Category Archives: GameMaster’s Resource

D10: Night City Rumours – The Gangs of Night City III

10 Hooks and Rumours for Cyberpunk 2.0.2.0.’s Night City

Cyberpunk CityThis list has ten hooks and rumours that can be heard about the gangs of Night City. Whether or not they are true is up to the GameMaster. They can be used as background colour or as potential adventure hooks.

  1. This list has ten hooks and rumours that can be heard about the gangs of Night City. Whether or not they are true is up to the GameMaster. They can be used as background colour or as potential adventure hooks.
  2. Arzin Tynon is a new boostergang to Night City, and other boostergangs treat them with contempt. It’s rumoured that the gang is planning to make a play to not only grab some turf of their own, but to earn the respect of the other gangs. It isn’t known what they might be planning to try, but it could well be bloody.
  3. Blood & Tears is a combat gang in the Zone noted for their trademark removal of eyes from their victims. It’s rumoured that a few people have been turning up outside the Zone also missing their eyes, and some are concerned that the gang is branching away from their home turf.
  4. Death in the Afternoon is one of only two true Nihilist groups still operating in Night City. The gang operates out of the Combat Zone and does most of its damage outside the city proper. There are rumours, though, that recently Death P.M. has started carrying out more attacks within the bounds of Night City. It might be that they will go the same way as the third Nihilist gang, but they could still do a lot of damage on the way out.
  5. Jack the Rippers is a nasty gang known to be responsible for the deaths of over one hundred joygirls in the last three years. Though witnesses claim the killer is one man, the NCPD has decided they are the work of a deranged gang. However, some believe that the police are definitely on the wrong track with that, and that until they start looking for a single individual, the police are not going to get anywhere.
  6. The Edison’s are a posergang that specialises in the construction of ingenious and sadistic deathtraps and similar creations. Though most of these seem to be made for the gang’s own enjoyment, it’s said that they will also create traps for a price, should anyone have someone they want disposing of in an unusually cruel way.
  7. The Golden Knights are a guardian gang with technology and strategies that allow them to keep a four-block area safe. It’s rumoured that some of those they’ve managed to keep out of their turf are unhappy about it, and that the gang’s leader has a substantial price on his head as a result.
  8. The Second Comming are a former millennium cult that now believes that the Second Coming will arrive during the final episode of Combat Cabb. It’s rumoured that some of the gang’s members want to hasten this by forcing the series to end sooner than is planned.
  9. The Tygers Claw occasionally protect the Japanese community at large in Night City, and there are rumours that they are backed by Arasaka. Though most believe the backing is purely financial, it’s also rumoured that Arasaka provides the members with cutting-edge cyberware designed to increase their speed and skills.
  10. The Water Rats operate around Night City’s docks, and specialise in helping pirates smuggle stuff into the city. It’s said that the gang isn’t fussed about just what they smuggle into the city, as long as they themselves are at no risk of being directly harmed by it.
  11. The Widow Sisterhood are a posergang sculpted to resemble famous beauties from past and present, and they are also assassins often hired by the corps or used as bodyguards. The Sisterhood is so close to so many powerful people that it’s rumoured that they also have a great deal of knowledge about just what’s going on in the precincts of power.

Want some general cyberpunk rumours? Check out 100 Cyber City Rumours.

D10: Night City Rumours – Bank Block is unofficial content provided under the Homebrew Content Policy of R. Talsorian Games and is not approved or endorsed by RTG. This content references materials that are the property of R. Talsorian Games and its licensees.

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D10: Tracks to See on the Plains

Plains
Andrew Krahnke

Creatures that move through the plains leave signs of their passage, and here are ten different things that might be spotted.

  1. A partly crushed insect struggles on the ground.
  2. Clod of earth that has been scuffed up by a foot.
  3. Crops have been damaged by something pushing past.
  4. Drops of water have recently been splashed from a small stream.
  5. Grass stems broken partway up.
  6. Petals knocked on the ground from a flower.
  7. Plant with a slightly bent stem.
  8. Rabbit hole with signs of a foot having caught in it.
  9. Single footprint in a clear patch of ground.
  10. Stone that has been kicked.

