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INTRODUCTION
After Midnight
Three oclock is always too late or too early for anything
you want to do. -Jean-Paul Sartre
Everyone in the city has a story about something weird or
scary or freaky that happened to them. These stories almost
always start It was after midnight
The day belongs to the shut-ins, workers, addicts and pushers.
The night belongs to the gang members, criminals and street
kids. There is a time after midnight and before dawn, what
the Spanish call madrugada, that belongs to nobody.
Madrugada isnt part of anyones daily routine. Nothing that
happens after midnight is planned, nothing is normal.
After midnight, the streets empty out. Doors are locked and
the people you know are tucked away safely in another world.
The city is so quiet that one can hear the wind blowing pieces
of trash around and the hum of the few working streetlights.
All the stores are closed, their bars are down and the lights
inside showcase alien stillness. The empty streets seem to
stretch on forever.
You never know how many blocks you will walk before
running into another human being. If you do run into
someone, it takes only a moment to realize this is not a
normal person. You have caught this person at some tragic,
terrifying or desperate point in their lives. The mask that they
wear, the mask of being a rational and self-controlled person,
is cracking. And through the cracks you can see the raw stuff
people are made of: fear, hatred and desperate need.
Everyone in the city has a city they know, where they feel
comfortable and feel like they know the rules. After midnight
is not that city for anyone. After Midnight is an alien place
where the rules do not apply. For those who feel they have
some grip on their lives, the alien world after midnight can be
frightening. For those stuck in a rut, who live lives they cant
stand and cant control, the strangeness of after midnight feels
like hope.
Everyone who sets foot on the streets of the city has some kind
of adventure. Yet the adventures that happen after midnight
are a special kind of adventure. Theyre adventures that test
your very idea of who you are and what is real. Theyre about
meeting people you never thought youd meet, doing things
you never thought youd do. Theyre about nights that seem
to last forever, about seeing the city in a brand new light,
about running from invisible demons and finding out who
you really are.
Authors Note:
Mental Illness vs. Issues
Although I will use the term mental illness several
times in this book, I wish to make it clear that this
is a stupid term. Illness implies that there is some
commonly accepted state of health and that anyone
who is not in this state should be returned to it as
soon as possible. This ignores that fact that certain
psychological traits may or may not be a problem
depending on the social context: a person in this
society might be a homeless schizophrenic while
the same qualities would make him a revered holy
person in another society. Rather than putting some
of the blame on society, the term mental illness
places it all on the individual, thereby stigmatizing
mental illness.
This is not merely an academic debate, it can mean
real harm to real people. If a student is having
trouble paying attention in school, a mental illness
model would place the blame totally on the student.
Rather than contemplating whether school should be
changed to be less boring, this model insists that the
student need to change, even if that means giving
the student habit-forming and potentially dangerous
drugs.
Calling something a mental illness also denies the
possibility that a problem can be both good and bad,
simultaneously helping someone in some area of life
while hurting them in another. An illness cant
make someone a hero, genius or saint.
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Introduction 003
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Table of Contents
Introduction...................................................................003
After Midnight..........................................................003
Mental Illness vs. Issues...........................................003
The Story So Far.......................................................004
Table of Contents......................................................004
City of Madness............................................................005
Outside the City........................................................005
Mental Healthcare.....................................................007
The 21st Floor........................................................007
Sex............................................................................010
VR Addicts............................................................010
Pornography Addicts.............................................010
Being Gay in 2080................................................012
Sex Workers..........................................................014
BDSM...................................................................014
Fetishists...............................................................015
CITY OF
Outside the City
In Brief- Have best psych tech to keep people sane &
satisfied with their lifestyle. The failures, and those who
dont want to be made content, end up in the city.
In gated communities and corporations, people are
MADNESS
Mental Illness Factors
Some of the reasons why the city has one of the
worlds highest rates of mental illness are:
Outcasts: Many come to the city who, because mental
illness, either could not join a corp or gated community
or were kicked out of one of these communities.
Genetics: The children of these outcasts are more
likely to have some mental illness inherited from their
parents.
Brain Damage: Increased levels of toxins, plagues
and violence mean city residents are more likely to
have neurological damage which can cause mental
illness.
Stresses: People live more stressful lives in the city
than in gated communities or corporate living centers,
especially gang members and homeless people whose
lives are filled with perpetual unpredictability.
Traumas: Rates of violent crime, rape and child
molestation are high. Being a victim of one of these
crimes can trigger a mental illness.
Drugs: Illegal drugs are readily available in the city,
and these drugs can often trigger or cause mental
illnesses.
Temptation: Many people with self-destructive
obsessions (drugs, dangerous sex, gambling, etc.)
wouldnt have developed those obsessions if they
didnt live in a place with easy access to those things.
Cults: The city has a large number of cults with
indoctrination and brainwashing processes that
psychologically damage cult members.
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History- Norman grew up in the suburbs. He was a small kid, but he was never abused or picked on. He lived most
of his life doing what was expected of him, although he often felt like his life was devoid of meaning. He has had
little success in romantic endeavors. At a birthday party some old friends got him to try god killer and hes been using
ever since. He got a job in a bank and learned to stay sober during the week but get high on god killer every weekend.
Frightened by the dangerous situations he put himself in while high, Norman started investing all his time and money
in implants and VR training programs to make him a better fighter. These precautions have only increased his tendency
to get into fights while high.
Personality- During the week, Norman is ashamed and frightened about what he does on the weekends. There is some
part of him that hopes he will die rather than keep living like this. Yet for the most part he is afraid he will get killed.
He knows he cannot resist the call of god killer. He spends most of his off-hours working out or practicing martial
arts in VR, in hopes of strengthening himself enough that he can survive his next trip to the city. He is a quiet, honest,
although often forgetful worker. When Friday comes, though, he can no longer resist his longing for god killer. He
has been wracked with stress and tension and feelings of self-hatred throughout the week and the only way he knows
to escape is to come to the city and get high on god killer. When he starts doing god killer, his personality changes
completely. He becomes a fearless, prideful bully. He thinks hes invincible, and he wants to fight the toughest person
in the city and beat that person up so he can revel in his own glory. As a fighter he shows no mercy. His goal isnt to
kill or cripple people, but he doesnt care if thats what happens.
Methods- Norman buys his bus tickets and books a hotel room in advance and he only brings $100 in cash. He limits
the cash he brings to try to limit the amount of god killer he smokes. When he arrives in the city, he seeks out a pusher
and buys god killer, then goes straight up to his hotel and locks himself in his room. He spends several hours smoking,
trying to ration the god killer as much as he can. At some point he smokes so much that he can no longer contain
himself. He bursts from his room and he stalks the streets demanding that people fight him. When people dont want
to fight he may push them around trying to provoke them, but he wont actually start beating them up unless they
fight back or unless they insult him. He fights bare-knuckled, and when he wins he goes through the persons pockets
looking for money. If he finds money, he goes out and buys more god killer. He usually wanders the streets from 10pm
till dawn. After that he goes back to his hotel and crashes, sleeping through most of Sunday. Then he gets back on a
bus going home.
Special Powers- Norman has speed and strength muscle implants and a size genetic mod (these are already figured into
his stats). He also has internal armor than halves any damage done to him.
Special Skills- Boxing (5).
Typical Attack- He makes a strike with his fists at STH (24) + AGY (15) +16 (skill) +1d20 vs. 25 (or 1d20 +30 vs. 0).
As a reaction he makes a simultaneous strike at STH (24) + AGY (15) +8 (WIL) +16 (skill) +1d20 vs. 45 (or 1d20 +18
vs. 0). A successful strike does 2 blunt damage.
Mental Healthcare
In Brief- Indies get good care, wells get negligent care, street
people get almost nothing. Dangerous psychotics may end
up on the 21st floor of the city hospital where they are often
drugged, shocked and taken advantage of.
Almost every patient is given heavy sedatives and antipsychotics as soon as they enter the ward. The drugs are
slowly reduced until the patient can answer a short list of
questions. These questions are designed to tell whether
the patient has enough grasp on reality to not be a danger
to himself or herself. The questions are things like if
For those on state health insurance, getting mental you were in a building that was on fire, what would you
healthcare is like getting physical healthcare: wait for do?
weeks to see a doctor, be interviewed for 2 minutes by an
overworked psychiatrist, and then be given a prescription Patients who have communicable diseases (like Cracks)
for the cheapest generic drug available to treat that are put into isolation rooms. Every other man, woman
problem. Many people seeking help are misdiagnosed and child is put into a large dormitory. In theory, the
and given the wrong drug, or they are given too much dormitory is monitored 24-hours-a-day by interns who
or too little. The cheap generic drugs have many side- keep patients from hurting themselves or each other.
effects and many patients stop taking them. Traditional In practice, the interns are lazy, inattentive and often
therapy is not available (unless the person can afford to distracted. Rapes and beatings are common. Staff are
pay out-of-pocket).
also known to take advantage of patients.
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Attributes- AGY 9, AWR 15, CHM 7, END 8, INL 16, SPD 12, STH 14, WIL 9, BLD 6, BDY 4,
INCY 7.
Appearance- Tall, wiry, mid-thirties, multiracial, curly brown hair, brown skin, green eyes, wears a white
jacket over grey sweats.
Social Status- Doc Scrips is one of the staff psychiatrists at the NYC Central hospital. He works the 10pm
to 6am shift, during which time he is in charge of the entire ward. He is one of the most corrupt doctors in
the NYC Central Hospital.
History- Doc Scrips was born and grew up in a corporate living center. The corporation paid for his medical
training, but after he finished they asked him to leave because he started failing corporate loyalty tests. He
came to the city and started work for the NYC Central Hospital. He became addicted to prescription drugs
and started selling prescriptions to addicts. He took some internet courses in psychiatry so he could work
in the hospitals psychiatric ward. When the drug lords consolidated, a bounty was put on him and he was
nearly killed by a group of addicts. He reduced his prescription sales and began to concentrate on gaining
wealth and power by blackmailing patients. He built up an army of ex-patients under his control and gained
a reputation as someone not to mess with.
Personality- Doc Scrips has very little empathy for anyone. He doesnt care about healing or helping
people, he only wants to live comfortably and have power, sex and drugs. He has some respect for people
who are able to earn a high place in society, but thinks of the mentally ill as little more than animals. He
has no real friends and never trusts anyone.
Methods- Doc Scrips selects patients which he thinks would be easy to manipulate. He schedules them
for implantation of psychiatric mental programs, which they often dont need. He usually puts in an Anger
Dampener, a Paranoia Dampener and a Depression Dampener. Then he orders them released. He tracks
them down and takes them back to his apartment. The paranoia dampener makes it harder for patients to
realize they are being taken advantage of, and the anger dampener makes it hard for them to do anything
about it if they figure it out. If they disobey him, he uses the password that turns off their Depression
Dampener. Since they have most likely become psychologically addicted to the Depression Dampener, it
isnt long before they come back begging for him to turn it back on. He also gets patients addicted to drugs
(which he steals from the hospital) which he uses to further solidify his control over them. If the patients
are young women, he keeps them in his apartment and has sex with them. He helps some patients get on
welfare and extorts a large percentage of their welfare checks. Some patients are kept around as servants
and mercenaries. There are fifteen mercenaries living in cardboard shacks outside of the midtown highrise
where he lives. When he is sending them off to fight his enemies, he turns off their Anger Dampeners.
When he leaves his apartment (typically to take the subway to work) he has at least two ex-patients
accompanying him to the hospital as bodyguards.
Special Skills- Psychotherapy (2), Psychopharmaceuticals (3), Street Drugs (2), Brainwashing (2).
Special Equipment- Nanopadded and Nanoweave Armor (AR 10, PR 8 bladed 7 blunt), Taser Gun (FR 3
ft., 3 electrical damage). Doc Scrips also has a Backup Heart implant (already figured into INCY).
Typical Attack- A strike with his taser gun at INL (16) + AGY (9) -1/3ft. vs. 25 (or 1d20 -1/3ft. vs. 0). As a
reaction he makes a simultaneous strike at INL (16) + AGY (9) + WIL (9) -1/2ft. vs. 45 (or 1d20 -1/2ft. vs.
11). A successful strike does 3 electrical damage (save vs. paralysis difficulty 60, save vs. unconsciousness
difficult 30, save vs. heart attack difficulty 15).
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Psychopharmaceutical Overprescription
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Sex
VR Addicts
In Brief- VR sex is easy but boring.
The largest portion of the city population is VR
addicts, who are accustomed to sex in VR. VR sex
is nearly perfect, technically speaking, and when
they must deal with sex in the real world they find
it sloppy, uncomfortable and unsatisfying. VR users
can choose to have sex with other VR users, or with
AI constructs. Most choose the AI constructs because
its easier. However, this easy sex is sex without any
danger, any challenge, any dirt or sweat or stink. It is
technically perfect, but boring, much like the lives of
VR addicts. For many people, the need for some real
sex is the factor that tips the scales between staying
locked up indoors and going outside.
Pornography Addicts
Sex in the city today is a perfect mirror of life itself in the In Brief- Some use porn like a drug, many move
city. The full range of selfishness and altruism, healthiness to illegal porn, grow to hate women, become sex
and sickness, boredom and adventure, joy and sorrow that criminals.
exist in the lives of city residents are reflected perfectly in
the citys sex life.
There are some people who use pornography
occasionally and could give it up any time they
Healthy Sex- As much as sex is intertwined with madness want, just like there are people who use alcohol
and evil in the city, it is important to remember that healthy occasionally and are not addicted. These people are
sexual relationships are a step on the road to recovery not the main source of profit for the pornography
for many mentally ill people. This doesnt just apply to industry. The industry is so big because many people
Sexologists, it applies to all kinds of city residents. Healthy (mostly men) are addicted to pornography as a form
sex can be a huge boost to self-esteem, it can help pull of anxiety relief.
people out of depression, it can help develop social skills
and it can help connect people to a community that they Pornography addicts tend to grow disinterested in
might otherwise feel detached from. Healthy sex is an normal, consensual sex. This only serves to make
intimate part of romantic love, which can lead to long- them more dependent on pornography. While
term relationships and family, both of which are generally alcoholics gain tolerance and have to drink more and
therapeutic. For many of those who walk the streets after more to get just as drunk, pornography addicts grow
midnight plagued by internal demons, getting laid is one of bored with normal pornography and are driven to
the best things that could happen to them.
seek out something more exciting.
010 Sex
Papa Woodys
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Sex 011
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012 Sex
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Sex 013
Sex Workers
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014 Sex
Fetishists
In Brief- Many small communities,
only occasionally dangerous.
Some who call themselves fetishists
who are merely kinky: they have
something they like to do or fantasize
about, but they can live without it.
Other fetishists are so dependent on
their fetish they will ruin their lives
or take advantage of others. These
extreme fetishists are mostly men.
Fetishism is not one community,
but hundreds of small communities
and many lone weirdos. The most
popular fetishes have vibrant internet
communities. People trade fiction,
VR movies and VR games that
exercise that particular fetish. Some
fetishes exist only in the realms
of imagination. Some people, for
instance, have a fetish about being
swallowed alive. Other fetishes are
about real things, like womens feet
or watching people urinate. Most
people who have fetishes have more
than one.
Most fetishists are not dangerous.
Some invade peoples privacy, e.g.
place hidden cameras in restrooms
or peer in through windows. Some
fetishists break into peoples houses,
often to steal shoes or underwear. If
caught in the middle of these crimes,
most will run away but a few will
panic and resort to violence.
A few fetishists grow bored with
harmless fetishes and move on to
committing violent sexual crimes.
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Sex 015
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016 Sex
Body Mods
In Brief- Cheaper and more versatile plastic surgeries
let some do horrible things to themselves, unnerving
the general public.
In recent decades, the demand for body modification of
all kinds has increased dramatically. More people are
demanding body modification, and they are demanding
it more vocally and more desperately. In Los Angeles
there was even a riot involving do-overs (see below) who
were protesting an unfavorable court decision.
The body mod explosion has caused a significant
backlash. Laws were drafted to make it harder for
people to get body modification, laws which hurt people
who really needed body modification. It has also driven
a lot of body modification underground, which means
that hundreds of people come to the city hoping to find
body modification on the black market.
The body modification explosion in recent decades has
two sources: First, body modification technology has
become cheaper, safer, more versatile and more easily
available on the black market. Second, full-immersion
VR technology has allowed people to feel what it is
actually like to have bodies other than their own. Some
people become so addicted to their fantastic VR bodies
that they cant stand doing without them in real life.
If you could choose one body to inhabit in all VR
simulations, what would it be?
70% Adult, same gender.
15% Adult, opposite gender.
5%
Child.
5%
Anthropomorphic animal (furry).
2%
Non-Anthropomorphic Animal
2%
Adult, androgynous.
1%
Non-Human Other (e.g. shadow, skeleton, robot,
Dysmorphs
In Brief- People who compulsively seek bizarre plastic
surgery to the point of becoming inhuman monsters or
miserable loners.
In 2074, the news media ran several horror stories
about families that were helpless to stop loved ones from
changing their bodies beyond recognition. The APA
quickly created a new mental illness classification: Body
Dysmorphic Disorder II. For a diagnosis of BDDII,
the patient must hate his or her body, even though
there is nothing wrong with it according to community
standards, and the patient must seek to alter his or her
body with surgery. Laws were quickly passed to make
it illegal for plastic surgeons to operate on someone
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Level 2 Crazy
Attributes- AWR 18, AGY 17, CHM 0, END 17, INL 3, SPD 20, STH 20,
WIL 10, BLD 4, BDY 4, INCY 6.
Appearance- The animal man wears no clothes. He looks like a cross
between a dog or cat and a human. His arms are elongated and his legs
shortened. Muscles and tendons have been moved and his feet and hands
altered so that he can run on all fours at high speeds. His upper and lower
jaw have been elongated to form a snout with sharp teeth. His ears are large
and pointed. His neck has been altered so that it cranes up while he is on all
fours. He was once covered all over with short, thick gray fur, but now the
fur is falling out in patches, showing taut tendons and pink skin crisscrossed
with surgical scars.
Social Status- The animal man is currently the pet of a city drug lord. The
animal man is cared for and protected and follows his masters commands.
The animal man sleeps at the foot of his masters bed and protects him. His
master sometimes tortures people by having the animal man eat them alive.
His master pays for food, medical care, and even prostitutes for the animal
man. Sometimes the animal man does something which displeases his master
and he is kicked out temporarily. During these times he sleeps on the streets
and eats out of dumpsters.
History- The animal man was once Dale Torrick, a corporate human resources
worker, but he left the corporation and came to the city because he couldnt
find anyone in the corporation who shared his fetish. For as long as he could
remember, Dale enjoyed pretending to be a loving, obedient pet and he could
only achieve sexual satisfaction while playing this role. Dale sought out lovers
who would support him and allow him to act out this role 24 hours a day. As
soon as he left the corp he started saving up for surgeries that would allow him
to walk on all fours comfortably. Dales family tried to stop him, even tried to
get him committed, but Dale always managed to escape. As he started getting
surgeries, he started to feel that he belonged in an animal body and that his
body was a curse. Dales surgeries became more and more radical: he even
had his tongue and vocal cords altered so that he could no longer speak, he
could only make mewing and growling sounds. Dale stopped responding to
his own name. Dales lover began to miss human companionship, but every
time she brought home a man, Dale would attack him. Eventually, she paid
some freelancers to beat Dale up and kick him out. He hooked up with a
few new masters, but it always ended badly when the Animal Man attacked
someone. About a year ago, the Animal Man was captured by the agents of
a drug lord who wanted him as a pet. Despite this violent start the two have
formed a strong bond.
Personality- The Animal Man has suppressed his capacity for rational thought.
He almost never thinks in words. He does not think about the past nor plan for
the future. He has no sense of ethics or morality aside from a pack-animals
instinct not to do anything which would upset the pack leader. The Animal
Man is wary of strangers but becomes friendly to anyone who treats him with
kindness. The Animal Man still lusts after human females.
Special Powers- Enhanced hearing (+5 to hearing based AWR rolls),
enhanced sense of smell (+5 to smell based AWR rolls), hand and foot claws
(2 bladed damage, +7 to climbing rolls), enhanced jaws and fangs (3 bladed
damage, hard strike), +7 to save vs. hypothermia.
Typical Attack- His first attack is a paired slash with his claws at 1d20 vs.
5. If successful, the victim takes 1 bladed damage and must make 2 saves
vs. distracting pain (20 difficulty each). Then the animal man goes in for a
simultaneous vital strike with his teeth at 1d20 vs. 10. If successful, it does 6
bladed damage.
Do-Overs
In Brief- Want biomods to make them look like
children. Most people think poorly of them.
A growing minority want a combination of surgery
and genetic therapy that will make them look like
children. This group is known as do-overs because
many claim that they are tying to get another chance
at childhood. In recent years, it had become possible
to make an adult look completely like a child (to the
naked eye) but this costs millions of dollars. Most
do-overs are inter-op, they have had some of the
surgeries and genetic treatments and look somewhat
like children. Inter-ops range from people who look
like adults with baby-faces, to people who look like
adult midgets, to people who look almost completely
like children except for a few subtle details.
Community- Do-overs are a vocal group and are
fighting for legal rights and acceptance. Many
do-overs want private and government healthcare
to pay for their surgeries. They claim it is the
only way they can achieve mental health. Others
want to be able to gain legal status as minors. The
do-overs have gained no ground on these fronts,
but this doesnt stop them from protesting loudly
(sometimes violently).
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Public Perceptions- Public perception of doovers is poor. Most people lump them in with
fetishists or and/or dysmorphs and/or child
molesters. See text boxes (this and previous
page).
