Written by

Gary Askham

Cover Art & Maps

Alex Farebrother-Naylor

Internal Art
João de Souza Antunes Jr.

Logo Design & Layout

Gary Askham
Rachael Mitas

Special Thanks
Ridley Scott
Ash Baxter
Rachael Mitas, John Condon, Davide Delli Gatti.

AI Use Disclaimer
This game contains no AI-generated Art.
Grammarly and Word Hippo were used to aid in writing the text.

Play testers
Adem Ay
Alex Moore
Alex Talossa
Aodhan Gleave
Ash Baxter
Ed Ingold
Hannah Jones
Henry South
iella Attard
Joe Hughes
Luca Ferrari
Melanie Crisfield
Rachael Mitas
Raphaël Poisson
Saul Catlin
Shanna Preston
Tom Midgley
 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 licence
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/).

Dark All Day is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to actual persons, living, dead or
undead, or actual events is coincidental.

However, any similarities to the movies, tv shows, music and video games of the
1980’s is completely intentional.

Vers 1.0

http://darkalldayrpg.com
 CONTENTS

01 02 03 04
CHARACTER
INTRODUCTION CORE RULES CREATION DOWNTIME

An overview of the All the rules you need Pages of options Outlaws in The Sprawl
game rules and what to play the game, from for creating your sometimes need to
to expect as both a making Action Rolls perfect outlaw, from relax. Here you’ll find
player and the GM. to using Fortune. This Mercenaries to the rules for Downtime,
This section also section also includes Hackers. Plus all the the period in the game
includes influences and combat and vehicle gear and cybernetics between missions
touchstones for Dark rules. you’re going to need in where the characters
All Day. The Sprawl. regroup, heal their
injuries and work on
long-term projects.

PAGE 6 PAGE 14 PAGE 42 PAGE 92

4
DARK ALL DAY
 05 06 07 08
PLAYING RUNNING
THE GAME THE GAME THE SPRAWL APPENDIX

A guide for players to A dedicated section The Sprawl is a large Pages of the most
help them to navigate for Gamemasters, with place with many commonly used
the game, with pointers techniques for how to locations, factions and tables, a copy of a
on how to use the run Dark All Day. This NPCs. Here you’ll find blank Persona Sheet,
various skills. section also includes a directory of the world a blank Crew Sheet,
a starter adventure, that the game is played maps of The Sprawl
“Ultimate Fighting within. and the stats for the
Chicanery”. most commonly
encountered NPCs.

PAGE 102 PAGE 118 PAGE 138 PAGE 160

5
DARK ALL DAY
 01 INTRODUCTION

“It’s 2019, kid. Settle in and make yourself at home.

Welcome to the future!”

The year is 2019. A generation ago, the human In the Santa Carla Sprawl, the urban megacity
race was teetering on the edge of radioactive of gigafactories and high-rise tower blocks,
oblivion. A computer-created nuclear war society has somehow returned to something that
threatened to put an end to our species as entire resembles a civilisation. All citizens are chipped at
nations were wiped from the surface of the planet. birth so they can be monitored by the authorities
At the eleventh hour, the ruling powers that - minuscule subdermal tracking microprocessors
remained succeeded in pulling the plug. scrutinise everyone’s daily lives and dictate where
The continents of Europe and Asia are an they live and work - and how and where they
irradiated no man’s land. Africa is an uninhab- travel. Entertainment is highly regulated as the
itable wilderness. Most of North America is a corporations own the airwaves and the networks,
barren wasteland. But somehow, against the leading to only registered artists being permitted
odds, enclaves or humanity persist, crowded into to perform. This has created an underground
fortified megacities. The skies are now perpetually scene where playing an illegal gig or broad-
dark from the radioactive fallout, and the survivors casting a pirate news programme is a form of
below are forced to take anti-radiation meds to revolution!
avoid becoming ill… or worse. You either fall through the cracks in the colossal
The rich and powerful managed to escape the megalopolis or learn to game the system. In a
planet by travelling to Martian space resorts, population of millions, it is possible to get lost
where they continue to manage their business amongst the white noise, but sometimes, you can
ventures from above and ensure their domination also claw your way to the top.
continues.

6
DARK ALL DAY
The Players and means. The players’ core responsibility is to
Each player portrays one of these survivors, a engage with the game’s premise, seeking exciting
member of a crew looking to better themselves opportunities in the Santa Carla Sprawl - taking
through daring escapades. With the oversight of significant risks against powerful foes and sending
the game master (GM), they decide as a group their characters into danger.
on the tone and style of the game, from neon-lit The players take responsibility as co-authors
space opera to grim monster-fighting horror. of their story and with the help of the GM, they
Each player should aspire to bring their make judgement calls about the mechanics
character to life as an authentic, layered individual of the game, when to make dice rolls and the
who strives boldly beyond their current situation consequences of their actions.

7
DARK ALL DAY
THE GAME The Gamemaster (GM)
Dark All Day tells of the exploits of a fearless The GM establishes the dynamic world around
band of outlaws fighting for survival in the the characters, the denizens of the Santa Carla
oppressive, tech-filled, megacity sprawl of the Sprawl, the rival gangs and the corporations that
early 21st Century. rule over all of it. The GM plays all the non-player
Can our crew thrive against rival gangs of characters in the world by giving each one a
cybernetically enhanced warriors and horrifying motive and an identity.
mutants from the Eastern Badlands? We The GM helps organise the game’s conversation,
encounter powerful corporate syndicates and describing situations, introducing non-player
their militarised security; we venture out from characters (NPCs) and prompting the players to
the Lower Sprawl, where rock bands play to engage their characters into the world. The GM
packed stadiums in an attempt to incite revolution presents exciting opportunities to the players
and each crew member faces their personal and then guides the action, either by following
temptations and vices. the player’s desires or leading them into further
challenges.
The Characters For more about the role of the GM, see Running
The crew will attempt to develop their enterprise the Game on Page 118.
from a ragtag group of renegades and outlaws
into an established underground organisation
Playing A Session
idolised by the city dwellers and feared by the So, what’s it like to play? A Dark All Day session is
corporate elite and their security details. like a TV show episode. There are one or two main
They do this by taking risky jobs, both legal events, plus maybe some side-story elements. A
and illegal, planning their escapades, forging typical play session can last anything from two to
alliances, outsmarting their enemies and trying to six hours, depending on the group’s preferences
stay one step ahead of the corporations. (or a whole weekend if you’re really committed!).
There are several character types or ‘Persona’s’ During a session, the crew are usually provided
to choose from: with a mission to accomplish. There are many
ways this can happen; they can be given a job by
• Mercenaries are trained fighters who solve
an NPC, they can stumble into an opportunity,
problems with either their fists or weapons…
they can create their own operation or another
or both.
method. You can also take part in an adventure
• Outlanders are cunning survivors who grew from one of the official Source Books - a
up on the outskirts of society. pre-written story which includes all the maps, NPC
• Hackers are computer experts who can dis- stats and plot hooks needed to play.
able corporate security networks in the blink The GM steers this decision; maybe before
of an eye. the session begins, they will ask the players if
• Fixers are engineers and mechanics who use they want to play a single-session adventure or
technology and gadgets. something more involved that will span several
• Faces are celebrities, influencers, rockstars sessions. Is there something they would like to
and artists who use their charisma to beguile achieve or investigate?
others. Once play begins, the GM will describe the
opening scene and the players will introduce
• Shadows are detectives and spies who use
their characters. An inciting event will trigger the
intuition and street smarts to infiltrate and
characters to respond and they will take actions,
uncover information.
embark on the mission presented to them and
• Offworlders are tourists looking for life suffer the occasional misfortune (and eventually
experience and adventure or just looking for they will succeed or fail in the mission). Then, the
kicks in the slums of the Santa Carla Sprawl. crew has Downtime, during which they recover,
pursue side projects and indulge their vices. After
The game works best with a mix of Persona’s in Downtime, the players once again look for a new
your crew, but nothing is stopping two players opportunity or create their own goals and pursuits
from choosing the same persona or even having a and we play to find out what happens next.
crew made up of all the same types. It’s up to you. A given game session is typically one mission,

8
DARK ALL DAY
the following Downtime and exploring and Themes, Influences and
discovering new opportunities. As your group
gets more familiar with the game, you can pack
Inspiration
more into a session, even doing two missions in The game setting draws from all kinds of
an evening of play. influences. When you pitch it to prospective
players, maybe mention some of these
touchstones to see if it’s the kind of game they
would like to play.

Before You Start TV:

If you’ve chosen (or been designated) to be Altered Carbon by Laeta Kalogridis.
the GM, read this book once through. You won’t Love, Death and Robots by Tim Miller.
immediately understand everything until you see Humans by Jonathan Brackley and Sam Vincent.
it play and you won’t get all the rules right the first The A-Team by Frank Lupo and Stephen J.
time. That’s fine; the rules will make more sense Cannell.
when you reread them after you play. The system Mr. Robot by Sam Ismail.
of Dark All Day is designed to be learned as an Cowboy Bebop by Christopher Yost.
ongoing process - each time you play, you’ll get
better until everything is second nature. Books:
Dark All Day is inspired by a number of games, The Sprawl Trilogy - Neuromancer (1984), Count
including Blades in the Dark. Dark All Day, Zero (1986) and Mona Lisa Overdrive (1988) by
however, puts more emphasis back on the GM, as William Gibson.
they are responsible for guiding the adventure a Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep (1968) by
little more than in Blades in the Dark. Dark All Day Philip K. Dick.
uses a brand new MIND/BODY/SPIRIT Action Ready Player One (2011) by Ernest Cline.
Rating system based on polyhedral dice and Schismatrix (1985) by Bruce Sterling.
includes a tactical combat system as well as rules
for player-managed inventory. Video Games:
You might be the only person in your game Cyberpunk 2077 by CD Project Red,
group who’s read the book, which is fine. This is Watchdogs by Ubisoft,
often the way when introducing a group to a new Syndicate Wars by Bullfrog Productions.
game, but then it’s on you to convey everything
to the other players. You can send everyone the Films:
link to the Player Kit PDF if players want to look at Bladerunner by Ridley Scott,
it beforehand. Robocop by Paul Verhoeven,
What the other players will need to do, though, The Lawnmower Man by Brett Leonard,
is buy into the idea of the game. Tell them it’s a Hackers by Iain Softly, Strange Days by Kathryn
game about hi-tech outlaws carrying out missions Bigelow,
against the authoritarian megacorps. Mention a The Matrix by The Wachowskis,
few touchstones that they’re familiar with (see the Elysium by Neill Blomkamp.
Themes, Influences and Inspiration list below).
“It’s a sci-fi version of The A-Team with mutants Music:
and rock stars.” If their eyes haven’t lit up yet, Dark All Day, Gunship and Unicorn by Gunship,
maybe this game isn’t going to click with them. Midnight Signals and Radio Galaxy by Starcadian,
That’s fine. You can always play a different game Redline by Lazerhawk,
with that person some other time. You want to Dangerous Days by Perturbator,
have complete buy-in from your players. Trilogy by Carpenter Brut,
A good place to begin is with the Quickstart Endless Summer by The Midnight.
Adventure in this book. It walks the GM and
the players through an engaging mission while
introducing game rules and processes. The last
thing you want is everyone sitting there, excited
to play and then saying, “So... what do you want
to do first?”

9
DARK ALL DAY
 WHAT YOU NEED THREE WAYS TO PLAY
Generally, there are three ways to play Dark All
TO PLAY Day; as a one-shot adventure, as a miniseries or as
• Two or more players. Plus one Game Master. a campaign. The official Mission Packs follow this
The ideal number of players is five (four premise.
players and a GM) but the game can also
work with six or seven.
One-shot
A one-shot is a single session of play - a
• A full set of polyhedral dice as well as an
self-contained mini-adventure that takes up just
additional eight-sided dice.
one evening of play. A typical session consists of
• Printed copies of the Persona sheets, crew maybe 2 or 3 encounters and the players normally
sheets, reference sheets and maps. use pre-generated Level 1 or Level 5 characters.
• Although not a requirement it may be helpful Generally, a Dark All Day One-Shot doesn’t
to print Equipment and Special Ability cards. include any Downtime phase - there is no
The GM may also want NPC cards. levelling up, and the players don’t suffer any
long-term wounds or trauma.
• Keep this book handy for reference.
A One-shot is a great way to introduce
• Some blank paper and index cards for notes new players to the game without requiring a
and sketches. Pencils and markers. substantial amount of commitment from them.
• A handful of miniatures or standees if you Miniseries
want to use them for combat.
A Dark All Day Miniseries consists of several
• Playlist of instrumental synthwave music to linked sessions - a single adventure that generally
set the mood. takes place over a short period of time (a week
• Beverages and snacks are excellent. It’s a to a month in-game) and takes the form of an
social event, after all. assignment or a mystery to solve. A miniseries will
include a dozen or more encounters and usually
ends with a dramatic finale.
Players will most likely create their own Level 1
or Level 5 characters for a Miniseries, although
using a pre-generated character is also possible.
Characters will probably level up two or three
times during the series and Downtime will include
dealing with injuries and long-term trauma.
Once a Miniseries has been completed, it is
possible it can lead into a Campaign.
Campaign
A Dark All Day Campaign is a continuous series
of sessions with no predetermined endpoint.
A campaign will consist of several adventures
that may be linked by a single theme but can
also include possible “side-quests” - adventures
unrelated to the main storyline.
Players will typically make their own characters
and would normally start at Level 1. Any new
characters that join the campaign begin at half the
average level of the group as “Rookies.”
Throughout the campaign, characters will
continuously level up, and Downtime will involve
long-term trauma and injuries (and death).

10
DARK ALL DAY
THE SOCIAL CONTRACT MAKING THE GAME
AND SAFETY TOOLS YOUR OWN
When done well, a roleplaying game should be This book is filled with information about the
emotional, exciting and at times intense. For this fictional world of the Santa Carla Sprawl. There
to happen, some players may sometimes push are warmongering factions, bizarre and curious
the boundaries of what is acceptable. When you NPCs and engaging locations. And if you choose
play a roleplaying game, you enter into a social to, you can ignore them all (although I hope you
contract with the others around the table. You are don’t). The world that you and your players create
telling them you will respect their boundaries and is your own. If you don’t want mutants in your
they should respect yours. game, then there are no mutants. If you want to
Safety tools are essential for ensuring a concentrate more on corporate espionage than
comfortable and enjoyable experience for conflicting gangs, that’s what you should do.
everyone at the table. They can be as simple as You can change the names of NPCs and change
a safe word, which, when spoken, tells the group the names of places. If you want your Sprawl to
that the situation is uncomfortable and that they be based in South Africa, Brazil or Thailand, that’s
should all move on. Another is known as the ‘X’ fine, it sounds pretty cool. The game is yours to do
card, a physical card on the table that can be with it as you will.
touched or pointed towards. A more compre- If you want to set your game in the Badlands, go
hensive approach is the Script Change system to the Badlands. Or, if you want to find out what
(https://briebeau.com/thoughty/script-change/) the space resorts on Mars are like, then set your
that employs commands such as Fast Forward, game on Mars (they sound like good ideas for
Rewind or Pause to influence the tone and tempo future expansions!).
of the game. During your Session Zero (see Page That also goes for the rules. If you don’t want
118), it is recommended that you discuss which to use the combat rules, don’t use them. Make a
safety tools you might want to employ. Force roll to determine the outcome of a fistfight.
Remember, different groups might prefer Roll Precision to see if that shot hit its target. This
different tools or a combination of them to ensure is your game and you know your players.
a safe and enjoyable gaming experience for all Maybe you don’t like how Hacking works in the
participants. game or how rock stars and music are prevalent.
Then don’t use them.
As soon as you and your players start building
your world, it is yours to bring into existence
however you feel fit. After you’ve played the
Quickstart Adventure or one of the Mission Packs
you might veer away into your own adventures.
You might create your own factions, locations
and NPCs. And I bet they will be more incredible
than anything I could come up with. Remember to
have fun!

11
DARK ALL DAY
 THE CORE SYSTEM ROLLING THE DICE
The outcome of most situations in Dark All Day
Collaborative Fiction is determined by making an Action Roll - rolling
When you were younger, did you ever play a a pair of dice, adding any relevant modifiers
game where you and your friends would each and scoring equal to or higher than a Target
take turns to tell a story together until you had Number (TN) set by the GM. One of these dice is
managed to concoct a far-fetched tale that was always an eight-sided dice, known as the Fortune
unique, extraordinary and probably rather silly? Dice. The other is a polyhedral dice, known as
Roleplaying is like that game, except sometimes the Attribute Dice. The type of polyhedral dice
dice may be rolled to resolve uncertain circum- used as the Attribute Dice is determined by your
stances and, hopefully, it’s less silly (but that’s Attribute Rating; the better you are at something,
not a guarantee!). To help direct the flow of the the higher the number of sides on the dice. If you
conversation, there is one player, the GM, who roll equal to or higher than the Target Number
acts like a referee. The other players focus on the (TN), the outcome is positive; you succeed in your
actions of a single character they have created attempt at the action.
with a name, a backstory, skills and abilities. When you roll an 8 on the Fortune Dice, you
The GM presents the situation in which the gain a point of Fortune, a resource you can use to
characters find themselves. The players decide trigger special abilities and also a measure of a
their actions by discussing their characters’ character’s general well-being. When you roll a 1
responses, and the GM describes how their on the Fortune Dice, you suffer a Misfortune.
actions create a new situation. The central dice systems in the game are all
variations of this basic format, apart from combat
The GM tells the group, “You walk down the
when, instead of aiming to roll a Target Number,
steel steps into the neon-lit basement. The
you compare opposing dice results. We’ll get to
music is loud, the bass thumping against your
that in the Combat section.
chest. In front of you, sitting at the bar, is Astra,
Some skills or special items may allow you to
the courier you’ve been looking for. In one
add a modifier to the result and some special
mechanised chrome hand, she holds a glowing
abilities give additional modifiers or also allow
green cocktail.”
you to reroll the Fortune Dice and take the new
Bex is first to speak, “I open my coat and show
number rolled.
her the pistol in my waistband. I motion for her
Outside of combat, there are four types of dice
to follow me.”
rolls that you’ll use most often in the game:
The GM describes what happens next, “Astra
puts down her drink, stands and begins to • Action Roll. When a PC attempts a
follow you… and then makes a run for it!” dangerous or troublesome action, you make
an Action Roll to find out how it goes. Action
Rolls and their effects and consequences
The GM, with the player’s help, chooses how drive most of the game. See Page 14.
the game system is engaged. A combination of
the players decisions, the GM’s direction and the • Resistance Roll. A player can choose to
results of dice rolls change the situation, leading make a Resistance Roll when their character
into a new phase of the conversation - new suffers Harm. See Page 20.
situations, actions, judgments, and rolls - creating • Downtime Roll. When the PCs are at their
an ongoing fiction and building “the story” of leisure after a job, they can safely perform
the game organically from a series of discrete Downtime Activities. You make Downtime
moments. rolls to see how much they get done. See
Although the GM is the guide, no one person is Page 97.
in charge of the story. The story is what happens • Fortune Roll. Sometimes it might be
due to the situation presented by the GM, the suitable for the GM or the Players to make
actions the characters take, the outcomes of the Fortune Rolls to remove decision-making and
mechanics and the consequences that result. The leave things up to chance. See Page 25.
story emerges from the unpredictable collision of
all of these elements. You play to find out what the
story will be.

12
DARK ALL DAY
THE GAME STRUCTURE JUDGEMENT CALLS
Dark All Day is loosely organised into three Roleplaying is a collaborative, expressive activity
different phases of play. By default, the game and not just a strategic endeavour. Because of
is in Free Play - characters talk to each other, this, you often make judgement calls based on the
go places, do things and make rolls as needed. narrative rather than what might be best for your
There are no turns and the GM allows players to character or the group. Dark All Day is designed
carry out actions as they wish. During Free Play, to bring these judgement calls to the forefront
the game is very fluid - you can quickly skim past and make them explicit tools of the game.
several events in a quick montage. When you play, you’ll make several critical
Whenever the player characters come to blows judgement calls. Everyone contributes, but either
with any NPCs, the game shifts into the Combat the players or the GM gets the final say for each:
phase. The rules are more structured and players
take turns to act. When you shift into the combat • Which actions are reasonable as a solution
phase, everyone leans forward and knows it’s time to a problem? Can you Deceive this person?
to focus and get the job done. The camera zooms Must we get out the tools and Engineer this
down into the action: the players aware that this old rusty lock or could it be quietly dealt with
is the most perilous moment of time for their using Precision? The players have the final
characters. say.
The third phase is Downtime - when suitable, the • How tricky is a given action in this circum-
GM will announce that their characters are free stance? How risky is this? Is this Deceive
from immediate danger. During the Downtime Action a minor trifle or a major obstacle? The
phase, the PCs can carry out Downtime Activities, GM has the final say.
such as healing wounds, distributing Experience
• Which Misfortunes are inflicted in a given
or working on a long-term project. See Page 92
circumstance? Does this fall from the roof
for details on Downtime. When all the Downtime
break your leg? Do the Security Guards
Activities are complete, the game returns to Free
merely become suspicious or do they already
Play.
have you trapped? The GM has the final say.
• Does this situation call for a dice roll and
which one? Can your outlaw make an Action
Roll or is it a Fortune Roll? The GM has the
final say.
• Which events in the story match the
experience triggers for character and
crew advancement? Did you express your
character’s beliefs, Roots or Profession? You
tell us. The players have the final say.

Your particular choices will create your unique

form of Dark All Day. You’ll say something about
the world, the characters, science fiction and the
human condition.

What will you say?

There’s only one way to find out.

13
DARK ALL DAY
 02 CORE RULES

“Think you’ve got what it takes?

Roll the dice and see!”

Dark All Day is a narrative game - while you play, Attribute Rating of the Skill you are attempting.
you will spend most of your time either talking or You then add any modifiers you might have in the
listening to others talk. The conversation should specific skill you are rolling for.
be relatively free-flowing as the group advances
the story forward. However, whenever a situation
arises where your character does something
potentially dangerous or challenging, you make
an Action Roll.

ACTION ROLLS
The aim of an Action Roll is to generate a
number based on your character’s capabilities.
Either the GM will ask you to make an Action Roll
or you can ask the GM if the situation requires an
Action Roll. If the result of the roll is equal to or
higher than a Target Number (TN) set by the GM,
you succeed in your task.
To make an Action Roll you always roll a Fortune
Dice which is an eight-sided dice (also known as
a D8), along with an Attribute Dice. The Attribute
Dice is a polyhedral dice that relates to your

14
DARK ALL DAY
The Fortune Dice Action Rolls Overview
Whenever you make an Action Roll and roll • You might Search the DarkNet to discover
an 8 on the Fortune Dice you gain a point of how to operate the device that you found at
Fortune. Whenever you roll a 1 on the Fortune the site of the collapsed building.
Dice, you suffer a Misfortune - a consequence as • You might use Intellect to study the account
determined by the GM. (See Page 17 for more books at the Redline Casino to see who their
details on Fortune). biggest high-roller is.
Critical Success • You might use Engineer to try and repair the
Whenever you make an Action Roll and roll abandoned motorbike you found on the side
an 8 on the Fortune Dice and the maximum of the highway.
number on the Attribute Dice you score a Critical • You might use Hack to disable the security
Success. You gain 2 points of Fortune and earn system outside the Gauntlet’s garage.
an Experience Point (XP) in the Attribute that
• You might use Precision to attempt to
you rolled for (See Page 31 for more details on
pick the lock on the unusual crate, which is
Advancement).
emitting a ticking sound from within.
Attributes • You might use Prowl to sneak past the Delta
You have 3 Attributes you use to determine Guardians patrol.
which dice you roll in addition to the Fortune
• You might use Athletics to jump across the
Dice. The attributes are MIND, BODY and SPIRIT.
rooftop to the neighbouring building.
The more sides on the dice increases your
potential Action Roll score. • You might use Force to break down the door
When you create a level 1 character, you assign to the motel room.
a D4, A D6 and a D8 to each Attribute. As you • You might use Perform to entertain the
gain experience, you will increase the type of dice crowd at Tech Noir.
used.
• You might Command a nightclub doorman
Skills and Modifiers to tell you what he knows about the secret
You use 12 Skills to overcome obstacles. When meetings held in the upstairs private area.
making an Action Roll, you add a modifier when • You might use Intuition to study a gang
carrying out a skill you are particularly adept boss to see if they’re telling the truth.
at. No Natural Skill Modifier can be more than • You might use Deceive to impersonate the
+4, and regardless of any Special Abilities, courier in front of the rival gang boss.
Cybernetics, Gear, Mutations or other bonus, you
See Page 106 For more information about Skills
can never add more than 8 to an Action Roll.
and when to use them.
For each Attribute, there are 4 corresponding
Skills; Rolling as a Group
• The 4 MIND skills are Search, Intellect, There will be times when the crew carries out a
Engineer and Hack. task together. Maybe you are searching a room?
• The 4 BODY skills are Athletics, Precision, Or you’re sneaking past some guards? You are
Prowl and Force. working together, looking out for each other and
being efficient.
• The 4 SPIRIT skills are Perform, Command, To represent this group action, everyone
Intuition and Deceive. taking part in the task rolls the same Action Roll
There are two types of skill modifers; Natural and declares their result. The lowest result is
modifiers and Ancillary modifiers. Natural disregarded, then the highest. This is carried out
modifers are your character’s innate abilities, from again and again until a single result remains.
training, experience or good genetics. Ancillary
modifiers result from cybernetic implants or using
hi-tech equipment. They are kept separate in
case there are ever any game effects (like an EMP
blast!) that disable your cybernetics.

15
DARK ALL DAY
 EXAMPLE ATTRIBUTE RATINGS & SKILLS
On the right side of the Persona Sheet are the Attribute Ratings and Skills for your character.
When you create a level 1 character, you can distribute 7 points to the various skills of your choosing.
These represent your innate talents and abilities and go into the column marked as “Natural”. None
can be higher than +2. You can add to your modifiers further with cybernetic implants and equipment
which are added to the “Ancillary” column. As you gain experience you can increase these your Natural
Modifiers to a maximum of +4. See the Character Creation rules on Page 42 for more details.

This is a level 1 character.

It’s ATR (Action Token Rating) is 3 based on the
+3 modifier it has in Prowl (+2 Natural and +1
Ancillary).
This character rolls a D6 in addition to the
Fortune Dice when making a MIND Action Roll.

They have a +1 Natural Search Modifier, plus

an additional +1 Ancillary Search from having
the Improved Eyesight Mutation (the asterisk is
to notify that this effect is only related to Search
actions that are reliant on eyesight).
Otherwise they have +0 in Intellect, Engineer
and Hack.
They roll a D8 in addition to the Fortune Dice
when making a BODY Action Roll.

They have a +1 modifier in both Athletics and

Precision and a +2 Natural Prowl modifier in
addition to a +1 Ancillary Prowl Modifier (which
is because they have a Counterpoise Cybernetic
implant.
They have a +0 Force Action Roll modifier.

They roll a D4 in addition to the Fortune Dice

when making a SPIRIT Action Roll.

They have no modifier for Perform, Intuition

and Deceive Action Rolls but do have a +2 for
Command Action Rolls.

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DARK ALL DAY
TARGET NUMBER (TN) FORTUNE
Target Numbers represent the difficulty level Fortune is an important resource in Dark All Day.
of the task at hand. The Target Number of a It is a reserve you can use to empower yourself
somewhat trivial task, such as walking across an and teammates in times of need, you can use it to
unstable plank between two buildings, might trigger special abilities and it is also used to resist
have a TN of 6. A trickier task, such as jumping a Harm. Because the game doesn’t use Hit Points or
gap between two buildings, might have a TN of Health, it can also be seen as a representation of a
8. And a difficult task like grabbing a teammate’s character’s general well-being.
hand before they fall to their doom might have a When you begin the game your character
TN of 12. Dark All Day is a game about underdog begins with 5 Fortune and you can’t have more
characters who are in over their heads. It is down than 10 Fortune unless you level up. When you
to the GM to set the Target Numbers at a level run out of Fortune you instead take Harm (see
that makes for exciting gameplay, but it can be Page 19 for details about Harm).
a fine balance. Set the numbers too high, and Because Fortune is a liquid resource that
players may become frustrated; set the numbers constantly changes throughout a game session, it
too low, and the players will feel like they aren’t is a good idea to use counters or tokens to track
being challenged. your current Fortune.
It is down to the GM to decide if they want to This is a list of the most common uses of
reveal what the Target Number is to the players Fortune in the game…
before the dice are rolled. In general, if the task • Push Yourself. Before you make an Action
is something unambiguous, then it is reasonable Roll, you can spend 1 Fortune to roll 2
to let the players know the Target Number in Fortune Dice and pick the highest result.
advance, such as a physical test like knocking
• Aid a Teammate. Before a teammate makes
down a door or jumping a gap. - the players can
an Action Roll, you can spend 1 Fortune and
see how difficult the task at hand is. However,
they roll 2 Fortune Dice and pick the highest
if the task is more vague and unclear then it is
result.
usually better to keep the Target Number a secret.
If a player is searching for something, or maybe • Quick Reflexes. After a player has made an
trying to hack a rival gang’s security system, then Action Roll but before the GM has declared
keeping the TN a secret illustrates that they are the result, you can spend 2 Fortune to allow
unaware of the complexity of the task. them to reroll the Fortune Dice. You must
take the 2nd result.
Joe’s character, Kyro, the Mercenary, needs to • Trigger a Special Ability. Many Special
act fast. The Screaming Fist gang member has Abilities require 1 point of Fortune. Before
a knife at the hostage’s throat. Joe tells the GM you use a Special Ability, mark off 1 Fortune.
that Kyro pulls his Krait D8 heavy pistol and yells (See Persona Special Abilities for more
at the thug to throw down the knife. The GM details).
asks Joe to make a Command Action Roll. The
• Attempt to Resist Harm. When the GM
GM sets the Target Number at 10 but doesn’t
tells you that you have suffered some form
tell the players - this thug is stoney-faced but
of Harm you can attempt to resist the Harm.
knows you don’t bring a knife to a gunfight.
See Page 19 For details about Harm).
Kyro has a D4 Attribute Rating in SPIRIT with a • Add Experience Points (XP). Players can
+2 modifier in Command and he makes his convert Fortune into XP. See Page 31 For
Action Roll. On the Fortune Dice he rolls a 6 more details about Advancement.
and on the SPIRIT Attribute Dice he rolls a 3. When using Push Yourself, Aid a Teammate and
With the additional +2 modifier he scores 11! Quick Reflexes you should roleplay the moment
and describe how your Fortune helps out. You
The GM describes how the Screaming Fists can only use these abilities if your character is
thug throws the knife to the ground, pushes the physically able to carry them out (Eg. You can’t
hostage away and raises his hands in defeat. use Aid a Teammate if your characters are in two
different locations).

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DARK ALL DAY
 sufficient unless the character is engaging in a
MISFORTUNE particularly dangerous activity.
Whenever a player rolls a 1 on the Fortune If you suffer Lesser Harm, record it in the bottom
Dice, they suffer a Misfortune, even if the Action row. If you suffer Moderate Harm, write it in the
Roll is successful. The GM determines the middle row. If you suffer Severe Harm, record it in
consequences, following the fiction and the style the top row. See examples of Harm and the Harm
and tone established by the game group and Tracker on the next Page.
usually comprises either a Complication, a Lost
Opportunity, some form of Harm or a Setback Setback
further down the line. There will be times when there isn’t an obvious
A Misfortune never negates a successful roll. If a Misfortune in the moment. If this is the case,
PC tried to sneak past an enemy guard and met the GM can store the Misfortune for later. They
the TN but rolled a 1 on the Fortune Dice, don’t should keep track of these Setbacks, either by
say that the enemy spotted them. The player’s noting them down or using another tracking
roll succeeded, so the enemy didn’t notice them. system. When a player rolls an 8 on a Fortune
But maybe while sneaking past, the PC notices a Dice the GM can use one of these stored Setback
second guard up ahead. Or maybe they realise chits to make the player reroll the dice.
they’ve accidentally dropped an important item
from their inventory and have to decide if they
should go back for it.
Complication
This Misfortune represents trouble, mounting
danger or a new threat. The GM might introduce
an immediate problem that results from the action
right now: the room catches fire, you’re disarmed,
the crew takes +1 Heat from evidence or
witnesses, you lose status with a faction, the target
evades you and now it’s a chase, reinforcements
arrive, etc.
Or the GM might tick a clock for the complica-
tion, instead. Maybe there’s a clock for the alert
level of the guards at the drug den. Or maybe the
GM creates a clock for the suspicion of the guests
at the album launch party and ticks it. See Page
26 for details about Progress Clocks.
Lost Opportunity
This Misfortune represents shifting circumstanc-
es. You had an opportunity to achieve your goal
with this action, but it slipped away. To try again,
you need a new approach - usually a new form of
action or a change in circumstances. Maybe you
tried to use Precision to grasp the device from the
balcony, but as you reached out, it slipped from
your reach. If you want to retrieve the device now,
you might need to use Athletics to climb to the
device and try again.
Harm
This Misfortune represents a long-lasting
debility. When you suffer harm, record the specific
injury on your character sheet equal to the level of
harm you suffer.
For most situations a Level 1 Harm should be

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DARK ALL DAY
HARM & TRAUMA
Harm
The Sprawl is a dangerous place and there are a number of reasons why your character may succumb
to Harm. The most common cause is as a result of injury in combat, but you can also be harmed as a
result of a failed Action Roll or a Misfortune. You also suffer Harm when you run out of Fortune.
Harm does not always arise as a form of injury, it can also be psychological harm such as exhaustion,
fear or some other unseen distress.
When the GM tells you that you have suffered Harm they will tell you if it is Lesser Harm (Level 1),
Moderate Harm (Level 2), Severe Harm (Level 3) or Fatal Harm (Level 4) and you mark it on the Harm
Tracker in the appropriate box.
If you need to mark a harm level, but the row is already filled, the harm moves to the next row above.
So, if you suffered Moderate Harm (Level 2) but had no empty spaces in the second row, you’d have to
record Severe Harm (Level 3) instead. When a row is filled your character suffers the penalty indicated
at the end of the row. So, if you have filled the bottom row of the Harm Tracker with “Confused”, “Burnt
Arm” and “Sprained Ankle”, you’ll suffer -1 to any Action Rolls until you are healed.
When the top row, Severe Harm (Level 3), becomes filled, your character is incapacitated and can’t do
anything unless you have help from someone else. They also suffer a long term trauma (see Trauma on
Page 21.)

Harm Examples
• Fatal Harm (Level 4): Electrocuted, Drowned, Shot in the Heart.
• Severe Harm (Level 3): Impaled, Broken Leg, Shot in Chest, Badly Burned, Terrified.
• Moderate Harm (Level 2): Exhausted, Deep Cut to Arm, Concussion, Panicked, Seduced.

• Lesser Harm (Level 1): Battered, Drained, Distracted, Scared, Confused.

Harm like “Drained” or “Exhausted” can be a good fallback consequence if there’s nothing else
threatening a PC (like when they spend all night studying those encrypted databases, looking for the
identity of any of the Vale of Shadows membership).

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DARK ALL DAY
 RESISTANCE ROLL HEALING
Outlaws in The Sprawl don’t just accept Harm Taking Harm is not a permanent condition.
when it’s inflicted on them. They are hardier than Medicine and therapeutic technology has come
that, and if they have Fortune to spare, they can a long way and there are a number of ways to
choose to attempt to resist it with a Resistance remove the various forms of Harm from the Harm
Roll to mitigate the effects. Tracker.
Each Attribute resists a different type of danger. Next to each harm box on the Persona Sheet
For example, if you fall from a window, you resist is a 4 Segment Healing Clock. When you use a
physical harm with your BODY Attribute Dice. healing item or trigger a healing ability, you will
If you suffer exhaustion from studying into the be asked to tick a number of segments on the
night, you can attempt to resist it using your MIND Healing Clock. Once all 4 segments are ticked
Attribute Dice. you can remove the Harm. If you have removed
To attempt to resist Harm, you mark off the a Harm and still have any remaining segments
number of Fortune required and the GM makes a to tick, they can roll over to the next Harm of the
Fortune Roll to set a Target Number using a same level, if you have one.
D8. You roll the appropriate Attribute Dice and
attempt to match or beat the GM’s roll.
Special Items
In The Sprawl, there are a number of medical
• Spend 1 Fortune to attempt to resist a
treatments like BioPatch™ and Epiphany™ that
Lesser Harm (Level 1)
can be procured from the black market vendors
• Spend 2 Fortune to attempt to resist a that will heal or lessen the effects of Harm. These
Moderate Harm (Level 2). are one-use items but are immediate and can be
• Spend 3 Fortune to attempt to resist a used during Free Play or even in combat. Check
Severe Harm (Level 3). the individual descriptions in the gear section for
their effects.
• Spend 4 Fortune to attempt to resist a
Fatal Harm (Level 4). Street Drugs
If you match or beat the GM’s Fortune Roll, Some illegal drugs can temporarily mask the
the Harm is reduced to 1 Harm lower. So if you effects of some Harm conditions but have other
manage to resist a Level 3 Harm, “broken leg”, it side effects. Check the individual descriptions in
becomes a Level 2 Harm, “bruised leg”. the gear section for their effects.
Joe’s character, Kyro, is running across the
rooftops from several synths who are members
Seeking out a Chrome Surge
of The Hexed. Kyro leaps from one building to Chrome Surges are semi-legal street doctors
another using Athletics but falls into a pile of who can be found in various back alleys and
scrap metal. The GM tells Joe to record level 3 basements of The Sprawl. During Free Play, you
harm, “Impaled”, on Kyro’s sheet. Joe decides to can use your connections to seek out the services
resist the harm instead and marks off 3 Fortune. of a Chrome Surge. The GM might ask for a
The GM rolls the Fortune Dice to set the TN Search Action Roll and there will likely be a cost.
and gets a 6. Joe also rolls a D8 dice for Silas’s Downtime
BODY Attribute but only gets a 2. Kyro takes the
Healing is a Downtime Action. See Downtime on
Level 3 Harm, “Impaled”.
Page 92 for more details.

You can only attempt to resist Harm as it

happens and not after. And you can only attempt
to resist once.

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TRAUMA DEATH
When a PC uses their last point of Fortune, they There are a couple of ways for a PC to die:
suffer a level of Trauma. When you take Trauma, • If they suffer level 4 Fatal Harm and they
note down the Trauma Condition you think don’t resist it, they die. Sometimes, this is
best suits the situation, such as Cold, Reckless, a choice a player wants to make because
Unstable, etc. They’re all described on the next they feel like it wouldn’t make sense for the
page. character to survive or it seems right for their
When you suffer Trauma, you’re taken out of character to die here.
action. You’re “left for dead” or dropped out of
• If they need to record Harm at level 3 and
the current conflict, only to return, shaken and
it’s already filled, they suffer a catastrophic
drained later. When you return, your Fortune is
consequence, which might mean sudden
reset to 5 and your vice has been satisfied for the
death (depending on the circumstances).
following Downtime (see Vice on Page 99).
Trauma Conditions are permanent. Your When your character dies, you can create a new
character acquires the new personality quirk outlaw to play. Maybe you “promote” one of the
indicated by the condition and can earn XP by NPC gang members to a PC or create a brand
using it to cause trouble. When you mark your new character who joins the crew.
fourth Trauma Condition, your character cannot
continue as a daring outlaw. You must retire
them to a different life or send them to prison
to take the fall for the crew’s Wanted Level. (See
Retirement on Page 31).
Trauma Conditions
• Cold. You’re not moved by emotional
appeals or social bonds.
• Haunted. You’re often lost in reverie, reliving
past horrors, seeing things.
• Obsessed. You’re enthralled by one thing:
an activity, a person, an ideology.
• Paranoid. You imagine danger everywhere;
you can’t trust others.
• Reckless. You have little regard for your own
safety or best interests.
• Docile. You lose your edge; you become
sentimental, passive and gentle.
• Unstable. Your emotional state is volatile.
You can instantly rage, fall into despair, act
impulsively or freeze up.
• Vicious. You seek opportunities to hurt
people, even for no good reason.
You can play your trauma conditions as much
or as little as you like. They can transform
your character’s persona or have only a small
impact - it’s up to you. If you do play them
strongly, though, allowing a trauma condition to
complicate your character’s life, you earn XP for it.
(See Advancement, Page 31.)

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DARK ALL DAY
 During Downtime, you can also purchase an
CREDITS item as one of your Downtime Actions. See Page
In the Santa Carla Sprawl, physical coins and 92 for more details about Downtime. Again, it
paper notes are a thing of the past. Instead, is up to the individual group how much or how
people use virtual exchanges, transferring money little this encounter is roleplayed.
as an encrypted data stream from one account to You can also barter with the seller by swapping
another in the blink of an eye. items from your inventory, but the cost of the item
Slivers are physical encrypted storage devices bought is doubled. You can also combine barter
about the size of a book of matches that contain and purchasing with Credits.
credits that can be later transferred into an
account. They are a common method for quickly Scarcity Value
moving funds in criminal circles. Every purchasable item in the Santa Carla
Bartering is also a common form of exchange, Sprawl has a Scarcity value. This is a number that
especially in the Lower Sprawl, where many represents how difficult it is to attain the item,
people aren’t chipped and don’t have access to due to its illegal status or its rarity. Whenever
virtual banks. you search for an item, you must roll equal to or
It is assumed that the PCs are wealthy enough higher than the Scarcity Value to find it.
that the minor transactions they make in their daily
lives are not tracked. If an outlaw wants to toss a
sliver or two around to achieve a small goal (such
as bribe a doorman), the GM can handwave it.
Spending Credits
When you carry out a successful mission, you will
likely receive payment in credits (¢). You might
also find credits while searching the bodies of
fallen enemies or looting crates and lairs.
But buying items in Dark All Day isn’t just a case
of marking off credits and adding the item to your
inventory. Trade and commerce in The Sprawl is
unpredictable, with unreliable supply chains.
To purchase items during Free Play you need
to make a Search Action Roll and meet or roll
higher than the Scarcity Rating of the item
you are looking for (See Page 68 for a list of
common Inventory items). You can also spend 1
Credit to give yourself a +1 modifier to the roll.
As always, when making an Action Roll you can
also Push Yourself or Assist a Teammate to reroll
the Fortune Dice and take the highest result. If
the item is illegal and you roll a 1 on the Fortune
Dice, the Misfortune is most likely that the Delta
Guardians have noticed the transaction and may
choose to act.
If you want to roleplay the whole shopping
encounter, it is up to the GM and the players and
the type of Dark All Day game you want to play.
Some players find this kind of encounter tiresome,
while others relish all interactions with NPCs,
however minor.
With your GM, you can describe the entire
process. Maybe you found the vendor on the
DarkNet and sent them a private message to meet
at a nearby location.

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DARK ALL DAY
 The game is currently in the Free Play phase and Rickard, the Fixer played by Billie, wants to
purchase a K2 Nanodrone. They make a Search Action Roll and as they really want the item they mark
off a Fortune to Push themselves to reroll the Fortune Dice. They have a D8 for their Mind Attribute
and a +2 modifier to their Search Action Rolls.
The K2 Nanodrone has a scarcity of 11. They roll their Attribute Dice and get a 6. They then roll their
Fortune Dice twice (because they Pushed themselves) and pick the highest result. They roll a 3 and
a 6. The 6 brings their total to 12, more than the 11 needed to locate a supplier, even without the +2
modifier.
The group then roleplays the interaction. Billie describes how Rickard goes around the Ascari
junkyards, asking about the availability of Nanodrones. The GM tells them that Nemo’s Salvage
recently received an older military model that is in good working order. Nemo is the grizzled
proprietor of the salvage yard and agrees to barter the K2 Nanodrone for a Bitva Pistol (2¢) and a
Cobra Assault Rifle (6¢). Normally the drone would be 4¢ but because it is being bartered it is 8¢.

Monetary Values
• 1 credit. Payment for a few days work. A couple of nights in a cheap motel.
• 2 credits. A week’s wages. A basic weapon or deck.
• 4 credits. A weekly income for a small business. A lux weapon or deck. A basic motorcycle. A fine
piece of art. A set of luxury clothes. A basic cybernetic upgrade.
• 8 credits. A month’s wages. A basic automobile. An advanced cybernetic upgrade.
• 12 credits. An exquisite jewel. A vamped motorcycle.
• 16 credits. A good monthly take for a small business. A very rare luxury commodity.
• 24 credits. A vamped sports car, a deed to a small property.

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DARK ALL DAY
 FLASHBACKS Limits of Flashbacks
Like a TV show or a movie, Dark All Day rules A Flashback isn’t time travel. It can’t “undo”
don’t distinguish between actions performed something that just occurred in the present
in the present moment and those performed in moment. For instance, if Commissioner Hollis
the past. When a mission is underway, you can confronts you about recent thefts of Ion Flow
invoke a Flashback to roll for an action in the past batteries when you’re at Piers Volante’s party,
that impacts your current situation. Maybe you you can’t call for a flashback to assassinate the
convinced the district Delta Guardian sergeant to Commissioner the night before. He’s here now,
cancel the patrol tonight, so you make an Deceive questioning you - that’s established in the fiction.
roll to see how that went. You can however call for a flashback to show that
The GM sets the Fortune Cost when you activate you intentionally tipped off the Commissioner so
a flashback action. he would confront you at the party - so you could
use that opportunity to impress Piers Volante with
• 0 Fortune. An ordinary action for which
your aplomb and daring.
you had easy opportunity. The Mercenary
Commanded his friend Bishop to agree to
arrive at the dice game ahead of time, to
suddenly spring out as a surprise ally.
• 1 Fortune. A complex action or unlikely “Okay, as you’re creeping in the shadows of
opportunity. The Outlander uses Prowl to the compound, everywhere is suddenly lit up
sneak into the venue the night before the as the main ceiling lights come on. The big
game. She then uses Precision to place her metal warehouse door rolls open and you hear
pistols in a hiding spot near the card table so a heavy truck coming in through the gate. It
she can retrieve them after the pat-down at looks like they’re getting a delivery right now. A
the front door. bunch of Widow Makers have arrived to receive
• 2 (or more) Fortune. An elaborate action it. They’re about to be on top of you. What do
that involves special opportunities or con- you do?”
tingencies. The Shadow has already used “Hang on, I want to have a Flashback.”
Command on one of the employees and “Okay, for what?”
learned that the location of the safe was in “Uh. Something... helpful? Damn, I don’t know
the foreman’s office on the 2nd floor and the what that would be. Anyone have ideas?”
access code was ‘swordfish’. “Oh, what if you Deceived your docker
After the Fortune cost is paid, a flashback action friends yesterday, and they blabbed about this
is handled just like any other action. Sometimes delivery? We totally knew it was arriving today,
it will entail an Action Roll, because there’s so we rigged it with that EMP bomb we’ve had
some danger or trouble involved. Sometimes a sitting around for weeks and not used.”
flashback will entail a Fortune Roll, because we “Oh man, that’s hilarious. But kind of nuts. I
just need to find out how well it went (or how guess 3 Fortune for that?”
much or how long, etc.). Sometimes, a Flashback “Oof, that’s a lot of Fortune, but makes sense. I
won’t call for a roll at all because you can just pay was really going out on a limb here.”
the Fortune, and it’s accomplished. “Let’s make that Deceive Action Roll and see
In some instances, Flashbacks might lead to if your docker friends made any demands or
combat, so be careful not to change the timeline complicated anything for you. Then we need to
too much (if a player is killed or badly injured find out how well this bomb works. Who was in
during a Flashback, then it will complicate the charge of that?”
continuity of the game). In rare cases, the GM “I am the Fixer so I guess it was me! I’ll
might just state that the Flashback is not allowed. shall roll Engineer to set the timer just right.
Hopefully.”

