Most from today would not even recognize the world of 2087 with all the changes. Cybernetics available to almost anyone that can pay. Magic being used in petty street fights. Technomancy and hacking are rampant in the wirelessly connected world.
Factions still sit at the head of everything, utilizing capitalistic globalization to govern everything with an iron will as corporate Mega-Factions.
While the Domineering and Patronizing Megas have the corporate sectors on lock down. The Darwinians aimed at primary industries and farming. Harmonious and Resistance factions still operate much like splitter groups as before, operating against the capitalist machine any way they can, often utilizing terrorist activism.
OOC Notes
This Dreamworld is -HEAVILY- influenced by the Shadowrun Table Top game setting, if it were not blatantly obvious by styling, terminology, and artwork. Adjustments have been made for a more Haven-esque feel, so expect some serious horror elements to play a part, even in the dreamscape. Shadowrun is a gritty setting to start, so this should not surprise veterans. The rules are being significantly simplified to be encompassed in the dreamworld mechanics.
Each individual Stat is listed below with some relevant information and milestone type descriptions. Nuyen is not being tracked and is reflected in the Resources stat. Items, Augmentations, Spells, et cetera will not be tracked by the Owner or any Trusted people. These can (and probably should) be reflected on a Dream Character's page if so desired.
Characters in this Dreamworld are regular inhabitants of this setting with no knowledge of Haven that was pre-2070 really. But popular culture references are still in style from as far back as the 1950's. Feel free to use them. Haven still exists, but it has been fortified by Mega-Factions to the point that most people find the moon easier to reach as a vacation destination. All play in this setting takes place well away from Haven for pretty much that reason. All urbanized areas tend to fall under Domineering or Patronizing Mega-Factions. Any area with some form of industrial value is probably owned by a Darwinian faction. Rural living is possible for some, and Harmonious and Resistance factions make extensive use of them to remain out of the reach of the Mega-Factions.
Rolls
There may be some experimentation with the dice rolling mechanic of the dream world to decide how best to handle these. The current system will simply be to roll the relevant Stat, with success being established with the 1st 'hit' and embellishment being determined after that. Opposed checks will simply compare the number of hits, highest is the winner, ties go to the initiator of the test. Should it become necessary to modify this, a notice will be given and this section changed to reflect it.
Items
Every character is assumed to have a few items of some value, ranging from clothes to armor to guns. If you have the Firearms Stat, you are assumed to have a gun relevant for utilizing it, for example.
Races
Baseline Shadowrun features five player races: Human, Elf, Dwarf, Ork, Troll. These are the Metahumans, all qualify as Natural for purposes of Haven's side of the lore. All of these can also potentially hold the genetic markers for the following bloodlines: Demonborn, Angelborn, Faeborn, and Demigod. Werewolves and Vampires exist, however, they are being limited in scope to NPC status for reasons. It is possible to be a Troll Demigod, an Elf Demonborn, a Dwarf Angelborn, or an Ork Faeborn, or any other combination thereof. Human is typically dropped from the classification and referred to simply as their lineage, Demigod for example.
Method of Play
Calendar events will be scheduled for semi-regular Episodes. All people in Haven are welcome to attend these events via dreaming. Regular attendance is neither expected nor required, and missing an Episode does NOT impact anyone's ability to attend the next. Relaxed play can be had without the intervention of the Owner or someone with Trust. Locations will be made available (and can be requested via the Dreamworld Petition command).
All Stats
Rank 0: Untrained/Unaware.
Rank 1: Beginner.
Rank 2: Novice.
Rank 3: Professional.
Rank 4: Veteran.
Rank 5: Expert.
Rank 6: Elite.
Rank 7: Legendary/Mythological.
Athletics: All manner of fitness and physical activities, from running to jumping and climbing.
Augmentations: How extensively augmented someone might happen to be.
Biotech: Medical and cybernetic expertise, from doctoring wounds to installing new tech.
Close Combat: Ability to use armed and unarmed melee combat techniques, including martial arts.
Conjuring: The ability to summon elementals or spirits to aid the conjurer in various ways.
Connections: A rough expression of the contacts someone might be able to network with.
Cracking: Illegal uses of electronics for such practices as hacking and electronic warfare.
Electronics: Ordinary usage of computers, commlinks, and all manner of electronic devices.
Firearms: Proficiency and skill with using any sort of gunpowder projectile weapon.
Lifestyle: How nice of a location the person lives in compared to the coffins many utilize.
Mechanic: Aptitude for diagnosing and repairing a wide variety of machines and components.
