In a world of change, you have remained unchanged. From your heavy metal shod combat boots to the crest of your techhelmet, you are the complete package—a gritty survivor of the devastated urban mega-jungle, ready to rock and roll with chipped smartgun and a fistful of cybernetic razors up one armorjacked sleeve.
You are the man with no name; the ruins of fallen nations are your personal hunting preserve. To you, this world of nanotech decaying skyscrapers, roving boostergangs and deadly radiation and bioplagues is your natural environment; the place where you are the best adapted. You still have the interface plugs in your head, ruby-shadowed lasers light your eyes, and countless biochips mesh you to combat brilliance in the most vicious environment man has ever created for himself. You were wired in, cyberenhanced and trained tirelessly to be ready to hurl yourself right over that fatal horizon where only the toughest and coolest ever go. Once you were just a soldier. Now that everything you knew is gone, you’re a Solo.
Background
In the aftermath of the bloody 5th World War, most of urban America was in ruins. Any area that wasn’t caught in the crossfire of opposing armies got clobbered by the collapse of power grids, governmental authority and annihilation of supply lines. And in most cities, the detonation of a low yield nukes had only made the problem more insurmountable.
But there was one group that was uniquely suited for surviving in this burned-out, chaotic landscape-the renegade technophiles and heavy metal warriors known as Solos. They were rough, dangerous men and women, well versed in the use of arms, high technology and the attitude to use them both. Having spent most of early part of the 21st Century keeping the depredations of those in power at bay, the Solos were able to rally their forces and drive the remaining armies out of the megacities or bottle them up in isolated enclaves away from the core.
The solos settled the megacities from the wreckage of the War—it was a rough, cobbled together rebuilding, but it worked and that’s what counted. Couldn’t get power from the grid anymore? You made due with solar panels and generator fans on the tops of the tallest skyscrapers? Food suppliers gone under? Rooftop gardens, yeast vats in the Undercity, and a lot of smuggling runs through the Wild Lands could get you through. And in the process, the one-time Cyberpunks evolved into a new group—the Solos—known for their success at surviving right on the knife edge of chaos and danger. The Solos of UCEX are the ultimate urban survivors, wired into the heart of the ruined cities, where speed, adaptability and a knack for creative technology make all the difference.
In the aftermath of the bloody 5th World War, most of urban America was in ruins. Any area that wasn’t caught in the crossfire of opposing armies got clobbered by the collapse of power grids, governmental authority and annihilation of supply lines. And in most cities, the detonation of a low yield nukes had only made the problem more insurmountable.
But there was one group that was uniquely suited for surviving in this burned-out, chaotic landscape-the renegade technophiles and heavy metal warriors known as Solos. They were rough, dangerous men and women, well versed in the use of arms, high technology and the attitude to use them both. Having spent most of early part of the 21st Century keeping the depredations of those in power at bay, the Solos were able to rally their forces and drive the remaining armies out of the megacities or bottle them up in isolated enclaves away from the core.
The solos settled the megacities from the wreckage of the War—it was a rough, cobbled together rebuilding, but it worked and that’s what counted. Couldn’t get power from the grid anymore? You made due with solar panels and generator fans on the tops of the tallest skyscrapers? Food suppliers gone under? Rooftop gardens, yeast vats in the Undercity, and a lot of smuggling runs through the Wild Lands could get you through. And in the process, the one-time Cyberpunks evolved into a new group—the Solos—known for their success at surviving right on the knife edge of chaos and danger. The Solos of UCEX are the ultimate urban survivors, wired into the heart of the ruined cities, where speed, adaptability and a knack for creative technology make all the difference.
Turf
Solos occupy most ruined cities of the wastelands of the 20th century nations, because the city is their main turf. Unlike other Altcults, Solos are comfortable at all levels of urban space; from the towering heights of megaplex starscrapers all the way down to the deep caverns of the lower Undercity.
However, most Solo turf can be found at the Undercity and Midcity levels, clustered in the ever-changing genius buildings that surround the central Roadzones, or in the built-over ruins of the Old Cities. Within these areas are specific Solo Enclaves; secured regions or buildings where Solo psuedo-government, defense and infrastructure are based. While you may not need a dogtag to travel through most Solo turf , these are the areas where you either get a tag or a one way ticket to their Body Banks.
However, most Solo turf can be found at the Undercity and Midcity levels, clustered in the ever-changing genius buildings that surround the central Roadzones, or in the built-over ruins of the Old Cities. Within these areas are specific Solo Enclaves; secured regions or buildings where Solo psuedo-government, defense and infrastructure are based. While you may not need a dogtag to travel through most Solo turf , these are the areas where you either get a tag or a one way ticket to their Body Banks.
Cultural Memes
• Metal is still better than Meat.
• Technology enhances you, but it’s not everything .
• There’s no such thing as a free lunch.
Cultural Traits
Solos are tough, opinionated and always ready for a fight (although they won't necessarily start one). Having to deal with all kinds of groups has made them remarkably tolerant of rival Altcults—as long as they don’t step over the line. Solos don’t like authority, and they don’t trust easily. You have to earn their trust, and you do that by keeping your word and playing it straight.
