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 Lake Park 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.
Combat Cabb in the Lake Park district of Night City has some of the most heavily-armed and armoured cabs in the city, and aim to get their customers to their destinations, no matter who needs shooting on the way. Recently, there have been a number of targeted attacks on cabs belonging to the company, with the attackers seeming to be after the cabbie and their cab, not the customer.
Juvegangers make out on Isadore Island in Lake Park during the day, but there are rumours that a few of them have been disappearing. Normally the park is a safe place to visit in daylight, so the idea that someone is still preying on people, even juvegangers, during the day is a concern.
Lake Park might be a safe and pleasant place to visit during the day, but at night it’s a different story. Various citizens who use the park are pressing the city to try and take it back from those who prey in the park at night, but with little sign of intere4st from City Hall. However, if the city government isn’t willing to do anything about making the park safer at night, it’s rumoured that these same people are.
Night City Fire Station #2 has problems getting its old-fashioned tanker trucks to a building fire before said building burns down, due to traffic in the area. There are rumours of some arsonists using this to their advantage, and in fact helping cause more traffic problems to ensure that the fire department can’t get there in time.
Rumour has it that some of the custodians that help keep Lake Park clean during the day don’t do just that. It’s said that some of them are using the fact that there’s all this land available with plants growing on it to grow a few of their own plants, which can then be sold onto the visitors to the park during the day.
The headquarters of the Night City Transit Corporation is in Lake Park, and has been suffering problems recently. Though the security of the building is high, they’ve been suffering from well-planned and technically advanced graffiti attacks. Going by what’s being written on and around the building, someone clearly has an issue with the fares.
The homeless of Lake Park are usually safe from being preyed on by gangs, as the local gangs will even protect the largest group of homeless, known as the Pack, from the predations of other gangs. Recently, though, there have been rumours that some of the Pack have been disappearing, though gangs are not necessarily thought to be responsible.
The lake in Lake Park has a filtration system that sometimes breaks down, leading to the place smelling like raw sewage that day and being deserted because of this. There are rumours that following such days, bodies are often found in the water, dumped by people using the smell and absence of others as a way of avoiding attention.
The picnic grounds in Lake Park have gas-powered grills at different points on the island, though the gas is turned off at night. Reportedly, though, despite this there have been a number of “incidents” – explosions – on some nights due to people tampering with the gas lines in an attempt to get the gas back on., Reportedly, the city is considering removing the gas lines entirely as a result.
D10: Night City Rumours – West Hill 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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In space, ships can still run into trouble, and here are ten different descriptions of problems that others have suffered and which they need help with.
A hull breach has affected the ship and a number of compartments depressurised, killing everyone in them. The depressurised area has cut off several parts of the ship, and without the breach mending and atmosphere restoring to the affected areas, it is impossible to fully control it.
An explosion in the ship’s engine compartment has resulted in the engines being destroyed, most of the engineering crew, including the chief engineer, being killed, and the compartment being opened to space. The ship is currently dead in space and drifting.
Life support on the ship has suffered a critical malfunction due to a computer problem, one that took out all the backup systems as well. If aid isn’t forthcoming soon, everyone will die when the oxygen runs out.
Passengers on the ship came out of cryosleep to discover that the crew had vanished, even though the escape pods remained in place. They lack the skills to pilot the ship, especially as many of the systems have been powered down.
Poorly-fitted reactor shielding has flooded much of the ship with radiation. Many of the crew are dying or dead, and those that have managed to get to better shielded areas are unable to do anything about the problem, as they are unable to get to suitable gear.
The ship has collided with a small asteroid and has suffered extensive damage to its systems and hull as a result. It is no longer capable of getting underway and may be too badly damaged to repair outside of a spacedock.
The ship has suffered an attack by pirates and, although it managed to drive them off, it suffered extensive damage in the process. The pirates may return with reinforcements, and if that happens, a second attack will not be driven off.
The ship in question is in a decaying orbit about a large planet and lacks the ability to break free. They urgently need towing out of the gravity well before they burn up in the atmosphere or just crash.
The ship was too close to the system’s star when a solar flare overwhelmed its systems with an EMP. Most of the systems are now burnt out and the ship is dangerously close to the star and getting closer.
The ship’s fuel supply is contaminated, possibly deliberately at the last place they refuelled, and they are currently dead in space. The ship could do with new fuel, as well as help in flushing their system clear of that which is contaminated, or perhaps a tow if another ship is capable of doing such.
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 Use that can be found with creature descriptions in the official books, can be used as adventure hooks or as simple misinformation.
