Runner's Companion.pdf - Free

Simon Wentworth (order #1132857) 9his doorstep and occasionally gets hauled in to the police stationby surly officers (who never apologize later).FlashbacksBonus: 5 or 10 BPThe Flashbacks quality causes a character to experience vividmemory-based sensory hallucinations. These flashbacks are alwaystriggered by specific stimuli. For example, a character that was torturedby a corporate interrogator might experience flashbacks ofthe torture whenever she sees the corp’s logo. Any time a characterwith Flashbacks encounters a potential flashback trigger, she mustmake a Willpower + Intuition (3) Test. If the test fails, a flashbackoccurs and incapacitates the character for 1D6 minutes. The charactercannot take any useful action during that time.Players whose characters have the Flashback quality shouldconfer with the gamemaster to devise an appropriate flashbacktrigger before beginning play. The trigger condition can be a particularsight, smell, sound, taste, idea and so on. The conditionshould be something that the character will encounter a few timesduring a game. If the trigger is too common, the character mayend up experiencing flashbacks all the time. If it is too rare, thecharacter may never experience any.For 5 BP, the trigger is relatively uncommon; something thecharacter will encounter once every few weeks.For 10 BP, the trigger is relatively common; something thatwould be encountered at least once per adventure.Hung Out to DryBonus: 10 BPFor a reason chosen by the gamemaster, the character’s contactssuddenly dry up—no one will talk to her. The character can try tofind out what happened, or simply get on with her life. The effectsof this quality are intended to be resolved through role-playing. Ifdesired, the resolution of this quality can even become the subjectof an entire subplot. Such a story line can provide an opportunityfor the character to redeem her reputation among her Contacts orfurther antagonize them until they become Enemies (see p. 132)and the character ends up with a permanent Notoriety.In DebtBonus: 5 to 30 BPThe character is indebted to a third party, usually an underworldsyndicate, large gang or corporation, chosen by the playerwith gamemaster approval. For every 5 BP taken, the characterreceives an extra 5,000¥ at character creation; this money can beabove and beyond the normal 50 BP cap for gear. The characterthen owes her creditor that much plus another 50 percent. Theamount owed increases 10 percent every month, as compound interest.If the character is unable to pay at least the interest amounteach month, the creditor may send someone looking for her.JudasBonus: 10 BPThe opposite of Deep Cover, the character is an infiltratedsleeper agent for an antagonist of the character’s group: she is notwho she thinks she is, and she doesn’t even suspect she is going tobetray everyone around her … until the trigger comes. She acts asshe would normally, and cannot warn her comrades, because hertrue nature and mission are hidden behind a layer of conditioningand personality programming.LiarBonus: 5 BPThis character is known to be a compulsive liar, and soundsinsincere even when he’s telling the truth. Every time a characterwith this quality addresses someone, the gamemaster rolls 1D6.On a result of 1, the person or contact being addressed assumesthat the character is lying. On any other result, the addressee believesthe character. The next time the character meets the personwho “caught him lying” (that is, the person to whom he was talkingwhen he rolled the 1), the person refuses to believe the characteron a result of 1 or 2. The chance of being “caught lying” increasesby 1 for every encounter with this person thereafter. Once thecharacter gets “caught lying” three times by the same individual,the character gains a point of permanent Notoriety. If the personin question is a contact, his Loyalty rating decreases by 1. If Loyaltywas already at 1, the character loses that contact permanently.new qualities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .IlliterateBonus: 10 BPDespite the omnipresence of iconography, voice recognitionand talking AROs in communications, the written word is still auseful tool for conveying nuanced and detailed information. Whilemany people in the Sixth World are barely literate, an Illiterate characternever learned to read at all (maybe she grew up on the streets, orin an isolated rural or wilderness setting). These characters must relyon other characters or technology to translate written informationfor them. Illiterate characters can use commlink software in conjunctionwith built-in scanners or cameras to translate written words tosound. They can also learn to use computer programs that rely onicons rather than written commands and instructions; however, suchcharacters receive a –4 dice pool modifier to all computer-relatedtests and cannot have a Computer Skill higher than 1.Finally, Illiterate characters may not take any Academic,Professional, or Interest Knowledge skills that require reading,either during character creation or in play (until the quality isbought off with Karma).Runner’s CompanionLost Loved OneBonus: 5 BPThe character is obsessed with the unexplained disappearanceof someone near and dear. The person (defined when thequality is taken) vanished in mysterious circumstances and hasn’tbeen seen or heard of since. The character with this quality feelscompelled to find the missing person at any cost. She must succeedin a Willpower + Logic Test (2) to resist following any leadthe gamemaster may wish to throw in her direction (be it a solidlead or a red herring). The effects of this quality are intended tobe resolved through roleplaying. If desired, the resolution of thisquality can even become the subject of an entire subplot.Mental HandicapBonus: 10 per level (max 3 levels)The individual suffers from one of several forms of mentalhandicap—natural or induced. This can be a result of brain injury,genetic mental retardation, or any of several genetic anomalies.The character suffers a –1 dice pool modifier to any Tests involvingLogic and Willpower per level of this quality.105