The simultaneous tachyon flux of 1876 and 2076 forever changed the world, introducing a myriad of new races to Earth from other dimensions before the strange portals closed with the coming of the 20th century. The 200 years since have been filled with the miraculous rise of alter sapiens, the demigrant struggle for equal rights, and the ascent of the planet’s true masters: hypercorporations. Earth is firmly in the grip of these monolithic institutions, gradually being stripped away as more and more aspects of life are codified and monetized. For most this is a bleak and repetitious existence but for some it can be much more—for operators it offers an avenue to vast power, prestige, and wealth.
Hypercorps 2099 is a campaign setting and rule system for use with the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, taking adventurers into a cyberpunk future and granting them superheroic abilities that raise the drama of their tabletop game to unprecedented levels using the Hyper Score system. As operators the party will work for and against hypercorporations to frame executives, pull heists, sabotage laboratories or shipments, and whatever else their plutocratic overlords pay them to.
In the 204 page Hypercorps 2099 rulebook you’ll find:
A vibrant timeline explaining how the world of Hypercorps 2099 differs from the Earth of today
Over four dozen characters and 10 incredible full page illustrations by artist Nathanael Batchelor!
56 pages detailing six areas of the planet: apocalyptic Cleveland 2099, the digital dimension of the Hypernet, the mystical city of Kathmandu, the tumultuous landscape of Latin America, the hypercorporate mega-utopia of Lucrum, the megametropolis of Neo York, and the dark, vampire ruled lands of Wallachia
10 pages with 19 organizations and 46 hypercorporations in the world of Hypercorps 2099
An operating cast of fifty original NPCs including super teams, gang leaders, heroes, psychos, villains, and much more, giving GMs a plethora of allies and enemies to interact with operators
A hyper bestiary with 7 new templates and 21 new minions, drones, and monsters for GMs to use in any Pathfinder Roleplaying Game
A game mastering chapter with new skills, new attributes (Luck and Reputation), new security system traps and the hyper trap template, and essential tips for GMs running a game in the future (along with guidelines for games set in the late 1800s, during World War II, and in a modern setting)
Four new class archetypes (the ballistics brawler monk, cyber ninja, cyber samurai, and mechwarrior netjacker) as well as the netjacker base class for master hackers and the veloces base class for operators that know speed is key
A Hyper Equipment chapter with rules on advanced craftsmanship, advanced armor, the new arcanosteel material, cybernetics, gear, melee weapons, vehicles, and a host of futuristic firearms.
The Hyper Score system, a rules template in the spirit of Pathfinder Roleplaying Game: Mythic Adventures that makes the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game a far deadlier experience by granting players lethal abilities (if they can survive long enough to use them!)
If you aren’t positive this exciting new Pathfinder Roleplaying Game supplement is for you, download four free preview PDFs of Hypercorps 2099 to see what amazing things await you within this deluxe tome.
Dive into the future with all the grit, fervor, and intensity you can offer for the operations ahead—there are bytecoins to be made, prestige to acquire, and power to be won!
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This massive book clocks in at 206 pages, 1 page front cover, 1 page backer list, 1 page editorial, 1 page ToC, 1 page SRD, 3 pages of advertisement, 1 page back cover, leaving us with 197 pages of content, so let's take a look!
In 1876, the first time traveler managed to slip back 200 years back in time; this introduced ripples and other types of rifts to our world, bringing elves, halflings, etc. to our world as emissaries of magic. Ever since, the world has not been the same - Hypercorps 2099 is an allotopia, where time travel super soldiers and the like have influenced our history; where a dark elf assassin started WW I, where hippies discovered vancian casting and AI has developed - it is 2099 and the world is a radically different blend of cyberpunk aesthetics, fantasy and superhero aesthetics. The currency is bytecoins and, as a whole, it is interesting to note the highly unconventional theme of the setting: Unlike pretty much every cyberpunk game I know, Hypercorps 2099 feels less gritty, more light-hearted. To get a good idea of how it feels: Picture yourself as a child; you and your friends have just read Neuromancer for the first time, eaten a metric ton of sugar and discussed the ups and downs of various superhero comics and the LotR-movies; put these things in a blender and there you go. Alternatively, think of a less grim Shadowrun, with a massive sprinkling of M&M thrown into the mix.
As has become the traditions with Mike Myler's campaign settings, the book presented here falls on the high-concept end of things; Hypercorps 2099 does not concern itself with the minutiae of the particulars, instead focusing on the big picture of high concept adventuring. This focus also means that the advised gameplay does not begin at 1st level - instead, the book recommends starting with the 2nd or 3rd level and a hyper score of 1 (more on that aspect later); while gameplay before is possible, the engine of materials used herein makes it less the focus.
