Runner's Companion.pdf - Free

Simon Wentworth (order #1132857) 9Luxury (6 LP)You have more room than you know what to do with, andyour comforts rival those of royalty. Only your imagination andthe time to get the ingredients limits your cuisine.Examples: You live in a 750 square meter villa, a mansionwith extensive grounds, or a multi-story penthouse. Your appliancesare kept up to date or bleeding edge, you eat quail eggs andpeacock tongue for breakfast, and you only drink wine that hasaged for more than 50 years, all prepared and served by a smalldomestic army of servants. The water on tap is from melting glacialice you ship in. You shop the fashion shows in Paris and have aprivate account at Zoé.NeighborhoodReal estate wisdom through the ages has held that the utmostvalue is in location, location, location. This is even more truein the sprawls of 2070. From the dangerous barrens to the luxurycorporate enclaves, where a character lives is a primary concern.In game terms, Neighborhood is measured by the security levelof the area. Once a player determines the security level of theirNeighborhood, they can then refer to location books (such asRunner Havens, Corporate Enclaves, or Feral Cities) to pick appropriateneighborhoods.Street – Z-zones/Barrens (0 LP)Your neighborhood isn’t much of a neighborhood at all. Theseare the worst areas possible on Earth, the most dangerous of barrens,the vicious slums of a feral city, the lawless spread of destroyed anduninhabitable tenements or urban blight. Your neighbors are thehomeless and desperate, society’s outcasts, such as chipheads, ghouls,and numerous vermin (metahuman or otherwise). There is no securityhere, beyond what you can provide with your own strength.It’s not all gloom, however—at least you won’t be hassled by police,since even the cops know better than to venture into these areas.Limitations: All other categories are limited to Street level.Examples: Ajegunle Slums (Lagos), Worst areas of KowloonWalled City (Hong Kong), Chicago Downtown/The Zone(UCAS), Worst areas of Redmond Barrens (Seattle)Street (0 LP)The streets—or the sewers, almost uninhabitable condemnedbuildings, rusted-out car frames, or the ever popular underside ofa bridge—are a miserable, dangerous place to live. The down andout you call neighbors consist of other homeless, drug addicts,criminals, transients, and street gangs. There is little to no policepresence. For the most part, the gangs provide security to thosewho can afford it (and prey on the rest).Limitations: You cannot choose higher than Low for Comforts.Examples: San Bernardino (LA), Most of Redmond Barrens(Seattle), Downtown Chi-Town (Chicago)advanced lifestyles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .156Squatter (1 LP)A step up from the lawless chaos of the streets, this neighborhoodhas some (mostly) inhabitable buildings, some shops ormarkets (which probably deal in barter or certified cred only), anda neighborhood watch or larger gang to provide security. Of course,anyone walking the streets had better be armed, but chances areyou won’t be killed just for your shoes. Police presence is minimal,although they will enter the area (heavily armed, of course) if thereare major problems, such as high-profile serial killers. Residentstend to live crammed together in squatted buildings, but at leastthey have a roof and three or four walls. Garbage is collected byscavengers, or it accumulates in the alleys.Limitations: You cannot choose higher than Middle forComforts.Examples: Most of Puyallup Barrens, parts of Everett (Seattle),Pomona (LA), parts of Kowloon Walled City (Hong Kong)Low (2 LP)The Low lifestyle neighborhood actually has some communityto it. Most people live in apartments or multi-family housing andeven pay rent. This is a typical part of the sprawl, with dilapidatedbuildings, petty crime, and little maintenance or public services.There is power and water available, although the utility companiesprobably ration it. The residents are low-paid wage slaves, factoryworkers, day laborers, and the skillwired workforce. The neighborhoodmay have a contract with a police corp, or it may pay a gang orcriminal syndicate for security (response times of 10 - 20 minutes).Either way, you can walk the streets during the day without beingmugged, and a sturdy lock will keep your things safe.Examples: The Verge (Seattle), San Fernando Valley (LA),Snohomish (Seattle)Runner’s Companion