Internal Variation- There are many divisions
within the do-over community that most nondo-overs are unaware of. Some do-overs do
not plan to have sexual relationships when they
become children, others want to have sexual
relationships with adults (touch-me) and others
want to have relationships with other children
(play doctors). Some do-overs plan to use a
combination of genetic therapy and surgeries to
allow them to grow back into adults at a normal
rate (sprouts) and others plan to stay children
for the rest of their lives (peter pans). Most
seek out parental figures willing to treat them
like children, but a few continue to leave normal
adult lives (citizens). Retros are a minority
who surround themselves with the music, VR,
products and popular culture of their childhoods.
Transsexuals
Violent Criminals
Serial Killers
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Low Arousal
In Brief- Most serial killers show low reaction to
emotional stimuli.
Most serial killers have brains that do not become
aroused easily. More stimuli is needed to provoke
the same reaction than from a normal person. It takes
more dangerous things to provoke fear in them, it takes
more arousing things to turn them on, it takes greater
punishment or pain to make them feel bad, and it takes
more exciting things to hold their interest. They are often
daredevils and thrill seekers who perform dangerous
stunts. They often resort to killing just to feel some
real feelings, even if its feelings of fear, self-hatred and
sexual arousal. When probed with subliminal analyzers
(See p.123, FWTD main book) serial killers show little
reaction to any stimuli and only faint signs of arousal at
scenes of murder and rape.
Stop-Me Killers
In Brief- Some serial killers like to believe they cant
stop, make half-hearted attempts to get help.
Many serial killers, especially of the disorganized type,
dont want to kill. They are driven to kill by stress and
anxiety, but the fact that they are serial killers only
increases their stress and anxiety. Many serial killers
seek to treat their own psychological problems, but these
attempts are as disorganized as their lives and usually
fail. Some serial killers send messages to investigators,
begging the investigators to catch them and stop them.
The stop me notes are really just a convenient fiction
to help the serial killers pretend that they are under the
control of an unstoppable illness. Serial killers who
really want to stop simply turn themselves in.
Assassins
In Brief- Kill quickly and methodically, angry and
paranoid, often snipers.
The assassin type is a unique type, separate from both
organized and disorganized killers. Most serial killers
kill, torture, rape and mutilate, while assassins just kill.
Most assassins are snipers, using the most logical way to
kill people without putting themselves in danger. Most
assassins do not kill for sexual motives. Assassins dont
need their victims to see them. They do, however, like
to see their victims die. Assassins are mostly frightened
people who only feel a sense of power over their own
lives when they kill others.
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The Kafe
In Brief- VR chatroom, in torture-room themes, where
people claiming to be NY serial killers meet.
The Kafe is a full-immersion VR chatroom that purports to
be a gathering place for city serial killers. The Kafe was
set up a year ago, anonymously, on a service that allows
people to set up free chat rooms (people have to view ads
upon entering and exiting). The Kafe appears as a large
club with a bar, all decked out in a dungeon theme. The
floor is a metal grate with nothing but darkness beneath
it. The walls are slabs of bloodstained industrial concrete
with chains bolted to them. The whole place is dimly lit
by bare bulbs suspended from the ceiling. The default
background music is angry thrash music that kids in city
dance clubs often slam to. The tables, chairs and bar are
all cold, black wrought iron.
The Kafe is filled with various bots: autonomous programs
with very limited AI. There is a bartender, who looks like
a burly bare-chested man with a bondage mask on, who
serves various drinks and snacks. Most of drinks and
snacks are cannibalism themed (e.g. bloody marys with
real blood, fried labia strips, etc.). There are also many
victim bots, mostly attractive young women in torn and
skimpy clothing. The victim bots cower in the corners
until a Kafe patron attacks them. They react to attacks with
screams and whimpering and they die if they take too
much damage. Some fight back, but weakly. The victim
bots regenerate after a few hours. There are also a few
automated torture machines that victims can be stuck in.
Serial Arsonists
In Brief- Mostly young, maladjusted males. May
start fires to be a hero, to feel powerful or to satisfy a
frightening compulsion.
Before 2078, the city fire department was corrupt and
mostly useless. The city lived in fear of arsonists.
Since young gang-type teenagers have been hired to
fight fires, the problem has not been so horrible. Yet
there are still many arsonists in the city. For profiling
purposes, serial arsonists are those who dont set fires
for money, to gain revenge on enemies or to conceal
evidence of a crime.
Serial arsonists are young, most are 15 to 20 years old.
Most are single and live alone or with parents. Most
are male. Many have physical defects, many wet their
beds, many have attempted suicide. Most are socially
and sexually maladjusted. Most had an unhappy
childhood. They were neglected or their parents
provided inconsistent discipline (sometimes lenient,
sometimes harsh). Most have a fear and hatred of
authority figures.
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Serial Rapists
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Spree Killers
Child Molesters
In Brief- Molest children because children are what is
available, because they are uncomfortable with adults,
because they think sex is about power, or because they
are heartless fetishistic sadists.
Situational Molesters- This is the most common type
of child molester. They do not prefer sex with children;
they only molest children when children happen to be
convenient sexual outlets. Some are mentally deficient
and dont understand the difference between children
and adults. Others do know and just dont care. These
rapists often molest when under stress and often
while drunk. Their victims are those close to them.
Female step-children are the most common victims,
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Plastic Antisocials
In Brief- Amoral, natural manipulators, professional con
artists, use plastic surgery to change identities and aid in
seduction.
Antisocial personality disorder is a number of personality
traits that are found together in certain individuals. Antisocial
personality disorder is common among the psychologically
motivated criminals, especially serial killers, rapists and
child molesters. The traits of antisocials are:
-Lack of empathy for other people.
-No sense of personal moral responsibility.
-Excellent liars and manipulators.
-Little need to be liked or to belong to a group.
-Impatience and inability to plan ahead.
-Hedonism.
People with antisocial disorder are dangerous for two
reasons: First, because they will do just about anything
they think they can get away with, just for the pleasure of
doing it. Second, because they are excellent at hiding their
true natures. It is often frightening to talk with people with
antisocial personality disorder because they seem to have a
huge blind spot about their own culpability for their actions.
A person with antisocial personality disorder may push an
old woman down the stairs. Later, if asked who was at
fault, the person will say that it was the old womans fault
for standing so close to the stairs where she could be easily
pushed. This is not a clumsy attempt to shift blame on
another person, the antisocial truly doesnt think of himself
as an actor in the realm of morality. Those with the most
extreme versions of this disorder have little sense of their
own true selves. There is the act that they put on to fool
society into accepting them, and there is their unrestrained
desires, but concepts of self-esteem, or guilt, or personal
ideals are meaningless to them. When a normal person is in
a room alone, that person may think I am all by myself.
An extreme antisocial may think there is nobody here.
The majority of people with antisocial personality disorder
do not become serial killers or rapists or child molesters.
For them, the benefit does not outweigh the risk. Most
content themselves with petty thievery. Because they are
so often good at manipulation, many become con-artists.
Although their acts are not as blatantly violent as that of
serial killers, they can destroy lives and cause deaths when
they rob people of needed resources.
The most dangerous type of antisocial con-artist is what
has become recently known as the plastic antisocial. The
plastic antisocial uses the money gained from con games
to pay for plastic surgery. The plastic surgery makes the
plastic antisocials incredibly attractive, which makes it
easier for them to manipulate people. The plastic antisocial
also uses plastic surgery to change identities whenever they
are found out. Plastic antisocials are excellent identity
thieves because they can perfectly impersonate the people
whose identities they are stealing. These antisocials have
no problem faking romantic love, through dating, courtship
and marriage, just so they can rob the person of everything
they own.
Colin
Strains
In Brief- Some lines of Colin reproduction have
unique skills and methods.
Many people have compared Colin to a virus, and
have used models created to predict what viruses will
do to predict what Colin will do. Viruses mutate, and
some mutations are better at reproducing than others.
These strains become more populous while the other
strains tend to die off. Many Colin Hunters believe
the same will happen with Colin. They worry that
some Colin will gain some skills that will allow him
to reproduce much more quickly. They are especially
worried about him getting trained by some of the
gangs that have remarkable abilities (e.g. Animalists,
Bleeders, Math Addicts, Needle Punks). Colin Hunters
compare notes about the things they have seen Colin
do, hoping to isolate and describe different strains.
So far, they have verified that different Colins have
different abilities, but they havent been able to
identify actual strains (of course, Colin Hunters cant
even figure out whether the number of Colins in the
city is in the tens, hundreds or thousands).
Psychic Colin- Colin does not have much natural
ability or talent where psychic skills are concerned.
In fact, Colin is probably one of the poorest
candidates for psychic training around. One Colin,
though, captured an electrochemical biofeedback
machine and spent about 12 hours a day every day
for a year training to develop psychic powers. Even
with all his training he is not a very good psychic and
his new bodies seek out pro-psychic drugs (Soma
and Sibosin) to boost their abilities.
This strain has Control Attack (2), Hallucination
Attack (2), Psychic Defense (2), Mind Reading (1)
and Psychic Sense (2). When he has been using
Sibosin and Soma for several days in a row (as he
usually has been when he goes out hunting) he is at
+9 to psychic WIL rolls, +4 to psychic AWR rolls
and he suffers from Hallucinations (10), -2 to most
INL rolls, and must make 30 difficulty WIL rolls to
avoid mutilating his own body. His typical attack
uses the Control Attack skill to try to force people to
hurt themselves with their own weapons. He attacks
at WIL (15) +4 (skill) +9 (drugs) -1/ft. away from
victim +1d20 vs. 30 (or 1d20 -1/ft. vs. 2). There are
about 50 of this strain of Colin in the city.
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030 Colin
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032 Colin
Level 3 Colinite
Attributes- AGY 5, AWR 13, CHM 15, END 8, INL 7, SPD 10, STH
11, WIL 4, BLD 4, BDY 4, INCY 2
Appearance- Colin McKray is very tall, he has a crooked nose and
a jolly looking face. He has his hair dyed black (blonde roots show),
cut in a bowl-shape with the sides shaved. He dresses in loose-fitting
black clothes and wears a large upside down silver crucifix on his
chest.
Social Status- Colin McKray is the inventor of the church of Colin
and the most successful proselytizer. Other Colinites fear disobeying
him, knowing that he is Colins favorite worshipper. Most of these
members, who are not sure what Colin would like or not-like, take
their cues from Colin McKray, playing along with whatever Colin
McKray does.
History- Colin McKray was originally Robert McKray, an exconman who owned a small (failing) liquor store. He began to believe
that his neighbors were Colins and, fearing for his life, he began to
tell anyone who would listen that he thought Colin was a true god.
One of his competitors shops burned down and Robert believed that
Colin was responsible. Robert began writing tracts, small pamphlets
proclaiming Colin as a god, and handing them out to people on the
street. Although he was beaten up several times, his luck continued
to improve. People he didnt like died, competitors disappeared.
People began to hear about Robert and many became afraid to mess
with him. He changed his name, changed his appearance (based on a
rumor he had heard about what the original Colin looked like), and
began to try to convert people to his new religion.
Personality- Colin McKray was a hateful man, even before he
became a Colin worshipper. He feels inferior, thinks people look
down on him, and he wishes he had the guts to attack every person
he sees. He likes manipulating and cheating people. He thinks that
if people are stupid enough to fall for it then they deserve to get
screwed. He thinks most people in the city deserve what they get.
Colin McKray is a reasonably good actor, and he has watched enough
street preachers that he can imitate their style. Although he never
says so aloud, he does not think Colin is holy in any way. He does
believe that Colin is more powerful than most people realize and that
in a hundred years it is likely that Colin (and things like Colin) will
be ruling the world.
Methods- Colin McKray spends most of his evenings on street
corners, preaching and handing out pamphlets. He typically stands
on street corners on Broadway in the red light district. Shopkeepers
sometimes pay him to move when he sets up near their shops. Street
preachers often get in arguments with him and he has tangled with
Lord Jesus (p.114) on multiple occasions. As long as he continues to
preach and recruit new followers, things go very well for him. If he
doesnt like someone, he goes into a local bar and complains about
that person to random strangers and within days that person is found
dead. When attacked, Colin McKray doesnt fight back. He simply
yells at the top of his lungs if it is Colins will that I be killed, then
I will be killed. Few people have had the nerve to attack him since
he became well known.
Special Powers- Colin McKray has learned to recognize Colins.
He cannot explain this power or teach it to others. When he sees
someone, he watches their body language, expression and the look in
their eyes and he knows whether they are a Colin or not. He doesnt
let the Colins know that he can see them: he is certain Colin would
kill him if he knew Colin McKray had this power.
Special Equipment- Phonebook Armor (AR 5, PR 2 blunt and 2
bladed, -2 AGY penalty already figured in).
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034 Colin
Dara Colin
(Colinite and Lover to Colin McKray)
Level 2 Colinite
Attributes- AWR 12, AGY 13, CHM 6, END 4, INL 6, SPD 16, STH 9, WIL 3, BLD 2, BDY
2, INCY 5.
Appearance- Dara is short and thin. She has black braids and the sides of her head are shaved.
She wears stained and holey clothes of a street person, mostly black t-shirts and bluejeans.
She wears an upside down silver crucifix.
Social Status- Dara is the girlfriend of Rev. Colin McKray, the originator of the Church of
Colin. She lives with him and he pays for all her needs. She helps him preach Colin worship
and convert new members. Like all Colin Worshippers, she is afforded some measure of
protection by Colins who secretly watch over her.
Colin has mixed feelings about her. On one hand she has worshipped him longer than anyone
other than Colin McKray, she has made Colin worship a full-time lifestyle, and she is the lover
of Colins favorite worshipper. On the other hand, she acts like a wannabe serial killer, she
brags about killing people and sometimes seems that she wants to be like Colin instead of just
worshipping him. Colin prefers normal people to worship him, and Dara is obviously a
messed up kid. One wrong move, and Colin is likely to take her out.
History- Dara was born an unborn not in a major street family. Starting at puberty, her
father sexually abused her. When she was 16, there was a massive panic about Colins. Dara
purposefully changed her behavior, acting odd but denying acting odd, in order to make her
father think that she might be a Colin. Her father became scared and kept his distance. She
lived on the streets for a few years, intimidating people into supporting her by making them
think that she was a Colin.
When she heard about Rev. Colin McKray she sought him out and seduced him. At first, she
tried to make Colin McKray think she was a Colin. He quickly realized she was not a Colin,
and then she tried to make him think that she was sent by Colin as a gift. He has begun to
see through that ruse and now she simply wants him to think of her as a mistress and fellow
Colin worshipper.
Personality- Dara is a compulsive liar. She cant be completely honest and does not see the
point in ever doing so. She lies so much that she seldom realizes that shes doing it. Dara lies
by implying things, never by saying something outright. She acts like she thinks Colin is a
god, and she puts on the act well enough that even Colin McKray believes it. In truth, shes
only into Colin worship to try to feel some sense of protection from the dangers of the city.
The thing Dara wants most in the world is to feel safe. She wants to feel that she will not be
raped or murdered or will not starve or freeze to death on the streets. Right now, being Colin
McKrays lover and a Colin worshipper does that for her. Dara likes to make people think she
is a killer who is willing to kill just for fun. In reality she has killed but it has only been in self
defense.
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Colin 035
Colin A Biography
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Colins parents were what many would call Eccentrics. Through the thin walls of his apartment, Colin could
They did not own a computer and spent most of their hear everything they said. His mother wanted his
time indoors reading old paperback books.
father to get rid of the magazines and seek some kind of
counseling. His father
Colin grew up feeling
refused, saying it was
like his parents didnt
just harmless fantasies
want him around: they
and he had no problem.
would order him to be
His parents would
silent most of the day,
argue every night
they expected him to
for weeks, and Colin
feed himself from the
became so stressed
fridge, they would often
out that he developed
send him off on errands
an ulcer. He would
in the city unattended.
often sneak out of the
His parents were harsh
apartment and wander
in their discipline: they
around the city just
expected him to act as
to be away from the
wisely as an adult and
arguing. The discord
when he did not his
culminated with his
father would beat him
father punching his
with a belt.
mother.
She took
Colin and went to stay
Colin was a bright child
with relatives. Colin
and taught himself the
desperately
wanted
things his parents had
to know what was
no interest in teaching
happening, but every
him.
When Colin
time he tried to talk to
turned 5 his parents sent
his mother she would
him off to school. Since
burst into tears. After
his parents did not have
a week they returned
a computer, he had to go
home and Colins
to the local educational VR terminal bank (a schoolbus father and all his things were gone. His mother refused
with cheap mental stimulators inside). His mother to say where he had gone or if he would ever come
walked him to the schoolbus the first few times, then back. Colin decided it was his fault because he had
insisted that he should go on his own. Colin noticed found the magazines.
that all the other children were accompanied by a parent
or sibling and he felt frightened and embarrassed that Colin grew up a shy, isolated child. He was often
he was the only one to go alone. He would wait around depressed and sad but he learned to hide it so that he
the corner and come in late so that no one would see he did not have to answer stupid questions. Other kids
was unaccompanied.
continued to pick on him and he grew to hate them. As
he grew into adolescence he began to build elaborate
Colin had never learned to socialize, so his time at fantasies where he would torture and kill his enemies.
school was hard. He was a shy child and other kids These fantasies were intertwined with his budding
would pick on him. In VR school, the teacher (who sexuality: he would masturbate while thinking about
had hundreds of students in her virtual classroom) raping and killing the girls in his class. He knew
would make the kids work through interactive learning that his fantasies were bad and he was ashamed about
programs. Colin would usually be the first to finish and them.
he would go play by himself.
036 Colin
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At first, Colin didnt really believe the copyinghimself plan would work. He always believed he
was too much of a loser to really pull something
like this off. As he made more copies, however, he
began to feel more powerful. He began to realize he
was no longer afraid of his own body dying, because
he knew there were other copies of him out there.
Emboldened as never before, he began taking more
and more risks. Instead of killing only to deal with
his stress and self-hatred, he started killing for fun.
He broadened his MO, now killing men, women
and children, and killing them in a variety of ways.
He bludgeoned, eviscerated, drowned, burned and
dropped them from rooftops. One group of Colins
went and killed his mother.
Suddenly the elaborate fantasy world he had built
for himself seemed like it was coming true. He
was reproducing and killing people and nobody
was trying to stop him. He began to believe that he
really would be able to take over the entire world.
He buried his feeling of being a loser under a new
feeling: that he was a god. He soon added a new
dimension to his fantasy: taking over the planet and
becoming humanitys cruel master was fun, but then
he would take on God himself. Colin had always
been an agnostic, unsure whether there even was a
god. Now, however, he began to believe that there
must be a god because there was no other being that
could possibly oppose Colin. The more he thought
about it, the more he became convinced that the
purpose of all existence was to create him so God
could have an opponent worth fighting.
Colin Timeline
038 Colin
Clay Hodgson
(Secret Ex-Colin Retired From Killing)
Level 6 Serial Killer
Attributes- AGY 7, AWR 14, CHM 17, END 7, INL
19, SPD 9, STH 11, WIL 15, BLD 4, BDY 4, INCY 4.
Appearance- Tall, mostly African, short afro, round
face, glasses, wears black or grey turtlenecks and black
slacks.
Social Status- Clay is a successful cryptographer who
works on algorithms behind data encryption software.
He lives in the city and lives with his girlfriend and her
young son. Nobody knows he is a Colin, except the
Colins who made him.
History- A small group of Colins grabbed a young
man off the street and dragged him back to their mental
installer. When he was a Colin they released him and
he went to go infiltrate the life of his new body in hopes
of finding a mental installer. He found his bodys
apartment and began going through his bodys things.
He found his body was a cryptographer. This particular
Colin had some experience with cryptography, but
the things Clay had been working on were far beyond
him. Clay also had a girlfriend, who Colin kept away
with the excuse that he was working on a big project.
In order to keep up the act that he was Clay, Colin
started studying the advanced mathematics that Clay
was working on. Colin found it very challenging and
fascinating. Colin was so engrossed in his project that
he forgot about finding a new mental installer or killing
more people. Clays girlfriend begged to come over
and Colin allowed it. Slowly, Colin became more and
more involved in Clays life and found that he liked
it. Colin assumed he would grow bored quickly and
leave, but he didnt grow bored. He told himself that he
was just taking a break, that someday he would return
to his duties. Its been nearly a year, though, and
he loves his job, likes his friends, likes (if not loves)
his girlfriend and her kid (who have moved in with
him). He rarely thinks about going back to killing and
reproducing himself.
Personality- Colin is still a self-confident, unashamed
megalomaniacal braggart, but he channels all of that into
his job, where he is becoming one of the worlds hottest
cryptographers. He has begun to fear death, knowing
that no other Colin cares about the things he cares
about. Colin still thinks the majority of humanity dont
deserve to live, but hes come to respect Clays friends
and family. Sometimes he thinks with pleasure about
the people hes killed or tortured, often masturbating to
the thought, but he is more interested in his work than
in hurting people now.
Special Skills- Cryptography (5), Math (4), Computer
Modeling (3), various skills from his life as a Colin
(Assassin: Armed, Knife Fighting, Shiv, Demolitions,
Poisons, Torture, Forgery, Impersonation, Lock
Picking, Prowling).
