Cyberdark rules — Clon01 GM Tools

Rolling the dice

The check

d20 + stat modifier vs DC. Meet or beat succeeds.

Most trained routine work does not need a roll. The GM calls for a check when failure has a cost, the task needs skill, or time is tight. Social scenes usually turn on what you say, not a CHA roll.

Advantage / disadvantage

Roll the same die twice, keep the higher. Example: high ground, a second try after you spotted the weak spot.

Roll twice, keep the lower. Example: shooting a drone in the dark with a glitching visor.

Advantage and disadvantage on the same roll cancel. Roll once.

Natural 20 / 1

Peak efficiency. On an attack this is a critical (hit + double weapon dice). On a glitch, double one numerical effect (damage, duration, or range).

Worst possible miss. An attack automatically misses and may hit an ally, shred cover, or blow your position. Ranged: also empty (or jammed if Reload). A glitch nat 1 is a mishap.

Contested & the d6

Both sides roll the relevant stat at the same time (even off-turn). Highest wins. Reroll ties.

Pure chance (dropped gun, which way the patrol looks): d6. 1–3 worse for the PCs, 4–6 better.

Difficulty

d20 + stat modifier vs DC. Meet or beat succeeds.

Rank	DC	Example
Easy	9	Slide past an inattentive guard. Vault a short barricade.
Normal	12	Force a jammed mag-door. Bypass an old keypad.
Hard	15	Swim a flooded metro against the current. Stop a crewmate from flatlining.
Extreme	18	Scale a rain-slick corporate spire one-handed. Subdue combat ICE.

Using stats

WIS is instinct and sensory data. INT is logic, analysis, and technical knowledge.

Stat	Use it for	Examples
STR	Force, lift, melee (unless Fierce).	Force a mag-locked hatch. Bend holding-cell bars. Wrestle a runaway hauler’s wheel.
DEX	Dodge, sneak, climb, ranged, initiative.	Dive off a turret’s fire. Scale a slick tower face. Palm a card in a back room.
CON	Endure, hold breath, resist toxin / shock / rest interruptions.	Hold breath in a flooded tunnel. Push through neural feedback. Resist a paralytic.
INT	Logic, tech, first aid, codecasting, hacking, recall.	Field-repair an ally’s chrome. Remember an unmarked service route. Identify unknown cyberware.
WIS	Notice, instinct, track a signal, hear through a door.	Spot a cloaked overwatch drone. Pinpoint faint radio chatter. Read voices through a blast door.
CHA	Talk, disguise, command, perform.	Fake a corp voice on comms. Pass as an asset. Talk two gangs into a truce.

Edge tokens

You can hold at most one Edge token. Spend it to reroll any roll you just made — you must keep the new result. You can pass the token to another crew member.

The GM may grant Edge for exceptional roleplay, style, or sheer audacity — even if the stunt failed. Alignment: 1/day you can reclaim Edge by fulfilling your alignment condition (see Alignments).

Cinematic table: 2–3 new tokens per player in a session is fine. Grim table: maybe none.

Time

In-game time matches the table. One real minute = one in-game minute. That matters for MCF runtime and oxygen. If you cannot track real time, treat 1 hour as 10 rounds.
Turn — Your moment to say what you do. Players act one at a time.
Round — Ends when everyone at the table has taken a turn.
Minutes pass — When minutes pass: effects measured in rounds expire. GM rolls one random encounter (d6, happens on 1–3).
Hours / days pass — When hours or days pass: shorter effects expire. Use travel encounter rules, then skip to the new moment.

Distances & movement

Close C

About 5 feet. Arm’s reach, melee, first aid, most “touch” glitches.

Near N

Up to about 30 feet. One move on your turn. Default threat move. MCF field size.

Far F

Beyond near, still in the scene / visual render during an encounter.

Climb — STR or DEX to scale at half speed. Fail by 5+ and you fall.
Fall — 1d6 damage per 10 feet fallen.
Through creatures — STR or DEX to push through hostiles. Allies do not block you.
Swim — Half speed. STR if the water is violent. Hold breath CON modifier rounds (min 1), then CON each round or take 1d6 until you get out.
Cover / terrain — If at least half the target is behind cover, +2 AC. If you cannot see it at all, you cannot target it. Wreckage / sludge / wire tangles: half speed.

Turn order

Everyone rolls d20 + DEX. The GM uses the highest hostile DEX. Highest goes first, then clockwise.

The GM can loosen this: players pick who moves, then the GM. A round still ends when everyone has acted.

Your turn. 1) Count down your timers (glitches, burns). 2) One action + move near (split the move however you like). Skip the action to move near again. 3) GM narrates.

GM turn. 1) Count down non-player timers. 2) Random encounters if this is a darkrunning round. 3) Threats, NPCs, hazards act. 4) Narrate.

If you start undetected, you have surprise. If combat has not started, surprised people get one full turn before a new initiative roll. Attacks vs surprised targets have advantage. Shooting from cover or breaking stealth usually reveals you.

Combat

Guns out, ICE triggered, blades out — switch to combat rounds.

Melee attack

d20 + STR + bonuses vs AC. Fierce weapons: STR or DEX.

