Changelog.

This work is based on Ironsworn:Starforged (found at www.ironswornrpg.com), created

by Shawn Tomkin, and licensed for our use under the Creative Commons
Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International license
(creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/).
This work adapts Ironsworn:Starforged and Ironsworn:Delve.

Character sheet by the amazingly talented Érika Antunes from TGK.

<insert link to website here>

On a personal note: Thank you Shawn for making these awesome systems available for
use in hacks!

A special thank you also goes out to my playtesters. Without you, this would be a hot pile
of drek, I’m fairly certain. So thank you for your time and suggestions!

My last thank you goes to my girlfriend, who supported me through this process despite
having next to zero experience or interest in TTRPGs, yet saw my passion for this project
and fueled it.

Cover Photo by Leyre on Unsplash.

Table of Contents
Introduction to Cybersworn 4
Foreword to Cybersworn 4
The Flexibility Principle 5
Pillars of Cybersworn 5
Author’s Note 5
New Content 6
Terms and Terminology 6
Heat Moves 6
Virtual Reality 7
Playing with NPCs 8
New Asset Types and Rules 9
Cybernetics 9
Connections vs. Contacts 10
Asset Tracks 11
Safehouse 11
Safehouse Troubles 12
Modules 13
Vehicles 13
Vehicle Restrictions 13
Combat in Vehicles 14
Spells 14
Mega City and Sprawl Locations 14
Altered Content 16
Terms and Terminology 16
Contracts 16

Time to Play! 16
The Setting 16
Default Assumptions 17
Code your Reality (replaces Your Truths) 18
Origins 18
Magic and Mundane 18
The Sprawl 19
AI 19
The Matrix 20
Police and Army Presence 20
Society 20
Religion 21
Beasts and Horrors 21
Introduction to Cybersworn
Welcome Chummers, Bennies, and Razorgirls alike, to the sprawling cities of cloud
tickling skyscrapers, uber-corrupt corporations filling those monstrosities of
concrete and glass, and of course the Matrix. On the off chance that you’ve just got
out of cryostasis, or that you’re simply a Trixhead who hasn’t left their room in
who-knows-how-long, let me give you a couple of handy tools to get you
acquainted with at least one of your new realities. Yeah, you heard that right.
There’s many ways Cybersworn can touch and-or maim your cheap little life. But
don’t worry, once you’ve decided which reality to desperately cling to, I’ll be here
to help you through what comes next. You’ll just owe me one of those precious
Contracts of yours! In the meanwhile, watch these Trid vids. They’ll get you caught
up on what happened the last couple of years.

“Cyberpunk Documentary PART 1 | Neuromancer, Blade Runner, RoboCop, Akira,

Shadowrun” - by Indigo Gaming
https://youtu.be/sttm8Q9rOdQ

“Cyberpunk Documentary PART 2 | Ghost in the Shell, Shadowrun, Total Recall, Blade
Runner Game” - by Indigo Gaming
https://youtu.be/0VoX3vr6CCM

Foreword to Cybersworn
Cybersworn is an adaptation (or “hack”) from the newly released
Ironsworn:Starforged (SF) and the slightly older Ironsworn:Delve (ID). It also
draws a lot of inspiration and work done from its spiritual predecessor “Under
Contract - An Ironsworn Hack” (UC) by vengefulpickle on the Ironsworn Discord.
Cybersworn is a unique combination of new rules that will not be rehashing rules
found in the Starforged books.

The Playkit included in this hack will contain all relevant moves and the new
Character sheet needed for play.
The Flexibility Principle
Cybersworn as a hack is designed to be flexible for any type of Cyberpunk setting
and world. Moves, Assets and Oracles will all be marked by a symbol to help you
identify which you may want to include to get the best Cyberpunk experience that
you are looking for.

