Rules

Concept: “I made some loot generation tables for Cy_BORG. They can make everything from borderlands-style guns to unique cyber-ware and drones. I tried to be comprehensive but also simple in my explanations as I was fitting as much as I possibly could into three pages. I hope people find this fun to use!”

Content: A set of tables that provide for the creation of an incredible variety of loot with not only mechanical effects but also quirks and other unexpected features.

Writing: Terse and direct explanations maximize the number and range of options and leave space for imaginative interpretations of generated items and their uses.

Art/Design: Each table appears within its own neon-bordered box (some with brightly colored backgrounds and some with slightly overlapping borders) over a series of dark background images (weaponry, robots, etc.) across the overall set of tables.

Usability: The font choices are clear and the tables are arranged in a manner that makes for relatively easy browsing, although part of the initial enjoyment is stumbling across a new table and its creative scope. The supplement is provided as a PNG and as an image in a Google Doc, so the text is not selectable or searchable.

Concept: “I made some loot generation tables for Cy_BORG. They can make everything from borderlands-style guns to unique cyber-ware and drones. I tried to be comprehensive but also simple in my explanations as I was fitting as much as I possibly could into three pages. I hope people find this fun to use!”

Content: A set of tables that provide for the creation of an incredible variety of loot with not only mechanical effects but also quirks and other unexpected features.

Writing: Terse and direct explanations maximize the number and range of options and leave space for imaginative interpretations of generated items and their uses.

Art/Design: Each table appears in its own box, with some slightly overlapping others. There is a mix of font types, sizes, and bolding to help visually distinguish tables from one another.

Usability: The font choices are clear and the tables are arranged in a manner that makes for relatively easy browsing, although part of the initial enjoyment is stumbling across a new table and its creative scope. The supplement is provided as a PNG and as an image in a Google Doc, so the text is not selectable or searchable.

Concept: “Alternate character gen rules, for a slightly more forgiving dystopian hellscape.”

Content: A set of rules to alter character creation, including increased HP and an adjustment to stat bonuses/penalities. 

Writing: Explanations are terse and easily understandable.

Art/Design: Single-column layout with a stats table sidebar, with light gray text on a dark background.

Usability: Large headings and horizontal rules help indicate distinct sections and their purposes. Rule adjustments should provide quick adjustments to play.

Concept: “Nothing is ever over. You don't just turn them off. This is CY; death is inconvenient but it's far from irreversible. Within, find a brief table of ways that old enemies might come back to h(/a)unt you across the streets and slums of the metropolis of the damned.“

Content: A table of ten entries describing different potential opportunities for a “dead” opponent to return with vengeance on their mind.

Writing: Each entry provides 2-3 sentences of ominous, flavorful (and sometimes mechanics-oriented) detail for GMs to make optimal use of against their players’ characters.

Art/Design: Single-column black-on-white numbered table. A cover page is included that makes use of a GUI file folder aesthetic to signal the difficulty of simply moving one’s nemesis to the proverbial trash.

Usability: Visually easily readable font with high-contrast color use makes for an easy time reading and locating desired information.

Concept: “Generate an infinite number of baddies that wander the streets of Cy. Capable of generating GOONS, DRONES, BEASTS, CYDROIDS, PHREAKS and VEHICLES. 27 stylized pages detailing enemy creation rules. Over 100 new special abilities, more than 60 new NPC wants and 3d12 description tables per enemy type.”

Content: Tons of tables to determine encounter specifics–not only which enemies and how many appear but also what’s motivating them and what might be exceptional to this particular group (quirks, appearance, special attacks, etc.).

Writing: Imaginative and enticing table entries ensure each generated set of NPCs will feel like unique, fully formed characters.

Art/Design: Distinct two-page spread layouts include a background or centerpiece illustration surrounded by tables, mostly framed in translucent boxes to increase fore/ground contrast.

Usability: Font choices are easily readable, and headings/labels are consistently presented to help with ease of navigation and identification of desired info. However, text is not embedded, so searching/selecting text or using a screen reader are not possible.

Concept: “Ever wanted the travel mechanics of medieval tabletops in your CYBERPUNK game? Tired of the same encounters with cops, corporates and hitmen? Ever thought of how to implement your players' favorite NPCs organically in the middle of the session?”

Content: Rules, means of transportation, and encounter tables to liven up travel through CY.

Writing: Tons of atmospheric flavor in the encounter tables to give GMs plenty to work with or be inspired by.