Resources: Assets, both liquid and not, that can be utilized for monetary leverage.
Sorcery: The arcane practice of manipulating mana to produce fantastic magical effects.
Stealth: The art of remaining undetected while performing a variety of auxiliary activities like lock picking.
Technomancy: Electropathic control of machines and electronics using only one's mind.
Athletics
Description: Covers Climbing, Gymnastics, Running, and Swimming, as well as general physical fitness and stamina.
Rank 0: While not physically fit, this person may not be obese. Or they could be. They should watch the trid a little less perhaps.
Rank 1: A person is not a paragon of physical fitness, but they are definitely not a couch potato either.
Rank 2: One that could have been a high school athlete, but probably did not make it to college level.
Rank 3: Could pass basic military or police training courses with ease.
Rank 4: Someone that could be a marathon runner, triathelete, or Olympic hopeful.
Rank 5: This person probably has competed in a previous Olympic venture.
Rank 6: The winner of the gold medal goes to...
Rank 7: This person no longer needs to compete in the Olympics. They just do for fun.
Augmentations
Description: Each rank of this depicts how much the person has been augmented by cybernetics, biological enhancements, and even gene or nano-technology. Each Rank except 2 lowers a person's Life Essence by 1, which also has an impact of a similar amount to their potential Magic or Resonance. Starting Essence/Magic/Resonance is assumed to be 6.
Rank 0: The regular Joe, no augmentations what so ever. Not even a data jack. What a loser!
Rank 1: This is a typical corporate wage slave. 2-3 minor implants or 1 large one.
Rank 2: A regular street thug or bouncer, with 2-3 minor implants AND 1 large one.
Rank 3: A standard street samurai package, 3-5 minor implants and 2 large ones.
Rank 4: Competing with many of the law enforcement types, this person has 5-8 minor and 3 large implants.
Rank 5: More machine than man at this point, the person has difficulties fitting any more augmentations in at this point, already having up to 10 minor and 4 large implants.
Rank 6: One step shy of a cyberzombie, no longer capable of magic ever, 5 large implants and up to 12 minor ones. This person's effective Life Essence is only 0.01, as 0.00 is dead.
Rank 7: Cyberzombie. No one can play these. Max rank in Augmentations is 6 for physical limitations of the body. But there are always rumors, myths, and street legends that these actually exist...
Biotech
Description: Everyone needs a doctor, and doctors usually take a while to train. Sadly, their capabilities are beyond most ActiveSoft skill chips due to the sheer amount of information they need to have at their disposal at all times. This covers basic surgery, first aid, medicine, and the prized practice of cybertechnology.
Rank 0: This person has no medical training what so ever. They may be able to apply a spray bandage. After carefully reading the instructions.
Rank 1: One may have had a basic CPR or Heimlich lesson, or administered a trauma patch or two in their day, but typically no real formal education has occurred at this point.
Rank 2: Medical student, possibly an underpaid nurse may perform at this level. Can be achieved through a few medical TutorSofts and a blatant disregard for anything like the Hippocratic Oath.
Rank 3: Recent medical school graduate, pre-specialization, but still within the scope of an ActiveSoft chip. Often could be replaced with a symptom selecting kiosk that dispenses apsirin, cough syrup, and bandaids.
Rank 4: An actual doctor with relevant specializations and capable of working in that specialization without too much fuss, unless of course, they earned it via TutorSofts. Then just hope they disinfect at least once a day.
Rank 5: Multiple specializations and highly reputable as a skilled doctor, though questions of sanity may still apply. Usually questions of sanitation are no longer an issue at this point.
Rank 6: Bleeding edge, research and development, advanced cybernetics, and experimental surgery is the purview
Rank 7: Dr. House and Dr. Sexy come to this person for advise on treatment options and to bounce ideas off their brain before potentially killing their patients.
Close Combat
Description: This skill involves both armed and unarmed combat in a close quarters area, often involving martial arts and extensive training to perfect the muscle memory and movements. This includes unarmed combat, martial arts, blades, and clubs. At Rank 1 and every other Rank, this person can select a Martial Art and gain the Bonus from that Art. Every Rank allows them to select a Maneuver.
Rank 0: The song lied. This person was most assuredly not Kung Fu fighting. Or at least not any form that anyone might actually know about or care about. Until they smack themselves in the face with a bo staff. That video goes right onto the Matrix.
Rank 1: Someone that has had a few self-defense classes, possibly even started the low ranks of Martial Arts training. If they stick to it, maybe they will get somewhere, but most people don't.
