The Matrix RPG

The Matrix RPG

Rules System

Introduction

The rules created here for the Matrix RPG system are modifications of the Star Wars: Roleplaying Game Second Edition Revised and Expanded from West End Games. There is little modification to the system. Relevant mechanical and technical skills have of course changed. See the skill lists. The Matrix RPG also focuses on Martial Arts and Guns as the main weapons to use; there are additional rules for this.

Terminology

Jump - someone who has been freed by the Matrix but goes back into the matrix, projecting the residual image into the Matrix via hard line is called a jump, and the character doing so is the jumper. Contrast to load.

Hacker - a resuscitated character whose is a member of the Resistance. Contrast to natural. (Any character that jumps into the Matrix to defeat it is a hacker.) All Player Characters will be Hackers.

The Resistance - although all of humanity is vying against the machines, the Resistance is a group dedicated to helping turn the tides in favor of humanity by jumping into the Matrix. The Resistance consists of resuscitated Hackers and naturals, who maintain, pilot, and are operators for the Hackships.

Resuscitated Character - a character, when resuscitated, is removed from the matrix and retrieved by the resistance before he dies when his body is ejected from the Nurseries. Resuscitated characters have neural implants throughout their bodies, most of which are later removed. Contrast to naturals.

Naturals - a character born from a mother in Zion, the last free human city. Naturals lack all implants.

Operators - whenever Hackers jump into the Matrix, they need support on the Hackship. The operator plays that role. He can talk to the Hackers if called (though this call can be traced), call up blueprints, initialize return jumps via hard lines, and upload Flash Neurals to Hackers. Without an operator, Hackers are stuck up the proverbial creek literally without the proverbial paddle.

Loading Program - before jumpers jump, they go to the loading program where they can train and equip themselves before entering the Matrix. Most commanders prefer to brief their teams here. The Loading Program can also be used for training purposes. The Loading program begins as a blank white expanse.

Load - when a resuscitated character loads into a loading computer, he goes to the Loading Program and is called a loader. Contrast to jump.

Interface/loading computer - a computer designed to allow characters with implants to load into a Loading Program and jump into the Matrix. The Resistance has different loading computers than inside the Matrix. The Matrix loading computers are pieces of hardware that automatically project the residual image into the Matrix. Resistance loading computers are more configurable and can be interfaced by console by an operator.

Digital Self - every jumper has a digital self. This represents the computer abstract that is created when a jumper jumps into the Matrix. This abstract is limited by the rules of the Matrix, and the challenge of all Hackers is to bend and break these rules. Also, an attuned mind is sensitive to the data flow through his Digital Self, giving the Hacker ability to sense special things. The residual image is one part of the Digital Self.

Residual Image - The residual image (RI) is the body of a character in the Matrix (or Loading Program). All characters interfaced with the Matrix project their RI into the Matrix. The distinction is that the Digital Self is in a loading computer somewhere in the real world, the RI is inside the Matrix.

Hard line - a hard line is a data line in the Matrix that interfaces to a neural node in the real world. (Compare to an artery in the body, it is a heavy data channel.) Hackers use hard lines to project into and eject out of different parts of the Matrix. They are represented by telephones. Agents use hard lines to "teleport" all over the Matrix. If killed, an Agent can either temporarily take over coppertop's RI, or re-instantiate himself at a hard line. Hackers have observed that near a hard line, the Matrix has special properties, where certain rules do not apply.

Hackship - the Resistance transports Hackers to neural nodes via hoverships appropriately named Hackships. A hackship is where Resistance teams live, train, and hide from the machines. Rarely do they go into dry dock at Zion, only to get supplies or urgent Medical care. It takes about 20 hours to travel to Zion through tunnels and go through all check points.

Sentinels - sentinels are the centipede/squid like robots that patrol the real world. They are "created for one thing - search and destroy." Sentinels can be commanded by Agents, and often are when Agents trace locations of Hackships.

Zion - the last human city buried deep within the earth. The Resistance has headquarters here. Zion is the only place to go for heavy repairs or medical treatment, and takes a long time to reach from the surface (12 hours or so).

Leviathan - the incredibly large overmind and artificial intelligence of the machines is Leviathan. It does not normally bother monitoring the Matrix, but given significant cause (and/or a rare request by an Agent) Leviathan may intervene. It rarely does so, because reprogramming and altering the matrix in real time can corrupt data.

The Matrix - the Matrix is the computer program that runs the virtual world for the Residual Images of all the enslaved minds tied into it. The Matrix is not self-aware, it is a slave sub-program of Leviathan. It is, however, policed by Agents - Artificially intelligent programs with a Residual Image

Neural Node - neural nodes are processing stations for both Leviathan and the Matrix. They are giant computer superstructures. In order to project RI's into the Matrix, Hackships must get within 5 kilometers of a neural node. This is dangerous to do.

