WIRED

neon
CITIES
Ultimate Edition

SCOTT MALTHOUSE
 WIRED
neon
CITIES
Ultimate Edition
Wired Neon Cities is a rules-lite
cyberpunk RPG set in a futuristic
1980s. Players take on the role of
Jacks, augmented freelancers in an
endless metropolis called Glow City.
Whether it’s blaze smuggling, corpo
assassination or gangland
espionage, Jacks get cash to carry
out everyone’s dirtywork (except for
cops). All you need is a few buddies,
some paper and pencils and a
bunch of six-sided dice (d6).
Create a Jack
Assign attributes: Split 5, 4, 4, 3
between Brawn (strength, melee),
Nimble (agility, ranged), Mind (tech,
knowledge), Person (charisma,
interactions). Lower is better.
Choose a class: Note your wounds,
armour and special. Specials
always round up.
Cyberblade: Slicin’ ‘n’ dicin’ on the
mean streets. Wounds: 8. Max
Armour: hard. Special: make an
extra melee attack equal to half
level once per shift.
Deckjockey: No Glow Net
system is safe. Wounds: 6. Max
Armour: light. Special: Gain a +1 to a
number of hacking rolls per span
equal to half level.
Bulletmonkey: Pew pew pew.
Wounds: 7. Max Armour mid.
Special: make an extra ranged
attack equal to half leve once per
shifl.
Chromer: Gimme a wrench,
grease and some wires. Wounds: 6.
Max Armour mid. Special: Can build
drones.
surgeon: Bodies are like tech but
with more blood, Wounds: 6. Max
Armour: light. Special: Can take a
surgical action per level each span.
Each action heals 2 wounds.
Face: You always get your way
eventually. Wounds: 6. Max Armour:
mid. Special: Reroll any Person test
a number of times per span equal to
half level. Keep highest result.
Drones
Chromers can make or recharge
drones a number of times per span
equal to half level. Each drone
requires 1 shift to create.
Spyfly: A tiny drone that acts as
your eye in the sky. You can see
through its camera up to a mile
away. Recharge after 1 span.
Rattler: A medium drone with a
mounted machine gun. Attacks after
you in combat. Recharge after 1
shift.
Cruiser: A large drone that acts as a
bike. Recharge after 1 span.
Starting gear
Every Jack starts with a light
weapon, light armour and 5
resources to spend on gear and
augmentations. Everyone has a
deck in which to access the
Glownet, all of which have had their
serial codes spoofed to hide their
true identity.
Drive
Drive answers the question: why the
hell do you do it? What gives you the
motivation to keep going? It could
be to get even against a gang boss,
show the world you’re not just an
unimportant fleshbag, or even just
to own a house. Whenever you act
with your Drive in a way that puts
you in danger, gain 1 Progress Point
(no more than 1 per adventure).
 Making tests
When doing something where
failure could be interesting, roll a d6
on a relevant attribute. If the result
is equal or over the attribute it
succeeds.
Difficult tests: Roll twice and take
the lowest result.
Simple tests: Roll twice and take
the highest result.
Time
Time is abstracted into moments,
shifts and spans. A moment is
around 10 seconds. A shift is around
10 minutes and a span is around 8
hours.
Combat
Time: Each turn is a moment. A
combat lasts 1 shift.
Initiative: Jacks go first in order of
weapon - light to heavy, with ranged
taking priority.
Actions: Take 2 unique actions (i.e.
move, attack, open a door).
Attacking: The attacker tests brawn
(melee) or nimble (ranged). If
succeeds, does damage equal to the
weapon’s damage value, first to
armour protection and then to
wounds. Ranged attacks in short
are difficult.
Zones and Movement
The battlefield is split into zones
based around its features. Moving to
an adjacent (close) zone requires a
movement action. Moving to a zone
beyond that (far) requires a run,
which is 2 move actions. The zone
you’re in is considered short.
Injury and death
When damage reduces wounds to 0,
you are unconscious. Any further
damage forces a d6 roll. On a 1-3
you die. On a 4-5 you remain at 0.
Enemies die once they reach 0
wounds. Jacks heal 1 wound per
shift and all per span. All armour
replenishes after a shift.
