TECHNOSHOCKERS
HP each and deal 1d6 damage. Choose 1 upgrade: they deal 1d6+1 damage, they have Armor 1, they
...STORIES OF SPACE RATS, STAR BASTARDS, AND VOID JAMMERS...
ATTRIBUTES. Roll 2d6 for each. On a 6 or less, the value is 0. On a 7-9, the value is +1. On a 10 or 11, the
value is +2. On a 12, the value is +3.
HP. You have 2d6+CON HP. When you receive medical attention, heal 2d6+CON HP.
BACKGROUND. Choose your background which comes with a special ability. As a group, come up with
the four main playable species, factions, or cultures, giving each a name:
__________, the clever ones. CLEVER: you always know when you are being lied to.
__________, the savage ones. SAVAGE: you are impervious to __________.
__________, the weird ones. WEIRD: +2 to persuade any creature that can smell you.
__________, the mysterious ones. MYSTERIOUS: when concealed by darkness, you are invisible to
scanners and the naked eye.
CAREER. Choose a career.
SOLDIER. Choose 1 skill: Athletics, Persuasion, or Survival. Choose 1 special ability:
ARMORY: you start with 1 special weapon. When you spend a few hours fabricating a new special
weapon or recycling an existing one, gain a new special weapon. You can have a number of special
weapons equal to your level. / BATTLE TRAINING: once per fight, turn a success into a miss or a miss
into a 10+ success. / CYBERINFANTRY: +1 cyberware (it comes with strings attached). / PREPWORK: at
any time during a mission, you can choose 1: you have just the piece of gear you need, right now, OR
you appear in a scene where you are needed, right now. / SPECIAL TACTICS: when you plan a mission,
everyone to whom you assign a task adds +1 to all their rolls while they act on that task according to
plan. Anyone who rolls a miss or goes off-plan loses the bonus. Anyone who ends the mission with
their bonus intact marks XP (if that’s everyone, you mark XP too).
SCOUNDREL. Choose 1 skill: Awareness, Deception, or Stealth. Choose 1 special ability:
CHEMS: you start with 1 chem recipe memorized with 1 dose already prepared. When you spend
a few hours manufacturing chems, create a number of doses for each chem equal to your level. 1
dose sells for 1,000u. You can memorize a number of chem recipes equal to your level. / EVASION:
when you make a series of complex maneuevers to avoid harm, add +1 Armor to yourself or the
vehicle you’re controlling. / LOW BLOW: when you launch a surprise attack, roll 3d6 and take the two
highest dice. On a success, deal max damage. / PACKING: you can always hide one small object on
your person (or one container in your vehicle), even when naked or searched. / TWITCH REFLEXES:
when you are betrayed or ambushed, you have prepared for it and get to act first. When you betray or
ambush others, you have prepared for it and add +1 to your next roll.
EXPERT. Choose 1 skill: Culture, Science, or Technology. Choose 1 special ability:
DATA LIBRARY: when you spend time researching something, ask the GM 1d6 questions now or hold
some for later regarding the topic of your research (the GM will answer truthfully). / GAZETTEER:
when you first come to a new location, tell everyone one detail about it, which is now true. / HACKER:
when you log out of a computer system which was accessed without permission, you can always
choose 1 for free: no one will know where you accessed it from, the next person to use the same
access point is incapacitated, you are alerted of all future keypresses across the system, your spoofed
login credentials incriminate another user, you have location data on all other users, the entire system
is offline and replaced with a splash screen of your calling card. / MINIONS: you are aided by 1d6 of (1:
drones, 2: robots, 3: hired help, 4: Ψ-freaks, 5: clones, 6: genetically engineered animals). They have 1
-RULES & CREATION-
have 1 skill which you may use as your own when using them to accomplish a task, +1d6 minions. You
can replace dead or destroyed minions at no cost when it makes sense to do so. / STITCH: when you
provide medical attention or make repairs, +1d6 HP gained.