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There is one isolated instance, which Colin Hunters are Soon, one Kajputra native found a novel way of fighting
only now starting to hear about, where Colin has left the back: he captured several Colins alive, then he captured
one of the mental installers and copied his mind into
city and been able to reproduce.
theirs. Suddenly, Colin had an enemy capable of fighting
History of Kajputra- The city of Kajputra was built to him on his level. This self-proclaimed Colin Eater was
support Indias booming population in the 2030s. After able to steal some of the mercenaries rocket launchers
the Freedom Wars, during the restoration, the Restoration and blow up Colins other mental installer. Colin was
Committee balkanized much of India, splitting off pieces left unable to reproduce.
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Attributes- AGY 5, AWR 12, CHM 9, INL 14, WIL 19, all else varies by body.
Appearance- Varies by body, the original Colin Eater was a thin middle aged Indian
man with intense eyes, short salt-and-pepper hair and bad teeth.
Social Status- Gauri has declared open war on Colin. Many in Kajputra think of him as
a savior, others think he is a danger second only to Colin. Only a few Colin Eaters have
come to New York and Colin Hunters are not sure whether to believe his story.
History- Gauri was a barkeep living in Kajputra. Unlike most in the city, he was Hindu,
not Muslim, but he had learned to live peacefully in a Muslim state. He had a wife and
children. When the war came to Kajputra, he and his family survived in the basement
of his bar living off of canned food. When they came out, mercenaries ruled the city.
He reopened his bar and it became a favorite spot for mercenaries. Unbeknownst to
him, his family was one-by-one turned into Colins. Gauri noticed that something odd
was happening to his family, but he did not know what. Then word broke about Colin.
Realizing that his real family was gone, he poisoned the Colins that had taken over
their bodies. Gauri stole some military hardware from some mercenaries and he went
searching through hospital ruins looking for a mental installer. When he found one, he
killed the Colins that were guarding it and he copied his mind into other Colins bodies.
Some of his copies stayed behind to guard the installer, the others went out to capture
more Colins. Unlike Colin, his various copies stayed organized, some of them even
publicly proclaimed themselves. The surviving non-Colins were uneasy, but reasoned
that it was better than nothing. Gauri continued to fight war against Colin and kept
a close eye on all routes out of Kajpura to make sure that no Colins escaped. After
drugging and torturing a Colin he found out that Colin came from New York and had
been doing the same thing there. Gauri sent a few of his copies to New York to find out
more about Colin and discover new ways of fighting him.
Personality- Before Colin destroyed his family, Gauri was cynical, arrogant, bad
tempered, often walking around with a disgusted look on his face, but he was also a
genuinely caring man who loved his family and was fiercely loyal to his friends. Since
becoming the Colin Eater, Gauri has become obsessed, paranoid, with an almost irrational
hatred of Colin. He has dropped many of his moral convictions and now considers
himself ready to do anything to win his fight. His obsession keeps him distracted from
his profound grief and guilt over his familys death. Gauri is a calculating man, able
to stay logical and objective no matter what. He considers himself a Hindu. He has
practiced Jnana Yoga (a practice that focuses on deep introspection and development of
positive mental qualities) and his copies often keep a shrine to Shiva.
Methods- Gauris favorite trick has been to walk up to a stranger and say hey, you
were supposed to call me. If the stranger pretends he or she knows what Gauri is
talking about, then the person is probably a Colin. Gauri waits until the person has his
back turned, then he attacks and subdues the person. He does a blood test to look for
the chemicals used in the mental installation process. If he finds the chemicals, and if
he has access to a mental installer, he takes the person back and copies his mind into
theirs. If he doesnt have access to a mental installer, he kills the person. Unlike Colin,
Gauri is not afraid to identify himself for what he is. He often has to break the bad
news to a family that their loved one has been replaced with a Colin and later replaced
by him. Also, while Colin doesnt keep track of his other copies, Gauri does. His
copies meet up and introduce new copies to the group. This allows his copies to work
together in an organized fashion and divide the labor for projects, something Colin cant
do. Gauri is just as paranoid with his fellow copies as he is with everyone else, often
starting an anecdote from his past and expecting another copy to finish it. Gauri does
not mind killing innocent people in order to stop Colin. He knows that he has probably
copied himself over a few innocent people who were falsely identified as Colins. He
has decided to seek out nuclear bombs. If it looks like Colin is going to wipe out all
resistance in either Kajputra or Manhattan, he has decided he will destroy the whole city
rather than let Colin spread to a new area.
Special Skills- Assassin: Unarmed (4), Automatic Weapons (3), Demolitions (1), Foreign Language:
English (2), Light Sleep (2), Street Fighting: Unarmed (2), Torture (2), Tracking (1).
Special Equipment- When he can, Gauri has the following on his person: Auto-Blood
Test, Plastic Restraints, Compliance Drops, Torture Kit and Knife: Switchblade.
Typical Attack- First he makes Strangulation Grab, trying to pin the opponent against a
wall with his forearm. Assuming his STH is average (10) he is at STH (10) + AGY (5)
+16 (skill) +1d20 vs. 25 (or 1d20 +6 vs. 0). Then, while the person is still pinned, he
makes simultaneous pain/stun attacks with his fists at INL (14) + AGY (5) + WIL (19)
+8 (skill) +1d20 vs. 45 (or 1d20 +1 vs. 0).
040 Colin
Religion
Major Churches
In Brief- About two thirds of city residents subscribe to
some religion. Christianity and Islam are the largest.
Many smaller religions are especially popular among
immigrants. Most religions are more tolerant than they
were in the last century.
Christianity
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Evangelicals/Born Again Christians: The
evangelical movement began in the 1930s as a reaction
against the steady modernization and liberalization
of the protestant churches. This is the group that first
identified themselves as fundamentalist, referring to
a focus on the fundamental beliefs of Christianity: the
infallibility of the bible, God as a giver of miracles, an
ongoing war against Satan for the souls of humanity,
Christs death for mankinds sins and the imminent
apocalypse. Evangelicalism grew rapidly in the last
half of the 20th century and created a shift towards
conservative values in much of America and many other
parts of the world. Evangelicalism grew quickly mostly
because of the strong emphasis it put on proselytizing
and the use of television as a medium to spread their
faith. Evangelicalism had another brief upsurge in the
early 20th century as a backlash to the futurist movement.
Since then, however, the number of evangelicals has
been declining. Evangelical Christians today know that
they are a minority and that their beliefs are inconsistent
with most of the rest of the world. This has done nothing
to reduce their conviction that they are the only ones who
will be saved.
Orthodox: The Eastern Orthodox churches split
from the Catholic church in 1054, but still maintain a
close resemblance to Catholicism. Like the Catholic
church, the Orthodox churches claim that their authority
descends directly from the apostles. Rather than one
church, the Orthodox church is split up into a number of
self governing churches, including the Greek, Russian
and African Orthodox churches. The Russian Orthodox
is the largest of these churches, despite heavy persecution
and oppression under the soviet Communists. Today,
the Orthodox churches are most popular in Bulgaria,
Greece, Romania and Russia. Orthodox Christians are
fairly conservative, and their methods of worship have
not changed much in the last millennium. They believe
in the authority of the bible and a book of the writings
of Orthodox saints, they believe in constant prayer as a
part of everyday life, and they believe that icons (holy
images created by Orthodox ascetics) are holy and may
even have miraculous powers.
Mormons: The Mormon church is strongest in
Utah, where 30% of the population consider themselves
Mormon.
There are Mormon churches scattered
throughout the world, thanks to a heavy emphasis on
missionary work by young Mormons. The Mormon
church was created in the early 19th century by Joseph
Smith, who transcribed a holy book (the book of
Mormon) which he said was revealed to him by god.
These additional revelations make them significantly
different from other Christian churches. They are
conservative, sharing many beliefs with conservative
evangelical groups, and pride themselves on being profamily. They are discouraged from smoking, drinking
alcohol, drinking coffee or using drugs. They typically
do not date or marry non-Mormons. Mormons originally
believed in polygyny (multiple wives) but this practice
has disappeared from almost every modern Mormon
group.
042 Religion
Mennonites/Quakers/Amish: The Free Churches
(Mennonites and Amish) began in 16th century Europe as
a sort of extreme Protestants. They believed that there
should be no priesthood, autonomy for every group, that
believers should isolate themselves from mainstream
society and that believers should not enter any military.
Many groups eschew modern technology and do not
willingly allow themselves to be photographed or
videotaped. Shunning is a common punishment for law
breakers. The Amish have a practice called rumspringa
in which Amish teens are allowed to experiment with
other ways of life (the idea is to make sure that all adults
who stay in the community have made an informed
decision).
Like the Free Churches, the Society of Friends (or
Quakers) began as an ultra-protestant movement that
taught simple living and direct worship of god without
the need for priests, churches or rituals. Quakers were
pacifists and believed in the equality of all humans.
They were the first American group to protest for the
abolition of slavery and they played a major role in the
underground railroad.
These groups came to colonial America to escape
religious persecution and they settled into small
communities that didnt change much over the next few
hundred years. In the 2040s, pollution and climactic
changes killed all their crops, causing many to starve and
die of malnutrition. The remaining members of these
groups were displaced after the Freedom Wars when the
new Gated Communities started buying up all the arable
land. Most moved to East coast inner cities where they
took up the lifestyle of well shut-ins. Traditionally these
groups did not take welfare or social security, but in
recent times they feel they have no choice and must take
public assistance to survive.
External Relations- For the most part, Christians
are a neutral force in the city, thought of as normal
people. Every city group has Christian members.
Christians with strong beliefs and practices that are
different from the city norm are typically lumped into a
category called fundamentalists. Many city residents
see fundamentalists as prudish meddlers. The Freaks
have made a hobby out of trying to shock and annoy
these Christian groups. Some Christian groups in the
city have found themselves in conflict with city groups:
the Bleeders (because the bible has a prohibition against
drinking blood), the Sexologists (because of their
insistence that god has a male and female aspect) and
the Dragons (for their nature worship). Some Christians
have decided that some of these groups are cults and
have been known to try to kidnap young people who join
them.
Practices and Prohibitions- Although there is a wide
variety of beliefs among Christians, a majority of
Christians believe in charity and prayer. Many prohibit
premarital sex, recreational drugs, abortion, the death
penalty and the worship of false idols (anything other
than God and Jesus; and sometimes the saints and the
Virgin Mary). Most Christians prohibit any magical
rituals (any form of ritual designed to effect the
world directly without the intervention of God). A
smaller number of Christians prohibit birth control,
homosexuality and blood transfusions. Many Christians
also believe that certain thoughts are sinful (including
thoughts which are lustful, hateful or greedy).
Islam
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Muslim Morality
Sex: Premarital and extramarital sex is prohibited.
Men are allowed to take on multiple wives if they can
support them. Divorce is permitted. Many Muslims
believe that homosexual sex is a sin.
Euthanasia/Abortion:
Muslims
generally
prohibit euthanasia, abortion, suicide and capital
punishment, saying that these are decisions for Allah to
make. To kill someone in war is not a sin, although a
good Muslim will seek a peaceful solution and will not
fight without a good reason.
Religious Freedom: The Koran states that religion
can not be compulsory. People must have religious
freedom and must come to Allah of their own free will.
Character: Muslims should always endeavor to
be of good character. This means being honest, chaste,
modest, well-read and hard working.
City Muslim Society
American vs. Foreign Born: The major division
in city Muslim society is between American-Born
Muslims, who grew up being a religious minority (or
converted later in life) and Foreign-Born Muslims, who
primarily grew up in countries where Muslims are in the
majority. The natives tend to dress more like everyone
else, to attend to their religious duties less strictly and to
make Islam a smaller part of their lives. Foreign-Born
Muslims tend to be immigrants. Like most immigrants
in the city, they are likely in the country illegally and
have come here from economically depressed countries
seeking opportunities. They are thus more likely to
be poor and have less formal education. Foreignborn Muslims tend to follow the prescriptions and
prohibitions of Islam more strictly and wear clothing
that is clearly Muslim. American-born Muslims
stereotype Foreign-born Muslims as being somewhat
backward, while Foreign-born Muslims sometimes
have trouble believing that American-born Muslims
are actually Muslim. Despite these differences, most
Muslims treat other Muslims as brothers and sisters.
Mosques: Most mosques in the city were built in
what were once black neighborhoods (before the city
became overwhelmingly multiracial). Most Mosques
are in the neighborhood of Harlem. The citys largest
mosque, the Islamic Center of New York, is at 96th
street and 3rd avenue and is still in use by a small
congregation. The mosque is in Bleeder territory,
which has caused a few problems (see External
Relations, previous page). There are also a few Muslim
run soup-kitchens and homeless shelters centered
around the Bowery, where religious services are held.
The majority of Muslims in the city practice in private
homes or (among homeless Muslims) in vacant lots
and abandoned buildings designated as meeting places.
There is no ordained ministry in Islam. An Imam is
anyone in a community with the knowledge to teach
Islam and is often a community elder. There are no fulltime professional Imams in the city.
044 Religion
Judaism
Holidays: There are several holidays when work
is not permitted or when there are additional food
restrictions. On Yom Kippur (which will occur on Sept.
23, 2080), Jews may not work, eat or drink. During
Passover (April 4-11, 2080) Jews can not eat any breadproduct except for plain, unleavened bread.
City Jewish Society- During the 19th and 20th centuries,
a large influx of Jewish immigrants came to the city
fleeing persecution and poverty in Germany and
central Europe. New York became the Jewish cultural
center of the US, with Jewish newspapers, theaters,
neighborhoods, hospitals and graveyards.
Jewish
immigrants originally settled on the Lower East Side,
but as the Jewish community became wealthy and the
Lower East Side became poorer, many moved to the
Upper West and East sides, to Washington Heights and
out of Manhattan (to Brooklyn, the Bronx, Queens and
Staten Island). Many Orthodox Jews immigrated to the
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Buddhism
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046 Religion
Vajrayana: This is an offshoot of Mahayana
Buddhism that developed in Tibet and neighboring
areas. Isolated from other Buddhist countries, Vajrayana
developed its own unique set of rituals. The most
significant belief of Vajrayana is in Tantras, hidden or
secret rituals which provide shortcuts to enlightenment.
Because the Tantras are difficult to understand or can be
dangerous to those not ready for them, Lamas (tantric
teachers) are necessary to initiate students into the
Tantras. Vajrayana Buddhism was not growing quickly
until the Chinese invaded Tibet in 1950. Many Tibetans
fled Tibet, moving all over the world where they brought
their religious teachings. Vajrayana Buddhism enjoyed a
rapid growth from 1960 to 2020.
Techno-Buddhists: In 2070, a conference was
held in Osaka Japan, with delegates of all the major
Buddhist churches, to discuss the question: can new
technologies help people achieve enlightenment? VR,
mental programming, psychic technology and even
genetic manipulation were discussed. Rather than
settle the question, the conference created rifts in many
Buddhist churches. The older leaders mostly agreed that
technology might be able to help but at this point was too
dangerous to be used. Many small offshoot sects were
created by those who felt that Buddhists should make it
a priority to find ways to incorporate new technologies
into the quest for enlightenment.
External Relations- Buddhists have a reputation for
being compassionate, calm and non-violent. Many
Immortals who inherited their memories from devout
Buddhist Karl Chambers become Buddhist. TechnoBuddhists in the city are very interested (and often
directly involved in) the work of the Animalists, Math
Addicts and Omniscients. Young Buddhist Omniscients
helped develop the meditation exercises that let
Omniscients take full advantage of their new senses.
Practices and Prohibitions- Buddhists are taught to
avoid harmful or dishonest actions or speech (violence,
theft, lying, greediness, hurting peoples feelings).
Buddhists should avoid alcohol and drugs that cloud
the mind. As important as the behavioral prohibitions,
Buddhists should avoid anger, fear, greed and lust.
Meditation is used to become aware of these harmful
emotions at work in ones subconscious. Buddhists
recognize that no rule is absolute and sometimes it can
be okay to break a prohibition if a greater good results.
Most Buddhists break at least one prohibition, whether
its drinking sake, eating meat, or telling occasional lies.
City Buddhist Society- There are a few small
Buddhist churches in the city in the Upper East Side
and Downtown. These churches serve small Thai,
Japanese and Vietnamese communities and have
bilingual services. There is a small Mahayana Buddhist
seminary operating in Sexologist territory that attracts
a culturally diverse crowd. Of the Buddhists who do
not belong to a strongly-Buddhist ethnic group, many
are hobbyists who may keep a shrine in their home,
meditate occasionally and read Buddhist books, but are
seldom involved in any organized Buddhist practice.
Hinduism
Hinduism is a major religion in India (one of the worlds
most populous countries) and is a large minority in
surrounding nations. Hinduism is not typically a
proselytizing faith, so most Hindus in the US are Indian
immigrants. In the 2020s, America went through a
Bollywood phase, a fascination with Indian culture. A
small number of non-Indian Americans converted to
Hinduism, but these numbers are dwarfed by the number
of Indian Hindus in the US.
Hindus have a number of holy books, including the Vedas
(transcriptions of ancient oral texts from 1500BC). Most
Hindus believe there is one god (Brahma) but that there
are thousands of lesser deities which are manifestations
or emanations of Brahma. Hindus believe that the soul
reincarnates into various beings. Good deeds performed
in this life will mean a better incarnation in the next and
eventually a unification with Brahma (enlightenment).
Most Hindus believe that the penultimate god for their
devotions is either Vishnu (a preserver and hero god who
travels to earth whenever creation is threatened) or Shiva
(a god of destruction and transformation). Hindus also
see themselves as on one of two paths: the worldly path
(where the primary goals are righteous action, material
success and enjoyment of life) and the ascetic path
(where the primary goal is enlightenment).
Hindus often practice many forms of meditation, of
which Yoga is the most common. They commonly have
small shrines to various gods in their homes and places
of business and they give offerings and say prayers to
them.
Worldwide interest in Hinduism boomed in 2076. This
was the year the Soma spoken of in the Vedas was
discovered by science and found to have a powerful propsychic effect. Many people all over the world started
experimenting with Soma and many experimented with
Hindu rituals and meditation to go with it. In the city, out
of 650 Tea Drinkers, there are about 100 Hindus (about
half of whom were born into Hindu families, half of
whom converted to Hinduism after they started drinking
Soma) and many more who have some interest in Hindu
beliefs even if they dont consider themselves Hindus.
Neo-Aboriginal
In the first few decades of this century, aboriginal groups
around the world used new technologies to create and
distribute their media (movies, music, newspapers, TV
programs, etc.) to try to fight the loss of their culture
and beliefs to mass-media and popular culture. The
internet let aboriginal groups share their expressions
of what it was like to be aboriginal. Aboriginal groups
around the world found that they had much in common,
in experience if not in literal beliefs, and they began
cooperating for the preservation of their cultures. One
Sikhism
The Sikh faith has its origins in both Hinduism and Islam,
with many new features. Most Sikhs are immigrants
from India and Pakistan. Like Hindus, they believe in
reincarnation. Like the Muslims, they believe in one
god and that no idols or images should be worshipped.
The purpose of Sikh practice is to establish a loving
relationship with god. Sikhs rejected the Indian caste
system, believing that all people were equal. Today,
many Sikhs sit on the floor while eating so that everyone
will be at an equal level. Many Sikhs follow a strict dress
code: uncut hair (often hidden beneath a turban), a comb,
short pants, a metal bracelet and a ceremonial dagger.
Sikhs have suffered periods of persecution by both
Hindus and Muslims. They believe in defending their
religion and defending the weak against tyranny. The
dagger worn by Sikhs is a symbol of their willingness
to fight to defend themselves and others. Historically,
Sikhs are known as brave warriors.
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Bahai
Bahai was created in Persia in 1844. Bahai recognizes
as prophets, among others, Moses, Krishna, Buddha,
Jesus and Mohammed. Bahai worshippers have been
persecuted in many Muslim countries. They believe
in the unification of religions and nations, an end to all
prejudices and equal rights and resources for all humans.
Although they are small compared to other world
religions, they have small communities of worshippers
in nearly every country on Earth.
Religion 047
Wicca
In 1949, Gerald Gardener, a British civil servant, wrote
a book which he claimed told of his experiences in a
modern coven of witches. The witches, he claimed,
were secret heirs to a magical and religious tradition
that stretched back to the ancient Celts. Most Wiccans
believe in a single creative god, a male and female force,
and many gods (including many from Greek and Irish
mythology). Many of the rituals of Wicca are magical
in nature: meant to have an effect on the physical
world. Wiccans revere nature. The religion has few
prohibitions, except a general prohibition against actions
that hurt themselves or others. Wicca grew most quickly
from the 1960s to the 2030s, mostly among young people
who saw it as an alternative to Christianity. As the power
of Christianity as a force in America weakened, so did
the growth of Wicca. Most Wiccans in the city meet via
the internet and practice in their homes. There are no
Wiccan churches, but there is one store in Midtown that
sells implements used in Wiccan rituals. Although they
claim no relationship to Wicca, many of the Sexologists
beliefs (the male and female aspects of the creator, the
spiritual potential of sex) have been influenced by Wicca.
Many Wiccans in the city find themselves attracted to the
Sexologists and of the approximately 1000 Sexologists,
about 50 (5%) consider themselves Wiccans.
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African Syncretisms: These religions were
established in new world countries where African
slaves merged their traditional religions with Roman
Catholicism. There are several kinds: Vodoun (Haiti),
048 Religion
Kim Tate
Orthodox Shut-Ins
Many orthodox or conservative
religious groups were unable
to migrate to the new gated
communities and were forced
into the city. Some of the shutin communities in the city are
orthodox Jews, Mennonites,
Amish, Fundamentalist Christians and Fundamentalist Muslim
groups.