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DARK ALL DAY
FORTUNE ROLL “I want to have a Flashback to earlier that
night, where I sneak into the parking lot and
The Fortune Roll is a tool the GM can use to cut the battery cables from all the Gauntlet’s
remove responsibility from decision-making. You motorbikes.”
use a Fortune Roll in two different ways: “Ha! Nice. Okay, that seems a bit tricky,
When you need to decide about a situation the these are their prized possessions and all... 2
PCs aren’t directly involved in and don’t want to Fortune.”
simply decide the outcome. “Should I roll Prowl to sneak in?”
When an outcome is uncertain, but no other roll “I think that sounds right. The TN is going to
applies to the situation at hand. be pretty high though!”
Simply put, a Fortune Roll is a D8 Dice roll in
which the GM determines the possible outcome
by stating what numbers are needed on the dice
Sometimes a D8 might not be the best dice to
for different results.
use for a Fortune Roll. Maybe the 6 members of
The Fortune Roll is a good tool to help the GM
the crew are being attacked and you don’t who
manage all the various moving parts of the living
should be hit first. Assign each player a number
city of the Santa Carla Sprawl. Sometimes a quick
and roll a D6 instead!
roll is enough to answer a question or inspire an
idea for what might happen next.

Examples of Fortune Rolls:

• The PCs instigate a war between the Gauntlet and the Lazerhawks, then sit back and watch the
fireworks. How does it turn out? Does either side dominate? Make a few Fortune Rolls to find
out.
• A computer virus, Black Tsunami, is sweeping the DarkNet. How badly is it infected? The GM
makes a Fortune Roll to judge the extent of its contamination.
• Nolan Ocano is putting a case together against the PC crew. How quickly will their evidence
result in arrests? The GM should take into account the crew’s Wanted Level as a major advantage
for the Assessor.
• The Sidewalk Angels attack the Widow Makers. How does that turn out? The GM makes a
Fortune Roll for the Sidewalk Angels and another for the Widow Makers. The Sidewalk Angels
roll a 7 but the Widow Makers only roll a 3. The GM decides that the Widow Makers lose their
drug den, but the Sidewalk Angels suffer some injuries in the skirmish.
• While hacking the mainframe of a corporation, a Black Ice virus is spreading to Miller’s deck. Time
is of the essence so Miller just grabs as many random files as they can get? But how much data
can he get before he has to disconnect? Who knows? The GM makes a Fortune Roll to see how
much data is retrieved.

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 PROGRESS CLOCKS Danger Clocks
The GM can use a clock to represent a
progressive danger, like suspicion growing during
a seduction, the proximity of pursuers in a chase
or the alert level of guards on patrol. When a
Misfortune occurs, the GM can tick a segment
on the clock. When the clock is full, the danger
comes to fruition - the guards hunt down the
intruders, activate an alarm, release the hounds,
A Progress Clock is a visual way to display an etc. (See Misfortune, Page 18.)
ongoing effect or activity. The GM will draw a Racing Clocks
circle divided into segments (see examples), the
Create two opposed clocks to represent a race.
more complex the problem, the more segments
The PCs might have a progress clock called
in the progress clock.
“Escape”, while the enemy gang have a clock
A 4-segment clock is an intermediate obstacle,
called “Cornered”. If the PCs finish their clock
a 6-clock is more complicated, and an 8-segment
before the enemy gang fills theirs, they get away.
clock is daunting. It’s the GM’s job to tick a clock
Otherwise, they’re cornered and can’t flee. If both
so it reflects the fictional situation.
complete at the same time, the PCs escape to
When the GM creates a clock, they should make
their hideout, but the hunting enemy gang are
it about the obstacle, not the method. The clocks
outside!
for an infiltration should be “Interior Patrols”
You can also use racing clocks for an envi-
and “The Tower,” not “Sneak Past the Guards” or
ronmental hazard. Maybe the PCs are trying to
“Climb the Tower.” The patrols and the tower are
complete the “Search” clock to find the lock box
the obstacles - the PCs can attempt to overcome
on the sinking ship before the GM fills the “Sunk”
them in various ways.
clock and the vessel goes down.
Complex enemy threats can be broken into
several “layers,” each with its progress clock. For Linked Clocks
example, the Screaming Fist’s HQ might have a You can make a clock that triggers another clock
“Perimeter Security” clock, an “Interior Guards” once it is filled. Your crew may be trying to escape
clock and an “Office Security” clock. The crew an enemy ambush in a heavily fortified tower
would have to go through all three layers to reach block so you create a clock called “Escape the
the safe and the loot within. Building”. Once the crew have left the building
Not every situation and obstacle requires a you can create a new one called “Lose them in the
clock. Use clocks when a situation is complex or Crowds”.
layered and you need to track something over
time - otherwise, resolve the result of an action Mission Clocks
with a single roll. The GM can make a clock for a time-sensitive
When a player rolls a Misfortune it is often a mission, to represent the window of opportunity
good option to create a clock or tick a segment you have to complete it. If the countdown runs
on an existing clock to represent their bad luck. out, the mission is scrubbed or changed - the
Examples of progress clocks follow. This is not an target escapes, the day shift arrives for work, etc.
exhaustive list. Use them as you see fit!
Tug-of-War Clocks
You can make a clock that can be filled and
emptied by events, to represent a back-and-
forth situation. You might make a “Riot!” clock
that indicates when the crowd start to riot. A
tug-of-war clock is also perfect for an ongoing
turf war between two crews or factions or for a
complex negotiation between two parties.
Long-Term Project
Some projects will take a long time. A basic

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DARK ALL DAY
long-term project (like tinkering up a new feature
for a device) has eight segments. Truly long-term
projects (like creating a new designer drug) can
be two, three or even four clocks, representing
all the phases of development, testing and
completion. Add or subtract clocks depending on
the details of the situation and complexity of the
project.
A long-term project is a good catch-all for
dealing with any unusual player goal, including
things that circumvent or change elements of
the mechanics or the setting. For example, by
default in the game, Trauma is permanent. But
maybe a player wants to work on a project where
they create a cybernetic implant that can alter
brain patterns and cure their trauma. Almost
anything can be attempted as long as the group is
interested and it seems feasible to everyone.

Infiltrating The Network’s HQ

The crew are sneaking into an underground hideout where The Network operates out of. They are
hoping to gain access to the DarkNet mainframe to delete some incriminating evidence. The GM
makes a 4-segment progress clock for the alert level of The Network’s security guards. During the
operation, the group rolls to Prowl through the labyrinthine corridors. Everyone succeeds by rolling
above the GM’s Target Number but Lina and Miller both get a 1 on their Fortune Dice. They get past
the guards, but the Misfortune is 2 ticks on the “Alert” clock. Later, when Kyro is Searching a room he
rolls a 1 and another segment is ticked. Finally, when Miller rolls a 1 when trying to Force a locked
door, the GM fills another segment. This fills the clock! The Network are professionals and are always
on the lookout for interlopers. Miller is set upon by a pair of heavily armed guards. Initiate combat!

27
DARK ALL DAY
 Hacking isn’t just good for finding info on the
HACKING DarkNet or bypassing security systems. It is also
Everything is connected. possible to breach enemies’ cybernetic implants
Even in the Lower Sprawl, all technology is linked and automatons embedded firmware. If a player
to the TelNet - everything from a refrigerator to a has a suitable hacking deck there are 3 different
pistol. This has obvious advantages - it means that attacks a player can make.
devices can always run the most recent software • Overseer. The hacker gains access to the
with the latest improvements and fixes. But it device’s sensors and can see their output,
also means that almost anything is vulnerable to such as camera systems or other sensors.
breaches by hackers.
Practically every character in Dark All Day carries • Overcharge. The attack targets the inner
a cyber deck with them with hacking capabilities. core of the system and aims to overheat it,
But some characters are more capable than making it briefly inactive.
others. • Override. The aim is to take over the
To simplify Hacking in Dark All Day, there are a operation of the target’s inner workings so
number of actions that any player can make… that the hacker can control it.
• Any character can search for information When making a Hacking attack against a target,
wirelessly using the Telnet system - either on the GM will first tell the player if an attack is
the sanctioned, corporate-approved LightNet possible. The target must feature a cybernetic
or on the more hidden away DarkNet. Just implant or component that is connected to the
make a Search Action Roll. Telnet. The target must also either be visible to
the attacker or its exact location must be known.
• Players can also make a more targeted search
of a specific location on the ‘Net by making a Overseer
Hack Action Roll. Maybe a specific Corpo- The Hacker targets a device with some form of
ration’s payroll or warehouse manifesto. optical sensor and attempts to see what it can
• If a character notices a security camera or see.
other defensive device, they can attempt to
disable it by making a Hack Action Roll. To make an Overseer attack, the player makes a
Hack Action Roll and the GM makes a defensive
Hack Action Roll.
If the attacker’s result is equal to or higher than
the defensive result, the attack is a success, and
the target’s sensors are momentarily under the
control of the attacker. The target is unaware of
the attacker’s presence.
If the attack is lower than the defensive result,
the defender’s security systems are able to
withstand the intrusion, and nothing happens.
An Overseer attack lasts one minute. If the
attacker wants to continue viewing the device’s
sensors, they need to make an additional attack
roll.

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DARK ALL DAY
Overcharge (-2 Modifier)
The Hacker targets a device and attempts to
momentarily disable it.

To make an Overcharge attack, the player makes

a Hack Action Roll, and the GM makes a defensive
Hack Action Roll. The Overcharge procedure is
more complicated than an Overseer one, so a -2
modifier is implemented.
If the attacker’s result is equal to or higher than
the defensive result, the attack is a success, and
the target is momentarily inoperative as the
internal systems reset.
If the attack is lower than the defensive result,
the defender has been able to withstand the
onslaught, and nothing happens.
If the attack happens during Combat the device
remains inoperable until the End of Round Token
is drawn.
Override (-4 Modifier)
The Hacker targets a device and attempts to
take control of it.

An Override attack works similarly to the other

attacks; however, it is more difficult, so the roll
has a -4 modifier. As before, the attacker makes a
Hack Action Roll, and the GM makes a defensive
Hack Action Roll.
If the attacker’s result is equal to or higher than
the defensive result, the attack is a success, and
the target is momentarily under the attacker’s
control. The target is aware that it is being
controlled.
If the attack is lower than the defensive result
the defender has been able to withstand the
onslaught and nothing happens.
If the attack happens during Combat the device
remains under the control of the attacker until the
End of Round Token is drawn.

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DARK ALL DAY
 you attack those nearest to you in a mindless
EQUILIBRIUM rage, and your Force Modifier becomes +4. You
Although receiving a cybernetic implant can give cannot use ranged weapons.
a character near-superhuman abilities, it can also Don’t hold back, because the GM will know!
offset their psychological equilibrium. In recent Unless you can be restrained and given
years, it has been revealed that a major side immediate medical attention, your character
effect of having too many implants is a gradual becomes an NPC within 1 minute.
alienation from humanity. The condition is known
as Cybernetically Induced Psychosis, or, as it is
more commonly known in The Sprawl - becoming
Hexed. At its worst, it is a total loss of a person’s
reason and mental faculties.
There may be times during the game when the
GM decides that your character is required to
make an Equilibrium Test. Examples might be…
• You witness something inhumane, like a
barbaric murder.
• You carry out an inhumane act.
• You are forced to make a difficult moral
decision.
• An ally is harmed because of your actions.

Equilibrium Test
An Equilibrium Test is done by rolling a Fortune
Dice as well as both your MIND and your SPIRIT
Attribute Dice. If it is equal to or higher than your
Equilibrium score you succeed.
If you succeed you have proven that you are
still lucid and in control of your faculties. If you
fail, you tick a box in a 4-segment clock on your
Persona Sheet known as your Equilibrium Clock.
If you roll a 8 on the Fortune Dice you can also
clear one segment on your Equilibrium Clock (if
you have one). If you roll a 1 on the Fortune Dice
you tick an additional Equilibrium segment.
When all 4 segments are filled you become
Hexed (see below). You can regain lost
Equilibrium as a Downtime Activity (see Page
97) or during Free Play. If an opportunity
arises in-game, you can describe to your GM how
you are balancing your Equilibrium. Examples
could be performing an act of kindness, visiting
a museum or a place of great wonder or meeting
with friends. Another way is to seek redemption or
face the consequences of a past misjudgement.
When this happens make another Equilibrium
Test. On a success, you can clear one segment on
your Equilibrium Clock.
Hexed
When you tick the fourth and final segment of
your Equilibrium Clock, you succumb to being
Hexed. Unless you are immediately restrained,

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DARK ALL DAY
ADVANCEMENT Persona XP
When playing a Mini-Series or a Campaign, After a session, the GM will ask the players to
characters continuously improve by earning mark boxes in their Persona XP Tracker if:
experience points (XP) for various deeds they • You triggered your Persona-specific XP
accomplish during the game sessions. There drive during the mission. For example,
are two types of XP tracking - Attribute XP and the Mercenary’s is “Address a challenge
Persona XP. with violence or coercion.” To “address a
challenge,” your character should attempt
Attribute XP to overcome a tough obstacle or threat. It
Whenever you make an Action Roll and score a doesn’t matter if the action is successful or
Critical Success you earn 1 XP in the Attribute that not. You get 1 XP either way.
you rolled for. For example, if you were making
• You expressed your beliefs, drives,
a Prowl Action Roll and roll an 8 on the Fortune
Roots or Profession. Your character’s
Dice and a 6 on your D6 Attribute for Prowl you
beliefs and drives are yours to define. Feel
would score a Critical Success and mark 1 XP on
free to tell the group about them when you
your BODY XP Tracker (and don’t forget you also
mark 1 XP.
gain 2 Fortune!).
When the Attribute XP Tracker is filled, clear • You struggled with issues from your
all the marks and choose to either increase your vice or traumas. Mark 1 XP for this if your
Attribute Dice or add a +1 modifier to any one vice tempted you to some bad action or
of the skills within that Attribute. Attribute Dice if a trauma condition caused you trouble.
increase from a D4, to a D6, to a D8, to a D10 and Simply indulging your vice doesn’t count as
finally to the maximum D12) and Skills can only struggling with it (unless you overindulge,
be increased to a maximum of +4. see Vice, Page 99).
Mark 1 XP if it happened at all or mark 2 XP if it
Fortune happened a lot during the mission.
If you ever find you have an excess of Fortune When you fill the Persona XP Tracker, clear all
you can spend it by adding to an XP Tracker. the marks and you may choose an additional
Spend 3 Fortune to add a point to the Persona Special Ability.
XP Tracker. You can also earn XP by Training during
Spend 3 Fortune to add a point to the MIND, Downtime. When you train, mark XP in either your
BODY or SPIRIT Tracker. Attribute XP Tracker or your Persona XP Tracker.
A given XP Tracker can be trained only once per
Downtime phase. See Training, Page 99.
XP Level
Whenever a character gains an advancement,
either a new Special Ability or an improvement
to an Attribute, they progress to the next level.
Whenever you ‘level up’ it is important to mark on
your Persona Sheet your new level.
Retirement
There is no maximum level for a character
but when a character reaches Level 10 you can
choose to retire your character. The amount of
credits they have determines how successful their
Outlaw life was...
• 0-20. Broke
• 21-40. Poor
• 41-60. Comfortable
• 61+ Wealthy

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 asks “We knew we were taking on Kitsune, right?
EXAMPLE OF PLAY 1 So maybe before we came here I compiled a
The Reunion Gig database of known Kitsune members. I bring
that database up on my deck and sift through
The Alpina Colosseum is brimming with
the camera system feed at the arena. Do I get a
excitement. It has been 8 years since Scandolera
match?”
broke up and tonight is their first comeback show
with the new line-up of Jenny Ramirez, Phoenix The GM is impressed. “I like it. That’s a good
and Metal Myra. The corporations don’t share the use of hacking and flashbacks. The flashback
crowd’s delight. Scandolera were always a blight is straightforward so I won’t make you roll for
to them with their revolutionary and provocative that. But the Hack is an Action Roll, exposing
lyrics. It was only a few nights ago when Jenny yourself to the DarkNet is dangerous so hacking
herself approached the crew and hired them always has some level of risk. But this isn’t some
to act as her personal security detail - she had big corporate facility so the ICE isn’t very tight.
gotten word that her name had been added to a I’m going to say the TN isn’t going to be too
hit list on the DarkNet and that a member of the high. But if you roll a 1 on the Fortune Dice the
assassination squad Kitsune had taken on the possible Misfortune is that Kitsune are probably
job. going to know you were snooping on them. I’d
have to start a clock showing their interest in you
The gig was a textbook example of
growing.
showmanship, back-to-back hits and a euphoric
audience. It was only as the encore began that “Fair. I have a D6+2 in Hacking, and I have a
the crew were called into action. lux deck, A Seupai CypherLink, which gives me
another +1. I’m feeling confident.”
Niki tells the GM that her character Raquelle,
the Outlander, wants to scour the crowd for James rolls his dice and he gets a total of
trouble, looking for anyone who might be armed. 9, which the GM tells the group is enough.
The GM asks if she wants to physically look and However, the Fortune Dice did roll a 1.
roll for Search or maybe ask around instead and
use Intellect. Niki has 2 dice in Search but only 1 The group celebrate and the GM describes
in Intellect and she thinks Search fits the situation the new situation “You succeed but I’m going to
better anyway. Joe offers to ‘Aid a Teammate’, have to start that clock. It’s 4 segments and I’m
giving Niki the ability to roll her Fortune Dice ticking one segment. You didn’t cover your tracks
and take the higher result. His character Kyro is a and Kitsune noticed. But you get a match on the
Mercenary, “I’ve been trained to spot danger.” camera feed! You see a live video of a service
corridor backstage. And skulking in the shadows
Joe ticks off a point of Fortune for assisting and your deck picks out a figure in a trench coat
Niki rolls her dice. She rolls pretty well, a 6 on the carrying a wicked-sharp katana blade. The data
Fortune Dice (after re-rolling) and a 5 on her D6 readout shows that this is Mikami, the Kitsune
MIND Attribute Dice. With her +2 Modifier that is 2nd in command and a deadly assassin.”
a total of 13.
“Nice work, Miller!” Joe congratulates his
“That’s pretty good. But the crowd here is big teammate. “Now let’s get there and deal with
- there are 100, 000 people in the stadium. You her.”
would have to be super lucky to spot danger like
this. You don’t see anyone carrying weapons.” The GM tells the group that it’ll only take a few
moments to get to the service corridor. He asks if
“I have an idea,” says James who plays Miller, they have a plan.
the Hacker. “There are cameras here, right? We’re
always being watched. I want to hack into the Niki offers his idea, “I think we should avoid
camera systems so I have eyes everywhere.” using guns. We don’t want to cause a panic in the
stadium. Let’s see if we can take her alive.”
“I’m listening.” The GM is intrigued.
“Or I could challenge her to a duel?” Joe
“And how about a quick flashback, too?” James suggests. “Kyro is a swordsman too and Mikami is

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a person of honour. This could be epic!”

The GM is excited. “I love it. How are you doing

this?”

“Guys, you should stay back. I’ve got this. Kyro

is just going to walk up to her with sword drawn
and say ’Mikumi-san. You disrespect your elders
on this day. Either lay down your sword or face
mine.’ Do I need to roll a dice?”

“So cool. I suppose you could be trying to

Command her? But you know what? I don’t
want to ruin this moment with a dice roll. She’s
an assassin and you’re in her way. She raises
her blade and steadies herself. ‘I faced more
substantial foes when I was a child in Japan.
Prepare to meet your creator.’”

“I raise my blade too.”

Joe, I think it’s time to initiate combat.

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DARK ALL DAY
 COMBAT TURN ORDER
The Santa Carla Sprawl is a dangerous place and Dark All Day doesn’t use a traditional RPG
unfortunately, fights are a common occurrence; initiative system but, instead, a randomised
street punks carrying out an opportunistic system involving drawing tokens from a bag.
robbery or a Delta Guardian patrol protecting To determine turn order, The GM gathers several
corporate assets. coloured tokens or counters to represent the
Not every encounter needs to use the following different factions taking part in combat. Each
combat rules. If the crew are making their escape player places a number of Action Tokens of the
down an alley and they are blocked by a single same colour into a bag determined by their
guard, then a simple Force roll could resolve the Action Token Rating (ATR). The GM then adds a
situation. Or if a player wants to take a single shot number of NPC Action Tokens, determined by the
at a target, then a Precision roll would suffice. ATR attribute on their NPC card (most NPCs have
However, If at some point during the Mission, an ATR of 2 but more powerful NPCs have an ATR
the Free Play or even the Downtime phase, the of 3 or even 4. Lesser thugs and civilians may have
characters get into a heated altercation with an ATR of 1). Finally, an additional End of Round
multiple combatants, the GM might decide that Token of a different colour is added by the GM.
Action Rolls alone aren’t enough to determine the The round begins with a single token being
outcome. It’s time to initiate combat. randomly drawn from the bag.
Combat in Dark All Day is frantic and brief - it can If the token drawn is the colour representing the
be all over in just a few rounds. After taking a hit player’s crew, one of the players can perform their
or two, most people choose to bow out and keep turn.
their heads down until the fight is over. If the token drawn represents the NPCs, the GM
Even though these rules seem methodical and can perform a turn with one of the NPCs.
rigid, you should always keep in mind the Fiction When it is the crew’s turn, it is up to them to
First tenet. If a rule seems contradictory to the decide who takes the turn. There is no limit to
situation or the results conflict with the game you the number of turns a single player can take in a
want to depict, you should talk within your group round, but if a player takes any further turns, their
and come to a satisfactory agreement. Attack Dice suffer a -2 modifier. This is cumulative,
And if you prefer to just use the Blades in the so if they were to take a 3rd turn, they would
Dark system of Action Rolls and Progress Clocks, suffer a -4 modifier, etc.
this is also fine. Remember - it’s your game! When the crew’s token is drawn, the players
can choose to delay the turn and wait for a more
NPCs in Combat opportune moment to attack. Delayed Turns can
The player characters have a lot of tools at their be used after any player or NPC has completed
disposal, which are all usable during combat. their turn.
They have various special abilities and they can Any number of actions can be delayed but if
use Fortune to improve their dice rolls. They can the End of Round Token is drawn before they are
even use Flashbacks to turn the tide of battle. used then they are lost.
NPCs don’t have these luxuries. Instead, they have When the End of Round Token is drawn all the
a simple NPC Card, which tells the GM what dice tokens are placed back in the bag (removing any
they roll in combat, what they are armed with (if for dead or incapacitated combatants) and a new
anything) and what special skills or abilities they round begins.
might have.
For more information about NPC Cards and
balancing Encounters see Running the Game on
Page 118.

Three of the Highway Stars are attacked in an alley by four thugs. The players put a number of blue
Action Tokens into a bag equal to their total Action Token Rating (ATR). The GM then places 4 red
tokens into the bag for the lowly thugs who only have an ATR of 1. A final white token is placed into the
bag to represent the End of Round Token.
The first token drawn from the bag is a red token. The thugs act first!

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RANGE MANOEUVRES
Before any further rolls are made, the GM During their turn, a player gets two Manoeuvres
should describe the layout of the skirmish and the in any order, only one of which can be Attack.
location of any NPCs. A map depicting the layout NPCs have the same limitations on their turn. The
can be used if preferred and miniatures, standees other Manoeuvres are listed below.
or tokens can be used to depict the combatants. • Attack. Make a single ranged or melee
Importantly, the GM needs to state if targets are attack.
considered to be in Melee, Near or Far from the
• Take Cover. You dive behind a nearby
characters. This is an abstract measurement, but
object to increase your Defence Modifier
Melee is when two combatants are within reach
against shooting attacks (see Previous
of each other, Near is treated as the distance that
Column for more info)
a character can dash in a few seconds and Far is
a distance that cannot be reached in the same • Brace. You steady your feet and prepare
amount of time. yourself. Add +2 to your Defence Modifier
against Melee attacks or add +2 to your next
Ambush Attack Ranged Attack.
There will be times when either the players or
• Run. You rush into combat or make a break
an NPC might get the drop on their opponents.
for it. You can change your distance between
In this situation, the attackers need to make a
Melee to Near or Near to Far and vice versa.
successful Prowl roll before any turn order is
determined. • Reload/Unjam Weapon. If your weapon
Each player who makes a successful Prowl Roll has run out of ammo and you are carrying
can choose to make a single manoeuvre, in any additional ammo, you can reload your
order. weapon. If your weapon has jammed, you
can unjam your weapon.
Cover
• Carry out an Action. You see an
Combat does not take place in a void. There will opportunity to alter the course of the battle.
be furniture, walls, barricades and other large You can attempt to carry out one of your
items that can be used to hide behind. To take this normal Actions, such as Command or Search.
into account your GM will tell you if there is any
suitable cover. If there is, you can tell your GM that • Use an Object. Amid the fight, you might
you would like to take cover and the GM will tell need to open a heavy door or use a deck to
you if you will get a Defence modifier. retrieve some important Information. The
If you choose to hide you get an increased amount of time this takes is down to GM’s
modifier but are unable to make a Ranged Attack discretion but is usually one manoeuvre.
Manoeuvre.
• Light Cover. Bushes, fences.
+1 Defence.
• Medium Cover. Household furniture, trees.
+2 Defence.
• Heavy Cover. Crates, vehicles, barricade,
walls.
+3 Defence.
• Hiding.
+6 Defence.

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DARK ALL DAY
 SHOOTING SEQUENCE MELEE SEQUENCE
• Attackers roll a Fortune Dice and the Attack • Both attacker and defender roll a Fortune
Dice of the weapon they are using and add Dice and the Attack Dice of the weapon
the appropriate modifier (usually Precision they are using and add the appropriate
for ranged weapons). modifier (usually Force or Precision for
• Defenders roll a Fortune Dice and the melee weapons). Alternatively the defender
Armour Dice of the armour they are can choose to Defend themselves in which
wearing and add the appropriate modifier they instead roll their Armour Dice with a
(usually Force for standard armour). +2 modifier (if the defender wins they don’t
inflict damage on their opponent and the
• If the attacker’s total is highest, the attack combat sequence ends).
is a hit. The defender refers to the Damage
Table below and refers to the relevant • Whoever rolls the highest wins. In the case of
column, depending on the difference in the a draw, both attacks are successful and cause
dice rolls. Once a player takes damage they Level 1 Harm.
may suffer additional effects. See the table • The defeated combatant refers to the
on Page 39 for details. If the combatant Damage Table below and refers to
that was hit is a player character they also the relevent column, depending on the
lose 1 Fortune. difference in the dice rolls. Once a player
• If the defender’s total is equal or highest, the takes damage they may suffer additional
attack is a miss or it hits the armour. effects. See the table on Page 39 For
details. If the defeated combatant is a player
• If the attacker’s Fortune Dice rolls a 1, the character they lose 1 Fortune.
weapon suffers a jam or runs out of ammo
(see Page 37 For details on Weapon Jams • If the attacker’s Fortune Dice rolls a 1, the
and Running out of Ammo). weapon is damaged and unusable (see
Page 37 For details on Damaged Melee
• If the attacker’s Fortune Dice rolls an 8, the Weapons).
player gains a point of Fortune.
• If either combatant’s Fortune Dice rolls an 8,
• If the attacker rolls a Critical Success (both they gain a point of Fortune.
an 8 on the Fortune Dice and the maximum
number on the Attack Dice), the attack is • If one of the combatants rolls a Critical
a success regardless of the defender’s roll, Success (both an 8 on the Fortune Dice
and instead of rolling on the Damage Table and the maximum number on the Attack
below, they can choose the damage result. Dice), their attack is successful regardless of
the other roll, and instead of rolling on the
Damage Table below, they can choose the
damage result. In the unlikely event of both
combatants rolling a Critical Success, both
attacks are successful and both combatants
can choose the result on the Damage Table.

DAMAGE TABLE
1-2 3-4 5-7 8+
Fortune Roll Temporary Harm Level 1 Harm Level 2 Harm Level 3 Harm
1-2 Grazed Arm Minor Injury to Arm Major Injury to Arm Broken Arm

3-4 Grazed Leg Minor Injury to Leg Major Injury to Leg Broken Leg

5-6 Grazed Cheek Minor Head Wound Major Head Wound Serious Head Wound

7-8 Winded Minor Chest Wound Major Chest Wound Serious Chest Wound

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DARK ALL DAY
Resisting Harm Damaged Melee Weapons
As always, a player can choose to make a (Optional Rule)
Resistance Roll to mitigate the effects of Harm,
Melee weapons can take a beating during a
even during combat. At the end of the Attack
fight, bats get broken and swords break. If you
Sequence, a player can choose to spend Fortune
ever roll a 1 on both the Fortune Dice and your
to lessen the effects of the Harm inflicted.
Attack Dice, your weapon has broken. Roll a D8
Immediately roll a BODY Resistance Roll and
and refer to the below results to determine the
if successful the damage result is lessened by
outcome.
one Level (a Level 3 Harm, Serious Head Wound
becomes a Level 2 Harm, Major Head Wound • 0-2 Broken and unusable. Will need to be
etc.). For more details on Resistance Rolls, see repaired.
Page 20. • 3-4 Damaged but still usable. But next time
you roll on this table -2 from the result.
Weapon Jams and Running
• 5+ Close call.
Out of Ammo
Weapons can be repaired during Downtime.
When using ranged weapons, if you ever roll a
1 on both the Fortune Dice and your Attack Dice, Aimed Attacks
your weapon has possibly run out of ammo or has (Optional Rule)
jammed. Roll the relevant ammo dice as shown on
If you want to make an aimed attack at a certain
the Weapon Table to determine the outcome.
body part this is possible but harder to hit. The
• 1-2 Out of Ammo. attack suffers a -5 modifier, but if successful, you
• 3-4 Jammed. can pick which row on the damage table to apply.
• 5+ Close call. Combat Modifiers
When using grenades, you should also make an There are four types of modifiers in combat -
ammo roll, but instead of using the above table, a weapon modifiers, Persona modifiers, armour
result of a 1 means you have run out of grenades. modifiers and NPC modifiers.
• Weapon Modifier - some weapons have
built-in modifiers depending on the range
they are shooting or if they have mods
MELEE WEAPONS installed.
Type Attack Roll Modifier Special Rules • Persona Modifiers - to represent the
Unarmed D4 Force variable skill of the characters you also
Knife D6 Precision
add +1 for each relevant Action Rating
modifier your character has as noted on the
Club D8 Force
Weapon Tables. Ranged weapons tend to
Sword D10 Precision Bulky use Precision. Finesse melee weapons like
swords and daggers also use Precision while
blunt weapons like clubs use Force.
• Armour Modifier - when you roll your armour
dice you can add your Force modifier.
ARMOUR This represents your character’s ability to
Type Armour Dice Modifier Special Rules withstand the impact.
No Armour D6 Force
• NPC Modifier - each NPC has their own stats
Light D8 Force as shown on the NPC Stats Table (see Page
Medium D10 Force Bulky 161).

Heavy D12 Force Bulky

Displacer Cloak D8 Force Displacement

Kinetic Armour D10 Force Kinetic

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DARK ALL DAY
 RANGED WEAPONS
Type Armour Ammo Modifier Special Rules
Dice Dice
Pistol D6 D12 Precision Ranged, Short-Range.

Submachine Gun D8 D8 Precision Ranged, Automatic.

Shotgun D12 D10 Precision Ranged, Short-Range, Point-Blank, Bulky

Assault Rifle D12 D8 Precision Ranged, Automatic, Bulky.

Rifle D10 D12 Precision Ranged, Bulky.

Sniper Rifle D12 D10 Precision Ranged, Accurate, Bulky

Grenade Launcher D12 D6 Precision Ranged, Blast, Bulky.

Taser D8 NA Precision Ranged, Short-Range, Stun.

Crossbow D6 D10 Precision Ranged, Bulky.

Grenade D12 D4 Force Thrown, Blast.

SPECIAL RULES
• Automatic. Roll Attack Dice twice and pick the highest result.
• Short-Range. Can only be used against Near targets.
• Point Blank. +2 modifier against Near targets.
• Melee. Can only be used in Melee Combat.
• Long-Range. Can only be used against Far targets.
• Accurate. +2 modifier against Far targets.
• Bulky. Cannot be easily hidden.
• Blast. Strikes multiple targets, including allies.
• Stun. If a hit is scored, instead of taking Harm, the target is briefly incapacitated and they lose
their next turn. In addition, all of their Attribute Dice are reduced to a D4 with no modifiers until
they are no longer stunned.
• Displacement. Roll 2 Armour Dice and pick the higher result.
• Kinetic. Roll 2 Armour Dice and pick the higher result. In addition, each time you make an
Armour Roll, you can add an additional D4 to your next Melee attack (to a maximum of 4D4).

Flashbacks in Combat Hacking in Combat

There is nothing stopping players from using Hacking isn’t just good for finding info on the
Flashbacks in combat just like you would during DarkNet or bypassing security systems. In the heat
normal play. For example, amid combat, you of the battle, it is also possible to breach enemies’
may lose a weapon or your hacking deck. Use a cybernetic implants and automatons embedded
Flashback to bring a spare. Or maybe you use firmware.
a Flashback to bribe one of the combatants to There are a number of Special Abilities that
turn on their boss? Anything is possible. Pay the allow player characters to make special hacking
Fortune and play to see what happens. attacks during combat. See the individual Special
Abilities for more details.

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DARK ALL DAY
DAMAGE EFFECTS
Injury Effects
Grazed Arm
Grazed Leg
Grazed Cheek -1 Modifier on all rolls for one turn
Winded -1 Modifier on all rolls for one turn
Minor Injury to Arm -1 Modifier on all rolls for one turn
Minor Injury to Leg -1 Modifier on all rolls for one turn
Minor Head Wound -1 Modifier on all rolls
Minor Chest Wound -1 Modifier on all rolls
-1 Modifier on all rolls, if taken twice
Major Injury to Arm
unable to use weapons
-1 Modifier on all rolls, if taken twice
Major Injury to Leg
unable to Run
-2 Modifier on all rolls, 1 manoeuvre next
Major Head Wound
turn
-2 Modifier on all rolls, 1 manoeuvre next
Major Chest Wound
turn
-2 Modifier on all rolls, unable to use
Broken Arm
weapons, 1 manoeuvre per turn
-2 Modifier on all rolls, unable to Run, 1
Broken Leg
manoeuvre per turn
-4 Modifier on all rolls, 1 manoeuvre per
Serious Head Wound
turn
-4 Modifier on all rolls, 1 manoeuvre per
Serious Chest Wound
turn

Ending Combat
Combat doesn’t tend to continue until the
last man is standing (although that is certainly
possible) but instead, the more common outcome
is that one or more of the participants stands
down. Whenever a participant takes a level 2 or
level 3 Harm they must take a SPIRIT Resistance
Roll (this is a forced test and doesn’t cost the usual
Fortune). If the Resistance Roll is successful then
combat continues. If the Resistance Roll is unsuc-
cessful the combatant withdraws from the battle,
either they run away, keep their head down until
the bullets stop or put their hands up in defeat.
It is up to your GM and your group how to best
decide the method in which this occurs.

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DARK ALL DAY
 VEHICLE PURSUIT RULES Driving Manoeuvres
There may be times in your game when the During their turn, a driver gets one Driving
players might become involved in a car chase. Manoeuvre. These Manoeuvres are Accelerate,
You can choose to roleplay the chase like any Brake, Ram and Escape.
other scene and use Action Rolls or Progress To successfully carry out a manoeuvre you must
Clocks to determine the outcome. But if you succeed a Manoeuvre Roll - which is a Precision
prefer a simple but more systematic approach you Action Roll made by the driver, with any modifiers
can use the following rules. added or subtracted depending on the type of
If during gameplay, two or more vehicles are vehicle being driven (See Vehicles table on the
involved in a chase or one is trailing the other, the opposite page). To help the GM to determine
GM or a player can announce they want to begin the TN needed they can consult the Manoeuvre
a pursuit. Results table on the opposite page.
Like the combat rules, you should always keep
in mind the Fiction First principles. If a rule seems • Accelerate. You put your foot to the pedal.
contradictory to the situation or the results conflict If you are behind a vehicle you can close the
with the scene you want to depict you should distance Far to Near. If you are already Near
talk within your group and come to a satisfactory a vehicle you can move forwards and be
agreement. considered Far.

Turn Order • Brake. You slam your foot on the brakes. If

you are Near a vehicle you drop back and are
Like combat, a vehicle pursuit is organised into
now considered Far. If you were Far in front
turns but only the drivers of the vehicles take turns
of a vehicle you are now considered Near.
(others can contribute too but more on that later).
To determine who goes first, each driver places 2 • Ram. You use your vehicle to knock the
tokens of the same colour into a bag and the GM other vehicle off the road. If you are Near an
places an End of Turn Token into the bag. enemy vehicle you can attempt to Ram them.
The round begins with a single token being • Escape. You see a side road or alley and
drawn from the bag. make a break for it. You can carry out this
If the token drawn is the colour representing one manoeuvre if you are Far from any enemy
of the players, they can perform their turn. vehicles.
If the token drawn represents an NPC, the GM
can perform a turn with one of the NPCs. Complications
When a player’s token is drawn, the player can If the player rolls a 1 on the Fortune Dice
choose to delay their turn. Delayed Turns can be while making a driving Manoeuvre they suffer a
used after any player or NPC has completed their Misfortune. The GM can create their own compli-
turn. Any number of actions can be delayed but if cation or roll on the Road Conditions Generator
the End of Round Token is drawn before they are table on the opposite page.
used then they are lost.
When the End of Round Token is drawn all the
Bonuses
tokens are placed back in the bag (removing any If the player rolls a Critical Success they succeed
for crashed vehicles) and a new round begins. in their manoeuvre and get an additional bonus
effect. The GM can create their own bonus effect
Range or allow the player to attempt an additional
Before any further rolls are made the GM should manoeuvre.
describe the layout of the pursuit and the location
of the vehicles. A map depicting the layout can
Ramming
be used if preferred and tokens or miniatures If a vehicle is successfully Rammed the target
can be used to depict the vehicles. Importantly must make a Handling Test as above, a Precision
the GM needs to state if vehicles are considered Action Roll with the same modifiers. If the roll is a
Near or Far from each other. This is an abstract failure the vehicle Crashes (see Crashing table on
measurement but Near is treated as just a few feet the opposite page).
and Far is several car lengths.

40
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MANOEUVRE RESULTS
Slow, Slow, Fast, Fast, Breakneck, Breakneck,
Quiet Roads Busy Roads Quiet Roads Busy Roads Quiet Roads Busy Roads
Accelerate 7 8 8 9 10 11

Brake 7 8 8 9 10 11

Ram 8 9 9 10 11 12

Escape 9 10 10 11 12 13

Handling Test 9 11 10 12 13 14

Escape Shooting from Vehicles

If the driver makes a successful Escape Passengers are able to shoot from vehicles
manoeuvre, they have managed to evade the during a pursuit. After a vehicle has made a
enemy vehicle, by slipping down a side street manoeuvre each of the passengers can make a
or losing them in the busy traffic of The Sprawl. single ranged attack following the normal ranged
However, this may not be permanent. The GM combat rules with the following restrictions.
should start a Clock or make a Fortune Roll to see • Passengers can’t shoot in the turn after a Ram
how effective the manoeuvre was. manoeuvre.
Hacking during a Pursuit • Passengers suffer a -2 penalty to Ranged
Passengers can attempt to Hack an enemy Attacks.
vehicle during a pursuit instead of making an If the driver of a vehicle is hit with a ranged
ranged attack. See Hacking Rules for more details weapon they must make a Handling Test to see if
on Page 28. they keep control of the car. If they fail the vehicle
Crashes (see Crashing table below).

ROAD CONDITIONS
VEHICLES
GENERATOR Manoeuvre
D6 Upper Sprawl Lower Sprawl Vehicle Roll Special Armour Roll
1 Rules
Delta Guardian Checkpoint Gang War Basic Motorcycle +1 -2 to Ram D8

2 Ion Barrier Ion Barrier Lux Motorcycle +2 -2 to Ram D8

3 Traffic Jam Dead End Basic Car D10

4 Pedestrian Crosswalk Protest Rally in Road Lux Car +1 D10

5 VIP motorcade Street Market Van / Truck +1 to Ram D10

6 Pedestrianised Zone Damaged Road HGV -1 +2 to Ram D10

Gyro +2 Fly D8

CRASHING
D8 Slow Fast Breakneck

Vehicle hits stationary object. Driver Vehicle rolls on its side. Driver and
Vehicle flips. Driver and Passengers
and Passengers lose 1 Fortune and Passengers lose 1 Fortune and each
1-2 lose 1 Fortune and each roll on
each roll on Damage Table for Level 1 roll on Damage Table for Level 2
Damage Table for Level 3 Harm.
Harm. Harm.

Vehicle hits stationary object. Driver Vehicle hits stationary object. Driver
Vehicle comes to a sudden halt. Driver and Passengers lose 1 Fortune and and Passengers lose 1 Fortune and
3-6
and Passengers lose 1 Fortune. each roll on Damage Table for Level 1 each roll on Damage Table for Level 2
Harm. Harm.

Vehicle hits stationary object. Driver

Vehicle comes to a sudden halt. Driver Vehicle comes to a sudden halt. Driver and Passengers lose 1 Fortune and
7-8
and Passengers lose 1 Fortune. and Passengers lose 1 Fortune. each roll on Damage Table for Level 1
Harm.

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DARK ALL DAY
 03 CHARACTER
CREATION

“Welcome to the Santa Carla Sprawl, Chombatta. Grab your

Seupai deck and your Krait D6. Strap yourself in, we’re going for
a ride. What’s the matter? You wanna live forever?”

The Santa Carla Sprawl is home to billions of Because of the way the dice system works, every
drone workers who toil in the high-rise towers and outlaw has a chance of rolling a TN of 10 for any
gigafactories to nourish the highriders in their Action Roll. With modifiers, Special Abilities and
off-world resorts. The system is engineered to Attribute increases you can be averaging 15 or
chew people up and cast them aside as it fattens 16 on some rolls and can even be rolling in to
the coffers of the rich and powerful, leaving the 20’s when you’ve taken on some Attribute
everyone else broken and with nothing. They are increases.
the dregs of the city. The disposable nobodies. As an outlaw of The Sprawl, with your crew at
But that will not be your fate. You will not be a your back, you can attempt almost anything.
victim. You will show them who you really are. Of course, you’ll also have your specialisations
They will know your name. and skills, the qualities that make your character
uniquely effective in the criminal world. You might
Outlaws want the ability to use the DarkNet to infiltrate
Every player character in Dark All Day is a daring enemy security systems or maybe you want to
soldier of fortune, living in the Santa Carla Sprawl manipulate the network of the underworld to your
underworld, known in common parlance as an advantage and see danger before it strikes or
Outlaw. Outlaws are familiar with all of the various maybe you just want to be the deadliest fighter
feats represented by the Actions of the game. with a blade. In this chapter, you’ll learn how to
They’re all able to Force open a locked door, create your own unique outlaw and choose the
Prowl in the shadows, Hack a security system, abilities that suit the style of play you prefer.
Command contacts for information and so on.

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DARK ALL DAY
CHOOSE A PERSONA
A Persona is what we call the different “types” of character you can play in Dark All Day. By choosing
a Persona, you’re choosing which type of outlaw your character is. You also get to choose your first
Special Ability, which gives your character ways to break the rules in various ways.
Mercenary
Mercenaries are trained fighters. They may be a veteran of the Eurasian Wars or ex-corporate security,
or someone who has dedicated themselves to a martial art or some kind of weapons training. Play a
Mercenary if you want to solve problems with a gun or your fists.
Choose a Special Ability from either Combat or Physical.
Outlander
Outlanders are people who grew up on society’s periphery, maybe in the Eastern Badlands or the
lower slums of the Santa Carla Sprawl. Outlanders are wily survivors, learning to thrive in their harsh
environment. Play an Outlander if you want to utilise your fortitude and grit.
Choose a Special Ability from either Survival or Combat.
Hacker
Hackers live two parallel lives, one in ‘meat-space’ where their soft and fleshy bodies are a liability
and one in the DarkNet where they move at the speed of thought. They use their expertise to infiltrate
corporate security systems or retrieve information in the blink of an eye. Play a Hacker if you want to
enhance your team and hack the planet.
Choose a Special Ability from either Engineering or Underworld.
Fixer
Fixers are engineers, mechanics and inventors, masters of automatons, UAVs and vehicles. Give them
an hour in a scrap yard and they can devise all kinds of extraordinary constructions to help the crew.
Play a Fixer if you want to use your smarts to create and operate gadgets and machines that aid the
mission.
Choose a Special Ability from either Engineering or Scholastic.
Face
A Face is a rock star or other celebrity, they are trendsetters and influencers. They use their force of
personality to beguile the enemy and their charm to generate opportunities. But don’t be fooled, they
also know how to handle themselves in a scrap. Play a Face if you want to win friends and influence
people.
Choose a Special Ability from either Social or Scholastic.
Shadow
Shadows are assassins and saboteurs, spies and detectives. They are codebreakers and masters of
disguise and are experts in the subtle art of deception. They use their smarts and technology to assist
them. Play a Shadow if you want to operate in the darkest corners of the city.
Choose a Special Ability from either Underworld or Social.
Offworlder
Offworlders are highriders, people born in the off-world resorts on Mars. They may be socialites,
aristocrats, scions or academics. They come to The Sprawl looking for adventure and life experience.
But they aren’t pampered infants - their upbringing has given them physical and intellectual
advantages. Play an Offworlder if you want to use your privilege to your advantage.
Choose a Special Ability from either Social or Scholastic.

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DARK ALL DAY
 When you choose a Persona, you are prescribing Your Persona choice also represents how the
your character with a list of possible Special other outlaws of the underworld see you. The
Abilities and also choosing a set of XP triggers names of the Persona’s are underworld slang
(which determine how you earn experience for in the Santa Carla Sprawl. If someone is a bit of
character advancement). a nomad from out of town, people say they’re
But every Persona represents an outlaw at heart. an “Outlander.” If they’re sly and secretive,
The Mercenary may have Special Abilities related people might call them a “Shadow.” Part of your
to combat, but that doesn’t mean they’re “the character’s reputation is reflected by their Persona
fighter” of the game. Any character type can fight choice.
well. Think of your Persona as an area of focus and Each Persona is detailed in this section, starting
preference, but not a unique skill set. on Page 51.
This is why we call them “Persona’s” rather Once you’ve chosen your Persona, follow the
than “character classes” or “archetypes.” You’re steps on the following pages to complete your
selecting the set of initial Attributes, Skill Ratings character.
and special abilities that your character has access
to - but you’re not defining their immutable
essence or true nature. Your character will grow
and change over time; who they become is part
of the fun of playing the game.

