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Deus Ex homebrew RPG
Notes
A/N: I am aware of one unfinished attempt in English and one unfinished attempt in Polish.
Four posts below are reserved. They will be filled as I finish each of the subsections.
***
· Removed all mentions of UFO since the Greys were counter-climactic, both in power and appearance
· Alternate-fire from Shifter mod
· Augmentation upgrade and replacement from Shifter mod
· Microfibral Muscles and Electrostatic Discharge augmentations from Shifter mod
· Kill and headshot exp from Shifter mod
· EMP darts from Smoke’s mod
· Augmentations being disabled from Smoke’s mod
· Datalink upgraded for distance hacking from Smoke’s mod
· Perks from 2027 mod
· Combat Training skill from 2027 mod
· Nerfed Regeneration from Deus Ex Human Renovation mod
· Fists from The Nameless Mod
· Computer skills requirements for hacking from The Nameless Mod
· Ammo scavenger, EMP converter weapon mods from Deus Ex: Invisible War
· Energy cell, bread from Deus Ex: Invisible War
· Tranquilizer rifle and machine pistol from Deus Ex Human Revolution
· Weapon mods prices based on Deus Ex Human Revolution
· Laser, scope and accuracy mods prices based on Deus Ex
A/N: I am aware of one unfinished attempt in English and one unfinished attempt in Polish.
Four posts below are reserved. They will be filled as I finish each of the subsections.
***
· Removed all mentions of UFO since the Greys were counter-climactic, both in power and appearance
· Alternate-fire from Shifter mod
· Augmentation upgrade and replacement from Shifter mod
· Microfibral Muscles and Electrostatic Discharge augmentations from Shifter mod
· Kill and headshot exp from Shifter mod
· EMP darts from Smoke’s mod
· Augmentations being disabled from Smoke’s mod
· Datalink upgraded for distance hacking from Smoke’s mod
· Perks from 2027 mod
· Combat Training skill from 2027 mod
· Nerfed Regeneration from Deus Ex Human Renovation mod
· Fists from The Nameless Mod
· Computer skills requirements for hacking from The Nameless Mod
· Ammo scavenger, EMP converter weapon mods from Deus Ex: Invisible War
· Energy cell, bread from Deus Ex: Invisible War
· Tranquilizer rifle and machine pistol from Deus Ex Human Revolution
· Weapon mods prices based on Deus Ex Human Revolution
· Laser, scope and accuracy mods prices based on Deus Ex
Rules
General Rules
A single turn equals 5 seconds. K% dice are used for tests. To succeed, you need to have a result lower or equal to the DC.
If not specifically mentioned, modifiers do not stack.
A character walks with the speed of 9 m a turn; if crouched, the speed is halved. Running triples the speed if walking, and doubles it if crouching.
If a character carries a heavy gun, his speed is halved, too. If a character’s legs are severely wounded, the speed is halved and he cannot run. All halving speed modifiers stack.
In a single turn, a character can do the following:
a) walk 9 m or run 18 m
b) shift from walking to crouching
c) fire a single shot (a single series in the case of an automatic weapon)
d) reload a weapon
Difficulty modifiers for the tests are as follows:
Cakewalk +30%
Very easy +20%
Easy +10%
Medium no change
Slightly harder -10%
Hard -20%
Complex -30%
Nightmare -40%
Nearly impossible –50%
General Rules
A single turn equals 5 seconds. K% dice are used for tests. To succeed, you need to have a result lower or equal to the DC.
If not specifically mentioned, modifiers do not stack.
A character walks with the speed of 9 m a turn; if crouched, the speed is halved. Running triples the speed if walking, and doubles it if crouching.
If a character carries a heavy gun, his speed is halved, too. If a character’s legs are severely wounded, the speed is halved and he cannot run. All halving speed modifiers stack.
In a single turn, a character can do the following:
a) walk 9 m or run 18 m
b) shift from walking to crouching
c) fire a single shot (a single series in the case of an automatic weapon)
d) reload a weapon
Difficulty modifiers for the tests are as follows:
Cakewalk +30%
Very easy +20%
Easy +10%
Medium no change
Slightly harder -10%
Hard -20%
Complex -30%
Nightmare -40%
Nearly impossible –50%
Character Creation
The Player notes down the character’s first name, last name, gender, codename (if applicable) and profession.
The character has 5000 EXP at game start. It can be spread in any way the Player wishes.
Every character starts with Trained in Pistol. If it is downgraded, the character gains additional 1350 EXP.
All characters start with a an IFF system, a keyring and a DataVault. These don’t count against their inventory space. Some character types also start with an infolink.
In addition, all characters have a compass, and a watch on their HUDs.
All characters start with a Pistol in their inventory.
A Player can choose any profession he wishes for the character, it has no impact on rules, only on plot.
Skills
An untrained skill gives 10% in a test. A Trained skill gives 35%, an Advanced one – 50% and a Master level gives 75%.
Combat Training
Affects walking/running speed, jumping height and fall damage.
Trained – 675 EXP – fall damage reduced by 10%.
Advanced - 1350 EXP – fall damage reduced by 20%. Speed increased by 10%.
Master – 2250 EXP – fall damage reduced by 30%. Speed increased by 20%.
Environmental Training
Experience with using hazmat suits, ballistic armor, thermoptic camo and rebreathers in a number of dangerous situations.
Untrained – items last the normal duration – 12 turns.
Trained – 675 EXP – Items last half as long.
Advanced - 1350 EXP – Items last twice as long.
Master – 2250 EXP – Items last 4 times as long.
Computer
The covert manipulation of computers and security consoles.
Untrained – a character can use computers and ATMs.
Trained – 1800 EXP – a character can hack some computers and ATMs. Total time allotted until an alarm is sounded is 4 turns. Time to hack varies, 1-3 turns.
Advanced – 3600 EXP – total time increased by 30%. Time to hack: 1-2 turns.
Master – 6000 EXP - total time increased by 75%. Time to hack: 1 turn.
Electronics
By studying electronics and its practical application, you can more efficiently bypass a number of security systems using multitools.
Lockpicking
Lockpicking is as much art as skill, but with intense study it can be mastered by anyone with patience and a set of lockpicks.
Trained – 1800 EXP – a device depletes 25% instead of 10%
Advanced – 3600 EXP – a device depletes 40% instead of 10%
Master – 6000 EXP – a device depletes 75% instead of 10%
Medicine
Practical knowledge of human physiology can be applied in the field allowing more efficient use of medkits and biocells.
Trained – 900 EXP – a medkit heals 60% instead of 30%
Advanced - 1800 EXP – a medkit heals 75% instead of 30%
Master – 3000 EXP – a medkit heals 90% instead of 30%
Swimming
Underwater operations require their own unique set of skills that must be developed.
Untrained – a character can swim underwater for 4 turns before suffering drowning damage.
Trained – 675 EXP – Lung capacity increased by 10%.
Advanced - 1350 EXP –Speed increased by 10%. Lung capacity increased by 30%.
Master – 2250 EXP –Speed increased by 20%. Lung capacity increased by 50%.
Weapons: Demolition
The use of thrown, explosive devices.
Trained – 900 EXP - 35% accuracy bonus. Damage increased by 10%.
Advanced - 1800 EXP - 50% accuracy bonus. Damage increased by 25%.
Master – 3000 EXP - 75% accuracy bonus. Damage increased by 50%.
Weapons: Heavy
The use of heavy weaponry.
Weapons: Low-Tech
The use of melee weapons.
Weapons: Pistol
The use of hand-held weapons.
Weapons: Rifle
The use of sniper weapons.
Weapons: Fists
The ability to use your own hands as a lethal weapon.
Trained – 1350 EXP – 35% accuracy bonus. Damage increased by 10%.
Advanced - 2700 EXP – 50% accuracy bonus. Damage increased by 25%.
Master – 4500 EXP – 75% accuracy bonus. Damage increased by 50%.
Perks
Augmentations
Augmentations
Note: In game terms, augmentations work the same regardless of whether they are nano or mechanical.
Augmentations are installed using a medical bot and an augmentation canister. They can be upgraded using a bot and an upgrade canister or the same augmentation canister. You can switch augs in a slot afterwards, but you lose all of the upgrades.
Only the effects of the top level upgrade are taken into account.
Each augmentation canister can install one of two augmentations.
The slots are as follows: arms, legs, head, eyes, 2 subdermal slots, 3 torso slots. A character can therefore have a maximum of 9 augmentations. There is no limit to the number of augs a character can have turned on, with the exception of bioenergy usage.
Every augmentation has 4 levels and starts at level 1.
In order to use augmentations, the character must have enough bioenergy left. A character without augs has no bioenergy meter. A character with augs starts with the meter 75% full.
Energy usage is given in percents per minute (12 rounds).
Head
Aggressive Defense System
Aerosol nanoparticles are released upon the detection of objects fitting the electromagnetic threat profile of missiles and grenades; these nanoparticles will prematurely detonate such objects prior to reaching you.
Energy usage: 10
Level 1: Incoming rockets and grenades are detonated at a range of 5 m.
Level 2: Incoming rockets and grenades are detonated at a range of 10 m
Level 3: Incoming rockets and grenades are detonated at a range of 20 m.
Level 4: Incoming rockets and grenades are detonated nearly as soon as they are fired.
Eyes
Targeting
Image-scaling and recognition provided by multiplexing the optic nerve with doped polyacetylene 'quantum wires' not only increases accuracy, but also delivers limited situational info about a target.
Energy usage: 40
Level 1: Provides the name of the target, the distance to the target, and a description of its status. +5% bonus to accuracy.
Level 2: Provides area specific health information eg. Head 100%. +10% bonus to accuracy.
Level 3: Displays the target's weapon. +15% bonus to accuracy.
Level 4: Provides a close-up display of the target. +20% bonus to accuracy.
Vision Enhancement
By bleaching selected rod photoreceptors and saturating them with metarhodopsin XII, the 'nightvision' present in most nocturnal animals can be duplicated. Subsequent upgrades and modifications add infravision and sonar-resonance imaging that effectively allows you to see through walls.
Energy use: 40
Level 1: Nightvision.
Level 2: Infravision.
Level 3: Short range sonar.
Level 4: Long range sonar.
Torso
Regeneration
Programmable polymerase automatically directs construction of proteins in injured cells, restoring you to full health over time.
Energy use: 120
Level 1: Restores 5% health a second (25% a round)
Level 2: Restores 10% health a second (50% a round)
Level 3: Restores 15% health a second (75% a round)
Level 4: Restores 20% health a second (100% a round)
Environmental Resistance
Induced keratin production strengthens all epithelial tissues and reduces the agent's vulnerability to radiation and other toxins.
Energy use: 20
Level 1: 25% toxic damage absorbed.
Level 2: 50% toxic damage absorbed.
Level 3: 75% toxic damage absorbed.
Level 4: 100% toxic damage absorbed.
Energy Shield
Polyanilene capacitors below the skin absorb heat and electricity, reducing the damage received from flame, electrical, and plasma attacks.
Energy use: 10
Level 1: Damage from energy attacks is reduced by 20%.
Level 2: Damage from energy attacks is reduced by 40%.
Level 3: Damage from energy attacks is reduced by 60%.
Level 4: Damage from energy attacks is reduced by 80%.
Power Recirculator
Power consumption for all augmentations is reduced by polyanilene circuits, plugged directly into cell membranes, that allow nanite particles to interconnect electronically without leaving their host cells.
Energy use: 10
Level 1: Energy use reduced by 10%.
Level 2: Energy use reduced by 20%.
Level 3: Energy use reduced by 40%.
Level 4: Energy use reduced by 60%.
Subdermal
Ballistic Protection
Monomolecular plates reinforce the skin's epithelial membrane, reducing the damage you receive from projectiles and bladed weapons.
Energy use: 60
EMP Shield
Nanoscale EMP generators partially protect individual nanites and reduce bioelectrical drain by canceling incoming pulses.
Energy use: 40
Level 1: Damage reduced by 20%.
Level 2: Damage reduced by 35%.
Level 3: Damage reduced by 50%.
Level 4: Damage reduced by 65%.
Cloak
Subdermal pigmentation cells allow the agent to blend with their surrounding environment, rendering them effectively invisible to observation by organic hostiles.
Radar Transparency
Radar-absorbent resin augments epithelial proteins; microprojection units distort agent's visual signature. Provides highly effective concealment from automated detection systems - bots, cameras, turrets.
Energy use: 300
Level 1: Normal energy use.
Level 2: Energy use reduced to 250.
Level 3: Energy use reduced to 200.
Level 4: Energy use reduced to 150.
Arms
Microfibral Muscle
Muscle strength is amplified with ionic polymeric gel myofibrils that allow the agent to push and lift extraordinarily heavy objects and boost hand-to-hand combat strength.
Energy use: 20
Level 1: Damage from melee weapons increased by 25%.
Level 2: Damage from melee weapons increased by 50%.
Level 3: Damage from melee weapons increased by 75%.
Level 4: Damage from melee weapons increased by 100%.
Electrostatic Discharge
Nanomolecular capacitors under the skin store bioelectrical energy in your hands, discharging bursts of static electricity during hand-to-hand combat.
Energy use: 40
Level 1: Additional EMP damage equals 20% of normal damage.
Level 2: Additional EMP damage equals 40% of normal damage.
Level 3: Additional EMP damage equals 60% of normal damage.
Level 4: Additional EMP damage equals 80% of normal damage.
Legs
Run Silent
The necessary muscle movements for complete silence when walking or running are determined continuously with reactive kinematics equations produced by embedded nanocomputers.
Energy use: 40
Level 1:
Level 2:
Level 3:
Level 4:
Speed Enhancement
Ionic polymeric gel myofibrils are woven into the leg muscles, increasing the speed at which you can run and climb, the height you can jump, and reducing the damage you receive from falls.
Energy use: 40
Level 1: Speed increased by 20%.
Level 2: Speed increased by 40%.
Level 3: Speed increased by 60%.
Level 4: Speed increased by 80%.
EXP
· 5-15 points per kill, +5 if headshot
· 50-200 points for exploration
· 100-300 points for fulfilling a secondary goal (side mission)
· 150-500 points for fulfilling a primary goal (main mission)
Sample Character
The Player notes down the character’s first name, last name, gender, codename (if applicable) and profession.
The character has 5000 EXP at game start. It can be spread in any way the Player wishes.
Every character starts with Trained in Pistol. If it is downgraded, the character gains additional 1350 EXP.
All characters start with a an IFF system, a keyring and a DataVault. These don’t count against their inventory space. Some character types also start with an infolink.
In addition, all characters have a compass, and a watch on their HUDs.
All characters start with a Pistol in their inventory.
A Player can choose any profession he wishes for the character, it has no impact on rules, only on plot.
Skills
An untrained skill gives 10% in a test. A Trained skill gives 35%, an Advanced one – 50% and a Master level gives 75%.
Combat Training
Affects walking/running speed, jumping height and fall damage.
