CORE RULES

ATTRIBUTES

Splicer’s are evaluated in four key attributes which define how they interact with the world. When making characters players can distribute attributes points amongst these statistics as they wish.

Physical - The rise of cybernetic implant technologies and robotic assistance has led many to neglect their physical form, leaving the body to increasingly become the domain of corpo-government agents and anti-tech "purist" radicals. Despite its falling popularity, physical fitness governs the amount of physical trauma a Splicers body can sustain. Along with important attributes such as their ability to sneak, carry heavy loads, and wield conventional firearms and melee weapons.

Cyber - The early twenty-first century gave birth to both fully immersive digital interfaces and sentient AI systems leading some to abandon the physical world in favour of cybernetic spaces. Wholly different from the physical creation and modification of machines, these hackers “jack” their mind directly into the digital to bend systems to their will. Knowledge of the cyber world allows Splicers to execute "protocol" programs within a network to gain information, alter the functioning of individual’s augments and take control of artificial intelligences.

Tech - The creation and modification of machinery and computers has a long and proud history both in corporate industry and hacktivist circles. Those who take up this mantle have come to be known as "mechanists" and often look down on cyber “Jockeys” whose “work” exploits theirs. Technical knowledge of machinery allows a Splicer to utilise experimental energy weapons, augment gear, invent new technological marvels, and repair the mechanical components of cyborgs and robots.

Mental - Discussed only on anonymised deep network chat rooms, psionic powers have a myriad of speculated origins and explanations. Alien technology, secret corporate experiments and cerebral mutations are all often discussed in earnest. Whatever its origin, the technology has begun to leak onto the street, closely followed by whispers of individuals who "disappear" any proprietor or buyer engaging in this fledgling market. Stimulating a Splicer’s mind with electricity produces psionic energies which to outsiders look like magic. This allows them to manipulate minds around them, control fundamental physical forces and bend the laws of reality. 

CHECKS AND ROLLING

Like other TTRPGs Splicer abstracts character actions into dice based checks. However, instead of rolling a d20 against an unknown “difficulty class” chosen by the GM, players in Splicer “roll under” their governing attributes. For example, if a Splicer wishes to balance across a thin beam the GM may ask the player to roll under their Physical attribute. This means that to remain balanced and successfully cross the beam the player must roll a d20 and receive a result equal to, or below their physical statistic. This is known as a Regular Check (RC) and comprises the vast amount of rolls players will undertake during their playtime. 

However, depending on the difficulty of what a player is attempting to do, the GM may determine a check to be beyond regular circumstances. If this is the case the GM will ask for a Challenging, Demanding or even an Extreme check. These function identically to regular checks but require a player to roll under fractions of their governing attribute. Challenging Checks (CC) require a player to roll under three quarters of their attribute rounded down, Demanding Checks (DC) require a roll under half their attribute rounded down, while Extreme Checks (EC) require a roll under one quarter of their attribute rounded down. If a player has a Physical score of 16 then their RC will also be 16, their CC equal to 12, their DC equal to 8 and their EC equal to 4.

The following example demonstrates potential use cases for Challenging and Extreme checks: 

A Splicer who favours the Mental attribute asks the GM if they can use their Localised Gravitational Disturbance to erect a wall of gravitational energy in front of them which will slow and catch any incoming gunfire. The GM thinks that this goes outside the reasonable functioning of the spell and asks the player to make a Challenging Check in order to achieve this. The player thinks it over and decides, instead, that they wish the wall to be so powerful that it reverses the momentum of incoming bullets entirely, throwing them back at the attackers. The GM thinks this would be vastly more difficult and tells the player that it is possible, however, it will require an Extreme Check. 

OPTIONAL VARIABLE CHECKS RULE

A circumstance may arise where the GM wants to provide a variety of outcomes for a given check. Instead of choosing a single difficulty class to determine success or failure, the GM may simply ask a player to roll a check for an attribute to see at what difficulty class they succeed. Rolling above the associated statistic would be considered a failure, while rolling equal to, or below, a check statistic results in a success of the appropriate level. This allows the GM to offer a variety of outcomes based on how well the player rolled. 

A roll equal to, or below, a Splicer's EC would result in an Extreme Success.

A roll equal to, or below, a Splicer's DC would result in a Demanding Success.

A roll equal to, or below, a Splicer's CC would result in a Challenging Success.

A roll equal to, or below, a Splicer's RC would result in a Regular Success.

A roll above, a Splicer's RC would result in a Failure.

The following example demonstrates potential use cases for Variable Checks: 

A Splicer is attempting to kick open a locked door. The GM sees the situation resolving in multiple ways, and so they ask the player to make a Physical Check, without specifying a difficulty class. The player rolls their D20, which results in a 16. The Splicer's Physical RC is 16, and so they achieve a Regular Success, there is a loud thud and the lock in the door shatters. However, if the player had rolled a 10, the roll would've been below the Splicer's Physical CC, resulting in a Challenging Success. In this case, the GM may decide the door swings open with such force that the guard standing behind the door is knocked unconscious. If the player had rolled a 2, the roll would've been below the Splicer's Physical EC, resulting in an Extreme Success. In this case the GM may describe the door flying clean off its hinges, decapitating two sentry drones on the other side. 

