Cyberpunk 2076 RPG: Remastered

The current year is 2077.

In the 1990s the Cold War had come to an end and technology was rapidly advancing. However the 1990s was also a period known as the collapse for its significant social strife, economic challenges, pollution, nuclear terrorism, famines and the proliferation of bio weapons. The year were the stock market crash occurred was 1994 this stock market crash is referred to as the “crash of ‘94.”

The 1990s also saw the creation of the ECC or European Economic Commission. After the Berlin Wall Fell Gorbachev reformed the USSR into a capitalist model and the ECC gave the USSR humanitarian aid that helped them transition into capitalism. The USA’s alliance with the ECC broke because they helped the USSR.

In 1991 the US begins the quiet war where it covertly infiltrates the world stock exchange to make the American Market look more profitable than it is. The ECC discovered the US was defrauding the world which causes an international stock market crash.

Throughout the 90s and for decades afterwards the Old USA was too busy with internal affairs and various wars over lithium deposits in South America to interfere in the rest of the world and adopted a policy of militant isolationism.

Another significant event of the 1990s was when a nuclear meltdown occurred in 1997 in the middle east which left the whole region as an irradiated wasteland. The Middle East was the main provider of oil for the world so a fuel crisis occurred which accelerated the economic chaos of the 90s. Even in present times a synthetic fuel known as CHOOM2 is still used since gasoline is no longer accessible.

{{History}}

The first corporate war began in 2004 and lasted to 2006 it ended with Orbital Air gaining a monopoly on suborbital and space transportation.

The second corporate war was between Sovoil and Petrochem it lasted from 2008 to 2010 it left the pacific rim incredibly polluted and resulted in a pyrrhic victory for SovOil.

The third corporate war lasted from 2016 to 2017 it was a battle between two financial companies Merrill, Asukaga, & Finch and the Rothstein Fund. The third corporate war was the first conflict to see widespread use of netrunners.

From 2021 to 2023 the fourth corporate war lasted it was by far the most consequential and it’s the last corporate war to occur currently. The Fourth Corporate War was originally between two shipping companies but they later hired Arasaka and Militech to do the fighting for them.

The Fourth Corporate War resulted in global trade completely breaking down after Arasaka set autonomous AI submarines loose and it also resulted in the Arasaka Americas HQ in night city being hit with a nuclear bomb allegedly by two teams led by legendary solo Morgan Blackhand and punk rockstar Johnny Silverhand. Arasaka was banned from operating in NUSA and Militech was nationalized by NUSA. The heir to Arasaka Kei Arasaka also disappeared after Arasaka lost the fourth corporate war it’s rumoured he committed seppuku.

{{Population}}

Most of the worlds population has been pushed into urban areas or if they are lucky the suburbs surrounding those urban areas. Rural communities and small towns especially in the former US became completely depopulated as environmental and economic collapse accelerated during the 1990s.

{{Aesthetics}}

Kitsch is a common style for the lower classes it emerged after the end of the stock market crash; kitsch is composed of bright colours, plastics and accessibility.

Neo kitsch is the opposite of kitsch it has all the bright colours but distinguishes itself by adding expensive fur coats and jewellery that the lower classes cannot afford. Neo Kitsch is also an architectural style that’s rather tacky and features bright colours and gold accents. Neo Kitsch is only for the wealthy.

Neomilitarism is substance over style; it’s both a style of clothing and architecture. Neomilitarism is common in the corporate world and it’s how a lot of corporate uniforms are designed; sleek, expensive and not particularly colourful uniforms designed to be intimidating.

{{Environment}}

The environment is a mess in 2077 oil tanker spills pollute the water, acid rain is common in many regions globally, air pollution is common in many cities, some areas have bio weapons lingering in the area which make the region uninhabitable, many regions suffer from droughts, a lot of costal areas globally suffer from flooding due to climate change.

