10 Hooks and Rumours for Cyberpunk 2.0.2.0.’s Night City
This list has ten hooks and rumours that can be heard in or about the Night City University district 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.
Dr. Edward Michaels is the Dean of Night City University and he tries to keep the corporations out of the university’s decision-making process, which annoys them and many of his colleagues, who would prefer more corporate sponsorship. Rumour is that some of those colleagues are conspiring with the corporations in an attempt to force Michaels out of his position.
Hababas on Grace Street is a former biker bar that is now the preferred hangout of the Voodoo Boys. Armed conflicts are discouraged but students who fancy themselves as being toughs often go there to prove themselves. Quite a number of these have ended up severely injured as a result, and it’s rumoured that some of their more influential parents are pressuring the university to do something about the bar.
It’s rumoured that not everything done in the Science Labs of Night City University should be done there, or is authorised by the faculty. There have been claims of the chemistry labs being used to manufacture new drugs for use on the street or explosives, and that these are secretly shipped out to gangs willing to pay for them. Explosives are dangerous, though, and it’s said that there’s occasionally an “incident” in the labs.
It’s said that Night City University has been conducting research into neuralchip interfacing, using students as guinea pigs for the research, and that this research has gone very badly wrong. Though no students are said to have died, some are said to be barely alive and that their families have been paid substantial sums of money to keep everything quiet.
Newgate Prison and Paragon are two rather different bars that share the same building in Grace Street near the university. There are persistent rumours that Newgate is the place to go for any student wishing to score something a bit harder than just alcohol, but the owners continually deny this and a few attempts to find evidence of this have all failed to do so.
Night City University’s Schumaker Hall of Performing Arts hosts film and video studios, as well as other places. and there are constant rumours about students getting into those studios after hours to do video and film-related projects that are definitely not on the curriculum. No-one has ever been caught, nor even any evidence found, and it’s thought this is just an urban legend.
Night City University’s student housing is at least reasonably secure and all, no matter what the standard of the apartments are, have generally the same level of security. It’s rumoured, though, that this security is starting to wear thin around the edges, and that there have been incidents in some of the complexes.
Students at Night City University can arrange an agreement with the campus police to come to the protection of any students living in the blocks near to the university itself. It’s rumoured that some students are trying to increase the funding of the campus police so that they have the people and equipment needed to take control of the blocks closest to the university and make them as safe as the campus.
The Biograph Theatre on Grace Street has two screens, one showing art films for students, the other showing adult films to support the first screen. There are rumours that students in need of some money can inquire about appearing in the adult films for some quick cash, though no-one has ever seen anyone they recognise.
There are rumours that the university is planning to expand again, though opinions differ as to just where they will expand to. Suggestions range from simply buying up some of the neighbouring blocks and flattening them, to satellite campuses in other cities, to building their own artificial island in the bay.
D10: Night City Rumours – Old Downtown 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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The Fists of Kormmuz are sellswords found in Sellswords of Sundara (5E) who fight using leather hand wraps, cestus studded with metal plates and full gauntlets, dealing damage with their fists. Sometimes these are enchanted to do more damage or other injuries to the target.
Cestus of Stunning
Wondrous item, rare
Description
The cestus of stunning is a +1 weapon and looks like a normal cestus. It grants a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls on unarmed attacks and on a successful blow it can deliver an additional 1d6 points of electrical damage and can stun the opponent. An opponent who takes a critical hit from a cestus of stunning, unless they are immune to electrical damage, must make a DC 7 Constitution save or be stunned for 1 round.
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The sea bed is the recipient of many things dropped from the water’s surface, deliberately or accidentally.
Draped across a portion of the sea floor are the tangled and damaged remains of a net.
Open chest, banded in rusty iron, that only contains sand and a starfish now.
Rearing up out of the sand of the seabed are huge, curved bones of a large creature, now encrusted in seaweed and shellfish.
Ship’s mast and rigging that are remarkably clear of encrustation, suggesting that they sank recently.
Small, 2-gallon cask that is still sealed and contains a very fine whiskey.
Small net full of a collection of cleaned and empty shells. The shells are all heavily coated in mother of pearl.
Spilling its contents out onto the sea floor is a wooden crate full of weapons. Most are now rusted and useable, but a few are still tightly wrapped in oilskins that have prevented them from being damaged.
Stone arm holding a broken stone sword, both more than life-size and apparently broken from a statue.
