2400 ALT

LO-FI SCI-FI RPG • JASON TOCCI

RULES CHARACTERS
PLAY: Players describe what their characters do. ► Choose your character’s specialty.
The GM advises when their action is impossible,
FACE: Increase (d8) any 2 of Reading People,
requires extra steps, demands a cost, or presents
Deception, Persuasion, Intimidation. Take +1 ₡.
a risk. Players only roll to avoid risks.
HEAVY: Increase (d8) any 2 of Hand-to-hand,
ROLLING: Roll a d6 skill die — higher with a rele-
Labor, Running, Shooting. Take a weapon.
vant skill, or d4 if hindered by injury or
circumstances. If helped by circumstances, roll an GHOST: Increase (d8) any 2 of Climbing, Sleight
extra d6; if helped by an ally, they roll their skill of Hand, Stealth, Tracking. Take a tool.
die and share the risk. Take the highest die.
TECH: Increase (d8) any 2 of Electronics, Hacking,
1–2 Disaster. Suffer the full risk. GM decides if Explosives, Piloting. Take a tool.
you succeed at all. If risking death, you die.
► Choose your character’s origin.
3–4 Setback. A partial success or lesser
AI: Quick-thinking in robotic sleeves. Increase 1
consequence (e.g., not dead, but maimed).
skill. Most use Android or Utility Bot sleeves.
5+ Success. The higher the roll, the better.
HUMAN: Apply 3 skill increases. Most are in
If success can’t get you what you want (you make “birthday suit” (original body) or a Clone sleeve.
the shot, but they’re bulletproof!), you’ll at least
UPLIFT: Choose either Ape (increase Climbing),
get useful info or set up an advantage.
Corvid (Flying), or Octopus (Swimming). Most use
LOAD: Carry as much as makes sense, but more their original species’s sleeve.
than one bulky item may hinder you at times.
► Choose or invent skills (if prompted by origin).
ADVANCEMENT: After an operation, increase a
Climbing, Connections, Deception, Hacking,
skill (none ➡ d8 ➡ d10 ➡ d12), get d4 credits (₡).
Electronics, Engines, Explosives, Forgery, Hand-
DEFENSE: Say how one of your items (or robotic to-hand, Intimidation, Labor, Persuasion, Piloting,
limbs) breaks to turn a hit into a brief hindrance. Reading People, Running, Shooting, Sleight of
Broken gear is useless until repaired. Hand, Spacewalking, Stealth, Tracking