Trained – 675 EXP – fall damage reduced by 10%.
Advanced - 1350 EXP – fall damage reduced by 20%. Speed increased by 10%.
Master – 2250 EXP – fall damage reduced by 30%. Speed increased by 20%.
Environmental Training
Experience with using hazmat suits, ballistic armor, thermoptic camo and rebreathers in a number of dangerous situations.
Untrained – items last the normal duration – 12 turns.
Trained – 675 EXP – Items last half as long.
Advanced - 1350 EXP – Items last twice as long.
Master – 2250 EXP – Items last 4 times as long.
Computer
The covert manipulation of computers and security consoles.
Untrained – a character can use computers and ATMs.
Trained – 1800 EXP – a character can hack some computers and ATMs. Total time allotted until an alarm is sounded is 4 turns. Time to hack varies, 1-3 turns.
Advanced – 3600 EXP – total time increased by 30%. Time to hack: 1-2 turns.
Master – 6000 EXP - total time increased by 75%. Time to hack: 1 turn.
Electronics
By studying electronics and its practical application, you can more efficiently bypass a number of security systems using multitools.
Lockpicking
Lockpicking is as much art as skill, but with intense study it can be mastered by anyone with patience and a set of lockpicks.
Trained – 1800 EXP – a device depletes 25% instead of 10%
Advanced – 3600 EXP – a device depletes 40% instead of 10%
Master – 6000 EXP – a device depletes 75% instead of 10%
Medicine
Practical knowledge of human physiology can be applied in the field allowing more efficient use of medkits and biocells.
Trained – 900 EXP – a medkit heals 60% instead of 30%
Advanced - 1800 EXP – a medkit heals 75% instead of 30%
Master – 3000 EXP – a medkit heals 90% instead of 30%
Swimming
Underwater operations require their own unique set of skills that must be developed.
Untrained – a character can swim underwater for 4 turns before suffering drowning damage.
Trained – 675 EXP – Lung capacity increased by 10%.
Advanced - 1350 EXP –Speed increased by 10%. Lung capacity increased by 30%.
Master – 2250 EXP –Speed increased by 20%. Lung capacity increased by 50%.
Weapons: Demolition
The use of thrown, explosive devices.
Trained – 900 EXP - 35% accuracy bonus. Damage increased by 10%.
Advanced - 1800 EXP - 50% accuracy bonus. Damage increased by 25%.
Master – 3000 EXP - 75% accuracy bonus. Damage increased by 50%.
Weapons: Heavy
The use of heavy weaponry.
Weapons: Low-Tech
The use of melee weapons.
Weapons: Pistol
The use of hand-held weapons.
Weapons: Rifle
The use of sniper weapons.
Weapons: Fists
The ability to use your own hands as a lethal weapon.
Trained – 1350 EXP – 35% accuracy bonus. Damage increased by 10%.
Advanced - 2700 EXP – 50% accuracy bonus. Damage increased by 25%.
Master – 4500 EXP – 75% accuracy bonus. Damage increased by 50%.
Perks
Augmentations
Augmentations
Note: In game terms, augmentations work the same regardless of whether they are nano or mechanical.
Augmentations are installed using a medical bot and an augmentation canister. They can be upgraded using a bot and an upgrade canister or the same augmentation canister. You can switch augs in a slot afterwards, but you lose all of the upgrades.
Only the effects of the top level upgrade are taken into account.
Each augmentation canister can install one of two augmentations.
The slots are as follows: arms, legs, head, eyes, 2 subdermal slots, 3 torso slots. A character can therefore have a maximum of 9 augmentations. There is no limit to the number of augs a character can have turned on, with the exception of bioenergy usage.
Every augmentation has 4 levels and starts at level 1.
In order to use augmentations, the character must have enough bioenergy left. A character without augs has no bioenergy meter. A character with augs starts with the meter 75% full.
Energy usage is given in percents per minute (12 rounds).
Head
Aggressive Defense System
Aerosol nanoparticles are released upon the detection of objects fitting the electromagnetic threat profile of missiles and grenades; these nanoparticles will prematurely detonate such objects prior to reaching you.
Energy usage: 10
Level 1: Incoming rockets and grenades are detonated at a range of 5 m.
Level 2: Incoming rockets and grenades are detonated at a range of 10 m
Level 3: Incoming rockets and grenades are detonated at a range of 20 m.
Level 4: Incoming rockets and grenades are detonated nearly as soon as they are fired.
Eyes
Targeting
Image-scaling and recognition provided by multiplexing the optic nerve with doped polyacetylene 'quantum wires' not only increases accuracy, but also delivers limited situational info about a target.
Energy usage: 40
Level 1: Provides the name of the target, the distance to the target, and a description of its status. +5% bonus to accuracy.
Level 2: Provides area specific health information eg. Head 100%. +10% bonus to accuracy.
Level 3: Displays the target's weapon. +15% bonus to accuracy.
Level 4: Provides a close-up display of the target. +20% bonus to accuracy.
Vision Enhancement
By bleaching selected rod photoreceptors and saturating them with metarhodopsin XII, the 'nightvision' present in most nocturnal animals can be duplicated. Subsequent upgrades and modifications add infravision and sonar-resonance imaging that effectively allows you to see through walls.
Energy use: 40
Level 1: Nightvision.
Level 2: Infravision.
Level 3: Short range sonar.
Level 4: Long range sonar.
Torso
Regeneration
Programmable polymerase automatically directs construction of proteins in injured cells, restoring you to full health over time.
Energy use: 120
Level 1: Restores 5% health a second (25% a round)
Level 2: Restores 10% health a second (50% a round)
Level 3: Restores 15% health a second (75% a round)
Level 4: Restores 20% health a second (100% a round)
Environmental Resistance
Induced keratin production strengthens all epithelial tissues and reduces the agent's vulnerability to radiation and other toxins.
Energy use: 20
Level 1: 25% toxic damage absorbed.
Level 2: 50% toxic damage absorbed.
Level 3: 75% toxic damage absorbed.
Level 4: 100% toxic damage absorbed.
Energy Shield
Polyanilene capacitors below the skin absorb heat and electricity, reducing the damage received from flame, electrical, and plasma attacks.
Energy use: 10
Level 1: Damage from energy attacks is reduced by 20%.
Level 2: Damage from energy attacks is reduced by 40%.
Level 3: Damage from energy attacks is reduced by 60%.
Level 4: Damage from energy attacks is reduced by 80%.
Power Recirculator
Power consumption for all augmentations is reduced by polyanilene circuits, plugged directly into cell membranes, that allow nanite particles to interconnect electronically without leaving their host cells.
Energy use: 10
Level 1: Energy use reduced by 10%.
Level 2: Energy use reduced by 20%.
Level 3: Energy use reduced by 40%.
Level 4: Energy use reduced by 60%.
Subdermal
Ballistic Protection
Monomolecular plates reinforce the skin's epithelial membrane, reducing the damage you receive from projectiles and bladed weapons.
Energy use: 60
EMP Shield
Nanoscale EMP generators partially protect individual nanites and reduce bioelectrical drain by canceling incoming pulses.
Energy use: 40
Level 1: Damage reduced by 20%.
Level 2: Damage reduced by 35%.
Level 3: Damage reduced by 50%.
Level 4: Damage reduced by 65%.
Cloak
Subdermal pigmentation cells allow the agent to blend with their surrounding environment, rendering them effectively invisible to observation by organic hostiles.
Radar Transparency
Radar-absorbent resin augments epithelial proteins; microprojection units distort agent's visual signature. Provides highly effective concealment from automated detection systems - bots, cameras, turrets.
Energy use: 300
Level 1: Normal energy use.
Level 2: Energy use reduced to 250.
Level 3: Energy use reduced to 200.
Level 4: Energy use reduced to 150.
Arms
Microfibral Muscle
Muscle strength is amplified with ionic polymeric gel myofibrils that allow the agent to push and lift extraordinarily heavy objects and boost hand-to-hand combat strength.
Energy use: 20
Level 1: Damage from melee weapons increased by 25%.
Level 2: Damage from melee weapons increased by 50%.
Level 3: Damage from melee weapons increased by 75%.
Level 4: Damage from melee weapons increased by 100%.
Electrostatic Discharge
Nanomolecular capacitors under the skin store bioelectrical energy in your hands, discharging bursts of static electricity during hand-to-hand combat.
Energy use: 40
Level 1: Additional EMP damage equals 20% of normal damage.
Level 2: Additional EMP damage equals 40% of normal damage.
Level 3: Additional EMP damage equals 60% of normal damage.
Level 4: Additional EMP damage equals 80% of normal damage.
Legs
Run Silent
The necessary muscle movements for complete silence when walking or running are determined continuously with reactive kinematics equations produced by embedded nanocomputers.
Energy use: 40
Level 1:
Level 2:
Level 3:
Level 4:
Speed Enhancement
Ionic polymeric gel myofibrils are woven into the leg muscles, increasing the speed at which you can run and climb, the height you can jump, and reducing the damage you receive from falls.
Energy use: 40
Level 1: Speed increased by 20%.
Level 2: Speed increased by 40%.
Level 3: Speed increased by 60%.
Level 4: Speed increased by 80%.
EXP
· 5-15 points per kill, +5 if headshot
· 50-200 points for exploration
· 100-300 points for fulfilling a secondary goal (side mission)
· 150-500 points for fulfilling a primary goal (main mission)
Sample Character
Equipment
Starting equipment and ammo does not count against inventory size. An item’s inventory size is 1x1 unless noted otherwise. Lockpicks, medkits, multitools and the like stack. So do explosives and knives and throwing knives. The max size of such a stack is 20.
The total inventory size allowed is 5x5.
A character can only carry one of a given type of item (stacking items count as one).
Starting equipment
DataVault
The Datavault represents your internal “hard drive.” It can store images and data files for access at any time. There are three sections through which you can cycle: Goals, Notes and Images.
IFF
Automatic friend or foe identification uses advanced heuristic algorithms to associate visible objects with known threat categories.
Infolink
One-way micro-transceiver array allows agents in the field to receive messages from Control. It is shut down when the agent is off-duty.
Keyring
This tool vaguely resembles a yellow handgun with a LED in the middle. It uses nanites to lock or unlock – more specifically, nano keys in the form of a blue cylinder. The LED will turn green when a door is locked or unlocked successfully, and red when the appropriate nanokey has not been picked up.
Non-starting equipment
Bioelectric cell
A bioelectric cell provides efficient storage of energy in a form that can be utilized by a number of different devices.
A single cell recharges 25% of one’s bioenergy.
Energy cell
A bioelectric energy battery that powers nanotech biomods. Can be used to replenish a modified person's power supply.
A single energy cell recharges 100% of one’s bioenergy.
Lockpick
A disposable tool made from steel and polymers, which can be used to bypass all but the most high-end nanolocks.
A standard lockpick depletes 10% of lock strength.
Medkit
First-aid kits designed for use in the field.
A standard medkit heals 30% of health.
Multitool
An electronic device using electromagnetic resonance detection and frequency modulation to dynamically alter the flow of current through a circuit.
A standard multitool depletes 10% of bypass strength.
Augmentation canister
It contains special nanites that allow nano-augmented people to achieve feats considered impossible to regular humans. However, proper programming of augmentations must be conducted by a medical robot, otherwise terminal damage may occur.
Flare
A small device used to create a yellow bright source or signal without exploding. Upon being used, it falls to the ground and provides light for several seconds before dissipating.
Rebreather
A disposable chemical scrubber that can extract oxygen from water during brief submerged operations.
Ballistic armor
Ballistic armor is manufactured from electrically sensitive polymer sheets that intrinsically react to the violent impact of a bullet or an explosion by 'stiffening' in response and absorbing the majority of the damage. These polymer sheets must be charged before use; after the charge has dissipated they lose their reflexive properties and should be discarded.
Hazmat suit
A standard hazardous materials suit that protects against a full range of environmental hazards including radiation, fire, biochemical toxins, electricity, and EMP. Hazmat suits contain an integrated bacterial oxygen scrubber that degrades over time and thus should not be reused.
Thermoptic camo
Integrating woven fiber-optics and an advanced computing system, thermoptic camo can render an agent invisible to both humans and bots by dynamically refracting light and radar waves; however, the high power drain makes it impractical for more than short-term use, after which the circuitry is fused and it becomes useless.
Other
Ambrosia vial
The only known vaccine against the 'Gray Death.' Unfortunately, it is quickly metabolized by the body making its effects temporary at best. One dose (20 cm³ or 20ml) stops the symptoms of the Gray Death for 48 hours.
Zyme
A vial of zyme, brewed up in some basement lab. The name literally means „ferment” and it is a synthetic drug which appeared in the 2050s in the US.
Prince: 65 credits
Food items
Beer
An alcoholic beverage produced through brewing and fermenting grains such as barley or wheat. The process of brewing sterilizes beer, making it a very popular drink for thousands of years around the world. Warning: May be harmful to your health.
Bread
Lots of air and even a little nutritition. Health-boosted with active mold cultures.
Heals 5% health.
Forty
Forty is vernacular for a 40-ounce bottle of any cheap alcoholic beverage, likely beer or liquor.
Liquor
Liquor is an alcoholic beverage made through distilling starches or fruits, opposed to fermenting in beer and wine. The label is torn off, but it looks like some of the good stuff.
Soda
Soft drinks, also called sodas, are carbonated beverages made from water and a flavoring agent.
A can of soda restores 5 health.
Price: 10 credits
Wine
Wine is an alcoholic drink made from a fermenting fruit, as opposed to starches used in beer.
Weaponry
Combat
The body is divided into the following parts: head, torso, right arm, left arm, right leg, left leg.
The health of each body part is measured in percents, starting at 100% (full health).
If the health is reduced to 75%, the part is slightly wounded, resulting in a –10% penalty. If the health is reduced to 50%, it means it is wounded and the penalty is –20%. The health of 25% or less means the part is severely wounded and the penalty is –30%. If the health is reduced to 0%, the part is disabled and cannot be used. In the case of torso and head, 0% health means death.
Stunned, blinded or drugged conditions result in a penalty ranging from –20% to –40%.
Headshots deal 4x damage. A medkit heals 30%, starting from the part which is most wounded. A player might also pick a given body part and use the 30% on this body part only. If using a medkit would cause the health to go above 100%, any excess percents are lost.
Shooting beyond effective range lowers damage by half.
Modifiers to combat tests
Starting equipment and ammo does not count against inventory size. An item’s inventory size is 1x1 unless noted otherwise. Lockpicks, medkits, multitools and the like stack. So do explosives and knives and throwing knives. The max size of such a stack is 20.
The total inventory size allowed is 5x5.
A character can only carry one of a given type of item (stacking items count as one).
Starting equipment
DataVault
The Datavault represents your internal “hard drive.” It can store images and data files for access at any time. There are three sections through which you can cycle: Goals, Notes and Images.
IFF
Automatic friend or foe identification uses advanced heuristic algorithms to associate visible objects with known threat categories.
