A Cyberpunk/Superhero Role-Playing Game

Note: For the purposes of this document, Chrome will be referred to as a bisexual male for shorthand. The player will be able to choose Chrome’s gender – male or female – in the final product.

Story Premise

A catastrophic event has rocked the world. A device that will become known as the Conduit has detonated in a major city, spreading a wave of malignant energy, killing many and transforming more into a power-wielding race known as Controllers. War has broken out between humans and Controllers in the aftermath of the destruction as the Conduit’s energy spreads worldwide.

Meanwhile, the world suffers, as global disasters like volcanic eruptions, raging floods, and accelerated weather events occur with far more frequency and destructive potential.

From the chaos, one Controller must rise, and find a way to survive… through bloodshed, or peace, in the midst of this terrible Cataclysm.

Historical Background

At the dawn of the 2030s, technology had accelerated and advanced to an incredible level. Cybernetics became a growing movement that had intrigued many, due to its great potential. Using cybernetic research, illnesses could be eradicated, prosthetics could be improved, and the average human’s lifespan could be greatly extended. Military technology had expanded, with full-fledged exo-suits, “cyber soldiers” (troops augmented with cybernetic implants/limbs), and robots. By 2031, the world had achieved the start of a golden age. But although the fires of war were tempered, they were not quenched.

By 2033, escalating tensions over territory and advances in science eventually boiled over into the beginning of World War 3, with two distinct sides – the Defenders’ League (United States, Japan, Germany, and United Kingdom) versus the Daybreak Accord (China, Korea, and Russia). These initial conflicts began to ramp up in the middle of 2034, resulting in numerous casualties.

During that same year, a young pacifistic scientist by the name of Julian Roberts came up with a proposed solution – a device known as the Conduit. If perfected, it had the potential to end all wars with its limitless energy supply. His research was sound, and he was eager to complete it, starting with a test run using a prototype device. However, in 2035, its transport was caught in a massive pileup in Wichita, Kansas. The resulting chaos destabilized the Conduit, and started a rapid chain of destructive events… culminating in a massive explosion.

Main Character

Chrome

The player character, Chrome, is a unique kind of human. Caught in the center of the blast radius of the Conduit, he and others were transformed into empowered superhumans referred to as Controllers. In Chrome’s case, he was gifted with powerful psychic abilities, which shift and change depending on Chrome’s personality and morality. Heroic aspects grant more buffing and defensive options, while Dark aspects give more selfish debuff attacks and health leeching. His default stance also changes – if Heroic, he adopts a more straight-backed pose with his chest puffed out. If Dark, he has a more primal and savage stance, hunched over and leering at adversaries.

After the Conduit’s detonation, he was captured and brought in for study by the United States government to see what makes Controllers tick. However, before much could be done, alarms sounded and Chrome was freed from his prison, aided by a mysterious hooded figure. Alone and frightened, Chrome eventually fights his way into the wild, before coming across others like himself – Controllers persecuted and hunted by those they once called friend and family. Chrome must decide whether to act peacefully and try to bring the world together, choose to focus on survival only, or burn bridges left and right and do anything to achieve his goal, no matter how ruthless and violent that may be.

By default, Chrome is an albino man with markings around his chest and arms that signify his psychic powers. His appearance, gender, and voice are customizable, and so is his morality. Will he become an idealist who brings people together, a neutral who only wishes to achieve his goal, or a ruthless pragmatist who will happily use violence as a first resort instead of the last? The choice is the player’s, and of course, choices have consequences…

Some aspects of Chrome’s personality are present regardless of morality and decisions. He is naturally curious and wishes to explore the world, but also won’t hesitate to fight if pushed. He can also engage in romance subplots with some of his teammates, which apply depending on their morality (for example, the heroic Atlas won’t hold a torch for Chrome if he is Dark, and the Dark-aligned Stryder will reject any advances Chrome makes if he’s Heroic).

Supporting Characters

Nine teammates join Chrome’s team and accompany him on his journey. Some can have their loyalty strengthened or lost depending on Chrome’s choices and morality.

Heroic-Aligned

• Tone: A “loud and proud” Russian strongwoman who gained the ability to manipulate sound thanks to the Conduit. Strong and stalwart, yet gentle and dedicated, she serves as the muscle for the group alongside Ogre and Scorch, using her strength and sound powers to lay on the hurt. Before meeting Chrome and company, she was originally in a relationship with a woman named Amanda, until she was killed by terrorists in a hit-and-run. Tone almost lost herself to her grief, before managing to pull herself together and vowed to use her strength to do justice in Amanda’s name. She seems to have a sort of rivalry with Scorch, and really takes a shine to Ion. A romance option for Chrome of either alignment.
• Ogre: A hulking brute of a man, Ogre was originally a gifted scientist who was well-respected among his colleagues for his warm demeanor and incredible research. However, exposure to the Conduit’s energies altered him into a terrifying, super-strong giant who has trouble thinking straight thanks to his transformation. Fortunately, his sense of right and wrong is intact, and with Chrome’s help, he seeks to find his sister, Titan, who suffered a similar situation, in order to find a solution to his pain, and that of others.
• Atlas: A former Royal Guard from the United Kingdom who was afflicted by Conduit Energy spread around the world and given power over gravity. Dutiful and honorbound, the transformation into a Controller ended up turning his fellow Guardsmen against him, with an attempt on his life forcing him to go on the run. Disgusted and ashamed by his former countrymen, he seeks to restore his lost honor, and find a way through the madness. Unlike Ogre and Tone, he carries with him a modified rifle with a bayonet, so that he’s prepared for any situation his powers can’t handle. He also dislikes Scorch, and for good reason. A romance option for Heroic Chrome.

