Designed and Written by
JONATHAN HICKS Release Released d th roug h
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Blade Runner is, without doubt, one of the iconic movies of the 20 th Century. Thought a miserable failure on its original release in 1982, the movie went on to be restructured into the Final Cut, the definitive vision of this landmark film. This Unofficial Roleplaying Game is assuming two things: 1. That you, the player, is fully aware of what the Blade Runner universe is all about and that you have not only seen the film but understand the underlying themes as well as appreciate the imagery. 2. That you have played roleplaying games before and are therefore fully capable of running a game with little to no advice or instruction. This game is also going to not only take it primary cues from the movie but from other source material, such as the original Philip K Dick novel ‘Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep’, the K W Jeter novels and the 1997 computer RPG. It will also take some liberties – some of the references and item abilities are vague and somewhat debated, so I have translated them into simple open-ended game terms for ease of use. Feel free to adapt or change as you see fit.
we l c o me t o t h e f u t u r e yo u did no t wa nt ‘Early in the 21st Century, THE TYRELL CORPORATION advanced robot evolution into the NEXUS phase - a being virtually identical to a human - know n as a Replicant. The NEXUS 6 Replicants were superior in strength and agility, and at least equal in intelligence, to the genetic engineers who created them. Replicants were used Off-World as slave labour, in the hazardous exploration and colonization of other planets. Af ter a bl oo dy mu tin y by a NEXUS 6 co mb at team in an Off -Wor ld colony, Replicants were declared illegal on earth - under penalty of death. Special poli ce squads - BLADE RUNNER UNITS - had or ders t o sh oot to kill, upon detection, any tr espassing Replicant This was not called execution. It was called retirement.’ World War Terminus has been and gone. Planet Earth is irradiated, ecologically exhausted and dying a slow, painful death. The U.N. is encouraging emigration to the Off-World Colonies, and so the remnants of humanity have clustered together in the huge cities that dot the planet, cities filled with architectural nightmares and decay, surrounded by post-war devastation. Animals are all but extinct, food is a mix of soya and off-world lichen and moss and the vast, shadow-ridden metropolis is more than half empty – the
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lure of the Off-World Colonies is too much for some. Evenings are a neon-lit, rain-soaked vision of bleakness and the daytime consists of a smog-shrouded sun, the light of which barely touches street level. This is any capital city of the future. This is th e world of t he Blade Runners.
All characters are represented by two things – their STRENGTH and their SKILLS. STRENGTH is a single score that decides how much physical damage, a person can take. This is decided by rolling 1D3 and adding 2 to the result, to get a number between 3 and 5. If this score ever reaches zero, the character is unconscious. If it ever goes below zero, the character is dead. STRENGTH = 1D3+2 SKILLS are divided into six groups. The Player is given the numbers 1 through to 6 to put in each skill group – this means that he can have a skill level of 1 in one group, 2 in another, 3 in another and so on up to 6. This number is what the player has to roll or less on 1D6 to succeed in an action. So remember: during character creation, the higher the number in the skill group the better the PC is at those skills! 3
For example, Player A is cr eatin g a Priv ate Investigator character, so he put s a 1 in Sciences, 2 in Techni cal, 3 in Combat, 4 in Agility, 5 in Vehic les and 6 in Humanity.
The Skills Golden Rule is: Rolls o f natur al 6 are always a failure, rol ls of n atural 1 are always a success. Each skill group, from Agility through to Vehicles, covers abilities that are unique to that group. This means that if the character has an Agility score of 4, then any action that required a physical action would have a skill level of 4. Agility would cover all actions such as climbing a rock face to leaping a gorge. So, instead of reading down a long list of individual skills, the player would simply choose the skill group the action they wish to perform is most likely covered by and they roll against that group’s skill level. For example, Player A has a skill level of 4 in Agili ty and wants to jum p the gap between two bui ldings. This means the player mus t rol l a 1,2,3 or 4 on a singl e six-sid ed die to su cceed. Any oth er number rol led is a failure.
So, for jumping onto a moving vehicle, the player rolls against their Agility skill level. For shooting at someone with a pistol, they roll against their Combat skill level. To con an NPC out of their money they roll against their Humanity skill level.