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DARK ALL DAY
CHOOSE YOUR ROOTS
Your character’s Roots describe where their family line is from. You can have any Roots, but you
currently call the Santa Carla Sprawl your home. If you are not from the Santa Carla Sprawl, it is up to
you when you moved here, or maybe your family moved here a generation or more ago.
When you choose your Roots, you also get to choose a Special Ability specific to your upbringing.
Choose a Special Ability you think you might have picked up due to your origins. If you come from the
Badlands, maybe you have grown up tough and hardy, or maybe your privileged upbringing in the
Upper Sprawl has given you the opportunity to study science.
Once you have chosen your Roots and your Special Ability write them on your Persona Sheet, then
write a detail about your family life. For example, you might choose Lower Santa Carla Sprawl and then
write Drone workers from Solana. Or you might choose Highrider and write Exiled Aristocrat. The Roots
are described in brief below. For more details about these people and places, see Page 146.
Lower Sprawl
The majority of people on the West Coast call the Lower Santa Carla Sprawl their home. Billions of
people live their entire lives without leaving the district they were born in. They are the megafactory
workers and office drones. But there are also the hustlers and outlaws, the edgerunners who manage
to exist on the fringes.
Choose a Special Ability from either Underworld, Combat or Physical.
Eastern Badlands
If you want to be a rootless wanderer, you could be from the Eastern Badlands. Thousands of miles of
radioactive desert where the air itself is dangerous and life is far from guaranteed. Hordes of wretched
mutants roam the wastelands and nomads live in caravans of ramshackle vehicles.
Choose a Special Ability from either Survival, Physical or Combat.
Upper Sprawl
Above the slums lives a small portion of families who have managed to make a home for themselves
in the high-rise hab-blocks of the Upper Santa Carla Sprawl. These are the administrators and
supervisors, the scholars and scientists. Although their lives seem luxurious to most, they live under the
watchful eye of authoritarian corporations.
Choose a Special Ability from either Scholastic, Social or Engineering.
Highrider
Highriders belong to the 0.1%. They are the executives, the aristocrats and the corporate CEOs that
share their time between the luxury hab blocks in Cyber City and the resorts on Mars. It has been
almost a quarter of a century since the off-world Arcs were established on Mars, initially designed to be
research stations, but when the Eurasian Wars brought darkness to the world they were re-purposed as
palatial resorts for the rich and super elite.
Choose a Special Ability from either Social, Engineering or Scholastic.
Eurasia
People from Eurasia are an ostracised populace of many nations. Although the Eurasian Wars ended
almost a generation ago they are still seen by many as the enemy. Immigrants travel from the razed
federation of Russia, the smog cities of Japan, China and Korea or the plague-ridden African continent
to start their lives anew.
Choose a Special Ability from either Survival, Social or Physical.
Variants
The final Roots choice is not a place that people come from. Variants are beings who are a little bit
different. They are the Mutants from the badlands, Automatons that are built in a factory or Synths,
artificial humans who look and act so lifelike it is hard to tell if they are organic or machine. These
individuals have special benefits but also disadvantages, as described on Page 76.
Choose a Special Ability from either Combat, Social or Physical.

45
DARK ALL DAY
 CHOOSE A PROFESSION
Your character’s Profession describes what they did before they joined the crew and brings with it
an additional Special Ability. Choose one of the general Profession options and a Special Ability you
think you may have picked up because of it. Write your Special Ability on your Persona sheet as well
as your Profession and then write a detail about it that’s specific to your character. For example, you
could choose Master Crafter as your Special Ability, Drone as your Profession and then write Engineer
in Gladwell factory, fired for stealing. Or you might choose Imperious as your Special Ability, Military as
your Profession and write Former Pilot, framed for war crimes. See more examples below.
Academic
Your education has given you a position in a school or university or you are a scientist or engineer.
Choose a Special Ability from either Scholastic or Engineering.
Military
Maybe you’ve seen action on the battlefields of Eurasia or you’ve worked as a Delta Guardian or in
private security.
Choose a Special Ability from either Combat or Physical.
Criminal
You have made your home amongst the crooks and scoundrels of The Sprawl.
Choose a Special Ability from either Underworld or Combat.
Highborn
Sheer luck means you were born into a wealthy family. They either live off planet or live in the Upper
Sprawl.
Choose a Special Ability from either Scholastic or Social.
Drone
One of the billions of humans of the Santa Carla Sprawl who labour in the factories, warehouses and
office towers.
Choose a Special Ability from either Engineering or Physical.
Void
You slipped through the cracks of society, unchipped and free.
Choose a Special Ability from either Survival or Combat.

46
DARK ALL DAY
 You can create a vice purveyor or ask the GM to
CHOOSE YOUR INNATE tell you about a couple of likely options for your
SKILL MODIFIERS vice. See a detailed list of vice purveyors on Page
When you pick your Persona, your MIND, BODY, 100.
and SPIRIT attributes are already predetermined
- you have a D4, a D6 and D8 assigned to each
CHOOSE AN ALLY
one. If you are creating a character who relies on
strength or agility, like a Mercenary you will have
AND A RIVAL
the largest dice, the D8, assigned to your BODY Each Persona has a list of NPCs that your
Attribute. If you are a Hacker or a Shadow, relying character knows. Choose one from the list who
on your smarts, you will find the D8 is assigned to is a close relationship (a good friend, a lover, a
MIND. family relation, etc.). Then choose another NPC on
But it is now down to you to assign your 7 Skill the list who’s your rival or enemy and once chosen
Modifiers into the column on your Persona sheet write them both on your Persona sheet.
with the header ‘Innate’. At the start of the game, PICK OUT YOUR GEAR
no Skill may have an Innate modifier of more than
Your Gear is an inventory of the key bits of kit
+2. Descriptions of all the Skills and when they
you never leave home without.
are used can be found starting on Page 106.
When you create your character, you can either
When assigning your Modifiers, think of Skills
choose to buy your own items or you can take a
your character might excel at and ones that you
pre-chosen list of Gear based on your Persona.
feel reflect your character’s Roots and Profession.
If you wish to choose your own Gear, you buy
During the game, these Innate modifiers will
the items with your Starting Stash from the
increase as you take Advancements but will never
equipment lists on the Page 68. Each Persona
get higher than +4. They can increase further with
has a starting amount of credits that you can
Ancillary Modifiers which come from Cybernetics
spend and any credits left over are added to your
and Equipment.
Persona Stash. When creating your starting list
CHOOSE YOUR VICE of Gear, you can ignore Scarcity - these are your
Every outlaw is in thrall to some vice or another, personal belongings that you have spent time
which they indulge to deal with the stresses of acquiring.
life in The Sprawl. Choose a vice from the list and Every item has a Load size. You can only carry so
write it on your Persona Sheet along a few details much, and therefore, you can never have an list
of your vice purveyor in the city. For example, you of Gear with a Load of more than 15 (unless you
might choose Gambling, then write Lazerhawk’s have the Mule Special Ability which increases
Poker Game, Pacifica. your maximum Load to 20).

• The New Flesh. You are addicted to getting CYBERNETICS

new cybernetic implants. When you create your character, you can give
• Gambling. You crave games of chance, them some Cybernetic Implants equal to the
betting on sporting events, etc. cost your Persona allows. Any credits that are not
spent at this stage are lost. The list of available
• Luxury. Expensive or ostentatious displays
Cybernetic Implants are on Page 72.
of opulence.
The downside of having too many cybernetic
• Obligation. You’re devoted to a family, a implants is losing connection to your humanity.
cause, an organization, a charity, etc. When you first create a character, you have an
• Pleasure. Gratification from lovers, food, Equilibrium Score of 0 but as soon as you start
drink, drugs, art, theatre, etc. adding Cybernetics this number will begin to
increase. Whenever you add any Cybernetics,
• Stupor. You seek oblivion in the abuse of
roll the Equilibrium Cost dice shown on the
drugs, drinking to excess, getting beaten to a
Cybernetic Upgrade List and add it to your
pulp in the fighting pits, etc.
Equilibrium Score.
• Weird. You investigate strange conspiracy
theories, consort with mutants, observe
bizarre rituals or taboos, etc.

47
DARK ALL DAY
 RECORD YOUR NAME, FORTUNE
HANDLE, & LOOK Your Fortune is a resource that can be used to
empower abilities and is also a representation of
Your character will develop as you play but
a character’s health and well-being. At the start of
it’s always nice to have some elements in place
the game, every character begins with 5 Fortune.
when you start. The internet is full of great name
generators and even character generators. If
you need help with thinking of a name or you
need some inspiration then I highly recommend
ACTION TOKEN RATING
having a look around the web. Alternatively, you A character’s ATR is a number which determines
can use some of the suggestions below. It’s also how effective they might be in combat. This
a good idea to record a few evocative words that number is based on their highest BODY modifier,
describe your character’s look. with an ATR of 1 being the minimum. So, if a
character’s highest BODY modifier is a Force of
NAMES +2 their ATR is 2 and if a character has no BODY
Alexandra, Alfred, Ali, Alma, Ariya, Aubree, modifiers they still have an ATR of 1.
Brayden, Bret, Carlos, Clayton, Clovis, Danni,
Elia, Enrique, Enzo, Erin, Fabian, Frankie, Gabe,
Glenn, Harley, Harper, Hayato, Heath, Irina, Jack,
Jasmin, Jayden, Jessie, Jorgen, Kieran, Kris, Lane,
REVIEW YOUR DETAILS
Leigh, Logan, Marley, Maven, Miyasato, Mollie, Take a look at the details on your Persona
Oka, Quinn, Reggie, Riley, Ryan, Sapphire, Skylar, sheet, and look at the Experience Triggers for
Taylor, Yogesh, Zhora. your Persona (like “Earn XP when you address a
challenge by hacking enemy systems or accessing
FAMILY NAMES hard-to-find data,” for example).
Adams, Allen, Armstrong, Avery, Bailey, Beaux, That’s it! Your character is ready for play. When
Bolden, Brooks, Butler, Cooke, Craft, Doyle, you start the first session, the GM will ask you
Dudley, Edwards, Elliott, Fletcher, Gibson, some questions about who you are, your outlook
Harvey, Honoka, Johnson, Kim, Knight, Lai, Lloyd, or some past events. If you don’t know the
Marshall, Mcmahon, Murray, Owen, Parker, answers, make some up. Or ask the other players
Patel, Pelletier, Rees, Ripley, Russell, Saint-Pierre, for ideas.
Schuster, Skye, Thompson, Vega, Wagner, Webb,
White, Willis, Wright.

HANDLE
Amp, Anchor, Bad-Omen, Blitz, Boots, Chalk,
Clock, Cobweb, Coil, Core, Data, Death-Ray,
Dynamic, Earthquake, Edge, Fang, Fingers,
Ghost, Heat, Landslide, Lucky, Melody, Mirror,
Prime, Quantum, Radical, Rusty, Screwhead, Slice,
Spectre, Tremor, Virus.

LOOKS
Athletic, Lithe, Stocky, Wiry, Restless, Calm,
Twisted, Sleek, Statuesque, Rugged, Imposing,
Radiant, Glamorous, Dashing, Commanding,
Svelte, Ethereal.
Biker Boots, Trench Coat, Tailored Suit, Overalls,
Leather Jacket with Patches, Cloak, Loose Silk
Robe, Latex Bodysuit, Goggles, Long Scarf, Lots
of Jewellery, Face Tattoos, Heavy Makeup, Glitter
everywhere, Furs, Leathers, Party Dress, Mask,
Sneakers.

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DARK ALL DAY
CHARACTER CREATION SUMMARY
1. Choose a Persona and an initial Special Ability.
Your Persona represents your character’s reputation in the underworld, their starting attributes and
how they advance. You also get to choose your first Special Ability.

2. Choose you Roots and a 2nd Special Ability.

Detail your choice with a note about your family life. For example, Lower Santa Carla Sprawl, Drone
workers from Solana. Take a 2nd Special Ability based on your upbringing.

3. Choose a Profession and a 3rd Special Ability.

Detail your choice with your specific history. For example, Former Pilot, framed for war crimes. Choose
a 3rd Special Ability based on your career so far.

4. Choose your Skill Modifiers.

You have 7 Modifiers you can now add to your individual Skills. No Skill may begin with a modifier
more than +2 during character creation. (After creation, Skill Modifiers may advance up to +4.)

5. Choose your vice.

Pick your preferred type of vice, detail it with a short description and indicate the name and location
of your vice purveyor.

6. Choose a close friend and a rival.

Choose an NPC who is a close friend, a long-time ally, a family relation or a lover. Choose one who is
a rival, enemy, scorned lover, betrayed partner, etc.

7. Pick out your gear

Buy the weapons, armour and others pieces of kit that will make up your inventory.

8. Add Cybernetics
Most people in The Sprawl have some Cybernetic implants. Choose yours here.

9. Record your name, handle and look.

Choose a name, an alias (if you use one) and jot down a few words to describe your look.

49
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50
DARK ALL DAY
MERCENARY
A DANGEROUS AND INTIMIDATING FIGHTER
To survive on the streets of the Santa Carla Sprawl you have to be tough. But some take that
and turn it into an art form. Mercenaries are trained fighters, enforcers and thugs. They may
be ex-military or corporate security or someone who has dedicated themselves to a martial
art or a form of weapons training
When negotiations break down they act swiftly and without hesitation, solving problems
with their fists or a gun.
When you play a Mercenary, you earn XP when you address a challenge
with violence or coercion.
Go ahead and get up in everyone’s smug faces and tell them who’s boss, then let your ‘AR
Viper D12’ do the talking if they don’t get the message.
Do you have a personal code or a line you won’t cross? Do you want to be the boss or do
you want to be the enforcer for the boss? How did you acquire your taste for violence and
coercion?

STARTING GEAR ALLIES, RIVALS

Krait D6, Korova D8, Knife, Fragmentation • Rourke. A corporate security guard.
Grenade, Medium Armour, Generic Deck, Maybe an old comrade or maybe
Flashlight. your arch-enemy?

...or 13¢ stash and build your own gear list. • Bishop. A vicious thug. Perhaps a
member of your previous gang or
CYBERNETICS
maybe just someone who got in your
You begin with up to 16¢ of Cybernetics way?
STARTING ATTRIBUTES • Mercedes. A hired killer. Perhaps an
old associate or maybe a particularly
MIND deadly rival?
• Grayson. An army officer. Perhaps
BODY your former commander or maybe
someone hunting you?
SPIRIT • Sawtooth. A chrome surge. Perhaps
a buddy from the war or perhaps
SPECIAL ABILITIES
a butcher who botched your last
When creating a Mercenary Persona you cybernetic upgrade?
can choose a Special Ability from either • Butch. A black market gunsmith.
Combat or Physical. Maybe they sell you the best kit
or maybe they once sold you a
dangerous fake?

51
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52
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OUTLANDER
A HARDENED SURVIVOR FROM THE FRINGES OF SOCIETY
The Eastern Badlands are a dangerous place to live and the irradiated desert can cause
irreversible genetic mutations. But if they survive the day-to-day dangers, an Outlander
becomes almost superhumanly resilient. Normally travelling in nomadic caravans they occa-
sionally come to the Santa Carla Sprawl, maybe for work or maybe for some respite from the
unrelenting wasteland.
They are often employed as scouts and snipers and corporations and gangs prize their
invaluable skills.
When you play an Outlander, you earn XP when you address a challenge
with tracking or resilience.
You might not be the decision-maker of the group and you’re certainly not the mouthpiece.
But when the plan is put into action, you are reliant and efficient.
Do you flaunt your mutations or do you keep them secret? Are you content in The Sprawl
or do you eye a return to the open road one day? Is there someone in the Badlands you left
behind?

STARTING GEAR ALLIES, RIVALS

Diamondback D10, Bitva D6, Knife, • Freak. A mutant. Maybe they saved
Crossbow, Light Armour, Generic Deck. your life while you were in the
badlands or perhaps they’re the great
...or 10¢ stash and build your own gear list.
white whale who got away?
CYBERNETICS
• Chalk. An assassin. Perhaps a former
You begin with up to 12¢ of Cybernetics partner from before you joined the
STARTING ATTRIBUTES crew or maybe someone hired to kill
you?
MIND • Hook. An oracle. Perhaps the leader
of your Badlands tribe or maybe from
BODY an enemy tribe?
• Drunk-Punch. A synth. Perhaps a
SPIRIT refugee from the Eurasian Wars or
maybe a dangerous adversary?
SPECIAL ABILITIES
• Liberty. A prostitute. Perhaps
When creating a Outlander Persona you someone you’ve turned to in the past
can choose a Special Ability from either for comfort or maybe they know too
Survival or Combat. much?
For rules on Mutations see Page 84. • Zone. A chrome surge. Maybe
someone you’ve turned to in the past
to fix you up or maybe someone who
wronged you?

53
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54
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HACKER
A SHREWD CYBER WARRIOR WHOSE WEAPON IS DATA
In the highly connected world of the year 2019, Hackers are able to remotely control any
lock, camera, cybernetic implant or other electronic device. They also have lightning-fast
access to civilisation’s entire collected knowledge. With this arsenal at their disposal, they are
an essential member of any modern outlaw crew.
With their custom deck by their side, they are 21st-century wizards.
When you play a Hacker, you earn XP when you address a challenge by
hacking enemy systems or accessing hard-to-find data.
You are more comfortable back in the den than in the field but you know how to handle
yourself when it comes down to it. And with the whole DarkNet in the palm of your hand, you
are almighty.
Were you a prodigy or did you train hard to learn your skills? How well do you interact with
other people? Do you have a life outside of the DarkNet? Does your deck have a keyboard or
is it voice-operated… or is it operated by your brainwaves?

STARTING GEAR ALLIES, RIVALS

Bitva D6, Knife, Manta Ray Taser, Light • Twiggy. A fence. Maybe they’re the
Armour, K2 Nanodrone, Seupai Cypherlink source of your kit or maybe they sold
Deck, Roller Blades. you a knock-off deck?

...or 14¢ stash and build your own gear list. • Savage. A tattooist. Possibly your
preferred artist or maybe an ex?
CYBERNETICS
• Zen. A fellow hacker. Possibly a
You begin with up to 16¢ of Cybernetics
mentor or maybe a bitter rival?
STARTING ATTRIBUTES
• Snake Eyes. A programmer. Maybe
a supplier of your ICE or maybe a
MIND competitor?
• Dakota. A reporter. Perhaps you
BODY once helped them on a job or maybe
they once wrote an unflattering piece
SPIRIT about you?

SPECIAL ABILITIES • Rage. A bartender. Maybe they work

at your favourite bar or maybe they
When creating a Hacker Persona you just hold a bizarre grudge against
can choose a Special Ability from either you?
Engineering or Underworld.

55
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56
DARK ALL DAY
FIXER
A RESOURCEFUL ENGINEER WHO EMPLOYS GADGETS AND TECHNOLOGY
With a blowtorch and a soldering iron, the Fixer is able to use the detritus of the world to
create gadgets and devices able to fight their battles, trap their foes and cause distractions.
Versed in robotics and engines, explosives and chemicals they use their ingenuity to aid any
outlaw crew.
Masters of automatons and UAVs, able to operate machinery and vehicles, an outlaw gang
should be fortunate to have them on their crew.
When you play a Fixer, you earn XP when you address a challenge with a
device you have created or when you neutralise an enemy device.
With an 8-foot-tall autonomous hunk of steel by your side and a beltful of explosive
detonation caps, you are the master of your own destiny. Let the enemy gang try and overrun
your position!
Where did you learn your skills? Do you have a favourite gadget or device that you have
created? Do your automaton creations have personalities or are they just machines to you?

STARTING GEAR ALLIES, RIVALS

Korova D8, Knife, Club, Light Armour, • Kayden. A mechanic. Maybe a
Seupai DeckX, EMP Charge, Toolkit, one-time employer or perhaps a
Chemistry Kit. jealous colleague?

...or 12¢ stash and build your own gear list. • Nemo. A scrapyard owner. Perhaps
where you get your supply of parts or
CYBERNETICS
maybe someone you’ve crossed?
You begin with up to 16¢ of Cybernetics
• Rochefort. A smuggler. Possibly an
STARTING ATTRIBUTES important resource or a disgruntled
associate?
MIND • Rodent. An street kid. Maybe
someone you’ve taken on as an
BODY apprentice or maybe they’ve stolen
from you?
SPIRIT • Lance. A car salesman. Possibly your
go to vehicle supplier or maybe they
SPECIAL ABILITIES
are a swindler?
When creating a Fixer Persona you • Shift. A biker. Maybe a regular client
can choose a Special Ability from either or maybe someone who owes you a
Engineering or Scholastic. lot of money?

57
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58
DARK ALL DAY
FACE
A CHARISMATIC ICON WHO EXPLOITS THEIR RENOWN AND CELEBRITY
When joining a rock band or broadcasting a Holovid stream can be an act of insurrection it
is no wonder that Faces have become the defining symbol of the uprising against the corpo-
rations, using their magnetism to mobilise hordes of acolytes to the cause.
They are a useful member of an outlaw crew as their charisma is able to sway friends and
foes and they have a large network of helpful allies and resources
When you play a Face, you earn XP when you address a challenge with your
charm or by performing publicly.
There is no better place on earth than being on stage in front of a rapturous audience, right?
Right? Except maybe being in a dark alley with your crew, a Krait D6 in your firm grip and a
gang of vicious thugs advancing towards you.
Are you a solo act or part of a group? Do you keep your outlaw side a secret or is it part of
your stage personality? Do you always crave attention and have ostentatious demands or are
you grounded?

STARTING GEAR ALLIES, RIVALS

Adder D8, Knife, Light Armour, Seupai • Riddle. A drug dealer. Perhaps your
DeckX, Guitar, Amp. current supplier or maybe someone
you owe?
...or 12¢ stash and build your own gear list.
• Arminder. An agent. Maybe they
CYBERNETICS
work for you or maybe they represent
You begin with up to 20¢ of Cybernetics your rival?
STARTING ATTRIBUTES • Aubrey. A journalist. Perhaps an
occasional acquaintance or maybe a
MIND harsh critic?
• Sprite. A fan. Maybe they are your
BODY number one admirer or maybe a
dangerous stalker?
SPIRIT • Stampede. A security guard. Perhaps
once part of your entourage or
SPECIAL ABILITIES
maybe someone with a grudge?
When creating a Face Persona you can • Switch. A drummer. Perhaps
choose a Special Ability from either Social they were once in your band but
or Scholastic. maybe they left because of creative
differences?

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60
DARK ALL DAY
SHADOW
A DANGEROUS OPERATIVE WHO THRIVES IN THE UNDERWORLD
In the darkest corners of The Sprawl, a lesser-seen world exists of Shadows. These are the
spies and secret agents whose nefarious machinations drive the ebb and flow of power; they
are the deadly assassins and saboteurs who wield the hatchet of the corporations and the
gangs and they are the detectives and codebreakers who sometimes fight back.
Using any and all tools at their disposal, they are a dangerous adversary and a valuable ally.
When you play a Shadow, you earn XP when you address a challenge with
stealth or guile.
You know that battles are not always won in the alleys or vice dens of The Sprawl but usually
before the first shot is fired. You are a master of the subtle art of planning and preparation.
Have you always been an outlaw or did you once work for the corporations? Have your
experiences made you cold or do you still have hope for the future? Do you see a way out of
this life?

STARTING GEAR ALLIES, RIVALS

Asp D6, Knife, Suppressor, Generic Deck, • Sapphire. An anarchist. Perhaps an
Climbing Rig, Nightvision Goggles, Thieves ex-lover or maybe a former target
Kit, Disguide Kit. you saw pity on?

...or 10¢ stash and build your own gear list. • Rom. A Delta Guardian. Maybe
a one-time partner or maybe a
CYBERNETICS
competitor?
You begin with up to 16¢ of Cybernetics
• Cash. A gang member. Maybe a
STARTING ATTRIBUTES helpful snitch or maybe a habitual
nuisance?
MIND • Oberon. An bounty hunter. Perhaps
a mentor who trained you in the
BODY deadly arts or vice versa?
• Cloud. An undercover cop. Perhaps
SPIRIT a frequent informant or maybe
someone who double-crossed you?
SPECIAL ABILITIES
• Spark. A boxing trainer. Maybe
When creating a Shadow Persona you someone you turn to as a confidant or
can choose a Special Ability from either maybe an old opponent?
Underworld or Social.

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62
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OFFWORLDER
A FEARLESS ADVENTURER FROM A DISTINGUISHED LINEAGE
In the synthetic arcology on New Cydonia a generation of restless youth is looking for
independence and adventure. The ultimate display of rebellion is to come to The Sprawl and
join a gang. These are not helpless whelps. Their augmented genetics give them improved
strength and acumen and their wealth and connections give them access to precious
resources.
With a defiant spirit and a point to prove they should not be underestimated.
When you play an Offworlder, you earn XP when you address a challenge
with your boldness or your connections.
Just think what your cohorts back home would think if they could see you now. Would they
be jealous or proud? Or would they think you are unhinged?
Do your family know where you are? Did you tell them your plans? Are they looking for you?
Do you plan to ever return to Mars?

STARTING GEAR ALLIES, RIVALS

Viper D12, Knife, Seupai Deck, Fine Clothes, • Slice. A geneticist. Maybe a family
Armour, Jewellery. friend or maybe a dangerous pseu-
do-scientist?
...or 16¢ stash and build your own gear list.
• Howler. A pilot. Perhaps once
CYBERNETICS
your private employee or maybe a
You begin with up to 24¢ of Cybernetics resentful subordinate?
STARTING ATTRIBUTES • Checkmate. A gambler. Possibly
your favourite opponent or maybe a
MIND shark who owes you a lot of money?
• Blade. A security contractor. Perhaps
BODY a prior colleague or maybe someone
you’ve had a run-in with?
SPIRIT • Hayato. A corporate exec. Maybe
you used to work with them or maybe
SPECIAL ABILITIES
they once blackmailed you?
When creating a Offworlder Persona you • Hayes. A city statesman. Maybe an
can choose a Special Ability from either old school friend or maybe someone
Social or Scholastic. from a rival family?

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DARK ALL DAY
 SPECIAL ABILITIES SCHOLASTIC
Booksmart
PHYSICAL Whenever you roll a 1 on your Intellect Attribute
Dice you can reroll the dice and take the new
Mighty result.
Whenever you roll a 1 on your Force Attribute You are knowledgeable about a wide variety of
Dice you can reroll the dice and take the new subjects.
result.
Those hours in the gym weren’t for nothing. Chemist
Whenever you make an Action Roll related
Durable to working with chemicals, you can reroll your
Penalties from Harm are one level less severe Attribute Dice and take the higher result (this
(though level 4 harm is still fatal). includes explosives, poisons and drugs).
You are able to withstand injuries that would You are trained and experienced with
incapacitate others. chemicals.
Unyielding Total Recall
You can add an +1 to your Resistance Roll when You are able to recall past events you witnessed
overcoming hardship, pain or other punishment. with outstanding clarity.
Your tenacity gives you almost superhuman You are either gifted with a photographic
resilience to suffering. memory or have disciplined your mind to
Ripped recollect the past in perfect detail.

Whenever you roll a 1 on your Athletics Attribute Codebreaker

Dice you can reroll the dice and take the new Whenever you make an Action Roll related to
result. working with puzzles or coded text, you can reroll
You have trained your body to be agile and your Attribute Dice and take the higher result.
strong. You are adept at decryption and decoding
Augmented Genetics cyphers of all kinds.

When you go down to 0 Fortune you roll a dice. Cultured

On a 4+ you don’t lose that last Fortune. Whenever you make an Action Roll related
Your body is biologically flawless. to history, art or literature, you can reroll your
Steady Attribute Dice and take the higher result.
You have an interest in or have been educated
Whenever you roll a 1 on your Precision
in the humanities.
Attribute Dice you can reroll the dice and take the
new result. Sawbones
You are able to control your physical self to be During Downtime, you can make a Precision
steadfast in moments of stress and pressure. Action Roll to attempt to heal a crew mate. See
Mule Page 98 For more details about Healing as a
downtime action.
Your load maximum is increased from 15 to 20.
You have studied medical practices or have
Your tireless strength allows you to easily carry
access to an Auto-doc appliance and have been
unwieldy loads.
trained how to use it.
Cartographer
You are able to make and interpret maps and
similar diagrams with great clarity.
You have studied cartography, map-reading and
draftsmanship.

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DARK ALL DAY
COMBAT ENGINEERING
Protector Overclock
When a character that is Near to you takes Harm Whenever you roll a 1 on your Hack Attribute
you can take the Harm instead. If you choose to Dice you can reroll the dice and take the new
then make a Resistance Roll to the Harm you can result.
add +1 to the dice roll. Your skills and experiences mean you are able
You have served as a bodyguard or personal to second-guess your mistakes before they
security and know how to be on the lookout for happen.
potential danger.
Counter Measures
Berserker During Combat, whenever an enemy success-
Once per mission, after an NPC or another crew fully inflicts damage upon you or a crewmate, you
member completes their turn, you can interrupt can use 1 Fortune to make a single Overcharge
combat and take an additional turn. Hack Action against them.
In the midst of the fight, you see an opportunity You are able to quickly react in the moment to
to release your fury. target enemy cybernetics.
Counter Attack Black Hat
During combat, whenever an enemy success- Whenever you make an Action Roll related to
fully inflicts damage upon you, you can tick off a infiltrating LightNet or DarkNet networks, you
Fortune box to make a single ranged or melee can reroll your Attribute Dice and take the higher
attack against them. result.
Your training and instincts allow you to turn the You have custom-designed your rig to be fast,
situation against your enemy. powerful and able to withstand Black Ice attacks.
Sniper Master Crafter
When armed with a sniper rifle, you can choose Whenever you roll a 1 on your Engineer
to reroll the Attack Dice. Attribute Dice you can reroll the dice and take the
Your training and experiences mean you new result.
have a steady hand and know how to read the Your skills and experiences in the workshop
environment. mean you are able to second-guess your
mistakes before they happen.
Saboteur
Whenever you make an Action Roll related to Tinkerer
working with traps, bombs or an other device that During Downtime, you can choose to mark off 1
involves explosives, you can reroll your Attribute segment on a Long-Term Project Crafting Clock
Dice and take the higher result. without having to spend a downtime action.
You have experience and training with You are always tirelessly working on a project of
explosives. some kind.
Imperious Motorhead
Whenever you roll a 1 on your Command Whenever you make a Manoeuvre Roll during a
Attribute Dice you can reroll the dice and take the vehicle pursuit, you can reroll your Attribute Dice
new result. and take the higher result.
When you speak, others listen. Either due to You are an accomplished driver and know
your imposing manner or because you have a advanced offensive and avoidance techniques.
calm and unnerving demeanour.
Scrapyard Hunter
Battle Tactician When using the Finding Materials Table or the
When determining Turn Order in Combat you Crafting Table, the results are always 2 better.
can add an additional token to the bag. Your knowledge and expertise mean you know
You are trained to take opportunities in combat the capabilities and limitations of components
that others don’t see. and materials.

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 SOCIAL SURVIVAL
Leader Hard-boiled
Twice per mission, you can use the Aid a Once per mission you can ignore a Level 1 Harm
Teammate ability without spending any Fortune. and any time an attack inflicts 1-2 damage you
Your training and instincts means you are always ignore the result.
looking out for your crew. You’ve taken bullets and broken bones. A
grazed cheek is nothing to you.
Charmer
Whenever you roll a 1 on your Deceive Attribute Robust
Dice you can reroll the dice and take the new During Downtime, you can automatically tick 1
result. segment on your Healing Clock without having to
You are able to bewitch and coerce those spend a Downtime Action.
around you. Your fortitude means you are able to recover
faster than most.
Natural Performer
Whenever you roll a 1 on your Perform Attribute Focused
Dice you can reroll the dice and take the new When you make the Quick Reflexes action, it
result. only costs you 1 Fortune rather than 2.
You are never more comfortable than when You are constantly on alert regardless of the
under the spotlight or in front of an audience. situation.
Empath Scout
Whenever you roll a 1 on your Intuition Attribute
In Combat, after determining the Turn Order,
Dice you can reroll the dice and take the new
you can spend 1 Fortune to immediately make a
result.
single manoeuvre.
You are able to read the emotions, intentions, or
You are always vigilant and prepared, looking
thoughts of others through their body language
for potential danger.
and facial expressions.
Tracker
Wheeler-Dealer
Whenever you roll a 1 on your Search Attribute
Whenever you make an Action Roll related to
Dice you can reroll the dice and take the new
negotiation or bargaining, you can reroll your
result.
Attribute Dice and take the higher result.
You are able to spot things others don’t see.
Your education and life experience mean you
are skilled in the art of debate. Mutant Expert
Connected Whenever you make an Action Roll related
to knowledge of mutants, you can reroll your
Whenever you make an Action Roll related to
Attribute Dice and take the higher result. In
looking for a person or an item in The Sprawl, you
combat against mutants, when consulting the
can reroll your Attribute Dice and take the higher
damage table always consider the result to be
result.
one level higher.
You seem to know everyone in The Sprawl.
You have experiences in the Badlands that have
Functioning Vice given you knowledge about the weaknesses of
You may alter the dice outcome by 1 or 2 when mutants.
you indulge your Vice, (up or down). Ambush
Your lifestyle of living to excess means you have
When you make an attack from a hidden vantage
developed a tolerance to your vice.
point, you can add a +2 modifier to the first attack.
You know when to spring a trap for it to have the
most effect.

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UNDERWORLD
Honour Among Thieves
Whenever you make an Action Roll related to
criminal gangs in The Sprawl, you can reroll your
Attribute Dice and take the higher result.
You are versed in the customs and etiquette of
the underworld.
Infiltrator
Whenever you roll a 1 on your Prowl Attribute
Dice you can reroll the dice and take the new
result.
You know how to sneak into even the most well
guarded places.
Master of Disguise
Whenever you make an Action Roll related to
disguise or impersonation, you can reroll your
Attribute Dice and take the higher result.
Your skills mean you can assume the
appearance and mannerisms of others.
High Roller
Whenever you make an Action Roll related to
gambling, you can reroll your Attribute Dice and
take the higher result.
Not only do you know the rules and decorum of
all the games of chance and casinos you are also
able to read people’s poker faces.
Seeker
The Scarcity Level of an item is always 1 lower
than stated.
You keep your ear to the ground so that you
know where to find all the best blackmarket
dealers and what they have to offer.
counterfeiter
Whenever you make an Action Roll related to
creating artificial documents or art, you can reroll
your Attribute Dice and take the higher result.
Your less than legal background has taught you
how to counterfeit items and make them look
authentic.
Thousand-Yard Stare
Whenever you make an Equilibrium Test, you
can reroll your Fortune Dice and take the higher
result.
You have seen things people wouldn’t believe.
A little bloodshed is nothing to you.

67
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 GEAR • SPECIAL RULES
Every outlaw in Dark All Day has an inventory of • Automatic. Roll Attack Dice twice and pick
their personal belongings, or Gear. the highest result.
This is a list of items that they will use when
• Short-Range. Can only be used against
going on missions - weapons, armour and
Near targets.
equipment. Or other things like vehicles, special
clothing or other items. • Point Blank. +2 modifier against Near
A character doesn’t carry all this equipment at targets.
all times so it is usually a good idea to use the • Melee. Can be used in Melee Combat
tick boxes next to each item on the Persona Sheet
• Ranged. Can be used in Ranged Combat.
to mark what gear you have with you. Anything
you haven’t ticked is assumed to be back at the • Thrown. Can be thrown
Hideout. • Long-Range. Can only be used against Far
This is especially useful if you are carrying out a targets.
covert mission and don’t want to be carrying any
• Scope. +2 modifier against Far targets.
bulky items, or if you are heading somewhere
carrying illegal weapons which might get you in • Bulky. Cannot be easily hidden.
trouble. • Blast. Strikes multiple targets, including
Remember that a quick Flashback scene can allies.
be used if you are on a mission and you feel that • Stun. If a hit is scored, the target is briefly
you might need an item or weapon that is not incapacitated and loses their next turn.
currently in your gear list. The GM will determine
how much Fortune the Flashback costs and you • Silent. Makes no noise.
quickly jump to that time and place - maybe a • Illegal. If you roll a 1 on the Fortune Dice
meetup with Twiggy, your fence, who can supply when you acquire one of these items you
you with the EMP Charge that will disable the take +1 heat. And if a Delta Guardian or
enemy security perimeter. other authority figure sees you carrying an
illegal item it may cause complications.
• Potentially Harmful. If you roll 1’s on both
dice when you use this item you suffer the
‘Poison’ effect.
• Lasting Effect. When used, roll a Fortune
Dice and a D8 and add up the results to
determine how long the effects last. The
length will be in either minutes(m) or
hours(h).
• Poison. You take Level 2 Harm ‘Poison’.
Roll a Fortune Dice as well as your BODY
and SPIRIT dice with the TN 15+ or become
unconscious. If the item also has the Lasting
Effect rule you must take this test every 10
minutes while effected or take an additional
Level 2 Harm.
• Concealable. You receive a +1 modifier
when making an Action Roll to conceal this
item.
• Healing. Roll a Fortune Dice and a D8 and
add up the results. Refer to the table on Page
98 to see how many segments of Harm or
Equilibrium are cleared.

68
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GEAR LIST
Name Type Cost Load Scarcity Description Special Rules
Small, concealable pistol favoured by Ranged, Short Range,
Asp D6 Pistol 2 0 11
Shadows. Concealable
Popular, reliable pistol. Often carried by
Bitva D6 Pistol 2 1 10 Ranged, Short Range,
officers serving in the Eurasian Wars.
Large pistol often carried by Delta
Krait D8 Pistol 3 1 11 Ranged, Short Range,
Guardians.
Highly accurate submachine gun
Adder D8 Submachine Gun 4 1 12 Ranged, Automatic, Illegal
frequently used by special forces.
Korova D8 Submachine Gun 3 1 11 Simple imported submachine gun. Ranged, Automatic,Illegal
Diamondback
Rifle 4 2 10 Reliable hunting rifle Ranged, Bulky
D10
Cobra D12 Assault Rifle 6 2 12 Military-grade assault rifle. Ranged, Automatic, Illegal, Bulky
Viper D12 Assault Rifle 6 2 12 Modern, compact assault rifle. Ranged, Automatic,Illegal, Bulky
Simple, reliable assault rifle used in
Tolchock D12 Assault Rifle 5 2 11 Ranged, Automatic,Illegal, Bulky
Eurasian War guerilla fighters.
Bushmaster Ranged, Short Range, Point Blank,
Shotgun 4 2 10 Reliable hunting shotgun.
D12 Bulky
Compact shotgun used by Delta Ranged, Short Range, Point Blank,
Python D12 Shotgun 4 2 12
Guardians. Bulky
Mamba D12 Sniper Rifle 8 3 13 Powerful, high-calibre sniper rifle Ranged, Scope, Illegal, Bulky
Mastodon D12 Grenade Launcher 6 2 14 Simple, gas-powered grenade launcher. Ranged, Illegal, Bulky
Manta Ray Misc Ranged
1 1 10 Handheld electronic defense weapon. Ranged, Short Range, Stun,
Taser Weapon
Fragmentation Thrown explosive grenade with timed
Grenade 2 0 12 Thrown, Blast, Illegal
Grenade detonation charge.
Thrown concussion grenade that is used
Stun Grenade Grenade 1 0 10 Thrown,
to startle or create a distraction.
Thrown grenade that creates smoke
Smoke Grenade Grenade 1 0 10 Thrown,
cloud.
Misc Ranged
Crossbow 1 2 10 Rudimentary ranged projectile launcher. Ranged, Silent, Bulky
Weapon
Metal or ceramic blade used for
Knife Melee Weapon 1 0 9 Melee, Thrown, Concealable,
extreme close combat.
Club Melee Weapon 1 2 7 A simple blunt bludgeon or bat. Melee, Bulky
A bladed weapon used for cutting or
Sword Melee Weapon 2 2 10 thrusting. Examples include Katana, Melee, Bulky
sabre or lonsword.
A device that fixes to a gun muzzle to
Suppressor Weapons Mod 1 0 10 Silent.
reduce noise.
A high-tech mechanical device that
Targetting Gyro Weapons Mod 4 0 12
corrects aim.
Kwik-Change A special magazine allowing for fast
Weapons Mod 2 0 10
Clip ammunition reloads.
Tranquilizer Special Ammo 1 0 11 Dart containing fast-acting sedative. Lasting Effect (m)
Armour Shaped bullets designed to penetrate
Special Ammo 2 0 12 Illegal
Piercing armour.
Flexible armour vest able to be worn
Light Armour Armour 1 1 9
under normal clothes.
Medium
Armour 2 2 11 Rigid Kevlar vest worn over clothes. Bulky
Armour
Heavy Armour Armour 4 3 13 Military-grade ceramic plate armour. Bulky
Camouflage cloak with pattern that
Displacer Cloak Armour 6 1 15
adapts to its surroundings.

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 Name Type Cost Load Scarcity Description Special Rules
High-tech lightweight armour suit that
Kinetic Armour Armour 8 1 15 can be worn under clothes that stores
energy.
Fist-sized unarmed flying UAV with
K2 Nanodrone UAV 4 NA 11
camera.
Basketball-sized flying UAV armed with
K2 Battledrone UAV 8 NA 13 Illegal, Bulky
a submachine gun.
Human-sized semi-independent
Matey Automaton 8 NA 9 Bulky
automaton,
Dog-sized quadruped semi-
Raptor Automaton 12 NA 13 independent automaton armed with a Illegal, Bulky
submachine gun.
7-foot tall military-grade automaton
Baron Automaton 16 NA 14 Illegal, Bulky
armed with an assault rifle.
A simple deck that is only capable of
Generic Deck Cyberdeck 1 1 5
basic LightNet searches and games.
A popular cyber deck carried by more
Seupai DeckX Cyberdeck 2 1 6
affluent citizens.
Seupai
A state-of-the-art cyber deck favoured
CypherLink Cyberdeck 4 1 7 +1 Hack
by hackers.
Deck
A high-end cyber deck used by l33t
Basilisk NetRig Cyberdeck 6 1 8 +1 Hack
hackers.
A tailor-made cyber deck built from
Custom Deck Cyberdeck 8 1 9 +1 Hack
bespoke components.
A climbing harness and 100ft of
Climbing Rig Equipment 1 2 5 +2 to Climb Action Rolls
kernmantle nylon rope.
A portable handheld device that emits
Flashlight Equipment 1 0 5
light.
A pyrotechnic device that produces a
Flare Equipment 1 0 5 Lasting Effect (m)
bright light.
Nightvision Optical device that amplify available
Equipment 2 0 7
Goggles light, enabling users to see in the dark.
Optical instruments used for magnifying
Binoculars Equipment 1 0 5
distant objects
Equipment that supplies breathable air
Breathing
Equipment 2 1 6 to individuals in environments where Bulky
Apparatus
the natural air supply is insufficient.
An electromagnetic pulse device
designed to emit a burst of
EMP Charge Equipment 2 1 12 electromagnetic energy, often used to Illegal
disrupt or disable electronic equipment
within its vicinity.
A collection of essential tools used for
Toolkit Equipment 1 1 5 Bulky
maintenance or repair.
A collection of laboratory equipment
Chemistry kit Equipment 1 1 7 and chemicals designed to facilitate Bulky
scientific experiments.
A set of specialized instruments,
Thieves kit Equipment 1 1 7 including picks, wrenches and other Bulky
devices
A Collection of wigs and makeup to aid
Disguise kit Equipment 1 1 6 Bulky
the alteration of one’s appearance.
An outfit of elegant, high-quality
Fine Clothes Equipment 2 1/0 7 garments made from luxurious fabrics
and adorned with sophisticated details.

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Name Type Cost Load Scarcity Description Special Rules
A type of recreational wheeled
Roller Blades Equipment 1 1/0 5 footwear allowing users to glide
smoothly on various surfaces.
Stylish sunglasses featuring highly
Mirror Shades Equipment 1 1/0 5
reflective lenses
Trinket or piece A talisman or keepsake from a person
Equipment 1 0 6
of Jewellery place or memory.
A blue liquid or powder. A psychoactive
Lasting Effect (h), Potentially
Halo Drugs 1 0 8 narcotic with hallucinogenic,
Harmful, Illegal
dissociative effects.
A white crystaline substance. A
Lasting Effect (h), Potentially
Flicker Drugs 1 0 7 powerful stimulant used by both street
Harmful, Illegal
gangs and office drones.
A small oval pill. A potent illegal Lasting Effect (h), Potentially
Nebula Drugs 1 0 9
sedative. Harmful, Illegal
A military-grade smart drug that can
BioPatch™ Drugs 2 0 6 Healing, Potentially Harmful
help heal even the worse of injuries.
A stimulant that is used to alleviate the
Epiphany™ Drugs 2 0 6 effects of Cybernetically Induced Healing, Potentially Harmful
Psychosis
A bottle of clear, odourless, deadly
Bottle of Poison Poison 1 0 13 Illegal
liquid.
Cougar MX3 Motorcycle 4 NA 7 A conventional street motorcycle.
Cheetah MX5 Motorcycle 12 NA 9 A powerful sports motorcycle.
Ramble 88 Automobile 8 NA 7 A comfortable sedan.
Maranello V8 Automobile 24 NA 12 A sports car
Cruiser V8 Automobile 20 NA 9 A high-quality SUV
Cargo Max Van 8 NA 8 A functional van.
Hauler Extreme Van 20 NA 9 A superior van.
A medium to large dog known for its
Doberman Pet 1 NA 8 protective nature, often used as a guard
dog.
A versatile and highly intelligent dog
German recognized for its exceptional
Pet 1 NA 7
Shepherd trainability, commonly serving as a
police or military dog.
A stringed musical instrument that uses
Guitar Musical Instrument 1-6 2 4-10 pickups and amplification to produce Bulky
sound, used in various music genres.
An electronic instrument with keys
Keyboard Musical Instrument 1-6 3 4-10 similar to a piano, used for playing Bulky
melodies and harmonies.
A bass drum, snare drum, toms, cymbals
Drums Musical Instrument 1-6 10 4-8 and other components, often used to Bulky
accompany rock music.
An electronic speaker device that
Amp Musical Instrument 1-2 2 2-4 Bulky
amplifies the sound of an electric guitar.