Ranged attack

d20 + DEX + bonuses vs AC.

Reload

Swap a magazine, charge pack, or canister. Nat 1 on a ranged attack already emptied you.

Codecast

Casting a glitch is your action (see Codecasting).

Improvise

Kick cover, slam a door, yank a cable. GM may ask for a check or an attack.

Multitask

Small extras — bark a command, stand up, thumb a device — usually free.

Damage. On a hit, roll the weapon or glitch dice + bonuses. Subtract from HP. You can knock a target out instead of killing it when you drop them to 0.

Critical. Nat 20: double the weapon’s damage dice. For a glitch, double one numerical effect.

Morale. When a group is at half numbers (or a solo is at half HP), they flee if they fail DC 15 WIS. Large groups: one roll, leader’s modifier.

Death

At 0 HP you drop and start dying. If you are healed above 0, you wake and are no longer dying.
On your turn when you go down, roll 1d4 + CON (min 1). That many rounds left.
Each dying turn, roll a d20. Nat 20: you are back at 1 HP.
Close range, DC 15 INT first aid. Success: unconscious, no longer dying. They still need a rest to get up properly.
Timer runs out with no help: the darkrunner is gone.
After you flatline and come back from 0 HP, DC 12 CON or roll the Trauma table.

Trauma table

Flatlined and came back? DC 12 CON or roll d20.

d20	Trauma	Effect
1	Ghostlink severed	DC 15 CON or die.
2	Neural feedback loop	Each time you use an implant, take 1 damage.
3	Severed body part	1d6: 1 leg, 2 arm, 3 foot, 4 hand, 5 eye, 6 jaw.
4	Lost-link	Lose 1 implant slot permanently. 1d4: 1 neural, 2 arms, 3 legs, 4 body.
5	Bleeding	Lose 1d4 HP per round until DC 15 INT first aid.
6	Physical injury	Lose 1 point permanently. 1d6: 1–2 STR, 3–4 DEX, 5–6 CON.
7	Synaptic injury	Lose 1 point permanently. 1d6: 1–2 INT, 3–4 WIS, 5–6 CHA.
8	Serious scar	Lose 1 HP permanently. You get a story out of it.
9	Shattered chrome	One implant is destroyed. DC 15 INT to replace it.
10	Static nightmares	Resting restores half HP. Lasts 1d4 days.
11	Corrupted firewall	Glitches and hacks against you have advantage for 1d4 days.
12	Visions	On a nat 1 on checks, stunned 1 round. Lasts 1d4 days.
13	Jumpy	You cannot be surprised, but you are trigger-happy for 1d4 days.
14	Targeting backlash	AC 10 for 1d4 rounds.
15	Sensory blackout	Blinded and deafened 1d4 rounds.
16	Lost data	Lose class benefits for 1d4 rounds.
17	System overload	Movement halved for 1d4 rounds.
18	Glitching	Lose your next action.
19	Scar	A jagged mark. You look interesting. No other mechanical hit.
20	Hypercharge	One extra action on your next turn.

Resting

Log off and physically crash 8 hours. Consume a nutripack (or a real meal). Light watch / drone patrol is fine. Stressful work is not.
Interrupted. Each high-stress interruption (combat, alarm, chase): DC 12 CON. Fail = you burn the nutripack and get nothing.
Success. Restore all lost HP, recover non-permanent stat damage, and refresh talents / upgrades / gear that reset on rest. Failed glitches become available again.
Danger. You can rest anywhere. Hostile turf: GM rolls random encounters — Unsafe every 3 hours, Risky every 2, Deadly every hour.
MCF Nest. Inside the Cyberdark, cluster 3 MCFs into an MCF Nest. It cannot be moved. Lasts up to 8 hours if at least one runner stays in the field. Projects near.

Oxygen

No breathable air: you need an oxygen mask (d10) or tank (d12). Tank: roll oxygen checks with advantage. If the tank is damaged, d6: 1–3 it explodes in near (current oxygen die, Incendiary); 4–6 it is just broken.

The oxygen die is remaining air. It steps down d12 → d10 → d8 → d6 → d4. Below d4 the canister is empty.

On each hour of exposure, end of combat, physical distress, or being hit: roll 1d8 + your oxygen die and read the mishap table.

1d8 + oxygen die	Result
2	Tank broken. You start suffocating in 1d6 rounds.
3	Tank pierced. Oxygen die steps down one category each round.
4–5	Oxygen die steps down two categories.
6–8	Oxygen die steps down one category.
9–10	Filter obstructed. Dazed until cleaned.
11–20	Stable. Nothing bad happens.

After 1d4 + CON rounds with no air, you start dying.

Hide & surprise

DEX check if you are in sight or earshot. GM sets DC (tight security is harder than a noisy market). May roll in secret. You cannot hide if you are being watched, or if there is nowhere to disappear.

If you search the right place you automatically spot hidden threats. Otherwise WIS.

If you start undetected, you have surprise. If combat has not started, surprised people get one full turn before a new initiative roll. Attacks vs surprised targets have advantage. Shooting from cover or breaking stealth usually reveals you.

