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.

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. 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.
9. 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.
10. 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.

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

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.