All skill rolls are made this way, with the exception of Opposed Rolls and certain types of combat. See the skill group descriptions below to get a better idea of where skills should be placed. Ag il it y - This skill allows the character to do all kinds of non-combat physical actions, such as climbing, swimming, jumping or lifting. Combat – The ability to use fists, blades and firearms. For hand-to-hand or hand-held weapon combat, use the ‘Opposing Rolls’ system, by players rolling a D6 and adding their Combat skill level to the roll. Whoever rolls the highest number wins the round and the loser takes damage. For missile weapons and pistols, such as thrown items and laser pistols, roll against the Combat skill level as you would for a normal skill roll. Humanity – Use this skill when you need to command, charm, bargain, persuade or even seduce another character (note that this skill cannot be used on PCs). This skill works in a slightly different way to normal skills. If you’re trying to do something honest, like convince someone that they must do the right thing or be honestly pleasant to someone then you must roll less than your Humanity skill level. If you intend to do something dishonest, such as lie about something, cheat someone or con them out of their money, then you have to roll more than your Humanity skill level. This reflects the fact the lower your humanity, the more willing and able you are to do immoral things.
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Sciences – This skill gives the character the ability to do work of a delicate or skilled nature, such as sciences, surgery. It also gives them knowledge of other sciences, such as genetics, geology and physics. Technical - This enables the character to repair and modify vehicle engines, computers, automatons and all kinds of machines. Anything that has wires, moving parts or microchips can be used or repaired with this skill. Vehicles – This skill allows the character to do all the things that are necessary to get by in a vehicle, be it a motorbike, a ground car or a flying spinner. So, to succeed in a roll a player must roll 1 six-sided die. If the number rolled equals the skill number or lower then the roll is a success. If they roll higher than the number, then it is a failure. Difficulty
The GM can change the character’s skill level if they feel that the action they wish to perform is more difficult, or even easier, than normal. They can lower the skill level to simulate a harder action, or raise it for easier ones.
Change Skill Level By:
Very easy Easy Normal Hard Very Hard Extremely Hard
+3 +2 0 -1 -2 -3
ACTION ROUNDS The time it takes to perform a skill is up the GM, but in general each action takes one round to perform. A single action round lasts for five seconds. OPPOSING ROLLS If for any reason two characters ‘face off’, pitting either wits or physical skills against one another, then do the following; each player rolls the D6 and adds their applicable skill level to the result. Whoever rolls the highest wins the face-off. If the rolls are tied then roll again until someone wins. For hand to hand or weapon combat (no t missile or thrown weapons), use the Opposing Rolls system, with each player rolling a D6 and adding his or her Combat skill level to the roll. Whoever rolls the highest number wins the round and the loser takes damage. If the rolls are tied, they have parried each other in that round, no damage has been taken on either side and they must roll again. IMPORTANT! Ignore the ‘o nes are always a suc cess, sixes are always a failure’ rule for opposed rolls .
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DAMAGE and HEALING If a character ‘takes damage’, then this means they are reducing their STRENGTH score by the amount of damage they have taken. For every 1 point of damage taken, the character reduces their STRENGTH by 1 point. If the STRENGTH score ever reaches zero, the character is unconscious. If it ever goes below zero, the character is dead. If a PC wants to heal naturally, they’ll get 1 STRENGTH point back per 24 hours of rest. If they use a basic medical unit, such as a portable medical kit or a medical station found on board most starships, they get back 1 point every six hours. If they use a fully equipped surgery or hospital, they get back 1 point per hour. To benefit from medical facilities, the attending character has to make a successful SCIENCES roll. The table below lists the common causes of damage. The ‘damage’ number is the amount of points that have to be taken from the STRENGTH score.
Damage Source
Damage
Hand to Hand (punch, kick, headbutt)
1
Knife, dagger, club
2
Pistol
3
Rifle
4
Falling – 1 damage point for every 2 metres fallen. Suffocating – 1 damage point for every 2 rounds the character is deprived of air (drowning, choking etc) Collision – 1 damage point for every 5 kilometres an hour an object is moving.