Infolink
One-way micro-transceiver array allows agents in the field to receive messages from Control. It is shut down when the agent is off-duty.
Keyring
This tool vaguely resembles a yellow handgun with a LED in the middle. It uses nanites to lock or unlock – more specifically, nano keys in the form of a blue cylinder. The LED will turn green when a door is locked or unlocked successfully, and red when the appropriate nanokey has not been picked up.
Non-starting equipment
Bioelectric cell
A bioelectric cell provides efficient storage of energy in a form that can be utilized by a number of different devices.
A single cell recharges 25% of one’s bioenergy.
Energy cell
A bioelectric energy battery that powers nanotech biomods. Can be used to replenish a modified person's power supply.
A single energy cell recharges 100% of one’s bioenergy.
Lockpick
A disposable tool made from steel and polymers, which can be used to bypass all but the most high-end nanolocks.
A standard lockpick depletes 10% of lock strength.
Medkit
First-aid kits designed for use in the field.
A standard medkit heals 30% of health.
Multitool
An electronic device using electromagnetic resonance detection and frequency modulation to dynamically alter the flow of current through a circuit.
A standard multitool depletes 10% of bypass strength.
Augmentation canister
It contains special nanites that allow nano-augmented people to achieve feats considered impossible to regular humans. However, proper programming of augmentations must be conducted by a medical robot, otherwise terminal damage may occur.
Flare
A small device used to create a yellow bright source or signal without exploding. Upon being used, it falls to the ground and provides light for several seconds before dissipating.
Rebreather
A disposable chemical scrubber that can extract oxygen from water during brief submerged operations.
Ballistic armor
Ballistic armor is manufactured from electrically sensitive polymer sheets that intrinsically react to the violent impact of a bullet or an explosion by 'stiffening' in response and absorbing the majority of the damage. These polymer sheets must be charged before use; after the charge has dissipated they lose their reflexive properties and should be discarded.
Hazmat suit
A standard hazardous materials suit that protects against a full range of environmental hazards including radiation, fire, biochemical toxins, electricity, and EMP. Hazmat suits contain an integrated bacterial oxygen scrubber that degrades over time and thus should not be reused.
Thermoptic camo
Integrating woven fiber-optics and an advanced computing system, thermoptic camo can render an agent invisible to both humans and bots by dynamically refracting light and radar waves; however, the high power drain makes it impractical for more than short-term use, after which the circuitry is fused and it becomes useless.
Other
Ambrosia vial
The only known vaccine against the 'Gray Death.' Unfortunately, it is quickly metabolized by the body making its effects temporary at best. One dose (20 cm³ or 20ml) stops the symptoms of the Gray Death for 48 hours.
Zyme
A vial of zyme, brewed up in some basement lab. The name literally means „ferment” and it is a synthetic drug which appeared in the 2050s in the US.
Prince: 65 credits
Food items
Beer
An alcoholic beverage produced through brewing and fermenting grains such as barley or wheat. The process of brewing sterilizes beer, making it a very popular drink for thousands of years around the world. Warning: May be harmful to your health.
Bread
Lots of air and even a little nutritition. Health-boosted with active mold cultures.
Heals 5% health.
Forty
Forty is vernacular for a 40-ounce bottle of any cheap alcoholic beverage, likely beer or liquor.
Liquor
Liquor is an alcoholic beverage made through distilling starches or fruits, opposed to fermenting in beer and wine. The label is torn off, but it looks like some of the good stuff.
Soda
Soft drinks, also called sodas, are carbonated beverages made from water and a flavoring agent.
A can of soda restores 5 health.
Price: 10 credits
Wine
Wine is an alcoholic drink made from a fermenting fruit, as opposed to starches used in beer.
Weaponry
Pistol
A standard 10 mm IMM Austin pistol.
Applicable skill - Weapons: Pistol
Damage: 10
Clip size: 6
Rate of fire: 1.5 rds/sec
Reload: 2 sec
Effective range: 45 m
Max range: 100 m
Ammo: 10 mm
Stealth Pistol
The stealth pistol is a variant of the standard 10mm pistol with a larger clip and integrated silencer designed for wet work at very close ranges.
Applicable skill - Weapons: Pistol
Damage: 8
Clip size: 10
Rate of fire: 6 rds/sec
Reload: 2 sec
Effective range: 45 m
Max range: 100 m
Ammo: 10 mm
Mini-crossbow
The wrist-mounted mini-crossbow was specifically developed for espionage work, and accepts a range of dart types that can be later retrieved.
Applicable skill - Weapons: Pistol
Damage: 15
Clip size: 4
Rate of fire: 1 rd/sec
Reload: 2 sec
Effective range: 15 m
Max range: 30 m
Ammo: darts, tranquilizer darts, flares, EMP darts
Machine pistol
The Hurricane TMP-18 (Tactical Machine Pistol 18) is a fully-automatic machine pistol made by Stasiuk Arms Inc.
Applicable skill - Weapons: Pistol
Damage: 7
Clip size: 30
Rate of fire: 10 rds/sec Auto
Reload: 1 turn
Effective range: 45 m
Max range: 100 m
Ammo: 9x19mm
Inventory size: 4x1
Tranquilizer rifle
The PAX-22 Tranquilizer Rifle is a non-lethal, silent weapon made by Military Arms of Ostrava (MAO) located in the Czech Republic. It was intentionally developed for capture operations on wildlife and other organic targets.
Applicable skill – Weapons: Rifle
Damage: 15
Clip size: 1
Reload: 1 turn
Effective range: 45 m
Max range: 90 m
Ammo: tranq darts
Inventory size: 4x1
Sniper Rifle
The military sniper rifle is the superior tool for the interdiction of long-range targets. When coupled with the proven 30.06 round, a marksman can achieve tight groupings at better than 1 MOA (minute of angle) depending on environmental conditions.
Applicable skill - Weapons: Rifle
Damage: 20
Clip size: 6
Rate of fire: 0.5 rds/sec
Effective range: 550 m
Max range: 900 m
Ammo: 30.06 mm
Inventory size: 4x1
Assault Shotgun
The assault shotgun (sometimes referred to as a 'street sweeper') combines the best traits of a normal shotgun with a fully automatic feed that can clear an area of hostiles in a matter of seconds. Particularly effective in urban combat, the assault shotgun accepts either buckshot or sabot shells.
Applicable skill - Weapons: Rifle
Damage: 20
Clip size: 4
Rate of fire: 1.5 rds/sec Auto
Reload: 1 turn
Effective range: 20 m
Max range: 40 m
Ammo: Sabot, Buckshot
Inventory size: 2x2
Assault Rifle
The ZHL-U1953 assault rifle is designed for close-quarter combat, utilizing a shortened barrel and 'bullpup' design for increased maneuverability. An additional underhand 20mm HE launcher increases the rifle's effectiveness against a variety of targets.
Applicable skill – Weapons: Rifle
Damage: 3x5
Clip size: 30
Rate of fire: 10 rds/sec Auto
Reload: 1/2 turn
Effective range:
Max range:
Ammo: 7.62 mm or 20 mm HE
Inventory size: 2x2
Combat Knife
An ultra-high carbon stainless steel knife.
Applicable skill - Weapons: Low-Tech
Damage: 7
Alternate fire: throwing
Baton
A hefty looking baton, typically used by riot police and national security forces to discourage civilian resistance.
Applicable skill - Weapons: Low-Tech
Damage: 7
Crowbar
A crowbar. Hit someone or something with it. Repeat. Many crowbars we call ‘murder of crowbars’ – Gunther Hermann.
Applicable skill - Weapons: Low-Tech
Damage: 12
Inventory size: 2x1
Throwing Knives
A favorite weapon of assassins in the Far East for centuries, throwing knives can be deadly when wielded by a master but are more generally used when it becomes desirable to send a message. The message is usually 'Your death is coming on swift feet.'
Applicable skill - Weapons: Low-Tech
Damage: 10
Riot Prod
The riot prod has been extensively used by security forces who wish to keep what remains of the crumbling peace and have found the prod to be a valuable tool. Its short range tetanizing effect is most effective when applied to the torso or when the subject is taken by surprise.
Applicable skill - Weapons: Low-Tech
Damage: 15 (stun)
Clip size: 4
Ammo: prod charger
Pepper Spray
The pepper gun will accept a number of commercially available riot control agents in cartridge form and disperse them as a fine aerosol mist that can cause blindness or blistering at short-range.
Applicable skill - Weapons: Low-Tech
Damage: 0
Clip size: 100
Effective range: 2 m
Max range: 2 m
Ammo: pepper can
LAM (Lightweight Attack Munitions)
A multi-functional explosive with electronic priming system that can either be thrown or attached to any surface with its polyhesive backing and used as a proximity mine.
Applicable skill - Weapons: Demolitions
Damage: 500
EMP Grenade
The EMP grenade creates a localized pulse that will temporarily disable all electronics within its area of effect, including cameras and security grids.
Applicable skill - Weapons: Demolitions
Damage: 0 (bioenergy reduced to 0)
Gas Grenade
Upon detonation, the gas grenade releases a large amount of CS (a military-grade 'tear gas' agent) over its area of effect. CS will cause irritation to all exposed mucous membranes leading to temporary blindness and uncontrolled coughing. Like a LAM, gas grenades can be attached to any surface.
Applicable skill - Weapons: Demolitions
Damage: 0 (incapacitated for 2 rounds per every stay in the 10 m cloud)
Flamethrower
A portable flamethrower that discards the old and highly dangerous backpack fuel delivery system in favor of pressurized canisters of napalm. Inexperienced users will find that a flamethrower can be difficult to maneuver, however.
Applicable skill - Weapons: Heavy
Damage: 2 per unit
Clip size: 100 units
Rate of fire: 10 rds/sec
Reload: a turn
Effective range: 6 m
Max range: 6 m
Ammo: napalm canisters
Inventory size: 4x2
Plasma gun
An experimental weapon that is being produced in 2052 as a series of one-off prototypes, the plasma gun superheats slugs of magnetically-doped plastic and accelerates the resulting gas-liquid mix using an array of linear magnets. The resulting plasma stream is deadly when used against slow moving targets.
Applicable skill - Weapons: Heavy
Damage: 90
Clip size: 12
Rate of fire: 2 rds/sec
Reload: 2 sec
Effective range: 270 m
Max range: 450 m
Ammo: plasma clip
Inventory size: 4x2
GEP
The GEP gun is a relatively recent invention in the field of armaments: a portable, shoulder-mounted launcher that can fire rockets and laser guide them to their target with pinpoint accuracy. While suitable for high-threat combat situations, it can be bulky for those who have not grown familiar with it.
Applicable skill - Weapons: Heavy
Damage: 300
Clip size: 1
Effective range: 270 m
Max range: 450 m
Ammo: rockets, WP rockets
Inventory size: 4x2
LAW
The LAW provides cheap, dependable anti-armor capability in the form of an integrated one-shot rocket and delivery system, though at the expense of any laser guidance. Like other heavy weapons, the LAW can slow those who have not trained with it extensively.
Applicable skill - Weapons: Heavy
Damage: 100
Clip size: 1
Rate of fire: N/A
Effective range: 270 m
Max range: 450 m
Ammo: N/A (single use only)
Inventory size: 4x1
PS20
The PS20 is a disposable, plasma-based weapon developed by an unknown security organization as a next generation stealth pistol. Unfortunately, the necessity of maintaining a small physical profile restricts the weapon to a single shot. Despite its limited functionality, the PS20 can be lethal at close range.
Applicable skill - Weapons: Pistol
Damage: 35
Clip size: 1
Rate of fire: N/A
Effective range: 270 m
Max range: 450 m
Ammo: N/A (single use only)
Weapon mods
Weapon mods can only be used with ranged weapons which are not single use only.
Accuracy: Improves weapon accuracy by 10%. Cannot be applied to heavy weapons. Price: 750 credits
Ammo scavenger: Decreases the amount of ammo used by 10%. Only works for automatic weapons.
Clip: Increases clip capacity by 10%, only for bullet weaponry. Price: 250 credits
EMP converter: The weapon deals additional EMP damage with each shot.
Laser: Provides a laser sighting to show where an accurate bullet will hit. Cannot be applied to heavy weapons. Price: 700 credits
Reload: Improves reload time by 10%. Cannot be applied to a mini-crossbow. Price: 250 credits
Scope: Adds a scope to the weapon. Can be applied to pistols, mini-crossbow, GEP gun and Plasma Rifle. Price: 700 credits
Range: Increases the effective range of the weapon by 10%. Cannot be applied to a shotgun or a flamethrower.
Silencer: Adds a silencer to the weapon, preventing enemies from hearing the weapon. Can be applied to Assault Rifle and Sniper Rifle only. Price: 500 credits
A standard 10 mm IMM Austin pistol.
Applicable skill - Weapons: Pistol
Damage: 10
Clip size: 6
Rate of fire: 1.5 rds/sec
Reload: 2 sec
Effective range: 45 m
Max range: 100 m
Ammo: 10 mm
Stealth Pistol
The stealth pistol is a variant of the standard 10mm pistol with a larger clip and integrated silencer designed for wet work at very close ranges.
Applicable skill - Weapons: Pistol
Damage: 8
Clip size: 10
Rate of fire: 6 rds/sec
Reload: 2 sec
Effective range: 45 m
Max range: 100 m
Ammo: 10 mm
Mini-crossbow
The wrist-mounted mini-crossbow was specifically developed for espionage work, and accepts a range of dart types that can be later retrieved.
Applicable skill - Weapons: Pistol
Damage: 15
Clip size: 4
Rate of fire: 1 rd/sec
Reload: 2 sec
Effective range: 15 m
Max range: 30 m
Ammo: darts, tranquilizer darts, flares, EMP darts
Machine pistol
The Hurricane TMP-18 (Tactical Machine Pistol 18) is a fully-automatic machine pistol made by Stasiuk Arms Inc.
Applicable skill - Weapons: Pistol
Damage: 7
Clip size: 30
Rate of fire: 10 rds/sec Auto
Reload: 1 turn
Effective range: 45 m
Max range: 100 m
Ammo: 9x19mm
Inventory size: 4x1
Tranquilizer rifle
The PAX-22 Tranquilizer Rifle is a non-lethal, silent weapon made by Military Arms of Ostrava (MAO) located in the Czech Republic. It was intentionally developed for capture operations on wildlife and other organic targets.
Applicable skill – Weapons: Rifle
Damage: 15
Clip size: 1
Reload: 1 turn
Effective range: 45 m
Max range: 90 m
Ammo: tranq darts
Inventory size: 4x1
Sniper Rifle
The military sniper rifle is the superior tool for the interdiction of long-range targets. When coupled with the proven 30.06 round, a marksman can achieve tight groupings at better than 1 MOA (minute of angle) depending on environmental conditions.