These are groups that often
eschew a lot of modern
technology and participation
in modern society. They have
strict rules of dress and conduct
that govern all aspects of
daily life. Community elders
often have a lot of power over
younger people, from assigning
punishments to rule-breakers to
arranging marriages.
Typically, contact with the city
at large is kept to a minimum,
because the city is seen as full of
corrupting influences. Children
are home-schooled. Only adults
leave their homes and then it is
only to go to work.
Young people in these groups
are often curious about the city
around them. Like the children
of other shut-ins, many sneak out
of their homes. Many decide to
leave their homes and become
members of the citys street
society. Young people who leave
their communities are usually
ostracized by their families.
In a worst case scenario, the
community may try to kidnap
or attack young people trying to
leave the communities.
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Religion 049
Cult Families
Cults
In Brief- 4,000 cultists. Pretend to be anything to
trick people into joining. Use detachment from
reality and emotional confessions to keep people
weak and dependent. Some large cults, but majority
are in tiny cults (including cult-like families). Cult
deprogrammers can be helpful or can be dangerous
brainwashers.
Cult Population
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300 Dying Embers
250 Quoters
200 Enemies of Hoth
150 Trainers
2300 In Miscl. Small Cults
050 Religion
Dissociation
In Brief- Cult members taught not to care about the
real world.
A major weapon in the arsenal of cults is dissociation.
Students are taught to cultivate a feeling of dissociation,
usually through meditation. Cultists are taught to feel a
numb distance from their bodies and their lives so that
they dont really care what happens to them. Being
taken care of and told what to do 24-hours a day helps
keep cultists in this state. The cultists are taught that this
dissociated state is holy or the path to enlightenment.
Like the drug Escape, which causes similar feelings
of emotional numbness, this dissociation can be very
addicting. In order to retake control of their own lives,
cultists must overcome this feeling of dissociation, but
doing so exposes them to terrible feelings that have been
festering within them. Even after they leave the cult,
many ex-cultists report being plagued by feelings of
spaceyness and disorientation, especially when they
are under some sort of stress.
Emotional Breakthroughs
In Brief- Breakthroughs with no time to process them
keep cult members weak.
Another powerful psychological tool of cultists is the
emotional breakthrough. Cult members are put into
situations which disorient them and break down their
defenses, then they are prompted to publicly admit to
their own personal traumas, weaknesses and sins. Most
cult members bring up issues that they have been unable
to deal with in their regular lives. In a therapeutic
environment, these breakthroughs would be a great sign
and allow the patient to achieve new levels of health and
happiness, but a cult is not a therapeutic environment.
The cultists are not given the time and freedom to deal
with their emotional breakthroughs constructively and
learn to live without these emotional crutches. In the
cults the pain and weakness that has surfaced is channeled
into dissociation, obsession and obedience. The cultists
are essentially trading one mental problem for another,
which makes them more dependent on the cult. All
the while, they are told that they are progressing, both
spiritually and psychologically.
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052 Religion
Adriel Theophania
(Leader of the Lumens)
Attributes- AGY 8, AWR 13, CHM 18, END 12, INL 10,
SPD 9, STH 12, WIL 16, BLD 4, BDY 4, INCY 4
Appearance- Mostly caucasian, forties, deeply tanned,
shiny skin, crew-cut white hair, bleached-white smile,
wearing a robe made of pure-white cloth. Uses a clearplastic walking stick that glows with a soft yellow light.
Social Status- Adriel is the founder and current leader
of the Lumens, the citys biggest and most dangerous
cult. His followers believe that he is a messenger from
god and that he is mankinds only salvation. They
would all die for him.
History- Adriel was born Philip Bowen. He grew up in
the city to undependable, alcoholic parents. As a teen he
was a small-time criminal, dealing drugs and burglarizing
apartments. As a young adult he set up a greenhouse,
hoping to grow and sell marijuana. He found that the
full-spectrum lights made him feel better and he started
bringing underage street girls to his apartment claiming
the lights were therapy. Adriel enjoyed the feeling of
power when he convinced the girls he was a therapist.
He soon gathered a group of students and formed a
religion. He began to tell members that he was in direct
communication with god. His cult continued to grow in
power and in the fear it invoked in the city.
Personality- Adriel is intense, charming, reckless. He
is a hedonist who enjoys food and sex, but what he
enjoys most is being worshiped and having control over
peoples minds. He is like a jealous lover, but he wants
all 800 Lumens to love him exclusively. He would
rather have one of his people die than love, worship or
trust someone else. After all his years of claiming to be
a conduit to god, he has begun to believe it himself. He
still doesnt feel invulnerable though. In fact, he feels
quite paranoid and is often afraid that one of his own
will try to kill him.
Methods- Although others do the most of the recruiting,
indoctrination and policing of cult members, Adriel
makes it a point to make an impact on every member
of the cult. He introduces cult members to their highest
level of light-stimulation. He is the final say in any
punishment or promotion and he leads the call to holy
war.
Special Powers- Because he is exposed to so many
bright lights, any penalty from bright lights is reduced
by half. He takes a -7 penalty in normal or dim light.
Special Equipment- Walking stick filled with electroluminescent material. When turned to maximum
illumination, it is so bright it gives -7 to all actions and
reactions to anyone within 5 ft. The stick can be used as
a 2 blunt damage weapon at range 1-2.
Typical Attack- Adriel cranks his walking stick to full
illumination. He takes a -3 penalty to all actions and
reactions while non-lumens take a -7 penalty. He makes
a strike at STH (12) + AGY (8) -3 (brightness penalty)
+1d20 vs. 25 (or 1d20 vs. 7). As a reaction he parries at
STH (12) + AGY (8) -3 (brightness penalty) +1d20 vs.
25 (or 1d20 vs. 7).
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Religion 053
Dying Embers
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Quoters
054 Religion
Enemies of Hoth
In Brief- Therapist convinces people they were
molested by satanic Mason conspiracy.
This cult is centered around Jackie Tennenbaum, an
unlicensed therapist who convinces each member he or
she was ritually abused as a child. Members are sent
to find friends and family members who meet Jackies
profile of an abuse survivor. This particular profile
includes people who are psychologically pre-disposed to
cult indoctrination. Patients testify to their friends and
families that they feel happy for the first time in their
lives, that Doctor Tennenbaum is a miracle worker and
no price is too high for her services.
Newly enticed patients pay $700 for the installation of a
Memory Transfer mental program (the same programs
the Immortals use to transfer their memories). Therapy
starts simply, with patients recalling parts of their lives.
Jackie makes suggestions, slowly but surely influencing
how people view their own pasts. Jackie has them
focus exclusively on times in their lives when they were
unhappy. Jackie makes subtle hints that every failure
in the patients lives has been because of some external
force working through their subconsciouses. At some
point, Jackie announces that she feels that suppressed
memories are about to resurface. She suggests that the
patient step up the number of therapy sessions and stay
away from friends and family members who might seek
to reassert their understanding of the patients history.
She often arranges for patients to stay in the homes of
other patients. She even recommends a special diet
which she says promotes mental clarity.
Jackie keeps digging at half-remembered incidents and
things that might have been dreams until she gets the
patients to recall being ritually and sexually abused
by a family member (usually father or mother). After
the floodgates are open, she can direct the patients
to remember all sorts of horrible ritual abuse. She
explains that this abuse is the cause of all the problems
and unhappiness in the patients lives and that they can
now make a clean break and start again. When possible,
she, a patient and a group of well-armed followers go to
the home of an accused abuser. The patient accuses the
abuser of ritual abuse, detailing every horrible thing the
person did. When the person tries to argue in his or her
own behalf, Jackie yells at them.
Jackie has patients sever all ties, sell most of their property
and move into a recovery community (a home shared
by patients). All these actions are supposed to help the
patients make a clean break. Therapy sessions continue,
but they take a different turn: Jackie begins telling her
life story. Like the recovered memories of her patients,
she recalls memories of horrible abuse (including a
secret twin who grew up under the floorboards of her
home). She recalls her own teenage social problems:
Trainers
In Brief- Think they are fixing the problems keeping
them from getting into gated communities, are really
being brainwashed by VR and participating in a
pyramid scheme.
The Anderson Training School is a city cult that poses
as a psychological training organization. Chet Anderson
is a Y1 who runs the school. Cult members dress in
suits and frequent subways. They offer people free
psychometric tests to help people determine whether or
not they could pass the tests to get into a corporation or
gated community. People who agree are put in a mental
stimulator which runs a VR program written by Chet
Anderson. The program runs the person through a few
situations, pretends to measure their responses, and then
almost always says the same thing: the person would be
able to get into a nice gated community except for a few
maladaptive reactions which can be easily taken care of
with a $200 course.
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Deprogrammers
In Brief- Many make a living rescuing and educating
or kidnapping and brainwashing cult members.
With over 4,000 cultists in the city, many people make
a living removing people from cults and trying to undo
the cult brainwashing. The best of these deprogrammers
are legitimate heroes: they help people escape from
frightening and torturous situations and they help
give the people the confidence to return to normal life.
Others are anti-cult fanatics who kidnap people and use
brainwashing techniques on them. The cult members
are usually better-off after being deprogrammed, but not
by much. These deprogrammers use tasers, restraints
and drugs to kidnap and hold cult members and there are
occasionally accidents that result in deaths.
The worst of the deprogrammers are those that operate
out of pure greed. They are dangerous because they
often sell their services when their services arent
needed. They give concerned parents false information,
convincing the parents that their children are in cults
when the kids really arent. Since they dont care
about actually saving people, these deprogrammers are
nothing more than brainwashers for hire. The cults
these mercenary deprogrammers save people from can
be legitimate religions, legitimate political activism
groups, gangs, or even just groups of friends.
One company, called Gang Deprogrammers Incorporated
has become known around the city for kidnapping and
brainwashing members of city street gangs. Many city
gangs have declared war against this company, yet the
company operates from outside the city and they are
careful to stay incognito when in the city.
056 Religion
Politics
In Brief- Political ideologies give some a way to
contribute to the world. It turns others into isolated,
dangerous fanatics. The city is a hotbed of fanaticism
and testing ground for political theories.
Politics is a lot like religion. At its best, political
involvement can provide a purpose in life and the
feeling that one is doing something good. It can put
people on the road to mental health. Politics can also
be an unhealthy obsession that isolates people from
friends and family and makes them dangerous. Some
mentally ill people use political agendas as an excuse
for hatred and violence. Some small groups of political
extremists use many of the same techniques as cults.
These extremist groups are often terrorists. Like cults,
it isnt the ideologies of a political group that makes it
dangerous, its the tactics the group is willing to use.
Most of the moderate political activists in the city belong
to internet-based communities that collect money to
lobby for their various causes. Most of the political
extremists are either loners or are members of tiny
autonomous political action groups.
Anarchism- This is the belief that a perfect society is
one in which there is no government and no capitalism.
Moderate anarchists want to organize people to help
themselves and help each other so that they depend less
on capitalism and the federal government. Extreme
anarchists want to destroy the government and
corporations. The personal ideal of many anarchists is
of a self-reliant person who needs few physical goods,
doesnt need the protection of others and who is always
willing to share and work with others for the greater
good. The enemy is seen as a greedy bully who enjoys
telling other people what to do.
Libertarianism- This is the belief that a perfect society
is one in which the governments only duty is to enforce
pure capitalism. Some libertarians are states-rights
advocates, who believe that the federal government long
ago overstepped its charter and should recede to a less
active role. Many libertarians believe that volunteer
militias should be doing the job of armies and police
forces. Moderate libertarians want to pass laws which
reduce government interference in business and they
want to eliminate laws against victimless crimes (e.g.
drug use). Extreme libertarians want to form volunteer
militias to overthrow the federal government. The
personal ideal of many libertarians is of a successful
small-business owner who gives to charity of his or her
own free will and has the means to defend self, family
and property (e.g. lots of guns). The enemy is seen as
pampered government officials who want more power,
lazy welfare recipients who want to get paid for doing
nothing and meddling moralists who want to regulate
peoples personal lives.
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Level 4 Eccentric
Attributes- AWR 13, AGY 15, CHM 9, END 6, INL 12, SPD 17, STH 10,
WIL 19, BLD 5, BDY 3, INCY 3.
Appearance- Handsome mid-twenties Asian, with a square jaw and tanned
skin, black hair, a conservative haircut, tailored black suit, black gloves and
neon blue tie. When he is trying to move about without his enemies seeing
him, he wears various hooded jackets and sweaters scavenged from the trash
with the hood up.
Social Status- Monkeywrench is a homeless political radical. He sleeps
on the couches of friends and survives only via the charity of others.
Monkeywrench has many enemies: to the federal government and Night
Shift he is a wanted terrorist, the Drug Lords have a price on his head, many
major gangs and pounders have listed him as an enemy.
History- Monkeywrench grew up in a semi-radical gated community. He
was a studious child, distant from his parents. He studied radical politics,
but to him it was mostly abstract concepts. When he was 18 he was asked
to leave the gated community. It was a shock and he felt betrayed and
alienated. He couldnt understand why they didnt want him. He joined
a small anarchist collective in Canada, but he quickly grew dissatisfied by
their sloppy application of political philosophy. He left the collective and
came to the city, where he tried to establish life as a perfect anarchist.
Personality- Monkeywrench is single-minded. Once he gets an idea into his
head he clings to it tenaciously, with no room in his mind for deviation. He
has little empathy for others points of view. He enjoys arguing with people
but he never takes the other persons arguments seriously. Monkeywrench
believes in absolute anarchy. He believes that nobody has the right to
personal property or to use the threat of force or imprisonment to tell other
people what to do. Monkeywrench believes that it is his duty to help anyone
defeat those who use coercion to tell others what to do. He does not believe
in friendship and he does not believe in carrying grudges. He believes he
should treat everyone according to what theyre doing at the moment, not
what theyve done in the past or his relationship with them. One day he
might be trying to kill someone, the next he might be fighting alongside
them. He is not afraid to die for his beliefs.
Methods- When anyone asks for help defending themselves against someone
trying to imprison them or force them to do something, Monkeywrench
will help. He will go up against any enemy, from the National Guard to
homeless addicts. He needs to see proof that the enemy is really willing to
use force or threat of force against the person seeking help. This usually
means that the victims must have the courage to stand up to their enemies
and hope that Monkeywrench can save them before they are killed. As soon
as Monkeywrench is certain he knows who the real enemy is, he opens
fire with a pistol. If the pistol jams or runs out of ammo, he attacks with a
poisoned screwdriver.
Special Skills- Pistol (3).
Special Equipment- Freedom Army Pistol (ROF 3, FR 7 ft., 5 bladed
damage, clip holds 15 rounds), Gasmask, Protective Gloves, Kevlar Vest
(AR 5, PR 6 bladed, 1 blunt, -2 AGY penalty already figured into attributes),
Screwdriver (1 BLD damage, pierces as 4) with Drake Fungus Poison.
Typical Attack- Monkeywrench attacks with his pistol, firing 3 shots in a
round, making a vital strike at INL (12) + AGY (15) -4 (burst) +12 (skill)
+1d20 vs. 35 (or 1d20 vs. 0). If successful, does 15 bladed damage (5 x 3).
As a reaction he does a split reaction dodge at AWR (13) + AGY (15) -10
(split) +12 (skill) vs. 25 (or 1d20 +5 vs. 0) and simultaneous strike at INL
(12) + AGY (15) +WIL (19) -10 (split) +12 (skill) +1d20 vs. 45 (or 1d20 +3
vs. 0).
058 Politics
AbolitionismRather
than
having an idea of the perfect
government and working towards
that, abolitionists have one thing
that they think is the root of all
of societys problems. Some
of the more popular targets for
destruction are: international
corporations, drug laws, tech
laws, gated communities, prisons,
virtual reality and modern
technology. Like other political
activists, some abolitionists
believe in working within the
system, others believe in violent
action.
The City- For some people, the
city itself is sort of a political
laboratory. Thats why many
Eccentrics choose to live in
Manhattan. While most of the
world has been reordered under a
partly utopianist, partly capitalist
system, the worlds inner cities
are something different entirely.
The city is mostly anarchist (there
is little law enforcement, nobody
asserts ownership over much
of the citys real estate) with
elements of libertarianism (the
black market and the drug lords
represent completely unregulated
markets) and socialism (the
welfare system provides a safety
net for some). So what does the
city say about which political
ideologies are correct? It depend
on who you ask. Some anarchists,
utopianists and libertarians say
that the citys freedoms are
creating a new generation that
is tough enough, self-sufficient
enough and community-minded
enough to not need government
interference. To many socialists,
fascists and oligarchists, the
suffering in the city caused by
drugs, violence and poverty is
just evidence that the government
needs to be doing more to make
people safe and happy.
Shut-Ins
In Brief- Paranoid and fearful, often
delusionally and torturously so.
The rates of mental illness among
the citys shut-ins is almost as great
as those of people out on the streets.
Alcoholism is common. Depression,
bipolar disorder, anxiety disorders,
eating disorders and pornography
addiction are common. Most shut-ins
live alone, but those who live with
family have high rates of physical,
emotional and sexual abuse.
The one defining characteristic of shutins is fear. For some the fear is quite
reasonable: they are disabled or elderly,
have no one to accompany them when
they go outside, and would be easy
prey to the citys exploiters. Others
are able bodied and could learn to stay
moderately-safe on the streets, but they
have unrealistic ideas about their own
capabilities and the dangerousness of
the city. It is mostly the news media that
enforces these unrealistic beliefs. Most
shut-ins feel safe in their apartments,
behind locked doors and with a cheap
security system. VR fantasy worlds
keep them distracted: most feel no fear
or anxiety so long as they are in VR.
For some people, fear of the dangers
outside takes over their lives. Instead
of spending money on VR, they spend
money on security. They pay for the best
security systems, they get reinforced
doors with biometric locks, they buy
tasers and pepper sprays which they
keep on their persons at all times. They
do anything they can to avoid leaving
the apartment and many die of simple
illnesses because they dont want to go
to a doctor. When they are forced to
leave the homes, they often taser people
they think are attacking them.
Many of the young people on the streets
today were the children of shut-ins.
Among well gang members, about 75%
were the children of shut-ins and about
half had parents with some mental
illness. Stuck in an apartment with a
mentally ill person, these young people
learned some truths about life that
would stay with them: life is seldom
fair, people cant be trusted, and having
ones physical needs met does not
guarantee happiness.
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Homeless Crazies
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Deep Back
In Brief- Despite their stereotype as dirty, dangerous In Brief- Alleys in midtown where paranoid homeless
and psychotic, there are a wide variety of Crazies. people build secret homes in piles of trash.
They lead dangerous lives. Most city residents only
Alleys are rare in the city. For most of the citys history,
know those who are famous characters in city stories.
property prices have been so high that land owners
Crazies compromises a large and diverse group of 5,000 would not let even a foot of space go unused. Most
city residents. Crazies are homeless and cant/wont join buildings are so close to each other than no human
any street people group or profession because of a mental could fit between them. Older buildings even have
illness. Some Crazies can pass themselves off as sane, shared walls.
yet the city stereotype is of a babbling psychotic in rags,
covered with sores, who occasionally attacks people for The exception to this rule is a set of warehouses built
no reason. Almost all Crazies survive by scrounging in after the end of the Freedom Wars. The warehouses were
dumpsters. This is not an optimum means or survival. built over the ruins of thbombed stcorporate headquarters inth
Many Crazies die from starvation, malnutrition, food midtown between 29 and 31 streets and between 5
poisoning and injuries sustained while dumpster diving. and Madison avenues. The warehouses were built to
store the thousands of boxes of records created by the
Because they have no social or economic power, homeless
restoration committee before enough of the infotech
Crazies are often preyed upon. Despite the stereotype
infrastructure had been restored that records could be
that they are all dangerous menaces, the average Crazy kept digitally. The warehouses were cheap, modular,
is more likely to be attacked than to attack. Due to the and between each was a 5 ft. (1.8 m.) alley.
physical dangers and mental problems that often make
them unable to take care of themselves, Crazies have The warehouses were abandoned, ransacked, and
the highest mortality rate in the city (addicts tend to die later people from nearby apartment buildings started
younger, but thats because they often start younger). dumping trash here. The alleys soon became a huge
Many Crazies survive by pure luck. The average crazy trash-heap. In recent years, homeless Crazies started
will only live 4 months after hitting the streets; however building homes in these alleys. They learned that they
enough new people become homeless Crazies to keep the could build small shacks, cover them with trash and
population growing.
camouflage them. Those who built the homes here were
intelligent and highly paranoid. As word spread, more
Some non-Crazies have friends, family or lovers who came to build here. The area became known in city
ended up on the streets as homeless Crazies. These people slang as Deep Back.
often see Crazies as prisoners of the streets, imprisoned
by mental illnesses. For the majority of the city, however, Some homes are simple: theyre nothing but a cardboard
homeless Crazies are nameless, faceless, dangerous box or rolled up piece of rug under a pile of trash that
monsters. Most people dont know or care how homeless the builders crawl into to sleep. Others are engineering
Crazies survive. They avoid dealing with them whenever marvels: Trash conceals the entrance to a tiny tunnel.
possible. The only homeless Crazies they know of as The tunnel is filled with traps, most of which trigger a
individuals are those about whom stories are told. These tunnel collapse or sharp objects to fall. Some tunnels
famous Crazies do something or have something wrong even branch off into dead end tunnels. At the end of the
with them that makes for entertaining stories around a tunnel is a locked door to a tiny room. The Crazy inside
street campfires or while drinking beers on the corner. the room often has defenses: a guard dog, a pole weapon
Most city residents have heard about Magoomba (p.61), ready to impale an invader or a rope to trigger a trap
the Animal Man (p.18) and the Suit Guy (p.6), mostly outside the front door. As ingenious as they are, they are
because they are easily recognized. It would only take a not comfortable, and none have room to stand.