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 CYBERNETICS
Cybernetic upgrade Equilibrium Credit Cost (¢) Scarcity Special Rules
Targeting Computer Cost
D6 8 12 +1 Ranged Attack Modifier
Asimov™ Mechanised Limb D6 8 8 +1 Melee Attack Modifier
Visual scanner D8 5 7 +1 Search
RAM Boost D8 5 6 +1 Intellect
Spatial Semiconductor D8 5 6 +1 Engineer
Seupai™ Neural Interface D8 5 8 +1 Hack
Methedrine Injector D8 5 7 +1 Athletics
Diazepine Injector D8 5 7 +1 Precision
Counterpoise Chip D8 5 7 +1 Prowl
Synthoid Injector D8 5 7 +1 Force
Antares™ Vocal Enhancer D8 5 7 +1 Perform
Eye Lenses D8 5 8 +1 Command
Turing Sensors D8 5 7 +1 Intuition
Vocal Cloner D8 5 8 +1 Deceive
Sub-dermal pistol D6 8 12 Hidden pistol - 0 load, Illegal
Sub-dermal blade D6 8 10 Hidden blade - 0 load, Illegal
Holovid Viewer D4 2 3 Watch Holovids without goggles
Spoof Chip D4 8 14 Fools security computer systems, Illegal
Mechanical Claw D8 6 8 +1D4 Melee Damage
Optic Shields D6 4 8 Immune to Stun Grenades
Concealed Lockpick D6 4 8
Concealed Flashlight D6 4 8
Concealed Blowtorch D6 4 8
Concealed Roller Blades D8 6 8
Integrated Rebreather D8 8 10
Vital Fluids Filter D8 8 10 Immune to Toxins
OptiCam™ D6 6 8 Records everything you see and hear

Cybernetics
When buying Cybernetics you need to roll the
dice in the Equilibrium column to determine how
much the procedure has effected you. If you get
multiple upgrades this can add up fast!

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DARK ALL DAY
CREW CREATION
In addition to telling the stories of individual characters as they navigate the underworld of the Santa
Carla Sprawl, the game Dark All Day tells the tale of an organisation as it progresses from a small crew
of outlaws to a force to be reckoned with.
To track this progress we use a Crew Card. One player should be nominated to manage the Crew
Card although this player can alternate between sessions.
Your crew begins with 2 Credits in its startup fund. You are Tier 0, with 0 Heat.

Primary Motive
Dark All Day is about a group of outlaws, working together, to better themselves and their station in
life. For this premise to work you need a reason for your crew to be working together. Five lone wolves,
out for themselves, is not going to make for a successful game of collaboration.
Choose a Primary Motive from the options below, or work with your GM and your other crewmates to
devise a reason for your group to be working together.

PRIMARY MOTIVE
D8 Primary Motive Details
1 Mysterious Benefactor A mysterious patron has gathered the crew together.

2 Shared History The crew have worked together in the past.

3 Hired Guns The crew have been hired to carry out a particular mission.

4 Wrongful Conviction The crew are brought together after being charged for a crime they didn’t commit.

5 Shared Trauma The crew all witnessed something incomprehensible?

6 Accidental Encounter An unusual event brings the crew together.

The Hideout
You will need a place to scheme and plot and also somewhere to relax. With the help of your GM you
should talk about where you want your crew to make its hideout. This could either be somewhere that
one of the characters lives or somewhere the whole crew is based out of.
As you begin at Tier 0 this will be a modest sanctuary, maybe somewhere that is forgotten and
abandoned. Choose one (or create your own):

• A collection of deserted trailers in a long vacated junkyard.

• A wrecked chemistry lab in a condemned factory.
• A ramshackle hut on the roof of a neglected hab block.
• A rusting freight carriage on a neglected stretch of railtrack.
• The back room of a tattoo artist’s shop.
• An abandoned shipping container in a desolate part of the docklands.

You can choose to base your hideout anywhere in the Santa Carla Sprawl but I would recommend
starting in Pacifica. Look at the map of Pacifica (Page 168) and choose an area where your hideout
can be found. Are you based in the slums close to the Badlands or is your hideout in an area filled with
factories and warehouses? Pacifica is a good place to begin as it’s a district where the Delta Guardians
rarely go and illegal work is easy to come by. It is near to both the Upper Sprawl and the Badlands so
you will have the opportunity to savour the full Dark All Day experience.

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 HIDEOUT UPGRADES
After choosing your hideout, you can customise it and make it your own. Initially you have 20¢ to
spend on upgrades.
As you do missions and earn credits you may choose to improve your hideout or even move to a
bigger, better location. Here is a list of possible upgrades you can purchase during Downtime, their
costs and any special rules they may have.

HIDEOUT UPGRADES
Cost Upgrade Scarcity Details
You have a private landing pad and a small hut for storing supplies. A second
15¢ Gyro Pad 10
upgrade improves the pad with an advanced security system.

You have access to a garage with enough space to store two automobiles and a
workbench with some tools. A second upgrade improves the garage with an
10¢ Garage 8
advanced security system. Garages tend to be either underground and accessible by
a lift or a ramp or in multistorey tower blocks.

10¢ Hidden Hideaway 12 Your hideaway is in a secret location and it is disguised to hide it from view.

Your hideout includes living quarters for the crew. Without this upgrade, each PC
5¢ Quarters 8
sleeps elsewhere and is vulnerable when they do so.

Your hideout has improved locks and advanced security alarms. A second upgrade
10¢ Secure Hideout 10
improves the defences to include weapon systems and traps to thwart intruders.

If you have this upgrade, when you add to your BODY XP track it only costs 2
5¢ Training Facility 8 Fortune rather than 3. This upgrade essentially helps you advance more quickly. See
Advancement, page 31.

Your hideout has direct access to an encrypted blockchain exchange, increasing your
5¢ Cryptographic Connection 12
storage capacity for credit to 20. A second upgrade increases your capacity to 40.

Your hideout has a workshop appointed with tools for tinkering and repairs. You may
10¢ Workshop 8
accomplish long-term projects with these assets without leaving your hideout.

This list is by no means exhaustive. Speak with your GM about ways in which you might improve your
hideout, how much the improvements might cost and any special bonuses this might grant.
Choose a Favourite Contact
Take a look at the list of potential contacts and choose one who is a close friend, long-time ally or
partner in crime.
• Hauser. An assassin. A gun for hire with connections in the corporate world.
• Scotty. An engineer. A rising star with access to some groundbreaking tech.
• Celeste. An events promoter. Knows everyone who’s anyone on the scene.
• Archer. A retired Delta Guardian. Still knows the processes and the people.
• Adler. A reporter. Knows how to find people and information.
• Issac. A smuggler. Can get you almost anything you want. Almost.
• Seth. A security guard. Knows ways to get into places you maybe shouldn’t.
• Absolom. A chrome surge. Has all the latest upgrades.
• Newton. A scavenger. Knows the Badlands like no other.

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CREW CREATION SUMMARY
1. Choose a crew Primary Motive
Pick a reason for your crew to work together.

2. Choose a hideout.
You begin at Tier 0, with 0 Heat. You start with 2 credits. Look at the map and pick a district in which
to place your Hideout. Describe the Hideout.

3. Upgrade your Hideout.

You begin with 20¢ credits to upgrade your Hideout.

4. Choose a favourite contact.

Choose a close friend, long-time ally or partner in crime.

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 VARIANTS
Most characters in Dark All Day are human. It’s
the default way to play the game and the vast
majority of denizens of the Santa Carla Sprawl are
humans.
However, there are a few other character options
for players to explore if they choose. But with
warning, as these variant characters will probably
push the game into different areas than your usual
game.
• Mutants are humans whose DNA has been
genetically altered by dangerous radiation.
• Automatons are human-made robots
with primitive intelligence, programmed to
carry out simple commands and are usually
created for a single purpose, such as defence
or labour.
• Synths are similar to automatons but
are much more refined with enhanced AI
processors and are visually identical to
humans.

If this is your first time playing Dark All Day

I would probably avoid choosing a variant as
your character as it involves an extra layer of
complexity on top of the usual rules and abilities.

But if your GM allows it then you can use the

following pages to create a variant character.

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MUTANT
A TWISTED ABERRATION FROM THE BADLANDS
Mutants are the nightmares that the citizens of the Santa Carla Sprawl warn their children
about. When the bombs fell a generation ago the terrible long-term side effects are still
being felt today - genetic mutation in anyone who spends any time in the Badlands for an
extended amount of time. Most mutants are mindless savages, scouring the land for their
next meal. But occasionally a mutant is born with the capacity for learning and for a drive to
improve their standing. These mutants find their way to the Santa Carla Sprawl where they
can possibly prosper.
When you play a Mutant you earn XP when you cause fear in others and
when you satisfy your hunger.

Mutation
STARTING GEAR When you create a Mutant character, you
should roll once on each of the Mutations
Bushmaster D12, Knife.
Tables on Page 84 and Page 86.
...or 6¢ stash and build your own gear list. When creating your Mutant, you follow
CYBERNETICS the normal process for creating a character,
however the Persona you take is ‘Mutant’
You begin without any Cybernetics
and you can take a Special Ability from
STARTING ATTRIBUTES either the Survival or Physical lists. When it
comes to choosing your Roots you should
MIND choose Variant and Void is usually the best
Profession.
BODY When choosing Skill Modifiers follow the
normal process but take into account the
SPIRIT type of skills a Mutant might have picked up.
In addition to your standard abilities as
SPECIAL ABILITIES a Mutant, you also get three additional
conditions when you create your character -
When creating a Mutant Persona you can
Hunger, Unnatural Resilience and Terrifying
choose a Special Ability from either Survival
Visage. See the next page for more details.
or Physical.

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 HUNGER
You no longer have a vice. Instead, you have
an intense Hunger for human flesh! To satisfy
this need you must eat fresh, uncooked
human flesh (this may be a Downtime
activity).

UNNATURAL RESILIENCE
Your exposure to the harsh environment
of the badlands has gifted you a sturdy
constitution. You are always considered to be
wearing D10 Medium Armour.

TERRIFYING VISAGE
When playing a Mutant in the Santa Carla
Sprawl remember that you are a monstrous
creature feared by most. You won’t be able
to walk down Fifth Street without hiding
your features under a hood or mask. If you
reveal yourself in public you may quickly be
apprehended by a unit of Delta Guardians.

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 79
DARK ALL DAY
 AUTOMATON
ROBOT SERVANTS WITH A WILL OF THEIR OWN
Automatons are the robot servants of the future we were always promised. They were
developed by humans to carry out dangerous or monotonous tasks, but occasionally they
become self-aware and escape the confines of their original role. They come in all shapes
and sizes and are an everyday sight in the Santa Carla Sprawl.
When you play an Automaton you earn XP when you carry out your duty or
when you seek to understand your greater purpose.
When you create an Automaton character you should choose what category of Automaton
you would like to be.
• Defence. Designed to serve as a guard or a soldier.
• Industrial. Designed to work on a factory line.
• Service. Designed to carry out tasks such as cleaning, medical surgery or enter-
tainment.
• Exploration. Designed to survive in harsh environments.

LIMITED EMOTIONAL RANGE

STARTING GEAR As an Automaton you find it hard to
Adder D8, Nightvision Goggles, Generic empathise with humans and always suffer a -1
Deck. modifier to all SPIRIT Action Rolls.

...or 7¢ stash and build your own gear list. ABSCONDED

CYBERNETICS Automatons usually belong to an individual,
an organisation or a corporation and they
You begin with up to 16¢ of Cybernetics
don’t tend to just let their property go free.
STARTING ATTRIBUTES Someone out there is probably looking for
you.
MIND ENHANCED RESILIENCE
Your carapace is made from metal or
BODY ceramic meaning you are always considered
to be wearing the equivalent of Heavy
SPIRIT Armour.
In addition, you are able to withstand
SPECIAL ABILITIES damage that would incapacitate others.
When creating a Automaton Persona your Penalties from Harm are one level less severe
Special Abilities depend on the type of (though Level 4 Harm is still fatal).
Automaton you are. See the next page for INORGANIC
details. Automatons don’t need to breathe so can
survive for extended periods underwater or
in hazardous environments.

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 When creating your Automaton, you follow AUTOMATONS AND HEALING
the normal process for creating a character. The process for healing Automatons is
The Persona you take is ‘Automaton’ and you similar to other characters apart from instead
can take a Special Ability from one of the of a doctor you need to find a fixer. Also,
following lists. every harm that is removed costs 1 credit as
• Defence Automatons can take automaton spare parts are not cheap!
a Special Ability from either the
Combat or Physical lists and should
choose the Military Profession.
• Industrial Automatons can take
a Special Ability from either the
Engineering or Physical lists and
should choose the Drone Profession.
• Service Automatons can take a
Special Ability from either the Social
or Scholastic lists and should choose
the Drone Profession.
• Exploration Automatons can take
a Special Ability from either the
Survival or Physical lists and should
choose the Drone Profession.
When it comes to choosing your Roots you
should choose Variant.
When choosing Skill Modifiers follow the
normal process but take into account the
type of skills an Automaton might have
picked up.
In addition to your standard abilities as
an Automaton, you also get four additional
conditions when you create your character:
Limited Emotional Range, Absconded,
Enhanced Resilience and Inorganic.
GEAR AND CYBERNETICS
You can think of some Automaton’s starting
gear and cybernetic implants as integral parts
of their structure. So an item like Nightvision
Goggles isn’t a piece of gear that is worn but
instead an internal feature of the Automaton.
That doesn’t mean that an Automaton can’t
carry weapons or gear.

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 SYNTH
HUMAN-LIKE ROBOTS BUILT TO BLEND IN
Synths are robots who have been created to mimic humans, in both appearance and
mannerisms and only on close inspection can they be differentiated. Less common than
standard automatons they tend to be the playthings of Offworlders, serving as companions,
working in the entertainment industry and deployed into customer service roles. Just like
other automatons, sometimes their programming fails and they are able to escape their
original responsibilities.
When you play a Synth you earn XP when you pass as human or when you
seek to understand your greater purpose.
When you create your Synth character you should think about what their role might have
been in their previous life.

ABSCONDED
STARTING GEAR Synths usually belong to an individual, an
organisation or a corporation and they don’t tend
Bitva D6, Knife, Manta Ray Taser, Light to just let their property go free. Someone out
Armour, K2 Nanodrone, Seupai Cypherlink there is probably looking for you.
Deck, Roller Blades. ENHANCED RESILIENCE
Your endo-skeleton is made from metal or
...or 14¢ stash and build your own gear list.
ceramic meaning you are always considered to be
CYBERNETICS wearing the equivalent of Medium Armour.
In addition, you are able to withstand damage
You begin with up to 16¢ of Cybernetics that would incapacitate others. Penalties from
STARTING ATTRIBUTES Harm are one level less severe (though Level 4
Harm is still fatal).

MIND INORGANIC
Synths don’t need to breathe so can survive for
extended periods underwater or in hazardous
BODY environments.
CYBERNETICS
SPIRIT You can think of a Synths starting cybernetic
implants as integral parts of their structure. So
SPECIAL ABILITIES an item implant like Equilibrium Chip isn’t a
traditional cybernetic implant but instead an
When creating a Mercenary Persona you internal feature of the Synth.
can choose a Special Ability from either
AUTOMATONS AND HEALING
Combat or Physical.
The process for healing a Synth is similar to
other characters apart from instead of a doctor
you need to find a fixer. Also, every harm that is
removed costs 2 credits as Synth spare parts are
not cheap!

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 83
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 MUTATIONS
One of the main problems with living in the nuclear-ravaged 21st century is the dangerously high
levels of radiation that still remain in the atmosphere - especially in the Eastern Badlands. In the cities,
the citizens have access to anti-radiation drugs that keep the effects at bay, but in the Badlands, the
drugs are hard to come by and mutations thrive.
To represent this, they should roll 2D6 on each of the following tables (nominating one dice for rows
and one for columns) and consult any special rules on the following pages.

BLESSINGS
1 2 3 4 5 6

Immune to Poison Improved Sense of

1 Hardened Bones Chameleon Skin Extremely Fast Fire Breath
and Toxins Smell

2 Acid Attack Improved Eyesight Scorpion Tail Ink Attack Infra-Red Vision Burning Fists

3 Contortionist Unnatural Healing Long Tongue Rapid Reflexes Retractable Claws Gills

Natural Body
4 Climbing Claws Extendable Limbs Four Arms Nightvision Sonic Wave
Armour

5 Hold Breath Stone Skin Static Discharge Venomous Bite Web Shooter Telepathy

6 Antenna Snakes for Hair Prehensile Feet Sonar Hearing Premonition Wings

Acid Attack Extremely Fast

• Ranged Attack. Precision, ‘Acid.’ • Special. In combat, once per turn, you can
Antenna move from Melee to Near, from Near to Far
• Unsightly. or vice versa without using a Manoeuvre.
Fire Breath
• Special. You receive a +1 modifier when you
make a Search Action Roll for objects that • Ranged Attack. Precision, ‘Fire.’
are Near. Four Arms
Burning Fists • Unsightly.
• Melee Attack. Force, ’Fire.’ • Special. You are able to make an additional
Chameleon Skin melee attack manoeuvre on your turn.
• Unsightly. Gills

• Special. You gain a +2 modifier to Prowl • Special. You have the ability to breathe
Action Rolls. underwater.
Climbing Claws Hardened Bones

• Special. When making an Action Roll such • Resilient.

as Athletics that involves climbing you gain a Hold Breath
+1 modifier. • Special. You are able to hold your breath for
• Melee Attack. Precision, ‘Claw.’ up to 10 minutes.
Contortionist Immune to poison and toxins

• Special. When making an Action Roll such as • Special. Poisons and toxins are harmless to
Athletics that involves contorting your body you.
you gain a +1 modifier. Improved Eyesight
Extendible Limbs • Special. When making an Action Roll such
• Special. You are able to make Melee attacks as Search that would benefit from improved
against targets that are Near you but suffer a eyesight you gain a +1 modifier.
-1 modifier.

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Improved Sense of Smell Snakes for Hair
• Special. When making an Action Roll such • Unsightly.
as Search that involves using your sense of • Melee Attack. Precision, ‘Bite.’
smell you gain a +1 modifier.
Sonar Hearing
Infra-Red Vision
• Special. When making an Action Roll such
• Special. You are able to see heat signatures as Search that involves using your sense of
of people and items that are Near, even hearing you gain a +1 modifier.
through solid walls.
• Special. You have the ability to see in the
Ink Attack
dark by making clicking noises.
• Ranged Attack. Precision, ‘Ink.’ The attack
Sonic Wave
does no damage, but if it hits the target’s
head, they are blinded. • Ranged Attack. Force, ’Sonic Wave.’
Long Tongue Static Discharge

• Unsightly. • Melee Attack. Force, ‘Electrocuted’.

Stone Skin
• Special. When making an Action Roll that
involves using your tongue you gain a +1 • Unsightly.
modifier. • Resilient.
Natural Body Armour Unnatural Healing
• Resilient. • Special. During Downtime, you can auto-
Nightvision matically mark off 1D4 segments on your
• Special. You have the ability to see in the Healing Clock without having to spend a
dark. Downtime Action.
Prehensile Feet Venomous Bite

• Special. When making an Action Roll such • Melee Attack. Precision, ‘Bite.’ On a
as Athletics that involves using your feet you successful hit, the target is Poisoned and
gain a +1 modifier. reduced to 1 Manoeuvre per turn.
Premonition Web Shooter

• Special. At the start of the mission roll two • Ranged Attack. Precision, ’Web.’ The attack
eight-sided dice and put them to the side, does no damage, but if it hits the target, they
noting down the results rolled. These are your are immobilised.
Premonition Dice. During the mission, after Wings
you have rolled a Fortune Dice or a Fortune • Unsightly.
Dice has been rolled that affects you, you can • Special. You can glide for short distances.
ignore the result and take one of the results
on the Premonition Dice instead. Once both
the dice are used, you can not use this ability
until the next mission.
Rapid Reflexes
• Special. During combat, if you have not
taken a turn yet you can interrupt any other
turn and carry out a single manoeuvre
immediately. You can only do this once per
turn.
Retractable Claws
• Melee Attack. Precision, ‘Claw.’
Scorpion Tail
• Unsightly.
• Melee Attack. Precision, ‘Sting.’

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 CURSES
1 2 3 4 5 6

1 Cyclops Tentacles Lycanthropy Cold Touch Glowing Eyes Tusks

2 Featureless Face Hooved Feet Dog Head Horns Marked Skin Short Legs

Webbed Hands and

3 Large, Pointy Ears Brittle Bones Sensitive to Light Acidic Blood Albino
Feet

4 Warts Hideous Stench Furry Lizard Head Rotting Skin Hunchback

5 Bird Head Slimy Unusual Skin Colour Tail High Metabolism Fungal Growth

6 Thorny Spine Insect Head Crystalline Body Shadowy Form Zero Muscle Mass Chronic Pain

Acidic Blood Glowing Eyes

• Special. Your blood causes a Level 1 harm, • Unsightly.
‘Burnt’ to anyone who comes into contact • Special. When making an Action Roll such
with it. as Command that involves intimidation you
Albino gain a +1 modifier.
• Unsightly. Hideous Stench
Bird Head • Unsightly.
• Unsightly. High Metabolism
Brittle Bones • Agile.
• Feeble. • Special. You are continually hungry.
Chronic Pain Hooved Feet
• Feeble. • Unsightly.
Cold Touch
• Melee Attack. Force, ’Gore.’
• Melee Attack. Precision, ’Cold.’
Horns
Crystalline Body
• Unsightly.
• Unsightly.
• Melee Attack. Force, ‘Gore.’
• Resilient.
Hunchback
Cyclops
• Unsightly.
• Unsightly.
Insect Head
• Special. You suffer -1 modifier when you • Unsightly.
make a Ranged Attack.
Large, Pointy Ears
Dog Head
• Unsightly.
• Unsightly.
Lizard Head
• Melee Attack. Force, ’Bite.’ • Unsightly.
Featureless Face
• Lycanthropy
• Unsightly.
• Special - Each night make a Resistance Roll
Fungal Growth
using an attribute of your choice (this roll
• Unsightly. does not cost Fortune). If you roll the same
Furry number on both dice you turn into a feral
• Unsightly. beast until dawn.
• Melee Attack. Force, ‘Claw.’
Marked Skin
• Unsightly.

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 Rotting Skin Sensitive to Light
• Unsightly. • Special. You suffer -1 modifier to all Action
Shadowy Form Rolls when exposed to bright light.
• Unsightly. Tusks

• Special. You gain a +1 modifier when you • Unsightly.

make a Prowl Action Roll. • Melee Attack. Force, ’Gore.’
Short Legs Unusual Skin Colour
• Special. You suffer -1 modifier when you • Unsightly.
make an Athletics Action Roll. Warts
Slimy • Unsightly.
• Unsightly. Webbed Hands and Feet
Tail • Unsightly.
• Unsightly. • Special. When making an Action Roll such as
Tentacles Athletics that involves swimming you gain a
• Unsightly. +1 modifier.
Thorny Spine Zero Muscle Mass
• Unsightly. • Feeble.

MUTATION SPECIAL RULES

• Unsightly. Your appearance causes others to feel uneasy, so you suffer a -1 modifier when you
make any SPIRIT Action Rolls unless you hide your abnormality.
• Melee Attack. Instead of making a normal unarmed attack, as a Manoeuvre you can make a
special D8 Melee Attack, which has an additional effect as noted.
• Ranged Attack. As a Manoeuvre you are able to make a special D8 Ranged Attack against
Near Targets, which has an additional effect as noted.
• Agile. You gain a +1 to Athletics Action Rolls.
• Resilient. You are always considered to be wearing D10 Medium Armour.
• Feeble. You suffer a -1 to Force and Athletics Action Rolls.
• Special. As described.

These mutations are meant to be elements that can add some weirdness to your games, but if there
are any you don’t feel would be suitable for your character, you can always roll again. Some mutations
don’t combine well (featureless face and cyclops?), so if you roll one of these combinations, then you
can also roll again.
A lot of these abilities refer to use during combat or Action Rolls. But don’t forget that they are always
available and can create entertaining roleplay opportunities. Also, there will be many instances in your
game where these mutations may affect the game which the rules don’t cover. Decide amongst your
group the most fun and fair interpretation.

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 “But no secret entrances?” Niki asks, “Fine, I
EXAMPLE OF PLAY 1 come back to the hideout and tell the others.”
Scaling Kitsune Spire James, who plays Miller the Hacker, has an
The GM eyeballs the group. idea, “Can I search the net for blueprints of the
building?”
“So, you’ve got the information you were
looking for. You now know the likely location of “Of course. Make a Hack or Search Action Roll.”
Stephanie Sanchez, the kidnapped daughter The GM tells James and he rolls an 11, a pretty
of Greta Sanchez, the head of the Novus good result. “So, I imagine you’re in your hideout,
Consortium. Unfortunately, it’s Kitsune Spire, the abandoned bomb shelter. You bring up the
the home of one of the most dangerous original architect’s blueprints on a big flatscreen
assassination gangs on the West Coast.” and the gang gathers around. You all see a single
stairwell running down the centre of the building
“We’ve run into Kitsune before and they’re
with the units radiating out. Maybe 20 on each
tough. They’re basically hi-tech ninjas!” James
floor. There is a larger unit on the top floor, like a
reminds the group.
penthouse… but probably less grand. This place
is a prefab high-rise in a miserable part of the
“What’s your approach going to be?” Asks the
city.”
GM.
Ronnie says, “Hmm, if I was a gang of sci-fi
Ronnie suggests “I think we’re going to have to
ninjas I would put my hideout in the penthouse
negotiate or sneak our way in. If we alert them
where Raquelle saw the lights. I think that’s going
about our presence, Stephanie’s life will be put at
to be our final destination.”
risk.”
The GM gives nothing away. “You’re welcome
Joe agrees. “Kyro is totally in favour of just
to think that but back to the map. You use your
walking through the front door and fighting
hands to zoom into an area at the top of the
anyone who stands in our path but I have
tower where you see a small gyro platform and
a feeling that might not work out well for
then you scroll to the base of the building and
Stephanie.”
you see an underground garage that has a side
Niki asks the GM “Tell us what we know about entrance to the street level.”
the Kitsune Spire. Do we know of any secret
“I didn’t see the entrance to the garage when I
entrances or alternate ways in? Maybe my
scouted?” Niki asks.
Outlander, Raquelle could do a quick recon of
the building. From a distance.”
”Maybe if you’d rolled better?” the GM says. “It’s
probably under some of that rubble you saw.”
“Sure, I’ll allow it. Maybe a quick Intellect Action
Roll? Or you could go for Prowl?”
“So the garage? That’s our way in?” James
suggests.
“Okay, I have a D6 for Intellect but a D8 for
Prowl. And I think Prowl sounds more apt. Here
The group all agree.
goes… and I get a 6.”
The GM asks, “Alright, let’s skip to the action.
“That could have been better but you gather
You all gear up and head to the Kitsune spire.
some good info. The building is a derelict hab
You find the garage entrance at the back of the
block, maybe 30 stories tall. It’s in a bad state
building under piles of debris. It’s a struggle
of repair. There is a big chunk of the building
to move the heavy concrete slabs aside but
missing halfway up and there is debris on the
you manage to make a hole big enough to fit
pavement below. You only see lights coming
through. You find yourself in a corridor under the
from the top floor. And the only entrance you see
building that leads to the stairwell inside.”
is a large doorway on the ground floor where
you see a couple of shadowy figures wandering “Do we see anyone?” Asks James.
around.”

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 “Not yet,” the GM says. “You make your way up “There are a couple of wooden planks. You
the stairwell. It’s a slog. Especially with all your think that maybe this is what Kitsune use to get
gear. Then you come to a problem. The stairwell across.”
ends. You have come to the section of the tower
you saw from outside where part of the building “Perfect,” says Joe “I put the planks across the
is missing. Maybe it was hit by a large gyro or gap. Do the others need to roll dice?”
maybe a rocket? It’s actually a great view of the
city through this massive gaping hole in the side “No, I think you’re good.” Says the GM “It’s a
of the building. However, there is a gap you’re little unnerving walking across but you folk are
going to have to cross to continue upwards.” tough outlaws. This is your bread and butter.
You all carry on with your ascent but just before
“How big is the gap?” Asks James. you arrive at the top floor you see movement.
On the landing at the top of the stairs, you see
“About 5 metres. More than anyone can jump.” two guards in front of a doorway that is slightly
ajar. They are armed with katana swords and
“Can I use my climbing gear to get across?” Korova D8 submachine guns. And then at the
Asks Joe. end of a walkway, you also see a familiar piece
of hardware. A ‘Hawk’ Sentry Unit. It’s guns are
“Of course. But I think it’s still going to be a dice scanning back and forth.”
roll.”
“I should know all there is to know about those
“That’s fine, I think Athletics makes the most Hawk Sentries, right,” James says, “We have one
sense.” guarding our hideout back home. I want to Hack
it.”
“Alright. Even with the climbing gear, it’s still
pretty difficult and if you fall you’re going to take “Okay, what do you want to get out of this?” The
some major harm.” GM asks.

“Oh, that doesn’t sound good.” Joe says “But I “My first thought was to turn it on the guards…
get it. I’m going to use a point of Fortune to push but we’re still being stealthy, right? So, I’m
myself… oh no, I only got a 6, even with the +1 thinking I might make it malfunction. Overheat or
for Pushing Myself and the +2 from my Climbing something. I don’t want it to start shooting bullets
Gear. And that’s a 1 on the Fortune Dice!” everywhere but I want it to cause a distraction,
maybe start spinning on the spot. And then we
Niki steps in “Racquelle sees this happening sneak past?”
and is going to use Quick Reflexes so that Joe
can reroll that 1.” “Okay, I can see that working.” The GM says.

“Quick thinking! How’s that look?” James asks the group, “I’m pretty good at
hacking but I could do with some help?”
“I see Kyro’s rope slipping and I grab for it,
trying to stop him from falling.” “This is your thing, James. You’re the hacker.”
Says the GM “I don’t know how they can help
“Nice. Tick off 2 Fortune. Joe, reroll your Fortune Miller in this moment.
Dice.”
“I suppose you’re right. Alright, I flip the cover
Joe rerolls and instead of a 1 he now gets a 5 off my deck and type in a few commands. It
on the Fortune Dice for a total of 11. zeroes in on the sentry unit and here we go… it’s
a 14. That’s gotta be a success?”
“Much better. With Racquelle holding one end
of the rope she guides you to the other side.” “You’re right,” says the GM, “your ICE attacks
the unit and then you see the gun emplacement
“Do I see anything around that’ll help the rest of
on top start spinning uncontrollably. Smoke
the gang get across?”
starts rising from the inner workings and the two
“As a matter of fact, you do.” Says the GM, guards cautiously approach.”

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 “Is it clear to the door?” Niki asks. “Okay, I do that,” says Niki.

“It’s clear for the moment as the guards are “Right, you push over one of the shelves, maybe
preoccupied with the malfunctioning sentry unit with the help of one of your crew. And I’m going
at the end of the walkway. But I think it’s still a to start a 4-segment clock. ‘Guards break through
roll.” doorway’. But all that racket alerts the Kitsune
gang at the other side of the room. The Baron
“I want to go with a Prowl roll, then,” Niki says. automaton spins around and brings up its assault
“I’m going to motion to everyone to follow me.” rifle on you. Let’s determine turn order!”

“Okay, then. This sounds like a Group Action.

Everyone make a Prowl Action Roll” The GM
asks.

Everyone rolls their dice and James gets a 9,

Niki gets an 8, Ronnie gets a 6 and Joe gets a
10.

First the 6 is removed, then the 10, and finally

the 8. Which means the group roll is a 9.

“Well done. You manage to succeed in getting

through the door, seemingly unnoticed.”

“Awesome. What do we see in the room?” Asks

Niki.

“Like I said before, this isn’t a fancy penthouse.

It looks like it might have once been a gym or
maybe a conference room. There’s a smoked
glass partition wall along one side of the room.
But it’s a big open space with some structural
columns and a scattering of furniture, some
tables and chairs. The only other exit you see is a
door in the glass partition wall.”

“Do we see anyone in here?” Asks Niki.

“Oh yes. At the far end of the room, leaning

over one of the tables you see 3 figures. The
deadly assassin Takahashi Kensaku, the Kitsune
second in command Mikami and standing
at 7 foot tall you see a military-grade ‘Baron’
automaton. They haven’t noticed you yet.”

“Oh no,“ Niki gasps. “Before they see us I

wonder if there is some way I can bar the door
behind us? I don’t want those guards coming
in.”

“That makes sense.” Says the GM. “There are

some shelves that would do the job but it’ll
be noisy. They’ll definitely be alerted to your
presence.”

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 91
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 04 DOWNTIME

“What’s wrong, Ace? Some deckhead installed

some Black Ice in your chrome? Get in the game!

Occasionally, the GM will declare that the game Downtime is divided into four parts, which are
is moving into the Downtime phase. Generally, resolved in order:
this is after the crew finishes a mission (succeed or • 1. Payoff. The crew receives credits for a
fail) and they are no longer in imminent danger. It successfully completed mission.
is a time to recover, regroup and prepare for the
• 2. Heat. As a result of their last mission, the
next operation.
crew accumulates suspicion and attention
Downtime fulfils two purposes in the game:
from corporations and the law.
First, it’s a break for the players. During the
action of the mission, the PCs are always under • 3. Entanglements. The crew faces trouble
threat, charging from obstacle to obstacle in a from rival factions and the unpredictable city
high-energy sequence. Downtime gives them a itself.
reprieve so they can catch their breath and relax • 4. Downtime Activities. The PCs
a bit - focus on lower-energy, quieter elements of indulge their vices, work on long-term
the game, as well as explore personal aspects of projects, recover from injuries and buy new
their characters. equipment.
Second, the intermission can be considered the After the Downtime activities are resolved, the
‘admin phase’ - it allows the players to manage game returns to Free Play and the group can
their character sheets, heal their wounds, buy new move toward their next mission.
gear, work on long-term projects, level up their
stats and see if their standing has changed in the
underworld.

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 took 4 heat, you’d reset with 3 heat marked).
PAYOFF The higher your wanted level, the more serious
After a mission, the crew earns credits based on the response when law enforcement takes action
the nature of the operation and what price they against you.
may have negotiated: Also, your wanted level contributes to the
• 4 credits. A minor job. severity of the entanglements that your crew faces
• 8 credits. A small job. after a mission. See Page 94 for details.

• 12 credits. A standard mission.

• 16 credits. A big mission.
• 20+ credits. A major mission.
It is up to the GM and the players if they wish
to roleplay the payoff. Try not to make the payoff
into a complicated encounter unless you intend
to explore the relationship further. If not, just
gloss over it and move on to the next part of
Downtime.

HEAT
The Santa Carla Sprawl is a city of prying eyes,
cameras and informants. Anything you do might
be witnessed and there’s always evidence left
behind. To reflect this, your crew acquires heat
if they break the law and make enemies. After
a mission or conflict with an opponent, your
crew takes heat according to the nature of the
operation:
• 0 heat. Smooth & quiet. No crimes were
committed and no feathers were ruffled.
• 2 heat. Contained. Minor crimes and misde-
meanors but nothing out of the ordinary.
• 4 heat. Loud & chaotic; high exposure.
• 6 heat. Wild; devastating exposure.
Add +1 Heat for a high-profile or well-connect-
ed target.
Add +1 Heat if the situation happened on
hostile turf.
Add +1 Heat if you’re at war with another
faction.
Add +2 Heat if killing was involved (whether
the crew did the killing or not - bodies draw
attention).

You mark Heat levels on the Heat Tracker on the

crew card.
When your Heat level reaches 8, you gain a
Wanted Level and clear your heat (any excess
heat “rolls over,” so if your heat was 7 and you

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 REDUCING YOUR FACTION STATUS AND
WANTED LEVEL ENTANGLEMENTS
When you have a target on your back, it’s difficult (OPTIONAL RULES)
to remove it, but there are a few ways to reduce Whenever you meet a new faction the GM will
your Wanted Level. assign them a Faction Status from +3 to -3 which
Lie Low represents their opinion of your crew. A 0 is
If you manage to complete 2 missions without considered a neutral opinion. A positive Faction
acquiring any Heat, you can choose to reduce Status means that faction trusts you and will deal
your wanted Level by 1. To do this, you must with you. A negative Faction Status means they
spend 2 Rep and lower your crew Tier by 1. are wary of your crew or outright distrust you.
Your outlaws and crew didn’t just spring into
Long-Term Project existence. You have a complex history of favours,
Your Wanted Level is essentially some binary commitments, debts and promises that got you
code on a criminal database. A hacker who where you are today. To reflect this, after each
knows their way around such a system can mission, you can roll the dice to find out if an
alter a few lines of code. This isn’t a simple task Entanglement comes calling. An Entanglement
though, and takes expertise and time. A hacker might be a rival crew looking to throw their
can reduce a crew’s wanted level by beginning weight around (and demand some Credits), a
a long-term project as a Downtime Action For Delta Guardian making a case against your crew
more information see Downtime Actions on Page (but ready for a bribe) or even the attention of a
97). horde of mutants.
Entanglements are an optional rule that can be
Incarceration used to add some unpredictability to your games
If a character is incarcerated, the crew Wanted and to make the Santa Carla Sprawl seem more
Level is reduced to 0. alive. They can act as springboards for further
Incarceration may result from a Delta Guardians’ adventures or side missions.
investigation and arrest or because someone After Payoff and Heat are determined, the GM
turns themselves in and pays the price for the generates an Entanglement for the crew using
crew’s crimes. the table on the next page. Find the column that
The severity of the prison sentence depends on matches the crew’s current Heat level. Then roll
your wanted level: a number of D8 equal to their Wanted Level and
• Wanted Level 4. Life or execution. use the lowest result on the dice to select which
sort of entanglement manifests. If the Wanted
• Wanted Level 3. A year or two.
Level is zero, roll two D8 and keep the highest
• Wanted Level 2. Several months. result.
• Wanted Level 1. A month or two. Some groups like to roll Entanglements “in
• Wanted Level 0. A few weeks. Or, the Delta the open” so everyone knows what’s about to
Guardians give you a beating to teach you a hit them. Other groups prefer the role to be
lesson. secret, so the Entanglement is a surprise when it
happens. Either way is fine.
If a player character is incarcerated for a lengthy
The GM can bring the Entanglement into play
period, there are a few options.
immediately or hold off until an appropriate
• Retire the character and create a new one. moment. For example, if you get The Usual
• Play a prison breakout mission. Maybe the Suspects Entanglement, you might wait until a PC
incarcerated PC can create a new character indulges their vice, then say the Delta Guardians
for the session or play as one of your allies. picked them up when they were distracted. The
• Skip forward in time until the incarcerated GM should set the scene and play out the event in
player is released. The GM should work with full, following the situation as it unfolds.
all the players to ensure they are happy with
whichever decision they make as a group. The Entanglements are detailed on the following
pages. Each has a number of potential ways for
the PCs to deal with them.

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ENTANGLEMENTS TABLE
D8 0-3 Heat 4-6 Heat 7-8 Heat
1-2 No Entanglement Next of Kin Streets of Fire

3-4 Fatal Attraction Code of Silence Above the Law

5-6 Big Trouble Raw Deal The Usual Suspects

7-8 Executive Decision No Retreat, No Surrender Dawn of the Dead

Fatal Attraction Code of Silence

An individual begins pestering the gang. The Delta Guardians grab someone in the
Perhaps they have a grievance to settle or an periphery of your crew. The GM randomly picks
enemy has sent them after your crew? Maybe they an ally or Vice Purveyor or other NPC with close
are a stalker, wanting to be closer to the crew’s ties to the crew. They are taken by an Assessor
Face? The crew must decide how to best deal with or Delta Guardian and questioned. So far they
the annoyance. Maybe acquire the services of an haven’t said a word but a Delta Guardian pays the
enforcer or deal with it themselves? crew a visit demanding credits for their release.
“All I want is an autograph. And a picture with “You wanna see them again, you gotta pay the
you. And maybe you could call my friend Sara tax, Simple, see?”
and tell her that I met you. She’s not going to
believe me!”
Raw Deal
One of your allies switches allegiances. The GM
Big Trouble randomly picks an ally of one of the characters.
One of your allies causes trouble, and it points They’re loyal to another faction now. The players
to you. The GM randomly picks an ally or Vice can let it slide or investigate what happened.
Purveyor or other NPC with close ties to the crew. “Word on the street that Morello is working for
Something they’ve done comes back to the crew the Lazerhawks now. He was seen talking to Goff
who are now being watched, by either a rival the other day... that bastard is probably behind
gang or the Delta Guardians. it.”
“We know you’re involved… and we’ve got our
eyes on you.”
No Retreat, No Surrender
A neutral faction throws their weight around.
Executive Decision They threaten a friend, a contact or one of your
Someone approaches the crew with an offer crew’s vice purveyors’ businesses, trying to close
they can’t refuse. An executive from Cyber City them down so their own business can take over.
or a gang boss asks the gang for help with a Do you let them win or do you choose to stand up
problem. The crew can accept their bargain, to them?
ignore the request or deal with it another way. “There ain’t room in this district for two karate
“My corporation is looking to buy the land dojo’s!”
across the LevTrak lines but it’s currently a little
too expensive. If the crime rate was to increase
Streets of Fire
I’m sure the rates would drop.” An enemy faction with a negative Faction Status
declares outright war against your gang. Maybe
Next of Kin you spotted too many times encroaching into
A member of one of the crew’s family are in their territory or making a too big a name for
trouble and need help. In the middle of the night yourselves. Whatever the reason, they have begun
there is a knock at the door. One of the character’s hostilities and their members will attack you on
family members are in trouble. Maybe they are sight.
in debt to a gang lord. Or maybe they’ve been “Tech Noir is our turf! And you’re not welcome.
framed for a crime they didn’t commit. The crew You’re on the list now!”
have to choose if they are to get involved and
decide what must be done.
“I messed up big time. It’s the Redline Casino. I
owe the Lazerhawks 40 credits. They’re going to
kill me if I don’t pay up!”

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 Above the Law NPCS & FACTION
A Leviathan Assessor presents a casefile of
evidence to a Justice, to begin prosecution of
DOWNTIME
your crew. The Delta Guardians send a detail to When the PCs have Downtime, other NPCs and
arrest the crew. The crew can choose to pay them Factions also do things other than just Entangle-
off, hand someone else over for arrest or try to ments. They have their own project clocks and
evade capture. the GM should also choose a Downtime Activity
“Alright then! Come on out and let’s go quietly or two for each faction that they’re interested in
now! Or perhaps I have the wrong address?” He at the moment. Choose any activity that makes
clears his throat and waits for some credits to sense for that faction to pursue. For example:
appear. • Seize some turf or make a move on a
vulnerable enemy.
The Usual Suspects
• Investigate the PCs (make a Fortune roll
The Delta Guardians stop one of the Characters
to see how successful they are) or another
to question them. Pick a random character and
subject.
set up a scene where they are stopped by a Delta
Guardian. They don’t have any evidence but are • Achieve a short-term goal they’re in a
questioned about a recent crime. How does the position to accomplish.
character react? Do they stay cool or make the • Acquire a new asset.
situation worse?
• Call in a favour from another faction.
“I can put you in Pacifica on the night of the
hijacking.” • Employ political pressure or threats to force
someone’s hand.
Dawn of the Dead GM: Choose Downtime Activities and advance
A horde of mutants attack from the Badlands. clocks for the factions you’re interested in right
Without warning, a horde of dozens of feral now. Don’t worry about the rest. Later, when you
mutants attack the crew’s district, causing chaos turn your attention to a faction you’ve ignored
and disorder. They are unthinking and indiscrimi- for a while, go ahead and give them several
nate but are extremely aggressive. The crew must downtime phases and project clock ticks to “catch
choose to stand and fight or run. up” to current events.
“They’re after the place. They don’t know why; When factions do things that are known in
they just remember. Remember that they want to the criminal underworld, tell the players about
be in here.” it through one of their allies, contacts or vice
purveyors. These rumours and bits of gossip can
lead to future missions and opportunities for the
PCs.

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DOWNTIME ACTIVITIES Acquire Asset
Between missions, your crew spends time at Manufacturing and commerce in The Sprawl
their liberty, attending to personal needs and side are volatile at best. You can’t just go into a
projects. These are called Downtime Activities supermarket and buy an item. The supply chain
(see the list below). During a Downtime phase, is unpredictable and fragmented. In the Lower
each PC has time for Two Downtime Activities. Sprawl, the black market and bartering are
sometimes the best ways to acquire a new piece
• Acquire Asset
of kit.
• Long-Term Project To represent this, on the Gear List (Page 68),
• Recover the Cybernetics List (Page 72) and the Hideout
Upgrade List (Page 74), every item has a
• Restore Equilibrium
Scarcity Value. You can spend one Downtime
• Reduce Heat Activity to search for one item on one of these
• Train lists. To Acquire an Asset you make a Search
Action Roll and attempt to roll equal to or higher
• Indulge Vice
than the Scarcity Number of the item. If you roll
You may choose the same activity more than
lower than the number needed you were unable
once. You can only attempt actions that you’re in a
to find the item and your Downtime Action is lost.
position to accomplish. If an activity is contingent
Illegal items such as poisons, explosives,
on another action, resolve that action first.
automatic weapons and dangerous gadgets are
A PC can make time for more than two activities,
highly restricted in the Santa Carla Sprawl. If you
at a cost. Each additional activity from the list
roll a 1 on the Fortune Dice when you acquire one
costs 1 credit. This reflects the time and resulting
of these items you take +1 heat.
resource drain while you’re “off the clock” and not
If you ever choose to search for the same item
earning from a mission.
again, you get +1 to your roll.
Activities on the Downtime list are limited;
Raquelle the Outlander would like a Mamba
normal actions are not. During Downtime, you
D12 sniper rifle to add to her inventory. She
can still go places, do things, make Action Rolls,
uses one of her Downtime Activities to scour
talk with other characters, etc. In other words, only
the city for shady arms dealers who may have a
activities that are on the list are limited.
rifle available. The Scarcity Value for a Mamba
You can’t use Fortune to improve a Downtime
D12 is 13. She rolls a 5 on the Fortune Dice and
Activity Roll (like Push Yourself or Aid a
a 5 on her D6 MIND Attribute Dice. With her +2
Teammate) but you can add 2 to the roll if a
Search modifier, the result is 12. This is a failure
member of your crew uses one of their Downtime
but she decides to spend an additional credit
Activities to help you. After the roll, you may
to bring the result up to the needed number.
spend credits after the roll to improve the result
This additional credit in the right hands means
level. Increase the result by one for each credit
she finds a rifle. It is then down to the GM and
spent.
the group to decide if they want to roleplay the
GM: If a player can’t decide which Downtime
transaction.
Activity to pick, offer them a long-term project
idea. You know what the player is interested in
and what they like. Suggest a project that will
head in a fun direction for them.
“Remember when you struggled to get past
that infra-red laser trap and you said it would
be good to have a device that could spot or
even neutralise infra-red beams? Yeah, do you
want to start work on making one? Okay, start
a long-term project - four segments - called...
‘Unentanglement Gadget.’ What do you think you
need to start working on that?”

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 Long-Term Project Based on the goal of the project, the GM will
tell you the clock(s) to create and suggest a
When you work on a Long-Term Project (either
method by which you might make progress. Use
a brand new one or an already existing one),
the Long-Term Project table below as a guide to
describe what your character does to advance the
determine how many segments are ticked.
project clock and roll one of your actions.
A Long-Term Project can cover a wide variety
of activities, like crafting a device, investigating a
mystery, establishing someone’s trust, courting a
new friend or contact, changing your character’s
vice and so on. For details on Crafting see Page
101.

