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Developing psionic powers allows people to `Shift' between different timelines (known as variants). At first, shifting is just used to explore, but eventually the nature of variant physics is uncovered: variants are in competition with each other, and only high entropy timelines - universes which waste energy, have large populations and do not recycle kitchen products - survive.
The people of Earth begin to compete actively with the other variants. Unable to travel forward in time, but able to shift sideways and backwards through the set of variants (known collectively as the Matrix), Shifters destabilise other timelines by reducing the rate at which they increase in entropy, and steal technology from them to improve the technology in their own timeline. Since technological devices increase entropy levels, as much technology as possible is stolen. And since different timelines develop differently, all kinds of advanced tech can be plundered from the Matrix.
By the 32nd century, our timeline has become so improbable that most of mankind's effort is focused on shifting through the Matrix to ensure its continued existence. Our Shifters call this base of operations the Nexus. The Variant Corp., in charge of all authorised shifting, sends teams of Shifters out into the Matrix to strengthen the variants leading to Nexus, steal technology and to undo the work of rogue Shifters and Shifters from other variants.
Shifters have a dangerous profession. Their unique shifting talent tends to destabilise people, making them less probable to exist. if their stability falls too low, they cease to exist. Also, they can get destabilised if their own, personal variant of origin is destabilised or destroyed.
Since the Shifters of Nexus come from the same timeline, when Nexus becomes destabilised, the Shifters become destabilised. Because of this, and because of the high `mortality' rate among Shifters, candidates for the job are constantly recruited from other variants. The population of Nexus is a strange blend of lifeforms from throughout the Matrix - from evolved sharks to psychotic vacuum cleaners.
Shifter uses a deck of cards for resolving random events. It is not truly diceless, in the sense that no random resolution is used, but it doesn't use dice at all. This allows the game to be played easily, without a table, allowing drunken players to collapse onto a sofa and struggle through the game. Also, if you have braille cards, you can play with blind people. Gee, we think of everything.
Discordia Incorporated - we're not tools of the dice makers, we're servants of the liquor and tobacco industries. To this end, we strongly recommend playing Shifter whilst you are wasted and don't have a copy of It came from the Late, Late, Late Show on hand.
By the end of a Shifter's second year, they have chosen their Shifter Speciality. Most Shifters take one of four Specialities (although other Specialisations are possible - see Section 2.8):
The word in brackets after each of the Specialities above is the name of the skill family that the Speciality covers (in addition to the Shifting family, which is in all Specialities).
Use of Shifting abilities, destabilising natural timelines and destabilising personal timelines all cost characters Stability. Stability can be regained by eliminating threats to natural timelines or strengthening them in some other way. For more on changes to Stability, see Chapter 4.
The structure of each family is shown graphically on the Shifter character sheet. Each family, subfamily and skill has a cost by it. Paying this cost raises the value in the box by that family, subfamily or skill by 1. Values are inherited by everything further down the skill tree.
Above level 3, additional levels cost double. This is called capping. Whenever a skill is raised above three - whether directly or by inheriting a level from a family or subfamily directly above it - you must pay the appropriate cap.
Characters have a total of 600 points to divide between their skills. It is recommended that players work from the top of each tree downwards, to avoid paying more for skills than necessary (since families and subfamilies always cost less than the total cost of the included skills). Any left over skill points are not recorded.
Players are advised to take at least 1 level in the Shifting tree, or at least to put a liberal sprinkling of points into the skills of the Shifting tree. These skills are vital to the game and should not be overlooked.
Gamesmasters wanting to know more about planning field trips and field missions should refer to Chapter 8.
These Specialities work in the same way as the regular Specialities - when a skill covered by the Speciality is used, two cards can be drawn and one chosen as the modifier.
Like the basic Specialities, Custom Specialities always include the Shifting family of skills. Gamesmasters may allow players to choose Specialities without this, at their own risk. In which case, the `value' of the combined subfamilies must be 150 or less.
When reporting to the Gamesmaster the result, players should state the level and colour of their result.
1.2 The Game
In the Shifter Role Playing Game, players take the role of Shifters, working from Nexus to improve their chances of continued existence and that of Nexus. Going on missions into the Matrix, they demolish variants to strengthen the timelines leading to Nexus.2. Shifters
2.1 Creating Shifters
The Variant Corp. recruit candidates from timelines and planets throughout the Matrix, and characters can be anything a player can think up - an anthropomorphic cat, an evolved dinosaur or even a sentient coffee table. Because Shifters don't physically move through the Matrix, they just move their consciousness into host bodies, a character's species has no effect on their capabilities.
2.2 Speciality
Shifters are trained at the Academy at Nexus, a six year course designed to prepare the trainee (called a Neo) for the confusing and demanding life of a professional Shifter.
A Shifter's Speciality covers a certain family of skills plus all of the Shifting skills. Normally when resolving a Task you draw one card (see Section 3.6). When you resolve a Task covered by your Speciality you can draw two cards and select the best one.2.3 Rank
There are four Shifter Ranks:
All Shifters start as Neo.