10 difficulty City Knowledge roll to have heard of these
people. Fewer have heard of Ugly (p.62), Lord Jesus Few people have seen the seen the inside of these
(p.114), Mama Yaga (p.63), Scratchman (p.114) and homes. Few people are stupid enough to brave the
the Dead Woman (p.15) (20 difficulty City Knowledge dirt, smells and traps, and outsiders have few reasons to
rolls). Street people are more likely to have heard of invade them.
them and people who spend most of their time on the
streets (Addicts, Sex Workers, Jacks and other Crazies) Although Deep Back has the highest concentration
of eccentric homes built by paranoid Crazies, there
are likely to have had direct contact with them.
are similar homes all over the city. They are built in
For more on homeless Crazies, see the character class places where few people would ever bother to look:
underground catch basins, crawlspaces, piles of rubble,
description on p.112.
etc.
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Level 4 Crazy
Attributes- AGY 8, AWR 16, CHM 17, END 6, INL 10, SPD 8, STH 9, WIL 14, BLD 3, BDY 3, INCY
6.
Appearance- Mostly white, boyish face, shaggy blonde hair, thin beard, dirty skin, the word ugly carved
on his forehead, wears dirty flannels, a hooded grey sweatshirt and stained blue-jeans.
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Social Status- Ugly is one of the most beloved Crazies. He is the self-appointed king and protector of
ugly people. He knows almost every Crazy in the city and has gained the trust and loyalty of people who
trust nobody else in the world. When forced to, he can rouse a small army of 10-20 homeless crazies to
aid him.
History- Ugly grew up in the city. His parents were workers and they physically abused him. When he
turned eighteen he joined a corporation and became a civil engineer. He did well and the corporation kept
him around despite his nagging doubts that he was good enough. He married and had two children.
Then a malfunctioning mental program caused him brain damage, made him unreliable and emotionally
unstable. The corporation no longer wanted him and he and his family moved to the city. His wife worked
and he received disability. Even though he had not attacked a single person, he became increasingly
worried that he might someday harm his family. He started spending more and more time away from
home, wandering the streets of the city so he wouldnt be near his family. They continued to seek him out
and beg him to come home. In order to get his family to leave him, he let himself get caught having an
affair. When his wife still wouldnt leave him, Ugly tried to kill himself by overdosing on a mixture of
god killer and alcohol. He woke up on the streets several days later with blood all over him, no memory of
what he had done and the word ugly carved into his forehead. He abandoned his old life and has taken
up the persona of ugly, living on the streets as a homeless crazy.
Personality- Ugly is friendly, energetic (sometimes manic) and empathetic. He has a likeable,
understanding and empathetic demeanor. He has an easy-going, low-pressure way of talking to people that
puts them at ease. He is good at recognizing people with low self-esteem (who he calls the ugly) and he
tries his best to make friends with any ugly person he can. When he perceives someone as being beautiful
(he puts people who are physically attractive, self-confident or high-status into this category) he becomes
nervous around them, often stuttering. Ugly has blocked out all memories of his previous life. He thinks of
himself only as ugly. Whenever he starts to remember his old life he becomes intensely afraid that hes
killed his family and he quickly finds something to distract himself so he doesnt have to think about it.
Methods- When he is not scrounging for food, Ugly wanders around the city approaching every homeless
crazy he can find. He tries to make friends with each one and he is not discouraged if they do not want to
talk to him at first. He brings little gifts for people (including food, cigarettes, or weapons he has made)
and slowly gains their trust. He tries to convince people that they are one of the ugly and that the only
thing the ugly have is each other. Ugly thinks that the ugly should work together for their common good
and self-defense. Whenever he hears about someone preying on Crazies, he tries to form a mob to go beat
the person up. Participation in his mob is purely voluntary and he doesnt hold it against people if they
choose not to join him. Like a good general, he amps up his soldiers before battle with a rousing speech
and congratulates them for victory afterwards.
Special Skills- Weapon Making (2).
Special Equipment- Skullcrusher (range 1-2, 3 blunt damage, pierces as 6), Phonebook Armor (AR 5, PR
2 blunt 2 bladed, -2 AGY penalty already figured into stats above). He also has a supply of skullcrushers,
rippers, shivs and kitchen-knife-spears which he has manufactured from scavenged trash and gives to
homeless crazies to protect themselves.
Typical Attack- An extended strike with the skullcrusher at STH (9) + AGY (8) +5 (extended) + 1d20 vs.
25 (or 1d20 vs. 3). As a reaction he Dodges at AWR (16) + AGY (8) -10 (extended) +1d20 vs. 25 or 1d20
vs. 11.)
Mama Yaga
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The Water Rats like to believe that they are immortal or that
they have some kind of special luck. Neither is true. Water
Rats have died during dangerous stunts. The family has
grieved, but afterwards they choose to continue with their
delusion of immortality.
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068 PC Groups
Deborah Newman
Level 3 Bleeder
Attributes- AWR 13, AGY 7, CHM 10, END 12, INL 12,
SPD 8, STH 7, WIL 16, BLD 2, BDY 2, INCY 3.
Appearance- White, very short, round glasses with bloodred frames, curly red afro, purple eye shadow and lipstick,
wears a blood-red suit and slacks and black boots, smokes
cigars.
Social Status- The Night Shift thinks of her as a
useful profiler. Among the Bleeders, she is moderately
powerful. She has four students and she has gained
semi-independence from her master. Her master still has
samples of her blood but is afraid to use them. To the four
serial killers she currently has control over, she is a strict
and dangerous slave-master.
History- Deborah grew up in the city, the smallest and
smartest of her siblings. She hated how her siblings got
everything they wanted because they were charming,
athletic and attractive. She studied chemistry, hoping to
someday become a drug manufacturer and a rich criminal.
When the drug lords consolidated she rethought her plans
and instead joined the Bleeders. Her master thought
she was an excellent student: she studied hard and was
obedient. Deborah always had loved to read true-crime
stories about serial killers, and she discovered her Bleeder
skills would help her find criminals. She had no interest
in law and justice, she wanted to hunt down serial killers
because part of her admired them and she wanted to best
them. She started reading books on profiling and hanging
around crime scenes. After helping the Night Shift find
a few serial killers, she began to realize that if the Night
Shift wasnt around she could make the serial killers her
servants. She stopped bringing along the Night Shift, and
she would show them a severed thumb or a bloody knife
as proof that she had killed the serial killers. Her master
figured out what she was up to and ordered her to stop. She
had a serial killer stalk her master and she threatened to kill
him if anything happened to her or if he told anyone what
she was doing.
Personality- Deborah is selfish and paranoid. She wants
power over as many other people as she can. She cant be
friendly for more than a couple of seconds and few people
like her enough to want to hang around with her. She
lives alone, surrounding herself with material comforts to
distract herself from feelings of loneliness. She is ruthless
and although she is not naturally cruel she has learned how
to be cruel when it is to her benefit.
Methods- Deborah goes to crime scenes, where the Night
Shift let her gain access to blood. She uses her skills to
track down the serial killers and debilitate them. She
confronts them and informs them that they are now her
slaves. They come to her every week to give her new
blood samples, or else she tortures them. She sends them
to attack her enemies. If they disobey her, she kills them,
often in front of her other serial killers.
Special Skills- Blood Attack (5), Blood Communication
(2), Blood Reading (2), Blood Tracking (4).
Typical Attack- When she has a sample of someones
blood, she makes a Blood Attack roll at WIL (16) +16
(skill) +1d20 vs. 40 (or 1d20 vs. 8). If successful then the
victim suffers spontaneous internal bleeding (1d6 damage
to BLD).
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This puts the Freaks at odds with those who believe that
mentally ill people do not have the capacity to choose
whether they want treatment. Many Volunteers, Night
Shift officers, Sexologists, Utopia Children and Hunters
take this position.
070 PC Groups
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Andrea Popall
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History- Andrea was born to into a city Indie family. As a child, she was sexually abused by her father. Her
older brothers left the home and joined the Sixty-Nines. When she was 15, she left the house and (with the
help of her brothers) got into the Sixty-Nines. Within the gang she felt like an outcast: she was not a tough
fighter or a sly businessperson. She used sex as a tool to get by: she would get protection and gifts from other
Sixty-Nines by having sex with them. However, Andrea wasnt the most high-status girlfriend a Sixty-Nine
could have. When others were watching, her boyfriends would pretend they didnt know her. Andrea found
herself hanging out with three other members of the gang who were stuck on the bottom rung of gang politics:
Bren was a nerd, Carl was stupid, Clement was tiny and stuttered. Andrea found acceptance at last and
enjoyed her time hanging out with this group. They finally found their own niche in the Sixty Nines: planning
rooftop parties. Andrea continued to resent the Sixty-Nine leaders: they would come and enjoy the parties,
but hardly give any credit to the planners. To Andrea, it was the same thing all over again. Then the Drug
Lords consolidated and the Sixty-Nines started to self-destruct. At their final blow-out party, when Bren (high
on god killer) started spouting about the gang continuing and ruling the city from the rooftops, Andrea saw a
chance to take over the gang. The partiers sobered up and decided the idea was stupid, so Andrea spent every
penny she had on more parties and more drugs so she could keep the idea alive. When the Roofers began to
coalesce as a real gang, Andrea was careful to keep her power. She was the one who introduced the idea that
the founders would be the leaders of the gang. She purposefully took over the job of maintaining order
within the gang. As her power grew, she began to use more alcohol and god killer to boost her confidence and
she grew more paranoid. She began to be paranoid about Bren and his Sider Squad and what they would do to
the power structure of the gang, so she persuaded Carl and Clement that Bren had to be shut down. When Bren
left the gang and made war against the Roofers, she used this as proof that her paranoid ideas were correct.
Personality- Deep down, Andrea is frightened, has little self confidence and thinks of herself as ugly. She
desperately wants to be liked. She is careful to cover up these weaknesses and she spends nearly every
waking moment either buzzed on alcohol or high on god killer. These drugs allow her to project a false
self-confidence (which has been slowly evolving into a false megalomania). Around others she acts fearless,
arrogant, judgmental and indifferent to what others think of her. As a side effect of her drug use she has been
growing slowly more paranoid. She often thinks other Roofers hate her and are conspiring to try to kick her
out of the gang.
Methods- Andrea does whatever she can to keep Clement and Carl distracted with their own projects (Clement
with inter-gang politics, Carl with war) because it keeps them from paying too much attention to her. She has
started wars just to distract Clement and Carl. Andrea keeps her favorites around her. Her favorites are
those who have proven that they will do anything Andrea asks of them. She knows that they are only in it for
the power of being Andreas favorite. She does not try to believe that they really like her, even though she
wants them to act like they do. Her favorites keep her informed of every rumor and story they have heard at
every Roofer gathering they attend. When conflicts arise in the gang, she always finds a reason to side with
her favorites or with whoever has done the most for her lately.
Special Skills- Acrobatics (2), Sword and Shield (2), Seduction (2), Drug Resistance (3).
Special Equipment- Shield: Hand-Metal (+8 to Parry), Sword: Katana (range 1-2, 5 bladed, easy vital)
Typical Attack- As an action, she makes a split action parry and strike. The parry is at STH (11) + AGY (15)
+12 (skill) +8 (shield) -10 (split action) +1d20 vs. 25 (or 1d20 +11 vs. 0) and the strike is at STH (11) + AGY
(15) +12 (skill) -10 (split action) + 1d20 vs. 25 (or 1d20 + 3 vs. 0). As a reaction she parries at STH (11) +
AGY (15) +8 (skill) +8 (shield) +1d20 vs. 25 (or 1d20 +17 vs. 0).
076 PC Groups
Non-Gang Wells
Cornerpunks- Although there are notable exceptions,
cornergangers tend to be the most unambitious people in
the city. They arent interested in pushing the limits of
human ability with technology, they arent interested in
gaining city-wide power, they arent interested in raising
their socioeconomic status. Theyre content to hang
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Indie Gangs
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080 PC Groups
a huge bribe to the FBI agent to keep him from calling the
National Guard in to arrest all the Purists. Up until that point,
the Purists didnt care who thought they were a cult. Afterwards,
Andy Uto deigned to meet with concerned parents and friends
to explain that people are told exactly what they are getting into
before they join the Purists and they are free to leave whenever
they want.
Some have found genuine relief from mental illnesses after
joining the Purists. These Purists really believe that Purism saved
their lives, and they are Purisms most enthusiastic supporters.
Becoming a Purist cut them off from temptations to things like
drugs, unhealthy food and unhealthy sex. Many Purists were
slaves to temptation, were physically and mentally unhealthy
and hated their lives, and achieved a miraculous recovery after
joining. The Purist focus on mental Purity (along with their
newfound hope) helped them overcome more subtle temptations
(fears, hatred, sexual fantasies, self-destructive impulses, etc.).
The Purists are a community of people, like 12-steppers, who
help each other stay clean.
Sexologists- Everything the Sexologists do and believe revolves
around the dichotomy between a healthy attitude towards sex
and an unhealthy attitude towards sex. In their eyes, they have
achieved superpowers simply by maintaining the healthiest
possible attitude towards sex. On the other hand, they see almost
all of the citys problems as being caused by an unhealthy attitude
towards sex.
The culture of Sexology was highly influenced by the culture
of therapy. City therapists were some of the first people to
experiment with peak sex techniques, and they passed those
techniques on to their clients. Although therapy has always been
influenced by academic psychology and by popular culture, it has
always had its own unique set of beliefs and practices. Therapists
tend to pick out things they like from popular culture and from
psychology and incorporate them into their methods. By taking
things out of their original context they sometimes change the
meaning completely. Some of the criticisms of Sexologists
are the same criticisms lodged against therapists: they are selfindulgent, they believe things about psychology that have no
scientific basis, they use pseudo-scientific terminology to make
themselves appear scientific, and they apply their own standards
of what is healthy to others.
Sexology was founded by therapists whose primary clientele
were wealthy young women seeking therapy for sexual problems.
Many of these young women were sexually abused or exploited
and this damaged their perception of their own sexuality, of the
opposite sex, and of intercourse itself. The sex therapists sought
to use peak sex states as a hallmark of what sex should be:
loving, intimate, satisfying and free from fear or self-doubt.
Many of the patients never thought they would ever achieve this
kind of sex, and achieving it helped rebuild their self esteem and
hope for their lives.
The Sexologists have made themselves intimately connected with
the fate and lifestyle of every Sex Worker in the city. Nothing in
the last few centuries has changed the lives of Sex Workers more
than Sexologists. Many street walkers count Sexologists as their
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Non-Gang Indies
Eccentrics- Eccentrics are, by definition, a psychological
minority. They are people whose generation left the city,
en masse, to join gated communities and corporations.
They stayed because they were different. A wide
range of differences made them want to stay in the city.
Some had a bit too much of personality characteristics
that city residents are familiar with: a bit too much
independence, not enough trust of others, a little too
lazy, a poor tolerance for boredom, unwillingness to
participate in a system that creates inequality, etc.
Others had bizarre personalities and beliefs that few
city residents can understand or empathize with. Like
Crazies, these Eccentrics say and do things that make no
sense to most city residents. Unlike Crazies, Eccentrics
are not violent, self-destructive or unable to take care of
themselves. The stereotype of an eccentric is of some
weird old person who is different but is happy to be
different.
Not every eccentric fits the happy stereotype. Some
are religious and political fanatics whose strong beliefs
isolate them from others. Some carry their beliefs so
far that they will engage in acts of terrorism. Many are
paranoid and live miserable lives, unable to trust others.
While Crazies are not as dangerous as most people think
they are, Eccentrics are not as safe as most people think.
082 PC Groups
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084 PC Groups
RULES OF
MADNESS
Madness comes in four flavors: trauma, poor selfworth, poor life skills and brain damage. It is not
uncommon to have multiple or all of these types of
madness.
Traumas
In Brief- When something bad happens to a PC, the PC
Gaining Trauma
Anticipated Trauma
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Traumas 085
Multiple Events
In Brief- If a bad thing happens multiple times in one
situation, you only gain Trauma once.
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Choice
086 Traumas
Abiding Trauma
In Brief- For each week you dont distract yourself
from Trauma, 1 point goes away, but each day you
must save vs. insomnia, nausea, distraction, flashbacks
and there is a penalty vs. addiction and cravings.
This is the next best way to deal with Trauma. It is long
and painful but it gets rid of Trauma points. For every
week that the PC has continually had Conscious Trauma
(Trauma points the PC is not distracting himself or
herself from), one point goes away.
However, while the PC has any conscious Trauma, the
PC must make the following rolls at the beginning of
each day:
Save vs. Insomnia (WIL+1d20 vs. Trauma x 10).
Failure means the PC will not be able to sleep at all
for the next 24 hours and will suffer from full sleep
deprivation damage (p.64, main book).
Save vs. Nausea (WIL+1d20 vs. Trauma x 10).
Failure means that for the next 24 hours the PC cannot
eat and if force-fed the PC will throw up any food in
his or her stomach. See Starvation Damage, p.64 main
book.
Save vs. Jitters (WIL+1d20 vs. Trauma x 10). For
every point of failure, the PC gets a -1 penalty to all
rolls the PC has conscious control over (e.g. will take a
penalty to a STH feat to pick up a wounded friend, will
not take a penalty to save vs. disease contraction).
Save vs. Flashbacks (WIL+1d20 vs. Trauma x 10).
If the PC fails, he or she will have sporadic hallucinations
throughout the day. The hallucinations are typically brief
sensations of the traumatic thing reoccurring (e.g. a PC
who was in a knife fight may hallucinate seeing a knife
blade coming at him).
Addiction/Craving Penalty (Trauma x 5). If
the PC makes any save vs. psychological addiction
or psychological addiction craving while the PC has
conscious Trauma, the PC is at a penalty equal to Trauma
x 5.
Abiding Trauma Example: George has 4 Trauma after
his experience with the serial killer. He decides that 4
is too much to handle, so he decides to distract himself
from 2 points (see Distraction). He now has 2 Conscious
Trauma. At the beginning of the first day, he must make
saves vs. insomnia, nausea, distraction and flashbacks
at 20 difficulty. He has problems with jitters, can barely
eat, can barely sleep and keeps seeing his kidnapper
out of the corner of his eye. A friend convinces him to
Psychosis
In Brief- Whenever a PCs Conscious Trauma increases
(either because something bad happens or because the
PC stopped using a distraction) the PC must save vs.
psychosis at Trauma x 5.
Whenever the amount of Trauma the PC is conscious of
increases, the PC must make a save of WIL+1d20 vs.
Trauma x 5. If the PC fails, he or she goes psychotic for
24 hours per point of failure. The PC is not in control
of his or her character and will not remember what the
character did during this period. A psychotic PC may run,
hide, scream, attack people at random, babble nonsense,
etc. While psychotic, the PC has +5 STH/SPD/END, +3
INCY, +10 to save vs. pain and can make simultaneous
strikes with no penalty.
Sometimes, going psychotic is the only thing that saves
people from a terrible situation. Remember that an
imminent event causes Trauma too, and can make a
person psychotic. Psychotic people are much stronger
and can fight without fear or pain. Psychotic people can
escape from situations that they might not have been able
to escape from otherwise. Psychotic people are hard to
intimidate, hard to beat into submission, hard to hold
down and they bite and claw anyone who touches them
(simultaneous pain/stun attacks) at no minuses. They
will bite and claw and struggle until they are killed,
knocked unconscious, sedated, or until there is a chance
for escape.
Distraction
In Brief- You can make Trauma effects go away by
distracting oneself, but distracted Trauma doesnt
The PC can choose to make Trauma go away,
temporarily, by doing something to distract himself or
herself from it. This can let the PC eat and sleep and
not go psychotic. However, the Trauma is still there,
causing problems, needing to be dealt with. Distracting
yourself from Trauma is like paying a bill with a credit
card: the problem is no longer in your face, but its still
there. Distractions can hold Trauma for a few days or
for decades.
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Traumas 087
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Distractions
088 Distractions
Dissociation- The PC cultivates the feeling that what Fanaticism- The PC looses himself or herself in a
is happening is not happening to him or her. Instead, the
PC feels the things happening to him or her are either not
real or are happening to someone else. This distraction
fails if the PC consistently chooses to stay grounded in
the real world.
Level 1: The PC feels numb and spacey. PC gets
+2 to save vs. pain and fear.
Level 2: The PC has a strong feeling that whatever is
happening is not really happening to him or her. The PC
can go about his or her normal life, as a matter of habit,
but feels little or no emotional connection to it. PC gets
+4 to save vs. pain and fear.
Level 3: The PC suffers from regular delusions (20
difficulty to save) that he or she is floating around outside
his or her body and that the body is acting on its own, like
a robot, without the PCs control. During these periods,
the PC will follow orders and act in self-preservation but
will do little else. PC gets +6 to save vs. pain and fear.
Level 4: The PC suffers from delusions (20 difficulty
to save) that anything bad that happens to him or her is
actually happening to someone else. Every time the PC
suffers from one of these delusions, the fictional persona
becomes more and more real (gains a name, personality,
history). After ten failures a new personality may begin
asserting itself even when nothing bad is happening. The
player has no control over what this personality does.
PC gets +8 to save vs. pain and fear.
Level 5: The PC goes completely catatonic, will not
move or speak, even in self-preservation.
