News, Netcrawl Game Discussion & More
2 months ago
– Wed, Sep 18, 2024 at 07:49:08 AM
Stretch Goal Lock Deleted!
Huge news! We've crested $35K in support, so now you can help design a virus for Netcrawl RPG! There is
a new add-on and the modest fee helps to pay the editors who will assist
you to bring your creation to life.
What is create-a-virus? You might want your name (or a character's name) in lights as a hacker who birthed the virus. Or maybe you just want to throw out a name or a kernel of an idea for a virus. Or may be you want to develop a mind eating virus to unleash at your tables. All of the above is possible, just
add it on to your pledge!
Keep sharing the campaign on your social media accounts, remember we're now just a bit under halfway to a 6th adventure!
Netcrawl in the News
Netcrawl managed to worm its way onto Forbes!
Netcrawl Game Discussion
Netcrawl RPG is designed to occupy and bring to life a very specific place -- cyberspace. As we all know cyberspace and the Internet is a nearly limitless repository of ideas, art, and worlds. It is equally a location and nowhere. So how can you leverage it at your table?
First, you could adventure entirely inside the WorldNet. In a way this paradigm is reflected in Tron and Reboot. There is only a limited sense of the meatspace. Almost all the storytelling is done inside the WorldNet. Netcrawl RPG, at its core, is geared most to this style of play.
That is not the only way to use these rules. One can shift a campaign into a new setting as a palate cleanser. After tons of sessions in Star Crawl or Cyber Sprawl Classics or Mutant Crawl Classics, port the characters into the WorldNet for an adventure arc.
Lastly, and it does require more work, use Netcrawl RPG with other types of RPGs than DCC RPG compatibles. Netcrawl Arcologies focuses on world-building and is less tied into Netcrawl RPG proper. Using Netcrawl Arcologies should only present minimal needs for conversion for OSR style games like CY_Borg or OSE compatible games. For that matter, using Netcrawl with Cyberpunk Red or Mothership should not be terribly difficult to pull off.
This month's Patreon focuses on how that might be accomplished (don't worry it will be the books too. No FOMO, ok?). So ask me some questions about using Netcrawl. Tell us about how you are going to use Netcrawl in your games in the comments.
Adventure Poll: Twin Split - pt. 2
2 months ago
– Mon, Sep 16, 2024 at 06:46:24 PM
Castor tells you that RedBlueAI were hired by a community of librarians calling themselves DeepLink Cooperative.
One of the DeepLink Cooperative’s assistant AIs Itivillustay greets B@TB0!D v01ds33k0r in the guise of a pig. Itivillustay reveals that a number of the members of the community have outright disappeared. These disappearances happened shortly before RedBlueAI was engaged for contracted services.
It says, “They stopped logging in and all the links and information they preserved are likewise gone as if they never contributed to the DeepLink Cooperative at all. I remember their names, avatars and significant posts, but they are no longer part of the archive in any way.”
Option 1: Ask Itivillustay, “Is there a list of missing members as you recall them? Is there anything about them that was unusual or significant?”
Option 2: Rough up Itivillustay to get them to share more than they might be letting on.
Option 3: Perform your own analysis of the DeepLink Cooperative system and archives (Intuit Architecture skill check).
Option 4: Use a program to probe the DeepLink Cooperative system.
If you have more to share about your selected course of action tell us in the comments.
Artist Statement: Johan Nohr & More
2 months ago
– Thu, Sep 12, 2024 at 10:32:00 AM
Johan Nohr
First let's start with some words from Johan Nohr (Mork Borg, CY_Borg, etc.) cover artist on the Netcrawl RPG main rulebook and a photo from
Art By Nohr showing some early iterations of the cover.
Artist Statement: Johan Nohr
The Netcrawl cover art is a high-contrast, high-speed freefall through the violent glitch hells of the cyberdungeons, straight into the the hungering arms of whatever horrors lurk in their depths. We referenced my previous work on CY_BORG and aimed for something that spelled digital danger and a descent into ruin.
I presented the main composition with the falling character quite early, but it took a while to nail down the final mood. We talked about making it look dangerous and high speed. The first direction I took, however, was a bit too calm and minimal, so we switched it up and added more discord and twisted noise. This is why I think it's important to have an active conversation with the author, so that you both get on the same page. Looking back, even though I appreciate the first, calmer direction, I really think the final version takes the cake and grabs you more into the image. Pretty happy with it!