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D10: Numenera Rumours – Rachid II

Numenera Cover
TM and © 2019 Monte Cook Games, LLC.

Numenera is a game published by Monte Cook Games. Its setting is the Ninth World, and this list has ten rumours for that setting. The rumours, which are similar to the Hearsay that can be found in the official books, can be used as adventure hooks or as simple misinformation.

  1. At the far end of the span is a degraded structure that once might have been a twin to the Catholith. Few from Rachid spend much time at that end of the span, but it’s rumoured that the Aeon Priests are thinking of setting up a small outpost there to excavate the structure’s remains.
  2. Bashan sells those who choose to walk the span of the Catholith meats and cheeses wrapped in haster leaves. Many walkers gossip to Bashan as they purchase a snack, and some say that over the years Bashan has gathered more information about the Catholith than even the Aeon Priests have.
  3. Conny Osolorian is a member of the Osolorian family who has a fascination with stories of what lies beyond the span and in other lands. It’s rumoured that she’s thinking of leaving Rachid with the next group of travellers who arrive who seem to be interesting enough.
  4. Officer Junira is the member of the Rachid Guard who is in charge of the detachment that watches the Catholith’s span. It’s said that Junira has a deep-seated hatred of the vulfen that plague the span, and is always willing to listen to any newcomer to the town who might know of a way of getting rid of them.
  5. Outsiders who arrive in Rachid are little trusted and treated with a lot of suspicion, as the settlement has little contact with others. There are rumours that outsiders who fail to allay the suspicions of the Rachidans have a tendency to disappear, at least as far as the outside world is concerned.
  6. Sethridge the Whisper Buyer will buy whispers from those who walk the span of the Catholith, if they want to make a quick profit. He trades these whispers to others in Rachid, though some believe that Sethridge keeps the best ones for himself for an unknown reason.
  7. The clave is where the Aeon Priests resident in Rachid dwell, and outsiders, including other Rachidans, are generally not welcome in the building. The priests are tolerated and kept supplied because they buy whispers and have agreed to deal with issues that require their expertise, but some Rachidans mumble that the priests themselves are the source of most such problems that happen in Rachid, ensuring that they are always needed.
  8. The Osolorian Seat is a sprawling building that is home to the ruling family of Rachid, as well as the seat of the city’s government. The structure is a number of buildings that have grown together over the decades, and there are rumours that there are secrets hidden within it in rooms only the family itself can find.
  9. The Rachid Guard has a detachment posted at the Catholith ensures that those who return across the span are Rachidans, as well as stopping people from climbing it or entering the hollow spaces on the head. Despite this, there are occasionally rumours of people being seen in the hollow spaces of the head, despite the guards insisting that no-one passed them to climb the Catholith.
  10. The span of the Catholith can be dangerous to cross in high winds, as the middle part twists and bucks from the wind. Some claim that the movement has been growing greater with age, suggesting that the span is perhaps wearing out and may at some point fall, pointing at the possible former twin of the Catholith at the other end as evidence that such could come to pass.

Want some items that could be used as oddities? Check out 100 Xenoarchaeological Finds.

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D10: The Strange Rumours – Recursions: Ohunkakan

WorldsThe Strange is a game published by Monte Cook Games. It is, at least in part, set in the normal world, but there are other worlds out there, in the Strange. This list has ten rumours for that setting, similar to the various different adventure hooks in the books, and these can be used as adventure hooks or simple misinformation.

