Monsters/NPCs

Concept: “gutter_PUVNKS is a fresh supplement for CY_BORG. You'll get all you need to explore the city of CY, even if you really don't want to. Locations, encounters, NPCs, adventure, two new classes (BROKE CEO & CY_BORG), and a few odds and ends.”

Content: 48 pages of content: NPCs, cults, a radio station, locations throughout CY, random encounter tables, infestations, “broke CEO” and “cyborg” classes, and (amazingly!) more. 

Writing: Tons of detail on each page to provide GMs and players with numerous possibilities; writing style oozes the essence of Cy_Borg: thematically grimy and vile and also compact rules/mechanics explanations.

Art/Design: Layout and aesthetic choices for each section are as varied and imaginative as the writing, contributing significantly to the fullness of immersion in the game universe and vibe.

Usability: “Consistency” is somewhat relative here–although there are many different layouts, aesthetics, etc., there are similar gestures throughout: highlighted headings/labels, text size to reflect hierarchical relationships between content, etc. so that navigation and identification of desired info is enjoyable rather than frustrating. Contrast is high throughout as well; only one page has a busy enough background to potentially slow reading.

Concept: “Maybe it was kidnapped from its daily coffee grind serving [###]’s coffee to corpo stiffs, maybe it was freed. Once a dutiful servant, this menial automaton is now something much more. Somebody filled the milk steamer with industrial corrosives and loaded the thing with enough malware to knock over a small corporate arcology. To what end?”

Content: A deadly and, arguably, tragic take on exploitation of the working class in CY.

Writing: A mix of straightforward explanations and darkly humorous nods to the absurdity of the creature’s premise. 

Art/Design: Three columns–two of the creature details around a central computer-generated image of a barista bot in an industrial environment.

Usability: High-contrast content has a consistent color scheme and easily recognizable organization. However, the file is only available as a .png, so the text is non-selectable and inaccessible to a screen reader.

Concept: “Your favourite evil corporation experimented with infecting gene-edited hamsters with nanites which resulted in horrible mutations.”

Content: A furry nightmare sure to overwhelm a party of punks, whether with murder or a slew of infestations.

Writing: Concise mix of adorable and haunting plot hook and creature stats.

Art/Design: An ominous portrait of an infected hamster stares at the reader while plot hooks and stats line either side.

Usability: A simple layout and immediately distinguishable color-coded content blocks make this incredibly easy to locate and make use of desired details.

Concept: “On the rain-slick streets of the city, a rogue ai lashes out at corruption. the machine strikes with typewriter and guns, raising awareness where possible and inflicting punishment when necessary. HST.3.33 is a machine on a mission and will stop at nothing to bring down the corporate criminals who control the world. Unfortunately, HST.3.33 is also an alcoholic, drug-addicted, insane monstrosity. the meat parts of the thing's cybernetic shell are desperate for mezcal, LSD, and PCP.  The alcoholic, drug-addicted, insane machine is a terror or a folk hero depending on the time of day. Which version of the rogue ai will you meet?“

Content: Visually: a rogue AI and several additional robotic creatures that can ruin any punk’s day. Aurally: four soundscape tracks that inject an electronic noirish-western mood into one’s eardrums.

Writing: NPC stats are surrounded by intensely atmospheric passages, from technical descriptions to narrative vignettes.

Art/Design: A mix of slick and messy aesthetic that presents information across two wide spreads, with several images of included creatures in different artistic styles.

Usability: Different kinds of content–and there’s a lot of content on these pages!--are easily distinguishable and presented in readable fore/ground contrast (although white on bright red might be difficult for some).

Concept: “In the foggy streets of a not-so-distant future, where entertainers are churned out by the minute, rare is the talent that can rise above the rest. One whose personality is not refined by a focus group but stands head and shoulders above the rabble. You are not that talent. Perhaps once you were beneath the glare of the spotlights. But now? Now you're just another resident of Cy, scraping together enough creds to make it through the week.”

Content: A supplement that contains (1) "Fading Idol," a class for the rocker, diva, or triple threat who’s ready to do or destroy whatever’s necessary for one more moment in the spotlight; and (2) "Virtua Girls," a trio of NPCs with a wide range of potential for emotional engagements with PCs from the maudlin to the horrific.

Writing: Concise descriptions support explanations of thematically focused mechanics/features, with (for the Virtua Girls) a mix of endearing and ominous descriptions of the models that opens up all manner of possibility for incorporation into adventures/encounters.

