Black9 Ops PDF

BLACK9 OPS
Playtesting by:
By Al (Jared Blackstone) Wilson
Barry (Geo Blow)Wilson
Steve Perrin
Erik Bethke Charlie (Joe Mongo) Luce
Erin Hoffman Christine (Cassidy Ferrell) Gilbert
David (Joey) Berge
David (Selina) Myers
Dennis (J.J. Hilo) Mallonee
Karsten (Max Payne) Liegmann
Michael (Tabitha) "Finn" Glenn
Art: Nate Simpson Niccole (Kendi Liqueur) Luce
Paul (Persian) Mardahl
Rollin (Felix) Baker
Tracy (Taura) Shaw
Wayne (JOT) Shaw
Black 9 Ops rev 12/15/2003 page 2 of 74
Table of Contents
Black9 Ops .............................................................................................................................................................................. 1
Table of Contents ..................................................................................................................................................................... 2
Introduction.............................................................................................................................................................................. 6
Intrusion .............................................................................................................................................................................. 6
Role Playing with Paper and Pencil....................................................................................................................................... 6
Differences between Computer/Platform games and paper and Pencil Games..................................................................... 6
The Campaign.................................................................................................................................................................. 6
The World of the Black 9 ..................................................................................................................................................... 7
History of the World through 2076 ................................................................................................................................... 7
The Black 9, Rulers of the World? ........................................................................................................................................ 8
Genesis............................................................................................................................................................................ 9
Glimmer AG.................................................................................................................................................................... 9
The Media Moguls ........................................................................................................................................................... 9
The Pacific Companies..................................................................................................................................................... 9
Zubrin.............................................................................................................................................................................. 9
The Dragons .................................................................................................................................................................... 9
EarthNOW! ..................................................................................................................................................................... 9
MPM DGP....................................................................................................................................................................... 9
New World Order .......................................................................................................................................................... 10
The Governments........................................................................................................................................................... 10
Op Creation............................................................................................................................................................................ 11
Attributes and their Meanings............................................................................................................................................. 11
Strength (STR)............................................................................................................................................................... 11
Agility (AGL) ................................................................................................................................................................ 11
Dexterity (DEX) ............................................................................................................................................................ 11
Constitution (CON)........................................................................................................................................................ 11
Why no "mental" attributes? ........................................................................................................................................... 11
Body Type, a Matter of Choice ........................................................................................................................................... 11
Normal .......................................................................................................................................................................... 11
Cat-Girl ......................................................................................................................................................................... 11
Ogre .............................................................................................................................................................................. 11
What are Genemods? ..................................................................................................................................................... 11
Other Genemods ............................................................................................................................................................ 12
Assigning Attributes........................................................................................................................................................... 12
Playing Other Mods ....................................................................................................................................................... 13
Buying Additional Enhancements................................................................................................................................... 13
Cat-Girl Enhancements .................................................................................................................................................. 13
Ogre Enhancements ....................................................................................................................................................... 13
Pre-Experience (Optional Rule)...................................................................................................................................... 13
Deriving Abilities................................................................................................................................................................... 14
Effects of Body Type ......................................................................................................................................................... 14
Derived Abilities................................................................................................................................................................ 14
Athletics ........................................................................................................................................................................ 14
Chi (CP) ........................................................................................................................................................................ 14
Dodge............................................................................................................................................................................ 14
Hand Damage ................................................................................................................................................................ 15
Health............................................................................................................................................................................ 15
Jumping......................................................................................................................................................................... 15
Meditate ........................................................................................................................................................................ 15
Melee Combat................................................................................................................................................................ 15
Perceive......................................................................................................................................................................... 15
Speed............................................................................................................................................................................. 15
Stealth ........................................................................................................................................................................... 15
Target Heavy Weapon.................................................................................................................................................... 15
Target Light Weapon ..................................................................................................................................................... 15
Throwing....................................................................................................................................................................... 15
Skills...................................................................................................................................................................................... 16
Overview ........................................................................................................................................................................... 16
© 2003 by Taldren Inc.

Ability-Related Skills ......................................................................................................................................................... 16

Skills Not Listed ............................................................................................................................................................ 16
Nanotech Skills.................................................................................................................................................................. 16
List of All Skills................................................................................................................................................................. 16
Ability Related Skills Descriptions ..................................................................................................................................... 17
Acrobatics...................................................................................................................................................................... 17
Climb ............................................................................................................................................................................ 17
Concentrate.................................................................................................................................................................... 17
Drive or Pilot ................................................................................................................................................................. 18
First Aid ........................................................................................................................................................................ 18
Hack.............................................................................................................................................................................. 18
Hide .............................................................................................................................................................................. 18
Martial Arts ................................................................................................................................................................... 18
Sneak............................................................................................................................................................................. 18
Swim ............................................................................................................................................................................. 18
Tracking ........................................................................................................................................................................ 18
Weapon Use .................................................................................................................................................................. 19
Nanotech Skills Use ........................................................................................................................................................... 19
Limit to Number of Nanotech Skillsets ........................................................................................................................... 19
Accumulating Skills within the Skillset........................................................................................................................... 19
Effects of NanoSkill Attempts ........................................................................................................................................ 19
Multiple Uses of NanoSkills in a Turn ............................................................................................................................ 19
Improvising with Nanomancy......................................................................................................................................... 19
NanoSkill Descriptions....................................................................................................................................................... 20
BlinkSpeed .................................................................................................................................................................... 20
CamJam......................................................................................................................................................................... 20
Chi Drain....................................................................................................................................................................... 20
Chi Parasite.................................................................................................................................................................... 20
Earthquake..................................................................................................................................................................... 21
ECM (Emergency Counter-Measures) ............................................................................................................................ 21
Fireball .......................................................................................................................................................................... 21
FireFist .......................................................................................................................................................................... 21
Flash Shield ................................................................................................................................................................... 22
Hacking (Nanoconduction Network Interface and Access)............................................................................................... 22
Healing.......................................................................................................................................................................... 22
HERA (Heightened Electromagnetic Radiation Awareness) ............................................................................................ 23
HydroCloak ................................................................................................................................................................... 23
IceFist............................................................................................................................................................................ 23
Ice Shards...................................................................................................................................................................... 23
LiquidFire...................................................................................................................................................................... 23
Optic Cloak.................................................................................................................................................................... 24
RockFist ........................................................................................................................................................................ 24
Rock Shards................................................................................................................................................................... 24
Tornado ......................................................................................................................................................................... 24
Tsunami......................................................................................................................................................................... 24
Urban Tracking.............................................................................................................................................................. 24
WindBurst ..................................................................................................................................................................... 25
WindFist........................................................................................................................................................................ 25
Rewards and Experience......................................................................................................................................................... 26
Gaining New Skills and Improving What You Have............................................................................................................ 26
Gaining New Skills ........................................................................................................................................................ 26
Performing Missions gets the player Ops two types of Reward ........................................................................................ 26
Increasing Skills through Experience .............................................................................................................................. 26
Earning Experience Points.................................................................................................................................................. 26
Adding to an Op's Experience point pool: ....................................................................................................................... 26
Subtracting from an Op's Experience point pool: ............................................................................................................. 27
The Game System .................................................................................................................................................................. 28
Use of D100................................................................................................................................................................... 28
Skill Rolls vs. Opposition Rolls ...................................................................................................................................... 28
Skills and Abilities over 100%........................................................................................................................................ 28
The Attribute Roll .......................................................................................................................................................... 28
Initiative and the Combat turn............................................................................................................................................. 28

Combat Systems................................................................................................................................................................. 29
Movement and Combat .................................................................................................................................................. 29
Rate of Fire.................................................................................................................................................................... 29
"Rapid Fire" For Hand To Hand Weapons....................................................................................................................... 29
Single Fire vs Opposition Roll........................................................................................................................................ 29
Two-Weapon Use .......................................................................................................................................................... 29
Multiple Hits vs Dodge .................................................................................................................................................. 29
Stream Attacks............................................................................................................................................................... 30
Effects of Armor ............................................................................................................................................................ 30
Area Effects................................................................................................................................................................... 30
Dodging Martial NanoSkill Attacks ................................................................................................................................ 30
Vehicle Combat ................................................................................................................................................................. 31
Special Considerations ................................................................................................................................................... 31
Dog-Fighting ................................................................................................................................................................. 31
Chasing Vehicles ........................................................................................................................................................... 31
Effects of Damage on Vehicles....................................................................................................................................... 31
Death of a Vehicle.......................................................................................................................................................... 31
Environmental Dangers ...................................................................................................................................................... 32
Fire................................................................................................................................................................................ 32
Falling ........................................................................................................................................................................... 32
Radiation ....................................................................................................................................................................... 32
Vacuum ......................................................................................................................................................................... 32
Impact ........................................................................................................................................................................... 33
Combat Environments........................................................................................................................................................ 33
Taking Cover ................................................................................................................................................................. 33
Effects of Cover ............................................................................................................................................................. 33
Partial Cover.................................................................................................................................................................. 33
Attacking from Cover..................................................................................................................................................... 33
Damage and Healing .......................................................................................................................................................... 34
Flash Damage ................................................................................................................................................................ 34
Stun Damage ................................................................................................................................................................. 34
Impact Force Effects ...................................................................................................................................................... 34
Impact vs. Objects.......................................................................................................................................................... 34
Weapons and Items ................................................................................................................................................................ 35
The Costs....................................................................................................................................................................... 35
Weapon Descriptions ..................................................................................................................................................... 35
Available Technology ........................................................................................................................................................ 36
Items available at any appropriate retail outlet and their costs .......................................................................................... 36
Non-Op Items .................................................................................................................................................................... 40
Black Market Items ............................................................................................................................................................ 42
Elemental Nanomancy........................................................................................................................................................ 50
Master Weapon List ........................................................................................................................................................... 51
Vehicles................................................................................................................................................................................. 52
Explanation of Terms ......................................................................................................................................................... 52
The World of the Black 9 and How to Run It........................................................................................................................... 55
Game Master Information................................................................................................................................................... 55
What is the Spirit of Black 9? ......................................................................................................................................... 55
What can you do with Black 9 Ops?................................................................................................................................ 55
It's Really Cyberpulp...................................................................................................................................................... 55
The Real Black Nine .......................................................................................................................................................... 56
Genesis.......................................................................................................................................................................... 56
Zubrin............................................................................................................................................................................ 56
The Tea-Drinking Society .............................................................................................................................................. 56
Glimmer A.G................................................................................................................................................................. 57
La Sociéti de la Luminière.............................................................................................................................................. 57
My Private Money DGP ................................................................................................................................................. 57
Black Dragons ............................................................................................................................................................... 58
EarthNOW! ................................................................................................................................................................... 58
New World Order .......................................................................................................................................................... 59
How To Bring Player Ops Into The Game........................................................................................................................... 59
The Sponsoring Organization ......................................................................................................................................... 59
Going It Bare ................................................................................................................................................................. 59

Getting Started............................................................................................................................................................... 60
The Ol' Switcheroo......................................................................................................................................................... 60
The Final Result............................................................................................................................................................. 60
Care and Handling of Player Ops and Storylines ................................................................................................................. 60
Keeping the Story Going ................................................................................................................................................ 60
Creating the Master Villain............................................................................................................................................. 60
Killing the Master Villain............................................................................................................................................... 60
Assigning Experience..................................................................................................................................................... 60
The Opposition .................................................................................................................................................................. 61
Guards........................................................................................................................................................................... 61
Robots ........................................................................................................................................................................... 61
Monks ........................................................................................................................................................................... 64
Special Monsters............................................................................................................................................................ 64
Sample Special Monster: The Zombie............................................................................................................................. 64
Sample Adventures................................................................................................................................................................. 65
Phantom of the Media ........................................................................................................................................................ 65
Do I hear Organ Music? ................................................................................................................................................. 65
Delving Deep................................................................................................................................................................. 65
Defense in the Depths..................................................................................................................................................... 65
Rodents of Unusual Stature ............................................................................................................................................ 65
Assault on the Mind ....................................................................................................................................................... 66
Final Stop ...................................................................................................................................................................... 66
Who Is the Badguy Here?............................................................................................................................................... 66
Never Trust a Producer................................................................................................................................................... 66
Up in a Balloon .................................................................................................................................................................. 66
Living High ................................................................................................................................................................... 66
An Elevated Mission ...................................................................................................................................................... 67
Safety Briefing............................................................................................................................................................... 67
The Plan ........................................................................................................................................................................ 67
Rules of Engagement ..................................................................................................................................................... 67
Supplied Equipment....................................................................................................................................................... 67
General Layout of Sky Lord Aerostat.............................................................................................................................. 68
Initial Setup for Players.................................................................................................................................................. 68
Top Deck....................................................................................................................................................................... 69
Bottom Deck.................................................................................................................................................................. 69
The Initial Situation........................................................................................................................................................ 70
Security Situation........................................................................................................................................................... 70
The Next Step ................................................................................................................................................................ 70
Finding the Data............................................................................................................................................................. 70
Confronting Ritter.......................................................................................................................................................... 71
Where You Go From Here.................................................................................................................................................. 71
Visit Scenic… ................................................................................................................................................................ 71
Playing Politics .............................................................................................................................................................. 71
Trivial Events ................................................................................................................................................................ 71
Vast Conspiracies........................................................................................................................................................... 72
Other Menaces............................................................................................................................................................... 72
Game Conversions ................................................................................................................................................................. 73
D20 System ....................................................................................................................................................................... 73
D20 Abilities ................................................................................................................................................................. 73
D20 Races ..................................................................................................................................................................... 73
D20 Classes ................................................................................................................................................................... 73
D20 Skills and Feats....................................................................................................................................................... 73
D20 Combat .................................................................................................................................................................. 73
D20 Experience and Progression..................................................................................................................................... 73
White Wolf System ............................................................................................................................................................ 74
Using Shadowrun........................................................................................................................................................... 74
3D6 Systems...................................................................................................................................................................... 74

Introduction
Intrusion
The concealed ceiling turret caught Gruber dead center. corona as the grenade EMPed its circuits. Girl has a good
His armor held for a moment, then he collapsed back and I head on those shoulders.
could hear the dull thud of heavy rounds hitting dermal Ylsa appeared next to Gruber and slapped a derm patch on
armor. He hit the ground almost at my feet, eyes still open the wounds. The little nanites got to work. "Don't you ever
and trying to bring the rail gun up to frag the turret. I could duck?" she asked, as she always does. Her tail moved back
see some blood, but not much. and forth rhythmically, as if keeping time for the nanites.
Sahara was quicker, though. Even as the turret chain gun "Ducking is for pussycats," Gruber grunted as he climbed
was finishing its burst into Gruber, she ducked and rolled to his feet.
under the field of fire and came up with an EMP patch
grenade, which she tossed easily at the turret. It swiveled to I motioned Sahara to look left while I looked right. The
catch her and suddenly stopped. We could see the electrical Dragons weren't supposed to have automated security.
What other surprises weren't in the briefing?
Role Playing with Paper and Pencil

This is an introduction to paper and pencil tabletop role- Some players enjoy a confrontation with the GM,
playing. If you have only played computer role playing trying to outthink his traps and outfight his opponents.
games and are interested in how this game differs from That's fine as long as all parties are happy with the
computer gaming, this section is for you. situation.
If you have ever played any tabletop roleplaying games,
such as Dungeons and Dragons, GURPS, the Hero System, 3. The player has the opportunity to take his character to
RuneQuest, Traveller, or any other similar game, please places he cannot go in the computer game, but is in
turn responsible for any bookkeeping, like keeping
move on to the next section. There's lots else to see and you
won't see anything new here. track of ammunition and health points, that come up
with the character. For this you need paper (for a
character sheet showing all the character's abilities and
Differences between Computer/Platform
possessions) and a pencil (because there will be a lot
games and paper and Pencil Games of changes in the course of the game and there is no
A face-to-face tabletop role playing game is somewhat computer to keep track of the changes).The player also
similar to a computer role playing game, particularly a has to take a more active role in creating the character
multi-player game. There are three main differences. in the first place.
And, of course, the other principal difference is that there is
1. The place of the computer is taken by the Game no computer. This kind of game is done around a table (or
Master, or GM. This person provides the scenario and living room or other place of gathering) with all the other
devises the challenges for the characters. participants in the same space. Instead of figures on a
The Gm also makes sure the rules are followed and screen, you might use plastic or metal figures to represent
runs all the non-player characters (NPCs) the players' where your character is on a map of the GM's devising. Or
characters run into during the scenario. In general, the you can just do it all in your imagination as the GM
GM devises the plot of the story the Player characters describes the scene. These are all legitimate ways to role
(PCs) are the heroes of. play.
2. The GM is not the player's opponent. In a computer The Campaign

game, the point is to beat the scenarios, therefore
beating the computer. In a role playing game, the point Games that involve the same Ops in a series of connected
is to enjoy the scenarios, working with the GM to operations (if only because they are performed for the same
create a story. This doesn't mean that the scenario can't bosses) is called a campaign. This is roughly equivalent to
kill your character. It doesn't mean that the GM is just all of the scenarios in a computer game like Black9.
there to give you a guided tour of a locale and let you However, a campaign can be closed ended, following a
walk off with all the booty (or whatever). It does mean specific story like a computer game, or entirely open-
that the GM and players work together to make the ended, with only the general circumstances and recurring
whole experience enjoyable for everyone. Otherwise, characters staying consistent.
why get together to play? This kind of campaign is much deeper and wider ranging
than a computer game and is one of the things that makes
paper and pencil games different from computer games.

The specific rules of how to role play in this game are

coming up, but let's take a look first at the world your .
character will be acting in.
The World of the Black 9

History of the World through 2076. the United States of America.
2012 With the main deterrent to indiscriminate tribal
2002 Recession brings to an end the booming 90s. warfare splintered and exhausted, the world is
Corporations look for new customers. devastated by a series of small wars as tribal
The new Open Door policy with China brings differences are resolved on a massive
the peasants of China into the 21st consumer destruction scale, particularly in the Middle
century. The Chinese military, owners of East, Africa and the Sub-Continent. Most
thousands of small businesses, are major notable is The War To Be Overlooked, which
investors and beneficiaries. sends India and Pakistan back decades as they
2004 Massive shortfalls in the US budget set the tax try to rebuild their radiated homelands after
rates soaring. Tax rates for the middle class of settling the Kashmir question by obliterating it.
the United States reach 60% and the upper 2013 The Republics of the Pacific Rim adopt the
class reaches 75%. MPM standard and the rest of North America
2005 Jenson Lim invents My Private Money follows. The debt of the former USA is
software. It uses public key cryptography and defaulted on.
ingenious distributed server protocols to act as 2015 Internet access is regularized in one last
both a currency and banking system, one that attempt to control the continual drain of money
governments cannot tap into. Money from the governmental systems. All of the
information is distributed throughout the significant nations agree on the protocols that
internet. will limit free expression and availability of
2006 The IRS starts the War on Tax Evasion. information on the net. But the new DGP (Darn
Wiretapping by the FBI searches everywhere Good Privacy) software and its application to
for use of the MPM software. Scandals of MPM adapts to the protocols and continues on,
abuse of the wiretaps are publicized regularly. still untraceable. The only result is curtailment
2007 Pretty Good Privacy (PGP) cryptography of free speech and easy non-commercial access
software developed to stop FBI. PGP- to the internet. Advertising and commercial
generated spam derails much of the FBI uses are unaffected.
investigations. Dollar's value begins to slide as 2016 The Great Storm of August roars out of the
investors realize there may not be a tax revenue Atlantic and smashes Westernmost Europe.
to support it. The MPM-PGP software invades Southern England and the ports of France,
Japan and the European Union. Taiwanese Belgium, Holland, and Spain are drowned
open the first MPM currency market and data under 5-15 feet of sea surge and floods for six
haven and more money slides off the days. The Low Countries and Southern
governmental radar. England are turned into swamps. Recovery is
2009 30% of the US GDP is estimated to be invisible still going on to this day.
to the Internal Revenue Service. Reports blaming the Storm on environmental
MPM-DGP marketing in Japan and European degradation captures the imaginations of the
Union starts to seriously affect the currencies youth in Europe and creates the EARTH
of those areas as well. The software is NOW! organization, devoted to stopping the
distributed to all parts of the world. destruction of Earth's environment. Its action-
2010 US Dollar's devaluation is at 40% and rising. first agenda gathers membership from many of
The national debt hits 10 trillion. Demands for the other environmental organizations already
action are met with demands for reaction. extant.
2011 The Second American Civil War is over in 36 2017 Indian Allied Nations gather in the Nunavut
hours. The combatants are not so much states Territory north of Quebec province and break
as interest groups that encompass all regions the region away from Canada, taking some of
like Media, Bandwidth, Software and Energy. northern Quebec with it. The Canadian
Airplanes fly, missiles launch, and electronics government cannot muster the support to force
mix up everything. The result is New North them back into the fold. Their back-to-nature
America. Alaska, California, Hawaii, Oregon philosophy attracts American Indians and other
and Washington are now the United Republics ecologists from all over the world to preserve
of the Pacific Rim. Texas has reverted to an one of the last wildernesses and the population
independent republic, Colorado, New Mexico, booms.
Nevada, and Arizona are the Western Liberty 2018 Banchou Tech announces the first useful
Republics and the remaining 40 states are still nanites technology. It is used extensively in

cleanup of toxic spills caused by the Great 2034 First notice of the New World Order as it takes
Storm of August, plus similar storms in places over the Russian space facilities.
like Bangladesh. Banchou gets the contract to 2035 Establishment of first full-time colony on the
clean up several urban areas on the Indian Moon (Luna I) accomplished by Zubrin
subcontinent. Technologies of the Czech Republic.
2019 Members of The Mars Society and the 2036 Banchou Tech introduces the first Healing
International Space Society, both of which Patches, which become indispensable adjuncts
have members from several European to any hazardous activity.
countries, establish Zubrin Technologies in the 2038 Genesis establishes Luna II colony on the
Czech Republic with the avowed purpose of Moon and competes with Zubrin for research
creating an ongoing presence of man in space, and raw material contracts. Genesis establishes
using former European Space Agency facilities the first mass driver launch site to send raw
in Europe and Africa. materials to the Earth.
2020- Start of the Oil Wars. Major oil conglomerates 2040 Banchou Tech introduces the first Genemods.
2050 use Southeast Asian and Pacific nations as 2041 Genesis attempt to seize part of Allied Indian
pawns to stake out chunks of the South China Nations for mineral resources is met with high-
Sea oil fields. The oil companies end up taking tech opposition. While interior is bucolic,
over the countries in all but name. In Europe, border is very well guarded indeed with the
the German-led European Union takes over the finest of Glimmer AG technology. EarthNOW!
North Sea Oil Fields, promptly giving them to is suspected of supplying most of the
a commerical alliance led by Krupp to mercenaries and weaponry. Genesis pulls back.
administer. 2042 Genesis multipurpose robots begin to make
2023 New North America is barely recognizable as a inroads in industrial production throughout the
political entity (ies) as most of the services are world.
taken over by corporations. New York City 2044 New World Order announces its first asteroid
becomes an independent city on the Singapore base on a recently discovered Near Earth Orbit
model. Genesis Industries first announced as a asteroid they rename Alexander.
conglomerate of several English and American 2045 Zubrin establishes Mars Canyon City on Mars.
high tech firms. 2048 Asteroid Alexander is fragmented in nuclear
2024 Quebec breaks away from Canada and forms a explosion, lighting up night sky of Earth. NWO
union with the Maritime Provinces and the blames Zubrin sabotage, but the common
Allied Indian Nation. attribution is to misuse of an experimental
2025 Krupp and several other European arms reactor.
industries announce the formation of the NWO announces that Alexander had been
Glimmer AG cartel with the introduction of mostly abandoned and states that its primary
several new weapons that are eagerly scooped facilities are on the asteroid they call Caesar.
up by governmental and corporate soldiery all They do not announce Caesar's position.
over the world. Glimmer becomes the world's 2053 With help from Zubrin, MPM DGP moves
benchmark and main supplier for weapon most of their data havens off planet to Mars
technology. and the asteroid belt.
2030 With all of the new consumers both in China 2065 First Genesis security robs are deployed in
and the rest of Asia worldwide temperatures routine surveillance tasks.
rise 7 degrees Fahrenheit; and with each year 2072 Zubrin builds first Space Elevator from surface
new records are set for all types of storms. of Mars and starts World Ship One project in
2031 Genesis Industries takes over the nearly orbit around Mars with the avowed purpose of
moribund NASA facilities in the United States sending colonists to other stars.
and the Texas Republic and starts its own 2076 Present
space program.
2032 Allied Indian Nations expands to absorb
Quebec and the Maritime directly. Exodus of
citizens who do not buy into the back-to-nature
philosophy is balanced by immigration of like-
thinking Native Americans and supporters. The
new nation is called the Republic of United
American Tribes.
The Black 9, Rulers of the World?

The world of 2076 is both very familiar and very different one form or another, but their borders are often very
from the world that started the 21st century. Most of the different. No one doubts that corporations really rule the
nation states that greeted the new Millennium still exist in world, though some special interest groups also seem to be

prominent. Who actually has sovereignty over any exploiting, usually for profit. Materials and environmental
particular piece of land has become more and more systems are their main stock in trade, but their influence
irrelevant. can be found in thousands of applications all over the
The Black 9 is a title that has been applied to the "secret world. Zubrin is also suspected of providing the initial
rulers of the world." The name has been whispered in back financing for other influential powers such as EarthNOW!
alleys and fugitive websites. However, no one has a clear and MPM-DGP. It is rumored that they are waging an
idea of who every member of this Nine might be. The undeclared war with the New World Order.
following are the leading contenders.
The Dragons
Genesis Much as the mega corporations of the Pacific Rim have
From its position of providing most of the hardware that crossed national boundaries, so have the criminal
operates the world, Genesis is generally considered Earth's organizations that feed off them. Yakuza and Triads have
leading company. Robotics, software, computing merged and reformed and now the criminal gangs transcend
equipment, and entertainment hardware are all part of the national boundaries and are found anywhere in the world.
monolithic Genesis juggernaut that has a presence in most They are now called the Dragons (sometimes Black
of the world and in space. Genesis is only one of two Dragons) because of the tattoos that many of their agents
conglomerates that have a major space presence, though wear.
their influence is much more scattered than that of their The relatively recent appearance (or at least relatively
chief rival, Zubrin. recently acknowledged by the media) of nanomancers has
been attributed to the Dragons. Most of the black market
Glimmer AG Body Mod shops are run by Dragons, though other free
lance and New World Order minions also partake.
Glimmer supplies the guns and other hardware that keep
the many small wars and intercorporate feuds going. Unlike
many of the other large conglomerates, Glimmer seems to
have no particular political agendas. They seem content to
supply the weapons that others use for their control
attempts.
The Media Moguls

80% of the media in the world is in the hands of four Black Dragon Hitman
conglomerates. They publish the magazines, film the
movies, develop the television shows, and keep the internet
full of their advertisements and programs. Anyone with any
media savvy can see that they all talk competition but
essentially present the same line to every consumer.
Unfortunately, there is very little opposing media available EarthNOW!
to point out this fact to the rest of the world.
This fanatic ecoterrorist organization has managed to
The Pacific Companies combine all of the maverick eco groups into one front, even
though many members decry its violent answers to
China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Singapore and indeed much polluters and environmental destablizers.
of Southeast Asia (including the Pacific Rim Republics of There are those who think that EarthNOW! may have
North America) contain dozens of firms that fulfill the support from some of the corporations, particularly Zubrin.
needs of consumers for everything from furniture to Certainly Zubrin is rarely attacked by EarthNOW!. Then
vehicles. Prominent in the minds of many observers is again, Zubrin's general program of getting industry and
Banchou Tech, a Japanese-Chinese firm that specializes in pollution off of the Earth and into space does not make
the new burgeoning nano technology, but it is just one of them a favored target.
many. Though they are ostensibly bitter rivals, most of
these companies are quick to combine forces to beat back EarthNOW! has good funding and its operatives are often
the influence of the US and European based Genesis and outfitted with the best equipment available from Glimmer
Zubrin. AG. It is thought that executives and shareholders in many
of the other groups may be helping fund EarthNOW. They
Zubrin are also reputed to get funding through extortion and
blackmail.
Zubrin was originally created by members of the Mars
Company and the International Space Society, a group of MPM DGP
futurists intent on taking mankind into space. In the 21st
century, they changed their name and became much more This company essentially provides the monetary grease that
proactive in charting their path to the stars. Zubrin has lets the world work. A group of self-avowed anarchists who
developed many technologies that it has no problem in don't want government influence in any monetary
transaction, they provide data havens and resource

management consultation for anyone with money. Most of known to be behind a lot of the drug trade in Europe and
the data havens are off planet, either on Mars or in the the Americas.
asteroid belt.
MPM has so much control of the real monetary systems of The Governments
the world that almost all transactions are done in MPM The President still presides in Washington DC, though he
dollars, whether sent through an MPM data haven or not. had to move out of the White House when there was no
money available to maintain it. There's still a Premier in
New World Order Moscow, a Prime Minister in Canada, a President in
This is a name used by terrorists who want the power back France. But with only the ability to tax those who don't
in the hands of governments, preferably governments they make enough money to afford the MPM-DGP software,
are in control of. No actual government officially supports they are relatively ineffectual and spend most of their time
them, and they are said to get a lot of their funding from the begging for money from the corporations: money that
Mafia and other criminal organizations. Certainly they are always has a price in power and prestige.
Earth - 2076

Op Creation
Attributes and their Meanings Body Type, a Matter of Choice

To play this game, every player needs a character, known Ops come in four body types. Thanks to the wonders of
in the world of the Black 9 as an Op, short for Operative. nanotechnology, the human race in the late 21st century
Ops come in lots of shapes and sizes, but every Op has four essentially comes in four shapes instead of the traditional
Attributes, and a number of Abilities that are based on two. Fortunately, the number of sexes remains the same.
those Attributes. An Op's Attributes are measured on a
scale of 10 (for very bad) to 70 (a degree of excellence not Normal
attainable without a lot of enhancement). The Abilities are
calculated from the Attributes and they provide a scale to Humans still come in the two basic models celebrated in
let the player determine if the Op has succeeded in using an story and song. Men tend to be a bit stronger, women tend
ability. About that, more later. to be nimbler and more quick-witted.
The four Attributes are Strength, Agility, Dexterity, and Cat-Girl
Constitution.
Category Name: C-40S
Strength (STR) Development Name: Cassandra
Developer: Genesis, from Banchou Tech design
Strength contributes to skills that determine how well an Cat-girls were the first genemods, and the less speculation
Op can physically manipulate itself and other entities, like about the original reasons for creating them the better. They
characters and objects. It includes the ability to pick up accentuate the dominant female traits and only appear as
heavy loads, use large weapons, jump long distances, and females. That they make especially agile and powerful Ops
hurt someone really badly with your bare hands, or with a doesn't seem to be part of the original mission statement,
hand-held weapon like a sword or club. but they have adapted nicely. They are called cat-girls
because they look like humanoid cats, complete with tails
Agility (AGL) that have proved very useful in situations where acrobatics
Agility is raw speed and conditioned/trained motor control are called for. There are several more formal names, that
of muscles and synapses. It helps with raw speed, jumping, pop up in different cultures, such as Felinas, Nekkos, and
and targeting light weapons instantly. Sheetas, but Cat-Girl is the usual name used.
Dexterity (DEX) Ogre

This is hand and eye coordination, including perception and Category Name: O-64B
reaction time. It is essential for targeting with weapons, and Development Name: Roland
for using most nanomancy. Developer: Genesis
Ogres, on the other hand, were created specifically for the
Constitution (CON) mission they are most used for. They are strong and sturdy
beyond any normal male human. They only appear as
Constitution contributes to skills that determine an Op’s males. What they lose in nimbleness they make up in armor
resistance and immunities to all types of damage. This is and power. Ogres are sometimes called Trolls or Tanks or
the premier measure of Health. This attribute determines Giants, but the Ogre name is the most common, probably
the Op's Health Points and helps with the Meditation taken from the computer-generated fantasy adventurer
necessary to regain Nanomancy-using ability. whose 12th outing recently hit the screens at the
multiplexes.
Why no "mental" attributes?
What are Genemods?
Players of other Role Playing Games will note the absence
of Attributes describing an Op's Intelligence, wisdom, The first Genemods were introduced by Banchou Tech in
willpower, and other mental traits. 2040. Genemoding uses viral nanites to rewrite the genetic
The ways in which an Op's mental abilities may blueprint of the recipient, who is usually a young person of
significantly differ from the player's are subsumed in the barely legal age in whatever country the genemoding takes
hand-eye coordination of Dexterity. For anything that calls place in.
for perception and quick wits and rapid cognition for such Besides the viral rewriting, the process generally includes
things as hacking, Dexterity is the Attribute of choice. For some surgical intervention as well, such as the dermal
anything else, the player's and Op's mental abilities are armor provided in the usual Ogre archetype, not to mention
considered the same. the BrawnMuscle, WiredBody and BoneLacing found in
the basic matrices.