- This symbol denotes a high-magic setting. This is what you’ll want to grab if
you intend on playing in Shadowrun’s Seattle of 2072, for example.
- This symbol denotes a low magic setting, where it’s more like the mysticism
of the original Ironsworn. Latent, old magic that hardly anyone has access to
(anymore). Much like Altered Carbon and perhaps early Shadowrun.
Note: To have no magic in your setting, simply don’t take any of the above.
- This symbol denotes a setting with plenty of Cyborgs and Artificial life.
Robocop’s future world is a prime example. This’ll include plenty of assets
related to this kind of reality.
- This symbol denotes a world with some form of Matrix, a virtual space very
much like the internet, yet wholly different. Again, necessary if you intend to
run a Shadowrun adventure.

Note that in the case of using the Code your Reality tool, you will find these
symbols in the prompts as well, helping you create a collection of assets, moves
and oracles to include in your gameplay.

Pillars of Cybersworn
1. Missions: Sign contracts and do what you must to see them fulfilled.
2. Bonds: Create connections and build relationships,.
3. Survive: Protect yourself and those you love.

Author’s Note
Note that this Hack assumes your knowledge and experience with Delve, Ironsworn
and Starforged:Ironsworn. If you have not yet played using those systems, go do so
now… go on… once you come back, this PDF will still be waiting for you!
New Content

Terms and Terminology

Blackmailed New debility on your character sheet.

Blackmailed A new track on your character sheet to mark progress on the

Contract contract received after becoming Blackmailed.

Cybernetic A new type of asset. There are Head, Torso, Arm(s) and Leg(s)
cards.

Cyberdeck A new type of asset that allows for manipulation of the Matrix
beyond your average usage.

Heat A new measure of how intensely your enemies are currently

looking for you. Measured in a track called the ‘Heat Track’
going from 0 to 10.

Matrix The virtual world in any cyberpunk setting.

Program New asset type. Abilities that enhance activities in the Matrix.

Safehouse New asset. A base of operations. You will have Safehouse

Troubles which are Impacts found your character sheet.

Site Cybersworn version of Delves.

Watched A new Safehouse Trouble on your character sheet.

Compromised A new Safehouse Trouble on your character sheet

Heat Moves
Life in Cyberpunk is never pretty. Especially not for those of us who live in the
shadows of the corporate luminescence. Sometimes, the only way to make a living
is to do questionable things. Anything from being a plausibly deniable asset to the
very corporations that put you in this position, to being a gun for hire for a gang, to
sometimes just selling your few valuable skills to… well… anyone willing to pay.
And when you do whatever is necessary, you’re bound to piss off someone.
Whether that be the police, due to your criminal activity. Or a rival gang thanks to
your notoriously efficient killing sprees. Perhaps a former contact that you’ve
broken a Contract with. Even your very own team members you had to leave to die,
just to save your own hide, might be after you. All of this is calculated on your
character sheet into one track. The Heat Track.
Heat is used in any Heat Move as shown in the Moves Reference of the
Playkit. Heat goes up to a maximum of +10 which means there is no escape from
your enemies anymore (unless you quickly lower your Heat), and a minimum of +0
(where you won’t even need to roll since enemies don’t even know who your
friends and contacts are). Heat will also fluctuate heavily throughout your games.
What this simply means is that if your heat is low, you are far from being caught up
with… but it’s only a matter of time.
Heat will impact your Contacts, and through them impact you. But that is
just part of the course when you associate yourself with anyone at all. Life in the
shadows can be dangerous. Anything, and indeed everyone, can be your undoing.

