A GAME OF FLESH AND WIRES

QUICK START
 Credits
- THE GAIA COMPLEX -

Writing: Chris ‘Shep’ Shepperson

Art: Jesús Blones
Cartography: Glynn @ MonkeyBlood Design
Layout/Graphics: Chris ‘Shep’ Shepperson
Rules & Mechanics: Chris ‘Shep’ Shepperson
Proofreading: Marshall Oppel, Hollie Shepperson

Playtesting: Gordon Parton, Ste Winwood, Brendan Falconer, Kurt

Fastiggi, Heath Marks, Matt Jones, Edward C Hill, Oscar Kay, Hector
Kay, Lucy Kay, James Smith, Peter Davis.

Copyright © 2021 Hansor Publishing, All Rights Reserved.

Version 1.2

Note: The Gaia Complex is intended for mature readers and

contains themes of violence and hardship, as well as using adult
language throughout.
 Welcome to 2119
Negotiations were going as well as could be expected. “Eddy, my man, I’ll give you 6000nec for it. Fair deal?”
Such a line triggered Eddy’s normal negotiation style. “You’ll give me 10,000nec or I’ll put a fucking hole
through your fucking face.” He had to admit it, it was a convincing offer.

“It’s 10,000nec, and you’ll make a killing off it. How much did you make off those TAPOR-8’s I brought you?
A lot, right? So don’t fuck me on this.” Eddy Tense’s negotiation skills left a lot to be desired, but he had those
intimidation techniques nailed down tight. He had a reputation for getting what he wanted and making a
mess of those who didn’t play ball. Regardless, most Tech Traders still liked to deal with him. He worked hard,
delivered the goods and regularly had something left over on the side to barter with. ‘Barter’ in the loosest
of terms. “Where did you even get those T8s from?” He got shut down quickly, “Don’t change the fuckin’

- THE GAIA COMPLEX -

subject. 10,000. Yes or no? Think carefully about your next words.” The man who was known simply as
‘Omar O’ offered little more than a short silence.

“Yes, yes, fine. 10,000. Good deal Eddy, my man. Good deal. Just give Omar a special deal next time, yes?”
Eddy’s face said more than his words, “Special deal?” The blank stare got the response he was looking for,
“Okay, okay, just come to me first, okay, my man?”

Deal struck. “Eddy Tense: Businessman of the Year.” That was his internal dialogue. Confident to the point
of arrogance. “Sure, but you gotta put me in touch with a dealer… one of the big players. TinMan or Vapour.”
The ball was back in Omar’s court, “TinMan… Eddy, my man, TinMan is underground now, out of contact,
even for me. Vapour… maybe, but she doesn’t talk to just anyone.” Eddy shot him a glance and Omar quickly
changed tact, “Of course, Eddy Tense is a special case. I could reach out. A small ‘fee’ for Omar, yes? For
the service.”

“You get the guns. That’s your fee. That hole in the face we spoke about is starting to feel pretty appealing
right about now,” Eddy’s P-Scope eye whirred as the lens focused. Omar was pretty certain that it was the
cybernetic equivalent of an aggressive stare. He backed down. “Me
and Laurent did a job recently. While we were in there the sneaky
little fucker took a server imprint and it showed up something
good… something people would pay for.”

