Character Design

A Character is any Driver, Gunner, Passenger, or Pedestrian in a Force controlled by a Player, these Characters allow Vehicles to be fielded by assigning them as a Driver or they can be a Passenger on a Vehicle that already has a Driver. Regardless of their assigned seating in a Vehicle they always have the Same Stat Lineup and are generated in the same manner.

## Facts and Figures

Characters Have six Stats each is used in different circumstances and will change during a campaign or even during a single game if they suffer an injury or suffer a psychological attack, The Stats are

**Skill:** Represents the Characters ability to control a Vehicle on the road, Use a Hack Deck, Heal an ally, or any other complex action that requires Skilled hands, this can be improved over time using Mileage Points, though injuries suffered during a game can result in the temporary or even permanent loss of Skill. Campaign Characters begin with a Skill of 2.

**Kudos:** Determines the amount of Media visibility and Infamy the Character has accumulated and is affected by the Characters Mileage, Kudos can go up or down as a result of a single game, though One Off Games will not need this stat to be noted as it has little effect unless it is a high value. Campaign Characters begin with a Kudos of 0.

**Psychosis:** Is a representation of the Psychological state of the Character as they take part in numerous engagements this will rise and potentially give rise to Psychological Disorders as it increases, in One Off Games the Psychosis Stat can be ignored as its effect only occur after repeated engagements. Campaign Characters begin with a Psychosis of 0.

**Wounds:** Determines the amount of punishment the Character can take before they are unable to continue fighting, Wounds are commonly affected during an Engagement though the Characters Mileage does affect Wounds over time. Campaign Characters begin with 4 Wounds, while One Off Characters use the Random chart and add +2 to the result.

Stat Chart
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**Armour:** Is used to reduce damage from enemy fire and reduce the results of Critical damage, Armour is most often affected by a Characters Equipment and Cybernetics rather than Mileage. Characters begin play with 0 Armour.

**Mileage:** Is a representation of the amount of experience in the field the Character has accumulated, as a characters Mileage increases it has a number of effects on the characters Stats, there is no need to record a Characters Mileage in One Off Games as its only effect is over consecutive engagements. Campaign Characters begin with 0 Mileage.

**Weight:** a typical Character will always weigh 100 when they are not carrying any weapons or equipment.

In One Off Games each Driver determines their Skill and Wounds Stats by rolling a D6 and consulting the Stat Chart, The Player rolls a D6 for their Skill and a second time to determine their Wounds and adds +2 to the Charts result taking note of each Stat once it is rolled. These are the two main stats required for One Off Games, though you may choose to buy Armour for a Character, but Kudos, Psychosis, and Mileage are only necessary in Campaign Games and need not be recorded for One Off Characters.

## Starting A New Character

When a Player begins a new Force they begin with a number of Characters (Usually 2) that begin as their Leader and Second in command, beyond that they must pay for each additional member they wish to Field. Depending on the type of game you are playing there are different options as to the nature of your new Characters.

When starting a new game all Players have the option of buying additional Characters for their Force at a cost determined by the type of Force they are playing or a fixed value if you are playing a One Off Game, in either case once an Engagement or Campaign begins the Player may not buy additional Characters until the start of a new game or Campaign Sequence.

### Campaign Characters

In a Campaign all Character that are purchased at the beginning of the game are available to Field and Equip immediately but need not be put in the field for every Engagement, if they are not used during an Engagement they are considered to be in the Forces Territory and can be used during Defense Engagements. If a Character is not used during the Campaigns Start Phase or Engagement Phase they may be used during the Downtime Phase to perform actions at their Territory as listed under the Downtime Phase rules.

All Campaign characters beyond their Leader (who gets +1 Skill and Wounds) begin the game with a Skill of 2 and Wounds of 4 (Unless you are using Non-Human Characters), and depending on what kind of Force you are playing the Characters will begin with some kind of basic clothing and nothing more, though the Player may buy each Character Equipment from the Character Equipment Page.

