Sprawlvember 5: Blackmarket

 

For this #Sprawlvember entry I'm doing a list of ten interesting things to find on the black market. 

Roll A D10: What odd interesting thing you found on the blackmarket.

1 – A set of four functioning cryochambers, running with occupants inside. They appear to be children and the only data is that they are part of Clone Batch 13B.

2 – A case of military grade EMP grenades.

3 – A sealed armored briefcase with the logo of a major corporation on it. It needs a bio-metric scan to open and the datajack has been drilled out.

4 – A D6 of packs of high end medical grade nanobot pain blockers. Each pack contains three injections.

5 – Six pouches of actual real life seeds for vegetable plants. Not the genetically modified types either.

6 – A large amount of surgery level medical equipment, all still sealed in plastic and sterile.

7 – Stacks of last years discontinued Mountain Dew flavor.

8 – A wireless electronic lock hacking device disguised as an older model cellphone.

9 – A techie selling custom made devices for your television that allow you to access nearly any streaming service for free.

10 – Several fulled sealed hazmat suits. Complete with built in Geiger counters, toxin scanners, and biohazard warning systems.

Sprawlvember 4: Insurgency

 

The prompt of the day is 'Insurgency' for #Sprawlvember. Here is what I came up with.

The Brainhacker Insurgency

What happens when a self proclaimed group of ‘Neuroscience Specialist’ and elite hackers decide that they can help change the world? Where they can push back against those they see as oppressors and tyrannical corporations that run the world, without risking themselves of course. You get what the media has started calling the ‘Brainhacker Insurgency’.

Their true numbers are unknown, a shockingly few have ever been identified. But when they decided to take action it was sure obvious. At some point a central group formed that became the head of this movement. Known only as the Cerebral Cabal that contacted and selectively recruited folks from specific backgrounds into their cause. That cause was to destabilize corporate control over the political spectrum while carefully crafting their own modified candidates to start seeking positions in the government.

They’re modus operandi is pretty much the same at the basic level. They find various ways to brainhack specific targets who are capable of either pulling off certain tasks or to bend their beliefs into being parallel to their own. Their targets come in three types. The Faces, those they wish to push into political power in various parts of the government. The Ears, those that are in positions to gather sensitive information or access. The Fists, those who have the skills to carry out attacks and assassinations.

Access to their brains is usually obtained through the targets own neural ports while they are logged into what they feel are safe networks. In most cases this was done through very intricate hacking missions through multiple secured systems. But once they got a few Faces into the right networks data centers it becomes much easier. The doors were blown open for potential targets.

Other methods have been through virus laced software sold on the blackmarket. Virtual combat and sex simulators attract a lot of folks. Helping create a few sleeper Fists and fodder to be spent when needed. Activated by certain phrases or neural impulses. When they need a group of violent protesters all they do is signal a chunk of virtual sex and violence addicts to do that job.

The best Fists are used to carry out tactical strikes and assassinations against the corporations. Many times after it is done they log back in to a secure connection to have that part of their memory erased or blurred. Making it harder for anyone to hack into them for evidence of what they did. Some Fists that are simply low rent criminals they have sent into areas wearing explosives to create even more chaos.

The Faces work inside the government, turning down and refusing all corporate bribery and coercion. Pushing for laws clamping down on the power a corporation can have, pushing for investigations into their actions and seizing their assets when able. With everyone who has been hacked trained to vote in a specific way it’s getting easier to get those Faces elected.

It’s a slow insurgency, sometimes violent, mostly secret, and quite capable of success if not stopped.

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Sprawlvember 3: Medical Miracle

 

The prompt for the third day of Sprawlvember is Medical Miracle. There are no miracles in cyberpunk that don't come with a horrific price. 

The Medical Miracle Nightmare Event.

Still talked about, still causing fear and anger in those who remember it. Early in the day of medical nanotech development one singular event created by somebody who must have been pure evil. So terrifying bad that it almost got nanotech banned in globally.

A children’s hospital called “Ladies of Mercy” had been working with the new nanotech helping heal children who were suffering from incurable diseases or injuries that couldn’t be mended with modern tech. They were meeting with great success, the world was watching as children were able to walk again, nervous system damage being rewired, cancer cells being devoured by the little bots and saving lives. It was truly a short lived time of miracles.

Until somebody figured out how to remotely hack the nanotech remotely. Leading to a week long nightmare as the children, who had already suffered so much, were treated to tortures beyond any imagination. Their bones either devoured or growing out of control, spinal cords shredded from the inside out, wounds opening on their skin as the flesh was peeled back. Their bodies boiled on the inside. The fatality rate was nearly 80% until they finally managed to shut down the tech running through their bodies.

The unknown hacker has never been identified although many have claimed they were as attempts to make others fear them. Most met very abrupt violent ends in short order. But it did teach a lesson in the worst way possible. The security breach led to a major revamp in how the nanotech was managed and controlled. Sealed systems were put in place and laws were made making it illegal to create any nanotechnology that could be altered once it has entered a living body.

This set the development back by decades while also driving up the costs through the roof. The age of miracles for everyone was over. Another treatment only available to those who could afford it.