Mass extinctions have left it impossible to find real meat or fur and these products have been relegated to the ultra wealthy. While it would be possible to reverse the extinction of species the corporations don’t want too since it’s more profitable. The few animals that do exist are lab grown for the ultra wealthy.

Environmental collapse made traditional forms of agriculture impossible which is what led to the collapse of rural communities. What little real food that exists is grown in vast greenhouses by the Biotechnica Corporation although most greenhouses are used to grow tobacco rather than real food.

The average person doesn’t stand a chance in hell to ever eat real food instead they have to eat SCOP or Kibble. SCOP is synthetic meat made to look like real food while Kibble are just nutrient pellets without flavour.

{{Media}}

All forms of media especially television and the news are owned by mega corporations and exist to uphold the status quo. The two largest news corporations are Network 54 owned by Militech and World News Station owned by Arasaka.

Corporations use the media movies, songs, the news and literature to represent their corporation as benevolent and the competition as negatively as possible.

Some corporate media is even disguised as subversive and is used to keep the people apathetic and give them an indirect outlet for their anger. The media has made the people of the world too apathetic many buy into a narrative that while terrible the current system works and can’t be replaced. Very few people are actually anti corporate and the punk subculture which was prominent during the 2020s has declined heavily.

{{Mercs}}

Mercs or mercenaries are professional criminals who do work for various organizations usually corporations or individuals. Mercs do everything from carjacking to VIP protection.

Among mercs there’s a special type of merc called a “solo”. Solos are people who can do a job by themselves and the best solos such as the famous Morgan Blackhand are one man armies. Most solos especially inexperienced ones tend to work in groups though.

Mercs often work in crews of people and receive jobs through a third party fixer. Fixers are usually former mercs themselves or just people with a lot of connections to the criminal or corporate world. Fixers make sure that their clients and mercs remain alive and that their mercs have enough intel to do a job. Fixers usually have several dedicated crews they give jobs too.

Edgerunner is another name for merc.

{{Net}}

The net is a series of local intranets owned by municipalities or corporations. The old internet is still accessible to netrunners but going there is very dangerous.

The global internet existed during from the 1980s to the 2020s when the crash occurred where the infamous netrunner Rache Bartmoss died.

The net is psychically accessible using cyberware you can put your own consciousness inside the net. When physically inside the net people take the form of an “avatar” which can be customized to be anything.

{{Netrunners}}

Netrunners are professional hackers or cybersecurity experts they usually work as mercs or contractors for different organizations.

Netrunners need special cyberware to remain safe. Since netrunning generates a lot of heat you either need an ice bath, netrunning suit or synthetic skin not to overheat and die. Netrunners also need a cyberdeck which is an implant with viruses the netrunner can use.

{{Cyberware}}

Cyberware is very common among most of the population on and outside of earth. Cyberware has many different functions some exist to replace limbs, others exist to help workers and others are built for combat.

Cyberware is installed either by a surgeon that works at a legitimate medical institution or by a ripperdoc a type of illegal surgeon specializing in cyberware.

Very few people don’t install cyberware either because they are poor or for religious reasons. Some orders of Buddhist monks for example believe that cyberware spiritually pollutes them and don’t use it.

Installing too much cyberpsychosis comes with the risk of becoming a cyberpsycho. Everyone has an inbuilt tolerance to chberware which varies from individual to individual generally people with more empathy and less trauma can withstand more cyberware while other people are just born with a higher tolerance. Cyberpsycho’s suffer from a bad temperament in the early stages which eventually becomes a violent psychosis complete with severe hallucinations and violence.

There also exists high functioning cyberpsychosis these are people who were psychopaths or sociopaths prior to installing cyberware. High functioning cyberpsychos don’t suffer from psychosis. The most well known high functioning cyberpsycho is Adam Smasher an Arasaka mercenary.

{{Bioware & Exotics}}

Bioware is an alternative to cyberware although it’s most Bioware is too expensive to be accessible to the common person. Bioware is installed through genetic modification or it’s grown as a limb and surgically installed.

