2400 ZONE
LO-FI SCI-FI RPG • JASON TOCCI
RULES CHARACTERS
PLAY: Players describe what their characters do. ► Your team explores an area on Earth where reality
The GM advises when their action is impossible, broke. Choose your specialty.
requires extra steps, demands a cost, or presents
SCAVENGER: Increase (d8) any two skills from
a risk. Players only roll to avoid risks.
Climbing, Navigation, Running, or Stealth. Take a
ROLLING: Roll a skill die — d6 by default, higher rugged outfit and roll d20 for something for sale
with a relevant skill, or d4 if hindered by injury, in town (below). Sometimes smugglers,
circumstances, or carrying more than 1 bulky sometimes employed as Zone guides by the Lab.
item. If helped by circumstances, roll an extra d6;
SCIENTIST: Increase (d8) any two skills from
if helped by an ally, they roll their skill die and
Biology, Physics, Psychology, or Technology (or
share the risk. Take the highest die.
increase one to d10). Take a vacuum-sealed
1–2 Disaster. Suffer the full risk. GM decides if sample case and a splash-resistant coverall.
you succeed at all. If risking death, you die.
SOLDIER: Increase (d8) any two skills from from
3–4 Setback. A lesser consequence or partial
Hand-to-hand, Intimidation, Shooting, or Stealth.
success. If risking death, you’re injured.
Take a rifle (bulky) and armor (break as defense).
5+ Success. The higher the roll, the better.
► Choose your character’s origin.
If success can’t get you what you want (you make
the shot, but it’s bulletproof!), you’ll at least get LOCAL: Lived here in town before the Event. Take
useful info or set up an advantage. a Contact who owes you a favor, and two d8 skills
from your old, mundane career, like Cleaning,
ADVANCEMENT: When you return from the Zone,
Computers, Delivery, Labor, Repair, or Service.
roll any skill. On a 5+, roll on Alterations; on a 1–4,
increase the skill (none ➡ d8 ➡ d10 ➡ d12). OUT-OF-TOWNER: Came to work in or near the
Zone. Apply 3 increases among your skills.
DEFENSE: Say how one of your items (or robotic
limbs) breaks to turn a hit into a brief hindrance. REFUGEE: Escaped the Zone before lockdown.
Broken gear is useless until repaired. Take two d8 skills from old jobs (as a Local,
above), and roll for an Alteration you try to hide.
HARM: Clear injuries and stress with time and/or
treatment. If killed, make a new character to be ► Start with ₡2, a chunky mobile phone (unreliable
introduced ASAP. Favor inclusion over realism. in the Zone), and washers (throw to detect
anomalies). Most items cost ₡1. Ignore
TRAVEL: Assume characters move through the
microcredit transactions like a knife or a meal.
Zone slowly, tossing washers to check for
anomalies. Test luck (below) if moving quickly. FOR SALE IN TOWN
GM: Describe characters in terms of behaviors, 1 Armored vest 11 Homing pigeon
risks, and obstacles, not skill dice. Lead the group 2 Camping gear 12 Infrared goggles
in setting lines not to cross in play. Fast-forward, 3 Climbing gear 13 Med kit
pause, or rewind/redo for pacing and safety; 4 Dog 14 Pistol
invite players to do likewise. Present problems 5 Flare gun 15 Plastic explosive
you don’t know how to solve. Move spotlight to 6 Flashbangs (×4) 16 Rifle (bulky)
give all time to shine. Test luck as needed to check 7 Gas mask 17 Shotgun (bulky)
for (1– 2) an encounter or anomaly or (3–4) signs 8 Geiger Counter 18 Tranq gun
of one nearby. Improvise rulings to cover gaps in 9 Grenades (×4) 19 Tool belt
rules; revise unsatisfying rulings as a group. 10 Hazmat suit (bulky) 20 Video camera
ALTERATIONS ARTIFACTS
► Roll d6.d6 if prompted by origin/advancement. ► Roll d20, d6.d6, and d12 if you find one. Exact
effects (if any) subject to GM interpretation; may
1.1 You never sleep, blink, or close your eyes
require experiments or luck roll to discern.