Virtual Reality
Virtual Reality is a staple of the Cyberpunk genre. Ideated during the birth
of the internet, we now see how freakishly close we are to seeing something like
the Shadowrun “Matrix” be a reality. Of course, it doesn’t include all the weird
console lines (unless you use Linux), and is still 2D for now (mostly). But we cannot
deny any longer that the Matrix is very much relatable nowadays.
For the sake of this Cyberpunk hack of Ironsworn, I’ve decided to keep
everything homogenous. Taking action in the Virtual is the same as taking action in
the Physical, but in a different “space” so to speak. An example would be when a
combat hacker has plunged himself into a wall socket, busying about on the
Network and trying to close down the turret that is keeping the rest of his team
pinned down. In the case of some of these team members being Allies (other
players), initiative and actions follow the narrative as usual. Your Ally has
initiative, but you do not. Your ally goes to hold closed the elevator doors so that
the security personnel can’t come in to shoot you to smithereens. You on the other
hand must Clash with the network ICE (intrusion countermeasures) as it
desperately tries to defend the Turret node. You and your Ally both roll strong hits,
causing the turret to finally fold itself back into the ceiling, while the elevator door
is jammed shut. You’re safe, for now, but must now bolt for the door beneath the
turret to get your paydata, and bug out.
 Any action progresses tracks as they usually would. During Secure
Advantage move in combat, shutting off the Cyber-eyes of the security personnel is
a risky trick, but will advance the combat along on a success while alerting them to
your hacking capabilities on a miss. Infiltration moves work for both ‘realities’ as
well. Whether you are hacking externally, or physically infiltrating the secure lab,
actions in the physical and virtual can and will effect the progression of the game
as usual.
Beyond the understanding of how Ironsworn rules blend with a Virtual
reality, you must also decide on how you will want your tech to look. Early
Shadowrun required direct “jack-in” connections. Later down the line, wireless
became a thing. This is purely a narrative choice you’ll have to make (or have made
for you when you choose a setting). I recommend using a wireless but location
oriented approach, meaning a closed network is only accessible if you’re inside the
structure. Imagine the range of wifi actually being controlled and only reaching to
just before the facility’s walls. A world with some 3D space and brain-linked
computers should be able to make that happen. Hacking remotely should be (and
is) very difficult.

Playing with NPCs

Normally, Ironsworn:Starforged is a game you play solo, or with one or two PCs.
Rarely do NPCs have any sort of role in the party. In Cybersworn, however, you may
envision yourself as being a part of a team (or hired into teams) and doing missions
with them. If you decide to take this gameplay route, here are some tips to keep the
story focused on YOU, the player.
1. Only ever make Infiltration Moves for NPCs, and only if your character has
any influence on it. For example, if you are an Overwatch expert, you might
have stayed behind in the van and are giving expert directions to your NPC
teammates on enemy positions etc. You might have even hacked into the
camera feeds and are following them while keeping one or two steps ahead
of them. While you are doing so, roll for the Infiltration moves with the
relevant attribute on your character sheet.
2. Envision what the NPCs do, and find, and face, and envision the
consequences of that on your character’s experience. If your character
 cannot influence their actions in any way, don’t bother rolling and simply
envision the consequences. You’re standing guard while the rest go in? Roll
Compile Data to see if there’s anything to see, and envision what you do
once you start hearing gunshots in the background on what is supposed to
be a simple milk run.
3. Ask the Oracle in case you’re stuck on any ideas of what these NPCs might be
up to, and how their actions will influence your character.

Connections vs. Contacts

Trust is scarce, regardless of the Cyberpunk setting you’ve chosen to play in. One
core principle behind any Cyberpunk setting is that enemies are abundant, but
friends are hard to come by. That’s why in Cybersworn, it should be a little bit rarer
for you to make new connections. Most of the time, you will find yourself in a
metropolis city where 99% of the people you interact with are people you will
never see again after that instance.
Connections - Anyone not directly opposed to you, and who is willing to
cooperate with you in your escapades, is referred to as a Connection. There are lots
of people in the city so finding one who will work with you allows you to add +1 or
take +1 momentum on a hit on a roll for which you're utilising this Connection. In
exchange you must Pay the Price if you choose either. Envision what the cost might
be to associate with this individual.
Contacts - Contacts are those whom you've established a level of trust with
by making the Make Contact move. Usually, you should have utilised them as a
Connection first before being able to make a Contact out of them. They have to
know you’re legit after all.
Contacts have a progress track, which can be advanced by making Develop
your Relationship moves. While these individuals are your Contacts, they provide
their services with the understanding that they scratch your back, you scratch
theirs. You may add +1 and take +1 momentum on a hit on any relevant roll you're
utilising the Contact with. Note that Contacts might ask for favours in exchange.
Eventually a Contact may even end up sharing a bond with you. Or your heat will
catch up to you both. Who am I kidding, your heat will catch up to you regardless…
 Having a bond means that you no longer have to worry about them ditching
you when the heat piles up, and you can rely on their help when the going gets
tough. They’ve become part of your legacy, and as you develop that relationship
more and more, your network will strengthen and your retirement will become a
safer bet. Still, you may end up having to lose your closest friends in the shadows.
Since these Contacts are self-sufficient beings who live their own lives, you
need to keep an eye on them to maintain the relationship and protect them from
harm (as well as yourself, from any schemes or plots you are unaware of). Any time
you meet a non-bonded Contact, you should compare your Heat track to the
Contact’s progress track. If the Heat exceeds the progress, you must Resist the
Heat. Envision the impact of your Heat on your Contact when they come up.
Note that a failed Resist the Heat roll might lead to a contract with them,
which could further improve your relationship.