This focus, for example, also is represented in the way in which the book focuses on the urban environment: The land between the sprawls is generally a corporate-owned place and due to easy transportation and virtual reality, there is considerable less need for traditional forms of contact. From this general perspective, we move fluidly into an example environment, namely what has become of Cleveland: From gangs to the never-ending tram to the hypermax penitentiary and the tainted waters of lake Erie and its water gangs (containing aquatic weirdness alongside wererats), we receive an interesting sketch for a campaign region to develop.
This depiction, then, proceeds to introduce us to Murderball: Think of that as basketball with a non-bouncy ball and a goal...as well as the explicit goal of kicking your foe's behinds and potentially, killing them. Players require a hand and no vehicles or explosives are allowed and there are quite a few different score fields, from deflector fields to those that have a tendency to phase out. It is quite nice to see the different score fields using different formulae to calculate their AC, though the actual gameplay rules for catching and intercepting are a bit simplistic, boiling down to relatively simple checks. What makes the game as a mini-game interesting would be the weird effects that the murderball stadium may feature - from neuralshocks to magic-impeding tricks, the effects per se are pretty nice, though purists may scoff at one of the precise wordings here; similarly, e.g. a hazard-level lightning effect sports no average damage value. These are not crucial hiccups, though this would be as well a place as any to comment on the depth of the setting material presented: If you're like me and read the murderball-passage, you may very well smile at the idea; at the same time, though, the execution could have carries so much more: Unique fields, more and different balls, etc. - this is not intended as a disparaging comment, just as a n observation that the highlight-reel-style nature of the book does not have the space to develop all components to their full potential: Murderball as such could carry its own supplement and certainly can be developed by an enterprising GM into the primary focus of a whole campaign - but what's here, ultimately, remains a basic framework. Whether you like that or not, ultimately remains up to your personal sensibilities. That being said, unlike in the 5e-version, the sanctioned items for different positions and high emphasis of PFRPG on item-choice, the game presented here actually works better than in the 5e-iteration and can, as a whole, be considered to be a more reliable experience due to the throwing rules employed here.
Pretty much every cyberpunk game has its take on virtual reality and the same holds true for the hypernet that the year 2099 features: Creatures entering the place generally can do so via a variety of means; the place, as a whole, is presented pretty much as a plane, with highly morphic properties and several unique aspects. An important component that accompanies this would be the fact that you use your mental attributes instead of physical ones when in the hypernet - which obviously means that the big, bad bullies will probably be pretty weak around here. While time-honored mechanics-wise (the same mechanics have been used since the days of old for the realm of dreams or similar excursions), this also means that fighters and similarly physical characters won't have that much fun in the hypernet. In the PFRPG version of this massive book, novel planar traits and a somewhat more forgiving take on the use robots etc. in the hypernet render the place a novel, fun and extremely creative environment, full of vast narrative potential and mind-boggling wonders...
That being said, with "Jarrikol", an unbound AI and a quasi-devil/deity of the hypernet, various environments like e.g. Veranthea, Mike's first campaign setting as a kind of game server, the hypernet remains a very dangerous, but also evocative and unique place that features some excellent ideas to scavenge and develop. The section also provides some nice traps/haunts that represent dangers of the hypernet their mechanical representation is significantly smoother than in the 5e-iteration. As before with murderball, we focus on the grand picture here, though the servers, somewhat like sub-planes, do have their own rules. Have I mentioned that the darknet is controlled by demons and devils? Yeah...tread carefully.
After our trip to the technology side of things, the next section of the book deals with magical Kathmandu, where sacred creatures (CR +2) and dimension-hopping are part of the expected fare; street elementals roam the streets and the tunnels of sand can have truly unpleasant consequences. Similarly, the zodiac defenders, champions established and named after the signs, are mentioned. The alternate timeline provided for Latin America similarly is a detailed, varied section - where e.g. the saber of Bolivar is a powerful CL 20 artifact and both PMCs and continental threats loom. Yes, including the fourth reich.
Beyond the confines of Latin America, the flying city of Lucrum, under the command of the hypercorporates, makes for a mobile flying fortress and quasi-autonomous zone; from the direct context of the brief history, one could picture this place as somewhat akin to MGS' Outer Heaven under a corporate leadership, with a heavy dash of hypercapitalist Orwellianism. The deadly and powerful RAUs, the rapid assembly units, may make for feasible targets to deal with the threat...at least theoretically.
