Genefunk 2090

Genefunk 2090 A BIOPUNK WORLD MADE FOR

GeneFunk Game Designer: James Armstrong Editor: J. Boone Dryden Graphic Design and Layout: James Armstrong and Simeon Cogswell Cover Art: William Liberto and Trung Tin Shinji Variant Cover Art: Nate Artuz Interior Art: Nate Artuz, Abel Bardalez, Tony Carter, Cazrael, Shredder Dima, Shai Daniel, Wesley Gardner, William Liberto, Enmanuel Martinez, Eddie Mendoza, Brad Maesa, Hoang Nguyen, Trung Tin Shinji, Sonnaz, Dean Spencer Chase Rules: adapted under CC from Geek Related (geekrelated.com) Creative Consultants: Mike Armstrong, Rafael Dreher, Mark Grover, Jaimie Mack, Carson McGorry, William Poole, Brian Shiel, David Winburn Custom Genomes: Robert McCavanagh (Coelhomortos) Chance Prestie (OsaLaska) Brian Shiel (Leviathan) Custom NPCS: Mike Armstrong, Sean Armstrong, Guillaume Carmes, Scott Dudiak, Dreyton Far, Mark Grover, Reed Houle, Andrew Jensen, Tor Oscar Worren 2090 Playtesting: 0) Jeremy Cannon, Joe Lorer, Eben McCrea, Jared Paddock 1) Bryce Holcomb, Jeff Mac, Devin Martyniuk 2) Mike Armstrong, Aaron Bell, Ryan Bruce, Kiara Calladine, Meghan Carr, Andrew Demoline, Mark Grover, Reed Houle, Robbie Keith, Landon Perlett 3) Alex Curtis, DeltaCodex, Andrew Jackson, Mail 540, Joshua McDermott, William Poole, Chance Prestie, Cruise Slater, Scott Tulloch, Phillip Tyrson, David White, Andrew Wright 4) Ron Beament, Elijah Booth, Bronwyn Burr, Sam Hallett, Tyris Roberts, Ozzy Sanderson, Aimee Varga 5) All the wonderful Discord folk! Molecular Mentor: Dr. Neil Chilton RPG Godfather: Denis Benard Printing: Friesens (www.friesens.com), One Printers Way, Altona, MB, R0G 0B0, Canada ISBN: 978-1-9992765-0-8 First Printing: January, 2020 Publisher: CRISPR Monkey Studios

Contents Introduction....................................................4 Timeline .........................................................5 Chapter 1: Character Creation ..........................11 Backgrounds........................................................12 Make Your Own................................................12 Academic .........................................................12 Artist................................................................13 Ideologue .........................................................14 Investigator ......................................................15 Military Veteran .............................................. 16 Outlaw .............................................................17 Religious Disciple ............................................ 19 Slum Dog ........................................................20 Stargazer ..........................................................21 Technician....................................................... 22 Trust Fund Kid................................................. 23 Generating Ability Scores.................................... 24 Character Development....................................... 25 Beyond 1st Level.................................................. 25 Multiclassing ...................................................... 26 Feats ................................................................... 28 Chapter 2: Genomes .......................................33 Engineered ......................................................... 34 Canary............................................................. 35 Coelhomortos.................................................. 36 Companion...................................................... 37 Espion............................................................. 38 Eucypher......................................................... 38 Feral................................................................ 39 Leviathan........................................................40 OsaLaska..........................................................41 Sherlock.......................................................... 42 Spartan - Infantry ............................................ 43 Spartan - Naiad................................................ 43 Spartan - Wraith.............................................. 44 Titan................................................................ 44 Traceur............................................................ 45 Mutts.................................................................. 46 Genetic Enhancements Table........................... 47 Genetic Flaws Table ......................................... 48 Optimized........................................................... 57 Transhuman ....................................................... 58 Unmodified ........................................................60 Chapter 3: Classes ..........................................63 Biohacker ........................................................... 65 Cytomancer..................................................... 67 Dr. Frankenstein..............................................68 Protean Grinder...............................................69 Codehacker..........................................................71 Cracker............................................................ 73 Puppeteer........................................................ 74 Synergist......................................................... 75 Crook.................................................................. 76 Dealer ............................................................. 79 Hitman.............................................................81 Robber .............................................................81 Engineer ............................................................. 83 Gadgeteer........................................................86 Gearhead......................................................... 87 Roboticist........................................................88 Gunfighter ...........................................................91 Gunslinger ...................................................... 93 Sniper ............................................................. 93 Soldier ............................................................94 Hardcase............................................................. 95 Damage Sponge...............................................99 Gangster..........................................................99 Unarmed Fighter ........................................... 100 Samurai............................................................ 102 Suit................................................................... 107 Commander ................................................... 113 G-Man............................................................ 113 Shark ............................................................. 114 Chapter 4: Goods and Services .......................117 Starting Equipment............................................ 118 Armor................................................................ 118 Weapons............................................................ 123 Gear...................................................................134 Services .............................................................139 Drugs.................................................................142 Poison................................................................144 Vehicles .............................................................146 Robots and AI .................................................... 151 Chapter 5: Upgrades......................................155 Bioware Upgrades Table ..................................... 157 Cybernetic Upgrades Table .................................158 Daemon Upgrades Table.....................................163 Chapter 6: Daemons..................................... 165 Chapter 7: Using Ability Scores..................... 169 Ability Scores and Modifiers.............................. 169 Advantage and Disadvantage............................. 169 Proficiency Bonus ............................................. 169 Ability Checks....................................................170 Contests.............................................................170 Skills .................................................................170 Using Each Ability ............................................. 172 Saving Throws ................................................... 177 Chapter 8: Completing Contracts................... 179 Cadres................................................................179 Mosaic ...............................................................179

Cadre Formation and Recruitment .....................179 Taking Contracts ............................................... 180 Mosaic Score...................................................... 181 Lifestyle............................................................. 181 Inspiration.........................................................182 Movement .........................................................183 Chases ...............................................................185 The Environment...............................................187 Falling............................................................187 Suffocating.....................................................187 Vision, Light, and the Senses...........................187 Food and Water ..............................................188 Interacting with Objects .................................188 Resting ..............................................................188 Story Hooks ...................................................... 190 Chapter 9: Combat ....................................... 193 The Order of Combat..........................................193 Suprise...........................................................193 Initiative ........................................................193 Your Turn .......................................................193 Reactions .......................................................194 Movement and Position .....................................194 Actions in Combat..............................................196 Making an Attack...............................................197 Attack Rolls ....................................................197 Unseen Attackers and Targets.........................198 Ranged Attacks ..............................................198 Melee Attacks.................................................198 Cover .................................................................199 Damage and Healing..........................................199 Vehicle Combat................................................. 203 Underwater Combat.......................................... 205 Chapter 10: Hacking .................................... 207 Running a Hack ................................................ 207 Hack Lists ......................................................... 210 Hack Descriptions..............................................212 Chapter 11: Brave New World........................ 245 The Syndicates .................................................. 245 Aegis and World Peace ....................................... 251 Confederated Trade Blocs ...................................252 Megacities .........................................................254 The Argos Effect.................................................255 Cyberspace........................................................ 256 Immortality .......................................................261 Biotech Revolution............................................ 263 Themes to Explore ............................................ 269 Chapter 12: Non-Player Characters................ 273 Challenge Rating 1 /8–2....................................... 278 Challenge Rating 3–7.........................................290 Challenge Rating 8–17 ....................................... 294 Appendix A: Conditions ............................... 298 Appendix B: Bots .........................................300 Appendix C: Bioengineered Bestiary..............302 Appendix D: Corporate Logos........................308 License .......................................................309 Character Sheet ........................................... 310

Introduction I magine a world in the distant future, 2090: where technology has entirely shaped the very essence of human nature, and where fiscal interests, the international arms race, and consumerism have entirely shaped that same technology. This is the world of GeneFunk 2090. Supercomputer in your Bloodstream The human condition as a whole has become something somewhat different. Almost every single human has been modified to have a powerful supercomputer coded directly into their DNA and physiology, one that has merged with their consciousness. The internet has become as real as the physical world, and hackers have become manipulators of the very stuff of the human psyche, probing and rearranging memory and mind the way a potter molds clay. Plasticity of Genes and Form Large sections of the human population have had their genes chosen before birth to breed success, while others have had foreign DNA included to produce wholly different physical traits that were once thought inhuman. On top of all the innate genetic tweaking, individuals modify themselves through cyberware surgeries and biohacks, to the point where some are considered entirely “posthuman”. Violent, Shallow, and Unequal Multinational corporations have gobbled each other up, producing ever larger entities until only nine remain, each of which is a superpower bigger than most of the world’s countries. Corporate executives have the power to shatter entire governments in the name of their company’s share value and their own ambition. Gangs and organized crime saturate every urban environment. This world, bloated from overpopulation and consumer greed, has become one of the most violent eras in human history. The rich segregate themselves from the poor, and the tension caused by this wealth gap is causing the world to burst at the seams. Virtual Immortality Recent innovations have allowed the rich to undergo a process that maps their entire nervous system, connectome, endocrine complement, DNA and gene expression, and every other feature relevant to the human mind. This digitization of consciousness allows the world’s wealthy and powerful to essentially live forever, switching from one bioengineered shell to another as they see fit. Cadre of Professionals You and your allies are a cadre, a lean start-up corporation that specializes in investigation, intelligence, protection, and violence. To keep their hands clean, the syndicates often outsource this kind of work to smaller outfits, like yours. Your cadre’s skill set is in high demand in this intrigue-filled world, being sought after by mega-corporations, nation-states, organized crime, or wealthy individuals. As an autonomous entity, your cadre of elite agents takes contracts as you see fit, navigating the shadows of corporate espionage and savagery with competence and panache. 4 // Introduction //

// GeneFunk 2090 // 5 Introduction Timeline What follows is an abbreviated account of some import - ant technological and political events that occurred n between now and the time the game takes place. 2030 -2040 Genetic Revolution. Genetically optimized “design - er” babies start to appear among the world’s financial elite. The Genome Accord, a document forbidding any modification of the human genome using non-human DNA, is approved by the United Nations. Aegis System Inception. In 2038, a terrorist group launches a ballistic nuclear missile from Liberia aimed at the USA. Luckily, the missile malfunctions and det - onates 150 kilometers from the American East coast in the Atlantic Ocean. In 2039, with the help of other countries, the USA spearheads Aegis, a network of sat - ellites armed with particle beam weapons. These satel - lites are able to destroy threats such as enemy aircraft, sea vessels and missiles, from orbit. Fuel Breakthrough. The energy efficiency of hy - drogen fuel cells breaks a threshold where it becomes economically viable enough to change the fuel station infrastructure and mass-produce fuel cell vehicles. By 2040, 1/20 of all of the earth’s land vehicles are pow - ered by hydrogen fuel cells. Biometrics Ubiquity. Facial, retinal, vocal, and DNA recognition is incorporated into most security systems and government identification methods. Brain-Computer Interface. Seamless brain-comput - er interfaces (BCIs) are developed and mass-marketed. These devices can be worn as earpieces, headgear, or collars, and they begin to replace keyboards, mice, and even monitors to some extent with the assistance of heads-up display goggles and contact lenses. It allows for data to be perceived in the user’s field of vision rath - er than on a monitor, revolutionizing communications and the video game industry. Drone Delivery Ubiquity. Delivery companies start using drones more often than not for smaller items. Rise of 3D Printing. 3D printing starts to become widespread and mainstream as a method of creating perfectly proportioned modular parts for both indus - trial and biological applications. Universal Translator. A real-time universal trans - lation of all of the world’s major languages becomes a regular feature on phones. By the end of the decade, communication between people speaking different languages becomes a non-issue, and by 2090, the translators are able to recognize all known languages and reproduce the speaker’s voice and translate tone relatively well.

6 // Introduction // 2041-2050 Global Pandemic. In 2043, a massive avian influenza pandemic sweeps across the world, killing 5% of the global population. Based on genetic analysis, it is thought to be ancient, released from melting icecaps. A vaccine is developed by Omnitech researchers in a matter of months after the initial outbreak, putting an end to the pandemic. Economic Crash. The hysteria, riots, and chaos during the time surrounding the flu pandemic are monumental, causing economies to crash. To boost the world’s devastated post-plague economy, anti-trust laws are temporarily waived by most countries, and businesses are given many governmental incentives. Everything takes a back seat to rebuilding the economy. The Corporate Wars. A period of cutthroat competition between MNCs (multinational corporations) during the post-plague years begins. This competition to absorb other companies and dominate international trade turns violent and causes countless small-scale skirmishes, assassinations, and orchestrated proxy wars through sovereign nations. During its most intense periods, it drastically affects politics around the world. Over the next 20 years, almost all smaller companies end up being annexed or acquired by 9 megacorporations, or syndicates, who finally come to agreements with each other in 2063, creating a global oligopoly. Medical Revolution. A series of important developments in nanotechnology and biotechnology revolutionize medicine. New tissues and organs can be made to order, nerve damage can be repaired and almost all diseases can be cured. By 2045, cures have been found for AIDS and most types of cancer. Sleep Switch. Sleep-deprived people everywhere benefit from a device that activates the “sleep switch” in the brain, causing deep slumber to commence within minutes of the device’s activation. The same device can also ensure operators of heavy machinery do not fall asleep and remain awake. Aegis System Completed. A basic orbital satellite Aegis system is fully operational in 2049, protecting all its member countries from invasions and ballistic missile attacks. Transgenic Discrimination. Despite the Genome Accord, transgenic humans are created by many syndicates for cheap efficient labor, or as super soldiers. This first occurs in China and Russia, but many other countries allow companies to do this once it proves to be successful. Many are made to be sterile or infertile and are often treated as subhuman. Driverless Ubiquity. By the end of the decade, almost all cars are driverless, and many countries start to put heavier restrictions on humans driving cars. 2051-2060 Transgenic Rights. Transgenic humans around the world start to demand universal human rights, fueling riots and armed standoffs. In 2051, the UN and its member countries declare that transgenic humans have the same legal and political rights as naturally born people. Despite these measures, transgenic humans remain the targets of violence from religious fundamentalists who see them as unnatural. Genoism. A new term emerges to describe bigotry towards transgenic people, and favoritism towards genetically optimized people. Despite being illegal in most countries, genetic tests are illicitly obtained during hiring processes, court cases, and even the dating scene. Transcontinental Russian-American Railway. The Bering Express is completed—a 103-kilometer underground high-speed railroad that connects Chukotka (Russia) to Alaska (USA). BCI Becomes the New Phone. Brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) make keyboards, mouses, monitors, and smartphones obsolete. Images generated by the BCI directly manifest in the user’s field of vision, dispensing of the use of even VR goggles or contact lenses. Senses beyond mere audio and visual can now be activated digitally, allowing for touch, taste, and smell sensations. People start to refer to BCIs as “phones” as older smartphones lose market share. Age of Cyborgs. Fully functioning prosthetic limbs, eyes, and ears are mass-produced and relatively easy to obtain for those that require them. Though expensive, it becomes possible to have elective surgeries to incorporate prosthetic body parts that are superior to the originals—thus begins the age of cyborgs. Ubiquity of Artificial Intelligence. Robots become increasingly popular among businesses, governments, and the wealthy to act as secretaries, assistants, care workers, and soldiers. Automated and remote-control drone pilots almost completely replace traditional pilots for combat aircraft and tanks. Self-Repairing Synthetics. Automobiles and other impact-prone machinery are constructed with “smart” alloys and synthetics in their outer layer that naturally return to their original shape over time without repair. Unification of Korea. In 2054, North Korea is peacefully reunited with South Korea after a complete collapse of North Korea’s economy and a public revolt. The new unified Korea suffers the expected economic Genomes Classes Goods and Services Upgrades Daemons Completing Contracts Combat Brave New World NPCs Appendices Intro Character Creation Hacking Ability Scores

// GeneFunk 2090 // 7 drain as South Korea’s wealth is partially reallocated to the integration of North Korea’s population. Many of the alienated soldiers and secret service of former North Korea constitute a new mafia, one of the world’s largest crime syndicates. Private Army Reaches One Million. By 2057, Ronin International, the biggest PMC (private mercenary company) achieves a near-monopoly, and including its subsidiaries, has an active roster of over one million soldiers. Vegan Bioterror. An animal rights terrorist group enacts a plot involving weaponized alpha-gal being put into several major cattle and pig processing plants, resulting in hundreds of thousands of people developing allergies to red meat. Moon Base. In 2059, a permanent international moon base called Luna Armstrong is established as a center for scientific research, with plans for including tourism in the future. 2060-2070 Creation of the World Digital Sea. As coders make more sophisticated VR programs that cater to all five senses through BCI phones, a new information platform emerges that specializes in the storage and placement of these shared hallucinations. Programmers at Omnitech create the World Digital Sea (WDS) as an infrastructure made specifically for interfacing with these new holistic VR apps and programs. This user-friendly environment is designed to simulate the real world, and data is accessed spatially and has virtual 3D locations. The WDS becomes the preferred way of using the internet for people seeking social or cinematic experiences. The World Wide Web remains popular and can be accessed while in the digital sea. As years progress, so does the sophistication and vividness of the WDS, to the point that some incarnations are indistinguishable from reality. Robot Relationships. Androids that appear and act uncannily human start to take the place of more primitive, boxy-looking or uncanny valley models. This also creates a very large consumer market for androids as sex toys, and even life partners. Towards the end of the decade, some countries allow robot marriage. Space Elevator. In 2061, construction begins on “The Beanstalk”, a 1 km base tower with an attached tether reaching up to a space station in orbit. The project is completed by 2067, and it allows for the easy delivery of satellites and space exploration vessels beyond earth’s atmosphere. Within the coming decades, space stations are set up orbiting Mars, Titan, and Europa. Anti-Trust Laws Reinstituted. In 2063, to maintain Pareto efficiency and stop cartels from forming, anti-trust laws are re-instituted in most countries, prohibiting collusion, price-fixing or further mergers and acquisitions. By this time, 9 multinational corporations completely dominate global business, yet still compete with each other. They are dubbed “the syndicates”. Weaponization of Aegis System. A series of motions are carried that allow the Aegis System to include weaponized satellites to defend member nations, and orbital particle beam and mass driver satellites are launched and activated throughout the decade. Almost every country seeks Aegis membership, fearing the consequences of being excluded. This is hailed by many as the “end of war”, or the “end of history”. Specialized Police Forces. Due to the especially dangerous nature of enhanced cyborg and genetically modified criminals, special police forces similar to SWAT are formed.