Art/Design: Landscape-oriented pages with yellow text on dark digital/noise-patterned background. 

Usability: Different blocks of content are provided in visually distinct sections/pages. Despite very text-heavy nature of the content, text is not embedded so no searching or selecting is possible.

Concept: “Optional tables to be used with your Cyberpunk or modern day games... well, lets just say it aloud -- it's intended to be used with CY_BORG first and foremost. It's absolutely awesome, just stop playing anything else right now. On a single page here you will find a broad diversity of cultural and visual aesthetic touches that you can easily apply to your PC or NPC characters, enhancing the level of immersion. It could be completely random or by your responsible choice, as it suits you and the nature of your games. As a note: for your character's gender definition you can use two types of randomization, d20 (higher chances to get cisgender result) and d12 (even chances between results). Use the one that fits your games. And feel free to pick anything that better suits your character. Zero offense intended.”

Content: A set of tables relating to personality, from ethnic background and gender identity to outfit style and hair & nail color.

Writing: A wide variety of options available in each table (from 8 to 40, depending on the table) that can help customize a punk.

Art/Design: Green on black boxes over a partial portrait of a punk character.

Usability: Consistent presentation across tables and high contrast between fore and ground make this usable and accessible.

Concept: “Wanted to include mental struggles in your gameplay but didn't know how? Well, the new STRESS mechanic does just that: allows you (as the GM) to have characters get stressed out when they get their limbs cut off, their partner dies, their gun jams, their food tastes nasty, they're sitting in a piss-filled bar, the drink tastes like gasoline and any other stressful situation!”

Content: A set of rules to deal with the potential stress/strain of adding more and more cybertech in a single body.

Writing: A balanced mix of definition/description and mechanics to explain how each stressor and effect can impact a punk through both roleplay and dice rolls.

Art/Design: Colorful landscape-oriented pages with white text on a translucent content container shape to increase contrast with background colors/patterns.

Usability: Distinct content sections help indicate distinct purposes for each, with visually apparent headings. Background image/pattern noise might impact some readability. Text is not embedded, so searching/selecting is not possible.

Concept: “This supplement is meant to translate the fantastic solo rules and oracles from Sölitary Defilement and Alone In the Crowd by 1d10+5, and Sölitary Depths by Chaoclypse (Brandon Yu).”

Content: A set of rules for solitary Cy_Borg play based on several other third-party rules supplements. 

Writing: Direct, accessible explanations of rules presented alongside throngs of tables and oracles to facilitate solo play.

Art/Design: Two versions provided: one full-color landscape-oriented version and one plain black-on-white single-column portrait-oriented version.

Usability: Full-color version pages/slides differ in color scheme, with mostly high-contrast text (although the text is not embedded, so no searching or selecting). Plain version text is fully searchable.

Concept: “Trinkets, trash, and trouble…”

Content: An alphabetized list of assorted items that might be found in the pockets of an inhabitant of CY.

Writing: Concise, wide-ranging inventory to help bring a character to life.

Art/Design: A two-page spread with a glitchy portrait on the left and the list in two columns to the right.

Usability: Extremely navigable and readable with high contrast between fore and ground.

Concept: ”As you roam the streets of CY_ you see something. It's shiny, a little dirty. As you remove the garbage surrounding it you realise it's a: 23: Lost shoe with 1D4 toes inside. 35: RFID card with the locale company card’s name on it. 75: Spray paint. Colour label reads “Rotblack”. Get a fun and slightly silly D100 table of stuff you can find in the city CY_.”

Content: A table of assorted valuables, junk, and the miscellanea in-between that might be discovered in CY.

Writing: Concise description complemented with the occasional introspective element or quirky voice that reminds the reader of the game and world at hand.

Art/Design: Table provided as three primary columns of content: a left-aligned list of items (#s 1-50), a center set with the table name and author credits, and a right-aligned list (#s 51-100). The list columns are black on white, with the central column’s scheme inverted, while horizontal black bars stretch from the center in either direction to fill the white space in each list item line.

Usability: Overall layout of page allows for relatively easy navigation/perusal to desired content. Consistent presentation of content in each major column aids with comprehension and use of table and its entries.

Concept: “Some of them sound like bullshit or don't make sense, but hey, everybody gotta eat, right ? Anyway, you're fired.”

Content: A table to flesh out the scope of a job/career a punk has previously held.

Writing: Terse but potent descriptions of various jobs, some far less appealing or lucrative than others but all quite apt for CY.

