Shit Future, d6 Cyberpunk

The gods watch the earth once again, floating slow time in twinkling satellites. Inside the brown choked atmosphere, mountain ranges have been ousted by feudal zaibatsu arcologies. Deep in their halls, utopia machines eliminate all scarcity. But, a  hierarchy is demanded by the lords of the zaibatsus, as is loyalty and the future of their subjects. There is no questioning the wisdom of ancient bloodlines. Leave the fortress walls of the arcologies and see the endless lawless streets, the no-corp lands. You are here, in the underworld, a place of freedom and death. You are less than the most despicable bug to the corporate pantheon, but what is a god to a non believer?  

Rule: Tests are resolved by rolling a d6. Rolling equal to or less than the value of Ability or Skill score being tested is a success. This means something good happens, or something bad is averted. Rolling above the Ability or Skill score being tested is a failure. This means something bad happens. 

Easy and Hard tests: If a test is particularly easy or hard, the player whose character is being tested rolls two d6s. If the test is easy use the lowest result. If the test is hard they use the highest result.

Combat: One Player and The Referee both roll a d6. Highet roll wins, re-roll on ties. All the entities on the winning side all have a turn to act, then all the entities on the other side have a turn to act. Repeat until combat is over.

• A Turn: An entity may move and take an action in a turn.  
• Attacking: When a Player Character attacks, they test the combat skill of choice. If successful the target reduces their health by 1 and takes any additional effects associated with the combat skill used. The vast majority of attacks reduce health by 1.  
• Defending: When a Player Character is attacked, they will test their Mind or Body attribute (depending on the attack). If successful, the attack does no harm. If they fail the test, they must test their Health. If successful they are unharmed. If they fail they reduce their health by 1. 
• Death: If a Player Character or enemy target has their health reduced to 0, they are dead. 
• Vehicular Combat: If a Player Character is attacking using the weaponry of a vehicle, they test the appropriate vehicle skill. If successful, the target reduces their health by 1 if it is also a vehicle and by 2 if it is an on foot target. If a vehicle controlled by a Player Character is attacked, test the appropriate vehicle skill. If successful, the attack does no harm. If they fail the test, they must test the vehicle’s health. If successful the vehicle is unharmed. If they fail the vehicle’s health is reduced by 1. 
• Attacking without a combat skill: Not all Player Characters will have a specific combat skill. They may still attack with an Untrained Attack skill of 1. If successful, this attack reduces the target’s health by 1, but has no other effect. This attack is conducted with either a basic pistol or rudimentary melee weapon. 

Enemies: As all the vast majority of attacks reduce health by 1, the only attribute enemies need is health. This can be accompanied by a brief description of the enemy and the method in which they attack. Some enemies may have additional effects associated with their attacks outside of the pure loss of health.

Hazards: Player Characters may be damaged by hazards outside of combat. Generally, this will occur after a failed test. Unless particularly catastrophic, most hazards reduce health by 1. If a Player Character is in danger from a hazard they must test their Health. If successful they are unharmed. If they fail they reduce their health by 1.

The Datagrid: An ubiquitous field of data covers the earth of Shit Future. It connects and controls all electronics. It can easily be accessed and traversed, but manipulating and harnessing it is more difficult.

• Datagrid Access: All Player Characters have a handheld device used to access the Datagrid. Their avatar has a cyber health of 1. With this device they are capable of only the most rudimentary of activities on the Datagrid. 
• Conflict in the Datagrid: Conflict between digital entities is resolved the same way as combat in the physical world, except movement is instantaneous for digital entities in the same relative Datagrid zone and the Hack and Firewall skills are required for attack and defense. Without Hack and Firewall a Player Character avatar is defenseless in the Datagrid.  
• Hacking: When a Player Characters Hacks a digital entity to 0 cyber health, they gain control of that digital entity for their Hack skill value in rounds. To Hack a Player Character tests their Hack skill. If successful the target reduces their cyber health by 1. 
• Defending: When a Player Character is hacked, they will test their cyber health attribute. If successful, the attack does no harm. If they fail the test they fail they reduce their cyber health by 1. 
• Firewall: A Player Character may erect a firewall around a digital entity target by spending a round doing a Firewall test. If successful the target is immune to hacking for the next round. If the test is a failure there is no protection granted. 
• Computing Skill: The computing skill adds to a Player Characters cyber health, up to a value of 5.  
• Shut Down: If a Player Character has their cyber health reduced to 0, they are locked out of the Datagrid for 24 hours. This is true for all digital entities that are avatars of NPCs. Digital entities that are not avatars (electronics control systems, databases, vehicles, security cameras, etc) will simply restart after being hacked.  
• Digital Enemies: As all the vast majority of hacks reduce cyber health by 1, the only attribute digital enemies need is cyber health. 

Creating a Player Character: 

Attributes: Player Character have three attributes. Pick which one of these attributes will have a value of 3, which will have a value of 2, and which will have a value of 1. The higher the value, the more empowered your Player Character is in that attribute.