The initial Genemods were cat-girls. Ogres followed efficient propulsion in the water. They are also of a bulky
shortly thereafter. The technology was stolen and sold body type and very Strong.
extensively, and the mods can now be performed in any
Body Shop. Cat-Men and Lady Ogres were both attempted, Space Men
but were very unsuccessful mods. Development Code: Moray 4302
Initial Genemods were sterilized, but since the technology Development Name: Robert
has spread that has dropped out of the process in many Developer: Zubrin
Body Shops and children are starting to be born conceived This is a fairly recent Mod that essentially attempts to
between Genemods and normal humans and between Cat- create a being that can exist easily in zero gravity. Using
girls and Ogres. So far, the results have been cross breeds arboreal monkeys as a template, these otherwise-humanoid
with lessened abilities, but most of these are pre-teen mods have legs that operate more like arms. Walking in
children with no surgical enhancements. any kind of gravity is very difficult for them, but they are
exceptional zero-gravity workers. This mod is used
The ratio of Cat-Girls and Ogres to the normal human exclusively by Zubrin (Genesis uses robots for the same
population is very low, but the mods show up in much tasks) and, again, there are both male and female versions.
higher numbers amongst Operatives. Strength is not a priority, but they are very quick and fast.
Other Genemods Bird Men
A number of other Genemods have been attempted since Development Code: AV 3001
the first two templates were released, usually in controlled Development Name: Eagle
corporate conditions. The following are three that have met Developer: Banchou Tech (for private client)
with some success. This is a somewhat derisive name given to an attempt by an
independent billionaire (thought to be affiliated with MPM-
Mer-Men DGP) to create flying humans. The project has been in
Development Code: A-22X effect for a couple of decades and there are occasional news
Development Name: Atlantean features about its progress. After giving up on somehow
Developer: Genesis developing hollow bones, feathers, and avian wings on a
Using dolphins as blueprints, a number of people have been humanoid frame, the current project concentrates on
altered into aquatic forms. Still humanoid, and still air creating humans who can interface directly with
breathing, these forms have very efficient metabolisms and Wingpacks (see Items) so that they become an integral part
an air retention capacity of over half an hour. Their of the person, rather than a vehicle. There has been some
physical structure does not have all of a dolphin's spectacular footage, but many feel that a normal human
adaptation to pressure, and they cannot venture more than with a strapped-on wingpack is probably more mobile and
100 meters below the surface, but they are invaluable in the certainly more flexible. Aside from performing aerial
creation of the undersea habitats, manufactories, and maneuvers for a developing fan base on the entertainment
mining operations on the continental shelves of every channels, no one has found a real purpose for the mod. But
continent on Earth. They are mostly employed by Genesis young people continue to volunteer for the mod. There are
and some of the Pacific Rim countries. both male and female versions.
Mer Men (which include females) still retain legs but they
are badly suited for walking as they have been modified for
Assigning Attributes
Each mod has a basic value for each attribute, and can then Normal Males can assign up to 20 points to any one
assign additional values to get the value they want. The attribute and up to 15 to each of the other attributes
following are the basic values for each mod. Normal Females can assign up to 15 to Agility, and up to
Normal Normal Cat- Ogre 20 to any one other, with a maximum of 15 for the others.
Male Female Girl Cat-Girls can assign up to 20 to AGL, up to 15 to CON,
Strength 20 15 10 35 and up to10 to STR or DEX
Agility 20 25 25 10 Ogres can assign up to 15 to STR and/or CON, up to 10 to
Dex or Agil
Dexterity 20 20 20 10
Example:
Constitution 20 20 25 25
Jenna, a normal female, is conceived of as being something
of an Amazon. So her player puts 20 points into her
These are the values for normal humans and mods. Many Strength, giving her a total of 35. The player then puts 15
of the humans and mods the Player Characters (PCs) will into Constitution, for a total of 35, and puts the remaining
meet in this game have these values. However, each human 5 into Agility, for a total of 30. This leaves her Dexterity at
and Mod PC has 40 points to spend on enhancing the four the basic 20. Jenna is a rough tough no-nonsense lady with
attributes. average intelligence and hand-eye coordination.

Jherek the Ogre is conceived as going somewhat against Pre-Experience (Optional Rule)
type. His player puts 10 into his Dexterity to bring it up to
20, and 10 more into Agility to get the same value. Making It is possible to enhance a starting Op with benefits gained
a minimum increase of 5 points in STR, for a total of 40, from previous experience. The Op can earn Experience
the player puts the remaining 15 points entirely into Points at the start by assuming that previous missions and
Constitution, giving him a very impressive 40. Not only can adventures have beefed the Op up, at the expense of
he carry a rail gun, but he can take a hit from one. picking up some problems that can hurt or inconvenience
the Op in future games.
Playing Other Mods This gives the GM some ready-made hooks for campaign
stories for the Ops. Any previous experience that did not
With the technology available, it is conceivable that dozens give an Op a problem is not worth getting pre-Experience
of other Mods are on the drawing boards or even active. for. That's why the OP gets starting money.
Some might even be effective Ops. Players wishing to play
a different Mod from those presented here must look at Here are some sample Pre-Experience problems for a
those shown and then consult with their GM to determine starting Op. Others are possible, and up to the GM to allow,
what exactly the starting abilities and enhancements will be if he wishes. A cap of 25 pre-experience points should be
for their unique Mod. Player-designed Mods are subject to sufficient, though GMs can vary this award as they wish.
the approval of any GM they play under. Some of these problems can be erased with the use of
Experience Points awarded later. There should be a story
Buying Additional Enhancements reason for the erasure, such as a rival Op becoming an ally,
or a psychoanalyst convincing the Op that his fears are
Ops starting out in this game are assumed to have had some unreasonable.
prior experience and have gained enough money to enhance
their abilities with equipment or implants. For the purpose Pre-Experience Experience
of starting a new Op, equipment from the Equipment tables Points
can be bought at "shelf" price, rather than Black Market. Made an enemy of one of the Black9 10
While this can be changed by the GM of a particular Organizations. Operatives from that
campaign who wants to start the players with more or less organization will shoot on sight.
of an advantage, the default amount available to normal
humans to spend is $35,000 in MPM dollars. Rivalry with one of the other player 10
Ops. This does not have to be taken
Cat-Girls and Ogres have $25,000 because they already by the other Op, but this Op will do
have implants and they also have various metabolic anything to show his companion up.
conditions and dietary needs that call for very expensive
upkeep. The transformation also seems to shorten lifespan. Made an enemy of another Op. This 10
is usually an NPC Op, often part of
Cat-Girl Enhancements another team that may try to get in
The Cat-Girl already has the the Op's way on missions.
WiredBody1 and BoneLacing1
enhancements. To gain any further in 15 Minutes of fame. Got publicity in 5
CON or AGL she must buy the 2nd a previous mission, making the Op
level of each. easily recognizable.
The Cat-Girl also has cat-like eyes as Psychological Trauma. The Op has a 5 pts for every -
part of her package and does not need problem that interferes with his 10%the phobia
Night Vision goggles. using his abilities. Claustrophobia, causes the user to
Changes to the Cat-Girl's musculature Acrophobia, Agoraphobia, take when the
and circulatory system and neural Botanophobia, Ballistophobia (fear situation is present.
structure give her extremely high of bullets), Scotophobia (fear of
Speed, Jumping, and ability to channel Chi, and an darkness) etc. The Op should try to
improved Health. keep this hidden, since it can cut into
To this date, no Cat-Girl has lived past age 55. his hireability.
Ogre Enhancements Physical Trauma. Problems like 5 points for the

blindness and missing an entire limb basic problem.
The Ogre already has the pretty much keep a character from Further 5 pts per
BoneLacing1 (for Constitution) being an Op altogether, but missing 10% impairment of
and BrawnMuscles1 (for useful fingers, having only one eye, some Skills, as
Strength) enhancements built in. being color-blind, being somewhat above.
To improve these attributes he hard of hearing, etc can make an Op
must start with BrawnMuscles2 exotic, rather than unemployable.
and BoneLacing2. The Ogre also
has DermalWeave1 (armor).

Deriving Abilities
Abilities are derived from Attributes. Every Op has all of Range Value
the Abilities naturally, and each can be increased only if an 0 – 33: weak
Attribute is increased. 33 – 66: average
The Base Abilities range in values from 0 to 100, and can 66 – 99: superior
exceed 100 for super-human Ops. The values can be broken +99: super-human
down into four ranges:
Effects of Body Type

The body type of the Op can have an influence on each ability. The following table shows the ability derivation formula for each
body type. All fractions should be rounded up.
Ability Normal Male Normal Female Cat-Girl Ogre
Athletics AGL+STR AGL+STR AGL+STR AGL+STR
Chi 2*DEX 2*DEX 3*DEX 1.5*DEX
Dodge 2*AGL 2*AGL 2*AGL 2*AGL
Hand Damage STR/5 STR/5 STR/5 STR/5
Health 2.5*CON 2*CON 1.5*CON 3*CON
Jumping (AGL+STR)/4 (AGL+STR)/4 (AGL+2*STR)/4 (AGL+STR)/4
Meditate (Chi* .5CON)/100 (Chi* .5CON)/100 (Chi* .5CON)/100 (Chi* .5CON)/100
Melee STR+ .5AGL STR+ .5AGL STR+ .5AGL STR+ .5AGL
Perceive DEX+CON DEX+CON DEX+CON DEX+CON
Speed 1.25*AGL 1.5*AGL 1.75*AGL AGL
Stealth DEX+AGL DEX+AGL 2*AGL+DEX DEX+AGL
Target Heavy Weapon DEX+ STR DEX+ STR DEX+ STR DEX+ STR
Target Light Weapon DEX+AGL DEX+AGL DEX+AGL DEX+AGL
Throw STR+DEX STR+DEX STR+DEX STR+DEX
Derived Abilities
Abilities can be used to find a set value for an activity, such more often. Unlike Health, CP returns relatively quickly.
as CP available (Chi) distance run (Speed) or damage done The rate of return is determined by the Meditate Ability.
by a blow (Hand Damage). Other Abilities provide a %ile The user regains CP at the Meditate rate per turn.
chance that an activity can be accomplished. Skills are Nanotech skills consume Chi in three ways:
based on these %ile chances, but they can be used alone if
the user doesn't have the dependent skill. Invocation, used for instant effects which consume an
amount of CP in an instant;
Athletics Drain, which consumes CP every turn, no matter how
This Value is used directly to determine the chance for many times the nanoskill is used, or
successful athletic activities like climbing, performing Minimum, which skims an imperceptible amount of
acrobatic maneuvers, balancing, and any other activity CP from the brain for constant power but requires the
where coordination is necessary. It can also be used for user’s total CP to stay above a certain level to work.
situations such as holding one's breath.
In Combat, Athletics is used for Taking Cover. Dodge
Chi (CP) This is the ability to get out of the way of a ranged attack.
This is the Opposition Skill to any ranged Weapon. For
The second most important Ability, Chi Points (CP) are hand Weapon or Melee attack, or point-blank ranged
the “mana” of Black9, determining how often and for how attack, see Melee Combat. Any attack the target is ready for
long an Op can use nanotech skills (the nanomancy of B9). can be Dodged. The Dodge Skill stays the same no matter
Each nanotech skill consumes CP. Increasing DEX and how many attackers the target may have. Having many
CON gives Ops more CP and allows them to use nanotech attackers is sufficient penalty.

A surprised target has no Dodge. A wary target who Perceive

expects he might be attacked gets a Dodge, even if attacked
by surprise, but the dodge %ile may be reduced due to This is the Op's ability to see things that might not be
circumstances. obvious immediately. It is commonly used for visual
objects, but can also be used for sounds, smells, etc.
Hand Damage It is generally used as the Opposition Skill for Stealth, but
either can be the Opposition Skill depending on
This is the Damage done by a naked fist. This is added to circumstances.
the damage of a hand weapon like a Katana or Claw, or to
some NanoSkills like RockFist. Successful use of the Because this Ability involves both thinking and precise
Martial Arts skill multiplies Hand Damage by the number movement, it serves as the basis for Skills such as First Aid
of increments of success with Martial Arts. and Driving and Piloting and Weapon Use: Demolitions. It
is a fall-back Ability for many other skills that might be
Health needed in the course of play.
The number of Health Points (HP) an Op has determines Speed

how much damage it can take before dying. Damaging
elements all consume a specific amount of Health. Speed determines the maximum speed a running Op can
Increasing CON gives Ops more Health, and thus allows achieve, unhindered. The number reflects the number of
them to absorb more damage. Health is easily the most meters an Op can traverse in one combat turn (four
important Abilty in Black9. seconds). The Speed number can also be used as a %ile roll
to allow the Op to run without suffering consequences of
Health can be regained through use of the Healing Skill, rough terrain, shifting floors, etc.
Healing nanites, or emergency Healing patches. If none of
this is available, an Op regains Health at a rate of CON per Speed also determines Initiative in combat.
week.
Stealth
Jumping This is the ability to move and stand without being seen or
This skill regulates the distance in meters the player Op otherwise detected. There always comes a time when all the
moves when jumping. It also increases the height the player hardware in the world doesn't help the Op when he doesn't
can fall without taking falling damage and reduces falling want to be discovered. This is the basis for the Skills of
damage when it occurs. avoiding detection.
An Op can jump this Ability in meters in a horizontal jump
Target Heavy Weapon
with a running start. The Op can also jump 1/2 the amount
straight up with a running start. These numbers are cut in This skill is the ability to use Heavy Weapons such as
half again if there is no running start. rocket launchers, rail guns, etc. It requires good Strength as
An Op can fall his Ability in meters without taking damage well as Dexterity to manipulate the weapon. If a weapon
(always depending on the surface he falls onto). A roll of has a STR requirement on the Weapons List, it is a Heavy
the Jump Ability or less on d100 negates falling damage Weapon. This STR requirement is for using the weapon as
from a fall of 1-10 meters beyond the Jumping Ability. a hand held weapon. Anyone can use them if put on a bipod
Further distance increments of 3 meters can be fallen safely or tripod, but the Target Heavy Weapon Ability is still the
for each increment of success (see Game System) in the one used.
skill roll. Acrobatic Skill can be substituted for Jump in this
case. Target Light Weapon
This is the ability to use ranged weapons such as pistols,
Meditate rifles, submachine guns (SMGs), etc. These weapons can
This is the ability to regain CP. The formula shows how be manipulated by anyone and quickness is a virtue with
much of an Ops total CP is regained in one turn. The rate is them.
reduced to 3/4 the amount if the Op is active.
Throwing
Melee Combat This is the ability to hit a target with a thrown object. Half
This is the ability to hit a target with a melee weapon (such this number is also the distance in meters the object can be
as a blackjack or sword) or bare fist or nanomancy with a thrown accurately. Any greater distance decreases the
touch range. The Martial Arts Skill is based on this Ability accuracy of the throw by -10% per three meters. This is the
and supplants it if the Op has the Skill. This Ability or basis for any throwing attack, such as Throwing Grenade.
Martial Arts is also used to avoid a hand to hand attack, or
a point blank ranged attack.

Skills
Overview
Skills are numeric values that represent an Op’s proficiency Starting Skill in any Skill is equal to the Ability it is
in all the physical and nanotech abilities in Black9 Ops. derived from, plus 1%. Further increases are generally in
This proficiency is derived from the Op's Abilities or from increments of 1% per Experience Point (See Rewards).
Nanotech infusions.
Ability-Related Skills
All Ops have all derived abilities, but this does not mean Costs for initial training in those Skills that need initial
that they have all the Skills dependent on the Ability. Most training can be found in the Items List under Available
Skills can be faked by using the underlying Ability, but Items.
some need training before they can be used. Those are
indicated in the Skill descriptions below. Skills Not Listed
All derived abilities and regular skills are passive, which Many other Skills are possibly of use in the game but are
means the skill is always available to the player. not listed here. In general, when such a skill is needed, the
Several Ability-Related Skills are based on the same GM or player can fall back to one of two Abilities.
Ability. Once the Skill is obtained, it can increase in a Perceive is used for any Skill that takes knowledge,
number of ways. A raise in one skill, such as Use Rail Gun, empathy, or common sense. In short, it is the Ability to
does not mean that other skills based on the same Ability, recognize a situation and realize what needs to be done to
such as Use Heavy Machinegun, are increased. Each Skill correct or use it.
must be raised independently.
Athletics is used for any physical Skill not already covered.
Nanotech Skills
By contrast, nanotech skills must first be purchased as a the company of course use the enhanced versions of the
nanotech implant at a body shop. Also, because nano skills.
skills are manufactured, some are not available for sale Nanotech skills can be either passive, or active, which
unless the GM decides it is appropriate. Some companies means the skill is only in effect when the player specifically
specialize in creating certain nanotech. These companies activates it.
offer different and/or better versions of some generic skills
only if the Op is in their employ. For instance, the NPCs of
List of All Skills

Type of Skill Name of Skill Initial Value Must be Learned to
Be Increased
Ability Derived Skills Acrobatics Athletics +1 Yes*
Climb Athletics +1 No
Concentrate Perceive +1 Yes*
Drive or Pilot* Perceive +1 Yes
Hack Perceive + 1 Yes*
Hide Stealth+1 No
First Aid Perceive +1 Yes
Martial Arts Melee +1 Yes*
Sneak Stealth +1 No
Swim Athletics +1 Yes
Tracking Perceive +1 Yes*
Weapon Use Appropriate Ability +1 Yes
? Cannot be used at all unless learned.

NanoSkills SkillSet Name of Skill Initial Value CP Cost

Aeromancy Wind Fist Perceive+1 Drain, 20CP/turn
WindBurst 10% less Invoke, 25CP
Tornado 20% less Invoke, 40CP
Pyromancy FireFist Perceive+1 Drain, 20CP/turn
Fireball 10% less Invoke, 25CP
LiquidFire 20% less Invoke, 40CP
Geomancy Rock Fist Perceive+1 Drain, 20CP/turn
Rock Shards 10% less Invoke, 25 CP
Earthquake 20% less Invoke, 40CP
Hydromancy Ice Fist Perceive+1 Drain 20CP/Turn
Ice Shards 10% less Invoke, 25 CP
Hydrocloak 20% less Minimum, 40CP
Tsunami 30% less Invoke, 40CP
MindAndBody Healing Perceive+1 Invoke, 1CP per HP
Chi Drain 10% less Drain, 15CP/trn
Chi Parasite 20% less Drain, 4CP/trn
StreetSmart HERA Perceive+1 Minimum, 20CP
CamJam Perceive+1 Invoke, 20CP
Hacking Perceive +1 Drain 20CP plus penalty
ECM Perceive+1 Invoke, 25CP
Urban Tracking Perceive +1 Invoke, 20CP
Optic Cloak Perceive+1 Drain, 20CP/trn
Flash Shield Perceive+1 Invoke, 50CP
BlinkSpeed Perceive+1 Invoke, 25CP
Ability Related Skills Descriptions

The following Skills are learned through SkillStiks (see
Items). A SkillStik uses hypnotic techniques applied Climb
through the PDA screen to instruct the user in the basics of Formula Athletics Ability +1
the skill. An hour or so of practice or study afterwards is
necessary to "set" the knowledge. This is the ability to climb walls, scramble up ladders, and
generally change elevation by hugging a vertical surface.
These Skills can, of course, be trained in standard academic Slick, smooth, and concave surfaces may get Opposition
or personal trainer formats. This takes a lot longer and costs Rolls.
about 100 times the cost of a SkillStik. Most people in 2076
learn their skills from SkillStiks. Concentrate
Acrobatics Formula: Perceive +1
This must be bought to be used.
Formula: Athletics Ability +1
This must be bought to be used. A successful roll of this Skill increases the amount of CP
regained through Meditate that turn by 1 for every
It is the skill of doing swings, somersaults, ukemi, and increment of success with the roll. This skill may be
other useful things an Op can do and look good. In special attempted every turn, but cannot be performed when any
circumstances a GM may allow someone making an other Skill is being used. Abilities such as Dodge can still
Acrobatics roll to avoid the penalties of falling, or stretch be used while Concentrating.
their movement by making use of peculiarities of the
locale.

Drive or Pilot Martial Arts

Formula: Perceive +1 Formula Melee Combat +1
This must be bought to be used. This must be bought to be used
Anyone can drive a ground car using basic Perceive This is the ability to use advanced hand to hand techniques
Ability. For any kind of expertise, and for driving any kind to increase melee combat abilities. A successful attack
of vehicle under emergency conditions, this Skill must be using this Art can accomplish a number of different things,
taken for each vehicle the user wants to drive or pilot, depending on the intent of the user. The intent must be
though not for separate types of the same vehicle. All announced before the attack.
Shuttles have the same general Pilot Skill, all Rocket Bikes o The user can multiply his normal Hand Damage by the
have the same general Drive Skill, etc. number of increments of success with Martial Arts
Drive or Pilot of a similar vehicle (rocket bikes and rocket (similar to Rate of Fire and Streaming attacks). This
sleds, for instance) allows for using half the Drive or Pilot number can be added only once to each target
Skill if that is superior to the Op's basic Perceive Ability. attacked in a turn. Regardless of the roll, no target hit
can be hit with less than the normal Hand Damage of
the attacker, unless the attacker is pulling his blow.
o The user can disarm an opponent instead of injuring
him if his total Hand Damage from Martial Arts is
higher than the Hand Damage of the opponent.
o The user can throw an opponent to the ground.
Rocket Bike
o The user can hit a nerve on an opponent to shock him
and knock him unconscious if he doesn't make a CON
roll. The nerve strike has to do enough damage to get
First Aid through any armor, although no Health Point damage
is done.
Formula Perceive +1
This must be bought to be used o The user can grapple and hold an opponent if his
Martial Arts Hand Damage total is higher than the
This is the Skill of attempting to heal others in an
opponent's.
emergency situation. A successful roll stops a wounded
patient from losing further Health Points. Every increment The Opposition Roll to this attack is Martial Arts (or Melee
of success in the roll heals 1 point of damage. Rolls may be if there is no Martial Arts skill). Hand Damage multiples
made over and over again, but a failed roll in the turn can apply to defenses against attacks. Martial Arts can be
negates all previous progress. This Skill is a prerequisite for used as Opposition against any touch range attack.
the Healing NanoSkill. A successful roll of this skill is
needed for successful use of the Healing Patch. Sneak
Formula: Stealth +1
Hack
This is the art of moving unnoticed and silent.
Formula: Perceive+1
This must be bought to be used. Swim
This skill is the knowledge of electronic and hacking
Formula Athletic Ability +1
principles. With a lot of hardware backup it can be used
independently to Hack systems. It is also a prerequisite for This is the skill of working in water. Most Ops can keep
the Hacking NanoSkill. afloat and make slow progress. This roll is for speeding up
the process, holding one's breath for excessive periods of
The Op with both the Hacking Skill and the Hacking
time, diving smoothly and deeply, etc.
NanoSkill uses whichever is appropriate for the situation.
In most field situations, the NanoSkill will be appropriate.
Tracking
Hide Formula Perceive +1
This must be bought to be used
Formula: Stealth +1
This is the skill of using forensic techniques to track a
This is the art of finding concealment in new and
quarry in an urban setting. With the right equipment (or the
interesting places, concealing oneself or objects either on
Urban Tracking NanoSkill) the user can follow his target
one's body or in clever places, and using camouflage
through measuring his assorted effluvia that the body
creatively.
discards every second of the day.

Weapon Use An Op can use any weapon with the base ability of either
Melee Combat, Targeting Heavy Weapon , Targeting Light
Formula: Appropriate Ability +1 Weapon, Throw, or Perceive (for Demolitiions). Initial
This must be bought per weapon type used. training must be bought to be able to progress in the Skill.
Nanotech Skills Use

Following are all the nanotech skills in Black 9 and their
effects. Effects of NanoSkill Attempts
Note that an Op cannot simply load up with nanotech. Most NanoSkill attacks are single target blasts of nanites
There are restrictions. creating an environment such as cold or heat or a sandblast
to hurt the target.
Limit to Number of Nanotech Skillsets The Skill serves as (1) the chance of creating the effect, (2)
There are six known skillsets of nanotech. These can be the chance of hitting a target with the effect except for
further divided up into the StreetSmart SkillSet and The touch attacks (this is the same roll) and (3) the range of the
Other SkillSets. effect in meters.
The base damage of any NanoSkill attack is 10 points of
StreetSmart Damage. However, every increment of success increases
The StreetSmart skillset is a collection of semi-related the damage by a further 10 points of damage. This models
nanoskills that have been around longest. They are the user's ability to put the damage right where it is needed.
compatible with all other nanites. Each can be purchased The actual Monks can do 15 points per increment of
separately without consideration of what others have been success. So far no one else has managed this level of
assimilated. The few exceptions are explained in the Skill damage, even using nanites taken from a living Monk.
Descriptions. In effect, the StreetSmart Skillset is just a For Example: Sho Son, the Hydromancy Assassin, attacks
convenient way of saying the Skill does not fall into the with Ice Shards, his player rolling a 37. Since his Skill is
other categories. 84, this is 5 increments of success (see Game System). The
The Other SkillSets damage done is 50 points.
Each of the Other skillsets uses a different form of nanites, A NanoSkill attack is Dodged as if a Streaming Attack (see
and any attempt to assimilate all of the different nanites at Game System). However, a NanoSkill attack cannot be
once will kill the user as the various skillnanites war to applied to more than one target unless it is an area effect
determine who gets to alter what part of the user's body attack.
when.
Multiple Uses of NanoSkills in a Turn
Users must assimilate one set of nanites before they can
assume a new set. Assimilation takes place when the Core An attacking Nanomancer can attack more than once a turn.
Skill of the SkillSet is at 75% and over. If for instance, one If he does so, the first attack is at -20%, the second at -50%.
has taken on the MindAndBody SkillSet and the healing A third would be at -80%, so it would only be attempted by
Skill is at 75%, the Op can then take on another SkillSet, a very proficient nanomancer. AmbiDex or natural
such as the Pyromancy Set, with FireFist at the usual ambidexterity reduce the first two attempts to -20% each,
starting percentage. When that has built up to 75%, the Op and a third would be at -50%.
could then take on something like the Aeromancy SkillSet. This applies also to double uses of other NanoSkills, such
as CamJam and Urban Tracking in one turn.
Accumulating Skills within the Skillset
With the exception of StreetSmart, when an Op gains a Improvising with Nanomancy
Skillset, he gets the Core Skill at the starting percentage for Users of Nanomancy will want to improvise ways of using
that skill, as shown in the Skill Descriptions. He also has all the nanomancy skills that are not in the skill description.
the other Skills shown, at reduced capability. As the Core For instance, they might want to use Wind Burst to blow
Skill advances, so do the others. Thus, the user only has to away a gas cloud, or Ice Shards to make a road slippery.
increase the Core Skill and the others follow along. All are legitimate uses of the Skills. The GM can either
The gap between use knowledge is 10%. If a Pyromancer estimate the increments of success needed to succeed (as
knows FireFist at 65%, then he knows FireBall at 55% and might be done with the gas cloud) or make an opposed roll
LiquidFire at 45%. of the car's driver Skill against the Skill of the Nanomancer
Skills within the StreetSmart Skillset must be learned with Ice Shards, to see if the attempt succeeded.
independently of one another. Having one skill in the
SkillSet does not mean the user has any of the others.

