Cyberpunk’s new book is satire about the future of American gun culture

cyberpunk redTabletop Prequel Cyberpunk 2077, knows a little about ranged combat. Set along the smoky edge of the devastated West Coast in 2045, the film is a throwback American hellscape tainted by nuclear fallout, crippled by late-stage capitalism. A city-state and a literal battleground for the most tech-savvy. Human-made class struggle. Yeah, there are a lot of guns – there are guns and a ruleset to wield them.

But like the makers of a truly great tabletop role-playing game, the developers of R. Talsrian Games believe that instilling potential narrative hooks and secret backstories into their world is their primary function. I know there is its latest product, black chrome, achieve it in spades.More than just a “Technology and Style Guide” for cyberpunk redIn essence, this armament book is actually, among other things, a startling denunciation of our country’s prevailing gun culture. It’s also a great starting point for new players looking for a fun-themed game.

So what does a satirical firearm look like on the page? Like Vecna’s eyes and hands in Dungeons & Dragons, each gun in this book has a story behind it, a potential. for A backstory that easily fuels clever gamemasters and avid players.

• The Arasaka Prototype Variable Assault Rifle is your average high quality rifle, but with the right set of aftermarket conversion parts you can have your own futuristic combat railgun. This gun brings to mind the contemporary issues surrounding automatic sear switches. convert a regular pistol into a submachine gun.
• Literally a pile of plumbing supplies, the Georgia Arms Matchmaker turned single-use shotgun. Described as “designed by dissidents”, it’s easy to see how such a weapon would evoke contemporary concerns. So-called “ghost gun” A do-it-yourself weapon of war that now hits the streets simply by using a 3D printer.

• The Pursuit Security Incorporated Crowd Buster is a combination of loudspeaker systems and offensive weapons with the goal of “dispersing large and unruly mobs.”
• The GunMart Engage Rocket Launcher follows the same kind of logic that puts an AR-15 style rifle into the hands of a deer hunter to speculate about the future where armor-piercing anti-tank weapons are available at your local Walmart.

Image: R. Tarsolian Game

• The Sanroo Hello Cutie Ultra-K8 Assault Pistol has a self-cooling barrel and audio playback that lets you pipe the user’s voice through “selectable anime filters”. , which was banned by the Japanese government. Now, bright pink weapons (which laugh when you reload) can be found in Night City for a reasonable price, with the right connections.
• The Tommy Knocker is an expensive pistol and shotgun combo that looks like a modern tactical cool, but is actually so cumbersome that it regularly pops out of your hand when fired one-handed.
• And last is E-TACK Public Defender.This Little Police Overstock Includes Tasers and A ballistic pistol mounted on the same grip. Do you think it was discontinued because in a combat situation it was difficult for him to mentally switch between the two modes?

Imagine equipping a group of first-level players with only this kind of subtly cursed weapon. Gamemasters may have a more cautious group of players instead of looking forward to gunfights. black chromeBut they have even more stories to tell, and potential hooks of morally ambiguous adventures needed to upgrade or enhance their kit.

Perhaps the first shootout in the early game will trigger players to search for parts. But what part of yourself do you have to sacrifice along the way to make the upgrade happen? Many sections of this book answer that question directly. Required Players give up precious humanity points to merge with the most wanted technology.

black chrome full of internal contradictions, Sophie’s ChoiceLike, deals with multiple demons. This is a complex book for complex characters, and he might be one of the best new products R. Tarsolian has released for the Marquee TTRPG franchise.

black chrome Available now both online and at local retailers.Book It was reviewed in a pre-release digital copy provided by R. Talsian Games. Vox Media has affiliate partnerships. These do not affect editorial content, but Vox Media may earn commissions on products purchased via affiliate links.discoverable Additional information on Polygon’s Ethics Policy can be found here.