In addition to their Stats, each Character in a Players Force should have a Name and a Miniature to represent their Character (Unless you are using the Dark Future Roleplaying Rules exclusively), a Player can also write up as much or little about a Characters Backstory as they wish (though they cannot give their character any Equipment, Vehicles, or Upgrades as a result of their Backstory, though they may Buy any items they include in the Character Backstory). It is also a good idea to give the Character a Position in their Force such as a Rank, Title, or Occupation that determines their relative position in the Force and what their job includes.

### One Off Characters

Unlike Campaign Games a One Off Character is not intended to be developed on over successive Games (Though a well loved One Off Character can be converted into a Campaign Character if all other players agree), and each Character is gemerated with a Random Skill and Wounds as listed above. A Player need not even assign Ranks or even Names to all their Characters, but they must Field all Characters purchased for the Engagement, otherwise the cash spent on them is wasted.

Though it is always best to play One Off Characters as normal Humans it is possible to use Non-Human Characters in such games, their starting Stats gains Modifier based on the information listed under their types below, but in any case they must be played in the Engagement or they are wasted.

## Non-Human Characters

While most people in America and especially in the PZ are Human, there are Non-Humans in the Dark Future, The Robotown Districts of PZ Territories are populated by working Labor Robots and abandoned Robots that have become damaged, glitchy, or simply outdated, while Drones and Dogs are bought and sold in PZ Cities. the NoGo is much more dangerous and clouds of toxic chemicals, radioactive hot spots, and other dangers have resulted in a number of other Non-Humans living in this wasteland. Though Mutants and Rad Zombies are comparatively rare in the US they do live in the deeper deserts and wastes of America, as well as Robots that have wandered or been taken into the NoGo, while Drones are built even here and Dogs can be found almost everywhere.

### Robots

*(See Robots for more information)*

While most Robots in the PZ are used as Labour forces in the Robotown Industrial Factories, there are many that have been abandoned for a number of reasons, there are many types of Robots in the Dark Future but most are large industrial systems that are decommissioned when they become problematic but Humanoid Robots are able to wander off or just get dumped when they are no loner useful in the Industrial Sector.

**Skill:** Robots are not designed to Drive Vehicles or other technical skills and as such they begin Campaign Games with a Skill of 1 instead of 2, One Off Robot Characters suffer a -1 Penalty to their randomly generated Skill.

**Kudos:** As with other Campaign Characters a Robot may gain Kudos over the course of Engagements, though the Media are less interested in Robot Antics than the visceral Human on Human combat, as such Robots lose -1 Kudos from their total gained after each Engagement.

**Psychosis:** While Robots in the PZ are programmed well and do not go crazy (Typically) those that have ended up outside of the system can gradually suffer from increasing Programming Errors, though more slowly than Humans. Each time Robot gains a Psychosis point roll a D6 on the result of a 5 or 6 the point is not gained as Software maintenance systems deal with the problem, otherwise they gain it as normal.

**Wounds:** Robots in the Dark Future are built of sturdy materials such as Composite Plastics and Steel frames, this results in them being more survivable than Humans on the Road. Robots begin Campaign Games with 5 Wounds rather than 4, One Off Robot Characters add +1 to their randomly generated Wounds.

**Armour:** Despite being built of Robust materials a Robot is not actually built to withstand Explosions and Bullets (Its simply not necessary in Industry). As a result a Robot begins the game with 0 Armour much like Humans.

**Mileage:** Just like Humans, a Robot can grow better over time, learning algorithms and Storage systems allow the Robot to grow their experiences into better functionality of software over time, Robots gain Mileage as normal and begin play with 0 Mileage.

**Weight:** Humanoid Robots are built to mirror humans in almost every way and as such they only weigh marginally more than Human Characters at 110 Weight.

**Cost:** Robots are tougher than Humans and as a result cost an additional $350 over the base cost of a Human.

Like Vehicles and other Machines a Robot is vulnerable to Hack attempts and can employ software to defend themselves from these attacks.

### Mutants

*(See Mutants for more information)*

As a result of repeated exposure to Toxic Chemicals, Radioactive materials, and other Wasteland hazards, some Human settlements have gradually transformed into Mutant settlements. These Mutants are as varied as their personalities, some are big hulks while others are just grotesque people with little difference to Humans under the skin.