Carry, ammo, twin weapons

Carry items up to your Strength score, minimum 10 slots. Most items fill 1 slot. Clothing and permanently installed implants do not. Awkward or dangerous tech can take 2+.
Utility Rig holds your kit. The first one is free to carry. Extra rigs take a slot.
Do not track individual shots. Track magazines, cartridges, or fuel canisters. Nat 1 on a ranged attack = empty. Reload costs 1 action or your movement.
Same weapon in each hand: one attack roll. Hit = damage die with advantage. Ranged: both empty on a nat 1; reload both with one action.

Weapon properties

Track magazines / fuel canisters, not individual shots. Nat 1 on a ranged attack = empty. Reload costs 1 action or movement.

Same weapon in each hand: one attack roll. Hit = damage die with advantage. Ranged: both empty on a nat 1; reload both with one action.

Burst Burst

Instead of a normal attack, target every creature in a near-sized cube extending from you. One attack roll. Hit anyone whose AC is equal or below that roll. Consumes a whole magazine or fuel canister.

Explosive Ex

Detonates in a near-sized cube centered on the target.

Fierce F

Use STR or DEX when attacking with this weapon.

Incendiary I

Burns 3 rounds, 1d4 damage per round (not cumulative).

Link Link

After a hit, each turn you may spend your action to auto-deal the weapon’s damage again. Ends if the target leaves range or line of sight.

Reload RL

Reload after each attack. Nat 1 = jammed (1 action to clear).

Stun Stun

Stunned 1 round: move or act, not both.

Throwing Th

Ranged attack with STR or DEX by throwing the weapon.

Two-handed 2H

Needs both hands.

Versatile V

One-handed = lower damage die; two-handed = higher.

Ghostlink

Starting implant. Almost every darkrunner has one. Remove it and the rest of your chrome is dead weight.

Hack. Connects you to the net. Most hacks are INT vs a DC the GM sets (time and protection). Hacking a creature is contested INT. ICE add their LV to the check. Typical uses: shut an implant off, open a door, pull a shard, poke an ICE’s routines.
Jack in. Your port into the Cyberdark. No ghostlink = blind to the signal.
Stream. Push thought as encrypted speech, data, or images to anyone linked.
Anchor. Holds 4 implant slots: 1 neural, 1 body, 1 arms, 1 legs. One implant per slot. To swap, the old one comes out first.

Hack sequence

One INT check is usually enough. Use a sequence for vault doors, lab terminals, anything well above average.

Complexity	INT DC	Layers (successes)	Alert (fails allowed)
Moderate	12	2	2
Severe	15	3	1
Extreme	18	4	0

System Alert is how many failed checks the target tolerates. When it trips, a mishap happens: reset the lock, slam alarms, spawn ICE, call a CCU — scaled to what you are hacking.

MCF & darkrunning

Mine-Canary Firewall: a small bio-synthetic decoy that projects a firewall. Lasts 1 hour in a Cursed Code Zone, or half an hour of real time inside the Cyberdark. Field is near in both meat and signal.

You need an active MCF to safely see in the Cyberdark or a Cursed Code Zone. Outside the field you have disadvantage on sight-based actions, and each darkrunning round the GM checks for encounters.

A new MCF can either inherit the remaining time of the one already running, or you shut everything down and start a fresh hour. Keep the timer simple.

Consume an active MCF to avoid possession.

Darkrunning rounds

When you are not in a fight you are in darkrunning rounds: exploring nodes, scanning, cracking gates, poking the environment.

Pull a hidden key from an archive. Sneak past an unaware AI Demon. Strain sensors for cloaked cursed code. Broadcast something stupid to keep morale up.

An encounter is anything that stops forward progress — hostile AI, a cursed-code hazard, high-tier ICE.

Runners in comm-sync can spend a round to move as a team. Drop back to turn order when it matters.

Codecasting

Takes your action. You must have the Codecasting talent (CodeMancer and anyone else the book gives it to).
Check. d20 + INT vs DC 10 + the glitch’s tier.
Success. The glitch runs.
Failure. It fizzles. You cannot try that glitch again until you complete a rest.
Nat 20. Nat 20: double one numerical effect (damage, duration, or range). On a Stream glitch the amp lasts until your next stream check.
Nat 1. Nat 1: catastrophic misfire. A Stream ends immediately. You cannot try that glitch again until you rest, and you roll the mishap table for that tier.
Overlap. Two copies of the same glitch on the same target do not stack. The stronger one wins.
Stream. A Stream is an open channel. You can sustain only one. Opening a new one drops the last. At the start of your turn, roll codecasting again as if recasting it. Success: it holds. Failure: it collapses (you can try it later). Nat 1: treat as a critical failure / mishap. If you take damage or interference, roll immediately or it drops.

Glitch mishaps

Nat 1 on a glitch (or a Stream nat 1). Roll d12 on the table that matches the glitch’s tier.