NanoSkill Descriptions
Since all of the NanoSkills Skillsets are essentially Description. ICE has no effect, but the device is not
purchasable items, their costs are listed in the Items section. controlled, either. Just "stunned."
The following is an alphabetical listing of the NanoSkills. The normal duration of the Stun is 3 turns. Any damage
Elemental Nanomancies are only obtained as part of the done to the device's CP in excess of that needed increases
appropriate Skillset. the Stun duration by 3 more turns.
Example:Ylsa sets off her CamJam. Her player rolls 28 out
BlinkSpeed of 92 for 7 increments. That's enough to do 20 points to the
State: Active 20 Chi points of the surveillance device and make the effect
Also Known As: Haste or AthLeet or Jumper last 18 turns (5 increments for the extra 15 turns).
Chi Cost: Invoke, 25 CP As a part of the jamming process this does not set off any
Formula: Perceive+1 alarms attached to the cameras, though of course someone
SkillSet: StreetSmart who attempted to see what the camera was recording would
Prerequisite: Optic Cloak realize in an instant that the camera had been taken off line.
It began as a children's toy with nanites applied to specially
designed boots that could be used to literally bounce Chi Drain
around the room. The kids were pleased, but the HMOs State: Active
weren't, and Jumper moved to the streets as a short-range Chi cost: Drain, 15 CP/turn
teleportation device. Formula: 10% less than Healing
When activated, BlinkSpeed accelerates the user's SkillSet: MindAndBody
molecules and nanites in muscle tissue and nerves cause A recent addition to the NanoSkill lineup, it uses the same
muscles to operate at 100% efficiency temporarily. It is nanites as Healing and has been subsumed by that
also a very short term Optic Cloak (see below). Effectively nanotechnology. ChiDrain essentially coughs out a bunch
short-range teleportation, although its user cannot pass of nanos that surround the enemy and begin releasing
through solid objects. The user cannot go anywhere he chemicals that inhibit endorphins and cause the body to
could not move to normally, but he arrives there without release adrenaline, breaking concentration and draining chi.
any but the keenest sensors seeing him transition. The user Chi Drain causes an opponent to experience hallucinations,
can move a total distance of his normal Speed plus a vertigo, and other various dementia, breaking his
percentage of his Speed equal to the Skill with BlinkSpeed. concentration and reducing his ability to use nanotech. Chi
Example: Taura the Cat-Girl has Blink Speed at 91%. She Drain unleashes streams of energy that manifest themselves
has a normal Speed of 54. Her BlinkSpeed distance is 54 + as psychedelic images and hallucinations in the target’s
(54*.91 = 50 [round up]) = 104 meters. optic nerve, unsettling it and thus consuming its Chi. CP
Another Op can be picked up and carried. It takes a turn to are destroyed under the usual NanoSkill damage rules.
pick the person up safely, then the Skill can be used in the This is a Stunning Attack and the target is affected as he
next turn. Trying to drag someone or grab them on the run would be by any other Stunning Attack, such as from a
causes an Impact and stops the Blink Speed. (See Impact taser.
rules.) Grabbing someone's clothing leaves the Speeder
with a handful of cloth and the grabee back where he Chi Parasite
started, though probably knocked over.
State: Active
CamJam Also Known As: Viper's Waning
Chi cost: Drain, 4 CP/turn
State: Active Formula: 20% less than Healing
Also Known As: JamIt or LagOut or EMP SkillSet: MindAndBody
Chi cost: Invoke, 20 CP A recent addition to the NanoSkill lineup, it uses the same
Formula: Perceive+1 nanites as Healing and has been subsumed by that
SkillSet: StreetSmart nanotechnology. Chi Parasite releases nanos that actual
Based off integration firmware used to connect one security confiscate endorphins from the enemy's body and carry
camera to another, JamIt! Appeared in another form off- them back to the user, increasing the user's chi while
market — or at least on a shadier side of the market — with causing disruption in the enemy.
veiled uses as a system jammer; a 'feature' that began as a Due to the necessary waste in this nanite grab-and-run
zero-exception bug in the original product. JamIt! process, the user gains 1 CP for every 2 CP lost by the
Integrates with systems of various types and slips them target. Any CP gained in excess of the user's normal
infinite loops, causing temporary failure. amount are -retained until used.
This effect actually disrupts any electronic device, This is a Stunning Attack and the target is affected as he
including guard robots and sentry guns. Determine how would be by any other Stunning Attack, such as from a
much CP is disrupted by the Increments of success and taser.
compare it to the Electronic Device table in the Hacking

Earthquake out. Fire attacks that hit a target multiple times add, but
each decreases at the same time.
State: Active
Example:
Also Known As: Gravinator or Thunder Dragon Dances
West Al Nar the Pyromancer hits Jake with a FireBall, rolling 32
Chi Cost: Invoke, 40 CP out of his 88% in the use of the attack. On the next turn
Formula: 20% less than RockFist Jake is facing a Fire attack of value 60. The next turn is 50,
SkillSet: Geomancy etc.
The biggest player in a line of entirely illicit nanites When the FireBall hits its target, it explodes, covering a
weaponry, the Gravinator pounds at the earth beneath a radius of 1m for every increment of success with burning
target's feet and redirects solid molecules into smashing nanites which hit everyone in that radius who does not
boulders overhead for a double-packed punch. successfully dive for cover, with the same effect.
The Earthquake expands in a hemisphere around the user to
a radius of 1m per Increment of Success of the roll.
Everyone but the user within that hemisphere takes the
damage. The volume is actually a sphere, and the
ground/floor beneath the user will also be damaged. Do not
use it on fragile sky-bridges. This expanding sphere has an
Impact Force of 60.
ECM (Emergency Counter-Measures)

State: Active
Also Known As: BangShield
Chi Cost: Invoke, 25 CP
Formula: Perceive+1
SkillSet: StreetSmart
Contrary to the usual meaning of ECM, this has nothing to
do with spoofing electronic sensors. See CamJam for that.
This is a last-second defense against incoming attacks. FireMonk with FireFist ready
When the player activates this skill, a field of
electromagnetic energy surrounds his Op, and any
incoming explosive projectiles, such as rockets and
grenades, have a 50% chance of having all their electronics,
including simple proximity switches and timing circuits,
FireFist
scrambled when they make contact with the field. A basic State: Active
roll with this skill creates the field for 1 turn (4 seconds). Also Known As: Kindled Lion Palm or Flaming Lotus
Every 10% the skill is made by increases the duration by 1 Hand
turn. This also increases the success chance by 5%. Simpler Chi Cost: Drain, 20 CP/turn
projectiles, such as bullets and arrows, are unaffected. Formula: Perceive+1
Skillset: Pyromancy
Fireball Often called "Tee'd Off" for its TDOF acronym on the
State: Active street and originally titled after obscure music lyrics from
Also Known As: Matador Fire over a century ago, Fire Fist originated from pirated
Chi Cost: Invoke, 25 CP technology developed in the Far East.
Formula: 10% less than FireFist When FireFist is engaged, some nanites shield the user's
Skillset: Pyromancy hand (and any melee weapon being held) while others
Originally designed for pyrotechnic displays in Grav cluster around it and create atomic fission reactions, giving
stadiums (and named after the Guadalajaran Grav team), it off waves of plasma. Unlike other nanomancy attacks, the
fell out of media use when stadium-goers found it to be user must also succeed in a Melee Combat or Martial Arts
discouragingly lethal. Now the street has found a second attack. The Punch does its normal punch damage . This is
use for these abandoned fireworks. considered one attack and is matched against armor only
once. Any weapon held is also sheathed in flame and adds
When the Fireball skill is invoked, nanites begin emitting
its normal effect to the damage.
extreme amounts of heat and congeal into a tight projectile
in the user's hand, while other nanites shield the hand. The The hit also covers the target with burning nanites that
user can then throw the fireball. The hit also covers the follow the rules for Fire Damage (see Environment)
target with burning nanites that follow the rules for Fire starting on the user's initiative in the next turn with a %ile
Damage and start with a %ile equal to the user's Skill roll equal to the user's actual Skill roll to throw the FireFist.
to throw the fireball. Unless fueled by flammable Unless fueled by flammable substances in contact with the
substances in contact with the target (see Fire rules) the target (see Fire rules) the nanites lose 10 %iles of intensity
nanites lose 10 %iles of intensity each turn until they burn

each turn until they burn out. Fire attacks that hit a target In game terms, compare the Hacking Roll of the Hacker
multiple times add, but each decreases at the same time. against the ICE (the Hacking Roll of the person who set up
the device) of the Device.
Flash Shield The contest is resolved like using a streaming attack against
State: Active opposition (See Game System). Every increment of success
Also Known As: Tarsus Intimator or BloXor does 10 points of "CP damage" to the system. Every 10%
Chi Cost: Invoke, 50 CP the ICE succeeds by subtracts 10 points of Damage. If the
Formula: Perceive+1 ICE is more successful, the Hacker loses CP equal to the
SkillSet: StreetSmart amount she missed by.
Prerequisite: ECM The CP of the System being Hacked is determined by the
Endorsed by Gabriel Tarsus, the Intimator was designed to GM. The following are some sample values.
protect VIPs from overzealous fans and assassination System CP Value ICE
attempts. It provides a last-minute defensive shield that Simple Surveillance 20 50
protects against varying degrees of assault.
Warning/Security 50 75
The Flash Shield is an instantaneous denser field of energy Alert
around the player that puts up a defensive field equal to the
increments of success of the roll (3 successes equals 30 Very Secret Data 50 90
points, etc.). This absorbs incoming explosives like Store
grenades and rockets and also vaporizes small projectiles, Major Security 100 120
such as bullets and crossbow bolts, and even damages Controls
others in melee range of the Op. Every point of damage it Security Robot 30-100 50-100
stops (or does to others) takes 1 point of protection out of
the field. To stop incoming attacks, the mancer must first Fumbles (See Game System) also have an effect.
succeed with a Perceive roll to activate the skill at the right Hacker Hacker Hacker
time, then succeed with the NanoSkill roll. Regular Failure Fumble
ICE Normal Alarm goes Hacker
Hacking (Nanoconduction Network Regular results off loses 20 CP
Interface and Access)
ICE Hacker Normal Alarm goes
State: Active Failure Normal results off
Also Known As: Xinvade or HaXor or Hacker's Little Success +
Helper 10
Chi cost: Drain 20 CP/turn plus extra loss for failure. ICE Hacker Full Hacker Normal
Formula: Hacking Skill +1 Fumble Success Normal results
SkillSet: StreetSmart Success +
Prerequisite: HERA 10
When security got tougher, so did hackers, eventually With a Hacker Full Success, the internal battle is resolved,
developing a nanite invasion system created entirely on the and your nanites have established a path of communication
street for infiltrating electronics and opening them up for with the hack target. The Hacker spends 20 CP.
public use. Slang-termed the "Hacker's Little Helper," The hack is disengaged if the player moves or is attacked.
Xinvade is in its seventh revision. Hacking can interface
If the initial attempt is unsuccessful, the Hacker can
with any computerized object and override its systems,
continue to try the Hack unless the result has rendered him
letting the hacker take control. Hacking is a Swiss army incapable of doing so.
knife that opens doors, retrieves data from protected
terminals, shuts down patrolling robots, and more. Once the successful data exchange between the hacker and
the host is complete, if the hacker needed data from the
An Op’s hacking skill must succeed versus the item’s
object, he’ll have it; if he needed the object to do
hacking opposition. Failure in hacking the item something, it’ll do it.
immediately produces an alarm.
Properly initiating the hack costs the user CP per turn. The Healing
player’s nanotech control systems are sending his nanites
against the target’s nanites. Both sides rapidly try to infect State: Active
and/or destroy the other. There are also layers of Intrusion Also Known As: DocNano or DeFrag
Countermeasure Electronics, or ICE, protecting the core Chi Cost: Invoke, 1 CP per HP healed
systems that the nanites will have to circumvent to establish Formula Perceive+1
a proper interface. Punching through ICE is an intensive Skillset: MindAndBody
task and requires constant effort on the part of the hacker. "The doctor is in!" Perhaps the most successfully stolen
As such, it consumes CP, and the thicker the ICE, the more Eastern nanotechnology, DocNano is composed of nanites
CP it takes to get around it. that intelligently reconstruct damaged flesh, siphoning
resources away from one part of the body and using them
to accelerate healing. It allows operatives to regain precious

Health after sustaining injury in the field through nanites itself indefinitely. Still, a large amount of CP must be
that pass through body rebuilding torn tissue. The use of maintained for it to stay active. The skill was developed by
this Skill restores 1 HP to the target for every 1% the Skill the Water Order, and its Water Monks use it extensively,
roll is made by each time it is used. The user must have the although their mere existence consumes such a drastic
First Aid Skill to use this NanoSkill. Both Skills can be amount of CP that they periodically lose the minimum to
used together and the results added. The NanoSkill may be maintain it and become visible for a few seconds.
used as many turns as the user wishes.
If the user is reduced to negative Health points, the nanites IceFist
immediately start repairing the user. The nanites spend all State: Active
the CP available to Heal the user. This is an uncontrolled Also Known As: Barracuda H2O Force or Blue Dragon
emergency reaction, all the CP are spent whether needed Claw
or not. Chi Cost: Drain, 20 CP
Example: Formula: Perceive+1
Ylsa the Cat-Girl is caught in a crossfire and takes 50 SkillSet: Hydromancy
points of damage. Since she only has 38 Health, she is at Barracuda H2O is the legit name for this NanoSkill —
negative 12 health. Her Healing nanites immediately tap produced by nanotech masters at BanchouTech.
into her 60 points of remaining CP to Heal her. She is back IceFist summons nanites to cluster around the user's arm
at full, but has wasted 10 CP. and draw moisture from the air to cover it with super-cold
Unlike other NanoSkills, this has no range and is primarily ice. The nanites also encase any weapon in the user's hand.
intended for reconstruction of the user. However, it can be At the same time, the nanites protect the flesh underneath
used to patch up someone else if the user makes a First Aid from losing moisture and disintegrating. Unlike other
roll and the Skill Roll. The amount repaired depends on nanomancy attacks, the user must also succeed in a Melee
how well each roll was made. The worst roll is the amount Combat or Martial Arts attack.
repaired. An Ice Fist attack does normal hand or weapon damage and
also Slows the target by reducing his Speed by 1/2.
HERA (Heightened Electromagnetic Repeated strikes can not reduce the Speed below 1/2 The
Radiation Awareness) reduced Speed comes back in 5pts/turn increments.
State: Passive
Also Know As: "Blake Windham's HERA"
Ice Shards
Chi cost: Minimum, 20 CP State: Active
Formula: Perceive+1 Also Known As: Moray H2O Force or Meteor's Frozen Fire
Skillset: StreetSmart Chi Cost: Invoke, 25 CP
Grav player Blake Windham's pet project, HERA is a Formula: 10% less than IceFist
nanites-implanted local positioning system that gives a SkillSet: Hydromancy
heads-up display of objects within a given radius. A projectile variation of BanchouTech's Barracuda, the
Microscopic nanites scout the area and report back to an Moray takes the solidified water molecules and adds a
implanted receiver. HERA is a passive skill that allows the punch behind them, shattering the central-formed core into
user to find items that can be Hacked, or simply items with a handful of jagged knives of ice that fly at the target.
a lot of EM activity. The percentile (%ile) of the skill also
An Ice Shards attack does normal NanoSkill damage (note
describes how far away, in meters, hackable targets can be
that Ice Fist does NOT) and also Slows the target by
detected. HERA cannot penetrate walls or other opaque
reducing his Speed by 1/2. Repeated strikes can not reduce
objects.
the Speed below 1/2. The reduced Speed comes back in
5pts/turn increments.
HydroCloak
State: Active LiquidFire
Also Known As: Rippler
State: Active
Chi cost: Minimum, 40 CP
Also Known As: Fire Blaze or NeoStorm or Raging Tiger
Formula: 20% less than IceFist
Howl
SkillSet: Hydromancy
Chi Cost: Invoke, 40CP
The appearance of the Rippler created quite a stir after its Formula20% less than FireFist
release in 2072. With LinSynch's RubOut coming out only SkillSet: Pyromancy
one year earlier, the lawsuits flew — because Rippler
From the makers of AeroBLAST, NeoSTORM lives up to
behaves in an exceedingly similar manner, using water
its rather presumptuous name. Another pyrotechnic
molecules instead of mirrors. The fallout was significant,
experiment gone wrong (one of many in the early age of
and Rippler's original creator's name has been lost to
nanotechnology), it generates a sphere of flame that ignites
history, but the technology remains.
anything within a specific radius.
This advanced cloak renders the user invisible in the entire
Liquid Fire expands in a hemisphere around the user to a
electromagnetic spectrum. Only sound or scent can be used
radius of 1m per Increment of Success of the roll. Everyone
to find the user. The cloak uses Chi skimming to power

but the user within that hemisphere is covered with burning Rock Shards attacks have an Impact Force of 50.
nanites that follow the rules for Fire Damage and start with
a %ile equal to the user's Skill roll to throw the Liquid Fire. Tornado
Unless fueled by flammable substances in contact with the
target (see Fire rules) the nanites lose one increment of State: Active
intensity each turn until they burn out. The diameter can be Also Known As: AeroSTORM or Tornado Turns the Lotus
limited by voluntarily decreasing the amount of damage Chi Cost: Invoke, 40 CP
done. Formula: 20% less than WindFist
SkillSet: Aeromancy
The volume is actually a sphere, and the ground/floor
beneath the user is also damaged. Do not use it on fragile The second generation of DalniTech's Aero line,
sky-bridges. AeroSTORM features increased force and a whirlwind
effect that siphons breathable air away from the target as
Optic Cloak well as spinning up one whopper of an air blast.
Tornado expands in an expanding cylinder around the user
State: Active to a radius of 1m per Increment of Success of the roll. The
Also Known As: RubOut height of the cylinder is 5m per Increment and expands out
Chi Cost: Drain, 20 CP to a radius of 2m per Increment. Everyone but the user
Formula: Perceive+1 within that area takes an Impact Force of 100, and must
SkillSet: StreetSmart make a CON roll or be Stunned. The circle affected can be
What started off as a parlor trick wound up being limited by voluntarily decreasing the amount of damage
invaluable on the black market. RubOut is a system of done.
nanotech mirrors and lights that bend light around the user,
creating the very convincing illusionof invisibility. Tsunami
Optic Cloak renders the user invisible in the spectrum of State: Active
visible light. However, it has no effect on electromagnetic Also Known As: Ice of Nine Stars
fields at other frequencies, such as radar or enhanced vision Chi Cost: Invoke, 40 CP
modes. Formula: 30% less than IceFist
SkillSet: Hydromancy
RockFist
Another of AeroBLAST's big brothers, Tsunami directs a
State: Active swarm of nanites to surround the user with AeroBLAST's
Also Known As: StoneCobra or Crushing Mountain Fist air redirection augmented by moisture-sapping nanites that
Chi Cost: Drain, 20 CP generate a tsunami-like disc of water that crashes with blast
Formula: Perceive+1 impact upon the target(s).
SkillSet: Geomancy Tsunami expands in a circle around the user to a radius of
Designed as a civilian self defense system, when triggered, 1m per Increment of Success of the roll. Everyone but the
StoneCobra draws solid molecules from the user's user within that area takes normal NanoSkill increments of
environment and forms a solid shell around the fist and any damage. The hit also Slows the targets by reducing his
held weapon, adding NanoSkill damage increments and Speed by 1/2. Repeated strikes can not reduce the Speed
Impact to melee range attacks. below 1/2. The reduced Speed comes back in 5pts/turn
Unlike other nanomancy attacks, the user must also increments. The diameter can be limited by voluntarily
succeed in a Melee Combat or Martial Arts attack. decreasing the amount of damage done.
Rock Fist attacks have an Impact Force of 40.
Urban Tracking
Rock Shards State: Active
Also Known As: TraXor or NanoHound or MiniHound
State: Active Chi Cost: Invoke, 20 CP
Also Known As: DeepSix or Serpent's Cannon Fang Formula: Perceive +1
Chi Cost: Invoke, 25 CP SkillSet: StreetSmart
Formula: 10% less than RockFist Prerequisite: Tracking Skill
SkillSet: Geomancy
Developed in the waning age of police enforcement, Urban
From the makers of StoneCobra came a military version of Tracking is an attack that sets a stream of nanites to hit the
their earlier 'rock' nanotech that utilized the Cobra shell and chosen target. The Nanites hold onto the target and leave
fractured it into lethal shards of stone before projecting it at
off Tracking Markers that the tracker can follow. The
a target. The result, DeepSix, was quickly smuggled out of actual appearance of the Markers is determined by the
the military markets to the street.
Tracker. Arrows and footprints are common iconography.
Rock Shards works by using grains of dust and earth in the The Markers can only be seen by the Tracker and last a
air to fashion deadly blades on command that are then number of turns equal to the Skill %ile of the tracker.
vacuum-propelled at a target. The blades do the usual
NanoSkill increments of damage as well as Impact.

Thus, if the tracker has Urban Tracking at 100%, the reversing the polarity of its nanites. The original Glove
nanites last for 100 turns, or 400 seconds, or a bit more than brought objects toward the user — by propelling them
6 minutes. away, the modern Glove adds elemental force to one's
Urban Tracking cannot track a Target through water, air, or close-range attacks.
using a vehicle or elevator. The user of the WindFist has all melee attacks speeded up
by a percentage of the normal rate of fire equal to his
WindBurst ability with the Skill. The minimum number of attacks
added is 1. Unlike other nanomancy attacks, the user must
State: Active also succeed in a Melee Combat or Martial Arts attack.
Also Known As: AeroBLAST or Eagle Tears the Wind Each Wind Fist blow lands with an Impact Force equal to
Chi Cost: Invoke, 25 CP the increments of success effect.
Formula: 10% less than WindFist
SkillSet: Aeromancy Example
In 2063 DalniTech developed the basic projectile nanotech Nimbus the Aeromancer draws his katana and attacks
that would pave the way for dozens of variations of Gruber. He attacks with Martial Arts of 90 and rolls 43, for
destructive nanites, including Tsunami and NeoSTORM, 5 successes. Gruber blows the Dodge completely. Nimbus
both of which operate under similar technologies. The first also rolls 22 on his WindFist of 90, for a success of seven
generation, AeroBLAST is not as effective as the former Increments, which means the Impact Force of the blow will
two, but its swarm of nanites redirect air in a blast toward be 70. Since the katana has a ROF of 3, the 90% addition
the target with an Impact Force equal to the increments of of the WindFist gives Nimbus a total possible success of 6.
success effect plus 30. No damage is done by the air blast However, he only hit for 5. Nimbus adds the five katana
except the Impact effect. If the target's increments of attacks to get 75, then adds his Martial Arts multiple of his
success exceed the user's, no Impact is done at all. Hand Damage of 6 to get 30 (5 increments times 6) more
for a total of 105 damage. Gruber's dermal implants and
WindFist combat armor take up 35 of that, but it's a good thing he's
an Ogre…
State: Active
Also Known As: AeroGlove or Flying Storm Fist
Chi Cost: Drain, 20 CP
Formula: Perceive+1
SkillSet: Aeromancy
Developed by DalniTech with the original idea of being a
modifier for Grav games, when the AeroGlove was
complete users quickly saw an advantage in combat by

Rewards and Experience
Gaining New Skills and Improving What You Have

corporate/organization body shops to get specialized
Gaining New Skills nanites with no fear of bad nanites.
New Ability-Related Skills can be obtained through the use Of course, there could be other problems such as remote
of SkillStiks (see items). Some Skills derived from controls or locating beacons built into the nanites.
Abilities can also be gained by use. An Op with Target Note: Missions that go wrong can still result in credits
Heavy Weapons can use a Heavy Machine Gun at the basic if the sponsor realizes that his troops must be
Ability value even if he only has the Rail Gun Skill. If his enhanced to accomplish their duties.
Skill with the Heavy Weapon is more than twice the
If the PCs betray their masters or otherwise end up not
Ability, he can use half that skill for another Heavy
working with the people who hired them, they can still
Weapon.
obtain Experience Points. They just can't be used as Credits
Note that beginning money can be used to buy SkillStiks, with that sponsor.
thus increasing an Op's Skills starting out.
It is also possible to find instructors and trainers to learn Increasing Skills through Experience
new skills, but without the nanites it is a long process not
conducive to rapid progression in the fast paced age of the Using Experience Points, the Op has a chance of just
nanites. getting better because he is getting better with experience.
At the end of a mission, or during a sufficient time period
Performing Missions gets the player Ops (such as for a long shuttle ride to get to the next
destination), the GM will assign experience points to the
two types of Reward Ops that reflect the experiences they have had.
Monetary Rewards can be used to pay for upgrades or The GM may specify how these points must be spent,
equipment. With money earned on missions, the PC can go based on the experiences or educational opportunities
to a Black Market Body Shop or other purveyor and buy provided in the scenario, or the GM may just allow the
what he needs. players to spend them as they will on improving the Op.
The plus side of this is that all you need is money. 1. 1 Experience Point can be used to raise any Skill by 1
The minus side is there is a chance of getting bad nanites. %ile.
These are often harvested nanites from someone who has
2. 5 Experience Points can be used to raise any Attribute
already used them (and is probably dead). They may not
work for someone else, or be burned out. The GM by 1 point. Check with the GM before doing this, there
determines the chance of this occurring. may be reasons why the Op cannot do this.
Experience Points awarded by the Game Master usually 3. Abilities cannot be raised by points. They increase if
takes the form of "credits" to be used in enhancing the Op. Attributes increase. In that case, the skills based on the
Completing jobs for patrons gets the Op "credit" in the Abilities also increase.
form of Experience Points which he can cash in at
Earning Experience Points

Every individual player, for every mission, has an
Experience point pool they receive when the mission ends Adding to an Op's Experience point pool:
or pauses. The final value of each pool depends on o Killing or catastrophically wounding an enemy
accomplishing or failing specific goals.
o Accomplishing a mission objective
Ops can add points to their XP pool by doing things that
help accomplish the mission, and lose points by doing o Finding items useful to the mission objective
things that hinder finishing the mission. o Performing actions, such as using a CamJam, essential
Repetitive actions that would normally get Awards should to completing a mission.
not be rewarded separately, but in total. o Crossing a secure area without being spotted/noticed
For Example: o Helping an ally
If Gruber kills 13 Genesis Marines he should get more o Successfully Hacking anything on the first try
Experience points than Jake, who kills one. However, he o Making difficult Skill checks (anything below 60%)
should not get 13 points to Jake's 1. Three is a better
number.