If you are looking for more of a classic cyberpunk experience, you may want to look towards Neo York, where we receive rules for rogue automated vehicles as well as brief dossiers on how the old crime syndicates have reacted to the changed realities and options of 2099; corporate politics also congeal here, with a vast array of hypercorporations and their agents playing the grand game here. Wallachia has, in Hypercorps, become a force of its own, as Vlad himself has returned to claim his throne., creating a haven for the undead, with respective statutes governing daily life. The Blood Magic tradition, represented as 3 feats: Unlike the 1 5e-feat, these 3 provide a complex and precise take on the concept of blood-powered metamagic that also prevents abuse. Kudos!
But let's move on to organizations, from anonymous to the church of cthulhu, derklitz, a synthpop-celebrity worshipped as divine, to the hypercorporations (including necromanagement, known for undead slave labor), the respective brief entries are nice, though one, Xypher Media Institute, is oddly missing the alignment note.
After this, we dive into the critters/NPCs...which are BUTAL regarding both damage output and defenses; DM-1, for example, has a nasty mechwarrior suit; the dog-faced Sergeant K-9 (groan-worthy pun worthy of yours truly there -well-played), powerful Rabbit, Deadpool lookalike Big Cheez, super-ganger Deathslide...there are a lot of unique champions herein on both sides of the spectrum; Aurora, infused with positive energy and sworn to hunt down Vlad Dracul (CR 33), for example...or what about BioSpecs CEO, who may be under the influence of the suit she created. Archangel stand-ins like Deathwing, former Cthulhu-cultists turned hero, Edgar Allen Poe (a very powerful psychic, obviously), an elven temple champion that looks like an angel, a good undead gunslinger...oh, and the author has played the first season of the gloriously insane Sam & Max Telltale games - Roy G. Biv can be found reincarnated as King Lunar here. A bear-anthro called Kodyax may be a nice nod towards the member of the roleplaying community, the less-known superhero...or something else. Devil-blooded legendary netjackers, the legendary invisible assassin Nevidimy, the Native American spin on Captain America and the construct S.H.E.R.L.O.C.K. with the superb agent of the highest rank...well, you get the idea. The dramatis personae herein could be taken from the pages of golden and silver age comic books, a theme further underscored by them having their own fonts/logos for their names. And nope, I have not covered all of them.
The hyper bestiary begins with 5 templates (CR +1 to +2) to enhance creatures encountered before providing the stats for genetically engineered 4th Reich soldiers, the gigantic dakai, various drones, hyper lycanthropes/vampires, the nigh unstoppable Kawsay Sach'aqa plant monster (CR 27), robo T-Rex and dragons...there are quite a few of interesting critters here.
All right, so by now you'll have an idea how the setting feels and works regarding its aesthetics and motifs, so let's get into the nit and grit: Athletics collates Swim and Climb, while Perception is replaced by Awareness. Search is used instead of Perception to find secret doors etc. and there also is Knowledge (technology) and Use Technology. Vehicular Control is based on Dex. All skills come with notes for which classes they are available and, if required, sample DC-tables. Whether you like the split of Perception remains a matter of taste.
The higher power of both PCs and adversaries means that the game as presented here, ultimately is more lethal and the book does provides notes on how to handle this. Both XP-progression and the use of hero points are strongly encouraged and GMs can look forward to skyscrapers used as dungeons (see the recent, horribly underappreciated Judge Dredd movie for inspiration there!) and there also are several security systems depicted. Unlike the 5e-version, which oddly put the attributes in the back, this one's organization is a bit better, following the basic skill-collation up with info of aforementioned new attributes: The book also introduces two new attributes, namely luck and reputation. Luck is 10 + 2 x hyper score; Reputation is 10 + 2 x hyper score + Charisma modifier. PCs get contacts equal to the reputation modifier. These scores, however, have hard limits: PCs can only use luck equal to the attribute modifier times per day and reputation only once per modifier per week and they need to request those checks. While seemingly odd, this little operation can actually be pretty helpful for creative games that feature an experienced GM. While testing this, a player invoking luck had e.g. an elevator containing a hostile team stuck for precious few rounds to make an escape. A group shares one wealth score, which is equal to all luck and reputation scores added together, divided by the number of characters. The pdf does provide an easy formula for covering one's tracks. GMs also receive various security systems.
The GM-section similarly sports one-page templates for steam-punky pseudo-Victorian gameplay, WW-era and the contemporary age - while these are appreciated, I think that full-blown books for them would have probably been the wiser choice here; at basically one template each and a couple basic pieces of information, they don't cover the basics.