Rank 2: Down at the local community center, this person has gained a few belts and may be involved in teaching some of the basics to lower ranked students, and they have some proficiency with weaponry, even if still using practice weapons. A typical bouncer is around here, usually relying on intimidation more than actual fists.
Rank 3: While not quite to black belt level yet, this martial artist has demonstrated some serious resolve and dedication to the arts. They are essentially a weapon in their own right at this point.
Rank 4: Achievement Unlocked, mastery over one martial art or across enough disciplines to effectively hold a black belt in at least one.
Rank 5: Perfecting technique and incorporating new studies, this martial artist has likely moved into a second martial art and is a significant portion of the way through mastery.
Rank 6: If not a master of a second form, it is only because of a broadened focus that this person does not have a second black belt. They could probably have their own trid series if they just started walking everywhere.
Rank 7: Chuck Norris comes to this person... No. Even at this point, Chuck Norris is beyond you. Sorry, omae.
Conjuring
Description: Controlling the spirits of the world through careful manipulation of favors and mana flow to entice and bargain with them. This covers the summoning of such spirits, the art of binding them for extended service, as well as techniques for banishing those that need to be removed. The highest Force spirit a conjurer can summon is limited to their Rank in this skill.
Rank 0: Unaware, Untrained, or Mundane. Regardless, they will not be commanding any spirits any time soon, unless someone else commands the spirit to do so.
Rank 1: An apprentice of conjuring, familiar at least with the process, though likely unexperienced in the execution of too many summonings.
Rank 2: A journeyman, free to actually attempt some low-level summonings, usually for one-off tasks. They lack significant experience in it to be able pull in beefier spirits.
Rank 3: At this point, the person can be considered a Conjurer, and depending on their view, they could commune with spirits often or enslave them as extended-length service.
Rank 4: Quite skilled in the art, the conjurer is able to summon stronger and more powerful allies even in the heat of battle, or by enlisting their servants as fodder.
Rank 5: True mastery of spirits is difficult, but this person has managed, through great effort and perseverance.
Rank 6: Summoning is second nature to someone at this point, and depending on their outlook, spirits might go out of their way to assist this person, or they just have enough servants on hand to not care.
Rank 7: One of the greatest Conjurers of all time, this practitioner has learned more about spirits than some entire Universities will have compiled on the subject. This person has also learned the Metamagic Technique for Invoking great form spirits and elementals.
Connections
Description: Networking is important in this brave new world, where who you know is some times far more important than what you know. Each rank allows for 1 additional Contact. Each Contact has a pool of points also equal to Connection's Rank to be divided between that individual Contact's Connections and Loyalty. This also covers the person's ability to con or bluff effectively, follow the etiquette of their environment, utilize leadership techniques on those around them, or to negotiate at the table when necessary.
Rank 0: This person is a social outcast, a pariah, a recluse, or a complete and total reject.
Rank 1: Some people in low circles might refer to this person as the life of the party at local gatherings, and while they are not hobnobbing with royalty, in this circle, they probably are the social butterfly.
Rank 2: The regular face that everyone knows at the dive bar, by name if not by sight and reputation. Somehow always has a drink, but never paid for it.
Rank 3: This social dynamo has found the gravy train. Often seen in the nicer clubs, often with two or three attractive companions of whichever gender(s) they prefer, at a quiet booth, basking in the white noise generator and whatever the DJ is jamming.
Rank 4: This is the person that can always get you what you need, no matter how outlandish, difficult, or costly it might be. For a sharp percentage mark up, of course. Can be seen at all the old haunts, but also has a place where they conduct business now usually too.
Rank 5: This person recently opened a new club down the street, and though they manage to avoid the cameras, their name is pretty common within a square mile or two of that location. There are even rumors they are considering a campaign for a local office.
Rank 6: While perhaps not any sort of official official, doing business around this person does require some level of familiarity, as they know everyone. They are somehow involved in everything it seems. And they always have the number of who they need to get something done.
Rank 7: Don't call them. They will call you. But probably not.
Cracking
Description: The arts and science of utilizing technology and technical prowess against the established systems all around every person in a reasonably urbanized area of the world. Prized by hackers, riggers, and technomancers to break the security systems and take control of the assets on the other end. This covers cybercombat, electronic warfare, and hacking.
Rank 0:
Rank 1:
Rank 2:
Rank 3:
Rank 4:
Rank 5:
Rank 6:
Rank 7:
Electronics
Description: All the regular and generally legal ways to use electronics by the vast majority of non-faction people or to use equipment for its actual intended purposes. Some uses of this could potentially be illegal though, such as programming hacking programs. This covers the use of computers, data searching, working with electronic hardware, and software usage including programming.