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Distractions 089
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Fantasy- The PC buries himself or herself in fictional Fetishes- The PC uses harmful sex as a distraction.
worlds so he or she doesnt have to think about painful
things. This could mean daydreaming, novels, movies or
VR. A few people with this distraction are able to bury
themselves in abstract intellectual pursuits (philosophy,
math, science, etc.). This distraction fails when the PC
chooses to stop living in fantasy.
Level 1: The PC must spend at least 4 hours a day
daydreaming, reading, in VR, etc.
Level 2: The PC must spend at least 8 hours a day
daydreaming, reading, in VR, etc.
Level 3: The PC must spend at least 12 hours a day
daydreaming, reading, in VR, etc.
Level 4: The PC must spend at least 16 hour a day
daydreaming, reading, in VR, etc.
Level 5: The PC must spend every waking moment
daydreaming, reading, in VR, etc.
090 Distractions
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092 Distractions
Phobias/Impulses/Rituals
Mild: Amputees & Deformed People, Bodies of
Water, Cats, Human & Animal Corpses, Dogs,
Enclosed Spaces, Fire, Heights, Pain, Psychics,
Public Speaking, Robots, Rodents, Sick People,
Snakes, Spiders, Surgery.
Moderate: Animals, Anything Considered Unlucky,
Being Alone, Being Touched, Blood, Breaking the
Law, Children, Crowds, Darkness, Diseases, Doctors
& Dentists, Riding in Vehicles, Sex, Sharp Objects.
Severe: Eating, Leaving the House, Meeting
Strangers, Possibility of Illness, Throwing Things
Away, Touching Anything Non-Sterile.
Rituals: Aligning Objects Symmetrically, Counting
Things, Handwashing, Rechecking Door Locks,
Saying a Phrase, Stepping On Each Tile, Tapping
Things A Set Number of Times (e.g. 23).
Impulses: Body Modification, Lying, Overeating,
Pulling Out Hair, Screaming Insults, Starting Fires,
Stealing Things, Swallowing Things.
Medical Treatment
Swinging
In Brief- Some people regularly move from one
distraction to another, like manic-depressives.
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Dont tell me you know what Im going through. You dont know shit.
You have no idea what it feels like. It tears you up inside like you just swallowed barbed wire. You cant
eat, you cant sleep. It keeps happening to you in your mind, again and again. The moment you start to
forget, it all comes back.
And thats not the worst part. The worst part is that now you know. You cant lie to yourself, think happy
thoughts and believe everything will be okay. It wont. Nothing will ever be okay, ever again, because
you know: The universe is a terrible place. People are weak and fragile. The horrible things in life
outweigh the good. And if something this horrible could happen to you once, it could happen again.
Distractions 093
Self-Worth Issues
In Brief- Default is an equal number of likes and
dislikes, up to 5 of each. They can be disproven
(removed) or new ones can be added as the PC has
achievements or failures. If there are more dislikes
than likes, the PC has a negative self-worth balance
and has trouble dealing with people and trouble with
self-destructive behaviors.
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The PC can have up to 5 likes and up to 5 dislikes, which Disproving Likes/Dislikes- If a PC does something
significant that is contrary to one of the things
players should list on the psychological
he likes or dislikes about himself or herself,
Some Sample
profile sheet. If a PC starts with no
then that like or dislike should be erased.
Like/Dislikes
advantages or disadvantages that effect selfThe PCs self-worth balance will be adjusted
worth, that PC should have an equal balance
addict
accordingly.
between likes and dislikes. A PC who knows
boring
relatively little about himself might have 0
lonely
Example: Jones has considered himself
likes and 0 dislikes. A character with more
poor
smart ever since outwitting that serial killer.
life experience might have 3 likes and 3 poor social skills However, when he is tricked by a ten year-old
dislikes. 2 likes and 2 dislikes is good for a
scared
thief (who Jones reasons must be stupider
starting character because it leaves room for
scary
than a serial killer) he must erase smart
character development.
sinner
from his psych profile sheet, reducing his selfslut
worth balance by one.
However, some advantages and disadvantages
ugly
cause an imbalance. For instance, if a
Example: Ratkin has gone without using
virgin
disadvantage calls for a PC to start with -3
drugs for a week, longer than he has gone
weak willed
balance, than the PC must have 3 more dislikes
since becoming addicted. Believing this is
wimp
than likes. A PC could accomplish this by
the end of his addiction, he erases addict,
having 3 dislikes and 0 likes (0 - 3 = -3), or by
increasing his self-worth balance.
beautiful
having 5 dislikes and 2 likes (2 - 5 = -3).
charming
Philosophical Changes- Another way to
innocent
A like or dislike can be anything that a PC
change likes and dislikes is for the PC to
popular
believes about himself or herself that could be
change what he or she thinks is important.
righteous
tested in the real world. For instance smart
This should not happen often, and should only
scary
could be tested if a PC matches wits against
accompany real character growth and change.
sexually active
someone else who is smart. Ugly could be
In most cases, a change in a PCs worldview
smart
tested when people act with revulsion towards
should accompany philosophical changes to
strong
the character. During character creation, a
likes and dislikes. Example: Guaco has the
strong-willed
PCs likes and dislikes can be inaccurate. For
social worldview. He also has unpopular on
tough
instance, many people think they are ugly
his list of things he doesnt like about himself.
virgin
even when others do not.
However, as he gets older he realizes that what
wealthy
people think about him doesnt mean as much
Gaining Likes/Dislikes- PCs can gain likes
and so he changes his social worldview to
and dislikes when they do something which proves, to introspective and he erases the unpopular dislike.
them, that they have some quality they admire or do not
admire. The likes and dislikes that are added should Low Self-Worth- When a PCs self-worth is negative, it
connect in some logical way to the PCs Personal Ideals causes problems for the PC:
and Worldviews. Very minor events, those the PC was -Every day, the PC must make a save vs. selfnot trying very hard at and had little effect on the PC, destructive behavior (WIL + 1d20 vs. 10) to avoid doing
something self-destructive (e.g. self-mutilation, doing
will not add likes or dislikes.
drugs, suicide attempt).
Example: Jones, who does not consider himself -Whenever the PC deals with another person the PC
especially smart, outwits an organized serial killer. He must make a CHM roll if the PC wants to act superior to
adds smart to the list of things he likes about himself, that person (10 difficulty) or if the PC wants to act equal
to that person (20 difficulty).
thus increasing his Self-Worth balance by one.
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Brain Damage
In Brief- Can be caused by, among other things,
being brought back from brain death. Roll for the
dysfunction caused and how long it lasts.
If a PCs INCY has been brought to below 0, or if
a PC has been Incapacitated for their INCY+END
worth of rounds, that person is normally unsavable.
On a legendary Emergency Medicine roll, however,
the PC can be revived but will suffer from brain
damage. Other possible causes of brain damage
are: failed brain surgery, toxins and diseases which
specifically damage neurons, malfunctioning mental
installers, strikes targeted at the brain. Roll on the
next page to see what kind of brain damage and how
long the PC suffers from it.
Note that any brain damage constitutes a Major Life
Change and will cause at least 1 point of Trauma (see
p.85).
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01-25: 1 week
26-40: 1 month
41-55: 1 year
56-65: 5 years
66-75: 15 years
76-00: permanent
PLAYING
Trauma, Self-Worth and Life Skills in Brief
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Trauma:
By default you start with no Trauma and no
distractions.
If a disad says start with 3 Trauma you must add 3
to the Current Trauma section on your psych profile
sheet. You can choose to be conscious of this Trauma
(in which case it will have effects, see Abiding Trauma,
p.87) or you can choose to block it out with a distraction.
You can mix and match distractions. Every one level in
a distraction distracts the PC from 1 point of Trauma.
If a disad says start with the distraction Fanaticism
(2) then mark 2 levels on the Fanaticism distraction.
This will increase your Amount Distracted on the psych
profile sheet by 2. Look in the distraction descriptions
(p.88) to see what your PC must to do to stay distracted
and keep the trauma from becoming conscious.
Self-Worth:
By default, you start with an equal number of likes
and dislikes. You can choose to start with anywhere
from 0 likes and 0 dislikes to 5 likes and 5 dislikes, as
long as they are balanced. Likes and dislikes should be
something the PC believes about himself/herself that
could be tested in the real world (e.g. I am stupid or
Im a good fighter.). Likes and dislikes should be
related to the PCs Personal Ideals and Worldviews.
If a disad says shift your Self-Worth balance down
by one then either remove a like or add a dislike. You
cant take a disad that would shift the Self-Worth balance
to less than -5 or more than +5.
Life Skills:
By default, you start with 6 in every one of the life
skills listed on the psych profile sheet.
If a disad says start with Healthy Eating (2) then
cross out the 4 rightmost levels of Healthy Eating on
your profile sheet (leaving 2). The PC will have to make
skill rolls to eat healthfully as if the PC had two levels in
the skill.
If a disad says start with 10 less Life Skills then
mark off 1 to 6 levels off of Life Skills of your choice
until you have marked off 10 levels altogether.
MADNESS
BDSM Veteran
Extravert
Faith
High Self-Worth
Medicated
Naturally Cheerful
Naturally Fearless
Slut
Unconditional Love
Advantages
Disadvantages
Abusive Relationship
Aspergers
Alzheimers
Badly Beaten
Biochemical Vulnerability: Anxiety
Biochemical Vulnerability: Depression
Biochemical Vulnerability: Manic-Depression
Biochemical Vulnerability: Schizophrenia
Child of Fanatics
Chronic Low Self-Worth
Conditional Love
Explosive Disorder
Extra-Virgin
Folie a Deux
Gambling Addict
Guilty Conscience
Hunted: Hunter
Incompetent Dependent
Insomnia
Isolated
Obsessive Compulsive
Panic Attacks
Poor Body Image
Poor Impulse Control
Poor Self-Worth
Porn-Scars
Raised in VR
Recent Traumas
Recovering Abused Child/Spouse
Recovering Cultist
Recovering Otaku
Recovering Porn Addict
Recovering Sex Worker
Sheltered Childhood
Sleepwalking
Stutterer
Traumatic Childhood
Uncertain Life Ambitions
Uncertain Religious Beliefs
Uncertain Sexuality
Veteran
Wild Child
3 BP
2 BP
3 BP
2 BP/1 pts.
5 BP
1 BP
1 BP
2 BP
3 BP
20 BP
12 BP
15 BP
3 BP
8 BP
8 BP
8 BP
15 BP
5 BP
12 BP
2 BP
3 BP
2 BP
1 BP
7 BP
3 BP
4 BP
15 BP
2 BP
2 BP
3 BP
4 BP
3 BP
3 BP
2 BP/1 pts.
4 BP
6 BP
1 BP/1 pts.
10 BP
8 BP
9 BP
6 BP
9 BP
13 BP
1 BP
4 BP
8 BP
2 BP
2 BP
2 BP
7 BP
30 BP
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Disadvantages
Abusive Relationship (Gives 20 Bonus Points)- The
PC currently lives with an abusive parent or lover. This
abuse has been kept secret from anyone with the guts to
actually do anything about it. Besides abusing the PC,
the parent or lover has purposefully kept the PC ignorant
of the basic facts of how to survive on ones own so that
the PC is afraid to move out. The abuser has AGY and
combat skills equal to the PCs and 5 more STH than
the PC. The PC starts with Self-Worth balance shifted
down by 4 points, 4 points of Trauma and Life Skill:
Basic Institutions (2).
01-10: -2 INL
11-20: -1 AGY
21-30: -1 AWR
31-40: Sudden Amnesia (5)
41-50: Delusions (5)
51-60: Hallucinations (5)
61-70: Retrograde Amnesia (5)
71-80: Anterograde Amnesia (5)
81-90: Aphasia (5) (failed roll means PC cannot
speak)
91-00: Agnosia (5) (failed roll means PC mistakes
one object for another, see p.97)
Badly Beaten (Gives 3 Bonus Points)- The PC starts
the game having been recently overpowered and almost
killed. This could have happened in a gang battle,
as a random mugging, as a personal attack, etc. The
experience has left the PC injured, shaken and lacking
self-confidence. The PC starts with -1 BLD, -1 BDY, 1
limb crippled (all will heal within 1 month) and 1 point
of Trauma.
Biochemical Vulnerability: Anxiety (Gives 8 Bonus
Points)- The PC was born with hyperactive fear centers.
Gives:
-10 to save vs. fear
1 point of Trauma every third week
Any time PC gains Trauma or stops distracting
himself/herself from Trauma, make a 20 difficulty WIL
roll to avoid using the Worrying distraction
PC must start the game distracting self from half
(rounded up) of Trauma with the Worrying distraction.
Biochemical Vulnerability: Depression (Gives 8
Bonus Points)- The PC was born with a biochemistry
that makes depression much more likely. Gives:
-10 to save vs. sadness and dysphoria
1 point of Trauma every third week
Any time PC gains Trauma or stops distracting
himself/herself from Trauma, make a 20 difficulty WIL
roll to avoid using the Depression distraction
PC must start the game distracting self from half
(rounded up) of Trauma with the Depression distraction.
Biochemical Vulnerability: Manic-Depression (Gives
8 Bonus Points)- The PC was born with a biochemistry
that makes mania (and depression after mania is no
longer possible) much more likely. Gives:
-7 to save vs. sadness and dysphoria
1 point of Trauma every third week
Any time PC gains Trauma or stops distracting
himself/herself from Trauma, make a 20 difficulty WIL
roll to avoid using the Mania or Depression distractions
PC must start the game distracting self from half
(rounded up) of Trauma with the Mania distraction.
Types of Schizophrenia
Disorganized- As the disease progresses, the
schizophrenics thoughts and behaviors get more and
more disorganized (majority of Trauma distracted by
Randomness).
Paranoid- As the disease progresses, the schizophrenic
suffers from paranoid hallucinations and delusions.
The schizophrenic uses bizarre chains of reasoning
to infer that there is a massive conspiracy against the
schizophrenic and that the schizophrenic is an important
figure (most Trauma distracted by Fanaticism, some in
Randomness).
Catatonic- As the disease progresses, the schizophrenic
goes through periods of reduced movement and at the
worst stage the PC becomes completely immobile or
makes random movements (most Trauma distracted by
Dissociation).
Mixed- The PC has a mixture of symptoms from the
other types (disorganization, paranoid delusions and
catatonia).
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Personality Disorders
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New Skills
New Bio/Med Skills
Behavior
Mod
(INL)Prerequisite:
Programming: VR (1). The PC has learned how
to drastically change peoples behaviors through
the use of VR simulations. Subjects are put into
situations where they are forced to make choices
again and again, hundreds or thousands of times,
and subjected to pain when they choose wrong.
Easy (10): Give a subject +20 to quit
smoking.
Moderate (20): Give a patient a higher score
on a gated community tests honesty index.
Hard (30): Force a subject to kill an
individual, on sight, against the subjects will.
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Bondage/Sex Gear
Bondage Mask
Bondage Restraints
Cage
Chastity Belt
Death Collar
Electric Paddle
Prophylactic Spray
Slave Collar
Straight-Jacket
Costs $10
Costs $75
Costs $100
Costs $400
Costs $800
Costs $100
Costs $5
Costs $300
Costs $50
AutoPostal
Aversions Plus
Fantasy World
Psychiatric Dampener
(Anger)
Psychiatric Dampener
(Depression)
Psychiatric Dampener
(Mania)
Psychiatric Dampener
(Paranoia)
Self-Control
VR Nightmare
Paranoia Gear
Anti-Psychic Paint
Biohazard Exposure Kit
Canary
Food Sterilizer
Health Alarm
Hidden Camera
Human Safe
Motion Detector (Cheap)
Poison Rat
Psychic Screamer
Skull Magnets
Suicide Capsule
Costs $1000/room
Costs $25
Costs $10 +$1/wk. for food
Costs $150
Costs $80
Costs $90
Costs $500,000
Costs $5
Costs $30 +$1/wk. for food
Costs $400
Costs $25 +$50 surgery costs
Costs $100
Psychopharmaceuticals
Anticompulsive
Antidepressant
Antipsychotic (Advanced)
Antimanic
Capponex
Erectile Drug
Herbal Antidepressant
Slow Release Implant
Behavior Mod
Life Skills Training
Programs
Psychometric Testing
Therapy (Life Skills)
Therapy (Psychic)
Therapy (Psychotherapy)
Costs $25/dose
Costs $15/dose
Costs $30/dose
Costs $20/dose
Costs $15/dose
Costs $10/dose
Costs $5/dose
Costs $85 +$10 surgery costs
Services
Costs $250
Costs $500 ea.
Costs $250
Costs $75/hr.
Costs $200/hr.
Costs $50/hr.
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See Also:
Sex/Bondage Gear in the FWTD main book
Condoms, p.118
Golem: Sex-Toy, p.127
Handcuffs, p.136
Herbal Aphrodisiac, p.112
Latex Gloves, p.118
Love Drops, p.114
Outfit: Fetish, p.119
Pheromone Glands, p.103
Pheromones, p.137
Sexual Implant, p.105
Torture Kit, p.137
Whip, p.153
Paranoia Gear
Anti-Psychic Paint- A paint that contains the same
psychic-energy-blocking chemicals as anti-psychic
caps. The paint is grey in color and remains sticky even
when dry. When painted on all walls of a room, it gives
anyone outside the room +10 difficulty to use psychic
manipulation or senses on anyone in the room. Costs
$1000 for enough for one small room.
Biohazard Exposure Kit- Old military surplus, designed
for field treatment of people who have been exposed
to unknown biohazards. Has electronic scissors (for
quickly removing clothing), packaged pre-moistened
sponges with antibiotic soap, eyewash, mouthwash, and
dry towels. Costs $25
Canary- A small bird in a cage. Canaries are more
sensitive to poison gasses than humans and are often
kept as an early warning system. Costs $10 +$1/wk. for
food.
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Psychopharmaceuticals
Services
Behavior Mod- One four-hour session of behavior mod
in an illegally modified mental stimulator. The PC can
choose whether or not to remember what happened during
the session (most people prefer not to remember). The
PC is presented with a choice over and over again and
subjected to pain if he or she chooses wrong. Gives +15 to
save vs. any behavior or to save vs. fear of a behavior. E.g.
the PC might get +15 to save vs. smoking cigarettes, or
+15 to save vs. fear of going near snakes. Since there are
severe punishments involved, behavior mod gives users 1
Trauma (even if they dont remember it). Costs $250
Life Skills Training Programs- These are VR programs
that put PCs into realistic simulations of normal social life
in order to teach them life skills. A separate program must
be purchased for each skill and each level in the skill the
PC wants to achieve, e.g. if the PC wants to get 6 levels in
Bladder Control, the PC must buy Bladder Control 1, then
Bladder Control 2, then Bladder Control 3, etc. For each
hour spent in one of these programs, the costs to buy that
life skill is reduced by 1 (min. 2). Each program is 10 ZB,
UF 0, Uses 5 power. Costs $500 ea.
Anti-Psychotic, p.109
Anxiolytic, p.110
Escape, p.111
Herbal Sedative/Painkiller, p.112
Sedative, p.115
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New PC Group
Crazies is a non-gang street people character class. PCs can have the
Hard Luck socioeconomic subtype (see FWTD main book, p.15)
at no cost. PCs can choose to have the PC be a Fugitive, Runaway,
Illegal Alien or Unborn as a 5 Bonus Point disadvantage.
Crazies
Deprogramming, p.130
Medical Care: Plastic Surgery, p.132
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112 Crazies
Timeline
1951- Thorazine, first modern anti-psychotic, invented.
1955- Large numbers of patients lobotomized.
1955-1984- million patients released from mental
institutions (deinstitutionalization).
1979- 1st outreach programs in New York.
1979- Judge rules in Callahan v. Carey that all New
Yorkers have right to shelter under state constitution.
2059- Judge overrules Callahan v. Carey.
2068- Human Services Corporation forms, leases
downtown office building.
Becoming- The number one cause of homelessness (for
people who are not born homeless) is mental illness.
Sane homeless people are often driven mentally ill by the
stresses and traumas of homelessness. Most mentally ill
homeless people are able to get it together well enough
to get off the streets or to make it into some homeless
family or profession. Others never tame their mental
problems and are forced to find a way to survive despite
their mental problems.
Lifestyle- Like addicts, Crazies do whatever they can to
make money: begging, canning, scavenging, prostitution.
Some receive public assistance or get money from
relatives. While addicts tend to have burned every
family member who might provide assistance, mentally
ill people are usually too afraid or ashamed to ask for
help.
Social Structure- Many Crazies dont associate with
any other humans. Even those who do associate with
people rarely find any reason to associate with their
fellow Crazies. There are a few Crazies who try to exert
persuasive power over other Crazies. Even the most
successful of these can only get a small percentage of
Crazies to even talk to them. Lord Jesus and Ugly are
the most successfully persuasive Crazies, and these two
can raise a group of about 20 homeless people willing to
aid them.
Advancement- The only real advancement among
Crazies is to overcome mental problems or learn to live
with those problems. Some gain psychiatric drugs or
counseling services, usually with the help of Volunteers.
Others overcome problems on their own, or simply
outgrow them.
Skills
Skill Costs: ATH 7, BIO 9, CMBT 8, CRTV 9, INFO
Population- There are around 5,000 Crazies on the 12, INTL 12, MIL 10, PSY:X 30, PSY:M 20, PSY:S 20,
streets. About 40% (2,000) are mentally retarded. TECH 12, THIE 6, SOC 11, STRT 5.
About 12% (600) have brain damage. About 80%
(4,000) suffer from a paranoid delusion and 50% (2,500) Income- $250 +$10/wk.
would meet the qualifications for a diagnosis of paranoid
schizophrenia. About 30% (1,500) suffer from a severe Special Bonus Characteristics- PCs must have 10
mood disorder (depression or manic depression). About Bonus Points worth of psychological disadvantages
(p.100). The PC gains no Bonus Points from these.