Ψ. No career skills. Choose 1 special ability:
CLAIRVOYANCE: you can sense something obscure or remote a number of times per session equal to
your level+WIS. / KINESIS: you can move something with your mind a number of times per session
equal to your level+CON. / THERMODYNAMICS: you can change the temperature of something
you can see to any temperature between absolute zero and absolute hot a number of times per
session equal to your level+STR. / TRANCE: you or someone you touch can enter a meditative state
of biological stasis which heals ailments a number of times per session equal to your level+INT. /
TRANSPORT: you can disappear and instantly reappear anywhere you can see a number of times per
session equal to your level+DEX.
HYBRID CAREER. Put together 5 special abilities from two or more careers, then put together 3 career skills
from those careers. Choose 1 skill and 1 special ability. Give your career a name.
SKILLS. Choose any 1 skill in addition to your career skill.
EQUIPMENT. You start with 60,000 units to spend and one random unique item. Also roll 2d6+CON to
see if you’re cyberified (have cyberware): 6 or less means no, 7-9 means 1 cyberware with strings attached,
10 or more means 1 cyberware, 12 or more means 2 cyberware.
FACTIONS. Name and describe a faction (e.g. a megacorporation, a political party, a society). Then, as a
group, name and describe the faction you all form together. As a group, choose 2: individual vehicles, group
vehicle, stationary HQ, crew of NPCs.
ROLLING THE DICE. When you attempt something risky, roll 2d6 and add the appropriate attribute
bonus. If you have an applicable skill, roll 3d6 and use the two highest dice.
- A total of 6 or less is a miss; things don’t go well and the attempt turns out badly. Mark 1 XP.
- A total of 7-9 is a partial success; you do it, but there’s some cost, compromise, retribution, etc.
- A total of 10 or more is a full success; you do it without complication.
- A total of 12 or more is a critical success; you gain some extra benefit or advantage.
GAINING EXPERIENCE. You get XP from missing rolls and from doing missions. During play, the GM
may hand out 1 XP for interesting, daring, or commendable roleplaying. When a mission is completed, the
GM tells you how much XP to note, depending on how successful you were and how difficult the mission
was. When you have filled your XP track, clear it and level up.
LEVEL HP SKILLS ATTRIBUTES ABILITIES
1 2d6+CON Career+1 2d6 ea. Background+career
2 +1 +1
3 +1 (career)
4 +1 +1 +1 (max +3)
5 +1 (career)
6 +1 +1 +1 (max +3)
7 +1 (career)
8 +1 +1 +1 (max +3)
9 +1 (any)
10 +1 +1 +1 (max +3)
THINGS. Lowest u denomination is 1,000.
Light melee weapon (10,000u). 1d6. May be wielded as a secondary weapon, allowing you to reroll
damage once per attack. Includes wrenches, stun batons, utility knives, etc.
Medium melee weapon (30,000u). 1d6+1. Must be wielded in main hand. Includes monoblades,
neuronic whips, pikes, etc.
Great melee weapon (40,000u). 1d6+2. Uses two hands. Includes chainsaws, mining lasers, eviscerators,
etc.
Light ranged weapon (10,000u). 1d6. Includes pistols, dazzlers, throwing knives, etc.
Medium ranged weapon (30,000u). 1d6+1. Uses cumbersome ammo. Includes laser guns, autocannons,
flamethrowers, etc.
Great ranged weapon (50,000u). 1d6+2. Uses cumbersome ammo and must fire from stationary
position. Includes rocket launchers, heavy laser guns, mortars, etc.
Light explosives (30,000u). 1d6+1. Belt of 6 explosive charges.
Heavy explosives (60,000u). 1d6+3. Single charge.
Spacer’s gear (5,000u+). A kit of simple helpful items, e.g. length of cord, tool, first aid kit, ration. When
you rummage for a simple helpful item, mark off a use (1 use per 5,000u spent) and find what you need.
