Corporia: New Hires - Dungeon Masters Guild
Transcription
Corporia: New Hires - Dungeon Masters Guild
Corporia_New_Hires_LSI_160305:Layout 1 3/5/16 4:07 PM Page i PREFACE TO THE DIGITAL EXPANSION Thank you for purchasing this digital edition of the very first Corporia expansion! To make your reading experience as comfortable as possible, please note the following viewing suggestions. SIZING Corporia digital products are designed to be easily read on all tablets and computer monitors. On tablets, it is best viewed in ‘portrait’ mode showing a single full page at a time. To create a ‘landscape’ viewing experience on your desktop monitor, set Adobe Acrobat or Reader to display a spread of two full pages, so you’re viewing it just like an open book. You can set this manually in those programs by selecting these options: VIEW > ZOOM > FIT HEIGHT VIEW > PAGE DISPLAY > TWO-UP VIEW > PAGE DISPLAY > SHOW COVER PAGE DURING TWO-UP file BOOKMARKS mp HYPERLINKS le This edition uses Adobe bookmark links to chapters and sections. To turn this view on (and off), just click the Bookmark icon in the navigation pane. Sa When a page number or other item is referenced within the text and also appears in blue (such as “see page 18”), you can click on the text to instantly jump to it. Page numbers that appear on art may be hyperlinked but not blue. FILLABLE VEHICLE RECORD SHEET The character sheet on page 36 is a fillable form. If this causes a message bar to display “Please fill out the following form...” or “Click ‘Sign’ to fill out and sign this form” or a similar message on all pages, you can turn the Document Message Bar off (and on) in your personal settings. Go to: PREFERENCES > FORMS > ALWAYS HIDE FORMS DOCUMENT MESSAGE BAR If the form fields do not appear, be sure you have the latest available version of Adobe Reader or Acrobat. I | PREFACE Corporia_New_Hires_LSI_160305:Layout 1 3/5/16 4:07 PM Page 1 corporia: new hires a character companion Sa mp le file Mark Plemmons Corporia_New_Hires_LSI_160305:Layout 1 3/5/16 4:07 PM Page 2 8 Archetypes CONTENTS Introductory Pages 4 | Stranger than Fiction Chapter 7: New Hires 7 | What is Corporia? 7 | About this Expansion 8 | Archetypes 10 | Sample Characters 22 | Assets 23 | Club Invitation 23 | Substance Augments 24 | QUEST Bonus Feature 24 | Ranged Weapons 26 | Melee Weapon Augments 27 | Exosuit Armor 28 | Vehicles 36 | Vehicle Record Sheet Weapons file Copyright © 2014 Brabblemark Press All rights reserved. mp le First Digital Printing, March 2014 ISBN 978-0-9914897-2-5 24 Sa This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, logos, businesses, institutions, organizations, corporations, products, incidents, and locales either are coincidental products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Pop culture references are included to help readers capture the look and feel of Corporia. No violation of copyright or trademark ownership is intended. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photo-copying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of vehicle record sheets (page 36), brief quotations embodied in critical reviews, and certain other non-commercial uses permitted by copyright law. www.brabblemark.com 28 Vehicles Corporia_New_Hires_LSI_160305:Layout 1 3/5/16 4:07 PM Page 3 CREDITS WRITING, DEVELOPMENT, AND GRAPHIC DESIGN: Mark Plemmons ADDITIONAL DEVELOPMENT: Jim Davenport CORPORIA RPG EDITORS AND CONSULTANTS: Rob Burke, Stephanie Ewing, Mark Gallichio, Bret Hammitt, Andy Miller, Elizabeth Plemmons, RPGPundit, Christopher Stogdill, Ross Watson, Kira Williams COVER: Flat-it (Bebas font), Dario Lo Presti INTERIOR ART (INTRODUCTORY): Blackroom, Dario Lo Presti, Digitalstormcinema, Marish, Photoeuphoria, Photographerlondon, Texturex file INTERIOR ART (CHAPTER 7, ARCHETYPES): Adas Vasiliauskas, Curaphotography, Elisanth, Lynn Woodward, Nejron, Pe3ak, Photoeuphoria, Syda Productions le INTERIOR ART (WEAPONS AND ARMOR): Andrii Deviatov, Kontur-vid, Photgrapherlondon mp INTERIOR ART (VEHICLES): Alexroz, Antal Török, Ba-mi, Dave Hansen (License Plate font), Digitalstormcinema, Fckncg, Ninthsun9 Sa MISCELLANEOUS INTERIOR CLIP ART: Used with permission from Microsoft. BETA PLAYTESTING: Brian Bollivar, Sam Bradley, James Califf, Alex and Amanda Fux, GBE, Ryan Henthorn, Clarissa Leon, James Livingston, Jeramiah Poff, Jay Rutley, Gabe Stephan