Tier 1–2

d12	Mishap	Effect
1	Recursive Loop	The glitch replays in your head. 1d6 psychic damage as you overheat.
2	Backtrace	Your location pings across the Cyberdark. Immediate random encounter.
3	Echo Cast	The glitch targets you instead.
4	Spillover	A nearby ally becomes the unintended target.
5	Memory Leak	You cannot cast this glitch again until you rest.
6	Data Purge	One random piece of your gear shorts out and is unusable.
7	Worm Fragment	Lose one random glitch until you rest.
8	Signal Blackout	All MCFs within near shut down for 1d6 rounds.
9	Feedback Howl	You scream corrupted AI code for 3 rounds. People notice.
10	Static Bloom	Disadvantage on attack and codecasting for 10 rounds.
11	Code Burn	1d8 damage and disadvantage on your next glitch.
12	Demon Graze	DC 12 WIS or stunned 1 round.

Tier 3–4

d12	Mishap	Effect
1	Recursive Loop	Roll twice on this table. Both happen.
2	System Crash	You and all near creatures take 2d6 as the glitch blows out.
3	Phantom Cast	The glitch hits you and your nearest ally.
4	Crossfire	You also cast a random glitch you know at the same targets.
5	Gear Wipe	Two random pieces of gear fry.
6	Overclock Burnout	DC 12 CON or a random stat drops to 3 (−4) until you rest.
7	Net Rift	All near characters take 2d6 unless DC 15 DEX to dump connection.
8	Implant Lockout	One implant shuts down for 24 hours.
9	Glitch Cascade	Lose all glitches of this tier until you rest.
10	Code Madness	DC 12 WIS or babble for 1d10 rounds.
11	Viral Mark	Enemies prioritize you for 1d4 rounds.
12	Daemon Intrusion	Disadvantage on all codecasting for 10 rounds.

Tier 5

d12	Mishap	Effect
1	Recursive Loop	Roll twice. Both happen.
2	Catastrophic Overload	You and all near creatures take 3d8.
3	Core Erasure	Forget one random glitch permanently.
4	Swarm Spawn	A hostile AI Demon, Drone Swarm arrives in 1d4 rounds hunting you.
5	Enhanced Feedback	Attacks against you deal double damage for 2d6 rounds.
6	Golden Cage Breach	A hole tears. Something dreadful emerges in 1d4 rounds unless sealed (DC 18 INT).
7	Jumping Glitch	The glitch jumps to one random creature each turn until you succeed on a Stream check.
8	Tier Collapse	Lose all glitches of a random tier until you rest.
9	Digital Insanity	DC 15 WIS or madness for 1d4 hours.
10	Data Sacrifice	Permanently lose one implant, or the ability to cast one Tier 3+ glitch you know.
11	Chain Reaction	Disadvantage on all codecasting for 10 rounds.
12	Cursed Code Breach	A rift opens. An AI Demon possesses you.

Glitch list

DC to cast is 10 + tier. Stream glitches need a recast check every turn.

Tier 1

Alarm T1

Close · 1 day

Set an alarm on a device or piece of hardware. If any creature you did not designate uses it, a message hits your ghostlink.

Block Door T1

Near · 10 rounds

Jam a door closed. A creature must beat your codecasting check with STR or INT to open it. Unlock ends this glitch instantly.

Phantom Persona T1

Self · 10 rounds

Broadcast a phantom identity. Cameras, ICE, and biometric scanners register you as authorized. Ends if you attack or codecast.

Protection from Cursed Code T1

Close · Stream · Stream

AI Demons have disadvantage on attacks and codecasting against the target and cannot possess, compel, or corrupt it. If already possessed: contested CHA vs your last codecasting check; fail = the AI is ejected.

Repair Code T1

Close · Instant

Repair a Cyberdark creature or a darkrunner’s code avatar. Roll (1 + half your level, rounded down) d6. One target you touch regains that many HP.

Sensor Jam T1

Near · Stream · Stream

Jam one target’s cyber-optics or audio. The target has disadvantage on all tasks using that sense.

Shutdown T1

Near · Instant

Near-sized cube extending from you. All ICE of LV 3 or lower shut down until forcibly rebooted or damaged.

Signal Spike Overload T1

Near · Instant

Overload one target’s wetware, implant, or device: 1d6 damage.

Subvert ICE T1

Near · 1d8 hours

Control one ICE of LV 2 or lower. It treats you as its primary user and obeys basic commands (patrol, deny access, trace). Ends if you or allies damage it, or if another operator overrides it. When it ends, the ICE marks your signature.

Trace Signal T1

Near · Stream · Stream

Reveal AI corruption, cursed code, or Cyberdark anomalies within near. Sustain two full rounds to learn whether it is an AI Demon, corrupted ICE, or another rogue protocol. Solid barriers or firewalls can block this.

Tier 2

Aim Disturbance T2

Self · 10 rounds

A glitchy layer fouls aiming systems. Your AC becomes 15 (20 on a critical codecasting check) for the duration.

Broadcasting T2

Unlimited · Instant

Push a video, audio, or text message into one target’s private feed or a public node. It looks authentic. Viewers who scrutinize it make a WIS check vs your last codecasting check to spot the forgery.

Code Weapon T2

Close · 5 rounds

One weapon you touch can damage Cyberdark creatures even from the Meatgrid, and gains +1 to attack and damage.