That being said, the book does feature several archetypes to fit within the context of the game: The Ballistics Brawler monk archetype, who gains flurry with guns and may use ki instead of grit at -3 levels, the Cyber Ninja, who gets less sneak progression, but drones (Heja MGS!), the Cyber Samurai samurai archetype, who gets cybertech instead of mounts and features the order of the street. Netjackers may elect to become mechwarriors - which basically completely rewire a large part of said new class. The netjacker The netjacker base class receives d6, 2+Int skills per level, 3/4 BAB-progression, good Ref and Will-saves and proficiency with simple weapons and one exotic weapon of their choice. They also are proficient with light and medium armors and 1st level netjacker begin play with an installed hyperjack and digiboard.
Netjackers are all about controlling robots - when in combat while controlling robots, they take a -3 penalty to AC, which is reduced by 1 at 6th level and every 6 levels thereafter. At the beginning of a day, a netjacker chooses either a proxy or drones, both of which are collectively known as robots.
Robots progress with a 3/4 BAB-progression, d10, 6+Int skills per HD, only bad saves, AC-bonuses that scale from +0 to +16, Str/Dex-bonuses that scale up to +6 and scaling upgrade pools and bonus HP for proxies and drones. Proxy upgrade pools scale up from 3 to 26, bonus hp from 2 to 46. Upgrade pools for drones scale up from 1 to 9 and bonus hp from 1 to 24. Proxies act upon your initiative -3, drones at initiative -6. Sharing senses can be accomplished as a standard action -proxies can furthermore act as if properly possessed. Drones, obviously, as less powerful robots, can instead offer more than one active at any given time- 1st level netjacker can have 2 active, +1 at 8th and 16th level and possess these drones as well Netjacker receives scaling bonuses to Technology-related skills and at 2nd level and every 2 levels thereafter, the netjacker receives a hacking talent. Some sample proxie base forms (3) and two sample drone base forms (2) are provided.
These talents allow for the sabotage of armor, equipment, etc. - personally, I'm not a big fan opposed level checks used - especially since the wording could be read as a fixed value or as an opposing roll - not sure which it is: "The netjacker makes a Use Technology check opposed by a level check (her target's hit dice +1 per 2000bt of the item's value)." - Granted, this is a minor glitch and more a matter of taste, so no biggie. Better hoverboarding, becoming invisible to tech - some nice options.
At higher levels, coordinated attacks allow the netjacker to expend actions of robots to grant himself a hyper bonus and further scaling hyper bonuses are interesting. 10th level expands the list of available talents to provide advanced talents, 17th level nets +1 standard action in the hypernet and at the capstone, the class gets dual initiative a limited amount of times per day- once in the hypernet, once in the real world.
Reprinted from another distributor website (URL available upon request by messaging my Paizo account--didn't want to upset the golems)
I'll skip the stats that Endzeitgeist typically gives on the assumption that Thilo G. will handle that and instead give my thoughts on each chapter of the book
Chapter 1: Hyper Gaming:
First page we get a general sales pitch of the setting and some notes involving the expectations of the players/gm when they play/run a story with this book. Some warnings about power levels, general theme and risks that may differ from a typical Pathfinder play experience.
From there you get this timeline of earth with the assumption that any point in time before the first entry lines up with what we have in the real world. It is colorful, a fun read and draws me in with the basic information on a global scale to make this world feel real without becoming a history textbook. You get mutants, super powers, spells, mega-corps, virtual reality, time travel.
Finally in this chapter we get a couple brief boxes involving exchange rates of Dollars and Gp and a small list of lingo for this world.
Right from the get go I am getting this vibe in flavor of the general feel of Champions (from HERO System) or Mutants and Masterminds meets Shadowrun.
Chapter 2: A Hyper World:
First Page goes back to manging expectations on the universe and how it differs from your typical Pathfinder experience involving things we might take for granted (Travel) as well as how to reflavor prexisting classes to fit.
The Hypernet: For those who play Shadowrun this is their The Matrix. The time difference is less out of wack between time flow on the net and on the prime and each of the servers use Planar Traits already existing in Pathfinder and a few new ones to handle the unique traits on each server, going as far as to create a unique server for Mike Meyler's other product using the Veranthea Codex.
Murder-Ball: A sport that has the flavor of GW's Bloodbowl if cranked up to 11. A full list of simple rules are given with a chart to represent regional/league differences around the world.
We're given a tour key points around the globe ranging from the sample City of Cleaveland 2099 to the Hypercorperate Megametropolis of Lucrum. Most of this is only useful if you use this as your gaming universe but there are bits and pieces in these sections to part out into your own world quite easily.