  1. Coyote is one of the elder spirits of Ohunkakan and where he walks the world is always touched with absurd humour and comedic consequences are common. It’s said that if Coyote is annoyed with someone, then the humour gains a harsher tinge to it in order to punish the recipient.
  2. Elements from the past, often mythic in nature, can be seen in Ohunkakan, mixed up with more modern things. It’s said that if you study the recursion for long enough, you can gain insight into what happened in the past by observing the elements of it that still remain in the recursion.
  3. Grandfather of Bears can force travellers to hold up mountains by the strength they gain due to his reality-warping nature. It’s said that if you can please Grandfather, he will grant you a boon, part of himself that will allow the wearer to have unusual strength as long as they are in Ohunkakan.
  4. Storytellers of Ohunkakan can alter the world around them, and their ability is highly esteemed. It’s rumoured, though, that a small number of storytellers use their abilities for their own personal advantage, altering the world to benefit them and them alone.
  5. Tales told in the recursion of Ohunkakan just might come true, and some recursors have been reputedly trying to take advantage of this, by repeatedly telling stories they want to come true. It’s not known if any have been successful, but it’s said that if they persist it could cause trouble one way or another.
  6. The elder spirits of Ohunkakan carry their own pocket realities around with them, where reality itself is warped by the logic of their own story. It’s rumoured that sometimes one of these elder spirits is even able to warp reality outside of the recursion, though as they never leave it’s unclear how this would be known.
  7. The Horned Serpent of Ohunkakan has been slain many times, but each time returns again, though often in a different shape. It’s rumoured that there is a way of permanently killing the Horned Serpent, but that this way is kept secret, because of the creature ever dies then Ohunkakan will die with it.
  8. The Thunderer of Ohunkakan is a being that inspires bravery and punishes cowardice and, as well as causing destruction, also causes new life to spring up in his wake. It’s rumoured, though, that sometimes the Thunderer only causes destruction, eradicating all life as he passes.
  9. The war between the Thunderer and the Horned Serpent in Ohunkakan constantly damages the threads of the stories and skilled storytellers must constantly weave them back together, else risk opening Ohunkakan to the Strange. It’s rumoured that this task is getting increasingly harder, and the likelihood of the recursion being opened rises with every generation that passes.
  10. There are dangerous spirits in Ohunkakan that prey on people, and as long as stories are told about these spirits, they will remain a danger. It’s said to be impossible to end the stories, for the spirits themselves seek out people to tell them, whispering their own tales in the sleeping recipient’s ear so that they will speak it when they wake.

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D10: Night City Rumours – The Gangs of Night City II

10 Hooks and Rumours for Cyberpunk 2.0.2.0.’s Night City

Cyberpunk CityThis list has ten hooks and rumours that can be heard about the gangsl of Night City. Whether or not they are true is up to the GameMaster. They can be used as background colour or as potential adventure hooks.

  1. One of the favourite pastimes of the Sacred Blades is their practice of “counting coup” which is to leave a red handprint on a rival gang member or NCPD officer without being stopped or caught. It’s rumoured that this same print has been turning up in strange places in Night City, often well-protected ones, and it’s thought that perhaps counting coup has extended into beating security in various places.
  2. Random acts of violence inspired by the band Total Anarchy are what the chromer gang known as the Steel Slaughter Slammers are renowned for. However, it’s rumoured that not every act of random violence is truly as random as it might seem; it’s said that if the gang is slipped some money, some of the apparently random violence is instead directed at specific targets.
  3. The Bozos are killer clowns with a vicious and lethal sense of fun. It’s rumoured that the gang have been developing new devices, things that look like ordinary toys, but if someone other than a Bozo picks one up, soon show their true colours as lethal objects. It’s said the Bozos have been seeding these devices amongst ordinary items of the type they appear to be, so they can wait for the unknowing victim to start the fun.
  4. The Bradi Bunch is a family posergang based on the old vidshow. Their members or runaway or orphaned children, and it’s rumoured that the gang trains these children to get into places where adults could not, in order to help the gang acquire the resources it needs.
  5. The Inquisitors are a gang that is at war with every other gang in the city, and others besides, for they believe that cybernetics are evil and seek to destroy it. No-one knows the gang’s home turf, or who leads them, but there are substantial rewards for the information. Some claim, however, that the reason no turf or leader can be identified is that the gang itself is not a gang but a front for a government operation of some kind, and who’s in charge changes regularly.
  6. The Kennedys are a posergang centred on the famous Kennedy family of the 20th century. They have no turf and it’s believed that their leader is planning to run for mayor. It’s rumoured that other members of the gang have been laying groundwork, some legal, much not, for this campaign.
  7. The Piranhas are a party gang in the Combat Zone whose sole purpose is to have fun, though outsiders are not sure just what the gang defines “fun” as. It’s rumoured that a few people in the Zone have disappeared to end up entertaining the Piranhas at one of their parties.
  8. The Red Chrome Legion are militant skinheads who primarily terrorise those that are not like them, which is pretty much everyone, though they notably avoid attacking those who are more powerful. It’s rumoured that the Legion is trying to get its hands on some decent cyberware to really make the chrome part of their name ring true.
  9. The Voodoo Boys have been a high priority target for the NCPD for some time, but the police have had little success in dealing with them. It’s rumoured that undercover cops have attempted to infiltrate the gang, and that so far everyone has been sent back in pieces.
  10. Warrior Heart are a combat gang found in the Combat Zone, one that fortunately spends most of its time fighting other gangs in order to hone their combat skills. However, it’s rumoured that the gang has been striking out of the Zone recently, not just at gangs bordering it, but anyone else who looks like they might be a challenge, from solos to NCPD officers.