Rank 0:
Rank 1:
Rank 2:
Rank 3:
Rank 4:
Rank 5:
Rank 6:
Rank 7:
Firearms
Description: Everyone needs a gun some time, and the skill to use it would be quite nice as well. Combining the two is far better, and the person with this will usually manage to do so unless the situation calls for leaving the lead dispensers home, usually due to MAD systems finding them. This covers all use of automatic weapons, long arms, and pistols (which includes tasers that shoot).
Rank 0:
Rank 1:
Rank 2:
Rank 3:
Rank 4:
Rank 5:
Rank 6:
Rank 7:
Lifestyle
Description: Everyone needs a place to sleep, and this covers what sort of living conditions a given person might have available. They may choose to spend time at a lower location, usually to keep their nefarious activities from being tied to the place they normally sleep. Don't drek where you shag, omae. Each rank also allows for a budget of entertainment resources, also known as beer money, which should cover a single person's drinks for one night a week. Usually starting with their own.
Rank 0: Squatter, they just plop where ever they like, regardless of who might own that spot or what terrible critters might roam nearby. They do not have running water, and often this sort of living requires some sort of additional survival skills to manage. And people usually think living on the streets is bad, but at least most of them won't be getting eaten by ghouls tonight...
Rank 1: Street, the standard bum method of getting a good night's sleep, usually involving a back alley or a dumpster for cover and some kind of storm drain nearby for a supply of water. Food usually comes from the dumpster. But they do collect enough cans and bottles for recycling to be able to drink themselves into a stupor each night.
Rank 2: Low, a normal studio apartment, one large room, small bathroom, shower no bath, and a microwave or soy processor. If incredibly lucky, there may be a trid, but really, it would get stolen before too long anyway. There is enough in this budget to be able to cover a friend for a weekly night out at the bar.
Rank 3: Medium, most people tend to fall into or want to fall into this range, which is roughly equivalent to a two bedroom, two bathroom apartment, complete with a nearby gym and pool. Regular family living, almost like a normal person might expect to be able to have as a wage slave. The electronics in this are decent, and the trid will probably stay in place for at least a month or three. Plus, enough to cover a night out with a couple friends.
Rank 4: High, max rank, mostly utilized by low-level Mega-Faction executives, these locations are beyond most means of even a two-person combined income. Could feature all sorts of things, including a four car garage, a work shop, gym, maybe even a personal chef. The electronics in this building are nice, and the security system is more than adequate to handle any curious riff raff, with a police response time measured in minutes, not hours. This is who should be hosting poker night, as they can easily afford the alcohol for a whole crew.
Rank 5: Luxury, mansions, penthouse suites, and perhaps an orbital space station or two would qualify as luxury housing. Well beyond the means to procure, much less afford, by any non-Mega-Faction top executive. Be happy they allow this paragraph to be read, for free.
Mechanic
Description: There are lots of machines in the world, from hand-held tools all the way up to gargantuan construction and demolition machines, and they all have something in common: someone out there needs to be able to fix them. This covers all manner of mechanical abilities, including automotive mechanic, industrial mechanic, nautical mechanic, and aeronautics mechanic.
Rank 0:
Rank 1:
Rank 2:
Rank 3:
Rank 4:
Rank 5:
Rank 6:
Rank 7:
Resources
Description: Money makes the world go around in this capitalist Mega-Faction driven era. Money can all but literally by happiness from all of the material things that make life worth living to some of the things that can only be had when you have gobs of the stuff. Anyone with this above Rank 0 can be expected to be able to liquidate some sort of asset to be able to snag an infusion of currency beyond what they make from their other activities or jobs. Bribery is a definite possibility around someone like that too.
Rank 0:
Rank 1:
Rank 2:
Rank 3:
Rank 4:
Rank 5:
Rank 6:
Rank 7:
Sorcery
Description: The practice of magic has gone back for thousands of years, and yet only a few have ever made it to truly legendary status. Many would blame it on diminished mana levels up until the 1300's, then again another dip during the Inquisition and the Dark Ages, with a final resurgence in the late 1900's that eventually brought it to the forefront in the first quarter of the new millennium. Each Rank of Sorcery lets a person pick 2 Spells, and after Rank 4, each Rank can be considered an Initiation as well, granting 1 Magic and a Metamagic technique. Also covers the skills for Spellcasting, Counterspelling, and Ritual Spellcasting. No one can ever have both Magic and Resonance.