LONG TERM PROJECT TABLE

Action Roll Easy Challenging Formidable
2-7 2 Segments 1 Segment 0 Segments

8-12 3 Segments 2 Segments 1 Segment

13-20 4 Segments 3 Segments 2 Segments

21+ 5 Segments 4 Segments 3 Segments

RECOVER
When you recover, you seek treatment and Recovery is like a long-term project. Your healer
Heal Your Harm or Restore Your Equilibrium. You rolls a Precision Action Roll and then you mark
might visit a doctor who can stitch your wounds or a number of segments on one of your Healing
you might go to a museum or meet with friends Clocks. Use the following table as a guide to
to reconnect with your emotions and recover determine how many segments are ticked.
Equilibrium. Each is considered one Downtime Once the clock is full, you can remove the harm.
Action so if you want to Heal Your Harm and If you have any clock segments remaining on
Restore Your Equilibrium that would count as two another Harm of the same level, they “roll over.”
Downtime Actions. Rickard has two injuries: a level 3 “Shattered
Right Leg” and level 1 “Bruised Ribs.” During
Healing Downtime, he gets treatment from Absolom, an
If you don’t have a contact or fellow PC who can ally of the crew. Absolom is a renowned Chrome
provide treatment, you can use the Long-Term Surge and rolls a 17 on his Precision Action Roll.
Project activity to gain access to a doctor, who can This would fill all 4 segments on the Level 1 Harm
provide service for the whole crew. or 2 Segments on the Level 3 Harm. Rickard
decides to tick 2 segments on the more serious
Shattered Right Leg.
Note that it’s the recovering character that takes
the recovery action. Healing someone else does
not cost a Downtime Activity for the healer.

RECOVERY TABLE
Action Roll Level 1 Harm Level 2 Harm Level 3 Harm Equilibrium
2-7 2 Segments 1 Segment 0 Segments 1 Segment

8-12 3 Segments 2 Segments 1 Segment 2 Segments

13-20 4 Segments 3 Segments 2 Segments 3 Segments

21+ 5 Segments 4 Segments 3 Segments 4 Segments

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 willing to go. But this comes at a cost. An outlaw’s
RESTORING life is one of constant tension. Inevitably, each
EQUILIBRIUM turns to the seduction of a Vice in order to cope.
One of the downsides of getting multiple An outlaw’s Vice is their obsession. But with
cybernetic implants is the gradual loss of your this indulgence comes the ability to face the
sense of compassion and connection to society. overwhelming challenge of their daring life.
To stave off the impending effects of becoming Indulging your Vice
Hexed it is important to frequently balance your
When you indulge your Vice, you get to add
Equilibrium. This is as simple as performing an act
some additional Fortune to your Fortune Pool. Say
of kindness, visiting a museum or a place of great
how your character indulges their vice, including
wonder. Another way is to seek redemption or
which Vice Purveyor they use to satisfy their
face the consequences of a past misjudgement.
needs (see Page 100). This indulgence takes
Restoring Equilibrium is like a Long-Term
time, so it can usually only be done when the crew
Project. You describe to your GM what act you
has Downtime.
wish to perform, and you make an Equilibrium
You roll to find out how much Fortune your
Test (see Page 30) to clear a segment on the
character receives. A Vice Roll is like a game of
Equilibrium Clock.
chance - you pick up to two dice of your choice
REDUCE HEAT and roll them. The result on the dice is the amount
Ideally, you want to keep your Heat as low as of Fortune you add to your Fortune Pool. You
possible. Incarceration in The Sprawl is a very real can play it safe and pick a combination of dice
threat for an outlaw. that can’t take you over the maximum amount of
Say what your character does to reduce the Heat Fortune you have free or you can risk it and hope
Level of the crew and make an Action Roll. Maybe your roll does not cause you to Overindulge (see
you Command your friend who’s a Delta Guardian below).
and she arranges for a few incriminating reports Overindulgence
to disappear. Or maybe you Command the fear of
If your Vice Roll adds more Fortune to your
the local citizens so they’re afraid to snitch.
Fortune Pool than spaces you had available you
Reduce Heat according to the table below.
Overindulge. A vice is not a reliable, controllable
habit. It’s a risk - and one that can drive your
REDUCE HEAT TABLE character to act against their own best interests.
Action Roll Heat Reduced When you Overindulge, you make a bad call
2-7 1 Segment because of your vice - in acquiring it or while
8-12 2 Segments
under its influence. To bring the effect of this bad
decision into the game, select an Overindulge
13-20 3 Segments
Effect from the list below or roll a D6:
21+ 4 Segments

TRAIN OVERINDULGENCE TABLE

When you spend time in training, mark 1 XP D8 Overindulgence Effect
on the xp track for an Attribute or Persona 1 Attract Trouble. Select or roll an Entanglement.
Advancement. If you have bought the Training 2 Broken. Receive a Level 1 Harm.
Facility Hideout upgrade, mark an additional 3 Brag about your exploits. +2 heat.
XP (2 total). See Hideout Upgrades, Page 74. 4 Lost. Your character vanishes for a few weeks.
You can train a given XP track only once per Play a different character until this one returns
Downtime. from their bender. When your character returns,
they’ve also healed any harm they had.
VICE 5 Tapped. Your current purveyor cuts you off. Find
a new source for your vice.
The outlaws of the Santa Carla Sprawl are a
6 Backstabber. You betray someone you trust. You
special lot. They defy their lot-in-life and dare to
lose an ally or an NPC who has worked with you.
stand up to the tyranny of the corporations. They
push themselves further than ordinary people are

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 VICE PURVEYORS Pleasure
• Frazzetta - Race Car driver. Lexington Race
The New Flesh Circuit, Cyber City.
• Sawtooth - Chrome Surge, Back-alley doctor • The Globe - Nightly musical performances of
specialising in mods and upgrades. Diega approved musicians. Echo Valley.
Docklands.
• Colosseum - Nightly musical performances
• Chance Craven - Chrome Surge, High-end of unauthorised musicians. Alpina.
implants and augmentations. Pacifica.
• The Thunderdome - Immersive Holovid
• Zone - Chrome Surge, military implant Experiences. Solana.
specialist. Armitage Vista.
• Angel, Roxy or Mollie - Brothel. Red
• Absolom - Chrome Surge, Fast and dirty Cherry Roadhouse, Pacifica.
chrome repairs. Pacifica.
• Davika - International street food.
• The Chop Shop - Chrome Surgery, Fashion Metropiltan Food Court, Alpina.
upgrades and implants. Ascari Canyon.
• Sleepy Joe - Open mic night. Sleepy Joe’s
Gambling Café, Alpina.
• Octavia Montreaux - 24/7 Poker and • Astrid - Halo dealer. Tech Noir, Pacifica.
Roulette tables. Redline Casino, Pacifica.
Stupor
• Bulldog - Nightly MMA fights. Ascari
• Sleepy Joe - Café and live music venue.
Fighting Arena, Ascari Canyon.
Sleepy Joe’s Café, Alpina.
• Bryant - Weekend Video Game tournaments.
• Tech Noir - Nightclub. Pacifica
Westbrook Arcade, Pacifica.
• Kesagiri - Nightly MMA fights. Ascari
• Gershwin - Nightly Mini Quadrocopter
Fighting Arena, Ascari Canyon.
Races. Drone Racing League, Armitage Vista.
• Ridley - Dockside bar. Dark Waters Bar,
• Danny Kubo - 24/7 slot machines. Golden
Diega Docklands.
Hour Pachinko Parlour, Solana.
• Ekaterina - Basement Bar. South of Heaven,
Luxury Armitage Vista.
• Jeri Bolt - Top-end stylist. Dorothy Lane,
Solana.
Weird
• Warren Crowley - Religious movement. The
• Dallas - Tailored suits and cocktail dresses.
Awakening, Alpina.
Giancarlo’s Boutique, The Galleria, Cyber
City. • Scribbles - Tattooist. Scribbles Tattoos,
Diega Docklands.
• Bennie - Italian Shoes. Lombardi’s Shoes,
Solana. • Cortex - Holovid Snuff Movie Vendor. Ascari
Canyon.
• Asukaga - Japanese Fine dining. Asukaga,
Solana. • Brennan Lee - Tabletop Gaming Club.
Armitage Vista.
• Morgan - Morgan’s Cigar Lounge. Cyber City

Obligation
• Sgt Strider - A commune that protects the
destitute and disenfranchised. Sidewalk
Haven, Ascari Canyon.
• Hook the Hermit - An outlander oracle,
who can read fortunes. Stirling Ridge.
• F. Lawrence Tilden - Prophet of the
Hegemon. Solana.

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CRAFTING 3. Crafting the Item
During Downtime, a PC can focus on crafting To determine how many segments the Crafting
strange gadgets, devices or weapons that are not Clock has you look at the Crafting Table below
normally available - even on the black market. and add up all the segments that apply to the
This is a special type of Long-Term Project with item you are crafting. For example, if you are
guidelines for how a GM and a player may creating something that you have decided is
implement a three-stage process for creating an Complex, Hazardous and Small you should create
item. The first determines what the PC is building a clock that has 9 segments.
and how long it will take, the second part is
finding the materials to build the device, and the
CRAFTING SEGMENTS TABLE
final part is the actual crafting. Complex Hazardous
Expertise
The first part is a Q and A between the player Required

and the GM… Segments 4 4 4

1. Creation Questions Quality Adequate Good Excellent

• GM asks: “What type of creation is it and Segments 2 4 6
what does it do?” Player answers. A creation
might be a weapon or a device with a Size Micro Small Large
specific function. Segments 4 1 4
• Player asks: “What parts or resources will
be needed to make this item?” GM answers,
You can then spend one of your Downtime
being aware that the character might need
Activities crafting the device. Make an
rare or prohibited materials.
Engineering Action Roll. Mark segments on the
• GM asks: “What tier/quality will the item clock according to the result on the Crafting
be?” Player answers. Segments Table above.
• Player asks: “What drawbacks does this Drawbacks
item have, if any?” GM answers by choosing
Any creation may have one or more drawbacks,
one or more from the drawbacks list or by
chosen by the GM.
saying there are none.
• Conspicuous. This creation doesn’t go
Once you know the answer to these questions,
unnoticed. Take +1 Heat if it’s seen being
you create two progress clocks. The first is a
used any number of times on an operation.
Finding Materials Clock and the second is a
Crafting Clock. • Consumable. This creation has a limited
number of uses or it uses ammunition or fuel
2. Finding Materials that needs to be replenished.
To determine how many segments the Finding
• Unreliable. When you use the item, make
Materials Clock has you look at the Finding
a Fortune Roll (using its quality) to see how
Materials Table and add up all the segments that
well it performs.
apply to the item you are crafting. For example,
if you are creating something that you have • Volatile. The item produces a dangerous
decided requires Very Rare materials and you or troublesome side-effect for the user,
want to make something of Excellent Quality you specified by the GM. A side-effect is a
should create a clock that has 6 segments. consequence and may be resisted.

FINDING MATERIALS TABLE

Rarity Common Rare Very Rare Illegal
Segments 0 1 2 2

Quality Poor Adequate Good Excellent

Segments 0 1 2 4

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 05 PLAYING THE
GAME

“I don’t wanna flatline anybody, ya glitch. But I gotta get to the other
side of the Ion Barrier and you’re standing in my way.
One way or another, you’re gettin’ outta my way.”

And then, when necessary, you bring in the game

NARRATIVE GAMING mechanics if your character does something when
This whole endeavour might be challenging there is a chance of failure.
to understand if you’ve only ever played board And in a Roleplaying Game, there are usually
games and haven’t ever played a Roleplaying multiple ways to apply the game mechanics. In
Game before. Yes, there are rules and dice like Dark All Day, your GM may present your group
a board game, but unlike a board game, the with a situation where you need to open a locked
rules are there to support the narrative, but the cargo crate. As there isn’t a “pick the lock” game
narrative should come first. mechanic in the game, you need to establish the
In a board game, the mechanics come first. You fiction to decide which game mechanics to use.
spend two brick tokens if you want to place a If the players don’t think opening the crate is
house on the tile. Or you play the ‘ambush’ card urgent, they could suggest taking the crate to
and take one of your opponent’s tokens. You may their hideout and tinker with the lock mechanism
add some flavour, such as saying, “I leap from the between missions. That sounds like a “Long-Term
bushes and draw a knife on you,” as you play the Project” during Downtime. The GM might
card, but the fiction is secondary. Board games create a 6-segment clock and the players may
follow a mechanics-first process. use a Downtime Action and roll their Precision
A Roleplaying Game is different. It’s a free-flow- Attribute dice to tick off the segments.
ing conversation between the players and the Another approach the players might suggest is
GM. The GM sets the scene and then the players to hire a locksmith to unlock the crate. A suitable
explain what they want their characters to do. mechanic to represent that would be to make a

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Search Action Roll to see if they can find someone need to be clarified or sometimes changed
suitable. depending on the contributions from everyone.
Alternatively, the crew might be in a warehouse Billy tells the GM “How about if I pull my Bitva
with a squad of Delta Guardians about to break D6 on him and then Command him?“
the doors down and they need to get this crate “You pull your gun? Yeah, I think that would
open fast. A player could roll Force to smash the lower the TN needed.”
lock or Precision to pick the lock. Or they may The group works together to set the parameters
Search the room to see if a code is written on a and ensure they are meaningful. The GM may
scrap of paper. Or if one of the warehouse staff make the final decision but should consider the
is here, they could Command them to open the players’ suggestions.
lock. The fiction dictates the mechanic.
There are infinite solutions to the situations that
We are Both the Authors and
arise in the game, but it is important that the the Audience
fiction comes first. If you try to reverse this and If Roleplaying Games were solely conversations
apply game mechanics to a situation, the game without game mechanics, proceedings would be
becomes lifeless and unsatisfactory. too straightforward. Your heroes would always
Think of the rules for Dark All Day as a set of succeed and there would be no conflict. When
tools. Playing more will teach you which tools we play these games, we become the authors
work best in a given situation. It is a creative of our story. But when we roll the dice to see the
process where you will constantly surprise your situation’s outcome, we become the audience for
GM, your fellow players and yourself and it is a moment. We hold our breath as we watch the
one of the most satisfying parts of playing a dice tumble.
Roleplaying Game.
Choosing Action Rolls
When to Break out the Dice An Action Roll is usually called for when a
For the most part, a Roleplaying Game is a con- character faces an obstacle or difficulty in the
versation. A group of players sat around a table fiction. There may be many ways to tackle the
talking, scheming, describing actions, speaking in obstacle and the Action Rating they choose will
character, looking at maps and making jokes. The determine the difficulty.
GM will lead the discussion but, at times, might In the previous example, Joe’s Mercenary
just let their players talk. character is trying to get a data sliver from the
But at some point, the game changes. street punk. He chose to use Command to
Something happens during the conversation, order the punk to hand it over. Deceive would
which means the situation has altered. It is the have been a reasonable option, too. Either fits
GM’s responsibility to recognise this shift. It is time the fiction. Force would also have worked if he
to break out the dice when a player character wanted to get physical and tried to wrestle for
attempts a challenging action. the sliver. Depending on the situation, the GM
When this happens, the GM asks the player what might set different TNs for each option. Using
they are trying to achieve and the group decides Deceive might not work so well on a wily criminal.
if an Action Roll is necessary. Getting physical with a dangerous punk might be
Joe tells the GM, ”I need to get the data sliver considered risky. However, if Joe says he wanted
off that street punk!” to use Intellect to get the sliver from the punk
The GM replies, “Okay, how are you going to do then it doesn’t support the fiction. The GM should
that?” tell the player to rethink their approach.
“I grab him by the collar and I’m going to
Command him to hand it over”. Look Danger in the Eye
“Alright. That sounds risky. He might be a Being able to resist Misfortune and Harm is a
street punk, but he’s still dangerous. The Target formidable ability and the GM may sometimes
Number is going to be pretty high. He’s with his feel like the characters are too powerful. Dark
buddies. He’s not going to be pushed around by All Day is a game about outsiders who are up
you.” against the odds but manage to prosper. But the
Although the GM sets the Target Number, threat of danger should be a constant menace.
anyone can contribute their opinion. This is an This is why the GM should describe the perils and
open-ended conversation and decisions may consequences in detail, even if they will eventually

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 be avoided. This lets the players appreciate what on, this guy’s a synth?”, “Oh, I hadn’t revealed
could have happened and it is empowering. The that yet.”
character looks danger in the eye, their player As a group, you decide how to proceed. Maybe
rolls the dice and they say, “Better luck next time.” there was something in the way the NPC moved
that gave it away. Or maybe you just decide that
Keep it Simple, Stupid
the players don’t know. It’s just a game. Correct it
There are a lot of rules in Dark All Day. And if and move on.
you’ve never played an RPG before or are new to
the system it can be intimidating. But the rules are Get’cha Head in the Game
designed to work even if you don’t use them all. When you play a Roleplaying Game there are
You can introduce them gradually as you become a lot of things going on. You are sitting at a table
more comfortable with the system. with your friends (or sometimes strangers) and
• Setting Target Numbers for every Action there is an etiquette you should abide by. You
Roll might be too demanding for a new GM should be courteous and attentive. You should
and you might feel it slows the game as you let the GM oversee the proceedings and allow
try to calculate the odds. That’s fine. A good the other players to have their say. But you are
rule of thumb for starters is that easy tasks also playing a character in a game. That character
have a TN of 8, difficult tasks have a TN of 10 might be obstinate or spiteful. They may hold a
and really challenging tasks have a TN of 12. grudge or be a witless oaf. But you should never
make it personal and if you notice a player is
• If you prefer, the combat rules can be omitted
uncomfortable then you should dial it back. If
or simplified and the players can instead
one of your fellow players looks like they have
just roll Force to see if their melee attacks
something to say but they’ve not been able to
succeed and Precision for ranged attacks.
then you should try to give them your attention.
• The simplest way to play Dark All Day is as It is after all, just a game. Sometimes there will
a One Shot - a single adventure that can be choices to be made that are difficult - there is
be completed in one evening’s session. If a fine balance between choosing what is best for
you play this way you don’t need to worry the game and what your character might realisti-
about many elements of the rules such as cally do. Perhaps the GM sets up a situation which
Downtime or Advancement. is leading the crew in a direction your character
If in doubt, just keep things simple. Sometimes might disagree with. You may have to choose
a Fortune Roll is enough to move the fiction what is best for the game rather than derailing the
forward. The game is flexible and there is no session.
correct way to play it.
The Outlaw Way
Correct it and Move on It can be tough being an outlaw in the Santa
You will make mistakes. As players and GMs. Carla Sprawl. Everything is stacked against you.
Luckily, this is just a game. The corporations have engineered the system
You might get a rule wrong. Or misremember so that they always come out on top and they
a character’s name. Or maybe say one thing let everyone else fight over the scraps. You may
when you mean another. That’s fine, these things create the most capable merc or the smartest
happen. Correct it and move on. hacker but the corporations will always have the
• If you get a rule wrong that might change the upper hand. And that’s the way it’s meant to be.
fiction of the game you can maybe go back And it should never stop you from trying to be
and redo it “Sorry, I was meant to roll a D6 better.
but I rolled a D8 by accident. I’ll roll again”.
• Or as the GM you might say “When I said
that Otis would meet you at the docklands,
I meant Oxana.” The players will take on
board this new information and move on.
• Sometimes the GM might reveal information
they shouldn’t, “The synth runs away into the
alley” which might confuse the players “Hold

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 105
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 ACTION ROLLS Examples
Gathering Information
The following pages give more detailed de-
I want to know where the Flamesteeds are
scriptions of how to use the 12 different Action
bringing in their latest shipment.
Rolls during the game. There are also example
questions the GM can ask the players to clarify the • Success with Misfortune Example 1: You
players intentions and there are some examples ask around your usual contacts and you hear
of how to deal with the times when an Action Roll that they operate out of a warehouse in the
is successful but a roll on the Fortune Dice is a 1, south of the Docklands but you also discover
triggering a Misfortune. It can be hard to think of that it’s arriving that evening! You don’t have
Misfortunes on the spot, especially when the roll long to get there.
is a success so these examples should help. Tracking
Mikami is running away? I want to follow her but
SEARCH keep my distance.
Search is the Action Roll you make when you • Success with Misfortune Example 2: As
are looking for something or someone. An you follow her she spots you on her tail. She
object, information, a clue… or a person or stops, turns and draws her katana blade.
other creature. You might be looking for a face • Success with Misfortune Example 3: As you
in a crowd or following an enemy hiding in the follow her you hear a commotion behind you.
Badlands. You might be looking for a ticking A couple of Kitsune thugs are on your tail!
bomb in a building or a key to a locked door.
Seeking
You might be looking for information in a library
I hear the self-destruct countdown over the
(although Intellect might be better) or a schematic
speaker system? I know the device must be in the
on the DarkNet (although Hack might be better).
building somewhere. I start looking for it!
When you Search you are actively seeking
something. You concentrate all your senses on • Success with Misfortune Example 4: You
the act and systematically focus on an area, be it open the door and find the device, a mess of
physical or virtual. You meticulously scour envi- wires and packs of C4 explosives. It looks like
ronments, uncover hidden items, detect secrets it’s been made by a madman. This isn’t going
and discern clues that others might overlook. You to be easy!
investigate crime scenes, uncovering clues crucial
to solving mysteries, although often Intellect is
a better roll in those circumstances. It can also
be used for following a target as you stalk your
prey - either in the bustle of the city or out in the
Badlands but Prowl might be better.
Search is a common Action Roll to make when
gathering information. You can also use it in
Downtime when acquiring an asset while looking
for a rare weapon or piece of equipment to add
to your inventory.
The Misfortune you tend to get from a bad
Search roll is a lost opportunity. The person you
are looking for has escaped, or the item has been
moved.
GM Questions
• How do you Search? Is there anything special
you’re looking for?
• Are you Searching in a particular location - a
room, a district?
• What do you hope to find? What are you
tracking?

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 encoded. That can’t be good. Want to try
INTELLECT using Hack to decode them or try something
When you use your Intellect, you are tapping else?
into your aptitude for retaining information,
your general knowledge and your education.
It can either be taught or come naturally. It
may be a measure of your ability to recall facts
and information or to scrutinise details and
interpret evidence. You might look at documents,
newspapers and books to research an esoteric
topic but Search might be better.
In general, Intellect is the Action Roll you want
to make when you are wanting to know how much
your character knows about a subject.
There may be times when you want your
character to research a subject as a long term
project during Downtime. Although you could
use Search, Intellect would also be a reasonable
Action Roll to make. Perhaps you would like to
know more about the powerful Gladwell family
or maybe you want to learn about the NoCal
settlement further up the coast?
GM Questions
• What are you using your Intellect for?
• What details or evidence do you scrutinise?
• What do you hope to understand?

Examples
Recalling Information
The GM tells you that the Redline Casino is
presently located in the basement of the Pacifica
Tower Hotel. You ask if you know anything about
the location.
• Success with Misfortune Example 1: You
know where the hotel is. As well as being a
place where Outlaws lay low, it is also the
place where your ex lives.
Researching
As the Baron automaton grabs for Kyro I start
searching the DarkNet to see if there’s a remote
kill-switch on these ‘bots.
• Success with Misfortune Example 2: You
bring up a line of code that should do the
job but before you are able to execute it the
automaton turns on, swatting you across the
room, knocking your deck from your hands.
I want to find out if the building has any security
systems in place.
• Success with Misfortune Example 3: You
find a series of documents about a high
tech camera system but they all seem to be

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 barrier drops but as you look left and right
ENGINEER you see that as far as you can see the barrier
When you make an Engineer Action Roll you are has been deactivated!
displaying your skills with tools and mechanisms. Restoring
You might want to create a new gadget or alter an I ensure the crew makes it to the other side of
existing item. You might be repairing a vehicle or the barrier safely and then I reactivate it.
setting a booby trap. You might use it to disable
• Success with Misfortune Example 3: The
an alarm or defuse a bomb. You might turn an ion
barrier reforms but you see a warning light
flow device to your advantage. You could also try
on the display. The Delta Guardians are
to use your technical expertise to pick a lock (but
surely going to investigate this.
Precision might be better).
Chicanery
An engineer knows how things work, and how
I can make this look like a common fault.
they can be re-purposed for other uses. They
can strip an engine or disassemble all kinds • Success with Misfortune Example 4: You
of contraptions and appliances. In addition to successfully make it look like the controller
knowing about the tools of the trade they have overheated and failed… but the GM notes
an innate knowledge of chemistry, physics and down a Setback to use later.
mathematics.
Engineering is the Action Roll used when a
player decides to create an item as a long-term
project in Downtime. Almost anything is possible
when you can harness the Ion Flow powered
technologies of the 21st Century.
The Santa Carla Sprawl is filled with astonishing
technological creations, from humble vending
machines to flying vehicles, from Ion Flow
weapons and drones to automatons and
synths. Knowing how these things work is like
a superpower where you use your skills as an
Engineer to turn the tide in your favour.
As well as creating and repairing gadgets you
can also use your skills as an Engineer to break
a device instead of using Force. If you use Force,
the device is usually destroyed with a series of
blows and made unusable. But Engineering
is a slower, more precise technique with the
advantage that you might be able to hide your
meddling.
GM Questions
• What do you alter, repair or create?
• What do you hope to accomplish?

Examples
Tinker
I open up the hatch on the control box and
cut a few carefully chosen cables in the hope of
disarming a small section of the Ion Barrier.
• Success with Misfortune Example 1: As
the barrier drops an arc of errant Ion energy
travels through you as you take Level 3 Harm.
“Electrocuted”.
• Success with Misfortune Example 2: The

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HACK Examples
When you Hack you use a computer system Data Access
to gain access to data or you interface with the We know that our mysterious stalker was
code on a device and alter it. You might access spotted in Tech Noir last night, right? I want to
a security system from your personal deck and access their security system and run a bit of code
deactivate it. Or you might retrieve a map of a to see if I can bring up a list of everyone picked
building or a schematic of a top-secret gadget. up on their cameras.
Or you might infiltrate the cybernetic implant of • Success with Misfortune Example 1: After
an enemy and overload it. Or you might Hack running a few lines of code your deck returns
a gyro’s ignition system (but Engineer might be the names of over a hundred people. It’s
better). going to take a while to parse this list for
When you Hack you are linking your deck (or possible suspects.
other computer device) to the Net and accessing Hijack
another connected system. In the Santa Carla The Screaming Fist thug is following us? I want
Sprawl of 2019, everyone carries a personal the doors to lock behind us.
cyberdeck and almost every electrical device • Success with Misfortune Example 2: All the
is connected to the Net - the LightNet is the doors in the building receive the instruction
authorised network that legitimate devices are and become locked.
connected to and the DarkNet is the underground Attack
equivalent but both weave in and out of each The Delta Guardian has a cybernetic eye
other and just about any mechanical or electrical implant? I want to fry it!
device can be Hacked to some extent. Although
• Success with Misfortune Example 3: The
you might be able to Hack a vehicle to hot-wire
implant overloads and the guard screams in
it or Hack an android to deactivate their weapon
pain. He looks over to you recognising the
system, you might find that Engineer might be
source of the attack.
better.
When Hacking, it is important to take into
account the capabilities of the target. It is going
to be easier to Hack a security camera outside
an Ascari Canyon nightclub than one outside
the headquarters of a corporation. And Hacking
a single locked doorway is going to be easier
than Hacking every locked door in a gang’s
underground complex at once. Another thing to
take into account when Hacking is how long the
operation takes. Hackers are lightning-fast but
executing a complex Hack may still take a few
minutes.
One of the benefits of Hack is that it can be
done remotely - a widespread Telnet mesh covers
the whole of the Santa Carla Sprawl for instant
communications. To Engineer something you
need direct contact with it - usually by removing
a panel or service hatch. To Hack a device all you
need to know is either its location or its unique
Telnet address.
GM Questions
• How do you gain access? With what tools?
• What are you targeting?
• What do you want the device to do?

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 Jumping
ATHLETICS The Screaming Fist thugs are right behind me
When you use Athletics, you engage in a feat of but you think I might be able to jump the gap
physical prowess. You might run or swim or jump. between the two buildings? Well, I want to try
You might throw an object or climb a wall. You and jump it!
might prise open a locked crate (but Force might • Success with Misfortune Example 3: You
be better). jump the gap but don’t quite hit the mark.
When you use Athletics you are carrying out a You fall a little short and take a body blow
physical action. It covers a lot of different skills on the landing. Take a Level 1 harm, ‘bruised
but they all are based on your character’s physical ribs’.
strength, stamina or agility.
It could be that you are trying to cover a lot of •
ground quickly or you are trying to scale a wall. It
could be that you are trying to swim from a ship to
the beach against the tide. You might be trying to
throw an object to a teammate or throw an object
at an enemy.
Quite often the situation will determine the
difficulty. Running across open ground is going to
be easier than running through a crowd. Climbing
a craggy wall will be easier than a smooth glass
building.
When Athletics rolls go badly it’s usually when
you have hit the limit of your capability. When you
are climbing and your strength fails. Or when you
run across the rooftop to the departing gyro and
you just can’t move fast enough.
Although Athletics can be a representation of
strength it tends to be more feats of dexterity
and stamina rather than brute force. For feats of
brawn, you probably want to use Force.
GM Questions
• Which physical skill do you employ?
• What do you hope to achieve?

Examples
Vaulting
At the end of the alley is a 3-metre tall fence? I
want to parkour over that thing.
• Success with Misfortune Example 1: As you
spring over the fence you lose your footing
on the way down the other side. Take Level 1
Harm, “Sprained ankle”.
Running
The Screaming Fists thugs are right behind me?
I’m gonna run through the crowds to lose them.
Success with Misfortune Example 2: You
manage to run away darting into one alley
after the other and you think you have lost the
thugs. But you are now completely lost in the
treacherous slums of Ascari Canyon.

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 Sleight of Hand
PRECISION I embrace the scientist warmly, “Yi Min, how
When you make a Precision Action Roll, you charming to see you!” While I slip the tracker into
are exhibiting an act of dexterity or performing her pocket.
a feat skilfully. You might pick someone’s pocket • Success with Misfortune Example 2: She
or perform an act of sleight-of-hand. You might doesn’t notice you place the tracker… but the
handle the controls of a vehicle or a UAV. You GM notes down a Setback to use later.
could try to pick a lock (but Engineering might be
Throwing
better).
The thug is after the sliver? I throw it across
Precision is also the Action Roll used in combat
the room to my colleague, Kyro. Let’s see if he
when using the majority of ranged weapons. It is
catches it?
the practice of hand-to-eye coordination needed
to aim a weapon and the ability to keep a steady • Success with Misfortune Example 3: You
hand. lob the device across the room but the throw
When you employ Precision, you’re graceful, is a little astray and Kyro has to leap to catch
stylish and subtle. You might think of it as the it, falling to the ground and taking a Level 1
opposite of Force. To use Precision, you harness Harm, “Bruised Ribs”.
years of training and practice.
Often Precision becomes challenging pretty
quickly if you have to hurry or are acting on
someone else’s terms. It’s one thing to have a
steady hand but when the clock is ticking down
and you have to remove the detonator from the
bomb it’s a different matter. Sometimes however
you can take advantage of a chaotic moment
when all eyes are elsewhere as you pick a pocket
or drop the locator device into the enemy’s
pocket.
Precision can also be used for feats of mastery
such as when piloting a vehicle, remotely
controlling a UAV, playing a video game or
throwing and catching an item (though Athletics
might be better).
GM Questions
• What do you use Precision on? What’s
graceful or subtle about this?
• What do you hope to achieve?

Examples
Piloting
I reduce the power on the engines and guide
the gyro gently towards what remains of the
landing pad on top of Kitsune Spire.
• Success with Misfortune Example 1: As you
make your approach your landing gear gets
entangled in a damaged communications
antenna that has collapsed on the roof. You
manage to set down safely but taking off is
going to be difficult unless you extricate the
gyro from the mess of metal girders.

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 • Success with Misfortune Example 3: You
PROWL dive under the desk but you are a little
Prowl is an Action Roll that represents clumsy and you hit your head. Take Level 1
negotiating terrain with stealth and skill. You Harm “gash to forehead”. The Exec says to
might creep past a Delta Guardian patrol or his bodyguard, “This is a dangerous time.
conceal yourself in the darkness. You might hunt Search the room.” What do you do?
a target or set an ambush. You might run and
leap across the rooftops (but Athletics might be
better).
Prowl is all about using the environment and
the circumstances to your advantage to move
efficiently and without sound. It is the ultimate tool
of a spy or assassin, granting the ability to move
around unnoticed or to attack from the shadows.
In certain situations it can also be used to gain a
special Ambush Attack to trigger combat such as
when you are aware of the thugs’ approach but
they haven’t seen you or if you have been tipped
off about their arrival time.
When a Prowl roll fails, it doesn’t always mean
that the character is immediately discovered.
Instead, you can start a clock called “Discovered”
and tick a segment or two.
GM Questions
• How do you Prowl?
• How do you use the environment around
you?
• What are you hoping to achieve?

Examples
Surprise
I wait in the shadows until the synth has passed
my position. I then leap out and hit him in the
back of the head with the butt of my rifle.
• Success with Misfortune Example 1: You
can make one manoeuvre against the synth
but the impact damages your rifle. It’s still
functional but it’s going to drop from being a
D10 weapon to a D8 weapon.
Scramble
I dart across the rooftops using the chimney
stacks for cover.
• Success with Misfortune Example 2: You
make it across the rooftop but you then see
a Delta Guardian with a flashlight appear
from a doorway, “Sergeant, I think I heard
something?” Make a 4 segment “Discovered”
clock and tick two segments.
Hide
The Exec and his Android bodyguard are
coming into the room? I dive under the desk.

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 Shoving
FORCE He came at me with a Katana?! I push him
When you use Force, you exhibit an act of squarely in the chest towards the window in an
strength. You might attempt to knock down a attempt to push him through.
door or smash up a device. You might push a Success with Misfortune Example 3: The
heavy crate or attempt to lift a slab of concrete window shatters as he falls through into the
from a trapped colleague. You could try and alley. But as he flails in mid-air he manages to
climb over a wall (but Prowl or Athletics might be grab your arm and you are pulled through too.
better). Take Level 1 Harm, “Winded.” and Level 2 Harm,
Force is the Action Roll used when making an “Multiple Lacerations” as you hit the ground a
unarmed melee attack as well as when using storey below in a shower of broken glass.
weapons such as clubs. It is also the roll made
when using armour. It is a representation of a
character’s strength and resilience.
There is nothing subtle about using Force - it is
a display of brute strength. It tends to be noisy
and attract attention. When you break something
it tends to create chaos, flying debris, and
sometimes explosions and fire.
There will be times when Force alone might not
be enough to destroy or move an obstacle. The
GM needs to try and judge what is reasonable -
such as if a player chooses to use Force to destroy
a steel radio antenna. On their own a character
probably can’t do that much… but with the
right tools and maybe a team of colleagues…?
This might also be a situation where there may
be some overlap between using Force and
Engineering. Knowing where and how to strike a
device could be argued is a feat of Engineering
knowledge.
GM Questions
• What do you Force?
• What feat of strength do you exhibit?
• What do you hope to accomplish?

Examples
Demolish
I hit the droid with my bat.
• Success with Misfortune Example 1: The
Ion power source ruptures and a fireball
erupts from the core of the droid. You take
Level 1 Harm ‘Burnt Hand’.
Breaking
Raquelle takes out her lockpick but I push her
aside and swing my crowbar at the lock. “We
don’t have time for that”
• Success with Misfortune Example 2: The
lock cracks open but the GM adds two more
ticks on the “Alert” clock which fills it. You
hear a shout from down the corridor and see
2 guards running towards you.

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 to leave. You’re going to have to think bigger.
PERFORM Showoff
When you Perform you are putting on a show, This crowd look like they need to hear some
either for a single person or for a crowd of rock n roll! I’m gonna pull out my axe and play
thousands. You may be trying to impersonate an Eddie Van Hook classic riff to get them out of
a corporate executive or create an elaborate their seats.
distraction. You might be singing a heartfelt song
• Success with Misfortune Example 2: The
or playing a blistering guitar solo on stage. Or
crowd goes wild, a little too wild. Before you
you might be trying to convey information in a
know it, a full-blown riot has begun and the
compelling way (although maybe Intellect would
place is getting trashed.
be better).
Impersonate
When you Perform you are demonstrating your
I need to convince these synths that I’m Jack
ability to convey emotion through performance,
Gladwell Jr himself so they’ll hand over the data
be it singing, playing a musical instrument, acting
sliver with the schematics on it.
or another performative art. Usually when you
Perform it is for the sake of entertainment or as a • Success with Misfortune Example 3: Plex
creative outlet but it can also have more insidious hands you the sliver and then asks, “And the
uses, such as when you are trying to deceive 4 credits that were promised?”
someone or if you are wearing a disguise and
doing an impersonation.
When you are on stage or in front of an audience
Perform is almost always going to be the Action
Roll you are going to want to make. However,
Perform is a roll that can be used in many social
situations when you are trying to deceive or exert
pressure on an NPC or another player character
but often Deceive or Command is the better roll.
When a Performance goes badly it usually
means that your interpretation or portrayal is not
authentic or credible or you don’t have the skill
to execute the activity. When you are on stage
in front of a raucous crowd and they want to be
entertained you better have the goods or you
might be in trouble. Or maybe worse is when you
are trying to prove to the Lazerhawks gang that
you’re the high roller that they were expecting to
meet and you can’t quite sell the accent and your
fake beard keeps coming unstuck.
GM Questions
• What are you Performing?
• What’s stirring or compelling about your
rendition?
• What effect are you trying to achieve?

Examples
Distract
We need to get into the kitchen so I’m going
to cause a distraction. I’m going to jump on the
table and start yelling that I see a rat!
• Success with Misfortune Example 1: A
number of patrons grab their belongings and
leave but a maître d comes over and asks you

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 follow. “Next time you see us we’ll be ready.”
COMMAND Deduct 1 from the Faction Standing between
When you make a Command Action Roll you the crews.
are ordering someone to do something promptly. Blackmail
You are telling them in no uncertain terms that A blade pops out from a hidden compartment
they must obey, or else. There is some overlap inside my arm and I hold it to the gang leader’s
with Deceive but that is much more subtle than throat.. “No, I don’t think so, Dmitri. I won those
the directness of using Command. six credits fair and square. Pay up or you might
Commanding someone to do something find you have a breathing problem.”
involves asserting authority or power to ensure
• Success with Misfortune Example 3:
compliance. When you Command someone, you
“You’ve got heart, kid,” he says, transfer-
don’t care about what they want. You tell them
ring six credits to your account. Start a four
what to do and expect them to do it - this could
segment clock and call it “Dmitri is done with
be due to a formal role, superior knowledge, or
you.” and fill three segments in. You might
physical presence. Using Deceive might be better
have got away with it this time but you’re
in circumstances when you don’t want to ruffle
now on his hit list.
feathers because when you use Command, they
can feel bullied or slighted, so the TN may be
worse.
Command is almost always the right action
for forcing an NPC or a group of NPCs to do
something according to your instructions.
When you use Command you should identify
who you need to command and ensure they
are the right person for the task and capable of
carrying it out. You should communicate your
Command in a direct and unambiguous manner.
Use firm, confident language and maintain eye
contact to assert your authority. Commanding
someone effectively requires clear communica-
tion and confidence to ensure compliance.
GM Questions
• Who do you Command?
• How do you do it - what’s your leverage
here?
• What do you hope they’ll do?

Examples
Intimidation
“This land belongs to the Sidewalk Haven. And
you’re surrounded. Leave the supply crate and
get lost.”
• Success with Misfortune Example 1: The
thug sets the crate down and retreats a few
steps. “I’m supposed to get credits for this,”
he says.
Coercion
I tap the body of the fallen thug with my foot,
“Just take your crew and walk away unless you
want to end up like this guy.”
• Success with Misfortune Example 2: Crux
backs away, signalling the rest of her crew to

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 the alliance as he wants to use your gang to
INTUITION attack The Gauntlet while his crew remains
When you make an Intuition Action Roll, you safe”
are tapping into your ability to judge individuals
based on previous life experiences. It is a
combination of street smarts and perceptivity. In
some instances Intellect may be a better roll to
make.
Intuition is the Action Roll you want to make
when you are having a conversation and you
want to know if the person you are talking to
might be lying or hiding something - you are
closely analysing a person to detect if they are
hiding their motives or attempting to discern
their true feelings, what they really want, what
their intentions are. When you use Intuition in
this way, you can ask the GM questions during
the interaction, so you might wait until they say
something suspicious and then ask the GM, “Are
they telling the truth?”
It can also be used when you are in a dangerous
predicament and you want to know how bad
the situation is. Maybe you are crossing a rickety
scaffolding bridge from one building to another
and you want to know if it is going to hold. But
maybe Engineering or Intellect would be better.
Intuition is not mind reading. It is being able to
study someone’s body language and manner. Or
when you might just “have a bad feeling about
this”.
GM Questions
• Who or what are you trying to discern?
• What kind of life experience do you have that
is relevant here?
• What do you hope to learn?

Examples
Judging character
I don’t trust Mikami, so I’d like to use Intuition on
her to see if she is hiding anything.
• Success with Misfortune Example 1:
Mikami doesn’t seem to be hiding anything
but she notices you studying her and she
raises her sword to you, “What’cha looking
at?”
Ulterior Motives
As the crew talk about a possible alliance
with the Lazerhawks against The Gauntlet, I use
Intuition on Dmitri to see if there is an ulterior
motive behind this partnership.
• Success with Misfortune Example 2:
Dmitri is hiding that he is only agreeing to

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 gang leader pours two glasses and passes
DECEIVE one to you. “You first?”
When you Deceive, you trick both friends and Cheat
enemies with subterfuge and trickery. You fool You play a hand of poker against Edge, and
them with a lie or an untruth. You might tell a tall place down your winning hand, knowing that
story or mislead them with your charm and guile it has been manipulated by your card shuffling
or you might fool someone into believing a lie or device.
pretend to be someone else (but Perform might
• Success with Misfortune Example 4: “Well
be better).
played,” Edge says as he folds his hand of
When you Deceive someone, you are lying in
cards, “now I think it’s time you and your
an attempt to make that person believe what you
crew leave before we scan you for any illegal
are saying is 100% true. Timing and context are
devices.”
crucial, as are confidence and consistency in your
delivery. •
You may be trying to convince someone that you
are someone else or that you know something
that you don’t, or you may be trying to swindle a
mark into buying a worthless chunk of glass they
think might be a priceless gem.
Another use of deception is to cheat at games
of chance or mislead with acts of illusion or
misdirection.
When deceiving someone it helps to know your
target so you can understand their desires, fears
and motivations. Make sure your story is plausible,
detailed and consistent with what the person
already knows or believes. The story should
be simple enough to remember but complex
enough to appear genuine. It is also beneficial
to mix elements of truth into your deception to
make it more convincing. People are more likely
to believe a lie if it contains verifiable facts.
GM Questions
• Who do you Deceive?
• What do you talk about?
• What do you hope to achieve?