Exotics are people who use Bioware to turn themselves into anthropomorphic animals they are uncommon but not exactly rare. Being an exotic often comes with enhanced senses, physical abilities and claws which makes it good for combat which is why some high end mercs become exotics.

{{Travel}}

Aerozeps are essentially Zeppelins with thrusters used to stabilize them. Aerozeps are very safe unlike the zeppelins of the 19th century so they are quite common. Most zeppelins are used to carry cargo between places although there are also other zeppelins that are used for travel. Many of the existing zeppelins are furnished in the style of their 19th century counterparts and very luxurious.

Most travel is done through suborbital flights onboard airplanes although suborbital travel is very expensive CHOOM2 isn’t exactly a cheap source of fuel especially when bought in bulk since Biotechinica has a monopoly on it. Orbital air is the main company that deals with space flight and suborbital flights. Usually orbital terminals have launch pads for spacecraft.

Spaceflight is another method of travel but like suborbital flights it’s very expensive and the average person won’t be able to pay for it.

Travel through ships is nearly extinct thanks to the when Arasaka created autonomous AI submarines during the fourth corporate war. It isn’t worth carrying anything besides cargo on ships and even then the cargo ship still needs several armed escort ships.

AVs or aviation vehicles are small flying vehicles that fly using a thruster they are the closest thing to a flying car. AVs can’t fly very high but they are good transportation they often serve as troop transports, private vehicles for important people or as emergency vehicles for companies like Trauma Team.

{{Space colonization}}

Space colonization began during the 2020s many governments and mega corporations have property on the moon or space stations. The most famous space station is the crystal palace a massive space station owned by the ECC. The crystal palace is a very expensive resort that only the ultra rich can afford it also has permanent residents.

Many corporations and governments have been trying to build colonies on mars recently.

{{CHOOM2}}

CHOOM2 is a synthetic fuel for cars, suborbital planes, rocketships and fuel tankers. CHOOM2 can only be created using a genetically modified wheat called Triticum vulgaris megasuavis which biotechnica made.

Biotechnica does not directly grow this wheat but instead gives the license for CHOOM2 to other corporations mainly Petrochem and SovOil to produce CHOOM2.

{{Corpos}}

Corpo is a colloquial insult for corporate employees although it refers to office workers , security personnel and those in management typically.

Mega corporations are more powerful than ever and while they are terrible to work for working for them is also the only pathway to a comfortable life and many others see it as away to attain money, fame or power.

Corporate culture is very cutthroat in most mega corporations often literally; the higher ups in the company are willing to “disappear” anyone who steps out of line and many employees are just waiting for a chance to usurp their superior or their colleagues. In mega corporations work hours are long and 80 hour workweek is considered short. Vacation and sick days are also few in mega corporations Biotechnica gives its employees six paid vacation days per year which is the most out of any mega corp. Since stress and the cognitive load of working for a mega corporation is so high many corpos turn to chemical assistance.

Corporations act like independent micro states within whatever countries they operate in they have their own security, legal codes (company policy) and some even have their own private armies and navies.

The current two largest corporations are Militech and Arasaka who have had a feud with each other prior even to their conflict in the fourth corporate war.

{{Arasaka}}

Arasaka is a Japanese conglomerate its main branches are in manufacturing, banking and security but it has many other subsidiaries. Arasaka may nominally be a corporation but it’s more like an empire Saburo Arasaka uses it to empower himself and Japan. Arasaka is located in Tokyo Japan. Arasaka and the Japanese government are so deeply in twined with each other it’s hard to tell where on ends and another begins. Arasaka has its signature Neomilitarism aesthetics along with its colours being black and red.

Arasaka manufacturing makes weapons, military vehicles and cyberware along with other general goods. Arasaka banking encompasses both investment banking and ordinary banking. Arasaka security offers its services to individuals and organizations theres also a sub division of Arasaka security known as Arasaka police which specializes in civilian policing.