Agents - Agents are artificially intelligent entities roaming through the Matrix. The Resistance has a policy to run from them. Neo, to date, is the only one to have been A> crazy enough to confront them and B> to have won repeated victories against them. Their sole purpose is to patrol the Matrix like an underground police Force, seeking to protect the Matrix from potentials and hackers.

Coppertops - Coppertops are people plugged into the Matrix, who are pretty much convinced that the Matrix is the real world. They are fundamentally innocent in this struggle. They are so named because the machines basically use coppertops as energy sources, similar to batteries. (Duracell batteries are copper on the top 1/3.)

Potentials - Potentials are coppertops who are beginning to discover the ability within themselves to see the Matrix for more than it is. Thus, they have "Matrix Attunement/Neurals" potential. The Matrix Agents hunt them down and arrange for them to undergo accidents (and is rumored to have recruited some). The Resistance seeks them out.

Operatives - there are rumors that human potentials (or perhaps ex-Hackers) are in league with the Matrix and Agents.

New Rules and Rules Adaptations

Force points are now called Chi points.

Dark side points are now called Matrix points (don’t get turned to “the Matrix” side). Penalties will be given out with Matrix points. Matrix points are earned by accidentally or intentionally helping the Matrix achieve its goals. When a character gets a Matrix point, it represents the Matrix corrupting his Neural processes and Digital Self with what could be likened to a computer virus.

A new rule about dice: In the Matrix RPG, it is often customary to add two dice totals together to get a cumulative dice total. Now, for all too unnecessary rant in operator theory… the + operator in the game is used for pips. That is to day 1D+1 means 1 die plus 1 pip. Thus, we invent a new operator: the ampersand represents adding two dice totals together. So, 4D & 1D (a total of 5D) can not be confusingly written as 4D + 1D, where someone might think 4D + 1. Got it? Good.

The Force Power system has been revamped somewhat. There are completely different Matrix Attunement Powers (Force Powers), which (shocker) only work when plugged into the Matrix. Also, a new concept called Neurals has been added. In the Matrix, characters who have freed their minds, gain superhuman abilities. This is represented by Neurals. Neurals augment ability scores, empower Hackers to attempt superhuman feats, and help determine dice for Matrix Attunement Powers. Since Neurals give Hackers many special abilities, Matrix Attunement Powers are much rarer and more powerful in the game.

There are also new rules to handle Martial Arts, see below.

Characters can also use Flash skills, uploaded by an operator, to try an upgrade skills (specializations) when needed the most.

This game is more like a superhuman spy game than a mystical power (the Force) oriented game. But, the mystical powers of Matrix Attunement drive the plot and are really cool! What is also neat in this game is that all characters are "Matrix Attuned," so that character balance between Force Sensitive characters and Non Sensitive is not a play balance issue.

Neurals

There are three Neurals. Neurals add dice to attributes while the characters are in the Matrix. In and of itself, this is very powerful. They are also used to determine the Sense Matrix and Control Digital Self ratings for Matrix Attunement Powers. Lastly, Neurals are the dice ratings players roll against to attempt superhuman maneuvers. The Neurals are as follows:

Awareness:The character is sensitive to changes in the Matrix and its overall properties. Anything that is not status quo does not feel right because the character is attuned to the Matrix. Add awareness dice to all Perception rolls while in the Matrix.

Quickness:Characters are able to increase their speed while in the Matrix, finding they are truly only limited to the speed of thought. Add Quickness dice to all Dexterity rolls while in the Matrix.

Endurance:The limitations one faces while plugged into the Matrix are usually limitation placed on oneself by will. A character can endure a great deal more than regular people can, because he is convinced it is not real. Add Endurance to all Strength rolls.

Neurals cost double character points to increase.

In addition to these ratings, every character has a Neural Kinetics rating. This is representative of the speed bottleneck at which their brains can both process data and communicate with the neural interface. Unfortunately, the Hackship connections are not the most ideal. The quest for better connections one day may be an adventure goal. This would allow the player to increase his Neurals past his Neural Kinetics rating, past the physical limitations. The Neural Kinetics rating will vary, but players should be given an average value of 7D. Some legendary characters may have a higher Neural Kinetics rating (for instance, Neo has 12D, which also may be raised by a better interface).

A character can train to raise Neurals above his neural kinetics rating up to the maximum allowed by any given interface used for training. However, if a character then uses a substandard interface, he is limited by the interface until he uses a different one.