A band of chirogs is apparently ambushing travellers and demanding that they hand over any numenera in their possession for destruction. Those who refuse are attacked and the numenera taken from their corpses whilst, oddly, those that agree are more often than not allowed to go on their way, which is not how chirogs normally behave.
Abykoses are creatures that look like ghosts, and are considered to be such by the majority of people. The beings are usually not aggressive in nature, but under certain conditions they can be. It’s rumoured that some abykoses are far more aggressive than others, and that this doesn’t appear to be related to the normal conditions for such happening. It’s said that there is a pack of marauding abykoses that travel around leaving destruction in their wake.
Aneen are herd animals that are often domesticated and used as mounts or pack animals. The beasts are omnivores with tiny forelimbs and small claws, neither of which are much use, but there are rumours of larger, significantly more dangerous aneen with larger, stronger forelimbs and claws and a nature that is significantly more carnivorous.
Broken hounds are a danger to those who travel through their territory, attacking in large numbers, and they prove impossible to reason with, acting only out of hunger. Yet there are rumours of packs of broken hounds behaving with far more intelligence and cunning than would usually be the case, leading some to wonder if they could be under the control of numenera.
Caffas are immune to the effects of wind and other air-based attacks, and have no problems with flying in strong winds. Some swarms are rumoured to follow storms, using the high winds of the storm as a way of partially defeating those they attack before they even strike.
Callerails, when two of them encounter each other, fight to the death, each attempting to absorb the inorganic parts of the other. There’s a rumour that a truly enormous callerail has been seen, one which looks as if it may have successfully absorbed the portions of several others and grown significantly as a result.
Dark fathoms are incredibly dangerous machines of war that anyone with sense would leave well alone. There’s a rumour, though, that a Nano with more ambition than sense is hoping to capture a dark fathom and control the creature to use against their enemies, and are looking for people willing to help them capture one.
Most cragworms dwell in abandoned and isolated areas, but there are rumours of a smaller variety that can be found living beneath cities, particularly in old passages, and in other underground areas. Though these may not be as dangerous as a normal cragworm, due to being smaller, the small spaces in which they are found can make them difficult to avoid.
There’s a bounty on the head of culovas living in the Westwood, due to the beings disrupting the local logging trade. It’s rumoured that the culovas have started to act more aggressively against interlopers as a result. Instead of remaining on familiar ground as they normally do, some say the creatures are instead venturing further afield and initiating combat pre-emptively.
Though blood barms are not usually aggressive unless they or their young are threatened, there are rumours that sometimes blood barms who are raising young can become very territorial. In such a case, the blood barms stake out a section of land and will viciously attack anything that moves into it, continuing with such behaviour until the young are grown enough and the blood barms move on.
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.
An outsider from Harmonius has recently arrived in the underground city of Dran. They do not appear to be from Zal, who are helping to rebuild the city, nor are they claiming any other faction membership. Those who have spoken to the outsider, though, believes that they are an agent from one of the factions and, going by their questions, looking for someone and something specific, though what hasn’t been shared.
Rumour has it that agents of both the Quiet Cabal and the Karum are searching the Veritex beneath Ruk for something. It’s thought, going by their questions, they are looking for a specific person, though it isn’t known whom. The agents have been seen in several cities of the Veritex, and may have even clashed with each other as well.
The underground city of Dran was recently hit by quakes that buried much of the city and collapsed most of the rest. Representatives from Zal are helping with the rebuilding, which the residents appreciate, but there have been rumours that Zal somehow caused the quakes in order to get control over the city.
The All Song does not reach into Muk in the Veritex, and it’s a possible destination for members of the Church of the Embodiment. It’s rumoured that devotees of the All Song are trying to stir up opinion against Muk, claiming that the All Song doesn’t reach the small city due to the actions of its residents, who are secretly plotting something.
The Veritex is a maze of tunnels beneath the surface of Ruk, and it’s thought that they all used to connect before Ruk was damaged. Some portions are isolated from others, and it’s been suggested that some of the collapses isolating them are not the result of damage, but are deliberate in nature, suggesting someone has something they want kept hidden.
There are cities in the Veritex beneath Ruk, home to all sorts of people, from those with hidden agendas to criminals to those that just wish to be left alone. It’s rumoured that some of Ruk’s factions have taken over some of the cities, using them as hidden bases from which they can launch operations without others seeing; the Karum is said to be one of these.
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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 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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This list has ten hooks and rumours that can be heard in or about the Lake Park 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.