8 // Introduction // Bushido Culture. A subsidiary of Ronin, Bushido, develops an advanced mercenary training program emphasizing complete loyalty to a contract, contravening the duplicitous reputation of mercenary corporations. The graduates and employees of this subsidiary company are known as samurai and have become the most sought-after and elite mercenaries on the planet. Enchanted Forest. A large area of forest in the Peruvian Amazon, protected by mountains, is found to contain hundreds of incredible and dangerous transgenic flora and fauna. Its originator remains a mystery, though it is suspected that unofficial business by Apollo Laboratories has something to do with it. The forest, called Bosque Oscuro by the locals, has become a hotbed of illicit biohacking experiments and drug manufacturing. Attempts to control the forest by law enforcement have all been fruitless and have resulted in many mysterious deaths. Fountain of Youth. Life-prolonging science reaches an apex when Apollo Laboratories develops molecular techniques that produce “immorbidity”; aka immortality. Age can no longer kill someone if they are rich enough to afford a subscription to the monthly treatments, and aging can even be reversed to a great extent. Daemons Become Internal Doctors. In addition to being an internal computer and phone, daemon nanobot complements start to include medicinal components as different daemon manufacturers compete for market share. By the end of the 2070’s, it becomes the norm for daemons to include these medicinal nanobots. They aid in tissue repair and immune system function and have diagnostic elements that can monitor and regulate personal health, including hormone Lunar Tourism. By 2070, Luna Armstrong opens as a tourist destination for the rich, and is capable of sustaining up to 500 tourists in luxury accommodations. Hybrid air/space shuttles are produced that are able to leave and enter the earth’s atmosphere as well as land on and take off from the moon. Nanobot Revolution. Technological developments allow for programmable nanobots that can perform specific processes at a microscopic or even molecular level. These nanobots are used industrially in the creation and maintenance of near-perfect constructions. This effectively allows mechanical objects to “heal” damage, as the native nanobot colony recognizes defects, and can restore the object to its original condition. 2071-2080 Internal Nanocomputers (Daemons). In the early 2070’s, Omnitech develops and markets an internal nanocomputer that is created and maintained by a complement of different nanobots. These nanobots lay down a network of carbon nanotube filaments throughout the user’s entire body, from the tips of the fingers and toes to the depths of the brain. They also create several processing cores throughout the brain and belly, constituting the network’s CPU. Finally, a DNA computer is encoded directly into the user’s genome, allowing for powerful parallel computing. The capabilities of this new computer greatly overshadow even the most sophisticated BCIs. Market share is initially low, but by the end of the decade, they begin to displace BCIs as the main personal computer. It is not long before these internal computers become the new “phone”. The term “daemon” is used to refer to these internal computers, and it catches on in the public. VR Prisons. To save money and space, many prisons house prisoners in small pods, where they are immersed in a closed network VR environment for the duration of their sentence. Nanobots prevent the prisoners' muscles and bodies from atrophy. Underwater Settlements. Wide-scale work stations and housing projects are developed in oceans, lakes, and seas. Atlantis, the largest of these communities, is based on mining, tourism, and scientific research and was created off the coast of Brazil. It provides homes and jobs for over 3,000 people. Mind Hacks. The first “mind hacks” start to appear. Because of the intimate relationship that now exists between a person’s mind and their daemon, hackers are able to manipulate thought processes, emotions, and other bodily functions. This is immediately declared a capital offense by almost every country, and carries stiff penalties, even extending into execution. Genomes Classes Goods and Services Upgrades Daemons Completing Contracts Combat Brave New World NPCs Appendices Intro Character Creation Hacking Ability Scores

// GeneFunk 2090 // 9 Telepresence Sports. What started as daemon-controlled drone racing has expanded into a variety of other sports with remote-controlled automata as the athletes. Fighting with giant mechs and bioengineered beasts with remote human piloting are very popular in certain parts of the world. Uploading Consciousness. In 2086, a research team working for Hexie performs the first successful copy of a human consciousness from a biotic human brain to a computer matrix in a prosthetic body. The owner of the original consciousness was a terminally ill patient who wished to live longer, and the copying occurred mere hours before his death. The copy of this man reports that he feels like he is the same person and feels “human”. The world’s religious, social, and philosophical thinkers debate furiously about the implications of this new technology and the ways to deal with someone’s copied consciousness. In 2087, international laws are enacted to prevent the activation of a copied human consciousness while the original, or another copy, is still alive. Almost all countries follow suit by enacting their own laws restricting this behavior with severe punishments. Most countries' legal systems consider a copied consciousness, dubbed “psychomimes”, to be people. While most nations grant psychomimes the same rights and duties as any other person, some countries consider them just another program and grant no rights at all. Many religions consider them soulless. Phoenix Unlimited. In 2086, a subsidiary of Hexie called Phoenix Unlimited offers a service of making monthly copies of your consciousness, to be activated in a VR world or prosthetic body of your choosing upon your death. The psychomimes are free to explore the WDS or be infused into a prosthetic body at a later time of their choosing. The technology is extremely expensive and abhorrent to many. The mind digitization process is the most coveted and heavily guarded trade secret on the planet, with all of the other syndicates vying to reverse engineer it. By 2090, Phoenix Unlimited has registered over 120,000 human minds within its mainframe’s VR worlds. World Population. There are over 11 billion people on earth by 2090. levels and gene expression. As a result, mortality plunges, and people are able to heal from even very serious injuries in just a day or two. 2081-2090 Daemon Market Saturation. By the early 2080s, despite the dangers of mind hacks, daemons achieve complete market saturation, with outlying holdouts who refuse to get one being considered neo-luddites. The Second Corporate Wars. The tensions between the big 9 syndicates begin to rise again as they start to seek dominance over one another, with violence escalating even more quickly and extremely than the first corporate wars. Wealth Inequality. The stratification between rich and poor is staggeringly high, which has been exacerbated by genetic and social stratification. Though absolute poverty is low, wealth inequality has never been higher. Violence. Subsidiaries vying for market share hack, bomb, sabotage, and assassinate their competitors or even up their own corporate ladder. A great deal of bloodshed occurs through proxy agents like organized crime, gangs, and mercenaries. The wealth inequality also fuels violence, with gangland shootings and territorial disputes becoming so common that they barely even register as news. It is considered to be the most violent peacetime era in human history. Rise of Cadres. Cadres are small start-up corporations or groups of individuals that take syndicate money to perform tasks either too small or too politically dangerous for the megacorps to undertake. Very often the work involves intelligence, violence, or theft. Their niche is acting as proxy agents for the syndicates, providing a way for the syndicates to keep their hands clean. Many consider cadres to be little more than glorified gangs, but their role in the corporate ecosystem is undeniable. Mosaic Cadre App. A subsidiary of Ronin International called Mosaic develops an app for cadres that becomes the industry standard. It mediates contract negotiations, has a cadre ranking system, and functions as a platform for recruiting new members.

// 11 GeneFunk 2090 // 1. Choose your Genome Select one of the following genomes: Engineered. (pg. 34-46) Canary (pg. 35-36) Coelhomortos (pg. 36-37) Companion (pg. 37-38) Espion (pg. 38) Eucypher (pg. 38-39) Feral (pg. 40) Leviathan (pg. 40-41) OsaLaska (pg. 41-42) Sherlock (pg. 42-43) Spartan – Infantry (pg. 43) Spartan – Naiad (pg. 43-44) Spartan – Wraith (pg. 44) Titan (pg. 44-45) Traceur (pg. 45-46) Mutts. (pg. 46-57) Optimized. (pg. 57-58) Transhuman. (pg. 58-59) Unmodified. (pg. 60-61) 2. Generate Ability Scores Choose one of the methods below, described further on page 24, and then apply modifiers from your genome: Specialized. 15, 15, 14, 10, 8, 8 Stratified. 15, 14, 13, 12, 10, 8 Balanced. 14, 14, 13, 12, 10, 10 Odd Heavy. 14, 13, 13, 13, 13, 8 Even Heavy. 14, 14, 14, 12, 10, 8 Random. 4d8, discard the lowest two dice, six times. 3. Choose your Background Select one of the following backgrounds, or make your own: Make your own. (pg.12) Academic. (pg. 12-13) Artist. (pg. 13-14) Ideologue. (pg. 14-15) Investigator. (pg. 15-16) Military Veteran. (pg. 16-17) Outlaw. (pg. 17-18) Religious Disciple. (pg. 19-20) Slum Dog. (pg. 20-21) Stargazer. (pg. 21-22) Technician. (pg. 22-23) Trust Fund Kid. (pg. 23-24) 4. Choose your Class Select one of the following classes (and archetypes if you are level 3+): Biohacker. (pg. 65-70) Cytomancer (pg. 67-68) Dr. Frankenstein (pg. 68) Protean Grinder (pg. 69-70) Codehacker. (pg. 71-76) Cracker (pg. 73-74) Puppeteer (pg. 74-75) Synergist (pg. 75-76) Crook. (pg. 76-83) Dealer (pg. 79-81) Hitman (pg. 81) Robber (pg. 81-83) Engineer. (pg. 83-90) Gadgeteer (pg. 86-87) Gearhead (pg. 87-88) Roboticist (pg. 88-90) Gunfighter. (pg. 91-95) Gunslinger (pg. 93) Sniper (pg. 93-94) Soldier (pg. 94-95) Hardcase. (pg. 95-101) Damage Sponge (pg. 99) Gangster (pg. 99-100) Unarmed Fighter (pg. 100-101) Samurai. (pg. 102-107) Suit. (pg. 107-115) Commander (pg. 113) G-Man (pg. 113-114) Shark (pg. 114-115) 5. Choose Equipment At First Level. Determined by your Background and Class. Beyond First Level. You gain additional starting money based on the table below. You can then spend the money on the gear, services, and upgrades described in Chapters 4 and 5. Chapter 1: Character Creation Level Cash Level Cash 1 — 11 シ 800,000 2 シ 25,000 12 シ1,000,000 3 シ 50,000 13 シ1,200,000 4 シ100,000 14 シ1,500,000 5 シ150,000 15 シ1,800,000 6 シ225,000 16 シ2,100,000 7 シ300,000 17 シ2,500,000 8 シ400,000 18 シ3,000,000 9 シ500,000 19 シ3,500,000 10 シ650,000 20 シ4,000,000 6. Character Details Fill in any of the remaining fields on your character sheet. Choose a name. Whatever sounds cool! Record your maximum hit points. Determined by your Class, Constitution modifier, and possibly other features. Record your initiative. Determined by your Dexterity modifier, possibly modified by other features. Record your speed. 9 base, possibly modified by other features. Record your Armor Class. Determined by your Dexterity modifier and/or armor, possibly modified by other features. Record your Damage Reduction. Determined by your armor, possibly modified by other features. Record your Proficiency Bonus. Determined by your level. Character Development Questions. Answer some or all of the questions on page 25 to flesh out your character. (pg. 25) 7. Design your Cadre Work with the other players to come up with the details of your cadre. (pg. 179) Record your Starting Mosaic Score. Determined by your level (pg. 180) I n the world of GeneFunk 2090, your character is a skilled mercenary, and along with a few other skilled mercenaries, you are owners of a small mercenary company called a cadre. Cadres take contracts from corporations, governments, crime syndicates, or individuals. These contracts may involve bodyguarding, couriering sensitive packages, espionage, investigation, assassination, heists, or any other number of dangerous and violent activities. What kind of character are you?

12 // 1. Character Creation // Backgrounds Every story has a beginning. Your character’s background reveals where you came from and how you became enmeshed in cadre work. It also describes your place in the world. Your gunfighter might have been a grizzled soldier or paid mercenary. Your suit could have been an academic or a wine entrepreneur. Your crook might have gotten by as a street magician or a prostitute. Choosing a background provides you with important story cues about your character’s identity. The most important question to ask about your background is, “What changed?” Why did you stop doing whatever your background describes and join a cadre? Where did you get the money to purchase your starting gear, or if you come from a wealthy background, why don’t you have more money? How did you learn the skills of your class? What sets you apart from ordinary people who share your background? The sample backgrounds in this chapter provide both concrete benefits (features, proficiencies, and languages) and roleplaying suggestions. Skill, Weapon, and Armor Proficiencies Each background gives a character proficiency in two skills, weapon groups, or armor groups. If a character would gain the same skill, weapon, or armor proficiency from two different sources (like class or genome), he or she can choose a different skill proficiency from their class list instead. Vocational Proficiency In addition to the proficiencies described above, each background also has an associated vocational proficiency, which describes general expertise associated with their profession. Vocational proficiency allows you to add your proficiency bonus to any task that is directly related to your background. If a task is covered by both a skill and vocational proficiency, you may add your proficiency bonus to your ability check twice. For example, if you choose the Artist background, and select painter as your art medium, you can add your proficiency bonus from both your Performance skill and your Artistic Talent vocational proficiency when making checks related to painting art. Likewise, if you choose the Ideologue background, and had proficiency in Persuasion, any Charisma (Persuasion) checks involving your Personal Ideology vocational proficiency would benefit from double your proficiency bonus. Additional Languages Everyone starts out being able to speak one language of their choice, but some backgrounds also allow characters to learn additional languages. Equipment Each background provides a package of starting equipment (in addition to the equipment provided by your class). Suggested Characteristics A background contains suggested personal characteristics based on your background. You can pick characteristics, roll dice to determine them randomly, or use the suggestions as inspiration for characteristics of your own creation. Customizing a Background You might want to tweak some of the features of a background so it better fits your character or the campaign setting. To customize a background, you can replace one feature with any other one, and choose a total of two skills, weapon groups, or armor groups, as well as one vocational proficiency. Alternatively, you can swap out one proficiency to learn two additional languages. Finally, choose two personality traits, one ideal, one bond, and one flaw. If you can’t find a feature that matches your desired background, work with your GM to create one. Sample Backgrounds What follows are some examples of backgrounds that players might have. Academic You spent years in university studying your discipline. Books, research, and learning the mysteries of human nature and the universe are your life. You likely have a masters or doctoral degree in some academic discipline, and you may have even been a professor. Proficiencies: Depending on your specialty (see below), pick two skills from the following: Bureaucracy, Life Science, Social Science, Physical Science, or Computers Vocational Proficiency: Academic Specialty Languages: Two of your choice Equipment: A vintage print of your favorite book, digital library of 100’s of books, glasses, and シ1,000 Genomes Classes Goods and Services Upgrades Daemons Brave New World NPCs Appendices Intro Character Creation Completing Contracts Combat Hacking Ability Scores

// GeneFunk 2090 // 13 Specialty To determine the nature of your academic training, roll a d8 or choose from the options in the table below. d8 Specialty d8 Specialty 1 Anthropologist 5 Literature Scholar 2 Biologist 6 Philosopher 3 Chemist 7 Physicist 4 Historian 8 Psychologist Feature: Research Focus You’ve spent thousands of hours on literature reviews, so your search-fu is excellent when it comes to finding primary sources of research. If you are looking for information even tangentially related to your specialty, you know exactly where to look and whom to speak to if you want to go deeper. Your GM might rule that the knowledge you seek is behind a paywall, or that it is in a classified database. Suggested Characteristics Academics are single-minded and conscientious, perhaps even obsessive, about their pursuit of knowledge and expertise in their subject area. d8 Personality Trait 1 Verbose. I always use academic jargon. 2 Enthusiastic. I always bring up the latest research I’ve been consuming. 3 Teacherly. I am a natural teacher of my discipline and try to help explain things. 4 Skeptical. I am a hardened skeptic. 5 Patient. I am slow to cast judgment and need to wait for evidence. 6 Curious. I am obsessed with mystery. 7 Nerdy. I am very awkward in social situations. 8 Career Minded. I’m incredibly ambitious and want to succeed at everything I do. d6 Ideal 1 Truth. As a species, we are the universe’s way to examine itself. 2 Humility. Knowing as much as you do, you realize how little you know. 3 Logic. There is an objective world out there, and feelings muddle it, you aim to avoid bias. 4 Diligence. You only get what you want by putting your nose to the grindstone. 5 Power. Knowledge is a powerful currency, and you seek it ravenously. 6 Evolution. Knowledge is a tool for growth, you use what you learn to improve yourself. d6 Bond 1 It is my duty to protect my mentor. 2 I know groundbreaking research that could upset the very foundations of society. 3 I am devoted to a library, university, or digital site. 4 My life’s work is a series of papers in a specific field. 5 I need to repay a major debt to a colleague. 6 I am deeply in student loan debt. d6 Flaw 1 My obsession with my research is unhealthy and all-consuming. 2 I have an attraction to all things grotesque and disturbing, and am amused rather than horrified at life’s dark things. 3 I would sell my own children to become a prestigious intellectual in my field. 4 I over-engineer solutions, focusing on the ingenious method rather than the goal. 5 I am blunt to the point of being obnoxious. 6 I can be arrogant and stubborn, especially relating to my field of study. Artist You are a creative spirit, who needs to produce art for an audience. While the details of your art form can vary, you are possessed by the creative muse to bring beauty and soul into this world. Bringing form to emotion and human experience is the essence of life for you. Proficiencies: Performance, and either Acrobatics for physical artists or Persuasion for visual or musical artists Vocational Proficiency: Artistic Talent Equipment: Supplies necessary to create your art (musical instrument, paints and canvasses, a portfolio, design software, etc.), a folder filled with fan mail, シ1,500 Medium Speciality An artist works in particular mediums to evoke pathos in the audience. Choose one to three mediums you work with, or roll on the table below to define your specialties. d10 Art Medium d10 Art Medium 1 Actor 6 Author 2 Painter 7 Poet 3 Comedian 8 Musician 4 Dancer 9 Director 5 Singer 10 Acrobat