2.4 Privileges
Shifter pay consists of Privileges, which can be spent on time off, material possessions or temporal real estate. Shifters start with no Privileges, but gain them for successful missions. For more on spending Privileges, see Section 6.6. Gamesmasters can find out more on awarding Privileges in Section 8.9.
2.5 Stability
Anyone who travels in the Matrix runs the risk of destabilising their own existence by interfering with the natural evolution of time. This is represented by a character's Stability. Stability is (abstractly) the probability that the character will continue to exist. If it ever falls to zero, the character ceases to exist. Shifters call this event deletion.2.6 Skills
Shifter skills are arranged into families. There are five families, one for each of the basic Specialisations plus Shifting. These families are divided into a number of skills or subfamilies, the latter of which may also be divided into a number of subfamilies or skills.
2.7 Preparing for the First Field Trip
Usually the first journey a Shifter takes into the Matrix is their fourth year field trip. For most characters, this is their first scenario. However, occasionally the demand for field operatives means Neo's often get drafted into a field mission with more experienced Shifters.2.8 Custom Specialities
Players wishing to play Shifters with different Specialities must first come up with a concept (and a name) for the Speciality. Before playing a custom Speciality, you must check that the Gamesmaster approves it. Custom Specialities are made by either combining two subfamilies that branch directly from a family, or three subfamilies that branch from subfamilies. The total point `value' of these subfamilies must be 100 or less.
3. Skills & Tasks
3.1 Shifting Skills
The Shifting skills are the basic Matrix manipulation skills every Shifter needs. They are described in detail in Chapter 4.
3.2 Combat Skills
Combat skills are the Gaunt's area of expertise. Whenever a Gaunt draws a card for a COMBAT Task, they may draw an additional card and choose to use that card's value instead of the original draw.
3.3 Knowledge Skills
Knowledge is the Seer's Speciality. Whenever a Seer draws a card for a KNOW Task, an additional card may be drawn, and the better result chosen.
3.4 Psionic Skills
Psionics are the province of the Psyker. Any time that a Psyker draws a card for a PSI Task, they may draw an additional card and choose which result to take.
3.5 Technical Skills
The Teknic specialises in technical skills. When a Teknic draws a card for a TECH Task, they are able to draw an extra card and choose the result they wish.
3.6 Task Resolution
Whenever a character does something with one of their skills, they make a Task resolution. They do this by drawing a card (or more, in some cases) and modifying their skill up or down by a certain number of levels. Most of the time, characters will perform at the level of their skill. The card drawn, if a Royalty or an Ace, will modify the result, as shown in the table, below.
| Card | Modification |
| Black A | + 4 levels |
| Black K | + 3 levels |
| Black Q | + 2 levels |
| Black J | + 1 level |
| Black 2-10 | No change |
| Red 2-10 | No change |
| Red J | - 1 level |
| Red Q | - 2 levels |
| Red K | - 3 levels |
| Red A | - 4 levels |
| Level | Performance | Task Difficulty |
| < 1 | Unskilled | NA1 |
| 1 | Novice | Trivial |
| 2 | Competent | Average |
| 3 | Professional | Challenging |
| 4 | Expert | Difficult |
| 5 | Master | Very Difficult |
| 6 | Grand Master | Extremely Difficult |
| 7 | Hyped | Near Impossible |
| 8+ | NA2 | Impossible |
As a general guide to performance at a particular level, see the Performance Table above.
Legionnaire is trying to bring down a helicopter that is just taking off. First he tries spraying SIN gun shells at it, getting Red 2 on Wildfire. The aircraft is scratched but continues climbing. Next, he tries to shoot a hole in the fuel tank. The Gamesmaster rates this as Extremely Difficult, requiring a 6 or better, and chooses to tell Legionnaire's player this. He draws a Black 7 on Sniper. The player decides he strikes the fuel tank, rupturing it and causing it to lose all its fuel, but leaving the copter intact for further target practice, and the Gamesmaster okays it. Although Legionnaire could use the nearby mortar (and his Artillery Skill), he chooses to throw a jelly baby at it, first focusing for maximum stochastic potential. The draw is Black 9 on Armed Combat: the jelly baby strikes the helicopter just below the rotors and it explodes, showering debris everywhere.
If the variant has passed the Grey Epoch, and hence people there have psionic abilities, a link is not usually set up, in case any of the local authorities notice it.
3.6.1 Example Task Resolutions
A team has discovered that the original Mona Lisa has been stolen, and decide to replace it with a forgery. Barry uses Psychometry on Da Vinci's paintbrush and gets a Black 5. The Gamesmaster reports that Barry can sense the strokes used to paint the image, and notes that the model was naked when the painting was made. The Gamesmaster decides that it will only be a Challenging (3 or better) Task to forge the painting with this knowledge (but doesn't tell the players). Barry gets Red 2. The Gamesmaster says it looks just right. Barry fails to notice that the woman didn't have a tail in the original.3.7 Telepathic Abilities
When a Shifter team appears in a variant, it is standard procedure for the Psyker, or someone with Telepathy, to set up a telepathic link for the team. This is an Average (Difficulty 2) Task. With the link in place, all members of the team can talk to each other mentally.