Data Torrent T2

Far · Stream · Stream

Flood a target you can see with data. It can only take an action or move on its turn, not both. LV 5+: INT vs your last codecasting check at the start of its turn to end this.

Demon Glimpse T2

Near · Instant

Force a terrifying glitch into the visual feed of one target of LV 3 or less. It must immediately make a morale check.

Extraction T2

Near · Stream · Stream

Peer into one electronic device you can see. Each round you learn information about it. On its turn it makes a WIS check vs your last codecasting check; success means it notices you and the glitch ends.

Ghost T2

Near · 10 rounds

A creature you touch is invisible to cameras, ICE, and biometric scanners. Ends if the target attacks or casts a glitch.

Halting Code T2

Near · Stream · Stream

Paralyze one creature of LV 4 or less you can see within near.

Pain Link T2

Far · Stream · Stream

Disrupt one foe’s nervous system: 1d6 damage each round while you stream it.

Unlock T2

Near · Instant

Hack a door, window, gate, or container you can see. It opens instantly.

Tier 3

Amygdala Shock T3

Near · Instant

Nervebreaking pulse. Every hostile creature within near must immediately make a morale check. Does not affect entities immune to morale.

Animate Shell T3

Near · 1 day

Hack one creature’s remains through its ghostlink. If it has at least three limbs and an intact ghostlink, it rises as a shell. After 1 day it collapses and the ghostlink is fried.

Cursed Virus T3

Close · Instant

Plant a cursed virus in a system (ghostlink, lock panel). The first creature that interacts with it takes 3d6 damage. If that creature dies, the virus stays in the system.

Data Forging T3

Close · Instant

Plant a brief synthetic memory in a target’s ghostlink. It cannot tell the false memory from its own. If you fail the codecasting check, a false memory is planted in your mind instead (GM’s choice).

Deepfake T3

Far · Stream · Stream

Broadcast a complex visual/audio/motion illusion filling up to a near-sized cube. It cannot cause harm. Detection systems treat it as real. WIS vs your last codecasting check to see through it; any physical interaction also reveals the fake.

Enhanced Shutdown T3

Far · Instant

Near-sized cube. All ICE of LV 7 or lower in the area shut down until forcibly rebooted or damaged.

Glitch Removal T3

Near · Instant

End one glitch affecting one target you can see in range.

Order T3

Far · Stream · Stream

Give one Cyberdark creature a simple order (“run away”, “follow us”). It obeys while you stream. If the order is directly harmful, it may make CHA vs your last codecasting check to end the glitch.

Remote Override T3

Far · Stream · Stream

Hijack one creature’s cyberware implant. You control that implant while you stream. Target may make INT vs your last codecasting check at the start of its turn to break free.

Signal Burst T3

Far · Instant

Signal disruption on a point you can see. All creatures and electronic devices in a near-sized cube around that point take 4d6 damage.

Tier 4

Architect T4

Near · Instant

While jacked into the Cyberdark, create a virtual structure or object (bridge, small building). Casting it again can grow or complicate the structure.

Cloud Curse T4

Far · 5 rounds

A deadly Cyberdark curse fills a near-sized cube (spreads around corners). Creatures inside suffer Cursed Code Zone effects and take 2d6 at the start of their turns. A living creature of LV 9 or less that ends its turn fully inside the cloud dies.

Loop Glitch T4

Close · Instant

Spend strings equal to the target glitch’s tier. Choose one glitch currently affecting a creature or object; its duration becomes permanent (GM decides what qualifies). You cannot change the original effects. Casting Loop Glitch again ends the previous one.

Overcharging T4

Near · Stream · Stream

Overheat an electronic device or ghostlink: 1d10 damage per round. Inside the Cyberdark, creatures or darkrunner avatars are healed by this instead.

Restore Code T4

Near · Instant

Restore a Cyberdark creature or a darkrunner’s code avatar to full HP. You cannot cast this again until you complete a rest.

The Eye T4

Self · Stream · Stream

See through any camera or video device on the net. Change source each round. Locating a private creature or place you know little about is DC 18. Each round the target may make WIS vs your last codecasting check to sense the intrusion.

Triggercode T4

Close · Instant

Prime a dormant glitch into a device or implant. Choose a Tier 3 or lower glitch (no Stream) and a trigger. The first time the trigger happens, that glitch fires. Casting Triggercode again ends the previous one. Destroying the target expires it.

Subvert Superior ICE T4

Near · 1d8 hours

Seize one ICE of LV 6 or lower. It treats you as its primary user and obeys. Ends if you or allies damage it, or if another operator overrides it. When it ends, the ICE marks your signature.

Tier 5

Circuit Snap T5

Far · Instant

Fry a creature’s ghostlink, an electronic device, or a Cyberdark creature. LV 5 or less dies. LV 6+ takes 3d8 instead. A device of similar level is fried.

Golden Cube T5

Self · Stream · Stream

Invisible near-sized cube centered on you, moving with you. No glitches can be cast inside. Cursed implants and glitches have no effect. Cyberdark creatures cannot enter. Glitch Removal does not affect it. Another Golden Cube does not cancel this one.

Halting Pulse T5

Near · Stream · Stream

Paralyze one ghostlink, electronic device, or Cyberdark creature you can see. LV 9+: CHA vs your last codecasting check at the start of its turn to end this.