To be continued...
 - THE GAIA COMPLEX -
What is The Gaia
Complex?
The Gaia Complex is a tabletop roleplaying game set on
Earth in 2119. Towards the end of the 21st century, the
third world war, which became known as the Resource
War, pushed mankind to the brink of destruction and brought
ruin to the earth’s atmosphere. Small pockets of humanity
survived this horrific war, eventually forming the eleven
metropolises which have managed to grow and prosper on
account of the development of atmospheric processing and
significant advancements in technology. Now cut off from
each other, these heaving urban landscapes must each
face their own difficulties and hardships. The Gaia
Complex focuses on the largest of these metropolises; New
Europe, a single sprawling city that covers much of what
we currently know as mainland Europe. New Europe is a
world of street violence, corporate espionage, vampiric
uprisings and an overzealous A.I., known as Gaia, which
functions as the city’s governor and the protector of its
citizens.
The Gaia Complex is a dystopian world of urban violence,
exploring the age of cybernetic enhancement through a
vision of Earth that is somehow ‘changed’. This vision of
the future injects both vampires and a unique group of
people known as ferals, who are able to enter the minds
of animals. This is a game of conspiracy and brutality,
where players take on the roles of Mercs; former police
officers, hackers and street savvy dealers who are hired to
fight back against the system and ultimately unravel
secrets of The Gaia Complex.
What do I need to
play The Gaia
Complex?
Other than your imagination, each player will need a copy
of one of the pre-made characters included later in this
book, pens or pencils and some additional paper to make
notes, draw maps or write down hidden information. In
addition, two types of dice are required as follows:
• 12-sided dice - a minimum of two, though ideally two
per player.
• 3-sided dice - a minimum of three, though ideally
three per player. Common 6-sided dice can be used
as an alternative (1-2=1, 3-4=2, 5-6=3).
In addition to the players, one person must be the Games
Master (more commonly known as the GM), this person
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does not take part in the game like the other players and
will instead direct the story and ultimately control the flow
of the game. In many ways, the GM could be considered
the director and the players represent the actors in their
movie.
Note: The Gaia Complex is intended for mature
readers and contains themes of violence and
hardship, as well as using adult language
throughout. This game will suit groups who favour
storytelling over maths in their roleplaying games,
with a strong focus on narrative over rules.
The following section provides an overview of the world in
2119 and fleshes out the setting of the game. While some
of the information is brief, the section is intended to give
just enough to spark the imagination of the group and get
the game rolling. It is suggested that each player reads the
‘The World in 2119’ section of this book before the first
game session.
THE WORLD
IN 2119
2119 is a violent future. Following the Resource War in
2039, the shape of humanity was changed in the most
brutal way possible. The nuclear strike that was launched
on the United Nation’s oil refinery in Antarctica caused
irreversible damage to the earth’s crust, which in turn
destabilised the planet as we know it. Sea levels rose,
washing away entire countries, earthquakes ravaged the
globe and between natural disasters and the fallout of war,
the earth’s population was drastically reduced, causing
significant areas of the planet’s landmass to become
entirely inhospitable.
The small pockets of life that survived the catastrophe
pulled together, forming new cities and working hard in
utilising the resources left available to them. Surprisingly,
despite the damage that the planet had suffered, the
reduced population resulted in a surplus of available
materials which, paired with the great minds of the surviving
elite, allowed for the development of new technologies to
aid the survival of mankind. Atmospheric processing was
the first to be developed, providing the surviving cities with
breathable air and respite from the brutal weather fronts
that were ravaging the globe. By 2064, atmospheric
processing had defined the future of mankind. Those cities
that had not adapted to the new wave of technology were
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subjected to meteorologic genocide as the toxicity levels in
the air rose dramatically, suffocating billions. Only eleven
cities survived. Under their bubble of breathable air, these
huge sprawling landscapes, some larger than entire
countries, became known as the metropolises. Eleven
clusters of life and technology on the face of a scarred
planet.
Within these eleven pockets of life, technology escalated
rapidly, but along with the advancements came the normal
human behaviours of greed and violence. As the years
dripped away, weapons flooded the poorer areas of the
metropolises, turning the streets into war zones. Cybernetics
arrived, at first for use by the military, but eventually to be
embraced by the civilian population. The dystopian world,
previously portrayed in the movies of the 20th and 21st
century, had finally become the human reality, brought
about by a lack of compassion for fellow man. But
alongside the brutality of life on the streets, alongside the
darkness and hardship, in New Europe, the largest and
wealthiest of all the metropolises, something darker had
come to light. Though Gaia, the city’s governing A.I. had
brought its people guidance and a greater sense of
wellbeing, vampires and other strange beings had emerged
from the shadows of Europe’s old streets, openly revealing
themselves for the first time, walking the weathered
pavements and injecting an entirely new wave of violence
and fear into the world.
By 2119, New Europe had moved from a shining beacon
of hope to a city underpinned by corporate conspiracy,
intense violence and a thriving mercenary underworld. Sat
in the heart of central Europe, the single sprawling urban
landscape covers the vast majority of the countries
formerly known as Germany, France, Belgium and
Luxembourg, while also dipping into Switzerland, Poland
and the Czech Republic.
“Life on the street is a violent fucking shit show. You
either protect yourself or you die. If it ain’t a gang or
another Merc after the same score, it’ll be some
corporate goon or one of Gaia’s robo-fuckers. This
metropolis is hell. Thank fuck the beer’s cheap.”
- Vigor Thames, Merc Operator.
New Europe is governed by Hansor Innovations, a
corporation with its roots in computing technologies and
artificial intelligence. Hansor’s shining light is Gaia, a
sentient A.I. created to help revolutionise the way the
metropolis was managed, with the aim of providing New
Europe’s citizens with a life free from the trials and
tribulations that mankind had come to know following the
Resource War. While Gaia has made significant leaps,
reality is a far cry from the utopian dream of the AI’s
-3-
creator, Frederick Hansor. While Hansor Innovations is
officially the governing body for New Europe, Gaia is now
single handedly responsible for the metropolis’ law
enforcement, atmospheric processing, water purification,
food production and is at the forefront of cybernetic
innovation. New Europe is very much under Gaia’s
control.
Hansor Innovations
Hansor Innovations is the largest, richest and farthest
reaching of all corporations in New Europe. Formed
shortly after the Resource War, Hansor Innovations
(commonly known as ‘HI’) was one of the first firms to start
harvesting natural resources and pushing the boundaries
of technology in the face of recent disasters. Formed by the
late Theo Hansor, the company went from strength to
strength and led the way for cybernetic development,
artificial intelligence and a vast range of other
technologies.
Now, in 2119, Hansor Innovations continues to be the
market leader in cybernetics and is the primary funder of
public services, health care and atmospheric processing.
Though Frederick Hansor was cited as being the true
innovator, few can deny that the level of research and
development that has occurred under Tenson Brooks’
management has far surpassed initial projections for the
company. Despite Theo and Frederick’s initial offering
however, HI’s control of the metropolis’ police force has
also led them to develop a range of weapons and vehicles
for the purpose of equipping Gaia’s cybernetic law
enforcement programme, a move which has come with
resistance from those who respected HI’s long standing
‘non-military’ approach. Despite such bad publicity,
Hansor Innovations remains the linchpin that keeps New
Europe from collapsing into a lawless society
Gaia
A true artificial intelligence, capable of studying, learning
and adapting in the same way that the human mind can.
Created by Hansor Innovations CEO, Frederick Hansor, the
release of Gaia shook New Europe to its core. People
were equal parts amazed, excited and petrified at the
apparent capability of Hansor’s newest computer. Gaia
was, in most senses of the word, sentient. It showed the
capability to experience and present basic emotions and
displayed an understanding of empathy.
In a very short space of time Gaia had redesigned
modern cybernetics, vastly enhanced neural implantation,
redefined the capabilities of modern medicine, fixed
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-4-
 - THE GAIA COMPLEX -
glitches in the atmospheric processing system and began
to monitor the wellbeing of New Europe’s population
through an interconnected web of over 3 million
surveillance and police cameras spread around the
metropolis. Though Hansor wouldn’t admit it, Gaia had
become the big brother that no one wanted.
Street War
The violence in New Europe started with civil uprisings.
Following the Resource War, the downtrodden population
of the metropolis had begun to feel that an injustice was
being done to them by the militant rule of the U.N. and it
had to end, one way or another. The rioting and guerrilla
warfare that followed turned the streets of an already
dystopian city into a true battleground. Law enforcement,
armed civilians, local gangs and pretty much anyone who
was in the vicinity took up arms and set about killing each
other. Some for territory, some for money, others just to
survive.
Today the streets of New Europe are alive with gunfire once
more. Mercs and corporate black ops teams engage in
open combat while Gaia’s law enforcement system
attempts to push back, disloyal vampire gangs battle with
pro-human rioters for territory, and in the digital pathways
of The Core, hackers take on Gaia and other artificial
intelligence, waging a war of information that feeds the
brutality on the streets. 2119 is violent, uncompromising
and bleak, hidden behind a subtle neon glow and chrome
veneer.
Law Enforcement
Between 2102 and 2108, the law enforcement death toll
rose so steeply that many of the metropolis’ original police
officers abandoned the force, paving the way for even more
cyber-enhanced ex-military to join the fray. Every time law
enforcement bolstered its ranks in this way, pro-human
groups would fight back with more aggression than ever
before. Witnessing this constant spiral of death occur on
the streets every day, Gaia stepped in and took action.
As a response to the extreme loss of human life being
suffered by the police, Gaia’s heightened need for
innovation led to the implementation of an entirely robotic
law enforcement system. The newly constructed humanoid
cybernetic officers were based on a stripped down A.I.
system created by and based on Gaia’s root operating
system, giving them human-like intelligence, paired with
the first entirely robotic body.
Overnight just over 450,000 law enforcement officers were
given severance pay and struck off, replaced with machines
-5-
capable of learning and assessing situations in the same
way that Gaia once was, only this time with a number of
strict limitations to stop them from ‘free-thinking’. Gaia
would eventually come to create a subsystem in the lower
levels of HI’s head office. This subsystem, known simply as
LE1, would act as a central network relay for the new
police force, allowing each officer to act as a single node
in a free flowing information network, thus sharing visual
and auditory data in real time over the entire force. In
2114, 150,000 officers were deployed to the streets of
New Europe. By the start of 2119 this had increased to
250,000 upgraded officers and 20,000 ‘enforcer’ model
robots, carrying the very best in Hansor’s newly developed
weapons tech. Gaia continues to monitor LE1, regularly
updating functionality as required, allowing the control
system to run updates on offers in the field as required.
Vampires
Vampires revealed themselves for the first time in 2111. It
was not a subtle unveiling, instead a number of gangs all
over New Europe simultaneously took to the streets in a
feeding frenzy. The panic that followed would be the
biggest thing to shock the population since the Syndicate
Conflict. In time, the vampire threat retreated to the further
corners of the metropolis where fewer people lived on
account of the poorer air quality, a fact that seemed not to
affect the vampire population in the same way. The police
force attempted to keep vampires within these distant
corners, but such attempts were met with violent resistance.
Eventually, a spokesperson came forward; Jasminer
Kellesaar. Kellesaar’s presence made people take note,
ethereal but stern. Her request was that humans use
available technology to develop a synthetic blood source
modelled on human blood that the vampire population
could use as food and in return, she pledged peace
between vampires and humans. Gaia answered by rapidly
developing a blood substitute and forming a subsidiary
company to handle its production, Vectron BioMed, who
would not only manufacture the blood, but would also be
managed by both humans and vampires; a stepping stone
into a new era of peace.
It is now understood that each vampire belongs to one of
two groups, known as axioms. The first, and most
common, is the Vril. Vril seem very human in appearance,
though have paler, grey-ish complexions. Other than their
skin tone, yellow eyes and extended cuspids, Vrils come in
all shapes and sizes and can pass for human in almost all
situations. Most Vril are also comparable to humans in
terms of intellect and sociability, but like all vampires,
have a level of endurance and strength that humans can
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only dream of. A small number of Vril possess other
capabilities that defy a human’s understanding of the
world, from telepathy to telekinesis. These individuals are
referred to by other vampires as Forebears and are
commonly the representatives of the axiom, most of whom
now hold high ranking corporate roles.
The other axiom is known as the Norl. Norl are entirely
inhuman looking vampires, appearing twisted or mutated.
While they could be considered loosely ‘humanoid’ in form,
with arms, legs and a head, their features are elongated
and grotesque. Each appears very differently, but common
features include great height, huge jaws, arms that fall all
the way to the floor and skin that appears to be melted or
missing entirely. Norl are a fearful sight and are also
incredibly powerful, with capabilities that very few people
understand. The weakest of the Norl stands as an equal to
the strongest of the Vril. By and large, the Norl have
chosen not to trust Gaia or the human way of life, having
been alienated, targeted and entirely untrusted, largely on
account of their appearance and through the fear
mongering that has been spun by the Vril, who have little
regard for their grotesque relations. As such, the Norl
remain in hiding as kingpins of the vampiric underworld or
rulers of New Europe’s lawless outskirts.
-6-
Ferals
Ferals are another species that surfaced in 2111 alongside
the vampire uprising. Originally introducing themselves to
mankind as the ‘Theedran Veerye’, the alternative name
‘feral’ was quickly adopted by the general population,
before it eventually stuck with ferals themselves. Today,
many young ferals have entirely rejected the name of their
heritage, proudly embracing the feral tag.
Ferals appear entirely human and in many respects ‘are
human’; their anatomy and DNA makeup are almost
identical in every way. Ferals do however possess less
academic smarts than most humans, instead focusing on
their social and awareness skills. Additionally, ferals are
predisposed to have less physical strength than humans, at
least when considering those at the peak of physical
fitness. Though many ferals appear entirely healthy (if not
a little scrawny), this physical shortfall also extends to a
noticeable number of congenital birth defects and genetic
disorders throughout the species, such as dwarfism and
partial paralysis. Despite these physical shortfalls, ferals are
unnaturally hardy and display significant stamina. Most
ferals have a sharp wit and a keen eye, but are generally
less likely to feel comfortable in a physical scuffle.
The thing that really makes a feral a feral is their ability to
‘interface’ with animals. The term interface is regularly
used on account of its commonality with modern hackers,
however in reality there is nothing technological about the
abilities of the feral. Each feral has the capability to transfer
their consciousness into the mind of almost any animal
species they come into contact with, though the ability to
connect with insects is still not considered a possibility.
When doing so, the feral goes into a recognisable trance,
their eyes glaze over and the body stiffens. Once the
process, known as a ‘Meld’, is complete the feral will not
only see through the animal’s eyes, but will be able to act
as though they actually were the animal.
“Eyes glazed over, body stiff and lifeless… That’s the
Meld. Trust me, she’s still listening, just not with her ears.
She’ll be in that bird or some rat we can’t see. I know it’s
freaky, but trust me, after this job you’ll never want to do
this kind of shit without a feral.”
- Jianyu Zhang, Merc Bio Hacker.
The vast majority of ferals choose to partner with a single
animal long term, forming a lasting relationship, much like
owning a pet. While there are those ferals who are
extremely nomadic by nature, preferring to remain free of
attachment to a particular animal, these individuals are
exceptionally rare and seen as outsiders to other ferals.
Almost any animal is fair game unless it is either already
 - THE GAIA COMPLEX -
partnered to another feral or the feral has previously
attempted and failed a Meld with it.
Ferals have, on the whole, been accepted in society far
better than vampires, though have still been known to
come under attack from pro-human groups looking to
send a message. Like vampires however, their exact history
is shrouded in a veil of confusion and mystery. The roots
of the species cannot be traced and despite ferals claiming
that their ancestors have been secretly walking amongst
humans since the dawn of time, no evidence can be found
to substantiate this. Either way, the skill set and natural
talents of the feral have found them a home throughout
the underbelly of the metropolis and running the streets
with other Mercs.
Technology
By the 2050’s cybernetics were appearing as military tech,
eventually being filtered down to law enforcement before
public release some years later. Alongside cybernetics came
new developments in medical care, including bioware;
cybernetic/organic hybrid organs for transplant and
upgrade purposes. The biggest development by far
however was the Fission Transducer, a small power system
that utilised older technologies in a new and extremely
compact manner.
Fission Transducers are available in almost any size, from
a watch battery to the size of an oil rig, and despite the
technology taking the best part of twenty five years to
perfect, the current versions, manufactured by Trimble &
Trimble are a true spectacle of modern capabilities. A
single Fission Transducer, the same size as a traditional
battery, can power a flashlight for 10,000 hours. A larger
one, the size of a car battery, will power a modern fission-
engined vehicle long enough for it to put in 100,000km,
before a simple replacement job is needed. Access to such
power systems has revolutionised the way that mankind
functions, reducing the need for less available natural
resources and opening up new levels of technological
marvel.
These new power sources also provided the missing
ingredients for other areas of the technology industry,
particularly with the development of artificial intelligence,
which prior to the 2070’s, was still a technological fantasy.
Today, Fission Transducers are used to power Gaia,
providing energy from eleven separate hidden sites via
secure underground cabling networks that run for
hundreds of kilometres through New Europe; this approach
means that Gaia’s power supply is unlikely to be sabotaged,
as the system can sustain itself with just four of the eleven
-7-
sites being active. Hansor Innovations likes to play it safe
where Gaia is concerned.
“We didn’t make the first one but we sure as hell refined
it. People always think of Hansor as New Europe’s big
innovator, but honestly, none of his designs would have
been possible without our Fission Transducers.”
- Donald P. Trimble Jr., CEO at Trimble & Trimble.
Cybernetics
Cybernetics have become the gold standard for the working
Merc. Cybernetics originally took the world’s military by
storm in 2054, with a struggling United Nations investing
heavily in augmenting peacekeepers. Eventually most of
the major world powers bought in to the idea and as
technology developed, cybernetic limbs, optics and
reinforced ribs became the mainstay of the average grunt.
In 2086 Frederick Hansor went on camera, announcing
Hansor’s newest wave of cybernetics. The tech that followed
became, and remains, the standard for cybernetics the
world over. While most New Europers will never get to
compare their enhancements to those from other
metropolises, it is fair to say that HI’s cybernetics are ahead
of the game. During this announcement, alongside what
can only be described as a ‘catalogue’ of human
upgrades, one quote rang out above all others…
“That 20th century cyberpunk trope is finally here.
Welcome to the future of the human race.”
- Frederick Hansor, former CEO of Hansor Innovations,
deceased.
In 2119 cybernetics are entirely commonplace. From
traditional limb replacements to eye, ear and throat
enhancement. While Hansor Innovations are the primary
cybernetics producers in New Europe, a number of other
corporations have cropped up with rival offerings in the last
few years, including Diekumi-Tek, specialising in bioware
and cyber-enhanced organs as well as Gravelin Industries,
a former mining contractor turned industrial-grade
cybernetics developer. Cybernetics not only turn the
average soldier into a killing machine, but provide tools to
Mercs of all possible backgrounds, from MilTechs and
ParaMeds to hackers and Data Dealers.
People now have the capacity to jack directly into computer
terminals, running cables from jack sockets implanted in
their in their arms, neck, eyes, or ear cavities, whilst
running programs stored in discrete memory banks that
are plugged directly into their brains. At the other end of
the spectrum, the trained Operator is able to fully conceal
 - THE GAIA COMPLEX -
weapons inside their cybernetic limbs, utilise advanced
targeting systems that relay optic information to the brain,
buffering the movements and potential threat levels of a
huge number of targets at once. Cybernetics have defined
the capabilities of mankind in the 22nd century and the
only citizens without enhancement are those who either
can’t afford it, or follow the pro-human movement in the
Outer Fringe of New Europe.
Weapons Technology
In response to the rising level of violence on the streets,
firearms were made legal for open carry in the interests of
self defence, despite history teaching us exactly where this
would lead. As you might expect, while the average civilian
may have felt safer with a shotgun under the bed and an
assault rifle in the cupboard, access to such weapons made
the already vicious gang and corporate wars even more
bloody, inevitably resulting in a greater loss of human life
than ever before. Once the weapons were on the street
though, recalling them was beyond the realms of
possibility. The damage was done and had set the playing
field in New Europe.
Once Gaia took over the management of law enforcement
and HI began weapons development of their own, a few
hardline rulings were implemented. Firstly, all explosives
were made illegal: grenades, mines, missiles… anything
that created a large blast radius and would easily cause
collateral damage to human life or the structure of the
metropolis. In addition, a blanket ban was put on all lethal
‘heavy weapons’, a term given to anything over a certain
weight, size or calibre, with the term typically applying to
anti-tank weapons, heavy machine guns and grenade
launchers. Companies dealing in these items were to
immediately cease production and the cybernetic police
force were programmed with a ‘shoot on sight’ order for
anyone seen carrying such hardware.
Despite the legality, almost all weapons are still available
on the black market, be it at a price, from grenades and
missile launchers to high calibre anti-infantry support
weapons. Of course, being picked up with these items in
your possession is unlikely to end well, but if the modern
Merc needs to pack some serious firepower, all the right
tools can be found if you know where to look.
“So many lovely guns. If it says ‘Dyer’ on the side then
I’m good. I’m not a snob, but I know quality when I feel
it. I swear by the G-Rail, but honestly, I’ll take anything
those boys made.”
- Dante Rhodes, Merc Operator.
-8-
The Core
The Core went online in 2067. Created by three computer
programmers in the struggling slums of the city once known
as Dijon, France. Using what they knew of the internet’s
primary infrastructure prior to the Resource War, the three
programmers created a self-contained interconnected
network of servers and databanks, capable of hosting a
huge amount of information. At first it served as a data
archive and information access point, storing many
libraries’ worth of information that people could access
from public terminals scattered around the metropolis.
People remembered the internet and The Core was filling
a nostalgia gap for them.
The three programmers went on to form a company known
as Veritype Industries and The Core became big business.
As well as the expected growth of the data archive, other
companies wanted to use the network for sharing
information, real time project management, secure off-site
hosting and to make financial transactions with suppliers.
Veritype said yes to everything. The Core grew at an
exponential rate; an entire digital world of servers, cables,
secrets and lies. A place where both criminals and
corporations could hide their activity from view. After the
turn of the century, The Core was being used to handle
the finances of every major institution in New Europe and
move more secret R&D between secure cloud storage sites
than the internet ever did. But it wasn’t as safe as it
seemed.
Hackers had always been there. Ever since The Core went
online, Veritype was fighting off ‘wannabe’ hot-shots who
thought they could shut it down or play hell. As technology
advanced, so too did the means of using The Core; no
longer were public terminals a popular concept, now
desktop systems known as ‘Rigs’ were used to jack into The
Core in a more sensory way, experiencing the digital
pathways like a 3D maze instead of a simple list of pages
on a screen. Cybernetic Neural Frames also opened the
door for Rigs to be inserted directly into the human brain,
allowing hackers to get into The Core from anywhere they
could find an access point. Every time The Core’s security
protocol was upgraded, new viruses and programs
appeared: DrillBit, IcePick, Transplant, Fuck Wymm,
LifeDrain… the list went on, with hackers cooking up all
manner of illegal software to break The Core’s security
barriers, steal data or syphon millions of nec from hidden
accounts. The Core had become a digital war zone that
would rival the streets of New Europe.
After Gaia went live, HI put in a bid to purchase Veritype,
eventually transforming them into a subsidiary known as
Netguard Veritype Industries (NVI). Using Gaia’s significant
 - THE GAIA COMPLEX -
knowledge, NVI would be tasked not only with operating
The Core, but also policing it, using Hansor’s A.I. tech to
rapidly increase the security measures employed. Hackers
suddenly had a hard time; they were no longer just getting
locked out of servers, they were having their brains fried or
their Rigs traced, so that an NVI response team,
comprised of the same robotic units as the police force,
could be dispatched to whatever hidden location the
hacker was working from. Faith in The Core was restored
and once again corporations locked away their research
and kept their digital money deep within its hidden servers,
foolishly thinking that it was all safe from prying eyes and
greedy hands.
“It’ll make you feel alive. Jacking into a Rig, dropping
into that digital hole. It’s like freefalling, followed by a
kick in the guts. Every second that you’re in there you
know you could die, but I’d take it over a firefight any
day. If The Core is going to kill me, at least I know that I
went toe-to-toe with Gaia.”
- Arial Donata, Merc Core Hacker.
-9-
The Media
Though the media still exists, adorning the huge screens
that line New Europe’s commercial areas and pushing
neon advertisements down the throats of the population,
the role of television in 2119 is a far cry from the days of
old. News reports may not be something that people want,
but Gaia’s current ruling is that the population must have
