In Which We Live And Breathe

We don’t know what year it

is, we don’t know what is in
the water, we don’t know if
we’re human, or what human
even is anymore. The corps
took all that shit. They wiped
everything when the change
happened. Now we’re here in
the concrete under the neon,
trying to eke out a life
between the manarats and
the killdroids. Some of us are
tapping into our nature,
learning about our spirits and
the ether that seems to
pervade the world now. Some
of us are gearing up,
modifying our bodies and
cracking systems and corporate security. None of us, though, none of us, are
taking this shit lying down. The marble floors of their holodeck parlours and
atmocontrolled meeting rooms are gonna run with blood, we don’t care what
colour.

Beyond Flesh
Quick Reference
There exist three levels of reality: TTRPGS:
Shadowrun
The Spiritual, where our intentions lie, Video Games:
The Physical, in which we live and breathe, Shadowrun: Hong Kong
and The Digital, where our every action leaves a Films:
trail of artefacts. Bright (2017)
Hackers (1995)
Kill V. Maim Music Video by Grimes
Some people have developed skills and mastery
of one or both of the Digital and Spiritual planes.
Sometimes this may be as simple as casting a
spell or running a program. Other times they may enter the other level of
reality, move through it, and manipulate it directly, affecting the physical world
in unusual ways.
Playing
Here's what you do, you tell a story amongst yourselves of a cyberpunk future
and a group of ragtag miscreants within it running jobs, fighting out against a
capitalist technocracy, and trying to carve out a small slice of the world for
themselves and their community. One player is the Gamemaster or GM. Their
role is to describe the way the cyberpunk fantasy world appears, works, and
reacts to the other players. The other players each have a character that
belongs to them. Their character is one of the punks, the misfits, the
miscreants. They portray their character and use them as a tool to interrogate
the world, craft an exciting story with the other players, and build a life and
community for their character in the face of a fucked up world.

As you play, listen to the people crafting a story with you and find what excites
you in what's going on and then use your own narration to discover the
answers to some questions but ask even more. The GM will often be
repeatedly answering the question "what happens next?" and the other
players will often be answering "what do you do?" and everyone, all the time,
needs to be answering "what does that look like?" where "look" is a standin for
every sense and understanding.

The other voice at the table is that of the game. It's here to support you, so
show it an appropriate level of respect. The game expresses itself through
rules which occur in certain points in the narration of your story:

When you first start playing - Preparing For Trouble

At the start of each session - Booting Up
When the players' characters set out on a job - Engagement.
When a player's character tries to do something challenging or risky - Action
Rolls.
When you flash back to something that would have happened earlier - Flashing
Back.
When many players' characters are doing risky things together - Group Actions.
When things might take a while - Progress Clocks.
When the someone describes an outcome or event a player wants to prevent -
Resistance.
When people get hurt or stressed out - Harm and Straining Out.
When the makeup of the crew changes - Swings And Roundabouts.
When the players' characters are just going about their lives without direct
threat - Downtime.
When the players' characters are acknowledged in their identities - Being Seen.
At the end of each session - Wrapping Up.
Preparing For Trouble
Before you can start telling your story, you need to establish the setting and
characters.
First work out what city you're playing in and create some corps. Then work
out what your community looks like and choose your Crew Type for your crew.

Next, build your characters who exist in that crew & community. Characters
have attributes, actions, hard limits and can take harm.

Finally finish assembling your crew. Roll for your shared Rep, Cash, and Strain.
Detail your Hideout. Figure out your Crew Gear, Crew Contacts, and if any Corps
have Turmoil related to you.

Booting Up
At the start of each session each player considers whose character their own
character has the strongest connection to at the moment, and asks that
character's player to highlight one of their nine Actions (not Special Actions).
They then also ask the GM to highlight another of their Actions.

Whenever the player makes an Action Roll in either of the highlighted Actions,
the crew gains 1XP.
Engagement
Engagement is how the crew jumps
forward in time to get into the heart
of a mission to avoid drawn out
planning and preparation scenes. The
planning and preparation elements of
a job should be shown during the
action by Flashing Back.
When you’ve settled on a course of
action and it’s time to get down to
business, instruct your crew to
assemble and roll out.
Quick Reference
Choose plan & detail: Assault, Deception, Stealth,
Mystical, Technical, Social, Transport
1D for luck
+1d if Bold or Daring
+1d if Targeting Vulnerability
+1d if Help from Contacts
-1d if Overly Complex
-1d if Hitting Defenses
-1d if Enemies Interfere
Keep highest result or lowest of 2d6 for 0 dice.
6: According to plan.
5-4: Just gone wrong.
1-3: Out of control & desperate.

Choose your plan and name the

detail:

Assault - Point of attack

Deception - Method of deception
Stealth - Point of infiltration
Mystical - The arcane method
Technical - The technical opportunity
Social - The social connection
Transport - The route & means

Then, whichever player is leading the engagement starts the roll with one six
sided die for luck.

If the plan that has been decided on is particularly bold or daring, the player
adds one die to the roll.

If the crew is exposing a vulnerability or hitting their target where they're

weakest, the player adds one dice to the roll.

If contacts are providing helpful aid or insight to the crew, the player adds one
die to the roll.

If the agreed plan is overly complex or contingent on many factors, the player
subtracts one die from the roll.

If the target of the plan is strongest against the planned approach or has
particular defences or special preparations, the player subtracts one die from
the roll.

If enemies or rivals are interfering with the plan, the player subtracts one die
from the roll.

Then the player rolls all the dice they have for the roll. If they have no dice for
the roll they roll two dice and take the lowest result. Otherwise the player
takes the highest result and the GM jumps the story ahead into the middle of
the action.

If the highest result is a six, the GM starts the action by describing a scene
where the crew is in a controlled situation where everything is going according
to plan.

If the highest result is a 4-5, the GM starts the action by describing a scene
where the first thing has just gone wrong.

If the highest result is a 1-3, the GM starts the action by describing a scene
where things have gotten out of control and desperate.
Action Rolls

Action rolls happen when a player's character

tries to do something challenging which raises
the question of whether or not they will succeed.

Establish among yourselves what success and

failure look like.

The player chooses which of the 9 actions they

feel is appropriate to what they've described:
Judge, Skulk, Tinker, Scrap, Scramble, Wreck,
Sway, Consort, Build
The player starts the roll with one die for each of
their dots in the chosen action.