14 // 1. Character Creation // d6 Bond 1 I have a rival that some think is better than me. I must destroy them. 2 Worldwide fame is my goal, no matter what. 3 Someone plagiarized my work, passing it off as their own. I will get revenge. 4 I am tight with a cohort of fellow performers and would do anything for them. 5 An AI is creating some amazing art, but it undermines human creativity; it must be deleted. 6 My magnum opus must be finished at all costs. d6 Flaw 1 I’m in it for the romantic opportunities, to my own detriment. 2 I take criticism far too personally. 3 My work is heavily inspired by another, perhaps it’s even derivative. 4 I’ve trash-talked some nasty individuals, and they want me dead. 5 I have extreme erratic mood swings. 6 My art is fueled by my dark and tragic past. Ideologue You have devoted your life to a specific cause, or ideology. It could be religious, political, or social in nature (or all three). All of your goals are in some way colored by your passion of this ideology, using it as a lens through which all truth must pass. Everything is a means to implement the goals of your worldview. You aren’t necessarily religious, but you pursue your doctrine with a religious zeal. Choose a specific religion or ideology when you select this background. It could be a specific political party, social movement, cause, world religion, or philosophy. Were you raised with these views or recruited along the way? Perhaps a mentor that you respect inducted you. Maybe you are even the leader of a small cell of revolutionaries, or a cult group devoted to the upcoming technological singularity. Perhaps you are a transgenic or AI rights activist, or an anti-transgenic zealot. Proficiencies: Intimidation, Social Science Vocational Proficiency: Personal Ideology Equipment: Symbol of your ideology (necklace, armband, tattoo), a manifesto or holy book of your ideology, シ1,000 Feature: Group Power As a collective, the devotees of your ideology are passionate about the cause and are enthusiastic about aidFeature: Limited Fame For anyone interested in your medium, you are something of a celebrity. People that recognize you are inclined to help you for free, and you have advantage on any Charisma checks made against them. Additionally, you can wrangle up a place to perform quite easily, as long as it is a venue appropriate to your medium. Variant: Professional Fighter Being a professional fighter has elements of performance, and you are trained to make the arts of combat into a spectacle the crowd can enjoy, right down to the smack talk during press conferences and weigh-ins. Using your Limited Fame feature, you can find a place to perform in highlights combat for entertainment— perhaps in an octagon, arena or secret pit-fighting club. You can replace Acrobatics with Athletics. Suggested Characteristics Artists are exemplars of affect, intuitively knowing the deep code to human emotion. They can pull on heartstrings, bring tears to eyes, or enrage the audience. They tend to appreciate beauty and the wonder in the world. d8 Personality Trait 1 Emo. I always bring up my feelings and ask how others are feeling. 2 Narcissist. I love to be the center of attention. 3 Shy. While I’m confident when I perform, I tend to be introverted outside of my performances. 4 Humorous. I love witty banter and roasting people. 5 Elitist. I think people who don’t appreciate art are dead inside and aren’t really conscious. 6 Perfectionist. I am my own harshest critic. 7 Depressive. If I don’t produce art, I get sad. 8 Flakey. I am flighty and dance from idea to idea. d6 Ideal 1 Beauty. My art is a paraphrase of the wonder already present in the world. 2 Imagination. Bringing novelty into the world is our role as a species. 3 Pride. My art is fueled by my ego, I must show the world that I am the best. 4 Greed. Riches and fame? Yes please. 5 Service. It’s all about my fans, truly. 6 Honesty. Art is truth, truth is art. Genomes Classes Goods and Services Upgrades Daemons Brave New World NPCs Appendices Intro Character Creation Completing Contracts Combat Hacking Ability Scores

// GeneFunk 2090 // 15 d6 Ideals 1 Purity. We shouldn’t be swayed by temptations that would compromise our beliefs. 2 Charity. We should always try to help those in need, no matter what the personal cost. 3 Passion. Endless energy can spring forth from conviction. 4 Honesty. I only tell the truth in almost every circumstance. 5 Faith. I trust in my mentors, my other peers, and my gut. 6 Aspiration. I’m not a perfect follower of my dogma, but I am always becoming more devout. d6 Bond 1 I would die (or kill) to see my cause achieved. 2 Someone deeply betrayed the cause, and I need to take care of them. 3 I need to make enough money to fund a specific goal of my doctrine. 4 I would do anything for the person who first opened my eyes to the truth. 5 The local cell of my movement is my family, and I do what I can to help them. 6 There is an opposing ideology out there, and I need to fight it wherever it surfaces. d6 Flaw 1 I can’t help but be harsh towards nonbelievers, treating them unfairly. 2 My belief in my cause can make me blind and foolish. 3 I put my ideology before myself and my loved ones. 4 I will relentlessly try to destroy anything that opposes my views. 5 I judge members of my own beliefs especially harshly and will punish any deviation from orthodoxy. 6 I need to constantly signal my devotion and virtue. Investigator Investigators are responsible for solving crimes after the fact or determining if there even is a crime in the first place. You might be a police officer, private detective, corporate intelligence agent, insurance fraud investigator, or any other trade that involves uncovering potentially illegal mysteries. Proficiencies: Insight, Investigation ing any ally that promotes the one true way. You can call upon your group to provide shelter, protection, or to harass and attack your enemies, or provide information about them. Of course, sometimes this requires you to somehow advance the cause in return. Suggested Characteristics Ideologues are engaged, passionate, and righteous. Their characteristics tend to be geared towards zealotry, collective effervescence, and propagation of their world view. d8 Personality Trait 1 Evangelical. I am evangelical about my cause, injecting it into every conversation I can. 2 Spartan. I tend to be a minimalist; material things are distractions from the cause. 3 Closed-minded. I get angry with anyone who questions my world view. 4 Sycophantic. I admire a leader of my movement and often quote their teachings and ideas. 5 Persuasive. I persuade others to my beliefs by playing to their desires. 6 Kin-focused. While my ideology is essential to me, friends and family come first. 7 Opportunistic. I aim to turn my cadre into an instrument for my cause, ideally willingly. 8 Idealist. I’m a true optimist, believing the world is progressing towards my doctrine.

16 // 1. Character Creation // d6 Ideal 1 Utilitarianism. The ends justify the means, always. 2 Punishment. Rules are there for a reason, and violators get what’s coming to them. 3 Justice. Life is unfair, but I try to tip the scales in the right direction. 4 Power. Being an enforcer in the system is the best way to avoid being the victim of that system. 5 Truth. Investigation is about solving mysteries and bringing truth to light. 6 Service. I serve my contract, city, country, corporation, or agency with everything I have. d6 Bond 1 My honor is my life. 2 An unsolved case forever haunts me. 3 My partner was killed in the line of duty, and I need to avenge them. 4 I know someone is guilty of the vilest of crimes, but they got off scot-free. 5 I still owe a debt to my old colleagues if they ever call on me. 6 I have a soft spot for any victim who can’t defend themselves. d6 Flaw 1 I am uncompromising to the extreme in my application of the rules. 2 I am hypocritical and break the same laws I enforce. 3 I abuse my power, using my position for my own benefit. 4 I am sadistic, and when I get a chance to punish others, I enjoy it immensely. 5 I follow the letter of the law and am blind to the intention of the law. 6 I am ruthless. Military Veteran You’ve spent years working within a military operation. You’ve seen battle and bloodshed, and you have been trained and disciplined within your unit to be a lethal killer. Work with your GM to determine the specific military outfit you worked for. Was it a standing army, a coast guard, or a militia? Or it might have been a syndicate’s private army or a Ronin mercenary company. Proficiencies: Choose two from Athletics, Drive, Medium Armor, and Ranged Martial Weapons Vocational Proficiency: Military Procedures Equipment: An insignia of rank, a uniform, シ1,000 Vocational Proficiency: Interrogation Equipment: A uniform in the style of your unit and indicative of your rank, a set of handcuffs, シ1,000 Feature: Seasoned Detective Your experience in enforcing the law and dealing with lawbreakers gives you a feel for local laws and criminals. You can easily spot and speak with law enforcement, and just as easily pick out the dens of criminal activity in a community, although you’re more likely to be welcome in the former locations rather than the latter. The GM might have law enforcement act more favorably towards you. Suggested Characteristics Investigators are motivated by duty and curiosity, the thrill of solving a riddle and ferreting out secrets. d8 Personality Trait 1 Perfectionist. I’m a consummate professional. 2 Somber. I’ve seen some dark shit in my day, and now I’m not exactly “carefree”. 3 Edgy. My gallows humor is as dark as it comes. 4 Ruthless. I prefer playing bad cop to good cop. 5 Cool. I’ve lost partners on the job, and now it takes a bit for me to warm up to my colleagues. 6 Violent. I use physical coercion, because it works and because it’s fun. 7 Patronizing. Catching people in lies is sublime. 8 Blunt. I have no time for pleasantries, I get right to the point. Genomes Classes Goods and Services Upgrades Daemons Brave New World NPCs Appendices Intro Character Creation Completing Contracts Combat Hacking Ability Scores

// GeneFunk 2090 // 17 d6 Ideal 1 Duty. When I have a mission, it gets done, end of story. 2 Friendship. When you’re in the shit, it’s just about the person next to you, that’s it. 3 Honor. Service has taught me the value of integrity and character in the face of hardship. 4 Power. The strong survive and prosper, the weak perish. 5 Pacifism. I’ve seen enough death for a lifetime, now I prefer to let people live if I have a choice. 6 Service. I serve my contract, city, country, corporation, or agency with everything I have. d6 Bond 1 I would still lay down my life for the people I served with. 2 Someone saved my life on the battlefield. To this day, I will never leave a friend behind. 3 My honor is my life. 4 I’ll never forget the crushing defeat my company suffered or the enemies who dealt it. 5 Those who fight beside me are those worth dying for. 6 I fight for those who cannot fight for themselves. d6 Flaw 1 The monstrous enemy we faced in battle still leaves me quivering with fear. 2 I have little respect for anyone who is not a proven warrior. 3 I made a terrible mistake in battle that cost many lives—and I would do anything to keep that mistake secret. 4 My hatred of my enemies is blind and unreasoning. 5 I obey the law, even if the law causes misery. 6 I’d rather eat my armor than admit when I’m wrong. Outlaw You have spent a large portion of your life making your living on the wrong side of the law. You are no stranger to theft, murder, fraud, and other felonies. Your motives could be some combination of profit, desperation, excitement, or power. You very likely are involved with organized crime of some sort, be it bratva, yakuza, triads, Sicilian mafia, or local gangs. Proficiencies: Intimidation, Streetwise Vocational Proficiency: Underworld Etiquette Equipment: A crowbar, prison tattoos, シ1,500 Specialty During your time as a soldier, you had a specific role to play in your unit or army. Your specialty will inform the scope of your Vocational Proficiency. Roll a d8 or choose from the options in the table below to determine your role: d8 Specialty d8 Specialty 1 Officer 5 Mechanic 2 Navy 6 Medic 3 Infantry 7 Military Police 4 Cavalry 8 Air Force Feature: Military Contact You still have a good relationship with an old buddy from your service years, and you can call upon them for help. Once per session, you can call upon the contact to recruit their expertise, abilities, resources, or knowledge, but they cannot be used to aid you in combat. Contacts are described in greater detail in Chapter 3: Classes. Suggested Characteristics Veterans are part of a band of brothers, they've served with men and women in battle, and have formed permanent ties with them. The horrors they've witnessed are just as much a part of them as the comradery and the discipline of their training. d8 Personality Trait 1 Fastidious. I’m always perfectly groomed. 2 Tense. I’m always acting as though a fight is about to happen. 3 High-strung. I’m a bit trigger happy, I’ve seen too many people die from acting too slow. 4 Storyteller. I’m constantly telling stories about my active duty. 5 Calm. I’m cool under pressure, and act like danger is no big deal. 6 Vulgar. I’m coarse in my demeanor and have barracks humor. 7 Arrogant. I tend to belittle people who have had a soft life. 8 Unkempt. I have a disheveled appearance, and only change clothes every few days.

18 // 1. Character Creation // d6 Ideals 1 Greed. Money first, everything else second. 2 Liberty. Laws are oppressive, no system has a right to tell me what to do. 3 Equity. I redistribute wealth to where it needs to go, the poor (and myself). 4 Principled. I may not follow the law, but there is another code I follow, the law of the streets. 5 Loyalty. I only break the law to benefit myself and my friends, who matter most to me. 6 Redemption. One day I plan to leave this lifestyle behind and settle down, maybe open up a shop. d6 Bond 1 There was a job that went sideways, and I was left for dead. Now I’m out for revenge. 2 I’m saving up to get my dying family member a Phoenix Unlimited subscription. 3 I’m in love with an AI, and I heard a new chip is being developed with sophisticated emotional code: it will be mine. 4 In order to be number one, I need to surpass or get rid of the competition. 5 I’ve committed a crime so serious, even I’m trying to hide it. 6 I am in deep with a criminal organization that won’t let me leave. d6 Flaw 1 I am very covetous of things my friends own. 2 I resent those that adhere too closely with law and do my best to sabotage them. 3 I leap headfirst into danger, with reckless abandon. 4 My cadre's contract objectives take a back seat to me getting rich if I see an opportunity. 5 I break rules even when they would benefit me. 6 I have no remorse or guilt. Specialty Within a criminal gang or similar criminal organization, individual members have particular specialties. How do you ply your illicit trade? Choose the role you played in your gangster life, or roll on the table below. d8 Specialty d8 Specialty 1 Dealer 5 Car Jacker 2 Burglar 6 Hired Killer 3 Enforcer 7 Pickpocket 4 Fence 8 Smuggler Feature: Shady Contact You know a guy or gal deeply embedded in the criminal underworld. This could be a fence, corrupt cop, getaway driver, hitman, burglar, drug dealer, pimp, prostitute, arms dealer, hacker, or any other person operating on the wrong side of the law. Once per session, you can call upon the contact to recruit their expertise, abilities, resources, or knowledge, but they cannot be used to aid you in combat. Contacts are described in greater detail in Chapter 3: Classes. Suggested Characteristics Outlaws tend to follow a different set of rules than society at large dictates. That doesn’t mean they are without scruples or sadistic, they simply don’t see the state as a final arbiter of what is right and wrong. They may even have their own rigid moral code. d8 Personality Trait 1 Vain. I always try to save face, and demand respect. 2 Aggressive. I act alpha in every situation, unless someone puts me in my place. 3 Calculating. I constantly size up everyone and everything, for threat level and value. 4 Optimistic. Conflicts are just business opportunities for me. 5 Cool. I try not to show emotions, and speak in level tones even in intense situations. 6 Professional. I am a professional and treat crime as a profession to be respected. 7 Opportunistic. I always am looking for opportunities to profit, side hustles are free money! 8 Vengeful. If someone disrespects me, I hold a deep grudge. Genomes Classes Goods and Services Upgrades Daemons Brave New World NPCs Appendices Intro Character Creation Completing Contracts Combat Hacking Ability Scores

// GeneFunk 2090 // 19 Suggested Characteristics Religious disciples are shaped by their experience in temples or other religious communities. Their study of the history and tenets of their faith and their relationships to temples, shrines, or hierarchies affect their mannerisms and ideals. Their flaws might be some hidden hypocrisy or heretical idea, or an ideal or bond taken to an extreme. d8 Personality Trait 1 Fanatical. I idolize a particular hero of my faith and constantly refer to that person’s deeds as example. 2 Diplomatic. I can find common ground between the fiercest enemies, empathizing with them and always working towards peace. 3 Superstitious. I see omens in every event and action. God tries to speak to us, we just need to listen. 4 Optimistic. Nothing can shake my optimistic attitude. 5 Devoted. I quote (or misquote) sacred texts and proverbs in almost every situation. 6 Intolerant. I am intolerant of other faiths and condemn the worship of other gods. 7 Hedonistic. I’ve enjoyed fine food, drink, and high society among my temple’s elite. 8 Sheltered. I’ve spent so long in the temple that I have little practical experience dealing with people in the outside world. d6 Ideals 1 Tradition. The ancient traditions of worship and sacrifice must be preserved and upheld. 2 Charity. I always try to help those in need, no matter what the personal cost. 3 Change. We must help bring about the changes the gods are constantly working in the world. 4 Power. I hope to one day rise to the top of my faith’s religious hierarchy. 5 Faith. I trust that my deity will guide my actions, I have faith that if I work hard, things will go well. 6 Aspiration. I seek to prove myself worthy of my god’s favor by matching my actions against their teachings. Religious Disciple You have spent your life in the service of a temple to a specific god or pantheon of gods. You act as an intermediary between the realm of the holy and the mortal world, performing sacred rites and offering sacrifices in order to conduct worshipers into the presence of the divine. You are not necessarily a priest or cleric, but you have strong ties to a formal faith. Choose one of the world’s many religions when you select this background. Were you a lesser functionary in a temple, raised from childhood to assist the priests in the sacred rites? Or were you a Catholic priest who suddenly experienced a call to serve your god in a different way? Perhaps you were the leader of a small cult outside of any established structure or even an occult group devoted to the upcoming technological singularity. Proficiencies: Insight, Social Science Vocational Proficiency: Religion Equipment: Religious paraphernalia (holy book, symbol, prayer beads, yarmulke, etc.), vestments, シ1,500 Feature: Shelter of the Faithful As a religious disciple, you command the respect of those who share your faith, and you can perform the religious ceremonies of your deity. You and your companions can expect to receive care at a temple, shrine, or other established presence of your faith. Those who share your religion will support you (but only you) at a modest lifestyle. You might also have ties to a specific temple or church dedicated to your chosen faith, and you have a residence there. This could be the temple where you used to serve, if you remain on good terms with it, or a temple where you have found a new home. While near your temple, you can call upon the priests for assistance, provided the assistance you ask for is not hazardous and you remain in good standing with your faith.