Rank 0: Mundane. So sad. No magic for you... unless you can afford a really, really expensive procedure.
Rank 1:
Rank 2:
Rank 3:
Rank 4:
Rank 5:
Rank 6:
Rank 7:
Stealth
Description: In a world where being seen is usually a death sentence if the viewer is the wrong person, being able to evade detection is clearly a useful survival technique. It comes with a fairly diverse set of extra knowledge that can assist any potential burglar in making a clean escape. These include disguise, infiltration, palming, shadowing, survival, navigation, and tracking.
Rank 0:
Rank 1:
Rank 2:
Rank 3:
Rank 4:
Rank 5:
Rank 6:
Rank 7:
Tasking
Description: Dealing with Sprites is a new concept, still being mastered by Technomancers. Those that have poured themselves into it have drawn heavily on the concepts of various Paragon depictions and Avatars. Some see Sprites as servants, others as assistants, while others still see them as spirits of the machine sent to guide and teach. This covers proficiency with compiling new Sprites, registering them for extended service, and decompiling others. Additionally, the highest Rating Sprite a technomancer can compile is limited to their Rank in this skill.
Rank 0:
Rank 1:
Rank 2:
Rank 3:
Rank 4:
Rank 5:
Rank 6:
Rank 7:
Technomancy
Description: Technomancy is a relatively new art, theorized to have been brought about by the advent and widespread use of radio frequencies and wireless devices. This has given rise to the Resonance, which is something that only Electropathic people are capable of picking up. This strange new power allows the Technomancer to use only their brain to perform all of the complex functions of a comm link and attack wireless systems in ways that can adapt faster than programmers can adjust. For each Rank, a technomancer is assumed to get one Complex Form at their Resonance in rating. After Rank 4, each Rank also counts as a Submersion, increasing Resonance by 1 and allowing the technomancer to learn an Echo. No one can ever have both Magic and Resonance.
Rank 0: Mundane. You are not Neo, nor will you ever be. Sorry, if a person is not a technomancer, they cannot be made to become one through any known method.
Rank 1:
Rank 2:
Rank 3:
Rank 4:
Rank 5:
Rank 6:
Rank 7:
Augmentations List/Options
For those familiar with ShadowRun 4th edition, a minor augmentation would be anything .2 essence cost or less that does mostly cosmetic sorts of things or things which can be replicated with simple pieces of gear. Cybereyes, ears, chloroplast skin, that sort of thing. Simple game mechanics that you can simply role play and which do not really require a lot of book keeping. Major augmentations are anything with an essence cost of .5 or more, such as cyberlimbs, dermal sheathing/plating, muscle replacement. Big, bulky, probably noticeable sorts of things.
For those less familiar, there will be a list here and how these will affect things. This list will probably never be complete. If you desire an augmentation that is not on this list. Just use the dreamworld petition command, and it will either be added to the list or mentioned the next time you are seen in the dreamworld.
Minor Augmentations:
Mood Hair - color changing hair that can grow and be cut. Color and length can be controlled by commlink.
Cyber Eyes - color changing eyes that provide 20/20 vision and some optical enhancements. Select up to four of the following: Thermographics, Low-Light, Flare Compensation, SmartLink, Vision Enhancement, and Vision Magnification.
Math SPU - Able to do math good, since numbers are hard. Does give +1 bonus to Cracking though.
Major Augmentations:
Muscles - Allows Augmentations to be rolled with combat checks to apply half its successes as a bonus.
Plating - Allows Augmentations to be rolled to reduce incoming combat successes to avoid being hurt.
Cyberlimb - Obviously mechanical or covered with a synthetic skin, these basic limbs can be modified with addons. Current list of available addons, max 2 allowed: Commlink, datajack, firearm, claws.
Gear List/Options
Episodes
Episode 1: The Real Hunger Games
Present:
Gemini, the cybernetic woman with a strong, steel-augmented physique
Ash, a tall, platinum blonde chick
Balinda Inigo, a female human in her thirties
Setting: The Stuffer Shack, 4am
Synopsis:
A late night munchie run for the trio from different angles led to some startling antics when a car bomb blew out the front wall of the Stuffer Shack. Apparently a botched assassination attempt, the crew that did it came in looking for their target after the detonation. After a brief tussle, the resistance was more than the would be assassins wanted to deal with, so they fled the scene. The sound of Star sirens led to the rest of the group vacating shortly thereafter. The female elf and her baby were not assassinated, and will apparently live, though none present actually witnessed her extraction from the bomb's rubble.
Characters
Lady Chaos, the teenaged, nano-tatted techno-mage with green eyes