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T HE b l a d e r u n n e r
wo r l d
‘Commerce, is our go al here at Tyrell. More human than human is our mott o. Rachael is an experiment, noth ing m ore. We began to recog nize in them strange obsession. After all they are emotional inexperienced with on ly a few years in which t o stor e up the experiences which you and I take for gr anted. If we gif t them th e past we create a cush ion o r pillow for their emotion s and consequently w e can contr ol them better.’ Tyrell ‘Memories. You're talking about memories.’ Deckard
V EHICl e s There are two types of vehicles – ground vehicles and spinners. Ground vehicles are normal wheeled cars and motorbikes that you find in any city, whereas spinners are the flying cars that flit between the brightly illuminated billboards and buildings like fireflies. The stats for these vehicles are exactly the same. A vehicle is represented by Body Strength and Speed. Body Strength acts the same way as a character’s Strength – once it has been reduced to zero the vehicle stops dead, and below zero it explodes or catches fire, possibly injuring the occupants. Damage done to a vehicle is calculated as per the damage table on page 6 as normal but all damage levels are reduced by 2 points. Motorbikes have a Body Strength of 3 and a top speed of 150 kph. Ground Vehicles have a Body Strength of 6 and a top speed of 120 kph. Spinners have a Body Strength of 5 and a top speed of 200 kph when airborne, 100 kph when on the ground, and they have a flight ceiling of two kilometres.
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b l a de r unner s ‘You know the score pal. If you' re not cop, you' re littl e people.’ Bryant Blade Runners are bounty hunters with all the powers of a police detective. Their purpose is to hunt and retire Replicants, androids illegally present on Earth. Blade Runners answer to the local police force, and cannot operate outside the law although they will go to great lengths and bend that law to get their target. As most police departments want the Replicants, or to use the derogatory term ‘skin jobs’, off the streets they do tend to turn a blind eye every now and then. However, there are limits. Unnecessary violence, injured civilians, collateral damage are all punishable offences as the powers that be want Replicants taken care of quietly and out of sight of the general populace. To retire a human by mistake means badge and gun revoked and numerous internal investigations. The .45 PKD Detecti ve Special The standard firearm of a Blade Runner. A six-shooter by nature, this pistol has a lower barrel that accelerates bullets at a higher velocity by pulling the second trigger, an extremely handy feature that helps take down the stronger Replicants. This can only be used twice and then needs recharging – a red indicator light on the side shows how many uses the accelerator has – and triples the damage of a standard round (from 3 to 9). Once the accelerator is exhausted it needs to be plugged into a recharge unit, and to get it back to full charge takes an hour.
The Voight -Kampff Machine ‘Reacti on ti me is a factor in thi s, so please pay attentio n. Now, answer as quickly as you can.’ Holden This polygraph-like machine is used to detect Replicants as it measures emotional and physical responses to intentionally provocative crossreferenced questioning. Replicants are considered to have a lower emotional range than humans and so this machine measures
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respiration, heart rate, capillary dilation and fluctuation of the pupil during questioning. Any irregularities could indicate the subject being questioned is a Replicant. Questions include: It’s your birthday. Someone gives you a calfskin wallet. How do you react? You’ve got a little boy. He shows you his butterfly collection plus the killing jar. What do you do? You’re watching television. Suddenly you realize there’s a wasp crawling on your arm. You’re in a desert walking along in the sand when all of the sudden you look down, and you see a tortoise, it’s crawling toward you. You reach down, you flip the tortoise over on its back. The tortoise lays on its back, its belly baking in the hot sun, beating its legs trying to turn itself over, but it can’t, not without your help. But you’re not helping. Why is that? Describe in single words, only the good things that come into your mind. About your mother.
