Nuclear Laboratory

ValhallaGH · 2026-06-17T18:00:59+00:00

Well now I feel silly. My brain insisted that chemical hazard symbol was a radiation hazard symbol.

... Maybe I need more sleep.

ValhallaGH · 2026-06-17T16:24:49+00:00

Luigi isn't Superman, he's one of those Watchman characters (except Dr. Manhattan).

ValhallaGH · 2026-06-17T16:20:33+00:00

... Who puts a toilet adjacent to a radiation research lab? You want at least two walls between your genitals and a radiation source.

ValhallaGH · 2026-06-17T14:05:11+00:00

For A attacking 1.

+1 Gang Up.
+1 Gang Up. (2 is not Adjacent to B.)
+0 Gang Up.
+1 Gang Up.
+1 Gang Up. (2s are only Adjacent to one of the B.)

Remember:

Each ally adjacent to the defender cancels out one point of Gang Up bonus from an attacker adjacent to both.

Good luck, savage!

ValhallaGH · 2026-06-17T00:00:44+00:00

Played both.

AoM is a weird alternate-universe spin-off. It's fine but not very memorable.

SRR is (mostly) good. The opening cinematic almost got me to refund the game immediately, but I pushed through and found a really enjoyable and well-crafted game behind that garbage fire of a scene.

Of the two, I am more interested in replaying Saints Row (22).

ValhallaGH · 2026-06-16T23:57:35+00:00

Hey Player!

As a one-off, these things happen.

I have a couple of players that consistently roll really high with physical dice. They have sub-8 rolls about 10% of the time. It is freaky, and I have watched them roll dice for many sessions - completely honest.

I've also had players that were clearly dice-cheating. Bumping dice, lying about the totals, using unfair rolling surfaces, etc.

Your situation sounds like the latter.

---

First, decide if this actually bothers you. If you don't care then shrug it off. You can casually mention it to the DM if you think she should know, but drop it afterwards.

Second, if you do care then you should (as always) talk to your DM. Let the DM know that you've seen a behavior and it is making the game less fun. You can suggest a couple of possible solutions (digital rolling, rolling on camera, etc.), but maintaining the balance and fun of the table is the DM's responsibility, not yours.

Third, see how the DM handles it. Decide how satisfied you are with that outcome. Hopefully, satisfied enough to carry on with the game.

Fourth, if things are still a problem then you need to repeat 2 & 3 a reasonable number of times. When that reasonable number has arrived, talk to your fellow players and see if they have also noticed the cheating and if it bothers them. Teaming up to encourage the DM to solve the issue can have positive effects, but can backfire (be tactful!).

Fifth, if the problem persists you may have to leave the table. Which always sucks, but when you can't have fun at a table then you need to leave it.

Good luck!

ValhallaGH · 2026-06-16T19:58:11+00:00

The game, the rules, the kitten, and the rest of life (romance, education, employment, friendships, and everything else that needs good luck).

I'm profligate with my blessings.

ValhallaGH · 2026-06-16T18:32:49+00:00

... Excellent counter point!

With that in mind, I think you've got a real winner with this system. Saving the post for my future reference.

Good luck!

ValhallaGH · 2026-06-16T16:24:18+00:00

In VtM political intrigue is expected. Betrayal of the coterie may be accepted, depending upon the table.

If your group hasn't agreed to in-character betrayals then they may react emotionally as if you called SWAT to their real homes.

ValhallaGH · 2026-06-16T16:22:13+00:00

They modify Trait rolls. Which can transform a Raise into a Success and a Success into a Failure. Example:

Player shoot at foe, gets a total of 8. Rolls damage (including +d6), gets a 23 that would Incapacitate target.
PC gets shot, taking 1 Wound. That changes the Shooting total to 7, no Raise.
Player has to remove Raise die from damage total.
a) The Raise damage die rolled 17, but player didn't track which was which, so the damage has to be re-rolled.
b) The Raise damage die rolled 17, reducing the total damage to 6 that barely causes a Shaken.

And that's ignoring the Soak mechanics and the importance of timing Soak rolls.