Art/Design: For the Fading Idol class, two-page spread layout with class details (white text on a blue/purple background) surrounding a central image of two singers in black silhouette. For the Virtua Girls, a wide two-page spread with one page of white on pink, the other white on black. Page 1 includes a manga-style schoolgirl virtua girl in its center, with class information surrounding it.

Usability: Class features are laid out in recognizably distinct sections and elements to help a player build an exciting, unique character. NPC details are very easy to recognize and navigate, and the slight change in style from page 1 to page 2 helps orient the reader to the potential for sheer terror of the third virtua girl model.

Concept: “Stupid. Tough. Dripping black ink that sizzles the ground. They track by scent and taste. Their spikes crackle with demonic energy. Get close and you are leaving the mortal coil sans a head. C.A.U’s animal experiments have a bone to pick. It’s yours.”

Content: A snarling demon-creature that will not only bite the hand that feeds but it’ll chow down on the entire arm.

Writing: Hilariously dark description of the creature alongside brief and menacing stats/mechanics.

Art/Design: Two-page spread emphasizing a hellbeast and the creature’s name, with supporting text on the bottom of the left page.

Usability: High-contrast text condensed in one area minimizes browsing the entire spread for details, but the text is not embedded (so not searchable/copyable or accessible as a result).

Concept: “A gnashing, winged nightmare that lurks where the pines grow. A rogue A.I. with a cybernetic body and a deer-like skull. A thing that should not exist and cannot be killed.”

Content: A destructive monster to deceive and potentially devour a party of punks.

Writing: Brief, intriguing features and stats and an extensive back story to situate the creature (or its urban legend) within CY.

Art/Design: Title page includes a neon pink-and-purple illustration of the devil, while page two includes text content in a single-column layout. Main version of the supplement includes color and font highlights, while an accessible version does not.

Usability: In both versions of the supplement, specific kinds and sections of content are recognizable and easily distinguishable from others.

Concept: “To most in the upper echelons of Cy, this saviour is a myth. But still those under-blocks that it inhabits and pollutes are left alone, and those who live close revere it as a watchful penitent god, to whom those who sin must be taken.”

Content: A mythical vehicle of righteous vengeance and its acolytes.

Writing: Descriptions and NPC stats oozing with classic British grimdark sci-fi flavor.

Art/Design: Two two-page spreads, one of which resembles a set of propaganda posters on a wall, and the other sports a large illustration of the landship messiah rolling down a street amid its followers. 

Usability: High-contrast text with consistent distinctions of content blocks, headings/labels, and types of content.

Concept: “Deep in the GO wastes, long forgotten operatives slowly rot from the nano-infection that has overwhelmed them. They shamble with no direction; they only exist to sustain the infection.”

Content: An enemy to terrorize players with via an infectious omnipresence.

Writing: Class features are explained helpfully, while flavor text offers a vivid window into the operatives’ presence in CY.
Art/Design: A black-and-white image of an operative flashing a v-sign draws the eye, while flies circle it and creature details are provided beside it.

Usability: Text and background have high contrast and category labels are clearly bolded. However, NPC info is provided as a .png so text is not accessible for searching or highlighting.

Concept: “A Cy_Borg zine featuring: D12 Cybertech from Nueuropa [...] D6 Legends of Cy [... and] Street Cred - A New Mechanic.”

Content: Options for gear, NPCs, and a ‘street cred’ reputation tracker that can add extra dimensions to a game.

Writing: Four pages of enticing tables filled with flavorful descriptions and mechanics that reflect strange, horrifying, and completely appropriate events and circumstances.

Art/Design: Four two-page spreads each have a distinct focus and color scheme that extends from one to the next, from a stark red/black/white to a neon purple/blue.

Usability: Language is direct and straightforward in describing and explaining each subject, with each table making use of a consistent visual grammar to help with navigation. However, text is not embedded, so no searching or copying/pasting is possible.

Concept: “A gaping maw beneath an all seeing eye. How badly do want to die? In the first waves of the demonic incursion into C.A.U’s generators, corpses mounted around energy pylons with staggering speed. Infernal power fused together the pulsating remains which took flight to join the demonic hordes.”

Content: A creature searching for its Doomguy soulmate–to murder them, of course.

Writing: Vividly ominous descriptions and features situate the creature as at home in the CY world. 

Art/Design: Layout centers on an image of the opthalmosphere itself, with creature details surrounding it.

Usability: Text has clear distinctions for different types of content and mostly contrasts starkly with background except for one block of text for a special ability that might be difficult for some to read.