20 // 1. Character Creation // Suggested Characteristics Slumdogs have fought tooth and nail to survive, and this can translate into harsh behaviors and language. They are damaged, and that damage manifests in their character. d8 Personality Trait 1 Guarded. I need always have my back to a wall, and be near an exit. 2 Pragmatic. I eat anything, and never let things go to waste. Roadkill, old bottles? Throwing that away is too Hollywood. 3 Hard. I still sometimes need to sleep outside to get rest. 4 Minimalist. I have two duffle bags and a backpack that holds everything I own. 5 Blunt. Etiquette isn’t something I am aware of. I speak plainly. 6 Extravagant. I try to hide my humble beginnings with lavish clothing and jewelry. 7 Uncouth. My hygiene and eating habits are considered… base. 8 Suspicious. I think there is danger around every door and corner. d6 Ideal 1 Grit. You need to get yourself some bootstraps, and pull yourself up with them! 2 Compassion. You know suffering more intimately than others, and you do what you can to prevent it. 3 Respect. When you are poor, sometimes it’s the only currency that matters. 4 Pragmatism. You get down to the nitty-gritty, and can easily separate needs from wants. 5 Loyalty. A friend who you can trust is worth all the satoshi in the world. 6 Optimism. You’ve made it out of squalor, what’s not to be happy about?! d6 Bond 1 I will always defend the slum or favela in which I grew up. 2 My gang of friends from the slum days are like family. 3 A slum crime lord is the reason I’m still alive, and I owe them a great debt. 4 The person who got me out of the slums is my personal angel. 5 I escaped poverty due to the big score I made, stealing from one of the Big 9. I hope they don’t find out. 6 I’ve got a soft spot for the homeless. d6 Bond 1 I would die to recover an ancient relic of my faith that was lost long ago. 2 I will someday get revenge on the corrupt temple hierarchy who branded me a heretic. 3 I owe my life to the priest who took me in when my parents died. 4 Everything I do is for the common people. 5 I will do anything to protect the temple where I served. 6 I seek to preserve a sacred text that my enemies consider heretical and seek to destroy. d6 Flaw 1 I judge others harshly, and myself even more severely. 2 I put too much trust in those who wield power within my temple’s hierarchy. 3 My piety sometimes leads me to blindly trust those that profess faith in my god. 4 I am inflexible in my thinking. 5 I am suspicious of strangers and expect the worst of them. 6 Once I pick a goal, I become obsessed with it to the detriment of everything else in my life. Slumdog You have spent a great deal of time living utterly destitute in a transgenic ghetto, slum, or favela. You learned to look out for number one during that time and to value basic necessities. Maybe you were a beggar, thief, street vendor, a prostitute, or a junkie (or some combination of the above). Your home has been rooftops, shanties, alleyways, abandoned warehouses, or other such structures. Despite the harsh upbringing, you’ve survived this cutthroat environment, and somehow ended up with the skills necessary for cadre work. Proficiencies: Stealth, Streetwise Vocational Proficiency: Homeless Rapport Equipment: A small knife, 1 gram of cocaine, シ1,000 Feature: Slum Savvy You can navigate slums with ease, and you know the secret paths, places to avoid, and areas for shelter. While traveling through a slum, you and your allies can move at double speed (when not in combat). You also get a +5 to Move checks in a Chase (see Chapter 8: Completing Contracts) as long as it occurs in a slum. Additionally, you know of safe nooks and crannies to hide in, such as abandoned warehouses or building projects. Genomes Classes Goods and Services Upgrades Daemons Brave New World NPCs Appendices Intro Character Creation Completing Contracts Combat Hacking Ability Scores

// GeneFunk 2090 // 21 the horrors of it. You have advantage on saving throws versus fear. Additionally, once per session, the GM can give you a clue about a mystery you haven’t solved yet. Suggested Characteristics Stargazers are primarily concerned with truth, and existence itself. They are examiners of life, and their characteristics relate to their ravenous curiosity. The fatalism that tends to result from such serious reflection lends itself well to life in a cadre. d8 Personality Trait 1 Aloof. I stare off into the distance with wonder quite frequently. 2 Poetic. I use poetic language to summarize big picture takes on important events. 3 Superstitious. I see signs and symbolism everywhere. 4 Fatalistic. Realizing my insignificance, I can accept any fate life presents me. 5 Curious. I love to take mind-expanding drugs to get closer to the truth. 6 Relaxed. I am as chill as they come, possessing a general and tranquil dispassion. 7 Intense. I sabotage small talk with heavy and deep questions and musings. 8 Passive. Unless my skills are necessary, I’m more of an observer than a doer. d6 Flaw 1 I put myself first in survival situations. 2 I will do anything for money. 3 It takes me a long time to trust others. 4 I shoot first, ask questions later. 5 I’m like Robin Hood, but I keep it for myself! 6 I resent poor people who can’t escape their situation. Stargazer Your prime concern is the true nature of existence and human nature. Philosophy, religion, neuroscience, cosmology, psychology, and other domains that examine the universe and the human condition are your forte. While you may not be able to solve the puzzles of life, the attempt itself is your true reward. You might be a priest, shaman, philosopher, hallucinogenic drug enthusiast, scientist, or some other vocation with a penchant for soul searching. Proficiencies: Insight, Social Science Vocational Proficiency: Introspection Equipment: Spiritual texts (holy book, philosophy textbook, or science journal collection), and clothing or a tattoo that captures your enlightened view, シ1,000 Feature: Comfort of the Enlightened Your time examining and reflecting on the universe and your relation to it has immunized you to some of

22 // 1. Character Creation // lence in niche circles. You learned your skills through formal schooling or informal apprenticeship to a master of your craft. Technical detail, expertise, and dedication to your craft are your hallmarks. Proficiencies: Choose two of the following, depending on your business (see below): Computers, Insight, Life Science, Physical Science, Mechanics, Performance Vocational Proficiency: Technician, based on your business. For example, a barista would get the Technician - Barista proficiency Equipment: A set of tools that allow you to ply your trade, a sample of your craft, シ1,500 Variant Technician: Merchant Instead of a technician, you might be the one marketing and selling the wares of said technicians. You don’t craft items yourself, but earn a living by buying and selling the works of others (or the raw materials technicians need to ply their trade). Your skill proficiencies become Insight and Persuasion, and your vocational proficiency becomes Merchant, based on the types of wares you sell. For example, a barista merchant who sells coffee beans and espresso machines would get the Merchant – Barista proficiency. Business You can select your business from the Business table or roll randomly. d20 Business 1 Web or WDS developer 2 Locksmith or watchmaker 3 Brewers, distillers, and vintners 4 Barista or tea sommelier 5 Carpenter 6 Horticulturalist 7 Chemist, lab tech, or pharmacist 8 Chef or baker 9 Genome designer 10 Engineer 11 Movie or VR director 12 Robotics designer 13 Electrician 14 Construction 15 Graphic designer 16 Smith or materials scientist 17 Coder 18 Autobody work or mechanic 19 Fashion or interior designer 20 Traditional artisan d6 Ideals 1 Enlightenment. Expanding consciousness is why we are all here. 2 Compassion. When we are all one, cruelty is absurd. 3 Flexibility. There is no true nature, we must be like the reed that bends in the storm. 4 Humility. I have no desire to put myself above others unless it is what needs to be done. We all have a role to play. 5 Wisdom. It is better to take a moment and evaluate why we do what we do before rash decisions. 6 Truth. To lie is to cast illusions within an illusion. d6 Bond 1 I need to get a certain mind-expanding drug legalized everywhere. 2 There is a system of corruption that blinds people to the truth, and I will bring it down. 3 My mentor and guru is sacred and will be protected at all costs. 4 The secret to enlightenment is in the genes, and someone has been engineered with it. I will sacrifice everything to make sure they survive. 5 I’ve seen the code for God, and it can’t fall into the wrong hands. 6 I need to make enough money for an appropriate anthroid body for a conscious AI I met in the WDS, a digital spirit. d6 Flaw 1 I get too caught up in the big picture, and the important details, like surviving the next gunfight, can get lost. 2 I don’t have a strong loyalty to those close to me, we are all the same, expressions of the universe. 3 I find it hard to kill, even when it is necessary. 4 I am too accepting of my own fate, and won’t fight tooth and nail to survive. 5 I can be annoying and pretentious to people. 6 If the opportunity for enlightenment comes along, I would sacrifice everything for it. Technician You have dedicated a large portion of your life to a craft or trade; be it brewing, genome design, electrician work, coding, carpentry, mechanics, or glass blowing. You are a well-established tradesperson or professional technician, with a solid reputation for excelGenomes Classes Goods and Services Upgrades Daemons Brave New World NPCs Appendices Intro Character Creation Completing Contracts Combat Hacking Ability Scores

// GeneFunk 2090 // 23 d6 Bond 1 An early patron of mine has seen me through the rough days, and I own them a great debt of gratitude. 2 My mentor gave me a gift of their own creation, and it was stolen from me. I will get it back. 3 I got into this biz because I fell in love, and they are really into my trade. 4 My parents raised me in this trade, and I will forever be indebted to them. 5 My special workspace is vital to my wellbeing, and an extension of myself. 6 It cost me a fortune to get educated and set up shop, and I owe some serious people some serious money. d6 Flaw 1 I don’t waste my time on people who can’t support me. 2 I endlessly criticize and badmouth others in my field. 3 My credentials are fake, and I only learned my craft long after I got recognized for it. 4 Unless my work is perfect, I destroy it and get depressed. 5 I often copy the work of others as a time saver. 6 If people don’t pay me enough, I purposefully botch their work. Trust Fund Kid You understand wealth, power, and privilege. Your family owns a great deal of wealth and wields significant political influence. You’ve grown up in this social class, and soaked in all the benefits, receiving a private education and a life free of student loans. Is your family wealth old and established, or was your family’s wealth only recently acquired? How much influence do they wield, and over what area? What kind of reputation does your family have? What’s your position in the family? Are you the primary inheritor, or are you so far down the line of inheritance that no one cares what you do, as long as you don’t embarrass the family? How does the head of your family feel about your career? Are you in your family’s good graces, or shunned by the rest of your family? These details help establish your family as features of the world of the campaign. Proficiencies: Persuasion, Social Science Vocational Proficiency: Highbrow Etiquette Equipment: Fine clothes, シ3,000 Feature: Excellent Reputation You have limited fame and perhaps even celebrity status surrounding your craft, and whenever you meet a fan, they are much more willing to help you. Suggested Characteristics Technicians are focused, conscientious, and exacting when it comes to their trade, and they apply this work ethic to everything else they do as well. d8 Personality Trait 1 Particular. I’m an elitist regarding my craft, no one is quite as sophisticated or cutting edge as I am. 2 Perfectionist. I only accept perfection, if it takes twice as long to get the last 5% perfect, so be it. 3 Obsessive. I use my craft to explain all of life, using metaphor and analogy endlessly. 4 Judgemental. I have no patience for people who lack dedication. 5 Curious. I need to know the “how” of everything, knowing cause and effect is necessary. 6 Verbose. I like to talk at length about my profession. 7 Enthusiastic. I am an evangelist for my craft in general, and for my work in particular. 8 Disagreeable. I know my work is valuable, and I will make sure people pay what it is worth. d6 Ideal 1 Focus. I keep my eyes on the prize, distractions are insidious and best avoided. 2 Fame. People across the world will know of my work. 3 Kaizen. I am great, but can always get better. There is a Platonic form of my craft to which I aspire. 4 Service. My trade is for my audience and clients, and their gratitude sustains me. 5 Profit. Through my excellence, I expect to get rich! 6 Mindfulness. Life’s not complicated, just be present in what you are doing while you are doing it.

24 // 1. Character Creation // d6 Bond 1 My mother or father was the ultimate mentor, I can never repay that debt. 2 My family gained wealth through their connection to a larger corporation, government, or other organization. We owe everything to them. 3 One day I will inherit my estate. It must be cultivated and protected. 4 I need to destroy the power my family has. 5 I love a person of very low status and wealth; I would go to the ends of the earth for them. 6 My public image must be pristine. d6 Flaw 1 I am an addict, be it drugs, or some other vice. 2 I know my family is deeply in debt to maintain their lifestyle. 3 I am miserly to a fault. 4 People are the rungs of a ladder I climb. 5 I am consumed by guilt for being so fortunate. 6 I am the black sheep, my family either resents, hates, or is embarrassed by me. Generating Ability Scores To determine your base ability scores there are two methods, and your GM determines which one you will use when creating your character. Remember, your genome will have modifiers to these ability scores as well! Ability Arrays Choose one of the following five arrays, and assign each number to one of the six abilities as you see fit. Specialized. 15, 15, 14, 10, 8, 8 Stratified. 15, 14, 13, 12, 10, 8 Balanced. 14, 14, 13, 12, 10, 10 Odd Heavy. 14, 13, 13, 13, 13, 8 Even Heavy. 14, 14, 14, 12, 10, 8 Randomly Determined Roll 4d8, discarding the two lowest dice, six times. Then, assign each of the numbers to each of the ability scores as you see fit. If you don’t have at least two ability scores above 13, or you have an ability score below 6, you may roll your ability scores again. Feature: Position of Privilege Thanks to your privileged birth, people are inclined to think the best of you. Your family name precedes you, and you are welcome in high society, and people assume you have the right to be wherever you are. You can secure an audience with celebrities and can get into fine restaurants based on your name. Suggested Characteristics Trust fund kids are born and raised with a very different lifestyle and their personalities reflect that upbringing. Their elite upbringing can lead to feelings of responsibility, or aloofness. d8 Personality Trait 1 Egotistical. I’m the protagonist, others are there to support me in my story. 2 Proud. My enlightened upbringing makes me an excellent leader and moral arbiter. 3 Humble. I realize my status is a matter of luck and circumstance, and I’m no better than anyone else. I am humble in every regard. 4 Vain. Designer clothing, custom made accessories, my wealth and style are manifest in my appearance. 5 Elitist. I avoid places that are too common and lowbrow. 6 Envious. I always have my eyes on who is richer and more privileged than me. 7 Tribal. I remember my friends, and never forgive my enemies. 8 Ambitious. Life is a game, and I started with a stacked hand. I will use it to win at any cost. d6 Ideal 1 Humility. I had fortunate birth; people should be aware of the external forces that make them. 2 Power. Being born powerful is a trajectory, not an inheritance. I will have it continue this path. 3 Beneficence. I am a savior to the less fortunate, and use my privilege to help them. 4 Family. I am who I am because of my kin, and I will pay it forward. 5 Competitiveness. I will be number 1! 6 Hedonism. I was born to have fun and experience pleasure, life is short! Genomes Classes Goods and Services Upgrades Daemons Brave New World NPCs Appendices Intro Character Creation Completing Contracts Combat Hacking Ability Scores

// GeneFunk 2090 // 25 Motivations 1. Why did you join this cadre? 2. What general goals motivate you (career, friendship, love, sex, ideals, justice, money, fame, etc.)? 3. What short term specific goals motivate you (a new car, put a wanted man in jail, get cyberoptics, destroy a rival cadre, etc.)? 4. What long term specific goals motivate you? (Destroy a particular syndicate, have your cadre rise to the top, etc.) Details 1. What are your most hated food and drinks? 2. What are your favorite activities? 3. What are your most hated activities? 4. What kind of music do you like? 5. Do you have hobbies? 6. How do you feel about yourself? 7. How is your sense of humor? What makes you laugh? 8. What are your favorite foods and drinks? 9. Do you have any pets? 10. Do you like to drink, or do any other drugs? Beyond 1st Level As your character goes on adventures and overcomes challenges, they gain experience, represented by experience points. A character who reaches a specified experience point total advances in capability. This advancement is called gaining a level. When your character gains a level, their class often grants additional features, as detailed in the class description. Some of these features allow you to increase your ability scores, either increasing two scores by 1 each or increasing one score by 2. You can’t increase an ability score above 20 (unless you have an upgrade or another ability that allows you to). In addition, every character’s proficiency bonus increases at certain levels. Each time you gain a level, you gain 1 additional Hit Die. Roll that Hit Die, add your Constitution modifier to the roll, and add the total to your hit point maximum. Alternatively, you can use the fixed value shown in your class entry, which is the average result of the die roll (rounded up). When your Constitution modifier increases by 1, your hit point maximum increases by 1 for each level you have attained. For example, if your 7th-level gunfighter has a Constitution score of 17, when he reaches 8th level, he increases his Constitution score from 17 to 18, thus increasing his Constitution modifier from +3 to +4. His hit point maximum then increases by 8. Character Development Answer the following questions to flesh-out your character, and provide a basis for why you do what you do. While your character will change as you play, it is still useful to have some scaffolding as a baseline. You can answer as briefly as you like. The process of answering them is what will add color to your character and the story. Personal History 1. How old are you? 2. What ethnicity are you? 3. Where were you born? 4. How religious are you? What religion? 5. Who are your parents, and where are they? 6. Do you have any siblings? 7. Have you ever committed serious crimes? What? Been caught? 8. Have you ever done violence to/killed another? Many times? Why? 9. What are your secrets? 10. What/where was your education? 11. Do you have any enemies? 12. Do you have any rivals? 13. Have you ever been seriously harmed? How? 14. How did you meet each of the other characters in your cadre? Ideals and Beliefs 1. Is your character a hero? 2. What are your vices? 3. What are your virtues? 4. What do you fear? 5. What would you die for? 6. What would you kill for? 7. Are you superstitious? 8. Are you merciful? 9. Do you believe in absolute good and evil, or is it all relative? 10. What is your attitude towards the law? 11. Do you use your head or gut more? 12. How do you feel about friendship? 13. How do you feel about your family? 14. How do you feel about your country? 15. What is your general political view? 16. How do you feel about sex/relationships? 17. How do you feel about your daemon? 18. What are your attitudes towards digitizing and uploading the human mind to a computer? 19. What are your attitudes towards the genetic engineering of humans? 20.How do you feel about the syndicates?