DEATH: Your mind is backed up remotely and on a ► Take a cortical cartridge (for a running backup,
cortical cartridge. If killed, you can be installed in heads-up display, and smartphone), a weapon,
a new body (a sleeve) or plugged into an ally, and ₡2. Most items cost ₡1 each. Ignore micro-
sharing their senses, visible in allies’ HUDs like a credit transactions (e.g., knife, meals).
ghost with scan-lines. If decisively removed from
ARMOR: Vest (break once for defense), battle
play, make a new character to introduce ASAP.
armor (₡2, bulky, break up to 3×), hardsuit (₡3,
Favor inclusion over realism.
bulky, break up to 3×, vacuum-rated, mag boots).
RUNNING THE GAME: Lead the group in setting
WEAPONS: Grenades (4, any of fragmentation,
lines not to cross. Fast-forward, pause, or redo
flashbang, smoke, EMP), pistol, rifle (bulky),
scenes for pacing and safety; invite players to do
shotgun (bulky), stun baton, tranq gun.
likewise. Present dilemmas you don’t know how
to solve. Move the spotlight to give everyone time TOOLS: Flamethrower (bulky), low-G jetpack,
to shine. Test periodically for bad luck (e.g., run mini drone (also usable as sleeve), repair tools,
out of ammo, or into guards) — roll d6 for (1–2) survey pack (climbing gear, flare gun, mapper,
trouble now or (3–4) signs of trouble. tent; bulky), system override key (1 use).
 SLEEVES DETAILS
► Choose a body. Additional sleeves cost ₡10, +1 ► Invent or roll for details, true in any sleeve.
for each upgrade (minus half-cost of old sleeve
NYM
if you trade-in). Skill increases are cumulative
with origin skills. Unfamiliar limbs or appear- 1 Ascii 6 Fine 11 Kite 16 Pulsar
ance may hinder you awhile. 2 Blake 7 Glyph 12 Line 17 Rio
3 Cipher 8 Haze 13 Mesa 18 Saturn
ANDROID: Includes either synth skin (looks
4 Dat 9 Icon 14 Nova 19 Trike
human) or a case (break for defense). Upgrade
5 Eyre 10 Jinn 15 Oryx 20 Wave
with infrared vision, palm stunner/defibrillator,
retractable claws, skill boost (1 skill increase), QUIRK
spring-loaded legs, tethered grappling hand.
1 Archaic phrases 11 Hums pop songs
APE: Bonobo, chimpanzee, gorilla, or orangutan. 2 Chuckles bleakly 12 Mumbles to self
Sharp teeth, prehensile feet. Increase Climbing, 3 Distinct swagger 13 Never swears
Labor, Hand-to-hand. Upgrade as Clone. 4 Easy drawl 14 Quietly menacing
5 Easily distracted 15 Sarcastic as hell
CLONE: Vat-grown original or duplicate of a
6 Fondles weapons 16 Says “buddy” a lot
human body. Upgrade with athletic (increase a
7 Formal manner 17 Speaks tersely
related skill), camouflage, claws, custom look,
8 Gentle demeanor 18 Stretches idly
dermal armor (plasticky), enhanced senses, fast-
9 Goofy laugh 19 Super impatient
healing, grip pads, nonsomniac, prehensile feet,
10 Grunts when irked 20 Vague accent
pheromones, toxin filter, vacuum-resistant.
HISTORY
CORVID: Enlarged crow or raven. Opposable big-
toe. Increase Flight, Stealth. Upgrade as Clone. 1 Atoning for sins 11 Obsolete doctor
2 Exoplanet colonist 12 On a corp’s payroll
JUVENILE: Human child clone. Size/appearance
3 Fled indenture 13 Onetime academic
may help or hinder. Upgrade as Clone.
4 Former socialite 14 “On ice” 98 years
MECH: Truck-sized industrial robot. Heavy chas- 5 Had a family once 15 Raised by a cult
sis (break for defense). Upgrade with digger, 6 Hunted by old-you 16 Recent immigrant
dozer blade, flamethrower, jackhammer, low-G 7 Illegal test subject 17 Roving outlaw
jets, treads, wheels, winch. Increase Labor. 8 Left the Yakuza 18 This sleeve’s stolen
Restricted outside roads and work sites. 9 Lunar refugee 19 Uplift rights activist
10 [MEMORY ERROR] 20 War veteran
OCTOPUS: Air-breathing, camouflage, ink spray,
sharp beak, squeezing, 360° vision. Increase PERSONAL ITEM
Swimming, Spacewalking. Upgrade as Clone.
1 Antique calculator 11 Pac-man for HUD
SECURITY BOT: Disc-shaped robot. 360° vision, 4 2 Creased photo 12 Paper journal
clawed tentacles, armor (break up to 3×). 3 Dog-eared book 13 Postcards
Upgrade with +1 tentacle, flamethrower, infrared 4 Flask (half-full) 14 Single bullet
vision, low-G jet, stunner, turret. Not street-legal. 5 Gold ring on chain 15 Stolen cyber-eye
6 Hand-knit hat 16 Stopped watch
UTILITY BOT: Dog-sized work robot. Start with 2
7 Locket with holo 17 Stylish jacket
upgrades from air compressor, blowtorch, drill,
8 Lucky coin 18 Vial of blood
low-G jet, nail gun, remote-controllable, repair
9 Mentor’s knife 19 Vintage shades
tools, saw, treads, welder, or Android upgrades.
10 Nemesis’s cartridge 20 Walkman
 YOU CAN GET ANYTHING IN ALPHA CENTAURI — You’ll get a new body if you die — maybe even an
even a new body. But with freedom from death and extra “alt” sleeve to boost your efficiency — but
plug-and-play memories, strange new risks arise. you’d better save up if you don’t want whatever (or
As a CTRL agent, that’s where you come in. whoever) they’ve got lying around.