FOR ZOË DOCUMENT: STRANGER THAN FICTION In Corporia products, sidebars like this indicate that the next pages provide a first-person glimpse into the setting, with advertisements, tourist guides, and other documents. The pages immediately following display a portion of an unpublished novel by a Knightwatch employee. Revealing these secrets is, of course, prohibited, and this employee is rumored to have been terminated—with extreme prejudice. CREDITS | 3 Corporia_New_Hires_LSI_160305:Layout 1 3/5/16 4:07 PM Page 4 Sa mp le file I’m going about my daily routine when my world turns inside out. The world starts to swim around me, my eyes squint as they’re overwhelmed by a blaze of colors, and my ears hear only the rushing sound of a great wind. Blackness overtakes me. I awake to find myself lying in a hospital bed, staring up through a holographic overlay of my form, into the eyes of what seems to be a doctor in a white coat. I try to speak, but my mouth and throat are parched and my brain so in a whirl that my responses are vague and certainlyimmaterial. She talks briefly of strange readings, inquires whether I have a history of epileptic fits, murmurs some reassuring words, and leaves. I spend the rest of the day in bed. When not slipping in and out of consciousness, I spend the time bored by the endless hours of reality shows, survivor games, and advertisements blaring from the ultradefinition UD tv on the opposite wall. An antique remote control is mounted on my bedrail just out of arm’s reach, even if I had control of my limbs. I feel the neck of a hospital gown rub against my last-gen EyePhone’s nearly invisible throat patch, and the familiar sensation of the implants in both ears, but voice activation fails, even though I speak as loudly as my dry mouth will allow. Then I see it—an old HD screen on the far wall: “SHIELDED ROOM. BREAK THE FEEDBACK WITH THE NEW EYEPHONE 2.0. YOUR LOVED ONES WILL THANK YOU. THIS ADVERTISEMENT BROUGHT TO YOU BY LEOLINE.” No communication with the outside world, then. It makes me wish I’d spent my last paycheck on that upgrade. Unable to raise myself from the bio-bed, I stare at the tv until I fall asleep. It’s the middle of the night when they appear—three silhouettes (or is it four?) lit by the flickering tv screen—in a combination that can only be described as eclectic. A silent, efficient woman dressed in black, who rapidly unhooks the machinery surrounding me, tapping one-handed at the air as she somehow accesses her own augmented reality apps even while inside the shielded room. A bulky, dark-skinned man in a hooded athletic jacket and what surely can’t be a large sword handle jutting from a sheath at his waist. And one other person—no, two—a man in an immaculately tailored suit speaking with the medic I encountered earlier. His low, firm tones radiate power and control, and the medic nods in silent agreement. As the large man scoops me from the bed and bundles me over his shoulder, I feel a rush of fear and adrenalin, recalling the latest rumors that the survivor games have resorted to kidnapping contestants. What is indeed a large scabbard hangs from his waist, the handle of its sword beckoning me to grasp it and cut down these intruders, though I’ve never handled such a blade in my life. Yet, a glimmer of instinct tells me not to resist. The doctor catches my eye as I’m hauled past, walking quickly away with a guilty face and a shaking hand that slips a shiny black card into her coat pocket. Their footsteps echo through the empty hallways and down the stairs into the underground garage, where I’m stuffed into the backseat of a small, bright pink economy car. It’s a mode of transport that seems a source of contention with the driver, a sullen juvenile in a school uniform emblazoned with corporate logos. “Enough,” the black-clad woman speaks, in a tone that brooks no opposition, and indeed gets none. “If you don’t want to be conspicuous, you have to be conspicuous.” It’s a statement that fogs my head even more than my current condition. “Drive,” she says. “Hold on to your panties,” the driver calls back over his shoulder, waving a small plastic rod at the dashboard like a conjurer at a party before pressing the accelerator to the floor. Traffic and pedestrians blur past the windows as my stomach heaves and the car hurtles through the streets at top speed, yet