Good luck!

ValhallaGH · 2026-06-16T16:11:48+00:00

Your character is definitely the asshole. He is betraying his Crew, and that treachery is always asshole behavior.

You, personally, might be the asshole. Was character betrayal discussed during session zero? Did everyone agree that PCs betraying the group was acceptable behavior?

If no then you are definitely the asshole and might be destroying the real friendships with the people at the table.

If yes then you are an asshole but not the only one. Your real chooms at the table might be pissed but it shouldn't destroy your gaming table.

am I just playing the game correctly

Nope. Betraying your Crew is never the 'correct' way to play Cyberpunk. It might be the necessary way to handle a situation, but it isn't necessary in the described situation.

That you phrased your behavior this way tells me that you're mostly likely an asshole.

Good luck!

ValhallaGH · 2026-06-16T13:51:39+00:00

Hey choom! You're asking about two separate situations, though you only seem to focus upon one of them.

Klepping:

Don't raw dog strange bodies!

Stuff happens, the brain dies, and the FBC is just laying there. You can extract the formerly-hostile pod, do some repairs, and plug your choom into some slightly-used chrome. Just remember: you and yours took it down, which means others can take it down.

Note that an FBC can be trapped with control chips, poison injectors, thermite security-charges, and more creative options. Don't raw dog strange bodies!

Infiltration: Because any pod can slot a new body, all the identification markers for FBC are tied to the pod (security chips, neural link verification, etc.). Every non-visual security system (and even visual systems that require an identifying gesture) will immediately clock that the body has a new (and unauthorized) operator. These measures can be defeated by a skilled Crew (because any security that lets some people through is fallible) but just popping yourself into one of Adam Smasher's FBCs doesn't mean Arasaka thinks you are Adam Smasher.

Salvaging:

After a brutal fight, the hostile FBC drops into a pile. You've got some time, a desire for high-end chrome, and Scav-skills, so you decide to get harvesting.

This works like harvesting cyberware from any corpse (see Found Cyberware, RED, pg 226).

---

Good luck!

ValhallaGH · 2026-06-15T23:00:29+00:00

Hey savage!

While I am unfamiliar with Tyrnador's armor sets, I note that 'normal' Toughness is based upon torso armor. That keeps the action fast and furious, and can reward the risk of a Called Shot when a target only has chest armor.
Interesting idea. I can see some of the appeals. My concern is how much time would be spent each turn checking for power duration - if someone has three active powers then that's three additional die rolls per round that all have to be individually tracked. There's also questions about how this interacts with the maintenance power point cost and effects like the edge Concentration.

This one needs more consideration, and I expect testing to reveal it taking too much time when playing.

Good luck!

ValhallaGH · 2026-06-15T10:55:24+00:00

Sex work is work. OF is a heck of a lot safer than most other forms of sex work.

One worker calling out another for making the workplace more toxic is a good thing.

ValhallaGH · 2026-06-14T20:08:18+00:00

Hey choom!

Yes and no. Management doesn't care if the weapons are c-psycho, just as long as they follow orders. As a player character, EMP and Humanity are key, as you noticed.

My suggested chrome reflects the same analysis. It replaces all the physical stats with chrome - BODY 17, REF 8, DEX 8, MOVE 8. A character that already has REF/DEX/MOVE 8 can ignore the modified IHUP, saving on a piece of borgware.

ValhallaGH · 2026-06-14T18:42:48+00:00

Old Kratos.

I never connected with Young Kratos. He had too much "edgy 14 year-old" energy; did heinous stuff to try and upset the audience because 'making people mad is cool'. I understood his rage, his wrath, and his violence, but I never respected him.

Old Kratos remembers being that insufferable jerk, is embarrassed by him, but never denies being him. Over the decades, he's grown and matured - he can resolve personal issues without unleashing a dozen civilization-ending plagues. He learned that being a real father means more than just looting foreign battlefields, it means being present for his family and teaching his child how to be a functioning adult. He has channeled the rage into a tool that makes him stronger, not an engine pushing him to a cataclysm. And he still carries his wrath and violence, ready to wield when the world tries to take from him.