access to real-time information 24/7. This means that on
every high street, in every part of the metropolis, you can
find a large video screen playing news reports. Reporters
and news readers are still celebrities in their own right,
though most are deeply hated rather than respected, with
the flashy suit and slick hair being taken as an insult by
those living a life on the streets and in the suburbs of New
Europe. There are a few ‘celebrities’ however, that still
manage to capture the hearts of the masses through little
more than pure charisma, such as the channel 8
broadcasting duo, Adrian and Dariana.
Wherever you find a news screen you can also find a dozen
more advertising screens, huge bright landmarks, some the
 - THE GAIA COMPLEX -
size of buildings, illuminating the artificial sky in a colourful
neon hue while the Operator on screen persuades you that
you need the Dyer F-Rail more than you need air. Whether
advertising has any real kind of effect these days, however,
is not entirely clear. Many seem entirely desensitised by the
constant 24-hour rotation of short videos and messages,
doing whatever they can to plug out the bombardment of
colourful light that fills their cramped apartments. In Old
Berlin however, where most of the broadcast stations
currently stand, the media world is still actively embraced,
fashion is still admired, style has nothing to do with the
gun you carry and the faces on the big screens are very
much seen as the population’s elite.
“Tonight on Interceptor, New Europe’s finest take down
one of Brussels’ most notorious crime rings. Stay tuned
for the action, the arrests… and the mother of all
shootouts!”
- Tanaka Mitsurugi, Channel 39’s Host of ‘Interceptor’.
Currency
The recognised currency in New Europe is imaginatively
called New Europe Currency, or simply ‘nec’ for short (for
example, 300nec). Nec is a hybrid of the Euro, the
currency of the European Union from before the Resource
War, and of the Bitcoin cryptocurrency.
As no true financial records exist from pre-Resource War,
a fresh start was needed, initially using the Euro notes and
coins that were left on the continent, before eventually
moving to a digital currency which was transferred via The
Core and stored in online personal accounts. Money in
digital accounts was accessible via a contactless card,
known as a nec-Card, which can be synced to a user’s
Neural Frame for real-time financial information, or used
to make purchases in the same way as a traditional credit
card. Despite the advancements in digital currency there
has always been great call for a physical alternative and
so, following the Syndicate Conflict, one of the first things
that HI did to try and choke the criminal underworld and
black market, was to take the old Euro notes and coins out
of circulation, replacing them with the 1nec coin, and the
10 & 100nec notes.
Mercs
Mercs are the freelancers of New Europe’s underworld.
While very much a part of the criminal element, a Merc’s
main line of employment is from the recognised companies
and corporations of the metropolis, with work ranging from
assassinating high ranking CEOs to stealing new R&D from
- 10 -
an industry competitor. Though many corporations still have
a private security force, it is far safer to use reliable Mercs
to do the dirty work.
When people consider the concept of hiring a Merc, their
minds will typically turn to violence. It is true that many
Mercs, known as Operators, are ex-law enforcement or
other equally combat-trained individuals who are very good
at making things dead. However, the Merc remit is far wider
panning, with most Mercs now forming teams who work
together using a range of skills to get the job done.
Everything from technicians and mechanics to ParaMeds
and CyberDocs have their place in the infrastructure of the
Merc network. Most commonly, Core Hackers are finding
a regular stream of income from corporations wanting to
hack into secure servers and uncover dirt on their rivals, or
move money to hidden accounts without the normal
channels being aware of the process. Bio Hackers, a new
wave of hacker who focus on tapping into a subject’s
Neural Frame and cybernetics, have also risen in popularity
with Merc teams, with many hackers leaving The Core
behind in favour of messing with the human mind. The
black market is also a thriving recruitment field where you
can not only purchase illegal weapons and dirty secrets,
but also the people who supply them; Data Dealers and
Tech Traders have found themselves regular work with Merc
teams, moving on excess merchandise and using their
networks to spread false truths and propaganda. Almost
anyone with a usable skill set and a strong stomach can cut
it as a Merc, so long as they have the balls to face the
worst that New Europe has to throw at them.
Thankfully for the modern Merc, work isn’t hard to find.
Between the corporate recruiters, underworld Data Dealers
and the criminal mindsets of most Merc teams, a big score
will usually find the Merc before the Merc has to go looking.
Payment for work undertaken will depend on how
dangerous or complex the task is. Mercs are also used to
being screwed over. It’s not unusual for wealthy
corporations to think that they are above the normal rules
of the street, using Mercs before setting them up for a fall.
This is a pretty normal and expected hazard of the job and
is ironically one of the things that gives Mercs the
motivation to keep doing what they are doing - the thrill of
the chase is, if nothing else, exhilarating.
“Being a Merc will make or break you. It’s more than
holding a gun or jacking into The Core. It’s about
attitude and resolve, two things that are in short supply
these days.”
- Santos Bracknall, Merc Tech Trader.
 - THE GAIA COMPLEX -
GOING MERC
This quick start includes five pre-generated characters,
allowing up to five players (and one GM) to get playing
straight away. The following section provides a quick
insight to the various numbers and information on the
character sheets, which can be found at the end of this
booklet.
Stats
Stats represent a character’s inherent capabilities in a
certain area. Stats are reflective of the physical, mental and
social aspects of a character and will underpin the exact
skills that a character possesses. Stats are scored from 1 to
10 and the higher a character’s rank in a stat, the more
skilled they will be in relevant areas of learning. As a
guide, rank 1 represents exceptionally poor ability and rank
10 represents the peak of perfection, with ranks 4-6 being
the human average.
Each character has the following stats:
• Brawn - Brawn covers a character’s physical
strength as well as their endurance for physical tasks
such as swimming and climbing.
• Reflexes - A character’s Reflexes are representative
of their physical speed and dexterity, both athletically
and with regards to hand-eye coordination.
• Guts - Guts is a measure of a character’s willpower,
resistance to fear and their experience in a range of
life-skills.
• Brains - A character’s intelligence, education and
diagnostic capabilities are defined by their Brains.
• Allure - Allure represents a character’s charisma,
charm and social wit, covering everything from lying
and manipulating, to bartering or handling animals.
• Perception - Quick thinking, general awareness and
a character’s level of concentration are all covered
by their Perception stat.
• Grit - Grit represents a character’s determination,
ability to live in the moment, access to adrenaline and
just a little bit of luck.
Skills
Skills represent the experience and specific learnings of
characters. Where stats represent a broad spectrum of
capability, a skill represents the precise knowledge required
to complete a task. Skills are closely connected to one of
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the six primary stats (skills are not connected to Grit) and
give a bonus during rolls when performing tasks in that
area. A character that does not possess a skill is considered
to be ‘unskilled’ in that area, though this does not mean
that they are unable to attempt that task. Skills marked
with (A) are considered to be Advanced skills, which
represent tasks that are extremely hard for unskilled
characters to succeed in.
Unlike stats, skills do not have ranks, instead, a character
either possesses a skill and is skilled in that area, or does
not possess the skill and is considered unskilled. A
character’s proficiency in any given area is determined by
the rank of the related stat, so for example, a character
with the Medical skill and a Brains stat of rank 3 will have
a basic, but limited knowledge of first aid, whereas a
character with the Medical skill and a Brains stat of rank
8 will have surgical experience and a deep knowledge of
human anatomy.
Characters with significant knowledge in a certain area can
gain a ‘specialisation’. Skills that have become
specialisations are underlined to highlight the fact.
The following list provides a quick oversight to all of the
skills used throughout the game:
Brawn
• Climbing - The Climbing skill covers all forms of
climbing beyond the simple use of a ladder.
• Heavy Weapons - Heavy Weapons covers the use
of large squad support weapons, high rate of fire
machine guns, missile launchers and vehicle mounted
firearms.
• Lifting - The Lifting skill represents someone’s ability
to safely deadlift and carry weight beyond an
average comfortable load.
• Swimming (A) - The skill represents someone’s
ability to swim.
• Throwing - Someone trained in Throwing is able to
use grenades or throwing weapons with a high
degree of accuracy.
• Unarmed Combat - Brawling, martial arts and
unarmed self-defence are all represented by the
Unarmed Combat skill.
REFLexes
• Athletics - The Athletics skill represents a level of
training in cardio-based activities such as running,
jumping and acrobatics.
• Firearms - Firearms is a measure of proficiency with
pistols, rifles, shotguns and submachine guns.
 - THE GAIA COMPLEX -
• Melee Weapons - The Melee Weapons skill covers
the use of most close combat weapons, such as
knives, swords and batons.
• Pilot Drone (A) - The Pilot Drone skill allows the
user to correctly operate drones, both in terms of
flight and any secondary functions that the drone
may have.
• Ride Motorcycle (A) - Possessing the Ride
Motorcycle skill represents a character having been
correctly taught how to control a modern motorbike.
• Stealth - Stealth is the art of sneaking and hiding.
Brains
• Hacking (A) - The Hacking skill represents a
character’s ability to use modern hacking technology,
such as Rigs and other hardware used to access The
Core or perform Bio Hacking activities.
• Electronics (A) - Electronics covers the knowledge
of electronic devices and how to build, repair and
operate them.
• Mechanical (A) - The Mechanical skill represents a
character’s understanding of mechanics, including
vehicles and all manner of machinery.
• Medical (A) - Delivering medical aid, administering
drugs, removing bullets and performing surgery are
all covered by the Medical skill.
• Programming (A) - A character with the
Programming skill is able to tweak and modify
existing hacking programs, as well as write their own
software.
• Weapons Tech (A) - The Weapons Tech skill
represents a character’s affinity with the inner
workings of all manner of weaponry, from firearms to
cybernetic weapons.
Allure
• Animal Handling (A) - A character who possesses
the Animal Handling skill is able to correctly handle,
tame and train all manner of animals.
• Barter - The Barter skill represents a character’s
ability to talk the language of money and deal with
traders and dealers.
• Deceive - The Deceive skill is a measure of a
character’s capacity for subterfuge and lies.
• Leadership - A character with the Leadership skill
will be able to help those who need direction and will
find themselves able to inspire confidence and rally
scared or confused people.
- 12 -
• Persuasion - A character who is skilled in Persuasion
will be a capable negotiator, confident diplomat and
capable of talking their way out of difficult situations.
• Seduction - The Seduction skill is used to enhance
or create a sense of attraction between two people,
typically either romantically or sexually.
Perception
• Awareness - The Awareness skill represents a
character’s ability to spot or identify clues, traps,
movement or pretty much anything through sight,
sound and smell.
• Drive (A) - The Drive skill covers all manner of
wheeled vehicles, from cars and vans to military-spec
APCs. This still does not cover the use of motorcycles
(see Ride Motorcycle).
• Lock Pick (A) - The Lock Pick skill deals exclusively
with manual locks, such as traditional key-based
locks, padlocks and all manner of combination
safes.
• Meld (A) - The skill related to the feral discipline of
Meld, whereby the feral is able to imprint their own
consciousness into that of a partnered animal. The
Meld skill also gives ferals an insight to the state of
mind of any animal they come into contact with. The
Meld skill is exclusive to (and must be taken by) all
ferals. More information on Meld is provided later in
this book (see Animals and Meld).
• Pilot Aircraft (A) - A character skilled in Pilot Aircraft
will be able to operate VTOL APCs, such as those
used by private corporate security forces and the
police.
• Surveillance - Surveillance is the art of spy-craft and
represents a character’s ability to stakeout,
photograph and document a specific target or
targets, as well as hone in on specific conversations
in noisy locations.
Guts
• Gambling - The Gambling skill represents a
character’s ability to work out odds, count cards and
hedge sensible bets, as well as know the rules and
etiquette involved in all manner of high stakes games
on the streets of New Europe.
• Interrogate - Interrogate is used to interview and
obtain information from a subject.
• Intimidate - The Intimidate skill represents a
character’s ability to scare and bully others into
submission.
 - THE GAIA COMPLEX -
• Streetwise - Streetwise is the term given to an
understanding of the criminal underworld of new
Europe and knowledge of how (and where) the
criminal element operates.
• Strategy (A) - Strategy covers the use of cover,
formation and tactical language in order to
capitalise on a combat situation.
• Tracking (A) - The Tracking skill represents a
character’s ability to use the information and
evidence at hand in order to follow and track down
specific individuals.
Hit Points
Hit Points represent a character’s health in different areas;
both physically and psychologically. During a game, these
values may be decreased on account of physical damage,
emotional stress or the result of digital defence mechanisms
associated with running The Core. The different types of Hit
Points that a character must track are:
• Endurance (E) - Endurance is a character’s physical
health, representing the condition of their body and
how much harm they can endure before falling
unconscious or dying.
• Pressure (P) - Pressure is a measure of a character’s
psychological wellbeing and mental strength, which
is affected by both stressful experiences and through
software that attacks the brain during hacking.
A character’s maximum Hit Points can be found on their
character sheet and players must keep track of Hit Points
throughout the game.
Note: The Gaia Complex core rules contains full
character creation and a deeper look into each
character type, allowing players to create a varied
array of different characters.
RULES
The following section provides a slimmed down version of
the rules for The Gaia Complex, designed to give players
an insight into the system and get them playing straight
away.
A note from the writer
Shep here. The reason for this note is to quickly
explain my game design ethos. I am a huge fan of
‘roleplaying’, that is to say that I always aim to put
- 13 -
more emphasis on actually making my players talk
their way through a game by playing the part of their
characters. I have run many game sessions where the
dice have simply never been rolled, only using a
character’s stats and skills as a reference for success
and failure. However, I acknowledge that this
approach is not for everyone and the age old love of
rolling dice is what makes many GMs feel in control
of the action and players in control of their
characters. As a result, this ruleset is designed to tow
the line between a light streamlined roleplaying
experience and something with a little more depth.
Throughout the following rules chapter you will find
a number of ‘optional’ rules, which should be left out
should the players and GM wish to focus more on
the storytelling and social aspect of the game. I
would also urge GMs to try my preferred style of
gaming and simply ignore many of the rules as
written in favour of sense checking and directing the
action in the way that most makes sense. Most
importantly is the golden rule - have fun, whether
that means using every rule in the book, or ignoring
them all entirely… Just enjoy playing The Gaia
Complex.
Thanks for playing,
Shep.
Skill Tests
Skill tests are there to act as a buffer between the
storytelling of the GM and the players’ interaction with the
world. As mentioned at the start of the rules chapter, this
is first and foremost a roleplaying game, with an emphasis
on talking your way through events, but when players wish
to perform actions where the difference between success
and failure will make a notable impact on the story, skill
tests become a valuable mechanic.
Want to know if a character notices a trap? An Awareness
skill test will determine that. Want to know if you can fix
that damaged weapon before the next firefight kicks off?
Time for a Weapons Tech test. The available skills in the
game are able to cover pretty much every possible task a
player may wish to undertake. In the rare instance that a
player’s actions may not be clearly covered by a skill, the
GM should use common sense to determine which stat the
test would be related to.
 - THE GAIA COMPLEX -
Skill tests take place in one of two ways, either as a sense
check of a character’s abilities, resulting in an ‘auto pass’
or through a dice roll which is referred to as an ‘active skill
test’. The way in which these tests are handled is described
later in this section.
Skill dIFFIculty
Whenever a situation might require a skill test to be
performed, be it trying to hack into a computer terminal,
pick a lock or deliver medical aid, the GM should consider
the complexity of the task at hand and assign it a difficulty
rating from 1-11, where 1 = very easy and 11 = almost
impossible. The difficulty rating of any test that is directed
towards another character is equal to the subject’s
applicable stat (such as Guts for Intimidate, Allure for
Persuasion etc). The GM is however, free to set or adjust
the difficulty as they deem appropriate, but it is suggested
that common sense is applied to avoid paralysis through
too many high difficulty tests and to allow the action of the
game to keep flowing. Once a difficulty rating is
determined, the skill test can be performed.
Skilled vs Unskilled
A character is always considered to be either skilled or
unskilled in any given area. Additionally, a skilled character
can also be specialised in a specific skill. A skilled
- 14 -
character possesses the required knowledge to more easily
succeed in a given task and an unskilled character does
not.
If the character is skilled in the required area and their
applicable stat is equal to, or greater than the difficulty
rating, the test is passed automatically, providing the
character is not under duress (in combat, etc). This is called
an ‘auto pass’. When a character is in combat or under
any form of duress (being intimidated, held captive etc.) an
auto pass is not normally permitted and an active skill test
should be required.
If the character is unskilled, or is skilled but does not have
the applicable stat at the required rank, then an active test
must be performed to determine success. Some in game
effects can reduce the difficulty of a test, thus making it
more likely that a skilled character may auto pass.
Example: Lucy wants her Operator to use their
connections to get hold of some serious firepower on
the black market. The GM determines this would
require a Streetwise skill test and decides that the
difficulty would be 6. Lucy’s character has a Guts stat
of 5, meaning that an active skill test will be required.
If her stat had been a 6 or higher, the test would
have been an auto pass as she possesses the
required skill.
 - THE GAIA COMPLEX -
Example: Lucy’s character is trying to Barter with a
black market arms dealer. As she is trying to influence
someone directly, the difficulty of the test is
determined by that character’s applicable stat, in this
case, Allure. The trader’s Allure stat is 5 and Lucy’s
is 7. As she also possesses the Barter skill this is an
auto pass. Had her stat been lower than 5, or had
she been unskilled, an active skill test would have
been required.
Note: The GM reserves the right to allow any test to
be passed automatically, even if that test would
usually require an active skill test, in order to adhere
to the spirit of this being a roleplaying game. Should
a scene flow better by resolving the action using
nothing more than actual ‘roleplay’, then the GM
should feel empowered to allow it to do so.
Making an Active
Skill Test
To perform an active skill test the player should roll 2d12.
The dice are not added together, instead they will present
two separate results.
Any die result that is equal to or less than the character’s
stat after modification is a success. Any die result that is
higher than the character’s stat is a failure. The number 12
is always a failure and represents the chance of a critical
failure, explained below.
A skilled character only requires one die success to pass a
skill test, where as an unskilled character requires both
dice successes to pass. Any character that does not achieve
these results will fail a skill test. This can be summarised as
follows:
Die Result Active Skill Test Outcome
1 die success The test is passed if the character is
skilled.
2 dice successes The test is passed, whether the character
is skilled or unskilled.
Additionally, a skilled character may
replenish one point of Grit at the GM’s
discretion.
2 dice failures The test is failed. If either (or both) dice
rolled a 12, this is considered a critical
failure.
Note: A number of additional modifiers may apply to
dice rolls during combat, as described in the
‘Combat’ section of this chapter.
- 15 -
The following elements must always be considered when
making an active skill test:
Complexity ModifIers
Optionally, the GM may choose to apply a modifier of
between +1 and +3 to the values shown on the dice
during any non-attack skill tests to represent the complexity
of the task at hand. It is suggested that such modifiers are
reserved only for special cases and do not become the
norm for tests throughout the game.
There is one modifier which should always be applied: a
+1 modifier to all Awareness skill tests during any firefight
or combat situation. This represents the distracting nature
of being involved in the fog of war, from the deafening hum
of gunfire to the tunnel vision that comes with being
violently attacked.
Example: A skilled MedTech in their own clinic with
the correct medical equipment would incur no
modifier. The same situation, but removing a bullet
sat very close to the heart might incur a +1 modifier.
The same situation but occurring away from a safe
space, in the middle of a firefight with explosions
nearby and a very real threat of getting shot might
incur a +3 modifier.
Specialisations
Any character with a specialisation in the applicable skill
(noted with an underline) is permitted to reroll one of their
dice that did not roll a 12. This reroll is permitted each time
the skill is used for a test. A result of a 12 may never be
rerolled through a specialisation.
Advanced Skill Tests
Certain skills are considered to be ‘advanced’ and are
marked with an (A). These represent areas of learning that
require significant training or knowledge, such as
providing medical care, piloting aircraft or installing
cybernetics; such tasks are complex, dangerous and can
rarely be passed on luck alone. Advanced skill tests will
generally attract Complexity Modifiers more regularly than
other skill tests, to reflect the difficulty inherent in such tasks.
In addition, any failure earned by an unskilled character
during an advanced skill test is considered to be a critical
failure regardless of the result on the dice.
Critical Failure
Any active skill test resulting in two dice failures, where
either (or both) dice rolled a 12, is considered to be a
critical failure. A critical failure results in the loss of 1 point
of Grit, should the character have any available to lose.
 - THE GAIA COMPLEX -
A die result of a 12 may not be modified by Grit or other
bonuses unless a rule specifically states otherwise.
A critical failure is also an opportunity for the GM to
appropriately hinder the character and/or their team
depending on the situation. The GM is free to assign any
penalties they see fit, including (but not limited to):
• Physical harm/loss of (E)
• Failure in the current task and the inability to attempt
the task again
• Receiving misinformation that hinders or puts the
character in a dangerous or compromising situation
(trigger alarms or traps, be seduced, let slip secret
information etc)
• Jam a firearm, drop a weapon or accidentally trigger
explosives (see the rules for combat with regards to
these critical failures).
Grit
Grit is a resource earned through significant success or by
staring down the face of danger. In many ways, Grit is
much like a rush of adrenaline that carries you through
situations that would otherwise cause you to crumble
under pressure. Characters are able to spend Grit during
their own dice rolls to give them an edge when the odds
are against them.
Grit may be spent as follows:
• During an active skill test, a character may spend any
amount of Grit to apply a modifier of -1 to both dice
for each point of Grit spent. Grit may be spent in this
way after the dice are rolled. A die result of a 12 may
not be modified by using Grit.
Additionally, certain game elements, such as abilities
granted by a character’s chosen role or installed
cybernetics, may require a point of Grit to be spent in order
to use their effects. Any such abilities will have the cost
clearly noted in their descriptions. Grit usage is tracked on
a player’s character sheet.
Combat
The streets of New Europe are a hostile and dangerous
place. Violent conflict can break out in an instant and any
Merc worth their weight knows how to protect themselves
when the bullets start flying.
- 16 -
Combat in The Gaia Complex is designed to be swift and
dangerous, with enough tactical play to make your
decisions count. The following section discusses all the
elements required to run combat sequences in your games.
Initiative
Initiative is a measure of how quickly people react in
combat, mixed with their general attitude towards getting
the job done. Each time a combat situation occurs, all
combatants must perform an initiative roll to determine the
order in which they will act during the combat.
A character’s initiative is equal to their Reflexes or
Perception stat (whichever is higher) + 1d12.
The character with the highest initiative value goes first in
the combat and the lowest value goes last. Should there
be a draw for initiative, the character with the highest
Reflexes stat will break the tie. When there is still a draw,
it is up to the GM to determine the order of proceedings.
Note: If the characters are entering a pre-empted
combat situation that they have set up, such as part
of a planned strike on a known location, the GM may
allow one member of the group to perform a Strategy
skill test, to represent the team acting out an
organised planned strike. If the skill test is passed,
each member of the team receives +1 to their
initiative value when the combat begins.
The order of initiative will remain for the duration of the
combat encounter, though the GM is free to call for a retest
whenever they deem appropriate, such as if new
combatants enter the scene.
Combat Rounds
To keep combat simple, all combat encounters are broken
into Combat Rounds. Each round normally represents 3
seconds of action, though the GM is free to increase (or
decrease) this amount of time if it makes sense for the
scene.
Distance and Range
All distance in a combat situation is measured in zones to
allow the action to take place without needing exact
measurements between combatants and other objects.
When combat begins the GM should specify up to four
zones: close, medium, long and distant.
Typically speaking, zones can be described as follows:
 - THE GAIA COMPLEX -
Zone Area Covered
Close The area that combatants occupy, such
as the street or cluster of rooms within a
building. Pistols and shotguns can be
considered Close-range weapons.
Medium The opposite end of a street, building
across the road or rooms down the
hallway. Submachine guns and rifles
can be considered Medium-range
weapons.
Long Other side of an industrial complex, the
next street over, a few buildings away.
Assault rifles and heavy machine guns
can be considered Long-range
weapons.
Distant Far-off buildings and other elements
that are hard to see without a visual aid
such as cyber enhancement or a scope.
Sniper rifles can be considered Distant-
range weapons.
• Perform a drone action
• Meld (feral only)
• Anything else deemed suitable
• Attack Actions
• Close Combat Attack
• Ranged Attack
Each of these actions are discussed in detail below. Once
a combatant has selected and performed an action, the
next combatant in initiative order then does the same. Play
continues in this manner until the combat ends, typically
because one side has been eliminated, surrendered or fled.
Movement Actions
Movement actions allow a character to move themselves
around the theatre of war, be it in a corporate high-rise or
in the back alleys of the New Europe slums. Movement
actions fall into two categories.

