10 Hooks and Rumours for Cyberpunk 2.0.2.0.’s Europe

This list has ten hooks and rumours that can be heard about the process of trying to get past the borders of Europe. Whether or not they are true is up to the GameMaster. They can be used as background colour or as potential adventure hooks.

1. Europe’s land borders are still maintained by the forces of their member nations, rather than being a unified group in charge of this, which causes a degree of variability in how borders are watched. It’s rumoured that some within Europe would like to create a unified border police force, but no nation seems willing to lose control of its landward borders.
2. Hydrophones have been planted around the coasts of Europe by several northern nations in the hopes of perfecting underwater surveillance. Ships would be identified by the sound of their screw, and it’s rumoured that a database of ship screw sounds is being slowly built up, and that a bounty is paid for any genuine sound that can be added.
3. It’s said that if a way of getting into the EC under the radar seems to be too good to be true, that’s because it is. It’s rumoured that the cheapest smugglers don’t make their money from the fees they charge, but from what they can sell their human cargo for. Both intact and in pieces.
4. Permanent cards allow the person who has one to permanently reside in the EC, and obtaining them is difficult. Naturally, there is a market in fake and stolen cards as a result, and it’s rumoured that some fake cards that have recently been cropping up on the black market are so convincing that they must be being obtained with the cooperation of bureaucrats inside the EC government.
5. Permanent Resident’s Cards allow someone who has one to live in Europe and gain most of the benefits of EC citizenship, including upgrading to full citizenship after five years. The cards can be revoked at any time, and it’s rumoured that a high percentage of cards are revoked in the last six months of the five years needed to become a full citizen.
6. The different forces that guard the land borders of Europe are said to be of varying quality. Or, rather, of varying honesty, with some of them, members of certain countries’ forces, being far more amenable to taking a bribe than others. However, it’s said that bribing them is dangerous, because many of those taking a bribe will turn in anyone offering such, after they have been paid.
7. The EC will give citizenship to those who have made “cultural contributions” which means the recovery of lost artistic and cultural treasures. It’s rumoured that there’s a thriving black market in fake “missing” minor league artwork that is sold to those who believe they can use it to bargain for citizenship.
8. The Navy is the unified force that protects the coastal borders of the EC against smugglers. Recently, subs have become a major problem, even though they are easy to spot from orbit. The Navy is reputedly looking into deploying automated torpedo platforms that will fire on any sub without a valid transponder, though this has been meeting pushback out of concerns about just how accurate the systems are at telling friend from foe.
9. There are illegal methods of entering Europe, but as with all such methods, those using them should be very careful about who they trust. Some of those claiming to sneak people over the borders instead kill them and strip them for parts, both cybernetic and organic.
10. Those entering Europe from outside the zone are heavily scrutinised by customs police when they fly in, and the rooms where interviews are carried out house ducts to deliver paralysing nerve gas. It’s rumoured that in extreme situations, the gas emitted by these ducts is far more dangerous than merely paralysing.

D10: Europe Rumours – Entering Europe 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.