because of my father’s status and as such made it as difficult for me as possible during training. At first I was annoyed as my father did nothing to stop them, but now I am glad he did not, it made me realise that all obstacles that fall before us are for us to deal with alone. This is what makes us strong.
Every training session I would enter the grounds and the others would say “Oh no here comes Shinzo”. As I was home taught they did not realise I could speak English and they had said it in English to try to hide it from me. I thought about it and adopted Ono as my name it seemed right for some reason which I could not explain, I suppose it was because it was close to Oni which is the Japanese for Demon, and also it is a type of battle axe. Either way I liked it and it became my call sign.
Training every day was a part of my life for years, training and learning and putting into practice the strictures of being a Samurai, I was given a set of armour and my father passed me the family sword, it was an over long 36” blade Katana with a Di-coated cutting edge. The sword was intricately decorated with jade and gold and the tsuka was in the shape of two dragons attacking each other.
A couple of years ago my life changed though. Big business caught site of our village and decided it would make a good site for a theme park, they didn’t care about the traditions being upheld or the people that lived their, all they cared for was money. These “Law abiding” people wrecked the lives of thousands of people a day and were allowed to get away with it. What my father had said before was true “even though someone appears to be the bad guy, they are the good guy to someone” and it appeared that these business men were the good guys to the banks and the law.
My village was wiped out by Earth movers and diggers in one day, I remember it as clear as if it were happening now.
I had fought through a number of enemies and in the process had come across a Troll in security armour working for Kanetaka corporation, the battle that ensued caught the attention of all of the other fighters as I had my sword still sheathed and was standing still while the other troll circled me. After a number of circles the Corp Troll lunged forward and I sidestepped, drawing My blade and slicing in a downward arc. The blade struck deep but did not kill, and I sheathed it again in one fluid movement. I had always been taught that the blade should not be exposed unless you intend to kill with it.
“Leave and you can live” I told the other Troll who was holding the deep cut across his abdomen. With Fury building in his eyes he lunged forward again and aimed his sword right at my throat. I realised that he was going to have to kill this Troll and I was sorry for the waste of life, especially as I knew he was only following the words of another, but I knew that it must be done. As the blade of the Corp troll reached me, I side stepped, spun around drawing my blade and struck across the back of his neck. The blade cut through the armour and removed the trolls head from his shoulders.
When the corporate boss, a man called Toshahiro Kanetaka, saw his men being beaten back he ordered the machines to move in. the village was crushed under the machines and many of my friends perished including my parents.
I slumped into a terrible state for a number of months but finally had a vision in one of my restless dreams. My father and mother spoke to me and told me that I should not be running from life, this was one of the obstacles that I must overcome and that I must do it alone. As they faded I remember the last phrase was “even though someone appears to be the bad guy, they are the good guy to someone”
I looked into this Toshahiro Kanetaka and found that he had moved to the U.S. I had to avenge my family and friends but I did not know where to start. My fathers words reverberated in my mind and I realised that there were a section of society that were known as shadow runners, these people were all over the place and were seen by most as common criminals. “Although someone appears to be the bad guy, they are the good guy to someone” Shadow runners would not have jobs if it were not for people seeing them as the good guys.
I caught a flight out to America, San Francisco to be precise. It was the last place that HE had been spotted and it seemed like a good place to start working. It took me a while to find contacts that pointed me in the right direction but there were a few people who listened to my plight and tried to help in any way possible.
Jobs started coming in but I kept my traditional values, making sure that I washed after every fight to keep the un-clean blood off my clothing, never touching the dead and praying for the spirits of the departed.
My moral code is long but I think it has secured me a few jobs in the past, it is better to have someone with a strict moral code than someone who has none…
Ono’s Description.
Facial
Ono’s facial features are Still distinctively Japanese. His eyebrows and nose have greatly expanded and his brow has become a lot harder and more pronounced but beneath it all there is still the traditional fine lines of a Japanese face.
Eyes: Black
Hair: Blue/Black
Complexion: Pale/Yellow
Body
Ono’s Body is hugely muscled, he is toned and he has started growing hair from his chest, this is a result of the Trollification as he never used to hair chest hair. Toned by years of training and meditation, there is not an ounce of Fat on Ono’s body giving him a very “ripped” appearance. Ono’s body stat’s are as follows;
Height: 3.1 Metres (in his socks)
Weight: 26 Stone (364Lbs or 165.5Kg)
Waist: 38 Inch
Chest: 64 Inch
Shoes: Size 18
Ring: Size Z (Ring finger on both hands)
Wrist: 8 Inches
Clothing
Ono is mostly at home in traditional Japanese clothing such as Hakima and kimono, however he realises that this is impractical for street use. During his time on the streets he has learnt how the average “joe” dresses but even so he is never far from his roots. His clothing is of western construction but in the Eastern style, a blend of both worlds which work surprisingly well. On a couple of occasions he has been complimented on his clothing. His normal clothing consists of:
· Lined coat (black with a shiny black dragon talon on the back. The dragon talon only shows in either ultraviolet light or when the light catches it right
· Linen shirt (Cream with Japanese characters written on the back saying “loyalty” down one side and “honour” down the other)
· Linen Trousers (black modified Hakima which fit inside Ono’s Boot. The bottom of the trousers have a silvered Dragon climbing the right leg)
· Bikers Boots (Slightly modified so that the clasps on the boots are in the shape of Dragons Talons. A dragon has been crafted into the sole which is left behind in Snow, mud or other Viscose substances
Sword
Ono’s Sword is an ancestral blade. The metal of the blade was folded a total of 56 times, which makes the sword one of the finest ever crafted in the old style. Newer blades are as deadly but they do not have the “Soul folds” where the spirits of their ancestors lay within the blade.
Blade has been made from folded steel which gives off a strange blue tint as though it was blued steel that was used. There is no blood groove which is so common in swords of modern times as this sword was made in the 1500’s
The hand guard and pommel is covered in fine gold leaf and has been lacquered so that the gold leaf will never wear, the gold and lacquer combination gives of a sparkle beyond belief. The design of the Tsuka or hand guard is that of two dragons locked in mortal combat.
The handle is bound in silk rope over two charms in the handle. The charms, made of gold depict the craftsman and the original owner of the sword, one on either side
The scabbard is coloured with a unique dragon design and written along the scabbard are the words “wind” and “Fury”
Ono, also has the matching Wakasashi which was the original sword of the Samurai, this is always kept crossing the Katana on Ono’s Quick draw rig which he designed himself
Crossbow
Ono’s crossbow is much the same as any other heavy crossbow although the stock is shaped like a dragon.
Ono’s Honour code.
Must not do’s
1. Never use firearms, they are not the way of Bushido
2. Never attack a person from behind, show them the honour of seeing their end coming.
3. Never hurt an Unarmed person unless they pose a threat
4. Never touch the bodies of the dead, they are unclean and should only be touched by those shown how to do so.
5. Never draw my weapon unless I am going to use it. It is the soul of my ancestors and not a display piece.
Must do’s
1. Assist my friends even if it means I am injured or captured
2. Always Meditate for 1 hour each night
3. Always ritually bathe after a battle, blood is unclean and shall be removed as soon as possible.
4. Always take care of my Armour and weapons. They are what keeps me alive
5. Put the value of life above money at ALL times
6. Always answer the call of those I owe a debt even if I am in the middle of something else. If more than one person I owe a debt, needs me at one time help the one who’s debt is greater first.
7. protect the integrity of my Sensei at all times
8. Maintain my countries traditional heritage in all that I do,Never bring shame on my family name
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