In addition to the zones described above, there is one Move

additional range used in The Gaia Complex: Touch-range. A character may move freely within their current (close)
Touch is used for melee weapons or unarmed combat and zone provided they are not already engaged in close
simply requires that one combatant can physically touch combat or pinned down (see later). Relocating to another
an opponent or object. area within the same zone may be done for an action,
though trickier to reach places or the opposite edge of the
The GM is the final arbiter in the boundaries between all
zone may take two Combat Rounds at the GM’s
Distance Zones and ranges.
discretion. A character with a Brawn or Reflexes stat of 7
or greater and the Athletics skill should be considered faster
Actions paced and will be able to reach the extremes of the Close
zone and maybe into the Medium zone at full sprint.
During each Combat Round, each combatant may perform Combatants who are already engaged in close combat may
one action: Movement, Supporting, Close Combat Attack perform a move action, but suffer a number of penalties
or Ranged Attack. Each of these actions allows the for doing so, as discussed later in this chapter.
combatant to achieve, or attempt to achieve, a specific
task, from running or firing a weapon, to reloading or Charge
delivering medical care.
A movement action that ends within Touch-range of an
The actions that can be undertaken are: opposing combatant is considered a charge. The normal
rules for making a move action apply, though the moving
Movement Actions combatant must have been able to see their target before
• Move the move began and circumvented no more than a single
• Charge obstacle during the course of the charge. As a part of the
charge action, the combatant is also allowed to perform
Supporting Actions a close combat attack, though modifiers will apply.
• Reload Charging an opponent makes it harder to land a successful
strike, but increases the damage being inflicted by a strike.
• Swap, draw or pick up weapon
• Unjam a weapon
• Administer medical care
• Jack into a Hacking Rig
• Perform a hacking action