If the player's character is doing

something that utilizes one of their
Digital Spheres, Mystical Spheres, or
Capabilities, the player also adds one die
for each Sphere or Capability in play.
If the player's character is being helped
by a contact, is making use of helpful
gear, or has been set up by a previous
roll the player is prepared and adds one
die to their roll.
Quick Reference
Establish Position & Effect
+Relevant Action Dice
+1D for each relevant Sphere, or Capability
+1D for Preparation
-1D for Interference
-1D for Harm or Hard Limits
Keep highest result or lowest of 2d6 for 0 dice.
Multiple 6s: Crit.
6: Success.
4-5: Success with Complication.
1-3: Failure with Complications.

If the player's character is being directly

interfered with by a third party, or by troublesome or inappropriate gear, the
player subtracts one die from their roll.

If the player's character is being hampered by Harm they've taken or their Hard
Limits, the player subtracts one die from their roll.

Then the player rolls all the dice they have for the roll. If they have no dice for
the roll they roll two dice and take the lowest result. Otherwise the player
takes the highest result.

If the highest result is a 6, the player's character achieves their desired

outcome.
If the highest result is a 4 or 5, the player's character succeeds but a
complication is introduced by the GM.
If the highest result is a 3 or less, the player's character isn't successful and
the GM introduces additional complications.
If the player rolls multiple 6s, the player's character is critically successful and
achieves some result above and beyond their original intention.

If the player's character was directly helped by a crewmate and at least one 6
was rolled, the crew clears 2 Strain.

Position & Effect

When the action being rolled has been determined but before the dice have
been rolled, the GM must decide on the Position of the player's character and
the effect if they should succeed.
Position describes the level of danger the player character is exposed to. It can
be one of three options:

Controlled
Risky
Desperate

Effect describes the result should the player succeed:

Great
Standard
Limited

By default most actions are likely to be Risky/Standard. (There are also two
secret effect levels, Devastating Effect, and No Effect that go on either end of
the Effect Level list but they should only come up occasionally.)

Before they roll a player might choose to trade position for effect, moving up
one position on one list and down one position on the other, if they explain how
they are doing so in the fiction.

A critical result on an action roll usually increases Effect Level by one rank.

Flashing Back
Often you'll find yourself wanting to establish something that happened off
screen in the past. Any time you need to, feel free to flash back to to a previous
moment to establish purchasing gear, getting help from your friends, or
setting yourself up for later.

Spend Cash to have gear on hand.

Spend Rep to have a contact perform some service or favour for you.

Spend Strain to flash back to perform an Action setting yourselves up for later.
Group Actions
Group Actions are what you use when multiple characters are doing a thing
together that requires an action roll. The players each make an action roll for
their character and the highest result from the group is used, but for each 1-3
result, the crew takes a Strain.
Progress Clocks

Sometimes tasks take more than

a single action roll to complete.
When that comes up, start a clock
with however many segments seems appropriate for the task. When you roll
an action that would contribute to that work, mark off 1 segment if your result
is 4-5, 2 segments if it’s 5-6, or 4 if you’ve got multiple sixes. Results less than
six are still grounds for complications on the part of the GM.

The most common kind of clock starts out empty and then adds segments until
it is full, at which point a task is complete or some delayed event occurs. This
kind of clock can be helpful for tracking alert levels of security systems, the
damage levels of particularly intimidating creatures or vehicles, or progress on
a long term project.

Some clocks start out full which tick backwards, losing segments until
something happens when they're empty. These kind of clocks are most
valuable for tracking depleting resources such as fuel or the morale of a group
of characters controlled by the GM.

Some clocks start out partially full and tick up and down like a tug of war with
different outcomes happening based on whether or not they fill or empty first.
These kinds of clocks are useful for anything where there's a competition for
control such as turf wars or political campaigns.

The sizes of clocks are indicate the difficulty or size of the task at hand. 4 is the
default number of segments for a clock, with bigger things requiring clocks
with more segments. If the you need a clock for something that would require
less than four segments you don't need a clock for it.

Any time it feels like it's a bit of a stretch to achieve a thing on a single roll,
that's the fiction telling you to start a clock.
Resistance
To resist, defy, or reduce an outcome narrated by another player, often the GM,
describe how your character resists it and choose which Attribute is
appropriate: Mind, Body, or Soul.
Roll one six sided die for each Action or Special Action in that attribute that
your character has at least one dot in.
If the character's resistance is helped by useful gear, the player adds one die to
their roll.
(eg having one dot in Skulk and two dots in Tinker, and one dot in Digital Work
gives three dice for Mind resistance)

Mind is used to resist outcomes that are digital, mental, intellectual, or past
related.
Body is used to resist outcomes that are physical or present related.
Soul is used to resist outcomes that are mystical, emotional, social, or future
related.

Take the highest result.

On a 6, you resist, defy or reduce it, no problem.

On a 4-5, you resist, but gain 1 Strain.
On a 1-3, you resist, but gain 2 Strain.
Straining Out
If the crew hits it’s max Strain, reset to zero and choose one:

Someone takes Major Harm.

The crew gains a troublesome contact or piece of gear.
Sinister forces escalate their attentions.
The fuckin law shows up.
Someone is incapacitated for the rest of the mission and takes a new hard
limit.
Taking Harm
When a character gets hurt it comes in one of three levels and applies to one of
their three attributes: Mind, Body, or Soul.

Minor Harm is anything that might slow you down but won’t stop you: Stabbed
up, Drained, Addled
Major Harm consists of potential showstoppers that don’t outright kill you:
Heartbroken, Impaled, Amnesia
Deadly Harm does what it says on the tin. It kills you:Shot Through The Heart,
Spirit Drastically Maimed, Biofeedback That Destroys Brain

If a character takes Minor Harm but they already have Minor harm for that
Attribute, it becomes Major Harm.
If a character takes Major Harm but they already have Major harm for that
Attribute, it becomes Deadly Harm.
If you a character takes Deadly Harm they die.

If a character has a Minor Harm that’s affecting their ability to perform an

Action, their player rolls one less die for that Action Roll.
If a character has a Major Harm that affects their ability to do an Action, they
just can’t do it without help.
Swings And Roundabouts
When a player's character dies, the crew's maximum Strain is reduced by one.