Subtracting from an Op's Experience o Killing or wounding an ally

point pool: o Using offensive nanotech against unnecessary targets,
such as the corridor wall.
The minimum value of the Experience point pool is zero,
o Causing an operation to fail.
so it is possible to earn no skill points in a mission or
skirmish by wasting nanotech or otherwise improperly Each reward/demerit above also has a max value at which
using skills. The following are the common causes for no more XP can be added, to prevent player abuse.
subtraction, though a GM may determine that other reasons
may cause a subtraction.
Zubrin Company Martian Wind Power

Generation Facility

The Game System
Skills in this paper and pencil RPG look very similar to Success by Increment
those shown in the computer game, but there are 0-09% (such as 81-90 with a 90% skill) 1
differences. For instance, targeting skill in the computer 10-19%% (such as 71-80 with a 90% skill) 2
game is the chance that the player placing the cursor on the
20-29% (such as 61-70 with a 90% Skill) 3
target will actually hit the target. In the paper and pencil
Etc etc
game, the skill is the percentage chance the Op can hit a
The simple way to determine Increments of Success is to
target, and the target gets a chance to get out of the way of
count down from the Skill %ile to the rolled %ile.
a hit, the Dodge Skill. We have attempted to make the
paper and pencil RPG look like the computer game, but the Example:
actual mechanics are actually very different, even though If Skill with the weapon is 84, and the player rolls 33, the
they give similar results. player counts down 84, 74, 64, 54, 44, 34 to get 6
We have also added several Skills that the computer Op increments of success.
does not have access to from a menu. Some things that are Compare the active skill against the opposition by
accepted as a matter of moving the cursor in a computer increments of success.
game have to be gamed out with a paper and pencil game.
Gruber, has 120% with the Heavy Machine Gun, his player
rolls 18 and hits his target 11 times. The target, with a
Use of D100 Dodge of 50, rolls 04. Having made the Dodge by 45, he
Every Skill an Op possesses has a percentile (%ile) value. negates 5 of the 11 hits, leaving himself only hit by 6 HMG
Accomplishing the Skill is a matter of rolling the value or bullets. Lucky him.
under on two 10-sided dice, called d100. Read one die as o The Fumble Roll is a roll of 00 on the D100. For the
the 10s and one as the 1s, specifying beforehand which is Skill roll, this means that not only did the user miss,
which. something drastic happened such as dropping a
Example: weapon or setting off an alarm. For the Opposition
roll's Fumble, it means that a missed attacking Skill
Sahara's player wants her to hit a security rob with a Det
roll worked after all and a successful Skill roll had an
Pack. Her skill at Throw is 87%. She takes a blue 10-sided
extra benefit such as knocking the target out, shorting
die and a yellow 10-sided die and says "Blue is high." She
out all the alarms through the whole complex, or
rolls a 9 on the Blue die and a 3 on the Yellow die. Since
whatever seems appropriate.
she specified Blue was high, the number rolled is 93, and
she failed to make the roll.
Skills and Abilities over 100%
Skill Rolls vs. Opposition Rolls There is nothing stopping an Op from having a Skill over
100%. 100% is a theoretical best in a skill that can be
In most cases, the use of one skill is opposed by another
exceeded. Only Experience or the effects of augmentation
Skill. An Attack or Targeting Skill is opposed by a Dodge.
on an Attribute can bring an Op over 100%. The Fumble is
A Hacking Skill is opposed by the Hacking Skill of the
still a natural roll of 00.
person who set up the system being Hacked.
o For most Skills, the important thing is how well the The Attribute Roll
Skill is made. An Op with a 90% Skill performs the
skill better if his player rolls 20% than if the player At times throughout these rules and in play, the player is
rolls 85%. This is shown by determining the called upon to make an Attribute roll, such as a CON roll,
Increments of Success. Every 10% a roll is made by for the character. This involves rolling the Attribute value
is an Increment of Success. or less on d100. The most common instance is the CON roll
to avoid being Stunned, but STR, AGL, and DEX rolls can
also be necessary..
Initiative and the Combat turn

In combat, who moves first is very important. When interrupting an Op's action to take one. The delayed Op acts
opposing forces meet, the first person to act is the one with after the slowest actor has acted, or forfeits the turn.
the highest Speed Ability. That Op can reserve the move to If opposing Ops have the same Speed, the one with the
let someone else go first. highest DEX goes first. If those match too, they are
The delayed Op can act any time during the turn, either simultaneous.
specifically acting before or after another Op, or

The combat turn then progresses on down to the slowest

moving member of the fight.
Combat Systems
Movement and Combat "Rapid Fire" For Hand To Hand Weapons
An Op can fight or use skills normally without penalty if he Some of the melee weapons are so light and fast that they
doesn't move in a turn (unless, of course, the skill involves can make two or three attacks in a turn. This can be applied
movement, such as driving or piloting or jumping).If the to two or three separate targets. The targets must be
Op wants to both move and fight: specified when the attacker makes the attack.
o An Op cannot make a full move and an attack at Hand Damage bonus, including the multiple from Martial
normal %ile. Arts, is applied once to all hits with a melee weapon against
o The Op can make a full move and use the weapon's a single target. Each target in a turn gets the bonus applied
entire Rate of Fire at 1/2 normal %ile. against it.
o The Op can move a portion of his Speed and use a Example:
proportionately reduced Rate of Fire. For simplicity's Nimbus the Aeromancer, still fighting Gruber, realizes that
sake, approach this reduction in quarters. If an Op he is now confronting Sahara and Jake, as well. He decides
with a Speed of 20 moves 1-5 meters, then the rate of to attack each of them with a katana blow. Unfortunately,
fire from his Assault Rife (see Items) is reduced from he misses the WindFist roll and must rely on Martial Arts
20 to 15. If the Op moves 11-15 meters, then the rate and katana. He will attack each target individually and, if
of fire is reduced to 5. This assumes that the Op runs he doesn't miss or get Dodged, apply to each of them the
the distance, then stops to shoot or otherwise attack. damage from the Katana and the individual results of the
o An Op in a moving vehicle must use the 1/2 normal Martial Arts attack on each target.
%ile rule unless the vehicle comes to a stop during the
turn, or unless the user is using a vehicle-mounted Single Fire vs Opposition Roll
weapon with movement compensators (which most If a weapon only has one attack, or is only fired once, it
fighting vehicles in 2076 have). still hits if the increments of success with the weapon
o An Op who moves less than 1/2 his Speed in a turn exceed the increments of success with the opposition roll.
can use one Nanoskill at regular %ile.
Unless using the 1/2 %ile option (no matter the actual Two-Weapon Use
distance moved) an Op must move, then attack. There is no
An Op can use a weapon in each hand (no, the Cat-Girl's
movement after an attack.
tail is not prehensile enough to use a weapon). Each
weapon has its normal rate of fire. However, the Op suffers
Rate of Fire an automatic -20% chance with the weapon in his "good"
Virtually all of the ranged weapons in this game show a hand and a -50% chance with the weapon in his "off" hand.
Rate of Fire per turn in excess of 1 (see Weapons and This is cumulative with penalties for movement, etc. See
Items). This reflects the efficiency of modern weaponry. A the AmbiDex Augmentation in the Items List. Players who
trained combatant can squeeze off several shots in a four want their Op to be naturally ambidextrous must clear this
second combat turn, which is the standard in this game, and with the GM, probably by giving up some points in an
of course many weapons are meant to autofire at one touch Ability or paying for it with a Pre-Experience Problem.
of the trigger.
A combatant may squeeze off the weapon's entire rate of
Multiple Hits vs Dodge
fire in one combat turn at his normal weapon usage %ile. For every Increment the combatant makes his roll by, a
The combatant may use as many shots within the rate of further shot hits the target. If an Op has a 9mm attack of
fire as he likes, but cannot hit with more shots than he fires. 73% and rolls 58, then he hits, and gains an extra hit
If the combatant wants to attack more than one target, the because he rolled 10% better than he needed.
player can specify how many shots in that rate are being The target of these multiple hits can get rid of extra hits by
applied to which target. The weapon loses one shot for making a particularly good Dodge roll, using the same
every extra target. increment of success system as rapid fire. If the target of
For example, if Jake wants to fire at three guards with his the above attack had a 44% Dodge, for instance, and rolled
9mm pistol, which has 13 shots, he can specify he is 38, then one hit is negated but the other hits. The target has
shooting three shots at each of them and lose a further two to roll 34 or less to evade both hits.
shots because he has three targets. No need to fire the other Note that there is nothing stopping the shooter from firing a
two shots, conserving ammunition is a good thing. burst of three shots at a target. Then shooting another 3
shots in the same turn, and then another burst of 3 shots,
This has a good chance of hitting the target with every shot,
assuming the target does not Dodge. Just remember that
© 2003 by Tralden
each burst has to penetrate armor again, while a continuous Effects of Armor
burst just has to penetrate armor once.
There are four types of armor available in the Black9 Ops
Example: Gruber, with 15 points of Dermal Implant and
world. They all have the same effect on combat. Armor
Combat Armor has 35 points of Armor. If the Genesis
absorbs damage from an attack. The total armor is
Intimidator security robot fires four bursts of three shots at
subtracted from the total results of each attack.
Gruber and hits every shot with every burst, it has put 54
points of damage into Gruber four times. Gruber takes 76 For example:
(4x19) points of damage. He's hurt, but can still hose the Gruber is at a stage in his career where he is not quite as a
Intimidator with his heavy Machine gun. This also assumes armored up as he is in the above example; he has Dermal
he misses every Dodge roll. Armor 1 and Combat Armor. This is a total of 25 points of
If the Intimidator fires the full burst at Gruber, and hits Armor. He is hit by an SMG. The user of the SMG gets a
with six rounds, it does a total of 108 points of damage, very lucky roll and hits 7 times. Gruber make a Dodge roll,
which, minus Gruber's armor, is a total of 73 points of but only just, so he subtracts one of those hits.
damage. It's pretty much a wash, but hitting with a couple The SMG does 5 points of damage per shot. The shooter hit
more rounds in that long burst would have put 36 more six times, for a total of 30 points of damage. Gruber's
points into Gruber, and put him out, and Gruber only had player subtracts his 25 points of armor and subtracts 5
to miss one Dodge roll. points from Gruber's Health. Gruber grunts slightly as he
This only applies to ranged attacks. A katana user, for swings his rail gun around to bear on the dismayed SMG
instance, cannot make single attacks against the same target user.
in one turn. Area Effects
Stream Attacks Grenades, bombs, satchel charges, and some nanomancy
have an area of effect. For the most part, reacting to this
Flame Throwers, Rad Flux Guns, NanoSkill attacks and kind of attack is covered under Combat Environments,
some improvised attacks like fire hoses and space ship later. Gaining Cover simply means getting outside the
exhausts have a streaming effect. This is similar to Rate of radius of the blast.
Fire attacks in that the more increments of success the user Most grenades and explosives have an Area of Effect that is
makes his Skill Roll by, the more damage is done. The specified in the weapon description. Nanomancy Areas
actual damage differs depending on the weapon or Skill. depend on the success of the nanomancy. Assume that
Like the Rate of Fire attack, the Dodging target must roll anyone caught on the fringe of an explosion, or partially
several degrees of success on the Dodge to evade an entire protected by flimsy walls, etc. takes half the normal
streaming attack. damage.
If the user of this kind of effect wants to attack more than
one target, the user has to attack the first target, determine Dodging Martial NanoSkill Attacks
how much of the effect hit that target, then move to the In some occasions, such as a Monk using a touch Attack
next target, until 100% of the effect has been used up. One like RockFist with Martial Arts, the target is confronted
level of effect (or ten points in the case of the with two sets of streaming attacks damage. In such cases,
flamethrower) is lost for every change of target. A the Dodging Increments of Success apply to only the
NanoSkill attack cannot be used to attack more than one carrying attack, in this case the Martial Arts.
target, except for the Area Effects.
Example:
For Example:
ShoSun is attacking Gruber with a Martial Arts Attack
Gruber attacks three Genesis guards with his RadFlux gun. using RockFist. ShoSon is 90% with both the NanoSkill and
The player rolls 35 out of his 76% chance at the first one, the Martial Arts.
sending 50 points of seething plasma energy at the poor
lad. Shifting to the next one, he loses 10 points of energy in Gruber makes a Dodge roll of 17 out of his 54, or 4
the transition, then rolls an 88, clean miss. He loses increments. ShoSun rolls a RockFist Activation of 46 (5
another 10 points (a miss with this kind of attack loses one increments) and a Martial Arts of 21 (7 increments).
increment of damage) and rolls 16 in his attack on the Gruber subtracts 4 increments from the Martial Arts, so he
third. Normally this would mean 7 levels of damage, but he is hit by 4 increments of RockFist, for 40 points, and 3
has already used up 7 levels, plus another making the increments of Martial Arts, for 15 points, for a total hit of
transition to the third guard, so that worthy only takes 20 55 points, which gets 20 points past his armor. If Gruber
points of Damage. had successfully Dodged all of Sho Sun's Martial Attack,
the RockFist would have had no effect, no matter how well
it was done.
.
© 2003 by Taldren
Vehicle Combat
Besides the conflict of Op vs Op, the adventurous Ops are Compare the Drivers' increments of success. Each
also going to be confronting opposition in the form of Op- Increment by the Pursuer shortens the distance; each
operated and autonomous vehicles. The basics of such increment by the Target increases the Distance. Failure and
combat are just the same, but the addition of vehicles Fumbles can have other effects on the pursuit.
requires some special considerations.
Pursuer Pursuer Pursuer
Normal Fail Fumble
Special Considerations
Target Usual Effect Pursuer falls Pursuer
These considerations mostly apply to vehicles in motion. A Normal an additional Loses Chase
vehicle that is not in motion is essentially cover, which is a turn behind
different situation. Target Pursuer No change Pursuer
o Vehicles have movement and momentum. If the pilot Fails gains 1 in distance loses 1 turn
is killed or the engine destroyed, the vehicle still has additional
the momentum of its previous motion. Killing the turn
driver doesn't stop the patrol vehicle from crashing Target Pursuer Pursuer Pursuit
into the kiosk. Destroying the motive power may slow Fumble gains 2 gains 1 Over,
a vehicle down, but it still keeps going until it runs additional additional everyone
into something that stops it, which can be anything turns turn crashes
from a brick wall to an inclined surface. Even if tires Exactly how a pursuer loses the chase is up to the
are shot away or aircushion fans are destroyed, the descriptive skills of the GM. If both fumble, the resulting
vehicle is still going to travel for a few meters. GMs "crashes" are not necessarily harmful to the vehicles or
and players have to keep this in mind and account for their passengers, but no further movement is possible.
it.
o Vehicles have turn radii. They need some space to turn Effects of Damage on Vehicles
around. Some need much less space than others thanks
to things like ducted fan jets, but they need space. Vehicles have Armor and Health (or Hit) Points. Any
damage that penetrates the armor value destroys Hit Points
o Vehicles in motion are always moving. The game and may damage a system. The following table is a list of
system breaks things up into four-second turns and it systems and a roll of d100 to determine what system was
is easy to think of a vehicle moving for its turn and damaged.
then stopping, waiting for its next turn. It doesn't. A
vehicle fight is always fluid and traveling, and there Damage to Vehicle Table
are always reductions in Skill %ile for trying to jump Roll of Vehicle Effects of Damage
onto, or off of, a moving vehicle. d100 System
01-10 Pilot/Driver Goes to target, not to
Dog-Fighting
vehicle
Vehicle vs. vehicle combat is abstracted by comparing the 11-20 Control -25% to Skill each hit
Pilot/Drive <whatever vehicle> skills of the pilots/drivers. Surfaces
In any turn, there will be two exchanges, one at each of the 21-40 Propulsion -25% Speed each hit
pilot's Speed #. Both Ops roll for success. Determine how 41-50 Cargo/Passeng Goes to target, not to
many 10% increments of the Skill the roll was made by. ers vehicle
o The pilot who gains the most increments gets a shot at 51-60 Structure Straight Health Damage
the other vehicle. 61-70 Weapons -25% to Skill each hit or
o If one Pilot succeeds and the other does not at all, the just health damage if none
succeeding Pilot gets a shot at the location (see 71-80 Life Support Or just health damage if
Damage to Vehicle Table) of his choice. none
81-00 Landing Or just Health damage if
o If both succeed with the same number of increments,
neither gets a shot. Systems none
91-00 Sensors One type of sensor
o If one fumbles, the other gets a shot regardless. destroyed or just Health
damage if none
Chasing Vehicles
Attempting to catch a fleeing vehicle in another vehicle is
Death of a Vehicle
similar to dog fighting. First, the GM determines how many If a Vehicle loses all of its Health Points, it is inoperable. If
turns are necessary for the Fleeing vehicle to get it loses twice its Health Points, it is destroyed. GMs should
somewhere where it is safe from pursuit. Second, the GM feel free to destroy a vehicle before this point for dramatic
determines how many Turns the vehicles are apart from effect. Propulsion hits can be considered fuel hits.
each other. Both parties roll the Pilot (or Drive) Skill.
© 2003 by Taldren
Environmental Dangers
Besides weapons and miscellaneous explosions, many
other things threaten the Health Point totals of your Ops. Radiation
There are many ways to take damage in the world of 2076. Some weapons in the game use radiation or have radiation
Here are a few of them. as a potential byproduct, like the RadFlux gun and the
depleted uranium shells of the RailGun.
Fire
Radiation is a slow killer, and 2076 nanite Healing can cure
Fire does damage depending on its intensity. To model the it, mostly by replacing the radiated cells with newly
random effect of fire, the GM should determine the constructed ones. The GM determines how much damage
maximum intensity of the flame. This should be the radiation will do.
somewhere between 5 (small flame) and 75 (fuel-loaded A good rule of thumb is 20 points of damage per turn
vehicle burning) unless someone has been tossed into the exposed.
equivalent of a blast furnace. Then roll d100 to see how
much damage is done. If the rolled amount is higher than The exposed Op makes a CON roll when the exposure is
the maximum damage, no damage at all is done that turn. over (or a minute later if the Op is still exposed in that
Flames are fickle. If the target stays in the flame for another time)
turn, add 10 to the intensity and roll again. Repeat for each o A successful CON roll means the Op starts feeling the
turn. effects at about the same time the next day. At that
If hit by Fire attacks from Nanomancy, the initial intensity time he loses 20 Health Points and makes another
is whatever hit the target. Unlike the above rule, each turn CON roll. The effects of the roll are the same as for
after the initial effect turn lowers the intensity of each the initial roll.
attack by 10 until there is no more flame. o A failed CON roll means the Op starts feeling the
effects an hour after exposure. He loses 20 Health
Falling Points at that time and rolls the CON roll again.
o A fumbled CON roll means the Op starts feeling the
On Earth, a falling person or object takes 1 point of damage
effects immediately. Lose 20 Health Points and make
for every meter he falls, up to 200 meters. It takes a full
the CON roll again.
turn to fall the first 100 meters as the falling object picks up
velocity from the acceleration of gravity. Every turn after, The Op loses a Health Point total equal to the absolute
the falling object falls a further 200 meters. Note that the exposure effect determined at the time of exposure. If the
Jump Ability can negate part of the meters fallen, and an Op is exposed to radiation for five turns, for instance, the
inspired use of Acrobatics to do things like bounce off total damage the Op receives is 100 Health Points.
intervening terrain might also be allowed to alleviate the Variations on these rules can be used for poison and
damage. The 200 maximum damage is still the maximum. disease.
Example:
Ylsa the Cat-Girl falls 230 meters. By use of her Jumping
Vacuum
and Acrobatic Skills, she takes 140 off of that number. She A person exposed to vacuum does not immediately explode
still takes 90 Health points of Damage when she hits the into bloody goo, despite what has been shown on 170 years
ground. If she had fallen 350 meters, she would take 200 of video adventure.
points of damage, not 210.
Vacuum first affects the eyes as the blood starts to boil, so
Combat Armor, Polymer and Dermal Implants reduce the the eyes must be covered or at least closed. The ears will
damage. Kevlar vests don't. start to bleed almost immediately as well.
Example: An Op can last in vacuum without permanent effect for one
Ylsa hits the ground for 90 points of damage. Her 10 points turn (4 seconds). This is useful for making emergency
in Dermal Implants and Polymer Armor reduce this to 65 transfers to a wingman's spacefighter or getting through a
points. She is still conscious. Barely. compartment in a spaceship that has been exposed to space.
On other planets, these numbers are affected by the local For every turn after the first, the Op must make a CON roll.
gravity. On the Moon, the gravity is roughly 1/6 that of the o A successful roll means the loss of 20 Health Points
Earth. However, since there is no atmosphere to slow the but no loss of the ability to work normally (unless of
fall, the velocity is constantly increased by 35 each turn course the Health Point loss means the Op is
until the victim hits. However, maximum damage inside a unconscious). Roll CON again on the next turn.
pressurized dome is 35.
o A failed roll means the loss of 20 Health Points and
On Mars, the gravity is roughly 1/3 that of the Earth, but the inability to do anything on the Op's next turn. Roll
the atmosphere is about 1/100th so the maximum damage CON again on the next turn.
from a fall is 1000, and it takes 18 turns to reach that
o A fumbled roll means something vital has ruptured.
velocity. Maximum damage inside the pressurized Mars
The Op goes to 0 health Points and is helpless. Further
Canyon City is 70.
© 2003 by Taldren
exposure after the fumble reduces the Health Point If an object is hitting an object that is not meeting it head-
total by 20 Health Points per turn. on, the attacking object takes only half the damage unless
the struck object is of solid construction and does not
Impact move.
The results of impact depend on two things. The (1) speed To see if the struck object moves, determine the impact
and (2) mass of the impacting objects. The simple version damage it would do (stationary objects get an arbitrary
of the damage done is Speed * Body Modifier. Speed of 10) and compare that to the damage done by the
impacting attacker. If the attacking damage is higher, the
A Cat Girl Body Modifier is .5 struck object moves, however minutely, and the attacking
Human Male Body Modifier is .8 object takes just half of the damage it did to the struck
Human Female Body Modifier is .7 object.
Ogre Body Modifier is 1 If an object is reduced to 0 Health Points as the result of the
Impact, it has been effectively "moved" for the purpose of
Various vehicles have Body Modifiers of anything from 1
determining how much damage the impacting object takes.
(motorcycles) to 50 (a space shuttle or Behemoth Work
robot). See Vehicle descriptions. The Impact Force of weapons and the results of the impact
are discussed under Damage and Healing, later in these
If two objects are both moving at each other, add the rules.
Speeds together, then apply each object's Body Modifer
times the total speed to the other target.
In most cases, Combat Armor, polymer Body Armor and
Dermal Implants protect from this damage, but Kevlar
vests do not.
Combat Environments
(1) An Op behind a curtain or thin plastic wall or similar
Taking Cover concealing but not protecting substance cannot be
When a lot of metal is flying through the air, anyone in its seen. If an attacker knows where the target went, the
path wants to find something that will put some hard target has a 50% increase in his Dodge roll against the
substance between one's self and the oncoming metal. attack. The attack is resolved normally. If the attacker
has no idea where the target is, the target gets a 90%
An Op who has not yet acted in a turn and is aware of the add to his Dodge roll. This also applies to targets who
oncoming danger can always dive for cover, which takes are invisible (see Opti Cloak) or hidden by smoke or
up his action for the turn. An Op who has chosen to delay darkness.
his action can use that action to dive for cover. Whether he
actually gets to cover depends on two things: (1) how fast (2) An Op behind a protective surface, like a support wall
the incoming danger is and (2) how near the cover is. or brick fence or a car body, gets the armor value of
the cover. The GM may multiply the armor value by
(1) How fast is the danger? Bullets and projected energy the thickness of the cover at his discretion. Of course,
are faster than human reflexes. The Op may realize he the target may be concealed, as well.
is about to be fired at and act to seek cover. To dive
for cover from this kind of attack takes an Athletics Partial Cover
roll. If the roll is missed, the Op didn't get going fast
enough. He has still lost the turn. Thrown items like An Op who is partially covered, with part of his body
grenades do not call for an Athletics roll. The Op can visible to the attacker or weapon effect, can add 10-40 to
dive for cover. his Dodge %ile against the attacker, depending on the GM's
(2) How near is the cover? Cover that is within 1/10 of determination of cover.
the Op's normal Speed can be attained easily. If it is
further than that, an Athletics roll (or another Athletics Attacking from Cover
roll, depending on the circumstances) is called for. There are times when the Op will be attacking from
Acrobatics can be used if the Op has that skill. If the concealment, or invisibility, or perhaps a cloud of smoke.
roll is not made, the Op did not make cover before the This reduces the Dodge of the person being attacked.
damage hit.
o If attacked with Melee Combat, the target's Dodge is -
Note that this same system can be used for simply ducking 20 %iles.
away from a guard before he can see the Op.
o If attacked with ranged Combat, the target's Dodge is -
Effects of Cover 50 %iles.
Cover can do two things. (1) Conceal the Op and (2)

protect the Op.
© 2003 by Taldren
Damage and Healing
In the fast-paced life of an Op, there is a lot of opportunity hit with a Stun attack, the target must make a CON roll. If
to accrue damage. Bullets, fires, car crashes, long falls successful, the Stun does not happen.
down elevator shafts, all can possibly deprive the Op of If the victim is unsuccessful, he is Stunned. All Skills are at
Health Points. 1/2 %ile until he recovers. At the Op's next Initiative the
Damage is subtracted from the Health Points of the Op. If Op can try to make another CON roll to recover out of
all the Health Points are subtracted, the Op is unconscious Stun.
and dieing. The Op loses 5 more Health Points every turn
until the number passes his basic CON score. The Op is Example
then dead. A hard-hitting GeoMancer hits Gruber with a Martial Arts
Healing can be done by Health Patch (from a MedKit), Stunning attack. Gruber does not manage to make the CON
innate Healing nanites, or active First Aid Skill use, which roll. The Monk had initiative, but Gruber fails to make the
stops the bleeding. The Op continues to lose Health Points CON roll on his initiative, so he spends the rest of this turn
at the above rate until the Health Point total is brought to Stunned. At the Gruber's next Initiative, the player rolls his
above 0. CON and gets a 22, well below Gruber's CON number.
Gruber is now unStunned and can operate normally this
The Op remains unconscious until his Health Points exceed combat turn (unless the Monk stuns him again… )
20. In this case unconscious does not necessarily mean the
Op is asleep. However, he is incapable of doing anything
Impact Force Effects
but moan and make incoherent statements until he has 21 in
positive Health Points. Many weapons hit their targets with such force that the
target can be knocked back and even off his feet.
Flash Damage If hit with such a weapon, the target should make a STR
Flashbang grenades and other items can blind the target roll, attempting to get the STR Attribute or lower on d100.
rather than do physical damage. A Flashed Op has only 1/2 Subtract the Impact Force of the weapon from the target's
the normal %ile in all Skills as she tries to see the world STR before making the roll.
past all the spinning lights in her retinas. After the Op is o If the STR roll is successful, the target winces but
flashed, the Op can try to recover from the effects by keeps his feet and position.
making a CON roll . If the Op is wearing Shades or other o If the STR roll is unsuccessful, the target is knocked
eye protection, she can attempt the CON roll and add 20 to off his feet. The target can attempt an Acrobatics roll
her CON for the purpose. Attempts to recover take place at to keep his footing.
the initiative of the victim.
o If the Impact force of the weapon is higher than the
To avoid being Flashed by a Flashbang or other device the STR of the target and the STR roll is unsuccessful, the
Op is aware of, the Op must make a Perceive roll. If the roll target is knocked away 1m for every 10 points of
is made, the Op has reacted at the right time and protected difference (an Increment) between the two. If the
his eyes. He can do nothing else that turn, having target has the Acrobatics skill, the target may attempt
essentially tuned out the world to avoid being blinded. the roll (minus the total points of difference between
Flash damage rules can also be applied to attacks that use Impact and STR) and keep standing if successful.
sonics or odors to discommode their targets. Such attacks o If the target is knocked into a solid object, including
are frequently coupled with a Stun Damage attack. Both another Op, by the Impact, both target and object take
sets of rules apply to avoiding or shaking off their effects. the difference between the target's STR and the Impact
The victim's Skill %iles cannot be reduced below half Force in damage.
normal, no matter how many Stuns and Flashes he receives.
However, he must recover from each individual Stun and Impact vs. Objects
Flash. One roll for each Stun and Flash may be attempted
each turn at the Op's initiative. Ops may want to use appropriate Nanomancy or weapon
Example: Impact effects to move an object. Treat the objects Hit
Points as its STR for the above purposes.
Jake is hit by two FlashBangs and a tear gas grenade.
Blowing every roll, he is Flashed three times and Stunned If the object to be moved is made up of smaller elements,
once. He must make four CON recovery rolls at his next such as a pile of rubble, the individual elements can be
initiative to shake off the effects of all three grenades. attacked with the Impact effect for a better chance of
moving them.
Stun Damage
Some attacks attempt to Stun the opponent rather than do
physical damage, or add Stunning to physical damage. If
© 2003 by Taldren
Weapons and Items

Often, an Op is only as good as this technology, and the Ops of Black 9 have a lot of technology to call on. The items,
descriptions and their costs are listed below.
The Costs
There are three costs listed in the table below:
Cost This is the cost of the item off the shelf. It is also the cost if you have gone to the proper supplier and have
permission to buy the item from that supplier. Frequently you won't.
Black Market Cost This is the cost on the Black Market. Just about anything is available on the Black Market. Some items are
only available on the Black Market because their distribution is in the hands of criminal elements, even
though most authorities really don't care if the citizen buys it. Commonplace items are also given a Black
Market price in case the GM wishes to change the basis of the campaign and make different things legal and
illegal.
Credit Points This is the cost in Credits from one of the major suppliers in case an Op has been "rewarded" in credits. This
generally only applies to specialized hardware and software like NanoSkill SkillSets, but there are other items
that might fall into this category. For instance, someone doing a favor for Glimmer AG might be able to cash
them in for advanced weaponry. These Credit points are often Experience Points, but Previous Experience
cannot be used as Credit Points when creating a new character without GM permission. GM's should not give
that permission unless they want their players to start very powerful.
Weapon Descriptions
Under each weapon there are descriptions of its game effects. This is what these entries mean:
ROF Rate of Fire is how many rounds the weapon fires in one combat turn. Most modern weapons fire more than one
round in a four second combat turn. See Rate of Fire Weapons under Game System for how this works in the
game. This is also used for melee attacks when multiple attacks are possible.
Range Half of this number is the distance in meters the weapon can be shot accurately. Any greater distance decreases
the accuracy of the shot by -20% for the distance between half and 3/4 the total given, and by 50% for the distance
between 3/4 and the total distance given. If the user is given two turns to set himself, during which he cannot
dodge, the weapon can be used the full distance given with full accuracy. Bullets may go much further, but they
are impossible to aim accurately.
Mag This is how many rounds are carried in the magazine of the weapon. When the magazine is empty, the Op must
take a turn to reload and reacquire targets. A magazine does not necessarily hold bullets. It could be a tank full of
flammables, an unregistered thermonuclear pile, or a charged electric battery. Use of the magazine remains the
same, however.
Max Ammo This is how much ammo an Op can carry in one Ammo belt meant for the ammunition for the weapon. Again, the
"Ammo belt" could be an extra tank of gasoline for the flamethrower. No more than 7 Ammo Belts can be carried.
Damage This is how many Health Points the weapon takes away from the target with each shot that hits (see Rate of Fire
weapons). All shots are added together and then matched against the Health Points of the target, subtracting armor
once from the total.
Accuracy This is a %ile that is subtracted from the Skill of the user when he is using the weapon. If he is using the weapon
with raw Ability, the %ile is subtracted from that. If he has a Skill with the Weapon, his paid for skill is amended
by the built-in inaccuracy of the weapon. Note that some weapons, such as Sniper Rifle, have no Accuracy entry.
This means they have no inaccuracy problem.
Various Usually an explanation of how many pellets the shotgun has, or something about using one of the more
Notes experimental weapons.
Impact The kinetic force of some of the weapons is intense. When hit by them, the target should roll a STR roll. If the roll
is failed, the target is knocked back as described in the Impact Force rules. A target hit from opposite sides might
not be moved at all. This knockback should also knock the target down, but an Acrobatics roll may allow him to
keep his feet. Subtract 10 from the Athletics or Acrobatics Ability for every extra shot that hit.
© 2003 by Taldren
Available Technology
Items available at any appropriate retail outlet and their costs

In the labyrinth of conflicting laws that is the late 21st century, any item on this list may be illegal in some jurisdiction. But
mostly they are available in major national chains sponsored by one of the large corporations. Black Market costs are given for
those situations where the item is, in fact, not in general circulation.
Item Description Cost Black Credit
Market Points
Cost
Weapons
9mmPistol Skill: Weapon Use— Pistol $150 $400 1
ROF = 13 A popular, standard firearm Ammo Ammo
Range = 200 $15 a box of $40
Mag = 15 30.
Max Ammo = 120
Damage = 6
Accuracy = -10%
Impact = 10
Dagger Skill: Weapon Use— Melee $40 $200 1
Attacks /turn= 4 A simple knife best suited for unexpected attacks. More
Damage = 8 damaging than the blackjack, but still more for the assassin
Impact = 1 on a budget. Hand damage is added to the Damage of the
weapon for each attack.
Double Barreled Skill: Weapon Use— Shoulder Arms $200 $500 2
Shotgun The classic sporting shotgun, easily adapted to combat Ammo $20 box Ammo
ROF = 2 practices. Superior stopping power at short range but slow to of 25. $50-
Range = 100 reload. A shotgun is treated as a Rate of fire weapon for each
Mag = 2 shot. To hit Roll determines how many pellets hit. Multiply
Max Ammo = 20 damage by number of pellets. No more than two targets in a
Damage = 9 turn; the usual one shot penalty for switching targets with a
Accuracy = - 5% Rapid Fire attack does not apply.
Shotgun Pellets=10 If both barrels are fired at once, the accuracy goes up to
Impact = 20 +15% (a 20% increase) and each shot is treated as a separate
shot at the target for purposes of determining armor
penetration.
Fist This is here for completeness. Since Hand Damage can only N/A N/A N/A
ROF = 4 be applied once against a single target, the ROF is an
Range = touch indicator of how many targets can be attacked in a turn. A
Damage = Hand Martial Artist has no more attacks than someone simply
Damage using raw STR. Attempts to use Fist against one opponent
Impact = Hand while shooting at another fall under the usual restrictions on
Damage multiple weapon use, -20%iles for the good hand, -50%iles
for the off hand..
Shotgun Skill: Weapon Use— Shoulder Arms $250 $700 3
ROF = 2 Modern components inside a classic design. Superior Ammo $25 a Ammo
Range = 100 stopping power at close range, but slow to reload. A shotgun box of 25. $70
Mag = 5 is treated as a Rate of fire weapon for each shot. To hit Roll
Max Ammo = 25 determines how many pellets hit. Multiply damage by
Damage = 9 number of pellets. No more than two targets in a turn; the
Accuracy = -05% usual one shot penalty for switching targets with a rapid fire
Shotgun Pellets=10 attack does not apply.
Impact = 20
© 2003 by Taldren
Tazer Skill: Weapon Use— Taser $300 $900 1