New Asset Types and Rules

A number of new assets and asset types are introduced in Cybersworn. Some have
unique interactions that have never been seen in the official Ironsworn rules. Here,
you’ll get details on how they work, and why they work the way they do.
Remember, you can use these rules as you see fit to enhance your cyberpunk game,
but never feel like you have to use them.

Cybernetics

Cybernetics are enhancements people in Cyberpunk settings do to themselves.

Imagine a mechanical eye, with infrared and dark vision. Or sub-dermal plating
allowing what looks like skin to protect you from small calibre rounds and small
blades. Perhaps even a completely cybernetic limb after your fleshy bit got blown
off after you mishandled your gran-gran’s toaster. Whichever way you go, these
Asset cards have got you covered. There are 4 types of Cybernetic assets.
- Head (data-jacks, comm-links, cyber eyes)
- Torso (subdermal plating, adrenaline pumps, bone lacing, synthetic skin)
- Arms (cyberarms, any imbedded weapons, muscle enhancers)
- Legs (cyberlegs, enhanced hydraulics, muscle enhancers)
 You can have one of each of these asset cards, and can envision for yourself
whether the Arm cybernetic covers the entire arm, both arms, or simply the one
cybernetic finger whose top can pop up, revealing a compartment space for
anything from a drink to an assassin’s bullet. Note that as long as you have the
asset, you may change this if it fits into the narrative. Each cybernetic region gives
you benefits (as long as the cybernetics are functional) when you use the
envisioned cybernetics in your task. Lifting something heavy? Those cyber arms
and legs come into good use. Getting the snot kicked out of you? Subdermal plating
in the torso just means your skin is getting a bit chaffed. As long as it’s functional,
and you can find a narrative reason for it to be of some valuable assistance, the
Cyber will work for you. Whenever you get the benefits from multiple regions (like
arms and legs), add the bonuses together, but remember that the max on any
Action Result is still 10 with all bonuses applied.
Anytime one of your cybernetics is set to Broken, envision how this hampers
your ability to proceed. A broken cyberleg might be a loose and unsupportive lump
of metal attached to your body, or it might become rigid and causes you to have to
walk as though you have an oversized (and heavy) peg leg. Perhaps a broken head
implant causes you to lose vision in all but your one natural eye, or both eyes if
your narrative brings you to that. Regardless, once a cybernetic is broken, it gives
you none of its bonuses but does not mechanically force negative effects on you.
These consequences of broken cybernetics are for you and your narrative to decide
upon.
Each time you spend Rep to upgrade your cybernetics to Bio-tech, you
should envision how you get your clunky metallic cybernetics upgraded to the sleek
and self-sufficient bio-tech. If you ever lose the asset due to narrative reasons (like
you remove your arm so you don’t sink to the bottom of the lake you were just
tossed into), you will have to purchase the cybernetic region with Rep again.
Whenever you lose your Cybernetic asset, regain 1 Rep.