When a player's character retires from the crew, the crew's maximum Rep is
reduced by one.

Dead or retired crewmates always count as solid contacts unless they sever
ties with the crew.

When a new character joins an existing crew, each other member of the crew
chooses an action which the new character gains one extra dot in.
Downtime
When the crew isn't out on jobs or in direct danger they go about their lives
within their communities.

There are 7 downtime actions you can take whenever you’ve got time and
space: Maintenance, Represent, Sharing Space, Tending Wounds, Get To Work,
Post To The Boards.

Maintenance

When you work hard, resupply, keep watch, and keep everything running,
restore up to 1d6 Cash.

Represent

When you socialize or hang out with your community or contacts, restore up to
1d6 Rep.

Sharing Space

When you spend quality time with crewmates, clear up to 1d6 Strain.

Tending Wounds

When you allow a teammate to access your wounds and tend them, physical
or otherwise, remove a minor harm, or downgrade a major harm to a minor if
no minor harm already exists for that attribute.

Get To Work

When you work on a long term project, name your end goal and roll whichever
action you use and deal with the consequences if they arise.

Post To The Boards

If you've got intel on a job or an opportunity you're not going to get to, you can
post about it on the internet boards. If other punks take the job and report
back, you gain an XP. If you complete a job or opportunity from the boards and
post report back, you also gain an XP.
(you can find the boards and postings at iwwlab.machinespirit.net)
Being Seen
Being seen is important to the punk and misfit characters that are portrayed in
this game.
Corporate interests create a world that acknowledges only the straight, white,
non-disabled, cisgendered bodies that perform labour and consume products
to create capital. For the characters we play in this game to feel recognised,
they must provide that to each other, or make the corps to acknowledge their
identity by force.

When another character acknowledges (in a new or meaningful way) an

element of your character's physical, digital, or ethereal appearance or
performance and it’s something you feel good about, clear one Strain from the
Crew. If it’s something your character actually feels bad about, gain a Strain.

When another character acknowledges (in a new or meaningful way) the

dissonance of an element of your character's physical, digital, or ethereal
appearance or performance that you feel bad about, clear one Strain from the
Crew. If it’s something your character actually feels good about, gain a Strain.

Wrapping Up
At the end of each session, the crew gains 1 XP for each of these questions for
which the answer is yes, or 2 XP if the answer is "multiple times".

Did you rep your crew type?

Did you manage to avoid collateral?
Did you get impeded by your harm and hard limits?
Did you flash cool gear and call in impressive favours?
Did you put a ding in a corp?
Did you help your community?

If the crew didn't get away clean, any corps the crew put a ding in gain one
point of Turmoil from it.

Three XP can be spent to:

Increase the crew's max REP by 1

Increase the crew's max CASH by 1
Increase the crew's max STRAIN by 1
Add a new dot for a character's action rating
Purchase a community upgrade.
Behind The Curtain
In between sessions, the GM should run through the list of Corps and Gangs
and have each one perform an Operation. The first time you do this for a corp,
assign 7 points for a major Corp and 4 points for a small Corp or Gang, between
Capital, Research, and Brand as appropriate to their description.
If the game is integrating an audience, members of the audience each join a
Corp or Gang and members of each Corp and Gang vote on which operation to
perform. Otherwise, the GM chooses appropriate Operations for whichever
Corps or Gangs they are interested in.
Operations

The corp invests up to three Capital, Research, or Brand, or an Asset into an

operation and rolls that many dice (the number invested or the tier of the
asset). On a success they gain the Operation outcome, On a failure they lose
their investment, on a success with a cost, both occur. If a Corp has Turmoil
from the crew, any Operations against that Corp add bonus dice equal to the
amount of Turmoil they have. When Corps mount Operations against the Crew
the highest rolling one clears all their Turmoil and, if they are successful, the
Crew Effect occurs. Any other lower rolling Corps automatically fail their
Operation and do not clear Turmoil.

Invest: Gain 2 Capital, Research, or Brand

Community effect: Creates an abundance of something that was scarce in the
crew's community and all the issues that brings.
Sabotage: Destroy 2 Capital, Research, or Brand of another Corp or Gang
Community effect: Creates a shortage of a vital resource to the crew's
community.
Crew Effect: The Crew's Rep, Cash, or Strain is taxed, reducing it's maximum
value by one until the situation is resolved.
Acquire: Steal 1 Capital, Research, or Brand from another Corp or Gang
Community effect: creates a crackdown, an increase of corporate military
security in the area surrounding the crew's community.
Crew Effect: A contact or piece of crew gear is taxed and cannot be used until
the situation is resolved.
Deploy: Gain a new asset (starts at tier 1)
Community effect: creates an abduction or theft.
Expand: Increase the Tier of an asset (max 3)
Community effect: The asset or it's repercussions appear or grow in the
community.
Compete: Destroy an Asset of another Corp or Gang
Community effect: creates a crackdown, an increase of corporate military
security in the area surrounding the crew's community.
Crew Effect: The corp sends trouble after the crew which they may have to
deal with on their home turf.

Each operation generates a news headline. Work out what it is so that you can
present them to the players. Whichever Operation rolls highest also has its
community effect occur.

City
Pick a city to play in. It might be a real city in the cyberpunk future or it might be
a new or made up one. What part of the world is it in? Make sure everyone
feels confident playing in the fictional space you're using.
Corps
We were so damn worried about making uncaring, all-consuming artificial life
out of technology or magic that we never stopped and realised we'd made it
out of paper.

Corporations are legal entities made up of legal, human, and technological

resources that exist to grow themselves by extracting profit and capital from
anything within their grasp.

Corps control different elements of the world and the people in it, which they
call markets. They control these in different amounts through products and
services. They market themselves with brands made up of slogans, logos,
jingles, and pervasive social marketing.

At the start of the campaign each person creates one of the Corps that
dominates your city. Work out what they are called, what they control, and
how they operate, as well as any logos, slogans, or jingles you like. Create
other Corps as they turn up in play.

Between sessions Corps will carry out Operations, actions that affect other
corps and often the crew and their community.

