Cyberpunk V3.0

Cyberpunk V3.0, subtitled, Roleplaying in the Dark Future, and also known as 203X, is the third edition of the popular pen and paper RPG series Cyberpunk by Mike Pondsmith.

After a hiatus in the mid to late 1990s, R.Talsorian Games published a third edition to act as a sequel to and the Firestorm series.

Setting
The setting has been heavily updated from the event from the Firestorm Series, which covered the opening of the Fourth Corporate War. The aftermath of the Fourth Corporate War has resulted in widespread corruption of the Net and major losses of hardcopied data, to the point that all data is intangible and recent recorded history is in doubt. An example that pops up in Pondsmith's demos at conventions, releases on the Internet, and in the finished game is that knowledge and recorded history has become lost or corrupted. Many people in the world now believe Richard Nixon, instead of resigning over Watergate, committed suicide on camera and that memes such as the moon landing being a hoax become prevalent. The war has also led to the collapse of nations, the world economy, and many of the staple megacorporations. This civil upheaval leads to the rise of the "altcults", alternative cultures similar in vein to the "phyles" from Neal Stephenson's The Diamond Age.

Controversy
Many fans expressed their disappointment with the third edition, citing a dramatic change in setting and style, as well as the use of action figures instead of more traditional works of art. Author Mike Pondsmith used 1: 6 scale action figures, of which he was a collector at the time, instead of the drawn artwork Nagel had seen in previous editions. The players also took the blame in the shift settings, the introduction of Altcults and the confusion of the DataKrash. Mike Pondsmith said that V3.0 has since been removed from canon and many elements can be reworked into.

Sourcebooks

 * Beyond the Edge (Altcult Insider #1) - Inside the Edgerunner Altcult: Details the Edgerunners - the OG Cyberpunks. It updates the reader on what they've been up to and what their goals are. Also details NuCybe technology and rules on generating NuCybe devices.
 * Gangbook!: Profiles the most deadly gangs and organizations in the Night City megaplex.

Accessories

 * DataPak - Contains 6 combination character sheets / dossier envelopes and 6 AltCult status sheets.
 * FlashPak - Cyberpunk Gaming Utility: GM screen, 36-page "quick-play" version of the rules for new players, and pre-generated character templates. Also includes generic maps and stats for new Bioforms, Body shells, ACS vehicles, Mecha, Transforms and NuCybe systems.

Availability

 * Drive Through RPG (PDF)