Wooden rowboat that has been deliberately holed and filled with rocks to sink it to the sea bed.
Wrapped is sail cloth, in the manner of sailors buried at sea, is a corpse, though unusually it is also wrapped in heavy and now rusty iron chains.
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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.
Sarracenians are a group whose members are scholars that study and worship plants, especially those that are carnivorous or are plant like predators. The group has fallen from favour in the Steadfast, but individuals in the group are still in demand. It’s rumoured that the group has a hardcore element that is displeased with their organisation’s decline and are planning to make people respect them again. Or, rather, fear them, as the intention is to unleash specially engineered plants on a killing spree.
Some say that war has become more common over time, with countries more often than not resorting to violent means rather than peaceful to resolve any differences that they have. No-one claims to know why this is the case, but it’s suggested that this is simply a common outcome when nations grow large and powerful enough.
The Redfleets dislike anything manmade and the numenera, instead looking for the natural treasures of the ocean. Some manage to contain their distaste enough to sell any unnatural treasures that they find, and there are rumours that there are members who pay only lip service to the claim of distaste, using the Redfleets as a cover for what is at its root piracy.
The Angulan Knights are a group that is dedicated to the advancement of humanity as a species, and they abhor governments, class distinctions and religious differences. It’s rumoured that a small number of the Knights so abhor the governments of the Steadfast that they are actively working to undermine them.
The Convergence is an organisation whose members which to use the power of the numenera to benefit themselves, not anyone else, unlike the Aeon Priests of the Order of Truth. The Convergence is said to be a much smaller organisation, but it’s rumoured it has a number of Aeon Priests amongst its ranks, as the access such have to numenera is attractive to those who would join the Convergence.
The Order of Truth is probably the most powerful organisation in the Steadfast, and perhaps Beyond, and there are rumours that the current Amber Pope, Durranet VI, is only looking to expand the order’s reach and power. It’s said that Durranet VI wants to increase the order’s grasp on the nations of the Steadfast, slowly incorporating them directly into the order’s structure. If true, this would be opposed by every country’s ruler.
The 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.
Apostle Warad-chel, of the Church of the Embodiment in Harmonius, is one of the highest-ranking apostles in the hierarchy of the Church, and has been implicated in a number of incidents that nearly led to disciplinary action being taken against the faction, but First Apostle Ah-kalla always stands by his favoured Servitor. Some claim that the First Apostle’s statement that the True Code is stronger in Warad-chel than anyone else means that Warad-chel is a literal embodiment of the True Code and, as such, possibly the First Apostle’s superior.
Gardens can be found in Harmonius, some merely ornamental but the fruits of others rivals those products created by Zal and other factions. It’s rumoured that Zal in particular is not happy about this, as it means people buy less goods from them. It’s said that the faction has been looking into ways of damaging the gardens so that they are no longer as productive and what they produce is not as good.
Harmonius has pneumatic elevator tubes stretching to the surface below that can be used to travel to and from the city. The tubes could once be retracted for defensive purposes, but this hasn’t been tested in some time. It’s rumoured that the city has been quietly checking the mechanisms to see if they work, which does suggest that there’s a fear they may be needed at some point in the not-too-distant future.
It’s said that occasionally defensive mechanisms on Harmonius decide someone approaching the city by airborne means is a threat, and one that needs dealing with quickly and efficiently. Those it decides are a threat never make it anywhere else. It’s also said that in truth it’s not the city deciding who and what to eliminate, but someone in control of said mechanisms.
Most of Harmonius floats above the surface of Ruk using massive and ancient technological engines. It’s rumoured that there have been problems with those engines recently, and that no-one seems to know how to fix the problem, due to their age. Should this be true, and should a solution not be found, Harmonius may have to settle back down to Ruk, else risk falling from the sky.
The Ankaseri faction was destroyed after attempting to sway Maru-shtal, the Arbiter of Harmonius, but there are rumours that it was never completely destroyed, despite appearances. Some say that a residue of the faction remained and it has been slowly building its strength back up and plotting its return, and its revenge on Maru-shtal and everyone else.
The Market Tri-Tower of Harmonius is constantly bedecked with lights that can be seen from some distance away. It’s rumoured, though, that there have been problems with the lights recently, with some of them cutting out for no discernible reason. Nothing serious has happened as yet, but some are said to be concerned by this.