ROF = 1 This self-recharging stun gun is an attractive but costlier Ammo $30
Range = 20 alternative to the dagger or blackjack. It is easily concealable battery
Mag = 20 and not immediately recognizable as a weapon. It fires two recharge
Max Ammo = 20 electrodes on wires. When both hit a target, an electric
Damage = Shock - charge zaps between the two electrodes. The Magazine entry
CON roll or is how many times the Tazer recharges itself before a new
unconscious battery has to be put in. The Tazer is useless against full
Accuracy = -20% combat armor, but works normally versus Polymer, a Kevlar
Impact = 1 vest or Dermal Implants.
Skill Training Note that many of these skills have Not Available (N/A) as
either available or Black Market or both. Either these are so
ubiquitous that the Black Market just doesn't bother, or the
only way to get the legitimate training is to be working for
the people who run them, so only the Black Market is
available to non-employees. Some Skills, however are
commonly available in some places and restricted in others.
Other Skills need no initial training at all.
Acrobatics Trains the user in all the basics of picking your landings and $500 N/A 2
how to recover.
Climb: There is no initial training in Climb. It is a skill any N/A N/A
humanoid can perform.
Concentrate Meditation techniques and recognition of how to meld with $300 N/A 1
the chi/nanites.
Drive automobile Anyone can drive a car with rudimentary training. This $100 N/A 1
provides training in how to handle a car in emergency or
racing situations.
Drive hovercraft This training can be used for standard commercial $300 $1000 1
hovercraft, and for the Assault Vehicle.
Drive Patrol Essentially how to drive a golf cart, with some extras in $100 $250 1
Vehicle dealing with the extra weight and firepower.
Drive Rocket Sled Kind of a cross between hovercraft and actual aircraft, this is $300 $900 1
very useful for potential "truck" drivers.
Drive Sport The Sport Dodger is another hovercraft. This SkillStik deals $250 N/A 1
Dodger with the sports applications.
Drive Unterseeboot Driving one of these is like driving a bicycle. This mostly $100 $500 1
deals with rules of giving way and navigating underwater.
Drive This is basic boating training and deals with the shift from $100 N/A 1
Waterskimmer surface to hydrofoil and dealing with weather.
Hack Normally listed as Computer Programming. $300 $1000 1
Hide Basic ability to Hide is common sense. There is no initial N/A N/A 1
training/
First Aid Emergency trauma treatment $500 N/A 2
Martial Arts The basics of concentrating and multiplying the force of a $1000 $1000 3
blow
Pilot Aircraft Basics of piloting fixed-wing aircraft including all the $300 N/A 1
necessary instrument instruction. Initial instruction covers all
types, but individual SkillStiks/training are needed for each
type. Per type, either jet or prop or multi-engine of either.
Pilot Combat Flying a fixed wing combat aircraft including basic use of N/A $1500 3
Aircraft combat systems and integrating with a systems/weapons
officer. Per type of aircraft: jet, prop, multi-engine, one-
seater, two-seater, ducted fan, etc. Initial training covers all
of these, but individual SkillStiks are needed for increase in
each type.
Pilot Helicopter Operation of rotary-winged aircraft. Completely different $500 N/A 2
from flying fixed wing aircraft. A very useful skill.
© 2003 by Taldren
Pilot Combat Includes normal Helicopter skills plus using normal N/A $1800 4
helicopter helicopter weaponry and/or interacting with
weapons/systems operator. Initial training covers all aspects,
but individual SkillStiks are necessary for each type of
progression.
Pilot Rocket Bike A cross between a Rocket Sled and a motorcycle. It's a $400 $1000 1
common recreation item.
Pilot Shuttle How to deal with piloting a craft that is meant for both air $800 $2000 2
and space flight.
Pilot Space Fighter Like the shuttle pilot training, but there is provision for $1000 $5000 3
working with weapon systems and integrating with a
weapons officer.
Pilot Spaceship The basics of piloting a space to space vessel. $800 $2500 2
Pilot Wingpak How to use this popular sports device. $400 $1000 1
Sneak Basic walking silently and avoiding notice is common and N/A N/A 1
does not need to be trained.
Swim Anyone can stay afloat. This is breathing techniques, special $100 N/A 1
strokes, diving, etc.
Urban Tracking Essential forensics and what to look for and a primer on how $300 $800 1
to use the Nanoskill
Weapon Use: For use with Assault Rifles and SMGs. $300 $1500 1
Autofire guns
Weapon Use: For initial skill in this exotic nanite-based hand to hand $600 $2000 2
Black Cat weapon.
Weapon use: For initial skill in planting explosives and other items that $400 $3000 1
Demolitions are then detonated by timed or triggered detonation or
remote control
Weapon Use: For initial Skill with the Flamethrower $200 $1000 1
Flamethrower
Weapon Use: For initial skill with Heavy Machine Gun, RadFlux, $500 $2000 2
Heavy Weapons RailGun, Swarm Gun, Tyrannis Mor. Different SkillStiks are
necessary for each Heavy Weapon.
Weapon Use: Basic use of weapons like blades and clubs and axes and $400 $1500 1
Melee Weapons spears in hand-to-hand combat.
Weapon Use: For use of any pistol, including the 9mm and Magnum and $300 $1500 1
Pistols silenced versions. Can also be used for one-handed use of
Sawed-Off shotguns and SMGs
Weapon Use: For initial skill with weapons like the Sniper Rifle and $200 $1000 1
Shoulder Guns shotguns (including the sawed off if used two-handed). Can
also be used with Assault Rifles using single shots. Also
used for Rocket Launchers.
Weapon Use: Taser For initial skill in the use of this Stunning anti-personnel $200 $500 1
capture weapon
Weapon Use: For Initial Skill in the use of thrown weapons such as $100 $500 1
Thrown Weapon grenades.
Other Items
AmmoBelt A simple belt that carries drums, clips, cylinders, or $50 $200 1
whatever form the ammunition of a weapon takes. Comes in
different sizes for different kinds of ammunition. Looks very
macho. Can be an actual belt, a backpack, arm hangers, leg
hangers, etc. Maximum that can be worn by any Op is 7.
AutoClimb Gear A kit that includes 50m of climbing line, auto-rappelling $600 $1500 2
equipment, self-driving pitons, and climbing wrist hooks that
can be used with the Climb Skill to get up and down most
walls and cliffs.
© 2003 by Taldren
CredStik CredStiks are digitally-encoded currency. They are generally $10 for empty $10 for 1 for
non-specific, essentially holding areas for cash until CredStik empty empty
someone puts it into their PDA. Some are encoded with CredStik CredStik
specific bearers, but most are anonymous, usable by anyone.
An empty CredStik can be increased by the right command
from a PDA.
InfoStik InfoStiks are the most common data items. They provide Depends on Depends 1 per
information. InfoStiks are recorded in the Field Data Log of Info contained on Info limited
the PDA. InfoStik data can be the total knowledge of a contained subject
limited subject or a broad but shallow perspective on a
general subject. One InfoStik can contain more data than the
total recorded human knowledge base in the late 20th
century, but the rate at which data is produced dwarfs even
that amount.
KeyStik KeyStiks are digital keys. Some doors are too secure to be Depends on Depends Depends
hacked, and will only open to the correct KeyStik.. If an Op door to be on door to on door
has the correct KeyStik for a door, it will open opened be opened to be
automatically. opened
MedKit Provides first aid in the field, allowing operatives to recover $100 $500 1
a small amount of health when used with the First Aid skill.
A MedKit generally contains 10 Health Patches, which Heal
10 points of damage each. Up to four patches can be used in
a turn, but a First Aid roll is necessary with each use.
PDA Personal Data Assistant, an indispensable part of the $200 $500 1
everyday life in the 21st century. The PDA is, among other
things, where datastiks are inserted to access their data or
exchange vital information like current debits and credits to
one's MPM account. The PDA is generally worn on the wrist
and contains a scrambled radio. It also acts as a computer
with wireless internet capacity.
SkillStik SkillStiks are special InfoStiks that provide information and $500 for +5 to $5000 for 2
training techniques for advancing one or more skills or Skill +5 to Skill
adding Skill Points to the Op’s values in these skills if he has
them when the Stik is obtained: Prices given under Cost is
for Skill increase. Initial Skill Training cost is in the Skill
descriptions and elsewhere on these tables. One SkillStik
bought normally can be used once. Black Market SkillStiks
can be reused (by other users) up to 4 times before becoming
corrupted and useless. Use a stacking 20% chance per use
(20 then 40, etc.) for failure for each subsequent use.
There are no SkillStiks available for increasing Skills above
90%, or (Appropriate Ability +1) for those who have an
appropriate ability over 90% to start with.
© 2003 by Taldren
Non-Op Items
The following is a list of items that are available to the general run of civilians in the world of 2076. For the most part they are
not items that would be used in an Operation, and they are shown here to lend some depth to the world and give a relative idea of
costs of living for Ops.
Note: Prices are at variance with those of early 21st century Earth. Some are higher, most are lower. This is a direct result of
two things: (1) The nanites technology making many things much cheaper and (2) the change to the MPM standard and
destruction of many tax systems as a result. It is seductive to think of MPM dollars being similar to United States, or
even Canadian dollars, but the only true resemblance is the name and symbology.
Market Points
Cost
Artigills A nanites filtering device that converts water to breathable air in a $300 - $500-$2000 1 or 2
bubble helmet for the wearer. Used extensively in underwater work. $800
For those trained with it, there is a mouth and nostril pack that is
tricky to use but much more efficient. Runs on batteries that can keep
a user breathing underwater for three hours. Mer-Men using
modifications of these devices can work for 8 hours under water.
Caravan The utility descendent of the MiniVan, this vehicle's main function is $12,000 N/A N/A
to haul groups of more than two people wherever they need to go.
Hybrid and fuel cell engines provide the motive power.
Citizen General term for a vehicle meant for day-to-day transportation for at $12,000 N/A N/A
most four people. Hybrid motors or electric, not built for speed on the
ever-more-congested streets of Earth. Generally no more than 70 kph.
ComUnit A simple communication device, often no more than button size, used $5-$25 N/A N/A
by people who have no need of a PDA. It is easily tapped. depending
on
features
Corders Common name for camcorder glasses. These marvels essentially $400 $2000 1
digitally record anything the user is looking at, with an easy download
to an InfoStik or direct to a PDA. Often coupled with Shades (see
below). Technology has not quite gotten to the point where they are
completely invisible, but it is difficult to notice the lenses unless
looking for them carefully.
Cryo/Bio A bio-mouse is a lab animal used to transport nanites so they can $800 $3000 2
Mouse survive in a living environment. The mice are highly genetically
Container modified to provide a very humanlike environment for the nanites.
The Container is used to hold a mouse in cold sleep so that (1) it is
easy to transport and (2) the nanites don't have the chance to kill the
mouse, and themselves, by excessive activity.
DatBox Televisions, home computers, and videogame platforms are in the $400 N/A N/A
dustbin. The DatBox (Data Box) performs all of these functions, plus
those of a PDA, for most of the civilians of the world. Most of the
home models are fairly bulky, mostly because of the monitor screen.
More expensive models have roll-up screens and can be stowed easily
and carried in laptop mode. The CPU takes up very little room at all.
Most Datboxes are no more useful than a PDA and less convenient.
Dodger Flying cars have finally come to the world, about 100 years later than $25,000 $50,000 to 7-10
they were originally projected to. Built around small hoverjets, these to $500,000
cars are very ill-regulated because no one can determine if they are $200,000
planes or automobiles. Not much faster than ground vehicles, they are depending
starting to make the skies above most cities a very dangerous place. on size
and speed
Fire A very compact device that uses a variation on the Hydromancy $50 $250 1
Extinguisher nanites to extinguish fires. It takes up the space of one Ammo Belt on
"Damage" = an Op. Larger ones with about the same effectiveness are frequently
30 points of available in areas where fires are possible.
Fire
First Aid Not to be confused with the MedKit, this contains simple bandages $25 $100 N/A
Kit and ointments.
© 2003 by Taldren
Genemod Ethical practitioners of this procedure only perform it on healthy $10,000 $25,000 6
Surgery young men and women of legal age who have expressed their
willingness to undergo the process.
Mood Suit A suit of clothes with nanites interwoven into the fabric. Using $5,000 N/A N/A
sophisticated reweaving and patterning algorithms, the nanites react to
the wearer's wishes to change the colors and even the cut of the suit.
A woman's business suit can become an evening gown in a matter of
seconds.
What one is actually buying is a selection of cloth treated to work
with the nanites. When one wants a change of style, one buys more
nanites. The controls for the nanites are generally on a piece of
jewelry.
Shades Very cool looking glasses that protect against the glare of the sun (and $5 N/A N/A
FlashBang Grenades). Can be obtained in prescription form, though
most people use nanites surgery to fix their vision problems.
Sonic A very common movement sensor that uses a version of Sonar to $400 $1500 1
Movement cover an area and detect movement. Much in favor lately since it
Detector detects most forms of invisibility. Uses a sweep function, so it is more
efficient if it covers only a small arc, rather than a complete radius.
Sound Ear shields that dampen sounds. Can be set to interfere with $600 N/A 2
Shields extraneous noise so only important sounds are heard. Common in
industrial areas and can be used as defense against sonic attacks like
FlashBang Grenades.
Sports Dynamic, form-fitting, nanite-laden clothing meant to be worn in $150 - N/A N/A
Clothes sports activities. The nanites keep track of metabolic rates, open and $2000,
close the weave for proper ventilation, and some suits even have depending
nanites with performance enhancing drugs ready to be infused into the on the
body. The ubiquity of such drugs has made enforcement of anti-drug support
rules in sporting events a thing of the past. Athletes act as built into
spokespeople for performance-enhancing drugs. the suit
Toolkit A set of tools for a relatively technical occupation such as electronic $25,000 $50,000 7
repair.
© 2003 by Taldren
Black Market Items
The items on this list are generally available anywhere there's a black market, which is to say anywhere, and are generally
reliable pieces of equipment. Most all of the governments have banned these items for any kind of civilian use but they can be
obtained fairly easily through "corporate" outlets. Any Op working for any of the major entities can expect to get these items
issued if they are needed for a mission, and be able to purchase them for "shelf" cost if the entity feels friendly toward them.
Black Market outlets are somewhat circumspect, as law enforcement entities are less than happy about any of this equipment
being available to the common run of citizens.
Market Points
Cost
Weapons
Assault Rifle Skill: Weapon Use— Shoulder Arms or Autofire Weapon $750 Ammo $75 $2000 3
ROF = 20 A high-powered, fully-automatic rifle. Normally very for box of 60. Ammo
Range = 500 accurate, but repeated recoils can throw off targeting. $200 for
Mag = 30 Usually a 7.5mm (about .32 caliber) or less cartridge, the box of 60.
Max Ammo = 180 high velocity of the slugs adds to the damage done.
Damage = 10
Accuracy = -20
Impact = 30
© 2003 by Taldren
Black Cat Skill: Weapon Use— Black Cat $5000 $40,000 5

Attacks = 2 At rest, this looks like a black handle, attached to nothing.
Range = 3 Activated, a stream of flickering black energy curls and
Damage = 30HP, flails from the handle. This is a stream of thousands of
30CP nanites, visible only because there are so many of them.
Accuracy = -10 While the accuracy of the weapon is reduced, the defense
Impact = 1 roll against is also 10% worse. The nanites slice into the
target's body, disrupting cells, and also destroying nanites
(chi) they encounter. Then the invaders die, but there are
always more in the whip. Dermal Armor, and Kevlar vests
are no use against this, though polymer and Combat Armor
keep the nanites out. No use against mechanical targets,
though some undead are affected.
Blackjack Skill: Weapon Use— Melee Weapon $10 $10 1
ROF = 4 A simple bludgeon. Useless against robotics, and not
Damage = 10 tremendously effective against humanoids, but it is quiet
Impact = 10 and cheap.
BlitSword Skill: Weapon Use— Melee Weapon $550 $1200 2
ROF = 1 An enhanced blade powered by energy cells. Electricity
Damage = 30 conducts along it to pack an extra punch in combat. Very
Impact = 10 effective. Can be used for up to 3 attacks a turn like a
katana, but the electrical charge only works once a turn.
Otherwise the sword does 10 points.
BlitDagger Skill: Weapon Use— Melee Weapon $400 $600 1
ROF = 2 An enhanced dagger powered by energy cells. Electricity
Damage = 20 conducts along the blade for extra damage to victims. The
Impact = 10 electricity attack only works 2 times for 20 points each .
Otherwise the dagger can be used up to 4 times, but with
only 5 points of damage the other two times.
Crossbow Skill: Weapon Use— Shoulder Arms $750 Ammo $75 $2000 3
ROF = 4 A refined yet archaic weapon that still has its uses in quiet set of 32 quarrels Ammo
Range = 200 assassinations. This self-winding crossbow has a magazine $150 set
Mag = 5 for several shots without reloading. of 32
Max Ammo = 25 quarrels
Damage = 10
Impact = 1
Det Pack Skill: Weapon Use— Demolitions $2000 a set of 5 $5000 a 4
Max Ammo = 5 These small explosives can be mounted on walls, floors, or set of 5
Damage = 60 ceilings, and then detonated remotely. Sold in groups of five.
Impact = 5 This is a shaped charge with no radius of effect. However,
anyone touching any part of it when it detonates receives the
damage.
EMP Pack Skill: Weapon Use— Demolitions $2000 a pair $5000 a 4
ROF = 1 This specialized grenade is meant to send a heavy pair
Max Ammo = 5 electromagnetic pulse through cybernetic items to disrupt
Damage = 80 their electronics. Works directly on the CP of the item (see
(electronics only) hacking Nanoskill rules) Sold in pairs.
Impact = 1
Flamethrower Skill: Weapon Use— Flamethrower $500 Ammo is $1200 and 2
ROF = 1 Appealing to the pyromaniac, the flamethrower causes $50 for tank of $200
Range = 30 intense destruction in a short range for a short period of naptha.
Mag = 4 time. Stream weapon rules apply. Moreover, the
Max Ammo = 8 flamethrower uses a naptha substance that sticks to the
Damage = 10 target and burns. Roll D100 every turn after an Op is hit by
Impact = 1 a flamethrower. If the roll is 76-00, the fire is out. Otherwise
the Op takes that much damage, external armor (but not
Dermal Plating) counting to subtract the damage. The Op
can avoid this by taking a turn to shed his clothing and
smother the remaining fire. Application of a fire
extinguisher will also work.
© 2003 by Taldren
FlashbangGrenade Skill: Weapon Use— Thrown Weapons $300 for set of 10 $500 1
ROF = 1 A non-lethal explosive that creates a loud bang and bright
Max Ammo = 5 flash intended to temporarily deafen and blind targets.
Damage = 1 Radius of effect is 5 meters. Sold in units of 10.
Impact = 1
FragGrenade Skill: Weapon Use— Thrown Weapons $300 for set of 10 $1000 for 1
ROF = 1 A highly explosive anti-personnel grenade. Radius of effect set of 5
Max Ammo = 5 is 5 meters. Sold in units of 10.
Damage = 45
Impact = 25
GasGrenade Skill: Weapon Use— Thrown Weapons $500 for set of 6 $1000 for 2
ROF = 1 This grenade puts out a cloud of gas in a 5 meter radius. set of 2
Max Ammo 6 Those inside the cloud must make a CON roll or fall
Damage = See unconscious. The cloud lasts for 1 minutes (15 turns) and
description affects anyone who passes through it. Forewarned victims
Impact = 0 can hold their breath and pass through, space suits and gas
masks stop the effect.. Also reduces Perceive rolls by 30%.
Heavy Skill: Weapon Use— Heavy Machinegun $1200 Ammo $120 $5000 3
Machinegun The most powerful machine gun on the market. Requires a for case of 100. Ammo
ROF = 50 STR of 35 to wield as a held weapon. Manufacturer is not $500 for
Range = 1500 responsible for dislocated or dismembered limbs resulting case of
Mag = 100 from improper use. 100
Max Ammo = 400
Damage = 20
Accuracy = -10
Impact = 20
Incendiary Skill: Weapon Use— Thrown Weapon $600/pair $1000 2
Grenade A grenade that creates intense heat in a 2m radius for 5 each
ROF = 1 turns, igniting anything flammable in the radius. Only
Max Ammo = 5 Combat armor protects against the effect. Normal Fire
Damage = 40 rules apply to anything ignited.
Impact = 0
Infrared Laser Device used to zero in on a target by painting it with an $1000 $5000 3
Scope infrared dot, showing where the bullets are going. Most
Accuracy = +10 ordnance has infrared nanites sniffers that find the painted
dots and zero in on them. Unlike 20th century laser pointers,
there is no visible dot except to infrared users. Comes as
part of the Sniper Rifle, must be bought separately for other
weapons.
Katana Skill: Weapon Use— Melee Weapons $800 $1500 2
Attcks/turn = 3 A modern interpretation of the classic Japanese blade. The
Damage = 15 name has spread so any high quality blade with similar
Impact = 1 qualities shares the name, no matter its actual shape or
where it was forged.
Laser Pistol Skill: Weapon Use— Pistol $5000 Ammo is $25,000 5
(Atropos 500s) Named for the Fate that cuts the thread of life, the Atropos $500 for energy Ammo is
ROF = 20 is one of the first combat-usable lasers on the market. It has pack of 100 $5000 per
Range = 2000 a sleek pistol configuration and easily loaded magazine charges pack.
Mag = 100 charges. The Atropos generates light but almost no sound
Max Ammo = 300 when it fires.
Damage = 10 A peculiarity of the energy pack for this weapon makes it as
Accuracy = +5 useful for pistols as shoulder weapons. No shoulder lasers
Impact = 1 are made.
© 2003 by Taldren
Magnum Pistol Skill: Weapon Use— Pistol $300 Ammo $30 $1500 1
ROF = 10 A powerful sidearm. Generally 10-12.5mm with a heavier- for box of 30. Ammo
Range = 200 than-usual explosive force. Normally can be fired faster than $150 for a
Mag = 8 it actually has ammunition for, though a 30-shot banana clip box
Max Ammo = 48 can be purchased on the Black Market for a further $10000.
Damage = 18
Accuracy = -10%
Impact = 30
Mine Skill: Weapon Use— Demolitions $1000 per set of 5 $2000 per 3
Max Ammo = 5 A standard anti-personnel mine. It arms automatically after set of 5
Damage = 50 being dropped, and detonates on contact. Has a 3 meter
Impact = 25 radius of effect. Sold in units of 5.
Mini Rocket Skill: Weapon Use— Shoulder Arms $1200 Ammo $5000 3
Launcher The classic portable missile launcher but smaller and with a $120 set of 4 Ammo
ROF = 4 magazine. Inflicts tremendous damage on enemies, vehicles, $500 set
Range = 300 and the user, if not fired from a safe distance. Can also fire of 4
Mag = 4 an explosive anti-personnel round that has a blast radius of
Max Ammo = 8 10 meters and does 30 points of damage or an incendiary
Damage = 50 with the same characteristics as the incendiary grenage.
Impact = 30
MirvGrenade Skill: Weapon Use— Thrown Weapon $500 a pair $1000,00 2
ROF = 1 Inspired by turn-of-the- century MIRV missiles, these a pair
Max Ammo = 5 grenades split on impact into micro-explosives. Incredibly
Damage = 15 deadly. Sold in pairs.
Impact = 25 Remember that the MIRV grenade is Damage*4. The micro
grenades scatter in a 3m radius and the radius of effect for
each micro grenade is 4m.
Prox Mine Skill: Weapon Use— Demolitions $2000 per pair $5000 per 4
Max Ammo = 5 An enhanced version of the standard mine, but with a much pair
Damage = 50 larger explosive radius and a sensor with equivalent range
Impact = 20 that detonates the mine when targets cross within. Radius of
effect (and sensor radius) is 12 meters. Sold in pairs.
Rad Flux Skill: Weapon Use— Rad Flux $25,000 $100,000 7
ROF = 1 This plasma-powered weapon is the most destructive of its Ammo $2,000 per Ammo
Range = 1000 kind. It unleashes an intensely focused stream of energy over plasma unit $10,000
Mag = 1 a relatively long range compared to other streaming weapons
Max Ammo = 12 like the flamethrower. Conversely, it consumes ammunition
Damage = 13 at an astonishing rate. Minimum STR must be 30 to use as a
Impact = 0 held weapon.
Rail Gun Skill: Weapon Use— Rail Gun $20,000 $100,000 7
ROF = 4 The Rail Gun fires depleted uranium slugs laced with Ammo $3,000 for Ammo
Range = 15000 magnetized iron, accelerating them to 10 times the speed of belt of 15 $15,000
Mag = 1 sound. This is not a quiet weapon. Rail guns make for
Max Ammo = 15 indisputable superiority in a firefight. The user must have a
Damage = 80 STR of at least 40 to use as a held weapon. It is easy to
Accuracy = +10 reload, accounting for its rate of fire. It is not a Rapid Fire
Impact = 60 weapon. Each shot is a separate attack .
Satchel Charge Skill: Weapon Use— Demolitions $500 each $1200 2
Max Ammo = 5 This innocuous-looking duffel bag holds a powerful, remote- each
Damage = 60 controlled explosive charge. Drop it, then move to safety and
Impact = 20 detonate. Radius of effect is 10 meters.
© 2003 by Taldren
Sawed Off Skill: Weapon Use— Shoulder Arms or Pistols $400 Ammo $40 $600 2
Shotgun Modern components inside a classic design. Superior for box of 20. Ammo
ROF = 2 stopping power at close range, but slow to reload. A shotgun $60 for
Range = 50 is treated as a Rate of fire weapon for each shot. To hit Roll box of 20.
Mag = 5 determines how many pellets hit. Multiply damage by
Max Ammo = 25 number of pellets. No more than two targets in a turn; the
Damage = 9 usual one shot penalty for switching targets with a rapid fire
Accuracy = -10 attack does not apply.
Shotgun The sawed off shotgun is useful for situations when an Op
Pellets=10 needs to conceal his weapon. It can also be fired one handed
Impact = 25 by a very strong (at least 25) Op. It is otherwise no better
than and usually inferior to a normal sized shotgun. It is
banned in many areas because of its concealability.
Silencer This can be applied to most pistols or rifles, but not $150 $500 1
Range = - 1/2 autofirers. It silences the sound of the weapon, but reduces
normal range and damage of the weapon and lessens accuracy.
Damage = -3 Definitely an assassin's device.
Accuracy -5%
SMG Skill: Weapon Use— Autofire weapons $500 Ammo $50 $1300 and 2
ROF = 20 The autofire power of an assault rifle in the palm of your for box of 60. $100
Range = 300 hand. This is usually a 5.5mm cartridge (.22 caliber).
Mag = 30
Max Ammo = 180
Damage = 5
Accuracy -15%
Impact = 10
Sniper Rifle Skill: Weapon Use— Shoulder Arms $750. Ammo $75 $2000 and 3
ROF = 4 Take out targets from extremely long range. Uses a heavy box of 30. $200
Range = 1000 slug, usually at least 10mm, and a rocket-propelled shell.
Mag = 4 Uses an infrared laser sighting mechanism and an infrared
Max Ammo = 15 sniper scope, so the usual telltale laser circle on the target is
Damage = 60 not visible to anyone but the sniper.
Impact = 20
Swarm Gun Skill: Weapon Use— Swarm Gun $6,000 Ammo $12,000 6
ROF = 6 This powerful rocket launcher fires several drunk missiles $600 for set of and $1000
Range = 200 that zigzag towards its target. Its haphazard spread pattern six.
Mag = 6 makes it hard for enemies to evade, but also challenging for
Max Ammo = 12 users to aim. All Dodge rolls against this attack are at -20%
Damage = 30 Uses the Rapid Fire rules for number of hits. Must have
Accuracy -20 STR of at least 30 to use.
Impact = 20
StunGlove 700 Skill: Weapon Use— Melee Weapons $500 $2000 2
ROF = 1 This combat glove has concealed electrodes that deliver a
Range = touch stunning electrical shock. It does not work on external armor
Mag = 20 over 10 points. Dermal Plating does not stop the effect.
Max Ammo = 100 Recovery from the shock involves CON rolls. The glove is a
Damage = 20, marvel of miniaturization and durability. Any normal gloved
Con roll or activity (pulling triggers, climbing) is possible with this
unconscious glove as well. The user can strike as many times as he can
Impact = 10 with a fist, but the charge only happens once a turn.
Trip Mine Skill: Weapon Use— Demolitions $1000 each $2000 3
Max Ammo = 5 A mine specifically meant to go off when a trip wire or each
Damage = 35 electro beam is stepped on, tripped over or passed through.
Impact = 20 The one-use laser beam follows the line of the trip wire to
put maximum effect on that line.
© 2003 by Taldren
Tyrannis Mor Skill: Weapon Use— Tyrannis Mor $30,000 $150,000 8