Hacking
Hacking the Glownet can uncover
hidden files, plant viruses into
systems and take control of tech.
The complexity of a system is based
on its security and firmware. Each
has a number: the firmware being
the number of successes required
and the security being the
maximum number of tests that can
be taken. Test mind to hack. If you
gain the required number of
successes the Glownet is hacked. If
you don’t, the network will deploy
measures.
• Old terminal: security 6,
firmware 3. Measures: Alarm.
• Corpo network: security 3,
firmware 2. Measures: Hacker
loses 1 resource.
• Military system: security 4,
firmware 3. Measures: Rattlers
hone in on hacker position.
Weapons and armour
Light weapons: 1 damage, 1 resource
Mid weapons: 2 damage, 2 resource.
Hev weapons: 3 damage, 4 resource
Light armour: 1 armour protection, 1
resource
Mid armour: 2 armour protection, 3
resource.
Hard armour: 3 armour protection, 6
resource.
Gear
Fake ID: 2 resource
Surgical Kit: +1 wounds when
healing. 3 uses. 2 resource.
Food pills: 1 per day. Heals 1 wound.
1 resource.
Helmet: +1 armour protection. 3
resource.
ICE: Grant an auto success in a hack
once per span. 7 resource.
Hidden pocket jacket: 2 resource
Modif-eye: Bypasses retinal
scanners. Unusable after 3 uses. 6
resource.
Words: Scott Malthouse
Cover: Beeple
Interior art: Dean Spencer
 Augmentations
Jacks can have a number of
augmentations equal to 2+ level.
You may have multiple
augmentations in the same body
area, but never duplicates.
Air tank: You can breathe
underwater for 3 shifts. 2
resources.
Arm blades: Counts as a retractable
mid melee weapon. 4 resources.
Climbing arms: You can scale
vertical surfaces. 3 resources
Derma shield: Increase your
maximum wounds by 1. 7 resources.
Disguise: You can alter your face to
any other face you have seen in the
last span. Lasts for a span. 6
resources.
Eagle eye: Make a ranged attack
with a +1 bonus once per shift. 5
resources.
Eye projector: Your eye can project a
moving image from your memory
onto a surface for 1 minute. 2
resources.
Flamer: You shoot fire from your
hands. Make a +1 ranged attack
within close. If it hits, the opponent
takes 2 damage and is stunned for a
round. Once per shift. 8 resources.
Gyroscope: You can move from
prone to standing without spending
an action. 4 resources.
Hard skin: When not wearing
armour you have 3 armour
protection. 8 resources.
Hidden pocket: You have a small
skin pocket that can carry a small
item (i.e. a knife). 4 resources.
Night vision: You can see clearly in
pitch darkness. 4 resources.
Manual override: Once per span
remove paralysis from yourself. 6
resources.
Poison claws: Make a melee attack.
If it hits, the opponent takes 1
damage as is poisoned for 3 rounds
8 resources..
Reboot: Once per span after
reaching 0 wounds, return to half
Dean Spencer
max wounds. 8 resources.
Stealth skin: One per span turn
invisible for a shift. 8 resources.
Syringe finger: Once per shift you
may heal a target 2 wounds. 6
resources.
System flush: Once per span
remove a disease from yourself. 5
resources.
Telescopic vision: You can see
clearly up to 1 mile away. 3
resources.
Translator: You can understand any
language. 3 resources.
Voice modulator: Mimic any voice. 4
resources.
Wired legs: A run action requires
just 1 action. 7 resources.
Conditions
Diseased: All attributes increase by
1.
Frightened: You cannot be in the
same zone as the source of
frightened.
Invisible: Attacks against you and
tests to see you are difficult.
Paralysed: You cannot take actions.
Pinned: You cannot move.
Poisoned: Take specified poison
damage each turn.
Prone: Attacks against you are +1.
Standing requires a move.
Stunned: All tests are difficult.
 Earning resources
Resources are abstracted money,
information and benefits offered by
those bidding on Jacks’ work. A
short job is generally 1-2 resources,
a medium job is 3-4 resources and
a complex job is 5-6.
progression
Jacks receive Progress Points (PP)
on their jobs. A short job is worth 1
PP, medium 2PP and complex 3PP.