Art/Design: Two versions provided: one black-on-white and one white/green-on-dark green, both using a three-column layout for the table entries.

Usability: Headings, list item numbering, and sub-table organization are all visually evident and consistent, making for easy navigation and identification of desired details.

Concept: “404//SAN is the demented frontpage of the NET, where manifold rumors, advertisements, hoaxes, and conspiracies produce a worthless information sludge. Still, more than enough masochistic users flock to the site to be entertained by trolls or cheated out of their life's savings.”

Content: A one-stop shop for adventures/scenarios, NPCs, monsters, apps, cyberware and equipment, additional rules ideas, and more.

Writing: Every page provides dozens of imaginative and enticing ideas for inspiration, with many pages offering highly engaging in-universe descriptions or framing for their game content.

Art/Design: A variety of artistic and aesthetic styles that embody the artpunk philosophy. The browsing experience feels in line with the CY_BORG rulebook itself.

Usability: Requires close, and often slow, examination to identify and make effective use of content (text and image alike), especially when moving across very differently styled spreads–but very worth the effort.

Concept: “This is what happens when you try fighting Death on its home turf. DEATH & INCAPACITATION expands on Cy_borg's death system with Death Threshold, Death Blow, and Incapacitation Effects. It's designed with longer running campaigns in mind where fatality is still a distinct possibility but returning from Death's threshold is a difficult journey has repercussions . With permanent and temporary effects such as Personality Shift and Death-Rage, with a few tweaks to the existing mechanics, this hack adds new depth to the road of a Punk's inevitable demise.“

Content: An expansion of rules relating to death and incapacitation (as the title suggests) with a range of possible effects, mitigating factors, and even some benefits of a sort.

Writing: Mechanical elements complemented by concise thematic descriptions reflecting specific situations (hemorraghing, dealing with emergency response teams, stabilizing, etc.).

Art/Design: Two pages with a three-column brochure layout. Black-on-white/light gray with a circuit or digital interface-style patterned background. Two dithered images are provided (a seated, possibly dying individual, and a group of ERTs).

Usability: Consistent presentation of info throughout document, with each new section clearly distinct from the others and with visually recognizable table organization.

Concept: “>> Welcome to the twisted amalgamation of junky code and depravity that we call The Net, where non-euclidean labyrinthine nooks and crannies will leave you feeling both bewildered and exhilarated. But don't be fooled, for there is still a twisted structure lurking within the chaos, with some arcane notion of up and down.”

Content: A collection of Net-focused locations, tables, NPCs, enemies, and rules for app-like scripting.

Writing: Bursts of intense and ominous detail that shines light on myriad dimensions of the Net that punks might seek out or otherwise come across..

Art/Design: Pixelated and monospace fonts appear throughout on a number of distinct page layouts with a variety of color and graphic elements.

Usability: Despite the variety of layouts, text is consistently readable–pages with complex graphic elements keep text on simpler backgrounds. Note: text content for the scripting rules page is not searchable/selectable.

Concept: “Are you hyped for Expo 'X3? Every megacorp in CY will be strutting their latest innovations, every star will be walking the red carpet at the Kinotorium, every cuisine will be there for the tasting at The Spot food market, every corpo suit will be dragging themselves in to 'touch base' and 'network'- just about everything about CY will be scrunched down into these fairgrounds for a bash like you've never seen (since the last one). Get your tickets now!”

Content: A special city event with tons of attractions, locations, food/stuff to buy, enemies to encounter, and other reasons to attend.

Writing: Copious details and helpful information about who’s who, what’s what, and where’s where in the expo for GMs and players alike, written primarily in a cheerful-but-snarky voice that reflects the tone of many expo info kiosk staffers.

Art/Design: Primarily black-on-white single column text complemented by color illustrations, with occasionally more colorful pages with full-color and dark backgrounds.

Usability: High-contrast, readable text provided throughout, with consistent presentation of visually identifiable headings, labels, list item numbering, etc.

Concept: “Sveri Suplex, up-and-coming cybertech influencer has lost it and joined a cult of neoprimitivists in Mosscroft. His handlers in Tulles&deVerte offer good ¤ for finding and bringing him back to civilization.”

Content: A delightfully disgusting romp through a rotting whale to liberate an off-the-grid social media darling.

Writing: Tons of Lovecraftian and body-horror atmosphere to unsettle punks out for easy creds. Cultist and organ generators provided to help flesh out the locations.

Art/Design: A mix of red, black, and white for text, background, and illustrations (of NPCs, the overall map, interesting objects/phenomena) with one or more columns of content on a given page.