Chapter 3: Organizations
This comes in mostly two parts: Organizations and Hypercorporations
For those familiar with Shadowrun Hypercorps are the AAA Megacorps of this universe. Globally reaching and are above the concepts of the laws of sovereign nations. Organizations are very much like Pathfinder's factions, just on a larger scale ranging from Anonymous (yes, that one) to the Church of Cthulhu to The Triad. In concept reading these seems very silly, but taking the setting as a whole it fits the very Over The Top feeling that's being built up here.
Chapter 4: Operating Cast
A sort of NPC Codex built into this book for all the mentioned NPCs throughout the book, with CRs ranging from CR 7 to CR 33 (with one at CR 20/ Mythic Rank 10). A nice touch giving you a series of tools from the get go, a few very humorous like the a certain CR 15 member of Zodiac Defenders to the serious business Hyper Vampire listed.
Chapter 5: Hyper Bestiary
Front loaded with a collection of templates to augment monsters from other Bestiaries/NPCs to fit in this setting both in sense of power and theme. Afterwards it's a mixture of humanoid generic NPCs and quite a few Constructs/Robots.
As a huge fan of the Netjacker (a class appearing later in this book) free PDF when I first saw it the one minor gripe I have here might be when they give sample Proxy and Drone monstersmaybe a step by step on how to reassemble these or even at various breakpoints. Maybe a feature to be added in a future product?
Chapter 6: Gamemastering:
Ah, hard crunch for all the fluff we receive in chapters 1-3.
Rules for Bullet Armor Class, rules I think I will be adopting in normal Pathfinder games to help balance a personal issue I had with them in the base Pathfinder game
New/Adjusted Skills: Perception is removed, replaced by Awareness (Wis) and Search (Int) while Climb and Swim are squished into Athletics (Str) with Knoweldge Technology, Use Technology and Vehicular Control rounding up the cast of skills.
Luck and Reputation: 2 new ability scores added to our base 6 (Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom and Charisma) that are derived from a different formula than through typical ability score generation methods. They kind of round out the more out there requests people can make in a t ypical table and give resources in the form of "Chance" and "Sway" points for Luck and Reputation respectively that can be spent, regenerating back each day/week.
Within this GM section it mentions rules for powered teamwork allowing your party to develop neat tricks very much like in DC Comics with Superboy and Robin doing the 'Fastball Special', reminds the reader that the the intent is for a high paced action oriented game.
Afterwards we get some sample traps and rules how to make hyper traps, suggestions for eras of play ranging from the late 1800's to Current day 2099+
Chapter 7: Hyper Classes:
An Archetype for the Monk, Ninja, Cavalier (complete with new Order), and Netjacker each with their own unique feeling that fits quite well.
Two New Classes in the shape of the Netjacker and the Veloces.
The Netjacker: The master hacker/robot controller, coming in with his own full suite of drones and proxy.
3/4 BaB, Good Ref, Good Will. D6 HD. 2 + Int Mod skill points and a solid Skill List.
As you progress your Drones/Proxy improve as well does your prowess in operating on the Hypernet/Dealing with other robots. For a Shadowrun Player this will feel like playing a Decker/Rigger without potentially spending an entire night doing your thing while the party waits.
Veloces: 3/4 BaB, Good Fort, Good Ref, d8 HD, 4+Int Mod, another solid skill list.
The quintessential speedster. If you ever wanted to play as The Flash/Quicksilver, this alone can give you the tools that you need. However to keep up in a world where wizards can rewrite campaigns at a whim at higher levels you get the ability to apply your speed to operating magic items from potions to wondrous items to staves/wands, firing off multiple per round.
Chapter 8: Hyper Equipment
Here we get a new material (arcanosteel), advanced craftsmanship rules that work like (and stack with) enchanting magic weapons/armor rules.
We get another version of Armor giving Damage Reduction compared to what Pathfinder has as an option, allowing you to pay a little extra to reduce the item's armor bonus to instead give DR.
Cybernetics: Should feel familiar if you've looked through Pathfinder's Technology guide however there appear to be no Implement costs associated with these items in the form of Implementation Points, only a limitation of body slots and some requiring an Install DC.
Gear: A nice wide array of technological toys, complete with craft DCs and feats/labs needed ranging from VR rigs to Translators, to Rebreathers, to magical potions that restore spell slots (Whoo mana potions!)
Weapons: Firearms are now simple weapons and we have a new table of firearms. Quite a few of these are slick with the Razor Shotgun holding a special place in my heart. Misfire is still a thing even in the 22nd centur unless you pick up one of the three new exotic firearms.
For those not interested in guns you only snag two new toys, the Molecular Whip and Sword-chucks. Now while I only say 'only' these two weapons are really neat and have some very fun rules.