The Office of the Arbiter is used by the Factol Council of Harmonius to decide close decisions, but there are rumours that the Office is not always as independent of the factions as it should be. Some claim that at least one faction has the ability to sway the Arbiter, Maru-shtal, to make decisions that are in their favour, though this ability is used rarely to prevent it from becoming obvious.
There are pneumatic elevator tubes leading up into Harmonius from the ground below, one of the ways of getting to the city. Some say that these elevator tubes can be risky to use, because some of them have hidden diversions in them, where those who are unlikely to be missed are diverted away so that they can be experimented upon in hidden labs, where new flesh is always needed.
Those who become apostles of the Church of the Embodiment in Harmonius can take communion, and those who eat a wafer of the bread gain a benefit, said to be because their ties to the True Code are strengthened. Some whisper that this communion has another effect, and that those who take it are subtly influenced by First Apostle Ah-kalla in their actions and choices afterwards.
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10 Hooks and Rumours for Cyberpunk 2.0.2.0.’s Night City
This list has ten hooks and rumours that can be heard in or about the New Harbor district 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.
Allison’s is one of the most expensive stores in the New Harbor Mallplex, with armed guards to keep out those who can’t afford to shop there, and additional security for the store itself on top of the Mallplex’s own. Yet there are rumours that the shop has been suffering from a lot of theft recently. Initially thought to be shrinkage caused by employees pilfering, it’s said this has now been ruled out, and with there being no signs of break-ins, the owners are lost.
Bastion Swimwear in the New Harbor Mallplex is this year releasing a line of swimsuits made from the pelts of endangered animals. It’s said that the company has been receiving threats from environmentalists as a result, and has already had several cyber-attacks, with promises that the attacks will become physical in nature if they continue with this.
Ebertech, the software firm that created the hit Starwarrior Commander chip, is based in the Mallplex Business Tower. It’s rumoured that the company has recently invested in upgraded security, after someone cracked their system and stole data related to the next game they are planning to release, and is also attempting to recover the stolen data by any means necessary, and ensure that there are no copies of the data out in the world.
Gang attacks outside the McCartney Stadium in Night City’s New Harbor are unfortunately common, and it’s believed that the city has finally had enough of these. Or, rather, the fact that many fans are now refusing to go to the stadium, given the large chance of risking life and limb to do so. The problem is that the city needs to hire someone to deal with the gangs permanently, and that’s going to be expensive and likely need military hardware to achieve.
Mallplex bunnies know pretty much every inch of the New Harbor Mallplex and what’s going on in it, often better than the owners or security guards. It’s rumoured that a number of the mall bunnies have formed their own gang, offering various services to those visiting the mall, and using what they know for blackmail, theft and worse.
New Harbor Mallplex in Night City is huge, with thousands of people living there and residential areas extending deep into the bay around eastern Night City. There are rumours of secret places hidden away inside the mallplex, where the owners have managed to squeeze in areas that are not officially recognised, where various activities take place, said to be government-funded.
Shop-Mart in the New Harbor Mall complex recently reportedly had a peculiar incident happen inside, with a battered-looking individual with a gun taken down by store security after waving the gun around and babbling on about “shopping smart.” The man has reportedly not been identified as yet, and the gun looked to be an old, cut-down, shotgun.
SkinLight in the New Harbor Mallplex features light tattoos, but they’ve been having problems recently with people who have been tattooed by the company reportedly suffering from a variety of illnesses. SkinLight say that this is nonsense and that someone is attempting to tarnish their reputation. They are said to be hiring people to find those responsible; either proof they are innocent or just a way of throwing people off the track.
The Night City Rangers are the best team that calls Night City home and are strong contenders to win the next Superbowl, which will make it three in a row. There are rumours that the team members have been targeted in a series of harassments and “accidents” that have so far proven to be minor. It’s thought that someone doesn’t want the Rangers to get the title again; the question is just how far that someone is willing to go.
The uniform of the Night City Slammers has been described as “convict-stripe modern” by one sportswriter, something that is not appreciated. A lot of fans are wanting the team to get a new uniform, one that looks better. Though some of said fans have also put a bounty on said sportswriter’s head; they may not like the uniform, but that doesn’t mean anyone else can criticise it.
D10: Night City Rumours – Old Downtown 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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The Fists of Kormmuz are sellswords found in Sellswords of Sundara (PFRPG) who fight using leather hand wraps, cestus studded with metal plates and full gauntlets, dealing damage with their fists. Sometimes these are enchanted to do more damage or other injuries to the target.