- 17 -
 - THE GAIA COMPLEX -
Supporting Actions
A number of additional actions can be taken during the
course of a combat encounter that are not directly related
to attacking or defending. These actions are known as
supporting actions.
Reload
A combatant may reload a firearm for their action providing
they have a suitable clip available on their person. All
heavy weapons require two Combat Rounds to reload,
declaring their intent to reload during one round and
completing the action in the subsequent round.
Swap, Draw or Pick Up Weapon
A combatant may swap a weapon (or other equipment) for
their action. This can include holstering, sheathing or
dropping their current weapon in order to draw and ready
a different one. This action also covers picking up a
weapon that has been dropped. The new weapon in hand
can be used during the subsequent combat round.
Unjam a Weapon
A combatant may unjam a jammed weapon for their
action. Typically this will take two Combat Rounds, with the
combatant declaring their intent to unjam during one
round and completing the action in the subsequent round,
however this can be performed in a single Combat Round
for a cost of 1 Grit. If the character is in a critical state, the
time this takes is increased by one additional Combat
Round. Any character who possesses the Weapons Tech
skill may ignore this additional time penalty.
Administer Medical Care
A combatant may deliver medical aid to another combatant
as their action during combat. Though such activities are
usually life saving, they can also take a significant amount
of time, requiring others to protect them and lay down
covering fire. Delivering medical care takes anywhere from
three Combat Rounds upwards, as specified by the GM.
While quickly injecting a pain killer or clotting agent may
be relatively quick, performing any kind of field surgery or
tending to serious wounds can often last the duration of a
firefight.
Jack Into a Hacking Rig
A combatant can jack into a Hacking Rig during combat
as their action. This includes both handheld versions,
known as Hard Rigs, or those installed in the combatant’s
own Neural Frame, providing an access point is available
to the combatant. Jacking in is a swift process and can be
completed in as little as two Combat Rounds, declaring
their intent to do so during one round and completing the
action in the subsequent round. Depending on the situation
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and accessibility to the access point, the GM may choose
to have this action take longer to perform. Once a
character has jacked in they may perform a range of
hacking activities, as discussed later in this book.
Perform a Hacking Action
Any character that is jacked into The Core can perform a
hacking action, such as using a program to disable a
countermeasure or decrypt a file. Such actions are
discussed in greater detail later in this book.
Perform a Drone Action
A character who is remote controlling a drone may choose
to have the drone perform an action instead of them.
Meld - feral only
A feral character may Meld (or stop a connection) with a
partnered animal for their action. Once the Meld is active,
they may choose to perform actions as the animal rather
than as themselves.
Anything Else Deemed Suitable
This deliberately wide category is available to cover any
edge-case scenarios or actions that players come up with
beyond the scope of a normal combat encounter. The GM
is free to determine the number of Combat Rounds that
any such actions will take.
Attack Actions
Attack actions are used to inflict damage on opponents,
either in close combat or by using a firearm or throwing
weapon. As most residents of New Europe are armed, it
pays to know how to use a gun or knife.
It is important to note that all attack actions require an
active skill test; no attack rolls may ever be subject to an
auto pass unless the GM deems it so.
Note: All attack actions, be it close combat or ranged,
allow the combatant to perform a short move, such
as taking a few steps to circle the enemy or stepping
forwards as they fire. Any need to move further than
a couple of metres must be done by taking a
movement action.
Close Combat
Attacks
A character within the Touch-range of an opposing
combatant may choose to attack them for their action.
Once an attack has been made, both combatants are
 - THE GAIA COMPLEX -
considered to be engaged. A close combat attack is
subject to an active skill test; either Melee Weapons or
Unarmed Combat, as determined by the weapon being
used, which will determine if the attack is successful. The
GM is not required to determine a difficulty for close combat
attacks.
Close Combat Weapons
Each melee weapon has its own profile, as found in the
Gear & Tech section. The weapon’s profile provides all the
information needed to use the weapon. The following is
an example of a typical melee weapon:
Dyer Arms D4 Dagger
Skill: Melee Weapons/Throwing
Damage: 2d3+1 (E) Range: Touch/Close
Rules: None
• Skill: The skill used to attack with the weapon. The D4
can be used as a melee weapon or as a thrown knife.
• Range: The range of the weapon. Melee weapons are
typically Touch-range only unless they can be thrown.
• Damage: How much damage is inflicted by a
successful attack with the weapon. Damage is
resolved with a mix of d12 and d3 dice, as well as
static modifiers such as +1. The (E) represents that
this damage is inflicted against the target’s
Endurance.
• Rules: Some weapons have additional rules which will
be stated here.
Unarmed Attacks
In addition to a large range of melee weapons,
combatants are able to punch, kick, knee, headbutt or
perform any other manner of unarmed attack. In the
interest of keeping close combat as simple as possible, all
such attacks are resolved using the following profile:
Unarmed Attack
Skill: Unarmed Combat
Damage: 1d3+1 (E) Range: Touch
Rules: Characters with a Brawn stat of 9 inflict +1 damage.
Animals using teeth or claws inflict additional damage as
stated on their individual profiles.
Certain weapons, such as brass knuckles and punch
daggers will increase the damage of an unarmed attack.
It is important to apply common sense to these weapons
- if a combatant has their hands tied and can only kick, the
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modifier for their brass knuckles will obviously not be
applied!
Close Combat Attack ModiFIErs
Rather than complexity modifiers, close combat attacks are
subject to a number of potential attack modifiers, which
are applied to the active skill test to hit a target. The
following modifiers must always be considered when
making a Melee Weapons or Unarmed Combat skill roll:
Circumstance Modifier
Charging a target, or was charged by the +1
target this round
Opponent is dodging +2
Using a firearm in close combat +2
Opponent is fleeing from combat -1
All the normal requirements for skilled/unskilled characters
must be observed during any skill tests to hit a target.
Charging
A character that runs full-bore towards an opponent with
the aim of putting their weight behind the collision is
considered to be charging. A charging character applies
a +1 modifier to their dice roll to hit the target that they
have charged, but any successful close combat attack will
inflict +2 damage. In addition, a +1 modifier is applied
to all dice rolls to hit a charging combatant during the
Combat Round that they charged.
Dodging
When attacked in close combat, a combatant may attempt
to dodge the incoming attack. If the combatant has not
yet taken an action during this round they may elect to
dodge, applying a +2 modifier to the dice being rolled to
hit them. A dodge must be declared before the roll to hit
is performed. When it is the dodging combatant’s turn to
act this round, they will receive a +2 modifier to any active
skill tests they undertake. If the combatant has already
acted this round, they may still dodge as normal, but may
not perform an attack action during the following Combat
Round (other actions may be taken as normal) and receive
a +2 modifier to any other active skill tests they undertake.
These penalties represent the combatant having dedicated
themselves to dodging, making it harder to perform other
tasks. A combatant may only attempt to dodge once per
Combat Round unless they possess the Athletics skill, in
which case they may attempt to dodge twice. No additional
penalties are applied for dodging a second time.
 - THE GAIA COMPLEX -
Using Firearms in Close Combat
Handguns and submachine guns may be used during a
close combat attack, though due to the nature of the
weapons, they may be easily parried. Using such a weapon
in close combat considers only close combat attack
modifiers, ignoring all normal ranged attack modifiers. In
addition, a +2 modifier is applied to the roll to hit.
Note: Only handguns and submachine guns may be used
in this way unless a weapon states otherwise. All other
firearms are considered ineffective in close combat unless
the GM deems it cinematically appropriate.
Fleeing From Combat
A combatant that is engaged in close combat is considered
to be locked in that engagement until they either
neutralise their opponent or flee. Fleeing from combat
involves taking a move action, with the following
alterations:
• Regardless of where in initiative order the character
declares their intent to flee, the move does not occur
until the end of the Combat Round. Effectively, the
character does nothing more than make the
declaration to flee during their action.
• Once the declaration to flee has been declared, any
close combat attacks declared against that
combatant receive a -2 modifier to the roll to hit. The
character has effectively dropped their guard and
turned their back in preparation to run, making it
easier to strike them.
• The move action may not be used to charge another
combatant.
Once the combat round ends, the character performs their
move action and is no longer considered engaged.
Ranged Attacks
Any character may perform a ranged attack with a firearm
or throwing weapon for their action. Attacks with these
weapons are considered ranged attacks, regardless of the
attacker’s distance from the target. As with close combat,
a ranged attack is subject to an active skill test; either
Firearms, Heavy Weapons or Throwing, as determined by
the weapon being used. As such, the GM is not required
to determine a difficulty for ranged attacks.
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Ranged Weapons
Each firearm has its own profile, as found in the Gear &
Tech chapter. The weapon’s profile provides all the
information needed to use the weapon. The following is
an example of a typical firearm:
Dyer Arms F-Rail Assault Rifle
Skill: Firearms
Damage: 1d12+3d3 (E) Range: Long
Clip: 30
Rules: Burst.
• Skill: The skill used to attack with the weapon.
• Range: The maximum range of the weapon. The F-
Rail can fire up to Long range.
• Damage: How much damage is inflicted by a
successful attack with the weapon. The (E) represents
that this damage is inflicted against the target’s
Endurance.
• Clip: How many rounds the weapon can hold. When
shots are fired, players should keep a tally of their
remaining ammunition so they know when to reload.
• Rules: Some weapons have additional rules which will
be stated here. If the weapon is capable of firing on
different fire modes this will also be stated here. The
F-Rail is able to fire on Burst mode. All firearms can
fire a single round unless stated otherwise.
Ranged Attack ModIFIers
As with close combat attacks, a number of circumstances
can cause modifiers to be applied to the active skill test to
hit a target. The following modifiers must always be
considered when making a Firearms, Heavy Weapons or
Throwing skill roll:
 - THE GAIA COMPLEX -
Circumstance Modifier
Aimed shot -1
Snap shot +1
Target in cover +1 to +3
Target is moving +1
All the normal requirements for skilled/unskilled characters
must be observed during any skill tests to hit a target.
Aimed Shot
An aimed shot is the marksman’s best friend. Aimed shots
are precise, designed to hit a specific target and do
maximum damage. Lining up and firing an aimed shot
requires two Combat Rounds, one to aim and one to
complete the shot. When a character declares their intent
to fire an aimed shot for their action, they must declare
their intended target. During the subsequent Combat
Round, the character may choose to complete the shot,
firing at their intended target and applying a -1 modifier to
the dice roll to hit. Once an aimed shot is performed, all
subsequent ranged attacks performed by the combatant
against the same target are considered aimed shots and
do not require the additional Combat Round to line up the
shot. Effectively, the first round is to aim and all subsequent
rounds can be used to fire at that target.
If the combatant chooses to attack a different target or
perform any action other than a ranged attack towards
their declared target or a reload, the aimed shot is lost
and the action must be started over. If a combatant
chooses to dodge a close combat attack, an aimed shot
is also lost.
Snap Shot
A snap shot is an unaimed shot, allowing combatants to
quickly fire their weapons at a target without needing to
take the time to ready their aim. When a combatant
chooses to fire a snap shot they apply a +1 modifier to the
dice roll to hit, but unlike an aimed shot they are able to
fire immediately.
Cover
Utilising cover is the most reliable way to stay alive during
a firefight. A combatant in cover is harder to hit and the
cover will often soak up a portion of the damage that a
weapon can dish out. Firing at a combatant in cover incurs
an attack modifier of between +1 and +3 to the dice roll
to hit. The GM is the final adjudicator for the modifier
applied, but the following guidelines should be used as a
sensible benchmark:
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Type of Cover Modifier
Light cover, including wooden or wire mesh +1
fences, thick glass, crates, barrels and most
cover that conceals less than half of a target.
Heavy cover, including common brick or +2
concrete walls, civilian vehicles, pillars and
most cover that conceals the majority of a
target.
Very heavy cover, including thick concrete +3
barriers, industrial steel, armoured vehicles
or when a target is almost entirely
concealed.
In addition to the modifier applied to any roll to hit, cover
applies the same modifier to the target’s Protection rating
for the purposes of resolving any damage inflicted from
the attack (see Armour).
Example: A combatant is hiding behind a brick wall,
which the GM has determined to carry a +2 modifier.
An aimed shot is taken against them and despite the
modifier, the shot hits. When damage is calculated,
the target’s Protection rating is increased by +2 to
represent the cover soaking up some of the impact.
Moving Targets
Any ranged attack directed towards a moving target
receives a +1 modifier to the roll to hit. A moving target
is defined as any target that has performed a move or
charge action during this Combat Round, or that has not
yet acted this round and performed a move or charge
action during the previous Combat Round.
Weapon Range
Each ranged weapon profile states a range, in zones; this
is considered the maximum range for the weapon. A
weapon may be used at a shorter range than the zone
which is listed though only handguns and submachine guns
may be used at Touch-range.
Throwing Weapons
Weapons that use the Throwing skill, such as balanced
knives are all considered to have a range of ‘Close’, unless
noted otherwise. Knives and other non-explosive thrown
weapons may be retrieved if they can be located after
combat is resolved.
 - THE GAIA COMPLEX -
Burst Fire
While most firearms can fire a single shot, a number of
weapons are capable of higher rates of fire, as specified
under the rules section of their profile. Using an alternative
method of fire during a ranged attack must be declared
before any dice are rolled. Regardless of how many rounds
are fired, only a single roll to hit is performed.
Firing on Burst mode uses 3 rounds of ammunition and
provides the following effects:
• The user may reroll any one die rolled for the damage
of this weapon.
• Any 11’s rolled during the skill test to hit with the
weapon are turned to a 12.
Any ammunition usage must be tracked by the player.
Unless a weapon states otherwise it can always fire a single
shot and all values shown on a weapon’s profile are based
upon its single fire mode.
Resolving Attacks
After the skill test to hit a target has been performed, the
attack action can be resolved. If the skill test is passed, the
attack hits and damage is calculated based on the
weapon’s profile (see Damage). If the test is failed, the
attack misses.
A critical failure in close combat will result in the combatant
dropping their weapon, or if they are unarmed, stumbling
and being knocked down. During a ranged attack, a
critical failure represents a weapon jam, which must be
fixed (see Supporting Actions) before the weapon can be
used again.
Damage
Any attack that hits its target will inflict damage. Combat
in The Gaia Project can be brutal, requiring a mix of
careful thinking, smart use of cover and some med-support
on hand, just in case.
Types of Damage
Damage is calculated with a mix of d12 and d3 dice,
depending on the weapons used. In addition to dice, some
weapons or items may add additional static modifiers, such
as ‘-1’ or ‘+2’. These values are simply added or
subtracted from the overall total shown on any dice that
are rolled.
Damage comes in two forms, physical and psychological.
Physical damage reduces a character’s Endurance (E),
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which is a measure of their physical well-being.
Psychological damage reduces a character’s Pressure (P),
which is a measure of their mental wellbeing. As a rule of
thumb, attacks from physical weapons will reduce
Endurance and attacks from programs in the Core or some
vampire abilities will reduce Pressure. It is possible for
certain attacks to inflict both types of damage, though such
weapons or attacks will state so in their rules. Any weapon,
attack or effect that inflicts damage will state (E) for
Endurance or (P) for Pressure after its damage statistic to
make it clear exactly what type of damage it inflicts.
Example: A combatant is hit with an attack that
causes 3d3+1 (E) damage. The attacker rolls the
dice for a total of 6, to which they add one, for a
grand total of 7. The target will lose 7 points of
Endurance.
The Effects of Damage
Receiving damage comes with a number of potential
outcomes, but most seriously, death. If a character’s (E) is
reduced to 0, they are immediately killed. A character who
has their (P) reduced to zero will suffer brain death or
insanity, either of which will involve them handing their
character sheet over to the GM… It’s time to make a new
Merc.
A character who is reduced to 5 or fewer Hit Points in either
(E) or (P) is considered to be in a critical state. A character
in such a condition suffers the following penalties:
Reduced to 5
Effects
or fewer
Endurance (E) The character’s Brawn, Reflexes and Guts
stats are all reduced by 2 while they are in a
critical state. A +1 modifier is applied to all
Medical skill tests performed to heal this
character.
Pressure (P) The character’s Brains, Perception and
Allure stats are all reduced by 2 while they
are in a critical state. The character may not
spend any Grit.
A character can recover lost Hit Points through medical
treatment, such as using a MedKit. See Healing for more
information on using such items.
Stunned
Certain weapons or effects can leave a target stunned. A
stunned combatant will act last in initiative order regardless
of their usual place in the proceedings. When multiple
combatants are stunned, the usual rules for tied initiative
apply. The duration of this effect is determined by the
weapon that inflicted the condition.
 - THE GAIA COMPLEX -
Armour
Tactical combat armour is very expensive and often harder
to come by than many black market weapons. Despite its
rarity, it is one thing that most Mercs choose to invest
heavily in. Armour comes in many forms, from more
common leathers or reinforced tactical clothing, to anti-
ballistic vests made from a range of modern fibres. Armour
is also provided by cybernetic enhancement or the use of
an exo-skeleton, each offering varying degrees of
protection.
Using Armour
Armour works against all (E) damage unless stated
otherwise, but is entirely ineffective at preventing or
reducing (P) damage. Each piece of armour has a
Protection rating that, like damage, provides a mix of d12
and d3 dice as well as static modifiers. Each time (E)
damage is inflicted against a target wearing armour, they
should roll the Protection rating of their armour and reduce
that value from the amount of damage being inflicted. If
the damage value is reduced to 0 or less, then the
wearer’s armour has stopped the attack entirely.
Cover also offers protection against ranged attacks, by
adding its modifier to the target’s existing Protection rating,
either +1, +2 or +3 for light, heavy or very heavy cover.
Example: A ranged attack inflicts 7 (E) damage
against a target wearing reinforced tactical clothing.
The armour has a Protection rating of 1d3+1. After
rolling, the total is 3. The target is also in light cover
which will add an additional +1 to their Protection
rating, for a total of 4. This is reduced from the 7
damage being inflicted, leaving 3 damage to be
subtracted from the target’s (E).
Note: Armour in The Gaia Complex is somewhat
abstract, allowing it to tow the line between realism
and a streamlined application in combat. Because of
this, armour is not restricted to protect specific areas
of the body. As such, a protective vest will offer its
Protection rating against all (E) attacks, ignoring the
fact that it doesn’t cover the legs. The GM is of
course welcome to bypass this rule for the benefit of
cinematics when describing a combat scene.
- 23 -
Healing
As characters suffer a loss of Hit Points they may wish to
consider seeking medical aid; leaving wounds untended
for too long can lead to excessive blood loss and other
types of trauma. A character is able to heal their wounds
in a number of ways, as described below.
Endurance
Physical damage in the form of Endurance is recovered in
the following ways:
• Through medical aid - A range of different MedKits
are available, each offering different benefits and the
ability to recover different amounts of (E) per
treatment. Using a MedKit requires a successful
Medical skill test. Note that most MedKits have limited
uses and even a failed attempt to use one counts as
a use… so keep them stocked up!
• Time - A character who is not in a critical state or
suffering from bleeding will recover 1 point of (E) per
day of rest.
Pressure
Psychological damage, including that inflicted by the
cruelest of anti-hacker tech can be recovered in a number
of ways, most of which include advanced software therapies
which are beyond the scope of this quick start. Like (E), (P)
may also be regained with rest:
• Time - A character who is not in a critical state will
recover 1 point of (P) every other day, providing that
they do not undertake any hacking or mentally-
straining activities.
A character’s Hit Points may never be increased beyond
their initial maximum value.
Cybernetics
Cybernetics have become a birthright, not only for Mercs,
but for the vast majority of New Europe’s population. Since
the initial injection of cybernetics into the open market in
2071, the presence of them has risen steeply, much to the
distaste of pro-human groups operating throughout the
metropolis.
For the purpose of this quick start, any modifications to a
character’s stats or Hit Points will already have been
applied to the numbers shown on the character sheet. Any
 - THE GAIA COMPLEX -
additional rules will also be noted alongside the character’s
equipment.
In context of The Gaia Complex core rules, cybernetics
offer a huge range of bonuses in almost every area of
human performance, though come with both notable price
tags and a strong risk of Disconnect; the name given to
the psychological impact of replacing biological functions
with cybernetic alternatives. The process of making oneself
‘less human’ raises the risk of mental trauma, insanity or
a complete psychological breakdown, resulting in the user
being reduced to little more than a gibbering wreck. Many
a CyberDoc has needed to dispose of a limp body after
installing one too many pieces of cyber tech for their
client.
Vehicles and
Transport
Though vehicles are very expensive, it is not uncommon for
Merc teams to have access to bikes or a van, either through
pooled resources, or simply because they stole it during a
job. Using a vehicle in a game is often very simple - the
GM determines how long a journey will take and any costs
involved in getting there if public transport is to be used,
however sometimes vehicles may get caught in a chase, a
firefight or other situations where more aspects need to be
considered.
Public Transport
Public transport in New Europe consists of taxis and
underground trains. A single journey on the underground
costs 10nec regardless of how many stops you pass.
Changing to another train incurs a further 10nec fee. A
single train covers a distance of roughly 200-300km, but
will stop as many as 50 times along its route, making them
cheap, but slow. In all, around 60% of the metropolis is
connected by the underground.
Taxi fees range from a few nec to thousands, depending on
how far you want to go (or if the driver wants to go that far).
Players are free to try and barter with taxi drivers, with the
actual fee being determined by the GM, though as a
guideline, a journey covering a few suburbs will usually
come in at around 30nec. Many taxi drivers, especially
those around NeoMunich are well versed in Merc
activities and will often be available to hire for a job,
playing getaway driver or running badly injured Mercs to
ParaMed or CyberDoc clinics without asking too many
- 24 -
questions. While most will keep their mouths shut, it’s
usually a good idea to tip well.
Vehicles
Each vehicle has a profile which provides all the
information needed to use it during the game:
Trimble & Trimble StreeT1 Car
Speed: Average Cap: 1 Driver, 4 Passengers
Protection: 2d3+1 Endurance (E): 28
Rules & Equipment: None
• Speed: Vehicle speed is provided as a comparative
statistic to allow the GM and players to visualise the
capabilities of any vehicles being used in a chase and
represents the maximum output of the vehicle when
being driven aggressively. Speed is an abstract value
given in five categories: very slow, slow, average, fast
and very fast.
• Protection: Vehicles generally have fairly robust outer
bodies and many mil-spec vehicles have dedicated
external armour. The Protection rating of the vehicle’s
armour will be stated here. Characters either inside
or hiding behind a vehicle should use the rules for
cover to determine what protection the vehicle
provides.
• Endurance (E): Vehicles can only take a limited
amount of damage before they are destroyed.
Vehicles only take damage from physical weapons in
the form of (E). When a vehicle’s (E) is reduced to 0
, it is considered to have suffered enough damage
that it will no longer function.
• Capacity (Cap): Details how many drivers and
passengers the vehicle may carry.
• Rules: Some vehicles have additional rules, which will
be listed here.
Driving
Normal driving activities do not require skill tests. A skilled
driver can navigate a vehicle around the streets of New
Europe without trouble. Anyone without the relevant skill
will simply be unable to operate the vehicle.
Skill tests need to be performed during exigent
circumstances, such as during a chase or when performing
evasive manoeuvres. All the normal rules for skill tests
apply. If an active skill test is failed during such actions, it
will result in the character losing control of the vehicle,
spinning off the road or crashing. The outcome of all such
situations is down to the GM.
 - THE GAIA COMPLEX -
Drones
Modern drones are a hark-back to pre-war recreational toys;
compact flying units that are remote piloted, typically for
the purpose of surveillance and image capture. Though
the current wave of drones typically excel at these
functions, many are now also weaponised, or possess a
range of tools or additional functionality which propels
them into the realm of a self-contained espionage agent.
All drones come with a large control unit which houses the
remote system and a high quality view screen. Though the
remotes are not heavy, they require two hands to operate
and a certain degree of concentration. Cybernetic
alternatives are also available, hardwired directly into a
user’s Neural Frame, allowing hands-free operation of a
drone. The user of a drone is able to see ‘through the
drone’s eyes’ at any time by using the drone controller view
screen, or via a visual feed for cybernetic remotes.
Drone ProFIles
Each drone has a profile which provides all the information
needed to use it during the game:
THD Surveillance-S Camera Drone
Speed: Average
Protection: 1d3 Endurance (E): 10
Rules & Equipment: The drone is able to patrol a
predetermined area while in sentry mode.
• Speed: Drone speed is provided in the same format
as vehicles, to be used as a comparative statistic,
though slow for a drone should not directly compare
to slow for a vehicle. Speed is an abstract value
given in five categories: very slow, slow, average, fast
and very fast.
• Protection: Some drones have armoured outer shells,
offering them protection should they be attacked. The
Protection rating of the drone’s armour will be stated
here.
• Endurance (E): Drones can only take a limited
amount of damage before they are destroyed. Like
vehicles, drones only take damage from physical
weapons, in the form of (E). Though it is possible to
hack into a drone, the GM should use common sense
to determine how resistant (or not) it is to such
attempts, rather than tracking a specific number of (P).
• Rules: All drones are fitted with cameras for video and
image capture. In addition, some drones have
- 25 -
additional rules, as well as weapons or other
equipment, which will be listed here.
Using Drones
Controlling a drone works like any other skill test and uses
the Pilot Drone skill. Modifiers can be applied for
particularly complex flying, such as infiltrating tight spaces
that may cause damage to the drone.
Outside of combat, using a drone is done in real time and
the effective range of a drone control unit is well into the
Distant range zone. A drone is able to perform any action
that is functionally available to it, such as moving,
deploying tools and devices or recording video footage.
Due to the atmospheric processing system employed in New
Europe, operating a drone too high can introduce
interference which can make it hard to control, or even
short circuit the unit. As such, it is suggested that all drone
usage happens below the 30-storey level of the metropolis.
Combat Actions
In combat, the operator of a drone may choose to act as
themselves or as the drone, acting in initiative order as
normal. When acting as the drone, they may perform
actions in the usual way, moving and firing a weapon if the
drone is armed. A drone is unable to charge or attack a
combatant in close combat and may only perform actions
that relate to the tools and functions that the drone has.
All drones have a simple ‘pause’ function which allows the
drone to remain hovering in its current location, or to
simply land. Due to this, the controller of a drone is free to
switch between performing an action as their drone and
performing an action as themselves from round to round.
A modifier of +2 is applied to all rolls to hit an active
drone, to represent its speed and size. This modifier is
reduced to +1 if the drone is stationary or in Sentry Mode
(see below).
Sentry Mode
Some drones possess a sentry mode, which can be
activated at the simple press of a button. Sentry mode
forces a drone to enter the ‘pause’ state, where it will
hover and observe, not moving from its spot.
Once in sentry mode, the drone will activate once a valid
target moves into the drone’s field of view (movement
within the Close or Medium zones will typically trigger the
drone) and perform its designated action; alert, capture
image or attack:
 - THE GAIA COMPLEX -
• In alert mode, the drone remote will light up and
sound an alarm to let the user know that there is a
potential incoming threat.
Animals and
• In capture image mode, the drone will begin to
record and/or capture still images of target(s) and
continue to do so until they are no longer in range.
Meld
• In attack mode, a weaponised drone will also deploy
The presence of ferals on the streets of New Europe
its weapon system, firing on the target. This mode
brought animals back into the spotlight. Though thousands
can be very useful during a combat situation,
of species are now extinct or extremely rare, Sephron
providing a team with an additional gun. In a combat
Corp’s biogenetic advancements have caused a swell in the
situation, the drone will act immediately after the
animal population, even going as far as to repopulate the
owner of the drone for the purposes of initiative order.
sewer rats and street cats that wander the New Europe
A drone can be pre-programmed to identify specific suburbs. Over 95% of the animals seen in the metropolis
biometric signals so that it is not triggered by the user or are biogenetic clones and those that are not can’t be told
specific individuals, such as the user’s team or those they apart.
are protecting. Such programming must be done in
While ferals utilise animals as a way of life, able to step into
advance and it takes around one minute to scan someone,
their minds via the ability known as Meld, many humans
so be warned about activating sentry mode in public
have followed suit, learning from ferals on how to better
spaces… Drones don’t identify innocent bystanders.
train animals for obedience. As such, it is not unusual to
find a human Merc with a companion, most commonly a
dog, which has been trained for sentry duty.

To avoid unnecessary complication during gameplay,

animals use simplified profiles which consist of stats, skills
and Endurance. All other aspects of a normal character
profile are considered irrelevant when dealing with animals.

Meld
Meld is an ability exclusive to ferals, which allows them to
enter the mind of a ‘partnered’ animal. A partnered animal
is created by making an Animal Handling skill test with a
+1 modifier applied to the roll. If successful the animal is
partnered and will be highly obedient, far beyond the
realms of traditional animal training (note that this ability
is unique to ferals, even though humans may possess the
Animal Handling skill). This obedience extends itself to
normally non-compliant animals as well, such as birds, rats
or exotic beasts. Failing the test to partner with an animal
will result in the animal acting on its instincts; fleeing,
attacking or just ignoring the feral. A feral may not
reattempt to partner with the same animal again; that
animal’s mind has shown permanent resistance to that
particular feral. A feral may partner with one animal at a
time and the partnering remains in place until the feral
attempts to partner with another, at which time the
connection is lost and may not be reestablished, in the
same way as failing a partnering test.