Want some general cyberpunk rumours? Check out 100 Cyber City Rumours.

D10: Night City Rumours – Bank Block is unofficial content provided under the Homebrew Content Policy of R. Talsorian Games and is not approved or endorsed by RTG. This content references materials that are the property of R. Talsorian Games and its licensees.

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D10: Tracks to See in a Desert

Skeleton in the Desert
Some artwork © 2015 Dean Spencer, used with permission. All rights reserved.

Creatures that move through a desert leave signs of their passage, and here are ten different things that might be spotted.

  1. Dead scorpion that has been crushed by a boot.
  2. Discarded leather strap that has perished and snapped.
  3. Fragments of bone that have been cracked open partially buried in the sand.
  4. Plant that bears a bruise from where something has knocked it.
  5. Scattering of ash on top of the sand.
  6. Scrap of fabric that is blowing in the wind.
  7. Slowly disappearing as the sand settles are several footprints.
  8. Sticking out of the sand is a bit of canvas, which is revealed to be part of a buried tent.
  9. Waste that has been buried in a shallow depression.
  10. Water skin that has been discarded; it has a hole in it.

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D10: Numenera Rumours – Rachid

Numenera Cover
TM and © 2019 Monte Cook Games, LLC.

Numenera is a game published by Monte Cook Games. Its setting is the Ninth World, and this list has ten rumours for that setting. The rumours, which are similar to the Hearsay that can be found in the official books, can be used as adventure hooks or as simple misinformation.

  1. Ambids, small furry creatures found on Rachid’s mesa, are used by the Aeon Priests to store whispers. Each ambid can store several whispers, and the priests keep careful track of which ambid has what whispers. There are rumours, though, that the ambids that have stored the whispers the longest are changing in some way.
  2. Haster leaves grow on the sides of the mesa on which Rachid is built and are a major source of food for the inhabitants. It’s rumoured that, though the leaves are normally bright red, it’s possible to find some that are different colours and, perhaps, these are also different in other ways.
  3. In Rachid, the Catholith’s whispers are currency, and it’s rumoured that with them having value, some always seek a means of counterfeiting them, so that they can create their own whispers without needing to have those that originally came from the Catholith. It’s said that this never works and those who try it always end up dying or just disappearing, never to be seen again.
  4. Most inhabitants of Rachid think little about the doors that dot the mesa, so they do little about trying to open them, outside the clave of Aeon Priests. It’s rumoured that those who do pry into the doors have a tendency to suddenly decide not to do so, perhaps discouraged in some way by the priests.
  5. Some of those who hear the whispers of the Catholith can glean meaning from the sounds, and it’s rumoured that the Aeon Priests are attempting to find as many of these people as possible, residents of Rachid or not, in order to build up a stable of people who can understand the whispers, which would greatly aid the priests in their research.
  6. The Cathics of Rachid believe that the Catholith is a sleeping god which may wake if not worshipped properly. They consider taking the words of their god to be both sacrilegious and dangerous, and it’s rumoured that a few of the more extreme Cathics have started taking action regarding this, at least with those walkers of the Catholith who do not hail from Rachid.
  7. The Osolarian family are the hereditary rulers of Rachid and the current one who speaks for the family is Jath Osolarian, known informally as Uncle Jath. Some say that the “Uncle” part of Jath’s nickname is to lure people into a false sense of security, painting a homely picture of someone who in truth has a razor-sharp mind and is anything but homely.
  8. Though there are many doors around Rachid, few of them are ever used. It’s rumoured, though, that recently a number of people have been seen entering and leaving the doors, more than is usually the case. Moreover, those who have glimpsed these people say they are not from Rachid itself.
  9. Vulfen are predators that fly over the canyon that the Catholith crosses, swarming when walkers reach the centre of the span in an attempt to knock them off to the ground below. Given that the vulfen are only aggressive when walkers reach that point, some suspect that they are linked to the Catholith in some way, perhaps as some kind of defence mechanism.
  10. Whispers can be heard by those who cross the Catholith; not everyone who crosses hears one but most do. These whispers can be sold on to others, and the Aeon Priests are always willing to buy them. It’s rumoured that another, much more secretive, group is also trying to purchase as many whispers as they can.