Asset Tracks

There are some new terms thrown around when it comes to Asset Tracks. Here’s a
rundown of all ways these tracks shown on Asset cards are called and where:
Mana = The Combat Mage asset. Described on the asset.
Health = Any companion asset. Rules as written in Starforged.
Integrity = Any vehicle asset. Rules as written in Starforged.
Glitched / Broken = Any cyber asset and cyberdeck asset. Described above.
Secrecy = The Safehouse asset. Described below

Safehouse

The one safe space in this dark and dreary world. The one place you know you’re
safe, and where you know you can sleep calmly at night. You can only ever have one
Safehouse at a time, but unlike other assets, a safehouse doesn’t cost Rep to get.
When you start the game, take one Safehouse asset which is shared between you
and all your allies. It is your base of operations. Your safehouse.
If you ever must relocate and your old Safehouse wasn’t Watched or
Compromised, create a Contract with yourself at Troublesome level to find a new
Safehouse. Discard the old Safehouse asset, but keep your modules and vehicles
nearby (although you cannot benefit from any, other than 1 vehicle). Once you have
a new safehouse, the module and vehicle assets apply as usual.
If you leave a Safehouse before being forced to Overcome Forceful Eviction
while the safehouse is either Watched or Compromised, you may instead make the
move Overcome Forceful Eviction and take an automatic weak hit or roll as usual. If
you choose to roll, you must accept the rolled result.
The consequence of not having a Safehouse is that your Health, Supply and
Spirit tracks have a new maximum value of +3. This goes back to +5 maximum once
you get the new Safehouse asset.
Note that regardless of how you lose your Safehouse, you clear any
Safehouse Troubles which would affect your Momentum. Any new Safehouse will
be neither Watched nor Compromised and have maximum Secrecy, and it could be
a completely valid strategy to abandon a nearly lost Safehouse even before it is
overrun by your enemies to avoid the potential risk at the cost of your possessions.

Safehouse Troubles

- Watched may be marked when your safehouse is at 0 secrecy, and you fail to
Face a Leak. The safehouse is under scrutiny by your enemies, but not
enough that it isn’t usable. You just have to take extra precautions. Envision
those precautions.
 - Compromised may be marked when your safehouse is at 0 secrecy, and you
fail to Face a Leak while you’ve already marked Watched. Your Safehouse
will never feel truly safe anymore, as some truths have spread too deep and
too far. It’ll take more than simply defeating your current enemy to find
some proper peace here again. This is a permanent impact, until you get rid
of your current safehouse asset, and get a new one either by choice… or not.

Watched can be overcome whenever you Face a Leak and score a strong hit, or
when you’ve narratively dealt with those who might be watching your safehouse.
With the precautions lifted, your Momentum is then no longer impacted. You may
envision this process as you deem appropriate to the situation.

Modules

Your Safehouse is your base of operations, and the one place where you can feel
safe from the outside world. In between missions and contracts, you may find that
you have some time (and Rep) to spend on upgrading your space.
A safe house can normally only ever have 2 modules at a time. Modules cost
Rep like any other asset, and they are placed beside the safe house to signify the
installation. You may make up your own rule about retrofitting modules if you ever
end up with more than you are allowed to have, but my suggestion is that you pick
and stick to your choices. When you inevitably lose your safehouse, you’ll be able to
retrofit your new place as you see fit.

Vehicles

Vehicle Restrictions

These rules are optional and dependent on your Cyberpunk setting and choices. Simply
ignore this if you decide to play the game otherwise.
Vehicle assets come in 3 types. Basic vehicles, Restricted vehicles and
Forbidden vehicles. Restricted and Forbidden are terms used to distinguish
vehicles that would not be seen piloted through a busy city by a private individual,
often for obvious reasons (see Helicopter), without appropriate licences both
immediately visible and broadcasting to any Police Receiver unit, or whatever you
envision your setting to have.
 A Restricted vehicle might simply need a particular licence, while a
Forbidden vehicle will always be stopped if it isn’t registered in, for example, the
police network of aerial vehicles… Or if it’s a tank. When you are piloting any such
vehicle, envision how the restricted or forbidden nature of the vehicle affects your
experience in your setting of Cyberpunk. Note that any Basic, Restricted or
Forbidden vehicle should always be broadcasting its licensing, which police and
control towers scan for legitimacy. If you intend to pilot a vehicle without a legal
licence, law enforcement should become informed rapidly.
Any time you are seen committing a criminal act, or act against an enemy, in
a Restricted vehicle you add +1 Heat. Any time you’re seen doing the same/similar
in a Forbidden vehicle, add +3 Heat. Note that not broadcasting a licence of some
sort is always considered criminal activity.