(combined Rail The Tyrannis Mor is a new Glimmer AG weapon that Ammo as Rail Ammo as
Gun and Grenade combines the accuracy of the Rail Gun with the explosive Gun and grenade Rail Gun
Launcher) impact of a grenade launcher. Its over and under design is and
ROF = 4/1 traditional for this kind of combination weapon. It can fire a grenade
Range - version of any of the previously cited grenades.
15000/1000 Grenade Launchers have been mostly supplanted by the Mini
Mag = 1/1 Rocket Launcher.
Damage = Must have STR 40 to use standing up.
80/varies
Armor
Combat Armor A molecular-layered sandwich of high-strength organo- $2000 $5000 4
Points Stopped = ceramics and diamond whisker weave to make a full-
20 coverage bullet stopper. Adds to Dermal Plating, but not to
any other armor (both cannot be worn at once). The wearer
is obviously wearing armor, and the armor is generally worn
in special circumstances when the wearers know they are
facing heavy weapons.
Gas Mask Stops the effect of most gas attacks thanks to the presence of $1000 $5000 3
nanites who convert toxic molecules into harmless
components. Reduces Perceive rolls to the side by 50%.
Kevlar vest Generally more than just a vest, this garment is made of $750 $2000 2
Points Stopped = quick-response carbon nano-fibres that still bear the Kevlar
10 name, though the inventors of Kevlar would not recognize
it. It stops pistol bullets and some of the effect of larger
weapons. It is the usual armor for soldiers and security
guards.
Mecha Suit An elaboration of Combat Armor that adds 20STR to the $12,000 $50,000 6
Points Stopped = wearer (via exoskeleton) and allows the wearer to mount
20 two Heavy Weapons, one on each shoulder. It also includes
FlashBang protection, Life Support, Infrared Vision, ten
Health Patches that activate automatically when the wearer
is injured, and servos that extend the wearer's Jump by 20m.
Polymer Armor An expensive armor that offers almost full coverage and can $5000 $25,000 5
Points stopped = be worn under clothing (but not under other armor). It has a
15 very active nanites population that reacts instantly to brace
areas being hit, which can make for a victim whose clothing
is constantly bulging where the shots are coming in.
Because it can be concealed, it is a favorite armor for Ops.
Armored Spacesuits are generally made of nanites-
reinforced polymer.
Augmentations
AmbiDex Nanites enhancement that allows the user to use either hand $5000 $15,000 5
effectively in any situation. Includes special "tracking"
augmentation to follow two targets/objects at the same time
under reasonable circumstances. This negates the 50%
penalty for doing something with an off hand, but the user
still has a 20% penalty with each hand for trying to do two
things at once.
BoneLacing Surgical Procedure to bolster the internal infrastructure of $1000 * degree of $5000 per 3,4,4,5,5
the body. There are 5 degrees of this procedure, each Implant. degree of
increases the CON by 5 points. They must be taken in order, BoneLacing 2 implant
and cannot be taken together. There must be at least a 6 costs $2000, etc.
month gap between procedures
BrawnMuscle Surgical procedure to increase the muscle mass and $1000 * degree of $5000 per 3,4,4,5,5
efficiency of the body. There are 5 degrees of this Implant. degree of
procedure, each increases the STR by 5 points. They must BrawnMuscle 2 implant
be taken in order, and cannot be taken together. There must costs 2000,00, etc.
be at least a 6 month gap between procedures.
© 2003 by Taldren
CatsEye Surgical Procedure to replace the patient's eyes with $1000 $5000 3
Catseyes like those of Cat-Girls. This is a very tricky
procedure and calls for a CON roll for success.
Claw Surgically implanted nanites that form the hand into a razor $1000 $5000 3
Damage = 5 sharp clawed extremity when needed. Frequently an add-on
to Cat-Girls, though it is not part of the basic package.
Damage adds on to Hand Damage, even for Martial Arts
purposes.
DermalImplant Surgical Procedure to implant 5 points of armor into the $1000 * degree of $5000 per 3,4,4,5,5
body. There are 5 degrees of this procedure, each increases Implant. Dermal degree of
the armor by 5 points. They must be taken in order, and Implant 2 costs implant
cannot be taken together. There must be at least a 6 month 2000,00, etc.
gap between procedures
Dermal Patch, A temporary booster that releases nanites to increase Agility $800 $3000 2
Agility by 10 points for 5 turns. AGL is lowered by 10 points for 10
turns afterwards. The patches cannot be taken continuously.
Dermal Patch. A temporary booster that releases nanites to increase $800 $3000 2
Constitution Constitution by 10 points for 5 turns. CON is lowered by 10
points for 10 turns afterwards. The patches cannot be taken
continuously.
Dermal Patch, A temporary influx of deadening nanites that either reduces $400 for set of 3 $1000 for 1
Sedative the target's Health by 30 for twenty minutes (if the target set of 3
makes a CON roll) or reduces it to 0 for the same time. It
cannot reduce Health below 0.
Dermal Patch, A temporary booster that releases nanites to increase $800 $3000 2
Strength Strength by 10 points for 5 turns. STR is lowered by 10
points for 10 turns afterwards. The patches cannot be taken
continuously.
WiredBody Surgical procedure to decrease reaction time and increase $1000 * degree of $5000 per 3,4,4,5,5
muscle efficiency. There are 5 degrees of this procedure; Implant. degree of
each increases the AGL by 5 points. They must be taken in WiredBody 2 implant
order, and cannot be taken together. There must be at least a costs 2000,00, etc.
6 month gap between procedures
NanoSkills
BlinkSpeed Street Smarts™ nanoskill used to move quickly and $1200 $4000 3
undetectably
Booster bugs These are an infusion of nanites to temporarily help with a N/A $5000 1
nanoskill. The body uses them up and eliminates them
naturally within two hours. They only work per skill, and
give no boost to the other skills in the SkillSet. A Boost
adds 20%iles to the chance of success while active. Only
one elemental SkillSet's boosters can be used at a time.
CamJam Street Smarts™ nanoskill used to disrupt electronic devices $750 $1800 2
ECM Street Smarts™ nanoskill used to disrupt attacks by heavy $1000 $3000 3
weapons
Flash Shield Street Smarts™ nanoskill used to destroy incoming missile $1500 $5000 3
attacks in a burst of energy
Hacking Street Smarts™ nanoskill used to interface with and control $800 $2000 2
programmable devices
HERA Street Smarts™ nanoskill used for detecting electromagnetic $400 for initial $800 1
devices. training
MindAndBody™ Nanites that help the user control his bodily functions and $1200 for initial $5000 3
Healing those of others. training
Chi Drain
Chi Parasite
Optic Cloak Street Smarts™ nanoskill used to avoid visual detection $1000 $3000 3
Urban Tracking Street Smarts™ nanoskill used to hunt down escaped targets $600 $1500 2
© 2003 by Taldren
Other Items
Binoculars Digitally enhanced binoculars capable of bringing $800 $2000 2
something a kilometer away so close the viewer can read his
name patch.
Bio-Codebreaker A hand held device that infuses its own nanites into a $3000 $8000 4
ROF = 1 cooperative (or comatose) target to try to analyze the nanites
Range = touch present in the target. The device has a 50% chance per turn
Mag = 20 of success, which is matched against the target's skill with
Max Ammo = 20 the nanites being analyzed.
Damage = 0
CamJam Bug This non-implant variation on the CamJam nanotech can be $350 for set of 2. $700 for 1
activated in the field to temporarily disable any one one
electronic device within a 15 meter radius for 5 turns. Only
works on devices with Chi less than 31.
ElectroLockPick A KeyStik that is set to "pick" any lock a KeyStik would be $1000 $3000 3
used in. User has a non-cumulative chance of 25% a turn
that it will work as it cycles through the possibilities.
Flashlight Multipurpose tool capable of releasing light in a number of $300 $1200 1
different ranges, including high ultraviolet that only night
vision can pick up.
GrapplingHook This device launches a remote control, rocket-powered, $500 Ammo $50 $1200 2
ROF = 4 grappling hook that can grab objects from afar and attach to for 5 grapples. Ammo
Range = 300 certain materials, allowing the wielder to pull himself up. $50 for 2
Mag = 1 However, it requires both hands to operate, preventing the grapples
Max Ammo = 25 use of weapons while in operation.
Damage = 10
Impact = 10
InfraRed Goggles Generally mounted on a combat armor helmet, or as an $2500 $8000 4
adjunct for a weapon, these goggles (or scopes) allow the
user to see in the infrared spectrum, locating heat sources
even in the complete lack of visible light.
Mars Suit Standard survival gear for walking around on Mars. It is $10,000 $35,000 6 from
similar to a spacesuit, but is adapted to gravity and use of Zubrin,
what atmosphere Mars has. 8 from
anyone
else
Night Vision A cost-effective alternative to expensive nanotech-powered $1500 $5000 3
Goggles vision enhancements, the venerable NV Scope allows the
user to see things otherwise hidden in darkness. However,
the faint light they themselves emit may hamper the user's
ability to hide in dark areas as well. The Night Vision
implants possessed by Cat-Girls do not emit their own light
and depend on there being some ambient light available to
be effective.
SharpEars A set of earclips that tie directly into the eardrum and allow $2000, $2500 $10,000 4
the user to catch ultrasonic impulses, such as those used by with mouthpiece
sonar security surveillance systems. With the mouthpiece
attachment, the SharpEar will allow two wearers to
communicate ultrasonically, outside the hearing of anything
but guard dogs.
Space Suit Standard survival gear for working in space on Extra $15,000 $50,000 7 from
Vehicular Activities (EVAs). Commonly have the Genesis,
equivalent of wingpaks (in fact, wingpaks were developed Zubrin
from these units) for maneuvering. Extremely clumsy for or
maneuvering, though a great improvement on those used in NWO, 8
the early days of space flight. Can be bought off the rack from
instead of having to be custom fitted as the early ones were. anyone
else
© 2003 by Taldren
Tattler This device, frequently worn as an attachment on a PDA, $1000 for PDA $4000, - 3 or 4
uses sophisticated sensors to determine the state of health of attachment, $2000 $6000
another person. Used extensively medically, it is also used as individual
simply for Ops to get an idea of the current status of their piece of
opposition. equipment
In game terms, the user can get an idea of the remaining
Health and CP and ammo of a target.
Weapons Detector A sensitive detector that actually detects the chemical $500 $1300 2
residue of most ammunition. Certain weapons cannot be
detected by it, but they are mostly so large that the detector
is not needed, anyway. Used by security forces.
Elemental Nanomancy
These NanoSkills first appeared in the early 2060s, being used by the enigmatic Monks. At first the Skills were thought to be
magic, but investigation of captured and killed Monks soon proved that the new skills were a further extension of
nanotechnology. Western companies attempted to use the new nanites in various entertainment venues, but they proved too
lethal. However, it did not take long for the nanowizards of Genesis and Glimmer to reverse-engineer the nanites and make them
available to their agents. Then the technology was stolen and broadcasted, and almost any bodyshop can work with them. The
nanites found in Black Market shops in locations where they are not generally available are frequently nanites torn from the
bodies of captured or killed monks. There is a very active black market in such nanites, and frequently they are not what they are
advertised as. However, sometimes the automatic fail-safes do not activate, and someone will find themselves with the improved
model that only order-bound Monks are known to have.
Market Points
Cost
Hydromancy™ Initially restricted to the mysterious Water Monks, the $2500 $10,000 4
IceFist technology has spread to other Body Shops, though it is
Ice Shards thought that the actual Monks have a superior version.
HydroCloak
Tsunami
Pyromancy™ Initially restricted to the mysterious Fire Monks, the technology $2500 $10,000 4
FireFist has spread to other Body Shops, though it is thought that the
Fireball actual Monks have a superior version.
LiquidFire
Aeromancy™ Initially restricted to the mysterious Air Monks, the technology $2500 $10,000 4
WindFist has spread to other Body Shops, though it is thought that the
WindBurst actual Monks have a superior version.
Tornado
Geomancy™ Initially restricted to the mysterious Earth Monks, the $2500 $10,000 4
RockFist technology has spread to other Body Shops, though it is thought
Rock Shards that the actual Monks have a superior version.
Earthquake
© 2003 by Taldren
Master Weapon List

For convenience, here is a table of all the weapons from all the lists and their costs.
Weapon Cost Black Credits Weapon Cost Black Credits
Market Market
9mmPistol $150 $400 1 Laser Pistol $5000 $25,000 5
Ammo $15 Ammo $40 Ammo Ammo
$500 $5000.
Assault Rifle $750 Ammo $2000 2 Magnum Pistol $300 $1500 1
$75 for box of Ammo $200 Ammo $30 Ammo $150
60. for box of
60.
Black Cat $5000 $40,000 5 Mine $1000 per $2000 per 3
set of 5 set of 5
BlitDagger $400 $600 1 Mini Rocket $1200 $5000 3
Launcher Ammo Ammo $500
$120 set of
4
BlitSword $550 $1200 2 MirvGrenade $500 a pair $1000,00 a 2
pair
Crossbow $750 $2000 2 Prox Mine $2000 per $5000 per 4
Ammo $75 Ammo $150 pair pair
Dagger $40 $200 1 Rad Flux $25,000 $100,000 7
Det Pack $2000 a set of $5000 a set 4 Rail Gun $20,000 $100,000 7
5 of 5
Double Barreled $200 $500 1 Satchel Charge $500 each $1200 each 2
Shotgun Ammo $20 Ammo $50-
EMP Pack $2000 a pair $5000 a pair 4 Sawed Off $400 $600 Ammo 1
Shotgun Ammo $40. $60
Flamethrower $500 $1200 2 Shotgun $250 $700 1
Ammo $50. and $200 Ammo $25 Ammo $70
FlashbangGrenade $300 for set of $1000 for set 1 SMG $500 $1300 2
10 of 5 Ammo $50 and $100
FragGrenade $300 for set of $1000 for set 1 Sniper Rifle $750. $2000 2
10 of 5 Ammo $75 and $200
GasGrenade $500 for set of $1000 for set 2 Swarm Gun $6,000 $12,000 and 5
5 of 2 Ammo $1000
$600
GrapplingHook $500 Ammo $1200 2 StunGlove 700 $500 $2000 2
$50 for 5 Ammo $50
grapples. for 2
grapples
Heavy $1200 $5000 3 Tazer $300 $900 1
Machinegun Ammo $120 Ammo $500 Ammo $30 Ammo $90
Incendiary $600/pair $1000/each 2 Trip Mine $1000 each $2000 each 3
Grenade
Katana $800 $1500 2 Tyrannis Mor $30,000 $150,000 8
(combined
Rail Gun and
Grenade
Launcher)
© 2003 by Taldren
Vehicles
In the high-tech, rich, world of 2076, there are many vehicles the Ops may find themselves operating. The following is at best a
partial list.
Explanation of Terms
Vehicle and cost This is a generic (in most cases) name for the vehicle and its usual cost on the open market. Black
Market prices are likely to be three times that given. Weekly Rental Costs for things like
Wingpaks are 5% of the given price. This includes insurance, don't tell them you're an Op.
Description A short description of the vehicle's usual function. Of course, it could be used for any number of
other actions in the middle of a mission. The most common form of propulsion for the vehicle is
also given, though variations and experimental versions are common.
Speed in meters The distance the vehicle can travel in one 4 second turn at full speed. Generally it can accelerate
per turn 1/5 the speed each turn until it reaches full speed. Space going vehicles, which undergo constant
acceleration until their fuel runs out, are likely to end up going much faster in real terms. However,
the speed given is what is needed to resolve Impact problems.
Body Modifier This is used almost exclusively for resolving Impact situations. Multiply the amount of passengers
(including crew) by the Body Modifier by 10 to get a rough idea of the "Health Points" of the
vehicle to determine how badly it is hurt by an impact. For instance, the Assault Vehicle would
have Health Pints of 10 (Body Modifier) * 28 (passengers) * 10 = 2800 Health Points.
Armor The amount of protection the vehicle provides to its vital systems and its passengers. Some
vehicles have special notes for how much the armor protects passengers. Armor is taken off any
damage done by Impact before the final result is determined.
Passengers/Cargo The number of people the vehicle can carry. The entire number, including hangers on, should be
used when determining the Health Points of the vehicle.
Vehicle and Description Speed in Body Armor Passengers/Cargo

cost meters per Modifier
turn
Assault Vehicle A jet-propelled hovercraft 165 (150 KPH) 10 25 points in Crew of three, 25
$200,000,000 with armor, at least two shell. Inside is troops. A light
turrets, and a load of troops. perhaps 5 vehicle can take the
The sides open up in all points place of 5 troops.
directions to deploy troops. Can carry 8 kilotons
of supplies in lieu of
troops, or a pro-rated
load.
Generic mini- A Space Plane meant to 3333 14 15 Crew of three, up to
shuttle ferry people and items into (3000kph) 20 passengers or
$400,000,000 orbit and back down again. equivalent cargo..
Uses hydrogen-burning
SCRAMJet (Supersonic
Combustion Ramjet)
technology.
Genesis Cargo This is a spacecraft used by 5555 30 20 Armor Crew of five, as
Ship Genesis for the Earth-Orbit (5000kph) many as 200
$65,000,000,000 to Moon route, and for passengers or
forays further out into commensurate cargo.
space. Uses VASIMR
(Variable Specific Impulse
Magnetoplasma Rocket)
propulsion system and
maintains a constant
acceleration or deceleration.
© 2003 by Taldren
Genesis mini- A space shuttle used by 5555 14 10 Crew of one

shuttle Genesis for trips from Orbit (5000kph) (automated), up to 20
$400,000,000 around Earth to the Moon. passengers or
Uses VASIMR thrusters. equivalent cargo
Genesis Rocket A plasma rocket vehicle 267 (250kph) 10 10 Armor. The Crew of two, as
Sled $4,000,000 meant mostly for work on Sled is fully many as 40
(Rental $20,000) the Moon. Operates much enclosed and passengers or similar
like a ducted fan jet, but can be filled amount of cargo
with rockets. This is the with oxygen
workhorse of Genesis and
other entities on the Moon
Genesis Stealth This is used for Genesis 333 (300 KPH) 10 12 Armor Crew of two,
Helicopter secret ops and patrolling handholds for a
$60,000,000 areas where they expect to squad of five with
surprise trespassers rather Wingpaks to ride
than scare them away. outside.
Armed with Heavy
Machinegun and four rocket
launchers.
Patrol Vehicle A wheeled electric-powered 111 (100 KPH) 3 15 on sides. No Crew of two, one
$40,000 (Rental golf cart with armor and a armor on top, passenger.
$2000) large weapon (usually bottom is 5
Heavy Machinegun) points
Rocket Bike A one person flying vehicle 555 (500 KPH) 1.5 15 pts, This One, with perhaps
$20,000 (Rental used for patrolling and Up to 2000 does not cover another hanging on.
$1000) joyriding. Uses chemical KPH In space the rider. 50%
rockets for atmosphere chance of an
versions, plasma rockets for Opposition Roll
space-capable versions. against
Atmosphere and space- incoming shots.
capable versions are similar,
but are not interchangeable
Space Fighter The workhorse military 1332 12 20 pts. Two, pilot and
$600,000,000 spacecraft, generally carried (1200kph) systems operator
in mother ships or stationed
on space stations or asteroid
bases. Generally armed with
rail guns and missiles. Uses
VASIMR (Variable Specific
Impulse Magnetoplasma
Rocket) propulsion with
chemical rocket boosters.
Sport Dodger A two person sporting 222 (200 kph) 3 5 points. One driver and one
$150,000 (Rental Dodger that is often adapted passenger. Could
$7500) to Op missions. Uses ducted carry another two
fan technology. hanging on.
Turret This is a stationary gun 10 (default for 2 20 points One, or it may be
$30,000 platform for a heavy stationary) or automated.
machine gun or rocket speed of
launcher, or conceivably a vehicle
RadFlux gun. It may be part
of a fixed installation, or
installed on a spaceship or
other vehicle
© 2003 by Taldren
UnterseeBoot This is a underwater craft 1/2 speed of 3-12 4 points Two, Four or Eight
$20,000 (Rental that uses leg power to fastest pedaler pedalers. The Eight
$1000) propel it, allowing it to for short Position boat can be
avoid engine detecting distances moved with four
devices. It comes in two, pedalers if needed.
four, and eight person
models. The interior looks
for all the world like a
multi-rider bicycle (2
bicycles side-by-side in the
case of the 8-person craft).
The actual propelling
devices are
hydrodynamically stealthed
paddlewheels.
Waterskimmer A jet-powered boat 55 (50 kph) 10 6 points 2-4 crew depending
$180,000 (Rental commonly used by both on whether it is
$9000) smugglers and water armed and has
patrollers. It hydrofoils to extensive sensory
attain top speeds. equipment.
Wingpack A strap on device that 225 (200 kph) .5 If used in 5 pts, does not One, with perhaps
$10,000 (Rental allows the user to fly. It Note that this an impact cover user another held.
$500) consists of two wings and a device uses attack, it
central jetpack. Using it fuel at a adds to the
takes the Athletics Ability prodigious rate. impactor's
and Acrobatics Skill. Has It cannot be Modifier up
supplanted most ultra light flown for an to a total of
aircraft. hour, or even 1.
10 minutes.
Zubrin Assault A space shuttle meant to 6666 17 30 Crew of five,
Shuttle land in a hostile fire (6000kph) counting weapons
$3,000,000,000 environment in both officer. 50 troops, 10
vacuum and atmospheric ktons of supplies or
conditions. Similar to the mix of the two.
Assault Vehicle, but larger.
Uses chemical rockets.
Zubrin Rocket Sled A pulse rocket propelled 222 (200 kph) 8 12 Armor does Crew of two, as
$5,000,000 carryall vehicle meant for not necessarily many as 30
off-Earth exploration and protect passengers or
shipping. Very common on passengers, commensurate
Mars and the space-capable depending on amount of cargo
ones can be found in the
asteroid settlements. configuration
Genesis Mini-Shuttle Loading in its Moon hanger
© 2003 by Taldren
The World of the Black 9 and How to Run It
Game Master Information
This section is meant for Game Masters. Players who do

not intend to Game Master a game of Black 9 Ops should What can you do with Black 9 Ops?
not read the following material, as it will decrease the Just about anything you want to do. In actuality, we have
effect of surprises your GM has in store for you. You have provided a world and some mechanics for determining
now read everything you need to read to play the game; go what happens in that world. The rest is up to the GM.
get your Ops ready. But give the GM a chance to read all Corporate raiders, corporate security, bounty hunting in
this material. space, dealing with the effects of weird science, creating
weird science, dealing with the world after a Holocaust, all
What is the Spirit of Black 9? of these are possible.
The Black 9 world is similar to the genre of Cyberpunk, as And the tone need not reflect the down and gritty feel of
typified in such novels as Necromancer, RPGs like most cyberpunk. There is plenty of room for light-hearted
Shadowrun and Cyberpunk and great anime series like adventure, romance that isn't doomed, awestruck
Cowboy Bebop. exploration of the reaches of the Solar System, and most
Great impersonal corporations are behind the scenes any other science fiction concept, including exploration of
manipulating the Ops, technology is creating new sciences alternate worlds or different time periods.
and new species, a machinegun still trumps a laser, and
space travel is in its toddler stage, having finally outgrown It's Really Cyberpulp
its infancy. One of the playtesters suggested this alternate description
The overlying theme of Black 9 Ops games should be one of the genre, and he was right on the money. Mad
of unveiling mysteries. Strange folk do things for strange scientists, weird science, zeppelins, trips to Mars, fantasy
reasons, and the Ops get mixed up in it all. What the Ops people, it's all a very pulpish world.
think they know and what is actually the truth can be two Besides, assuming that punk music will be the beat of the
entirely different things. future is not very original. Let's think of it as Afro-Celtic…
Earth - 2076
© 2003 by Taldren
The Real Black Nine

