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Netcrawl

Created by Horse Shark Games

Netcrawl is a TTRPG about adventuring inside a computer system. Everyone goes in, seconds pass in the meatspace as players spend hours conquering a cyber-dungeon - together.

Latest Updates from Our Project:

Artist Statements, the WorldNet, and Adventure by Poll
about 1 month ago – Thu, Sep 26, 2024 at 05:36:09 PM

Artist Statement

Robbi Burns (@Robbiaburns)

This was an exciting one. I love creating wild, overlapping compositions that give the viewer a lot to look at with nary a horizontal or vertical line to be found. I knew that with a neon-saturated apocalyptic cyber-infection in space, I’d be chasing bliss. 

I started by looking through the book to find imagery that was indicative of the theme, and there was a ton of juicy stuff to choose from. After that, I used thumbnails to explore several different concepts with the goal of using the wild imagery of the book to lead the eye around the composition in a way that keeps the viewer from feeling overwhelmed. After agreeing on a thumbnail, I gathered my reference, and left the rest of the process open to experimentation and play. After our final check in, I scanned in the inks and went to work coloring. From the beginning, James encouraged me to develop imagery that I found exciting without worrying whether or not it perfectly aligned with the text. This collaborative spirit made every phase of the process wildly enjoyable. 

I tend to layer ink on paper using whatever tools happen to be close-- ballpoint pen, nib, stick, brush, roller or razor blade. Working traditionally in multiple layers is my jam, because it lets me sift through the chaotic mark-making to find shapes and lines that I like. I then use white paint or a fresh sheet of paper to push back the noise, pulling  out the bits that really interest me. This pushing and pulling creates a sense of play. That's a big reason I do what I do; I’m always chasing after that feeling.

Inspiration for this project came from the covers of Sega Genesis games I remembered from when I was a kid, William Gibson and China Mieville novels, Geiger’s work for Jodorowsky's Dune, as well as artists such as Drew Struzan and Tsutomu Nihei.

I’m excited to see the next steps for this game and how players react to the beautiful, uncanny hellscape that James crafted.

In Space No One Can Hear the Robopocalypse is a 0-level adventure. The party starts as passengers and crew of a freighter where the robots turn into murderbots. With only minutes to live, will the party reach a computer and jack into the ship net to save themselves or will they be torn to bits by metallic hands.

Patreon Content

This piece appeared recently in the Netcrawl Patreon. I've talked a fair mount about the focus on world building over presenting a fully realized setting and story. This soon to be printed as a poster map of the WorldNet is a starting place for your Netcrawl RPG adventures.

Index of WorldNet


The Spine is the main road of the WorldNet. Anyone who is anyone has a presence on The Spine. Think Times Square in New York City or Shinjuku in Tokyo. Probably full of virtual gawking tourists just like the meatspace. The Spine is the backbone of the WorldNet literally and figuratively.
Rekt Road is a dangerous thoroughfare and was a former backbone of the WorldNet attacked and deeply degraded by a viral AI agent many years ago. It is a shambles of its former self, but still has connections (however unstable they might be) to many parts of the WorldNet. Most famously the UnderNet or Dark Web is often accessed from Rekt Road.
The UnderNet or Dark Web is a collection of arcologies and systems outside the WorldNet where anything goes. All sorts of crime and illegal AIs operate from the UnderNet. The patron AI Erebus Network broadcasts from the UnderNet looking for new converts to praise the almighty Stream.
/dev/null is a long time hangout of hackers, grifters, and console cowboys. Drinks, contracts, and a place to be completely off the grid are its main charms. Its security is cutting edge and well beyond Triple Gold Plus. Dev/null's independent AI, WANDA, brooks no misbehavior from its patrons.
NoHup is a zone for the brave, violent, and/or foolish to engage in dangerous activities without being able to jackout. PvP, dangerous ICE or unstable systems are rampant. The only way to leave is to find its hidden exit points. Sometimes NoHup is used by governments to punish criminals; their hapless attempts to stay alive and escape are broadcast over the WorldNet.
Les loisirs are the hedonistic, yet upscale, VR playgrounds. Any online vice is available with the right amount of credits.
Friendstr is an ubiquitous corporate social networking arcology located on The Spine. Friendstr boasts the most users and the best VR experiences. Their clean, white pyramid always announces the corporate phrase, "Live, love & subscribe!"
The Upstream is an area of the WorldNet that is exclusive and very expensive to access. The rich and aristocratic spend almost all their time here where they can shop and relax with others of their means.
Nightzone is an always-on, always-dark, nightlife district where people can party until they pass out. Avatars pack the VR bars, concerts, music venues, and erotic shops. Nightzone has a huge red light district where any kink can be explored. Avatars frequent Nightzone to find zaps or (virtual drug-like experiences) or bends (abnormal task endings) that are at turns safe, dangerous, experimental, or popular.
Gunk Net or Cheepwarez is a place for the least financially able to experience the WorldNet. There are all sorts of inexpensive and knock off services and establishments here if one isn't too choosy about their safety and quality. Gunk Net is home to the netrunner bar /dev/null, many artists, and other private and/or illicit servers and arcologies.

Join Us on Discord & Patreon!

There's been several new people on the Discord and Patreon. Come on over and join us. Some new content will be dropping on the Patreon on Oct 1st. 

Adventure By Poll

We've done this before. It's time to roll the trace program check. 