brushes past obstacles with a surprising Corporia_New_Hires_LSI_160305:Layout 1 3/5/16 4:08 PM Page 5 Sa mp le file tenderness and not a single collision. The digital readouts on the windscreen flip back and forth as they try to readjust. “It’s my own spell!” the driver grins at me, blatantly ignoring the car’s progress. Even in my befuddled state, I wonder what the traffic cameras make of all this, as the driver turns back to spin the wheel and send the vehicle diving down an underground ramp and into an empty parking spot with the grace of a hummingbird. “Everybody out.” I feel my strength returning during the trip up (or down?) the elevator and I stumble less frequently as they drag me through the corridors with their multiple biometric scanners, prominent cameras, and other security features, but it’s too late to resist now. Whoever these people are, they’re still the ones in control. Just as my lips start to form one of the many complaints and questions that swirl through my head, my captors turn me to face a particular door. The only difference between this one and the many others I passed is the readout on its silver-edged plaque, a digital label transitioning seamlessly between the phrases: ‘VALYANT’ and ‘BRIEFING ROOM 1’ and ‘IN USE’. Inside is a room much like every generic corporate meeting room I’ve ever seen or imagined—an elegant, minimalist space with a central table (no doubt integrated with augmented reality projectors tied into the company servers), comfortable chairs, and rich energy-scavenging fiber carpet. At one end stand a trio of well-dressed individuals. In the center, a stocky man with a stern face, graying hair, and an aura of command. Flanking him are a much younger woman with a severe face, eying me coldly through squareframed glasses, and a well-armed man dressed in the combat fatigues of Watchman private security, so well known in The City. They could be a corporate executive with his assistant and bodyguard. “Good day,” says the older man, as I’m prodded forward. “I’m glad you could join us. You’re one of us, after all. Your new abilities...” he pauses, seeing no comprehension in my face. “I said nought,” my dark-skinned captor shrugs, before continuing in his oddly inflected accent. “That’s your job.” The man exhales softly, the only sign of irritation he gives, then sits carefully in what I now see is a wheelchair. “As we don’t have much time, I must be brief.” A short pause, then he continues. “You’ve been unconscious for weeks. Your condition was—is—neither medical nor permanent, only a temporary weakness while your body acclimates to the powers granted you by the Flux. And they are powers you will need, if you hope to survive, and aid our new Order of the Round Table.” “No,” he says, holding up a reassuring hand at the look on my face, “I am not insane, nor am I your enemy. Our war is with those who would capture, control, and dissect you merely to increase their power, or to improve their knowledge of the ancient magics now returned to this world. And, yes, I know how that sounds, but it is true. The old magics are back, along with monstrous creatures and persons infused with arcane power. They’re out there now, in the streets and in the boardroom empires, and only we can stop them from ushering in a new Dark Age of man. You see, our best resources foresee a great darkness when the forces of Chaos will gain power over the Earth, and magicians and monsters will rule over an enslaved human population. Each manifestation of the Flux brings the world one step closer to the fall of Order, and only the Knightwatch has any hope of stopping it.” He pauses, obviously seeing the questions on my face, then speaks again. “We are your allies. We are the Knightwatch. And you are one of us now.” Corporia_New_Hires_LSI_160305:Layout 1 3/5/16 4:08 PM Page 6 7 Sa mp le file NEW HIRES 7 | WHAT IS CORPORIA? 23 | SUBSTANCE AUGMENTS YOUR MISSION DIRECTIVE. DESIGNER DRUGS ON THE STREET 7 | ABOUT THIS EXPANSION 24 | WEAPONS AND ARMOR WHAT IT IS AND HOW IT CAME TO BE. POWERFUL NEW BLACK MARKET WEAPONS, AUGMENTS, AND EXOSUIT 8 | ARCHETYPES NEW ‘CLASSES’ OF PCS. 28 | VEHICLES 22 | ASSETS AND SECURITY FORCES MODES OF TRANSPORT FOR CIVILIANS NEW CHARACTER-ENHANCING BONUSES. 