Once a feral has partnered with an animal they may attempt

to Meld with them by making a Meld skill test. A failed test
prevents the process from being attempted again for at

- 26 -
 - THE GAIA COMPLEX -
least 5 minutes and a critical failure will break the Hit Points
partnership between feral and animal. A successful test will
Endurance (E): 18
imprint the feral’s conscious mind into the animal,
allowing them to see through the animal’s eyes and act as Rules...
if they were the animal. While in this state, the feral’s body A dog’s unarmed attacks inflict +3 damage.
becomes stiff and their eyes glaze-over with a pale white
hue, giving an almost zombie-like appearance which is
quite disconcerting to lay eyes on. The feral is aware of
Mouse/Rat
their surroundings while performing a Meld and is able to
listen when spoken to, but may not act or move without Brawn: 2 Brains: 1 Perception: 7
dropping the Meld connection, at which time they will Reflexes: 8 Allure: 1 Guts: 4
immediately return to normal consciousness. A feral is free Skills
to remain in the Meld for as long as they wish, though
Athletics Awareness Climbing
they will still experience normal physiological needs, such
as needing to eat, drink, use the bathroom and sleep. As Stealth Surveillance Unarmed Combat
such, it is unusual for a Meld to last longer than a few Hit Points
hours. Endurance (E): 6
During combat, the feral may act as the animal, moving Rules...
and attacking, using the animal’s stats. The following rules There is an additional modifier of +1 to all Skill Tests to hit a
apply when a character is acting as a partnered animal Mouse or Rat in combat.
during a Meld:

• Each time the partnered animal suffers any amount
of (E) damage, the partnered feral suffers 3 (P)
damage.
• If a partnered animal is killed or the feral’s own body
suffers any (E) damage, the connection is
immediately lost.
The Meld skill may also be used to read the mind of an
animal, to determine its current feelings, if it is in pain or
fear and to garner any information that the animal’s state
of mind may reveal. A successful Meld skill test will reveal
this information for any animal that the feral can touch,
without the need to partner with it.
From a roleplaying perspective, Meld opens up some
really interesting gameplay experiences. A feral who
is connected to a partnered animal through the
Meld can’t communicate with words, hand gestures
or anything other than their movement and physical
actions as the animal. The GM should ensure that
the feral player adheres to this and tries to
communicate ‘as an animal would’ for any tactical
team talk during combat.

Animal ProFIles THE CORE

The following are examples of typical animal profiles that
can be used during a Meld. The pre-generated feral The Core is a dangerous place, but a gold mine to those
character included with this quick start should use the dog who know how to use it. On the surface, its public data
profile below as their partnered animal. banks are a source of both generally useful and painfully
incorrect knowledge. This field of information, which is in
Dog many ways similar to the ‘internet’ of old, is accessible to
Brawn: 6 Brains: 1 Perception: 7 all, through public terminals scattered around the
Reflexes: 7 Allure: 1 Guts: 6 metropolis.
Skills Once you delve deeper, The Core allows access to more
Athletics Awareness Intimidate than most New Europers can imagine; not just secret
Stealth Tracking Unarmed Combat information on people, products and places, but access
codes for doors that have not been unlocked in years,
security camera feeds, control over power couplings, kill
switches to security systems or sentry drones and even
more besides. If it’s electronic and part of a network or

- 27 -
 - THE GAIA COMPLEX -
corporate facility, there is a good bet that The Core plays
a part in its control and holds the key to manipulating it.
With such a wealth of power floating around The Core, it
should come as no surprise that most networks are digitally
guarded with all manner of security countermeasures
looking to fry the brain of anyone poking their nose where
it’s not wanted. The secrets within The Core have led to
hackers waging war against Gaia and taking the mantle
as the most valuable combatants in the metropolis. There
will always be a place for bullets and blades, but digital
warfare has rapidly become the real threat.
Using The Core
Anyone is free to access The Core from one of the public
terminals found on the streets, in cafes or scattered
around the commercial districts of the metropolis. These
terminals allow access to all publicly shared information
and can be navigated by anyone who can press buttons
and type a search criteria into the touchscreen. Using The
Core’s information archives is relatively safe, whether that
be through a public terminal or a character’s own Rig via
an external access point. Anyone with an installed Neural
Frame is able to view these data archives in a 3D/VR
format. Any use of The Core beyond the data archives
must be done in full immersion - it is not possible to simply
read the data off a screen.
In order to delve deeper and perform any level of hacking
activity, a few more things are needed:
• A Hacking Rig - The computer system that enables
hacking activity. Rigs come in both handheld or
desktop versions known as Hard Rigs, or cybernetic
versions which are installed directly into the users
Neural Frame.
• Jack sockets and leads - Cables that run from the
user to a Rig and/or access point. Those with a
Neural Rig simply need a single set of cables to run
from sockets somewhere on their person directly into
an access point. Those using a Hard Rig use it as an
intermediary, plugging themselves into it, and then
connecting the Rig to an access point, requiring two
sets of cables.
Access points for Hacking Rigs are located all over the city,
most commonly in corporate buildings or hackjobbed onto
data cables, hidden away for Mercs to access in the most
unlikely of places. Knowing where a local access point is
requires two things: that the character possesses the
Hacking skill and passes a Streetwise test. Public terminals
can also be used as access points, but given their ‘public’
- 28 -
nature, such activity is not recommended except for in the
most dire of circumstances.
Assuming a character has a Rig and can locate an access
point, they are able to delve as deep into The Core as they
dare. Dipping in and out of The Core to obtain information
or hack corporate networks is best done quickly as
prolonged access from an irregular access point may
attract the attention of NVI watchdogs, which in turn can
lead to a team of well armed robotic enforcement officers
kicking your door down.
Hacking
Hacking is the term given to moving below the information
archives of The Core. Doing so requires a Rig to penetrate
The Core’s outer layers, and a range of software to both
protect the user and perform specific tasks once inside.
Going this deep moves beyond words on a screen and
becomes a detailed virtual world of neon and wires, to be
explored by the hacker’s senses.
Jacking into a Rig and accessing The Core requires a
successful Hacking skill test. The process takes 5-10
seconds, but once inside, time moves at a different pace
than it does for those in meat-space. What seems like ten
minutes of navigating the digital pathways of The Core
passes by in a matter of seconds to those standing around
in the real world.
Once jacked into a Rig, the hacker’s body enters a sleep-
like state where their senses are entirely dedicated to the
digital world. During a hack, an Awareness skill test is
required to be able to hear and/or respond verbally to
anyone in the outside world. Any physical movement
requires the hacker to jack out of their Rig.
In order to not break the flow of the game too much,
activities within The Core have been simplified to prevent
those players who are not jacked in from simply standing
around and waiting. To avoid extended periods of
downtime for players outside of a combat situation, it is
suggested that the following guidelines are observed
during hacking runs:
1. The hacker should be clear about their objective. The
Core is not a place for browsing so work out what the
aim of the hack is. Are you looking for hidden R&D,
access codes, to unlock electronically controlled
doors, find HR files on someone for a bribe, etc?
2. The GM is advised to determine upfront exactly how
many layers of security the Core Hacker will need to
pass in order to achieve their goal, though they do
not need to share this information with the hacker.
Once the number of layers have been decided, the
 - THE GAIA COMPLEX -
types of defence can be chosen from the ‘Hacking
Countermeasures’ list at the end of this section.
3. Once jacked in, roleplaying the process works best.
There is a huge wealth of illegal software available
- does the hacker have something that will bypass the
defences they are encountering? If so, the GM can
either let them pass that layer of security, or request
an additional Hacking test be performed in order to
break through. The GM should feel free to be creative
when a specific program is not available and either
ask for a further Hacking test to be undertaken, or
provide the player with a riddle or visual puzzle to
solve in order to get through. This works best if done
under a time limit and with no assistance from other
players, forcing the hacker to solve the challenge on
their own. Again, roleplaying the experience of
navigating and hacking through countermeasures is
the best way to bring them to life. Many defence
systems will have a voice; basic A.I. systems acting as
security guards. If the GM can inject some
personality into these programs, the experience of
hacking moves from a mechanistic process to an
engrossing part of the story.
During a combat situation, a hacker who is jacked into The
Core can perform a single action alongside the characters
who are taking part in the combat. The difference in time
perception measures up nicely here, with the time taken to
navigate through a single countermeasure or find an
objective taking roughly the same amount of time as a
single Combat Round. As such, a single hacking action
could entail:
• Using a program to overcome a countermeasure
• Decrypting a file
• Moving to a new location within The Core
• Anything else that the GM deems suitable
Failed Hacking tests will lead to triggering
countermeasures, suffering harm or being subject to a
trace being started, which could lead to the location of the
user’s access point being revealed if they take too long. A
critical failure represents a successful trace which leads to
being tagged by NVI watchdogs who will immediately
dispatch an enforcement team to the hacker’s location
where they will search for the guilty party and sever the
access point. When this happens, it is usually time to run.
Assuming the hacker achieves their objective they are able
to jack out almost immediately, ending the session.
Someone jacked into The Core is helpless to the outside
world, unaware of their surroundings and as such, very
vulnerable. It pays to have protection if you’re going to be
in there for long.
- 29 -
Hacking Countermeasures
The following list comprises the most common types of
countermeasures that a Hacker will encounter when
running The Core.
Counter-
Description
measure
Code Wall Common protection. Designed to stop a hack
and prevent a hacker from progressing. Failure
to overcome the countermeasure will stop the
hacking attempt and force the hacker to start
again.
Data Wall Advanced version of a Code Wall. Works in
much the same way but provides stronger
security. A modifier of +1 is applied to all
Hacking skill tests to overcome a Data Wall.
Mind Mind Prisons are simple A.I. programs designed
Prison to fool the hacker’s mind into thinking they
have been caught and are no longer in The
Core. The Mind Prison employs a form of time
distortion and will converse with and confuse
the hacker, in order to stall while it launches a
Tracker (see below). Failure to overcome will
lead to the hacker being trapped and unable to
do anything for 5-15 Combat Rounds, which
will feel like anything up to 24 hours for the
hacker.
Cortex Cortex Traps function much like Mind Prisons,
Trap trapping the hacker and launching a Tracker.
The false reality experienced in the Cortex Trap
is designed to simulate the hacker being
physically tortured and interrogated. In addition
to all the effects of a Mind Prison, the hacker
will suffer 1d3+3 (P) damage during the ordeal
(more if the GM is feeling mean). A modifier of
+1 is applied to all Hacking skill tests to
overcome a Cortex Trap.
Sentinel Sentinels are highly efficient sentry-type
countermeasures designed to detect and deter
hacking attempts. A Sentinel disguises itself as a
Code Wall, forcing the hacker to attempt a
normal brute force hack, but cannot be
overcome by such means. Specific anti-Sentinel
software is required to detect and break them
and a successful test with the wrong software
will simply reveal the true nature of the Sentinel.
A failed attempt will have the same results as
failing to break a Code Wall (without revealing
itself), a second failed attempt will also launch a
Tracker and inflict 1d3 (P) damage.
 - THE GAIA COMPLEX -

Counter- Dyer Arms PF112

Description
measure Skill: Firearms
Tracker A Tracker is not a standalone countermeasure, Damage: 3d3+1 (E) Range: Close
but instead a protocol run by other Clip: 16
countermeasures in an attempt to identify the
Rules: None.
physical location of the hacker. A Tracker sends
out streams of code and data that work their
way through the various connections until they
locate an access point. A Tracker normally
requires the equivalent of 3-5 Combat Rounds
to initiate a trace, though some may take more
or less time at the GM’s discretion. Once an
access point is confirmed, the Tracker reports its
findings to NVI who will dispatch an
enforcement team to the location of the access
point. Response times range from 5 minutes to
an hour, but the access point is almost always
taken offline by the responding team,
preventing it from being used again. It is
suggested that the hacker is not there once the
Western Brigg MiniCal
response team arrives.
Skill: Firearms
Note: For the purpose of this Quick Start, the pre- Damage: 2d3+1 (E) Range: Close
generated Core Hacker character is assumed to have Clip: 8
a software package capable of breaking through
Rules: An additional Combat Round is needed to unjam a
most common countermeasures, such as Code Walls, MiniCal after a critical failure. Should a MiniCal jam twice
Data Walls and Sentinels. The GM is free to make during the same combat it is considered unusable until
other encounters as tricky, or not, as they see fit. repaired.

Western Brigg Tizz4

GEAR AND Skill: Firearms

Damage: 1d3+1 (E) Range: Close

TECH Clip: 10
Rules: A combatant that is hit by an attack with a Tizz4 will be
stunned for three Combat Rounds.
The following list covers all the primary weapons and
equipment carried by the characters and common NPCs
associated with this quick start. Any rules associated with Dyer Arms Sub9
cybernetics have been included in character’s stats or Skill: Firearms
stated on the character sheet. Damage: 2d3+1 (E) Range: Medium
Clip: 24
Firearms Rules: Burst, Suppressive.

HI SOC-P
Skill: Firearms Dyer Arms F-Pump10
Damage: 3d3+3 (E) Range: Close Skill: Firearms
Clip: 20 Damage: 1d12+3 (E) Range: Close
Rules: Burst. The SOC-P can only be fired by a cybernetic Clip: 8
hand. Rules: The F-Pump10 always delivers a minimum of 5
damage.

- 30 -
 - THE GAIA COMPLEX -
Dyer Arms F-Rail
Skill: Firearms
Damage: 1d12+3d3 (E)
Clip: 30
Rules: Burst.
Melee Weapons
Dyer Arms K7 ‘Swift’ Katana
Skill: Melee Weapons
Damage: 1d12+2 (E)
Rules: None.
Dyer Arms D4 Dagger
Skill: Melee Weapons/Throwing
Damage: 2d3+1 (E)
Rules: None.
Western Brigg PaciF1 Baton
Skill: Melee Weapons
Damage: 1d3+2 (E)
Rules: A combatant that is hit by an attack with a PaciF1
Baton will be stunned for one Combat Round.
Generic Knife/Dagger
Skill: Melee Weapons/Throwing
Damage: 1d3+2 (E)
Rules: None.
Baton/Blunt Weapon
Skill: Melee Weapons
Damage: 1d3+1 (E)
Rules: None.
Cybernetico Crunch Elbow
Disconnect: 3d3
Range: Long Skill: Unarmed Combat
Damage: +1d3 (E) Range: Touch
Rules: Crunch Elbows add their damage to any unarmed
combat attack when elbowing. A combatant that is hit by an
attack with Crunch Elbows will be stunned for three Combat
Rounds.
Equipment
Range: Touch TactaMed ParaMed Kit
Rules: The user may perform a Medical skill test. If successful,
the user or subject may stop bleeding and immediately
regain 3 (E). Six uses.
TactaMed FirstResponder Kit
Range: Touch/Close
Rules: The user may perform a Medical skill test. If successful,
the user or subject may stop bleeding or immediately regain
2 (E). Three uses. Cannot be refilled.
Dyer Arms RefleXX Sight
Rules: The user may spend 1 Grit to perform an aimed shot
in a single round (the first round to aim is not required).
Dyer Arms RedDot Sight
Rules: The user ignores the Attack Modifier for firing at a
moving target.
Range: Touch
Western Brigg LockPik Kit
Rules: The user may spend 1 Grit to reroll any failed Lock
Pick skill test.
Electronics Tool Kit
Range: Touch/Close Rules: The user may spend 1 Grit to reroll any failed
Electronics skill test.
MB&C Weapons Maintenance Kit
Rules: The user may spend 1 Grit to reroll any failed
Weapons Tech skill test. The user ignores the additional cost
Range: Touch
to unjam a weapon in a single Combat Round.
- 31 -
 - THE GAIA COMPLEX -
Gaia Complex uses ‘data seeds’. A data seed is a simple
Drones idea, designed to spark the imagination of the storyteller
hidden inside each of us. From this seed, a scenario, or
THD Surveillance-S Camera Drone multiple scenarios leading to a campaign, can grow. A data
Speed: Average seed is usually provided in the following format:
Protection: 1d3 Endurance (E): 10
An overview of the idea. This is usually a couple of
Rules & Equipment: The drone is able to patrol a paragraphs long, designed to plant the concept of the story
predetermined area while in sentry mode.
in the GM’s mind.

One or more ‘suggested scenes’. These are encounters or

Western Brigg Sec-D events that we believe will add to the flow of the campaign,
Speed: Slow though can be expanded or ignored at the preference of
Protection: 1d3+1 Endurance (E): 12 the storyteller.
Rules & Equipment: The Sec-D is fitted with a Western Brigg A GM is free to use a data seed as they see fit and due to
MiniCal and a single clip of ammo. the nature of them, each storyteller will likely extrapolate
an entirely different story and outcome from the same seed.
This allows the same concept to be played multiple times
Vehicles by the same group at the hands of a different GM. A single
data seed can be used for a one shot scenario, with each
scene taking place within a single gaming session, or
Trimble & Trimble StreeT1
could be expanded, with each scene taking up one or
Speed: Average Cap: 1 Driver, 4 Passengers more sessions each. Multiple data seeds can be strung
Protection: 2d3+1 Endurance (E): 28 together to form the basis of a long running campaign
Rules & Equipment: None and every The Gaia Complex publication will include one
or more data seeds.

This quick start contains two data seeds, which should be

Trimble & Trimble TranT2 used by the GM to inspire a range of stories that may form
Speed: Average Cap: 1 Driver, 12 Passengers the basis of an ongoing campaign featuring the pre-
Protection: 3d3 Endurance (E): 40 generated characters included at the end of this book. A
Rules & Equipment: The TranT2 has seating for one driver number of NPCs (non-player characters) are included after
and two passengers, though the significant cargo space is these data seeds for use during the games.
large enough for ten additional Passengers when empty.