► Contacts, targets, or people of interest ► Operations

1 Ash, smirking leader of a CMD field team 1 Avert mass-wipe by stellar magnetic storm
2 Balderdash, jovial android info broker 2 Capture sinister memory-hacker “therapist”
3 Clay, octopus security consultant, ex-thief 3 Claim unearthed alien artifact before corps
4 Dex, enigmatic crow handler with CTRL 4 Deal with roving outlaw barge raiding ships
5 EON, hyper-intelligent AI, unclear motives 5 Divert deep-space swarm headed this way
6 Figment, android actor/model, CTRL asset 6 Dr. Day raised an army of himself—stop him
7 Glo, wild street preacher, antenna in head 7 Help/stop Cy, sleeved in Lima station itself
8 Halter, aging, resolute permadeath activist 8 Investigate derelict archaeological vessel
9 ICEMANG, cocksure, sleeveless hacker 9 Investigate “plague” making uplifts “revert”
10 Jabroni, gorilla bouncer, adores wrestling 10 Investigate plot to destroy a backup facility
11 Kestrel, CTRL analyst angling for field duty 11 Investigate sabotaged space comm relays
12 Lobo, gang leader, custom wolfman sleeve 12 Neutralize source of massacre in Lab 223C
13 Myrmidon, cold merc in decked-out sec bot 13 New Venus station is missing—where is it?
14 Nestor, friendly bonobo black marketeer 14 People are collapsing into gray goo—why?
15 Oni, bodyguard in heavily modified mech 15 Stop a freighter from crashing into a planet
16 Porter, old utility bot city worker, seen it all 16 Stop a vidcast that wipes AI minds on sight
17 Quiet, Lazarus Co manager, informant 17 Stop machines burrowing into colony world
18 Roark, Rez security chief, new sleeve daily 18 Track down Null, a notorious sleevejacker
19 Sasha, helpful tech, indentured at Respawn 19 Who’s hacking androids to kill, and why?
20 Vi, psychotropics dealer to AI, juvie sleeve 20 Why didn’t you return from the last mission?
► Locations ► Twists

1 Asteroid rich with rare cartridge-material 1 CMD, rival org to CTRL, wants to recruit you
2 Bio Waste Disposal, full of dead sleeves 2 CMD team working in parallel on same op
3 Cartridge factory, crawling with sec bots 3 CTRL has a mole working against you
4 Church of the Hive Mind satellite chapel 4 CTRL scrutinizing agents’ use of force
5 Corporate offices, visible in low orbit 5 Connection to Bratva/Triad power struggle
6 The Cylinder, “posthuman” space habitat 6 Consciousness-merging bill approved
7 Hachi, water-filled octopus research ship 7 Ex-agent accosts you, insists CMD is CTRL
8 Junkyard, cheap cyber-parts clearinghouse 8 Hedonist death cult party gets out of hand
9 Miyamoto Garden, cultivated to look unreal 9 Illegal weapon sales somehow connected
10 Murderdome, hosts fights to sleeve-death 10 Killing your own alts ruled legal in court
11 Nest, a private colony of uplifted corvids 11 Lazarus Co bankruptcy endangers backups
12 New Bengaluru, shining hub of Proxima B 12 Market crash leads to sleeve shortage
13 Plant 904, astringent odor of sleeve vats 13 Op requires unfamiliar sleeves for disguise
14 RezHab, a glittering, domed arcology 14 Permadeath protest increasingly disruptive
15 Sanctuary, tenement for simian laborers 15 Recall of recent cortical cartridge batch
16 Spaceport bar where the Bratva hang out 16 Rez Corp offers you ₡50 to abandon the op
17 Stellar Wind Turbines shielding Proxima B 17 Respawn Inc tries to slow you with red tape
18 Tokyo 3.0, city of 6 million, in stellar orbit 18 Uplift laborers go on strike, violence feared
19 Virtopia, no-extradition virtual sovereignty 19 Yakuza involved, reasons unclear at first
20 West Shuttleport, very public meeting area 20 Your sleeves were seen committing crimes
Version 1.4 • Art by Beeple (Mike Winkelmann) • More 2400 at jasontocci.itch.io/2400