Criminal’s gear (10,000u+). A kit of basic illicit items, e.g. lock bypass, forged document, hacking
paraphernalia, disguise. When you rummage for a basic illicit item, mark off a use (1 use per 10,000u
spent) and find what you need.
Specialist’s gear (15,000u+). A kit of technical items, e.g. a particular chemical element, hi-fi scanner,
technological component, a library database. When you rummage for a technical item, mark off a use (1
use per 15,000u spent) and find what you need.
Light armor (30,000u). Armor 1.
Full armor (60,000u). Armor 2. Always helmed. Difficult to move freely or quietly.
Single-occupancy landcraft (50,000u). 1d6 HP. Same for watercraft and aircraft.
Passenger landcraft (100,000u). 1d6+1 HP. Same for watercraft and aircraft.
War landcraft (1,000,000u). 1d6+2 HP. Same for watercraft and aircraft.
Single-occupancy spacecraft (250,000u). 2d6 HP.
Passenger spacecraft (1,000,000u). 3d6+1 HP.
War spacecraft (10,000,000u). 4d6+2 HP.
Planetside home (1,000,000u), space station (100,000,000u).
CYBERWARE. Installation cost listed (choose 1 mod at installation). Additional mods half-price.
Cyberskin (100,000u). Color/pattern changing artificial skin matrix. / Armor 1 / instantly heal CON HP a
number of times per session equal to CON.
Cyberoptics (150,000u). Infrared vision / microscopic/telescopic vision / AR HUD (+1 to ranged attacks).
Cyberaudio (150,000u). Supersonic hearing / echolocation ‘pinger’ / wide-band long-distance
eavesdropping suite.
Cyberolfaction (75,000u). When you sniff the air for something, the GM will tell you if it’s nearby.
Cyberarm (90,000u). +1 melee damage / ignore use restrictions on medium and great weapons /
additional arms.
Cyberleg (90,000u). Ignore armor speed penalties / you never suffer damage from falling / silent treading.
Cyberbrain (250,000u). Silent thought-activated communication / thought-control machine interface /
‘Skill chip’ ports.
Cyberweapon (90,000u). Retractable datablade (1d6+1) / shoulder autocannon (1d6+1) / monofilament
whip and grappling hook (1d6+1) / shockprod (1d6+1) / dart launcher (1d6+1) / bomb implant (2d6+3).
Artificial glands (75,000u). +1 to resist torture and drugs.
Artificial lungs (125,000u). Can safely breathe toxins, poisons, and other harmful gases and hold breath
for 25 minutes.
Artificial heart (200,000u). When at half HP or less, deal +2 damage.
Artificial gut flora (50,000u). Immune to poisons and toxins in food/drink and able to digest synthetic
polymers.
Voicebox (150,000u). Can perfectly imitate any sound including voices / 1d6 sonic screech.

UNIQUE ITEMS. Roll d66.

11: Optical camo poncho. 41: Collection of commendations and medals from various authorities.
12: Chizz, a hypnotic musical instrument. 42: Door-Spike: locks any door.
13: Vat-grown limb with a tic. 43: Screamer grenades.
14: Silence grenades. 44: Stasis container of ravenous nanites with a specific hunger for __________.
15: Face scrambler. 45: Hoverboard.
16: Lifetime supply of liquid captagon energy drinks. 46: Full spectrum goggles.
21: Instant-freezing cryo-pills. 51: Bipedal cargo loader.
22: Spy beetle. 52: A priceless stolen space crystal.
23: X-ray eyepatch. 53: Jar containing a molecularly disassembled relative.
24: Alien tablet which functions as a single-use Ψ ability. Takes a long time to recharge. 54: Game Bug, a portable video game system.
25: Mysterious alien egg. 55: Electronics-disabling bolt gun.
26: Stasis mines. 56: Telepathic kinkajou.
31: A seedling from home. 61: Action figure of your nemesis.
32: One clone, still in original packaging. 62: Undetectable emergency transponder.
