The Elflines Online (ELO) free Cyberpunk RED (CPR) supplements from R. Talsorian Games have inspired me almost as much as the original game. (My ELO “Try Before You Buy” is here.) Today, I look at how the ELO interactive braindance MMO has affected two Cyberpunk RPG standards, posergangs and bodysculpting.
As most veteran Edgerunners are aware, a posergang is built around a theme, often a historical figure, fictional character, or old “flatscreen” movies/shows. The gang members all dress and have bodysculpts to look exactly like their “hero” or the characters from their “inspiration.” And they are as dangerous as any other Night City gangs. (Just ask anyone who has had the misfortune of crossing paths with Bozos.) A number of posergangs overlap with the “extended family” gang type. The various factions of the Prime Time Players (based off vintage TV comedies and other “family friendly” series) are the classic example. Older/veteran members protect the newer, younger members and sometimes other people in their territory.
ELO’s in-game “elflines” don’t just function like the “guilds” in other MMOs. Any in-game elfline also has a strong family/clan feel that is similar to an “extended family” gang or posergang. So Night City University and NCPD people who follow gang activity weren’t surprised by the emergence of ELO-inspired posergangs. There are only a few in Night City (and other cities with ELO servers) currently, but the number may increase if the MMO braindance stays popular.
The elfline gangs are most like Prime Time Players factions. Each gang is a different elfline and all members of that gang are bodysculpted to look like an Elf, predictably one of their favorite PCs from ELO. The gangers naturally dress like an Elf and use the typical Elf weapons (bow and arrows, swords, etc.) However, they are pragmatic about it. Their Elf cloaks, tunics, and boots are Kevlar® or good quality Nomad leathers, and they carry the modern, “real world” versions of the fantasy weapons. (Some may keep backup pistols even.) Note that, just as with Prime Time PLayers’ factions, some Elfline factions don’t play nicely together.
There is one ELO gang that isn’t all-Elf bodysculpts, the Ithiliens. Several members have gone all out with exotic bodysculpts of Gremlins, Companion Animals, or even Monsters from the braindance MMO. Like individual animal-themed exotics, Ithiliens creature exotics often get cyberwear to give them abilities like the creature has. These non-Elf Ithiliens tend to be the more fierce protectors. Otherwise, they wear similar clothing/costumes and wield similar weapons to the Elf members.
So how much bodysculpting are you in for when joining an ELO posergang like Sunwardens or Ithiliens? (Or just getting redone in the image of your favorite Elf, with no intention of joining a related gang.) ELO themed bodysculptures are always Exotics, with the higher costs – not only EBs but Humanity Loss as well. It doesn’t matter if an already-willowy gamer got just Elf ears and facial features, a portly Exec was turned into a hunky-svelte Wildblood, or the Ithiliens recruit is now a Gremlin. All of them are Exotic bodysculpt procedures.
Why the Humanity Loss? Like all Exotic bodysculpts, the ELOs are taking the patient farther from human norms, in looks at least. (But probably not in physical/mental capabilities unless cyberware is part of the “makeover.”) There’s another factor at play as well. A person who is involved deeply enough in this interactive braindance MMO to want to become their character is someone who is likely trying to escape reality all the time, not just during some marathon gaming sessions. Yes, it’s an understandable impulse given how dark the Dark Future is. Nonetheless, submerging oneself that deeply in a game world can contribute to dissociation. As with cyberware, “Guard your mind.”
Disclaimer: “Of Posergangs, Bodysculpting, and Elflines (Cyberpunk Red)” is unofficial content provided under the Homebrew Content Policy of R. Talsorian Games and is not approved or endorsed by RTG. This content references materials that are the property of R. Talsorian Games and its licensees.
Linda Whitson
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