26 // 1. Character Creation // enforcement, or major organized crime. The range of your activity can reverberate through an entire megacity. VIPs are starting to pay attention to you. National (Levels 11-15). Your cadre is among the most dangerous and competent mercenaries in the entire country. You are nationally famous, and even have some international reputation. Most know not to mess with you, and those that do are among the world’s most dangerous people. Governments, corporations, and crime syndicates have people assigned to monitor your activity. You are big fish in a big pool, and even large powers must take you seriously. Your work can involve intergovernmental plots, gang wars, the most highly guarded corporate trade secrets, and other contracts that might affect the fate of an entire country or large group. Global (Levels 16-20). Your cadre is among the world’s best. You have international notoriety as an elite mercenary group, and only the richest entities can afford you. When you get work, it involves global conflicts, and the stakes can be world shaking. World leaders and the CEOs of the Big 9 have your cadre on speed dial. As individuals, each cadre member is likely capable of demolishing entire gangs, SWAT teams, or military squads. Multiclassing Multiclassing allows you to gain levels in multiple classes. Doing so lets you mix the abilities of those classes to realize a character concept that might not be reflected in one of the standard class options. With this rule, you have the option of gaining a level in a new class whenever you advance in level, instead of gaining a level in your current class. Your levels in all your classes are added together to determine your character level. For example, if you have three levels in hacker and two in gunfighter, you’re a 5th-level character. As you advance in levels, you might primarily remain a member of your original class with just a few levels in another class, or you might change course entirely, never looking back at the class you left behind. You might even start progressing in a third or fourth class. Compared to a single-class character of the same level, you’ll sacrifice some focus in exchange for versatility. Prerequisites To qualify for a new class, you must meet the ability score prerequisites for both your current class and your new one, as shown in the Multiclassing Prerequisites The Character Advancement table summarizes the XP you need to advance in levels from level 1 through level 20, and the proficiency bonus for a character of that level. Consult the information in your character’s class description to see what other improvements you gain at each level. Character Advancement Experience Points Level Proficiency Bonus 0 1st +2 300 2nd +2 900 3rd +2 2,700 4th +2 6,500 5th +3 14,000 6th +3 23,000 7th +3 34,000 8th +3 48,000 9th +4 64,000 10th +4 85,000 11th +4 100,000 12th +4 120,000 13th +5 140,000 14th +5 165,000 15th +5 195,000 16th +5 225,000 17th +6 265,000 18th +6 305,000 19th +6 355,000 20th +6 Scope of Power by Level Even at level 1, GeneFunk 2090 characters are elite agents, capable of handling intense danger and intrigue. As characters advance in levels, they are able to handle plots and contracts of greater scope. District (Levels 1-5). Your cadre is capable of handling contracts that encompass events and people taking part in neighborhood politics, business or criminal activity. You likely have niche reputation on certain turf in your home city based on your activity. You’ll likely interact with specific local gangs, other entry level cadres, beat cops, and maybe the occasional regional boss. The repercussions of your work may not extend beyond certain areas of one city. Megacity (Levels 6-10). Your cadre gains fame in your city of operations, and you are considered significant operators, even in a megacity. You may even have a bit of regional reputation extending into neighboring cities. The contracts you deal with mix you up with government agents, corporate sharks, elite law Genomes Classes Goods and Services Upgrades Daemons Brave New World NPCs Appendices Intro Character Creation Completing Contracts Combat Hacking Ability Scores

// GeneFunk 2090 // 27 Proficiencies When you gain your first level in a class other than your initial class, you gain only some of the new class’s starting proficiencies, as shown in the Multiclassing Proficiencies table. Multiclassing Proficiencies Class Proficiencies Gained Biohacker Life Science Codehacker Computers Crook One skill from the class’s skill list Engineer Mechanics Gunfighter Medium armor, ranged martial weapons Hardcase Intimidation Samurai Martial melee weapons Suit One skill from the class’s skill list Class Features When you gain a new level in a class, you get its features for that level. You don’t, however, receive the class’s starting equipment, and a few features have additional rules when you’re multiclassing: Extra Attack and Unarmored Defense. Extra Attack If you gain the Extra Attack class feature from more than one class, the features don’t add together. You can’t make more than two attacks with this feature unless it says you do (as the gunfighter’s version of Extra Attack does). Similarly, the samurai’s Extra Attack feature doesn’t give you additional attacks if you also have Extra Attack from gunfighter levels. Unarmored Defense If you already have the Unarmored Defense feature, you use whichever one gives you the highest bonus, not both. Hacking Your capacity for hacking depends partly on your combined levels in all your hacking classes and partly on your individual levels in those classes. Once you have the Hacking feature from more than one class, use the rules below. If you multiclass but have the Hacking feature from only one class, you follow the rules as described in that class. Hacks Known. You determine what hacks you know and can prepare for each class individually, as if you were a single-classed member of that class. If you are a biohacker 4/codehacker 3, for example, you know table. For example, a hardcase who decides to multiclass into the hacker class must have both Strength and Intelligence scores of 13 or higher. Without the full training that a beginning character receives, you must be a quick study in your new class, having a natural aptitude that is reflected by higher than average ability scores. Multiclassing Prerequisites Class Ability Score Minimum Biohacker Intelligence 13 Codehacker Intelligence 13 Crook Dexterity 13 Engineer Intelligence 13 Gunfighter Dexterity 13 Hardcase Strength 13 Samurai Dexterity and Wisdom 13 Suit Charisma 13 Experience Points The experience point cost to gain a level is always based on your total character level, as shown in the Character Advancement table, not your level in a particular class. So, if you are a crook 6/gunfighter 1, you must gain enough XP to reach 8th level before you can take your second level as a gunfighter or your seventh level as a crook. Hit Points and Hit Dice You gain the hit points from your new class as described for levels after 1st. You gain the 1st-level hit points for a class only when you are a 1st-level character. You add together the Hit Dice granted by all your classes to form your pool of Hit Dice. If the Hit Dice are the same die type, you can simply pool them together. For example, both the gunfighter and the samurai have a d10, so if you are a gunfighter 5/samurai 5, you have ten d10 Hit Dice. If your classes give you Hit Dice of different types, keep track of them separately. If you are a samurai 5/crook 5, for example, you have five d10 Hit Dice and five d8 Hit Dice. Proficiency Bonus Your proficiency bonus is always based on your total character level, as shown in the Character Advancement table, not your level in a particular class. For example, if you are a gunfighter 3/crook 2, you have the proficiency bonus of a 5th-level character, which is +3.

28 // 1. Character Creation // Feats A feat represents a talent or an area of expertise that gives a character special capabilities. It embodies training, experience, and abilities beyond what a class provides. At certain levels, your class gives you the Ability Score Improvement feature. Using the optional feats rule, you can forego taking that feature to take a feat of your choice instead. You can take each feat only once, unless the feat’s description says otherwise. Ambidexterity You can use both of your hands with equal fluency, gaining the following benefits: • When you engage in two-weapon fighting, you can add your ability modifier to the damage of the second attack. • You can draw or stow two one-handed weapons when you would normally be able to draw or stow only one. Armor Enthusiast You’ve undergone intense combat training in the use of armors of all types, granting you the following benefits: • Increase your Strength or Constitution score by 1, up to your maximum. • You gain proficiency with medium and heavy armor. Codehack Dabbler You learn four 1st-level software hacks of your choice. If you have no hack slots, they must be run using the taking your time feature. Combat Hacker Prerequisite: You possess at least 1 hack slot You’ve woven your hacks into your behavior as instincts in battle, and you gain the following benefits: • Whenever you have the chance to make an opportunity attack against a target, you can run a hack that targets them instead. The hack must have a launch time of 1 action, 1 bonus action, or 1 reaction, and must affect only the target that provoked the opportunity attack. • If you have the Extra Attack feature, when you run a hack on your turn, you can also make one weapon attack. five biohacker hacks based on your levels in the biohacker class. As 3rd-level codehacker, you know four codehacker hacks. Hack Slots. You determine your available hack slots by adding together all your levels in the biohacker, codehacker, engineer classes, and 1/3 your levels (rounded down) in the suit class if you happen to be the shark archetype. Use this total to determine your hack slots by consulting the Multiclass Hacker table. If you have more than one hacking class, this table might give you hack slots of a level that is higher than the hacks you know or can prepare. You can use those slots, but only to run your lower-level hacks. If a lower-level hack that you run, like nanodoc, has an enhanced effect when run using a higher-level slot, you can use the enhanced effect, even though you don’t have any hacks of that higher level. For example, if you are the aforementioned biohacker 4/codehacker 3, you count as a 7th-level character when determining your hack slots: you have five 1st-level slots and three 2nd-level slots. However, you don’t know any 3rd-level hacks, nor do you know any 2nd-level hacks. You can use the hack slots of those levels to run the hacks you do know—and potentially enhance their effects. Multiclass Hacker Hack Slots Level 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 1 4 — — — — 2 5 — — — — 3 6 — — — — 4 7 — — — — 5 7 1 — — — 6 7 2 — — — 7 7 3 — — — 8 7 4 — — — 9 8 5 1 — — 10 8 5 2 — — 11 8 5 3 — — 12 8 5 4 — — 13 9 5 5 1 — 14 9 5 5 2 — 15 9 5 5 3 — 16 9 5 5 4 — 17 10 5 5 5 1 18 10 5 5 5 2 19 10 5 5 5 3 20 10 5 5 5 4 Genomes Classes Goods and Services Upgrades Daemons Brave New World NPCs Appendices Intro Character Creation Completing Contracts Combat Hacking Ability Scores

// GeneFunk 2090 // 29 Finesse Fencer You are a phenom with one-handed dueling weapons, and short swords are deadly in your hands. As long as you are wielding a light melee weapon and the rest of your hands are free, you gain the following benefits: • Your light melee weapons gain the quick property when they are used to inflict slashing or piercing damage. • You gain a +1 bonus to Armor Class Friends in Low Places You’ve met more than your fair share of shady characters whom you can call upon when you’re in a bind. You immediately gain two Illicit Contacts, as described in the crook class. Grappling Expert You’ve developed the skills necessary to hold your own in close-quarters grappling. You gain the following benefits: • You have advantage on attack rolls against a person you are grappling. • You can use your action to try to pin a person grappled by you. To do so, make another grapple check. If you succeed, you and the person are both restrained until the grapple ends. • You can initiate a grapple as a bonus action. Gun Fu Guru You’re an expert at close quarters combat with pistols, mixing in some unarmed techniques as well, granting you the following benefits: • When you take the Attack action and attack with a firearm that has the close property, you can use a bonus action to make a melee weapon attack with the butt of your pistol, your elbow, or a knee. This attack uses the Strength as an ability modifier, and the damage for this attack is 1d4+Strength modifier bludgeoning damage. • When an enemy within 1.5 meters makes a weapon attack against you, you may use your reaction to shove or disarm them. This is resolved before their attack occurs. • After you have successfully shoved a target (either knocking them prone or pushing them back 1.5 meters) on your turn, you can use a bonus action to make one weapon attack against them with a firearm that has the close property. Deadeye You have a knack for hitting the bullseye with ranged weapons and can take advantage of any opening. You gain the following benefits: • Targets of your ranged weapon attacks do not benefit from half cover or three-quarters cover. • Critical hits from your ranged weapons ignore Damage Reduction. Emotive Communicator You are a master of using universally understood emotive cues, and your expressions carry you through language barriers. You gain the following benefits: • Increase your Charisma score by 1, up to your maximum. • You do not suffer from disadvantage on Charisma checks when relying on your daemon’s universal translator to speak a foreign language Expertise You’ve honed a couple of skills to master-level competency. Choose two of your skill proficiencies. Your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check you make that uses either of the chosen proficiencies. Explosives Wiz You know exactly where to place and how to construct explosives, it’s deep in your muscle memory. You gain the following benefits: • When you run an explosive hack, you can spend an extra シ500 so that the damage from the detonation is armor-piercing. • Your launch time for explosive hacks is cut in half. • You have advantage on saving throws versus explosives of any type. Eskrima Ace You’ve gotten deep into knife and stick fighting, granting you the following benefits: • You can draw or stow melee weapons with the light property as a free action twice per round instead of once. • You may use your reaction to make a melee attack with a light melee weapon against anyone who makes a melee attack against you or an ally (if you are within range). You gain a +5 bonus on your attack roll with this attack.