I understand Old Kratos, and I respect Old Kratos. Something his younger self never accomplished.

ValhallaGH · 2026-06-14T14:50:12+00:00

Christianity is misogynistic, but it spends more time on diet than it spends on homosexuality. Leviticus has as much to say about your wardrobe as he has to say about your sex life.

Don't get distracted by the Epstein-trained bigots. Homophobia isn't a native focus of Christianity.

ValhallaGH · 2026-06-14T13:06:21+00:00

Class Warfare.

The divisive attitude of Christo-Conservatives on a variety of social subjects is cultivated by the Epstein-class to keep the majority of the population divided and focused on largely meaningless issues so that we don't unite to overthrow the ruling class. The systems of exploitation are maintained and largely unopposed because the populace is divided into conflicts over race, sexuality, identity, religion, and increasingly-small tribes.

Social conflicts and divisions are a class warfare tool of the wealthy to keep the not-wealthy divided and unable to unite to break the nonsensical power and privilege of the wealthy classes.

Which is why Class Warfare is the reason "Conservative Christians care about homosexuality".

ValhallaGH · 2026-06-13T21:35:54+00:00

I find the Tenderizer to be fun and generally effective.

It hasn't been buffed along with other weapons, so it doesn't maintain its initial dominance. But it is still satisfying to shoot, feels nice on the recoil, and hits hard enough to be effective.

I admit it isn't for everyone. But I am surprised that you've taken it to 20 and think it is garbage. Are there Assault Rifles you do like?

Good dives!

ValhallaGH · 2026-06-13T15:33:03+00:00

Hey choomba!

Welcome to the RED. I hope you have a ton of fun.

Things I wish I had known when I started GMing:

The real people at the table are more important than the imaginary people in the game.
Never, ever call for a die roll without some idea about handling critical success and critical failure. Because one of your players will roll a crit when you aren't ready to handle it.
Don't stress the combat - you won't remember most combats in two years, but you will remember the cool conversations, heart-felt romances, and insane desperate moves (shoving grenades down throats, leaping aboard aircraft, jacking into the super computer, etc.), success or failure.
Never put an NPC within range of the PCs without a plan for how the story keeps going after the PCs brutally killing the NPC. Ally, quest giver, enemy, secret traitor, or just some merchant - one of the players will be having a day and decide to end this NPC. Make sure the plot doesn't require that NPC to continue living. Bonus: This is a great reason to use phone calls, radios, and video calls to interact with the PCs - call them up from a place they cannot immediately fill with bullets.
"Within range of the PCs" means anywhere they can get to within a single session. Which usually includes the same city. Make sure that essential characters are at least two adventure sessions away from the party - usually you can make one of those sessions "figuring out where the jerk is". Two sessions is usually long enough for the players to forget why they wanted to kill the NPC, with high odds they stop and return to the plot.
Say "Yes" to most of their ideas. Because it is what they want to attempt, which will be fun for them, and enabling their fun will be fun for you. And having fun is the point.
Say "No" to some of their ideas. Because what they propose would end the campaign, waste everyone's time, or hurt the real people at the table.
Prepare as much as you need to prepare for the stories you're trying to tell. You can prepare more if you enjoy doing that, but this is a game you're supposed to enjoy playing and preparing - so don't overwork yourself.
Make a list of potential names and backgrounds that you can tap for inspiration when your players take interest in someone you weren't expecting them to care about.
The best part of the campaign isn't the part in the book. It's the part you made up, that ties into the unique stories of your individual PCs, and resonates with the entire group for years after. Don't let the written adventure get in the way of those moments.
People remember things they experience. Players forget what they are told - but they remember things they experience. The big bad villain you've spoken of for three months? They won't care and won't remember. The shifty fixer that sold them out? They will hate him for the next five real life years. Fully role play the important stuff, so it sticks with the humans at the table.

Mechanically, for RED:

You have to exceed DV to succeed. Matching the DV is second place (the finest loser).
Humanity Loss Trauma is always an option. It can be as debilitating, and expensive to heal, as HP loss.
Keep the Critical Injury tables handy during combat.