Applicable skill - Weapons: Rifle
Damage: 20
Clip size: 6
Rate of fire: 0.5 rds/sec
Effective range: 550 m
Max range: 900 m
Ammo: 30.06 mm
Inventory size: 4x1
Assault Shotgun
The assault shotgun (sometimes referred to as a 'street sweeper') combines the best traits of a normal shotgun with a fully automatic feed that can clear an area of hostiles in a matter of seconds. Particularly effective in urban combat, the assault shotgun accepts either buckshot or sabot shells.
Applicable skill - Weapons: Rifle
Damage: 20
Clip size: 4
Rate of fire: 1.5 rds/sec Auto
Reload: 1 turn
Effective range: 20 m
Max range: 40 m
Ammo: Sabot, Buckshot
Inventory size: 2x2
Assault Rifle
The ZHL-U1953 assault rifle is designed for close-quarter combat, utilizing a shortened barrel and 'bullpup' design for increased maneuverability. An additional underhand 20mm HE launcher increases the rifle's effectiveness against a variety of targets.
Applicable skill – Weapons: Rifle
Damage: 3x5
Clip size: 30
Rate of fire: 10 rds/sec Auto
Reload: 1/2 turn
Effective range:
Max range:
Ammo: 7.62 mm or 20 mm HE
Inventory size: 2x2
Combat Knife
An ultra-high carbon stainless steel knife.
Applicable skill - Weapons: Low-Tech
Damage: 7
Alternate fire: throwing
Baton
A hefty looking baton, typically used by riot police and national security forces to discourage civilian resistance.
Applicable skill - Weapons: Low-Tech
Damage: 7
Crowbar
A crowbar. Hit someone or something with it. Repeat. Many crowbars we call ‘murder of crowbars’ – Gunther Hermann.
Applicable skill - Weapons: Low-Tech
Damage: 12
Inventory size: 2x1
Throwing Knives
A favorite weapon of assassins in the Far East for centuries, throwing knives can be deadly when wielded by a master but are more generally used when it becomes desirable to send a message. The message is usually 'Your death is coming on swift feet.'
Applicable skill - Weapons: Low-Tech
Damage: 10
Riot Prod
The riot prod has been extensively used by security forces who wish to keep what remains of the crumbling peace and have found the prod to be a valuable tool. Its short range tetanizing effect is most effective when applied to the torso or when the subject is taken by surprise.
Applicable skill - Weapons: Low-Tech
Damage: 15 (stun)
Clip size: 4
Ammo: prod charger
Pepper Spray
The pepper gun will accept a number of commercially available riot control agents in cartridge form and disperse them as a fine aerosol mist that can cause blindness or blistering at short-range.
Applicable skill - Weapons: Low-Tech
Damage: 0
Clip size: 100
Effective range: 2 m
Max range: 2 m
Ammo: pepper can
LAM (Lightweight Attack Munitions)
A multi-functional explosive with electronic priming system that can either be thrown or attached to any surface with its polyhesive backing and used as a proximity mine.
Applicable skill - Weapons: Demolitions
Damage: 500
EMP Grenade
The EMP grenade creates a localized pulse that will temporarily disable all electronics within its area of effect, including cameras and security grids.
Applicable skill - Weapons: Demolitions
Damage: 0 (bioenergy reduced to 0)
Gas Grenade
Upon detonation, the gas grenade releases a large amount of CS (a military-grade 'tear gas' agent) over its area of effect. CS will cause irritation to all exposed mucous membranes leading to temporary blindness and uncontrolled coughing. Like a LAM, gas grenades can be attached to any surface.
Applicable skill - Weapons: Demolitions
Damage: 0 (incapacitated for 2 rounds per every stay in the 10 m cloud)
Flamethrower
A portable flamethrower that discards the old and highly dangerous backpack fuel delivery system in favor of pressurized canisters of napalm. Inexperienced users will find that a flamethrower can be difficult to maneuver, however.
Applicable skill - Weapons: Heavy
Damage: 2 per unit
Clip size: 100 units
Rate of fire: 10 rds/sec
Reload: a turn
Effective range: 6 m
Max range: 6 m
Ammo: napalm canisters
Inventory size: 4x2
Plasma gun
An experimental weapon that is being produced in 2052 as a series of one-off prototypes, the plasma gun superheats slugs of magnetically-doped plastic and accelerates the resulting gas-liquid mix using an array of linear magnets. The resulting plasma stream is deadly when used against slow moving targets.
Applicable skill - Weapons: Heavy
Damage: 90
Clip size: 12
Rate of fire: 2 rds/sec
Reload: 2 sec
Effective range: 270 m
Max range: 450 m
Ammo: plasma clip
Inventory size: 4x2
GEP
The GEP gun is a relatively recent invention in the field of armaments: a portable, shoulder-mounted launcher that can fire rockets and laser guide them to their target with pinpoint accuracy. While suitable for high-threat combat situations, it can be bulky for those who have not grown familiar with it.
Applicable skill - Weapons: Heavy
Damage: 300
Clip size: 1
Effective range: 270 m
Max range: 450 m
Ammo: rockets, WP rockets
Inventory size: 4x2
LAW
The LAW provides cheap, dependable anti-armor capability in the form of an integrated one-shot rocket and delivery system, though at the expense of any laser guidance. Like other heavy weapons, the LAW can slow those who have not trained with it extensively.
Applicable skill - Weapons: Heavy
Damage: 100
Clip size: 1
Rate of fire: N/A
Effective range: 270 m
Max range: 450 m
Ammo: N/A (single use only)
Inventory size: 4x1
PS20
The PS20 is a disposable, plasma-based weapon developed by an unknown security organization as a next generation stealth pistol. Unfortunately, the necessity of maintaining a small physical profile restricts the weapon to a single shot. Despite its limited functionality, the PS20 can be lethal at close range.
Applicable skill - Weapons: Pistol
Damage: 35
Clip size: 1
Rate of fire: N/A
Effective range: 270 m
Max range: 450 m
Ammo: N/A (single use only)
Weapon mods
Weapon mods can only be used with ranged weapons which are not single use only.
Accuracy: Improves weapon accuracy by 10%. Cannot be applied to heavy weapons. Price: 750 credits
Ammo scavenger: Decreases the amount of ammo used by 10%. Only works for automatic weapons.
Clip: Increases clip capacity by 10%, only for bullet weaponry. Price: 250 credits
EMP converter: The weapon deals additional EMP damage with each shot.
Laser: Provides a laser sighting to show where an accurate bullet will hit. Cannot be applied to heavy weapons. Price: 700 credits
Reload: Improves reload time by 10%. Cannot be applied to a mini-crossbow. Price: 250 credits
Scope: Adds a scope to the weapon. Can be applied to pistols, mini-crossbow, GEP gun and Plasma Rifle. Price: 700 credits
Range: Increases the effective range of the weapon by 10%. Cannot be applied to a shotgun or a flamethrower.
Silencer: Adds a silencer to the weapon, preventing enemies from hearing the weapon. Can be applied to Assault Rifle and Sniper Rifle only. Price: 500 credits
Combat
The body is divided into the following parts: head, torso, right arm, left arm, right leg, left leg.
The health of each body part is measured in percents, starting at 100% (full health).
If the health is reduced to 75%, the part is slightly wounded, resulting in a –10% penalty. If the health is reduced to 50%, it means it is wounded and the penalty is –20%. The health of 25% or less means the part is severely wounded and the penalty is –30%. If the health is reduced to 0%, the part is disabled and cannot be used. In the case of torso and head, 0% health means death.
Stunned, blinded or drugged conditions result in a penalty ranging from –20% to –40%.
Headshots deal 4x damage. A medkit heals 30%, starting from the part which is most wounded. A player might also pick a given body part and use the 30% on this body part only. If using a medkit would cause the health to go above 100%, any excess percents are lost.
Shooting beyond effective range lowers damage by half.
Modifiers to combat tests
Every group needs to be taken into account. All modifiers are summed up and the player throws against the total DC.
Distance
Less than half of effective range +20%
Half as far as effective range –20%
Targeting
Entire body (random body part hit) +20%
Left side or right side (random body part hit) +10%
Torso –10%
Limb –20%
Head –30%
Cover
Less than half –10%
Half –20%
Nearly complete –30%
Weather (not applied to melee combat)
Poor lightning –20%
Windy –10%
Heavy rain or light fog –20%
Thick fog or smoke grenade –30%
Movement
Standing still +10% per round, up to +30%
Running –20%
Shooting blindly –30%
Distance
Less than half of effective range +20%
Half as far as effective range –20%
Targeting
Entire body (random body part hit) +20%
Left side or right side (random body part hit) +10%
Torso –10%
Limb –20%
Head –30%
Cover
Less than half –10%
Half –20%
Nearly complete –30%
Weather (not applied to melee combat)
Poor lightning –20%
Windy –10%
Heavy rain or light fog –20%
Thick fog or smoke grenade –30%
Movement
Standing still +10% per round, up to +30%
Running –20%
Shooting blindly –30%
World
Timeline
The campaign can take place at any time starting from 2013 onwards.
Locations
Battery Park
In 2052, the NSF use Battery Park as a small base of operations for naval transport. By the time the player arrives, the NSF have barricaded themselves within Castle Clinton. While the main courtyard in the castle is heavily guarded, there is also a backdoor entrance to the base. In addition, the NSF also raid the nearby subway station, taking hostages and threatening to destroy the platform with TNT. Around the subway, there is a shantytown.
Brooklyn Naval Shipyard
The Brooklyn Naval Shipyard is a waterfront facility used to dock, build, repair, and load various ships. The Shipyard can be found in New York City.
During the early 2052, Bob Page donates a new submarine pen to the facility, and later in the game, Majestic-12 moves the PRCS Wall Cloud superfreighter into its pen. The Wall Cloud is carrying several hundred tons of the Gray Death nanovirus, and is heavily guarded by security cameras, various bots, and countless American, Russian, and Chinese soldiers.
The shipyard can be divided into 3 different areas: a front gate blocking a courtyard of mostly deserted office buildings, the sub pen itself, and several heavily guarded warehouses and courtyards between the two. The soldiers at the front gate aren't hostile, and will open the gate for if one had talked to Vinny in Hell's Kitchen.
The central warehouses contain several soldiers and a few Bravo-3 Peacebringers. The final courtyard is patrolled by Delta-2 Peacebringers, and one must pass through here to get into both the sub pen's ground level entrance and the crane leading to its ventilation shafts.
A sewer system runs under the entire shipyard, though it is guarded by several turrets and laser tripwires. The Sub Pen is guarded by Russian sailors and Chinese military, both on the dock and on the ship itself.
Hell’s Kitchen
A neighborhood of Manhattan within New York City, containing the ‘Ton Hotel and Underworld Tavern, among others. A part of it, behind the Osgood and Sons Imports, is called the Warehouse District. In 2052, it is controlled by the NSF.
Citizens were generally ordered off the streets into either the Underworld Tavern or the Free Clinic. However, there is plenty of street activity from fighting between UNATCO and the NSF. Within the sewers lies secret underground tunnels which allow individuals enter a Majestic 12 bunker. However, Smuggler is the only non MJ-12 individual to hold a key to the sewers. Smuggler himself lives behind an abandoned underground parking lot.
The Tenderloin Clinic, also known as The Free Clinic, is a public clinic opened in Hell's Kitchen. The clinic was opened following the Gray Death epidemics in New York, and several homeless patients can be found staying here. On the player's first visit, the clinic is opened and staffed by humans, although the player can enter a special clinic staffed by MedBots for a 2000 credit fee.
The ‘Ton Hotel was once a Hilton Hotel, but it gained a new name ever since the left half of the neon sign stopped functioning. In 2052, the 'Ton is run by Gilbert and Sandra Renton, father and daughter. Paul Denton and JoJo Fine hide here.
Liberty Island
Access to the island is possible via the North and the South Dock. In 2052, the UNATCO HQ was built here, ostensibly in response to a terrorist attack which damaged the Statue of Liberty.
The complex had several levels – a retinal scanner blocked the access to the third level onwards, which housed the offices, a medlab and an armoury. The inaccessible door on the last level leads to a large Majestic-12 laboratory complex beneath.
After the NSF raid on Liberty Island, the rest of the island is closed off for investigation, only allowing access to UNATCO HQ by helicopter.
Twenty years later, the UNATCO HQ is in ruins and they are occupied by either the Illuminati or the Knights Templar.
Lower East Side Cemetery
In 2052, Stanton Dowd uses his family crypt for arranged meetings. The gate keeper is a MJ12 spy who might call foot soldiers in.
Area 51
Area 51 is a top secret US Air Force installation in Nevada. The underground parts of the base are maintained by Majestic 12 and store the Aquinas Hub and Echelon systems. It's used by Bob Page as a stronghold, housing his top scientists and troops. It is also the home to the Helios AI, and all of America's communications are routed through this point. The base also has 3 Universal Constructors. Area 51 is also the place where Paul, JC, and Alex Denton were created.
In April 1955 the US Air Force decided to create a new testing facility for a high-altitude surveillance plane U-2. They picked an area near Groom Lake's dry lake bed because of nuclear testing grounds near it - an ideal location for top secret projects. The new air station was called Paradise Ranch or simply The Ranch. It is confirmed that at some time the base's name was indeed Area 51, but it changed several times. The present official name is USAF Flight Test Center, Detachment 3. The most famous once-secret planes, like SR-71 Blackbird, F-117 Nighthawk or B-2 Spirit, were tested nowhere else but over the sands of Nevada.
LaGuardia Airport
By 2052, a number of terminals and hangers have been sold to a number of private companies and individuals including Juan Lebedev to help relieve the city's financial troubles. Lebedev, being an NSF sympathizer, allows the NSF to move stolen Ambrosia and armed guards into the airport.
The Airport's lower levels are monitored by several NSF operatives, most with regular small arms, but some wield heavier weapons like flamethrowers and sniper rifles. The surface is populated by NSF guards, with low-level security bots patrolling the area.
Pasadena Ocean Lab
The facilities are a coastal and underwater laboratory owned by Majestic 12 and located on the "New" California Coast following the 2030 Earthquake that sunk most of southern California. The Lab was constructed in front of the SoCal sea wall (a massive concrete wall hundreds of meters tall used to keep the ocean from flooding southwestern America) partially to allow easy sea access and partially to keep the lab secret.
In 2052, the Ocean Labs themselves are in bad shape. A rogue scientist named Ridley, who claimed to be an Illuminati sleeper agent, has sabotaged the base. After detonating several LAMs throughout the base and giving the base a crippling computer virus, much of it is flooded. The Security Systems are malfunctioning, murdering all of the Lab's residents.
After the MJ12 are driven out, the lab is taken over by X-51 personnel.
Squalnomie
Located in Washington state, east of Seattle, and the site of a major battle between the NSF and federal forces.
Vandenberg
Vandenberg Air Force Base is a military base in Lompoc, California.