All Mutants are generated as normal for Human Characters but the Player may select a single Mutation Package from the list below, if they don't select a Mutation Package for a Mutant Character then they are used as normal for a Human Character, but their physical appearance is deformed and prevents them from entering the PZ without incident.

#### Hulk Mutants

The Hulk is a form of Mutant that has grown larger and stronger than normal, this results in them having difficulty in many normal situations due to their sheer size, typical Hulks stand 8 or more feet tall and Weigh twice that of a normal Human (a typical Hulk Miniature should stand 25 to 26mm tall).

**Skill:** Due to their size and weight a typical Hulk lacks the finesse to Drive or use specialist equipment as well as Humans, Campaign Hulk Mutants begin with a Skill of 1 rather than 2, One Off Hulk Mutant Character lose -1 point from their randomly generated Skill.

**Kudos:** Mutants are more shocking than Humans and as such can find they are demonized by the Vulture TV Stations, this allows them to gain Kudos in much the same manner as Humans, though they are never painted as the good guys, Campaign Hulk Mutant Character begin with a Kudos of 1 to represent the immediate interest the media has in the Characters Exploits.

**Psychosis:** The life of a Mutant is tough and there is little chance of getting through it without some psychological issues, Hulk Mutants gain Psychosis in the same manner as Humans. Campaign Hulk Mutant Characters begin play with 2 Psychosis as a result of their tough lives.

**Wounds:** Bigger and tougher than Humans. A Campaign Hulk Mutant Character begins play with 5 wounds rather than 4, One Off Hulk Mutant Characters gain +1 Wounds to their Randomly generated Wounds.

**Armour:** Due to thick skin and less sensitive nerves a Hulk is gifted with a naturally armoured hide. Hulk Mutant Characters begin with an Armour of 1.

**Mileage:** As with Humans a Hulk Mutant is able to grow (figuratively) and learn from their experiences on the road, as a result they gain Mileage as normal. Campaign Hulk Mutant Characters begin play with 0 Mileage.

**Weight:** Due to their size a Hulk Mutant is much heavier than a Human. Hulk Mutant Characters weigh 200 rather than 100.

**Cost:** A Hulk Mutant is a valuable ally on Foot and as such costs an additional $1,000 over the normal price for a Character in the Players Force.

#### Psych Mutants

Though rare some Mutants develop abilities that no normal Human possesses, these sorts of Mutant are typically the most deformed of their kin, suffering from weakened physical bodies and poor coordination, but they do gain a distinct advantage in their other abilities.

When a Player creates a Psych Mutant Character they must select 1 Psych Power from the list below.

**Skill:** Due to their diminished Physical ability Psych Mutants do not make good technical specialists. a Campaign Psych Mutant Character begins with a Skill of 1 rather than 2, One Off Psych Mutant Characters lose -1 from their randomly generated Skill.

**Kudos:** As with other Mutants the Psych Mutant is considered to be more shocking and horrific than a Human Driver. Campaign Psych Mutant Characters begin with 1 Kudos due to the Vulture TV Stations interest in Shock Factor.

**Psychosis:** Much like other mutants life is hard for Psych Mutants, but their Powers cause them more suffering than they often show. Campaign Psych Mutant Characters begin play with 3 Psychosis.

**Wounds:** While most Psych mutants do appear very frail they are not much worse off then Humans due to their deformed Skeletons and thick skin. Campaign Psych Mutant Characters begin with 4 Wounds, One Off Psych Mutants roll as normal on the random Stat Chart.

**Armour:** As with Humans a Psych Mutant does not have natural Armour and must either make or buy Armour to gain any. Both Campaign and One Off Psych Mutant Characters begin with 0 Armour.

**Mileage:** Psych Mutant Characters gain Mileage in the same manner as Humans, and begin play with 0 Mileage.

**Weight:** Their smaller frames and withered appearance results in Psych mutants having a Weight of 90.

**Cost:** Due to their mental powers a Psych Mutant costs an additional $500 over the normal price of a new Character for a Players Force.