6 | THE BASICS Corporia_New_Hires_LSI_160305:Layout 1 3/5/16 4:08 PM Page 7 7.1 | WHAT IS CORPORIA? Sa mp le file If you’re reading this expansion, you probably already know what Corporia is. On the other hand, maybe you ran across this expansion by accident, or downloaded it with a batch of pirated files (which you really shouldn’t, but we won’t get into that now). So, just for you, let’s recap what Corporia is. The rest of you can skip ahead. Corporia is a tabletop role-playing game set in ‘The City’, a future metropolis ruled by an alliance of powerful mega-corporations. Players take on the roles of members of the Knightwatch, the elite supernaturally-powered special operations unit of the Watchman private security company, under the auspices of its mega-corporate entity Valyant and Chief Executive Officer Lance Martin—the reincarnated Sir Lancelot du Lac. The Knightwatch resolve extreme incidents involving manifestations of other-dimensional energies (aka the Flux), including mutated humans, monsters from other dimensions, and corporate experiments gone wrong. Members of the Knightwatch have been hand-picked from individuals touched by the Flux, ironically gaining their abilities from the very force that also transforms innocent citizens into dangerous mutants and provides fascinating new resources for the mega-corps to exploit. Exactly how an individual’s powers manifest depends on his or her personality, social caste, and profession, among other factors. For instance, soldiers often become stronger and faster, executives gain influence and mettle, Hackers usually discover they can transfer their minds into computers to battle Flux-infused virtual life, fantasy writers might find themselves able to cast magical spells, and so on. An individual might even awake with memories and skills (and obligations!) from a former life as a knight in King Arthur’s court. Because public knowledge of your character’s abilities could lead to him or her being hunted down by cryptids, criminals, and rival mega-corporate research teams, the Knightwatch is usually a character’s only family. Thus, how your characters interact with each other is as much a part of the Corporia experience as combat, if not more so. For example, not every character may agree on the correct action to take when a child insists on protecting her ‘imaginary friend’ or when a doctor starts stealing from the blood bank to support his wife’s newly-acquired vampirism. Your characters’ decisions are as equally valid a way to provide conflict as are the threats of monsters, rogue Virtual Intelligences, and greedy mega-corporate overlords. It’s all about role-playing. 7.1.1 | ABOUT THIS EXPANSION This first expansion of the Corporia tabletop role-playing game was initially created as a reward for certain sponsors (i.e., Kickstarter backers) of the limited edition hardcover rules. Thus, it contains a miscellany of Kickstarter ‘reach goal’ and ‘stretch goal’ items, as well as additional material that can be used to supplement the material in the Corporia rulebook. As always, however, the Director has the final say on what rules apply, so be sure to check and see whether this expansion is allowed in your game. One of the first things you’ve surely noticed by now is that this expansion starts with Chapter 7: New Hires. No, it’s not a mistake; it’s because the Corporia core rulebook ended with Chapter 6: Game Mastery. Each expansion in the Corporia series will carry on the numbering in sequence to make it as easy as possible to cross-reference between books and variant digital editions. For example, section 1.1 will always be in the same rulebook, and you won’t have to worry about whether it’s section 1.1 in the core rulebook or section 1.1 in one of several expansions. This numbering compatibility only applies between rulebooks, not other game resources (e.g., a character generation guide or book of adventures). INTRODUCTION | 7 Corporia_New_Hires_LSI_160305:Layout 1 3/5/16 4:08 PM Page 8 7.2. | NEW ARCHETYPES This section details six new character archetypes: the Drone, Juvie, Squire, and the Outcast, Risen, and Sym. Of these six, the latter three are special (i.e., rare or unusual) archetypes that should be used with discretion. The Director may consider limiting the number of these archetypes in his or her campaign—such as only to a single archetype of each, or only to experienced players who can handle the challenge of the role. The Risen is especially different from the other archetypes since—unless the Director decrees otherwise—new characters cannot start the game with this archetype. Instead, the Risen is a ‘layer’ or ‘add-on’ for an existing archetype. Only when a character dies can he or she come back from the grave as a Risen. 