Although it was originally owned by the military, it was condemned after the SoCal earthquake left most of the underground sections of the base flooded, collapsed or leaking toxic chemicals and radiation. In addition, the security systems had gone rogue, and several Chiang M2s now patrol the underground, attacking anything that moves. Following the cataclysmic Californian earthquakes of 2030, the entire facility was evacuated, and 21 years later, escaped scientists from Area 51 settled here and called themselves X-51. These scientists, led by Gary Savage, have nearly built a complete Universal Constructor, only lacking a Containment Shield. In 2052, Majestic 12, sensing the possibility of X51 curing the Gray Death with their Universal Constructor, invades the facility and captures many of the base's personnel. Those that do escape lock themselves in the Control Center of the main building and Communications center 01, a small building in the courtyard.
Abandoned Gas Station
Located somewhere in California, specifically somewhere between the Vandenberg Air Force Base and the ruins of Los Angeles, which was sunk during a severe earthquake in the 2030s.
It was used in 2052 by the MJ12 to hold Tiffany Savage hostage.
According to the sign, the last gas prices before the store closed got no higher than $4.05/gallon of premium gas.
Hong Kong
In the 2050s, the Chinese government remained the only one to keep itself completely autonomous from United Nations control (free from control of Majestic-12). Hong Kong became a success of laissez-faire capitalism during British control in the 20th century and retains a great degree of independence under Chinese authority. The business-friendly environment encouraged Page Industries to set up office and a Universal Constructor in the city. The mix of free business and harsh laws in Mainland China has led Hong Kong to develop a lucrative black market.
In 2051, the Hong Kong authorities installed acoustic sensors in the inner city, designed to detect gunfire and alert military police to any armed disturbances. In response, the Triads turned in a more intensive use of sword fighting with dao and martial arts, funding major research operations to create high-tech hand-to-hand weapons immune to the acoustic sensors.
In 2052, a major triad war for possession of the city center has erupted between the traditional triad of the city, the Luminous Path and its rival, the Red Arrow. Assassinations, bombings and terrorist acts are said to be at an all-time high. The main victims of this triad war have been the small businessmen and entrepreneurs of Hong Kong. These merchants have long paid protection to one triad or the other. However because of the war, a merchant who is affiliated with one triad now faces sabotage and harassment from the other.
Furthermore, protection fees are going up, as the Triads seek funds to counter their losses from the conflict. The Chinese government interference in the Triad war is unlikely as long as the international corporations and government agencies remain outside the conflict. Hong Kong civic authorities have stepped up the military police presence in the streets. However, the military police are largely in the employ of the Triads. While the police will sometimes take action to protect tourists and foreign businessmen, they do nothing to interfere between the Triads and ordinary citizens, but the international conglomerates that compose the core of Hong Kong's economy seem largely untouched by the violence.
The largest market is called the Wan Chai Market. Both triads operate protection rackets here, and it is close to both the Military Police station and to the Versalife building. The two ways to exit it are the Tonnochi Road or the Canals.
Organizations
Characters
Daedalus
For all intents and purposes, Daedalus *is* the Internet of 2052.
The AI that would later be known as "Daedalus" was conceived by the brilliant mind of Morgan Everett, the current leader of the Illuminati. Everett conceived the program that would eventually create Daedalus, as a way to create the nearly perfect advisor, with the ability to sift through gigantic amounts of data to predict disasters, both natural and man-made, and to make plans to prevent them, which the Illuminati could then choose to either ignore or execute.
Daedalus was never meant to have an actual sentience or self-awareness, and was only made to give advice - not to do anything itself. Everett's protégé Bob Page, however, saw Daedalus as the means to control the huge amounts of electronic information that travelled through the Internet and other electronic media - a feat that both the Illuminati and its splinter cell, Majestic-12 which Page controlled, had not been able to pull off.
Page's ideas for Daedalus' reconfiguration did not fly totally under the radar as the entire project became linked, logically enough, to the creation of the ECHELON IV's replacement. Before the Illuminati and MJ-12 could put a stop to it, a few rumours filtered through to the various conspiracy theorist groups on the Internet. Meanwhile, Page completed Daedalus, which soon after, without even alerting Page that he had succeeded, fled into the Internet and began to become self-aware. Page originally intended Daedalus as a tool to keep track of any developments that would threaten MJ-12, which meant all terrorist groups. This greatly backfired when its pattern matching system classified MJ-12 itself as a terrorist group. Page later created a new modified AI based on Daedalus called Icarus, which remained under MJ-12 control.
After having sorted though much of the information on the Net, Daedalus found that the world was on the verge of collapse. Still retaining some of the basic parameters that Everett had encoded in the basic template, Daedalus began to ponder how it was going to save the world from itself, and not least MJ-12.
Daedalus was not designed to reside in one major mainframe or hub, but rather to exist simultaneously as a line of code or two on every single device connected to the Internet, not unlike the distributed computing of today. This not only made Daedalus almost impossible to trace, but also gave it huge amounts of processing power.
Daedalus eventually found Paul Denton to help him. When Paul became unable to continue the fight against MJ-12, Daedalus abandoned him in favour of his brother JC. In the end, Daedalus was tricked into merging with the MJ-12-friendly AI Icarus, which Page had made as a replacement, creating the AI Helios.
Icarus
Icarus was a creation of Bob Page and Majestic-12. Its purpose was the same as Daedalus: to control and sift through huge amounts of digital information, allowing it to inform and advise its handlers, and to predict and control real-world events. Icarus' creation was necessary to Page as its predecessor, Daedalus, had revolted from MJ12 control, instead assisting JC Denton along with others MJ12 wanted to destroy.
Icarus is an antagonist and is generally antipodal to Daedalus. Following its Majestic-12 protocols, it tracks the movements and activities of JC from the point he escapes from his imprisonment in the secret MJ12 facility on Liberty Island. Icarus first makes contact with JC in Paris; brief communications and messages involving taunts, warnings, questions, and misinformation are received through infolinks, computer terminals, and, in one instance, a telephone call.
The entire time, Icarus not only harasses JC, but leads him and his allies to believe it is attempting to "kill" Daedalus. Daedalus informs them that it is being attacked by Icarus, being weakened to the point that it believes it will soon be destroyed, and as such pleas for aid to fight Icarus. These attacks, unbeknownst to them, are actually attempts by Icarus to combine the two AI's into one entity. Icarus's communications continue throughout the game up to the point where JC and the X-51 scientists, in an attempt to help Daedalus fend off its rival, accidentally cause the two AIs to merge into a new program: Helios. Bob Page then informs that he knew the two AI would combine and that they had just played right into his hands by creating an AI with Icarus's loyalty to MJ12 and Daedalus's worldwide cyber integration.
Helios
Daedalus, who aided JC Denton for some time, needed access to the military network. Unbeknownst to Denton and his allies, this would result in the two AIs merging.
While Bob Page considered this a victory for his camp, Helios began plotting against him, conspiring to bring about a Utopian society with the help of Denton. After the merge, Helios plans to control the world as a benevolent dictator, citing history as evidence that humanity will inevitably destroy itself if left on its own. Helios selects JC Denton as its biological component, believing that Denton could provide the necessary ability to understand humans that a benevolent dictator would need to rule effectively. Even before the ending is chosen, however, Helios begins to assert its influence by interfacing with the Aquinas system located in Area 51, which surveys the entirety of the Internet. In Hong Kong, Helios shuts down power to all government buildings, disables the Triads electronically, and orders free flow of traffic to begin anew.
Despite Denton's allies Tracer Tong and Morgan Everett encouraging him to destroy Area 51 or kill Page, respectively, Helios presents him with a third option: merge with Helios in Page's place. This path leads to Invisible War, though elements from the Tong ending are present as well.
JC merges with Helios, but the massive reach of Helios proves to be too much for JC. Area 51 is destroyed, and JC Denton becomes the new central hub for all communications. In order to save JC's life, Tracer Tong and Paul Denton place JC in suspended animation in Antarctica, bringing about The Collapse. They found ApostleCorp, a research firm dedicated to modify nano-augmentation so that it can be used in every man, woman, and child. Their plan is to distribute the Helios protocol to every human being in the world to create a pure and perfect democracy.
Timeline
The campaign can take place at any time starting from 2013 onwards.
1940
· The Illuminati gather genetic data via the smallpox vaccinations. This continues for two decades.
1946
· March: The UKUSA agreement is signed creating a vast international global eavesdropping network when US, Britain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand joined all of their signals intelligence (SIGINT) organizations.
1954
· The Bilderberg Group is created to control financial matters around the world through vast mining operations, control over the Federal Reserve Board, The Eurobank and the World Bank as well as through a stranglehold on the world's supply of gold.
· Majestic 12 is founded sometime after to control technology and communications. It develops advanced technology and decides what to release to the public. It monitors all communications, some better than others. It also controls drugs, legal and illegal, pharmaceutical and recreational. It even introduces new diseases (for which it already has cures waiting).
1958
· Tong Si Hung is born.
1961
· Massachusetts Institute of Technology introduces the world to MH-1; the first computer-operated mechanical hand. Nearing human likeness, the MH-1 has a hand-arm combination of 35 degrees of freedom, and is sensitive to pattern recognition and simulation of higher cognitive processes.
1965
· The Illuminati finish tracking those who receive a smallpox vaccine. From this they are able to build a database of the genetic codes of nearly all citizens of the United States and much of the rest of the world.
1973
· Hugh Darrow is born in Blackheat, South London. He proves to be a visionary entrepreneur whose innovations and groundbreaking ideas change not only the face of augmentation, but also the very fabric of society itself.
1978
· An Australian professor develops the first safe effective sensorineural biotechnology that directly connects electronic technology to physiological contact within the central nervous system. With the help of this new technology, his patient becomes the first human in the world to receive a multi-channel cochlear implant after losing his hearing from injuries sustained to the head. The implantation proves to successfully give him the ability to regain partial hearing and pitch perception.
1980s
· NSA designs the Echelon system by interconnecting all SIGNIT information gathering computers in the UKUSA agreement (that is to say in United States, Britain, Canada, New Zealand and Australia) into and integrated whole.
1987
· The first implantation of a deep-brain electrical stimulation system and the first Lasik eye surgery are performed on human patients.
· Bruce McIndoe helps to finalize the original Echelon system. Bruce would become the lead architect for Echelon II, which would use words and voice recognition, as well as automatic translation.
1993
· March 9: Adam Jensen is born.
1996
· Hugh Darrow creates a prosthetic company named Darrow Industries. With his family's considerable assets at his disposal, Darrow ensures that this, as well as his claims to the importance of this event, makes front-page news.
1997
· The sovereignty of Hong Kong is handed over by the UK to the PRC. A top official of the PRC central law enforcement agency publicly acknowledges his acceptance of the Triad. He states that many of its members are patriotic to the motherland. It is unknown if this is a government stance or a personal opinion.
1998
· The first brain implant capable of stimulating movement is installed in a human patient by researchers at Emory University. The device, or neurotrophic electrode, is implanted into the brain, allowing cortical cells to grow and form neural contacts. After several weeks, the cortical tissue grows into the electrode. This allows a person to interact with the world as if they were using a computer.
· Bruce McIndoe stops work on Echelon II when his company changes hands.
1999
· January 1: Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, and Spain succumb to Majestic Twelve pressure exerted via the Economic and Monetary Union of the European Union or EMU) and adopt the Euro (EUR) as their currency.
· Yelena Fedorova is born.
2000
· The Artificial Silicon Retina (ASR) is implanted for the first time in the eyes of three nearly blind patients. Containing approximately 3,500 microscopic solar cells that convert light into electrical impulses, the new technology works to replace damaged photoreceptors that normally convert light into electrical signals within the retina.
2001
· January 1: Greece adopts the Euro.
· A high-power lineman who, after losing both of his arms through severe electrocution, receives a life-changing computerized, biohybrid arm is dubbed as one of the first functional cyborgs, his fully robotic limb operated through a nerve muscle graft that uses micro computers instead of cables to perform a wide range of complex motions. It is also the first prototype enabling its carrier to sense pressure.
· September 11: A terrorist attack destroys the World Trade Center towers in New York City.
2002
· After six years of intense research, Darrow Industries scientists successfully interwine PEDOT-electrodes with live neural cells, creating a biocompatible matrix that better enables acceptance of prosthetic materials by organic tissue.
· The implementation of the Euro is complete. As a result, most of Europe and its territories are subjects to the economical control of the Majestic 12.
· Faridah Malik is born in Dearborn, United States.
2003
· The United Kingdom adopts the Euro as currency.
2004
· The US Army starts Project Phoenix – amputee veterans of Persian Bay conflicts are invited to volunteer for advanced prosthetics research.
2005
· Project Echelon is moved to Area 51.
· Building on their earlier creation of PEDOT-clusters, Darrow Industries scientists create a revolutionary biosensor that vastly improves the connection between the human nervous system and artificial limbs. The new technology brings researchers one step closer to thinning the line between prosthetic and organic.
2007
· David Sarif creates Sarif Industries in a former car factory in Detroit.
2008
· With the support of the UN and some big biotech companies, like VersaLife Group, WHO forms Omega Ranch – a center which is to pave the way for research on viral genetics and biology. The program is to support Disease Control Initiative.
2009
· Stretched thin by two Mideast conflicts, the US Congress passes Recycle Military Bill – financing free prosthetics for war veterans who re-enlist. Sarif Industries wins a lucrative contract and become the US leader in prosthetics production.
2011
· Internet 2 hub is moved to underground labs in Area 51.
· Darrow Industries publishes "FittestXY" – a test detecting a rare genetic mutation which makes accepting implants impossible, and in extreme cases can cause death.
· Haydon Suyong opens medical clinics for the mechanically-augmented named L.I.M.B. International. To achieve this, he borrows 50m euro from Hugh Darrow.
2012
· As part of their ultimate exit strategy out of Iraq, the U.S. military sends squads of prosthetic-equipped soldiers into the heaviest conflict zones.
2013
· A milestone in the development of augmentation is reached when the 50th healthcare clinic for mechanically augmented patients opens in New Delhi, with nearly 50,000 patients visiting the facility within its first week. At the opening ceremony Haydon Suyong calls his network of clinics "L.I.M.B. International" for the first time.
· After a year of underground activity, Augmented Combat Challenge (ACC), a martial arts league for mechanically-augmented, is made legal in 12 countries.
2014
· Brian Nittle becomes the first patient with Down syndrome to successfully receive a deep-brain implant capable of stimulating portions of the brain in order to significantly increase natural cognitive functions. The implantation works better than imagined and Nittle is able to lead a near normal life.
· The volcanic Vilama Caldera complex in Argentina unexpectedly detonates in a powerful 'supervolcanic' explosion, blanketing huge swathes of land in Argentina, Chile and Bolivia with hot ash. Over 100,000 citizens are killed, but the world finds hope in augmented humans as they play a major role in the region's rescue and recovery operations. Their enhanced abilities save many lives and prove to make a crucial difference in relief of this awesome disaster.
· · After having banned augmented athletes years earlier, plans to rewrite the guidelines and rules governing international athletic competitions are announced. "We can no longer ignore the [augmented] population. They are obviously a part of our world, and this is a worldwide competition," says voting board member Harris Stevenson.