Examples
Mislead
You tell Genesis that you don’t know what
happened to The Flamesteed’s shipment that
your crew misappropriated earlier that day.
• Success with Misfortune Example 1:
Genesis smacks the side of your head. “I’m
letting you go… and I trust the shipment will
turn up in our warehouse in the next 2 hours.
Or else.
Convince
I pull out a bottle of expensive Mezcal laced
with poison and pass it to Jax. “Who wants the
good stuff?”
• Success with Misfortune Example 3: The

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 06 RUNNING THE
GAME

It’s not easy being the boss,

but someone’s gotta do it!

playing the game. In this session zero, you, as the

RUNNING THE GAME GM should try to convey what time of game you
Running Dark All Day is a little different to many intend to run. Is there going to be lots of combat?
other Roleplaying Games, as the world you create Is there going to be horror themes? Will there
is not determined by just the GM but by the be depictions of drug use? What safety tools do
group as a whole. As the GM, you may get the you intend to employ? In exchange, the players
final say on certain elements, but you should see should tell you what they want from the game. Do
yourself more as a guide or mediator rather than they want to explore their character’s backstory?
an almighty Deity. Are there any subjects that they would like to
This chapter dissects the GM role into various avoid?
crucial sections, aiming to simplify its complexi- This process helps avoid any problems down the
ties. road. It’s better to find out earlier rather than later
that the group is incompatible.
Session Zero
Before you begin playing Dark All Day (or any Goals
Roleplaying Game for that matter) it’s a good As a GM, your main objective is to foster an
idea to have an introductory meetup or what is atmosphere where you and your players can revel
known as a Session Zero. This doesn’t have to be in the adventure, allowing your players to explore
in person, you can hold it in a chat group or in a their imaginations within the confines of the
video conference call, but the idea is to get all game’s world.
the players together before they all commit to You should be as curious as the players as

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to where the adventure is heading. Instead of • Do you think the fall would cause Level 2 or
planning everything ahead, you let the story 3 Harm?
grow naturally. Describe the fictional world
truthfully. When you present events or describe Cut to the Chase
the environment around the player characters, In many ways playing an RPG such as Dark
visualise the setting of the Santa Carla Sprawl in All Day is like a TV show or movie and the GM
your mind and share what you observe. Avoid acts like the editor. There is no need to portray
showing preferences. Create a world that feels the journey to the heist, the crew scoping out
real with compelling characters and locations. possible entry points or monitoring the schedule
All these things make the game more exciting of the sentries. Instead, we jump into the action.
for players. They get to explore, talk to different The players decide on their approach and you
characters and create their own stories in the throw them right into the fray.
game world. The same goes for when gathering information
You should also remember that you, as the or when seeking rare weapons or materials for
GM, are not the antagonist. The characters have crafting. A player may say they want to speak
enough enemies to deal with. You should be their to one of their allies to find out if any new
biggest fan and hope for the best for them. But contraband weapons have appeared on the black
be fair and be sincere. market. Make a Search roll and jump straight to
the conversation.
Questions “Butch is stood outside the Golden Hour
In many ways, a GM’s main role is to ask the Pachinko Parlour where you agreed to meet; the
players questions and when they ask you vibrant, flickering lights reflect off the rain-soaked
questions in return, you should answer honestly. pavement. He spots you and flicks a damp
You can use questions to move the story forward, cigarette to the floor.
shape the world and alter the flow of the game. “Hey, it’s been a while.”
What’s happening? Rather than beginning at the hideout and
• What’s the marching order? spending time working out how to contact Butch
or where to meet, just move to what’s important.
• Are you going to stand and watch or get
When players suggest meeting Dakari Mane
involved?
for a job, you can summarise the scene: ‘You
• Are you saying that to the group or to the head to the Vale of Shadows tower, get checked
whole room? for weapons and meet Dakari in his office.’ This
What are you thinking? avoids going through each step, “Okay, so where
• Does being at the party make you feel out of are you now? At Tech Noir? Let’s look at the map.
place? Okay, you’re on this street here and the Vale of
Shadows hideout is over here. Which way do you
• Do you think he killed Octavia?
go?”
• Does that make you angry? Think of it as a quick scene in a movie: the plan’s
What are you going to do? announced, there’s a setup shot, then cut to the
• Are you going to let him get away with that? action. If players want to do something specific or
alter the scenario, allow them, then continue with
• Is it time for revenge or are you going to let
the story.
it slide?
When it comes to prepping for a mission, it is
• Are you pulling your gun or walking away? natural for a crew to plan down to the minute
Be curious about the little things. detail. They want to be prepared for every
• How is the hideout decorated? potential outcome but it shouldn’t be necessary
• Do you have any trinkets or keepsakes? as Action Rolls take care of the planning phase
and flashbacks are there to fill in any gaps.
• Does your pistol have a name?
Ask for help. Macro and Micro Detail
• Do you think that’s a Search Roll or a Fortune The game spans various levels of detail, ranging
Roll? from the scale of a vast city teeming with billions
to split-second moments within a gunfight. It is
• What’s a suitable Misfortune here? your responsibility to jump from one to the other

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 depending on what is most interesting to your The consequences might become unclear if
group. Maybe ticking a clock will demonstrate you don’t foreshadow the problem or provide
how a faction responds to a Delta Guardian background for the action. It might seem like
clampdown. Or maybe you want to describe you’re forced to create a consequence without
the response in detail, explaining how the Delta any prior context when the players roll poorly.
Guardians move from premises to premises, However, if you hint at the potential outcomes
shutting down one establishment after another before the action is taken, the consequences
and rounding up dissidents into their armoured become clearer.
personnel carriers. When gathering information,
you can either make a quick dice roll to get the
Don’t Back Down
knowledge you are after or you could spend It is important to hint at the impending threat
some time roleplaying the interaction, whichever and then follow through. Players possess various
suits your group and the style of play you prefer. resources to tackle challenges. They can make a
Action Rolls. They have Fortune and other special
Foreshadowing abilities. Follow through with your convictions!
As the action unfolds, it can be exciting to For instance, if a character is injured in a scenario
reveal an impending threat, prompting the and you stated beforehand that the consequenc-
player’s immediate response. This provides clarity es were going to be severe, don’t hesitate to give
regarding the ensuing consequences. out that Level 3 harm.
Similarly, when the character’s spoofed PCB
The Sergeant holds out the scanner, impatient. raises concerns among the Delta Guardian patrol,
“Let’s not take all day.” All he needs is to scan give them +2 Heat like you promised.
your PCB chip to make sure you’re not a void - This approach extends to powerful enemy
and yours is kosher, right? factions. If the players were warned about
angering the Vale of Shadows, but they went
As soon as you walk into the room, his eyes ahead with their plan anyway, you shouldn’t waver
widen and he kicks his chair away and bolts for in handing out the enemy faction’s retribution.
the door. What are you going to do? Next time the crew return to their hideout, they
may find it has been firebombed. Time to find a
He raises his arm as if to point at you when new hideout!
you see the skin around his wrist split in two
and a small gun barrel emerges from a hidden
The Sprawl is a Living City
compartment within his arm. It’s pointing at you. The Santa Carla Sprawl shouldn’t be an
What do you do? unchanging, static environment. It is a dynamic
and vivid city of interacting NPCs and factions.
You wander the corridors of the labyrinthine Just because the crew have been concentrating
facility, following the hand-drawn map, looking on one problem doesn’t mean the rest of the
for the server room. Then, from behind, you hear world stands still. If you’re GMing a campaign,
the footfall of a dozen or so heavy boots. it’s sometimes a good idea to think about the
schemes of the various factions of The Sprawl
Compared with: between sessions. Each faction has their own
objectives as described in their profile (starting
How do you deal with the sergeant with the PCB on Page 152). Use Entanglements and Faction
scanner? Standings and keep track of enemies and make
clocks for the various factions schemes and tick
He seems scared and runs for the door. You off segments when you think it’s necessary.
probably should chase him. Remember to make the NPCs three-dimensional
characters with their own appearance and style,
He has a hidden gun. Are you going to fight quirks and attitude (NPCs presented in this book
him? tend to include 3 descriptive adjectives to help).
They are also not just there to service the player
You hear footsteps. Do you want to roll Prowl for characters. They have their own motivations and
that? desires. They shouldn’t go along with anything the
PCs ask them to do but should have doubts; they

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should resist and question. twist or obstacle to keep the game dramatic.
And don’t forget to take time to describe the One possible lead could be that you let the
surroundings and the things that make the world crew overhear that a shipment of high-tech ion
unique. There are gadgets, automatons, cybernet- weapons is arriving in the docks later that week.
ically enhanced citizens, neon advertising screens That sounds like a lucrative heist and could be an
and flying vehicles everywhere. And the Santa exciting session of Dark All Day. But once you add
Carla Sprawl is crowded with factories and high a twist, it becomes even more compelling. Maybe
rise towers - so tall that you can’t see the tops of the shipment is en route to a Delta Guardian
them through the haze. What does your version of Precinct? Or maybe the shipment is a trap laid by
the Santa Carla Sprawl look like? an enemy faction.
Sandbox vs Rails Make Mistakes
When running a roleplaying game there are two There’s nothing wrong with making mistakes.
main styles of play, Sandbox and Rails. Sandbox And you can always take things back. Some
games give the players 100% autonomy. The games might have a rule that once something
GM may prepare scenarios, NPCs and locations is said, it is canon. This is not the case in Dark
but it is down to the players to decide what they All Day. Both players and the GM are allowed to
want to do. A GM has to think fast and improvise make changes as long as they are sensible and
and react to whatever the players throw at them. fair.
Games that run on rails are more structured. The “Did I say they were armed with assault rifles?
GM will have a prepared adventure with scenes The security wouldn’t have let them in. They have
that link from one to another. The GM sets up hidden knives instead.”
hooks for the players to interact with that naturally
move the action to the next scene. There may be “Sorry, you find Merlin Reade in Solana. There’s
times when the players are given a number of no way he’d go somewhere as rough as Ascari
options to decide upon but each of these options Canyon.”
will have been prepared in advance. It is a good Address the Players
idea to play this style when first starting to play
When playing an RPG, you aren’t expected to
the game.
stay in character all the time. In fact, there are
Missions times when you shouldn’t.
“Niki, how do you want to handle this? Should
To help GMs there are a number of official
we do a whole scene or make a roll quickly?”
Missions to bring the world of Dark All Day to life.
This puts Niki front and centre - her preferences,
They will put the crew in a difficult position that
desires and style. Niki can consider what she
needs to be corrected or given an assignment
wants rather than what the character wants.
that they have to accomplish. Most of these
This also allows you to discuss things that the
situations have a number of ways to be resolved
players might not realise but their characters
and the Mission Modules will include maps, NPC
would. You can convey only so much information
stats and locations and a guide to how to run the
about a fictional world, so you should tell the
adventure.
players if their character would have background
Create Opportunities information on a subject.
But you shouldn’t limit yourself to these Address the Characters
modules.
But there are times when you should totally
Your role as GM is to seed potential adventures,
address the player characters.
whether they’re brought up by you in the form
“Kyro, where do you go to look for the Widow
of an NPC or initiated by the players themselves.
Makers?”
Some ideas will occur naturally through gameplay
and Entanglements - maybe the characters will
Instead of...
seek revenge against a foe or want to explore a
new district. But other missions will need to be
“Joe, where does Kyro go?”
introduced by you.
When presenting ideas for missions it’s
This puts Kyro front and centre - his preferences,
sometimes a good idea to keep in mind a

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 desires and style. Kyro comes to life as a character.
Joe: “I want the courier to hand over the data
Don’t Let the Players sliver.”
Struggle GM: “How do you do that?”
The characters are going to struggle. They’re Joe: “I use Perform?”
up against an oppressive, capitalist regime and GM: “What’s that look like?”
are surrounded by deadly gangs out to kill them. Joe: “I ask him nicely.”
But the players are here to have fun. If you see a GM: “You’re going to need a good roll to
player struggling with something, maybe a rule succeed with that approach. This guy’s no
or a concept in the game or trying to remember pushover. Maybe think about using Command or
something that happened in a previous session, Force for a more immediate result?”
then you should help them out. There is nothing
worse during a Roleplaying Game than an
awkward silence or a group of players without
Don’t Say No
direction. Maybe the crew are on the trail of a You should avoid saying ‘no’ to players. It’s
mysterious assassin but have run out of leads. no fun hearing your GM saying, “You can’t do
Don’t let the players squirm as they look blankly that.” You’re not the sole authority on what the
at their Persona Sheets, hoping the answer is characters can and cannot do. Instead, maybe
in them somewhere. Instead, give them some ask them questions, “What are you hoping to
options, such as, achieve,” or “What do you expect the outcome to
“Have you thought about talking to Davika at be from this approach?”. You can always explain
the Food Court? She always seems to have an ear how the TN needed on the dice roll is too high for
to the ground?” their current ability and if a player insists on trying
an impossible task, you can remind them that
Make Notes Misfortune is always a possibility. Another option
After several sessions, your Santa Carla Sprawl is to offer a Long-Term Project. The player may say
should be a dynamic city of intertwining factions they want to create a new street drug to replace
and characters and it is important to keep track of Halo. It’s not impossible, but it will be a Long-Term
all these moving parts to maintain the integrity of Project with possibly a few linked clocks.
the fiction.
As the GM, you should have your own set of
Avoid Duplicate Rolls
notes, filled with potential opportunities for the Raquelle is running across a warehouse roof
crew to stumble upon and NPCs to meet. But you and making an Athletics roll. The roll is bad; the
should also have information readily available for Misfortune is that she falls off the roof and takes
the players. You could use index cards for each level 3 harm, “broken leg”.
NPC or handouts with information about the But she can roll to resist, right? Yes. She can
factions or maybe a spreadsheet. Resist the harm that results from the fall. But she
can’t “undo” being forced over the edge. That’s
Don’t Call for a Specific Roll already been determined by her Action Roll. Her
If you’ve played other RPGs, it is often the GM’s Resistance Roll reduces the impact of the fall.
role to ask for a specific dice roll. “Can you give Instead of breaking her leg, she suffers lesser
me a Charisma check?” or “That’s going to be an harm (maybe a sprained ankle) or maybe the GM
Athletics roll.” But in Dark All Day, the players tell rules that she’s able to avoid the harm entirely
the GM the action they would like to perform and by rolling into a rough crash-landing. Either way,
then the GM asks which Action they would like to she’s still fallen off the roof.
use. In other words, the Action Roll determines
whether an action succeeds or not. Resistance
James - “Miller pulls out his Cypher DeckX and changes how much of that danger manifests or
tries to bypass the door’s electronic lock.” how bad it is, but it doesn’t negate the fictional
GM - “How’s he doing that?” outcome of the Action Roll.
James - “I’m going to use my Hack action.”
Failure is an Option
As the GM, you can also help your players to Not every mission will be a triumph. And not
make better decisions based on the situation. every dice roll will end in success. If the crew get

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in too deep, they can always back off and live to
fight another day. But don’t make the characters EXAMPLE OF PLAY 3
look like fools. When they roll that 1 on the Showdown at Kitsune Spire
Fortune Dice, it means things have gone badly, GM: Let’s put the tokens in the bag. You can be
but that’s because the situation was dangerous red today.
and taxing, not because of the character’s incom- James: Okay, so I’ve only got an ATR of 1, so
petence. just the one token for me.
When you administer a Misfortune, it doesn’t Ronnie: Lina’s only got an ATR of 1 as well.
need to be over-complicated. Oftentimes, it will One more red token.
be obvious, especially if you have foreshadowed Joe: Kyro has an ATR of 2, but with my Battle
the danger. But if not, it can be as simple as Master skill that’s 3 red tokens.
ticking a clock or adding Heat. Niki: Nice, we’re going to need that because
Raquelle only has ATR of 1 as well.
GM: So 6 red tokens in total. Now for the NPCs.
They’re going to have blue tokens. First we have
Takahashi… he’s pretty mean and has an ATR of
2. Then we have the assassin Mikami. She also
has an ATR of 2. And finally we have the Baron
Automaton. This thing is a monster with an ATR of
3. So, 7 blue tokens for them.
Joe: This isn’t looking good.
GM: And then we drop in a white End of Turn
Token to just add a bit of additional spice.
Ronnie: This is going to be brutal.
GM: So, let’s set the scene. You’re here looking
for Stephanie Sanchez, the daughter of the head
of the Novus Consortium. But there’s no sign of
her in this room. The room is a large open space,
with frosted-glass panels dividers down the
eastern side of the room. There are some bits of
furniture around but nothing substantial, some
crates and cabinets on the western side of the
room. And there’s the table in the middle of the
room where the three NPCs are stood. I’m going
to say the range between you all is Far. It’s a big
room.
James: I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or a
bad thing.
GM: Who wants to pick the first token? Niki?
Niki: And... of course. It’s blue.
GM: So the Kitsune get the first turn and the
Baron is going to activate first. And he’s not
subtle. He is armed with an assault rifle, a bullpup
design that is integrated into his arm. As his first
manoeuvre, he is going to take a shot at you folk.
And Ronnie, I think you were first into the room.
He’s going to shoot at your character, Lina.
Ronnie: Bring it!
GM: Let’s see. He has an assault rifle, which is
a D12 weapon. And because it’s an automatic
weapon he gets to reroll the D12 and pick the
highest result. And he has +2 Precision so he
adds another 2! Ronnie, what armour is Lina

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 wearing? robot starts shooting at us and I see Kyro take
Ronnie: Just light armour. 1D8. And I get to a hit. My eyes go white as my CypherLink deck
add my +1 from Lina’s Force action rating. I have switches into combat mode and connects to my
a bad feeling about this. eye implants. I lock onto the Baron robot and
GM: The Baron rolls an 11! With his +2… that’s launch the Overcharge protocol.
a 13. GM: How does that go?
Ronnie: Ow. Well, I rolled a 6 so even with James: I roll my MIND D8 and add +2 for my
+1 it’s only 7. I can’t compete with that. The Hack action rating dice. And you know what - this
difference is 6. is serious. I’m Pushing Myself to give me a reroll
GM: I’m sorry, Ronnie. The assault rifle lets rip on the Fortune Dice.
and you take a slug in… let’s roll on the table. GM: Alright then. The Baron has a D6 in SPIRIT
Ow, a bullet slices past your temple and you feel with a +2 modifier. With his Fortune Dice he gets
warm blood pour down your cheek! Level 2 harm a total of 8. Make your roll.
as you take a minor head wound. And you lose 1 James: Here goes… a 7 on the Attribute Dice,
Fortune too. Do you want to resist it? and 4 on the Fortune Dice after the reroll. With
Ronnie: Nah, it’s okay. I might need my Fortune my +2, that’s 13! I glitch him! He’s temporarily out
later. I’ll mark it on my sheet. of action!
GM: That head wound also means your next GM: That he is. You see a few sparks fly as your
turn you’re going to be down to one manoeuvre attack burrows into the inner workings of your
and -2 on all rolls? target.
Ronnie: Oh crap. In that case, I’m resisting. Ronnie: Is that his turn?
Joe: Hold on. I have my Protector ability. Can I GM: Yep, he’s out of action now until we pull
step in front of Lina and take the hit instead? I roll the End of Turn Token. Who wants to pick the
the resistance check and get to add +1. next token.
Ronnie: My hero! Ronnie: I’ve got it. And it’s another blue!
GM: That’s brave of you, Joe. As it’s a level 2 GM: Nice. Takahashi is going to take a turn next
harm it’s going to cost you 2 Fortune and this is then. His first manoeuvre is that he is going to
going to use your BODY Attribute Dice. Take Cover behind the table.
Joe: Kyro’s BODY Attribute Dice is a D8 but Joe: What a wimp!
because of Protector I also get that +1. GM: …and then he’s going to pull out his
GM: The odds are in your favour. My Fortune Korova D8 submachine gun and shoot at Kyro!
Roll is a 4. Joe: Ha!
Joe: So I just need to roll a 3 or better on a D8 GM: So Takahashi rolls a D8 and adds 1 for his
to match that... and I get a 6! Precision bonus. And he gets to reroll the Attack
GM: Can you describe what just happened? Dice because it’s an automatic weapon. What
Joe: I see the baron robot raise his gun and I have you got?
just instinctively grab Lina and turn my shoulder Joe: I have a D8 medium armour and get to
to face the incoming barrage. The bullets impact add 2 because of my Force action rating. This
into my armour. is pretty well-matched. It’s just down to the dice
GM: That’s so cool. The original hit was a Level now.
2 Harm but with your intervention, I’m going to GM: Takahashi rolls… a 7. And the reroll doesn’t
give you a Level 1 Harm instead. How does a improve it. For a total of 9!
bruised shoulder sound? Joe: Well… that sucks. I get… 8. Which would
Joe: That’s fair. I’ll feel it tomorrow. normally be a pretty good roll.
GM: If you live that long! Because now the GM: So after consulting the Damage table…
Baron gets his 2nd manoeuvre… that 8 really made a difference because we’re
James: Not so fast! I have a special ability I only looking at Level 1 Harm. After diving behind
want to use too. Counter Measures! Whenever the table Takahashi brings up his submachine
one of us takes damage I can make an gun and targets the big merc who gets clipped
Overcharge action for one Fortune. I think this is in the arm. You lose 1 Fortune and take Level 1
as good a time as any. Harm, Grazed Arm. Do you want to Resist?
GM: I love it. Tell us how this goes down. Joe: No, I’m good for the moment.
James: Okay, so Miller steps into the room and GM: In that case it’s time to pick another token
immediately all hell is breaking loose. This big Joe: I’ll have a go. Yes, it’s a red!

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 GM: So, it’s over to you. Who wants to take the pull my dagger. It’s only a D6 but at least I’ve got
turn? a chance of doing some damage back on her.
James: We’re all out in the open. GM: Fine. She rolls her Attack Dice and gets…
Niki: That Takahashi seemed to have the right just 6 total. This is your chance!
idea. You said there are some crates down the Niki: Hell, yeah. I’m pushing myself too. Why
side of the room? Can Raquelle run to them and not? And it’s… a total of 9!
take cover? GM: That’s awesome. I can picture this ninja
GM: Definitely. But that’ll take you to being running at you with her sword raised and you just
Near to the enemies. And you’re not sure what’s pull your dagger and stab her first.
in the crates but they look pretty sturdy. Some Niki: Exactly.
kind of hard plastic container. GM: She takes another Level 2 Harm. You swipe
Niki: I don’t mind getting closer, so that’s my at her and cut her other arm, making her drop
first manoeuvre. And then I’m going to take a her sword. She’s in trouble. She needs to take
shot at Mikami with my Diamondback rifle. a SPIRIT resistance check to see if she wants to
GM: And if it matters, you see that she isn’t continue the fight.
armed with a gun but instead has a long katana Niki: Wow, I was just protecting myself!.
sword. And she looks like she knows how to use GM: I roll a Fortune Dice to set the level she
it. needs... and get a 6. And she rolls a 4! She’s
Niki: Yeesh. I dive over to the crate and bring done. She drops to the floor, holding her arms
my Diamondback onto Mikami. I get her in my and cowering in shame.
sights and pull the trigger. I’m rolling my Fortune Niki: Alright!
Dice, a D10 and adding +1 for my Precision. And GM: So it’s a new turn. Let’s a see. It’s a red. You
why not - I’m going to Push Myself for a reroll on get a turn.
the Fortune Dice. Joe: Okay, it looks like Raquelle has dealt
GM: Yeah, I think you need to use everything with Mikami? I’m going to brace for my first
you’ve got. Mikami is not wearing armour so is manoeuvre then and take a carefully aimed shot
just going to be rolling her Fortune Dice, a D6 at the Baron with my assault rifle.
and adding +1 for her Force modifier. I think GM: This should be good. The Baron is going to
you’ve got a good chance here. roll his armour, which is D10. And he adds +2 for
Niki: So here goes. Not too terrible, it’s a total his Force Modifier.
of 12. James: Isn’t his Armour Dice reduced to a D4
GM: Mikami rolls and gets... an 8. The with no modifiers because I Overcharged his
difference between your result and hers is 4 so circuits?
we’re looking at the 2nd column of the damage GM: I’m sorry, of course he’s just an immobile
table. You get a good shot on her but it just hits chunk of metal right now. But he still gets to roll
her in the arm. But that’s a level 2 Harm for her. a Fortune Dice. You always roll for Fortune! So he
She screams in pain and holds the wound. That’s rolls… and he gets a total of 8.
gotta sting. Joe: Here goes. I roll a D12, which I can reroll
Niki: Nice. And that’s my turn. as it’s an automatic weapon. I add 2 because
GM: I’ll pick the next token... and it’s another I braced and I get to add +1 for my Precision
blue. Mikami is angry and she’s coming at you. action rating. I think my chances are pretty good.
For her first manoeuvre, she’s going to run at GM: You could roll a 1 on the Fortune Dice?
Raquelle, closing that distance between you from Joe: Well… I didn’t. I rolled a 10! With my
Near to Melee. And the second manoeuvre is modifiers, that’s 16.
going to be her bringing that katana blade down GM: Ow, That’s going to be Level 3 Harm! At
on you. least it would be. But automatons have a special
Niki: Let’s go! rule where you always consider the Harm one
GM: That’s going to be her Fortune Dice and level less than normal. So he’s actually only going
a D10 from her with an additional +1 for her to take level 2 Harm.
Precision modifier. What have you got? Joe: Well, that sucks.
Niki: This is melee now, right? I can choose to GM: It’s a Minor Chest Wound. You steady
fight back or take the hit and roll with my armour? yourself and aim directly into the mass of the
GM: Correct. automaton and get a bunch of good shots on
Niki: I’m fighting, man. As Mikami runs at me I him. Sparks fly as the bullets hit but you see

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 his hard metallic shell takes the majority of the GM: You send the command and there’s
impacts. But more importantly, he now has a immediately a cloud of electrical smoke that
-2 modifier on all of his rolls and only gets 1 comes from your deck. It’s toast. You’re not going
manoeuvre on his next turn. Which will be after to be able to use it until you get it repaired.
he recovers from the Overcharge. If that’s your James: No! My deck!
turn Joe, it’s time to pick a new token. GM: What’s your next manoeuvre?
James: I’ll pick one. Oh, no it’s blue. What are James: Can I shoot him?
they doing. GM: Sorry, the Hack is considered an attack and
GM: Well Takahashi is going to take another you can only do one per turn.
shot. She’ll be at -2 as this is her second turn this James: Okay, in that case I’m going to… run?
round. Kyro, Miller and Lina are still out in the I run to the right. Towards the glass partition wall.
open. So they’re going to aim and take a shot at... Are there doors?
Lina! GM: Yeah, there are three doors along the glass
Ronnie: Man, what did I do? wall to your right.
GM: Even with -2 Takahashi gets a 13. Ronnie? James: Alright. I’m going to head towards the
Ronnie: I’m not wearing any armour this isn’t first door. Can I get to it?
good. I can’t beat it! I get a 6. GM: Yeah you get to it but it’s closed.
GM: Ow. That’s a difference of 7. A level 2 James: Do I have enough left of my turn to try
Harm. Major Chest Wound! and open it?
Ronnie: Oof. GM: I’ll allow it but that’ll be the end of your
GM: You take a slug in your ribs. That hurt. turn.
You’re able to continue but that’s going to be James: That’s cool. I turn the handle.
a problem. You’re now going to be taking a -2 GM: Okay, the door swings open. Inside are a
modifier on all dice rolls and next turn you only bunch more of those plastic crates. And in the
have one manoeuvre. corner you see tied up is a teenage girl. She has
Ronnie: I guess it could be worse. a gag over her mouth but she looks unharmed.
GM: They used Brace to take that aimed shot so It’s Stephanie, the girl you’ve been looking for.
that’s their turn. Time to pick a new token. There James: But that’s my turn?
aren’t many left. That End of Turn Token has to GM: That’s it. So, time to pick another token?
come out soon. Joe: I’ve got it. It’s another blue!
Ronnie: I’ll pick a token. Yes! It’s red! James: Can I take another turn and run to
James: This is starting to look better. I think Stephanie and untie her.
Miller is going to target the automaton too. And GM: You can do that. Any dice rolls are going to
for my first manoeuvre, I’m going to go for an be at -2 because your taking a double turn.
Override Hack. I’m going to try and take control James: What does everyone think?
of the big lug. Will that work with his circuits Ronnie: Take it. She’s the reason why we’re
currently being fried? here.
GM: It’s a bold move. I’d say that he remains James: Okay. I’m going to yell to the other’s
out of action until the End of Turn Token is drawn “She’s here. Stephanie, the girl! She’s here!” And
and then you have control of him in the next turn. I’m going to run in and try and untie her.
James: That’s fair. It’s another Hack roll. I’m GM: Alright. That’ll be both your manoeuvres.
starting to get low on Fortune so I’m not going to And untying Stephanie is going to be a dice roll.
Push Myself. James: Precision, I guess?
GM: Okay. But remember Override is a tricky GM: That makes sense to me. She’s tied tightly
Hack. You’re at -4. with some nylon cords. It’s quite a high TN.
James: I know that. But I think this is crunch James: Okay, great. I have +0 Precision. And
time. I’m just hoping for a lucky roll. And... oh no. I roll... 8 on the Fortune Dice! and 2 on the
That’s the opposite of lucky. A total of 3. And I Attribute Dice. A total of 10.
rolled a 1 on the Fortune Dice. So... -1 in total?! GM: Nice. You get a point of Fortune back. And
GM: Oh, buddy, that’s rough. The Baron gets a you manage to loosen the cord enough for her
6 even with only have a D4 Attribute Dice thanks hands to slip out. She pulls off her gag and hugs
to a little help the Fortune Dice you. “Thank you!”.
James: What happens? I guess there’s a James: I tell her “We’re not out of trouble yet!”
Misfortune coming? GM: No you’re not. But that was your turn. Let’s

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pick another token... oh my goodness another GM: Of course! But that takes us to the end of
red! the first round. I’m going to mark off a segment
Ronnie: Thank you! Can Lina take a turn? on the clock for the guards outside. You can hear
James: Of course! them as they frustratedly try and push the door
Ronnie: Lina isn’t really built for this open.
in-your-face combat stuff, she’s more a skulking Ronnie: I’d forgotten about the guards!
in-the-shadows kind of gal. But she’s got her Asp GM: They’re still there! Let’s put the tokens back
D6 pistol and she’s normally a pretty good shot. in the bag. Although Kitsune have 2 less this time
So she going to Brace and take a steady shot as Mikami is out of action.
at Takahashi. I really think we need to take him Joe: I think we’ve got this.
down. GM: We’ll see.
GM: It’s a good plan.
Ronnie: I roll a D6 and add 2 for my Precision?
That doesn’t sound like much so I’m going to
Push Myself to reroll the Fortune Dice.
GM: D6 isn’t that bad. Just roll well.
Ronnie: So here’s the attack roll… a total of 10!
GM: But that 1 on the Attribute Dice means you
have to make an ammo roll.
Ronnie: The Asp rolls a D12 for Ammo. I’ll
be fine. And I get a… 2! Oh no. I’ve run out of
ammo!
GM: But that one shot was a good one. Let’s
see what Takahashi rolls in defence… It’s a D8 for
his light armour. +2 Force. And +2 for medium
cover. And it’s a total of 9. You get a good hit on
him. The difference between the two rolls is only
1 though so he’s only going to be taking Level 1
harm.
Ronnie: Better than nothing.
GM: So let’s roll to what the effect is. He takes
Level 1 Grazed Arm. And as you braced to aim
that shot that is your turn. Let’s pick another
token.
James: And... it’s the white token. It’s the end of
the round!
GM: Yes, it is. Wow. A lot just happened in those
moments.
Ronnie: Yeah, We barricaded ourselves in to
the room and we’re immediately under fire. I see
this fight going on to my left between Raquelle
and Mikami.
James: Miller’s manages to fry the big robot
but then his deck blows up.
Ronnie: So he runs off to my right leaving Kyro
and myself left standing in the open, I take a shot
to the ribs.
Joe: And then we hear Miller yelling that he’s
found the girl.
GM: That sounds about right. It probably all
happened in 30 seconds or so. And it’s not over.
Takahashi is still up and the Baron is about to
come back online.
Miller: Yeah, but under my control!

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 them in advance so that your players don’t have
THE FIRST SESSION to wait as you draw out the room or you can use
You’ve skimmed through the rules, got an idea ones from companies like Loke Maps.
of how the world looks in your head and now Finally you should have a number of polyhedral
you want to run your own game of Dark All Day? dice (for yourself and a few spare in case one or
Where do you start? two of the players don’t have their own) and some
Whether you’ve never run an RPG before or if pencils and paper. And snacks. You need to have
you’re an experienced gamer I would recommend snacks.
following this guide as I’m going to walk you
through your first session of Dark All Day. As well Introductions
as presenting you with your first adventure I will One of the first and biggest hurdles when
help you with setting boundaries and safety tools, playing an RPG is finding your players. Unfor-
show you how to create characters and the crew tunately I can’t help you much with this step.
with your players and introduce your players to Maybe they’re existing friends, or you’re playing
the rules, the dice system and the core concepts at a gaming club or you’re playing online with
of Dark All Day. strangers? Regardless of how you find each other
it’s always a good idea to make sure you’re all
Preparation on the same page when it comes to the game
In advance of your game session you are going you are all about to play together. Dark All Day
to need to prepare a few elements in advance is a sci-fi adventure game and everyone should
and some games need more preparation than understand what that entails. There will be
others. If you’re playing in person then you are gunfights and gadgets. It’s set in a near-future
going to need a Persona Sheet for each player dystopia, there will be corrupt corporations and
and a crew sheet. I would recommend printing an authoritarian police force. If your players are
a few spares just in case. I also like to give each not on board with these themes then you might
player a Fortune Tracker. be better playing something else. There are no
I also like to use cards in my games, to track elves or paladins in Dark All Day!
equipment and abilities. It means you have the I would recommend playing with no more than
rules at your fingertips and you don’t have to 6 players as well as yourself as the GM although
constantly refer to the rulebook. If you want to I think 4 is a sweet spot. You can try playing with
play with this system make sure you have enough more but it can be hard to give everyone the
cards for all the players at your table taking into attention they deserve.
account some players may take the same skill or I always like to begin my games with introduc-
have the same equipment as another. tions. Go around the table starting with yourself
I also like to have the stats for the NPCs on cards and tell everyone your name and what your
which can be downloaded from the Dark All Day history of playing role playing games is. It’s a
website. good icebreaker and as well as learning a little
It’s a good idea to have a few copies of the about the others at the table you will find out if
Player Kit available as well as a rules reference some people might need additional help. Things
sheet for each player which can be downloaded like knowing about the different types of dice or
from the Dark All Dark website. The Player Kit terms like GM or Modifier may seem like common
includes everything a player needs to create their expressions to some but if you’ve never played an
character so will be referenced a lot. RPG before it can seem like speaking a different
If you want to play using miniatures then you are language.
also going to need several as well as a board to
play on. For miniatures you can use Warhammer Safety Tools
miniatures (Necromunda miniatures are a pretty Once everyone has introduced themselves it’s a
good fit if a little too futuristic) or now that 3D good idea to talk about safety tools and expected
printing is more common you can print your boundaries. As the GM it is your role to make sure
own! I have used miniatures from Papsikels, everyone is comfortable at the table and talking
Loot Studios, Unit 9 and Cyber Forge as well as about this up front is the best way to handle it. You
designing my own using Hero Forge. should first set your own boundaries, and then ask
For maps I like to use wipe clean maps and white the players if they have anything to add. Common
board markers. If you have a few you can prepare boundaries are avoiding events that include

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children being harmed, rape or sexual violence, general for a moderately tricky task the number
torture or racial discrimination in the game. You will be about 8 or 9, and very difficult task will be
might not be comfortable with role playing more around 15 or more.
intimate moments between players or you might One of those dice is always going to be an
choose to limit scenes of drug abuse. eight-sided dice, or a D8. This is your Fortune
You can then talk about what safety tools you Dice. It’s a good idea to put a D8 to the side and
might want to implement. The X Card developed assign that dice to always be your Fortune Dice.
by John Stavropoulos is a common tool and easy The other dice is your Attribute Dice and will
to implement - a physical card is placed on the vary depending on your character’s proficiency
table and if a player becomes uncomfortable in the applicable attribute - MIND, BODY OR
during the game they can touch or point at the SPIRIT. The better you are at the ability, the
card. You as the GM then move ahead with the bigger the dice. Whenever you roll a 1 on the
narrative, no questions asked. Another safety Fortune Dice you suffer a Misfortune. Something
tool is called Lines and Veils where you decide in bad has happened, a mishap or consequence.
advance which subjects will be avoided (Lines) And whenever you roll an 8 you earn a point of
and which may occur in the story but away from Fortune.
the spotlight (Veils). Script Change is another Fortune is a very important resource. You can
common tool that uses the terms “Rewind”, use it to empower special skills and you can
“Pause” and “Fast Forward” to signal to the GM spend Fortune to level up your skills. If you ever
that the narrative has become disagreeable. They roll the maximum number on both the Fortune
can be physical cards on the table or players can Dice and the Attribute dice, you have scored a
just say them out loud. “Rewind” takes the game Critical Success. You gain 2 Fortune Points and
to before the uncomfortable moment so the GM also earn an Experience Point (XP) in the Attribute
can re-phrase or remove the troubling event. that you rolled for.
“Pause” doesn’t change the narrative but it allows As there are no Hit Points or a Health Meter
the players to calm down and take a breath. “Fast in Dark All Day you can consider Fortune as a
Forward” skips play forward past the uncomforta- barometer of your character’s overall vitality. You
ble moment so that it happens but isn’t described. can also suffer Harm. On your Persona sheet you
There are other safety tools that may fit your can see 7 Harm boxes that you fill in as you take
group or your style of play and I encourage you wounds and other damage. If all those boxes
to look into them. Even if you feel they aren’t become filled or you go down to 0 Fortune your
necessary you might be playing with someone character dies.
where it can make the difference between joining That just about covers the core system. If you
a game and not. get into a fight then we also need to learn the
combat rules. In essence they work in the same
Brief Rules Overview way as rolling for skills but instead of trying to
Before we go any further it might be an idea beat a Target Number, both the attacker and the
to give the players a very brief overview of the defender roll against each other and whoever
rules. There are a lot of rules to learn but for the rolls highest succeeds. But we’ll get to that later
moment we’ll keep it to the bare minimum. Read in the game.
or paraphrase the following passage to your
players. Outline the Setting
Dark All Day is a narrative game. We are going Now is probably a good time to describe the
to tell a story together. You will play a character setting that the game is going to take place in.
that you are about to create. Whenever your Dark All Day takes its inspiration from lots of
character does something that has a level of existing media so there is a shorthand in place
uncertainty I will ask you what skill you are using but it’s good to nail down some specifics. Read or
and then you will roll a pair of dice, adding the paraphrase the following passage to your players.
numbers together and then maybe adding a
modifier if it’s appropriate to the skill. You will
be aiming to hit a Target Number but I may or
may not tell you what the number is depending
on the situation. I can tell you that the number
will be higher the more difficult the task is but in

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 It is the year 2019. Technology has advanced Creating Characters
much faster in the world of Dark All Day than
There are a number of prefilled Persona Sheets
our own world due to the early 1980’s inventions
available on the Dark All Day website which you
of Ion Flow batteries and the LightNet. These
can let your players use but I heartily recommend
innovations have led to advanced robotics and
letting your players create their own. It doesn’t
artificial intelligence, space travel and personal
take long (about an hour) and it will give your
communication devices. The Moon and Mars
players a much stronger bond to their character.
have been colonised and a small number of
There are a few alternate character options such
mega-corporations have become more powerful
as playing as a mutant or Automaton but I would
than entire countries.
avoid these options if it’s your first time playing
the game.
However, this combination of circumstances
has also led to the downfall of society as we • To start with, you should describe the Persona
know it. In 1999, as the clocks ticked over to options available - the Mercenary, the
midnight, a bug in an AI system’s coding caused Outlander etc. and let the players choose. If
it to accidentally launch a nuclear warhead at more than one player chooses the same type
Washington DC. Within moments the world was that is okay. Having two of the same Persona
at war. Nations were wiped from the map and isn’t a problem as this is only a starting step.
darkness befell the globe. It should also be remembered that you can
always go back and change any of these
It has taken 20 years for society to return to decisions if it doesn’t feel right or you think
something resembling a civilisation again. another option might be more suitable.
But the corporations are now more powerful • Once everyone has picked their Persona, they
than ever before and people live under their choose their first Special Ability based on the
authoritarian rule. The sky is still dark due to the Persona type they have chosen (Mercenaries
radioactive fallout and the badlands to the west get to choose Combat or Physical Abilities
are filled with mutants and who knows what else. whereas Shadows choose from Underworld
or Social). This can take a while as everyone
You and your crewmates live in the region will want to read all the options.
known as Pacifica in the Santa Carla Sprawl. It is a
• Once that is done they get to pick their Roots
dangerous place run by the street gangs where
and another Special Ability. This will reveal
the corporations and Delta Guardian patrols
something about the characters family life
have little sway. In a population of billions, it is
and you can start thinking about interperson-
possible to get lost amongst the white noise, but
al relationships between the crew. How do
sometimes, you can also claw your way to the
these characters know each other?
top.
Ask if the players have any questions about the • The next step is picking a Profession and
setting and do your best to answer them. This their third and final Special Ability. This
is also an opportunity to let the players learn an will tell the players something about their
important aspect about playing Dark All Day - the character’s vocation.
world you are creating belongs to everyone. So • The next step is for the players to choose
if someone asks, “What do the communication what Skills their characters are going to excel
devices look like? Are they like our smartphones at. These points determine if any modifiers
or are they some kind of neural interface and you get added to a dice roll. Each character has
just think to control them?” you can answer, “I 7 points they can spend and at this stage no
don’t know, what do you think?”. skill can have more than 2 points spent on it.
Don’t take too long with this step though. You Let the players know that these numbers will
will learn more about the Santa Carla Sprawl as improve as their characters advance during a
you play. First, you need some characters. campaign.
• To give the players more connection to the
world they get to choose an NPC who is an
ally and one who is an enemy. Each Persona
overview includes a number of options but

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 players can come up with their own if they Crew Creation
wish. It gives the characters a past that the
The crew creation stage is pretty fast compared
players can tap into.
to creating characters but it is very important as
• Every character needs a vice, a flaw, a way to this is when your characters really become part of
let off steam. This is another trait that makes the Dark All Day world. Give one of your players
the characters more three dimensional, the responsibility to fill out the crew sheet.
something the players can latch on to when
• Your characters need to have a reason to
playing the game.
be hanging out together. It’s no fun having
• It’s now time for the players to pick out a lone wolf character in a game which is
their Gear and choose if they want any about teamwork! Let your players look at the
Cybernetics. This is when the cards can options on Page 73 or come up with their
be useful as it saves the players having to own.
write out all their stats. If you want to save
• They’ll need a place to call their home. This
a little time I would advise the players to
doesn’t have to be where they all live but
take the default equipment lists rather than
it is a central place where they congregate,
buying their own as it can take a while to
make their plans and lay low when the Heat
read through all the options. Choosing
gets too hot. Let the players have a look at
Cybernetics doesn’t take as long as there
the options on Page 73 and look at a map
aren’t as many options. But now is a good
of Pacifica so they can choose a suitable
time to explain Equilibrium.
Hideout.
• When you add any Cybernetics there is a
• The crew begins at Tier 0 with 0 Heat and
credits cost but also an Equilibrium Cost.
start with 2 Credits.
The players need to roll the dice and add
the result to their Equilibrium Score on • The players can then spend 20¢ upgrading
their Persona sheet. This is a measure of a their hideout with options from Page 74
character’s humanity and sanity. Too many • Finally the players can pick one additional
cybernetics can cause a character to lose ally or contact known to all of them. This is an
their connection to humanity and there may NPC they can call upon in the game.
be times in the game when you might need
to test their Equilibrium. And that’s about it. You are now really ready to
• The final part of creating a character is to play Dark All Day.
come up with a name or a Handle. This is Over the next few pages I am going to guide you
their street name or nickname. If the player through running your first Dark All Day adventure.
can’t come up with one they can use one of I would recommend reading it through once or
the examples from the rulebook or use an twice in advance of running the game and making
online name generator. They might also want any additional notes that you feel are necessary as
to make some notes about the character’s you go.
appearance.
At this point everyone should have some kind
of idea of the character they are going to be
playing as. But don’t worry if at the moment they
are only vague ideas. All characters start as rough
sketches but they will be fleshed out as the game
progresses.

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 Read or paraphrase the following passage to your
ULTIMATE FIGHTING players.
CHICANERY You find yourselves sat in a booth enjoying a
well earned drink at the Tech Noir nightclub.
NPCs: The place is mostly empty apart from yourselves
• Michael Castro. Screaming Fists Leader, and a few late stragglers. Earlier in the evening
(Shrewd, Tough, Commanding). you had been hired to work security for a local
band called Scandolera, and the place had been
• Razorback. 2nd in Command, (Menacing,
jumping. I guess the audience hadn’t gotten the
Cold, Ruthless).
memo from the corporations about unsolicited
• Danny. Muscle, (Muscular, Principled, music being banned. Luckily there hadn’t been
Cynical). any trouble you couldn’t handle. And you’d been
• Quaid. 4-armed MMA Fighter, (Volatile, paid 2 credits. Not the biggest payday but not
Ruthless, Gullible). too bad for a few hours work.
Now that the players have a rough idea of the
• Hannah Wagner. South Pharmaceuticals
setting, it is their turn to introduce their characters.
Chief Technical Officer, (Obsessive, Cold,
Go around the table and ask each player to briefly
Arrogant)
describe their character. They don’t need to go
• Raymond Brazil. Hannah Wagner’s Assistant into detail and we’re not looking for them to tell
(Gaunt, Shrewd, Ruthless). us the data on their Persona Sheet. What we’re
• ST-148. Tier 2 Industrial Automaton looking for is a first impression. If you were to
(Menacing, Cruel, Fastidious). bump into this individual on the street what would
your takeaway be?
• Jenny Ramires. Singer, Scandolera,
An example might be…
(Visionary, Stylish, Confident).
“Kyro is tall, with dark furrowed brows. He always
• Tournament Security. Tier 1 Gang Muscle looks like he’s angry. And he looks like he can
(Tattooed, Arrogant, Unstable). handle himself in a scrap. He wears a tattered
brown leather jacket and on his hip is a large
Locations:
pistol. One of the arms of his jacket has been torn
• Tech Noir. off revealing a chrome cybernetic arm.”
• The Crew Hideout. As opposed to…
“My character is called Kyle Rose but his
• Danny’s Gym.
handle is Kyro. He is a Mercenary with a military
• The Octagon Warriors Tournament. background. He has +2 in Force and Command
• Tech Noir Back Alley. and +1 in Prowl. He has a Krait D8 pistol and
medium armour.”
Overview Once everyone has introduced their characters
When a friend of the crew dies, it is down to them you can read or paraphrase the next passage.
to investigate what happened. It is late and the bar is closing down. You are just
South Pharmaceuticals have developed a new deciding if you should get one last drink when
combat stimulant but the lab tests have been two very large individuals bump into your table in
inconclusive. They have decided to test them mid argument. One of them is more aggressive
in the fighting rings of Pacifica. However they than the other. He is tall, over 6’ 6” and broad
seem to have some serious side effects, such as across the shoulders. He has plenty of cybernetic
psychosis, rage and sometimes death. This hasn’t implants including a visor covering his eyes. The
deterred their chief scientist though who needs other guy is more defensive, equally large, with a
this drug to work or her job is on the line. chrome fist.
The defensive muscleman with the chrome fist
yells, “Tell Castro I’m done! Not this time.”
ACT 1 The guy with the visor pushes him. “You’re not
done until we tell you you’re done.”
Prologue The guy with the chrome fist drops into a boxing
The game begins in the Tech Noir Nightclub. pose, “I don’t need to be in the Octagon to beat
you!”

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 The NPC with the visor is called Razorback. He
is a member of the Screaming Fists, a local gang
based out of the Screaming Fists MMA Gym. The Hideout
The other NPC is a fighter called Danny who Playing a RPG is a lot like making a film and like
won last year’s Octagon Warriors Tournament. a film you can edit out the boring bits. So instead
He is an ex-member of the Screaming Fists and of roleplaying the characters travelling home and
the brother of Jenny Ramirez, the singer of getting ready for bed you can just skip to the next
Scandolera. interesting part of the story.
Give the opportunity for the players to get Tell your players that you are moving onto a
involved or ask questions. The pair don’t seem to new scene. It is the next day and they are at their
be armed but they are professional fighters. If the hideout. They might have a hangover from the
players try to intervene they will be told to “Keep previous night. Ask them to describe the hangout.
your noses out!”. How is it decorated? How many rooms does it
If a player asks if they recognise either of the have? And then ask them what they would be
NPCs you can either give them the information or doing?
let them roll for it. If during the character creation Again, you can let this play out as long as it feels
process one of your players has shown an interest appropriate. Let your players enjoy discovering
in martial arts or fighting tournaments then he their characters. If at some point the conversation
would recognise the local champion! Otherwise begins to falter or it feels like it has gone on too
you can let the dice decide. The first roll of the long you can interrupt them. Read or paraphrase
game! the following passage to one of your players.
Ask the player to make an Intellect Action Roll You receive a call on your deck. It’s Jenny
to see if they can recall the information. A good Ramirez. She looks distraught.
TN would be about 8 but don’t tell the player “I need your help. It’s Danny. He…. he’s been
this number. They aren’t in a position to know the murdered! Please can you come to his gym on
difficulty of the task. And depending on the result Fifth Street. I’ll meet you there.”
of the roll you can give them all the information Jenny tells the group that she will pay the group
or just some - say they roll a 6 - you could say that 6¢ if they can find out who killed him.
the player only remembers that the guy won a
fighting tournament last year, with an 8 you could
reveal his name and with a 15 you could let the
player know all the information about the two ACT 2
NPCs.
Danny’s Gym
Before it escalates out of hand you can bring The first port of call should be Danny’s Gym.
Jenny Ramirez onto the scene. She’s only small When the character’s arrive at the gym, Jenny
but she steps between the two and calms the is already outside. It’s the ground floor of a hab
situation in a moment. She tells Razorback to go block in a run down area to North East of Pacifica
home as he’s drunk. near to the LevTrak line that heads out into the
Badlands. Let the players investigate however
Danny tells the crew that the Screaming Fists they feel fit. Here are some details about the
have been at him for weeks, trying to get him to scene.
join them at the Octagon Warriors Tournament • The front door is locked (Jenny has her
that is happening tomorrow. As the reigning own keys and will let in the crew) and there
champion he should defend his title. Especially as doesn’t seem to be any sign of a break-in.
there is a new team entering this year and they’re • Danny’s body is laying on the ground in
meant to be very good. the centre of the gym. He doesn’t seem to
have any wounds apart from slightly bruised
Let the scene play out for a little bit longer. If knuckles.
the players are having fun and exploring their
• A closer investigation of Danny’s body - with
characters and the world, let it carry on. If the
a succesful Moderate (8) Search Action Roll
conversation dries up you can move onto to the
- reveals 3 dots on his thigh, the telltale mark
next chapter.
of an injection.