Arasaka cannot be understood without knowing about Saburo Arasaka the company’s CEO. The heir apparent to Arasaka is Yorinobu Arasaka, Hanako Arasaka and Michiko Arasaka are also important members of the family who sit on Arasaka’s board of directors.

{{Militech}}

Militech is an American Arms manufacturer but they also produce vehicles and cyberware. Militech also possesses one of the largest private militaries of any corporation. Militech is the entire American military industrial complex now. Militech is headquartered in Washington DC. Militech is deeply embedded in NUSA and it’s hard to tell where NUSA begins and Militech ends. The past two Presidents of NUSA and Elizabeth Kress have been associated with Militech.

{{Biotechnica}}

Biotechnica a corporation located in Rome, Italy specializes in pharmaceuticals, genetic engineering, biotechnical engineering and microbiology.

Biotechnica is the main producer of SCOOP and Kibble it also provides genetically engineered seeds but at a very steep price and a restrictive legal agreement. Biotechnica used its legal agreements and prices to push many small farms out of business and buy them which eventually resulted in the terrorist group crimson harvest being created. Biotechnica treats competition very harshly and it’s rumoured that they perform unethical human experimentation.

{{Kang Tao}}

Kang Tao Is a Taiwanese corporation headquartered in teipei. Kang Tao manufactures cybernetics, weapons and also provides private military assets. Unlike other corporations Kang Tao specializes in intelligence gathering and stealth operations.

{{Petrochem}}

Petrochem is primarily a manufacturer although it deals in many other things. Petrochem is headquartered in the free state of Texas specifically the city Dallas. Petrochem is the rival to SovOil. Petrochem owns a subsidiary company called Xoma a pharmaceutical company that has a partnership with Biotechnicia although Xoma’s drugs and treatments are only for the upper class.

{{SovOil}

SovOil is the competitor to Petrochem although SovOil doesn’t diversity its business nearly as much as Petrochem does. SovOil is known for having a very large private army. SovOil is located in the Soviet Union, Moscow.

{{Trauma Team}}

Trauma Team is an international corporation that offers a subscription model which gives its customers emergency medical treatment and an armed escort service in an AV to get them to a hospital. Arasaka, militech and many other corporations offer their employees trauma team subscriptions paid for by the company.

{{night corp}}

The night corp is an organization founded by the wife of the architect of night city. Night Corp owns night cities public transportation and is a development firm night corp is the largest contractor for building night city’s infrastructure. Despite Night Corp being so Important to Night City it’s very shadowy and unknown to the population.

{{netwatch}}

NetWatch is a worldwide Net policing organization based out of London, England. Its initial focus was to patrol the Net in order to prevent illegal activity. After the DataKrash, it tried to contain dangerous AIs and secure what it could from the Old NET. It works closely with corporations and often fights against rival Netrunners.

{{NUSA}}

The New United States of America or NUSA is the successor to the old United States. While nominally a democracy NUSA is a defacto presidential dictatorship since the President is often affiliated with Militech which gives them extra power on top of the inability of the other branches to reign in the executive branch. The two most prominent parties in NUSA are the federalists who support the federal government and the devolution who support giving more autonomy to state governments. Devolutionists are more prominent in free states while federalists are more prominent in NUSA. Besides federalists and Devolutionists there are also dozens of smaller political parties which aren’t relevant.

{{Free States}}

Some of the US States broke off from NUSA while many were annexed into NUSA or willing joined during the reunification wars many west coast states still remain independent.

{{Night City}}

Night City is an independent city state located within the free state of North California. Night City is known as the “city of dreams” because of its opportunities in the corporate and edgerunner world. Night City has produced many legendary mercs and killed far more. Night City has an incredibly high crime rate even by 2076s standards, it’s also the home of an international port and it was were the Arasaka tower bombing occurred.

{{ECC}}

The European Economic Community or EEC is the new superpower. The EEC is very different compared to the rest of the world and it’s also impossible to immigrate there if you aren’t rich or have a visa given to you by a mega corporation that’s employing you.