· Adam Jensen joins the Detroit Police Department.
2015
· Rumors begin to circulate that countries are experimenting with new intelligence-enhancing technology by secretly implanting the device in military and counter-intelligence officers. As leaked intelligence from Asia and Europe begins to corroborate the story, a fear of falling behind these imposing advancements accelerates global biotechnical research to new levels.
· After terrorist attacks against Saudi Arabian oil fields decimate the country's infrastructure and plunge the world into a major energy crisis, an emergency session of the US Congress passes the Green River Energy Bill, opening protected oil shale deposits in Utah, Colorado and Wyoming to development. Seeing the challenges and dangers of drilling in the areas, oil companies begin quietly recruiting augmented war vets to work at the highest salaries.
2016
· A foreign pilot equipped with an intelligence-enhancing implant defects to an international U.S. base and the military immediately begins attempting to reverse-engineer the chip.
· The Singularity Faith of the Machine God (SFMG) – a quasi-religious group in favor of mechanically augmenting people is registered as a church. Augs originally formed the SFMG in 2011 in response to being shunned for going against religious scripts that declare it unholy to biologically 'desecrate' their bodies.
2017
· In an attempt to catch up to the rapid advancements of rival nations, the U.S. military awards Sarif Industries a top secret, no-bid contract to manufacture intelligence-enhancing chips.
· Dallas became a self-declared “protected city-state”, paving the way for several other so-called fortress cities to come into being over the next decade.
· First documents regarding the Aquinas Project show up.
2018
· Paul Denton is born.
· Adam Jensen joins the SWAT.
2019
· A Christian group called the NuChrist Initiative emerges, that embraces and encourages cloning, mechanical augmentations and development of biotechnology. Traditionalist Christians hold protest, but cannot stop the membership of the NuChrist Initiative from growing 300% in one year.
· Belltower Associates, an umbrella group of private military contractors, institutes their new augmentation program, Plan Infinity. The Program offers soldiers immediate augmentations while deferring payment for as long as they remain active employees of Belltower.
2020s
· Mechanical-augmentations are just becoming widespread.
· In the early years of this decade work on nano-technology begins. The Majestic 12 scientists assigned to the project (including Bob Page) have a number of difficulties. A self-replicating nanite that can interact with biological material has to be developed. The nanites must be able to interpret commands directly from the mind, and send information back to the mind in a form that can be interpreted. This will take years to develop. A test subject matching MJ12's selection criteria is needed, as young as possible.
· Australia finds a large underground reserve of fossil fuel off the coast of Antarctica. With the fossil fuel crisis worldwide, tensions between north and south Australia rise. Australian Civil War begins.
· Quincy Durant is severely injured during an encounter with an augmented criminal, and is forced to undergo extensive augmentation to survive. Durant is later put in charge of a new unit of augmented SWAT officers; Adam Jensen is given command of Durant's old unit.
2020
· A California Secessionist Movement was narrowly defeated in a public referendum.
2021
· Quincy Durant's SWAT unit massacres the entire Kowalski Bros. Gang at the El Diablo Lapdancing Club.
2022
· Antoine Thisdale, an unaugmented oil rig worker sues for the right to have both of his fully functional natural arms amputated and replaced with cybernetic arms in an effort to compete with mechanically augmented workers in his profession. The US Supreme Court rules in his favor, therefore creating a constitutional right to be mechanically augmented.
· Bill Taggart forms an anti-augmentation group called Humanity Front based in Utah.
· A Pan-Arab coalition invades Israel. Illuminati control of the region becomes total.
2023
· At 5 years old, Paul is chosen as a test specimen and cloned.
· Quincy Durant's now corrupt SWAT unit has violently taken down half of the organized crime groups in the city, taking over their operations for themselves.
2024
· First nanoaugmentation tests are performed on the clones of Paul Denton.
· An investigative news report reveals that a high-profile contestant on a popular American game show had been implanted with an intelligence-enhancing chip prior to his appearance on the program. The scandal causes a significant upswing in popular opposition to the largely unregulated augmentation industry. The Humanity Front's membership grows sizeably as a result.
2025
· Quincy Durant's SWAT unit instigates the Mexicantown Riots. Durant is badly wounded in a firefight with Adam Jensen, acting on orders to take Durant down. Durant is retrieved in secret by the Illuminati and given further augmentation. Durant's unit is shut down and its other members are stripped of their badges and arrested.
· Adam Jensen does not fulfill an order to shoot a mechanically augmented teen and loses the post of a SWAT commander.
2026 Deus Ex: Icarus Effect (novel) takes place
· Adam Jensen becomes the Chief of Security at the Sarif Industries.
2027 Deus Ex: Human Revolution takes place
· “Biopolitical Vote” takes place
· Bill Taggart is almost killed by an augmented sniper at a Humanity Front rally in Geneva. This pushes the UN to consider regulation of human augmentation.
· Versalife announces they have successfully cured AIDS in laboratory mice using nanites.
2028
· Tests show successful experiments on clones. Paul’s mother is impregnated with JC’s embryo.
2029
· March 17: JC Denton is born.
· Scientists construct embryonic incubators.
2030
· Scientists try to gather samples of the 1918 influenza virus from bodies buried under the North Pole. The virus escapes, causing a worldwide tuberculosis and Spanish flu pandemic. VersaLife, earlier a small genetic lab, creates a medicine, gaining indescribable riches.
· A vaccine for AIDS is found.
· A mostly unknown company based in LA (like VersaLife) creates a vaccine for the flu, too. Soon afterwards, an earthquake happens (low-radiation explosives were placed along the fault line) – sinking the city and the part of San Francisco. The government focuses on helping the state of California. The West Coast is declared a disaster area.
2030s
· After the HIV cure is released new resistant diseases appear. Resistant tuberculosis hits the developing nations, particularly India, very hard. A sample of the 1918 flu virus from bodies buried under the North Pole is accidentally released when it is procured for research.
· · Versalife is instrumental in fighting these epidemics. Versalife soon branches to embrace all forms of science and commerce.
2031
· Utah declares independence and annexes Arizona and Nevada. They are followed by fringe groups in Texas.
· Texas is attacked by the Mexico.
· Northwestern National Secessionist Forces are created, consisting of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana & Wyoming. Start of the Northwest War.
· All of these attempts to secede fail. Martial law enacted by the US government following the reintegration of the rogue states into the motherland continues for years to come in some areas.
2033
· November 20: Alex Denton's assigned false birth date.
· May 13: Nick Pausback's assigned false birth date.
2034
· Research concerning the second generation of clones starts.
· Toxicological study found no carcinogenic effects at chlorine concentrations a thousand times higher than the Environmental Protection Agency revised Kyoto standards.
· February 25: Wade Walker's assigned false birth date.
2035
· Having lined up all of the Illuminati's political, financial, military and religious arms beneath it, Majestic 12 inherits the mantle of de facto ruler of Asia, Eastern Europe and South America. It's rebellion is complete.
· The parents of Paul and JC Denton are assassinated by the MJ-12. JC is sent to a Swiss school.
· MJ12 splinters from the Illuminati.
2036
· Paul Denton begins 4-year university studies.
2040s
· Tracer Tong begins working on the AI project named Ava Johnson.
2040
· Paul Denton, age 22, joins UNATCO.
2042
· Sporting Weapons Act is passed.
· National Secessionist Forces are formed, led by Leon Woods. They intend the "liberation" of Washington, Montana, Oregon, and Northern California.
· JC Denton finishes school.
· Page Industries begins working on the Aquinas.
2044
· Common sensors are discovered in the human brain.
2045
· Leon Woods dies during his infamous “last stand” at the siege of Squalnomie.
2046
· In response to the Upper West Side bombing that killed 45 people and wounded over 100, newly enacted grid zoning laws allow the police to wall off regions of Manhattan and its surrounding boroughs. Foot traffic between these "zones" is prohibited, and traveling between zones restricted to authorized subways or highways subject to police surveillance.
· The crash of '46. Construction of a unnamed building in Paris is stopped.
· VersaLife is suspected to begin working on an antidote to the Gray Death – Ambrosia.
2047
· The "Somnolente Ile" scandal in France.
· Rumors say the work on the Aquinas Protocol begins in this year.
· JC Denton graduates.
2048
· President and Congress elections in the US. Philip Riley Mead becomes POTUS.
2049
· Doctor Moreau starts working in the MJ12 lab under UNATCO.
· Majestic 12 manages to force all brain coils to work with nanoimplants.
2050
· Paul Denton is approached with an offer of implanting nanoaugmentations. The experiment succeeds. Most clones are removed.
· Silhouette sabotages the Internet broadcast of the World Cup by inserting 20th century style advertisements mocking the excesses of mechanical augmentation and UNATCO.
2051
· A Gray Death pandemic breaks out.
· The Templars become inactive due to a raid of the UNATCO and the Interpol on their headquarters in Paris.
· UNATCO destroys the Statue of Liberty and blames the Silhouette.
· September: Beth DuClare dies.
· The members of X-51 escape Area 51. Explosives they had planted destroy most of the machines, including the Universal Constructor.
· JC Denton enters UNATCO and undergoes the experimental procedure of implanting the nanoaugmentations.
· 15,234 young people serve sentences in the state's FBI-run "good behavior" camps, a legacy of the Northwest War.
2052 Deus Ex takes place
· Worldwide flooding from melting polar ice caps at its minimum.
· Mechanical-augmentation reaches its lowest ebb. Mech-augs are no longer popular mere 25 years after their Golden Age.
· Beth DuClare awarded the Legion of Honour posthumously.
· JC Denton begins active duty.
· Martial law in the US.
· The destruction of Area 51 and the Great Fall
· JC Denton merges with Helios. The process overloads the Aquinas Router, triggering an explosion which kills Bob Page and destroys the global communication network. This results in The Collapse, the worst economic disaster in history, and a new Dark Age. Countries disintegrate overnight, plunging the world into chaos.
· JC falls into a coma and moves to the Antarctica.
· Alex Denton leaves the incubator (his false birth year is 2047).
2053
· Chad Dumier leads the WTO, and Nicolette DuClare creates the Order Church.
· The WTO incorporates the city of Trier, Germany. Eldrin Braeden, a influential local businessman, is driven from power as a result of the incorporation.
2057
· Seattle joins WTO.
2060
· Alex Denton begins his schooling in Tarsus, Chicago.
2067
· Disturbances in the structure of the Nanite Cloud 9 give the inhabitants of Cairo hopes for clean air, but turn out to be temporary and caused by the El Niño.
2069
· Donna Morgan is promoted to Security Chief of WTO.
· Paul Denton tests a new biomod architecture – the attempt fails, Paul falls into a coma and is hibernated.
2071
· Riots in a Seattle refinery, when the results of a referendum concerning the city’s entry to the WTO. Some inhabitants of Lower Seattle take to the streets, claiming the voting was falsified.
· Humankind lands on Mars. The words "Mankind is now the inhabitant of two worlds" broadcast in both English and Spanish. Conspiracy theorists contend that the landing was staged.
2072 Deus Ex: Invisible War takes place
· With no practical uses, mechanical-augmentation is made completely obsolete due to its inferiority to nano-augmentation, which is now common.
· Chicago is destroyed by a nanite detonator.
· The Templars split from the Order. An attack of the WTO enclaves.
· Alex Denton awakens JC Denton from his coma.
· Alex Denton uploads the Aquinas protocol
· The Illuminati gather genetic data via the smallpox vaccinations. This continues for two decades.
1946
· March: The UKUSA agreement is signed creating a vast international global eavesdropping network when US, Britain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand joined all of their signals intelligence (SIGINT) organizations.
1954
· The Bilderberg Group is created to control financial matters around the world through vast mining operations, control over the Federal Reserve Board, The Eurobank and the World Bank as well as through a stranglehold on the world's supply of gold.
· Majestic 12 is founded sometime after to control technology and communications. It develops advanced technology and decides what to release to the public. It monitors all communications, some better than others. It also controls drugs, legal and illegal, pharmaceutical and recreational. It even introduces new diseases (for which it already has cures waiting).
1958
· Tong Si Hung is born.
1961
· Massachusetts Institute of Technology introduces the world to MH-1; the first computer-operated mechanical hand. Nearing human likeness, the MH-1 has a hand-arm combination of 35 degrees of freedom, and is sensitive to pattern recognition and simulation of higher cognitive processes.
1965
· The Illuminati finish tracking those who receive a smallpox vaccine. From this they are able to build a database of the genetic codes of nearly all citizens of the United States and much of the rest of the world.
1973
· Hugh Darrow is born in Blackheat, South London. He proves to be a visionary entrepreneur whose innovations and groundbreaking ideas change not only the face of augmentation, but also the very fabric of society itself.
1978
· An Australian professor develops the first safe effective sensorineural biotechnology that directly connects electronic technology to physiological contact within the central nervous system. With the help of this new technology, his patient becomes the first human in the world to receive a multi-channel cochlear implant after losing his hearing from injuries sustained to the head. The implantation proves to successfully give him the ability to regain partial hearing and pitch perception.
1980s
· NSA designs the Echelon system by interconnecting all SIGNIT information gathering computers in the UKUSA agreement (that is to say in United States, Britain, Canada, New Zealand and Australia) into and integrated whole.
1987
· The first implantation of a deep-brain electrical stimulation system and the first Lasik eye surgery are performed on human patients.
· Bruce McIndoe helps to finalize the original Echelon system. Bruce would become the lead architect for Echelon II, which would use words and voice recognition, as well as automatic translation.
1993
· March 9: Adam Jensen is born.
1996
· Hugh Darrow creates a prosthetic company named Darrow Industries. With his family's considerable assets at his disposal, Darrow ensures that this, as well as his claims to the importance of this event, makes front-page news.
1997
· The sovereignty of Hong Kong is handed over by the UK to the PRC. A top official of the PRC central law enforcement agency publicly acknowledges his acceptance of the Triad. He states that many of its members are patriotic to the motherland. It is unknown if this is a government stance or a personal opinion.
1998
· The first brain implant capable of stimulating movement is installed in a human patient by researchers at Emory University. The device, or neurotrophic electrode, is implanted into the brain, allowing cortical cells to grow and form neural contacts. After several weeks, the cortical tissue grows into the electrode. This allows a person to interact with the world as if they were using a computer.
· Bruce McIndoe stops work on Echelon II when his company changes hands.
1999
· January 1: Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, and Spain succumb to Majestic Twelve pressure exerted via the Economic and Monetary Union of the European Union or EMU) and adopt the Euro (EUR) as their currency.
· Yelena Fedorova is born.
2000
· The Artificial Silicon Retina (ASR) is implanted for the first time in the eyes of three nearly blind patients. Containing approximately 3,500 microscopic solar cells that convert light into electrical impulses, the new technology works to replace damaged photoreceptors that normally convert light into electrical signals within the retina.
2001
· January 1: Greece adopts the Euro.