Neutral-Aligned

• Legion: A former IT consultant who gained the ability to produce multiple clones of himself, so that he can be in multiple places at once, or disorient the opponent with a self-made swarm attack. Something of a hipster, Legion enjoys more obscure kinds of music and video games, as well as fashion. He’s rather easily spooked, and is fairly cowardly, but time alongside Northstar and Chrome ends up giving him some well-needed bravery, especially if his loyalty is secured. He also has history with Northstar and vice versa before meeting Chrome and the gang. A romance option for Chrome of any alignment.
• Northstar: A spiritual Japanese woman who has powers over solar and lunar energy, striking enemies with the power of the sun and moon while also empowering her allies. She has a good relationship with Legion, and is something of a “cool big sis” to him. Though she believes in celestial deities and often spouts religious phrases, she knows that others are not like her. That said, she is willing to offer guidance as best as she can. A romance option for Chrome of any alignment.
• Ion: The youngest of the group, practically a teenager compared to everyone else, who are mostly young adults. She can control lightning and energize machines or disable them with her abilities, and can naturally zap aquatic enemies to death. Naïve and impressionable, Ion tends to defer to Chrome’s lead, often mimicking him – if Chrome is Heroic, she becomes more selfless and gentle, but if Chrome is Dark, she turns more violent and crass. Tone and Scorch have taken a liking to her, serving as surrogate parents to her when Chrome isn’t watching. They also fight over her, much to her embarrassment.

Dark-Aligned

• Scorch: A New Yorker “bad boy” given powers over fire and heat, using them in equal measure to burn down his foes. With disdain for the corrupt side of the law due to bad childhood experiences, he naturally clashes with the likes of Atlas, which Chrome can either encourage or defuse (the latter of which will make Scorch irritable but still keep his loyalty as well as Atlas’). Back in his gang days on the streets, he used to be in a relationship with another woman, who gained similar powers to his own and became Wildfire when the Conduit detonated. Though they broke up, he still worries about her, which sets the stage for his Loyalty Story.
• Monarch: An egotistical former hitman hailing from Hong Kong, who was granted the ability to summon weapons of pure energy for any and every situation. A braggart who severely overestimates his capabilities, he attempts to usurp leadership from Chrome from the get-go, only to get browbeaten into submission when Chrome makes it clear he will not tolerate it. Monarch grudgingly follows along, if only because he wants to see how Chrome handles leadership. He gets along quite well with Scorch, given that they both dislike the law. Monarch admires Scorch’s general style, and Scorch took a shine to Monarch being a hitman.
• Stryder: A brooding woman from Brazil who gained the ability to seemingly teleport from point to point while on the move, referred to as “phase dashing.” Originally a shy bike messenger, she has been persecuted by her friends and family for becoming a Controller and forced to abandon them. As a result, Stryder has developed a hatred for the world at large. She wishes to essentially burn it all down – start anew and damn the consequences. Oddly, she gets along well with Northstar, apparently sharing the same faith as her, though much more subdued. A romance option for Dark Chrome.

Locations

There are three areas of note in the setting of Cataclysm, and they all play an important part.

• Ground Zero – Wichita, Kansas: The place where it all began. In the crowded city, the Conduit ended up detonating in a massive pileup, spreading its energies all over the world. Wichita took the brunt of it, leaving a large crater around the incident point. Currently, it is under investigation by the Defenders’ League, closed off by the United States government, and all trespassers – human, Controller, or otherwise – are to be detained on sight. Given that the Conduit detonated here, the zone is highly dangerous without protection. Even Controllers without protection are at risk of taking too much Conduit Energy and becoming violent berserkers known as the Shattered.
• Professor Roberts’ Secret Lab: The hidden laboratory of Julian Roberts, the man behind the Conduit. With Roberts himself having gone missing since the super-empowering event, no one knows where he is or how to get into his files. He has apparently locked them down with highly secure encryption. Roberts is the key to understanding Conduit Energy in its entirety in the hopes of finding a cure for “Conduit Sickness,” a plague that afflicts millions of people who were touched by Conduit Energy, but were not transformed into Controllers. There are rumors, however, that his secret lab resides deep beneath the earth, and only diligent investigation will uncover it.
• The Wildlands: The untouched nature that surrounds civilization, where Chrome and his fellow Controllers flee to avoid being caught and possibly killed. As the Conduit’s energies have spread around the world, the local flora and fauna have been affected in various ways. In particular, many animals have been transformed into violent bloodthirsty beasts called “Savages,” while plant life is relatively unharmed, but now toxic to anything that ingests it. For non-Controllers who find themselves here, they soon realize that they are at a terrible disadvantage. The Savages will not stop until their targets are dead, or they themselves are. Even Controllers must wary, as they only have their wits, powers, and each other to help them.