Want some items that could be used as oddities? Check out 100 Xenoarchaeological Finds.

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D8: The Strange Rumours – Recursions: Graveyard of the Machine God

WorldsThe Strange is a game published by Monte Cook Games. It is, at least in part, set in the normal world, but there are other worlds out there, in the Strange. This list has eight rumours for that setting, similar to the various different adventure hooks in the books, and these can be used as adventure hooks or simple misinformation.

  1. At the centre of the Graveyard of the Machine God is a destroyed structure that resembles a massive cybernetic humanoid. It’s said that the silicon deity is obviously dead, but some recursors have claimed to have seen activity within it unconnected to any of the still-functioning subsidiary systems, and have posited that perhaps the being is slowly repairing itself.
  2. Chunks of debris tumble through the Graveyard of the Machine God, surrounding the dead silicon deity that forms the recursion’s centre. It’s said that some of the debris doesn’t move in a random way, but in one that suggests a degree of sentient control, though whether it’s the debris itself that’s sentient, or whether an external force is directing it, is open to question.
  3. It’s said that the silicone deity that lies at the heart of the Graveyard of the Machine God knew much about recursions other than its own, and it would be a treasure trove of knowledge should anyone gain access to it. There are rumours that some of the sacrosancts are attempting to access this knowledge for their own purposes.
  4. Razor-droids are less intelligent mechanical droids found in the Graveyard of the Machine God. Though they primarily attack the sacrosancts in an attempt to stop them from raiding the god’s corpse for parts, it’s rumoured that they will attack anything else who might either attempt to scavenge from the place, or who might provide useful raw material for the sacrosancts.
  5. Sacrosancts are autonomous mechanical droids that live in the corpse of the silicon deity in the Graveyard of the Machine God, scavenging parts from the silicon corpse in order to survive. It’s rumoured that some sacrosancts are perfectly willing to slice up anything else they encounter into usable parts, and that this is where the flesh they partly consist of comes from.
  6. The Graveyard of the Machine God is infested with a nanovirus that infests those who travel to it. Translating to another recursion is one way to kill off the nanovirus, but it’s rumoured that the nanovirus is continually adapting, and is possibly sentient, with the end goal of adapting enough to survive outside of its home recursion.
  7. The razor-droids have been trying and failing to destroy the group of sacrosancts known as the Washed, and it’s rumoured that each failure is making the Washed stronger. It’s said that some razor-droids have been turned to the washed without the usual conversion process, then sent back out amongst their own kind to work against the razor-droids from within.
  8. The Washed are a group of semi-mechanical sacrosancts that live within the Machine God, which seek to convert others to be like them. It’s rumoured that the strange cult also seeks to spread its message beyond the recursion itself, converting all other beings to their kind.