30% (1,500) regularly use illegal drugs.
External Relations- Crazies are truly the bottom of
the citys social ladder. For most Crazies, becoming an
average Addict or Sex Worker would be an improvement.
City residents generally have empathy for the needs and
motivations of Addicts and Sex Workers, but have no
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114 Crazies
New Disciplines
Colinite
Members of the Church of Colin must publicly establish
their loyalty to Colin and make a show of worshiping
him as a god. In exchange for this activity, Colin keeps a
watch over and protects members of his church.
Discipline Requirements: The PC must find a level
1 or better Colinite willing to show the PC how to preach
the word of Colin.
Skill Costs: ATHL 8, BIO 9, CMBT 7, CRTV 6,
INFO 8, INTL 8, MIL 7, PSYX 21, PSYM 16, PSYS 16,
TECH 7, THIE 9, SOC 8, STRT 9.
Level Advancement Requirements: To become a
level 1 Colinite, the PC must have spent at least an hour
a day every day for the last two months preaching about
Colin in public places. To become a level 2 Colinite, the
PC must have converted at least one other person to the
church of Colin.
Special Opportunities: At level 1, the PC makes
+25% weekly income (the PC gets a lot of free or
discounted things from people who dont want to piss
the PC off). If someone attacks the PC, there is a 1 in
6 chance that Colin will try to take revenge against that
person. At level 2, the PC makes +40% weekly income,
if someone attacks the PC there is a 1 in 2 chance Colin
will take revenge, and if the PC mentions not liking
someone to passing strangers, then there is a 1 in 6
chance Colin will try to harm that person.
Con Artist
The PC has learned how to make a living by cheating
people out of their money, often via complicated
schemes.
Discipline Requirements: The PC must find a level
3 or better Con Artist willing to train the PC.
Skill Costs: ATHL 12, BIO 14, CMBT 10, CRTV
8, INFO 7, INTL 12, MIL 12, PSYX 30, PSYM 20,
PSYS 20, TECH 8, THIE 6, SOC 8, STRT 10. The
skills Disguise, Fashion and Beauty, Forgery, Gambling,
Impersonation, Internet Browsing, Law: Business,
Money, Seduction, Sleight of Hand, Storytelling and
Trading cost 5 points per level.
Level Advancement Requirements: To become a
level 1 Con Artist, the PC must have CHM of 15 and
must have either Forgery (3), Impersonation (3) or
Seduction (3).
Special Opportunities: At level 1, the PC can make
+$50/wk. doing occasional small-time con-jobs. At
level 2, the PC can make +$100/wk. At level 3, the PC
can make +$150/wk.
Deprogrammer
The PC has learned how to break people from the grip
of cult brainwashing. Deprogrammers typically kidnap
a cult member, hold the cult member in a hotel room or
abandoned building, and use techniques similar to those
used by the cults themselves. This is a dangerous but
lucrative profession.
Discipline Requirements: The PC must find a level
3 or better Deprogrammer willing to train the PC or the
PC must pay $1000 for study materials.
Skill Costs: ATHL 10, BIO 7, CMBT 10, CRTV 10,
INFO 10, INTL 12, MIL 10, PSYX 30, PSYM 20, PSYS
20, TECH 15, THIE 10, SOC 12, STRT 15. The skills
Brainwashing, Disguise, Interrogation, Psychotherapy,
Religion and Immobilization cost 4 points per level.
Level Advancement Requirements: To become a
level 1 Deprogrammer, the PC must have Interrogation
(2) and Psychotherapy (2) and must own either handcuffs,
a taser or compliance drops.
Special Opportunities: At level 1, the PC can make
+$75/wk. by doing occasional deprogramming jobs.
Paranoiac
The PC has studied the techniques of those who
are obsessed with protecting themselves from the
machinations of others.
Discipline Requirements: The PC must find a level
3 or better Paranoiac willing to train the PC. This can be
quite difficult since a good Paranoiac will not trust the
PC and will not respect a PC that trusts him or her. The
solution is typically a relationship that doesnt rely on
trust (often one involving money).
Skill Costs: ATHL 10, BIO 7, CMBT 7, CRTV 12,
INFO 10, INTL 12, MIL 10, PSYX 30, PSYM 20, PSYS
20, TECH 12, THIE 12, SOC 14, STRT 12. The skills
Alarm Systems, Anonymity, Back to Wall (see Prison
Baby, p.44, main book), Bomb Disarming, Disguise,
Hold Breath, Light Sleep, Network Security, Poison
Tolerance and Self-Defense Weapons cost 5 points per
level. The skill Psychic Defense costs only 10 points per
level.
Level Advancement Requirements: To become
a level 1 Paranoiac, the PC must have Alarm Systems
(1), Back to Wall (1), Light Sleep (1) and Self-Defense
Weapons (1), must also own $500 worth of Paranoia
Gear (anything listed in the Paranoia Gear section, p.109,
including anything from the main book in the see also
box) and must have gone at least 6 months without being
attacked by surprise.
Special Opportunities: At any time, the PC can get
75% off Paranoia Gear (including the See Also equipment
from the main book) because the PC has contacts among
people who buy and sell such equipment. At level 1 the
PC can be considered to have confronted any Trauma
stemming from a surprise attack, since the PC now
believes he or she is impervious to such attacks.
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Profiler
Religious Mystic
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Religious Scholar
This is any of the many religious paths that emphasize
getting closer to the divine by studying holy books, logic,
religious philosophy and church history. Examples of
these paths include the Jesuits (Christian), Rabbinic
Studies (Jewish) and Koranic Studies (Islam).
Discipline Requirements: The PC must find a
master (level 4 or better) religious scholar willing to train
the PC or the PC must take courses at an on-line religious
university (costs $25/wk.).
Skill Costs: ATHL 10, BIO 7, CMBT 12, CRTV 5,
INFO 8, INTL 5, MIL 12, PSYX 30, PSYM 30, PSYS
30, TECH 14, THIE 14, SOC 7, STRT 10. The skills
Foreign Language, History: World, Legends, Linguistics,
Oratory, Philosophy, Religion and Storytelling have a
skill cost of 3.
Level Requirements: For level 1, the PC must have
Religion (3), Philosophy (1), History: World (1).
Special Opportunities: At level 1, the PC can
become a licensed minister. If the PC is a student of a
religion that has many followers in the city, the PC can
make a little extra money (+$25/wk.) giving lectures,
preaching at religious gatherings, performing weddings,
etc.
ADVENTURES
Adventure Types
Profiling- A serial rapist, arsonist, child
molester or murderer is terrorizing the city.
By examining crime scenes and talking to
witnesses, the PCs can gain information about
the motivations and methods of the killer,
allowing PCs to predict the criminals next
move or narrow down a large list of suspects.
Personal Demons- A past abuser, stalker,
fanatical parent, former cult leader or ex-pimp
can be particularly dangerous because they
know the PCs weaknesses. Part of the drama
of this type of adventure is one PC revealing
his or her secret past and weaknesses to others.
Overcoming demons can help PCs overcome
past traumas.
Psychological Torture- The PCs are being
manipulated by some enemy who is trying to
torture and drive the PCs crazy by means of
drugs, psychic manipulation or putting PCs
in stressful situations. The PCs ability to
overcome the enemy is inhibited because they
arent sure whats real and whats not.
Helping- Sometimes the PCs will be put in
charge of helping someone who is having a
psychological crisis. The PCs might be asked
to babysit someone who is irrational. The PCs
could be sent to help a person complete some
important job or mission despite personal
problems. PCs may be sent out to find and
bringing back someone who has hit the streets.
Infiltration- In order to find an enemy, solve
a mystery, steal something, deliver a message,
etc. the PC must infiltrate one of the citys many
religious, political, sexual or psychological
subcultures. For example: PCs may have to
solve a murder among do-overs, or find an
enemy who has taken refuge in the BDSM
scene, or gain the trust of the leader of a group
of isolationist Hindu immigrants.
IN MADNESS
Talking Down Crazies
Many Behind the Eyes of Madness adventures will involve
individuals who are experiencing bad mental states. Sometimes
the whole adventure will depend on the PCs ability to get
useful information from or talk sense into someone.
In game mechanics, this can be done through a series of special
persuasion rolls. The PC(s) talk and based on what they say
the GM assigns a difficulty and the PC(s) roll 1d20 + CHM. If
they beat the difficulty, they improve the situation. Improving
the situation usually means that the NPC becomes calmer.
The worse the NPC is, the more incremental improvements
the PCs may need to make.
Several factors can influence the difficulty of the CHM rolls:
Empathy: I know youre feeling like you will never be
happy again, but vs. whatever is wrong with you, you
need to stop it. If a PC can correctly guess what is going
on in the persons head, it can make things a lot easier. PCs
with their own mental problems have a chance at a bonus that
can make up for low CHM, if they know what the NPCs are
going through. On the other hand, if the PC guesses wrong, it
will give a penalty and may even make the person more angry,
paranoid, irrational, depressed, etc.
Validation: I cant see the things that youre seeing right
now, vs. youre hallucinating, the things youre seeing are
just in your head, theyre not real. PCs will suffer a penalty
if they try to tell the NPC that what he or she is experiencing
is wrong or not real or crazy. PCs can avoid this penalty
if they word their arguments in such way that doesnt deny the
NPCs experiences.
Do-able Tasks: If you want to tell me your name, I think
that would be a good place to start, vs. stop freaking out
right now. PCs will suffer a penalty if they ask an NPC to do
something the NPC doesnt believe he or she can do. This will
frustrate the NPC into not even wanting to try.
Nonthreatening: Look, Im going to put my knife down
over here, okay? vs. calm down or Im going to kick your
ass. PCs will suffer a penalty if anything makes them seem
threatening, including language, attitude, weapons, armor,
body language, etc. Make sure PCs describe how they are
approaching the person, what equipment they have visible and
how close they are standing.
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Player:
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Player:
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Player:
______________
Player:
______________
The Favor- PCs wake up the next day feeling fine. After
a quick check, the doctors order them to go. Surprisingly,
they havent been robbed of any of their possessions.
This is an introductory adventure suitable for level 1 When PCs go to walk away from the hospital parking
lot, Achmed finds them. He does not want a monetary
players.
reward (in fact, he will refuse one if offered), but he does
have one favor to ask:
My Friend Jim
Synopsis
Player Introductions
Plague- This is a good adventure for a group of PCs who
dont know each other. PCs going along with their daily
routines suddenly become violently ill. Minutes later,
the city gates close and CDC helicopters fly over the
city making announcements with loudspeakers. They
say that anyone with symptoms should go to the nearest
hospital and everyone else should go inside and not come
out. Most PCs will head directly for the hospital. As
they walk through the city, describe sick people dragging
themselves along, others lying unconscious in the street,
some obviously dead (e.g. lying face down in a pool of
bloody vomit). PCs may want to try to help, but explain
that they are too weak to carry anyone.
Savior- About three blocks from the hospital the PCs
collapse on the ground. They are semi-conscious,
dimly aware of whats happening but unable to do
anything about it. They are not conscious of the passage
of time, but at some point a group of mauler addicts
comes sniffing at them. If you want PCs to gain a bit of
trauma, have one of the maulers start eating one of the
PCs alive. They pull aside clothing, scrape holes in the
skin, start licking up the blood and tearing the wound
open with their teeth. Before any permanent damage is
done, however, have Achmed Peralta come frighten the
maulers off, throwing rocks at them. He checks over
the PCs, finds out that they are still alive, then he gets a
shopping cart. Grunting and wheezing with the effort,
he piles them on top of the shopping cart (or ties them
on to it so they can be dragged along on the ground)
and pushes them to the hospital. At the hospital, the
underground parking lot is a triage unit. Achmed makes
sure a triage nurse knows the PCs are there, then leaves.
PCs are given injections and then they fall unconscious.
NPCs
James Jim Martin
(Missing Wino)
Appearance- Mostly white, fifties, weather-beaten skin,
short grey hair and beard, kind green eyes. When on the
streets he wore an old plaid flannel, fingerless gloves,
stained brown corduroy pants and stunk of cheap wine.
Attributes- AGY 6, AWR 8, CHM 10, END 5, INL 12,
SPD 6, STH 5, WIL 4, BLD 2, BDY 3, INCY 2.
Social Status- Until recently, Jim was a homeless wino,
his only friend was Achmed Peralta.
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Achmed Peralta
(Wino Seeking His Only Friend)
Appearance- Mixed race, curly reddish-brown hair, red
cheeks, wrinkled skin, big ears and nose, bad posture,
wears a black windbreaker over an old brown coat, blue
jeans and cowboy boots. Walks with a limp.
Attributes- AGY 7, AWR 9, CHM 6, END 5, INL 6,
SPD 4, STH 6, WIL 6, BLD 4, BDY 3, INCY 2.
Social Status- Achmed is a homeless wino, currently
with no friends or family.
History- Achmed started drinking in his teens to help deal
with a sense of low-self esteem and alienation. Forced
labor during the Freedom Wars ruined his back. He lived
on disability for some time, but he had trouble keeping
up with the paperwork and he kept getting kicked off.
Eventually he decided it wasnt worth the trouble and he
resigned himself to a life on the streets. He has been on
the streets for about 15 years now, and although he has
had friendships, none have lasted long. His friendship
with Jim was the longest and best hes ever had.
Personality- Achmed has always been shy and had
problems with self-esteem. He thinks of himself as
damaged beyond repair and he has resigned himself
to dying on the streets as a homeless alcoholic. Giving
Timeline
Sunday, 5:15 pm, Jim is beaten up and robbed by some addicts.
Monday, 3:12 am, Jim leaves his shelter to go for a walk.
Monday, 3:14 am, Jim talks with Raul Fisty Durer, mentions
he is going to get a drink.
Monday, 3:18 am, Jim enters a local bar, is thrown out because
he doesnt have any money.
Monday, 3:25 am, Jim tries to slice his wrists with glass from a
broken bottle.
Monday, 3:40 am, Achmed looks for Jim, cant find him.
Monday, 5:15 am, Bartender is leaving for the night, sees Jim
unconscious, calls an ambulance.
Monday, 7:29 am, ambulance arrives, picks up Jim.
Monday, 7:33 am, Jim arrives in the ER, treated for blood loss.
Monday, 9:10 am, Jim wakes up, tries to pull out his IV, is
strapped down.
Tuesday, 2:12 pm, a psychiatrist interviews Jim (who is still
strapped down), diagnoses depression with psychosis, declares
him a danger to himself, admits him to the 21st floor.
Tuesday, 8:15 pm, Jim taken up to the 21st floor.
Wednesday, 8:25 am, a new plague strain arrives in the city.
Wednesday, 2:00 pm, 100 infected, 3 show symptoms.
Wednesday, 10:00 pm, 700 infected, 100 show symptoms, 5
dead.
Wednesday, 10:38 pm, CDC called for possible plague
situation.
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Possible Outcomes
Experience Points
Player:
Player:
Player:
Player:
______________ ______________ ______________ ______________
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Bride of Colin
This is an adventure suitable for level 2-5 characters.
Synopsis
A
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NPCs
(see p.296, main book for full details, see also The
True Story of Tavin Bean, p.79 for more details)
Attributes- AWR 18, AGY 13, CHM 6, END 8, INL 14,
SPD 14, STH 6, WIL 4, BLD 4, BDY 1, INCY 4.
Special Abilities- Tavin has the following implants:
Internal Psychic Sensor, Spectrum Retinas, Bloodhound
Smell, 360 Sight, 3D Hearing. Tavin has the skill
Sensory Integration (3).
Typical Attack- If she is ever cornered by enemies (she
hasnt been, yet) Tavin will screech and claw wildly at
her opponents faces (pain/stun attacks at AGY (13) +
INL (14) vs. 25 or 1d20 vs. 2, simultaneous pain/stun
attacks at 1d20 vs. 14). As soon as they flinch enough to
let her past she will run away.
Recent History- Tavin has been on a quest to discover
what her nemesis, Colin, is up to. She has been spying
on Rev. McKray, the head of the Church of Colin, off
and on for some time. She was lucky enough to be close
enough (in an abandoned building across the street) to
hear Colin trying to talk Dara Colin into marrying him.
In Tavins belief system, this means Tavin has resisted
brainwashing for so long that Colin has moved on to
his second choice bride. She wrote a note for the
Omniscients (to taunt them with their failure) and then
went back to watching Dara.
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A Timeline
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Experience Points
Tavin Accepts Care Package (5 XP)
Tavin Accepts Free Therapy Offer (10 XP)
A Colin Is Killed (5 XP/ea.)
Colins Mental Installer Destroyed or
Taken Away (10 XP)
Wedding Prevented (10 XP)
Personal Growth (5 XP)
Good Roleplaying (2 XP)
Clever Plan (1 to 5 XP)
Worked Well as Group (2 XP)
Worldview Success (2 XP)
Personal Ideal Success (2 XP)
Tavin is Killed or Driven More Insane
(-20 XP)
Dara is Killed (-5 XP)
Split Up Group (-5 XP)
Made the World a Worse Place
(-1 to -5 XP)
Player Character Death (-10 XP)
Total:
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Player:
______________
Player:
______________
Player:
______________
Player:
______________
Adriel Theophania
(Leader of the Lumens), p.53
Andrea Popall
(Roofer Founder and Intra-Gang Marshall), p.76
Mama Yaga
(Crazy Poison Seller), p.63
Clay Hodgson
(Secret Ex-Colin Retired From Killing), p.38
Dara Colin
(Colinite and Lover to Colin McKray), p.35
Imogene The Dead Woman Barrett
(Dysmorph and Fetishist Who Plays Dead), p.15
Deborah Newman
(Bleeder Profiler and Serial Killer Enslaver), p.69
Wes Doc Scrips Marshall
(City Hospital Psychiatrist Who Takes Advantage
of Patients), p.8
Kim Tate
(Brilliant and Reclusive Sense-Clip Artist), p.49
118122
123146
147151
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Open Establishment: 12 Step Meeting- A handprinted sign in a shop window lists the type of
meeting. Inside are a few people battling off their
358- late night cravings with talk and stale coffee in paper
376 cups. This might be a meeting for narcotics addicts,
alcoholics, compulsive gamblers, sexaholics or even
rageaholics. There is a 1 in 20 chance there are
stale doughnuts left.
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Number of Flaws
71-80: Two
81-90: Three
91-95: Four
96-00: Five
PC Has
Male Female
Perv
Lover Lover
Bait
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01-05
06-08
09-12
13-14
15-16
17-22
01-01
02-04
05-08
09-12
13-18
19-21
01-04
Abusive- When the lover is feeling insecure about the relationship (or about something
else in his or her life) the lover will find something the PC has done wrong (it could be
a little thing) and become violent about it. Afterwards, the lover usually apologizes and
makes excuses. The PC may be so shocked that someone he or she trusts is doing this that
the PC may not fight back. First warnings: bad moods, a short temper, tendency to snap
at the PC about little things, trouble expressing anger constructively.
05-05
Alcoholic- The lover is physically and psychologically addicted to alcohol. The worse
things get for the lover, the more the lover will drink. First warnings: the lover keeps a lot
of liquor around, will use any excuse to party (get drunk), when the PC is not around
the lover will forget to do important chores, errands or duties.
06-07
Antisocial- The lover has no empathy for other humans and no sense of moral
responsibilities for his or her actions. The lover is a natural liar and is very charming. The
lover does not love the PC, is only pretending to in order to get something from the PC
(e.g. money, sex, drugs, etc.) and will leave the PC without notice when the lover either
exhausts the PCs supplies or gets bored.
08-09
Bipolar- The lover has an undiagnosed chemical imbalance and experiences states of
mania followed by profound depression. At first, these cycles only happen every few
months, and usually in reaction to some stress. If untreated, the cycles will grow more
common and more intense. While manic, the lover is in danger of doing something
stupid (over-spending, gambling, having an affair, pissing off the wrong people). While
depressed (and especially as depression starts to lift) there is some danger of suicide. First
warnings: The lover says he or she gets depressed a lot, has a lot of unfinished projects or
outstanding debts.
10-12
Borderline- The lover suffers from a personality disorder (see p.105). The lover has an
intense fear of abandonment (and will sometimes act violently or self-destructively to
avoid abandonment), bad temper and strong mood swings. The lover has a black-andwhite view of people, either hating or idealizing them. All the lovers relationships are
intense and rocky. Stress will trigger paranoid thoughts in the lover. First warnings: the
lover will start off idealizing the PC, claiming the PC is perfect in every way and showing
incredible devotion to the PC.
13-17
Cheater- As soon as the sexual aspects of a new relationship start to taper off, the lover
will start having affairs. The lover will try to keep the affairs secret but will not do a very
good job. The people the lover is having affairs with may decide the PC is in an enemy
and may harass or even attack the PC. First warning: the lover stays out late, spends a lot
of money and the PC receives odd phone calls (hang-ups with no video).
23-26
22-22
18-23
Child Molester- The lover has a secret desire to molest children. First warnings: the
lover may be attracted to a PC with children, will want to assume a role as care-giver right
away, will volunteer with children, often has trouble achieving sexual satisfaction with
the PC.
27-29
23-25
24-25
Debt- The lover is in a huge amount of debt, both to credit card companies and loan
sharks. First warnings: the lover always needs more money and gets many phone calls
from credit card agencies and loan sharks.