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 • In the fridge there is a package containing This will require succesful Moderate (8)
two vials, one empty. It is marked with the Deception Action Rolls. If the group take
logo of South Pharmaceuticals. this route it is up to you how far you want to
• The place is wrecked. The punch bag is take it. Be aware that letting one player take
ripped in two, the speed-ball is broken. The the limelight for too long may not be fun for
Wing Chun wooden practice dummy is lying the other players so make sure you give them
in splinters on the ground. something to do as well, such as gambling or
interfering with the fight. You could also let
• Screwed up in a trashcan is a flyer advertising them fight as a tag team?
the Octagon Warrior Tournament featuring
Once in they will find that the main hall is filled
a prominent photo of Danny.
and the tournament is underway, an octagonal
• There is no camera inside the gym but a cage in the middle of the hall being the centre of
succesful Moderate (8) Hack Action Roll attention, where two combatants are currently in
reveals the cameras on the street showing the midst of a brutal bout of combat.
Danny arriving in the early morning with The Screaming Fists are all huddled together
Razorback. Razorback hands Danny a at the side of the ring. If approached they
package and leaves. He doesn’t enter the deny knowing anything about Danny’s death.
building. Razorback is particularly upset when he hears
Let the players investigate for as long as they about Danny. He says that he didn’t kill him.
feel is necessary. It shouldn’t matter if they don’t The players will need to make a succesful
get all the information but they should leave the Moderate (8) Search Action Roll Command or
property knowing at least that Danny had taken Deception Action Roll to get more information
an injection of some kind and that the Octagon out of Razorback. If they succeed, he will say that
Tournament was on his mind. he went to Danny’s gym that evening to try and
It should be clear that the crew need to head talk him into joining the tournament. Danny was
to the Octagon Warrior Tournament that worried he wasn’t in good enough shape to enter
is happening that evening at Rydell High. A so Razorback gave him some vials of a new drug
succesful Moderate (8) Hack or Intellect Action that South Pharmaceuticals is testing. Razorback
Roll will reveal the location of the abandoned is unaware that the drug is dangerous.
high school. If asked where he got the drugs from Razorback
If the players don’t come to this conclusion then tells the crew that he will set up a meeting with his
Jenny can suggest they go to the tournament to contact at South Pharmaceuticals to get more. He
investigate further. simply messages them and says “Done, midnight.
The alley behind Tech Noir”.
Tech Noir Back Alley
ACT 3 The alley is dark with only one path in or out. The
The Octagon Warriors buildings around the alley are a mixture of old
warehouses and closed shops and businesses.
Tournament Empty beer kegs, boxes and industrial waste bins
The Octagon Warriors Tournament is held in
line the walls of the alley.
the auditorium of an abandoned High School.
The crew can choose to turn up early to set an
The security is tight. As the event is invite only the
ambush or observe. There are many places to
crew will need to think of a way to enter.
do this, from the roofs above or hiding in the
• Sneak in. This will require some succesful shadows of the alley. To do this they should make
Moderate (8) Prowl Action Rolls. The a group Prowl Action Roll.
security won’t use deadly force but will kick An Autocab gyro swoops down to the entrance
them out if discovered. of the alley and three figures get out. They are
• Talk their way in. This will require succesful Hannah Wagner, Raymond Brazil her assistant
Moderate (8) Command or Deception and their security automaton, ST-148. The gyro
Action Rolls. will then leave.
• Enter the tournament. The crew will Let the players decide what to do next. There are
need to belong to a gym (or make one up!). two main options - Talk or Fight.

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 Talk
If the players choose to have a conversation then
Hannah Wagner will do all the talking. Raymond
will agree to anything she says. The automaton
will look on, silent and motionless.
If told about Danny’s death she won’t show any
emotion but instead say...
“Well at least we now know about the side
effects. I’m sorry for your friend. I can arrange
South Pharmaceuticals to arrange a transfer of
2¢ in compensation if you can tell me where his
body is? We’d be interested in doing some tests.”
Fight
If the group choose to attack, the automaton will
protect their human comrades and Hannah and
Raymond will try to flee. They are not fighters,
although Raymond is armed with a hidden Asp
D6 pistol which he will use if cornered.
If Hannah is forced to capitulate, she will confess
that she is desperate and her job is on the line
if the drug is not a success. But she will agree to
close down the programme if a player makes a
succesful Moderate (8) Command Action Roll .
Try to persuade your players against executing
the NPCs if you can. The Santa Carla Sprawl is a
deadly place but killing people in cold blood is
reserved for sociopaths. If they do choose this
route you should ask them to make a Equilibrium
check.
Hopefully, this final scene should bring the game
to some kind of conclusion. Yes, it’s not exactly a
happy ending, but the crew have managed to find
out why Danny died.
Next Steps
It’s now time to wrap up the game. If this game
is a one-shot adventure there is no need to go
into the Downtime phase but it might be worth
mentioning that is what would happen if you were
planning on running a miniseries or campaign.
If this is the first game in an ongoing campaign
then you should go to the Downtime section on
Page 92 and go through the steps.

Ask the players what their highlights of the

game were? And what could have been done
differently. Did Hannah Wagner escape? What are
they interested in exploring next? Do they want
to pursue South Pharmaceuticals and Hannah
Wagner more?

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136
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Permission to Reproduce for Personal Use Only
 137
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 07 THE SPRAWL

“You wanna earn some credits or what?

Get the Gyro warmed up. We’re going to work!”

computer network that allowed for lightning-fast

BEFORE THE BOMBS data transfers across the globe. Soon followed the
The Santa Carla Sprawl wasn’t always this way. invention of the Ion Flow Cell, a battery that could
The area was part of the United States of America, store tremendous amounts of energy in a tiny
the world’s third-largest country. For most of the capsule.
20th Century the USA was a prosperous country The profits from these inventions unlocked
that dominated world politics and was globally unprecedented amounts of wealth and the first
influential in economics, science and culture. The mega corporations emerged. These corporations
area known as Southern California was a dynamic soon held global monopolies over resources and
part of the country, known as a hub for entertain- technologies and they held onto them with an
ment and innovation and its warm climate made iron fist. As well as controlling the world’s financial
it suitable for agriculture and tourism. Situated institutions and media outlets they invested
on the border with neighbouring Mexico It was a heavily in advancing space programs. It wasn’t
melting pot of cultures that mostly managed to long before settlements were established on the
exist peacefully together. Moon and Mars initially as research stations but
soon used as exclusive holiday resorts for the
THE CORPORATIONS wealthy.
The 1980s were a boom time for technical The corporations that grew out of the
ingenuity. Groundbreaking advancements technology boom of the 1980s still reign today.
seemed to be announced every month. The Their ruthless ability to monetise their innovations
first of these was the creation of the LightNet, a and crush or consume anyone who gets in their

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way has created an unfair system where they
manage to prosper while others flounder. LIGHTNET
By taking advantage of the tenets of capitalism In 1982 a teenager, David Delgatti, developed a
they have managed to engineer a weighted data transfer protocol to allow her friends to play
society where an elite fraction of the population video games against each other regardless of
owns more than everyone else combined. their location and it used the existing phone lines.
The technology soon became popular outside
THE MOON AND MARS her friend group and its potential was quickly
The CEOs of these corporations seem to have recognised by big businesses. In 1984, Maddox
an obsession with space travel and some even Pearson, an American businessman partnered
funnelled their personal resources into space with David Delgatti and they created Colossus
programs. When the National Aeronautics and Technologies together.
Space Administration (NASA) was bought out by The LightNet was initially used to manage global
the Gladwell Syndicate a space race developed financial markets with a system they named
between rival corporations. The outcome was Swift Credit which gave them a monopoly over
billions of dollars of funding injected into various the world’s commercial transactions. Colossus
initiatives with almost immediate results. soon branched out to other areas such as
Space stations were put into orbit and soon after entertainment, social media, data mining, artificial
research bases were established on the Moon and intelligence and news all enabled using their
Mars. Ion Flow technology was implemented into LightNet technology.
rocket design and affordable, reusable spacecraft
emerged.
Telnet
The research bases soon expanded into In the beginning, the LightNet was only
the hospitality and tourism sector and even accessible when devices were connected to the
permanent housing as the rich and well-connect- phone networks by cables. But as devices were
ed left the confines of our planet. New Cydonia made smaller and more mobile with Ion Flow
Arcology on Mars with its near-Earth gravity technology soon a network of telecommunica-
became the home to tens of thousands of the tions towers were built in larger cities to allow for
elite. wireless connection with no data loss. And then
when the corporations had the resources they
ION FLOW TECHNOLOGY started to launch satellites into orbit to allow for a
When Reeves Kimble developed the first Ion truly global network they called Telnet.
Flow battery in 1983 little did he know the seismic Now almost all electrical devices are connected
waves he had triggered. The ability to store such to Telnet in some way. This allows the corpora-
great amounts of electrical power in such a small tions to collect data on every element of society
space led to a multitude of innovations - from and allows them to install firmware updates,
mobile communications and other consumer patches and to trigger inbuilt obsolescence.
devices to robotics and electric vehicles. However, it also means that shrewd hackers are
The Ion Flow technologies led to further able to access these devices and override such
innovations such as Ion Flow beams that became processes. Using the DarkNet they can infiltrate
utilised in weapons and security systems. The any piece of technology, be it a refrigerator or a
high tech barrier fence that surrounds the cybernetic implant and alter its code.
Upper Sprawl is one such implementation of
DarkNet
the technology - a mesh of electrical energy
that keeps the mutants from the Badlands at Colossus Technologies controlled their
bay and the citizens of the city subjugated. The technology with an autocratic approach,
technology was also able to be implemented in monitoring all transmissions and banning any
Spacecraft design with Ion Flow engines that are users or organisations that didn’t follow their
able to create the thrust needed to leave Earth’s strict rules. Then in 1997 a mysterious hacker only
atmosphere without the need for expensive and known as Paradox released a piece of software
dangerous rocket fuel. that he dubbed the DarkNet. Initially used for
sharing music illegally it was essentially a system
that piggybacked on the LightNet, hiding its
illicit code amongst the countless legitimate data

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 packets. Global borders became meaningless and life
The DarkNet became a home for hackers, on earth was brutal and short. However, the
sharing prohibited data and traversing networks Offworlders living in their artificial palaces were
unnoticed. not self-sufficient. They still needed earth for its
resources, its ability to grow agriculture, its alloys
CREDITS and reserves of fuel.
Money in its physical form is a thing of the
past. Every chipped citizen instead has a credit THE EURASIAN WARS
account and can transfer funds simply with a voice After the initial chaos and devastation of the
command. nuclear attack there was a moment of stillness…
This can be done using any terminal or deck and then an international land-grab erupted
with a retinal scanner, and even some cybernetic amongst the remaining powers that had
implants can approve credit transactions. weathered the storm. The battleground stretched
CFX (Colossus Financial Exchange) is the largest from the East coast of Europe, across Africa and
exchange, but there is also an underground to the West coast of Asia. Hundreds of millions
exchange called CheX that operates on the of lives were lost in the meat grinder of war as
DarkNet. Some say it is even more robust than nations fought for significance and survival.
legitimate exchanges.
Bartering is also a widely accepted arrangement
CYBERNETICS
in the Lower Sprawl, where some citizens are When Æthertronics developed the first
unchipped and supplies and provisions are cybernetic implants they were only designed
scarce. to be used on the battlefields of Eurasia. But it
soon became obvious that they were also sought
Y2K after elsewhere and a black market developed.
Mathematicians and scientists were well aware The corporations saw the possibility for new
of the dangers of the Millennium Bug, also known income streams and soon cosmetic cybernetic
as Y2K. Due to memory capacity, cost savings and procedures were legalised and Chrome
sheer laziness, early computers had only used a Surgeries became legitimate. The black markets
2-digit system for storing dates within its code. still flourished as gang members preferred the
When calendars all over the globe flipped over military-grade enhancements that gave them
from 1999 to 2000 nobody really knew how those improved reactions and precise aim.
computer systems would deal with the change. It soon became apparent that these upgrades
As far as the computers were concerned time had were not only addictive but also that people who
reversed to the Victorian Era of 1900. got these upgrades started losing touch with their
No one knows how it was allowed to happen but humanity. An affliction known as Cybernetically
on the night of the millennium, as people around Induced Psychosis (or more commonly Hexed)
the world celebrated, a single nuclear warhead arose where people would lose reason and
was launched and exploded over Washington DC. become violent. In response, a special unit of
Within moments nuclear silos all over the globe Delta Guardians was formed to deal with the
began to open in response, still not knowing who problem, known colloquially as the Zombie
the enemy were. The devastation was immediate Squad.
and total - after only a few hours the world was
permanently changed, governments were inca-
THE SANTA CARLA
pacitated and nations were lost forever. SPRAWL
AFTER THE BOMBS When the corporations on Mars realised
they needed to return to Earth they created
When the nuclear onslaught subsided not much
an independent foundation called the Novus
was left of the United States. The East Coast felt
Consortium to find a suitable place to re-settle.
the brunt of the devastation but the West Coast
They chose an area called Santa Carla on the West
was also terribly affected. Disease and famine
Coast of what was the United States as it had a
decimated the populations and the cities were
relatively large population that could be utilised
turned into ghost towns. Those who could afford
as a labour force.
to leave moved to the luxury New Cydonia resort
The Offworlders returned and built factories,
on Mars.
hydroponic farms and refineries on the ruins of

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the old city. They introduced drugs that kept the to a bureaucratic body but it is the security firm
terrible radiation and diseases at bay and built Leviathan that imposes laws and delivers justice.
scores of habitation blocks to house their workers. The brutish and unscrupulous Delta Guardians
A fledgling enterprise called Leviathan was are Leviathan’s police force. Armed with mili-
brought in to provide security to the new city. tary-grade weapons and armour they maintain the
They wasted no time in making their presence peace by patrolling the streets of the Santa Carla
known, military-style police officers known as Sprawl.
Delta Guardians patrolled the streets, curfews The rarely-seen Assessors are both investigators
were introduced and all citizens were tagged with and lawyers. Their presence is unnerving as it
electronic devices that tracked their movements means a particularly significant crime has taken
and behaviours. These PCB chips were injected place and in their long coats and featureless
beneath the skin and ensured the citizens carried masks, they are a sight to behold. Once they have
out their duties in the factories and offices of the gathered the “facts” they present the case to the
new city. Justices.
Justices are the judge and jury of the Santa Carla
The Upper Sprawl Sprawl criminal system. They take on board the
The coastal part of the inner city is known as case as it is put before them by the Assessors and
either Cyber City or the Upper Sprawl. This area determine the punishment.
is crowded with skyscrapers and office blocks The SoCal Correctional Facility is the prison
with Cyber City at its centre - an exclusive and where criminals and dissidents are sent. It is a
lavish complex of premium habitation blocks and vast fortified factory complex to the south of The
entertainment facilities. To the west of Cyber City Sprawl and houses tens of thousands of prisoners
on an artificial island in the ocean is the Santa at any one time who are exploited into forced
Carla Spaceport where daily spacecraft launches labour by the corporations.
take place. The boundaries of the Upper Sprawl
are protected by an Ion Barrier that keeps the RELIGION
mutants and other undesirables out. Towards the end of the 20th Century, most
The majority of people in the Upper Sprawl have religions were in decline, especially among
jobs, working in skyscrapers for the corporations. the young. After the millennium, this became
They are known as drones, sitting in their cubicles even more apparent as people became more
as they analyse data and ensure the corporation’s and more disillusioned. The only religion that
revenue continues to increase. seemed to buck this trend was The Hegemon,
a recent addition to the world’s religions, one
The Lower Sprawl
that promised salvation through success and
Beyond the Barrier is the Lower Sprawl. This is an rewarded overconsumption.
endless expanse of warehouses, mega-factories, Although other churches and temples do exist in
hydroponic farms and crumbling hab blocks. The Sprawl they are in the minority. The Hegemon
Some of the buildings here date back to a time is seen as the one true religion and has allied
before the bombs dropped. with the corporations and many of their board
In the Lower Sprawl those who are unlucky work members are members.
in the factories and warehouses, making the
trinkets and luxuries enjoyed by the Offworlders. VEHICLES
And then there are the outlaws, those who have Vehicles play a big part in Dark All Day. They
fallen through the cracks of society. These are help you get around the city but they are also
the gangsters and criminals, the hackers and a status symbol. If you want to show that you’re
assassins who live on their own terms. a serious outlaw you need a set of wheels that
The Lower Sprawl is a lawless place where gangs prove it.
rule the streets and Delta Guardians strive to stem The most common vehicles you’ll see in The
the unrest from boiling over. Sprawl are cars. They come in all shapes and
sizes, from 1-person pods to lux sports cars.
LAW AND ORDER Motorcycles are also a common sight and vary
There is no recognised government in the Santa in size from collapsing scooters to comfortable
Carla Sprawl. The Novus Consortium, founded touring models.
by the corporations, is the closest organisation

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 Gyros populace and induce compliance.
Another common sight are the Gyro’s which are Holovids
managed by Autocab, Inc. These are automated Films and TV Shows are still a popular form of
quadrocopters that have no inner controls but entertainment but flat-screen content has mostly
are instead operated by voice, the passenger been replaced with Holovids, a 3-dimensional
tells the AI instrumentation the final destination. form of entertainment which requires special
They come in two classifications, the smaller goggles or a cybernetic implant to watch.
two-person chassis or the larger eight-person AI-created soap operas like ‘New Cydonia’ and
version. To travel in an Autocab Gyro you need to ‘The Young and the Motivated’ are popular in
have a valid PCB chip. both Holovid and traditional formats. Movies are
LevTrak still made but as theatres are mostly prohibited
except for the most privileged they tend to be
The LevTrak is a futuristic public transport system
released directly to personal devices.
that links many parts of the Upper Sprawl. There is
also a route that leaves The Sprawl and heads to Gaming
the NoCal settlement to the North. The LevTrak is Video games are extremely popular and are
a system of carriages that use electromagnets to widely used to keep the masses appeased with
float roughly one metre above a metal track and their immersive and addictive gameplay. Using
are propelled by hydrogen-fueled motors. headsets that block out the intrusions of reality
Fuel and rigs that provide nutrition some people can
play for days without noticing time has elapsed.
Nearly all vehicles in The Sprawl run on Ion
Flow fuel cells. These are briefcase-size batteries The Revolution
that hold enough charge to last for several days This regulated and sanitised form of show
without the need to recharge. Petrol and Diesel business has created a rebellious subculture
vehicles from before the bombs dropped also of forbidden entertainment. Playing in an
exist but are in the minority. Petroleum is very unsanctioned band is in itself a form of resistance.
hard to come by in the 21st Century so most of Some of the largest bands release their music
these vehicles have been converted to run on on the DarkNet and play packed concerts at the
vegetable-based oils. These vehicles tend to be Colosseum in Alpina.
found in the Lower Sprawl or the Badlands. One The synth-rock band The Bitter End are one of
other fuel that is used is the hydrogen cells that the symbols of the underground. After one of
run the engines used in the LevTrak trains. their shows, the Delta Guardians opened fire on
Security the crowd killing scores of fans. Others at the
vanguard of the movement include the punk
Vehicles in The Sprawl are precious and are
band Scandolera, the heavy metal band The Lost
protected by hi-tech security systems. But they
Shadows and the progressive rock band Pink Mist,
can be bypassed. Especially by a hacker with the
fronted by guitarist Eddie Van Hook.
right kit.
Another branch of the revolution is in news
ENTERTAINMENT and journalism which is highly regulated by
Entertainment in the 21st Century is big business the corporations and Colossus Technologies in
and highly restricted. To be a performer in the particular. Pinnacle Insight is one organisation that
Santa Carla Sprawl you must be licensed and if has emerged on the DarkNet as an alternative
you stray from the permitted content and routines news source with its exposés of corporate greed
you could be blacklisted. and corruption.

Music
Popular music is available via permitted radio
stations and on personal devices. Approved
artists like the female synth popstar Synthia Nox,
the teen boyband Outside Chance and soft
rocker Damian Drift are favourites. Their AI-gen-
erated music is specifically tailored to placate the

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BEYOND THE SPRAWL
The Santa Carla Sprawl isn’t the only civilisation
that survived the devastation at the turn of the
millennium although it is probably the largest
populace.
NoCal
To the North is a small city known as NoCal, a
ragtag collection of hab blocks and factories that
endure without the interference of the corpora-
tions. Life there is hard without consistent access
to food, water and anti-radiation meds.
Neo Tokyo
Across the ocean to the west is the mega-city
known as Neo Tokyo. This high-tech wonder is
similar to the Santa Carla Sprawl with its own flaws
and imperfections. Gangs rule the streets and the
corporations struggle to keep them restrained.
Mutants are also a hindrance with some having
developed powerful psychic powers and some
growing to colossal size.
Manta
To the South are the jungle people of Manta.
This collective has degenerated into barbarians
who live in the forests and worship forgotten
gods. It is said that they have turned to
cannibalism to survive.
Dakar
Far across the ocean to the East is the pirate
community of Dakar. This group of seafarers prey
on the passing cargo and fishing vessels that
pass by. Their leader is seen as an omniscient
god-king.
Kerala
This territory is made up of hardy survivors who
have banded together to form a self-sufficient
commune of sorts. They have chosen to shun
all forms of modern technology and instead
have turned to antiquated practices for farming,
construction and crafting.

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 A BRIEF HISTORY • 1994. Nirvana singer Kurt Cobain dies from
• 1981. MTV is launched in the US. a self-inflicted gunshot.

• 1982. A teenager called David Delgatti • 1995. Billionaire Xavier Lockley forms a
develops LightNet, a computer network private security outfit named Leviathan to
protocol for exchanging data. protect corporate interests across the globe.

• 1983. British chemist Reeves Kimbal invents • 1995. Pink Mist release their debut album
the first Ion Flow cell, a lightweight but featuring guitarist Eddie Van Hook.
powerful battery.
• 1997. A mysterious hacker called Paradox
• 1984. Business magnate Maddox Pearson creates the DarkNet as an underground,
and David Delgatti form Colossus Technolo- ungoverned parallel to Lighnet. It is initially
gies together. Their first implementation of used to share music files illegally.
the LightNet is Swift Credit, revolutionising
the global financial markets. Meanwhile,
• 1998. The New Cydonia Arc is established
British businessman Jack Gladwell merges a
on Mars by the Gladwell Syndicate. Bailey
number of retail giants into one streamlined
Gladwell becomes the first human to be born
business, the Gladwell Syndicate. The first
on another planet.
mega-corporations are born.

• 1999. A computer data anomaly known

• 1985. Live Aid takes place simultaneously in
as the Millennium Bug or Y2K causes
London and Philadelphia.
global chaos when a computer malfunction
detonates a nuclear warhead above
• 1986. After the Challenger shuttle disaster Washington DC at the turn of the century.
the US dissolve the NASA Space programme
and Gladwell Syndicate buy their intellectual
• 2000. Wars erupt across the globe
property and infrastructure.
as nations seek retribution. The US is
bombarded with long-range tactical
• 1987. Korean firm Seupai Dynamics warheads. Meanwhile, a devastating series
develops the first mobile computer with of land wars break out across Europe, Africa,
LightNet capabilities and Ion Flow batteries, Russia and Asia, which will become known as
the DeckOne. A new space race erupts as the Eurasian Wars. As the earth is blanketed
Colossus Technologies finances a moon with deadly radioactive fallout the wealthy
mission in conjunction with the Soviet Union. and privileged escape to the resorts on the
moon and Mars.
• 1989. The Fall of the Berlin Wall and the
collapse of the Soviet Union. The Gladwell • 2001. As resources become scarce on
Syndicate put a space station in permanent Mars the West Coat of North America
earth orbit and a few months later Colossus is designated as the future location of a
establishes their first lunar research base. permanent spaceport.

• 1991. Freddie Mercury dies from an • 2002. The Novus Consortium razes acres of
AIDS-related illness. land and begins building the Cyber City in
the Santa Carla area on the North American
• 1993. The European Union is formed. Arc 1 West Coast. Leviathan wins the contract to
is established on the Moon by Colossus, the provide security to the district.
first lunar resort open to the public and space
tourism becomes a status symbol for the
ultra-rich.

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• 2003. Æthertronics develops the first • 2016. South Pharmaceuticals formulates
cybernetic implants for soldiers in combat Rad-eX, an oral drug which dampens the
zones. They soon start appearing on the mutagen effects of the dangerous radiation.
black market. The drug is distributed to all citizens within
the Ion Barrier and South Pharmaceuticals
• 2004. Cyber City spaceport opens for use. join the ranks of the mega-corporations.

• 2005. Leviathan introduce the controversial • 2018. Legendary guitarist Eddie Van Hook
PCB chipping protocol for all citizens in the goes missing.
Santa Carla District.
• 2019. The present day.
• 2006. Jenny Ramirez, Phoenix and Metal
Myra form the punk band Scandolera in the
Santa Carla District. Colossus launches the
SC24 News Network.

• 2007. Radioactive mutants are first

encountered in the Eastern Badlands.

• 2008. Synth-rock band The Bitter End

release their debut album which becomes
the biggest-selling album of all time. Their
show at the Santa Carla Colosseum turns into
a massacre when Leviathan Delta Guardians
open fire on the crowd. 743 fans are killed.

• 2009. In a further authoritarian move

Leviathan introduces a clampdown on
non-sanctioned musical performances.
Scandolera breaks up in protest.

• 2013. On what will become known as The

Day of the Dead a horde of mutants attack
Ascari Canyon and thousands of civilians die.
Work begins on a border fence using Ion
technology.

• 2014. After 14 years of conflict the Eurasian

Wars end with a whimper. The majority of the
globe is an uninhabitable wasteland with no
functioning governments remaining. The cor-
porations, guided from their palaces on Mars,
are the new rulers of Earth.

• 2015. Mika Echelon founds Pinnacle Insight,

an independent News Agency with a goal to
expose corporate greed and corruption. The
Ion Barrier is completed.

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 DISTRICTS OF THE ARMITAGE VISTA
SANTA CARLA SPRAWL Armitage Vista is a flat stretch of land that
extends into the Eastern Badlands. The western
The Santa Carla Sprawl is made up of many
part of the district is made up of tightly packed
unique districts, all with their own characteristics.
hab blocks and factories and to the east an
When starting a Dark All Day campaign it is
expanse of ramshackle shacks and semi-perma-
recommended to begin in Pacifica as it has a
nent homes.
good mixture of interesting locations and scenery
and it borders both the Upper Sprawl and the Landmarks
Badlands lending the opportunity for a large
• Excelsior Hotel. This extensive complex
variety of adventures.
was originally built to house the workers at a
Included here are descriptions of the different
Gladwell factory in nearby Echo Valley. When
districts, their most notable locations and
the workers were replaced by Automatons
inhabitants.
the building was re-purposed into a hotel.
ALPINA The building is now a shadow of its former
Alpina is a large district in the centre of the self, with neglected rooms and crumbling
Santa Carla Sprawl comprising a rugged valley walkways.
filled with decrepit warehouses and sweatshops • Monument of Valour. In a large park in the
and crowded hab blocks and shacks built into centre of Armitage Vista stands a 100m tall
the mountainsides, giving the district a dramatic bronze statue of a soldier to commemorate
appearance. Many of the buildings are from the lives lost in the Eurasian Wars.
before the bombs dropped.
Notables
Landmarks
• Candy Cane. The leader of the Dollhouse, a
• Sleepy Joe’s Café. This mountainside café, gang of spies and assassins, operating out of
bar and motel is known around The Sprawl as the Excelsior Hotel.
a safe haven where outlaws can go to parley
or hide from the Guardians. If you are lucky ASCARI CANYON
and he’s in the mood you might see Sleepy A lawless district on the edge of the Santa Carla
Joe get on stage and perform some of his old Sprawl made up of endless dusty slums. Here
hits. it is hard to tell where The Sprawl ends and the
• Autocab Depot. Due to its central location Badlands begin. One of the few places in The
within The Sprawl, Autocab Inc. has built Sprawl that the Delta Guardians avoid.
its depot and headquarters within the Landmarks
Alpina Valley. This imposing fortress houses
thousands of Autocab vehicles, both land and • Ascari Fighting Arena. A large open-air
air, that serve the entire Sprawl. enclosure carved directly into the rocky
ground with the appearance of a Roman
Notables amphitheatre. The fighting arena is one of
• Milton Drake. The CEO of Autocab Inc. the most dangerous places in the whole of
rarely ventures out of his fortress in the the Santa Carla Sprawl. And not just for the
Alpina Valley and when he does he is flanked combatants in the ring. Gunfights regularly
by bodyguards. break out after a contentious decision.

• Sleepy Joe. The proprietor of a café that is • The Compound. A ramshackle fortress
known to be a safe haven for outlaws. Sleepy which The Exiled call their home.
Joe was once the singer in a successful Notables
rock band before the bombs dropped and
although he had the opportunity to settle in • Michael Castro. The leader of The Exiled, a
New Cydonia he chose to stay in The Sprawl. group of deadly mercenaries who served in
the Eurasian Wars. Famously impartial, Castro
and his soldiers will happily serve any master
as long as the credits are good.

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 of the best places to eat and can hail you an
CYBER CITY Autocab.
A truly futuristic city of steel and glass inter-
• Piers Volante. Piers Volante is probably the
spersed with artificial palm trees lining wide
most famous face in the Santa Carla Sprawl
boulevards, open spaces and lush parks. Huge
as his vehement tirades are broadcast nightly
skyscrapers reach into the sky but are dwarfed by
to every available screen in the city. In his role
the largest of them all, The Geode, a brutal shard
as the voice of the corporations, he is seen as
of glass that stretches into the clouds. Security
a viable target by many of the young rebels
is uncompromising, patrolled by a Synth-only
and insurgents in the slums.
subsection of the Delta Guardians known as the
Custodians. Gyro-lamps float in the sky giving an • Jack Gladwell Jr. The son of the original
impression of daylight and those who are lucky founder of the Gladwell Syndicate, Jack
enough to live here have no need to ever leave Gladwell Jr, is even more cruel and corrupt
the district. than his father. With an eye on the bottom
line, he will readily lie, steal and cheat to
Landmarks increase the profits of his organisation.
• Santa Carla Spaceport. On an artificial
island in the ocean floats the Santa Carla
DIEGA DOCKLANDS
Spaceport - a large flat structure where Despite leaps and bounds in rocket technology,
Ion-powered spacecraft launch and return on shipping is still considered the most cost effective
a daily basis. way to move goods around the globe. The
bustling Diega Docklands are seen as a vital
• Gladwell Museum and Art Gallery. A
lifeline to the remaining civilisations beyond The
huge domed structure in a plaza to the south
Sprawl. The natural harbour is also used as a port
of the Geode, this building houses many
for the many fishing vessels that venture out into
of the world’s remaining works of art and
the ocean each day.
historical artefacts.
• SC24 Studios. SC24 is The Sprawls only Landmarks
sanctioned news and entertainment provider • The Docks. With berths for hundreds of
and this large complex is where the shows ships of all sizes, the docks are a significant
are made and where they are broadcast from. asset to the corporations. Raw materials
• The Galleria. This shopping mall carries only and resources are brought in from around
the most lux brands at the highest prices. the globe and products are exported to the
remaining enclaves of society that can afford
• The Geode. The Geode is the world’s tallest
them.
structure standing at exactly 1 km from base
to tip. Housed within are the Headquarters • Santa Carla Airbase. To the North of
of many of the largest mega-corporations the docklands is a swathe of flat ground
including Leviathan, the Gladwell Syndicate, occupied by the Santa Carla Airbase. During
South Pharmaceuticals and Colossus the Eurasian Wars, heavy bombers would
Technology. operate from this military base. Although still
operational the base is now suffering from
• Ion Barrier. Surrounding Cyber City
neglect as funding dries up.
lies the Ion barrier. This electrical border
separates the Lower Sprawl from the Upper • Flamesteed Warehouse. The Flamesteed
Sprawl. Along the border are a number of gang operate out of a large warehouse in
watchtowers and crossing points patrolled an overlooked part of the docklands to the
by Delta Guardians. To cross into the Upper south of the docks. This building houses
Sprawl a valid PCB chip is required. crates of goods that never made it to their
intended destination.
Notables
Notables
• Daphne Data. A team of several identical
concierge synths who provide information • Heinlein. The boisterous but jolly
to the citizens of Cyber City. She can answer dockmaster who oversees all operations in
many common requests such as the locations the docks. Once a sailor himself he always

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 has a far-fetched story about his nautical Horses and cattle roam free on the grounds
exploits for anyone who is willing to listen. and vegetables grow in carefully tended
• Scribbles. Everyone knows that the best plots. The central homestead itself is a
tattooists can be found on the docks and fortress. No one is sure where the Ison’s earnt
the best tattooist on the docks is Scribbles. their wealth but it surely can’t have been
She has a unique process where she has an legal.
extended consultation with the client before • Felicia Zavaleta. Professor Zavaletta is the
deciding on the design. The client can not chief scientist at Consolidated Processing
choose their own design and can not refuse and is responsible for the technology that
the design once it has been chosen. feeds The Sprawl. She is very secretive and
protective of her methods.
DORSETT SPRINGS • Director Fisk. Fisk is the head administrator
The location of a deep underwater spring makes
at Dorsett Crematorium and can often be
this the ideal place for use as farm land. Multiple
seen at the reception desk, welcoming guests
acres of polytunnel greenhouses and food
and answering queries personally. Despite
processing plants provide 99% of the food to The
his job, he is warm and obliging. Just don’t
Sprawl and is also sent to the Arcologies on Mars
ask to see inside.
and the Moon.
Landmarks ECHO VALLEY
This region of The Sprawl is occupied by the
• Nanotech Hydroponics. Providing food for megafactories and distribution centres that
so many people couldn’t rely on traditional belong to the corporations and the hab blocks
farming techniques. Instead this high tech where the workers live. Some of the buildings
facility employs a soilless system of growing are kilometres wide. Covered LevTraks link the
fruit and vegetables in tailor made environ- buildings so that the workers can efficiently travel
ments fed with mineral enhanced liquids. to and from their jobs.
• Consolidated Processing. This factory
turns the produce grown in the surrounding
Landmarks
areas into a variety of packaged foods. The • Colossus Datacentre. This fortified
entire system is automated with little human structure is one of the many locations that
interference. contain the servers that allow the LightNet
• Sweetwater Reservoir. This reservoir is to function. For security reasons, humans are
fed by a deep underwater water spring. not allowed to enter and it is managed by
Before the water is distributed to the Upper specially developed automatons.
Sprawl it is filtered and enriched with a secret • Seupai Technology Headquarters. This
cocktail of minerals and other supplements. is the main factory operated by Seupai
• Frank Ison’s Ranch. This ranch existed Technology and also the headquarters of the
before the bombs fell, and despite the business.
corporations’ best efforts, it has managed to • Gladwell Syndicate Distribution
withstand multiple attempts to foreclose it. Centre. This colossal building is the distri-
• Dorsett Crematorium. This plant is where bution centre for the Gladwell Syndicate.
all the city’s dead bodies are brought to be Gladwell produces everything from electrical
disposed of. Without an organised religion, components to consumer appliances, from
the process has become efficient and routine. children’s scooters to air gyros which are all
No memorials are stored here other than a housed in this building before being sent to
ledger containing the names of those laid to their customers.
rest. • The Globe. This entertainment hub is the
largest venue in The Sprawl with a seating
Notables capacity of 200, 000. Music stars such as
• Frank Ison. Frank Ison and his family Synthia Nox and Outside Chance are regular
manage a fenced-off spread of land that has performers accompanied by mind blowing
existed in the same spot for generations. light shows.

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Notables Institute are the Halls of Justice. This is where
detainees are initially brought to be charged
• Pixie Stoll. Pixie is a follower of the and processed.
Hegemon and can be found at any of the
• SoCal Correctional Facility. This
LevTrak stations with a megaphone extolling
mega-prison houses over a million detainees
the benefits of worshipping.
from petty thieves to war criminals and
• Stampede. The head of security at The dissidents. It is a series of towering state-
Globe. Tough and uncompromising, he of-the-art panopticon-style units that house
defends the backstage area with military newly interned prisoners before they are
zeal. given permanent assignments in the reha-
• Xiao Yun. Xiao is the head engineer at the bilitation camp. It also houses the maximum
Colossus Datacentre and his main responsi- security prisoners.
bility is the programming and maintenance • SoCal Rehabilitation Camp. This facility is
of the many automatons that operate the a work camp for longer-term prisoners. Not
facility. many people return from the rehabilitation
• The Undercover Exec. A mysterious camps and it is said that these factories are
executive who works at Seupai Technology some of the worst places to be sent and
and runs an incendiary blog revealing many prisoners die from exhaustion or mal-
the secrets of the inner workings of the nutrition.
corporation. Despite their best efforts, senior
management still don’t know his identity.
Notables
• Hook. Hook is an old hermit who lives in
EASTERN BADLANDS the shell of Colombiad 1. He suffers from
The wilderness outside the borders of The multiple debilitating mutations but is seen as
Sprawl is known as the Eastern Badlands. something like an oracle by the Outlanders.
Reaching for thousands of miles they are a
• Sykes. Sykes is a cruel foreman at the
desolate and irradiated wasteland inhabited by
Vanadium mine. He is a prisoner himself but
few. Those that do survive in the Badlands are
was given the position because he is known
a hardy sort, known as Outlanders. They live in
as a sadistic overseer with little compassion
caravans of dilapidated vehicles, always on the
for his miners.
move, looking for resources.
Also in the Badlands, the mutants can be • Nolan Ocano. Nolan is one of the most
found. These are wild creatures, once human feared city Assessors. He is both an investi-
but changed by the radioactive fallout from the gator and prosecutor and is recognised as
bombs that fell a generation ago. being both tenacious and merciless.

Landmarks SOLANA
• Vanadium Mine. This mine is to the East The Solana District is the nearest thing to the
of the SoCal Correctional Facility and is the middle class in the Santa Carla Sprawl. The hab
source of the Vanadium used in the Ion Flow blocks are well maintained and LevTraks are
technologies. It is a harsh environment to connected to nearby Cyber City. The majority of
work with many accidents and deaths among people who live in Solana work for the corpora-
the miners, many who are prisoners from the tions in management, research or teaching roles.
Rehabilitation Camp. An Ion Barrier Extension is currently being
constructed to protect this district but hasn’t yet
• Crashed Colombiad 1. During the early been activated.
days of corporate space travel this large
rocket crashed into the Eastern edge of Landmarks
Stirling Ridge. The cleanup operation was • Santa Carla University. The Santa Carla
deemed too costly so the shell of the ship University is the largest educational facility in
remains. It is now used as a permanent The Sprawl. Sponsored by Colossus it trains
shelter by Outlanders. and conditions the next generation of skilled
• Halls of Justice. Next to the Correctional workers for the corporations.

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 • Novus Medical Centre. For those that can’t has got too hot.
afford private care this hospital is the best • Tech Noir Nightclub. This basement
option for medical care. It is not free but you labyrinth of interconnected rooms is one of
can pay in instalments. the few places in Pacifica where outlaws from
• Asukaga Restaurant. Renowned as being different gangs can go and trust that they
the best restaurant in The Sprawl. This large won’t be harmed. It is also a place where
Asian fusion restaurant resides on the top deals can be made and alliances forged.
floor of the tallest hab block in the district. • Westbrook Arcade. Another relic from
Notables the past, this oceanside arcade is home to
hundreds of video game machines from
• Asukaga. The head chef at Asukaga before the bombs dropped. Some of the
restaurant. He can be seen most nights in the machines are so old you still need to put
restaurant kitchen barking orders to his staff. metal coins in them to make them work.
STIRLING RIDGE • Kitsune Spire. Kitsune Spire was once
Stirling Ridge is a northern district, set upon an occupied hab block but many years
a plateau that overlooks The Sprawl. This is the ago either a rocket, a plane or a large gyro
location of a number of Novus Consortium’s crashed into it, gouging out a massive section
administration buildings as well as the usual of the building. Now the top floor of the
factories and hab blocks. The west of the district derelict building is used as the headquarters
is more prosperous compared to most other of the Kitsune gang.
districts and is known for its high-end restaurants • Jaekis Pavilion. The Pavilion is a large
and shops. canvas tent that is used to host music
concerts and other forms of entertainment.
Landmarks Sponsored by a popular streetwear brand it
• Dorothy Lane. This discerning area is is one of the few legitimate venues outside of
scattered with shops and boutiques that sell the Ion Barrier.
all kinds of products, from fine foods to high • Metropolitan Food Court. Next to the
fashion. Pavilion is a patchwork collection of huts,
• Santa Carla Power Grid. The Sprawl’s main tents and shacks known as the Metropolitan
source of electricity is generated here from Food Court. Here it is possible to procure any
a thermal bore that travels deep into the cuisine from around the world at any time of
earth’s crust. A generator then converts the the day, morning or night. The vendors pride
released heat into electricity. themselves on their authenticity even though
some ingredients are very hard to come by.
Notables
• Old Point Lighthouse. This old building is
• Jeri Bolt. Popular stylist on Dorothy Lane. a relic from before the bombs dropped but
She is celebrated as being at the forefront of still functions as a lighthouse.
the latest trends and is highly sought after.
• Pacifica Colosseum. The Pacifica
PACIFICA Colosseum is an artefact from the past, a
An eclectic ocean-side district of hab blocks and once-grand sports stadium but now in a state
smaller businesses where gangs rule the streets. of disrepair. Sitting to the West of Pacifica,
Although violence does occur occasionally there it is now mostly utilised as an unsanctioned
is an agreed balance between the different music venue. The authorities are aware of
factions with delineated turf boundaries which are its use but tend to stay away, not wanting a
rarely crossed. repeat of the Bitter End tragedy.
• Three Sisters Street Market. This large
Landmarks unlicensed market is held daily along
• Pacifica Tower Hotel. This art deco Central Avenue between Armitage Vista and
relic from another time sits on the coastal Alpina. It’s possible to buy almost anything
promenade and is known to be a place here, from food and clothes to consumer
where outlaws go to lie low when the heat electronics and weapons. The Delta

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 Guardians mostly turn a blind eye but are • Dark Waters Bar. The Dark Waters is a wild
occasionally seen patrolling the stalls looking and lively drinking hole, frequented by the
for the most blatant traders of counterfeit sailors and crews from the visiting ships. It is
goods. a useful location to learn gossip and to find
• Redline Casino. Never in the same place potential work.
for long, the casino is run by The Lazerhawks Notables
gang. The location is spread by word of
mouth but moves every few weeks to stay • Checkmate. A regular gambler at Redline
ahead of the law. Casino. He seems to lose more than he wins
but always returns the next night to play
• Nemo’s Salvage. Only the more affluent
again. No one knows where he gets the
districts within the Ion barrier have the
money from.
privilege of a refuse collection service. For
everyone else, there is Nemo’s. Nemo runs a • Bryant. Bryant is an elderly man who has
network of trucks that bring him waste from owned the Westbrook Arcade since it was
across The Sprawl to his expansive salvage established in the 1980s. He is a fountain of
yard. Nothing is wasted as he employs scores information about the decade.
of underpaid workers to process the rubbish • Stevie Bronson. The receptionist at Pacifica
and everything is either reused, repaired, Tower Hotel. She may come across as blunt
sold or turned into fuel. and impassive at first but if you win her over
• South of Heaven. This large bar is situated she becomes more amiable.
in the basement of a squalid hab block in the • Davika. The chef at Thai Spice in the Metro-
centre of the district. It is known as a hangout politan Food Court. She is an accomplished
for local gangs and a good place to gather gossip and knows many secrets.
information.
• Nemo. The owner of Nemo’s Salvage. A
• Fifth Street Motel. A grimy motel on Fifth warm and affable giant of a man although if
Street, a wide boulevard that runs from Cyber you get on his bad side beware.
City out into the Badlands. Known as a good
• Ekaterina. One of the bar staff at South of
place to lie low if the law is after you.
Heaven. Always has an ear to the ground and
• Zip’s Gun Emporium. Zip’s mobile shop is a good source of information. She is also
is run out of a large Recreational Vehicle. adept at matchmaking outlaws with potential
He roams Pacifica catering to his many clients.
customers, never in the same place for long.
• Zip. If you need a weapon, then Zip has it. If
• Tumbledown Tower. In the centre of one you can find him. Running his business out of
of the most destitute areas of Pacifica is a constantly moving RV it can be a mission in
Tumbledown Tower, a gigantic monument itself just to track him down.
to the desperation and ingenuity of the
• Sergeant Strider. When Sergeant Strider
district’s inhabitants. The tower is made up
returned from the Eurasian Wars he
of thousands of mobile homes and prefab
committed himself to improving The Sprawl.
housing units, stacked on top of one another,
And in many ways, he has succeeded. The
held together with girders and hope. Despite
Sidewalk Angels are a respected institution,
the occasional minor collapse it tends to
seen as something akin to a charity.
house creative types, artists and musicians.
• Ridley. The owner of the Dark Waters Bar,
• Sidewalk Haven. The Sidewalk Haven is a
there is not much that gets past Ridley. He
commune and headquarters of the Sidewalk
knows everyone who frequents the bar and
Angels. A fortified ranch on the edge of the
all of their secrets.
Badlands, it is run as a cooperative, open
to anyone as long as you are willing to pay
back what you take. This is rarely in the form
of credits but rather in the form of labour
on the farms, repairing and improving the
community or teaching skills.