In the introduction to these rules we provided a man-in-the- leading agencies, and spectacular failures such as the
street look at who the rulers of the world are and how they Challenger and Columbia tragedies. In its darkest hour, a
are perceived. The following is the true story. In some ways body of American military generals seized the reins of
it is very similar to the popular perception. In others, it power and instilled much of the “might makes right”
could not be more different. philosophy that now guides the group, swearing that their
The world's rulers are Illuminati, many of whom have been goal would not be thwarted. In its passion for ensuring the
building their master plans for centuries. What the world sanctity of its cause, Zubrin provided the funding and seed
sees is their modern aspects, but what the world sees is protection for My Private Money DGP, which in turn
rarely the real picture. crippled the world’s governments and economies.
These are the real Illuminati who rule the world. Despite a congenial origin, radically differing philosophies
led to a split between the Zubrin and MPM-DGP in the
Genesis 2070s. While they still do business together (MPM-DGP
maintains its largest public office in Zubrin’s Mars Canyon
Founder: Charles Babbage, 1812. City), there is very little love lost between the two now-
Centers of power on Earth: Asia (primarily Seoul), Europe, Illuminati.
the Americas. The Zubrin of 2076 has the most comprehensive militaristic
Off-world holdings: Luna II research facility. power structure of all the Illuminati, ironically one even
Originally Charles Babbage’s Analytical Society, Genesis greater than their old government enemies, who banded
believes that the purpose of humanity is to create together to form the New World Order. Zubrin marines,
omniscient beings, and they see all of human history as the trained on Mars, are the most skilled and dangerous
means to this end. Of course, such lofty aspirations require soldiers of the day, guarding the precious World Ship One
a financial foundation, and in this arena Genesis is no until it can fulfill its destiny of carrying future generations
slouch; in an era where technology rules the day, Genesis to the stars. For the moment, this militaristic excellence is
demands top dollar. oriented towards defense, with occasional forays against
The modern Genesis, incarnated in a massive mega- the New World Order. Zubrin is rarely involved with
corporation with subdivisions in nearly every branch of violent takeovers and corporate raids. But they stand ready
modern science, plans to create a sentient networked if they are ever called upon to make the path to the stars
artificial intelligence – one capable of nearly infinite safe.
growth. Given the most premiere physical resources, this
AI would grow intelligent enough to become self- The Tea-Drinking Society
supporting, making human destiny complete. Humanity as
a race would give birth to the ultimate creation, the next Founders: Shang Lun and Dou Guang, 1302 B.C.
step in evolution: sentient beings beyond the limits of Centers of power on Earth: Asia, with small pockets
biological law. Through the generation of true AI, Genesis throughout the rest of the world.
hopes to transcend nature. Off-world holdings: none.
One day, I went to have tea with Xing and Guang.
Of course, no one outside the top echelons of Genesis have
I noticed Xing extended his finger when sipping his tea.
any idea about this. Most of the employees, including I politely corrected him, but he refused to change.
several high-ranking management figures, think Genesis is The next day, Xing and Guang came to have tea with me.
just about bigger and better robots.
I poisoned Xing’s tea.
Then Guang and I formed a clan,
Zubrin To bring together those who drink their tea properly.
Founder: Percival Lowell, 1894. From the journal of Shang Lun
Centers of power on Earth: Europe, with small pockets in 1302 B.C.
Asia and the Americas. By far the oldest active Illuminatus, the Tea-Drinking
Off-world holdings: Mars Canyon City and surrounding Society is headquartered in Shanghai, where it has long
facilities, including World Ship One (in orbit). influenced the course of events – political and otherwise –
Zubrin ultimately seeks to safeguard humanity against in Asia and more recently all around the Pacific Rim.
extinction at the hands of a major catastrophe – a noble Despite the depth of its influence, the Society is also the
goal that will permit no weakness, and one that they believe most secret of the Illuminati; its existence is completely
all humanity should unite to attain. Started in 1894 by unknown to the public, with operations carried out through
legendary Mars researcher Percival Lowell, his a multitude of groups and corporations secretly under its
Astronomical Society grew over the years into its current control. In essence, the entire group of Pacific Rim
form, Zubrin, a mega-corporation large enough to give Corporations is under the direct control of the Tea
Genesis thought for pause. The organization lost much Drinkers, though most of their employees have no idea of
power and nearly disbanded in the last half of the twentieth this.
century as space exploration and research faced waning The Society is dedicated to advanced organic and
interest by world governments, rampant incompetence from biological methods of pursuing personal longevity. It
© 2003 by Taldren
considers its experience of over 3,000 years to be a special and their data is only sold to Glimmer’s most exclusive
gift – one not to be squandered on the masses. The clientele.
combined wealth amassed by the Society over millennia of
investment and entrepreneurship is staggering, surpassed La Sociéti de la Luminière
only by the centuries of war profits held by Glimmer A.G.
Founder: Eugène Ducretet, 1867.
With the gift of longevity, the Tea-Drinking Society Centers of power on Earth: Western Europe and the
gracefully accepts a great responsibility: governing Earth. Americas. Headquarters in Paris, France, and Los Angeles,
Crucial to providing ongoing guidance powered by ancient Pacific Rim States.
wisdom is their paramount goal: immortality. The pursuit Off-world holdings: none.
of this achievement leads the Society to control the state- Knowledge is power – but what kind of knowledge?
of-the-art in a diversity of fields, such as bioengineering, Eugène Ducretet decided in 1867 that “truth” has very
gene therapy, and, in particular, nanotechnology. The last is little, if any, part in this equation. His Sociéti de la
an arena of unique achievement with specific strengths that Luminière recognized that the media holds enormous
divide the society into five Orders. A hierarchy of Elders power – the power to influence the masses far more subtly
rules each Order, with one in particular, the Order of than any royalty or aristocracy. With a growing shift
Heaven, overseeing the rest. One of the Heaven Elders is toward rule by the masses – a rule that even kings ignore
decreed the Supreme Elder, a responsibility that rotates only at their peril – what mattered most was perception.
among the Heaven Elders over periods of decades – an And as media technology grew, spawning radio, film,
unsurprising term of service considering that all such television, and the Internet, the Sociéti was there to learn
Elders are over one hundred years old, with the oldest how best to use it all to alter the will of the people. The
approaching 140. Heaven nanotech is among the most Sociéti also honed the craft of advertising, amassing
powerful in existence, and followers of its Order achieve staggering amounts of money as the master gatekeeper to
mastery of their neighboring Elemental domains as well. the consumer mind and wallet. The whole of capitalism
There are also rumors of an especially secretive sixth order, came to pay them a tithe to get through.
but nothing concrete. At one point in the early 21st century, the Internet
threatened to grow beyond the control of the Sociéti, but
Glimmer A.G. eventually even this juggernaut eventually succumbed to
Founder: Arndt Krupp, 1587. their saturation efforts, with an assist from the governments
Centers of power on Earth: Europe, with small pockets trying to stop the spread of the MPM software. The Sociéti
throughout the rest of the world. emerged stronger than ever, with the implementation of
Off-world holdings: no bases, but extensive satellite new business models to harness this new media, such as the
networks. lifestyle mortgage. Lifestyle mortgages provided
Centralized in the lower Rhine river valley, Glimmer A.G. consumers with an unending stream of goods and services
began as a secret society founded by the industrialist Krupp – cars, music, games, online experiences, everything under
family thirty years before the Thirty Years’War, where the sun – all geared to worship the consumer’s favorite
Friedrich Krupp, Arndt’s son, entered the weapons celebrities.
industry. Formed to devise ways to sell weapons to all sides In 2076 the Sociéti covertly owns and operates 90% of all
of a conflict while avoiding reprisal, this fine Krupp the media corporations in existence, from book publishers
tradition – now incorporated as Glimmer A.G. – continues to game developers. The four Media Giants known to the
in 2076. Glimmer maintains power by supplying the tools world are all puppets of the Societi. As a result, it has
of war to anyone with the requisite cash. Its vast family unlimited access to nearly all non-military bandwidth and
legacy and wealth has in the current age made it a behind- forms of mass communication. With this near-absolute
the-scenes puppet-master of European policy. While other control they also shield themselves from public awareness,
Illuminati seek to control humanity and its future, Glimmer save for a few fanatics and conspiracy theorists who
is quite content with the lucrative spoils of its supporting quickly fall through the cracks.
role.
Glimmer has its chief headquarters in Essen, ancestral My Private Money DGP
home of the founding family, located in the Krupp- Founders: The senior board members of MPM and DGP,
Germany Republic. The corporation also maintains a very 2004.
large industrial complex in the suburbs of Paris. Glimmer Centers of power on Earth: Secret data havens in Los
owns and operates almost 70% of all weapons Angeles and Seoul.
manufacturing on Earth. Off-world holdings: Major data haven facilities on Mars
Although Zubrin and Genesis have far larger space and several asteroids.
operations, Glimmer operates the most extensive Renegade technology firms My Private Money and Darn
surveillance satellite clusters in the solar system, with Good Privacy were relentlessly harassed by the
networks around the moon, Mars, Jupiter, and asteroid belt. governments of the early 21st century for their radical
The near-Earth constellations are well known, as Glimmer interpretations of free market economy. Their battle cry:
resells much of its Earth data to, predictably, anyone who “Sovereignty to the Individual.” From this foundation, they
will pay for them. The other satellites are a guarded secret, reasoned that money belonged to the moneymaker and no
one else – and that said moneymaker would pay
© 2003 by Taldren
handsomely for superior technologies that worked to keep Xuanzong's son turned to the underworld, and in 760 bound
earned funds out of the hands of the old governments. together the first of the Black Dragons, who forever swore
Powerful benefactors, later revealed to be the Zubrin group, that no force, Imperial or otherwise, would sway their
brought the companies together in 2004. MPM-DGP united ascendance.
into a strong force that quickly became popular among the The Black Dragons have quite a historical legacy as a
wealthy and young technical elite. With Zubrin’s help, in faction of Asian organized crime. In the 19th and 20th
2053 they moved the majority of their data havens off- centuries they formed alliances with the Triads of China,
planet, creating a rock-solid financial network far beyond and by 2076, all the organized crime groups of Asia,
the reach of the Earth-bound governments. Investment fled including the Triads and the Yakuza, have merged under
from the heavily taxed, supremely corrupt financial systems the Black Dragon banner to make a bid for right-wing
of old Earth, and as a result the “free” governments were power on Earth. The bulk of the operating income for the
left with only a proletariat tax base – a gap in funding that Black Dragons comes from the staples of crime, gambling,
resulted in the collapse of the world’s nations as stock manipulation, and military corruption – all stalwarts
authoritative governing bodies. in the market of human vice management.
The MPM-DGP home office is located on near-earth Clandestine power struggles in ancient Asia have made the
asteroid 2018SE, which has a diameter of about 8km and Black Dragons and the Tea-Drinking Society old enemies,
houses the primary data havens of the MPM network. A although the Society currently views the Dragons as a mere
second major base is headquartered on Aten-class asteroid nuisance. Very old Japanese and Chinese interests lead the
ST27, which houses the most sophisticated computer Dragons from command centers distributed across a
system of all the havens. Thirteen more facilities are collection of penthouse estates in Macau, far from the
located on undisclosed asteroids in the belt and in offices fortresses of their Society enemies. The senior enforcer for
across Mars Canyon City, Los Angeles, and Seoul. this openly dark Illuminatus is Tran, a coarse but beautiful
The ultimate aim of MPM-DGP is unclear. When asked female assassin.
about future plans or motives, their leadership base will The Dragons’single goal is the accumulation of wealth and
only answer that one should not look to them, or anyone, power, which they consider their due and just return for
for guidance; MPM-DGP merely provides the tools for services provided. So far, the Dragons only wish to extend
personal freedom. their influence on Earth, letting others pay for the costly
colonization of space. Some things never change, and
Black Dragons ‘human vice management’can expand to the stars soon
enough.
Founders: T’ang Longzong, 760.
Centers of power on Earth: Macau, pockets throughout the EarthNOW!
world.
Off-world holdings: none. Founders: Members from seven druidic tribes, 200 B.C.
T'ang Qing was born the eighteenth son of Emperor Centers of power on Earth: Republic of United American
Xuanzong of China. He lived a life of luxury and Tribes and cells scattered throughout the world.
eventually married one of China's most famed beauties, a Off-world holdings: None known.
Daoist princess called Yang Yuhuan. This, however, was EarthNOW! has a surprisingly deep family tree. The group
ill-fated, as his father, the emperor, fell in love with was originally a council of Celtic druids in Europe, dating
Yuhuan and took her for his concubine. Though bitterly back before the arrival of Christianity. During the Dark
enraged, Qing pretended indifference, but quietly began Ages and the Renaissance, the druids kept a low profile
making plans for the downfall of his father and former while caring for the forest and preserving what wildlife lie
wife. He learned of the friendship (and later adopted within their reach. However, the rapid growth of
kinship) between Yuhuan and Turkic general An Lu-Shan, industrialized manufacturing and the lure of its profits in
and used his political connections to begin fomenting later centuries eradicated many of their resources. They
rebellion among Lu-Shan's armies. Once those wheels were survived, however, and thereafter took significant steps to
in motion, he arranged to deliver crucial information to the raise public awareness of nature’s fragility, secretly
Arabs, who were able to defeat distinguished general Kao masterminding the founding of a number of wilderness and
Hsien-chih at the Battle of Talas River. This crushing loss animal protection groups.
debilitated the empire to the point that the Lu-Shan In the latter decades of the 20th century, hard data unveiled
rebellion cast the entire T'ang dynasty on a downward the truly shocking and accelerating damage the human race
spiral from which it would never recover. But Xuanzong's was inflicting upon the Earth. Eleventh-hour remedies
cuckold son was not finished. He returned to the court and came in many forms – international treaties were signed to
began planting the seeds of further discord, pointing out protect species on the edge of extinction as well as
that it was Yang Yuhuan who had befriended Lu-Shan in indigenous species facing unnatural competition from
the first place and led him into political power. The foreign species, habitats were made into permanent
courtiers demanded the deaths of both Yuhuan and Lu- wildernesses, animal research went under stricter
Shan – and after Xuanzong watched his beloved concubine guidelines, and more. But the ugly truth was that billions of
hang herself in the hills of a Mawei village, he abdicated humans were economically, socially, and physically
the throne. T'ang Qing withdrew from the public eye, but addicted to countless non-renewing, unsustainable practices
the T'ang dynasty's deathblow had already been dealt. of resource exploitation.
Changing his name to T'ang Longzong, Dragon Emperor,
© 2003 by Taldren
As a result of this and other actions against the planet, After the financial collapse of the 2050s, the old power
battle lines were drawn between the passive resistance of elite, including elements of European and American crime
the past and the demand for radical change. Those with the families, forged an uneasy alliance with the handful of
most radical beliefs split from the rest and took the name remaining Templar descendants (and their coffers), who
EarthNOW! They believed it was impossible to expect the emerged from the shadows and seized the opportunity to
corporations and consumers to change their ways – there return to full power.
was just too much money and momentum involved in the A still-large tax base and larger amounts of military
modern lifestyle. EarthNOW! declared itself judge, jury, hardware spread throughout the solar system make NWO
and executioner of corporate leaders, workers, and one of the most dangerous Illuminati – but more
consumers in a precise, practiced program of eco-terrorism importantly, NWO now has little left to lose. Behind the
aimed to make certain commercial exploitation practices facades presented to the public, the old governments
economically unfeasible. continue to erode. But in their crumbling bastions they do
EarthNOW! indirectly supports Zubrin and Genesis, as not easily give up the reins of power. To most of these old
their space development goals agree with the EarthNOW! governments, the Order is a like-minded organization
desire to remove humans from the planet. In 2076 willing to lend a hand. Some of the governments,
EarthNOW! works to complete an extensive set of plans to moreover, are riddled with New World Order adherents.
dismantle Earth-based industry, with the intent of New World Order earns new funding by providing military
increasing the appeal of moving off-planet. EarthNOW!has services to the other Illuminati, in the hopes of someday
bases all over the world, but its major support is in the raising a large enough army of mercenaries to retake the
environmentally friendly Allied Indian Nation. solar system by force. But the other Illuminati are quite
EarthNOW! also works with more benign environmental aware of this plan, and often send the NWO on highly
groups to promote education, recycling and low-impact dangerous missions. They are far easier to track and
living – but direct intervention remains their favored course suppress as an ally than an enemy.
of action. New World Order effectively holds bases throughout Earth
It would take an enormous increase in aerospace in the form of various government offices and
development to accommodate billions of humans in space – headquarters. Any high-level official who is not in league
so the dirty work of blowing up sawmills and assassinating with the other eight Illuminati serves the NWO, though
the board members of agribusiness corporations falls into even they may not know it by such a name. Known to the
the willing hands of the EarthNOW! organization. public as a radical off-world terrorist outfit, few truly know
the number of strings that run from NWO to existing Earth
New World Order governments, and that’s the way they like it.
Founders: Hugh de Payens, 1118. The New World Order's primary weapon is their presence
Centers of power on Earth: cells scattered throughout the in space. Using the Russian space fleet as its basis, they
world, harbored by government leaders. have seeded bases throughout the asteroid belt, and are
Off-world holdings: various small military bases reputed to have stations on several near Earth asteroids
throughout the asteroid belt. including their uncharted asteroid headquarters they have
Built upon the remnants of the legendary Knights Templar named Caesar.
and embodying many of their goals, the New World Order
represents the remnants of the old Earth governments, with
the power of a totalitarian state as its dated master plan.
How To Bring Player Ops Into The Game

So your players have their Ops ready to go. Now how to This starting point works well because these organizations
you get them together to start following their Op careers? are surreptitious and volatile. They all have internal
politics, autocratic leaders, and secret protocols. The
The Sponsoring Organization chance of rising through the ranks, or getting assassinated
because of contrary opinions, is highest in this group.
The simplest method is to have them all be members of one
of the Black 9 organizations. Or have them be members of Going It Bare
a semi-independent organization with ties to one or more of
the Black 9. It is of course possible for the Ops to start off as random
Unless the GM wants to start the PCs as minions of a mercenaries, perhaps just out of serving with some
corporate megalith to expose them to the underlying country's armed services, who have banded together to sell
corruption (or just have an excuse for a bunch of punitive their services to the highest bidder. This should not last
raids), it is best to have the Sponsoring Organization be one long. They should be recruited into one of the large
of the outsider groups, like the New World Order or organizations, or a subsidiary of one of the large
EarthNOW!. Another possibility is to have them be Black organizations, very quickly.
Dragons.
© 2003 by Taldren
Getting Started This brings them to starting to question the intentions, or

the competence, of their superiors. From here it should not
The first assignments for the Ops team should be relatively be far to the Ops thinking that they can make up their own
straight forward. Raid data vaults here, protect high level minds about which missions are necessary, and what they
agents there, defend an organization base from someone will do. They can break off and become freelance
else's raid. These kind of missions let the players get used mercenaries, taking only the jobs that fit their ethical
to the system and their Ops, and start to build opinions standards.
about the world and the people they are dealing with.
Then they find that they have been manipulated into this
By the third time they've run into proficient guards, exotic position by another power center. Perhaps it is even one
alarm systems, and fighting environments that are at least that they are in agreement with, but do they like being
picturesque, it's time to start running in some changes. manipulated?
The Ol' Switcheroo The Final Result

Now it's time for things to change. If they are operatives for Eventually, assuming they haven't been cut down by a hail
EarthNOW!, they get sent on a mission that is nothing of lead, the Ops become the best there is at what they do.
more than mindless assassination for no good purpose. Or They are a power in themselves. They have the chance to
one where they essentially have to burn down the forest change things for the better, or perhaps just to better
they are supposed to be saving. Perhaps they will run into themselves. What path do they take, and what do they do
an NPC who gets them to question what they are doing, and that can change the history of the entire world?
how they are doing it.
Care and Handling of Player Ops and Storylines

characters, or hoards of fanatic followers, or deadly robot
Keeping the Story Going assassins, or , of course, all of the above. These minions
The best way to keep a campaign interesting for the players may be devoted followers of the Master Villain, or dupes
is to have an ongoing story arc that can encompass four or who have no idea who they are really working for.
five sessions of play. How many sessions depends on the But the Master Villain has to have subtlety. Initially, the
needs of the playing group and how long each session lasts. Ops should have no idea that the person exists. The Master
Five might be appropriate for a group that always gets Villain may be after the Ops for some reason (perhaps they
together with few absences for three or four hours an accidentally foiled one of his Master Plots and he's
evening every couple of weeks. For a group that gets vindictive), or they may just be in the way. But when they
together to game all day once a month, with lots of possible realize that the Master Villain exists (even if they don't
conflicts of interest, no story arc should exceed two know who it is) it should be because of an action so
sessions. heinous that even the normally mercenary attitudes of Ops
Each session within a story arc should have a definite story can be influenced to want to destroy the monster who has
within the session, even if it is just "here's where you get been manhandling them, their friends, their favorite
caught by the guards and have to shoot your way out." A political party, the rain forests, or whatever gets the Ops
session should end with either (1) a plot point wrapped up upset.
and a clear direction to go next or (2) a cliffhanger that
everyone can anticipate resolving the next session. Killing the Master Villain
Frequently, this won't happen. The players will be slow to Do not fall in love with your Master Villain. Keeping him
pick up a clue (or the GM didn't put the clues in the right always out of the reach of the Ops is frustrating and
place), some bad dice rolling will send the Ops fleeing the eventually drives players away. The Master Villain must be
scene instead of getting through it, a player will make a foiled, if not captured or killed. His perfidy must be
random comment that makes the GM realize that there are exposed at least to those who are important to the Ops, if
facets of the plot he hasn't properly dealt with. There are a not to the whole world. Remember that the Societi controls
million ways that the session's intended ending doesn't the world media, and may not want the news about the evil
happen. of Director Madison exposed to the world.
In these cases, try to leave everyone with a mystery to There's always room for another Master Villain. Similarly,
consider or an eminent doom to contemplate. there is always the possibility of having Master Villains
within an organization. The Master Villain can be stopped.
Creating the Master Villain The Organization continues to foster more of them.
One thing that keeps a campaign going is a Master Villain
that the Ops can continually work to foil. This Op (or rogue Assigning Experience
AI or alien intruder or whatever) may or may not be a A previous section dealt with how to figure Experience
major menace in and of himself. What the Master Villain rewards for Ops, but did not specify what the rewards
has is minions. These may be very powerful Ops level should be. This is deliberate, because each campaign might
© 2003 by Taldren
have a different approach to how much PCs should gain have more than three areas where avoiding contact is
and how fast they should advance in their skills. possible, give each member of the group the points for
In general, about 10 Experience points a mission should be avoidance.
sufficient, broken down in the following fashion: o Play Award. This is points for good role playing,
o Accomplishing the objective. This should be worth coming up with clever solutions to problems, amusing
between 1 and 3 Experience Points, depending on the the GM, or whatever reason. Again the range is
complexity of the objective and the time it took to between 1-3. This is awarded to individual players for
accomplish it. This is awarded to each member of the their Ops.
team. o Being there. This is a 1 point award for being at the
o Disposing of enemies. This should be worth between 1 game. It is awarded to every Op whose player is
and 3 Experience points depending on the number of present. If someone is not at the game and his Op is
enemies disposed of. This is awarded to individual being run by the rest of the group, then the Op can
players. gain the above awards, but cannot gain this point.
o Avoiding Confrontations. This is kind of an alternative
to #2 and has a similar payoff. Most missions won't
The Opposition
There's not much to do in a role playing game if there isn't Abilities are generally 2* the average, except for those that
some kind of opposition to the PCs. For this kind of game, are small numbers like Meditate. Figure those normally,
there tend to be four kinds of opposition: based on the Average Attribute.
o Guards For Example, let's look at a squad of Zubrin Marines,
o Robots (which are generally guards in function, but considered the finest fighting forces in the world.
have their own special problems) The Opposition Number for this elite force is 90. All of
o Monks their Skills, particularly combat skills, will be at 90%.
Their Attributes will be 90*.4, or 36. Most of their Abilities
o Special Monsters will be 72, including Initiative. Meditate will be 7, Jump
will be 18. Health will be 72, except for Cats and Ogres.
Guards
They will have Mancy at 90 (core spells), 80 (second
Guards are other Men and Genemods who are in opposition spells) and 70 (third spells).
to the goals of the PCs. Coming up with Attributes, Give them Combat Armor and some weapons and they are
Abilities, and Skills for a dozen guards in a high-tech ready to go.
complex is a daunting task. Fortunately, it is unnecessary.
A bunch of Downtown Gangers could start at 60, have
The Opposition Number Attributes of 24, and Abilities of 48, and go from there.
Pick a number between 51 and 91. This is the Opposition
Number of the guards that need to be dealt with. Use that Robots
number for all Skill rolls, including core use of NanoSkills. Robots could be handled the same way as Guards, but there
Multiply the number by .4 to get the average Attribute of are certain robots common in the world, so we might as
the Op. For instance, if the Opposition Number is 75, then well deal with each as an individual, as much as we can.
the Attribute Number is 75*.4 = 30. If the opposition Op is
a Genemod, then an Ogre's STR is +15, its CON is +5, and
the AGL and DEX are -10 each. A Cat-Girl's STR is -10
and its AGL and CON are +5.
© 2003 by Taldren
Robot Speed Weapon Description Armor H Oppositio

in m/ P n Number
turn
"Behemoth" cargo 30 STR 90 This cargo mech is built and 10 90 60
mechs ("Hand" Damage = 18) used mostly by Zubrin from a
Genesis design. It is over 20m
tall and a common sight in
spaceports throughout the Solar
System.
Genesis 50 STR 35 This robot is sold everywhere 5 25 50

Maintenance Bots ("Hand" Damage = 7) and can be found anywhere
robots are used.
"Intimidator" 50 Intimidator Gun The Intimidator is over 7 meters 20 90 80

Assault Mechs ROF = 15 tall and is used for high-profile
Range = 6144 security situations.
Damage = 18 This auto cannon is used
Impact = 10 exclusively by the Genesis
Intimidator Guard robot. This is
an auto-stabilized weapon which
the robot can use at full effect
while moving.
Light Security Droid 30 LightDroid Gun This Robot is commonly sold 10 50 75

ROF = 10 outside of Genesis and can be
Range = 1652 found being used by almost any
Mag = 15 corporation or government
Max Ammo = 120 entity.
Damage = 8 The rapid firing gun is used by
Impact = 10 Zubrin in their security droids.
This is an auto-stabilized
weapon which the robot can use
at full effect while moving.
"Prole" Labor 40 STR 40 This labor robot is used 8 60 60
Mechs ("Hand" Damage 8) primarily by Zubrin on Mars,
though the design is in use
elsewhere as well.
© 2003 by Taldren
"Recluse" spider 45 Recluse Gun The Genesis Recluse 8 45 70

bots ROF = 25 Spiderrobot is used in tight
Range = 6144 places. It carries twin light
Damage = 4 machine guns. It is deadly to
Impact = 4 casual trespassers, though it
rarely gets through the armor of
hardened Ops. The guns are
fired together at the same
opponent(s). This is an auto-
stabilized weapon which the
robot can use at full effect while
moving.
"Tarantula" spider 50 Tarantula Gun The Genesis Trantula Spiderrobt 12 60 80
bots ROF = 25 is a larger robot with a larger
Range = 6144 weapon, but just one. This is a
Damage = 5 small machinegun meant to
Impact = 5 discourage intruders. It can put
many high velocity slugs into an
unarmored target, though an
armored target has little to fear
from it. This is an auto-
moving.
"Tiburon" Assault 60 Tiburon Gun Almost as big as the Intimidator, 20 80 80
Mechs ROF = 30 this is the Genesis export model
Range = 8000 sold outside the company.
Damage = 12
Impact = 20
Zubrin Combat 45 Sentry Machinegun This robot is actually made by 12 60 75

Rover and Black ROF = 40 Genesis and is in common
Dragon Security Range = 6144 distribution everywhere.
Bots Damage = 10 Standard machinegun for
Impact = 10 automated sentry
positions/turrets. This is an auto-
moving.
is at that level. They also know Martial Arts at at least that

Monks level.
As far as can be told, the Monks are members of Eastern The Monks almost never use weapons, but generally wear
religious orders. They initially appeared as assassins and polymer armor. If a Monk is frustrated by an Op, and
hitmen and bodyguards for certain Pacific Rim companies survives, he will likely become an implacable enemy.
and established a reputation as wonderworkers. These Most monks are men, but not all. It is suspected that some
special operatives are trained in Martial Arts and are the Monks that have been seen are cat-girls, but no Monk Ogre
original users of the "elemental" nanomancies. There are has been recorded.
four elemental orders, Air, Earth, Fire, and Water, and for
But who know what the Tea Drinkers have in their hidden
various reasons, usually having to do with the welfare of
monasteries and secret gardens?
the Tea Drinking Society, they appear and attempt to fulfill
their assigned missions, whatever they may be. Most Monks have no real knowledge of the Tea Drinkers
Society. They know about their order, they know about the
A Monk is like a Guard, but are never less than an
missions they have been assigned, they are loyal to their
Opposition Number of 75, and their elemental nanomancy
order and, to a lesser extent, other Monks. Most citizens of
© 2003 by Taldren
2076 who have run into them are sure they are part of some Op, but give him a lot of Experience. See the GMing
criminal organization. In a way, this is correct. advice on how to deal with a master villain in the
campaign.
Special Monsters
Sample Special Monster: The Zombie
Special Monsters are scientific creations gone out of
control, ancient mysteries come to life, Zombies raised A product of nanotech labs desperate to prolong life
from the dead by Tea Drinker bio science, and a host of (generally secretly sponsored by the Society of Tea
other potentially ugly problems. Drinkers), these are reanimated corpses or near-corpses. In
They can be treated just like Guards, with a few many ways they are a testament to the power of Healing
differences. nanites. In other ways they are a horror risen from the
universal subconscious of humanity.
o There should always be something special in the way
they attack. Perhaps they have perpetual FireFist, or a Zombies have an Opposition Number between 60 and 90,
radius of Chi Drain around them (or both), or be able depending on how much of their original consciousness and
to project an attack that is normally a touch only skills are left.
attack. Special Attack: Zombies have a +20 STR and -10 DEX and
o There should always be a Defense specialty about AGL. Their clawlike hands and resistance to pain allow
them. Perhaps they only take half damage from them to multiply the Hand Damage of their attacks as if
bullets, or are completely unstoppable except by fire, using Martial Arts.
or water. Special Defense: Zombies have a CP of 5*DEX. This is
o They should be unique to the particular mission. If the used solely to Heal, which is done automatically.
players are saying "Death Zombies again," the Special Special Defense: Zombies take only half damage from
Monster has been used too often. If nothing else, it is bullets and lasers. They cannot be Stunned, though their CP
time for it to become a Guard. can be attacked.
Of course, the most deadly enemy can just be another Op. Special Weakness: Zombies take double effect from fire
If developing a master villain to dog the Op's footsteps for and ice attacks.
a dozen games, then build the villain as you would a player
© 2003 by Taldren
Sample Adventures
Phantom of the Media