Adventure Poll: Twin Split pt. 4
about 1 month ago – Wed, Sep 25, 2024 at 06:35:13 AM


Success! B@TB0!D v01ds33k0r is able to reconstruct the deleted connection. What should we do?

Option 1: Run a trace program on the recovered connection in order to uncover more information.
Option 2: Enter the connection and follow it to its destination.
Option 3: Try to guess where the tunnel leads and what might be inside with an intuit architecture skill check.
Option 4: Ask Itivillustay, the assistant AI, about the connection.

Final Days Begin, Artist Statements, Adventure Poll & More
about 2 months ago – Mon, Sep 23, 2024 at 12:02:12 PM

Thank you!

As final 10 days begin, we still made forward progress on the campaign during the dead time of the campaign! Thanks to everyone for joining us make Netcrawl a reality and spreading the word. I'm absolutely grateful to each and every one of you! Thanks!

As of this writing we are about halfway to the $40K stretch goal which will give everyone a pad of character sheets to go along with everything else!

Lastly I want to say thank you for weathering the stream of e-mails. I know it seems like a lot, but there's still so many to reach on the mailing list. If even a third of them see an email and pledge, we'll be over that 750 backer mark in no time.

Artist Statement

Daniel Vega (@codexnoirmatic)

I only hope that the viewers of my works can be transported for a moment to other surreal and magical lands, with their own inhabitants, creatures and customs, and that they can explore them and have a good time. And that perhaps they may also be inspired to create and rediscover their own inner worlds, and show them to the world.

Be sure to check out Daniel work on TERRA HYPNAGOGICA. His La ciudad después de la invasión de los Primigenios, in particular, drew me in to engage him for a color image.


Streaming Interview

This Wednesday at 8pm EDT I am going to be on Games with Dave. Come join us and ask questions or just watch as Dave Townsend and I talk about Netcrawl RPG.


Join Us on Discord & Patreon!

There's been several new people on the Discord and Patreon. Come on over and join us. Some new content will be dropping on the Patreon on Oct 1st. 


Adventure By Poll

There's probably a few things to know about programs and scripts before we activate a program:

Cybernauts and Avatarists roll an action die (normally a d20) to activate the program. There's a chance they could fail, but those classes add their level and their attribute modifier to the program check. A more experienced coder is going to obtain a higher result than a lower level coder. Coders can also continue re-running the program as many times as they wish, until they fail. Both Cybernauts and Avatarists can spend Hack after the program check to increase the final roll.

Cybernauts can also "burndown" when activating a program. Burndown is sacrificing Power, Agility or Vitality (it returns slowly with rest, over time) which the cybernaut may add to their program check.

Conversely, grifters use scripts which are a static result (like 13) from a program table. Grifters don't roll activation checks when they use their scripts. That 13 script is always a program result check of 13 on the program table. Scripts are only useable once, but are always reliable.

Recovery is a 2nd level program meaning it takes a higher roll to achieve a successful program check, but the results are overall more powerful than a 1st level program.

Ok enough with the rules primer, it's time to roll the recovery program check. 

Adventure Poll: Twin Split - pt. 3
about 2 months ago – Sun, Sep 22, 2024 at 09:59:05 AM


B@TB0!D v01ds33k0r looks at the servers and other elements that make up the DeepLink Cooperative. At its core the system is a storehouse of metadata about various locations in the WorldNet. A vast majority of the data is normal everyday information that is public. There are also internal discussions of the cooperative members that merit more examination.
Lastly, there are huge number of saved connection points (essentially a way to quickly access the system) several of them are either broken or lack user information. You are pretty sure you could trace back to their origin and maybe discover more about now missing and unknown users that have disappeared.

<17 results of 32 were a success! Some extra information was found during the Intuit Architecture skill check.>

B@TB0!D v01ds33k0r keen senses reveal some faint traces of other connections made around the time of Castor's disappearance. Recovering anything useful will be difficult, but it may result in an important clue.

Option 1: Run a trace program on the broken saved connections in order to find some information on the erased DeepLink Cooperative users.
Option 2: Try to look through the various records and posts for information about the erased DeepLink Cooperative users. (Data Analysis skill check, remember its untrained using 1d10, but some information will automatically be revealed).
Option 3: Use data sort program to look through the various records and posts for information about the erased DeepLink Cooperative users.
Option 4: Use recovery program to reconstruct connections made and partially erased near the time of Castor's disappearance. 

Adventure Poll: Skill Check
about 2 months ago – Fri, Sep 20, 2024 at 06:28:49 AM

B@TB0!D v01ds33k0r starts examining the DeepLink Cooperative system. Noting connections, structure, and other details of what amounts to a huge collection of meta data about grid points, connections, and arcologies of the WorldNet.

It's time for the Intuit Architecture skill check. Roll 1d20, (we're trained, if we weren't we'd roll 1d10). Note that Difficulty Checks (DCs) in Netcrawl start at 10 for something that has a slightly above-average difficulty. 

Some information will be automatically revealed by using the Intuit Architecture skill, more information will be found if the skill check beats the Difficulty Check (DC). You as players will not know the DC, but if a majority of the rolls beat it, I will give you more information.

In this situation it is unlikely that a majority of you will score natural 20s or 1s. So if there's success with natural 20s or failure with natural 1s, I will tabulate all the successful (or failed) rolls and pick one at random. If the chosen die roll is a 20 (or a 1), we'll have a spectacular result of some kind.

Everyone grab your trusty d20, give it a roll, and then register your result. Good luck!