After gaining 5PP a Jack levels up,
increasing max wounds by 2. The
max level they can reach is 5.
Downtime
Between jobs, Jacks can take part
in a downtime activity, working out
at around a week.
Chop shop: You may have an
augmentation removed and
replaced with one of equal or lower
resource value.
Corpo spy: Spy on a certain
corporation to gain secrets. Gain 1
extra resource the next time you
take on a job against that
corporation.
Earn side income: Choose a way to
receive income and make a relevant
test. If successful gain 1 resource.
Grow herbs: Gain 3 herbs, each of
which may either remove poison,
remove disease or heal 1 wound.
Infiltrate gang: Test person or mind.
If successful, you gain 1 resource
and pertinent information about a
gang. If failed, members of the gang
come after you.
Lay low: You go into hiding until
gang or corpo heat is off you.
Make contacts: Forge a relationship
with a key contact. Person tests
with the contact are simple.
Play gig: You use your talents to
play in front of a crowd. Person
tests with those at the gig are
simple.
enemies
Enemies roll against the number in
brackets for everything.
Android (5): A humanoid robot. Dam:
1, AP 2, Wounds: 2. Special: Gain +2
to hacking tests once per span.
Biker Monk (4): Pray and slay. Dam
2, AP 1. Wounds: 4. Special: Once per
shift after dealing damage knock
the target prone.
Cyberninja (3): Street vigilante. Dam
2. AP 1, Wounds 8. Special: May
move after a successful attack.
Dog droid (4): Robot pooch. Dam 1,
AP2, Wounds 4. Special: If an
opponent moves out of its zone the
dog droid may follow.
Electro Kiddie (4): Thug with
shocking powers. Dam 1, AP 2,
Wounds 5. Special: Attack with
shock weapon. If hit, target is
pinned for a round.
Ganger (4): Gangland mook. Dam 2,
AP1 , Wounds 6. Special: While
sharing a zone with another ganger
gain +1 to attacks.
Goon (5): Expendable. Dam 1, AP1,
Wounds 3. Special: If within short of
their boss +1 dam.
Gigarachnid (3): Huge robot spider.
Dam 3, AP3, Wounds 15. Special:
Anyone who moves out of short
from the gigarachnid is attacked by
spider missiles.
Hulk Sentry (4): Armoured guard.
Dam 3, AP3, Wounds 7. Special: If
Hulk Sentry hits, target must test
brawn or become stunned for a
round.
Juicer (5): Drugged up psycho. Dam
3, AP1, Wounds 4. Special. Once per
shift Juicer regains all wounds.
Police (4): Fascist. Dam 2, AP2,
Wounds 6. Special: Spend an action
to make a prone target in close
pinned.
Ravager (3): Augmented assassin.
Dam 3, AP1, Wounds 12. Special: If
opponent has 1 wound remaining
they take 1 extra damage.
 WIRED
neon
CITIES
Ultimate Edition
Glow city
Welcome to Glow City
An ocean of concrete and chrome
awaits those coming to the
expansive Glow City. The neon-
drenched streets are home to
gangers, chop surgeons, juicers and
a whole hive of gutterscum, while
the soaring skyscraper that
puncture the clouds are home to the
one percent - boardroom jockeys.
Most scrape a living in any
way they can, mostly illicitly
considering how little a wage the
corpos pay. Some decide to
freelance themselves out to the
highest bidder - solving problems
people wish would go away. These
Jacks are generally seen as
opporunists though some believe
like of a Jack is a romantic one
filled with high adventure. Truth us,
most Jacks last a week before
they’re found on a slab somewhere
covered in their own guts.
Everyone, with very few
exceptions, is hooked into the
Glownet - a vast digital neural
network that plays host to shopping,
entertainment and pretty much
everything anyone could want. Like
the streets, the Glownet is riddled
with dark alleys where deckjockeys
ply their trade, breaking into
servers and stealing valuable
information to sell on. On the flip
side, corpos track everything a
Glownet user does via the serial
code in their decks. Any deckjockey
worth their salt spoofs the code in
order to carry out their illicit
dealings without alerting the corp
police.