Body: The strength and agility of your flesh.
Mind: The astuteness and perceptiveness of your brain.
Luck: The likelihood that fate will smile upon you in situations outside of your control.

Health: All Player Characters start the game with 5 health.

Skills: Pick three skills and assign a value of 3, 2 and 1 to each of those skills. The higher the skill value the more competent you are  in that skill.

Backgrounds: At creation a Player Character may be given a random background by rolling two d6’s. Find the backgrounds here: https://lizardmandiaries.blogspot.com/2020/04/36-pc-backgrounds-for-shit-future.html

Augmentations: A creation a Player Character may pick 1 augmentation. Find the augmentations here: https://lizardmandiaries.blogspot.com/2020/05/36-cyberpunk-augmentations-for-shit.html

Possessions: You may hold up two times their Body attribute in possessions.

Levelling Up: If a Player Character survives a session of Shit Future, they can increase one existing skill or attribute by a value of 1, up to a value of 4. Or, they may also pick a new skill which will now have a value of 1. Or, they may pick a new augmentation to install. A Player Character can only level up 6 times.

36 Shit Future Skills: 

(Roll two d6s if you can't decide). 

1, Machines: 

1. Pilot: You can pilot flying vehicles.
2. Drive: You can drive land bound vehicles. 
3. Mechanics: You can build and modify mechanical equipment. 
4. Heavy machinery: You can operate large scale industrial machinery. 
5. Electronics: You can build and modify electronic devices. 
6. Civil Engineering:You can modify, rebuild and manipulate the built environment. 

2, Digitalism: 

1. Computing: You can operate, program and reprogram computer software. The computing skill adds to a Player Characters cyber health, up to a value of 5. 
2. Hack: You can seize control of digital entities using the Datagrid. When a Player Characters Hacks a digital entity to 0 cyber health, they gain control of that digital entity for their Hack skill value in rounds. To Hack a Player Character tests their Hack skill. If successful the target reduces their cyber health by 1. 
3. Firewall: You can protect against hacking.  A Player Character may erect a firewall around a digital entity target by spending a round doing a Firewall test. If successful the target is immune to hacking for the next round. If the test is a failure there is no protection granted. 
4. Datagrid Search: You can find information and digital entities on the Datagrid. 
5. Drones: You can build, rebuild, modify behavior of, etc, of drones. Requires a drone or drone parts
6. Robots: You can build, rebuild, modify behavior of, etc, robots. Requires a robot or robot parts. 

3, Knowledge: 

1. Pharmaceuticals: You understand drugs. And, how to make and mix them. 
2. Zaibatsu Knowledge: You understand family run megacorporations. Their rules, history, politics, etc. 
3. Gang knowledge: You understand slum bound organisations. Their rules, history, politics, etc.  
4. Slum Knowledge: You understand the workings of the slum environment. 
5. Slum Navigation: You know the quickest and easiest way to get places in the slum. 
6. Economics: You understand how money and exchange work. And, how to use it to your benefit. 

4, Combat (Player Characters start the game with any weapons they are skilled in): 

1. Auto Pistol: Ranged, Attack tests are Easy if the target is in the same room (within reason). 
2. Jack Rifle: Ranged, A successful attack can hit up to 2 targets or 1 target twice. 
3. Scope Rifle: Ranged, On a successful attack, you hit the target in a location of your choice. The Referee decides the impact of this. Attacks are also possible from great distances. 
4. Heavy Repeater: Ranged, A successful Body test is required before an attack test can be attempted. A successful attack can hit up to 6 targets (or less than 6 targets hit up to 6 times total). Takes d6 rounds to reload. 
5. Nano Edge: Melee, On a successful attack, you may remove a limb or appendage of choice from the target. The Referee decides the impact of this. 
6. Electro Club: Melee, after the first successful attack against a target, they can only act every second round for d6 rounds. 

5, Advanced Conflict: 

1. Grenades: Ranged, A successful attack can hit up to d6 targets. Individual grenades must be found, purchased, or made using the Explosives skill. 
2. Unarmed Combat: Melee, When a target drops from 1 to 0 health from an Unarmed Combat attack, then they may be unconscious rather than dead.  
3. Poison: You can poison people, outside of combat. Requires poisonous material, which you also know how to scrounge together. 
4. Explosives:  You can blow stuff up, outside of combat. Requires explosive material, which you also know how to scrounge together. 
5. Diplomacy: You can convince people to do things they wouldn’t normally do.  
6. Intimidate: You can terrify people into doing things they wouldn’t normally do. 

6, Keeping Alive: 

1. Survival: You know how to overcome the elements to ensure continued existence. 
2. Hide: You can quickly disappear from view. 
3. Sneak: You can sneak around if you have not already been seen. 
4. Lock smith: You can open and manufacture physical, non electronic, locks. 
5. First Aid: You can increase a target’s health by 1 per turn, to a maximum of 4.  
6. Contacts: You know people who can help you with supplies, intel, backup, etc.