Summon Demon T5

Close · 1 day

Summon one AI Demon of LV 8 or less. It appears next to you, is under your control, and acts on your turn. After 1 day it is banished back into the Cyberdark.

Will of the Father T5

Close · Instant

Rewrite Meatgrid code. State a precise request targeting a mechanical or cybernetic system in range (ICE, keypads, implants). If feasible, it happens as phrased (GM interprets). Unstable: any failed codecasting check is a critical failure — roll the Tier 5 mishap table with disadvantage.

Will of the Mother T5

Self · Instant

Force the Cyberdark to rewrite itself. State a precise request. If it is feasible inside the matrix, it happens as phrased (GM interprets). Unstable: any failed codecasting check is a critical failure — roll the Tier 5 mishap table with disadvantage.

Chargen recap

Start at level 1.
3d6 down the line: STR, DEX, CON, INT, WIS, CHA. If no stat is 14+, reroll all six.
3 (−4), 4–5 (−3), 6–7 (−2), 8–9 (−1), 10–11 (0), 12–13 (+1), 14–15 (+2), 16–17 (+3), 18 (+4).
Pick an origin (Halo / Clone / Wastelander / Synth, plus Neo Tokyo options). You get that origin’s ability.
Pick a class. HP = one hit die + CON (min 1), plus origin bonuses. Roll one class talent (Halogen / Yakuza roll a second).
10 + DEX unless armor says otherwise.
2d6 × 500 credits to buy gear.
Everyone starts with a Ghostlink and one level 1 implant.
After Finalize: award XP, then Level up when you have current level × 10. Leftover XP stays. Roll your hit die into max HP. At 3 / 5 / 7 / 9 roll another class talent. CodeMancers open new glitch slots (Core p.27). Level 10 is the cap.

Open Cyberdark chargen

Leveling up

Level up costs current level × 10 XP (10 at 1st, 20 at 2nd, … 90 at 9th). Level 10 is the cap.

On each new level, roll your class hit die and add it to maximum HP. CON and origin bonuses stay as they were at start (they are not re-added).

A fresh 2d6 class talent at 3rd, 5th, 7th, and 9th. Stack unless the class note says reroll a duplicate.

CodeMancers learn more glitches by tier as they level (3 tier-1 at 1st, then 4 / +tier-2 at 3rd, and so on — Core p.27).

Level	Talent	Level up at
1	+1 (chargen)	10 XP
2	—	20 XP
3	+1	30 XP
4	—	40 XP
5	+1	50 XP
6	—	60 XP
7	+1	70 XP
8	—	80 XP
9	+1	90 XP
10	—	—

Origins

Halogen

Born in the orbital Halos — filtered air, scheduled daylight, corporate society.

Adaptability: one additional talent roll at 1st level.

Maintenance Rat — Grew up crawling vents, patching leaks, rerouting life-support.
Corp-Bred — Life belonged to one logo. You still bear the etched serial.
Streetborn — Crawled from sewer to screen, raised by gangs or bootlegs.
Black Market Courier — Ran rare scraps from Earth up the elevators.
Drone Jockey — Piloted corp drones until you learned to slip one for yourself.

Clone

Grown, not born. Bred for labor, war, or obedience.

Genetic prowess: 1/day you may decide to succeed on a check (choose before rolling).

Heavy Worker — Printed for dangerous labor: mines, reactors, toxic loads.
Pilot — Flew dropships, runners, or skylifts across Babelports.
The Chosen One — Created as a meat vessel for an AI Demon by a cult.
Spare Parts — Printed for organ harvesting or wetware testing. You outlived your purpose.
Point Blank — Woke in an alley with no memories. GM may roll a secret background.

Wastelander

Born beneath poisoned skies and ruined cities below the Halo.

Survivor: +2 HP. Advantage on checks to resist disease or environmental hazards.

Scrap Scavver — Tore circuits out of junkyards and chewed through radiation dust.
Tribal Nomad — Clan rode storms and ash dunes on barter and old myths.
Pit Survivor — Fought for food in sunken arenas. You still dream of the crowd.
Plague Touched — Disease ate through your people. You endured.
Ash Raider — Raided the dustlands for fuel and circuits. Mercy wasn’t in the dictionary.

Synth

Built to simulate life — bio-synthetic, carbon-shell, or hardware.

False Flesh: no need to eat, drink, or breathe. 1/day ignore a failed roll that targets your physiology.

Factory Defect — Meant to be scrapped at birth. Someone pulled you off the line.
Ghost Host — Carried another’s uploaded mind until it bled into your own.
Memory Spliced — Backstory was installed. Skills stuck. (May roll a second background.)
Corp Asset — Lived as a leased tool: worker, soldier, lover.
Frankenstreet Mod — A stray tinkerer rewired you with garbage tech. It holds, most days.

Yakuza

Raised aboard Neo-Tokyo’s Ark-city. Honor, crime, and reputation.

Adaptability: one additional talent roll at 1st level. (Halogen variant.)