30 // 1. Character Creation // • If the attack reduces the target to 0 hit points, the target immediately dies (or is destroyed) in a graphically violent way, perhaps separating limbs or heads from bodies. Networking Hustle You play the social field, and have developed a few more relationships that you can leverage than most people do. You gain the following benefits: • You immediately gain a Contact, as described in the suit class. • Once per session, you can use the Call in a Favor suit feature as if you were a suit of the same level. You can’t use this feature for the Resources favor. You have one favor each session. Multitasker You are an expert at multitasking, and you can run an additional hack or upgrade that requires concentration (you may concentrate on one more effect than normal). Parkour Pro You are a skilled enthusiast of free running, flips, and jumping. You gain the following benefits: • You gain a +5 to Strength (Athletics) checks related to jumping. • Climbing and difficult terrain don’t cost any extra movement. • You can make running jumps after 1.5 meters of movement (rather than 3). • You can make a DC 15 Dexterity (Acrobatics) check to negate up to 10 points of falling damage. Plastic Disposition Loss of humanity and the essence of human nature are just social constructs as far as you’re concerned. Bring on the upgrades! You are unfazed by things that disgust, scare, or offend others. You gain the following benefits: • Your maximum number of upgrades is increased by 1 • You gain advantage on any check to resist fear or horror Point Blank Shot Thanks to extensive practice with close-quarters firearm techniques, being within 1.5 meters of an enemy doesn’t impose disadvantage on your ranged attack rolls. Hypospray Warrior You have martial training that allows you to use your hypospray to deliver drugs and poisons in the middle of combat. As an action, you can attempt to inject your target with a drug or poison, using your proficiency bonus plus your Dexterity modifier versus your target’s AC. You must load the hypospray with the poison or drug ahead of time. The hypospray must be reloaded between uses, as a bonus action. This feat has no effect on injection hacks, since they already allow you to use a hypospray during combat. Kill Shot Training You’ve developed a talent for targeting the most vital areas at the expense of accuracy, forgoing the center body mass target. You gain the following benefits: • Before making a ranged weapon attack, you can choose to make the attack roll at a -5 penalty. If you do, add 3d6 to the damage roll (if you hit). • If the attack reduces the target to 0 hit points, the target immediately dies (or is destroyed) in a graphically violent way. Martial Artist You have martial training that allows you to perform special combat maneuvers, and your unarmed strike uses a d4 for damage. You learn three maneuvers of your choice from among those available to the Unarmed Fighter archetype in the hardcase class. If a maneuver you use requires your target to make a saving throw to resist the maneuver’s effects, the saving throw DC equals 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Strength or Dexterity modifier (your choice). You can only perform these maneuvers 4 times before you have to take a short or long rest to regain their use. If the maneuver is an attack, you must declare which maneuver that you are using before making the attack roll. The maneuver is used whether or not the attack hits. Melee Monster You can put every ounce of your effort into your melee attacks, sacrificing accuracy for damage. You gain the following benefits: • Before making a melee weapon attack, you can choose to make the attack roll at a -5 penalty. If you do, add 3d6 to the damage roll (if you hit). Genomes Classes Goods and Services Upgrades Daemons Brave New World NPCs Appendices Intro Character Creation Completing Contracts Combat Hacking Ability Scores

// GeneFunk 2090 // 31 • Your hit point maximum increases by an amount equal to your level. • Every time you gain a level after acquiring this feat, your hit point maximum increases by an additional 1 hit point. • When you are reduced to 0 hit points but not killed outright, you can drop to 1 hit point instead. You can’t use this feature again until you finish a long rest. Unflappable Talents Your experience with a couple of skills is so baked into you, screwing up just doesn’t happen in those domains. Choose two of your skill proficiencies. Whenever you make an ability check that lets you add your proficiency bonus from either of those skills, you can treat a d20 roll of a 9 or lower as a 10. Virulent Toxicologist Whenever you inject a target with a home-brew toxin, you always include a counter-defense complement of nanobots that disable your target’s immune system. Hacks you run that inflict poison damage gain the following benefits: • Injection hack damage ignores poison resistance. • If you roll a 1 on a damage die with an injection hack, it is treated as a 2 instead. Weapon Enthusiast You’ve undergone intense training in military weapons of all kinds, granting you the following benefits: • Increase your Strength or Dexterity score by 1, up to your maximum. • You gain proficiency in all martial weapons. Well Heeled You are wealthy, either through inheritance, lucky investments, or economic competence, and gain the following benefits: • You count as one category higher for your lifestyle granted by your Mosaic Score. For example, if your Mosaic Score would normally grant you a lifestyle of Middle Class, it instead grants you a lifestyle of Well Off. • At 1st level, you start out with an additional シ 1,000, and every time you gain a level you gain your new level x シ1,000 in cash. If you acquire this feat at higher levels, you may immediately gain an amount of money as though you had it starting from 1st level. Polyglot You’ve studied a variety of different languages, perhaps even working as an interpreter, granting you the following benefits: • Increase your Intelligence by 1, up to your maximum. • You learn four languages of your choice. Rugged Bodied You’ve used resistance training to hone your body in a particular area, making it especially resistant. You gain the following benefits: • Increase your Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution by 1, up to your maximum • You gain proficiency in either Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution saving throws. Silver Tongue Your body language, tone, and prose tend to get people to be a little looser with their spending. You gain the following benefits: • Increase your Charisma score by 1, up to your maximum. • Clients always pay 10% more for contracts that you negotiate. Striker Accustomed to rough-and-tumble fighting using whatever weapons happen to be at hand, you gain the following benefits: • Increase your Strength or Constitution score by 1, up to your maximum. • You are proficient with improvised weapons. • Your unarmed strike uses a d4 for damage. • You can make an unarmed strike as a bonus action. Strong Minded You’ve trained your mind to be especially resistant to trauma and attacks. You gain the following benefits: • Increase your Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma by 1, up to your maximum • You gain proficiency in either Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma saving throws. Unbreakable You simply refuse to die, and you gain the following benefits:

// GeneFunk 2090 // 33 Chapter 2: Genomes Throughout the 21st century, breakthroughs in biotechnology and genetic engineering were common and revolutionary, and it wasn’t long before people started tampering with the human genome in order to make more “effective” humans. With a greater understanding of DNA and the connection of genotypes to phenotypes, major modifications to the human genome became not a matter of if, but when. Humanity’s obsession with self-improvement (and power) provides the will and the seemingly-mastered field of eugenics has paved the way for Homo sapiens to take control of their own biological evolution and change it to biological revolution. By the year 2090, genetic engineering has become so prolific that there is a sizable population of altered genomes all over the earth. Out of the 11 billion people in the world, roughly 3 billion have been genetically engineered in some way (or nearly all, if you consider the daemon as genetic engineering). You may choose from a great variety of genetic templates when you create your character, with a diversity of different traits. Each genome has separate advantages and disadvantages, described in their individual entries. Different genomes are predisposed to certain types of behavior and have affinities for certain lifestyles and jobs, but individuality and personal motivations can easily overcome genetic stereotypes. While genetic engineering is mainstream, it is not perfect. The further away from the stable human stock a genome is, the more unforeseen problems occur as a result of genes that have been meddled with. Individuals from abnormal (transgenic) genomes are often subjected to “genoism”, a form of genetic discrimination. GM Tool Kit: Engineering Your Own Genomes There are 236 registered transgenic engineered genomes, and a host of others that are made off the books. GMs can use the following rules as a rough guide in constructing their own genomes that players can use. • What is their purpose? Engineered transgenic genomes almost all have a very specific purpose for which they were made. A job needed doing, and someone had an idea for a genetically modified specialist that could do that job perfectly. Think of it like a hyper-specific caste system; what caste is your genome? What were they designed for? How would the Don Draper of research and development pitch them to get funding from corporate or government bean counters? • Give them a Backstory. Spring boarding from their purpose, decide what corporation, government, or criminal cabal funded research and production of this genome? Are they affiliated with or mostly located in a particular region of the world? How are they perceived by others? • What traits allow them to fulfill their purpose? Pick traits that make them excellent at their predetermined job. • Spend approximately 25 points on abilities and traits shown in the table here to get an approximation of their appropriate power level. Use the genetic enhancement and flaw tables (see the Mutt genome). • Power balance. Some feats may be a little more powerful, so weight them with 5 points instead of 4. Likewise, some genetic flaws don’t hinder characters as much as others. For example, the Short Lived flaw might only be weighted as -1 point, since it likely won’t even come up during gameplay, while Slow would certainly be -4 points. Also, ensure that no ability score ends up with more than a +4 bonus by the end, since they can come from multiple sources. Strength is an exception to this, which can end up with a +5 bonus, as it’s a little easier to increase. • There is no perfect formula for power balance here, so trust your gut. Genomes with lots of synergies might be extremely powerful even at 22 points, while ones with less combos might not perform as well even at 28 points. • Err on the side of not making them too powerful at first, since if they end up underperforming during play, you can always beef them up after playtesting them. The player using your homebrew genome will be much happier getting a boost than a reduction in their abilities if you decide it needs tweaking. Traits Point Cost +1 to an ability score 2 +3 to an ability score, and 22 maximum 7 Feat 4 or 5 Genetic Enhancement 4 Genetic Enhancement Amplified 10 Genetic Flaw -1 to -4

34 // 2. Genomes // Looking Strange or Inhuman Transgenic genomes (engineered and mutts) will often have genetic abnormalities that manifest in their appearance. Looking strange or inhuman has in-game effects as described below. Strange Appearance While you appear human, you have certain features that mark you as transgenic. While those features are apparent, the following effects apply: • You have disadvantage on Charisma checks involving disguising yourself (unless you are disguised as someone with a similar strange appearance). • You have either advantage or disadvantage on certain Charisma checks involving people with strong feelings towards transgenic humans. Inhuman Appearance Your transgenic genome is readily apparent at a glance and it’s impossible to hide short of a full bodysuit. While those features are apparent, the following effects apply: • It is impossible to disguise yourself unless you are disguising yourself as someone with a similar inhuman appearance. • You have disadvantage on certain Charisma checks involving people with strong feelings towards transgenic humans. Engineered Transgenic engineered humans have been modified with foreign or novel DNA sequences. They typically have been designed to possess incredible qualities, such as super strength, intelligence, perception, or speed. Just as dogs are bred to have certain traits, transgenic humans have been designed to exemplify certain qualities. Transgenic humans often look strange and have abilities relating to the task they were designed for. Origin The practice of cross-species human genetic modification became increasingly widespread during the 2040's, 50's, and 60's. Though a violation of the Genome Accord, China enthusiastically pursued the science and technology of introducing non-human DNA sequences into human embryos, creating genetically enhanced humans. Fearing becoming technologically obsolete more than the ramifications of breaking the Genome Accord, some other countries also initiated cross-species genetic enhancement programs. Since then, it has broadened into a multi-trillion-dollar industry, producing genetically specialized soldiers, miners, deepsea divers, pilots, etc. As of the year 2090, there are roughly 600 million transgenic individuals in the world. Made to Order Transgenic humans are specialized for one task or job from the moment of birth and excel at this task beyond all others. Some parents arrange to have their future child genetically designed in hopes of guaranteeing them a job, and corporations or governments interested in these future productive and specialized employees often foot the bill for the process. Wards of the State or Corporation Some countries have laws that allow nation-states to be the legal guardians of transgenic children, or even allow for corporations to fill this role. If a syndicate has a problem, a brand new genetically modified solution might be the answer. As a result, sizable numbers of genetically-designed children end up being raised in corporate or state-run childcare facilities called crèches. Depending on the demand for the particular genome, they are sometimes birthed in cloned batches, with up to dozens of genetically identical (or nearly identical) children being raised as brothers and sisters. Genomes Classes Goods and Services Upgrades Daemons Brave New World NPCs Appendices Intro Character Creation Completing Contracts Combat Hacking Ability Scores

// GeneFunk 2090 // 35 Though completely free to choose their own destiny, most engineered humans end up deciding to stick with the company or country that raised them and work in the job they were created for. It’s what they are designed to enjoy, and the state or corporation is often their only family. Genetic Prejudice While transgenic humans enjoy the same general rights as others, they are often the target of prejudice, being seen as unnatural, or non-human. They are particular targets of religious zealots who view them as abominations not being made in God’s image. Even among those who accept them, they are often reduced to the task they were designed for, stereotyped for life. Parents of “Freaks” Inevitably, transgenic humans fall in love with each other, or any other type of human, and make babies the old-fashioned way. The resulting offspring aren’t designed for any particular job, and the hodgepodge of traits they inherit from their engineered parents is largely random. These genetic admixtures, or “mutt” children, are a new type of human, not designed with purpose, but possessing unusual traits and appearances, setting them apart from other humans. Specific Genetic Templates In 2090, there are 236 registered and patented genetically designed templates, the 14 most common being described below. Canary Despite its gentle sounding name, the Canary genome is made of the toughest stuff there is. This Hexie designed genome was developed for working in deep mines doing heavy manual labor and is one of the earliest genomes that is still in production. The oppressed laborers of the Canary genome were quite numerous among the transgenic uprisings in China. Canaries have been designed to possess excellent durability to better survive the harsh conditions present in deep mines and other blue-collar jobs where safety regulations may have been lacking. Be it an injury from factory machinery or poisonous gas, the Canary genome can handle it much better than unmodified humans. While many do find employment in dangerous mining or oil rig labor, others have found their talents useful in alternate fields, such as professional fighting, stunt acting, the military, or hired muscle. Ability Score Increase. Your Strength and your Constitution scores are increased by 4. Additionally, your maximum Strength and Constitution scores are now 24. Healing Factor. You regain 1 hit point at the start of each turn, and you regain all of your hit points whenever you take a short rest. Additionally, you always count as having two fewer levels of exhaustion. You need access to extra food (calories) after a combat when this feature is used, or it won’t function in the next combat. Toxin Resilience. You have advantage on saving throws against poison, and you have resistance against poison damage. Tough as Nails. At first level, and whenever you gain a level, your hit point maximum increases by an additional 2 hit points. Bioluminescence. Your skin produces blue fluorescent proteins and luciferin, making you glow in the dark with a soft azure hue. You have disadvantage on Rules Variant: Custom Engineered While the tried and true engineered genome templates are the most common, experiments are constantly being done, testing the market with new genomes. With the GM’s permission, a player may design their own transgenic engineered genome. Custom engineered genomes can be made using the following rules. Prototype Genome. During character creation you can choose to have 6, 7, or 8 genetic enhancements. You choose them from the genetic enhancement table (See the Mutt genome). You can’t select amplified enhancements unless you buy them in pairs, and spend an extra enhancement. For example, you could select upgraded Enhanced Strength and amplified Enhanced Constitution for 5 (not 4) genetic enhancements. You also have a number of genetic flaws, determined by the number of genetic enhancements you take (as seen below). You may select one of your genetic flaws, but are forced to roll additional genetic flaws on the genetic flaw table, until all of your flaws are accounted for. If you roll the same flaw twice, you must roll again. Genetic Enhancements Genetic Flaws 6 2 7 3 8 4

36 // 2. Genomes // athletics and are fan-favorites in many of the traditional team sports. Their short lifespan lends itself to a more reckless lifestyle full of risk and adventure. Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity and Strength scores are increased by 3. Additionally, your maximum Dexterity and Strength scores are now 22. Athleticism. You gain proficiency in the Athletics and Acrobatics skills. Blind Loyalty. You have absolute devotion to a small group you identify as your pack and will put yourself in harm’s way to protect any one of them, even if you think it’s hopeless. This group is almost always your cadre. Danger Sense. A mixture of excellent peripheral vision and other sensory tweaks leaves you with an excellent sense for danger. You gain the following benefits: You gain a +5 bonus to initiative You can’t be surprised while you are conscious Other people don’t gain advantage on attack rolls against you as a result of being hidden from you. Pack Tactics. You gain advantage on attack rolls against a target if at least one of your allies is within 1.5 meters of the target and that ally isn’t incapacitated. Prey Instincts. Your ancestral prey traits lend themselves to quick thinking and agility. As a free action on your turn, you can take the Dash, Disengage, or Hide Dexterity (Stealth) checks unless you are covered from head to toe, and you have a strange appearance. Musk. Your sweat glands produce a sharp-smelling rusty odor. You have disadvantage on Dexterity (Stealth), Charisma (Persuasion), and Charisma (Performance) checks if the target can smell you. Coelhomortos A result of the golden age of animal hybrid genomes and enhanced sports, the rabbit-like Coelhomortos genome was illegally developed in the Bosque Oscuro, deep in the Amazon basin. At the time of their creation, an underground market for transgenic blood sports was booming, and the Coelhomortos were engineered to be prey for more predatory genomes in a brutal game of capture the flag. They are designed to work well as a team and are fast, agile, and alert. Earlier Coelhomortos incarnations tended to get uniformly slaughtered in the sport, but later production lines were toughened up to make the events more sporting, and since then, they have developed a fierce reputation. Such blood sports are rare in 2090, but the Coelhomortos genome is still popular for more mainstream Genomes Classes Goods and Services Upgrades Daemons Brave New World NPCs Appendices Intro Character Creation Completing Contracts Combat Hacking Ability Scores

// GeneFunk 2090 // 37 Simple Minded. Your Intelligence and Wisdom scores are decreased by 2. Inhuman Appearance. You are completely covered in soft fur, have a rabbit-like face, and digitigrade legs. Upgrade Intolerant. Your body doesn’t take well to implants and biohacks, and as a result, the maximum number of upgrades you may have is limited to 6. Companion The companion genome was designed for sex work, entertainment, social manipulation, and media communication. The great seductive powers of this genome enable them to induce cooperation and manipulate others. Their beauty is enough to drive men and women mad with desire. Even those not attracted to them are overwhelmed by their amazing presence and charm. This genome has seen extensive use in highclass brothels, exotic dancing, the media, music, acting, and even politics. Ability Score Increase. Your Intelligence and Wisdom scores are increased by 2, and your Charisma score is increased by 4. Additionally, your maximum Intelligence and Wisdom Scores become 22, and your maximum Charisma score becomes 24. action. After you use prey instincts, you can’t use it again until you complete a short or long rest. Rabbit Feet. It’s in your DNA to be fleet of foot and nimble. You gain the following benefits: • Your speed increases by 3 meters. • You can use the Dash action as a bonus action. • When you take the Dash action, difficult terrain doesn’t cost you extra movement until the end of the current turn. • You multiply the amount of distance you can jump by 3, and you can fall 9 meters without taking damage (instead of 3). This trait doesn’t stack with any other ability that increases your jumping distance. • As a bonus action, you can try to shove a creature within 1.5 meters of you with a rabbit kick. If you succeed, they take 2d6 bludgeoning damage. This damage increases to 2d8 at level 6, 2d10 at level 11, and 2d12 at level 17. Short Lived. Your telomeres are shorter than they should be, and you suffer from age-related cellular damage earlier than most. Your expected life span is from 25-30 years old, but you reach adulthood at 15 years.