Dean Spencer
A game of boardrooms
This is a city ruled by the
megacorps, where the CEO has
more power than the president of
any country. Some of the key corps
are as follows:
Pink Cat: Despite its cutesy veneer,
this entertainment conglomerate is
run by Cabel Waltz, a master
assassin augmented to become
liquid metal. While their million
employees churn out hypnotic zazz
videos, the board of directors plots
cold-blooded murder.
Zing! There’s literally nowhere you
can go without seeing the Zing!
Logo. Famed for its sugar-packed
Zing! Cola, this corp hides a dark
secret as to where its ingredients
come from. Let’s say that those who
are fired from the company are
never seen again.
Pineapple: The first and last word in
tech, Fronted by Balgu Oniroshi, an
immortal tech wunderkind,
Pineapple are the architects of
Glownet along with their own brutal
brand of cyber warfare.
 Locations in glow city
Sushi Quarter: This is the place for
less-than-fine dining - grimy street
food sizzling in hot pans line the
streets as people sit slurping synth
noodles and cramming down fish
pills.
Neon Quarter: The bright lights of
the Neon Quarter attract a nightlife
that never seems to end. Clubs,
bars and adult establishments are
the name of the game here - there’s
never a dull moment when you mix
drink, drugs and weapons.
Corp Quarter: Exactly how it sounds.
Gleaming towers - the
headquarters of the most important
companies in the city. Heavy
security patrol the area - any
low-lives dealt with swiftly and
brutally.
Block Quarter: This is where the
majority of people live - all
crammed into huge block towers.
Most are disgusting and squalid,
with apartments being mainly one-
room affairs. Typical rent is 100 bits
per month.
The Hive: While the Block Quarter is
bad, it doesn’t reach the level of
poverty that the Hive manages. This
is the home of many of the gangs in
the city. They say that if you live in
the Hive and don’t belong to a
gang, then you’re a corpse.
motivation other than
acquiring more drugs.
The Reapers: An extremely
organised gang of assassins who
take payments from corps to
eliminate their opponents.
Chrome Domes: A gang of heavily-
augmented humans who wish one
day to become fully android. Their
leader, Vincent Eleven, forces
members to drink oil as part of
initiation.
Net Jackals: A gang of deckjockeys
using their tech skills to steal,
blackmail and commit fraud. Net
Jackals have their own security
force of hacked corpo androids
guarding their base from intruders.
The Purists: This gang has sworn off
any augmentations, believing the
corruption of the flesh to be a sin.
To them, all augmented beings are
enemies that deserve to be
annihilated.
Necrologists: A gang who are
obsessed with technological
immortality, striving to find a way to
keep them alive forever. Rumours
are that Balgu Oniroshi has the
secret to eternal life through
augmentation.

Gangs
The Livewires: A gang identified by
their bright yellow jackets and
colourful mohawks, the Livewires
are the biggest gang in the Hive.
Most members are fit out
with night vision, making them the
rulers of the dark.
The Iron Maidens: This all-female
biker gang is the bane of the Block
Dean Spencer

Quarter. They carry chains to whip

and choke their enemies.
Sick Boyz: A gang of psycho juicers
who love nothing more than
chugging adrenaline and shooting
up stores. They have very little
 WIRED
neon
CITIES
Ultimate Edition
Vegas rise
A starter adventure
Introduction
A day ago the Pink Cat systems
detected an intrusion but before
they could respond they discovered
their upcoming multi-billion dollar
zazz movie, The Wandering Giraffe,
had been copied. The intruder, a
deckjockey from the Net Jackals, is
threatening to leak the film into the
Glownet unless they wire them a
billion dollars in the next 24 hours.
To save from total embarrassment,
the Head of Joy at Pink Cat has
enlisted the help of a group of
Jacks, offering a reward for
“negotiating” with the intruder and
preventing the leak.