Combat in Vehicles

Combat in vehicles passes like any other type of combat, except with one
person the designated driver. The driver cannot use any other items or make
non-driving moves, unless they decide to relinquish control over the vehicle. After
the driver has relinquished control, they can make their move, after which
everyone in the vehicle loses initiative and you roll a Face Danger for the entire
vehicle as it moves uncontrolled. Unless it was standing still of course.

Battered vehicles

When a vehicle reaches an integrity of 0, and must Withstand more Damage,

flip them over. They are battered, and cannot be used. If you were driving this
vehicle, you must immediately Endure Harm or Face Death, as appropriate.

Spells

Spells range from anything from the bread-and-butter fireball, to the

unique kinetics of a psychic mastermind. Whenever you make a move in which you
can imagine your magical prowess, simply envision it to be with the use of magic.
Let the narrative empower your imagination, and your imagination empower your
narrative. If you are uncertain if you’re capable of, or don’t have the resources to,
create a certain effect or cast a certain spell, simply roll as though you would roll
for Check your Gear but instead use +spirit.
 There are two Paths, the Combat Mage and Kinetic, which are specifically
designed to engage with a magic-heavy setting. Specifically, imagine these paths
describing those who’ve trained throughout their life in the use of their type of
magic, rather than someone with some latent magical abilities. It’s up to you
whether you wish to play with these Paths, if you consider a setting where there are
those capable of using magic, and those who are masters at wielding it. Or whether
you would rather envision only that magic is an uncommon tool, but otherwise too
difficult to truly master.

Mega City and Sprawl Locations

Whether you’re thundering along sand dunes in dirt buggies, or you are spending
most of your time in the shadows of enormous skyscrapers of which you’ll never
see the top, the location of your game is very important to a Cybersworn game. For
that, we can use the Starforged ‘Sector maps’, although we’ll be using it a little bit
differently. We’re not exploring unknown and vast stretches of space. Instead,
we’re slowly filling out the mega city around us. Start with 2 or 3 points on the map
of key locations, and treat each hexagon as one of the following, depending on the
scale of your map:
1 hex =
- A building
- A neighbourhood
- A district
- A city
- A province
- A country
As long as you are consistent with your scale, you can’t go wrong. In each of the
above cases, you may want to consider what that means for your game. If each hex
is a building, perhaps there are hexes representing parks (synthetic of course), or
perhaps there are multiple hexes that are a part of a larger apartment complex or
skyscraper. In the case of a City, you may want to envision what happens while you
travel between cities. The freedom here is yours, and you may not even want to use
the Sector maps at all.
Altered Content

Terms and Terminology

Stats name changes
- Chrome (replacing Iron, IS)
- Shades (replacing Shadow, IS)
Legacy Track changes
- Missions Legacy Track (replaces Legacies-Quests, SF)
- Network Legacy Track (replaces Legacies-Bonds, SF)
- Pay Data Legacy Track (replaces Legacies-Discoveries, SF)
Misc changes
“Rep” or “Street Rep” (replaces Experience)

Contracts
Everything one does in the Cybersworn system is through Contracts. Breaking a
Contract is at your own detriment, but completing one is considered the only way
you can make something of yourself. Whether you form contracts with your
employers both legal and criminal, or with your friends and family, or even with
yourself, a Contract is deemed binding with dire consequences if abandoned or
recanted. It is also the only way you can build up “Rep” in your environment as a
capable individual worth being alive.
Time to Play!