Data Seed - The Raid

Trimble & Trimble B-StreeT17 Motorbike
Speed: Very Fast
Protection: 1d3+1
Rules & Equipment: None
DATA SEEDS
The Mercs are hired by a faceless corp recruiter to infiltrate
Cap: 1 Rider a research facility in the industrial sector on the outskirts of
Endurance (E): 18 Bruss, the name given to much of what was once known
as Brussels. The area has a high-rise commercial centre,
not unlike Old Berlin, but lacking the excessive police
presence, surrounded by dense urban accommodation,
made out of ten to twenty storey apartment blocks. While
most of the big boys have made Old Berlin their home, a
few larger corporations have set up shop in Bruss, far
enough away from Gaia that they are able to trust in a
false sense of independent security.

Though the Mercs do not know who they are being

Many RPGs offer multiple detailed campaign settings, with
employed by, nor who the research facility belongs to, they
long multi-part scenarios written out in great length,
are made aware that the complex houses a number of
allowing a GM to take players through a pre-planned
underground server banks and it is from one of these
series of games with no real work of imagination required.
locations that they are required to extract a file named
The Gaia Complex is not one of those games. Instead, The

- 32 -
 - THE GAIA COMPLEX -
‘Hivemind’ to an encrypted data chip which is provided to
them. Delivery of Hivemind will be met with a payment of
4000nec for the team and the employer is quite clear that
any collateral damage to the facility, or other items
obtained during the raid are of no concern to them,
opening up the potential for some additional side business
on the black market.

The team is provided photographs of the facility - a bland

looking industrial warehouse, surrounded by security
fencing. A number of roller shuttered loading bays with
mag-locked doors are apparent on the two-storey building
and the photographs also reveal a number of unmarked
vans parked up within the grounds. No information is
provided about any level of security, though external
cameras are visible.

Suggested Scene - InFIltration

The Mercs must infiltrate the compound and get into the
building. External resistance will be limited to a guard or
two plus a pair of guard dogs, alternatively there may be
no external security of any kind. Depending on how the
team handles the locked gates and external cameras will
determine how much internal resistance they meet, if any.

Inside the main building is a large open plan warehouse,

with a number of offices on the floor above. The warehouse
is organised into rows, with high stacked pallets of heavily
wrapped materials. Near the front of the warehouse these
pallets contain building materials and other generic
industrial items, though further towards the back, crates of
weapons and illegal cybernetics may be found if the team
investigates them.

Suggested Scene - Data

Extraction
Once the team finds a way into the lower levels, they will
be met with a labyrinth of corridors, research labs and
computer bays. Eventually they may find the right server
bay, though this will take time without the Core Hacker
using the facility’s computers to locate the right location for
Hivemind. Guards will certainly patrol the lower levels and
if the raid is taking place during the day, additional
employees may also be present. A full-on gun battle is
likely to raise an alarm and increase the level of
resistance.

Locating and extracting Hivemind from the right server will

take a little time and the skills of the hacker. Once
extracted to the encrypted data chip, the content will be
unreadable, even to the team’s hacker. The facility’s
computer system will acknowledge the breach and shut

- 33 -
 - THE GAIA COMPLEX -
down many of the electric locks and throw the facility into
dim red emergency lighting, making visibility very hard as
they try to exit the site. The Mercs will need to be creative
with their escape plan and maybe find a way out through
the sub-basements or air vents.
Suggested Scene - Get Out of
Bruss
Getting out of the building without capture should be a
challenge and the GM may even want to have the players
detained and need to stage a more elaborate break out.
When they do get out of the complex, the team’s Mech will
be able to hotwire and steal one of the vehicles in the
grounds of the compound. Alternatively the team can
attempt escape on foot, or via the sewer system.
The contact will reach out via phone and set a place for the
meet on the outskirts of NeoMunich. The significant journey
will provide lots of time for things to happen along the
route. Meeting with the contact will involve handing over
the data chip and getting paid. NeoMunich is also the
best place to find a Tech Trader or Data Dealer in order to
move other items or information stolen during the job, or,
if the team were really ballsy, try to find a higher paying
bidder for the Hivemind program.
Data Seed - The Hack
Trill Investments is one of the largest corporations in New
Europe; an expansive network of contractors and financial
institutes who fund shadier business than any other
company. Trill is the focus of even more conspiracy theories
than HI and is regularly attached to the assassination of
rival corporates. In order to keep their hands clean and
deniability to a minimum, they use Mercs to do most of the
dirty work.
A Trill recruiter has hired the team to hunt down and
eliminate a Merc hacker going by the name of
‘Maelstrom’. Maelstrom has managed to infiltrate a
supposedly impervious server bank at Trill HQ and has
begun to siphon money from illegal accounts; illegal in the
sense that the money was earned through means that
Gaia would not approve of. The team is offered a
- 34 -
substantial payout of 8000nec to assassinate Maelstrom
and return their hacking Rig to the recruiter.
Suggested Scene - Hunting
Maelstrom
How the team goes about finding Maelstrom is up to them:
use contacts and Data Dealers, search The Core for a
digital footprint, bribe or torture the information out of
suspected contacts… the options are endless. The hunt
should start in the NeoMunich back alleys, but take the
players on a goose chase following poor information and
false leads. People are happy to take your money for
information; it just happens that lots of information is
worthless. This is the GM’s opportunity to spin a conspiracy.
The final lead should send the players to the Luxem-Sprawl
and the huge underground city that hides beneath its
surface, where hacktivist groups and those looking to live
off the grid reside.
Suggested Scene - The Luxem-
Sprawl
Once underground, the team will need to barter with the
local gangs for information on Maelstrom. Lots of hackers
are known in the underground network and it is likely that
the characters will be sent after the wrong one. This is a
great opportunity to explore the underground city. One of
the gangs will not take lightly to prying eyes, on account
of them running security for one of the hacker networks in
the tunnels. Just how violent the resistance is and how
many gang members are encountered is entirely up to the
GM.
Eventually a gang member will give up the whereabouts of
a hacker who they believe to be Maelstrom, though they
have never actually seen them. The location: a secure
bunker, is locked up tight with security and rumours of the
occupant having extreme cybernetic enhancement, though
no one has been seen entering or leaving in months.
Suggested Scene - Viral
The team must find and infiltrate Maelstrom’s bunker. On
entry they will find a dust covered room and no signs of life.
With enough investigation, a sliding panel in a wall will
reveal a hidden room, illuminated in neon with rows of
servers and computer equipment and hundreds of cables
coming up from the floor, split out of the underground
power mains. A number of terminals are accessible and
upon use, it will be discovered that Maelstrom is not a
person, rather an old A.I. which has been infected with a
virus and gone rogue.
 - THE GAIA COMPLEX -
Upon discovery of the information, a hacked robotic police
Security Guard Dog
officer will stumble form the corner of the room;
Maelstrom’s physical body. Though the police officer’s Brawn: 6 Brains: 1 Perception: 8
sensors are damaged, causing it to respond slowly, it will Reflexes: 7 Allure: 1 Guts: 7
defend its base of operations and attempt to kill the team. Skills
The Mercs can choose to fight it, flee or try some other way
Athletics Awareness Intimidate
to shut it down.
Stealth Tracking Unarmed Combat
The opposition that the hacked police officer puts up will Hit Points
be violent. If this data seed is being used as a one-shot, the
Endurance (E): 18
GM may wish to not have the characters walk away from
the conflict. If they do, and are able to get out of the Rules...
Luxem-Sprawl with evidence of Maelstrom’s shut down, A dog’s unarmed attacks inflict +3 damage.
there is a very real chance that the kind people at Trill will
double cross the team when they meet up for payment.
Loose ends are loose ends after all. If the deal is done and
the team walk away, fragments of Maelstrom’s code
Corporate Security Drone Controller
should follow them in the future, cropping up during
hacking attempts in future games that the group plays and Species: Human
plaguing them when they least expect it. Maelstrom is here Stats
to stay. Brawn: 5 Brains: 6 Perception: 6
Reflexes: 5 Allure: 3 Guts: 5
Skills
Awareness Firearms Electronics (A)

NPCS Melee Weapons

Hit Points
Pilot Drone (A) Surveillance

Endurance (E): 15 Pressure (P): 18

The following section provides the profiles for a number of
NPCs (non-player characters), that can be used during the
Weapons, Equipment, Rules...
course of your games. The GM should feel free to adjust Western Brigg Tizz4 Taser Pistol (2 clips), Western Brigg
these profiles or even create their own if they wish. PaciF1 Baton, Western Brigg Sec-D Security Drone, flashlight,
radio communicator (either handheld or cybernetic),
Reinforced Tactical Clothing (Protection: 1d3+1).
Corporate Security Guard
Species: Human
Stats
Brawn: 6 Brains: 4 Perception: 6 Gang Member
Reflexes: 6 Allure: 3 Guts: 5 Species: Human
Skills Stats
Animal Handling Awareness Firearms Brawn: 5 Brains: 4 Perception: 5
(A) Reflexes: 5 Allure: 4 Guts: 7
Interrogate Melee Weapons Unarmed Combat Skills
Hit Points Barter Firearms Intimidate
Endurance (E): 18 Pressure (P): 12 Melee Weapons Streetwise Unarmed Combat
Weapons, Equipment, Rules... Hit Points
Western Brigg Tizz4 Taser Pistol (3 clips) or Western Brigg Endurance (E): 15 Pressure (P): 12
MiniCal (3 clips), Western Brigg PaciF1 Baton, TransMed
FirstResponder Kit, flashlight, radio communicator (either Weapons, Equipment, Rules...
handheld or cybernetic), Reinforced Tactical Clothing Dyer Arms F-Pump10 Shotgun (1 clip) or Dyer Arms PF112
(Protection: 1d3+1). Handgun (1 clip), knife, biker leathers (Protection: 2)

- 35 -
 - THE GAIA COMPLEX -

Gang Leader Weapons, Equipment, Rules...

Species: Human HI SOC-P (2 clips), armoured body (Protection: 3d3).
The hacked police officer’s unarmed combat attacks inflict
Stats double damage but is always considered to have the lowest
Brawn: 6 Brains: 5 Perception: 5 initiative of all combatants. Though damaged, the hacked
Reflexes: 6 Allure: 5 Guts: 7 police officer still has a number of basic functioning systems,
such as nightvision and long-range hearing.
Skills
Barter Firearms Intimidate
Leadership Streetwise Unarmed Combat Note: The Gaia Complex core rules includes a huge
Hit Points
range of additional elements that allow GMs to
inject more realism into their games, as well as
Endurance (E): 18 Pressure (P): 15 additional strategic depth. The additional content that
Weapons, Equipment, Rules... can be found in the core rules includes:
Dyer Arms Sub9 SMG (2 clips), knife, biker leathers
(Protection: 2).
• The use of Morale and its effects in combat.
• Suppressive fire, grenades & explosives and EMP
weaponry.
• Cybernetic installation, modification and the effects
Civilian of Disconnect.
Species: Human • Languages.
Stats • Encumbrance.
Brawn: 3 Brains: 4 Perception: 4 • Programming.
Reflexes: 3 Allure: 6 Guts: 3 • Bio Hacking; the art of hacking the human mind to
steal information.
Skills
• A deeper look at animal training and handling.
Barter Gambling
• A large number of optional rules, designed to add
Hit Points
elements of realism to the game, such as bleeding,
Endurance (E): 9 Pressure (P): 12 being knocked over, taking damage to specific areas
Weapons, Equipment, Rules... of the body and damage to armour, vehicles and
Usually none. The more security conscious may have a knife, cybernetics.
or firearm with limited ammo. • Resources for GMs, allowing them to create data
seeds, long-running campaigns and NPCs.
• An exhaustive list of cybernetics, weapons, armour,
equipment, clothing, vehicles, drones and even more
Police Officer stuff that most games leave out. If there is one thing
Species: NA we do well… it’s shopping!
Stats A number of ‘Data Seed’ releases are available online
Brawn: 9 Brains: 5 Perception: 7 to supplement the information contained within this
Reflexes: 9 Allure: 2 Guts: 10 Quick Start. Find us on Facebook, Twitter or at
thegaiacomplex.com.
Skills
Awareness Electronics (A) Firearms
Interrogate Melee Weapons Streetwise
Hit Points
Endurance (E): 50 Pressure (P): 30

- 36 -
NAME:
- FeTHE GAIA COMPLEX -
n n a D e Vr i e s

ROLE: Ope rat o r

SPECIES: H um an

STATS AND SKILLS

BRAWN: 6 BRAINS: 6 PERCEPTION: 6
Cl im bi n g We apo n s Te c h ( A) Aware n e ss
S wi m m in g ( A) D r i ve ( A)
U n ar m e d Co m bat

REFLEXES 8 ALLURE: 5 GUTS: 7

A t h l e t ics L e ade rsh i p In t i midat e
F irear ms D e ce ive S t rat e gy ( A)
M e l e e We apo n s Pe rsuasi o n Trac kin g ( A)
S t e al t h

GRIT: 3 Max: 3

HIT POINTS DISCONNECT: EXP:

ENDURANCE: 20 Max: 20
ARMOUR
PRESSURE: 18 Max: 18 ARMOUR PROTECTION
D ye r Ar ms
MORALE: Max:
T - Tac Ve st 2 d3 + 1

WEAPONS
WEAPON SKILL RANGE DAMAGE CLIP RULES
D ye r Ar ms F -Rail F i re ar m s Long 1 d12 + 3 d3 30 B urst , 3 cl i ps

D ye r Ar ms PF 112 F i re ar m s Cl o se 3 d3 + 1 16 N o n e , 2 cl i ps
Cr un c h E l bows U n ar m e d To uc h + 1 d3 -- S e e ʻG e ar an d Te c h ʼ

CYBERNETICS, EQUIPMENT, CASH, NOTES...

Hac kjob Forear m (+1 damage to all Melee and Unar med attac ks), T-Roc Nec k Wrap (+1
Protection rating), Dyer Ar ms Ref leXX Sight (on F -Rail), Dyer Ar ms RedDot Sight (on PF112),
f lashlight, radio communicator, phone, 200nec
Combat Readiness - Fenna applies an additional +1 to her initiative at t he star t of combat.
- 37 -
NAME: Fe n n a D e Vr i e s

ROLE: Ope rat o r

SPECIES: H um an

Fenna is a career Operator. Daughter to a

police captain and a former SWAT of ficer
herself, Fenna has always felt most at home
with her finger on the trigger. Like many
police of ficers during the implementation of
the cybernetic police force in 2114, her
redundancy pac kage was taken as an insult
and not seen as the lifeline that Gaia
intended. Disgruntled, Fenna went Merc the
ver y next day. Her hatred of the cybernetic
police force, and thus in turn, Gaia, has
driven her motivations for the last five
years. Any job that involves hur ting Hansor
Innovations is high on Fennaʼs priority list
and any c hance to put a round into a police
of ficer is taken without hesitation.
Her training in weapons, tactics and
leadership has seen her rise to the top in
her current Merc team. Af ter nearly 12-
months of working with Slice, Mila and the
crew, Fenna has taken the mantle of the
teamʼs leader; a task she takes both pride
and great frustration in. Her ʻtake no
shit ʼ approac h to life and work sits well
with the Mercs she associates with, but
has been known to cause issues when
bringing freelancers onboard for bigger
jobs. Despite her sometimes stern
demeanour, Fenna cares and sees herself as
the protector of her crew, whic h is a role
she does a ver y good job of fulfilling.
Fenna has a preference for ranged
weapons, suc h as pistols and assault rifles,
but she's not afraid to get close and dir ty
when the situation dictates it. When not on
a job, she dedicates her time to finding the
next one, keeping herself in peak physical
form and arguing with John-Paul about his
questionable approac h to weapons
maintenance.
NAME: J o h n -Paul Ro ccalle

ROLE: M il Te c h

SPECIES: H um an

STATS AND SKILLS

BRAWN: 6 BRAINS: 8 PERCEPTION: 6
Lif ting E le ct ro n ics ( A) Aware n e ss
M e di cal ( A) D r i ve ( A)
We apo n s Te c h ( A) L o c k Pic k ( A)
Pilo t Aircraf t ( A)
S ur ve illan ce ( A)

REFLEXES 7 ALLURE: 5 GUTS: 5

F irear ms B ar t e r S t re e t wise
P il o t D ro n e ( A) G amblin g
R i de M o t o rcycl e ( A)
S t e al t h

GRIT: 4 Max: 4

HIT POINTS DISCONNECT: EXP:

ENDURANCE: 19 Max: 19
ARMOUR
PRESSURE: 24 Max: 24 ARMOUR PROTECTION

MORALE: Max:
None --

WEAPONS
WEAPON SKILL RANGE DAMAGE CLIP RULES
D ye r Ar ms PF 112 F i re ar m s Cl o se 3 d3 + 1 16 N o n e , 3 cl i ps
M e le e / To uc h /
Kn if e T h rowi n g Cl o se 1 d3 + 2 -- None

CYBERNETICS, EQUIPMENT, CASH, NOTES...