All interfaces have a Neural Kinetics rating of (+ or -) dice. Add this number to the player's neural kinetics to determine the maximum dice for any Neural, while a character uses that interface. Note that the interface only modifies the Neural Kinetics for that particular jump. It does NOT modify any Neurals, and it is NOT permanent. If a character has a Neural Kinetics of 7D, and a Quickness of 8D, that 8D does not change when using a -1D interface, the character only has 6D Quickness for that jump. The character needs a +1D interface to utilize his full 8D.

Note: Neural Kinetics limitations do not apply to Matrix Attunement ratings.

Example: Bob is a really powerful seer, having an Awareness of 7D. He is forced to use a -1D Kinetic interface. His effective Awareness dice drops to 6D, but he still has 7D Sense Matrix.

Superhuman Maneuvers

Characters who have freed their minds can use their abilities to perform superhuman maneuvers - jump between buildings - smell perfume across the room - run extremely fast. All of these feats are accomplished by the use of Neurals. There are no powers to learn, no special fancy tricks. However, most superhuman maneuvers have a minimum dice requirement to attempt them. (Although it makes sense that you couldn't do a ten difficulty maneuver until you had at least two dice, this introduces an element of competence levels into the game, a progression system. This means, basically, as characters progress, they gain "new" special maneuvers by becoming more powerful.)

Superhuman Maneuvers are rolled only against Neural dice, while for most things, Neurals are added to skill dice.

Superhuman Maneuvers also include some Alter Matrix "mini-powers," as they are automatically gained as well with certain numbers of Alter dice. Since they are basically the same in the game, I have included them in the same area for reference.

See the Superhuman maneuvers table for more information.

Often superhuman maneuvers require a regular skill roll in addition to the original role. For instance, the running power makes a character run faster. However, the character must first make a running roll to make sure he does not fall, then he can roll to enhance his speed.

GM's Note: I need help adding new ideas for superhuman maneuvers to this table. Currently, I have developed the table through requiring 3D. We can add things as we play, too! (FYI: the tables go up through 3D because Agents have 3D Quickness and Endurance Neurals. Fear this fact even when your characters have matched ability.)

Matrix Attunement Powers

Matrix Attunement Powers parallel Force Powers in the Star Wars game. However, the system has been fundamentally altered in two regards:

1>Matrix Attunement Powers are rarer and represent much bigger powers. That is, they are more distinct, more powerful, and are very mystic. Characters generally start with none, though a seer may have one. Any Matrix Attunement Power will give the character a new role to play.

2>Neurals already give characters Matrix Attunement related abilities, the superhuman maneuvers.

Thus, Matrix Attunement Powers are appropriately more rare, more respected, and more mystical. Players usually start with 0D alter dice and must gain them under special circumstances, in the same way one would gain an alter power.

A character has three attributes relating to Matrix Attunement. They are Sense Matrix, Control Digital Self, and Alter Matrix.

Sense Matrix reflects the character's sensitivity to the Matrix as a whole. The Matrix is a place of high data flux. By focusing one's attention, and training to recognize data trends, a Hacker can literally perceive the normally unperceivable. Because the data in the Matrix is encoded and constantly flowing like a river, Sense Matrix Powers reflect a specific gift or ability to process Matrix data. Sense Matrix dice are equal to Neural Awareness dice.

Control Digital Self is the ability to control his computer data abstract. (See the definition of digital self and residual image above.) In a sense, the Matrix is an

object-oriented design. Objects, such as each character's digital self, are given commands by the Matrix, such as to take damage or to fall. These are hard-coded rules, but a character with discipline can learn to bend these rules to his advantage. Control Digital Self dice are equal to the average of Quickness Neural and Endurance Neural dice (round Pips down).

Alter Matrix is the ability to break rules in the Matrix and change things. These

abilities are by far the most powerful and advanced, and few are known to be capable of wielding them. When a character learns his first Alter Matrix Power he gains 1D of Alter dice. Characters generally start with 0D Alter Matrix dice. If a player's character is bent towards having an Alter-capable character, the GM may permit him to start with alter dice.

Matrix Attunement dice can be raised independent of Neurals. The cost is double character points. A character may wish to do this for several reasons:

1>Matrix Attunement may be extended past Neural Kinetic limitations by adding dice to just Attunement dice.

2>Alter Matrix dice can only be increased this way.

3>Additional Matrix Attunement dice start at 1D, thus to raise just Attunement dice is cheaper and cumulative with high Neurals.

The cost of raising Attunement dice in character points is double the level of the dice being raised plus one. (Thus raising 1D to 1D+1 is 3 CP). Also, a special rule, to raise from 0D to 1D is 3 CP's. (I figure (0 * 2 + 1) * 3 pips = 3 CPs.)