Brains – 1D3+2 - Vila do RPG

the unofficialroleplaying gameDesigned and WrittenbyJONATHAN HICKSReleased through1

introductionBlade Runner is, without doubt, one of the iconic movies of the 20 th Century.Thought a miserable failure on its original release in 1982, the movie went onto be restructured into the Final Cut, the definitive vision of this landmark film.This Unofficial Roleplaying Game is assuming two things:1. That you, the player, is fully aware of what the Blade Runneruniverse is all about and that you have not only seen the film butunderstand the underlying themes as well as appreciate the imagery.2. That you have played roleplaying games before and aretherefore fully capable of running a game with little to no advice orinstruction.This game is also going to not only take it primary cues from the movie butfrom other source material, such as the original Philip K Dick novel ‘DoAndroids Dream Of Electric Sheep’, the K W Jeter novels and the 1997computer RPG. It will also take some liberties – some of the references anditem abilities are vague and somewhat debated, so I have translated them intosimple open-ended game terms for ease of use. Feel free to adapt or changeas you see fit.welcome to the future you did not want‘Early in the 21st Century, THE TYRELL CORPORATION advancedrobot evolution into the NEXUS phase - a being virtually identical to ahuman - known as a Replicant.The NEXUS 6 Replicants were superior in strength and agility, and atleast equal in intelligence, to the genetic engineers who created them.Replicants were used Off-World as slave labour, in the hazardousexploration and colonization of other planets.After a bloody mutiny by a NEXUS 6 combat team in an Off-Worldcolony, Replicants were declared illegal on earth - under penalty ofdeath.Special police squads - BLADE RUNNER UNITS - had orders to shoot tokill, upon detection, any trespassing ReplicantThis was not called execution.It was called retirement.’World War Terminus has been and gone. Planet Earth is irradiated,ecologically exhausted and dying a slow, painful death. The U.N. isencouraging emigration to the Off-World Colonies, and so the remnants ofhumanity have clustered together in the huge cities that dot the planet, citiesfilled with architectural nightmares and decay, surrounded by post-wardevastation.Animals are all but extinct, food is a mix of soya and off-world lichen andmoss and the vast, shadow-ridden metropolis is more than half empty – the2

lure of the Off-World Colonies is too much for some. Evenings are a neon-lit,rain-soaked vision of bleakness and the daytime consists of a smog-shroudedsun, the light of which barely touches street level.This is any capital city of the future.This is the world of the Blade Runners.the rulesAll characters are represented by two things – their STRENGTH and theirSKILLS.STRENGTH is a single score that decides how much physical damage, aperson can take. This is decided by rolling 1D3 and adding 2 to the result, toget a number between 3 and 5. If this score ever reaches zero, the characteris unconscious. If it ever goes below zero, the character is dead.STRENGTH = 1D3+2SKILLS are divided into six groups. The Player isgiven the numbers 1 through to 6 to put in eachskill group – this means that he can have a skilllevel of 1 in one group, 2 in another, 3 in anotherand so on up to 6.This number is what the player has to roll or lesson 1D6 to succeed in an action. So remember:during character creation, the higher the numberin the skill group the better the PC is at thoseskills!For example, Player Ais creating a PrivateInvestigator character,so he puts a 1 inSciences, 2 inTechnical, 3 in Combat,4 in Agility, 5 inVehicles and 6 inHumanity.3