Clan Enforcer — Collected debts and settled disputes for your family.
Tea House Operator — Listened and learned everyone’s secrets.
Tattoo Artisan — Marked achievements, loyalties, and debts in ink.
Bodyguard — Protected a clan leader, executive, or honored elder.
Clan Heir — Raised to inherit influence and obligations.

Saltborn

Born in the drowned ruins near the Singapore Seas. Tides are maps.

Survivor: +2 HP. Advantage vs disease or environmental hazards. (Wastelander variant.)

Hull Mechanic — Kept armored boats afloat through endless storms.
Reef Scavenger — Stripped wrecks for salvage and food.
Storm Sailor — Navigated chemical monsoons and black waters.
Kaiju Spotter — Watched glowing currents for signs of leviathans.
Babel Smuggler — Moved contraband through ports beneath the orbital elevator.

Kaijublood

Shaped by toxic monsoons and glowing currents of the SEA Hub.

Kaiju-blood Mutation: night vision and you can breathe underwater.

Storm Orphan — A monsoon took your family. The sea raised you.
Wreck Diver — Scavenged drowned ruins beneath toxic seas.
Floater — Grew up moving between floating settlements.
Leviathan-Touched — Survivors claim a sea Kaiju spared your life.
Babel Smuggler — Moved contraband through ports beneath the orbital elevator.

Classes

Breaker

Weapons in human form. Calm in chaos, lethal in motion.

HD d8 · Weapons All · Armor All

Targeting Subroutine: 3/day, +1 damage for 3 rounds (add half level, ignore cover/dark/motion penalties).
Cyber Hauler: start with a level 1 implant of your choice.
Sturdy: advantage on CON checks to resist injury, poison, or cyberware side effects.

Talent roll: 2d6 (duplicate = +1 use/day)

2 — 1/day, ignore all damage and effects from one attack
3–6 — Your attacks deal +1 damage
7–9 — +2 STR or CON, or +1 to attacks
10–11 — Integrated armor plating: +1 AC
12 — Choose a talent or +2 points to distribute to stats

CodeMancer

Digital sorcerers and signal-weavers who codecast glitches.

HD d4 · Weapons Common · Armor Common · Codecasting

Codecasting: know three tier-1 glitches; more as you level (see Core p.27).
Digital Sight: concentrate to perceive nearby code. DC 13 INT to Coderead or Codebreak.

Talent roll: 2d6 (duplicate = reroll)

2 — Advantage on Digital Sight checks
3–6 — +2 INT or +1 to codecasting checks
7–9 — Advantage on casting one glitch you know
10–11 — Learn one additional glitch of any tier you know
12 — Choose a talent or +2 points to distribute to stats

Echo

Neon-bard. A voice that vibrates through flesh, chrome, and code.

HD d6 · Weapons Common, Flametorch, Taserwip · Armor Common

Blank Generation: trained in entertainment; advantage on related checks.
Should I Stay or Should I Go: DC 11 CHA — you or an ally gain an Edge token (fail: rest to retry).
Fame: DC 15 CHA — nearby strangers recognize you.
Search and Destroy: when you or a nearby ally spend Edge, add 1d6 to the roll.

Talent roll: 2d6 (duplicate = reroll)

2 — Access to the ODIN care service (Core p.98)
3–6 — +1 to attacks or +1 to Should I Stay or Should I Go
7–9 — +2 DEX or CHA, or +2 to Revelry rolls
10–11 — Increase Search and Destroy die by one category
12 — Choose a talent or +2 points to distribute to stats

Slicer

Silent entry, invisible exits — stealth, sabotage, deception.

HD d6 · Weapons Common, Restricted · Armor Common, Restricted

Slicing Protocol: concealed tools (no gear slots). Advantage on stealth, disguise, bypass, theft, sabotage.
System Exploit: 3/day after a hack or hit, apply one effect for 1d4 rounds (disadv attacks, disadv checks, can’t move, or 1d4 dmg/round).

Talent roll: 2d6 (duplicate = reroll)

2 — System Exploit applies two effects
3–6 — +1 to melee or ranged attacks
7–9 — One extra System Exploit per day
10–11 — +1 to two different stats
12 — Choose a talent or +2 points to distribute to stats

Synthsmith

Half surgeon, half hacker. Splice chrome, silence pain, crash implants.

HD d6 · Weapons Common, Restricted · Armor Common, Restricted

Cyberforging: tools integrated (no slots). Craft gear/implants from Scraps and Strings (d20 + WIS).
Backup Protocol: 3/day at 0 HP, DC 15 CON to stay up at 1 HP.

Talent roll: 2d6 (10–11 duplicate = reroll)

2 — Make 1 random implant (Core p.72)
3–6 — +1 to attacks or +1 to cyberforging
7–9 — +2 CON or WIS
10–11 — Advantage on Backup Protocol checks
12 — Choose a talent or +2 points to distribute to stats

Ronin

Disciplined bladefighter. Focus, precision, never a wasted movement.

HD d6 · Weapons All melee · Armor All

Iron Will: advantage to resist possession, fear, seduction, and similar.
Precision Strikes: add WIS modifier to weapon damage.
Discipline: 3/day replace any d20 you rolled with your Wisdom score (then apply the roll’s bonus as usual).