1.2 People can’t break eye contact with you
1.3 Recognize people/animals by heartbeats VENEER (d20)
1.4 Eyes can extend out on arm-length stalks
1 Black 11 Greenish
1.5 Shoot finger bones like a gun; regrow in 1hr
2 Bluish 12 Iridescent
1.6 Swallow up to 10L of water, spray out later
3 Blurry 13 Purple
4 Coppery 14 Reddish
2.1 Hinged jaw, can store things in stomach
5 Dull 15 Rough
2.2 Edible mushrooms grow from your skin
6 Freezing 16 Rubbery
2.3 Mica flecks act as defense, regrow monthly
7 Glistening 17 Silvery
2.4 Excrete mucus you can make slick or sticky
8 Glowing 18 Sinewy
2.5 Fingers replaced with nimble tongues
9 Golden 19 Translucent
2.6 Slightly magnetic; focus to pull something
10 Grayish 20 White
3.1 Gills, scales help with swimming PROPERTY (d6.d6)
3.2 Gray eel-skin can shock with a touch
1.1 Annihilating 4.1 Orbiting
3.3 Molt to change appearance (once/month)
1.2 Blinding 4.2 Paralyzing
3.4 Adhesive tongue extends to your full height
1.3 Bottomless 4.3 Part-insubstantial
3.5 Distend throat to mimic a sound
1.4 Burning 4.4 Quickening
3.6 Shatter glass when you shriek
1.5 Calming 4.5 Radioactive
1.6 Deafening 4.6 Revealing
4.1 Worms replace eyes, let you see UV, infrared
4.2 Horns, stiffer neck, useful for goring/butting 2.1 Electrifying 5.1 Sickening
4.3 Hands crawl away, attached by 15m sinews 2.2 Freezing 5.2 Silencing
4.4 Sharpened teeth, paralytic venom in bite 2.3 Frictionless 5.3 Strengthening
4.5 Extra joints, contort and squeeze easily 2.4 Hallucinogenic 5.4 Terrifying
4.6 Caustic blood slowly dissolves most metals 2.5 Homing 5.5 Thrumming
2.6 Hovering 5.6 Thundering
5.1 Prehensile tail, 1 meter long
3.1 Itchiness-inducing 6.1 Unnaturally heavy
5.2 Functional eyeball wherever your skin is cut
3.2 Jittering 6.2 Vanishing
5.3 Wriggle through soft earth like a worm
3.3 Keening 6.3 Warping
5.4 Suction-cup digits help with climbing
3.4 Liquifying 6.4 Weakening
5.5 Retractable claws in fingers, toes
3.1 Mesmerizing 6.5 Whispering
5.6 Freeze with a tight grip, like liquid nitrogen
3.2 Nauseating 6.6 Withering
6.1 People forget your face after you part ways SHAPE (d12)
6.2 Levitate a few cm off ground, always
1 Ball 7 Fuzz
6.3 Antennae aid senses, may detect anomalies
2 Cone 8 Icosahedron
6.4 Glow softly, and safely absorb radiation
3 Cube 9 Ring
6.5 Lost tissue regrows daily as spongy and blue
4 Cylinder 10 Sheet
6.6 Bulky lump on back hatches into a small
5 Disc 11 Spike
being with your memories when you die
6 Fluid 12 Wire
NO ONE KNOWS WHAT CAUSED THE EVENT. Whether you’re on an authorized expedition or
Alien visitors? Collision with another dimension? breaking quarantine to make some credits, be
Whatever it was, it sundered an area on Earth from careful out there: Come back not-quite-human,
the laws of nature. And it left wonders behind. and the Lab will insist you visit indefinitely.
► A contact… Needs… ► You encounter… Who will…
1 Dr. Afoyalan 1 An anomaly studied 1 Altered zoners 1 Offer to trade
2 Dr. Baines 2 Device tested 2 An angry hermit 2 Fire a warning shot
3 Dr. Cabral 3 “Test subject” found 3 Animals 3 Lead somewhere
4 Dr. Daniau 4 A breakthrough 4 A caged zoner 4 Freak out
5 Dr. Esparza 5 Any 3 artifacts 5 Child-sized frogs 5 Filch items & flee
6 Dr. French 6 A specific cadaver 6 A crystalline man 6 Try to escape Zone
7 Dr. Namgung 7 A specific artifact 7 A cult 7 Offer to feed you
8 SGT Gold 8 To check on friend 8 An expedition 8 Think it’s still 2012
9 CPL Haverhill 9 A lost team’s intel 9 A gargantuan slug 9 Exude narcotics
10 PFC Irving 10 To follow a target 10 A giant bug 10 Try to eat you
11 SPC Jiang 11 A delivery, quietly 11 A lone soldier, MIA 11 Lead you into a trap
12 SGT Losa 12 A “monster” killed 12 Melting people 12 Ask for gunpowder
13 Mumps 13 “Move” an artifact 13 A zoner settlement 13 Help you if injured
14 Nine-ball 14 Just a 15% cut… 14 A scavenger 14 Warily greet you
15 Overton 15 To buy/sell gear 15 Scientists 15 Beg for protection
16 Peekaboo 16 To steal something 16 Soldiers 16 Warn you away
17 Quinn 17 Backup 17 Spectral figures 17 Stare from afar
18 “Doc” Reardon 18 A live zoner 18 A swarm of rats 18 Rush past you
19 Sherazi 19 To get in on a job 19 Walking corpses 19 Not even notice you
20 Tawfiq 20 To rescue someone 20 A zoner gang 20 Ambush & rob you
► Locations ► Anomalies (combine 1st and/or 2nd column with 3rd, open to interpretation)
1 Apartments 1 Dark 1 Echo 1 Beam
2 Bar/café 2 Disorienting 2 Energy 2 Crystal
3 Body of water 3 Enraging 3 Entropy 3 Dust
4 Bridge 4 Fragrant 4 Gravity 4 Flame
5 Cemetery 5 Glowing 5 Hunger 5 Flood
6 Gas station 6 Humming 6 Isolation 6 Fumes
7 Hill 7 Invisible 7 Levitation 7 Haze
8 Hospital/clinic 8 Magnetized 8 Memory 8 Mist
9 House 9 Mesmerizing 9 Nightmare 9 Noise
10 Job site 10 Narcotic 10 Phase 10 Sand
11 Local landmark 11 Nauseating 11 Refraction 11 Shadow
12 Offices 12 Prismatic 12 Regeneration 12 Slime
13 Park or field 13 Radioactive 13 Stasis 13 Smoke
14 Parking lot 14 Silent 14 Synesthesia 14 Shimmer
15 Place of worship 15 Silver 15 Thresher 15 Spores
16 Police station 16 Soporific 16 Time 16 Storm
17 Restaurant 17 Spectral 17 Transcendence 17 Vacuum
18 Store 18 Toxic 18 Transmutation 18 Web
19 Transit station 19 Unremarkable 19 Velocity 19 Weed
20 Woods 20 Vast 20 Vision 20 Wind
Version 1.2 • Art CC BY Beeple (Mike Winkelmann) • Permission is granted to reproduce for personal use