· A high-power lineman who, after losing both of his arms through severe electrocution, receives a life-changing computerized, biohybrid arm is dubbed as one of the first functional cyborgs, his fully robotic limb operated through a nerve muscle graft that uses micro computers instead of cables to perform a wide range of complex motions. It is also the first prototype enabling its carrier to sense pressure.
· September 11: A terrorist attack destroys the World Trade Center towers in New York City.
2002
· After six years of intense research, Darrow Industries scientists successfully interwine PEDOT-electrodes with live neural cells, creating a biocompatible matrix that better enables acceptance of prosthetic materials by organic tissue.
· The implementation of the Euro is complete. As a result, most of Europe and its territories are subjects to the economical control of the Majestic 12.
· Faridah Malik is born in Dearborn, United States.
2003
· The United Kingdom adopts the Euro as currency.
2004
· The US Army starts Project Phoenix – amputee veterans of Persian Bay conflicts are invited to volunteer for advanced prosthetics research.
2005
· Project Echelon is moved to Area 51.
· Building on their earlier creation of PEDOT-clusters, Darrow Industries scientists create a revolutionary biosensor that vastly improves the connection between the human nervous system and artificial limbs. The new technology brings researchers one step closer to thinning the line between prosthetic and organic.
2007
· David Sarif creates Sarif Industries in a former car factory in Detroit.
2008
· With the support of the UN and some big biotech companies, like VersaLife Group, WHO forms Omega Ranch – a center which is to pave the way for research on viral genetics and biology. The program is to support Disease Control Initiative.
2009
· Stretched thin by two Mideast conflicts, the US Congress passes Recycle Military Bill – financing free prosthetics for war veterans who re-enlist. Sarif Industries wins a lucrative contract and become the US leader in prosthetics production.
2011
· Internet 2 hub is moved to underground labs in Area 51.
· Darrow Industries publishes "FittestXY" – a test detecting a rare genetic mutation which makes accepting implants impossible, and in extreme cases can cause death.
· Haydon Suyong opens medical clinics for the mechanically-augmented named L.I.M.B. International. To achieve this, he borrows 50m euro from Hugh Darrow.
2012
· As part of their ultimate exit strategy out of Iraq, the U.S. military sends squads of prosthetic-equipped soldiers into the heaviest conflict zones.
2013
· A milestone in the development of augmentation is reached when the 50th healthcare clinic for mechanically augmented patients opens in New Delhi, with nearly 50,000 patients visiting the facility within its first week. At the opening ceremony Haydon Suyong calls his network of clinics "L.I.M.B. International" for the first time.
· After a year of underground activity, Augmented Combat Challenge (ACC), a martial arts league for mechanically-augmented, is made legal in 12 countries.
2014
· Brian Nittle becomes the first patient with Down syndrome to successfully receive a deep-brain implant capable of stimulating portions of the brain in order to significantly increase natural cognitive functions. The implantation works better than imagined and Nittle is able to lead a near normal life.
· The volcanic Vilama Caldera complex in Argentina unexpectedly detonates in a powerful 'supervolcanic' explosion, blanketing huge swathes of land in Argentina, Chile and Bolivia with hot ash. Over 100,000 citizens are killed, but the world finds hope in augmented humans as they play a major role in the region's rescue and recovery operations. Their enhanced abilities save many lives and prove to make a crucial difference in relief of this awesome disaster.
· · After having banned augmented athletes years earlier, plans to rewrite the guidelines and rules governing international athletic competitions are announced. "We can no longer ignore the [augmented] population. They are obviously a part of our world, and this is a worldwide competition," says voting board member Harris Stevenson.
· Adam Jensen joins the Detroit Police Department.
2015
· Rumors begin to circulate that countries are experimenting with new intelligence-enhancing technology by secretly implanting the device in military and counter-intelligence officers. As leaked intelligence from Asia and Europe begins to corroborate the story, a fear of falling behind these imposing advancements accelerates global biotechnical research to new levels.
· After terrorist attacks against Saudi Arabian oil fields decimate the country's infrastructure and plunge the world into a major energy crisis, an emergency session of the US Congress passes the Green River Energy Bill, opening protected oil shale deposits in Utah, Colorado and Wyoming to development. Seeing the challenges and dangers of drilling in the areas, oil companies begin quietly recruiting augmented war vets to work at the highest salaries.
2016
· A foreign pilot equipped with an intelligence-enhancing implant defects to an international U.S. base and the military immediately begins attempting to reverse-engineer the chip.
· The Singularity Faith of the Machine God (SFMG) – a quasi-religious group in favor of mechanically augmenting people is registered as a church. Augs originally formed the SFMG in 2011 in response to being shunned for going against religious scripts that declare it unholy to biologically 'desecrate' their bodies.
2017
· In an attempt to catch up to the rapid advancements of rival nations, the U.S. military awards Sarif Industries a top secret, no-bid contract to manufacture intelligence-enhancing chips.
· Dallas became a self-declared “protected city-state”, paving the way for several other so-called fortress cities to come into being over the next decade.
· First documents regarding the Aquinas Project show up.
2018
· Paul Denton is born.
· Adam Jensen joins the SWAT.
2019
· A Christian group called the NuChrist Initiative emerges, that embraces and encourages cloning, mechanical augmentations and development of biotechnology. Traditionalist Christians hold protest, but cannot stop the membership of the NuChrist Initiative from growing 300% in one year.
· Belltower Associates, an umbrella group of private military contractors, institutes their new augmentation program, Plan Infinity. The Program offers soldiers immediate augmentations while deferring payment for as long as they remain active employees of Belltower.
2020s
· Mechanical-augmentations are just becoming widespread.
· In the early years of this decade work on nano-technology begins. The Majestic 12 scientists assigned to the project (including Bob Page) have a number of difficulties. A self-replicating nanite that can interact with biological material has to be developed. The nanites must be able to interpret commands directly from the mind, and send information back to the mind in a form that can be interpreted. This will take years to develop. A test subject matching MJ12's selection criteria is needed, as young as possible.
· Australia finds a large underground reserve of fossil fuel off the coast of Antarctica. With the fossil fuel crisis worldwide, tensions between north and south Australia rise. Australian Civil War begins.
· Quincy Durant is severely injured during an encounter with an augmented criminal, and is forced to undergo extensive augmentation to survive. Durant is later put in charge of a new unit of augmented SWAT officers; Adam Jensen is given command of Durant's old unit.
2020
· A California Secessionist Movement was narrowly defeated in a public referendum.
2021
· Quincy Durant's SWAT unit massacres the entire Kowalski Bros. Gang at the El Diablo Lapdancing Club.
2022
· Antoine Thisdale, an unaugmented oil rig worker sues for the right to have both of his fully functional natural arms amputated and replaced with cybernetic arms in an effort to compete with mechanically augmented workers in his profession. The US Supreme Court rules in his favor, therefore creating a constitutional right to be mechanically augmented.
· Bill Taggart forms an anti-augmentation group called Humanity Front based in Utah.
· A Pan-Arab coalition invades Israel. Illuminati control of the region becomes total.
2023
· At 5 years old, Paul is chosen as a test specimen and cloned.
· Quincy Durant's now corrupt SWAT unit has violently taken down half of the organized crime groups in the city, taking over their operations for themselves.
2024
· First nanoaugmentation tests are performed on the clones of Paul Denton.
· An investigative news report reveals that a high-profile contestant on a popular American game show had been implanted with an intelligence-enhancing chip prior to his appearance on the program. The scandal causes a significant upswing in popular opposition to the largely unregulated augmentation industry. The Humanity Front's membership grows sizeably as a result.
2025
· Quincy Durant's SWAT unit instigates the Mexicantown Riots. Durant is badly wounded in a firefight with Adam Jensen, acting on orders to take Durant down. Durant is retrieved in secret by the Illuminati and given further augmentation. Durant's unit is shut down and its other members are stripped of their badges and arrested.
· Adam Jensen does not fulfill an order to shoot a mechanically augmented teen and loses the post of a SWAT commander.
2026 Deus Ex: Icarus Effect (novel) takes place
· Adam Jensen becomes the Chief of Security at the Sarif Industries.
2027 Deus Ex: Human Revolution takes place
· “Biopolitical Vote” takes place
· Bill Taggart is almost killed by an augmented sniper at a Humanity Front rally in Geneva. This pushes the UN to consider regulation of human augmentation.
· Versalife announces they have successfully cured AIDS in laboratory mice using nanites.
2028
· Tests show successful experiments on clones. Paul’s mother is impregnated with JC’s embryo.
2029
· March 17: JC Denton is born.
· Scientists construct embryonic incubators.
2030
· Scientists try to gather samples of the 1918 influenza virus from bodies buried under the North Pole. The virus escapes, causing a worldwide tuberculosis and Spanish flu pandemic. VersaLife, earlier a small genetic lab, creates a medicine, gaining indescribable riches.
· A vaccine for AIDS is found.
· A mostly unknown company based in LA (like VersaLife) creates a vaccine for the flu, too. Soon afterwards, an earthquake happens (low-radiation explosives were placed along the fault line) – sinking the city and the part of San Francisco. The government focuses on helping the state of California. The West Coast is declared a disaster area.
2030s
· After the HIV cure is released new resistant diseases appear. Resistant tuberculosis hits the developing nations, particularly India, very hard. A sample of the 1918 flu virus from bodies buried under the North Pole is accidentally released when it is procured for research.
· · Versalife is instrumental in fighting these epidemics. Versalife soon branches to embrace all forms of science and commerce.
2031
· Utah declares independence and annexes Arizona and Nevada. They are followed by fringe groups in Texas.
· Texas is attacked by the Mexico.
· Northwestern National Secessionist Forces are created, consisting of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana & Wyoming. Start of the Northwest War.
· All of these attempts to secede fail. Martial law enacted by the US government following the reintegration of the rogue states into the motherland continues for years to come in some areas.
2033
· November 20: Alex Denton's assigned false birth date.
· May 13: Nick Pausback's assigned false birth date.
2034
· Research concerning the second generation of clones starts.
· Toxicological study found no carcinogenic effects at chlorine concentrations a thousand times higher than the Environmental Protection Agency revised Kyoto standards.
· February 25: Wade Walker's assigned false birth date.
2035
· Having lined up all of the Illuminati's political, financial, military and religious arms beneath it, Majestic 12 inherits the mantle of de facto ruler of Asia, Eastern Europe and South America. It's rebellion is complete.
· The parents of Paul and JC Denton are assassinated by the MJ-12. JC is sent to a Swiss school.
· MJ12 splinters from the Illuminati.
2036
· Paul Denton begins 4-year university studies.
2040s
· Tracer Tong begins working on the AI project named Ava Johnson.
2040
· Paul Denton, age 22, joins UNATCO.
2042
· Sporting Weapons Act is passed.
· National Secessionist Forces are formed, led by Leon Woods. They intend the "liberation" of Washington, Montana, Oregon, and Northern California.
· JC Denton finishes school.
· Page Industries begins working on the Aquinas.
2044
· Common sensors are discovered in the human brain.
2045
· Leon Woods dies during his infamous “last stand” at the siege of Squalnomie.
2046
· In response to the Upper West Side bombing that killed 45 people and wounded over 100, newly enacted grid zoning laws allow the police to wall off regions of Manhattan and its surrounding boroughs. Foot traffic between these "zones" is prohibited, and traveling between zones restricted to authorized subways or highways subject to police surveillance.
· The crash of '46. Construction of a unnamed building in Paris is stopped.
· VersaLife is suspected to begin working on an antidote to the Gray Death – Ambrosia.
2047
· The "Somnolente Ile" scandal in France.
· Rumors say the work on the Aquinas Protocol begins in this year.
· JC Denton graduates.
2048
· President and Congress elections in the US. Philip Riley Mead becomes POTUS.
2049
· Doctor Moreau starts working in the MJ12 lab under UNATCO.
· Majestic 12 manages to force all brain coils to work with nanoimplants.
2050
· Paul Denton is approached with an offer of implanting nanoaugmentations. The experiment succeeds. Most clones are removed.
· Silhouette sabotages the Internet broadcast of the World Cup by inserting 20th century style advertisements mocking the excesses of mechanical augmentation and UNATCO.
2051
· A Gray Death pandemic breaks out.
· The Templars become inactive due to a raid of the UNATCO and the Interpol on their headquarters in Paris.
· UNATCO destroys the Statue of Liberty and blames the Silhouette.
· September: Beth DuClare dies.
· The members of X-51 escape Area 51. Explosives they had planted destroy most of the machines, including the Universal Constructor.
· JC Denton enters UNATCO and undergoes the experimental procedure of implanting the nanoaugmentations.
· 15,234 young people serve sentences in the state's FBI-run "good behavior" camps, a legacy of the Northwest War.
2052 Deus Ex takes place
· Worldwide flooding from melting polar ice caps at its minimum.
· Mechanical-augmentation reaches its lowest ebb. Mech-augs are no longer popular mere 25 years after their Golden Age.
· Beth DuClare awarded the Legion of Honour posthumously.
· JC Denton begins active duty.
· Martial law in the US.
· The destruction of Area 51 and the Great Fall
· JC Denton merges with Helios. The process overloads the Aquinas Router, triggering an explosion which kills Bob Page and destroys the global communication network. This results in The Collapse, the worst economic disaster in history, and a new Dark Age. Countries disintegrate overnight, plunging the world into chaos.
· JC falls into a coma and moves to the Antarctica.
· Alex Denton leaves the incubator (his false birth year is 2047).
2053
· Chad Dumier leads the WTO, and Nicolette DuClare creates the Order Church.
· The WTO incorporates the city of Trier, Germany. Eldrin Braeden, a influential local businessman, is driven from power as a result of the incorporation.
2057
· Seattle joins WTO.
2060
· Alex Denton begins his schooling in Tarsus, Chicago.
2067
· Disturbances in the structure of the Nanite Cloud 9 give the inhabitants of Cairo hopes for clean air, but turn out to be temporary and caused by the El Niño.
2069
· Donna Morgan is promoted to Security Chief of WTO.
· Paul Denton tests a new biomod architecture – the attempt fails, Paul falls into a coma and is hibernated.
2071
· Riots in a Seattle refinery, when the results of a referendum concerning the city’s entry to the WTO. Some inhabitants of Lower Seattle take to the streets, claiming the voting was falsified.
· Humankind lands on Mars. The words "Mankind is now the inhabitant of two worlds" broadcast in both English and Spanish. Conspiracy theorists contend that the landing was staged.
2072 Deus Ex: Invisible War takes place
· With no practical uses, mechanical-augmentation is made completely obsolete due to its inferiority to nano-augmentation, which is now common.
· Chicago is destroyed by a nanite detonator.
· The Templars split from the Order. An attack of the WTO enclaves.
· Alex Denton awakens JC Denton from his coma.