The Skills Golden Rule is:Rolls of natural 6 are always a failure,rolls of natural 1 are always a success.Each skill group, from Agility through to Vehicles, covers abilities that areunique to that group. This means that if the character has an Agility score of4, then any action that required a physical action would have a skill level of 4.Agility would cover all actions such as climbing a rock face to leaping a gorge.So, instead of reading down a long list of individual skills, the player wouldsimply choose the skill group the action they wish to perform is most likelycovered by and they roll against that group’s skill level.For example, Player A has askill level of 4 in Agility andwants to jump the gapbetween two buildings. Thismeans the player must roll a1,2,3 or 4 on a single six-sideddie to succeed. Any othernumber rolled is a failure.So, for jumping onto a moving vehicle,the player rolls against their Agility skilllevel. For shooting at someone with apistol, they roll against their Combatskill level. To con an NPC out of theirmoney they roll against their Humanityskill level.All skill rolls are made this way, with the exception of Opposed Rolls andcertain types of combat. See the skill group descriptions below to get a betteridea of where skills should be placed.Agility - This skill allows the character to do all kinds of non-combat physicalactions, such as climbing, swimming, jumping or lifting.Combat – The ability to use fists, blades and firearms.For hand-to-hand or hand-held weapon combat, use the ‘Opposing Rolls’system, by players rolling a D6 and adding their Combat skill level to the roll.Whoever rolls the highest number wins the round and the loser takesdamage.For missile weapons and pistols, such as thrown items and laser pistols, rollagainst the Combat skill level as you would for a normal skill roll.Humanity – Use this skill when you need to command, charm, bargain,persuade or even seduce another character (note that this skill cannot beused on PCs).This skill works in a slightly different way to normal skills. If you’re trying to dosomething honest, like convince someone that they must do the right thing orbe honestly pleasant to someone then you must roll less than your Humanityskill level. If you intend to do something dishonest, such as lie aboutsomething, cheat someone or con them out of their money, then you have toroll more than your Humanity skill level. This reflects the fact the lower yourhumanity, the more willing and able you are to do immoral things.4

Sciences – This skill gives the character the ability to do work of a delicateor skilled nature, such as sciences, surgery. It also gives them knowledge ofother sciences, such as genetics, geology and physics.Technical - This enables the character to repair and modify vehicle engines,computers, automatons and all kinds of machines. Anything that has wires,moving parts or microchips can be used or repaired with this skill.Vehicles – This skill allows the character to do all the things that arenecessary to get by in a vehicle, be it a motorbike, a ground car or a flyingspinner.So, to succeed in a roll a player must roll 1 six-sided die. If the number rolledequals the skill number or lower then the roll is a success. If they roll higherthan the number, then it is a failure.The GM can change the character’sskill level if they feel that the actionthey wish to perform is more difficult,or even easier, than normal. Theycan lower the skill level to simulate aharder action, or raise it for easierones.DifficultyChange Skill Level By:Very easy +3Easy +2Normal 0Hard -1Very Hard -2Extremely Hard -3ACTION ROUNDSThe time it takes to perform a skill is up the GM, but in general each actiontakes one round to perform. A single action round lasts for five seconds.OPPOSING ROLLSIf for any reason two characters ‘face off’, pitting either wits or physical skillsagainst one another, then do the following; each player rolls the D6 and addstheir applicable skill level to the result. Whoever rolls the highest wins theface-off. If the rolls are tied then roll again until someone wins.For hand to hand or weapon combat (not missile or thrown weapons), usethe Opposing Rolls system, with each player rolling a D6 and adding his orher Combat skill level to the roll. Whoever rolls the highest number wins theround and the loser takes damage. If the rolls are tied, they have parried eachother in that round, no damage has been taken on either side and they mustroll again.IMPORTANT!Ignore the ‘ones are always a success,sixes are always a failure’ rule for opposed rolls.5

DAMAGE and HEALINGIf a character ‘takes damage’, then this means they are reducing theirSTRENGTH score by the amount of damage they have taken. For every 1point of damage taken, the character reduces their STRENGTH by 1 point. Ifthe STRENGTH score ever reaches zero, the character is unconscious. If itever goes below zero, the character is dead.If a PC wants to heal naturally, they’ll get 1 STRENGTH point back per 24hours of rest. If they use a basic medical unit, such as a portable medical kitor a medical station found on board most starships, they get back 1 pointevery six hours. If they use a fully equipped surgery or hospital, they get back1 point per hour. To benefit from medical facilities, the attending character hasto make a successful SCIENCES roll.The table below lists the common causes of damage. The ‘damage’ numberis the amount of points that have to be taken from the STRENGTH score.Damage SourceDamageHand to Hand 1(punch, kick, headbutt)Knife, dagger, club 2Pistol 3Rifle 4Falling – 1 damage point for every 2 metresfallen.Suffocating – 1 damage point for every 2rounds the character is deprived of air(drowning, choking etc)Collision – 1 damage point for every 5kilometres an hour an object is moving.6

