d20 modern cyberpunk blends the flexible rules of the d20 System with neon-lit megacities, hacker operatives, and corporate dystopia. This setting lets players navigate hacked infrastructure, augmented bodies, and rogue AI while using familiar fantasy RPG mechanics.
Designed for fast play and cinematic escalation, d20 modern cyberpunk turns hacking, high-speed chases, and data heists into structured scenes. The result is a gritty near-future where dice rolls decide whether a firewall holds or a team gets wiped by security drones.
Core Setting Overview
d20 modern cyberpunk reimagines urban landscapes as layers of physical streets and digital grids. Governments are often weak, corporations wield armies, and information itself is the most dangerous contraband.
System Mechanics Snapshot
| Mechanic | d20 Cyberpunk Base | Typical Modifiers | Impact on Play |
|---|---|---|---|
| Task Resolution | d20 + Attribute + Skill | Netrunning +4, Stealth +2 | Balanced risk for intrusion and combat |
| Initiative | d20 + Dex | Cyberware +2, Hack Action +4 | Fast turn order in firefights and hacks |
| Damage | 1d6 per weapon class | EMP -25% to robots, Armor Pen -3 | Encourages tactical cover and electronic warfare |
| Netrunning DCs | Base 15 + Node level | ICE complexity +5, Corp Defense +8 | Scales difficulty for elite deckers |
| Reputation | Corporate and street tiers | Bounty value, media influence | Drives long-term campaign stakes |
World Design and Atmosphere
The world of d20 modern cyberpunk is vertical and fractured. Skyscrapers host corporate executives while the streets simmer with gang activity and black markets for illegal augmentations.
Lighting comes from holographic billboards and malfunctioning LEDs, casting long shadows where smugglers trade data chips. Air quality sensors blend with drone patrols, so every alley could hide a camera or a sniper.
Character Concepts and Archetypes
Players often build operatives around hybrid roles, such as a decker who can deploy drones or a street samurai focused on silent takedowns. Archetypes define how teams interact with both the city and the grid.
Key Archetype Roles
- Netrunner: infiltrates networks, crashes markets, and rewrites security protocols
- Street Samurai: excels in close combat and bodyguard work with powered gear
- Face/Smuggler: brokers deals, bluffs officials, and runs black market logistics
- Tech Adept: combines ritual knowledge with gadgets to bypass digital locks
Plot Hooks and Campaign Flow
Campaigns often start with a simple data theft job that spirals into uncovering a mind-uploading experiment or a corporate coup. Each job can escalate into city-wide blackouts or media manipulation events.
Story arcs may trace a single corporation’s rise, a resistance cell leaking evidence, or an AI gaining self-awareness. Player choices determine whether the city burns, reforms, or consolidates into a tighter oligarchy.
FAQ
Reader questions
How lethal is combat in d20 modern cyberpunk?
Combat is highly lethal due to armor-piercing rounds and cybernetic weak points. Teams should prioritize cover, stealth, and disabling fire rather than prolonged gunfights.
Can a pure netrunner succeed without fighting?
Yes, a skilled netrunner can shut down security grids, open doors, and manipulate records, though physical presence is often needed for extraction and social challenges.
What happens when a character gets captured and interrogated? Captured characters face memory probes, neural overloads, and corporate blacklists. Successful resistance rolls can erase secrets, but failure may result to implants or data leakage. How quickly should the campaign escalate?
Escalation should follow emerging threats: a single data leak, then a security clampdown, then open war between megacorporations, keeping pressure proportional to player readiness.