Usability: Visually recognizable and high-contrast headings and organizations of content on each page thanks to consistent decisions with font sizes and color choices. Two player-facing versions of the location map (one full-color, the other black and white) are provided as well.

Concept: “Ahead of you lies a sci-fi bestiary for the game of Cy Borg. This is not an official product but is presented in the familiar doom metal style, each foe being empowered by this energy and inspired by the work of Johan Nohr.

A perpetual darkness hangs over The Cy. In its malaise of gang warfare, in between the slums and festering rivers, hidden within the quarantined zones of the GO, standing in plain sight in the consumer hell of the Undersjon, is an incurable sickness. It breeds malevolence and jacks up the citizens. It lingers long enough to rot away the core and from this darkness comes all manner of twisted visage. Warped beings appear, the upshot of a city that is consuming itself. Let these foes appear among us say the consequential voices.”

Content: A variety of angry, terrifying, and otherwise hostile beings to encounter on the streets of CY. Tables for nano powers, drinks, infestations, hazards, drugs, weaponry, technical glitches, and more are also provided.

Writing: Imaginative descriptions of enemies (or other entries) accompany stat blocks and special abilities/mechanics reflecting the essence of each subject.

Art/Design: Full-color illustrations and layouts on each page, although styles for pages may vary considerably from page to page. 

Usability: Different page layouts can slow down reading/navigating experience, but font choices are mostly quite readable with high contrast against simple or patterned backgrounds–although there are occasional exceptions throughout.

Concept: “Jailbreak your ride and take to the streets with the FULL AUTO vehicle rules for Cy_BORG […] FULL AUTO gives punks a straightforward set of rules with enough crunch to create engaging car chases through the streets or canals of CY.”

Content: A wide range of inspired vehicular rules packed into eight pages (full-size, mini-booklet, and plain text versions). 

Writing: Concise, direct rule explanations surrounded by hilarious software-glitch flavor text.

Art/Design: A technicolor mix of mock digital UI and roadside aesthetics that manages to suggest both unique layouts/pages and consistency throughout the document.

Usability: Recognizable organization on each page and high contrast text (although white on red on one page might be difficult for some readers) makes for an engaging and enjoyable experience. Plain text version allows for incredibly easy reading and selecting/searching.

Concept: “A Fungal themed Zine to Cy_Borg, It contains: 3 Enemies; 4 Themed Items; Hallucination condition.”

Content: A cluster of mushroom-based threats and loot.

Writing: Brief mechanics-focused stat blocks with thematically potent names and descriptions.

Art/Design: Two pages of bright pink and blue with green, with the first page having a fungal background image. 

Usability: Color scheme and layout feel appropriately chaotic for the theme, but color intensity and relative lack of consistent organization may lead some readers to overlook important elements (e.g., small-text Hallucination rule just above the 3rd party license on p. 1).

Concept: A random generator that displays a glitchpunk band name and the name of their worst album.

Content: A generator to immediately provide depth and atmosphere to life in CY.

Writing: Band and album name lists are both hilariously over-the-top and also seem completely appropriate for the genre.

Art/Design: Simple page design with a generator button beneath the main text output area, which provides some color-coordinated indication of static and randomized content. 

Usability: Easily identifiable “kill the band” button functionality to generate new bands/albums. Text is mostly readable, although blue on black might be difficult for some to discern.

Concept: “The world is a simulation, policed by AIs But you know the truth, and can learn to see the code hidden behind the veils of flesh and matter. Break free, Ascend.”

Content: A set of rules to provide PCs the opportunity to transcend across simulation reboots and to commune with a powerful AI overseeing the reality program.

Writing: Rules, stats, and descriptions are straightforward and informative, with a focus on explaining the subject in a manner useful to players as well as GMs.

Art/Design: Single-column black text on white background, with red background for headings and an illustration of each AI’s avatar/appearance. A green-on-black computer terminal-style net chat log offers an in-universe glimpse at how some characters might understand the notion of transcendence and the reality-simulation AIs.

Usability: Headings and labels are consistently provided, and key terms are bolded for quick identification and reference.

Concept: “You can never have enough new character names. This one-page PDF with 100 names, 100 aliases, 19 origins and thousands of possible serial numbers is intended for the world of CY_BORG, but can work in any sci-fi or cyberpunk setting. Print it and bring it to the table. Your gravestone will thank you.”

Content: Several tables for generating names, aliases, origins, and serial numbers.

