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Rules Discussion by Storyteller (GM)

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Here we have a game based on the Wachowski brothers' Matrix series, using White Wolf's
second incarnation of the World of Darkness for a rules system. Unfortunately, White Wolf has
not decided to make us a convenient Matrix game book just yet, and so we have to make our own
rules. Here is where the fun begins. We get to design ourselves a system. Fortunately, I have
much of it worked out. We just need a few decisions made by players.

First and foremost, I'd like to let people know that characters will be created using the very rules
for mortal creation in the World of Darkness core rulebook. It's a lovely book. Everyone should
have a copy. If you don't...find someone who does and take a peek, so you'll know what I'm
talking about here. The only difference we have here is that this game doesn't use the Unseen
Sense merit. And yes, mortals are playable in the Matrix. I'll get to that later. After making the
mortal template, we move on to the 'supernatural' template portion of the character, which will
mirror making any other supernatural PC in a World of Darkness game.

The power stat that replaces Gnosis, Blood Potency, and Primal Urge is called Freedom. It
represents a character's true understanding and belief that he or she can manipulate the Matrix
simply based on the fact that it isn't real. It works exactly like those stats do, providing extra
maximums for Attributes and Skills, a higher maximum of Focus points, and the ability to use
more Focus points in a turn. Any other effects of Freedom will have to be determined later, which
is exactly what this thread is for.

Focus is the equivelant to Vitae, Mana, or Essence points. It can be spent to increase Physical
dice traits by two dice for each point spent (a reflexive action that lasts until the character's next
turn), to regenerate damage (three Focus points to completely heal one bashing wound or
convert one lethal wound to bashing damage), or to activate certain Focus powers (which I also
have yet to create). While there may be ways of regenerating spent Focus...I haven't created
those yet, either. This page, however, lets us know where we stand.

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Re: Rules Discussion by Storyteller (GM)
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Copied from the General RPOL forums, under the 'Game Proposals, Input, and Advice' section.
What follows was a suggestion by 'megadeus'. You'll find that he came up with the majority of the
specific ideas I can use.

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My ideas for the "clan/path" types. The names are taken from Neuromancer by William Gibson.
Really. You can't play anything involving the Matrix without having read the book that started the
genre ^_~.

The Cases - Although many Cases are seen as adept hackers in their own right, Cases often
become aware of the Matrix when they violate one of its rules and realize that reality is as
mutable as their brute power can make it.

Favored attribute: Strength or Resolve

The Mollies - Sleek and deadly, the Mollies use combinations of lighning speed, quick reflexes
and the occasional seduction tactic to achieve their goals.

Favored attribute: Presence or Dexterity

The Johnnies - The brains of every good Matrix runteam, the Jonnnies usually awaken to the
reality of the Matrix through oncovering trails of breadcrumbs scattered across thousands of news
sites, forums, and hidden government databases.

Favored attribute: Intelligence or Wits

The Rivieras - Born with an innate "feel" for the Matrix, the Rivieras are more adept at recoding
the Matrix from both within and without. Sometimes called "reality hackers", their specialties are
illusions and misdirections within the Matrix code.

Favored attribute: Wits or Manipulation

The Yonderboys - Often referred to as the "true children of the Matrix," Yonderboys often become
aware of the Matrix from a young age, and are only discovered by zionites months or years later.
Their acute awarenesses translate into a sort of "sixth sense" in the Matrix, as well as
inexplicable turns of fortune for them and theirs.

Favored attribute: Composure or Strength

The cast of the Matrix using this set:
Neo - Johnny (coincidence that Keanu Reeves also played Johnny Mnemonic?)
Trinity - Molly
Morpheus - Riviera
Switch - Yonderboy
Apoc - Case
Mouse - Yonderboy
Cipher - Case

Ghost - Molly
Niobe - Case

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And there you have it. Anyone who has ideas on how to work these 'classes' in more detail, or
especially in IC terms, is more than welcome to offer. These types are only offered for
Freeminds.

As for Focus, it will be regenerated at a rate of one point for every success made on a Meditation
roll outside the Matrix. Using it up is almost as exhausting as spending Willpower, but in a
different way. Meditation rolls while plugged in to the Matrix may be allowed, but that's part of this
discussion. Any other suggestions on that are more than welcome as well.

Flash skills, those that can be downloaded for the duration of a scene, are to be handled as
extended Intelligence + Freedom rolls. The target number is the dots of the skill wanted, plus all
dots between what the runner currently has and what they're aiming for. Here are some
examples from Megadeus.

Example: I have Drive 1, but need to know how to use a motorcycle, so it falls under Skill
Specialization and only requires one success on the DL roll.

Example: Again, I have Drive 1, but I want to make sure I can outrun these Feds in heavy rush-
hour traffic. I tell the Operator to hit me with everything he's got before the action starts. In game
terms, I want Drive 5, so I'll have to download not only Drive 5, but Drive 2 through Drive 4 as
well. So 5 + 4 + 3 + 2 is 14 successes required to get Drive 5 for the duration of the run.

Rush offered ideas for the playable political groups of Zionites. This isn't copy/pasted, but is his
idea, so I'm typing it out in green.
The Zionists fight to protect the last city of man, where their families and loved ones await the
runners' safe return. They're ideal guardians, as they thrive on defense and protection.

The Haters are fierce offensive fighters, fueled by their literal rage against the Machines.

The Freedom Fighters are those runners who focus on recovering those still plugged in to the
Matrix itself. They prefer not to kill Blue Pills whenever possible, though even they are willing to
make an exception if an Agent can be destroyed.

The Pacifists fight to try and make some peace with the Machines, in hopes that they can learn to
let Zion be. They hope the future holds a separation from the Matrix that can be sustained
without loss of life on either side.

The Idealists are those visionaries who see a future beyond a simple battle for survival. They see
the prophecies of the Oracle and hold fast to those beliefs, and some even create their own
prophecies to fulfill.

The non-playable political party, the main villainous group among the Free, would be the
Machinists.

The Machinists don't want to be Free. To them it's a curse, being forced to live in the soft cold all
the time, eating nothing but unidentifiable and disgusting glop, and taking orders from the very
people who did this to them. They would prefer to be put back into the Matrix, no matter the cost.
Ignorance is truly bliss.

So that's what I've gotten so far. Still working on powers and things, but that seems to be slowly
coming together.

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Re: Rules Discussion by Hail
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Read your last board post, ST, and instead of hacks, I was thinking of Bends or Breaks.

...or, y'know. Those could be the two levels, or synonyms of them. 1-5 dots of freedom is bending
the matrix rules, 6-10 is breaking them openly. I mean, isn't it a rule of a secret world that you
can't see it? Code sight shatters that.

Eh? Eh?

I'd discuss it on AIM, but there are women on AIM, and I get myself into a lot of trouble.

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Re: Rules Discussion by Storyteller (GM)
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Probably would've been better to post this on my Game Proposals, Input, and Advice forum
thread. Even so, you've got a good thing going there. Maybe we'll call them Hacks, and divide
them into the categories of Bends and Breaks. I like it. Still, aside from Favored Attributes and
general background advice, I can think of nothing to separate the runner paths (Johnny, Riviera,
Case, etc.). We have no specific Bends that aren't universal.

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