Vehicles: So these feel a little better than Pathfinder vehicles (and thus feel dramtically better than say, 3.5's Stormwrack) and it makes me feel really excited to have quasi Mad-Max type stories to be able to play now
Chapter 9: Hypercore
Mythic Adventures has Mythic Rules. Hypercorps 2099 has Hyper Rules, those familiar will see a vaguely familiar trend but it is different enough that they distinctly different.
This is where the players get their raw power boost to keep up with some of the expectations of what is an appropriate challenge rating for this universe.
I can take or leave this part of the section depending on any given type of game I'd run with this book, using the system for a high powered M&M feeling game while not using them to give a grittier Shadowrun-esque feel.
I will say however, this system feels better in balance/application than Mythic Rules, probably as you are given guidelines for what is an appropriate CR to throw at people based on their level/hyper score.
All in all if you're looking for Shadowrun or Champions style game but you/your playgroup do not want to learn those systems, Hypercorps 2099 is worth looking at
If you aren’t positive this exciting new Pathfinder Roleplaying Game supplement is for you, download four free preview PDFs of Hypercorps 2099 to see what amazing things await you within this deluxe tome.
Also, in that group why do Thrillville or Killville and Specimens in Centralia appear twice - each version seems superficially the same (same image, one with Hypercorps 2099: before the title, one without) albeit with different copy in the product description...
If you aren’t positive this exciting new Pathfinder Roleplaying Game supplement is for you, download four free preview PDFs of Hypercorps 2099 to see what amazing things await you within this deluxe tome.
Also, in that group why do Thrillville or Killville and Specimens in Centralia appear twice - each version seems superficially the same (same image, one with Hypercorps 2099: before the title, one without) albeit with different copy in the product description...
So nice they had to list it twice? :D
Jason Nelson
RPG Superstar 2008 Top 4; Contributor; Publisher, Legendary Games
1 person marked this as a favorite.
Come by the PaizoCon dealer room and we have print samples of both the Pathfinder and 5E versions of the book to ogle!
No print version available for purchase here, alas, but you can pick it up at the Legendary Games webstore!
The Veloces, chassis-wise, does look a bit like a bland monk-reskin at first sight; however, unlike in the pretty disappointing 5e-iteration, the class can stand on its own: Basically, it is a take on the Flash, Quicksilver and similar speedster characters. Yes, if you're fast enough, you'll run on walls, punch foes with incredible potency, etc. Self-haste and similar tricks help make this variant a fun addition to the roster, with a ton of talent-customizations and proper player agenda.
A crucial component of any cyberpunk game lies in the customization of pretty much everything cybertech related, gun-or similar equipment-related. Opposed to the 5e-version, the engine allows for several unique tweaks: Including DR-granting armor, a significant array of firearms that feature takes on automatic and semi-automatic fire. They, unsurprisingly, also deal serious damage. Autofire generates lines of fire, semi auto guns allow for Rapid Reload like shots. The pdf also features proper stats for various vehicles, including hoverboards. While smoother executed than the 5e-iteration, this may be the one aspect where I sincerely feel that this book falls short of its own ambition - perhaps I'm spoiled by years of Cyberpunk 2020 and Shadowrun, but equipment-wise, Hypercorps 2099 simply doesn't have that much to offer - the modifications are nice, but nowhere near fulfill the needs of my group.
Now, so far, the most crucial rules-difference has not yet been covered - that would be going hyper, becoming basically a superhero. This is represented by gaining a hyper score. Hyper score allow you to gain access to hyper bonuses, which stack with every bonus, even other hyper bonuses. They do not, however, allow you to stack two identical effects. The hyper score is a 10-level progression, somewhat akin to mythic tiers and hyper bonus scales up to +5 over this progression. Hyper score also determines the maximum amount of hero points you can hold and provides up to 5 hyper feats, but also 2 hyper flaws over its progression. Hyper bonuses thus gained pretty much apply to almost anything and thus, the table features a handy CR-increase for your convenience. Oh, the table also nets you more hit points and ability score increases. Hero points work in different, more potent ways for hyper characters, allowing for brief scene-control, for example. Hyper characters also gain more attacks, heal quicker, grant themselves a kind of advantage or benefit, a limited number of times from FF's Life III, becoming very hard to kill.
A lot of customization options happen via the respective hyper feats, which allow you to scavenge progressively better monster qualities, implant more cybertech, (de-)activate technological devices at range, etc. Better planar adaption to magic within the unreliable hypernet, a proper secret identity (into which you can change at Superman-in-phone-booth-speed) or hyper vehicles - the selections provided here are versatile and fun. Hyper flaws would be the unique Achilles heels you'd associate with superheroes and villains - from requiring an object to tiring exertions, these flaws represent a fun, identity-constituting element.