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Cyberpunk Sunday - 11/2/25

 

Law enforcement agencies from Austria, Estonia, Finland, and Latvia, together with Europol, have seized thousands of SIM-box devices and SIM cards used in multiple scam campaigns.

Massive SIM farm network powering 49 million fake accounts taken apart by Europol

Sometimes punk is telling the government 'no thank you' and giving all their money back.

Python rejects $1.5M grant from U.S. govt. fearing ethical compromise

Sprawlvember started yesterday. Here's another good one I saw pop up yesterday for it. 

The Stomach Eater 

Then one from today as well.

Nano-Charlie

Then here is mine from yesterday.

Six Nano Infused Edible companies

I didn't come up with one for day two but I have several more throughout the month. 

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Also if your on Discord check out the Old School // Cyberpunk server. 

Sprawlvember Day One - Nano Infused Edibles

 

Well #Sprawlvember is upon us for the very first time. A more cyberpunk/scifi themed list of prompts meant to get the creative juices flowing. So I figured why not start off with a new six pack for folks to use. The prompt is "Nano-Infused-Edibles" and here are six company/brands that specialize in just that. 

 

1 – Wicked Bytes of Bliss. They specialize in nano tech that goes straight to the pleasure centers of your brain. By encouraging the users brain to produce large amounts of endorphins in a specific rhythm they set a person into a pure happiness mode that lasts for a specified amount of time (based on what you bought). They also relieve most pain and reduce stress a great deal.

2 – Fast Action Supplements. These little chewables give the user a small flood of nanobots that so straight to the adrenal glands. They then alter the make up of the released adrenaline making it much more potent. Lasting for about an hour.

3 – Astral Dentals. There very sticky gummy snacks stick your teeth worse than any normal candy. But that’s good because it gives time for the nanobots to attach themselves to your teeth. Cleaning them, rebuilding enamel and doing some repairs. Pulling in nutrients from what you eat later on. They will cling on for about a day.

4 – Digital Drink Guards. These come in ounce sized bottles that are to be drank before a night on the town. Residing in the throat and stomach for about 24 hours they filter out toxins, poisons and drugs that may be ingested. Idea for those who worry about their drinks getting spiked with all sorts of dangerous stuff while at a bar.

5 – Slimmer Faster. This is a small milk shake flavored drink meant to be drank before working out. The nanobots work on breaking down fatty deposits that are close to the skin and pushing out the remains through sweat (which takes on an oily texture).

6 – Cold Calculating Apathy Inc. These look like small chocolate bars. Once eaten the nanobots make their way to the users brain and work to numb the parts that cause emotion and emotional response. Turning the person more cold blooded and uncaring than they were before. One side effect is it also weakens the fear effect which has been known to make people ignore dangers and suffer dire consequences.

Like what you see here? Consider showing me some support over on Ko-Fi.

Also please check out the old-school//cyberpunk discord server that just went under new management.

If I were to do a fantasy heartbreaker

 

Was talking with a couple of folks I used to game with a great deal back in the day. Of course at some point we got around to systems we used to play. What we liked or disliked about them. Why we walked away from some and all that.

Of course we got onto the subject of older Dungeons and Dragons editions before the 3rd one. The one game we all walked away from for at some point or the other. What rules really just irked us and didn't set right in our heads. Two big ones were hit points that just keep going up to where you can take more damage than massive monsters out there and how armor made you harder to hit. 

Now I've seen the things about how hit points were supposed to represent your ability to dodge attacks and move so damage is minimalized and the armor roll was showing the hits that went through and did damage not just all hits. But still just doesn't work for us. Mainly because it means an endless flow of bad guys with bigger armor and bigger hit points with weapons that do more and more damage with no real end in sight.

So I suggested how I would fix that if I were to ever make a fantasy heartbreaker type of system. All of which has most likely been done in multiple ways and variations that there is no way to keep count. 

First very little hit point increase. At the most one point per level. This way you could scale the power creep of bigger and badder monsters and weapons down a whole lot. You don't end up with characters that have more hit points than a heavy damn warhorse by level four or five. 

Second armor would just reduce the amount of damage taken. Either a static amount or maybe even another die roll for those who want to use their clicky clack math dice even more (I know sometimes I do). It would not factor in to your ability to be hit except as a negative for big heavy suits as they slow you down making your PC much easier to hit.

Finally the target number for something to hit you would be based on class and attribute bonuses. This number would get a boost as you level up. So you would have a base 'to be hit' number. Then you would add any attribute or other enhancement (magic, items, etc) bonus. Finally subtract your negatives for the armor you are wearing if there are any. 

Now this is just me spilling out onto my blog the stuff that went through my head today. The chance of me doing any sort of fantasy heartbreaker is pretty slim to none. But sometimes I just need to spit out ideas here to make my brain shut up.

Sprawlvember

 

Well a clever person come up with the idea of Sprawlvember. A series of cyberpunk related prompts to get folks thinking and coming up with neat stuff. I will be participating in this as best I can. Probably won't do one every day but I will do what I can. Up above is the graphic for the event with a list of the prompts. If you are also going to be doing this please drop a comment to let me, and others, know where.