Concept: “There is a new drug on the streets called Ambrosia.  It will make you see the gods. Are these GODS real? There are dozens if not hundreds of people seeing them. They are looming over CY like falling planets, ready to steal your soul. Group hallucination? A bug in the system? Does it matter?”

Content: A smorgasbord of fever-dream content: drugs that manifest perceptions of gods (who give unique blessings with killer mechanics!); player classes for a ronin, private eye, amateur wrestler, and moonpunk; tables of people to meet on the street or items to find in the trash; NPCs to fight; drugs, food and gear; and even poetry.

Writing: Thematic punches of flavor that spice up concise and clear mechanical effects. An author’s note indicates some text was generated/aided by AI.

Art/Design: Two-page spreads with unique layout schemes that feel in sync with the aesthetic of the official Cy_Borg rulebook. An author’s note indicates some art was generated/aided by AI, and the variety of styles applied to the book’s spreads is impressive.

Usability: While there is a wide range of fonts and colors on each page spread, high contrast makes the vast majority of content easy to identify and navigate. Text is not embedded (except on a small number of pages), so screen reader and searching/copying/pasting functionalities are mostly unavailable.

Concept: “In the alleys and streets of the Cy, rumors of rats with intelligence far above normal exist. Some say it's a miracle, that they must've been blessed by whatever god they believe in, others say they are failed experiments, and affronts to nature.”

Content: A verminous creature at home in the alleys and gutters of CY.

Writing: Inventive mechanics and descriptive rumors provide GMs a variety of qualities to emphasize at a table.

Art/Design: Single-column layout of white and yellow text on a blue background.

Usability: Font choices and decoration consistently employed for distinct kinds and sections of content.

Concept: “Design a man-made predator on the verge of death, drawing you closer to your last breath. It's survival of the fittest, but evolution has taken a backseat. A build-able, A.I. pet that you can trick out with various weapons and gear. Think of Bladewolf from Metal Gear Rising. Yeah, basically that, but for CY_Borg.“

Content: Order your own cyber-pet and its customizable loadout/upgrades. 

Writing: Set up as an in-universe catalog, rules are provided tightly alongside potent descriptions and upgrade labels.

Art/Design: Two-page spread of content, with black text on white accented with blue elements (e.g., upgrade costs) and light gray illustrations in the background. Two dark-themed front/back cover pages frame the main content. 

Usability: Font choices are easily readable and mostly high-contrast, with visually evident headings and demarcations of content. Text is not searchable/selectable.

Concept: “A homebrew antagonist for Cy_Borg. An antagonist that can provide some interesting interactions and possibly fun character arc. Created for the URBN_LGND jam.”

Content: A digital nightmare to haunt a table of punks.

Writing: A mix of ominous description and creative mechanics to affect the afflicted player.

Art/Design: Brightly colored text and black-on-white over a black and white static-y image of a creeping figure in silhouette.

Usability: Text contrast and font choices, along with whitespace/indentation, make for easy reading/navigation.

Concept: “BASILISK DISTRO STATION is broadcasting now… Corrupted data filtered through radio transmitters in precise patterns has the potential to scramble the human mind. Psionic data pushed through this same process has the potential to bring into reality the THOUGHTFORM; a shadowy mess of thoughts manifested as glitched reality.“

Content: A psionically-themed monster and cybertech item.

Writing: Concise, immersive descriptions and succinct mechanics for the ‘thoughtform’ creature and the ‘psionjack’ cybertech.

Art/Design: White-on-black spread with four columns of content accentuated with white character art designs and two dark illustrations.

Usability: Content is arranged to clearly distinguish specific sections and labels. Supplement is provided in pdf, png, and plain text versions.

Concept: “Did you hear, everyone's least fucking favorite, overly popular, shit sucking poser ass band “Symptom of Aggression” is going on tour for like the 40 billionth time.  I can't believe all the complete fucking idiot ass gob noblers in this trash fire of a city listen to that inaudible dreck!  I mean like, every asshole in that band has just had controversy after controversy, its totally sickening. I guess that's the kind of immoral audio diarrhea that turns people on these... these waning miserable days. People and their lack of compassion, on top of everything else, it just makes me loose all hope.  Man, this city fucking sucks.................. -RAWsum”

Content: An encounter/scenario involving a touring band and their massive bus, complete with band member NPC details and potential reasons for getting involved.

Writing: A refreshing mix of straightforward description and vivid, characterful condemnation of Symptom of Aggression.