The cestus of stunning is a +1 weapon and looks like a normal cestus, but on a successful blow it can deliver an additional 1d6 points of electrical damage and can stun the opponent. An opponent who takes a critical hit from a cestus of stunning, unless they are immune to electrical damage, must make a DC Fort save or be stunned for 1 round.
Construction
Requirements Craft Magic Arms and Armor, shocking grasp, colour spray; Cost 1,000 gp
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Numenera is a game published by Monte Cook Games. Its setting is the Ninth World, and this list has six 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.
Broley’s buildings are mostly made from living greenwood, a biologically engineered material that grows over a temporary shelter. The creator of greenwood, Holeon Ferre, lives in Broley, but it’s rumoured that some of the early experiments with greenwood didn’t go well, with the grown buildings actually eating those who were living in them. This is said to be still a potential problem, though one that is kept secret.
Dymath Fordye is built in Snakemoor Marsh on stilts, with only a stone bridge leading to the town. The bridge is precarious enough at the best of times, but recently it has suffered repeated damage, seemingly from sabotage. Without the bridge, the town will be completely cut off.
Imalov Castle is a lone keep in the wilderness, the home of Lady Perrix. The lady is cautious around strangers, but those who gain her trust are allowed to enter and are treated well. However, it’s rumoured that Lady Perrix quizzes guests to see what family and friends they have who would miss them, and if it turns out the answer is none, they never leave the castle again.
Songduel Ruins stand on the site of a much larger city than the current village, which was razed when two songstresses fought a legendary duel. It’s rumoured that many of the city’s inhabitants perished at the same time, and that the songs used in the duel changed their fallen bodies. To this day, they lie under the ground, waiting to break free and kill.
The Inn of the Blue Barker in Essearnin runs regular duels, with the varjellen Malia Noke being the undefeated champion for four years. Malia had been threatening retirement, due to boredom and lack of anyone worth fighting, and it’s rumoured that she has been missing for several days, so may in fact have gone ahead with this.
The buildings in Aendri are mostly made of stronglass, and are thus transparent. As a result, the town has four tailors who constantly work to create curtains and roof garbs. It’s rumoured that someone did come up with a way of successfully colouring the stronglass, but they disappeared, said to be the victim of the tailors who didn’t want to lose their business.
The 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 six 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.
Glial storms are imbalances of the bioelectrical energy of Ruk, moving cascades of scintillating energy that can drive those caught in them mad. Glial storms have become rarer over the years, but some are claiming that, for some unknown reason, they are becoming more common again, though they are still rare.
Huge mobile harvesters are used to gather the resources of Ruk’s grey forests, with many of them owned by Zal. Others are owned by small co-ops, captains and freebooters who steal from the harvests of others. It’s rumoured that those grey harvesters that are not owned by Zal have a tendency to suffer from misfortune more often, whether this is freebooter raids or equipment problems. Some go out of business and are bought up by Zal, leading to suspicion that Zal is trying to eliminate the competition.
Most parts of the Hub, the oldest part of Ruk, are policed, monitored and cleaned, but there are exceptions, where anything but is true. It’s rumoured that some parts fall out of favour, or fall afoul of one of Ruk’s factions, and as a result end up losing all of these services, resulting in their rapid decline.
The grey forests of Ruk can be dangerous to travel through as the fungi that grow in them produce hallucinogenic and poisonous spores. Some people who have survived trips through the grey forests have claimed to have seen fungi actively moving around and hunting other travellers, though given the hallucinogenic nature of the spores, such claims are readily dismissed.
The Shattered Wastes of Ruk are debris fields lacking much in the way of life or water. Damaged organimer can grow back imperfectly, or die, and this is what resulted in the wastes. It’s said that there are parts of the wastes where the organimer is not merely growing back strangle; it’s growing back wrong. Organimer is quasi-living metal but in some areas it’s said that “quasi” no longer applies.
The Spar Jungles of Ruk are where the disk of Ruk broke when it ran aground on the shoals of Earth, and are scattered throughout the Hub. The Spar Jungles are dangerous places, home to gangs of outlaws and dangerous beasts. It’s said that some of them have other dangers as well, places where the Strange is breaking through into Ruk, or where the fabric of Ruk itself is wearing thin.
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This list has ten hooks and rumours that can be heard in or about the Night City University district 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.