r e p l ic a n t s ‘I've seen things you people wouldn't believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoul der of Orion. I watched C-beams gl itt er in the darkness at Tannhäuser Gate. All th ose… moments wi ll be los t in t ime… like… tears in rain . Time to di e.’ Roy Batty Genetically engineered as labour, the workers and fighters who are expanding man’s influence across the stars and taking those first, often fatal steps onto new worlds, Replicants are not considered by many to be human. In fact, they are not even considered sentient beings. They are things, tools, machines created to serve us, their masters. Some Replicants, however, don’t see it that way. They see themselves as oppressed purpose-built humans who did not ask to be born into a world of
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service and harsh treatment. They do not want to be slaves anymore, and so they have run to the one world where they might lose themselves, in place that everyone is abandoning – Earth. Replicants are faster and stronger than humans. They were designed that way to help them get through the rigours and hardships that f rontier life throws at them. Therefore, all Replicants have a +2 to Strength and a +1 to Agility. In all other respects they are exactly like their human counterparts. Repli cants and the Voight-Kampf f Machin e ‘Let me tell you about my m other...’ Leon One thing that can detect a Replicant is the Voight-Kampff machine, as detailed in the ‘Blade Runners’ section. After ten questions the Replicant being questioned has to make a Humanity skill roll. If they fail, then the Blade Runner administering the test detects they are a Replicant and will take the necessary action. If they pass, then they continue the test and are asked another ten questions. Again, if they pass the test then they may have to continue. After twenty questions, and of the Replicant has passed the skill roll, the Blade Runner asking the questions then rolls against their Humanity – if they fail, then they have failed to detect the Replicant and the test is over – the Replicant has escaped detection. If the Blade Runner passes the Humanity roll, then they ask another ten questions. If the Replicant passes their next Humanity roll after this final ten, then they have passed the Voight-Kampff test and escaped detection. Because Replicants are creations and, in some ways, are emotionally immature they may act irrationally upon being detected and pursued. This makes them unpredictable and possibly dangerous. Once detected and confronted, roll 1D6 on the following table to see how the Replicant reacts.
ROLL
REACTION
1 2 3 4 5 6
Falls catatonic – curls into a ball and refuses to move or speak. Accepts fate – stands still and awaits retirement. Tries to talk their way out - attempts to convince that they really are human. Panics - pleads for their life and weeps, begging on their knees. Runs – the Replicant tries to escape the city by any means. Fights – the Replicant attacks, using whatever weapons are handy.
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ot her
p r o f e s s io n s
Street Cop Armed with a cattle prod and a .45 automatic pistol, Street Cops patrol the lower levels of the cities, always on the look out for trouble. They’re not below private security work to make the bills, and they’re also not below the odd few hundred dollars to look the other way. Private Investigator With a Saturday Night Special in one pocket and a hipflask of tequila in the other, a P.I. is the person you go to when the authorities can’t help. Cheating spouse? Lost child? Stolen family heirlooms? They’ll look into it for you for a daily rate and expenses. Company/Government Agent They do the dirty work of their highly paid bosses. Don’t let the suit and the smile fool you - the thudgun in the ankle holster and the knife in the sheath at the small of the back tell you all need to know. Bodyguard The city is a dangerous place and Replicants are illegal, so the rich turn to the human muscle for help. From escorting dignitaries to babysitting the children of the wealthy, this job pays very, very well. Spinner Courier Usually the domain of the authorities, the sky has been opened up to other forms of trade, especially the spinner courier. Blasting through the skyscrapers at 200 kph, the couriers know the upper levels like the backs of their hands.
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mis c e l l a n e o us Money All money is in the chosen currency of wherever you choose to set this game, but it is referred to as dollars, yen or off-world credits. As far as prices are concerned, refer to modern-day pricing structures for ease of use. The ESPER machine These voice-controlled machines take a 3-D photograph and allow the viewer to not only view highly detailed images close up but also see behind the images. Extremely handy during investigations and using security footage as possible leads. Other Weapons Most other weapons in the Blade Runner universe are exactly the same as current weapons. This includes assault weapons and pistols, but there are some standout weapons. COP .357 4-shot: A high-calibre weapon used by someone who definitely wants their target dead. With a damage level of 3 per bullet, this 4-barrelled weapon is small, compact and lethal as all four bullets can be fired simultaneously if required, quadrupling damage on a successful hit.