Mess with a Solo and he won’t stop hunting you ‘till you’re dead— or wish you were.
Solos are tough, opinionated and always ready for a fight (although they won't necessarily start one). Having to deal with all kinds of groups has made them remarkably tolerant of rival Altcults—as long as they don’t step over the line. Solos don’t like authority, and they don’t trust easily. You have to earn their trust, and you do that by keeping your word and playing it straight.
Mess with a Solo and he won’t stop hunting you ‘till you’re dead— or wish you were.
Alliances & Antipathies
• Rolling State: Kind of clannish, but you can trust them. And they make solid transportation!
• Zoanoids(Reef): They're all a bunch of monsters, aren't they? Well, they must be okay, since they sell us the algae we need to make kibble.
• Rip: Freaky Beastmasters, but generally okay folks. What's with the whole mutant animal thing anyway?
• Evoluder(Cee-Metal): Metal is better than meat, generally, but you still need some meat to be human.
• OLYMPUS-POSEIDON: Philanthropic Replicants fom the Old World Order, Clever techies, but they need to get out of those arcologies and see the real world more.
Lifestyle
• Where you live: There are lots of places to survive in the City—what you get is up to your ability to hold on to it. At the bottom of the heap, you’re camping in a bivvy bag in some burned out building in the Undercity, dodging the gangs and keeping on the move. Upscale, you’ve got a multiroom penthouse in the top floors of one of the starscraper towers in the heart of the Highcity levels running a small army of hardass ex-spec-ops troopers. A few rungs down puts you in a two room conapt in one of the Midcity apartment tiers; the lower your status, the smaller the space. Most of the time, you’re staking out some turf in one of the always shifting genius buildings that can be found at almost any level.
• Where you live: There are lots of places to survive in the City—what you get is up to your ability to hold on to it. At the bottom of the heap, you’re camping in a bivvy bag in some burned out building in the Undercity, dodging the gangs and keeping on the move. Upscale, you’ve got a multiroom penthouse in the top floors of one of the starscraper towers in the heart of the Highcity levels running a small army of hardass ex-spec-ops troopers. A few rungs down puts you in a two room conapt in one of the Midcity apartment tiers; the lower your status, the smaller the space. Most of the time, you’re staking out some turf in one of the always shifting genius buildings that can be found at almost any level.
• What you wear: The favored style for the modern Solo is combat clothing; armored outfits that combine urban camouflage with maximum protection. Most of this is synthetic; it wears well, kind of out the never ending acid rain, and is always in style. The look is military, multipocketed cargo pants, tees and hooded sweats, long trenchcoats or jackets, with a ripstop weave. And is usually black or gray.
• What you eat: You met someone who had eaten real steak and eggs once. They talked about it for weeks afterward. Most of the time, you’re eating synthetics; cloned meat from the big beef tanks, algae and yeast grown in offshore tanks and processed to look like real vegetables. Most of this comes in foil-wrapped containers called pre-packs; break the seal on top and thermal heats or cools itself in 30 seconds with a built-in chemical cooker/cooler. If you’re down on your luck, you’re eating kibble; it looks like dry cat food and comes in a variety of tasty flavors, some of which make their own gravy.
• How you hang: Solos are big on the city ruins scene. You have a variety of safe-house bunkers and sniper nests to hang out at, for stockpiling, recon and just plain safe places to sleep. The ruins never close, so there are rolling state gypsy theatres, hunting in the remains of parks, savage bloodsport arenas open all the time, and you take advantage of that to the fullest.
Typical Edgerunner Gear
Statchip: 22nd century drugs, statchips are basically Amps that have drug like effects. Some make you feel good, others have hallucinatory effects, some just relieve your post traumatic stress disorder. Called stat from the medical term meaning “fast”; Plug em into your splices—you’re on-pull them out and you’re sober again.
Typical Solo Weapons
BFG: Ballistic Fragmentation Guns are big guns. R E A L LY big guns. HUGE guns. Made of plastic around a crystalline buckyball barrel, these hand cannons fire 30mm, explosive bullets equivalent to a light anti-tank round. Best used against borgs, as explosive tips act as grenades around meat puppets. Single shot, bolt action.
BFG...+0...J...U...7d6...12...1...St...100meters
BFG: Ballistic Fragmentation Guns are big guns. R E A L LY big guns. HUGE guns. Made of plastic around a crystalline buckyball barrel, these hand cannons fire 30mm, explosive bullets equivalent to a light anti-tank round. Best used against borgs, as explosive tips act as grenades around meat puppets. Single shot, bolt action.
BFG...+0...J...U...7d6...12...1...St...100meters
FABFG (Full Assault Ballistic Fragmentation Gun): The 20mm, semi-auto version of the BFG.
BFG...+1...N...U...8d6...15...1...ST...600meters
RBFG (Raildriven Ballistic Fragmentation Gun): The shoulder arm version. Same as above, only combined with a railgun for longer reach. Capable of stopping a light tank.
BFG...+2...N...U...12D6...12...1...ST...1000M
Typical Solo Transport
feet, rebuilt military vehicles. Old LandMates
Typical Solo Cyberware:
Any and everything. usually something combat related. NEVER something flashy like techhair.