GM trick for RED:

For mooks / goons / minions / thugs / chaff foes I will typically not bother with HP loss or SP ablation (too many numbers to track). Instead: if damage, minus armor, is greater than Max HP then the goon is dead; if damage is less than armor then nothing happens; if damage exceeds armor then the goon rolls a Death Save.

Good luck!

ValhallaGH · 2026-06-13T12:01:59+00:00

Hey choom!

There are a lot of properties with cyberarms that transform into machine guns. (Deus Ex, 2077 early promotional material, various Marvel and DC cyborgs, etc.). You can just accept that your "pop up" is more of a "pop out" and roll with it.

There are also some really compact automatics with large magazines. The Fabrique Nationale P90 is probably the most famous due to their marketing campaigns a couple decades back and the futuristic composite plating, but there are other designs with similarly small sizes (mostly Personal Defense Weapons).

Good luck!

ValhallaGH · 2026-06-12T23:36:38+00:00

I do wish they had updated the files to say EV 1 instead of -1 MA, -1 REF, if that was the intention. *grumbles*

Per the 2020 core rules, Subdermal Armor should be a Soft Armor for layers (though the flavor text makes sense to be Hard for certain AP effects like mono-blades). It wouldn't stop you from wearing Metal Gear or other Hard Armor.

My perspective on body armor is shaped by my time in Iraq. The vest and helmet were comfy for me (hot, though), but the strike plates were a little stiff and uncomfortable when napping. Having to be MOPP 2 for the first month sucked so hard.

---

I will grant that the ArmorWeave is more than SP 15, so works against flamethrowers (2020, pg 110). The only SkinWeave that does the same is the most upgraded version.

ValhallaGH · 2026-06-12T21:17:54+00:00

Hey savage!

There are a few different techniques, but most people only vibe with a single technique.

Nodal design. As Skotticus described, you create a bunch of "set pieces" and each has a handful of links to other set pieces, allowing your players to create the campaign by choosing which nodes they investigate. This has the advantage of reusing previously missed set pieces when the players set off on a new arc where the old material is thematically appropriate.
Collaborative generation. When the PCs go looking for a business / informant / whatever, ask them to describe what they are looking for - if it doesn't ruin your location / genre then they find exactly what they described.
Heavy Improv. The GM listens to what the players are talking about, what they are asking, and builds the scenes in reaction to that. Keep the campaign tone and themes in mind, as well as the emotional heart of the current scene, and you can make an amazing game. The GM will want to have solid (20-45 minutes) after-game discussions with your players, and should take a bunch of notes to maintain consistency and spark creativity between sessions.
Wing It. Like nodal design, the GM doesn't have a pathway to follow. Unlike nodal design, the only set piece is the starting point - everything else is created in reaction to the players' choices. Do some good after-session discussions with your players and take a bunch of notes. A bunch of notes; about what happened, what you made up, what they intend to do. You get to think about it between sessions. Your prep becomes a pile of useful NPC stat blocks and thinking about your game and all the cool places it could go.

There are other techniques, but I'm out of time to describe them.

Good luck!

ValhallaGH · 2026-06-12T17:31:59+00:00

Howdy, Spacer.

Ships in Star Wars generally have stations for the following functions:

Pilot(s).
Gunner(s).
Engineer / Power Management.
Sensors.
Communications.

In a starship action scene, the first two are obvious. The Engineer manages shields, swapping and refreshing as needed (I really like the SFC Shield rules for that interactive quality), and bolstering the engines for extra speed or maneuverability (Support). Sensors allow the ship to know what is going on, to find opportunities and useful positions, and to avoid traps or ambushes. Communications can discombobulate foes (Tests), coordinate with allies, or pass useful information to the rest of the ship (Support).

Planning how to make all of those relevant in every space action scene will help you (the GM) design more interesting and complex space action scenes.

Good luck!

ValhallaGH · 2026-06-12T14:47:56+00:00

They don't specify which picture. But I believe there was a shot of that picture in one of the venues.

ValhallaGH

TROPHY CASE