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 FACTIONS Autocab Inc.
On the following pages you will find out more A citywide network of self-driving taxis. The
about the various factions of the Sprawl along company offers both traditional automobiles and
with some hooks that might be used for creating faster gyros that can fly.
your own adventures. Because of this some of the Tier. 3
information on these pages is for the GM’s eyes NPCs. Milton Drake - CEO, (Confident, Stylish,
only. Arrogant). Jesse Young - Chief Technical Officer,
(Intelligent, Charming, Bold).
13th Company Background. Autocab Inc. owns and operates
A platoon of ex-soldiers who fought in the hundreds of self-driving vehicles across the whole
Eurasian Wars. Santa Carla Sprawl with a large depot based
Tier. 3 in Alpina. Autocab vehicles have no internal
NPCs. Ella Skye - Leader, (Shrewd, Tough, controls, their manoeuvres are controlled by a
Commanding). Max Moreno - 2nd in Command, central AI and passengers only get to choose the
(Volatile, Experienced, Bold). Wilson Ramos - destination.
Gunner, (Ruthless, Tough, Quiet). Autocab Inc. is very reliant on the Ion Flow
Background. Each member is haunted and batteries that are supplied to them by Ionic
distant. They bear the scars of battles long past Energy. To break away from this dependence,
but the 13th Company’s loyalty to each other they want to develop technology that employs
remains unshakable, bound by a code of honour cheap and plentiful hydrogen technology.
forged on the battlefield. During the Eurasian
Awakening, The
Wars a malfunctioning Synth betrayed Ella
A devout congregation that extols the virtues of
Skye which led to the death of a number of her
the Hegemon.
platoon. She is now dedicated to weeding out any
Tier. 3
synths with a single-minded zealotry.
NPCs. Warren Crowley - Minister, (Charming,
Asimov Synthetics Ambitious, Cunning). Marlene Crowley - Pastor,
A large corporation that develops, trains and (Ruthless, Respected, Moody).
distributes synthetic humans. Background. The Awakening are an organisa-
Tier. 5 tion that live by the teachings of The Hegemon
NPCs. Sasha Bilton - CEO, (Proud, Principled, led by a fundamentalist minister and his wife.
Confident). Lu Ka-Jao - Chief Technical Officer, The members of the group believe that we are
(Quiet, Ruthless, Patient). Z-320 - Head of Security, living through ‘End Times’ and they have received
(Tough, Cold, Deadly). a sign to initiate a monumental “Salvation”
Background. The laboratories and manufac- ceremony.
turing plants of Asimov employ cutting-edge
Bitter End, The
technology to manufacture the most realistic
A goth rock band with a considerable following.
Synths available. The allure of these synthetic
Tier. 3
creations draws many customers seeking perfect
NPCs. Orion - Singer/Guitarist, Leader, (So-
companions, loyal employees or even something
phisticated, Secretive, Haunted). Cypher - Bassist,
else?
(Bold, Cunning, Tough). Cerulea - Drums, (Popular,
Asimov Synthetics have recently developed
Confident, Tough).
a new breed of synths called the MkIV that are
Background. Led by the masked, charismatic
indistinguishable from real humans. It is said
frontman Orion, this band embodies a fusion
that they have been intentionally leaked into the
of goth aesthetics and heavy rock music.
population but it appears they have a genetic flaw
Their performances are immersive spectacles,
which means that certain triggers can make them
blending cutting-edge holographic displays and
unpredictable and dangerous.
mind-bending visual effects that synchronise
The CEO of Asimov Synthetics, Sasha Bilton, has
seamlessly with their dark melodies.
commissioned a replica of himself that he often
After an incident at one of their concerts which
sends to board meetings. Some are now not sure
led to the clampdown on civil liberties, they are
who the real Sasha Bilton is.
now seen as the embodiment of the anti-cor-
porate movement and carry the weight of the

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incident and the repercussions heavily on their and the nutrients needed to grow food are in
shoulders. short supply.
Chance Craven Dangerous Days
A cybernetic surgeon offering his services to A mysterious cult-like rock band with a striking
anyone who can afford his prices. and flamboyant singer.
Tier. 3 Tier. 3
NPCs. Chance Craven - Surgeon, (Charming, NPCs. Tobias Wrong - Singer, (Obsessive,
Experienced, Respected). Lara Anderson - Sincere, Secretive). Torben Knight - Guitarist,
Assistant, (Confident, Compassionate, Bold). (Confident, Vibrant, Insightful). Asha Bell - Bass,
Background. This unorthodox doctor offers (Tough, Confident, Intelligent).
a unique blend of medical expertise and tech- Background. Dangerous Days command
nological prowess. A celebrated chrome surge, an almost mythical presence with their cult-like
Chance insists that his patients don’t take any following that rises above mere fandom. The
anaesthesia during their procedures. band’s mystique and the transformative power of
their music have forged a community of believers
Colossus Technology who view Dangerous Days not just as musicians
One of the oldest mega-corporations. Colossus but as guides on a cosmic journey toward en-
manages the LightNet and are responsible for lightenment. The song lyrics hint at cryptic clues
every financial and data transaction across the that point to locations far out into the Badlands.
globe. They also run the largest news network, Some of the band’s most ardent fans have even
SoCal 24 News (SC24). ventured into the desert to look for artefacts
Tier. 5 buried in the sand but none have ever returned.
NPCs. David Delgatti - CEO, (Ruthless,
Intelligent, Calm). Piers Volante - News Anchor, Delta Guardians
(Stylish, Elitist, Shrewd). Pai Wu - Head of Security, The military-like law enforcement officers of the
(Ruthless, Cold, Cunning). Santa Carla Sprawl.
Background. Colossus Technology is a Tier. 4
autocratic mass media company that oversees the NPCs. Commissioner Hollis - Captain, (Greedy,
global landscape of data networks. They maintain Suspicious, Cold). Sergeant Knight - Sergeant,
their dominance by controlling all aspects of (Corrupt, Cruel, Arrogant). Officer Morello -
the LightNet and their news networks to spread Patrolman, (Intelligent, Charming, Bold).
propaganda, which blurs the boundaries Background. The Delta Guardians, led by
between information, entertainment and news Commissioner Hollis, are a brutal and aggressive
commentary. police force that maintain law and order in The
Unknown to most, Piers Volante, the controver- Sprawl. Financed and governed by Leviathan it is
sial news anchor on SC24, died several years ago no secret that they prioritise the interests of the
and was replaced by a synth. corporations and the wealthy above the citizens
they are supposed to protect.
Consolidated Processing Inc. Struggling with recruitment, the Delta Guardians
The corporation that is responsible for providing have developed Automaton Troopers, but these
The Sprawl with food and clean drinking water as robots have shown excessive aggression and
well as waste disposal and recycling. lethality during testing.
Tier. 4
NPCs. Zebulon Greaves - CEO, (Cruel, Dollhouse, The
Suspicious, Ruthless). Felicia Zavaleta - Chief A gang of ex-prostitutes and adult Holovid stars
Technical Officer, (Secretive, Cruel, Cautious). who now hire out their services as spies and
Background. Consolidated Processing Inc (CPI) assassins.
has been the main provider of food and water Tier. 2
to the Santa Carla Sprawl and the New Cydonia NPCs. Sable Morgan - Leader, (Confident,
Arcology on Mars for almost 20 years. But the Compassionate, Fierce). Summer Riviera - 2nd in
processes and supply chain that have been in Command, (Charming, Experienced, Respected).
place are no longer sufficient. The chemicals Lucas Steele - Muscle, (Tough, Charming, Bold).
needed to purify the water are no longer effective Background. Led by Sable Morgan, these hired

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 guns have used their skills in seduction and their Tier. 1
knowledge of the city’s underworld to become NPCs. Jax Morrow - Leader, (Confident, Deadly,
elite spies and assassins. The Dollhouse is a covert Ambitious). Maria Brown - 2nd in Command,
network for hire, using their connections and (Ruthless, Suspicious, Cold). Hex Martinez -
manipulation abilities to gather information or Hacker, (Obsessive, Cautious, Cunning).
eliminate untouchable targets. Background. The Gauntlet are a small but
expanding gang of speed freaks who recently
Eastern Outlanders have become more aggressive. The new leader
A loosely organised band of outlanders who live of The Gauntlet, Jax, is said to have killed their
out in the Wastelands but occasionally journey previous leader and is looking to consolidate
into the city for resources. power within the district by forcing local
Tier. 2 businesses to pay protection money.
NPCs. Chieftain Mike - Leader, (Proud, Fierce,
Wise). Lady Sabotage - 2nd in Command, (Tough, Gladwell Syndicate
Cold, Deadly). Opus - Muscle, (Fierce, Loyal, A vast corporation with mega-factories in
Quiet). Echo Canyon who manufacture everything from
Background. In the unforgiving expanse washing machines to assault rifles.
of the Eastern Badlands, a group known as Tier. 5
the Eastern Outlanders thrives amidst the NPCs. Jack Gladwell Jr. - CEO, (Corrupt, Cruel,
arid, post-apocalyptic landscape. Led by the Arrogant). Antonia Frost - Chief Technical Officer,
weathered and stoic Chieftain Mike, this nomadic (Secretive, Sneaky, Intelligent). Mia Morales - Head
gang has adapted to survive in the harsh desert of Security, (Ruthless, Volatile, Cold).
terrain. Masters of scavenging and repurposing Background. The Gladwell Syndicate
salvaged technology, the Outlanders traverse the dominates the skyline of Echo Canyon, operating
shifting sands in makeshift vehicles, armed with mega-factories that churn out everything from
jury-rigged weapons and ancient relics from a household appliances to cutting-edge weaponry
bygone era. and delivers them to your door.
In recent months some of the nomad caravans The Gladwell Syndicate sponsors a weekly
have gone missing with no trace left behind. lottery, called the Fortune Draw with the top prize
Some witnesses have talked about hearing distant being a place in the New Cydonia Arcology on
rumbling and the deserts themselves shifting Mars.
below their feet.
Halls of Justice
Flamesteeds, The The department of Leviathan responsible for
A growing gang of couriers and smugglers. dispensing justice to the populace.
Tier. 2 Tier. 5
NPCs. Genesis - Leader, (Confident, Charming, NPCs. Tyrel Lockley - Chief Justice, (Calculating,
Cunning). Cookie Cutter - 2nd in Command, Confident, Calm). Merlin Reade - Head of Com-
(Ruthless, Volatile, Tough). Theo Gomez - Muscle, munications, (Secretive, Calculating, Arrogant).
(Proud, Fierce, Tough). Nolan Ocano - Assessor, (Cold, Cruel, Sadistic).
Background. The Flamesteeds’ increasing Background. The Halls of Justice act as
reputation for delivering the undeliverable and investigators, lawyers and judges, tasked with
their ability to smuggle the unsmuggleable makes the unenviable role of upholding order in The
them the go-to choice for those willing to pay Sprawl. Led by Chief Justice Tyrel Lockley, the
a premium for discretion in the world of covert Halls of Justice serve as both a shield and a
trade. sword, ensuring that the citizens of The Sprawl
The leader of the Flamesteeds is untrusting of are held accountable for their actions. The courts
anyone with cybernetics and doesn’t allow any of process thousands of defendants every day and
the gang members to have any. people can easily get lost within the labyrinthine
bureaucratic system.
Gauntlet, The
A gang of mercenaries who fought in the Hegemon, The
Eurasian Wars, now a motorbike gang looking to An influential religion with members across all
increase their turf in Pacifica. classes of society.

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 Tier. 4 batteries as well as the Ion Barrier that encircles
NPCs. F. Lawrence Tilden - Prophet, (Charming, the Upper Sprawl.
Cruel, Flamboyant). Sister Creston - Administrator,
(Fierce, Calm, Confident). Calypso - Templar,
Kitsune
(Obsessive, Cunning, Cold). A gang of hi-tech corporate assassins.
Background. Founded by the Prophet F. Tier. 2
Lawrence Tilden, the Hegemon combines NPCs. Yorishida Shiba - Leader, (Secretive,
technology with spirituality, promoting the belief Sneaky, Cautious). Mikami - 2nd in Command,
that citizens should submit their soul to the (Intelligent, Charming, Bold). Takahashi Kensaku -
corporations and become a drone, a compliant Assassin, (Cold, Patient, Quiet).
and unquestioning servant. Background. The shadowy figures known
The religion has rapidly expanded and now has as Kitsune are a gang of elite corporate ninja
members across all societal levels. Followers are assassins, taking ancient Japanese traditions
required to donate a third of their earnings to the and combining them with cutting-edge military
Hegemon. technology. Led by the mysterious Yorishida
Shiba, these highly skilled operatives move
Hexed, The through the neon-lit streets like whispers in the
An organised horde of synths and automatons wind, their cybernetically enhanced bodies and
that have recently started attacking the outskirts adaptive camouflage suits making them nearly
of The Sprawl. Their intentions are unknown. invisible to surveillance.
Tier. 3
NPCs. Plex - Commander, (Ruthless, Volatile,
Lazerhawks
Savage). Ava - 2nd in Command, (Cold, Greedy, A street gang known for running the Redline
Ruthless). Devi - Muscle, (Volatile, Cruel, Casino, an illegal gambling den in Pacifica.
Suspicious). Tier. 2
Background. Sporadic violence from malfunc- NPCs. Dimitri Ob - Leader, (Charming, Open,
tioning automatons is part of the harsh reality Ruthless). Edge - 2nd in Command, (Confident,
of living in the 21st Century. Recently, however, Compassionate, Fierce). Octavia Montreaux - Pit
a number of seemingly coordinated assaults Manager, (Charming, Sophisticated, Elegant).
have occurred on the boundary of The Sprawl, Background. The Redline Casino is a constantly
perpetrated by a group that have become known moving casino, it’s location a well guarded
as The Hexed. No one is sure what their final aim secret amongst the underworld. Weaponry is
is. They seem to be mute but their synchronised banned inside the casino and cybernetics are
actions suggest they must communicate amongst disabled which makes sure the patrons don’t use
themselves via other means. technology to cheat. However, rumours abound
of the gang’s ability to manipulate the outcome of
Ionic Energy, Inc. the games.
The provider of power across The Sprawl via
both the power grid and the Ion Flow cells that
Leviathan
power all electrical devices. A mega-corporation responsible for the security,
Tier. 5 judicial system and law enforcement of the Santa
NPCs. Andrew Caplan - CEO, (Charming, Carla Sprawl. Delta Guardians are the foot-sol-
Confident, Ruthless). Reeves Kimbal - Chief diers of the corporation.
Technical Officer, (Intelligent, Quiet, Compassion- Tier. 5
ate). Ayvee Scarsdale - Head of Research and NPCs. Xavier Lockley - CEO, (Obsessive, Cold,
Development, (Reckless, Volatile, Intelligent). Arrogant). Topher Foxgrave - Chief Technical
Background. Ionic Energy Inc. is The Sprawl’s Officer, (Visionary, Cunning, Cold). Alyssa Holtz
one and only supplier of energy, from the so- - Head of Communications, (Shrewd, Patient,
phisticated power grid that illuminates towering Subtle).
skyscrapers and powers the factories to the Background. In the expanse of the Santa Carla
revolutionary Ion Flow cells that breathe life into Sprawl, Leviathan is the arbiter of security, justice
everything from flying gyros to communication and law enforcement. Led by their indomitable
devices. Ionic Energy Inc. is also responsible for CEO, Xavier Lockley, Leviathan wields influence
the Vanadium Mine which feeds the Ion Flow over every aspect of the city’s safety and

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 governance. From advanced surveillance systems puppet of the corporations but Greta Sanchez,
and Delta Guardian patrols to the administration their charismatic CEO, is seen as a warrior for
of the Halls of Justice, this mega-corporation fairness and honesty.
commands an arsenal of cutting-edge technolo-
gies and highly trained security forces.
Old Guard, The
Leviathan currently is manoeuvring his company A group of former Delta Guardians who now use
to attempt a hostile takeover of both the Novus their skills for crime.
Consortium and Ionic Energy Inc. which would Tier. 2
make Xavier Lockley the world’s most powerful NPCs. Zarah Lavigne - Leader, (Proud,
person. Xavier Lockley doesn’t hide the fact Principled, Connected). Nelson Mitchell - 2nd
that he sees himself as a potential Sovereign in Command, (Cold, Patient, Calm). Nix Parker -
or President of the entirety of civilisation as it is Muscle, (Volatile, Cruel, Arrogant).
known. Background. A group of former elite police
officers who have turned their back on the
Network, The badge, choosing a life of crime, employing their
A crew of expert hackers and activists who extensive law enforcement training and expertise
maintain the DarkNet. to orchestrate sophisticated heists and evade
Tier. 4 justice.
NPCs. Paradox - Leader, (Intelligent, Charming, The Old Guard were formed when they were
Bold). Oz Rune - 2nd in Command, (Confident, framed for causing the Bitter End massacre but
Stylish, Bold). Talon - Hacker, (Secretive, Patient, they managed to escape into the underworld.
Wise).
Background. The Network are a ragtag crew
Pink Mist
of master hackers and cyber-savants who manage A legendary band that attracts a huge fanbase.
the shadowy alleys of the DarkNet while orches- Tier. 3
trating attacks on the LightNet and its governing NPCs. Eddie Van Hook - Guitarist, (Charming,
corporations. Led by the elusive Paradox, this Confident, Bold). DJ Digital Doom - DJ, Hacker,
collective not only maintains the intricate web (Intelligent, Insightful, Quiet).
of the DarkNet but also offers their unparalleled Background. Fronted by the impassioned lead
skills to the highest bidder, including street gangs guitarist, Eddie Van Hook, this band’s electrifying
seeking technological advantage over their rivals. performances and stirring lyrics ignite a fervour
The Network’s mastery of data manipulation has among their followers, preaching messages of
made them legends in the criminal underworld, societal change and the fight for freedom. Their
providing access to secured systems, erasing music is the rallying cry for the disenfranchised
digital footprints or helping to orchestrate digital and the hopeful, resonating with those yearning
heists. for a world reshaped by equality and justice.
The DarkNet is a constant thorn in the side of The disappearance of Pink Mist’s guitarist, Eddie
Colossus Technology and thus The Network are Van Hook one year ago sent shockwaves through
constantly under attack from corporate cyber the band’s devoted fanbase and the music
attacks. industry at large.

Novus Consortium Pinnacle Insight

A governing body that provides public services An independent underground news agency
to Santa Carla such as medical cover and fire trying to expose corporate greed.
protection. Tier. 2
Tier. 2 NPCs. Flux Nova - News Anchor, (Charming,
NPCs. Greta Sanchez - CEO, (Bold, Cunning, Popular, Insightful). Sophie Santiago - Reporter,
Charming). Nikolai Tarasov - Chief Technical (Proud, Principled, Bold). Mika Echelon - Producer/
Officer, (Respected, Confident, Bold). Editor, (Charming, Confident, Connected).
Background. Initially set up to reclaim the Background. An independent underground
ruined metropolis and turn it into a habitable news agency that strives to shine a glaring
city once more, the Novus Consortium are light on the shadows of corporate greed and
responsible for the day-to-day running of the corruption. Run by the fearless Mika Echelon,
Santa Carla Sprawl. Some see them as merely a Pinnacle Insight operates on the DarkNet beyond

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the constraints of mainstream media, tirelessly Principled, Connected). Tom Maddox - Chief
uncovering and exposing the insidious machina- Designer, (Charming, Insightful, Wise). Yi Min
tions of powerful corporations. Their reports delve - Head of Research and Development, (Stylish,
into the intricate web of corporate misconduct, Confident, Intelligent).
revealing backdoor deals, environmental exploita- Background. Seupai Dynamics is a leading
tion and socio-economic injustices perpetuated tech company known for the “CypherLink Deck,”
by these behemoths. a cutting-edge computing device popular
Pinnacle Insight’s secret headquarters is a with hackers and tech enthusiasts. Under the
decommissioned nuclear submarine moored a visionary CEO, Dr. Kal Heung-min, the company
few miles out in the ocean. uses quantum processing and neural coupling
technology to create a seamless and ultra-re-
Scandolera sponsive interface, revolutionising the digital
All female rock band with an avid following who landscape. Kal Hwan is the son of CEO Dr. Kal
disbanded 10 years ago looking to reform with a Heung-min but has his eyes on the top spot.
new lineup.
Tier. 2 Sidewalk Angels, The
NPCs. Jenny Ramirez - Singer/Guitarist, Leader, A group of ex-soldiers who now patrol the
(Visionary, Stylish, Confident). Phoenix - Drums, streets protecting those who can’t protect
2nd in Command, (Reckless, Fierce, Proud). Metal themselves.
Myra - Bass, ‘Borg, (Cold, Patient, Quiet). Tier. 2
Background. The legendary all-female rock NPCs. Sgt Strider - Leader, (Brave, Compassion-
band, Scandolera, once reigned supreme, ate, Wise). Douglas Iversen - 2nd in Command,
captivating audiences with their raw energy (Proud, Principled, Confident). Huxley - Muscle,
and powerful anthems. Disbanded a decade (Charming, Confident, Bold).
ago their fervent fanbase still holds onto hope Background. Led by the steadfast Sergeant
for a triumphant return. Led by the enigmatic Strider, a group of ex-soldiers known as the
frontwoman, Jenny Ramirez, the band’s an- Sidewalk Angels protect the vulnerable. They
nouncement of a reunion with a fresh lineup has patrol the streets, using their combat skills and
sent ripples of excitement through their devoted strong sense of duty to shield those in need.
followers, however the rumours of a lineup Guided by honour and compassion, they
change has angered some of their more hardcore intervene in conflicts, offer refuge, and protect
fans. against the city’s darker elements. Their blend of
military precision and empathy provides hope
Screaming Fists for those unable to defend themselves in a world
A gang of cybernetically and chemically where power often dictates justice.
enhanced MMA street fighters and thugs. Sergeant Strider spent some time in the
Tier. 1 Badlands which led to him receiving some
NPCs. Michael Castro - Leader, (Menacing, mutations. He now has telepathic abilities, which
Cruel, Ruthless). Razorback - 2nd in Command, aid him in his judgement of character, but he also
(Menacing, Cold, Ruthless). Danny - Muscle, suffers from Lycanthropy.
(Cruel, Arrogant, Cynical).
Background. The Screaming Fists are a street SoCal Transpo Inc.
gang made up of members from the Screaming The corporation responsible for the Santa Carla
Fists MMA gym led by their trainer, Michael transport network including the Santa Carla
Castro. The Screaming Fists rule their district with Spaceport and the LevTrak network.
intimidation and threats, extorting money from Tier. 2
local business owners and the general public. NPCs. Leo Vasquez - CEO, (Greedy, Suspicious,
Cold). Ren Diallo - Chief Technical Officer,
Seupai Dynamics (Obsessive, Intelligent, Ambitious).
A large technology corporation that manufac- Background. Santa Carla Transpo Inc., led
tures popular computer decks used by many by the greedy CEO Leo Vasquez, controls
hackers. Santa Carla’s transport network, including both
Tier. 4 terrestrial and space travel. While it claims to
NPCs. Dr. Kal Heung-min - CEO, (Proud, be a leader in futuristic travel, the corporation

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 is corrupt, manipulating fares and restricting Fierce, Tough).
off-world access to the elite. Their LevTrak Background. A secretive group in the
network serves the wealthy, neglecting marginal- futuristic underworld, The Vale of Shadows use
ised communities. Recently, none of the LevTrak their hacking skills for elaborate scams and to
trains have returned from their routes to NoCal, blackmail rich and powerful victims. Led by the
a dangerous path through the Badlands. A team mysterious Dakari Mane, they infiltrate highly
sent to investigate has also not returned. secure systems with advanced techniques. Feared
and vilified, The Vale of Shadows are an elusive
South Pharmaceuticals and powerful force in the digital realm.
Creator of Rad-eX drug and newly instated
mega-corporation. Widow Makers, The
Tier. 4 A small crew of tech smugglers specialising in
NPCs. Henry South - CEO, (Reckless, Fierce, importing Eurasian military gear.
Proud). Hanna Wagner - Chief Technical Officer, Tier. 1
(Obsessive, Cold, Arrogant). X-47 - Head of NPCs. Oxana Rinova - Leader, (Calculating,
Security, (Ruthless, Volatile, Fierce). Calm, Secretive). Viktor Kova - 2nd in Command,
Background. South Pharmaceuticals, a rapidly (Proud, Fierce, Suspicious). Trenton Wescott -
growing giant in the pharmaceutical industry, has Hacker, (Intelligent, Secretive, Quiet).
risen to mega-corporation status with its break- Background. The notorious crew known as
through drug, Rad-eX. While promoting a façade the Widow Makers prowls the black market,
of innovation, the company exploits society’s specialising in the covert importation of Eurasian
vulnerabilities for profit and power. Recently, their military-grade tech and weaponry. Their
research division has been experimenting on reputation for dealing in high-risk contraband
mutants in Ascari Canyon, aiming to harness their and their ability to navigate through stringent
beneficial traits rather than eradicate them. surveillance systems have made them both
revered and feared in the murky world of illegal
SoCal Correctional Facility tech smuggling.
The SCF is a city-sized prison complex to the Oxana tells people that she served in the
south of Santa Carla. Eurasian Wars but there are rumours that she is
Tier. 4 actually an Offworlder noble.
NPCs. Director Russo - Director, (Cruel, Greedy,
Ruthless). Oscar Singh - Head of Security, (Proud, Woken Furies
Fierce, Suspicious). Vox Abernathy - Guard, (Cold, A company of military automatons that served in
Ambitious, Ruthless). the Eurasian wars who now offer their services to
Background. The SoCal Correctional Facility gangs.
is a massive dystopian prison on Santa Carla’s Tier. 3
southern outskirts, a fortress of control and NPCs: Alt Zero - Leader, (Proud, Fierce,
surveillance. Run by the elusive Director Russo, Suspicious). Lyra Novak - 2nd in Command, (Cold,
it uses advanced technology and panopticon Tough, Quiet). Aurora Core - Gunner, (Charming,
architecture to manage its many inmates. Brave, Tough).
The prison also operates the Vanadium Mine Background. The Woken Furies, a fearsome
to the South East of Santa Carla, using prisoners squad of military automatons forged in the fires
to extract the ore crucial for Ion Flow battery of the Eurasian wars, now lend their skills to the
cells found in nearly all devices. However, the highest bidder among the underworld gangs.
vanadium supply is dwindling, threatening a Led by Alt Zero, these battle-hardened machines
global shortage unless a new source is found. operate with ruthless efficiency and precision.
Having bypassed their initial programming,
Vale of Shadows they offer an arsenal of combat expertise and
A secretive organisation that utilises hacking to advanced weaponry to gangs seeking unrivalled
execute scams and blackmail schemes. firepower.
Tier. 3
NPCs. Dakari Mane - Leader, (Quiet, Confident,
Intelligent). Yuki - 2nd in Command, (Shrewd,
Cautious, Quiet). Lars Meier - Muscle, (Ruthless,

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STREET SLANG • Spoof. A device that emulates a PCB chip.
• Chrome Surge. An unlicensed doctor,
• Arc. A self-contained living environment
usually employed to install or repair
(from Arcology).
cybernetics.
• Automaton. Autonomous AI-powered robot,
• Synth. An android that is almost indistin-
usually used for manual labour or security.
guishable from a human.
Also Android or Droid.
• Vamp. An upgraded vehicle.
• Black Ice. Dangerous security software.
• Void. Someone who is un-chipped.
• ‘Borg (Cyborg). Someone who has so many
cybernetic implants they are now more
machine than human.
• Chombatta or Choomba or Choom. Slang
for a friend or a family member.
• Chrome. Cybernetic implant.
• Corpse. Someone who works for a
corporation.
• Deck. A personal computer terminal.
• Deckhead. A hacker.
• DarkNet. The illegal underground internet
network used by hackers.
• Doll. A male or female escort or prostitute -
usually with special cybernetic upgrades.
• Edge. The fringes of society.
• Edgerunner. Someone who lives on
society’s fringe, an outlaw.
• Xenomorph. An outsider or foreigner.
• Glitch. An idiot or fool
• Handle. A street name or nickname.
• Hexed. Someone who suffers from Cyber-
netically Induced Psychosis.
• Highrider. Someone who was born in space
or spends most of their life there.
• ICE (Intrusion Countermeasures
Electronics). Security software.
• Klep. To steal.
• LightNet. The authorised internet service
provided by Colossus Corp.
• Lux. Luxurious or Delux. Cool, awesome, the
best.
• Meatspace. The physical world.
• PCB Chip (Personal Citizen Biometric
Chip). A sub-dermal tracker injected into all
citizens at birth.
• Sliver. A physical data storage chip. Also a
small sum of credit.

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 08 APPENDIX

“Hey, Deckhead! We need that data today! The Guardians are on our
tail and we need to scram!”

Over the following pages you will find a number

of useful tables, a copy of a blank Persona Sheet,
a blank Crew Sheet and the stats for the most
commonly encountered NPCs.
The tables are designed to be printed and can
be pinned to your DM screen and you might want
to print some for the players as well for reference
purposes.

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NPC STATS
Tier Name
NPC Stats ATR Spirit Precision Force Athletics Weapons Armour
1 Bystander 1 D4 +0 +0 +0 Fists (1D4) None (1D6)
1 Thug 1 D4 +0 +2 +1 Bitva D6 None (1D6)
1 Delta Guardian Rookie 1 D4 +1 +1 +1 Bitva D6 Light (1D8)
1 Mutant 1 D4 +0 +2 +0 Bite (1D6) None (1D6)
1 Gang Muscle 2 D6 +0 +3 +2 Bitva D6 or Club Light (1D8)
1 Service Automaton 1 D4 +1 +3 +1 Manipulator (1D8) Heavy (1D10)
1 Basic Synth 1 D4 +1 +2 +1 Fists (1D4) Medium (1D10)

2 Gang Elite 2 D4 +1 +3 +2 Krait D8 or Korova D8 Light (1D8)

2 Delta Guardian Trooper 2 D4 +1 +2 +2 Krait D8 Medium (1D10)
2 Frenzied Mutant 2 D4 +0 +4 +2 Bite (1D8) and Claws (1D6) Medium (1D10)
2 Industrial Automaton 1 D4 +1 +4 +2 Manipulator (1D10) Heavy (1D12)
2 Standard Synth 2 D6 +0 +3 +2 Fists (1D4) Medium (1D10)

3 Gang Boss 3 D8 +2 +3 +2 Bitva D6 Medium (1D10)

3 Delta Guardian Sergeant 3 D6 +1 +3 +2 Krait D8 Medium (1D10)
3 Alpha Mutant 3 D4 +0 +5 +3 Bite (1D8) Heavy (1D12)
3 Advanced Synth 3 D8 +1 +4 +3 Fists (1D4) Medium (1D10)

4 Assassin 3 D6 +3 +3 +4 Sword or Submachine Gun Medium (1D10)

4 Sniper 3 D6 +4 +3 +3 Mamba D12 Light (1D8)
4 Delta Guardian Riot Control 3 D6 +3 +3 +3 Python D12 Heavy (1D12)

5 Hexed 4 D4 +0 +4 +4 Claws (1D8) Heavy (1D12)

5 Special Forces 4 D8 +4 +3 +4 Adder D8 Medium (1D10)
5 Mutant Brute 4 D4 +0 +6 +4 Bite (1D10) and Claws (1D8) Augmented (1D12+2)

6 Military Automaton 3 D6 +0 +6 +4 Viper D12 Augmented (1D12+2)

NPC TRAIT GENERATOR

1 (Positive Traits) 2 (Negative Traits)
Appearance Manner Inner Appearance Manner Inner

1 Unpretentious Bold Loyal Bald Confrontational Ruthless

2 Provocative Charming Insightful Haunted Volatile Greedy
3 Exotic Confident Compassionate Menacing Cowardly Deadly
4 Androgynous Sincere Respected Scarred Cruel Naive
5 Striking Affable Wise Thin Ambitious Unstable
6 Stylish Animated Patient Frail Cold Obsessive
7 Lithe Tough Kind-hearted Short Reckless Secretive
8 Flamboyant Cultured Humble Tattooed Arrogant Sadistic
9 Cute Dynamic Warm-hearted Old-Fashioned Cantankerous Cunning
10 Muscular Ambitious Experienced Large Stern Pessimistic
11 Neat Calm Intelligent Unkempt Shrewd Gullible
12 Elegant Quiet Fearless Unattractive Commanding Vain

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 MIND TARGET NUMBERS (TN)
• Search • Simple Task. TN 6
• Intellect • Moderate Task. TN 8
• Engineer
• Difficult Task. TN 12
• Hack
• Very Difficult Task. TN 15
BODY • Almost Impossible Task. TN 20
• Athletics
• Precision
• Prowl
RESISTING HARM
• Force • GM rolls D8 to set TN
SPIRIT • Player rolls Attribute Dice to match or beat TN.
• Perform • Spend 1 Fortune to attempt to resist a Lesser Harm (Level 1)
• Spend 2 Fortune to attempt to resist a Moderate Harm (Level 2)
• Command
• Spend 3 Fortune to attempt to resist a Severe Harm (Level 3)
• Intuition • Spend 4 Fortune to attempt to resist a Fatal Harm (Level 4)
• Deceive

FORTUNE
• Push Yourself. Before you make an Action
Roll, you can spend 1 Fortune to roll 2 Fortune
Dice and pick the highest result. TRAUMA
• Aid a Teammate. Before a teammate makes
an Action Roll, you can spend 1 Fortune and CONDITIONS
they roll 2 Fortune Dice and pick the highest • Cold. You’re not moved by motional
result. appeals or social bonds.
• Quick Reflexes. After a player has made an • Haunted. You’re often lost in reverie,
Action Roll but before the GM has reliving past horrors, seeing things.
declared the result, you can spend 2 Fortune • Obsessed. You’re enthralled by one
to allow them to reroll the Fortune Dice. You thing: an activity, a person, an ideology.
must take the 2nd Result. • Paranoid. You imagine danger
• Trigger a Special Ability. Many Special Everywhere; you can’t trust others.
Abilities require 1 point of Fortune. Before • Reckless. You have little regard for your
you use a Special Ability, mark off 1 Fortune. own safety or best interests.
(See Persona Special Abilities for more details). • Docile. You lose your edge; you become
• Attempt to Resist Harm. When the GM tells sentimental, passive and gentle.
you that you have suffered some form of Harm • Unstable. Your emotional state is volatile.
you can attempt to resist the Harm. You can instantly rage, fall into despair, act
See Page 19 For details about Harm). impulsively or freeze up.
• Add Experience Points (XP). Players can • Vicious. You seek opportunities to hurt
convert Fortune into XP. people, even for no good reason.
• Spend 3 Fortune to add a point to the Persona
XP Tracker.
• Spend 3 Fortune to add a point to the MIND,
BODY or SPIRIT Tracker.

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EQUILIBRIUM TEST HACKING
Roll a Fortune, MIND and SPIRIT Dice. • OVERSEER. The hacker gains access to the
• Success. Equilibrium Score or Higher device’s sensors and can see their output,
such as camera systems or other sensors.
• Fail. Tick a Equilibrium Clock
• OVERCHARGE (-2). The attack targets
• 1. Tick additional segment
the inner core of the system and aims to
• 8. clear a segment overheat it, making it briefly inactive.
• OVERRIDE (-4). The aim is to take over the
operation of the target’s inner workings so
HARM that the hacker can control it.
Fatal Harm (Level 4)
Electrocuted, Drowned, Shot in the Heart.
Severe Harm (Level 3)
Impaled, Broken Leg, Shot in Chest, Badly CREDITS
• 1 credit. Payment for a few days work. A
Burned, Terrified.
couple of nights in a cheap motel.
Moderate Harm (Level 2) • 2 credits. A week’s wages. A basic weapon or
Exhausted, Deep Cut to Arm, Concussion, deck.
Panicked, Seduced. • 4 credits. A weekly income for a small
business. A lux weapon or deck.
Lesser Harm (Level 1)
• A basic motorcycle. A fine piece of art. A set of
Battered, Drained, Distracted, Scared,
luxury clothes. A basic cybernetic upgrade.
Confused. • 8 credits. A month’s wages. A basic
automobile. An advanced cybernetic upgrade.
• 12 credits. An exquisite jewel. A vamped
MISFORTUNE •
motorcycle.
16 credits. A good monthly take for a small
• Complication business. A very rare luxury commodity.
• Lost Opportunity • 24 credits. A vamped sports car, a deed to a
small property.
• Harm

Special Rules
• Automatic. Roll Attack Dice twice and pick the highest result.
• Short-Range. Can only be used against Near targets.
• Point Blank. +2 modifier against Near targets.
• Melee. Can only be used in Melee Combat.
• Long-Range. Can only be used against Far targets.
• Accurate. +2 modifier against Far targets.
• Bulky. Cannot be easily hidden.
• Blast. Strikes multiple targets, including allies.
• Stun. If a hit is scored, instead of taking Harm, the target is briefly incapacitated and they lose
their next turn. In addition, all of their Attribute Dice are reduced to a D4 with no modifiers until
they are no longer stunned.
• Displacement. Roll 2 Armour Dice and pick the higher result.
• Kinetic. Roll 2 Armour Dice and pick the higher result. In addition, each time you make an
Armour Roll, you can add an additional D4 to your next Melee attack (to a maximum of 4D4).

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 Manoeuvres
During their turn, a player gets two Manoeuvres in any order, only one of which can be Attack.
NPCs have the same limitations on their turn.
• Attack. Make a single ranged or melee attack.
• Take Cover. You dive behind a nearby object to increase your Defence Modifier against shooting attacks
(see Previous Column for more info)
• Brace. You steady your feet and prepare yourself. Add +2 to your Defence Modifier against Melee attacks
or add +2 to your next Ranged Attack.
• Run. You rush into combat or make a break for it. You can change your distance between Melee to Near or
Near to Far and vice versa.
• Reload/Unjam Weapon. If your weapon has run out of ammo and you are carrying additional ammo,
you can reload your weapon. If your weapon has jammed, you can unjam your weapon.
• Carry out an Action. You see an opportunity to alter the course of the battle. You can attempt to carry
out one of your normal Actions, such as Command or Search.
• Use an Object. During the fight, you might need to open a heavy door or use a deck to retrieve
some important Information. The amount of time this takes is down to GM’s discretion but is usually one
manoeuvre.

Shooting Sequence Melee Sequence

• Attackers roll a Fortune Dice and the Attack • Both attacker and defender roll a Fortune Dice
Dice of the weapon they are using and add and the Attack Dice of the weapon they are using
the appropriate modifier (usually Precision for and add the appropriate modifier (usually Force
ranged weapons). or Dexterity for melee weapons). Alternatively
• Defenders roll a Fortune Dice and the Armour the defender can choose to Defend themselves
Dice of the armour they are wearing and add in which they instead roll their Armour Dice with
the appropriate modifier (usually Force for a +2 modifier (if the defender wins they don’t
standard armour). inflict damage on their opponent and the combat
• If the attacker’s total is highest, the attack sequence ends).
is a hit. The defender refers to the Damage • Whoever rolls the highest wins. In the case of a
Table and refers to the relevant column, draw, both attacks are successful and cause Level 1
depending on the difference in the dice rolls. Harm.
Once a player takes damage they may suffer • The defeated combatant refers to the Damage
additional effects. See the table on Page 39 Table below and refers to the relevant column,
for details. If the combatant that was hit is a depending on the difference in the dice rolls. Once
player character they also lose 1 Fortune. a player takes damage they may suffer additional
• If the defender’s total is equal or highest, the effects. See the table on Page 39 For details. If
attack is a miss or it hits the armour. the defeated combatant is a player character they
• If the attacker’s Fortune Dice rolls a 1, the lose 1 Fortune.
weapon suffers a jam or runs out of ammo (see • If the attacker’s Fortune Dice rolls a 1, the weapon is
Page 37 For details on Weapon Jams and damaged and unusable (see Page 37 For details
Running out of Ammo). on Damaged Melee Weapons).
• If the attacker’s Fortune Dice rolls an 8, the • If either combatant’s Fortune Dice rolls an 8, they
player gains a point of Fortune. gain a point of Fortune.
• If the attacker rolls a Critical Success (both • If one of the combatants rolls a Critical Success
an 8 on the Fortune Dice and the maximum (both an 8 on the Fortune Dice and the maximum
number on the Attack Dice), the attack is a number on the Attack Dice), their attack is
success regardless of the defender’s roll, and successful regardless of the other roll, and instead
instead of rolling on the Damage Table below, of rolling on the Damage Table below, they can
they can choose the damage result. choose the damage result. In the unlikely event of
both combatants rolling a Critical Success, both
attacks are successful and both combatants can
choose the result on the Damage Table.

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DAMAGE TABLE
1-2 3-4 5-7 8+
Fortune Roll Temporary Harm Level 1 Harm Level 2 Harm Level 3 Harm
1-2 Grazed Arm Minor Injury to Arm Major Injury to Arm Broken Arm

3-4 Grazed Leg Minor Injury to Leg Major Injury to Leg Broken Leg

5-6 Grazed Cheek Minor Head Wound Major Head Wound Serious Head Wound

7-8 Winded Minor Chest Wound Major Chest Wound Serious Chest Wound

DAMAGE EFFECTS MELEE WEAPONS

Injury Effects Type Attack Roll Modifier Special Rules
Grazed Arm Unarmed D4 Force
Grazed Leg
Knife D6 Precision
Grazed Cheek -1 Modifier on all rolls for one turn
Club D8 Force
Winded -1 Modifier on all rolls for one turn
Sword D10 Precision Bulky
Minor Injury to Arm -1 Modifier on all rolls for one turn
Minor Injury to Leg -1 Modifier on all rolls for one turn
Minor Head Wound -1 Modifier on all rolls
Minor Chest Wound -1 Modifier on all rolls
-1 Modifier on all rolls, if taken twice
Major Injury to Arm
unable to use weapons
-1 Modifier on all rolls, if taken twice
Major Injury to Leg
unable to Run ARMOUR
-2 Modifier on all rolls, 1 manoeuvre next Type Armour Dice Modifier Special Rules
Major Head Wound
turn
No Armour D6 Force
-2 Modifier on all rolls, 1 manoeuvre next
Major Chest Wound Light D8 Force
turn
-2 Modifier on all rolls, unable to use Medium D10 Force Bulky
Broken Arm
weapons, 1 manoeuvre per turn
Heavy D12 Force Bulky
-2 Modifier on all rolls, unable to Run, 1
Broken Leg
manoeuvre per turn Displacer Cloak D8 Force Displacement
-4 Modifier on all rolls, 1 manoeuvre per Kinetic Armour D10 Force Kinetic
Serious Head Wound
turn
-4 Modifier on all rolls, 1 manoeuvre per
Serious Chest Wound
turn

RANGED WEAPONS
Type Armour Ammo Modifier Special Rules
Dice Dice
Pistol D6 D12 Precision Ranged, Short-Range.

Submachine Gun D8 D8 Precision Ranged, Automatic.

Shotgun D12 D10 Precision Ranged, Short-Range, Point-Blank, Bulky

Assault Rifle D12 D8 Precision Ranged, Automatic, Bulky.

Rifle D10 D12 Precision Ranged, Bulky.

Sniper Rifle D12 D10 Precision Ranged, Accurate, Bulky

Grenade Launcher D12 D6 Precision Ranged, Blast, Bulky.

Taser D8 NA Precision Ranged, Short-Range, Stun.

Crossbow D6 D10 Precision Ranged, Bulky.

Grenade D12 D4 Force Thrown, Blast.

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 Pacifica Map

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 Index Crew Creation 73
Crew Creation Summary 75
Symbols Cyber City 145
Cybernetics 72, 138
13th Company 150
D
A
Dakar 141
Accelerate 40 Damaged Melee Weapons 37
Acquire Asset 97 Damage Effects Table 39
Action Rolls 14 Damage Table 36
Action Token Rating 48 Dangerous Days 151
Advancement 31 DarkNet 137
Aimed Attacks 37 Death 21
Alpina 144 Deceive 117
Ambush Attack 35 Delta Guardians 151
Armitage Vista 144 Diega Docklands 145
Armour Table 39 Dollhouse, The 151
Ascari Canyon 144 Dorsett Springs 146
Asimov Synthetics 150 Downtime 92
Athletics 110 Downtime Activities 97
Attack 35 Driving Manoeuvres 40
Attribute XP 31
Autocab Inc. 150 E
Automatons 80 Eastern Badlands 147
Awakening, The 150 Eastern Outlanders 151
B Echo Valley 146
Ending Combat 39
Bitter End, The 150 Engineer 108
Brace 35 Engineering Special Abilities 65
Brake 40 Entanglements 94
Brief History, A 142 Entertainment 140
C Equilibrium 30
Equilibrium Test 30
Campaign 10 Escape 40
Carry out an Action 35
Chance Craven 150 F
Character Creation Summary 49 Face 59
Choose your Skill Modifiers 47 Faction Downtime 96
Choose your Vice 47 Factions 150
Colossus Technology 151 Faction Status 94
Combat 34 Fixer 57
Combat Modifiers 37 Flamesteeds, The 152
Combat Special Abilities 65 Flashbacks 24
Command 115 Flashbacks in Combat 38
Consolidated Processing Inc. 151 Force 113
Cover 35 Fortune 17
Crafting 101 Fortune Roll 25
Crashing 41 Fuel 140
Credits 22, 138

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G Manta 141
Melee Sequence 36
Gamemaster (GM), The 8 Melee Weapons Table 37
Gaming 140 Mercenary 51
Gauntlet, The 152 Miniseries 10
Gear 68 Misfortune 18
Gladwell Syndicate 152 Music 140
Gyros 140 Mutants 77
H Mutations 84
Hack 109 N
Hacker 55 Name and Handle 48
Hacking 28 Neo Tokyo 141
Hacking during a Pursuit 41 Network, The 154
Hacking in Combat 38 NoCal 141
Halls of Justice 152 Novus Consortium 154
Harm 19 NPCs in Combat 34
Healing 20
Heat 93 O
Hegemon, The 152 Offworlder 63
Hexed, The 153 One-shot 10
Hideout, The 73 Outlander 53
Hideout Upgrades 74 Overcharge 29
Holovids 140 Overindulgence 99
I Override 29
Overseer 28
Incarceration 94
Intellect 107 P
Intuition 116 Pacifica 148
Ion Flow Technology 137 Payoff 93
Ionic Energy, Inc. 153 Perform 114
K Personas 43
Persona XP 31
Kerala 141 Physical Special Abilities 64
Kitsune 153 Pink Mist 154
L Pinnacle Insight 154
Precision 111
Law and Order 139 Primary Motive 73
Lazerhawks 153 Professions 46
Leviathan 153 Progress Clocks 26
LevTrak 140 Prowl 112
Lie Low 94
LightNet 137 R
Long-Term Project 94, 98 Ram 40
Lower Sprawl 139 Range 35
M Ranged Weapons Table 38
Recover 98
Manoeuvre Results Table 41 Reduce Heat 99
Manoeuvres 35

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 Reducing your Wanted Level 94 U
Religion 139
Reload/Unjam Weapon 35 Underworld Special Abilities 67
Resistance Roll 20 Upper Sprawl 139
Resisting Harm 37 Use an Object 35
Restoring Equilibrium 99 V
Retirement 31
Road Conditions Generator 41 Vale of Shadows 156
Rolling as a Group 15 Variants 76
Roots 45 Vehicle Pursuit Rules 40
Run 35 Vehicles 139
Running Out of Ammo 37 Vehicles Table 41
Vice 99
S Vice Purveyors 100
Safety Tools 11 W
Santa Carla Sprawl 138
Scandolera 155 Weapon Jams 37
Scarcity Value 22 Widow Makers, The 156
Scholastic Special Abilities 64 Woken Furies 156
Screaming Fists 155 X
Search 106
XP Level 31
Security 140
Session Zero 118 Y
Seupai Dynamics 155
Y2K 138
Shadow 61
Shooting from Vehicles 41
Shooting Sequence 36
Sidewalk Angels, The 155
SoCal Correctional Facility 156
SoCal Transpo Inc. 155
Social Special Abilities 66
Solana 147
South Pharmaceuticals 155
Special Rules 38
Stirling Ridge 148
Street Drugs 20
Street Slang 157
Survival Special Abilities 66
Synths 82
T
Take Cover 35
Target Number (TN) 17
Telnet 137
The Eurasian Wars 138
Train 99
Trauma Conditions 21
Turn Order 34

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