lade runners‘You know the score pal. If you're not cop, you're little people.’BryantBlade Runners are bounty hunters with all the powers of a police detective.Their purpose is to hunt and retire Replicants, androids illegally present onEarth.Blade Runners answer to the local police force, and cannot operate outsidethe law although they will go to great lengths and bend that law to get theirtarget. As most police departments want the Replicants, or to use thederogatory term ‘skin jobs’, off the streets they do tend to turn a blind eyeevery now and then.However, there are limits. Unnecessary violence, injured civilians, collateraldamage are all punishable offences as the powers that be want Replicantstaken care of quietly and out of sight of the general populace.To retire a human by mistake means badge and gun revoked and numerousinternal investigations.The .45 PKD Detective SpecialThe standard firearm of a Blade Runner. Asix-shooter by nature, this pistol has a lowerbarrel that accelerates bullets at a highervelocity by pulling the second trigger, anextremely handy feature that helps take downthe stronger Replicants. This can only beused twice and then needs recharging – ared indicator light on the side shows howmany uses the accelerator has – and triplesthe damage of a standard round (from 3 to 9). Once the accelerator isexhausted it needs to be plugged into a recharge unit, and to get it back to fullcharge takes an hour.The Voight-Kampff Machine‘Reaction time is a factor in this, so please pay attention. Now, answeras quickly as you can.’HoldenThis polygraph-like machine is usedto detect Replicants as it measuresemotional and physical responses tointentionally provocative crossreferencedquestioning. Replicantsare considered to have a loweremotional range than humans andso this machine measures8

espiration, heart rate, capillary dilation and fluctuation of the pupil duringquestioning. Any irregularities could indicate the subject being questioned is aReplicant.Questions include:It’s your birthday. Someone gives you a calfskin wallet. How do you react?You’ve got a little boy. He shows you his butterfly collection plus the killingjar. What do you do?You’re watching television. Suddenly you realize there’s a wasp crawling onyour arm.You’re in a desert walking along in the sand when all of the sudden you lookdown, and you see a tortoise, it’s crawling toward you. You reach down, youflip the tortoise over on its back. The tortoise lays on its back, its belly bakingin the hot sun, beating its legs trying to turn itself over, but it can’t, not withoutyour help. But you’re not helping. Why is that?Describe in single words, only the good things that come into your mind.About your mother.replicants‘I've seen things you people wouldn't believe. Attack ships on fire offthe shoulder of Orion. I watched C-beams glitter in the darkness atTannhäuser Gate. All those… moments will be lost in time… like… tearsin rain. Time to die.’Roy BattyGenetically engineered as labour, the workers and fighters who areexpanding man’s influence across the stars and taking those first, often fatalsteps onto new worlds, Replicants are not considered by many to be human.In fact, they are not even considered sentient beings. They are things, tools,machines created to serve us, their masters.Some Replicants, however, don’t see it that way. They see themselves asoppressed purpose-built humans who did not ask to be born into a world of9