Beyond the basic hyper score and its consequences, the pdf assumes a type of 5 different hyper routes: The Abbernaut is basically the guy that receives monstrous abilities; the meganaut is the regular super who enhances hyper attributes; the hypernaut is the guy who gains the hyper powers; the parallel is the gestalt-spellcaster and the savant is the non-magical gestalt who gains more non-magical tricks; depending on the route chosen, you gain different arrays of hyper flaws.
Hyper powers are grouped by 3 tiers and their general rules are presented in a concise and easy to grasp manner; some may be taken multiple times and they do NOT screw around. What about time stop for two rounds or any villain's favorite gambit, cloned simulacra? Talking to the city (breaks into "The Spirit"-impression) or fabulous wealth...some seriously cool stuff here. Now I mentioned hyper attribute traits - these would basically be abilities grouped by attribute which allow you to perform those heroic acts: Ignoring conditions, throwing huge things, being ridiculously likable, auto-skill check successes...basically, these would be the tricks that make you more of an incarnation of the things you'd do with the respective attributes.
Conclusion:
Editing and formatting are pretty good; while I noticed a couple of minor hiccups here and there, as a whole, the book is very readable and the majority of the rules language is similarly precise. The most prominent glitches are minor typesetting hiccups. Layout adheres to a two-column full-color standard and manages to cram a TON of text into the pages of this book, making it look somewhat busy, but also getting you maximum bang for your buck per page. The pdf sports a ton of artwork, which ranges from often used stock to original pieces; most of them adhere to the comic-style flair that fits well with the theme, even though personally, I'm not the biggest fan of the style, I appreciate the very high art-density of the book. The pdf comes fully bookmarked for your convenience.
Mike Myler, Savannah Broadway, Luis Loza and Michael McCarthy deliver a book that deserves being called unique; I have literally never before seen a take on cyberpunk that emphasizes the at times cheesy superhero-esque components that e.g. high-powered Shadowrun etc. tend to feature. The flavor of the setting is unique and it has this gleeful over-the-topness that makes you smile - we don't get sharks with lasers, we get dragons with lasers. This would perhaps be the best way to look at this toolkit/campaign setting. If you expect copious information on the minutiae of daily life, an exploration of social dynamics and the more subdued aspects of cyberpunk, including what "humanity" means...then this is probably not for you. If you, however, want to blow up skyscrapers, crash-land flying cities into legions of genetically-engineered nazi-drones or test your superhuman strength against a ginormous plant-monstrosity with your pal Edgar Allen Poe riding a hoverboard...then this will be just what the doctor ordered. This setting polarizes. Chances are that you already know whether this is for you or not at this point.
To state this loud and clearly: The PFRPG-iteration of the book is better than its 5e-version; we get more artistry; variant classes instead of short archetypes, a more pronounced compatibility with established material, etc. Even the structure of how rules are presented is more concise in the PFRPG-version. Anyways, like the 5e-version, players who expect a ton of customization and tweaking options will be disappointed to see the scope of both equipment and cybertech; the chapters do their basic job, but not much beyond that. On the plus-side, the PFRPG hyper-score rules are more elegant and versatile and allow for more options and their rules are presented in a pretty simple and easy to grasp manner; the escalation of deadliness of both PCs and adversaries generates an interesting playing experience. The hyper routes cover the vast majority of common superhero tropes in a basic system that you can learn within 5 minutes...and while you get the basics, I really hoped to see more powers here...though access to SPs of PFRPGs vast array of spells means that you'll have more options with this iteration.
In short: The hyper score engine could have used expansions. On the other side, it does already allow for an impressive array of modifications and options. Pretty much every aspect of this book can be seen as either a feature of as a bug; I frankly could wax poetically about the sheer density of amazing over the top action for pages on end...or, I could complain for the same length about aspects that could have used further fleshing out, in both mechanical engines and environments. Ultimately, to me at least, this book feels a bit like it tries to do a bit too much at once; a focus on either campaign setting or cyberpunk/superhero-rules would have allowed the campaign setting, which is pretty intriguing, more space to shine and provide enough room for the equipment and super-aspects to grow. To my own sensibilities, the compromise of packing both into one book ended up making them both good, no doubt about that...but also made them fall short of their own, significant potential. Less so than in the 5e-version...but still. The short non-2099-era sketches of e.g. the WW-age in the GM-section would be the culmination of this aspect of the book: Well-intentioned though they are, they are too short to be of significant use to pretty much anyone.