Antagonists

Chrome has a few notable enemies that he’ll face off against:

• Mindjack: A sadistic and violent Controller who gained illusionary powers. At first he was fairly neutral, but constant bullying and harassment twisted him into becoming the psychotic torturer he is today. He abuses his abilities to torment people and feed on their terror and anguish. When Chrome starts getting notoriety, Mindjack decides to try his hand at adding him and his friends to his list of the people he’s broken.
• Rundas: A mysterious woman concealed in a form-fitting high-tech armor suit that enhances her agility and strength. Proud and noble, she contrasts Mindjack by being a completely ordinary (though still very strong and quick) human outside of her armor. She butts heads with Chrome due to working for the Daybreak Accord, and though she would prefer not to fight, she is convinced that she cannot go against her code and loyalty.
• Jaxon: The leader of the Hunter-Killers, a ruthless private military company. Though Jaxon does not fight Chrome directly, she does often have her forces engage him during the course of the story. Jaxon and her mercenaries are a neutral force who don’t have any loyalties to any faction but their own. To her subordinates, she is warmhearted and motherly, treating them with respect and giving them all that is necessary for their lives and jobs. Naturally, they all love her.
• Julian Roberts: The man behind the Conduit. Originally pacifistic and wellmeaning, after its detonation he went into hiding in a secret bunker. Since then, he’s been tirelessly working on a new and improved Conduit. But long stretches of isolation have taken their toll, and at some point, he snapped. When Chrome finds him, he’s no longer the all-loving hero he used to be. He seeks to bombard the world with numerous Conduits in a bid to take everyone down with him. It’s up to Chrome and his allies to stop him before he can complete the launch.

Additional World Info

Outside of the obvious situation with the Conduit, the world is mostly the same as today, albeit given a “twenty minutes into the future” treatment. Races, social structures, religion, etc. are more or less the same as the world of today.

Given the state of the Controllers, naturally there will be people who are prejudiced and hate them, and minor factions calling for their extermination will rise. However, other factions wish to protect them, seeing as they’re just people who are cursed and don’t deserve the hatred they get.

The Conduit has affected the world in more ways than one. Its explosion seems to have rocked the world to the very core, throwing the global climate out of sync and causing disasters like earthquakes, tsunamis, and tornadoes to become much more frequent and powerful. Given that there’s a war going on between the League and the Accord, this does not bode well for the state of the world.

In addition, there are various groups of mercenaries who don’t care who their target is, only that they’re getting paid. These mercenaries include normal humans and Controllers as well, indicating that it’s an equal opportunity situation.

As the Controllers become more integrated with the world, normal humans begin to gossip, some thinking they are “magic.” It’s not hard to see it that way, given how some, like Stryder and Northstar, can seemingly evade danger in the blink of an eye or call down celestial energies to annihilate their foes, respectively.

Story Synopsis

Chrome awakens in a stasis tube, a confused amnesiac. He struggles against the glass of his prison, before resigning himself to sitting there, contemplating his fate… Suddenly, an explosion rocks the facility, the glass around his tube breaks, tossing Chrome to the ground in a heap. He shakes his head and his eyes rest on a mysterious cloaked figure, who gestures sharply for him to get moving. A disoriented Chrome starts to demand answers, but the figure vanishes into the darkness. Frustrated and angry, Chrome braces himself to fight incoming security, whose footsteps are getting louder as they draw near.

After his escape, Chrome discovers an abandoned military base choked by vegetation. Luckily, the server room and power grid are still operational. There, Chrome finds a computer containing data on something called the Conduit and its creator Julian Roberts, as well as a global war between entities referred to as the Defenders’ League and the Daybreak Accord. Before he can contemplate this, a notification about an energy signature nearby pops up, and it’s uncannily similar to his own.

During his search for answers, Chrome manages to make friends and enemies along the way, and secure teammates he knows he can count on. And if he’s lucky, he may find love with certain teammates depending on their gender and morality.

Through trials and tribulations, Chrome eventually finds his way to Professor Roberts’ secret lab, where the good professor is currently preparing something even more terrible. Having gone mad months ago, the professor plans to completely destroy the world by launching more Conduits, which will tear the Earth apart with their energies. After a harrowing struggle, Chrome manages to defeat Roberts and narrowly stop the launch.

The tattered world is saved, but at a serious cost. With Chrome’s efforts, the world has a chance to recover from the devastation. But the question remains: will Chrome lead the way into a new golden age? Or will he be influenced by the terrible events he’s faced and become a vicious monster? Only time will tell…