Gangs
Gangs are collections of individuals and criminals that coalesce in the shadows
of corporate capitalism. A gang has a name, turf, and a motif. Gangs can carry
out operations in the same way corps do.
Community
Then work out what community your characters are all a part of. What
crowded neighbourhood, parish, slum, or scrip-town are you all languishing in?

Community:
1 11 21 31
2 12 22 32
3 13 23 33
4 14 24 34
5 15 25 35
6 16 26 36
7 17 27 37
8 18 28 38
9 19 29 39
10 20 30 40
Contacts
Some contacts are part of your community, some are not. Those that are part
of your community are keyed to the spaces on the community map in the
contacts list.

Some contacts are solid. Their services cost only 1 Rep and gear purchased
from them costs only 1 Cash, instead of the regular price of 2 that these things
normally cost.

You can become solid with a contact either by increasing your maximum rep or
by doing favours for them.

You can only become solid with a contact connected to your hideout or
connected to another contact you are solid with. All non-community contacts
are stored in your phone, which is connected to your hideout.

Any time you create a Contact

Describe them.
Ask other players if any of them or any other contacts have an emotional
relationship with this contact.
If they’re a part of your community, add them to the map.
Community upgrades
When you purchase a community upgrade either assign it to an existing
contact without an upgrade on the community map or create a new one.
Players only receive the benefits of upgrades assigned to contacts they are
solid with.

When you purchase a community upgrade, pick a contact from your community
map or add one and mark them with an upgrade:

Arms dealer: Sells guns and knives and shit. Gear from them increases your
effect by one rank.
Pharmacist: Sells the regulars, stims, sedatives, painkillers, etc as well as
traditional medicines for arthritis, dementia, impotence, etc. Gear from them
increases your effect level by one rank.
Doctor: Once per downtime someone can clear all Body harm.
Oracle: Tells futures from palms, tea leaves, cards, stars, and entrails. Their
services are worth 1 extra bonus die on a resistance roll, but only once a run.
Shiv: Not assassins, but still killers for hire. Pay a rep to have someone
unsecured disappear.
Childcare: Free up some time for your friends with families. Add an additional
service provided to two contacts.
Driver: Has car, will drive. Their services are increase your effect level by one
rank if you’re trying to get out of dodge.
Chop Shop: Trading in tech, reappropriated, repurposed, or reconstructed. Gear
from them increases your effect level by one rank.
Pastor: Provides whatever wisdom and support they can with their book. Their
services reduce Strain costs from a roll to one.
Antiques Dealer: Supplies ancient and/or magical curios and texts. Gear from
them increases your effect level by one rank.
Locksmith: Provides keys, copies, locks, picks, and related services. Their
services increase your effect level by one rank.
Rigbank: Gamers, hackers, bitcoin farmers, it’s all the same as long as they’ve
got the flops. Provides raw computing power to be called on for brute forcing
systems. Their services increase your effect level by one rank.
Blood Ring: Teaches the beating up of chumps of all shapes and sizes. Their
services increase your effect level by one rank when combating an exceptional
body in melee.
Good Food: When you share food as a part of Sharing Space with a crewmate
during downtime, clear and additional d6 strain.
Community Supplies: When you use or help maintain the community supplies
during Maintenance in downtime, restore an additional d6 cash.
Watering Hole: When you Represent and socialise with contacts at this place
set aside for such things, restore an additional d6 rep.
Personal Storage: Each of the players' characters gains one signature piece of
gear which increases effect level by one rank when used properly.
Crew
Crew
Crew Gear:
Name:

Crew Type:

REP: Max:

CASH: Max:

STRAIN: Max:
Crew Type
Together choose your crew type:

Guardians, protecting their people and

their space.
Burglars, stealing what’s truly
valuable.
Whistleblowers, finding and spreading
the truth.
Assassins, cutting heads off the hydra.
Angels, rescuing those who can’t save
themselves.
Wreckers, destroying the tools of the
system.
Preachers, spreading the good word.
REP
Rep buys you services and favours, things you can only get in the moment by
knowing the right person: A helicopter extraction, the password for an
encrypted database, assistance channeling powerful energies. That service
can be relied upon until you hit downtime. Buying a service is getting someone
to do the thing they do, either to help you out right now in the moment, or to
set you up for future success. If a contact doesn't have a specific service, they
can help out or try to do the thing for you but it's not gonna help in a
meaningful way.

1 service costs 1 rep from a solid contact, all your remaining rep from a contact
who is out to get you, or 2 rep from any other contact.

If a service gets a contact to do something challenging, they roll their own

action roll with 3 dice for solid contacts and 2 for everyone else, no bonuses.

"Don't worry about the identlocks, Arneson read the passwords off some
visiting Golsec guards for us, should make cracking it a breeze."

Roll 1d6+4 for your maximum Rep. Rep starts at its maximum.

CASH
Cash buys you gear, anything you can buy from a vendor in the street or back-
alley: A protection talisman, a hotcore ram expansion, really big guns. That
gear hangs around and can be used again and again until you hit downtime.
Gear can be purchased in the moment as it’s needed, it’s assumed you had it
with you the whole time. You can flash-back to purchasing it if you want.

1 piece of gear costs 1 Cash from a solid contact, all your remaining Cash from a
contact who is out to get you, or 2 Cash from any other contact.

If a piece of gear is stock, name the corp and product name.

If a piece of gear is scratch built, describe at least one of the jury-rigged
components.
If a piece of gear is customised, name the corp/product name, and the
customisation.

"It's a modified Clarentek 442f Otrifle. The evoclip housing makes it a little less
stable but it fires SO MANY force rounds!"

Roll 1d6+4 for your maximum Cash. Cash starts at its maximum.
STRAIN
Strain is a measure of the internal tension of the crew, the stress of each of its
members, and the heat the crew generates as they get up to trouble.

Roll 1d6+4 for your maximum Strain. Strain starts at zero.

Hideout
Choose one or more to describe
your crew hideout:

Somewhere crowded or busy:

+1 Max REP -1 Max STRAIN
Secluded, secure, hidden: -1
Max REP +1 Max STRAIN
Full of scrap or resources: +1
Max CASH -1 Max STRAIN
Abandoned and decrepit: -1
Max CASH + 1 Max STRAIN
Expensive and upmarket: +1 Max CASH -1 Max REP
Cornerstone of community: +1 Max REP -1 Max CASH

Draw your hideout on the community map.