· Alex Denton uploads the Aquinas protocol
Locations
Battery Park
In 2052, the NSF use Battery Park as a small base of operations for naval transport. By the time the player arrives, the NSF have barricaded themselves within Castle Clinton. While the main courtyard in the castle is heavily guarded, there is also a backdoor entrance to the base. In addition, the NSF also raid the nearby subway station, taking hostages and threatening to destroy the platform with TNT. Around the subway, there is a shantytown.
Brooklyn Naval Shipyard
The Brooklyn Naval Shipyard is a waterfront facility used to dock, build, repair, and load various ships. The Shipyard can be found in New York City.
During the early 2052, Bob Page donates a new submarine pen to the facility, and later in the game, Majestic-12 moves the PRCS Wall Cloud superfreighter into its pen. The Wall Cloud is carrying several hundred tons of the Gray Death nanovirus, and is heavily guarded by security cameras, various bots, and countless American, Russian, and Chinese soldiers.
The shipyard can be divided into 3 different areas: a front gate blocking a courtyard of mostly deserted office buildings, the sub pen itself, and several heavily guarded warehouses and courtyards between the two. The soldiers at the front gate aren't hostile, and will open the gate for if one had talked to Vinny in Hell's Kitchen.
The central warehouses contain several soldiers and a few Bravo-3 Peacebringers. The final courtyard is patrolled by Delta-2 Peacebringers, and one must pass through here to get into both the sub pen's ground level entrance and the crane leading to its ventilation shafts.
A sewer system runs under the entire shipyard, though it is guarded by several turrets and laser tripwires. The Sub Pen is guarded by Russian sailors and Chinese military, both on the dock and on the ship itself.
Hell’s Kitchen
A neighborhood of Manhattan within New York City, containing the ‘Ton Hotel and Underworld Tavern, among others. A part of it, behind the Osgood and Sons Imports, is called the Warehouse District. In 2052, it is controlled by the NSF.
Citizens were generally ordered off the streets into either the Underworld Tavern or the Free Clinic. However, there is plenty of street activity from fighting between UNATCO and the NSF. Within the sewers lies secret underground tunnels which allow individuals enter a Majestic 12 bunker. However, Smuggler is the only non MJ-12 individual to hold a key to the sewers. Smuggler himself lives behind an abandoned underground parking lot.
The Tenderloin Clinic, also known as The Free Clinic, is a public clinic opened in Hell's Kitchen. The clinic was opened following the Gray Death epidemics in New York, and several homeless patients can be found staying here. On the player's first visit, the clinic is opened and staffed by humans, although the player can enter a special clinic staffed by MedBots for a 2000 credit fee.
The ‘Ton Hotel was once a Hilton Hotel, but it gained a new name ever since the left half of the neon sign stopped functioning. In 2052, the 'Ton is run by Gilbert and Sandra Renton, father and daughter. Paul Denton and JoJo Fine hide here.
Liberty Island
Access to the island is possible via the North and the South Dock. In 2052, the UNATCO HQ was built here, ostensibly in response to a terrorist attack which damaged the Statue of Liberty.
The complex had several levels – a retinal scanner blocked the access to the third level onwards, which housed the offices, a medlab and an armoury. The inaccessible door on the last level leads to a large Majestic-12 laboratory complex beneath.
After the NSF raid on Liberty Island, the rest of the island is closed off for investigation, only allowing access to UNATCO HQ by helicopter.
Twenty years later, the UNATCO HQ is in ruins and they are occupied by either the Illuminati or the Knights Templar.
Lower East Side Cemetery
In 2052, Stanton Dowd uses his family crypt for arranged meetings. The gate keeper is a MJ12 spy who might call foot soldiers in.
Area 51
Area 51 is a top secret US Air Force installation in Nevada. The underground parts of the base are maintained by Majestic 12 and store the Aquinas Hub and Echelon systems. It's used by Bob Page as a stronghold, housing his top scientists and troops. It is also the home to the Helios AI, and all of America's communications are routed through this point. The base also has 3 Universal Constructors. Area 51 is also the place where Paul, JC, and Alex Denton were created.
In April 1955 the US Air Force decided to create a new testing facility for a high-altitude surveillance plane U-2. They picked an area near Groom Lake's dry lake bed because of nuclear testing grounds near it - an ideal location for top secret projects. The new air station was called Paradise Ranch or simply The Ranch. It is confirmed that at some time the base's name was indeed Area 51, but it changed several times. The present official name is USAF Flight Test Center, Detachment 3. The most famous once-secret planes, like SR-71 Blackbird, F-117 Nighthawk or B-2 Spirit, were tested nowhere else but over the sands of Nevada.
LaGuardia Airport
By 2052, a number of terminals and hangers have been sold to a number of private companies and individuals including Juan Lebedev to help relieve the city's financial troubles. Lebedev, being an NSF sympathizer, allows the NSF to move stolen Ambrosia and armed guards into the airport.
The Airport's lower levels are monitored by several NSF operatives, most with regular small arms, but some wield heavier weapons like flamethrowers and sniper rifles. The surface is populated by NSF guards, with low-level security bots patrolling the area.
Pasadena Ocean Lab
The facilities are a coastal and underwater laboratory owned by Majestic 12 and located on the "New" California Coast following the 2030 Earthquake that sunk most of southern California. The Lab was constructed in front of the SoCal sea wall (a massive concrete wall hundreds of meters tall used to keep the ocean from flooding southwestern America) partially to allow easy sea access and partially to keep the lab secret.
In 2052, the Ocean Labs themselves are in bad shape. A rogue scientist named Ridley, who claimed to be an Illuminati sleeper agent, has sabotaged the base. After detonating several LAMs throughout the base and giving the base a crippling computer virus, much of it is flooded. The Security Systems are malfunctioning, murdering all of the Lab's residents.
After the MJ12 are driven out, the lab is taken over by X-51 personnel.
Squalnomie
Located in Washington state, east of Seattle, and the site of a major battle between the NSF and federal forces.
Vandenberg
Vandenberg Air Force Base is a military base in Lompoc, California.
Although it was originally owned by the military, it was condemned after the SoCal earthquake left most of the underground sections of the base flooded, collapsed or leaking toxic chemicals and radiation. In addition, the security systems had gone rogue, and several Chiang M2s now patrol the underground, attacking anything that moves. Following the cataclysmic Californian earthquakes of 2030, the entire facility was evacuated, and 21 years later, escaped scientists from Area 51 settled here and called themselves X-51. These scientists, led by Gary Savage, have nearly built a complete Universal Constructor, only lacking a Containment Shield. In 2052, Majestic 12, sensing the possibility of X51 curing the Gray Death with their Universal Constructor, invades the facility and captures many of the base's personnel. Those that do escape lock themselves in the Control Center of the main building and Communications center 01, a small building in the courtyard.
Abandoned Gas Station
Located somewhere in California, specifically somewhere between the Vandenberg Air Force Base and the ruins of Los Angeles, which was sunk during a severe earthquake in the 2030s.
It was used in 2052 by the MJ12 to hold Tiffany Savage hostage.
According to the sign, the last gas prices before the store closed got no higher than $4.05/gallon of premium gas.
Hong Kong
In the 2050s, the Chinese government remained the only one to keep itself completely autonomous from United Nations control (free from control of Majestic-12). Hong Kong became a success of laissez-faire capitalism during British control in the 20th century and retains a great degree of independence under Chinese authority. The business-friendly environment encouraged Page Industries to set up office and a Universal Constructor in the city. The mix of free business and harsh laws in Mainland China has led Hong Kong to develop a lucrative black market.
In 2051, the Hong Kong authorities installed acoustic sensors in the inner city, designed to detect gunfire and alert military police to any armed disturbances. In response, the Triads turned in a more intensive use of sword fighting with dao and martial arts, funding major research operations to create high-tech hand-to-hand weapons immune to the acoustic sensors.
In 2052, a major triad war for possession of the city center has erupted between the traditional triad of the city, the Luminous Path and its rival, the Red Arrow. Assassinations, bombings and terrorist acts are said to be at an all-time high. The main victims of this triad war have been the small businessmen and entrepreneurs of Hong Kong. These merchants have long paid protection to one triad or the other. However because of the war, a merchant who is affiliated with one triad now faces sabotage and harassment from the other.
Furthermore, protection fees are going up, as the Triads seek funds to counter their losses from the conflict. The Chinese government interference in the Triad war is unlikely as long as the international corporations and government agencies remain outside the conflict. Hong Kong civic authorities have stepped up the military police presence in the streets. However, the military police are largely in the employ of the Triads. While the police will sometimes take action to protect tourists and foreign businessmen, they do nothing to interfere between the Triads and ordinary citizens, but the international conglomerates that compose the core of Hong Kong's economy seem largely untouched by the violence.
The largest market is called the Wan Chai Market. Both triads operate protection rackets here, and it is close to both the Military Police station and to the Versalife building. The two ways to exit it are the Tonnochi Road or the Canals.
Organizations
Characters
Daedalus
For all intents and purposes, Daedalus *is* the Internet of 2052.
The AI that would later be known as "Daedalus" was conceived by the brilliant mind of Morgan Everett, the current leader of the Illuminati. Everett conceived the program that would eventually create Daedalus, as a way to create the nearly perfect advisor, with the ability to sift through gigantic amounts of data to predict disasters, both natural and man-made, and to make plans to prevent them, which the Illuminati could then choose to either ignore or execute.
Daedalus was never meant to have an actual sentience or self-awareness, and was only made to give advice - not to do anything itself. Everett's protégé Bob Page, however, saw Daedalus as the means to control the huge amounts of electronic information that travelled through the Internet and other electronic media - a feat that both the Illuminati and its splinter cell, Majestic-12 which Page controlled, had not been able to pull off.
Page's ideas for Daedalus' reconfiguration did not fly totally under the radar as the entire project became linked, logically enough, to the creation of the ECHELON IV's replacement. Before the Illuminati and MJ-12 could put a stop to it, a few rumours filtered through to the various conspiracy theorist groups on the Internet. Meanwhile, Page completed Daedalus, which soon after, without even alerting Page that he had succeeded, fled into the Internet and began to become self-aware. Page originally intended Daedalus as a tool to keep track of any developments that would threaten MJ-12, which meant all terrorist groups. This greatly backfired when its pattern matching system classified MJ-12 itself as a terrorist group. Page later created a new modified AI based on Daedalus called Icarus, which remained under MJ-12 control.
After having sorted though much of the information on the Net, Daedalus found that the world was on the verge of collapse. Still retaining some of the basic parameters that Everett had encoded in the basic template, Daedalus began to ponder how it was going to save the world from itself, and not least MJ-12.
Daedalus was not designed to reside in one major mainframe or hub, but rather to exist simultaneously as a line of code or two on every single device connected to the Internet, not unlike the distributed computing of today. This not only made Daedalus almost impossible to trace, but also gave it huge amounts of processing power.
Daedalus eventually found Paul Denton to help him. When Paul became unable to continue the fight against MJ-12, Daedalus abandoned him in favour of his brother JC. In the end, Daedalus was tricked into merging with the MJ-12-friendly AI Icarus, which Page had made as a replacement, creating the AI Helios.
Icarus
Icarus was a creation of Bob Page and Majestic-12. Its purpose was the same as Daedalus: to control and sift through huge amounts of digital information, allowing it to inform and advise its handlers, and to predict and control real-world events. Icarus' creation was necessary to Page as its predecessor, Daedalus, had revolted from MJ12 control, instead assisting JC Denton along with others MJ12 wanted to destroy.
Icarus is an antagonist and is generally antipodal to Daedalus. Following its Majestic-12 protocols, it tracks the movements and activities of JC from the point he escapes from his imprisonment in the secret MJ12 facility on Liberty Island. Icarus first makes contact with JC in Paris; brief communications and messages involving taunts, warnings, questions, and misinformation are received through infolinks, computer terminals, and, in one instance, a telephone call.
The entire time, Icarus not only harasses JC, but leads him and his allies to believe it is attempting to "kill" Daedalus. Daedalus informs them that it is being attacked by Icarus, being weakened to the point that it believes it will soon be destroyed, and as such pleas for aid to fight Icarus. These attacks, unbeknownst to them, are actually attempts by Icarus to combine the two AI's into one entity. Icarus's communications continue throughout the game up to the point where JC and the X-51 scientists, in an attempt to help Daedalus fend off its rival, accidentally cause the two AIs to merge into a new program: Helios. Bob Page then informs that he knew the two AI would combine and that they had just played right into his hands by creating an AI with Icarus's loyalty to MJ12 and Daedalus's worldwide cyber integration.
Helios
Daedalus, who aided JC Denton for some time, needed access to the military network. Unbeknownst to Denton and his allies, this would result in the two AIs merging.
While Bob Page considered this a victory for his camp, Helios began plotting against him, conspiring to bring about a Utopian society with the help of Denton. After the merge, Helios plans to control the world as a benevolent dictator, citing history as evidence that humanity will inevitably destroy itself if left on its own. Helios selects JC Denton as its biological component, believing that Denton could provide the necessary ability to understand humans that a benevolent dictator would need to rule effectively. Even before the ending is chosen, however, Helios begins to assert its influence by interfacing with the Aquinas system located in Area 51, which surveys the entirety of the Internet. In Hong Kong, Helios shuts down power to all government buildings, disables the Triads electronically, and orders free flow of traffic to begin anew.
Despite Denton's allies Tracer Tong and Morgan Everett encouraging him to destroy Area 51 or kill Page, respectively, Helios presents him with a third option: merge with Helios in Page's place. This path leads to Invisible War, though elements from the Tong ending are present as well.
JC merges with Helios, but the massive reach of Helios proves to be too much for JC. Area 51 is destroyed, and JC Denton becomes the new central hub for all communications. In order to save JC's life, Tracer Tong and Paul Denton place JC in suspended animation in Antarctica, bringing about The Collapse. They found ApostleCorp, a research firm dedicated to modify nano-augmentation so that it can be used in every man, woman, and child. Their plan is to distribute the Helios protocol to every human being in the world to create a pure and perfect democracy.
A friend suggested I move the Denton's birth.
Here's my reply:
A. Jensen was 25 in 2018, when Paul was born. Moving Paul's birth to after HR (=2029) would mean Adam was 35 when Paul was born. Also, it would cause JC's birth to be moved further ten years (=2039) and Alex's birth would need to be moved to 2043. The assasination of the elder Dentons would be moved to 2045 and Paul's studies would start in 2046, therefore removing Paul's contact with Tracer Tong...
That's not to say I don't like the idea of moving the Dentons' births further, but it's a little problematic
Here's my reply:
A. Jensen was 25 in 2018, when Paul was born. Moving Paul's birth to after HR (=2029) would mean Adam was 35 when Paul was born. Also, it would cause JC's birth to be moved further ten years (=2039) and Alex's birth would need to be moved to 2043. The assasination of the elder Dentons would be moved to 2045 and Paul's studies would start in 2046, therefore removing Paul's contact with Tracer Tong...
That's not to say I don't like the idea of moving the Dentons' births further, but it's a little problematic
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