##### Psych Powers

*(See Psych Powers for more information)*

Psych Mutants always have a single Psych Power from the list below, when a Player creates a new Psych Mutant they must select (or roll a D6 for One Off Psych Mutants) a single power from the list below. When a Psych Mutant wishes to use a Psych Power they must declare a Shoot Action and follow the rules for the Psych Power, the Mutant may only use a Psych Power once per Phase.

**(1) Psych Blast:** The Psych Mutant is able to make a ranged Psych Blast against opponents, when used the Psych Mutant rolls an attack as if using a normal Weapon with **Accuracy:** +0, **Damage:** +0, and **Range:** 6, if the Mutant rolls a 1 when rolling To Hit they gain 1 Psychosis point instead of using their blast power.

**(2) Psych Shield:** When the Psych Mutant is attacked by an Enemy Vehicle or Character they may use their Psych Shield to protect themselves from Damage, when the attack is declared the Mutant rolls a D6 and reduces damage from the attack by half the die result (E.g. a roll of a 2 or 3 gives 1 Armour, a 4 or 5 gives 2 Armour, and a roll of a 6 gives 3 Armour), the incoming damage is reduced by this total as if the Mutant was wearing Armour, if the result is a 1 the Damage is taken as normal and the Psych Mutant gains +1 Psychosis.

**(3) Psych Heal:** The Mutant is able to Heal Wounds suffered by a Character in an Engagement, when the Mutant is in the Same Space or Vehicle as an Injured Character they may roll a D6 and Half the result to determine how much is healed(a 2 or 3 heals 1 Wound, a 4 or 5 Heals 2 Wounds, a 6 Heals 3 Wounds), if the Mutant rolls a 1 they heal no Wounds and instead gains 1 Psychosis.

**(4) Psych Jump:** A Psych Mutant with this Power is able to 'Jump' short distances on the Road (They may not carry Vehicles or other Characters with them), When used the Mutant roll a D6 and Halves the result for the number of Spaces they 'Jump' (a 2 or 3 results in 1 space jump, a 4 or 5 is 2 spaces, and a 6 is three spaces), if the Mutant rolls a 1 they do not 'Jump' and instead gain 1 Psychosis.

**(5) Psych Hack:** The Mutant is able to scramble computers and machines with their Power, the Mutant may make a Hack attempt in the same manner as with Software Attacks, rolling a D6 against the defenses of the target Robot or Vehicle, if they roll a Backfire result they gain 1 Psychosis instead.

**(6) Psych Mad:** The Psych Mutant is able to attack another Characters mind and cause them to suffer delusions on the road, both the Psych Mutant and Target roll a D6, if the Mutant wins then the Victim suffers sudden Maddening delusions can cannot make any Actions in this Phase, if the roll is a Draw or the Mutant Loses then there is no effect. If the Mutant rolls a 1 then they suffer the effect of the power and gain 1 Psychosis, if the Mutant rolls a 6 their victim also gains 1 Psychosis.

#### Savage Mutants

Some Mutants are twisted so much that their minds are reduced to a more animalistic condition and as such they are unable to function like normal people do, these Mutants are vicious on the Road moving to attack enemies in Close Combat, these Mutants are always loyal to their Gang or Cult but never to other organizations.

**Skill:** While Savage Mutants cannot use any specialist Equipment they are able to fight well and begin with a Skill of 2.

**Kudos:** While Savage Mutants are more Shocking than Humans they rarely have personalities for the Vulture TV Stations to exploit, as a result Savage Mutants gain Kudos half as fast as other Characters. Savage Mutant Characters begin with 0 Kudos.

**Psychosis:** The Animalistic nature of Savage Mutants brings them a sort of peace as they are not aware of the ridicule and torment that other inflict upon them, as a result Savage Mutants gain Psychosis half as fast as other Characters. A Savage Mutant Character begins with 0 Psychosis.

**Wounds:** Savage Mutants are able to ignore pain more easily than Humans and as a result they can withstand more injury before going down. A Campaign Savage Mutant Character begins with 5 Wounds, a One Off Savage Mutant gains +1 Wounds over their randomly generated Wounds.

**Armour:** Most Savage Mutants have thick scarred hides or even scaly skin that provides them with some protection from injury, but they will not wear Armour. Savage Mutant Characters begin with 1 Armour.