The Setting
The first thing you’ll need to play Cybersworn is a setting of some sort. Cybersworn
does not come with a premade Setting, but you can find a unique setting over at
Funnelworld on World Anvil (to be added). You may choose to go with a premade
setting like that of Shadowrun’s Seattle, Bladerunner, Neoroshima, or any other
pop culture Cyberpunk world. Or you may create your own setting, optionally using
Code your Reality as a guide. Whichever you choose, a setting is important to play
any TTRPG, especially one driven by the narrative like Cybersworn.

Default Assumptions
Any Cyberpunk setting has a few Default Assumptions, just like Ironsworn and
Starforged came with their own. Here are a couple to keep in mind:
- You’re not at the top. The main assumption is that you’re in the bottom
ranks of the population, or at least that’s where you play around. A vagabond
committing crime for a living at worst, a noir detective with an alcohol
problem and a stinky, smoke filled bedroom apartment at best. Even if you
play a famous TV personality, envision how your life has gone… awry.
- Freedom is a luxury. Whether your setting is Anarchy incarnate, or
Capitalism’s nightmarish epitomy, democracy seems simply a cruel joke.
Pretty much all Cyberpunk media shares the idea of “freedom” being
something which was taken away, and worth fighting for, be it economic
freedom or simply the most basic concept of freedom. Some even go so far as
to discuss freedom of thought and freedom of individuality. Whichever path
you choose, assume that freedom is a fantasy.
- There is futuristic tech abound… In the form of robots, cybernetic
enhancements of the flesh, and some form of advanced internet often
referred to as the Matrix (or Trix).
- ...and none of it is readily available. Corporations and to a lesser extent
governments have major control over what kind of resources are made
 available to the public. Usually this means that whatever you have access to
is illegal in some form or another. Or a knock off of an expensive item.
- Social issues are key. Any Cyberpunk game (whether Shadowrun,
Bladerunner, etc) has elements of commentary and criticism on the Social
Issues of their time. Think about what you want to identify, comment on and
criticize, and add those to your setting.

Code your Reality (replaces Your Truths)

Origins

1. Humans are the only sentient race, and we continue to have but one life. We
may have found ways to genetically manipulate embryos to make super
humans, but eternal life eludes us to this day.
2. Humans and androids have lived side by side for centuries, and now a
number of alien races have come from the furthest reaches of the universe to
wallow in the capitalist filth of Earth.
3. What does it mean to be human again? All of what forms us, our selves, is
now stored on a tiny disk in the form of ‘data’. We can simply re-sleeve into
whatever synthetic body we’d like and live countless lives, if we have the
money...
4. What we understood as ‘humanity’ has been wrong for many millennia.
With magic returned, people have changed and the term ‘human’ now
simply describes those untouched by the latent magic all around us.
5. Human has become a term to simply describe the sentient beings that come
from Earth. Other races from across numerous planets have joined the ranks
of ‘humans’ and nowadays, the streets are more colourful than ever.

Magic and Mundane

1. Magic is a fantasy for those who’ve lost their will to face the hard reality
around them. No magic spell will cure the wrongs in the world. Only bullets,
science and power.
 2. Science has come a long way, but it is yet to explain the well-hidden power
of those capable of bending reality to their will. Rare enough, this mystic
nature is the antithesis of this scientifically manufactured world.
3. Magic is real, and powerful. Those who wield it are either revered and
publicly loved, or they are feared and hunted down. Mage hunters abound,
anyone capable of using even an ounce of mana must register and become a
slave to the powers-that-be, or go on the run.

The Sprawl

1. The city is split in two. The Capitol, an enormous megacity for the ‘common
members of society’. And surrounding the Capitol, the Wastes. An arrid,
desolate land for those deemed unworthy of being let into the comforts of
the city, or those who do not wish to exist under a corporate thumb or two.
2. The Sprawl is simply another metroplex of concrete, glass and metal. People
mill about, with the wealthiest existing their entire lives without touching
the pavement of the streets below. What lies beyond the Sprawl is polluted
landscapes, and other Sprawls in different parts of the world. Although it’s
unlikely you’ll ever get to see them.
3. You live in the Ecumenopolis, a globe spanning city that covers every inch of
land, and even some ocean. Skyrises reach above the skies as the wealthy
own shuttles which travel from this Earthen city-planet to other planets
among the stars.