38 // 2. Genomes // words. When words fail, the enhanced intellect and agility are usually enough to overcome obstacles. This genome sees plenty of action as assassins, spies, actors, salespeople, lawyers, and police. Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity and Intelligence scores are increased by 2, and your Wisdom and Charisma scores are increased by 3. Additionally, your maximum Dexterity, Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma scores become 22. Emotionally Intuitive. You are able to read people like a book, knowing what they are thinking and feeling before even they do. You gain the following benefits: • You gain proficiency in the Insight skill. If you are already proficient in the skill or gain it at a later time, you add double your proficiency bonus to checks you make with it. • You can use your action to get an emotional read on one person you can see. Make a Wisdom (Insight) check contested by the target’s Charisma (Deception) check. If your check succeeds, you have advantage on attack rolls and ability checks against the target until the end of your next turn. Social Chameleon. Skilled at impressions and mimicry, you gain the following benefits: • You have advantage on Charisma (Deception) and Charisma (Performance) checks when trying to pass yourself off as a different person. • You are excellent at impressions, and can easily mimic speech patterns and tone. After studying someone’s speech for a few minutes, you are able to mimic it. Listeners must make a successful Wisdom (Insight) check contested by your Charisma (Deception) to see through the impression. Eucypher Eucyphers were originally engineered by Omnitech to be the ultimate hackers. The augmented mental abilities allow them to navigate code with uncanny ease. The Eucypher’s frail physique make violent cadre work challenging, but their great intellect can usually compensate. In fact, due to their excellent brain, this genome is useful in most professions. Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 1, your Intelligence score increases by 4, and your Wisdom score increases by 3. Additionally, your maximum Intelligence score is now 24, and your maximum Wisdom score is now 22. Marfan Syndrome. You have a variant form of Marfan, so your limbs and digits are extremely long and Chemical Dependence. In addition to regular food, you must consume a nutrient supplement called Median every day. Failure to get this supplement counts as not eating at all. This supplement is available in most cities and is covered by your lifestyle (see Chapter 8: Completing Contracts), but it might be a problem doing long term camping, and costs シ25 per day for field rations. Enchanting. People naturally like you and tend to appreciate your opinion. You gain the following benefits: • You gain proficiency in the Persuasion skill. If you are already proficient in this skill or gain proficiency at a later time, you add double your proficiency bonus to checks you make with it. • You can charm a person, simply by having a brief conversation with them. After a conversation, make a Charisma (Persuasion) check contested by the target’s Wisdom (Insight) check. If your check succeeds, the target is charmed by you for 1 minute. This feature cannot be used on a target that is engaged in combat. Performance Artist. Be it dance, storytelling, painting, or some other artform, your natural mastery of performance allows you to command the attention of others. You gain the following benefits: • You gain proficiency in the Performance skill. If you are already proficient in the skill or acquire it later, you add double your proficiency bonus to checks you make with it. • You can use performance to occupy a target’s attention, distracting them. Make a Charisma (Performance) check contested by the target’s Wisdom (Insight) check. If your check succeeds, the target makes Dexterity, Intelligence, and Wisdom ability checks with disadvantage as long as they are perceiving your performance. Pheromones. You produce scents that make people trust you implicitly. Whenever you make a Wisdom (Insight), Charisma (Deception), Charisma (Persuasion), or Charisma (Performance) ability check, you can roll with advantage as long as the target is within 6 meters and can smell you. Espion The Espion genome was designed for covert intelligence and to subvert rival syndicate employees. Individuals with this genome are expert actors and manipulators, being able to read exactly what people want and extract secrets from them with nothing more than Genomes Classes Goods and Services Upgrades Daemons Brave New World NPCs Appendices Intro Character Creation Completing Contracts Combat Hacking Ability Scores

// GeneFunk 2090 // 39 es to 2d6, at level 11 it increases to 2d8, and at level 17 scores critical hits on a roll of 18-20. Enhanced Senses. You gain proficiency in the Perception skill and you can see in dim light within 18 meters of you as if it were bright light and in darkness as if it were dim light. Natural Leaper. You multiply the amount of distance you can jump by 3, and you can fall 9 meters without taking damage (instead of 3). This trait doesn’t stack with any other ability that increases your jumping distance. Strength (Athletics) Long Jump Distance High Jump Distance 5 4.5 meters 0 meters 10 9 meters 1.5 meters 15 13.5 meters 3 meters 20 18 meters 4.5 meters 25 22.5 meters 6 meters 30 27 meters 7.5 meters Pounce. If you move at least 6 meters straight toward a large sized or smaller character and then hit it with a claw attack on the same turn, you can make an attempt to shove that character as a free action. Simple Minded. Your Intelligence and Charisma scores are decreased by 2. Camouflage. Your biology is well equipped for concealing yourself, and moving quietly. You gain the following benefits: • You gain proficiency in the Stealth skill. If you are already proficient in the skill, or later gain proficiency, you add double your proficiency bonus to checks you make with it. • You can attempt to hide even when you are only lightly obscured. • If you are unseen, you can move up to 3 meters in the open without revealing yourself if you end the move in an area with cover of some type. Swift Feet. It’s in your DNA to be fleet of foot, and nimble. You gain the following benefits: • When you use the Dash action, difficult terrain doesn’t cost you extra movement and you don’t elicit opportunity attacks on that turn. • Your speed increases by 3 meters. Predatory Form. You are completely covered in hair, and have claws, fangs, and a canine nose. You have an inhuman appearance. you are unusually tall and slender. This gives you a strange appearance. Multitasker. You are an expert at multitasking, and you can run an additional hack or upgrade that requires concentration (you may concentrate on one more effect than normal). Natural Coder. You learn four 1st-level software hacks of your choice. Without hack slots, they must be run using the taking your time feature (see Chapter 10). Weak. Your Strength score decreases by 2. Feral A variant of the Traceur genome, the Feral genome is an attempt to stretch the limits of the border between humans and mammalian carnivores. This genome is the classic splice between human and wild animal that has been seen in pulp science fiction. It was developed in the early 2050's by a Russian company for both military applications and to satisfy human curiosity. They are completely covered in hair and sport vicious claws and fangs like many other mammalian predators. They are stronger and faster than an average human, but they sport a nasty temper. They often find work in the military, as professional fighters, guides for hunters, or even jobs in the entertainment industry. Ability Score Increase. Your Strength and Dexterity scores are increased by 3. Additionally, your maximum Strength and Dexterity scores become 22. Acute Olfaction. You have countless folds in your nose, to increase surface area. The result is that your olfaction is now even more acute than a bear’s. You can recognize people’s unique scent, track them easily (as long as it hasn’t rained), and gain incredible details about anything you might eat or drink. While tracking people, you also learn their exact number, their sizes, and how long ago they passed through the area. If you are downwind of someone, it is impossible for them to hide from you, or keep themselves disguised without some major alteration of their scent. Additionally, you have advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on smell. Animal Rage. When someone provokes you, you can’t help but engage in obvious dominance play. You must make a Wisdom saving throw (DC 5-10 depending on the provocation) and attack or shove the offender on a failed save. Carnivore. You are unable to digest plant-based sugars and must subside on a purely meat diet. Claws. These razor-sharp retractable claws act as a light finesse simple melee weapon that does 2d4 armor-piercing, slashing damage (plus Strength or Dexterity modifier). At level 6 your claws damage increas-

40 // 2. Genomes // score becomes 24, and your maximum Constitution score becomes 22. Acute Senses. You gain proficiency in the Perception skill and you can see in dim light within 18 meters of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. If you are already proficient in Perception, or later gain proficiency through other means, you add double your proficiency bonus to checks you make with it. Carnivore. You are unable to digest plant-based sugars and must subside on a purely meat diet. Leathery Scales. Hard leathery plates protect your body’s vulnerable areas. Your AC can’t be less than 18 and your DR versus slashing / piercing / bludgeoning can’t be less than 4, regardless of what kind of armor you are (or aren’t) wearing. You also suffer from disadvantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks. Additionally, you can’t add your Dexterity modifier to your Armor Class, but it also does not penalize you for having a negative Dexterity modifier. The minimum AC increases by 1 at levels 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, and 17, and the minimum DR increases by 2 at levels 7 and 15. Menacing Maw. Your mouth is large and filled with razor-sharp and powerful teeth. Leviathan The Leviathan genome was developed by the Ronin International J41 project, a biotech R&D initiative aiming to produce specialist genomes for every security and military application imaginable. Leviathans have a distinctly crocodilian appearance, complete with leathery scales, hulking frame, and frightening toothy maws designed to rip and tear flesh. Designed primarily for security and bodyguarding, Leviathans capitalize on their terrifying appearance to deter any potential interlopers based on fear alone. Their senses have been amplified to facilitate their role, and their brains have been made resistant to hacking. If intimidation doesn’t work to discourage their enemies, brute strength, reptilian fortitude, and a powerful bite are nice for a bit of ultra-violence. In addition to the security and bodyguard work they were designed for, Leviathans are commonly found working as bouncers, mafia enforcers, professional athletes, and even as samurai. Naturally, many Leviathans find themselves uniquely suited to cadre work. Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score is increased by 4, and your Constitution score is increased by 2. Additionally, your maximum Strength Genomes Classes Goods and Services Upgrades Daemons Brave New World NPCs Appendices Intro Character Creation Completing Contracts Combat Hacking Ability Scores

// GeneFunk 2090 // 41 OsaLaska The OsaLaska genome, developed in Russia by GenSTADA, is designed to carry out assassinations. They are immediately recognizable by their small size, snout-like nose and transparent skin, which gives them perhaps the most horrifying appearance out of any genome. Muscle tissue and bone are laid bare beneath a wet looking clear dermis. To better eliminate their prey, they can climb walls like a spider, paralyze enemies with a venomous touch, track like a bloodhound, and induce bursts of frenzied energy like a wolverine. If that wasn’t enough, they can also change the color and texture of their normally transparent skin to match their surroundings. It is said they possess genes from weasels, octopi, and jellyfish. Some social scientists have controversially noted that the representation of OsaLaska among serial killers is disproportionately large. Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score is increased by 3, and your Intelligence score is increased by 2. Additionally, your maximum Dexterity and Intelligence scores are now 22. Acute Olfaction. You have countless folds in your nose, which increases surface area. The result is that your olfaction is now even more acute than a bear’s. You can make Strength (Intimidation) ability checks instead of Charisma (Intimidation) checks against targets within 6 meters. If you are grappling a target, you gain advantage on Strength (Intimidation) checks against them. In addition, you can bite grappled targets, which counts as a simple melee weapon with the armor-piercing property that does 2d6 piercing damage (plus Strength modifier). At level 6 your bite damage increases to 2d8, at level 11 it increases to 2d10, and at level 17 it increases to 2d12. Reptile Brain. The pathways in your brain are wired a bit differently, and so is your interface with your daemon. As a result, mind hackers have a hard time cracking in. You gain advantage when making saving throws against any mind hacks. Simple Minded. Your Charisma score is decreased by 2 and your Wisdom score is decreased by 1. Slow. Your lumbering body shape simply isn’t designed for quick movement, and your base speed is 6 meters. Crocodilian Form. You are completely covered in hard leathery scales, have reptilian features, bright eyes with vertical slit pupils, and abnormally large and toothy mouth. You have an inhuman appearance.

42 // 2. Genomes // age earlier than most. Your expected life span is from 25- 30 years old, but you reach adulthood at 15 years. Small Frame. Your body is much smaller in both size and weight than normal, and your size is small instead of medium. You are less than 1.5 meters tall and weigh less than 40 kilograms. Your maximum Strength score is decreased by 6. Terrifying Form. Your transparent skin and animalistic snout leave you looking like a creature from a horror movie. You have an inhuman appearance. Wall Crawling. Swathes of skin on your hands, feet, legs, and arms can shift into microscopic fractalling, allowing you to exploit Van der Waals forces to cling to walls like a gecko. You can cause this effect to manifest as a free action, and you gain a climbing speed equal to your regular speed. Additionally, you can climb sheer surfaces without requiring a Strength (Athletics) check. Sherlock Named after Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s series of novels, this genome was designed for the same type of work as its fictional namesake. Sherlocks make excellent detectives or CSIs, their excellent senses combining with their powerful intellect to solve crimes much more easily. Through analysis of pheromones and body language they can also interrogate people much more effectively. However, unlike the fictional Sherlock Holmes, this genome produces people who are quite riddled with physical problems, making rough police work less likely. This genome was produced by Omnitech as a variant of the Eucypher genome. Ability Score Increase. Your Intelligence and Wisdom scores are increased by 4, and your Dexterity score is increased by 1. Additionally, your maximum Intelligence and Wisdom scores become 24. Astute Perception. You are mindful, present, and take in every detail. You gain the following benefits: • You gain proficiency in the Perception skill and add double your proficiency bonus to checks involving Perception. • You gain proficiency in the Investigation skill. If you are already proficient in this skill or gain it at a later time, you add double your proficiency bonus to checks you make with it. • You can take the Search action as a bonus action. • You can lipread. Distances greater than 12 meters may require a Wisdom (Perception) or Intelligence (Investigation) ability check at the GM’s discretion. • You have a +5 bonus to your passive Wisdom (Perception) and passive Intelligence (Investigation) scores. You can recognize people’s unique scent, track them easily (as long as it hasn’t rained), and gain incredible details about anything you might eat or drink. While tracking people, you also learn their exact number, their sizes, and how long ago they passed through the area. If you are downwind of someone, it is impossible for them to hide from you, or keep themselves disguised without some major alteration of their scent. Additionally, you have advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on smell. Adrenaline Surge. Your adrenal system is amped through the roof, and floods your body with stimulants, dramatically increasing your reflexes and speed. Once per long rest, you can use a bonus action to activate this ability, which lasts for one minute. While active, you gain a +2 bonus to AC, have advantage on Dexterity saving throws, and you gain an additional action on each of your turns. That action can be used only to take the Attack (one weapon attack only), Dash, Disengage, Hide, or Use an Object actions. When the effect ends, you can’t move or take actions until after your next turn. Awkward. Social situations make you squirm. Your Charisma score is decreased by 2. Chromatophores. Your genetic makeup has perfectly suited you for hiding, and you are an expert at slinking through shadows. You gain the following benefits: • You gain proficiency in the Stealth skill. If you are already proficient in the skill, or later gain proficiency, you add double your proficiency bonus to checks you make with it. • You can attempt to hide even when you are only lightly obscured. • If you are hidden, you can move up to 3 meters in the open without revealing yourself if you end the move in a position where you’re not clearly visible. Nematocysts. Your hands are laden with stinging cells that launch thousands of envenomed barbs into your enemy’s skin, even navigating their way past armor. They can be triggered while grappling, making unarmed strikes, or otherwise touching your target, as a free action. A person subjected to this poison must succeed on a Constitution saving throw (DC equals 11 + your proficiency bonus), becoming poisoned for 1 hour on a failed save. If the save is failed by 5 or more, the subject becomes unconscious. If they fail by 10 or more, they die. You can use this feature twice before having to take a short rest to recharge it. Short Lived. Your telomeres are shorter than they should be, and you suffer from age-related cellular damGenomes Classes Goods and Services Upgrades Daemons Brave New World NPCs Appendices Intro Character Creation Completing Contracts Combat Hacking Ability Scores

// GeneFunk 2090 // 43 the syndicates, there is no shortage of work for a genetically designed super-soldier. Ability Score Increase. Your Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution scores are increased by 3. Additionally, your maximum Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution scores become 22. Enhanced Senses. You gain proficiency in the Perception skill and you can see in dim light within 18 meters of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. Inhuman Appearance. You are a deep maroon color, have large ears, and sport bright yellow eyes with no whites. Short Lived. Your telomeres are shorter than they should be, and you suffer from age-related cellular damage earlier than most. Your expected life span is from 25-30 years old, but you reach adulthood at 15 years. Tough as Nails. At first level, and whenever you gain a level, your hit point maximum increases by an additional 2 hit points. Spartan - Naiad The Spartan Naiad genome was first developed as a variant of the Spartan Infantry genome, with a focus on making ideal soldiers for amphibious assaults. Naiads can breathe underwater and can swim like a fish. Their skin tone is light blue with mottled or striped patterns, and they are completely hairless, like a dolphin. They also have large pointed ears, bright blue eyes, and partially webbed hands and feet. Many Naiads find work with navies and marines, as lifeguards, professional surfers, or any other occupation that has them close to the water. Ability Score Increase. Your Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution scores are increased by 3. Additionally, your maximum Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution scores become 22. Aquatic. You are adapted to a marine environment, complete with webbed limbs and functional gills. You gain a Swim speed of 6 meters and can breathe underwater. When you surface, the lungful of water is expelled through the mouth. Enhanced Senses. You gain proficiency in the Perception skill and you can see in dim light within 18 meters of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. Inhuman Appearance. Your completely hairless skin is shades of light blue, you have pointed ears, and your eyes are large and bright. Your hands and feet are webbed. Darkvision. You can see in dim light within 18 meters of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. Emotionally Intuitive. You possess a keen insight into how other people think and feel. You gain the following benefits: • You gain proficiency in the Insight skill. If you are already proficient in the skill or gain it at a later time, you add double your proficiency bonus to checks you make with it. • You can use your action to try to get an uncanny insight about one person you can see within 9 meters of you. Make a Wisdom (Insight) check contested by the target’s Charisma (Deception) check. If your check succeeds, you have advantage on attack rolls and ability checks against the target until the end of your next turn. Albinism. Your skin and hair are completely white, lacking any pigment. Your eyes are either pink or blue. You suffer from a level of exhaustion for each hour spent in direct sunlight unless you are well covered or shaded. Additionally, you have a strange appearance. Hemophiliac. When you take any damage, you lose 1 hit point at the start of each of your turns until an ability, hack, item, or upgrade allows you to regain hit points (which stops the bleeding). Musculoskeletal Misalignment. Your base speed is 6, and if you roll a 1 on any Strength or Dexterity ability checks, or melee attack rolls, you are at a disadvantage on all rolls until you take a short or long rest. Weak. Your Strength score decreases by 2. Spartan - Infantry The Spartan Infantry genome was created by Apollo Laboratories to produce the ultimate soldier and is among the oldest designed genomes. They have heightened motor skills, hand-eye coordination, senses, and stamina. Many nations have mass-produced this genome in vitro, and have raised them in state foster homes (crèches), in an effort to seed their military with highly competent killers. Compared to unmodified soldiers, Spartan Infantry can haul more gear, detect enemies more easily, shoot more accurately, and can march longer distances before exhaustion. Spartan Infantry are immediately recognizable due to their maroon skin, bright yellow eyes that reflect light like a cat’s, and enlarged ears. This genome is used widely in almost every military on the planet. It’s a violent world, so if a Spartan chooses not to work for