Talent roll: 2d6 (duplicate = reroll)

2 — First round of combat: a second attack
3–6 — +1 to melee attacks and damage
7–9 — +2 WIS or an extra use of Discipline
10–11 — +2 STR, DEX, or CON
12 — Choose a talent or +2 points to distribute to stats

Roboteer

Engineer-pilot. Commands a mech frame and mods it between jobs.

HD d4 · Weapons Common, Restricted, Military · Armor Common

Mech Frame: one mech with extra levels equal to half your level (round down). See Neo Tokyo p.14.
Engineer: advantage on robotics engineering checks.
Blueprint: roll a Blueprint talent; more at 3rd, 5th, and 9th.
If the mech is lost: downtime + DC 15 INT to rebuild (DC −1 per failed attempt).

Talent roll: 2d6 (duplicate = reroll)

2 — Explode mech: deal its HP as damage to all nearby
3–6 — +1 to melee or ranged (you and your mech)
7–9 — Roll an additional Blueprint talent
10–11 — +2 DEX or INT
12 — Choose a talent or +2 points to distribute to stats

Alignments

You hold one Edge. 1/day you can reclaim it by hitting one of your alignment conditions.

Control C

Embrace imposed order. Maintain systems, enforce protocols, crush deviation.

Lawful — Enforce a law, even at the expense of an ally.
AI Slayer — Neutralize an agent of the cursed code.
Punisher — Punish disobedience harshly, making an example of it.
Cleaner — Destroy evidence of corporate failure or corruption.
Arbiter — Defuse a threat by exploiting a corporate law or contract.
Judge and jury — Neutralize an agent of liberty.

Liberty L

Fight to reclaim freedom. Sabotage control grids, free minds, guard truth.

Liberator — Free someone from corporate control or code-binding.
Rebel — Ignore or break a corporate rule or regulation.
Saboteur — Sabotage a surveillance system or tracking device.
Open-code — Share forbidden tech or data.
Firebrand — Inspire others to resist control with words or actions.
Ghostmaker — Neutralize an agent of control.

Survival S

No ideology — only endurance. Adapt, cut deals, hack what you must.

Greedy — Consume someone else’s resources to preserve yours.
Cautious — Avoid danger instead of fighting.
Scrounger — Barter, scavenge, or steal gear essential for survival.
Prepper — Secure shelter, food, or protection.
Strength of the pack — Save one of your crew from great danger.
Opportunist — Pretend loyalty to a stronger power to avoid danger.

Reading a stat block

AC — How hard they are to hit. Same rule as PCs.
HP — Use the listed total, or roll d8s per LV + CON (min 1).
ATK — Most get one or two attacks. The line lists bonus and damage.
MV — Near by default. Fly / swim / burrow is written after the distance.
Mods — S STR · D DEX · C CON · I INT · W WIS · Ch CHA. Threats can exceed PC caps.
AL — L Liberty · C Control · S Survival. Individuals may vary.
Codecasting — Same as PCs. Nat 1 on a glitch hits the mishap tables. Tier = glitch DC minus 10.

LV	Threat	Typical damage	Loot
0–3	Weak / common	d4 or d6, one or two attacks	Poor or normal
4–6	Risky / uncommon	d6 or d8, two or three attacks	Normal
7–9	Dangerous / rare	d8 or d10, three or four attacks	Normal or legendary
10+	Mighty / unique	d12 or multiple dice, four or five attacks	Legendary or mythic

Goon

Low damage, HP, AC, attack bonus. Swarmy. Dies fast, hits in groups.

Enforcer

Mid-range across the board. Reliable. Dangerous in numbers.

Stinger

High damage and attack. Low HP / AC. Relies on stealth and position.

Wall

High HP and AC. Moderate punch. Soaks fire.

Disruptor

Warps the field. Mid damage. Fragile.

Apex

High HP, AC, damage, and attack. Off the charts.

How many threats

1:1 table = one threat per darkrunner at the listed LV for an average fight. You can also spend a total of (crew size × that LV). Four 7th-level runners ≈ 20 threat levels. A pile of low-LV enemies is more dangerous than the math looks (action economy). A lone high-LV threat dies fast if the crew focuses it.

Avg crew LV	Threat LV (1:1)
0–3	1
4–6	3
7–9	5
10	7

Optionally roll up to three mods per threat (d12 each). A modded threat counts as two levels higher for loot.

Threat archetypes

Bolt-on templates. Apply one to an existing stat block.

Shell

Dead body reanimated by Cyberdark residue. HP halved. Fearless (immune to morale). A critical hit destroys it instantly.

Possessed

Living host or corpse steered by an AI Demon. Possess: target with cyberware, far, contested CHA; win = control 2d4 rounds (dead target: no check, unlimited). Persistent: 0 HP outside a Cursed Code Zone, DC 15 CON to stay at 1 HP.

MCF

Mine-Canary Firewall-bred guardian. Can be activated as an MCF. Its avatar can act in the Cyberdark.

Cyber-psycho

Mind cooked by chrome overload. At half HP: 3-round rage. Fearless, +1d4 damage, must attack the nearest creature.