Hideout Contents
For every three max Cash your crew has, it gets one room or piece of
equipment for their hideout. Hideout equipment can't be taken with you on
mission, except if it is stored in a vehicle, which counts as a room.

Hideout equipment does not reset at the start of downtime.

Mark your rooms as connected spaces on the community map.

More rooms and hideout equipment can be gained both during play as well as
each time the crew's max Cash reaches a multiple of three for the first time.
Crew Contacts
For every three max Rep your crew has, create a solid contact or make an
existing contact solid.

When creating your crew you may put your solid contacts anywhere you like on
the community map.

You can mark more contacts as Solid both by getting on their good side during
play as well as each time the crew's max Rep reaches a multiple of three for
the first time.
Corporate Turmoil
For every three max Strain your crew has, one Corp gains a point of Turmoil
from the crew.
Characters
Each of you besides the GM gets one character to play at a time. Your
characters are punks, castoffs and miscreants in this dirty magical metropolis.
Work out your your character's stats, but also work out who you are in this
world and how you're connected to the other player characters. Work out why
the fuck you’re running against the megaliths of capitalist technocracy instead
of donning a suit like all the other wage slaves. Where did you come from? How
did you end up in this community? What is your role here?

To create your character:

Assign 7 dots among the 12 Actions and

Special Actions with no more than two dots
in any action to begin with.
Pick your Digital Spheres, Mystical Spheres,
and Capabilities.
Describe your Look, Place, and Hard Limits.
 Your Punk Name/Alias:

Mind

Judge ☐☐☐☐ Minor Mind Harm:

(investigate, read, study, assess)

Tinker ☐☐☐☐ Major Mind Harm:

(reshape, reprogram, enhance,
restrain)

Skulk ☐☐☐☐ Hard Limits:

(sneak, spy, pick, stab)

Digital Spheres ☐☐☐☐ Digital Spheres:

Body

Scrap ☐☐☐☐ Minor Body Harm:

(punch, shoot, slash, tackle)

Scramble ☐☐☐☐ Major Body Harm:

(run, jump, climb, swim)

Wreck ☐☐☐☐ Look:

(break, rupture, erode, injure)

Capabilities ☐☐☐☐ Capabilities:

Soul

Sway ☐☐☐☐ Minor Soul Harm:

(move, steer, convince, redirect)

Build ☐☐☐☐ Major Soul Harm:

(construct, grow, mend, forge)

Consort ☐☐☐☐ Place:

(befriend, socialise, listen, carouse)

Mystical Spheres ☐☐☐☐ Mystical Spheres:

Attributes and Actions
There are three attributes each with three actions.

When you create your character, roll 1d6-1 for each attribute and assign that
many dots among it’s actions and special action.

When you perform an action, you roll dice equal to the number of dots you
have in that action.
When you perform an action as a part of digital work or mystical work, or
where one of your capabilities aids you, you roll dice for your dots for the
action plus dice for your dots in the special action.

Mind

Mind is the attribute of intellect, deduction, and memory. It is aligned with the
digital realm and connected to strongly to the clues, marks, and artefacts we
leave in the world as we move through it.

You use your Mind to resist things that are digital, intellectual, or brain related
in nature.

Judge

Judge is the action of gleaning information and understanding. Judging is

investigating, reading, studying, and assessing.

When you are judging, the information is available to you, you just need to
extract it from a book or dataset, a person's face, clues, or a situation.

If you're trying to get answers by asking around, or just taking the time to listen
to a friend you might be Consorting instead. If you're trying to get someone to
spill the beans that might be Sway or maybe it could be Skulk if you're trying to
listen in on a whispered conversation. If the answers are hidden behind a lock
or barrier maybe you just need to Wreck your way through.
Tinker

Tinker is the action of changing the properties of a thing. Tinkering is

reshaping, reprogramming, enhancing, restraining.

When you are tinkering, the thing itself isn't the problem, it's just that it's not
quite fit for purpose, which you can fix.

If you're trying to make a new thing out of something else, you might actually
be Building. You might also building if you're just trying to add new bits to
something or mend something that's broken. If the problematic aspect of the
thing you're tinkering is that it is alive, or exists, or doesn't have big holes in it,
you're likely wrecking instead. If you're trying to make a thing give you
answers, maybe you're just Judging.

Skulk

Skulk is the action of doing things without being noticed. Skulking is sneaking,
spying, stabbing, and picking marks, locks, and pockets.

When you are skulking the most important part is the whether or not anyone
knows you did or are doing it. Taking something out of a pocket, logging into a
system, or putting a knife in a dude aren't hard things to do. They're just hard
things to do discreetly. The trick, as any good magician will tell you, is to pay
more attention to your mark's attention, than they do.

If you're trying spy on someone and you've already got a secure hidden
vantage point, you might just be Judging. If you're trying to backstab someone
who already knows you're there, you're probably actually Scrapping. If you're
trying to go unnoticed in a crowd by being sociable and friendly, rather than an
angsty wallflower, it's possible you're Consorting instead.
Digital Work

Digital Work is the special action used when interfacing with complex
technology.

For each dot you have in Mind, you gain influence over one Digital Sphere.

Digital Spheres

Transport (vehicles, elevators,

hyperlinks)
Weapons (guns, emps, viruses)
Comms (voice calls, email, remote
sensors)
Environment (air conditioning,
lighting, plumbing)
Vaults (databases, locks)
Biosystems (cybernetics, medical
equipment)
Industrial (power tools, generators,
assembly lines)
Self (that’s you, buddy)
Others (any person that isn’t you)
Homunculi (things like people that
aren’t, AIs and shit)

Digital work can take a bunch of forms. Maybe you jack in and navigate through
cyberspace while your body lies unconscious. Maybe you remote control
machines and drones through special apparatus. Maybe you’re just real good
at fiddling wires and buttons or maybe you load disks up into your deck and
sling programs from your terminal.

When you’re doing digital work you can use actions to manipulate anything
mechanical or digital that falls within the spheres you have influence over. You
might use Wreck to make a car engine blow up if you have influence over
Motivators, or if you have influence over Homunculi you might Build a program
or AI to help you with a task.

Body

Body is the attribute of athleticism, muscle memory, and physical sensation. It

is aligned with the physical realm strongly connected to our present
experience of the world around us in the now.