33: Weather generator. 63: Shock gauntlets.
34: Ψ dice (always the result you want). 64: Auto-Chef.
35: Jump pack. 65: Star map tattoo or birthmark.
36: High Altitude Gelatinous Impact (HAGI) orbital re-entry suit 66: 1d6 favors owed to you by people in powerful positions.

-EQUIPMENT-
SPECIAL WEAPONS. Randomly generate a special weapon from the ARMORY special ability. CHEMS. Randomly generate a drug from the CHEMS special ability.
FORM (RANGED). Roll 1d6—1-3 is form (ranged), 4-6 is form (melee). Then roll 2d6. FORM. Roll 1d6.
2: Grenades. 1d6+1. 1: Ointment 4: Pill
3: Scattergun. 1d6+1. 2: Solution 5: Crystal
4: Laser gun. 1d6+1. 3: Gas 6: Powder
5: Flamethrower. 1d6+1.
NAME. Roll 2d6 for each column.
6: Machine pistol. 1d6.
2: (1: Electron, 2: Muon, 3: Gluon, 4: Bozon, 5: 2: (1: Bug, 2: Giraffe, 3: Mule, 4: Lizard, 5:
7: Autocannon. 1d6+1.
Neutron, 6: Prion) Crocodile, 6: Monkey)
8: Irradiator. 1d6+1.
3: Fizzy 3: Blaster
9: Screamer. 1d6.
4: Ozone 4: Freak
10: Heavy laser gun. 1d6+2.
5: (1: Star, 2: Moon, 3: Nova, 4: Nebula, 5: Comet,
11: Needler. 1d6. 5: Jet
6: Meteor)
12: Razor throwing disks. 1d6. 6: (1: Gold, 2: Blue, 3: White, 4: Rainbow, 5: Red,
6: Special
6: Shine)
FORM (MELEE). Roll 1d6—1-3 is form (ranged), 4-6 is form (melee). Then roll 2d6.
7: (1: Purple, 2: Black, 3: Pink, 4: Ultraviolet, 5: 7: (1: Crash, 2: Slam, 3: Jam, 4: Slash, 5: Crush, 6:
2: Mining laser. 1d6+2. Golden, 6: Chrome) Bang)
3: Chainsaw. 1d6+2. 8: Booster 8: (1: K, 2: Q, 3: Z, 4: X, 5: 452-B, 6: 6)
4: Laser cutter. 1d6. 9: Killer 9: Freeze
5: Dataknife. 1d6. 10: Transdimensional 10: Fire
6: Machete. 1d6. 11: (1: Meta-, 2: Super-, 3: Crazy-, 4: Ultra-, 5:
11: Bomb
7: Monoblade. 1d6+1. Psycho-, 6: Anti-)
8: Whip. 1d6+1. 12: (1: Geck, 2: Kang, 3: Chud, 4: Gork, 5: Zod, 6:
12: Stinky
9: Jackhammer. 1d6+1. Kuzco)
10: Power glove. 1d6.
EFFECTS & SIDE EFFECTS. Roll 2d6. Effects (first column) last one hour. Side effects (second column) linger.
11: Breaching hatchet. 1d6.
2: Inability to (1: operate heavy machinery, 2: read
12: Riot shield. 1d6. +1 Armor. 2: Psychogenic: Ψ sensitivity. and write, 3: remember, 4: eat, 5: control impulses,
6: sleep)
FEATURE. Roll 2d6.
3: Sensoritropic: Altered sense (1: infrared vision, 2:
2: Aim-lock (can hit a target that has moved out of the line of effect). ultraviolet vision, 3: scent trail vision, 4: x-ray vision, 3: Bad luck
3: Alien power gem (permanently destroys itself to resurrect you from death). 5: supersonic hearing, 6: enhanced proprioception).
4: Optically camouflaged (only you can see its outline). 4: Performance-enhancer: +1 to attribute (1: STR, 2:
4: Hiccups
5: Artificially intelligent (it speaks). DEX, 3: CON, 4: INT, 5: WIS, 6: CHA).
