rules

Chrome & Code: Core Mechanics Rules Write-Up

This system uses the World of Darkness (WoD) 10-sided dice pool mechanic, where a result of 6 or higher is a success.

I. Character Power & Progression

Cyber Rating (CR)

(Analogue to Blood Potency)

Your Cyber Rating (CR) measures the sheer power and complexity of your integrated hardware, neuralware, and bio-mods. It dictates your raw augmented power and the resources required to sustain it.

CR	Signal Surge (Bonus)	Lethal Damage Heal Cost (Decay)	Feeding/Maintenance Requirement
1-3	+1	1 Decay heals 1 Lethal Damage	Basic power source (low cost).
4-6	+2	1 Decay heals 2 Lethal Damage	Requires specific/rare components (Moderate cost).
7-10	+3	1 Decay heals 3 Lethal Damage	Requires high-grade, illegal prototype fuel (High cost/risk).

Signal Surge: You may spend Decay to add your current CR rating to a roll involving a Specialization or a Physical Attribute (Strength, Dexterity, Stamina).

Decay

(Analogue to Rouse Checks/Hunger)

Decay is the core resource used to power high-level abilities. It is also the measure of strain on your augmented systems. You track Decay from 0 up to 5.

Spending Decay: Activating Level 4 and 5 Specialization abilities and gaining a Signal Surge requires spending 1 Decay.
The Cost: If you are forced to spend Decay but already have 5, your system suffers a Critical Malfunction. You cannot use the ability and your system immediately suffers a severe consequence (GM's discretion), such as gaining a point of Superficial Damage or a temporary Glitched Implant Flaw.
Healing: Spend a full scene (1 hour) focused on system repair, make a Technology + CR roll (Difficulty 3), and clear 1 point of Decay per success.

II. Moral and Systemic Stability

Humanity

(Analogue to Humanity)

Your Humanity score (10 down to 1) is a separate track that measures your moral connection to the empathetic, organic self.

Convictions: You start with 1-3 Convictions (unbreakable moral rules, e.g., "Never hack a civilian's neuralware").
Stains & Degeneration: Violating a Conviction gains a Stain. Accumulating 5 Stains in a session forces a Degeneration Check (a roll of the current Humanity score's dice pool against difficulty 3). Failure permanently reduces your Humanity by 1 point.
Bane Severity Penalty: If your current Humanity score is lower than your Cyber Rating (CR), you suffer a penalty equal to your Clan's Bane Severity on all Specialization checks.

Bane Severity

(Clan/Archetype Weakness)

Every Archetype has a fundamental weakness that imposes a dice penalty on rolls when under duress.

General Rule: The Bane Severity penalty (typically 1 to 3 dice) applies to rolls specified in the Archetype's description (e.g., Technomancer Banes might affect MIND SHACKLE rolls when interacting with a biological target). This penalty is separate from the Humanity/CR penalty.

III. Specializations and Abilities

Specializations

(Analogue to Disciplines)

Specializations (e.g., REFLEX-SHIMMER, NET DOMAIN) are your integrated supernatural powers.

Rating: You start with 2 dots in your primary Specialization and 1 dot in your secondary.
Abilities: Each dot grants access to a new ability, typically offering three choices per level.
Cost: Most high-level abilities require a cost of Willpower or Decay.

Glitched Implant

(Flaws and System Failure)

Glitched Implant is a common Flaw or consequence of system strain. It imposes a -1 dice penalty on all rolls using the Attribute linked to that failing augment until the flaw is permanently resolved. It's the physical, painful manifestation of losing control of your highly augmented body.

That is an excellent idea. The standard Vampire: The Masquerade term Coterie—which defines the group of players—needs a strong cyberpunk re-flavor to match the grim, hard-edged aesthetic of Chrome & Code.

The term Crew works perfectly. Here is a write-up detailing how the Coterie mechanics (Goals, Flaws, Predator Types, etc.) are re-flavored for a Crew in your system.

The Crew: Group Identity and Mechanics

In Chrome & Code, the players are not a Coterie; they are a Crew—a loose collection of specialized talent held together by mutual need, shared risks, and a common goal. Your Crew is your only safety net in a city that wants you dead, indebted, or exploited.

1. Defining the Crew's Foundation

Instead of a Coterie's Type (e.g., Blood Cult, Sheriff), a Crew defines itself by its primary Hustle and its Turf.

V5 Coterie Analogue	Chrome & Code Crew Mechanic	Description
Coterie Type	Crew Hustle	The primary, often illegal, means by which the Crew generates income, resources, or political leverage.
Coterie Locus	Crew Turf	The physical location or digital network the Crew claims as their base of operations and primary source of power.
Coterie Flaw	Crew Complication	A persistent, external threat or internal liability that targets the entire Crew and creates story conflict.

Crew Hustle Options (Examples)

Hustle Name	Focus	Core Objective
Data Broker	Information and Subterfuge	Selling, manipulating, or weaponizing stolen digital secrets (corporate, political, personal).
Augment Runner	Smuggling and Force	Moving high-value, illegal goods (chrome, weapons, drugs) across hostile territory.
System Scavenger	Technology and Repair	Salvaging high-grade materials from dangerous, abandoned, or guarded sites to fund the group.
Digital Samaritan	Social/Support	Using tech and influence to help the disenfranchised, often fighting corps through activism or protection.

Crew Complication Options (Examples)

Corporate Task Force: A specific, well-funded security division has a standing contract to eliminate your Crew.
Territorial Rivalry: A powerful, organized gang is constantly attempting to annex your Crew's turf.
The Blacklist: Your entire Crew has been successfully banned from using a critical city resource (e.g., the primary docks, the major banking network).
Internal Parasite: One member of the Crew (or a key Ally) is a spy for a powerful enemy, constantly leaking sensitive information.

2. Shared Backgrounds and Resources

All members of a Crew pool their collective power through two shared, critical Backgrounds:

Crew Cache (Analogue to Shared Resources)

This is the pooled physical wealth, equipment, safehouses, and maintenance parts the Crew possesses.

When purchasing a large asset or performing general maintenance, the Crew uses the highest Resources Background rating among its members, potentially adding +1 for every additional member with a high Resources rating.
The Crew Cache can be attacked. If the Crew's Turf is breached, the Cache rating can be temporarily reduced.

Crew Network (Analogue to Shared Contacts/Allies)

This is the collective pool of favors, contacts, and allies the Crew can call upon.

When accessing a shared ally or contact (e.g., "The Fixer," "The Tech Specialist"), the Crew uses the highest Contacts or Allies rating among its members.
Damage to the Crew's reputation or a major failure can reduce the reliability of the Crew Network.

3. The Crew's Role in Session Play

The Crew's defined identity allows the Storyteller to tailor challenges specifically to the group's makeup:

Hustle Focus: Challenges should frequently force the Crew to execute their Hustle in high-stakes situations. (e.g., A Data Broker Crew must breach a network before a timer runs out).
Complication Activation: At least once per session, the Crew Complication should manifest, forcing the players to abandon their immediate goal to deal with the threat to their existence.
Moral Cost: The actions required to maintain the Crew's power often directly test the individual Humanity scores of its members, forcing them to commit acts of callousness or violence to keep the group alive.