service and harsh treatment. They do not want to be slaves anymore, and sothey have run to the one world where they might lose themselves, in placethat everyone is abandoning – Earth.Replicants are faster and stronger than humans. They were designed thatway to help them get through the rigours and hardships that frontier life throwsat them. Therefore, all Replicants have a +2 to Strength and a +1 to Agility. Inall other respects they are exactly like their human counterparts.Replicants and the Voight-Kampff Machine‘Let me tell you about my mother...’LeonOne thing that can detect a Replicant is the Voight-Kampff machine, asdetailed in the ‘Blade Runners’ section. After ten questions the Replicantbeing questioned has to make a Humanity skill roll.If they fail, then the Blade Runner administering the test detects they are aReplicant and will take the necessary action.If they pass, then they continue the test and are asked another ten questions.Again, if they pass the test then they may have to continue.After twenty questions, and of the Replicant has passed the skill roll, theBlade Runner asking the questions then rolls against their Humanity – if theyfail, then they have failed to detect the Replicant and the test is over – theReplicant has escaped detection.If the Blade Runner passes the Humanity roll, then they ask another tenquestions. If the Replicant passes their next Humanity roll after this final ten,then they have passed the Voight-Kampff test and escaped detection.Because Replicants are creations and, in some ways, are emotionallyimmature they may act irrationally upon being detected and pursued. Thismakes them unpredictable and possibly dangerous.Once detected and confronted, roll 1D6 on the following table to see how theReplicant reacts.ROLLREACTION1 Falls catatonic – curls into a ball and refuses to move or speak.2 Accepts fate – stands still and awaits retirement.3 Tries to talk their way out - attempts to convince that they really are human.4 Panics - pleads for their life and weeps, begging on their knees.5 Runs – the Replicant tries to escape the city by any means.6 Fights – the Replicant attacks, using whatever weapons are handy.10

other professionsStreet CopArmed with a cattle prod and a .45 automatic pistol, Street Cops patrol thelower levels of the cities, always on the look out for trouble. They’re not belowprivate security work to make the bills, and they’re also not below the odd fewhundred dollars to look the other way.Private InvestigatorWith a Saturday Night Special in one pocket and a hipflask of tequila in theother, a P.I. is the person you go to when the authorities can’t help. Cheatingspouse? Lost child? Stolen family heirlooms? They’ll look into it for you for adaily rate and expenses.Company/Government AgentThey do the dirty work of their highly paid bosses. Don’t let the suit and thesmile fool you - the thudgun in the ankle holster and the knife in the sheath atthe small of the back tell you all need to know.BodyguardThe city is a dangerous place and Replicants are illegal, so the rich turn tothe human muscle for help. From escorting dignitaries to babysitting thechildren of the wealthy, this job pays very, very well.Spinner CourierUsually the domain of the authorities, the sky has been opened up to otherforms of trade, especially the spinner courier. Blasting through theskyscrapers at 200 kph, the couriers know the upper levels like the backs oftheir hands.11

miscellaneousMoneyAll money is in the chosen currency of wherever you choose to set thisgame, but it is referred to as dollars, yen or off-world credits. As far as pricesare concerned, refer to modern-day pricing structures for ease of use.The ESPER machineThese voice-controlled machines takea 3-D photograph and allow the viewerto not only view highly detailed imagesclose up but also see behind theimages. Extremely handy duringinvestigations and using securityfootage as possible leads.Other WeaponsMost other weapons in the Blade Runner universe are exactly the same ascurrent weapons. This includes assault weapons and pistols, but there aresome standout weapons.COP .357 4-shot: A high-calibre weaponused by someone who definitely wants theirtarget dead. With a damage level of 3 perbullet, this 4-barrelled weapon is small,compact and lethal as all four bullets can befired simultaneously if required, quadrupling damage on a successful hit.The .38 Thudgun: A weapon designed for selfdefence,the .38 Thudgun is the chosen weapon ofundercover agents and businessmen. Damage level is3.adventure hooksHere are a few ideas on stories to run in your Blade Runner game. Whateverthe PCs choose to play, there are adventure ideas here that they can getinvolved in.The HuntA general chase-the-Replicant adventure. One or more Replicants havelanded on Earth and the PCs must track them down and retire them, or atleast inform the authorities so that they can be retired. As the Replicants havehidden themselves away in human society, the idea of the game is to followclues, possibly use the Voight-Kampff machine, and then confront theReplicants. How will the PCs react to how the Replicants react to being found12