AI

1. Cybernetics are available, but rare, and those owned by the lower-classes of
society are clunky and usually only implanted when the original body part
ceases functioning in the first place. Also, AI is in its fledgling state, with
robots no more than semi-intelligent roombas.
2. Everyone has some cybernetic implant. Be that a simple commlink attached
to their skull, or everything from the belt-under replaced by chrome,
cybernetics are simply part of life. Not that the corporations don’t still
control the best stuff, it’s simply a matter of quantity that it has become
available even to the lower classes. And commlinks and datajacks are nearly
as necessary in society as the ‘mobile phone’ was some centuries back.
 3. Cybernetics and AI are on the rise. AI hotels, robotic police forces, and more
are abound. Humans are still in the driver’s seat of society… for now. And
only because of the cybernetics available to them. Every officer of the law
maintains the Lawbringer-cyberarm, equipped with a small arsenal of
weapons to arrest and detain, either temporarily… or permanently.

The Matrix

1. The Matrix is simply an advanced form of internet, with some functioning

AI to help you along in your searches. Not much has changed since the
introduction of the World-Wide-Web, other than that one could access the
net through their synaptic jacks. Mostly, the world is inundated with AR
projected directly to your seeing device, be they glasses or contacts.
2. Everyone knows about the Matrix and its infinite VR worlds. VR and AR are
inundated across society, creating a colourful and objectively more
appealing veneer across the grimey reality of the city.
3. The Trix is all around, and anyone with the necessary implanted hardware
can access it through their minds alone. No one is free from it, ever, for good
or ill.

Police and Army Presence

1. The police are still a government-run entity, leaving the power of enforcing
the law in the hands of the politicians and government leaders.
2. The police are partially privatised. Government-run police forces are often
strengthened by hired corporate police forces, who are better equipped and
often-times more skilled at their jobs too.
3. Law and Law Enforcement are simply slogans nowadays. Each corporation
holds its own court, and maintains its own police forces, leaving
governments only to pick which overlord they’d like to have to rule them.

Society

1. The 1% live not in ivory towers, but in towers of glass and metal. Although
still forced to travel along the same roads that we do, they do not seem to
bother with the poor folk. Too busy with their next business dinner plans.
 2. You are either rich, or you are poor. The middle class is nearly non-existent,
and the poor scrape by in a city of survival where might-makes-right. The
rich aren’t simply rich in wealth, but in opportunity, working actively to
limit both to the masses who have neither.
3. Arocologies separate the faceless masses from the select few unlucky
enough to become the suited masses. Corporations own enormous
structures, Arcologies, that could house tens of thousands with an isolated
economy only to those living within. They are born, work, earn, spend, and
die, sometimes only ever seeing the city beyond those glass walls through
those tinted glass panes like an obscured window to freedom. Although
some glorify the cosy life within those walls, the Corp that owns it rarely lets
anyone in or out, save to make them money.

Religion

1. Religion is something some people hold on to. Whether it be for a better

afterlife, or with the hope that it would change their lot in life, it doesn’t
make a difference.
2. Religion is very much core to society, and can be found in any class. Not
everyone maintains belief, but science and religion clash consistently,
sometimes coming to blows (and bullets).
3. Religion seemed a fantasy until the first miracle occurred. Since then,
numerous religions have popped up throughout society, trying to claim their
deity was the source of the miracles. Miracles remain rare, but it’s
undeniable that there’s some power at play. But is it benevolent, or does it
have an agenda?

Beasts and Horrors

1. Although the city is safe from non-human monsters, beyond the safety of
the city’s perimeter lies lands which are wild and dangerous.
2. The city is filled with creatures which many would identify as monstrous. It
isn’t for nothing that the Pest Control profession is viewed as on-par with
the city’s defense military.
3. Animals are well under control, and the monsters of the world come in
bi-pedal form more often than not.