AUGMENTS AND ABILITIES

Augments serve as a replacement for the class features and spells found in traditional TTRPGs. They provide a range of benefits from mechanical abilities, to statistical upgrades, spells, and role-playing tools. (Note, the Augment umbrella term encompasses all player upgrades including Cyber Protocols and Mental Aspects)

A Splicer’s choice of augments define who they are and how they interact with the world. 

For example, the Integrated Thruster Array augment gives a Splicer the freedom of flight, granting a player unparalleled traversal abilities. While the X-ray Emitters allows a Splicer’s vision to penetrate thin walls making them invaluable within an enemy base. 

There is no limit to the amount of Augments a Splicer may have or any statistical prerequisites which lock them out of purchasing an Augment. The only limiting factors are the number of Nanites (currency) a Splicer has, and their ability to find a location which sells and installs them. 

However, each augment is associated with a governing attribute and may call for a corresponding check to facilitate its functioning. For example, shaping the Nano Swarm into specific configurations like stairs requires a corresponding Tech check. As such to get the most out of these augments high attribute scores in the relevant area is recommended. 

For more information about Augments and a complete list see the Augment section.

BATTERY POWER

At the centre of every Splicer is a core battery. This battery powers all of a Splicer's augments and serves as a universal ability resource for the game. After a recharge every Splicer has one hundred Power Units which they can spend as they wish to fuel their augments and abilities. When they run out, a Splicer can still move, use augments which draw no power and fight with their equipment and consumables. They cannot use power reliant augments, Protocols or Aspects.

These Power Units are not easily recoverable. A Splicer cannot simply rest and regain their battery charge overtime. To receive a full recharge they must visit a Recharge Station which will completely replenish their batteries over a short time. However, small amounts of power can be restored through the use of rare consumable batteries or certain augments like the Vamp protocol and the Energy Converter. As such when considering any course of action, a Splicer must carefully weigh the advantages against the opportunity cost of spending their power.

Recharge Stations are points in the world where Splicers can fully recharge their batteries. The appearance and efficacy of such stations can vary, but ordinarily Recharge Stations are terminals with ports for Splicers to connect their battery and recharge to 100% in one hour. 

NANITES AND CURRENCY

Nanites serve as the universal currency within the world of Splicer. They can be used to "print” any physical object in a fabricator giving Nanites unparalleled utility as a central currency. Within the game, Nanites are used to purchase or fabricate equipment, consumables, and even augments. As such they effectively serve as a character's currency and experience points, allowing a player to buy both equipment and consumables or permanent upgrades in the form of augments. However new augments don’t come cheap and Splicer’s will require consumables and attachments to successfully complete jobs. For reference, a conventional firearm costs 10K Nanites while a Mag-Cannon augment a Splicer could graft onto their rig costs 100K Nanites. 

MOVEMENT

In a firefight, you stay mobile or you die. Maintaining a high level of physical fitness allows Splicers to evade danger and close distance fast. Movement refers to the amount a Splicer can travel in a turn and is governed by their Physical attribute. Movement is calculated with the formula; Movement (per turn) = 2 + Physical EC. For example, if a Splicer has a Physical Attribute of eight they will be able to move four (two plus two) metres each turn. On a Splicer’s turn, they can travel up to their Movement value. To travel further, a Splicer can sacrifice an Action to travel their Movement value again. 

CARRY CAPACITY

A Splicer cannot always carry all of the equipment that they might want for a job. Sometimes they will be forced to choose between a backup energy weapon, a spare battery or an extra EMP grenade. The number of objects a Splicer can carry is equal to PHYS DC. Meaning that if a Splicer has a Physical Attribute of twelve they can carry six (half twelve) objects. This number only counts against the equipment and consumables a Splicer is carrying and not non-gameplay items. Certain Augments like the Body Holster and Extra-Dimensional Space provide players with opportunities to carry more items without increasing a Splicer’s Physical Attribute.

FOCUS

Some circumstances demand a Splicer’s full attention. This could include a Splicer holding open an auto-door while their friends run through, or maintaining a portal summoned with an Aspect. To accomplish such tasks a Splicer must Focus. A Splicer can only sustain Focus on one task at a time. If they take damage while performing a task that requires Focus, they must make a Mental Check. A failed check will result in Focus being broken, and the effects of the task ceasing immediately. The difficulty class of the check is determined by the damage sustained, Minor Damage is a Regular Check, Major Damage is a Challenging Check, everything higher than Major Damage is an Extreme Check.