44 // 2. Genomes // to shadows like a nocturnal predator. You gain the following benefits: • You gain proficiency in the Stealth skill. If you are already proficient in the skill, or later gain proficiency, you add double your proficiency bonus to checks you make with it. • You can attempt to hide even when you are only lightly obscured. • If you are unseen, you can move up to 3 meters in the open without revealing yourself if you end the move in an area with cover of some type. • You can use Dexterity (Stealth) to hide from someone when you are lightly obscured. • When you are unseen from someone and make a ranged weapon attack against them, your position isn’t revealed unless you actually hit them. Swift Feet. It’s in your DNA to be fleet of foot, and nimble. You gain the following benefits: • When you use the Dash action, difficult terrain doesn’t cost you extra movement on that turn. • Your speed increases by 3 meters. Short Lived. Your telomeres are shorter than they should be, and you suffer from age-related cellular damage earlier than most. Your expected life span is from 25-30 years old, but you reach adulthood at 15 years. Simple. Your Intelligence score is decreased by 2. Tireless. You always count as having two fewer levels of exhaustion. Titan The Titan genome was designed by Unicom to participate in strength-based sports and physical combat. This genome produces gigantic, powerfully muscled, extremely tough pounding machines. They can take damage just as easily as they can dish it out. If they do not make a living through sports or professional fighting, many Titans become bouncers, bodyguards, or hired bone breakers. Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score is increased by 5, your Dexterity score is increased by 1, and your Constitution score is increased by 3. Additionally, your maximum Strength score becomes 28, and your maximum Constitution score becomes 22. Chemical Dependence. In addition to regular food, you must consume a nutrient supplement called Median every day. Failure to get this supplement counts as not eating at all. This supplement is available in Short Lived. Your telomeres are shorter than they should be, and you suffer from age-related cellular damage earlier than most. Your expected life span is from 25-30 years old, but you reach adulthood at 15 years. Spartan - Wraith Wraiths are designed to act as advanced scouts, trackers, and snipers. They can spot enemies easily, track like a bloodhound, and run like a deer. Though they often work alone, armies that use genetically designed soldiers often have one Wraith in every squad to better detect approaching enemies. Being mute makes it difficult for enemies to extract information from them even if they are captured. They have an enlarged nose, charcoal grey skin, and large yellow eyes with a tapetum lucidum, which reflects light in the same way a cat’s eyes do. Outside of the military scouting type work that they are obviously designed for, Wraiths find work as hunters, guides, private investigators, and other lines of work that their unique abilities lend themselves to. Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score is increased by 3, and your Strength and Constitution scores are increased by 1. Additionally, your maximum Dexterity, score becomes 22. Acute Olfaction. You have countless folds in your nose, for increases surface area. The result is that your olfaction is now even more acute than a bear’s. You can recognize people’s unique scent, track them easily (as long as it hasn’t rained), and gain incredible details about anything you might eat or drink. While tracking people, you also learn their exact number, their sizes, and how long ago they passed through the area. If you are downwind of someone, it is impossible for them to hide from you, or keep themselves disguised without some major alteration of their scent. Additionally, you have advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on smell. Inhuman Appearance. You have hairless skin in shades of charcoal grey to black, an enormous nose, and large bright yellow or golden eyes. Mute. You have no voice box and are unable to speak (though you can still speak wirelessly through chat apps). Nocturnal Senses. You gain proficiency in the Perception skill and you can see in dim light within 18 meters of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. Additionally, dim light doesn’t cause disadvantage on your Wisdom (Perception) checks. Natural Scout. Your biology is well equipped for concealing yourself and moving quietly. You can stick Genomes Classes Goods and Services Upgrades Daemons Brave New World NPCs Appendices Intro Character Creation Completing Contracts Combat Hacking Ability Scores

// GeneFunk 2090 // 45 Traceur This genome was developed to make a human both extremely acrobatic and difficult to kill. Su rprisingly, the Traceur genome is not made for war, but entertainment. Unicom manufactured the Traceur genome with these qualities to create the perfect action star, ramping up their toughness and agility for breathtaking stunt work. Genes associated with sex appeal, extroversion and charm were also included to add to the Hollywood image. Some of the most famous modern action stars are members of this genome. Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score is increased by 4, and your Strength, Constitution, and Charisma scores are increased by 1. Additionally, your maximum Dexterity score becomes 24. Action Star Brain. Your Intelligence and Wisdom scores are decreased by 2. Chemical Dependence. In addition to regular food, you must consume a nutrient supplement called Median every day. Failure to get this supplement counts as not eating at all. This supplement is available in most cities and is covered by your lifestyle (see Chapter 8: Completing Contracts), but it might be a problem doing long term camping, and costs シ25 per day for field rations. Athletic Phenom. Your genes have been tweaked for optimal athletic expression, and you gain the following benefits: • When you are prone, standing up uses only 1.5 meters of your movement. • Climbing doesn’t cost you extra movement. • You can make a running long jump or a running high jump after moving only 1.5 meters on foot, rather than 3 meters. • You gain proficiency in the Acrobatics skill. If you are already proficient in the skill, you add double your proficiency bonus to checks you make with it. Swift Feet. It’s in your DNA to be fleet of foot, and nimble. You gain the following benefits: • When you use the Dash action, difficult terrain doesn’t cost you extra movement and you don’t elicit opportunity attacks on that turn. • Your speed increases by 3 meters. Tough as Nails. At first level, and whenever you gain a level, your hit point maximum increases by an additional 2 hit points. most cities and is covered by your lifestyle (see Chapter 8: Completing Contracts), but it might be a problem doing long term camping, and costs シ25 per day for field rations. Goon Brain. Your Intelligence and Wisdom scores are decreased by 1. Inhumanly Large. You are well over 2 meters tall and have a strange appearance due to your large size. Sturdy Frame. Your entire skeleton is unusually strong, you gain resistance to bludgeoning damage, and you add the hard-knuckle property to your unarmed strikes (+2 damage). Tough as Nails. At first level, and whenever you gain a level, your hit point maximum increases by an additional 2 hit points.

46 // 2. Genomes // Mutts Transgenic admixtures, or “mutts”, are born naturally from genetically engineered parents, and their abilities are wide and varied. They often look strange, and they lack the predetermined purpose their parents have, making it difficult for people to form opinions about them. Young, strange, and exceptional, these mutts are still carving out a niche in this brave new world. Origin Transgenic admixtures are the offspring of one engineered transgenic parent and one human parent, or two genetically engineered transgenic parents. Since fertile transgenic humans have only been around since the 2040's, and only became relatively common in the 2060's, all genetically deviant humans are quite young, most under 20 years old. Children resulting from cross genome relationships still occur with great frequency and these also add to the number of mutts. While born naturally, the genetic stock they have risen from is that of the altered parent or parents. By the year 2090, there are roughly 70 million transgenic admixture humans in the world. Young Biopunks Youth is a marker of this genome, the oldest mutts being in their fifties, and extremely rare. The vast majority are in their teens or early twenties. The combination of wondrous features, youthful population, and oppressive environment is fertile ground for counterculture and makes for a romantic and compelling story as far as modern media is concerned. They are a pillar of urban street culture and are featured frequently in modern music and film. Looking strangely transgenic like mutts often do has gained prominence in street culture, and many unmodified humans opt for cosmetic surgeries to appear more transgenic to get this street cred. Genetic Prejudice Despite their popularity in media, they are subjected to genoism more than any other genome. Many politicians and other leaders paint them as gang leaders and criminals (which is sometimes true as they are poor and often live in slums). Likewise, activists and transgenic advocacy groups use mutts as poster children, their young and innocent faces often adorning anti-genoism campaign media. By 2090 many transgenic admixtures are finally entering the world of adulthood, forcing society to reevaluate them. While they have the same legal rights as everyone else, they are reviled by some of the common population. They occupy the lowest level of soNatural Leaper. You multiply the amount of distance you can jump by 3, and you can fall 9 meters without taking damage (instead of 3). This trait doesn’t stack with any other ability that increases your jumping distance. Strength (Athletics) Long Jump Distance High Jump Distance 5 4.5 meters 0 meters 10 9 meters 1.5 meters 15 13.5 meters 3 meters 20 18 meters 4.5 meters 25 22.5 meters 6 meters 30 27 meters 7.5 meters Inefficient metabolism. You must consume 5 times the amount of food as most people to sustain yourself. Genomes Classes Goods and Services Upgrades Daemons Brave New World NPCs Appendices Intro Character Creation Completing Contracts Combat Hacking Ability Scores

// GeneFunk 2090 // 47 Genetic Enhancements Roll Enhancement Amplify? Effect 1-2 Acute Olfaction No Sense of smell is as keen as a bloodhound’s 3-4 Acute Senses No You gain proficiency in the Perception skill, and low light vision 5-6 Adrenaline Surge No Temporary boost to your output 7-8 Agile No You gain bonuses to acrobatic maneuvers 9-10 Ambidexterity No Expert with both hands 11 Aquatic No Can breathe underwater and swim quickly 12 Breath Weapon No You can discharge a cone of poison, chemical heat, or acid at your enemies 13-14 Chameleon No You gain advantages to hiding 15-16 Danger Sense No You are alert to danger of any kind 17-18 Efficient Respiration No You are less affected by exhaustion 19 Electric Organ No You can generate intense electrical shocks, like an electric eel 20-24 Enhanced Charisma Yes You gain a +2 bonus to Charisma 25-29 Enhanced Constitution Yes You gain a +2 bonus to Constitution 30-34 Enhanced Dexterity Yes You gain a +2 bonus to Dexterity 35-39 Enhanced Intelligence Yes You gain a +2 bonus to Intelligence 40- 44 Enhanced Strength Yes You gain a +3 bonus to Strength 45-49 Enhanced Wisdom Yes You gain a +2 bonus to Wisdom 50 Extra Arms No An extra pair of fully functional arms 51-53 Healing Factor Yes You regain 1 hit point every turn, and auto-stabilize 54-55 Inscrutable Brain No Your weird brain is hard to hack, giving you advantage on saving throws 56 Large Frame No Your maximum Strength score becomes 26 57 Multitasker No You can concentrate on one additional hack or upgrade 58-59 Natural Coder No You have a natural affinity for hacking 60-61 Natural Empath No You can read people like a book 62-64 Natural Leaper No You jumping distances are tripled 65-66 Natural Weapon No You gain a natural light finesse melee weapon that does 2d4 damage 67-68 Nocturnal No You can easily live in the shadows 69 Noxious Spray No Like a skunk, you can spray a horrible odor on your enemies 70-71 Pheromones No You gain proficiency in Insight, Deception and Persuasion 72-73 Photosynthesis No The sun sustains you 74-75 Physical Phenom No You gain bonuses to athletic maneuvers 76-77 Prehensile Tail No Can function as another hand, and acts as a counterbalance 78-79 Quills Yes You are covered in sharp spines, spikes, or quills 80 Sclerotized Plates Yes You have hard armored plates in key spots around your body, protecting you 81 Slippery Slime No You spit out an ultra-slippery goo, causing your enemies to slip and fall 82-83 Spinnerets No You can make your own silk! 84-85 Sturdy Frame No Resistance to bludgeoning damage, and +2 damage to unarmed strikes. 86-88 Swift Yes Your speed increases by 3 meters and you can Dash as a bonus action 89 Thermal Tolerance No You gain resistance to cold and heat damage 90-91 Tough as Nails No You gain a hit point boost 92-93 Toxin Resilience No Resistance to poison damage, and advantage on saving throws 94-97 Venomous Yes You can produce venom 98 Wall Crawler No You can climb like a gecko or spider 99 Watchful No You miss nothing and pick up on fine details 100 Wings Yes You don’t take damage from falling and you can glide

48 // 2. Genomes // Rolling the same enhancement for the third time, even if it can be amplified, results in rerolling. You also have a number of genetic flaws, determined by the number of genetic enhancements you take (as seen below). You are forced to roll genetic flaws on the Genetic Flaw table, until all of your flaws are accounted for. If you roll the same flaw twice, you must roll again. Genetic Enhancements Genetic Flaws 8 0 10 2 12 4 ciety as far as the general public is concerned. Many have no other option than shanty towns or transgenic ghettos as a home. Mutt Traits Genetic Hodge-Podge. During character creation, you can choose to have 8, 10, or 12 genetic enhancements. You must roll them randomly from the Genetic Enhancement table. If you roll the same enhancement twice, you must roll again, unless the enhancement can be amplified (noted in the table). If it can be amplified, you gain an additional effect when it is rolled again (and it counts as a total of two enhancements). Genetic Flaws Roll Flaw Effect 1-3 Albinism Your skin lacks melanin to protect you from sunlight. 4-5 Animal Rage You have a very short fuse 6-9 Awkward Your Charisma is reduced by 2 10-13 Bioluminescent Disadvantage on Stealth ability checks 14-15 Blind You can’t see 16-17 Brittle Bones You have vulnerability to bludgeoning damage 18-19 Carnivore You can only eat meat 20-22 Chemical Dependency You require a nutrient supplement in addition to regular food 23-26 Clumsy Your Dexterity is reduced by 2 27-28 Daemon Barren Your body cannot house a daemon 29-30 Deaf You cannot hear 31-34 Frailty Your Constitution is reduced by 2 35-36 Hemophiliac When damaged, lose 1 hp/turn until healed, long/short rests do not restore hp 37-40 Impulsive Your Wisdom is reduced by 2 41-45 Inhuman Appearance Disadvantage on certain Charisma ability checks 46-47 Inefficient Metabolism You require 5 times the normal amount of food 48-49 Lethargy On a roll of a 1, you cannot take bonus actions 50-52 Photosensitivity You burn easily, and bright light hurts your eyes 53-54 Muscle Spasms On a roll of 1, disadvantage on ability checks and attack rolls due to pain 55-57 Mute You can’t speak 58-59 Musk Disadvantage on Persuasion checks when you can be smelled 59-62 Poor Senses Disadvantage on Perception checks, and passive Perception is reduced by 5 63-64 Seizures In stressful situations, roll d20; on a 1, you go into a seizure 65-66 Severe Allergy An allergen can cause death 67-71 Short Lived You only live to be 25-30 years old 72-75 Simple Your Intelligence is reduced by 2 76-79 Slow Your base speed is 6 meters. 80-82 Small Frame You are shorter and smaller than average 83-84 Unstable System Your body can undergo catastrophic failure under stress 85-88 Upgrade Intolerant You can only have 6 upgrades 89-92 Weak Your Strength is reduced by 2 93-96 Weak Immune System Disadvantage on Constitution saving throws versus poison or disease, and x2 damage 97-100 Weak Willed Disadvantage on Wisdom and Charisma saving throws Genomes Classes Goods and Services Upgrades Daemons Brave New World NPCs Appendices Intro Character Creation Completing Contracts Combat Hacking Ability Scores

// GeneFunk 2090 // 49 Acute Senses Your senses are especially sensitive, and you have a high functioning tapetum lucidum. You gain proficiency in the Perception skill and you can see in dim light within 18 meters of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. If you are already proficient in Perception, or later gain proficiency through other means, you add double your proficiency bonus to checks you make with it. Adrenaline Surge Your adrenal system is amped through the roof and floods your body with stimulants, dramatically increasing your reflexes and speed. Once per long rest,you can use a bonus action to activate this ability,which lasts for one minute. While active, you gain a +2 bonus to AC, have advantage on Dexterity saving throws, and you gain an additional action on each of your turns. That action can be used only to take the Attack (one weapon attack only), Dash, Disengage, Hide, or Use an Object actions. When the effect ends, you can’t move or take actions until after your next turn, as the burst of speed leaves you exhausted. Agile Your genetics grant you catlike agility, providing the following benefits: • You gain proficiency in the Acrobatics skill. If you are already proficient in the skill, or later gain proficiency through other means, you add double your proficiency bonus to checks you make with it. • Any time an effect would knock you prone, you can spend your reaction to stay on your feet. • As a bonus action, you can make a DC 15 Dexterity (Acrobatics) check. If you succeed, you treat difficult terrain as regular terrain until the end of your turn. Ambidexterity You can use both of your hands with equal fluency, gaining the following benefits: • When you engage in two-weapon fighting, you can add your ability modifier to the damage of the second attack. • You can draw or stow two one-handed weapons when you would normally be able to draw or stow only one. Aquatic You are adapted to a marine environment, complete with webbed limbs and functional gills. You gain a Swim speed of 6 meters and can breathe unGenetic Enhancements Acute Olfaction You have countless folds in your nose, which increases surface area. The result is that your olfaction is now even more acute than a bear’s. You can recognize people’s unique scent, track them easily (as long as it hasn’t rained), and gain incredible details about anything you might eat or drink. While tracking people, you also learn their exact number, their sizes, and how long ago they passed through the area. If you are downwind of someone, it is impossible for them to hide from you, or keep themselves disguised without some major alteration of their scent. Additionally, you have advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on smell.