Cities Without Number
Deluxe EditionBest For
Groups who want a lethal cyberpunk sandbox where the players pick their own jobs and work for or against the city's factions.
Core Mechanic
Skill checks roll 2d6 plus the relevant attribute modifier and skill level against a difficulty. Attacks roll 1d20 plus base attack bonus, combat skill, and attribute modifier against Armor Class, and a melee miss can still inflict Shock. Lethal hits roll a Trauma Die, and a result at or above the target's Trauma Target multiplies damage.
The core is quick to learn: 2d6 skill checks and d20 attacks against Armor Class. The depth comes from the cyberpunk stack, especially the interplay of System Strain and hacking Access. The study load is moderate, but a run asks the table to track several resource pools at once.
- Free to tryFull core rulesLegally free as an SRD, PDF, or official web rules
- Get it nowAvailable nowFree to download or read online
- ✓IndexFind any rule by page number
- ✓GM guidanceA chapter on how to run the game
- ✓Examples of playRules shown in action at the table
- ✓Quick referenceCheat sheet or summary tables
- ✓Cross-referencesRules point to each other by page
5 of 5 book tools found in the core book
Highlights
The complete core rules are free in a separate PDF, so a table can start play without buying the deluxe edition. Mission tags and one-roll tables generate patrons, jobs, and complications without long prep. Faction schemes and the Heat system give the city and the team's notoriety mechanical momentum between missions.
Considerations
Combat stays on a light OSR frame, so groups wanting granular tactical combat will find it thin. The game expects a GM to build a city and improvise its consequences, and it offers little support for scripted story arcs. Hacking and cyberware add bookkeeping through Access pools and monthly maintenance.
Third-Party Publishing
Rules license Proprietary
Rules mechanics and trivially derived material in the 71-page SRD; the City setting, named megacorps, individual NPCs, GM tool text, and other creative IP remain reserved; compatibility may be claimed if the work uses its own setting and is not presented as official or Sine Nomine-sanctioned.
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