The Sleepless City: Cyberpunk Gangster Fantasy (Homebrew System)
You are part of a crime family who has just lost a valuable member at the hands of your rivals. Will you crumble or grow an empire from the ashes?
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SYSTEM
LANGUAGE
EXPERIENCE
AGE
$25.00
/ Session
Details
2 players following this game
Weekly / Thursday - 11:30 PM UTC
Session Duration / 3–4 hours
0 / 6 Seats Filled
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About the adventure
Plot: New York City, 2127. The city is as bright as it's innerworkings are dark. Organized crime families control everything from trade, to government, and even off-world exploration. You are part of one of these families, which now finds itself on the brink of collapse. Enemies are closing in on your territory, your rackets, and have just slain a key member of your outfit. Your life and livelihood are at stake. Gameplay: We will focus on how your characters try to survive these dubious circumstances. You can try to create and grow various rackets across the city, focus on espionage and attacking other gangs, and anything else you can think of. The stakes are high. This is a true sandbox/open world experience where character death is not just possible but is likely. Setting: Cyberpunk New York City (and likely the surrounding areas) in the 22nd century. There is as much neon as there are bullets. This is a vibrant, violent place where almost everyone is either trying to kill or con you. Heavy aesthetic inspo from Cyberpunk 2077 and the Blade Runner films. Structure/System: We will start by building up your crime family's history and current construction together as a party. This will follow a similar pattern to making a House in DUNE: Adventures in the Imperium, where everyone, NPCs included, has a role to play. This will be decided on during a free Session Zero. At the table, we will focus on precise moments. Everyone gets three "scenes" a day to facilitate the passage of time. We will follow a traditional 5e action setup within those scenes (Actions, Bonus Actions, etc.). There are other mechanics that focus specifically on assassinations (both those that you conduct, and ones attempted on you) and things like that, but we will go over all of that during Session Zero! I have a Google Doc that breaks down all the rules/mechanics on my Discord.
Game themes
Meet the Game Master
5.0
(7)
Less than a year on StartPlaying
5 games hosted
Highly rated for: Inclusive, Beginner Friendly, Storytelling
Average response time: 5 hours
Response rate: 100%
About me
Hi there! I've been running games for eight years, mostly dabbling with 5e/5.5e and homebrew systems. Typically, I make up my own worlds rather than running games in the Forgotten Realms. From steampunk to superheroes, and even the Wild West, I enjoy stepping out of the traditional high fantasy setting from time to time. I strive to be player-centric and specialize in introducing new players to TTRPGs, though I've run many games for experienced players as well. I pride myself on styling games around what the players want. While some want loads of combat and opportunities to showcase their characters' abilities, others are invested in lore and roleplay. I work to meet all of these wants and needs!
View Profile →Character creation
Creating your character
Players are welcome to think about what role they would like their character to have! When we come together as a fully formed party, we will discuss and lock that in. Everyone's character sheet will have a breakdown of your Crime Family, what it specializes in, and what everyone's roles are. If you'd like some inspiration, take a look at the "Archetypes" for Dune: Adventures in the Imperium: https://daiti.fandom.com/wiki/Archetypes. Our class system will largely be the same. As we form the party, players are welcome to message me character or Family-related ideas or questions on this platform or Discord!
What to expect
Preparing for the session
We'll host our sessions via video/voice chat on Discord! Once you sign up, I'll send you an invite to my Discord server where you can find character sheets and different channels to meet your needs.
What Nik brings to the table
Rule of Cool is my bread and butter! This homebrew system is made to focus on the power of roleplay more than crunchy rules or mechanics. To add to the immersion, I also enjoy playing music for both the exploratory and combat sections of our sessions.
Homebrew rules
Here are a few things that are a bit different about this game than, say, a traditional 5e one: Dice: - D20: used for general physical, dexterous, and WIS/INT actions/checks as well as death saves in combat - D8: used for melee combat. An 8 is a critical, which does 4+1d4. - D6: used for gunfights. A hit results in the target failing a Death Save. When you roll a 6, you then roll a d20. If you get a natural 16+, your target is killed instantly. GM crits follow the same rules, but it results in two fails rather than insta-death for the player. - D4: used for damage in melee fights (with possible additions based on weapon). Some melee weapons have a Deadly (D) tag that can kill a target rather than knock them out. HP, Leveling Up, etc.: - Grit is used in place of Armor Class. It has a base of 2 and combines CON and DEX mods, maxed out at 6. - HP is fixed at 16 but can vary slightly based on your PC. - Number of bullets in magazines are tracked. You need to pass a DEX check to reload without taking a whole turn to do so. - We won't level up in the traditional sense, but players can hone their skills and gain perks over time through repetitive use and key moments.
Equipment needed to play
Internet
Computer
Microphone
Platforms used
Safety
How Nik creates a safe table
As well as an optional form for players where they can list out their interests and limits, I'll also send over a Lines and Veils document for us to write out what type of content we aren't comfortable with. As the campaign progresses, I'll resend the document with the reminder that we can add/change the doc over time. In our character creation/session zero phase, we can discuss limits further, and I'll answer any questions about content, tone, etc. that players have. For X, N, and O's, players can make these signals on video, send via chat to the whole group, or in a private message to myself, whatever is most comfortable for them. This gives us the opportunity to pivot away from that content, take a break, or whatever else is needed. I also make an effort to check in with players over the course of the game! Not just with comfort but also how they're enjoying the game so that we can make adjustments as needed, ensuring everyone is getting the most out of the experience.
Content warnings
Safety tools used