30-32
33-35
36-38
39-41
26-30
37-34
35-37
38-40
26-26
Dependent- The lover is afraid to make decisions by himself or herself and as the
relationship progresses the lover will become dependent on the PC for everything. The
lover will try to talk the PC into getting a cell phone and then will call the PC for help on
every little decision. The lover has poor self-worth and no ambitions. First warnings: the
PC may notice the lover calling friends or family for advice very often.
27-28
Depression- The lover has an undiagnosed chemical imbalance that causes him or her to
experience severe bouts of depression with the possibility of suicide. Without treatment,
these bouts will grow more frequent and severe. First warnings: the lover has a pessimistic
attitude, gives up easily, complains of sleep problems.
29-30
Drug Addict- The lover has a drug problem that he or she is keeping secret. The lover will
probably admit to doing some drugs right away, but will portray it as a once-in-a-while,
just-for-fun kind of thing. As the drug problem gets worse, the lover will experience
health and financial problems and may get in trouble with pushers, loan sharks or other
addicts. First warnings: strange shifts in mood, always broke, commonly sick, hangs
around with a lot of creepy people.
31-35
Dysmorph- The lover has just started seeking out the surgeries that will someday turn
him or her grotesque. The lover will be open about wanting surgery, but will downplay
the severity of the surgery (e.g. I just want to get my nose made a tiny bit smaller). First
warnings: the lover complains about his or her appearance and is ashamed to go to public
places, doesnt believe it when the PC says he or she looks fine.
42-46
41-41
38-42
Fetishist- The lover can not achieve complete satisfaction without engaging in some
fetish. Depending on the fetish, the lover may try to engage in it while the PC is not
around or may try to talk the PC into participating. The fetish is (on 1d100): 01-09: Blood
Sports, 10-18: Coprophilia/Sexurophilia, 19-27: Exhibitionism, 28-36: Foot Fetishism,
37-45: Hypoxyphilia, 46-54: Infantilism, 55-63: Necrophilia, 64-76: Transvestic
Fetishism, 77-90: Underwear Fetishism, 91-00: Zoophilia. First warnings: the lover has
an odd collection of items or media clips. The lover has trouble achieving climax during
normal intercourse.
47-49
42-44
43-47
Jealous- The lover flies into a rage at any suggestion that the PC is flirting with or thinking
about another potential lover. Even looking at someone the lover thinks the PC might find
attractive can trigger a rage. First warnings: saying things which betray an insecurity
about the relationship, avoiding introducing the PC to attractive friends.
50-52
45-46
48-51
Married- The lover is already in a serious, committed relationship that he or she will keep
secret from the PC. When the PC finds out, the lover will try to portray himself or herself
as trapped in the relationship and will promise to leave the spouse as soon as possible. If
the spouse finds out, he or she may become an enemy of the PC. First warnings: the lover
never spends too much time with the PC, never takes the PC home, is reluctant to move in
with the PC, doesnt introduce the PC to any of his or her friends.
53-55
47-50
52-53
Neurotic- The lover has phobias, odd rituals and emotional instability that will make
living with the lover difficult for the PC. The lover gets frightened or worried easily and
is nearly disabled by anxiety. First warnings: lover often seems nervous for no apparent
reason.
56-59
51-53
54-55
Old Enemies- The lover has made some powerful enemies (the government, a gang,
Colin, the drug lords, a corp, etc.) First warnings: the lover moves around a lot, seems
worried or paranoid, often gives a false name, avoids old associates.
60-63
54-57
56-57
Parasite- As the relationship becomes more and more stable, the lover starts wanting the
PC to do more and more for the lover. The lover will not work, will not try to get on public
assistance and will want the PC to support him or her. The lover will not join a gang and
will depend on the PC for protection. First warnings: the lover complains often about his
or her job or the paperwork for public assistance, rarely pays for anything, shows little
ambition and has no realistic plans for the future.
64-68
58-58
58-64
Porn Addict- The lover has a secret dependence on pornography, including porn which
is illegal and which the PC would find disgusting or immoral. First warnings: the lover
often doesnt respond to normal sexual stimuli, the lover has areas in his or her home or
computer that the lover keeps locked, the lover spends many hours a day on the internet.
Boyfriend/Girlfriend Flaw
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133
69-71
72-76
77-77
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78-81
82-83
84-86
87-89
59-61
62-65
66-70
71-71
72-78
79-82
83-86
65-66
Schizophrenic- The lover has an undiagnosed chemical imbalance that will cause periods
of paranoia, odd movements and/or disorganized thought. If untreated, these states will
grow worse and more common. First warning: the lover often believes odd things, tells
stories about his or her past that dont make much sense, and has trouble judging the
motivations of others.
67-68
Self-Destructive- The lover has compulsive behaviors that damage his or her life. The
lover is (on 1d100) 01-25: a compulsive liar; 26-50: picks fights; 51-75: addicted to
gambling; 76-00: does unnecessarily dangerous things for no reason. First warnings: the
lover takes a lot of risks and seems to have little fear of consequences.
69-69
Sexual Neurotic- The lover was either taught that sex is bad or was sexually abused. The
lover will want to have a normal sex-life but will have trouble doing so. The lover will
often be unable to experience pleasure in bed (and may even experience pain), will be
unable to communicate with the PC about sex, and will display unexpected emotions after
sex (e.g. crying or getting angry at the PC). First warnings: the lover is reluctant to move
the relationship to a sexual stage, seems nervous whenever things start getting hot.
70-75
Sexual Sadist- The lover has trouble achieving sexual satisfaction if he or she doesnt
cause pain to or humiliate the PC. First warnings: the lover will want the PC to admit to
any kinks, will encourage playing games or experimenting during sex. The lover will
start small (a playful slap or joking insult) and will build on it.
76-77
Shallow- The lover wants the PC because of what the PC can do for him or her, either in
terms of monetary support, physical protection or helping the lovers image. As soon as
the PC stops being of some benefit to the lover, the lover will turn cold, drop the pretense
of love, and demand that things change or the relationship is over. First warnings: the
lovers professions of love are stereotyped and only come when the PC starts to openly
doubt the relationship. The lover is pre-occupied with the lover making a good impression
on the lovers friends and colleagues.
78-79
Stupid In-Laws- The lover has relatives (or close friends) who are stupid, irresponsible
and dangerous and the lover keeps using his or her time and money to help them. First
warnings: the lovers relatives come over a lot to borrow money or food or sleep on the
couch. The lover often seems more interested in whats going on in their lives than in the
PCs.
80-81
Traumatized- The lover had something really horrible that happened to him or her that
the lover refuses to talk about or deal with. The effects of this trauma will come out in
all facets of the lovers life: the lover will have nightmares, trouble sleeping, will either
over-eat or under-eat, will have irrational phobias, will often seem distant or spacey, will
get upset over little things and will be depressed a lot. First warnings: the lover may seem
jumpy for no apparent reason.
90-91
87-93
82-83
Undermining- The lover has low self-esteem and, in order to make the relationship feel
more secure, the lover needs to lower the PCs self-esteem as well. The lover sabotages
the PC when the PC is about to accomplish something, points out the PCs flaws at any
opportunity, and may even make up flaws to torment the PC with. First warnings: The
lover may have been first attracted to the PC when the PC wasnt feeling too good about
himself or herself. The lover is happiest and most loving when the PC is at his or her
worst. The lover shows signs of low self-esteem (social anxiety, poor ambition, trouble
standing up for self) and may ask the PC questions like do you think youre better than
me?
92-95
94-96
84-90
Venereal Disease: Annoying- The lover has an annoying STD that the lover is unaware
of. If the PC and lover have unprotected intercourse, the PC may catch it (see p.53, main
book). First warnings: rashes on the lovers genitals, odd smells from the genital area.
96-98
97-99
91-96
Venereal Disease: Deadly- The lover has a deadly STD that the lover is unaware of. If
the PC and lover have unprotected intercourse, the PC may catch it (see p.53, main book).
First warnings: the lover is pale, is often tired, looses weight, gets sick a lot.
97-00
Serial Criminal- When the PC is away or asleep, the lover goes out and commits violent
crimes (rape, arson, murder) for his or her own personal gratification. If caught by the PC,
the lover may try to kill the PC. First warnings: bad temper, speaks routinely of violent
fantasies (e.g. Id love to smash that guys head in), may have a hidden collection of
violent porn or trophies from past crimes.
99-00
00-00
01-18
19-73
74-91
92-00
01-31
32-77
78-92
93-00
62-65
66-68
69-72
73-75
66-69
70-72
73-76
77-79
Social Skills
Sophisticated socialite
Satisfactory social skills
Shy, awkward or oblivious
Completely disabled in social
situations
Personality
Arrogant, wants to be worshipped.
Brave, grandiose, wants to control
everything.
Caring, self-sacrificing, prone to
feeling betrayed.
Clever, insightful, funny, rude,
disregards rules.
Crude, thick skinned, needs space,
likes solving problems.
Dramatic, manipulative, needs
attention.
Feels worthless, fears/avoids social
situations.
Gambler, likes intense experiences,
not critical or thoughtful.
Hard working, believes in rules and
traditions, judgmental.
Idealistic, helpful, impulsive,
charming.
Immature, easily excited, optimistic,
self-doubting.
Impulsive, charming, no sense of
moral responsibility.
Intolerant, hateful, simplistic view of
reality.
Lazy, easily frustrated, blames others
for failures.
No self-confidence, avoids making
decisions.
Paranoid, angry, defensive.
Patronizing, egalitarian, easily
confused, unable to say no.
Perfectionistic, stubborn, inflexible.
Pessimistic, gloomy, feels inadequate.
Quiet, serious, principled, vengeful.
Resentful, argumentative,
undependable.
Short attention-span, gossip, difficulty
being serious.
Shows little emotions, prefers to be
alone.
Spontaneous, competitive, braggart.
Uncomfortable around others, strange
ideas and beliefs.
Unstable identity, self-destructive,
moody.
Withdrawn, thoughtful, precise,
logical.
01-21
22-22
23-25
26-28
29-31
32-36
37-39
40-42
43-45
46-48
49-52
53-53
54-55
56-59
60-63
64-66
67-67
68-70
71-72
73-76
77-78
79-81
82-83
84-87
88-90
91-94
95-96
97-99
00-00
01-25
26-27
28-29
30-33
34-36
37-38
39-42
43-44
45-47
48-50
51-53
54-55
56-57
58-60
61-63
64-66
67-67
68-70
71-71
72-75
76-77
78-80
81-82
83-86
87-89
90-93
94-95
96-98
99-00
01-23
24-27
28-29
30-32
33-35
36-38
39-40
41-43
44-46
47-48
49-51
52-54
55-57
58-59
60-63
64-66
67-67
68-69
70-71
72-75
76-78
79-80
81-83
84-86
87-88
89-93
94-95
96-97
98-00
01-07
08-13
14-16
17-18
19-23
24-25
26-32
33-37
38-42
43-48
49-54
55-61
62-66
67-69
70-75
76-82
83-88
89-91
92-94
95-00
01-07
08-13
14-16
17-19
20-26
27-28
29-34
35-39
40-44
45-48
49-53
54-59
60-64
65-68
69-74
75-81
82-86
87-90
91-94
95-00
01-06
07-12
13-16
17-22
23-27
28-29
30-34
35-39
40-45
46-50
51-55
56-60
61-65
66-69
70-73
74-80
81-85
86-90
91-95
96-00
Bad Habits
No Bad Habits
Being Grossed Out
Cruel Jokes/Insults
Daydreaming
Gambling
Giving Up
Goofing Off/Procrastinating
Ignoring/Forgetting About Problems
Letting Self Be Distracted
Losing Temper
Lying/Making Up Stories
Not Eating Enough
Overeating
Poor Hygiene
Porn or Promiscuous Sex
Risky Behavior
Setting Fires
Smoking
Spacing Out
Speaking Impulsively
Staying Up Too Late
Stealing Stuff
Thinking/Speaking in Absolutes
Worrying About Being Embarrassed
Worrying About Health Problems
Worrying About Physical Danger
Worrying About Sex
Worrying About Social Situations
Worrying About Society/Humanity
Hates
Hates Arrogant People
Hates Bullies
Hates Censorship
Hates Dirt/Ugliness
Hates Disloyalty
Hates Everyone
Hates Heartlessness
Hates Hypocrites
Hates Inconsiderate People
Hates Injustice
Hates Intolerance
Hates Lies/Liars
Hates Loudmouths
Hates Nonconformists
Hates Powerful People
Hates Stupid People
Hates Suck-Ups/Conformists
Hates Thieves/Parasites
Hates Weak People
Hates Whiners
A
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01-03 01-03
04-08 04-07
09-10 08-10
11-16 11-15
17-21 16-20
22-25 21-24
A
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26-29 25-28
30-35 29-33
36-38
39-47
48-50
51-54
34-37
38-45
46-50
51-54
55-59
60-63
64-67
68-71
55-59
60-63
64-66
67-70
72-77 71-75
78-79 76-80
80-85 81-86
86-90 87-91
91-93 92-94
94-97 95-97
98-00 98-00
01-02
03-04
05-06
07-07
08-10
11-11
12-14
15-15
16-17
18-19
01-02
03-04
05-06
07-07
08-10
11-11
12-14
15-15
16-17
18-19
Soft Spot
01-04 Always Likes/Trusts/Helps Attractive
People
05-08 Always Likes/Trusts/Helps Charming
People
09-12 Always Likes/Trusts/Helps Creative
People
13-17 Always Likes/Trusts/Helps Disabled
People
18-22 Always Likes/Trusts/Helps Elderly
People
23-27 Always Likes/Trusts/Helps Funny
People
28-30 Always Likes/Trusts/Helps Hard
Workers
31-35 Always Likes/Trusts/Helps Honest
People
36-40 Always Likes/Trusts/Helps Idealists
41-48 Always Likes/Trusts/Helps Kids
49-53 Always Likes/Trusts/Helps Leaders
54-57 Always Likes/Trusts/Helps
Nonconformists
58-63 Always Likes/Trusts/Helps Optimists
64-67 Always Likes/Trusts/Helps Parents
68-70 Always Likes/Trusts/Helps Pessimists
71-73 Always Likes/Trusts/Helps Pet
Owners
74-78 Always Likes/Trusts/Helps Polite
People
79-81 Always Likes/Trusts/Helps Poor
People
82-86 Always Likes/Trusts/Helps Principled
People
87-90 Always Likes/Trusts/Helps Religious
People
91-94 Always Likes/Trusts/Helps Risk
Takers
95-97 Always Likes/Trusts/Helps Stupid
People
98-00 Always Likes/Trusts/Helps Worriers
Personal Ideals (roll 3 times)
01-02 Charismatic Leader
03-04 Clever Ideas
05-06 Compassionate Do-Gooder
07-09 Consumed Artist
10-11 Cool Under Pressure
12-12 Crazy Daredevil
13-15 Dependable Friend
16-17 Driven Overachiever
18-19 Efficiently Organized
20-21 Humble Clown
20-21
22-23
24-25
26-27
28-29
30-31
32-33
34-35
36-37
38-39
40-41
42-43
44-45
46-47
48-49
50-51
52-53
54-56
57-57
58-60
61-62
63-64
65-66
67-68
69-70
71-72
73-74
75-76
77-78
79-80
81-82
83-83
84-85
86-87
88-89
90-91
92-94
95-96
97-98
99-00
20-21
22-23
24-25
26-27
28-29
30-31
32-33
34-35
36-37
38-39
40-40
41-42
43-44
45-46
47-48
49-50
51-52
53-54
55-56
57-58
59-60
61-62
63-64
65-66
67-68
69-71
72-74
75-76
77-78
79-80
81-82
83-84
85-85
86-87
88-89
90-92
93-94
95-96
97-98
99-00
01-03
04-06
07-09
10-12
13-16
01-03
04-06
07-08
09-11
12-15
17-20
21-24
25-27
28-30
31-32
33-35
36-37
38-40
41-43
44-45
46-49
50-52
53-55
56-57
58-61
62-64
65-68
69-69
70-72
73-76
77-78
79-82
83-85
86-88
89-91
92-94
95-97
98-00
01-61
62-62
63-66
67-74
75-75
76-79
80-85
86-86
87-89
90-92
93-93
16-19
20-22
23-25
26-28
29-30
31-34
35-37
38-39
40-42
43-45
46-47
48-51
52-54
55-57
58-60
61-63
64-65
66-67
68-70
71-74
75-77
78-80
81-83
84-87
88-91
92-94
95-97
98-00
01-66
67-67
68-69
70-72
73-74
75-78
79-81
82-83
84-87
88-91
92-93
94-94 94-95
95-95 96-96
96-97 97-98
98-98 99-99
99-00 00-00
16-18 Distraction
19-22 Egocentric
23-25 Fanatic
26-28 Fate
29-31 Game Theory
32-34 Goth Poetry
35-37 Hedonistic
38-40 Holistic
41-43 Humor
44-46 Intellectual
47-49 Introspective
50-52 Justice
53-55 Moderate
56-58 Nietzschean
59-61 Paranoid
62-64 Pessimistic
65-67 Ponderer
68-69 Postmodern
70-72 Relativist
73-75 Responsibility
76-78 Revolutionary
79-82 Scared
83-85 Scientific
86-89 Social
90-92 Spiritual
93-94 Superstitious
95-97 Taoist
98-00 Utilitarian
Neurological Issues
01-69 No Problems
70-71 Schizophrenic: Under Control
72-72 Schizophrenic: Mild Problems
73-74 Schizophrenic: Severe Problems
75-77 Depressed: Under Control
78-80 Depressed: Mild Problems
81-81 Depressed: Severe Problems
82-85 Bipolar: Under Control
86-87 Bipolar: Mild Problems
88-90 Bipolar: Severe Problems
91-93 Obsessive Compulsive Disorder:
Under Control
94-95 Obsessive Compulsive Disorder: Mild
Problems
96-96 Obsessive Compulsive Disorder:
Severe Problems
97-98 Brain Damage: Under Control
99-99 Brain Damage: Mild Problems
00-00 Brain Damage: Severe Problems
Religion
01-26 01-30 01-37 Atheist/Agnostic/NonDenominational/Non-Religious
27-46 31-48 38-50 Christian: Roman Catholic
47-61 49-60 51-60 Muslim
62-67 61-68 61-68 Christian: Protestant
68-71 69-74 69-74 Jewish
72-75 75-78 75-78 Hindu
76-80 79-82 79-83 Buddhist
81-82 83-85 84-84 Christian: Evangelical/Born Again
83-86 86-88 85-87 Neo-Aboriginal
87-88 89-90 88-89 Cult Member
89-91 91-92 90-91 Christian: Other
92-93 93-94 92-93 Sikh
94-95 95-95 94-94 Christian: Orthodox (Greek/African/
Russian)
96-96 96-96 95-95 Christian: Mormon
97-97 97-97 96-97 Wicca
98-98 98-98 98-98 Shinto
99-99 99-99 99-99 Jain
00-00 00-00 00-00 Bahai
Politics
01-75 01-72 01-64 Not Interested/No Particular Ideology
76-77 73-74 65-66 Moderate Anarchist
78-79 75-76 67-68 Extreme Anarchist
80-80 77-78 69-71 Moderate Libertarian
81-81 79-79 72-73 Extreme Libertarian
82-83 80-81 74-76 Moderate Socialist
84-85 82-82 77-78 Extreme Socialist
86-86 83-83 79-79 Moderate Fascist
87-87 84-84 80-80 Extreme Fascist
88-88 85-85 81-81 Moderate Oligarchist
89-89 86-87 82-83 Extreme Oligarchist
C
I
T
Y
O
F
M
A
D
N
E
S
S
137
A
P
P
E
N
D
I
C
E
S
138 Map
A
P
P
E
N
D
I
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Map 139
Index
Addiction
A
P
P
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140 Index
Life Skills
Mental Programs
Mentally-Ill Homeless
People
Personality Disorders
Police
Poison
Prejudice
Psychic Phenomenon
Psychopharmaceuticals
Public Assistance
Red Light District
Science
Self-Worth
Sex Industry
Shut-Ins
Social Services
Street People
Terrorism
Trauma
Virtual Reality
Welfare
TRAUMAS
- Amount Distracted ____
Abiding Trauma
Save vs. Insomnia (WIL+1d20 vs. Trauma x 10)
Save vs. Nausea (WIL+1d20 vs. Trauma x 10)
Save vs. Jitters (WIL+1d20 vs. Trauma x 10)
Save vs. Flashbacks (WIL+1d20 vs. Trauma x 10)
____________________________________
____________________________________
____________________________________
____________________________________
____________________________________
DISTRACTIONS
Blocking
Depression
Dissociation
OOOOO
OOOOO
OOOOO
Drugs
Fanaticism
Fantasy
OOOOO
OOOOO
OOOOO
Fetishes
OOOOO
Mania
OOOOO
Randomness OOOOO
Risk
Self-Hatred
Worrying
OOOOO
OOOOO
OOOOO
Notes: _________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
SELF-WORTH
Current Self-Worth:
O O O O O
O O O O O
-5 -4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4 5
Likes
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
Low Self-Worth Effects:
save vs. self-destructive behavior (WIL+1d20 vs. 10)
roll to treat others as inferiors (CHM + 1d20 vs. 10)
roll to treat others as equals (CHM + 1d20 vs. 20)
Dislikes
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
Minus Two Self-Worth: -4 to CHM and WIL rolls
Minus Three Self-Worth: -8 to CHM and WIL rolls
Minus Four Self-Worth: -12 to CHM and WIL rolls
Minus Five Self-Worth: -16 to CHM and WIL rolls
PSYCHOLOGICAL SAVES
LIFE SKILLS