Endtime PCs

Legal Matters:

Citizenship
     Players must choose, at character generation, whether they are legal citizens, illegal citizens, or gray citizens. All legal citizens have a CIN (Citizen Identification Number), and often carry CIDs (Citizen Identification cards)
     CINs are twelve digit numbers that function as unique pointers to the UN citizen database. Among the many entries under a particular citizen's file is a much longer identification code. This code represents a variety of genetic factors (histamine groups, mitochondrial DNA) and can be checked to confirm use of a CIN. This is normally done only by security agencies on suspects or to protect high security areas or transactions. It takes 2D4+1 minutes for a check to process. A much lower basic confirmation of name and physical details can be done in less than a second.

     A character with a CIN has many liberties and advantages. There are a wide variety of goods and services the government provides for little money, and assistance is rendered to the poor or disadvantaged. On the flip side, records exist of just about anything a citizen does, it is very difficult to escape the eye of the government, and taxes are very high.
     The CIN-less or 'illegals', on the other hand, find life difficult in general. Government services are impossible to access and even normal stores and companies can only be dealt with cautiously. Prices on the street are prohibitive. Police and citizens may commit any act against an illegal with no legal repercussions. On the other hand, it is much easier to escape the notice of the State, and it is much easier to acquire large amounts of wealth. Ultimately, the government performs just as many excesses against citizens as against illegals, so illegals consider their lack of offical identity a blessing.
     There are a significant portion of 'gray' people, or 'middlefolk', people that are either legal but keeping out of the legal world, or illegals that are tolerated. In mixed zones, the different groups may interact with some freedom.

Eye of the Government
     Due to high levels of technology, agencies are able to monitor and verify ownership, tracking, and perform exhaustive forensics quickly in controlled areas. An agent, with proper equipment, will be able to verify conclusively that someone was in a particular place at a particular time. It is for this reason that the black market is more expensive than legal markets, as the cost of avoiding such a powerful governing body is great.
     However, there are many ways to avoid the Eye. There are 20 billion humans on the planet, and many of them are not citizens. Roughly half of the population is illegal, after the 2 billion in Africa finally die. With the logistical nightmare of monitoring 10 billion citizens, there are consequently numerous areas where government simply does not have enough power to maintain control. Many criminal organizations can block government action, and a good deal of chaos is used to hide from the government.
     Worldwide, police are generally part of the military (civil defense army). In most cases, the operation of police is that of an occupying or garrison army.

Territory
     The primary division of territory is into zones, sometimes referred to as 'fire zones', particularly by illegals. Zones may change for a variety of reasons. Cities are a patchwork of individual zones. Outside of the cities, zones tend to spread in solid bands.
     White zones are highly secure regions. Only the most wealthy and powerful citizens inhabit these zones, and they are highly protected.
     Blue zones are fully monitored regions, mostly urban. It is almost impossible for a non-citizen to enter a Blue zone, and any illegal enterprise is quickly discovered and investigated. Blue zones are clearly marked and rarely change.
     Red zones are minimally monitored by police forces, but legal and criminal people and markets may operate. Red zones are 'caution' areas for citizens, and items purchased in Red zones are subject to customs duties when brought back into Blue or White zones. Police troops may commit to operations in Red zones, but are more circumspect. Many gray citizens operate in Red zones.
     Green zones are more fully criminal areas. There is an underworld social cohesion, which makes Green zones somewhat safe for non-citizens, less so for middlefolk, and positively dangerous for legal citizens. Many criminal organizations or gangs earn money for policing Green zones.
     Black zones are dangerous, even for illegals. Sites of open violence, only the well armed or well protected should consider entering Black zones. Many areas cycle between Black and Red status.
     Yellow zones are dangerous for Mythos related reasons. Cults, servitors, or other forces are present or suspected in such areas. Yellow Strike zones are regions where open supernatural activity is clearly taking place.

New Occupational Templates:

-- blank, neh? --

Wealth:

     In a time where the gulfs between the haves and have-nots become increasingly vast, it becomes important to note the differing effects technology and wealth have on characters. It has been my attempt to incorporate wealth into CoC without moving too far from the spirit of the game, a spirit of minimalism. Feel free to ignore or gloss over details that seem too petty to play.

Taxes and costs
     The differences between the income of citizens and illegals is complex, but can be summed up by giving all citizens a default Wealth of 20%, and illegals a default of 0%. Items cost about 2.5x their equivalent 1990s price. Legal items can be purchased easily, but many items cannot be procured legally.
     Illegals can purchase items that are normally illegal, and can also attempt to acquire items more cheaply.
     A character can reasonably purchase an item of $Wealth^2 every two days. If a Keeper feels like accounting for income, a year's worth of Wealth can be used to buy equipment and gear. If a character has not explicitly saved up money or does not have funds, the character can attempt to leverage a larger purchase. The character spends a number of days gathering up funds. The chance of success is 100% +Wealth -Wealth needed. Failure causes Wealth to drop by 1D3, 1D10 if critical failure. Success in important circumstances will allow Wealth to be checked.
     A character may attempt to use Reputation to swing a purchase. A normal Reputation roll is made first, then Reputation is used as Wealth. Failure affects the Reputation used.

Lifestyle
     Lifestyle equals Wealth^2/100. Lifestyle can be increased by increasing Wealth devoted to it.
     A character with Wealth 25 can devote all his wealth to Lifestyle. Effective Wealth, for Lifestyle, is 50, shifting his Lifestyle from 6 to 25.
     Lifestyle is a special sort of Reputation which has far ranging powers. It can be used in almost any situation to influence social or power structures. Lifestyle is also used to reflect general position in society, food, transportation, medical assistance, shelter, and so forth. Lifestyle is used as the roll for any provided service. Service rolls that might be used include Hightech, Electronics, Medicine, Surgery, Psychology, and so forth.

     Note that Lifestyle is divided among services being applied at once. If equipment is being worked on and medical help is being provided, the player must decide how Lifestyle is divided. Money or Reputation can be used to temporarily boost Wealth and, thus, Lifestyle.
     Reputation of appropriate type can be devoted to Lifestyle in a similar way to Wealth. It is applied like Wealth.

Spells
See section on Mages

Character generation steps
   1. Pick the type of character. Is the character human? A citizen or illegal? Does the character come from an arcology or not?
     Dimensional Shamblers, Machine Intelligences, and Ghosts/Spirits have specific differences in how they are generated.
   2. Generate stats. A Keeper may allow optional character generation. Extra Edu for age and schooling.
   3. Determine equipment list and cost of equipment, any Cyber or Hyper Preparation level and cost. (OR wait until Wealth is determined and pick equipment)
   4. Determine defaults. LiSe default depends on character's origin. Wealth default is 20% if character is a citizen. Player should decide which Reputation the character has at default 20%.
   5. Spend skill points.
   6. Determine Lifestyle and unspent funds.