The aspects where I definitely cannot complain in any way would be the powerful NPCs and the creatures: Exceedingly powerful, these beings unanimously have this glorious sense of irreverent humor, this sense of anything goes. Extra brownie points if you get why Poe needs to eat a pomegranate every day to retain his powers, for example. These are also the aspect of the book where, no matter how you look at it, it delivers: Bosses with SERIOUS staying power abound, in spite of the increased power-level - so if you're looking for epic boss fights and a somewhat video-gamey-sensibility to accompany the flavor, well, here are foes that can take the punishment. The adversaries in the book are very, very nasty; Vlad-y boy will wreck you. Even among the unnamed NPCs like security officers etc., you will not find entries with low hit points.
These NPCs and creatures also represent perhaps the best litmus-test on whether you'd like this: If you can smile at Sergeant K-9 or at some of the other beings here, then chances are you'll find a place in your heart for this book. If the gritty day to day survival aspect of cyberpunk and the transhumanist questions are what brought you to the genre, you will probably be less excited about what you find herein. In short: This may not deliver in grit or detail, but it represents a delightfully gonzo, over the top experience. It is more superhero with a cyberpunk aesthetic, not vice versa.
It is very hard for me to rate this; as a reviewer, I can complain about the few formal hiccups I noticed - but as a whole, the PFRPG-version is better. Apart from that as a formal complaint, the vast majority of gripes I could potentially field can be mitigated by simply stating that the intent of the book, the focus, is different. The more action-oriented among my players really liked testing this; the detail-oriented planners were significantly less taken and impressed...which also eliminates this means of determining a rating for this book.
Personally, I am torn to an extent beyond what most books manage to elicit - I adore several aspects and the vast imagination, but also bemoan the scope of the equipment aspects and power-options, both of which combined could probably fill a book of this size on their own regarding the amount of material you could make for them. On the one hand, I could argue for a 4 star rating; sober me complaining about the hiccups, the fact that the book's all over the place and that almost all aspects could have used more coverage. On the other hand, though, I could also start gushing and rambling about the awesome concepts, the glorious critters and the sheer glee that oozes from these concepts and proclaim this a 5-star masterpiece with a uniquely fun and gonzo aesthetic. Additionally, the PFRPG version provides a bit more care, feels a bit more streamlined and routed in the aesthetics of the system than the 5e-iteration.
The truth for you, my readers, will quite probably fall on either one of these two ratings; either you'll really like it and disregard what could be construed as shortcomings or the shortcomings weigh more heavily for you than the boons this offers. As a reviewer, I can understand both positions and thus urge you to select yours. I, however, cannot rate this as both and thus will settle on a final verdict in the middle, at 4.5 stars, rounded up to 5 due to in dubio pro reo. If you have the luxury of choosing your system, I'd suggest the PFRPG iteration.
Reviewed first on endzeitgeist.com, then submitted to Nerdtrek and GMS magazine and posted here, on OBS, etc.
Quick question in regards to the Netjacker Class (and in particular, the Mechwarrior
Archetype).......
If the Proxy "suit" (and of course the standard Netjacker Proxy) are treated in the manner of a Summoner's Eidolon, is it possible to utilize certain feats that improve and/or
enhance said proxy in the manner that they would an eidolon?
Summoner isn't high on my "favorite classes" list, but loving the Mechwarrior.
Thanks in advance.
Jason Nelson
Contributor, RPG Superstar 2008 Top 4, Legendary Games
Okay...some thread necromancy here, but I have recently gotten the PDF and I am having a hard time finding out where the info is on raising your hyper score...how/when is it done? Torn through the PDF several times and not found this info, so anyone who could enlighten me I would be a thousand times in your debt!
@Collin Young 84: Much like the mythic system, there is no strict guideline for the increasing of hyper scores; some campaigns will use lower hyperscores, while others increase hyperscores in a quicker manner. Basically, the awakening event is something GM and player come up with; after that, hyperscore increases are subservient to the requirements of the story the group tries to tell. From experience, an easy guideline is to increase the hyperscore roughly every other level - 1/2 character level. This will result in an experience akin to mythic gameplay. Personally, I think that a 1/3-ratio works better for the games I like to play, but that's a personal preference.
Hope that helps!
Jason Nelson
Contributor, RPG Superstar 2008 Top 4, Legendary Games
Well said, Endy. That's a great summation for both mythic and hyper.
Ah many thanks End! I was beginning to think I was just blind and it was driving me crazy lol...but that works for me.
And it was your review, by the way, that got me to purchase this wild and wahoo PDF. I was waffling pretty bad, but then I saw what you wrote about the Veloces...and I was hooked, so thanks from me, and curses from by wallet!
RPG Superstar 2008 Top 4; Contributor; Publisher, Legendary Games
