{"product_id":"hard-wired-island-rpg","title":"Hard Wired Island RPG","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem style=\"color: inherit; font-size: inherit;\"\u003eHumanity has spread to space. GRAND CROSS is a space station orbiting Earth, a high-tech city, and a gateway to the stars. But in this distant future, it's in crisis...\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHARD WIRED ISLAND\u003c\/strong\u003e is a retrofuture cyberpunk TTRPG, inspired by 90s anime. This 400-page PDF includes:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAn \u003cstrong\u003eeasy-to-learn\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e system\u003c\/strong\u003e where social actions and problem-solving skills are at least as important as hacking and getting into fights.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA shorter \u003cstrong\u003eplayer reference\u003c\/strong\u003e document for quick rule access.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAn \u003cstrong\u003ealternate 2020 setting\u003c\/strong\u003e in an O'Neill cylinder near Earth.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDescriptions of the \u003cstrong\u003emany areas\u003c\/strong\u003e of Grand Cross, from the busy downtown Voyager Ward to the high-tech parkland of Mariposa to the Agriculture Ring that feeds the station.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSeven Occupations\u003c\/strong\u003e, including the Fixer, the Hacker, and the Influencer, along with a plethora of character options.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOver 100 detailed NPC descriptions\u003c\/strong\u003e, from corporate heavyweights to android crime lords to just regular citizens of an Earth-orbit city.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA flexible \u003cstrong\u003emission prep system\u003c\/strong\u003e that allows characters to adapt their plans on the fly without wasting their earlier efforts.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA \u003cstrong\u003ewealth system\u003c\/strong\u003e that tracks the financial burdens placed on you by the capitalist system you live in.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA \u003cstrong\u003ecybernetics system\u003c\/strong\u003e that doesn't dehumanize you for installing augments.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA lot of great art from a lot of great artists.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWant a preview? \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/ettin.itch.io\/hard-wired-island-preview\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eClick here!\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e(Character sheets are provided for free below. Fillable versions by Colin Chapman.)\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Cyberpunk\" alt=\"Cyberpunk\" src=\"https:\/\/img.itch.zone\/aW1nLzU2ODk0ODUucG5n\/original\/1B8BAc.png\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/figure\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhen we say \u003cstrong\u003eHARD WIRED ISLAND\u003c\/strong\u003e is cyberpunk, here's what that means to us.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCapitalism? No thanks.\u003c\/strong\u003e Good cyberpunk is anti-capitalist. It's about how technology without ethics can make social inequality worse. The wealthy use it to cement their power and perpetuate the status quo, while marginalized communities are kept that way. The PCs want to use it to break the current system. They work against their enemies, not for them.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCyberpunk should be relevant.\u003c\/strong\u003e It is a study of where our society could go in the coming years. The issues faced by people in a cyberpunk setting should have \u003cem\u003esome\u003c\/em\u003e relevance to issues faced by the audience, even if they're not the same. Retro future, present problems.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCybernetics are not inherently good or bad.\u003c\/strong\u003e Like most tech, what matters is how it's used. In \u003cstrong\u003eHard Wired Island,\u003c\/strong\u003e the problem is that cybernetics often serves the needs of capital rather than people; Any alienating or dysphoric effects come from being reshaped into some corporation's property. There is no mechanic that suggests wearing a prosthetic makes you less human, or prone to mental illness; instead, the tradeoff of augments is adding to your financial burdens.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCyberpunk is not just an aesthetic.\u003c\/strong\u003e Cyberpunk shouldn't just be about the neon-lit adventures of a group of trenchcoat futurists as they amass wealth and power through violence. \u003cstrong\u003eHard Wired Island\u003c\/strong\u003e is about a group of marginalized people using technology to try to change the status quo.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMany perspectives.\u003c\/strong\u003e Good cyberpunk examines how technology and power intersect in many different communities. As an orbital space station, the city of Grand Cross can and should include perspectives from all over the world. The setting includes cyborgs and androids, but they're not stand-ins for minorities; they have their own identities and issues, which can change depending on how they intersect with other things.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Weird Age Games","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44827211595952,"sku":null,"price":39.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2341\/9361\/files\/Bd4co5.jpg?v=1762285999","url":"https:\/\/pandemoniumbooks.com\/products\/hard-wired-island-rpg","provider":"Pandemonium Books and Games","version":"1.0","type":"link"}