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D10: Night City Rumours – The Gangs of Night City

10 Hooks and Rumours for Cyberpunk 2.0.2.0.’s Night City

Cyberpunk CityThis list has ten hooks and rumours that can be heard about the gangsl of Night City. Whether or not they are true is up to the GameMaster. They can be used as background colour or as potential adventure hooks.

  1. Maelstrom looks to be gearing up for some kind of major action. The logical target would be their long-time foes, the Inquisitors, but it’s rumoured that Maelstrom needs more and newer equipment before going head-to-head with their foes. It could be that what the gang is gearing up for is something to get that equipment.
  2. The Back Alley Brawlers are a group of vigilantes that fight the other street gangs using the same methods. There are rumours that the methods of the Brawlers are getting a little too close to those of the other gangs, and that they are in danger of becoming something not much different to what they are fighting.
  3. The Black Queens are one of the most innocuous of Night City’s major gangs, having little interest in turf struggles or anything violent. They are known to be a good information source, though, and cops, criminals and corporate security have all taken advantage of this. There are rumours that the Queens have been collecting a lot of data through their activities, and have now established a significant, and valuable, cache of information.
  4. The Brainiacs are a boostergang that values knowledge over brawn, and augment their abilities with skill chips. It’s rumoured that the gang has an interest in several small corporations that are developing cutting-edge cyberwear intended to augment the user’s intellectual and mental capacities, with the intention of keeping the best new developments for themselves.
  5. The D.J.’s are mostly wanna-be rockerboys with little if any talent, who make their money in other, less legal, ways than their complete lack of musical ability. It’s rumoured that the gang has been trying to get someone with talent to help them achieve their musical goals, but so far no-one has proven to be remotely interested.
  6. The Julliard is a gang that primarily functions as a self-protection organisation for street performers, and they are known to take this seriously. It’s rumoured that the Julliard has started getting more proactive in its defence of late, striking out at potential threats before they become actual ones.
  7. The Philharmonic Vampyres are a prankster gang who lack any turf and spend most of their time pulling largely harmless pranks. It’s rumoured that those who annoy the Vamps, though, can find pranks being pulled on them that are anything but harmless; things that would normally be designed in jest are now designed to hurt and kill.
  8. The Silver Slash is a guardian chromer gang who are recognised and accepted by the Night City Police. There are rumours that some members of the gang take this recognition and status and use it to get away with committing criminal acts, but most believe that such rumours just originate from the Slash’s enemies are intended to undermine them.
  9. The Slaughterhouse is one of the most violent boostergangs in Night City, and rumour has it that they’re only getting more and more violent. There are rumours that the gang members have been taking some new street drugs that make them more resistant to pain and able to inflict more damage, at the cost of becoming more unstable.
  10. The Wild Things claim the East Marina as their territory, and haven’t been involved in any turf wars in some time. However, it’s rumoured that the leadership is considering expanding outside of East Marina, and are eying up any other gangs that might be easy targets in the neighbouring blocks.

Want some general cyberpunk rumours? Check out 100 Cyber City Rumours.

D10: Night City Rumours – Bank Block is unofficial content provided under the Homebrew Content Policy of R. Talsorian Games and is not approved or endorsed by RTG. This content references materials that are the property of R. Talsorian Games and its licensees.

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D10: Tracks to See in a Forest

Forest
Bob Greyvenstein, some
artwork © Grim Press, used with permission, all rights reserved

Creatures that move through a forest can leave signs of their passage, and here are ten different things that might be spotted.

  1. A broken branch drips fresh sap.
  2. A crushed and still moist snail lies underfoot.
  3. Ground cover plants have been bruised from being stepped on.
  4. Leaves on the ground have been turned over, making them look different to the rest.
  5. Leaves that have recently been broken off a bush.
  6. Mud shows through a patch on the ground not covered in leaves and a print can be seen in it.
  7. Piece of fabric caught on a branch.
  8. Rock that has been scuffed and overturned, showing a dirt-encrusted side.
  9. Several fungi growing through the leaves on the ground have been recently crushed.
  10. Several leaves have a scattering of fresh dirt on them.

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