6: Infamous (dismays those who have seen or heard of its handiwork). 5: Loss of sense of (1: hearing, 2: sight, 3: feeling, 4:
5: Stimulant: +1 speed.
taste, 5: smell, 6: self-preservation)
7: Terror (+1 damage).
6: -1 to attribute (1: STR, 2: DEX, 3: CON, 4: INT, 5:
8: Collapsible (shrinks to a convenient small size). 6: Hallucinogenic: Hallucinations.
WIS, 6: CHA)
9: Transforming (can turn into a different form, roll for which one).
7: Sedative: Unconsciousness. 7: Addiction
10: Nefarious (deals 1 damage 1d6 times after attack; wounds resist healing).
8: Nootropic: Skill proficiency (1: Athletics, 2:
11: Mysterious alien (returns to your hand). Awareness, 3: Deception, 4: Persuasion, 5: Stealth, 6: 8: ‘The jitters’
12: Paired (cannot harm anyone wielding its counterpart—currently in the hands of your nemesis—and Survival).
vice-versa). 9: Suppressant: Immune to (1: thirst & hunger, 2:
9: Bleeding
cold, 3: heat, 4: hard vacuum, 5: pain, 6: Ψ).

TECHNOSHOCKERS
10: Psychotic: Hyperagression.
11: Serenic: Inhibits aggression.
12: Empathogenic: +1 to converse with others.
10: Discoloration (1: gray, 2: yellow, 3: green, 4:
blue, 5: spotted, 6: ultraviolet)
11: Premature aging
12: Growth of alien gland

-SPECIAL TABLES-
THE DIE OF FATE. Sometimes you as the GM will roll a die to see how events turn out. The die of fate
may be rolled to determine space weather, an NPC’s disposition, a struggle between NPCs, the presence
and strength of enemies, or whether something advances a track. A high result is good for the PCs and a
low result is ill fortune for them.
FIRST SESSION. The players (that includes you) come up with the universe and characters during the
first session. Each player describes a character, a faction, and marginalia. During this creation process you
ask questions and act on the answers. Ask them:
1. When and where does this take place? Encourage vagueness of time and specificity of place.
2. Who has power there? This is the enemy.
3. What are some important or interesting places thereabouts? You will encounter these places
soon.
4. How did you all meet? Ask also specific questions about the relationships between PCs.
5. What odd line of work has your group fallen into? ‘Mercenary work’ and ‘bounty hunting’ are too
generic. Make them come up with something very specific. (Ex. we steal alien eggs for rich collectors,
we break into politicians’ homes and take pictures of them on the toilet, we’re insurance scam artists.)
6. Which faction are you striving against, or which is striving against you? This will be the target of
their first mission.
7. What is Technoshock? A faction, a place, an event, a syndrome? (Ex. the name of the bar the first
scene takes place in, a great Y3K calamity we’re still recovering from, etc.)
8. What things would you like to see? (Ex. heavy on cyberpunk/light on space opera, gritty hard sci fi
aesthetic, these NPCs or factions.)
9. What things should we avoid? (Ex. grimdark tone, excessive violence, sexual themes.)
10. Never stop asking! (Ex. how did you get that thing?, where did you learn to do that?, this NPC
knows you—why?)
USING FACTIONS. Each player came up with a faction during creation. These are the primary NPC
actors in the game going forward. The PCs’ standing with most factions will start at neutral. As the players
make moves, advance/decrease tracks, and gain experience, various factions will grow more or less
antagonistic to them. Your goal in the faction game is to show the impact of the players’ choices on the
universe. With luck, the players will the last faction standing.
MISSIONS. Missions are the basic structure of play. PCs are ‘on a mission’ or ‘between missions’—there is
nothing else. The target of their first mission comes from the questions you asked them earlier. The goal of
their first mission comes from the same (their ‘odd line of work’).