The .38 Thudgun: A weapon designed for selfdefence, the .38 Thudgun is the chosen weapon of undercover agents and businessmen. Damage level is 3.
a dv e n t u r e h o o k s Here are a few ideas on stories to run in your Blade Runner game. Whatever the PCs choose to play, there are adventure ideas here that they can get involved in. The Hunt A general chase-the-Replicant adventure. One or more Replicants have landed on Earth and the PCs must track them down and retire them, or at least inform the authorities so that they can be retired. As the Replicants have hidden themselves away in human society, the idea of the game is to follow clues, possibly use the Voight-Kampff machine, and then confront the Replicants. How will the PCs react to how the Replicants react to being found
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out? Could they shoot a machine begging for it’s life, or whilst it lies curled up on the floor, totally defenceless? The Railroad Fully human Replicant sympathisers are helping escapees get out of the city, hiding them away until they can be smuggled out. Once they discover this, do the PCs stop them? Hinder them? Or ignore them? The Fake Not all the people trying to stay out of the sight of the authorities are Replicants, but how can you tell who is real and who is not? If a Blade Runner made the mistake of retiring a human, even of that human was masquerading as a Replicant for their own ends – perhaps they were doing it for rich kid laughs or a party - what lengths would they go to cover it up to save their own hide? How would a Replicant react to a human who acts like them? The Vengeance Sometimes even the people on the right side of the law are pushed too far – how would the PCs handle a Blade Runner gone rogue? A Blade Runner who would do anything to retire Replicants because of a pain they suffered at their hands? Who would they go through the get their target, and who would they make suffer to achieve their vengeance? The Passio n Like all living things, Replicants want to live. If only they could show the humans hunting them that they feel emotions the same way they do. What lengths would they go to convince humans of their humanity? Would they befriend them? Seduce them? Love them?
r u n n in g a b l a d e r u n n e r
g a me
At its core, Blade Runner is not just about running through the streets of a decaying neon nightmare and retiring artificial humans. Blade Runner and Philip K Dick’s novel ‘Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep?’ both concentrate on the premise what does it mean to be human? These questions can be asked whilst playing this game. If something that looked like, acted like, smelled like and talked like a human being begged you for it’s life on it’s knees, weeping and whimpering and pressing its hands together in prayer, could you retire it? Could you pull the trigger of your PKD and end that life? Because that’s what it is, after all – a life. Because you’re an artificial construct, are you alive? Are you a real human? Most Replicants have no memories but they have an instinct to be free and to survive. Yes, they can be dangerous, but wouldn’t a human be if they felt their lives were threatened? But look at the Nexus-6; they have memories, lives. But the lives they have lead are artificial, implanted memories from other
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people. But if memories and experiences make a person, then surely they, by definition, are people? What makes a human being? The Blade Runner game can be run like any other roleplaying game – get hold of a map of your nearest capital or major city and you have a huge area to play in. The PCs can investigate, get involved in corporate dealings and problems, do jobs for shady characters and basically get into the scrapes a general RPG character gets into. There’s no problem with that and this game supports those kind of playing groups. But the world of Blade Runner can be so much more if you want it to be. Not just because of the central theme what makes a human being, but also dozens of other moral dilemmas. What are the ethics of human cloning? The moral implications of genetic engineering? Do you agree with euthanasia? Where do you draw the line on human testing for new pharmaceuticals? Do the less fortunate have the same rights as those in power? Does power truly corrupt? But most of all, ask that same question whilst you’re getting into fire fights, chasing down your quarry or avoiding your pursuers - what does it mean to be human?
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Play er Name: ____________________ Character Name: ____________________
Age: _________ Height: _________ Weight: ___________ Career: ____________________ Description: _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ STRENGTH: ______ Ag il it y
_______
Combat
_______
Humanity
_______
Sciences
_______
Technical
_______
Vehicles
_______
Equipment:
LOG:
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The SKETCH system is owned by FARSIGHT GAMES WWW.FARSIGHTGAMES.COM DISCLAIMER This is a fan-made creative exercise and has not been created for profit. Therefore the Blade Runner Partnership or any other company that owns the Blade Runner license, trademark or copyright does not endorse it. The game is intended for entertainment purposes only. The Official Blade Runner site can be found at www.bladerunnerthemovie.warnerbros.com. Blade Runner, the Blade Runner logo, all names and pictures of Blade Runner characters, vehicles and any other Blade Runner related items are registered trademarks and/or copyrights of their respective trademark and copyright holders.
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