Art/Design: Harsh, brightly colored illustrations of the tour bus and NPCs and two versions of maps of the bus (GM and player-facing alike), with relevant text in all directions and embellished with scrawled shapes and figures. 

Usability: Pages are busy, which reflects the high-energy nature of the atmosphere, and text has strong contrast with background. Angled lines of text may be difficult for screen readers or copying/pasting attempts.

Concept: “Hiding in the pixels at the edge of your RCD. An undead error made manifest. Hard to see. Harder to kill. Shoot at the static in the rain.”

Content: A glitch-wielding ghost in the machine.

Writing: Brief but intensely haunting and thrilling explanation of creature abilities and description.

Art/Design: Neon pink static-based design serves as central motif for spread, with relevant text off to the side.

Usability: Content is easy to navigate and read, with consistent presentation of body text and labels.

Concept: “All of that great punk rock flavor you love, none of the added cyber implants! Bar, lore, ambiance, events menu & more.”

Content: The skeleton for an action-packed adventure or atmospheric encounter–a bar location complete with map; tables for ambiance, food, drinks, and events; and NPC staff that PCs are likely to encounter.

Writing: Lists of categorized material to flesh out the club provide a range of adventure seeds and motivations while leaving plenty of room for a GM to expand further as desired.

Art/Design: Black and white and red all over in two-page spreads with a background photo of club activity on each, and several illustrations help bring the club and its staff to life. 

Usability: Consistent organization of content throughout, creating a recognizable grammar for navigation that helps when maneuvering frequently between pages. A few blocks of text are somewhat difficult to read due to relative lack of contrast (black on dark red).

Concept: “A 14+6 page Murder Mystery with: d6 Rumors, 3+ Cases, Puzzles, 4 Big Maps, 3+ NPCs, & 1 Killer Bunnyman; Inspired by the BUNNYMAN urban legend for CY Borg's Urban Legend Jam.”

Content: A mission to hunt a serial killer across a series of ominous locations. “Digital” and “print” editions provided along with an asset/maps booklet.

Writing: Vivid descriptions and helpful guidance for GMs make for a dark but entertaining experience.

Art/Design: Primarily a dark color scheme, with white text on black and black text on white/gray elements, while pink and red accent headings and images. Numerous scenic illustrations and NPC portraits bring myriad dimensions of the mystery to life.

Usability: Fonts in both “digital” and “print” editions are readable and fully embedded, which facilitates searching or selecting text–especially content that is arranged perpendicular to the default orientation.

Concept: “A message from an old friend promises a decent amount of creds, maybe enough to pay off what you owe, or at least get you started. Looks like you are heading into the massive underwater commerce district of Undersjön. Under the pressure of the waters, and just under pressure because of the deadline, can you complete your task and earn your payday?”

Content: A heist scenario with a twist: the punks have to find what they’re looking for before they can begin to think about leaving with it. Two versions provided: a full neon-color version and a printer-friendly black-and-white version.

Writing: Engaging details bring to life the location and the punks’ contact, both of which could serve a table long after this specific adventure. Random encounters and an off-duty cop name generator add personality.

Art/Design: Two major columns of content across two pages, with the full color version using different section background and heading/label colors to help distinguish different kinds of content, while the black-and-white version makes use of section borders and heading/label bolding. An isometric map of the adventure location is provided.

Usability: Text throughout is readable with high contrast against background and is easily identifiable as a component of a particular content section (e.g., random encounters, NPC info, etc.).

Concept: “Two new enemies for CY_BORG. Face against The Invisible Man and The Mummy, walking among the citizens of CY. Learn their motives and die by their hands. Over and over and over again. Be scared. Be very, very scared.”

Content: A pair of monsters that marry classic horror with the Cy_Borg hellscape experience.

Writing: Haunting and sympathetic descriptions of and tables & stats for the afflicted creatures.

Art/Design: Stark colors in a side-by-side spread, with an image of each enemy surrounded by its relevant text.

Usability: Text contrasts well with background colors and assorted types of content are easily distinguishable from others.

Concept: “Towering skeletons of cobbled together bones, each the fused together remains of shattered dreams. When the Undead and Corrupted die, their parts are swept together and taken to the infernal furnaces. Molten remains poured into vats of malice. What emerges is a foe with a mastery over explosive technology and explosive language. Adapting C.A.U tech that got the living into this mess in the first place, it flits around in flights of frenzy.”

Content: Undead creature + rocket-powered explosions = exciting fun for everyone.