You use your Body to resist outcomes that are related to physical bodies and
action.
Scrap

Scrap is the action of going toe to toe with something with mutual intent to
harm or overcome one another. Scrapping is punching, shooting, slashing,
tackling.

Scrapping is about trying to overcome direct opposition. If you're trying to

shoot or hack or mess someone up and they're putting up a fight, or maybe
you're up in the business, trying to avoid having your own day ruined, then
that's when you're scrapping.

If you're trying to hurt someone or something that isn't putting up a fight,

you're probably just Wrecking. If you're just trying to get the fuck out of the
way of some trouble you might be Scrambling. If you're getting the drop on
someone who would put up a fight if only they weren't surprised, that's likely
to be a Skulk. If you're just trying to tank it out, you're just Resisting
consequences for yourself or others.

Scramble

Scramble is the action of getting from where you are to where you want to be.
Scrambling is running, jumping, climbing, swimming.

Scrambling is about getting somewhere that is hard to get to. When the most
important question is whether or not you get from A to B, that's scrambling.

If you're trying to infiltrate a location where the main problem is getting

noticed, that's like to be Skulk. If you're just gonna go THROUGH the obstacles
that might be Wreck or just Resisting consequences. If you're trying to take
ground being actively defended, that might be Scrapping.

Wreck

Wreck is the action of damaging and destroying things. Wrecking is breaking,

rupturing, eroding, injuring.

The sole focus of Wrecking is destruction. When you Wreck something you
make it not do the thing it does anymore. You make machines stop working,
make walls stop being in your way, and make people stop walking, talking and
breathing.

If you're just trying to change how something works, you might actually be
Tinkering. If you're trying to make it do something new, that's probably
Building. If you're just trying to make it do something different right now, that
could be Swaying. If it's putting up a fight, there's a chance you might be
Scrapping.

Capabilities
Capability is the special action used when using your capabilities as part of an
Action

For each dot you have in Body, you gain one capability. Describe it.
Capabilities

Hypersense (darkvision, sonar, magnetosense etc)

Enviroprocessing (water breathing, dust filtering, radiation neutralisation)
Locomotion (flight, burrowing)
Natural or Embedded Weapons (venomous fangs, laser eyes)
Hyperstasis (trance instead of sleep, heat signature reduction)
Resistance (to poison/shock/cold/hot/corrosive)
Natural or Embedded Armour (scaly skin, metal plating)

Capabilities are anything your body does that doesn’t come on the standard
human model. Maybe it’s cyberware, maybe it’s genetic, maybe it’s magical
alteration. Get creative, think about your capabilities alongside your look and
hard limits.
Soul

Soul is the attribute of intentions, feelings, and social bonds. It is aligned with
the mystical realm and connected to our emotions, hopes, dreams, and
subconscious minds.

You use your Soul to resist things that are mystical, social, or emotional in
nature.

Sway

Swaying is changing something's behaviour, making it move or act in a

different way. Swaying is moving, steering, convincing, and redirecting.

Swaying is all about changing something's course. You don't want to change
what it is, just what it's going to do or where it's going to go.

If you're trying to change what a thing wants, desires, or does at it's very heart
you might be Tinkering. If you're just socialising and making friends, Consort
might be a better action. If you're trying to move something to just be not in
your way, you might actually be Wrecking.

Build

Build is the action of making something new. Building is constructing, growing,

mending, forging.

After a Build you should either have something new or something should do a
thing it didn't do before. It's about creation rather than change.

If you're trying to add functionality to something by changing it, you might

actually be Tinkering. If the thing you're trying to build is a relationship, that
might be Consort. If you're actually putting together information, that's likely
to be Judge.
Consort

Consort is the action of closing the gap between yourself and another person.

Consorting is befriending, socialising, listening, and carousing.

Consorting is all about being social and building relationships with people
without specifically trying to impose your will on anyone. You might have a
specific goal you're trying to achieve but if you're letting it come to you through
your bonds with others, that's Consorting.

If you're trying to ply someone for information, you might actually be trying to
Sway, whereas if you're trying to read them for some insight that might be
Judge. If you're trying to rally a crowd or community to band together that
might be Build or Sway as well.

Mystical Work

Mystical Work is the special action used when interfacing with magic, spirits,
and mystical forces.

For each dot you have in Mystical Work, you gain influence over one Mystical
Sphere.
Mystical Spheres

Earth (stone, soil, glass, concrete, metal)

Air (gas, wind, air pressure)
Fire (flames, electricity, heat, plasma)
Water (ice, fluids, steam)
Flesh (blood, bones, sinew, organs)
Plant (trees, plants, algae, wood)
Rot (bacteria, decay, fungi, refuse)
Thought
Spirits

Mystical work comes in all shapes and sizes. Some folks speak with spirits and
corral them to their will. Others leave their bodies to enter the ethereal plane
and interface with the world of thoughts, auras, and energies directly. Some
simply memorise spells and incantations to manipulate arcane forces, or let
themselves become conduits for magical energies, ready to be unleashed at a
moments notice.

When you’re doing mystical work you can affect anything that falls within your
spheres with your Actions. If you have influence over Water you might Tinker
the rain into razor sharp sleet, or your influence over Rot might let you Consort
with your flesh eating disease to find a mutually beneficial arrangement.
Look
Describe your character’s appearance and demeanour.
Are they three feet tall, or eight? What colour is their skin? Is their hair dark or
light? Kinky, curly, wavy or straight? Are their ears small or large? Pointy or
round? What parts of them are cybernetic, if any? Do they have tusks or fangs
or horns? What colour and shape are their eyes? Are they elegant or clumsy?
Warm or cold? Muscular or lithe? How do they dress? Bright colours and crop
tops and headbands and sneakers? Combat boots and mirrorshades and
armoured jackets? A very fine suit? Flowy bullshit and bird feathers? How gay
are they? Like, super or not very?

What does your character look like in the ethereal where our appearance is
dominated by our emotions, beliefs and desires?

What does your character’s representation in the digital look like, where we
are an amalgam of our words, images, links and brands?

Also what do people call them and what are their pronouns?

Place
What service do you provide in your community?
Create or name an existing contact that you are reliant on or one who is reliant
on you and mark them on your community map. Work out what service they
provide.