Writing: Table data contains a wide range of choices both exceptional and mundane. 

Art/Design: Black-on-white organization with minimal graphics (an icon to distinguish each table) and simple table ornamentation.

Usability: Tables are consistently and easily laid out and distinguished from one another, with names and aliases alphabetized for an additional means of navigation.

Concept: “Want to use Mork Borg modules as a virtual reality simulation in your Cy_Borg game? Or to give your Mork Borg players a taste of Cy? This five-node mystery adventure path introduces the Dying Lands as an MMO game/simulation in Cy and can be approached from either game as a starting point!”

Content: The content centers on an ingenious scenario that blends Cy_Borg and Mork Borg (whether you’re starting in either game!), detailed locations and maps for each, an “emaciated sim-farmer” class that works well for the scenario, a small set of optional rules that the MMORKG facilitates, random encounters, and several pieces of equipment to consider buying.

Writing: A mix of thematic narration, straightforward rules explanations, and direction for PCs to respond to–all of which is presented succinctly and consistently throughout the supplement.

Art/Design: Distinct layouts for each section (major adventure locations, PC class, etc.) that provide individual character about its subject matter, with a bright accent color to help underscore section distinction and scope.

Usability: Despite the variety of page layouts/aesthetics, text is consistently readable and identifiable as different kinds of content (headings, labels, NPC stats, etc.).

Concept: “Gritbeat 6x66 Songbooks provides d66 albums to listen to as soundtrack for your cyberpunk RPG sessions, for six separate moods/settings.”

Content: Six tables of albums suitable for Cy_Borg games, organized by general atmosphere: cinematic, cerebral, urban, visceral, heavy, disruptive.

Writing: Tables are consistently organized, with artist name, album title, and year of release. A set of hashtags is provided to help further clarify or help with determining each table’s usefulness for a given session/table’s intended ambience.

Art/Design: Table content is provided in two three-column spreads, with a different image evoking CY as the background for each table.

Usability: Each table is easy to navigate, with artist names in bold to help distinguish visually from album title and year of release.

Concept: “CY is a great beast and these are its bowels, the living guts of the city. Awash in filth and the prowling grounds of criminals, scvm beneath notice, maintenance workers, bounty hunters and strange monstrosities bred in the noisome darkness beneath this city. Features a d66 table of encounters in the sewers of CY and a d20 table of tunnel graffiti.” 

Content: A set of tables to flesh out the grimy, dangerous CY undercity.

Writing: Vivid descriptions of encounter seeds (not only who/what players might find but what’s going on when they find something) and graffiti messages and styles to be found on sewer walls.

Art/Design: Black text on yellow in a single column of text. A glitch-art illustration of a sewer tunnel frames the supplement title on the first page.

Usability: Tables are numbered, with bolded labels for NPCs and their special attacks to emphasize details a GM might be scanning the page to locate.

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: “When you need to steal secure data from a CORP and you don’t have the luxury of doing it as a downtime activity you can attempt a HACKING RUN. THIS requires physical access to A CORP’S system from within a facility belonging to THEM. Expect to do this under fire. BRING BACK UP.”

Content: A set of rules to flesh out networked tech infiltrations for those punks looking to score lucrative or sensitive corp data.

Writing: Direct explanations and descriptions of relevant rules and procedures for hacking.

Art/Design: Two-column spread of text details over a neon green patterned background. An additional "light" format has a softer gray background color.

Usability: High-contrast text is easily readable, with consistent and visually distinct elements (headings, key terms, status conditions) that indicate their relationship to other elements.

Concept: “Escort a live streamer into the G0 wasteland in search of an underground cryovault! More action means more viewers, and viewers are creds. So remember to smile for the cameras while the nanophreaks shred your face!”

Content: A job to make sure a streamer survives a break-in attempt to a cryo facility, with extra cash on the line if the stream looks dangerous and exciting. A player-facing map and a ‘frozen celeb head generator’ (for potential inclusion in the cryovault) are also provided.

Writing: Tons of imaginatively expressive details provided in brief phrases and statements so that a broad range of locations, enemies, and unfolding events can be mentioned.

Art/Design: Trifold pamphlet layout with mission parameters on the outer panels (with a white-on-black color scheme) and the location/NPC specifics, along with a map, on the inner panels (with a black-on-white scheme).

Usability: Visually apparent organization/arrangement of content, with distinct headings, labels, and section borders to more clearly indicate scope and relation of each to the others. Room descriptions even include references to other rooms via map/description labels for quick navigation.