Writing: Hilariously morbid descriptions and NPC features provide a ton of personality to the monster.

Art/Design: Blistering red background intensifies white text and the central image of a reused creature firing its shoulder-mounted rockets. 

Usability: Small white text on red might pose trouble for some, but it’s easy to recognize different kinds of content and how each contributes to an understanding of the creature and its mechanics.

Concept: “DO YOU WISH TO SEE THE UNKNOWN? A dash of conspiratorial thinking for your next CY_BORG game. Contains a table of weird things to find on the NET, two UFO themed enemies, equipment, and a bunch of references to sci-fi and horror.”

Content: A zine featuring governmental and alien menaces, a table of interesting net discoveries, and several items.

Writing: A balanced mix of unsettling horror and tongue-in-cheek humor presented as a mostly in-universe document.

Art/Design: Dark gray on light yellow/tan scheme (reflecting printed homemade zine aesthetic) with one- and two-column layouts of text, accompanied by cartoon and silhouette illustrations of enemies, items, and more.

Usability: High fore/ground contrast and font choices make for easy reading, with larger headings and handwritten marginal notes consistently applied throughout.

Concept: “You have taken a gig from a rising leader named Yosel, a high-ranking member of one of Cy's most violent ultra firms. The firm's old leadership has to go, and you will be the people to make that happen. Infiltrate a stadium, sabotage a career, buy some merch! Play it cool and leave without a trace, or kick the door down and get net-famous. As you infiltrate deeper into the Duodrome, you will find unique loot, dangerous NPCs, and the dark secret keeping this streaming-sport operation together…”

Content: A job to humiliate a traitor in a Nechruball firm. 

Writing: Plenty of specifics, especially gritty sensory details, on the situation, relevant locations, and NPCs that the table might encounter while undertaking this mission. 

Art/Design: White-on-black design (except for two pages of tables in a green-text terminal aesthetic) with key terms emphasized in bright colors, and overhead maps are provided both as direct aids and as part of illustrations as blueprints pinned to a wall, and portraits breathe life into included major NPCs. 

Usability: Really intriguing consistent color use to highlight particular NPCs/entities as well as the source of specific mechanics/details. However, text is not embedded, so searching/selecting text or using a screen reader successfully aren’t possible.

Concept: “Too Fast to Live, Too Young to Die is a rules expansion for CY_BORG giving you the chance to drive fast and wreak carnage hanging out the passenger side window (or just crash headlong into it, your mileage may vary). These rules are light-weight, but robust, and will add a ton of flavor to your chase scenes as you bolt down narrow streets in attempt to escape the piggies or track down a corpo shit-bag. Hell, you don't even need to catch 'em, just have a firefight between vehicles - we got rules for that!”

Content: An impressive cornucopia of content: rules for vehicle chases/races and driving hazards, classes for the “Got-Away Driver” and “High Speed Vigilante, stats for vehicles that are purchaseable (or not), enemies to encounter on the streets of CY, and an entire revenge-themed mission.

Writing: A focus on thematic details/voices to breathe life into included elements that are supported by succinct, direct rules and guidance for GMs to implement assorted features into a game.

Art/Design: A mix of layouts and aesthetics throughout the supplement. Some pages are laid out landscape-wise, and at least one two-page spread has text broken across its pages. Number and variety of illustrations and themes, along with their execution, are inspiring.

Usability: Body text font is pretty consistent throughout, and despite the range of page/spread layouts it’s easy to identify headings/labels and how they relate to nearby content. However, the text is not embedded, so searching/selecting and screen reader use is not possible.

Concept: “UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT is an introductory three-part CY_BORG adventure inspired by classic movies like Running Man and Judge Dredd (2012), wherein the player characters must ascend a crumbling apartment tower and take out its self-appointed gang-goon leader, Jinghai Soan. It's nonstop action and weirdness that's perfect for introducing new players into the setting and system!”

Content: A scenario for PCs to get intimately familiar with life in a high-rise habitat on lockdown in order to bring down the crime lord at its apex.

Writing: Tons of details about apartment residents, the building’s aesthetic, recent rumors, NPC stats, a map, and more.

Art/Design: White-on-black monospace text with red and yellow graffiti/handwritten headings and embellishments. Occasional borders help indicate the extent of a particular sidebar or table. Black-and-white map and portrait of Jinghai Soan are included.

Usability: Text is provided mostly in one- and two-column formats with occasional exceptions. While text contrast makes for easy reading, the text is not embedded, so no searching or copying/pasting is available.