Once everyone has placed a contact on the map, either choose one or create a
new one with whom you have a history of some other emotional connection to.
What feelings are invested in them?

Hard Limits
Your character might have one or more hard limits, such as PTSD, a scarred
aura, or a missing limb.

Sometimes your hard limits might reduce the number of dice you roll for an
Action. Sometimes you might not be able to perform a specific action at all
without help.

Don't trivialize your fucking hard limits. They're optional. You can choose to not
have any. Sure you’re bulky and don't like cilantro and don’t know how to swim
but unless those are things that are actually messing with you on the regular
maybe hold off? We want a way to show how disability impacts our characters
as real people in the world, and in doing that it’s important to respect the
experience of those that deal with these issues in our own world.
Culture And Belief
Make note of the cultural backgrounds and belief of your character. How
radical are their politics? How much of the narratives fed to them by corporate
culture do they buy into? What kind of connection do they have to their ethnic
heritage, if any? Do they follow a spiritual tradition? Players and the GM are
equally responsible for painting the world In Which We Live And Breathe
vividly with the colours and textures of diverse ethnicities, genders, abilities,
and cultures. Don't accept boring and offensive tropes and stereotypes, treat
all characters in the game with the basic respect of recognising their complex
humanity.

GM
As the GM it’s your
responsibility to convey the
world In Which We Live And
Breathe with the players. The
world is a grungy cyberpunk
fantasy with dirt in the
corners and acid in the rain,
but it’s also often gonzo as
heck. There are elves and
dwarves and gnomes and
goblins and ogres and
cyberninjas and sentient
battletanks and shamans and
wizards and hackers and
corporate assassins and
ghosts and murderAIs and
dragons. All of this somehow exists in the same place but not without friction
at the edges. Show contrasts between the rich and poor and the shoreline
between where those worlds meet. Litter the world with opportunities for the
players to take some back from those with more. Corps are the bad guys here,
the players are never gonna change the world but they can hurt the corps and
carve out a space for them and their community.
Getting Started
When you first start playing In Which We Live And Breathe, go through
character and crew creation with the other players, asking lots of open leading
questions, getting details and elaborations on the choices they make, and then
drop them into the world. Start with a bit of onomatopoeia
(“bang!”,”thud!”,”hisssss…”) and reveal the tense spot they’re in. Some kind of
situation that demands action. Put something they care about in the way of
danger or put something they want within reach. Ask them questions about it:
“Why are these bikers after you?” “What is supposed to be in this vault?” “Who
is flying this plane?” Use the first session especially to build out the world, find
threats and mysteries to explore later and get an understanding for the
direction the story is heading. Ask so many questions, it’s all about getting the
players to help you build a map and chart a course on it.
Moves
Whenever the players roll less than 6 on an Action roll, you will need to make a
move. Say “let's see here” and then choose a move that makes sense in the
fiction and helps you express the game’s themes if possible. If the players look
at you to know what happens next, you also need to make a move. Making a
move is just saying what happens next in the story, specific moves are just
prompts to manipulate the fiction in a certain way, making things interesting
and moving the story forwards. Try some of these:

Fuck Them Up

Make them roll to not get hurt, physically, digitally, or spiritually, it's all the
same, give them a new Hard Limit, rip their fuckin arm off, kill them. You don't
go up against the corps without taking a few blows.

Advertise

Let them know what's happening soon, or far away, or what will happen if they
do the thing, or what will happen if they don't. Give hints and clues the size of
fuckin billboards.

Twist the Outcome

Make their move work but not quite how they wanted. Maybe it affects way
more than intended, maybe the result is kinda shitty, maybe they get the
wrong target, maybe let them know what the cost is and see if they still want
it.

Escalate

Just make shit worse. Split the party, corner them, have them run out of time,
give them ugly choices, have shit happen off screen like burgling their home or
tailing them or abducting their boyfriend. If there's a Corp that has Turmoil
from the Crew, get them involved.

Smash Their Shit

Take away their gear, cut off communications, blow up the orphanage that
they care about so much, kill the guy they're supposed to protect. One handy
guide here is to look at their gear and see if it's custom or scratch built, those
elements are waiting to malfunction.

You can remember these with the handy acronym: FATES

Rumours
When the players go looking for rumours and trouble, first make sure they
know any current headlines from Behind The Curtain Operations. Then get their
crew type, their contacts and gear, and the game's Corps and Gangs in front of
you and then make a move.

Most of the time that move will be advertise but not all the time, don't let them
get complacent.

If you’re still struggling, hit up the postings at iwwlab.machinespirit.net !

NPCs
If you need an NPC or players want to randomly roll a contact, here’s some
tables we prepared earlier:
Looks
Cyber Eyes Red Hair Denim Jeans
Cyber Arm/s Light Hair Sneakers
Cyber Leg/s Neon Hair Sandals
Missing Arm/s White Hair Plaid Shirt
Missing Leg/s Missing Teeth Button-Up Shirt
Embedded Weapon Scarred Suspenders
Data Jack Mirrorshades Bucket Hat
Pointy Ears Trenchcoat Cargo Pants
Beard Goggles Hawaiian Shirt
Furry Surgical Mask Denim Vest
Scales Crop Top Cowboy Hat
Dermaplated Skin Short Shorts Bowler Hat
Pointy Teeth Thigh Highs Gas Mask
Slit Pupils Leather Boots Collar
No Eye Whites Platform Shoes See-through Jacket
Brown Eyes Shirtless Warpaint
Green Eyes Vest as shirt Transparent Plastic
Blue Eyes Microskirt Visor
Hazel Eyes Popped Collar Baseball Cap
Black Eyes Fingerless Gloves Bandanna
Silver Eyes Camo Pants Light up seams
Red/Orange/Yellow Combat Boots Big Woolen Knits
Eyes Superfluous Belts
Moustache Bangles
Sideburns Wristband
Tusks Gold Chain
Horns Choker
Piercings Long Necklaces
Dark Skin Mohawk
Tan Skin Sidecut
Light Skin Tattoo
Pink Skin Neon Clothing
Curly Hair Heels
Kinky Hair Bright Lipstick
Wavy Hair Dark Lipstick
Straight Hair Colourful Eye Makeup
Bald Dark Eyes
Short Hair Painted Nails
Long Hair Baggy Sweater
Dark Hair Khakis
Quirks
Romance / History with Always Grumpy
a PC Always Cheery
Romance / History with Unbearably Polite
a contact Swears like a Sailor
Family of a PC Very Precise
Family of a contact Very Sloppy
Buddy of a PC Wears only one Colour
Buddy of a contact Excited by Danger
Rival / Enemy of a PC Ex-Punk
Rival / Enemy of a Ex-Military
contact Ex-Corporate
Hired for/by a PC Always Armed
Hired for/by a contact Pacifist
Addicted to drugs Relies on Personal
Addicted to VR Assistant
Addicted to magic
Degenerative Condition
Chronic Condition
Child
Elderly
Ghost
AI
Clone
Well Connected
Weirdly Intuitive
So Loud
Charitable
Homeless
Paranoid
On the run
Powerful Family
Heals Quickly
Takes No Bullshit
Obsessed with Guns
Obsessed with Spirits
Loves to Cook
Loves to Sing and
Dance
Is A Hugger
Teetotal