**Mileage:** While a Savage Mutant can develop over time they are not as able to learn from their experiences as others are and gain Mileage at half the usual rate. Campaign Savage Mutant Characters begin with 0 Mileage.

**Weight:** Savage Mutants are not much different in size than Humans and as a result they weigh 100.

**Cost:** Savage Mutants are of limited use in a Gang or Cult as they cannot Drive Vehicles or use Equipment, as such they cost $50 less than the Standard price for a new Character.

Savage Mutants are typically equipped with claws or protrusions that deal more damage than fists and feet, when a Savage Mutant attacks a target they add +2 to their combat roll, and commonly Run when they are On Foot so they can cover ground quickly.

## Support Creatures

There are several types of Creature and Machines that can be used in the field that are not able to function as Characters Do, these sorts of Creatures act as Supporting forces to a Gang, Cult, or Ops Team, unlike Characters these Creatures/Machines do not gain Kudos, Psychosis, or Mileage.

### Dogs

(See Dogs)

Wild and Trained Dogs are widely used in both PZ and NoGo Territories as Guards and Attack Dogs, and as such are useful on Foot to support Characters with Sharp Teeth and a tenacious attitude. When a Dog attacks a Character in Close Combat they add +1 to their combat roll.

**Speed:** Dog can run much faster than people and are able to move 2 Spaces each Pedestrian Phase rather than 1 (16cm instead of 8).

**Wounds:** Dogs are no tougher than People and have 4 Wounds.

**Armour:** While Dogs are not naturally armoured it is possible to dress them with Armour from the Equipment Section. Dogs begin with a Armour of 0.

**Weight:** Trained Dogs are not as heavy as Human Characters, a Dogs has a Weight of 75 and can be carried in a Vehicles Cargo Containers.

**Cost:** $500

### Drones

(See Drone)

In PZ Territories there are many suppliers that sell personal Drones for a variety of uses, but Ops Teams tend to buy Combat versions from these companies, while Gangs and Cults build their own versions out in the NoGo. Drones can Be equipped with a Single Sidearm fitted to a Mount on their casing, this can be fitted with 3 Spare Clips that the Drone can use to Reload their Weapon.

**Speed:** Drones can Fly faster than a Character can run and as a result they can move 2 Spaces (16cm) rather than 1 (8cm).

**Wounds:** Drones are small and light as a necessity of design and as a result they have only 2 Wounds.

**Armour:** Light Weight Plastic casings and supporting frames used in Drones make them more resistant to bullets and explosions and as such they have an Armour of 1.

**Weight:** Drones are built to be light weight so they can fly around easily, Drones Weigh 25.

**Cost:** Not Including any Weapons and Ammo a Drone Costs $1,500

Like Vehicles and other Machines a Drone is vulnerable to Hack attempts and can employ software to defend themselves from these attacks.

### Rad Zombies

(See Rad Zombie)

Some Humans in the NoGo can end up absorbing a considerable amount of Radiation without knowing it, while most of these unfortunates die, a few don't. These Rad Zombies are rotting away despite their hearts still beating, this does result in their brain becoming a squishy mess but they are still smart enough to be used by a Gang or Cult as a sort of Shock Troop.

Rad Zombies cannot use Sidearms as they are not smart enough or strong enough to use them properly but they can wear Armour and use Melee Weapons.

**Wounds:** Due to their total lack of sensitivity and their relatively fragile bodies a Rad Zombie has 4 Wounds.

**Armour:** A Rad Zombie is mostly made of Squishy Organs and Slime and sometimes a round will go through without dealing any real damage, this counts as an Armour of 1.

**Weight:** A Rad Zombie used to be a Human but due to bits falling off they are not as heavy as they once were, a Rad Zombie weights 80.

**Cost:** A Rad Zombie Costs only $500

If a Character is Downed by a Rad Zombie they must roll on the Radiation Chart to see if they have become sick.

## See Also

Gang

Cult

Ops Team

Character Equipment

Sidearms

Melee Weapons

Cybernetics

Close Combat

Character Actions

On Foot

Robots

Androids

Mutants

Humans

Main Rules

Index