HI Opti-Range Visor (t he user is able to see in IR and UV spectr ums, -1 modif ier to Awareness
and Sur veillance skill tests taken in t he dar k), THD Sur veillance-S Camera Drone, Wester n
Br igg Loc kPik Kit, Electronic Tool Kit, radio communicator, phone, 350nec.
Career Tec hnician - John-Paul applies a modif ier of -1 to all Electronics and Weapons Tec h skill
tests in relation to making repairs.
NAME: J o h n -Paul Ro ccall e

ROLE: M i lTe c h

SPECIES: H um an

Following a typical roc ky upbringing in t he

metropolis, John-Paul star ted out his
working life as a production line operative
at Trimble Harder Drones, before
eventually proving his tec hnical wor t h,
whic h was met wit h a promotion (of sor ts)
to t he maintenance team. When his later
application to t he tec hnical design team
was rejected wit hout inter view, shor tly
followed by his position being cut wit hout
notice, John-Paul rapidly turned from loyal
employee into disgruntled anarc h. Fighting
t he unemployment line for f ive- mont hs was
enough to persuade him to put his
tec hnical prowess to more unof f icial ways
to earn, leading him to t he Merc scene in
NeoMunic h.
John-Paulʼs f irst job as a Merc was for
Fenna, who he has remained a companion
to ever since, bot h as her teamʼs dedicated
drone pilot, but also as a tec hnician,
electronics exper t and sarcasm generator.
Though it would appear at f irst glance t hat
he takes little ver y seriously, his joker-like
front merely of fsets his deep-t hinking and
emotional underside, presenting t he kind
of ʻedgeʼ t hat is expected from t he modern
Merc. His commitment to his team (who he
sees more as friends t han colleagues) is
unrivalled and he constantly puts t he needs
of ot hers before his own; a trait whic h is
bot h rare and valuable in 2119.
John-Paulʼs sense of humour and razor
sharp wit are matc hed only by his shrewd
intellect and expansive understanding of
all-t hings electronic, while his
understanding of drone tec hnology and
spy craf t have made him a highly valuable
asset to t he team.
NAME: M at e o ʻS li ce ʼ Pe re z

ROLE: Ope rat o r

SPECIES: H um an

STATS AND SKILLS

BRAWN: 8 BRAINS: 5 PERCEPTION: 6
Cl i mbin g M e di cal ( A) Aware n e ss
Lif ting
T h rowi n g
U n ar m e d Co m bat

REFLEXES 7 ALLURE: 3 GUTS: 8

F irear ms B ar t e r In t e r ro gat e
M e l e e We apo n s S e duct io n In t imidat e
S t e al t h S t rat e gy ( A)
S t re e t wise
Trac kin g ( A)

GRIT: 4 Max: 4

HIT POINTS DISCONNECT: EXP:

ENDURANCE: 26 Max: 26
ARMOUR
PRESSURE: 15 Max: 15 ARMOUR PROTECTION
M B & C Tact i cal
MORALE: Max:
Ope rat o r ʼs Ve st 2 d3

WEAPONS
WEAPON SKILL RANGE DAMAGE CLIP RULES
D ye r Ar ms S ub9 F i re ar m s M e di um 3 d3 + 1 24 B ur st , 4 cl i ps

D ye r Ar ms K7 Kat an a M e le e To uc h 1 d12 + 2 -- None

M e le e / To uc h /
D ye r Ar ms D 4 D agge r T h rowi n g Cl o se 2 d3 + 1 -- None

CYBERNETICS, EQUIPMENT, CASH, NOTES...

D-T ʻDeltoidʼ Shoulder Reinforcement (+2 damage to all Unar med attac ks, t he user may spend
2 Gr it to reroll any f ailed Climbing or Throwing skill test), TransMed First Responder Kit, Dyer
Ar ms Ref leXX Sight (on Sub9), radio communicator, phone, 40nec.
Combat Readiness - Slice applies an additional +1 to his initiative at t he star t of combat.
NAME: M at e o ʻS l ice ʼ Pe re z

ROLE: Ope rat o r

SPECIES: H um an

Mateo Pérez, or simply “Slice” as he is

generally known, is a Merc Operator with a
violent background. Slice spent his early
years deeply involved in Luxem-sprawl gang
culture, running drugs and stolen tech
through the metropolis, while waging
constant turf-war against rival gangs and
the metropolisʼ police force. After rising to
the top, Slice was recruited on the low-
down by Telwe Morton Peaks to join their
private security force, tasked with
protecting numerous construction sites
around the metropolis and occasionally
hurting people who knew a little too
much.
After seven long years of breaking knee-
caps on corporate payroll, Slice took on
some moonlighting as a Merc.
The job was simple; break into a
corporate facility, protect the
hacker, extract information, get out
quietly. The task went smoothly, until mid-
job, when he found out exactly who he was
stealing from - his own employer, Telwe
Morton Peaks. Having been previously
responsible for dealing with turncoats and
deciding the risk was too great, Slice never
returned to work, cleared out his apartment
and went underground.
Sliceʼs physically imposing build and
significant height make him both
intimidating and threatening to encounter,
though he possesses a calm and restrained
attitude, learned through his years of
corporate employment. Though well trained
in tactics and firearms, he regularly
chooses to settle disputes in an up-close
and personal manner, showing off his
penchant for blades and swords, usually
relying on his favoured tool:
the Dyer Arms K7.
NAME: Rust y ( & Ro cco )

ROLE: H an dl e r

SPECIES: Fe ral

STATS AND SKILLS

BRAWN: 5 BRAINS: 5 PERCEPTION: 8
Cl i mbin g M e di cal ( A) Aware n e ss
U n ar m e d Co m bat M e ld ( A)
S ur ve illan ce ( A)

REFLEXES 5 ALLURE: 8 GUTS: 7

M e l e e We apo n s An imal H an dli n g ( A) G amblin g
S t e al t h B ar t e r In t e r ro gat e
D e ce ive S t re e t wise
Pe rsuasio n Trac kin g ( A)

GRIT: 5 Max: 5

HIT POINTS DISCONNECT: EXP:

ENDURANCE: 20 Max: 20
ARMOUR
PRESSURE: 20 Max: 20 ARMOUR PROTECTION

MORALE: Max:
None --

WEAPONS
WEAPON SKILL RANGE DAMAGE CLIP RULES
We st e r n B r i gg M i n i Cal F i re ar m s Cl o se 2 d3 + 1 10 S e e bo o k , 1 cl i p
M e le e / To uc h /
Kn if e T h rowi n g Cl o se 1 d3 + 2 -- None

CYBERNETICS, EQUIPMENT, CASH, NOTES...

Rocco (a cloned dog - see book for stats), a bac kpac k full of assor ted tr inkets & tools, phone,
1800nec (t hough he keeps t hat quiet).
Feral Mind - Rusty may spend 1 Gr it to auto-pass any Meld skill test, regardless of its
dif f iculty. In addition, t he c haracter applies a -1 modif ier to all Awareness skill tests.
NAME: Rust y ( & Ro cco )

ROLE: H an dl e r

SPECIES: Fe ral

No one knows Rustyʼs real name, or where

t he nic kname came from. Somewhat of an
enigma, Rusty has spent muc h of his life on
t he street wit h no f ixed abode, slowly
expanding his network of contacts and
nur turing t hose relationships whic h had
t he most to of fer. As a feral who has
dedicated himself to t he learnings of his
race, Rustyʼs af f iliation to t he animals of
t he metropolis is hard to deny and his
current par tner in crime, a scruf fy dog by
t he name of Rocco, has proven to be a
most trusted ally.
Rustyʼs naturally perceptive and overly
inquisitive nature earned him freelance
work on t he Merc scene, pushing t he
sur veillance angle t hrough t he eyes of rats
and mice until eventually, t he at hletic
nature of t he dog persuaded him to stic k
wit h Rocco long-term. As a feral
Handler, muc h of his life has been
dedicated to ref ining t he ways of t he
Meld and understanding t he dept h of
t he animal mind. Despite his ageing
physical form, when par tnered wit h
Rocco, Rusty has access to all t he
physical speed and bite he could ever
need.
Rusty is somewhat of t he teamʼs
oddball; his way of speaking and
constant habit to hear and notice
absolutely ever yt hing is bot h boon
and burden in t he eyes of his
colleagues. One t hing is for
sure t hough; Rusty knows t he
street better t han any of t hem
and his expansive list of
under world contacts regularly comes
in handy bot h during and between
jobs.
NAME: M i la Kl e in

ROLE: Co re H ac ke r

SPECIES: H um an

STATS AND SKILLS

BRAWN: 4 BRAINS: 8 PERCEPTION: 5
S wi m min g ( A) E le ct ro n ics ( A) Aware n e ss
H ac kin g ( A) L o c k Pic k ( A)
Pro grammin g ( A) S ur ve illan ce ( A)

REFLEXES 6 ALLURE: 7 GUTS: 8

A t hle tics D e ce ive G amblin g
M e l e e We apo n s Pe rsuasio n In t e r ro gat e
R ide M o t o rcycl e ( A) S e duct io n
S t e al t h

GRIT: 3 Max: 3

HIT POINTS DISCONNECT: EXP:

ENDURANCE: 12 Max: 12
ARMOUR
PRESSURE: 24 Max: 24 ARMOUR PROTECTION

MORALE: Max:
None --

WEAPONS
WEAPON SKILL RANGE DAMAGE CLIP RULES
M e le e / To uc h /
D ye r Ar ms D 4 D agge r T h rowi n g Cl o se 2 d3 + 1 -- None

CYBERNETICS, EQUIPMENT, CASH, NOTES...

NVI Cor tex Rig, sof tware to deal wit h most common counter measures, NVI Chip Por ts and
Cable Jac ks (allows user to inter f ace directly wit h a Rig), 2 sets of jac k leads, phone, 200nec.
Digital Lif e - Mila may spend 1 Gr it to reroll any die t hat rolls a 12, dur ing any Hac king skill
tests related to The Core. Only one die may be rerolled in t his way per skill test.
NAME: M il a Kl e i n

ROLE: Co re H ac ke r

SPECIES: H um an

Mila, a privacy obsessed Core Hac ker,

grew up an orphan in one of New Europeʼs
few walled safe-zones. Despite t his
apparent luxur y of an upbringing, t he urge
- THE GAIA COMPLEX -

to break away from t he conf ines of t he

more simple life led Mila to sneak out and
never return, leaving behind her adoptive
family in favour of experiencing t he harsh
world of t he real metropolis. Af ter a year
of gambling and hustling on t he streets of
New Paris, she bought her f irst Rig and
never looked bac k. Now, seven years
later, Milaʼs speciality is also her passion:
hac king secure ser vers and playing havoc
wit h what ʼs inside.
Despite t he clear anarc histic streak , Mila
keeps her ot her af fairs quiet, divulging
little of her bac kground or current feelings
wit h her team. She is generally stoic and
reser ved unless provoked, usually by Slice,
who seems to get great pleasure in pushing
her to boiling point. As a hac ker, Mila is
more t han capable and t hough young, her
experience to date has been signif icant,
earning her a long standing position in
Fennaʼs team.
The angr y teen demeanour, however, is
also a front for somet hing far more...
[REDACTED]
[REDACTED]
[REDACTED]
[REDACTED]
[REDACTED]
[REDACTED]
[REDACTED]
[REDACTED]
[REDACTED]
[REDACTED]
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[REDACTED]
Continued...

Eddy always knew a score when he saw it and his recent chaperone gig at the Vectron offices had resulted
in this little extra that was worth cashing in on. This was common practice for Mercs, particularly hackers; get
paid for a job and steal a little extra along the way. Information is power and those with the right connections
will pay a pretty sum for R&D plans, financial records, staff databases, access codes or pretty much anything
that can provide a little leverage against one of the larger corporations operating out of New Europe. If
information isn’t available, a few crates of rifles or explosives can make a hefty sum in the hands of Tech
Traders like Omar. Eddy remembered being told that at any one time there were three times the number of
weapons on the black market than there were in legitimate dealers and arms stores. The numbers sounded
crazy, but he was pretty confident that he and Omar had played a significant part in those figures.

Omar rapped his hackjob fingers on the table, “I’ll arrange the meet, my man. She’ll reach out. Give Omar
a few days.” The response was satisfactory. “Done. About those TAPORs. Did you want more?” Omar’s face

- THE GAIA COMPLEX -

lit up, “You have more!? Where did you get them from?” Ignoring the question for the second time, “I’ll have
some here Tuesday. One hundred units, maybe more. Have a buyer lined up. I need the money upfront or
no deal.” Anyone other than Eddy would have been laughed out the door, but he wasn’t in the habit of setting
up a bum deal.

“A hundred I can do. T8’s sell like wildfire. Anything that makes a hole in those police droids sells well. You
know the score, my man.” Eddy threw him a passing smile, slinging his F-Rail over his shoulder in recognition
of just how many police officers it had shut down, “Indeed I do, old man.” Omar’s skeletal hand gripped the
side of the table as he pushed himself off the stool, a metallic clunk ringing out as his interesting choice of
homemade cybernetic legs hit the floor; somewhere between peg legs and industrial scaffolding. He wasn’t
a man who upgraded his limbs for functionality. Formerly Omar had been a bomb maker, originally for the
now liquidated Samson TT Explosives Corp, before going solo and making devices and charges for terrorist
organisations and any Merc who could pay for his services. His limbs, one arm and both legs had been lost
in bomb making accidents and his lower jaw destroyed after crossing Gordy Banter, the recently deceased
leader of the Nightcap Organisation, a now disbanded terrorist group who had a reputation for blowing up
schools and foster homes in an attempt to ‘send a message’ to the metropolis’ authorities, though about
what, no one was ever really sure. Banter was famed for pulling people apart with his BigTech cyberhands
and Omar’s face had been one such target. The wounds would likely have killed most people, but the old
Tech Trader was as resilient as he was connected. Now as much shambling skeleton as human, on account
of his bare bones-style cybernetics, he had become a go-to man for the most notorious of Mercs. Eddy trusted
him, even if he didn’t like him much, but then, Eddy didn’t like anyone much.

The old man hobbled forwards, “Tuesday. Bring the bang bangs, my man. I’ll have a seller waiting. Where
did you say you got them from again?” He wasn’t going to let that question go without an answer. Eddy passed
him another glance, his P-Scope refocusing as his brow lowered, “I have a man on the inside. He knows his
place,” Eddy cracked a smile in the corner of his mouth, “... and responds pretty well to the ‘hole in the face’
routine. You know the one.” Omar knew the score. He silently nodded and handed over a black holdall bag.
Eddy’s smile turned into a full blown grin, he gave the bag a shake, feeling the weight inside it move from
side to side, “Payday. See you Tuesday, old man. Keep breathing for me til’ then.”

Eddy left the room and Omar returned to his desk, rapping his fingers against the cold surface once again,
the sharp clicking bounced off the bare walls of the concrete garage he called an office. He stared into
nowhere, examining the hollow space between himself and a shady corner of the room, “You heard all that
right?”. There was no one in the room, but the reply boomed in his cyberear all the same, “Yeah. Set a time
for that meet. Tell him Vapour reached out. Eddy Tense has a long overdue appointment with the boss. We’ll
take it from here, old man, you’re off the hook… for now.” The communicator went silent. Omar went back
to rapping on the desk. He’d either just signed his own death warrant, or Eddy’s. Either way, he was pretty
sure he wouldn’t be selling many more TAPOR-8’s on the black market for a while.

The End
 “The line between compliance and servitude is
best hidden beneath neon and bloodshed.”

The Gaia Complex core rules are available now as a 288-page full-colour hardback.
Visit https://thegaiacomplex.com for more details.
 THE GAIA COMPLEX - QUICK START

The Gaia Complex is a cyberpunk roleplaying game set in New

Europe: a single sprawling metropolis that covers much of what
we currently know as mainland Europe. In the year 2119, New
Europe is a world of street violence, espionage, vampiric
uprisings and an overzealous A.I., known as Gaia, which
functions as the city’s governor and the protector of its citizens.
The Gaia Complex is a game of conspiracy and brutality, where
players take on the roles of Mercs; former police officers, hackers
and street-savvy dealers who are hired to fight back against the
system and ultimately unravel the secrets of The Gaia Complex.

This quick start provides everything you need to hit the streets of
New Europe, including an overview to the world and background,
a slimmed-down version of the 12.3 rules, two pre-written 'Data
Seed' scenarios and five pre-generated characters, allowing
players to jump straight into the action.

HANSOR
PUBLISHING The Gaia Complex - Quick Start

© 2021, Hansor Publishing

SKU: HANSOR-GAIA-0005

h�ps://thegaiacomplex.com