Starting the job
The Jacks are met by Ms Emerald, a
tall woman in a long green trench-
coat. She’s a Jack Broker, an
intermediary between corps and
Jacks (corps could never be seen
doing direct dealings with those
scumbuckets). She explains her
predicament and that her employer
would pay well to have the matter
resolved. In this case 1 resource per
player. She offers the following
information:
• The intruder was tracked to an
address in the Neon Quarter, on
Vegas Rise.
• They were smart and clearly an
experienced hacker.
• Should they fail, there’s a
chance her employer will put a
hit out on them. So be careful!
Vegas Rise
A run-down apartment building
greets the Jacks as they arrive in
Vegas Rise. Steam from the sewers
spews into clouds, casting a haze
over the rain-strewn streets. The
apartment has a key code lock.
Knocking doesn’t elicit any
response. They keypad can be
hooked to a deck and hacked.
Hacking the battered keypad:
firmware 2, security 5 Measures:
decrease security by 1. It might be
apparent to the players that it’s not
exactly the most secure pad for a
supposed hacking mastermind.
Alternatively, the door can be
bashed in with a brawn test or the
code can be gained from a friendly
neighbour with a person test.
The apartment is cramped,
with wired and monitors hanging off
of seemingly every surface. A
powerd-down ex-Zing! Android
hangs on a wall hook. One
computer stands out, with a green
and black monitor on showing an
upload screen at 89%. This isn’t an
upload of the movie, but a dummy
upload. Preventing it is just a case
of clicking ‘cancel’. Once done (or
not done), the android powers on,
guns emerging from both its arms.
The apartment is just one zone, with
the landing outside a second zone.
The android begins firing at the
players as a man’s voice buzzes
over its speaker: “Welcome to my
humble abode. I’m afraid I’m not in
right now, but I’m more than happy
to take a message.”
There are several ways for the
Jacks to find out where the
intruder’s true location is.
Ransacking the room turns up a slip
of paper reading “safe house -
Margo Street chop shop”. The
computer can also be hacked:
firmware 3, security 5 (measures:
alert the intruder of the hack) and a
file discovered with messages
between an anonymous person
mentioning to come to the safe
house in Margo Street chop shop.
Margo Street Chop shop
The chop shop can be found, like
most others, down the back of a
grimy alley. Two hired security (as
gangers) guard the door. Let the
players decide how they want to get
in - slipping them a bribe,
intimidating them or flat out taking
them out. A security camera is
recording the alley, monitored by
the intruder, Amar Brekhov, holed
up in the basement with his ganger
brethren. If he sees the Jacks
attacking his security, he’ll begin the
upload.
Inside is a dingy room with
several flat tables covered in dried
blood. Augment parts are scattered
all over and a chubby grey-haired
woman with black goggles busily
hacks up a “patient”, popping in a
glowing eyeball. A door on the other
side of the room leads to the
basement. If the Jacks show they’re
hostile she slams on the door three
times and four gangers run into the
room, each with guns and knives.
The room is a single zone, with the
alleyway being another. The butcher
doesn’t stick around, fleeing into the
building.
A surgical kit can be found
on one of the benches.
Dean Spencer
Chop shop basement
The sizeable basement is kitted out
with several more hi-tech monitors,
wires and tubes hanging from the
ceiling, all branded with the Net
Jackals wired jackal head logo.
Whenever Amar sees that the Jacks
are coming he begins the upload,
which can be seen on the large
screen at the back. Amar himself is
a bald man with a ginger beard and
knock off designer shades.. After
Pink Cat sent assassins after his
best friend Cyla he’s tried to hit
them hard - this was but a taster of
what he’s capable of. If he’s
threatened, he claps his hands and
two hulk sentries step out of the
darkness, attacking the Jacks. The
circular basement is split by half
into two zones. Amar is treated as a
ganger with a an armblade.
The upload is on 50% when
they enter and increases by 10%
after every round. This can’t be
stopped with a cancel, but needs to
be hacked on the Stolen corpo rig:
firmware 3, security 5. Measures:
lock out user.
The Jacks can try talk Amar
around with a difficult person test,
but he will only agree to stop the
upload if they become double
agents for him against Pink Cat. If
Amar is killed the Jacks may find
themselves being the target of the
Net Jackals in the future.