For the Netcrawl logo, I wanted it to look glitchy and low res, like a missing image link or a too scaled-up badly damaged JPG file.
Three Weeks to Go!
It has been an absolutely amazing 9 days! We have funded and quickly knocked out several stretch goals (on the first day). More stretch goals were added and soon to be conquered. Please keep the momentum going by sharing the project with your friends and audiences.
Join Us on Discord & Patreon!
That's right Netcrawl has both a Discord and a Patreon. Join them both for free!
Project Plugs
Meanwhile over at Kickstarter, here's some other projects to back:
Overworld Omnibus for 5e and DCC RPG - TTRPG Monster Manual
Don't Delay!
Bloat Games is currently running a "Quickstarter"
ending in 4 days! Overworld Omnibus collects the 5e and DCC RPG versions of Overworld, Nightworld, Pipeworld, Roboworld, and Space Station M zines into a large 8.5" x 11" Hardcover editions available in
5e or
DCC RPG rules sets! The last 3 zines sound great for your
Netcrawl RPG campaigns and sessions.
Against the Cult of the Hippie Commune
The Netcrawl Theme creator
Loot the Body is picking up the pen to craft a weird adventure against some filthy hippies. The launch on Kickstarter is eminent!.
Tales from the Smoking Wyrm Issue 10
Blind Visionary Publications is ready to launch their
10th issue of Tales from the Smoking Wyrm on Kickstarter. Lots of DCC RPG goodies in every issue. You should also check out their
Earth Crawl sci-fi TTRPG project on Patreon.
CROSS COLLAB ALERT
Hey scumdog-os, don't forget to back
Neon Lords of the Toxic Wasteland: Deities and Demi-Bros Deities and Demi-Bros is the 250+ page godz supplement for Neon Lords of the Toxic Wasteland, packed full of Lawful wrestling gods and Khaotic eldritch nightmares best left under the bed. Deadly Dudez/Toxic Creeps is a manual of 100+ monsters for scumdogs of all levels. If you back both Netcrawl and Neon Lords you'll get a sweet bonus adventure from us both, Token Collect! Netcrawl has reached the funding goal to add more mini-adventures to Token Collect. We still need to unlock it over at
Neon Lords of the Toxic Wasteland: Deities and Demi-Bros project!
Adventure By Poll
Are you playing? We just started the adventure after picking a class and a bonus skill. Check out the
first part of Twin Split!
Adventure Poll: Twin Split, pt. 1
2 months ago
– Wed, Sep 11, 2024 at 07:54:31 AM
You are resting at /dev/null/, a long time hangout for hackers, grifters, and console cowboys. WANDA, the bar’s independent AI approaches you about a job. RedBlueAI, an AI used for penetration testing by several arcologies across the WorldNet, needs some assistance with a problem.
Being between gigs, B@TB0!D v01ds33k0r accepts the job. In one of the private nodes /dev/null/ provides with TriplePlusGold security, you meet an avatar AI who identifies themselves as Pollux. Pollux explains that the Gemini version of RedBlueAI splits into a red team and a blue team to test system security. Pollux always takes the role of defense and Castor takes on the role of offense.
On their most recent test they split in two as usual, but Castor never attacked and seemingly disappeared. Pollux asks you to find Castor. Where do we start?
Stretch Goals and Adventure Polls
2 months ago
– Sun, Sep 08, 2024 at 10:09:02 AM
Stretch Goals
New Stretch Goals dropped on Thursday that round out the initial offering of a new game (character sheets, GM screen, etc.). We're already over halfway through the list! Will we get them all? Be sure to share the project out to your socials.
- $20,000 - (Unlocked) Reward Tokens for Token Collect
- $25,000 - (Unlocked) "Netcrawl Theme" mp3 from Loot the Body
- $30,000 - Cross-Collab - 2 Bonus mini-adventures for Token Collect
- $35,000 - Create-A-Virus, limited add-on for backers to flex their creative side.
- $40,000 - Pad of Character Sheets
- $45,000 - GM Screen
- $50,000 - Cross-Collab - A 2nd Reward Board for Token Collect
Adventure Poll: The Plot
It's time to get going! No time to worry about stats, programs, and equipment. We'll take care of that as we go. So what are we doing? Today's poll is about picking a broad category of activity to pursue in the WolrdNet. Make sure to add some flavor in the comments. We might need some credits, but why or who has them?