out? Could they shoot a machine begging for it’s life, or whilst it lies curled upon the floor, totally defenceless?The RailroadFully human Replicant sympathisers are helping escapees get out of the city,hiding them away until they can be smuggled out. Once they discover this, dothe PCs stop them? Hinder them? Or ignore them?The FakeNot all the people trying to stay out of the sight of the authorities areReplicants, but how can you tell who is real and who is not? If a Blade Runnermade the mistake of retiring a human, even of that human was masqueradingas a Replicant for their own ends – perhaps they were doing it for rich kidlaughs or a party - what lengths would they go to cover it up to save their ownhide? How would a Replicant react to a human who acts like them?The VengeanceSometimes even the people on the right side of the law are pushed too far –how would the PCs handle a Blade Runner gone rogue? A Blade Runner whowould do anything to retire Replicants because of a pain they suffered at theirhands? Who would they go through the get their target, and who would theymake suffer to achieve their vengeance?The PassionLike all living things, Replicants want to live. If only they could show thehumans hunting them that they feel emotions the same way they do. Whatlengths would they go to convince humans of their humanity? Would theybefriend them? Seduce them? Love them?running a blade runner gameAt its core, Blade Runner is not just about running through the streets of adecaying neon nightmare and retiring artificial humans. Blade Runner andPhilip K Dick’s novel ‘Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep?’ bothconcentrate on the premise what does it mean to be human?These questions can be asked whilst playing this game. If something thatlooked like, acted like, smelled like and talked like a human being begged youfor it’s life on it’s knees, weeping and whimpering and pressing its handstogether in prayer, could you retire it? Could you pull the trigger of your PKDand end that life? Because that’s what it is, after all – a life.Because you’re an artificial construct, are you alive? Are you a real human?Most Replicants have no memories but they have an instinct to be free and tosurvive. Yes, they can be dangerous, but wouldn’t a human be if they felt theirlives were threatened? But look at the Nexus-6; they have memories, lives.But the lives they have lead are artificial, implanted memories from other13

people. But if memories and experiences make a person, then surely they, bydefinition, are people?What makes a human being?The Blade Runner game can be run like any other roleplaying game – gethold of a map of your nearest capital or major city and you have a huge areato play in. The PCs can investigate, get involved in corporate dealings andproblems, do jobs for shady characters and basically get into the scrapes ageneral RPG character gets into. There’s no problem with that and this gamesupports those kind of playing groups.But the world of Blade Runner can be so much more if you want it to be. Notjust because of the central theme what makes a human being, but alsodozens of other moral dilemmas. What are the ethics of human cloning? Themoral implications of genetic engineering? Do you agree with euthanasia?Where do you draw the line on human testing for new pharmaceuticals? Dothe less fortunate have the same rights as those in power? Does power trulycorrupt?But most of all, ask that same question whilst you’re getting into fire fights,chasing down your quarry or avoiding your pursuers - what does it mean to behuman?14

character sheetPlayer Name: ____________________Character Name: ____________________Age: _________ Height: _________ Weight: ___________Career: ____________________Description:_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________STRENGTH: ______Equipment:AgilityCombatHumanitySciencesTechnicalVehicles__________________________________________LOG:15

The SKETCH system is owned by FARSIGHT GAMESWWW.FARSIGHTGAMES.COMDISCLAIMERThis is a fan-made creative exercise and has not been created for profit.Therefore the Blade Runner Partnership or any other company that owns theBlade Runner license, trademark or copyright does not endorse it. The gameis intended for entertainment purposes only.The Official Blade Runner site can be found atwww.bladerunnerthemovie.warnerbros.com.Blade Runner, the Blade Runner logo, all names and pictures of BladeRunner characters, vehicles and any other Blade Runner related items areregistered trademarks and/or copyrights of their respective trademark andcopyright holders.16