Missions have 4 parts:
1. Getting the job. Meet who’s paying.
2. The prep. Do the legwork, hit up contacts, research, get equipment.
3. The action. The mission proper: when the plan kicks off.
4. Getting paid. Not necessarily in units, but maybe favors, things, +rep, or a better situation.
Whatever was agreed upon. If they fail the mission, they may get paid in retribution coming their
way.
Mission failure happens when the last box in the mission track is filled. The PCs decide if they escape, are
captured, or die. If everyone gets out alive, that faction increases their efforts to dispose of the PCs and their
faction track advances. If at least one PC dies, the faction is appeased for now.
TRACKS. Tracks are countdown timers. Each of the six increments on a track makes things worse for the
PCs. When the players miss a risky roll or make a glaring misstep, advance a track. One track may advance
another. Each faction important to the story has its own track. When the PCs take a mission, that mission
has its own track.
-RUNNING THE GAME-
Tracks can be decreased by proactive action from the PCs. If they want to get heat off their back, they can
do something to appease a faction or redirect its ire elsewhere.
When creating a track, describe what happens when each increment is advanced. Some tracks start out
with one increment advanced, some not (such as when a faction is completely unaffected and unaware of
the PCs). Make tracks public; you can choose whether to keep the increment descriptions hidden.
A faction lackey stumbles across the mission Milspec MOPOL units deployed to sweep the area
Alert systems activated
[Example mission track: Operation
Drones with eradication protocols deployed Urgent Mother: kidnap the son
of the PetriCorps Executive to
Hermetic lockdown; ‘Satan Zone’ irradiator matrix active
support the ice mining rebellion]
Anti-kidnapping ‘brain bomb’ in son activated if taken; orbital traffic grounded;
mechanized cavalry joint raid; PetriCorps track +2
YOUR MAXIMS. These are your guiding precepts. Whenever you or anyone else is at a loss, you should
look to your maxims. As long as you move things forward in line with your maxims, everything else will
follow.
1. Make the universe dirty, high-tech, and excessive. Smear the tech with dirt. Fill the cityscapes
with smog and rain. Make the spacecraft rattle. Then turn the dial up on everything: the rich are richer,
the poor are poorer, the sick are sicker, the stakes are higher, the perversities more perverse, etc.
Everything’s just a little too much for a PC to deal with alone.
2. Fill the characters’ lives with action, intrigue, and complication. Missions are opportunities for
action and betrayal. Do everything you can to prompt daring action scenes, hairpin maneuvers, and
subtle manipulations. Tie them up in the lives of NPCs, factions, and the greater universe to make the
stakes that much higher.
3. Give everything a name and everyone a want. A character without either is just a stick figure.
Everyone is called something and everyone wants something. Name also places, tech, etc. Use what
the PCs have given you as a springboard.
4. Keep the factions always striving against each other. Portray a universe of faction versus faction
versus faction. Place the factions like little precarious dominos: when a PC affects one faction, it affects
the others. Draw a chaotic spider web that the PCs have to navigate.
5. Keep the characters always striving against those who hold power. Tell a grimy story with the
PCs at the bottom. Draw the lines clearly between the ‘haves’ and the ‘have-nots’ in the universe. Deals
with authority should be like deals with the devil. And remind them: no matter how high they go,
there’s always a bigger fish.
6. ...and make your move. When a PC rolls and misses, when they’re waiting for something to
happen, or when the fiction demands it, make your move. Your moves are: hint at unseen/future peril,
entangle them, put them in a bind, hurt them, separate them, take their stuff, offer a bargain or tough
choice, tell them the prerequisites or consequences and ask, advance a track.
Lastly: address the characters, not the players. This keeps the focus on the fiction, not the table.
AJM2=:N
TECHNOSHOCKERS is heavily derived from World of Dungeons by John Harper and Chris McDowell and
The Sprawl by Hamish Cameron, with thanks to Sage LaTorra, Adam Koebel, and Vincent & Meguey Baker.