Ah, Paris. The capital of France is a showcase city. The
streets are clean, the buildings scrubbed, the people almost Defense in the Depths
entirely work for the Entertainment industry or support The Phantom is guarded by fanatics with a variety of
services for Entertainment. All of the sitcoms and crime equipment. Their weapons are not silenced, but echoes
dramas that used to be set in New York are set in Paris. make it hard to determine where shots are coming from.
Certain areas of the city are grimy, but it is a studied, film And some have laser pistols. The defenders are mostly
noir sort of griminess, and much of it is a façade. Major human females, as it happens.
historical attractions are surrounded by city buildings that
look as if they stepped out of that particular period of They are Opposition Value 80.
history, in a very theme-parkish and sanitized way, of STR 25, AGL 35, DEX 30, CON 30.
course. Speed/Init 54, Health 60, CP 60.
They wear Kevlar armor and one out of three has
Do I hear Organ Music? OptiCloak. Some may have ECM, Flash Shield, and
The Player Ops are enlisted to find the person who has BlinkSpeed, depending on the abilities of the Ops attacking
been harassing La Societi officials, hacking into broadcasts, them. GM discretion applies. They make extensive use of
and generally trying to bring the truth to the masses. He has FlashBang Grenades and Gas Grenades. The main bunker
taken on the guise of the Phantom of the Opera, complete is defended with Heavy Machine Guns and a pintle-
with half mask, and plays upon the literary/legendary credit Mounted RadFlux gun.
the name gives him. He claims that he is the original
Phantom, but his devotion now is to Truth. Rodents of Unusual Stature
The PCs, all freelancers, are being hired because the Beneath the streets of Paris, the rats have feasted and
Phantom is becoming a hero and the local tentacle of the grown large. For about 10 years in the 2050s, perverse
Societi does not want its name (a French name translating members of the Parisian Elite captured these giant rats and
to Watch over the World) attached to his demise. enhanced them with nanoviruses to use in decadent
gladiatorial games. The fad is over, and many of the rats
Delving Deep were released to the underground, where they seek prey and
The Phantom is hiding under the streets of Paris. He has scheme their ratty schemes.
apparently determined how to tap into the broadcast array The Earth Now partisans have learned to co-exist with the
at the top of the Eifel Tower and uses it for his own pirate Rats and the more fanatic Earthers consider them "poor
broadcasts to both the people of Paris and the world at oppressed brethren" who have been corrupted by The
large. System. They justify use of the Rats as just emulating the
The Catacombs of Paris are ancient Roman and medieval Way of the Wild, where there are Hunters and the Hunted.
quarries and mines now deep below the streets of Paris. Special Monster: Rodents of Unusual Stature
This unique bone collection of 5 to 6 million people covers
a surface of 11.000 square meters, a tiny portion of the 300 The Rats have a value of 60-90 (depending on the ability of
km of old mine corridors. Galleries are an average of 2.30 the Ops), with 30-40 for STR and AGL, and 20-30 for
meters high, and the temperature is a constant 11.C, DEX and CON. Their Health is 3*Con. Their
Speed/Initiative is 1.25*AGL.
Starting in 1785, when the cemeteries of Paris were full, the
bodies from those cemeteries were disinterred and taken to Special Attack: The Rats have a Bite attack of 30. It ignores
the ancient quarries. Now there is about a kilometer of dermal armor and Kevlar. Moreover, their saliva is
tunnels lined with bones and skulls in the area called the diseased. Each bite that does damage exposes the victim to
Ossuary. This is a tourist attraction, but most of the quarry 30 points of Disease that should be treated as if it was
tunnels have been unexplored for over a century. The Radiation Exposure. Healing Nanites can deal with it
catacombs extend under most of Paris, occasionally normally.
intersecting with the famed sewers of Paris. Special Defense: The Rats are always well connected to the
The passages are narrow, barely enough room for two walls and floors they stand and crawl upon. They add 30 to
people, or one Ogre. all STR rolls against Impact.
The client can supply PDA maps of the tunnels and Special Defense: The Rats have natural armor worth 10
galleries, but they are quite old. No one has checked them points.
for accuracy for decades. Special Weakness: Rats fear open flame and will run from
it. However, the area of the catacombs can be very
flammable— most of the tunnels and galleries are supported
© 2003 by Taldren
by old stonework but some of it is supported by old Opposition Value is only about 60. If caught, he will go
timbers, so flame has to be used with care. quietly unless he knows he has help coming immediately.
The Earthers have planted colonies of the Rats, of about a He is well-connected with his defenders and knows their
dozen members each, on several of the routes to their status. If there are a lot of his supporters still around, he
hideout, so the squeals of the rats will alert them and their tries to lead the Ops into an ambush.
presence may scare away the less dedicated searchers. This In any case, he attempts to persuade his attackers that they
has already worked several times. are on the wrong side.
Among his arguments are the following points, which the
Assault on the Mind
Ops are likely to have observed on their own but just not
Placed amongst several of the skulls that line the walls are made the connections:
projection devices capable of showing a holographic figure o People are dying of pollution-related diseases all over
of the Phantom. It is obviously a hologram, though in the Europe and no one is reporting it.
murky semi-darkness of the catacombs a mistake could be
o Even pampered decorative goldfish are dying out
made.
because of the damage to the environment.
The Phantom constantly bombards the PCs with
o Genesis continually closes down plants before workers
propaganda as they advance on him. See "Who's the
can earn pensions, then restarts them as a different
Badguy?" below for some of his pronouncements. The GM
named company so the workers have to start over
should intersperse other statements that would have no
again.
meaning to the Ops because their personal experience won't
confirm it. The ones listed later are all things that the Ops o Food prices have skyrocketed because of gangster
or their friends and relatives might have experienced. control over transportation, and the big conglomerates
are just taking a cut and letting it happen.
When the Phantom is not projecting and pronouncing,
concealed speakers keep a constant play of the music from o There are five out-and-out wars taking place in the
Phantom of the Opera going. Mid-East and Africa and no one knows about it
outside the borders of the countries involved, and of
Final Stop course mercenaries like the Ops.
After at least one run-in with the RUS and one with a party Never Trust a Producer
of the supporters, the Ops should come into a chamber
where the catacombs apparently interconnect with the The Ops, if they don't turn on the Societi, are not trusted
sewers of Paris. The entryway they come in from is and the Societei ambushes them afterwards. Only one of
covered by a heavy machinegun nest built into one wall. the Phantom's followers, or the Phantom himself if he got
away, can get them out of the ambush and to EarthNOW!.
Against the opposite wall is a stream of gray water running
in an open channel. Across the channel, built into the wall, The Company Goons are human men with an Opposition
is a former inspection station (sign has been removed) with Value of 85. All Attributes are 35.
a concealed lock. Inside the station are the Phantom and his Speed/Initiative is 44, Health 88, CP 70.
last two supporters, who use hand weapons in the close The Producers will attempt to take out the Ops subtly if
quarters. The Phantom will attempt to negotiate. they can, but if they can make it look like just another
corporate skirmish, they haul out all the big guns.
Who Is the Badguy Here?
The ambushers wear Combat Armor and use grenades and
Of course, there is the chance that the PCs will realize that assault rifles. If the situation demands they be theoretically
the Phantom is one of the good guys and go over to his unarmed, the have polymer armor and magnum pistols.
side. He is actually an associate of EarthNOW!, though he They are backed up by mini rocket launchers and heavy
dislikes much of their activities. He can put them in touch machineguns, mounted, not Ogre held. These forces are
with EN to continue their careers. backed up by Stealth Helicopters with rail guns and heavy
The Phantom is a very charismatic person with a flair for Missiles. They have sonic search devices to seek out
the dramatic but not much in the way of combat skills. His Cloaked Ops.
Up in a Balloon
The Zeppelin factories in Germany (owned by Glimmer
Living High AG) have been working overtime to create the Lufthaus
One of the most interesting phenomena in recent years has aerostats. These are gigantic airships that resemble in use
been the resurgence in interest in lighter-than-air craft. This the double-wide trailers of the last part of the 20th century.
has combined with the belated interest in preserving what is Capable of movement, but just barely, they maintain their
left of the rain forests of the world to create the Forest position in the air with dozens of propellers and float over a
Skies. section of designated airspace. Since no one wants these
huge sun-blockers sitting over farmland or cities, they end
© 2003 by Taldren
up over wilderness areas. Most wilderness areas are not big Thick walls in the aerostat house helium, giving a new
enough to hold them. Their shadows destroy the meaning to the term support wall. Self-sealing nanites
wilderness. But the rain forest in the Amazon river basin is are constantly on duty in these walls, but there is only
big enough that each aerostat can have a small "footprint" so much they can do in a short period of time. A bullet
with plenty of room for the sun to peek around it and hole can be patched easily. Dozens of bullet holes
continue to nourish the forest. Or so the theory goes. might send the ship down into the jungle. Strict fire
EarthNOW! takes delight in publishing and distributing discipline must be enforced. No extreme rapid fire
statistics through pirate websites and hijacked weapons are permitted.
transmissions showing that the rain forests are dying under Guards inside the aerostats tend to be armed with tasers. It
the aerostats and entire habitats are being wiped out. is thought that there is an elite group of Ops using
The Aerostats are fully pressurized because they fly at 2 Monk nanomancy, which is not as destructive to the
kilometers, giving their extensive ECM suites enough time plastic.
to stop incoming shoulder-mounted SAMs and other
intruders. SkyLord security forces (a subsidiary of Glimmer The Plan
AG) provides overall security for the area, and other The team will be smuggled aboard the aerostat in a supply
company execs with homes in the colony have their own shuttle loaded otherwise with fruit and vegetables for the
patrolling forces as well. kitchen. Earthbound agents are ensuring that the ops and
their equipment can enter crates and be shipped up.
An Elevated Mission Another agent sympathetic to the mission will open up the
The Player Ops are given the task by either EarthNOW! or crates and give the Ops a last second briefing on where
the NWO to infiltrate themselves into the dirigible home of their target may be.
a Glimmer executive whose research staff has cracked the The shuttle will suffer a breakdown of a vital system and
code of the Tea Drinkers nanomancy. must be fixed in the shuttle bay. The Ops must accomplish
Being something of a nano-engineer himself, he wants to their mission and return to the shuttle within an hour, or the
evaluate it before deciding whether Glimmer wants to shuttle will have to leave, all systems fixed, to protect the
exploit it or just sell it back to the Tea Drinkers for even organization's cover for future operations.
more money for Glimmer. Since the Ops may be pursued, they can carry breaching
The intrusion must be done quickly because the exec will charges to blast holes in non-helium-cell surfaces. For
probably make a decision within days. Speed and force instance, they might have blast their way from the solarium
should be emphasized, though exploitation of the agents on the top floor directly down to the shuttle bay to get back
within the household is also good, as long as their cover is on the shuttle.
not blown.
The Exec's name is Emil Ritter. He lives on the aerostat,
Rules of Engagement
brand named Sky Lord, with his wife Julia and his These are the important parts of the pre-mission briefing.
daughter, Emma. They have crew for the aerostat, servants o No armor-piercing weaponry. This includes magnum
for themselves and security guards. They entertain pistols, heavy machine guns, assault rifles, rail guns,
frequently. and similar heavy ordnance.
Safety Briefing o Strict fire discipline. Never use more than three shot
bursts. If more than that goes through a wall, the
Several important points that anyone thinking of engaging nanites might not be able to deal with it in time.
in combat in one of the aerostats should know: o Do not shoot first. Give the opposition a chance to
o Thanks to Genesis control over the Texan helium surrender.
fields, the aerostats use helium exclusively for lifting o Do not endanger the aerostat. It's a long way down.
gas. The fact that Glammer AG has recently
discovered helium in connection with their North Sea o Do not break any helium filled walls. However, the
oil fields has also make helium more available for ceilings and floors are rarely helium cells.
exploitation. In general, this means that there will be
no hydrogen fires on the aerostats. Supplied Equipment
o However, since helium is not as light a gas as The Employers can supply extra ammunition for any
hydrogen, everything possible has to be done to cut weapon, 9mm pistols, shotguns, Kevlar if the Op has no
down on weight on the aerostats. Fortunately, high armor at all, restraints for incapacitating prisoners, sedative
tensile strength, light weight, plastic composites are patches for same, and gas grenades that fill a 5m radius for
readily available. But nothing is armored. Nothing has 15 turns with gas that has the same effect as a taser hit.
much armor value. Bullets go right through the plastic, They also supply breathing masks for moving through gas
leaving little holes for nanites recovery bots to patch. clouds.
o To increase buoyancy and to make the living
accommodations as comfortable as possible, the
buoyancy cells are distributed throughout the aerostat.
© 2003 by Taldren
General Layout of Sky Lord Aerostat You are packed into crates labeled "Produce" Each crate
has a spoofer whose sole function is to put out enough
The aerostat is a 440m x 210m loaf-shape with two levels. pheromes and effluvia that any detector just gets
The shuttle bay is in the middle of the lower floor. The rear vegetables, not Ops.
two thirds of the lower floor is taken up with crew and
The trip is a rocky one. The pilot is obviously trying to get
servant quarters, plus cargo storage and maintenance
to the aerostat as soon as possible to cut down on the
facilities. There is an elevated walkway all the way around
number of extraneous people present when you arrive. He
that allows the walker to look down at the mountains, rain
says over the intercom, which you can barely hear through
forest, and clouds below. The walkway rests on one set of
the crate walls, "We're still going to fake a problem, so
helium cells and is under the upper set. Stairs at strategic
once we are in the shuttle bay, no one else will be able to
points lead down to the various quarters and dining
get in.. Just hope that the traffic control boys let us in when
facilities. The front third of the lower floor is a very large
we get there, instead of waiting for all the bigshots to get in
dining room and a couple of private side rooms, plus the
first."
kitchen for the whole vehicle. These dining rooms also
have facilities for viewing the jungle below. Twenty bone-chipping, skin-dragging high acceleration
minutes later, he says, "Bingo, they're letting us in
The top floor has large glassine enclosures that house
immediately. Just be warned that we tracked three shuttles
gardens, a solarium/gymnasium, an observatory, and
entering before we got here."
various smaller domes that house family dwellings, the
control room, a conference room, and so forth. The pilot puts you through a couple of stomach-dropping
lurches before the engines cut out and the ship comes to
The accompanying map is more detailed.
rest. You can feel the shudder as the "hook" hauls the
<THIS NEEDS TO BE DRAWN BY SOMEONE WHO shuttle into the body of the aerostat. The cargo door slams
CAN DRAW MAPS. A very rough draft is attached open and the sound of electric lift trucks fills the
below.> compartment as you feel your crates being lifted onto the
trucks and then trundled out of the shuttle.
Initial Setup for Players The crates come to rest, standing on their ends. You watch
Read this to the players: as a sniffer head pokes into one of the air holes. Apparently
the spoofer is doing its job. There's no comment as the
Twelve hours before you are supposed to launch for the
sniffer is dragged out again.
aerostat, Henri, your contact, bustles into your ready room.
"We have to go now. The target is calling a big conference "I told you we didn't need four armed men hanging around
of a half dozen other big shots. He might hand over the just to open up some lettuce." You hear a feminine voice
information to any of them. " say.
"The good news is that they want a big shipment of food "Mr. Chen does not like uncertainty," you hear the
and party stuff NOW. So you are leaving, NOW. response. "We are doing our duty as we must."
"The bad news, of course, is that there will be as many as a "Ya, and Mr. Heinrichs is very anxious to see that the
half dozen competitors up there, depending on what order produce is fresh." He makes a sound of eating something
the shuttle gets to dock. You have to move quick, and there soft and fruit-filled, "This strudel is very good, I can say
might be guards in the cargo room where they unload you. that."
The agents on board should warn you, but we don't know What do you do as you hear crowbars being applied to the
how they'll do it, since we can't talk to them directly right crate front?
now. Security clamp down."
© 2003 by Taldren
Top Deck
Guest Quarters Floral Garden
E E
Garden Maintenance Comms and Control

Solarium and Sensors Room
Observatory and
Gymnasium
Conference
laboratory
Room
Family Quarters Kitchen Garden E

E
E
Bottom Deck
Walkway
Crew Quarters Crew Dining Private Walkway

Dining
E
E Dining
Room
Maintenance Shuttle Bay Cargo Hold Kitchen
Shack
E Servants Quarters E Servants Private

Dining Dining
E
Walkway
Walkway
© 2003 by Taldren
For CamJam purposes, all the cameras have CP of 20. The

The Initial Situation surveillance system for Hacking purposes has 50 CP and
Besides the two kitchen workers, Jeff and Heather, there ICE of 75. The security watch is on alert with all the
are four armed men in the cargo area. Two are Black visitors, but they have a lot of areas to keep tabs on, so
Dragon gunmen, two are the armed guards of one of the there is a constant 30% chance that they will see any
Glimmer executives. The two Glimmer goons have their significant event if the system has not been hacked, or a
hands full of pastry. Their tasers are holstered and their 20% chance during every encounter that someone will
shotguns are leaning against the wall near them. The two realize that the system has been Hacked.
Dragon men have their hands free but there are no weapons
in them. They really don't think there is going to be a The Next Step
problem. Assuming the Ops do not get bogged down in a firefight
The Black Dragons are armed with sawed off pump with the gunmen and then the combat armored guys in the
shotguns and blit daggers. They are Opposition value 75, shuttle bay, their best bet is to take the elevator up to the
Speed 38, CP 60, Health 75 next level, where the objective is likely to be. The elevator
takes them to the garden maintenance shop. There are only
The Heinrich bodyguards are Opposition value 70. Their two exits, both go to a greenhouse.
pump shotguns are not sawed off.
If they go to the nearest door, they get into a kitchen garden
Speed 35, CP 56, Health 70.
area. There are a couple of garden workers, who cower
Both sets of gunmen are wearing the equivalent of Kevlar because they can't get past the Ops. There is only one other
vests. exit.
The Cargo handling room is a large one, 60x70m. Much of If they go to the farther door, they run into the lady of the
it is filled with newly unloaded cargo, empty crates ready household showing their three visitors the lovely flower
to be taken back down with the shuttle, and a lot of garden. Mr. Chen, Mr. Heinrichs, and Mr. Dubois each
luggage. Apparently the various executives' luggage was have their wives and four bodyguards with them. These
stored here after being unloaded from the previous shuttles. men are similar to those who were in the cargo hold. Mr.
Each mound of luggage is in its own marked off area and Dubois's men are armed with laser pistols and are
there are three empty marked off areas. Opposition level 75. See Black Dragons for further stats.
The walls of the room are obviously helium cells except for Like the other garden, there is only one other exit.
the one between the cargo room and the shuttle bay.
If they are in the first alternative garden, the exit leads to a
There are four doors leading from the Cargo area. The short tunnel that leads into the very well appointed lounge
crates are facing the forward door that leads to the kitchen. area of the family's living quarters. There they find four
The door is flanked by helium cells. The door to the left young women, who happen to be the daughter of the house
(also between helium cells) goes to the crew dining room (Emma Ritter), her best friend from college, and the
(currently empty). The door to the right (between cells) teenage daughters of Mr. Chen and Mr. Dubois. There are
goes to the servants' dining room (also empty). The door also two women guards and two cat girl guards. The
behind the Ops leads back to the Shuttle bay. That door is women are Miss Dubois's guards, are 75 opposition level
still open and quick check shows the shuttle is still there, and also carry lasers.
and some techs are already approaching the engines. There Speed 53, CP 60, Health 60
are also four guards in combat armor, two human males
and two Ogres, who are currently at ease, looking at the The cat-girls are Miss Ritter's bodyguards and are
shuttle curiously. Opposition 80 with aeromancy. The cat-girls are wearing
polymer armor. One of them is a Healer, as is one of the
The Men and Ogres are Opposition Level 70. They are Dubois guards.
armed with assault rifles with plastic ammo. Armor has
twice its normal effect against this ammunition and the Speed 65, CP 96, Health 56
walls are not greatly harmed by it. The Ogres have rail guns From the second alternative garden, the Ops can go through
handy for use against hard targets like the shuttle. a tunnel that leads to the lounge area of the remaining four
Men are speed 35, CP 56, Health 70 aeromancer family guards, two more cat-girls and two men.
Ogres are Speed 18, CP 27, Health 99 Male Ritter Guards, Speed 43, CP 68, health 85
There is an elevator platform in the corner between the Assuming the Ops shot their way past the group in the
doors to the kitchen and servants' quarters. Heather (the garden, the aeromancers are waiting for them. They are
agent) suggests you take it up. She ways that the owner, wearing polymer armor.
Herr Ritter, is putting together a presentation in the
conference room or in his private quarters, both of which Finding the Data
are in the rear of the aerostat top floor. The family quarters Assuming the Ops take out the bodyguards and get their
are on the starboard side. hands on Miss Emma Ritter, who is about 19 and mostly
decorative, they have a hostage and a guide to her father's
Security Situation office. The Ritter Security forces will not jeopardize
There are cameras in every public area of the aerostat, all of Emma. The security forces for the visitors have no such
which are monitored in the Sensors area in the top level.
© 2003 by Taldren
compunction, though they will not jeopardize their own way of keeping the information inside his system. If the
boss's daughters. Ops do not have the girls, he will still use this as a way to
They also find that Hannah Deitrich, the college friend, is keep further destruction from happening. The Ops can
actually an EarthNOW sympathizer and is the one who make their own judgment call, their mission is to get the
alerted EN to the presence of the datachip. data, not necessarily keep Ritter from having it.
So even without Emma Ritter, the Ops can make their way If they don't go for it, they'll have to fight their way past the
to the office of Emil Ritter, the man with the data. oncoming bodyguards of the other bidders, get to the
Solarium, blast a hole in the floor, drop to the shuttle, get
On their way, they run into the aeromancer guards in, and get away, perhaps fighting the combat armored
described earlier, who have been monitoring and racing guards in the process.
through their quarters and then the observatory and lab to
get to the Ops. The bodyguards described earlier as being If they agree, Ritter is as good as his word, letting them get
in the port garden are behind them but closing fast. away and letting the shuttle go.
In either case, the shuttle is pursued, even if Ritter is still
Confronting Ritter aboard. His second-in-command is ambitious and has
managed to persuade at least two patrol pilots to get the
When they corner Ritter, he will try to bluff them into Ops over Ritter's dead body. The GM can decide whether
taking a different set of data. It is on the right chip, because the pilot is just good enough to lose the pursuers or he
he already downloaded it and put some non-vital wants to play out a vehicle pursuit and potential dog-fight.
information in its place. A Hacking roll will show the
substitution and a Hack of his system will find the data, The successful Ops get $10,000 each, appropriate EP for
which the hacker can grab for himself. The system ICE what they did during the course of the action, and 10 EP to
value is 90 and it has 75 Chi. be applied to getting one of the mancy skillsets in the data.
Remember, that this is more efficient use of the nanites,
If the Ops threaten to kill him for the subterfuge, Ritter will and the damage done has a level of 15 points, not 10.
bargain by saying that he will go with the Ops if they leave
his daughter and her friend on the aerostat. If he thinks he .
has a chance, he will also try to use his hostage status as a
Where You Go From Here

Okay, you've worked your way through the sewers of Paris of the organizations are not particularly friendly to their
and visited the Sky Lords of Brazil. Now what? members. Large corporations like Zubrin like to promote
the "family" feeling amongst its employees, but Ops know
Visit Scenic… that what they do can be disavowed at any time.
One path your campaign can follow is more and more o Superiors are likely to be disdainful or unconcerned
search and destroy and data grab missions. The Black9 with the problems of the Ops.
Solar System is a large place, full of interesting o Co-workers might want to exploit a connection to the
environments. Op, perhaps using persuasion or blackmail to get the
o You can send Ops teams to Mars to help or hinder Op to perform special jobs for them.
Zubrin's attempt to reach the stars. o Other employees might be spies for the opposition,
o You can try to ferret out NWO bases or MPM data and do their best to either sabotage the Ops or recruit
havens in the asteroid belts. them for another organization.
o You can investigate the closely guarded Genesis The best solution for this problem is to work the problem.
facility at Luna II. o Superiors can have weak spots to investigate and
o You can dive deep into the sea to investigate the exploit.
activities of companies mining and colonizing the o Relationships with non-Ops can be exploited in turn.
continental shelves. o Spies' sabotage can be stopped, or the Ops can allow
o You can investigate the still-underwater ruins of themselves to be recruited, perhaps into a better
London and Brest and Lisbon. situation than they are leaving behind.
o The exotic East awaits, with the mysterious
nanomancy-using Monks and deadly Dragons. Trivial Events
It is amazing sometimes just how the smallest thing can be
Playing Politics blown up into a major event. Here are a few possibilities:
But getting in, shooting the guards, and getting out tends to o Bad Bugs. One of the PCs, or another Op working for
be repetitious after awhile. And there are a lot more arenas the same organization gets some black market nanites
for the Ops to participate in. that will allow him to access a new SkillSet. But they
The Black 9 world is ruled by 9 organizations, and none of aren't what's advertised. The nanites start changing
them are particularly friendly to the others. Moreover, most him, drastically. And he doesn't know his friends and
© 2003 by Taldren
companions any more. And he seems to want to kill going on, perhaps because of a careless agent, or an
everyone… attempt to recruit them, Glimmer puts all of its
o A day in the country. It is time for a vacation. The Ops monetary muscle behind hunting them down and
have been working entirely too hard and need a break. eliminating them. The Ops have to persuade at least
What better place to relax than in the Rocky one of the other Black 9 of the danger and strike first.
Mountains wilderness areas? But why is that o The Black Dragons have avoided involvement in
prospector shooting at them? What strange secrets are space, or have they? It is known that the New World
the inhabitants of the local small town hiding? Is that a Order has Mafia and Columbian connections. What if
competing group of Ops camping in that next the Black Dragons have infiltrated those mobs and
campsite? Why did you leave your combat armor at taken them over. Now they have connections with the
home? New World Order bases in the asteroid belt. Perhaps
o Payback. The Ops went to ground in a civilian's home it's time for a little simple blackmail. Nothing need be
and evaded the guards looking for them. But now the publicized. Just inform the other Black 9 members that
civilians have their own agenda, and are claiming the asteroids are aimed at Earth. A little easing off of
Ops owe them help. enforcement here, some technology provided there,
some cash payments everywhere, and there will be no
o The Price of Fame. The Ops incidentally rescue a problem…
major media star as part of a mission. The next thing
they know, they are the featured names in a song from
Other Menaces
the same star. And the idiot says things in the song
that no one outside the organization should ever know! And, of course, it is easy to forget that there might be a
o Racial Tensions. While shopping for day to day universe outside the Black 9 box.
supplies, the PCs suddenly realize the Ogres and Cats o What if a Zubrin space probe lands on Europa, and
in their group are being ignored, or harassed. Despite wakes the gigantic robotic planet killer that has been
the star quality some genemods have, there are sitting there since it destroyed the civilization on the
civilians who hate and fear them, and this attitude is planet that became the asteroid belt?
starting to come out. What, if anything, are the PC o What if nanites-bearing lab mice have been escaping
genemods, and their human partners, going to do to the sewers of all the big cities, and breeding.
about it?
o What if all the high tech fixes aren't working, and the
Vast Conspiracies ecology of Earth is breaking down? Killer smog, high
levels of CO2, an ozone layer stripped from the
All of the Black 9 organizations work in secret, even if they atmosphere. This may seem outside the competence of
have a public face like Genesis and EarthNOW. It is a bunch of Ops, but when one entity might have the
possible to get the Ops caught up in a secret conspiracy that solution to the problem, but is sitting on it out of
will rock the world as they know it. Some possibilities… ignorance or perhaps a determination to profit from it
o Glimmer AG is not a simple commercial empire. They in some manner, then someone has to take a hand.
have been working on a plan to subvert all of the o Or what if the people working their way up the
nanites to follow their agenda. Towards this end, they authority ladder in the organization the Ops belong to
have put agents into all of the other organizations, and turn out to be something else, entirely? Aliens, elves,
they are initiating a series of data steals from one to mutated badgers, any of the above attempting to use
the other, with the intent of skimming the data to the Black 9 to gain supremacy on Earth.
further their plan. When the Ops find out what is
© 2003 by Taldren
Game Conversions
The game system used in Black 9 Ops (B9Ops) is unique to These are written with the assumption that the players are
the game, though it has some elements in common with the already familiar with the other game systems. The
Basic Role Playing system used by Chaosium Inc in such following guidelines provide a general system for
games as Call of Cthulhu and Stormbringer. translating B9Ops to the systems. GMs with experience in
If your preference in game systems leans toward some of the other systems will have to make the detailed
the most popular systems currently in circulation, here are conversions based on these guidelines.
some quick and dirty conversion rules.
D20 System
First thing to say is that this translation is NOT a D20
system game. D20 Skills and Feats
Beginning D20 B9Ops characters have 20 points to put
D20 Abilities towards the B9Ops Skills. Each point gives 1 point of Skill.
To determine equivalent D20 Abilities to the B9Ops No Skill may be more than 3 points above the level of the
Attributes, simply divide the Attribute by 5 (rounding in the Operative. If translating a B9Ops character to D20,
character's favor) and subtract 2. This becomes the Bonus remember that D20 adds Abilities/Attributes and Skills.
of the character; simply work backwards to determine the Therefore, if a B9Ops character has a 25 Dex and a Hack
Ability. Skill of 85, subtract the 25 from the 85 (getting 60) before
translating the Skill number (12). Note that, by the rules in
For Example: If Jake has a STR of 35, an AGL of 30, a the second sentence of this paragraph, the character must be
DEX of 25, and a CON of 30, this translates to:
9th level. Translated characters are very likely to be high
B9Ops /5 D20 D20 level to start with.
Bonus Ability Feats are equivalent to the non StreetSmart nanoskills.
STR 35 5 +5 20-21 STR Unlike B9Ops, the subsequent Feats, like FireBall to
AGL 30 4 +4 18-19 DEX FireFist, are separate Feats and must be taken separately
DEX 25 3 +3 16-17 INT and only after the prerequisite Feat has been taken. All
CON 30 4 +4 18-19 CON NanoSkills retain their basic mechanics. They cost Chi,
For the WIS bonus, take the B9Ops Perceive Ability and there is a basic chance of using them that gets better.
divide by 10, then subtract 2 to get the Bonus. However, The incremental increase is a +1 that can be
taken as a Skill increase when a character rises a level. All
Charisma must be estimated based on the personality of the
Skills are divided by 5 to determine their value under the
character.
D20 system.
This gives very high Abilities, but in the world of nano-
surgery and bionic implants, this is not particularly strange. D20 Combat
D20 Races Combat rules remain the same as B9Ops as far as distance
moved, weapon damage and effects of armor. Appropriate
The B9Ops races are obvious, and their various abilities are combat options from the D20 system can be used.
also obvious and mostly tied up in their Attributes.
Cat-Girls have a natural Nightvision ability and are +2 with D20 Experience and Progression
all Jumping.
Using the D20 rules, Experience can be handled in one of
D20 Classes two ways. The first would be to use the B9Ops Experience
System and equate a number of those Experience Points,
There is only one Class in B9Ops, that of Operative. The such as 30, with a progression in level. Start each character
Operative starts with the HERA NanoSkill and may choose off with a number tied to their Attributes, such as 150, and
one other. The Operative then picks up another StreetSmart give them a raise in level every 30 points thereafter.
NanoSkill every two levels, on 3, 5, 7, etc. Alternately, the GM can use the normal D20 progression
Hit points are figured just as they are in B9Ops. There is no chart and re-evaluate the hazards of being an Op to
progression in Hit Points. determine what the Experience Reward should be in each
mission.
© 2003 by Taldren
White Wolf System

The very popular White Wolf System uses D10s to resolve Hand Damage is taken directly from the STR and is not a
situations, rather than percentages. It is best in this case to separate Ability. Dice derived from the %ile in Martial Arts
use the simpler variant on this method found in the White add to the dice of the STR.
Wolf Trinity Series of games, where in all cases a roll of 7
or higher on a D10 is a success and all that matters is the Using Shadowrun
number of successes.
Shadowrun is a popular game that has a similar background
The Translation is really very simple. For every 10 %iles or to Black 9 Ops and a similar resolution system to the White
fraction thereof in an Attribute, Ability, or Skill, substitute Wolf system.
a d10.; Thus, Jake, in the above example, would have a
STR of 4, an AGL of 3, a DEX of 3 and a CON of 3. There are some differences from the White Wolf system,
particularly in how combat results are resolved, but the
Skills likewise substitute a d10 for every 10 %iles or major game system difference is that the players roll a d6
fraction thereof. Because the White Wolf system adds the for every 10 %iles instead of a d10.
dice of the skill to the Attribute, rather than figuring the
Skill from the Attribute, the Skill dice should be reduced by
the Dice of the controlling Attribute.
3D6 Systems
Systems such as GURPS and the Hero System, which use a
bell curve derived from the roll of 3d6, are a bit harder to
translate. For the most part, the translators will just have to
accept the differences a flat scale result system, such as
rolling d100, and a bell curve system such as rolling 3d6
provides.
Both GURPS and Hero System characteristics can be
translated from Black 9 Ops by a two-step process. First
use the D20 system conversion to determine the bonuses,
then use the D20 Abilities as Hero Characteristics.
Characteristics like Ego and Presence will just have to be
derived normally for Hero System. Black 9 Ops characters
are essentially low-level supers, and should probably be
derived from about 250 points. That may be a good starting
number for GURPS as well, though this author has not
played GURPS recently enough to be positive.
In general, translating Abilities and Skills is a bit more
math-intensive under these systems. Just keep the following
guidelines in mind.
o A 90% chance translates to about a roll of 14 or less
on 3d6. 95% is about a roll of 15 or less.
o A 50% chance is a roll of 10 or less on 3d6, though
these systems tend to fudge this by using 11 or less as
the midway mark.
o Assuming that 65% would be a 12 or less and 80%
would be a 13 or less is a reasonable, but not exact,
translation.
© 2003 by Taldren

Black9 Ops PDF

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Black9 Ops PDF

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Black9 Ops PDF

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

BLACK9 OPS

© 2003 by Taldren Inc.

Ability-Related Skills ......................................................................................................................................................... 16

© 2003 by Taldren Inc.

© 2003 by Taldren Inc.

© 2003 by Taldren Inc.

Role Playing with Paper and Pencil

2. The GM is not the player's opponent. In a computer The Campaign

© 2003 by Taldren Inc.

The specific rules of how to role play in this game are

The World of the Black 9

© 2003 by Taldren Inc.

The Black 9, Rulers of the World?

© 2003 by Taldren Inc.

The Media Moguls

© 2003 by Taldren Inc.

© 2003 by Taldren Inc.

Attributes and their Meanings Body Type, a Matter of Choice

Dexterity (DEX) Ogre

© 2003 by Taldren Inc.

© 2003 by Taldren Inc.

Ogre Enhancements Physical Trauma. Problems like 5 points for the

© 2003 by Taldren Inc.

Effects of Body Type

© 2003 by Taldren Inc.

A surprised target has no Dodge. A wary target who Perceive

The number of Health Points (HP) an Op has determines Speed

© 2003 by Taldren Inc.

List of All Skills

© 2003 by Taldren Inc.

NanoSkills SkillSet Name of Skill Initial Value CP Cost

Ability Related Skills Descriptions

© 2003 by Taldren Inc.

Drive or Pilot Martial Arts

© 2003 by Taldren Inc.

Nanotech Skills Use

© 2003 by Taldren Inc.

© 2003 by Taldren Inc.

ECM (Emergency Counter-Measures)

© 2003 by Taldren Inc.

© 2003 by Taldren Inc.

© 2003 by Taldren Inc.

© 2003 by Taldren Inc.

© 2003 by Taldren Inc.

Rewards and Experience

Gaining New Skills and Improving What You Have

Earning Experience Points

© 2003 by Taldren Inc.

Subtracting from an Op's Experience o Killing or wounding an ally

Zubrin Company Martian Wind Power

© 2003 by Taldren Inc.

The Game System

Initiative and the Combat turn

© 2003 by Taldren Inc.

The combat turn then progresses on down to the slowest

Cover can do two things. (1) Conceal the Op and (2)

Damage and Healing

Weapons and Items

Items available at any appropriate retail outlet and their costs