7.2.1 | ARCHETYPE DETAILS Sa mp le file This section returns from the core rules for ease of 7.1 | NEW ARCHETYPES reference, explaining the items listed within each of the following archetypes. DRONE ...................................P10 BACKGROUND. Where is he from? How old is he? JUVIE .......................................P12 How was his childhood? What was his career before SQUIRE ...................................P18 being recruited by the Knightwatch? And so on. The Knightwatch keeps an eye on hospitals and NEW SPECIAL ARCHETYPES news reports in order to locate potential recruits— but why did your PC join? Is she afraid of being capOUTCAST ...............................P14 tured and dissected by another mega-corporation? Does she have a family to support? Or does she just RISEN ......................................P16 ‘get off’ on the adrenalin rush? SYM ........................................P20 SIGNS AND PERSONALITY TRAITS. Starting characters should have three public traits and one private trait of your choosing. Traits define much about the PC’s goals, motivations, personality, and how he reacts to new people and new challenges. See Section 2.2: Select Personality Traits. NAMES. A character’s name or alias usually reflects who he is. The name ‘Razor’ sounds like a Radical with violent tendencies and talent with a blade, while Alain Winterbottom the Fourth sounds like a Suit with high resources. Of course, you can also twist this around. There are lots of big guys nicknamed ‘Tiny,’ after all. LOOK. Your character’s ‘look’ is his style (e.g., business, metro, punk, etc.), but you should also consider his appearance. How tall is he? What color are his eyes? What’s his hair style and color? Is he slim, fat, or muscular? Is he dark or pale? Knightwatch teams often need to move through the urban environment without drawing attention, and so aren’t required to wear the standard Watchman uniforms. ROLE. A character’s role is his typical position within the group dynamic. Of course, his level of enthusiasm can vary. Even Knights-Errant may despair of the cruelty of the modern world, and follow their oaths as little as possible. Other PCs may be less interested in justice than in the steady job and the money. KEY CORE VALUES AND SKILLS. This section lists the most frequently used core values and skills for a particular character concept. If you decide to combine multiple concepts for your character, like a Knight-Errant and Lister, you’ll need to decide what abilities your character focuses on mastering; see Sections 2.3 to 2.5 of the core rulebook. ASSETS. A character’s assets include other unusual abilities, as well as funds, resources, and networks. Each archetype has one asset that the PC can purchase more cheaply than other characters can. See Chapter 3: Assets for more info. 8 | TABLE 7.1: NEW ARCHETYPES Corporia_New_Hires_LSI_160305:Layout 1 3/5/16 4:08 PM Page 9 WEAPONS AND EQUIPMENT. Some archetypes are more suited to particular items. Sneaky characters are more likely to favor light, camouflage equipment and silent weapons, for instance, while street fighters might prefer heavy armor and loud but powerful firearms. See Chapter 4: Expenses of the core rules for more details. AUGMENTS. The term ‘augments’ is short for ‘augmentations’, which are biological, mechanical, nanotechnological, and similar improvements or additions to the human body. This section details some augments most common to a particular archetype. Review Section 2.4.11: Augments for further specifics. INSPIRATION. Feel free to imitate characters from comics, novels, movies, or television, within reason. This section provides examples you may know. SAMPLE STATISTICS BLOCK. Each sample archetype includes a statistics block. The first paragraph is a quick summary of general combat abilities for easy reference, while the following paragraphs list abilities, assets, augments, traits, and sample names. Corporia’s ‘stat block’ is much like those of other role-playing games, but with its own formatting. Don’t worry; using it will quickly become second