Names
Punk

Highwire Automatik Aurora

Frantic Frostbite Chaingun
Ballast Vox Myst
Wingding Challenge Bullet
Hook Spike Stardust
Trickshot Pawn Ramble
Cauterize Jumpjet Aqua
Mandible Psyops Wire
Gyro Midnight Spider
Tank Dragon Quake
Marquis Fortune Gryphon
Dynamo Flatpack Heavy
Hex Crypto Aftershock
Warbot Twilight Cavalry
Jazz Nightmare Metro
Tyke Hairpin Nugget
Granada Fountain Greasenipple
Ante Burnout Calibre
Case Whippet Riot
Vox Sprogget Esper
Hindsight Candlewax
Gearbox RNG
Slice Quiet
Rocket Spice
Clocker Jetfuel
Rounder Pyre
Arches Workhorse
Square Whisper
Wiz Crusher
Dynamite Ghost
Silence Claymore
Bright Overclock
Propane Moonlight
Tracks Hyperdrive
Heartbreak Mirage
Crossfire Architect
Midnight Blade
Thunderstruck Ripper
Wisecrack Shredder
Sideline Gonzo
First

Fatimah Amina Isabella

Ted Nora Nat
Junior Moana Odval
Bandile Farrah Olivia
Esperanza Somchai Hugo
Said Leo Ryo
Mareva Ye-jun Wen
Amahle Habib Jakob
Austin Li-Hua Ahmed
Mona Amaira Louis
Aiden Indira Carlos
Haruki Yuna Zoe
Mohammad Gabriel Princess
Joshua Avery Gabriel
Abigail Chih-wei Kora
Ji-hoon Lucas Siddhartha
Chloe Adama Sai
Diya Daniel Omar
Moussa Ji-Woo Emma
Arjun Ali Lars
Odval Bandar
Maria Hiro
Gemima Naranbaatar
Hinano Ari
Diego Dan
Gabrielle Gita
Zack Nadia
Bandile Manaia
Sakura Margret
Milo Charlotte
Pierre Noor
Sara Aroha
Rin Finn
Manual Vihaan
Gita Aya
Kauri Lucas
Violet Juan
Mariam Rawiri
Gamila Emily
Bintou Abdallah
Last

Rollins Beridze Laine

Ibori Sun Palamo
Calder Varga Dupont
Muller Ejiofor Maeda
Anderson Nam Kabbah
Singh Sorensen Nguyen
Khan Levi Daramby
Silva Taylor Law
Smirnov Larsen Shin
Conde Ebekwe Reyes
Okezie Woo Davis
Seck Caruso Okoye
Morris Williams Ivanov
Kedi Abe Green
Winger Gallo Garcia
Jang Dembele Ram
Petrov Kahale Kaya
Ali Ma Aesop
Mwangi Harris Cohen
Huang Saito Sakai
Einarsson Dubois
Mutombo Wang
Kalua Mohamed
Collins Jones
Lim Kama
Aduba Guo
Okafor Matua
Smith Solomon
Berger Mori
Harrak Mahelona
Murphy Olsen
Helgudottir Kamau
Lee Freeman
Kenyatta Patel
Ito Osei
Chan Browning
Latu Naava
Fuller Pauli
Roux Gao
Obi Schulz
What They Do
Shaman Corporate Clerk VR Dealer
Idol Barkeep Burglar
Security Contractor Accountant Train Driver
Cook Athlete Scrapper
Pickpockets Smuggler Pilot
Summoner Impersonator Sex Worker
Monk/Nun Medium Land Lord
Model Tech Support Alchemist
Drone Pilot Fashion Designer Barista
Wage Slave Homemaker Pawn Broker
Animal Handler Estate Agent Baker
Psychic Henchman Den Mother
Grocer Painter Filmmaker
Veterinarian Sniper Social Engineer
Private Investigator Newsreader Chemist
Mesmer Dancer Doctor
Corporate Manager Investigator Vehicle Mechanic
Street Artist Driver Hijacker
Tinker Torturer Reporter
Engineer Gardener Stylist
Oracle Psychologist Skater
Writer Poisoner
Morality Hacker Beggar
Spy Singer
Gun Runner Forger
Teacher Test Subject
Drug Dealer Parent
Saboteur Talkshow Host
Musician Cop
Research Assistant Magical Substance
Botanist Dealer
Drone Hoarder Priest
Magician Soldier
Electrician Programmer
Scientist Con Artist
Waiter Lawyer
Sculptor Drone Rigger
Salesperson Academic
Plumber Assassin
Brainjacker Junkie
Credit
This is a game by Ashton McAllan! You find it and her other games available for
purchase at https://acegiak.net or you can support her ongoing design work at
https://patreon.com/acegiak!

Character art is by Kagato who you can find at

https://twitter.com/kagatoactual !

Thanks to D. Vincent Baker, John Harper, Adam Koebel, Sage LaTorra, Kira
Magrann, Andrew Gillis for designs I have built upon.

Thanks to Emily McAllan, Luke Jordan, Melody Watson, and many many others
for their support and guidance.

This work is based on Blades in

the Dark (found at

http://www.bladesinthedark.com/),
product of One Seven Design, developed
and authored by John Harper, and
licensed for our use under the Creative
Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported
license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/).