nature! file Here’s a detailed look at each item in the Quick Reference combat summary: QR: INITIATIVE + [WIT + INSTINCT]; ATTACK + [STR + FISTICUFFS] UNARMED [DAMAGE FROM STR], + [STR + GETTING MEDIEVAL] MELEE [MELEE WEAPON DAMAGE], + [DFT + FIREARMS] RANGED, [RANGED WEAPON DAMAGE]; DEFENSE + [DFT + ATHLETICS –ANY ARMOR/SHIELD MODIFIERS]; DAMAGE REDUCTION VS MELEE/VS HIGH VELOCITY (RANGED)/VS ENERGY (ARMOR DESCRIPTION); MAXIMUM WOUND LEVEL [MTL X 2] Sa mp le And here’s that same summary again, but abbreviated with statistics: QR: INIT +5; ATK +6 UNARMED [3 STR], +6 MELEE [3 + 1D8 COM/BAT], +7 RANGED [2D6 PISTOL]; DEF +3 (5 – 2 ARMOR); DR 6/12/7 (MED MOD, SILKSKIN); WD 6 Headhunters are always on the lookout for new ‘archetypes.’ CHARACTER CREATION | 9 Corporia_New_Hires_LSI_160305:Layout 1 3/5/16 4:08 PM Page 10 “ Sa mp le file I’m the criminal you deserve. drone 7.2.2 “ Corporia_New_Hires_LSI_160305:Layout 1 3/5/16 4:08 PM Page 11 Sa mp le file Persons convicted of a crime are pledged to a mega-corporation for repayment, with the Drones, convicted criminals level of security (jail or e-monitoring) dependworking to pay off corporate ing on the offense. Each DRONE receives minidebt, often focus on: mum accommodations in a capsule hotel or industry prison facility, clothing appropriate Core Values: MTL, KNO to the dress code, and daily travel and food Skills: Crime, Fisticuffs, Getting allowances (deducted from wages). Ironically, citizens often commit worse crimes after Medieval becoming Drones. It begins in small ways, Archetypal Asset: Syndicate progressing until they are willing to sell body Other Assets: Network and soul to bring in extra unreported income Weapons: Fisticuffs, Knives on illegal ‘black cards.’ Once they work off the Armor: Light body, Suit Weave cost of the crime, they can leave or ask to be hired as a paid employee. Augments: Artificial Limb, BACKGROUND. Your character was sent to Eyephone+ prison or indentured to a mega-corp (select one from section 5.8.22|Mega-Corporations). This is usually because of debt, but other possibilities include shoplifting, damage to property, fraud, and embezzlement. It is illegal for former drones to own weapons. SIGNS AND PERSONALITY TRAITS. Cancer, Virgo, Libra, and Pisces are common. Many Drones are arrogant and boastful, but can also be brave, daring, and proud. NAMES. A Drone’s legal surname is that of his employer (e.g., Sam Globex). For example, Alan Vidserve is initially indebted to Vidserve, a subsidiary of the Akihabara Group. When transferred to Transmac, he becomes Alan Transmac. Persons with two jobs may hyphenate (e.g., Sam Globex-Government). Some businesses assign a single word or acronym, so that John, employed by Are You Smarter Than a Trillionaire, Inc., is John Trillionaire. LOOK. Drones wear what are referred to as ‘four-piece suits’, ranging from a brightly colored prison uniform to a three-piece suit, with some form of electronic restraint—and tracker—built into a locked ankle monitor. A Drone without this restraint can be punished with a sizable fee, so few ever ‘lose’ it. Drones often have one or more artificial limbs. ROLE. Drone PCs are indebted to another mega-corp (not Valyant) and serve as special informants, providing access to information and locations not normally available. Drones know how to contact black markets and criminal syndicates, either as a member or through an intermediary. Drones are usually decent melee fighters with the stamina to survive, though a few feel expendable and suicidal. INSPIRATION. For male Drones, think of Lincoln Buroughs (Prison Break), Randall ‘Memphis’ Raines (Gone in 60 Seconds), Jean Valjean (Les Misérables), as well as various characters from the Godfather or the Sopranos. For females, consider Galina "Red" Reznikov and the variety of other inmates from Orange is the New Black. SAMPLE DRONE QR: INIT +5; ATK +7 unarmed [3 STR + 3], +7 melee [3 + 1D8 com/bat], +4 ranged [2D6 pistol]; DEF +5; DR 3/2/1 (Hardened, Suit Weave); WD 6 Abilities: STR 3, Fisticuffs 4, Getting Medieval 4; DFT 2, Athletics 3, Firearms 2; MTL 3, Valor 0; KNO 2, Crime 3; WIT 3, Influence 2, Instinct 2+1; MGK 1 Assets: Bravado, Network 4, Prudent, Street Fighter; $6,500 Augments: EyePhone, EyePad, EyePhoto, Hardened Traits: Creative, Greedy, Skeptical; Enjoys violence Name: Jane Globex ARCHETYPE: THE DRONE | 11