So, here’s the system I referenced earlier, copied from View From the Edge: The Cyberpunk Handbook (©1988, R. Talsorian Games).
LIFE EVENTS AND PROBLEMS TABLE
For every year past age 16, roll 1d10, then move to the indicated Section.
1. Make a Friend (go to A)
2-3. Make an Enemy (go to B)
4. Lose a Friend (your choice) (go to B1)
5-6. Romantic Involvement (go to C)
7-8. Disaster Strikes (go to D)
9-10. You Get Lucky (go to E)
A: MAKE A FRIEND
Choose or roll sex of friend (even=male, odd=female)
Choose or roll your relationship to this friend:
1. Like a big brother/sister to you
2. Like a kid brother/sister to you
3. A teacher or mentor
4. A partner or co-worker
5. An old lover
6. An old enemy
7. Like a foster parent to you
8. A relative
9. Re-connect with old childhood friend
10. Met through a common interest
B: MAKE AN ENEMY
Choose or roll sex of enemy (even=male, odd=female)
Choose or roll your relationship to this enemy:
1. Ex-friend
2. Ex-lover
3. Relative
4. Old enemy from childhood
5. Person working for you
6. Person you work for
7. Co-worker or partner
8. Boostergang member
9. Corporate executive
10. Government official
(Go to B1)
B1: CAUSE OF THE DISPUTE
This enmity started when one of you (choose or roll one):
1. Caused the other to lose face or status
2. Caused the loss of a lover, relative or friend
3. Humiliated the other
4. Accused the other of cowardice or some personal flaw
5. Deserted or betrayed the other
6. Turned down offer or job or romantic involvement
7. Caused imprisonment or exile of other
8. Was a romantic rival
9. Foiled a plan of the other’s
10. Business or professional rival
(Go to B2)
B2: REACTION OF INJURED PARTY
If the two of you were to meet face-to-face, the injured party would most likely (choose or roll one):
1-2. Go into a murderous, killing rage and attack
3-4. Avoid the other person
5-6. Cause indirect injury any time it’s possible
7-8. Ignore them
9-10. Verbally attack
C: ROMANTIC INVOLVEMENT
How’s your love life? If you came up with this choice, you had some kind of romantic/sexual involvement that year, even if it was mostly a series of fast affairs and hot dates.
1-4. happy love affair
5. Tragic love affair (Go to C1)
6-7. Love affair with problems (Go to C3)
8-10. Fast affairs and hot dates
C1: THE TRAGEDY
Choose or roll one:
1. Lover died in accident
2. Lover mysteriously vanished
3. It ‘didn’t work out’
4. A personal goal or vendetta came between you
5. Lover kidnapped
6. Lover went insane
7. Lover committed suicide
8. Rival cut you out of the action
9. Lover imprisoned or exiled
10. Lover killed in a fight
(Go to C2)
C2: MUTUAL FEELINGS
Choose or roll one:
1. They still love you
2. You still love them
3. You still love each other
4. You hate them
5. They hate you
6. You hate each other
7. You’re friends
8. No feelings either way; it’s over
9. You like them, they hate you
10. They like you, you hate them
C3: THE PROBLEM
Choose or roll one:
1. Your lover’s friends/relatives hate you
2. Your lover’s friends/relatives would use any means to get rid of you
3. Your friends/relatives hate your lover
4. One of you has a romantic rival
5. You are separated in some way
6. You fight constantly
7. You are professional rivals
8. One of you is insanely jealous
9. One of you is ‘messing around’
10. You have conflicting backgrounds or families
D: DISASTER STRIKES!
Roll 1d10:
1. Financial loss or debt: Roll 1d10x100. You owe this much in Eurodollars. If you cannot pay now, you will have this debt to pay- in cash or blood.
2. Imprisonment: You have been in prison, or possibly some type of hostage. Roll 1d10 for length of term, and add this to your age. Do not roll for events during this time.
3. Illness or addiction: You have contracted either an illness or drug habit during this time. Lose 1 point from REF as a result.
4. Betrayal: You have been betrayed in some manner. Roll another d10. On a 1-3, you are being blackmailed. On a 4-7, a secret was exposed. On 8-10, you were backstabbed by a friend in career or romance (you choose).
5. Accident: You were in some type of terrible accident. Roll 1d10. On a 1-4, you were terribly disfigured and have an ATT of 1. On a 5-6, you were hospitalized for most of a year. On a 7-8, you lost a year of memory. On a 9-10, you constantly relive nightmares of the accident.
6. Lover, friend, or relative killed: You lost someone you really cared about. Roll 1d10. On 1-5, they were killed accidentally. On a 6-8, they were murdered by unknown parties. On a 9-10, they were deliberately killed and you know who did it.
7. Falsely Accused: You were set up. Roll 1d10. On a 1-3, the accusation was theft. On 4-5, it’s lying. On 6-8, it’s murder. On 9-10, **** or assault.
8. Hunted by the Law: You are hunted by the law for crimes you may or may not have committed. Roll 1d10. On a 1-3, only a couple cops want you. On 4-6, it’s the local cops after you. On 7-8, it’s the State police or militia. On 9-10, it’s the FBI or equivalent national force.
9. Hunted by a Corporation: You have angered some local corporate honcho. Roll 1d10. On a 1-3, it’s a small, local firm. On a 4-6, it’s a larger corp with offices statewide. 7-8, it’s a big, national corp with agents in major cities. On 9-10, it’s a huge multinational with armies, ninja and spies everywhere.
10. Mental or Physical Incapacitation: You have experienced some type of mental or physical breakdown. Roll 1d10. On 1-3, it’s some type of nervous disorder, probably from some bioplague- lose 1 pt. REF. On a 4-7, it’s some kind of mental problem: you suffer anxiety attacks, phobias. Lose 1 from your CL stat. 8-10, it’s a major mental problem. You hear voices, are violent, irrational,depressive. Lose 1 from your CL stat, 1 from REF.
E: YOU GET LUCKY
Roll 1d10:
1. Make a powerful connection in City Government. Roll 1d10. On a 1-4, Police Chief. On 5-7, it’s District Attorney. On 8-10, it’s mayor’s Office.
2. Financial Windfall: Roll 1d10x100 for amount in Eurodollars.
3. Big Score on job or deal: Roll 1d10x100 for amount in Eurodollars.
4. Find a Sensei: Add +2 to Martial Arts Skill.
5. Find a Teacher: Add +2 to any INT based skill
6. Powerful Corporate Exec owes you 1 favor.
7. Local Nomad Pack befriends you. You can call upon them for 1 favor per month, equivalent to a Family Ability of +2.
8. Make a friend on the Police Force. You may use him for inside information at a level of +2.
9. Local Boostergang likes you (who knows why. These are Boosters). You can call upon them for favors equivalent to a Family Ability of +2 once a month. But don’t push it.
10. Find a Combat Teacher: Add +2 +2 to any pistol, rifle, assault weapon or Hand to Hand weapon Skill.
-None of this is anything a decent roleplayer couldn’t make up themselves, of course, but I think it’s fun to see if randomization can produce an interesting, coherent narrative. It wouldn’t be too difficult to adapt something like this to Dark Heresy . I would prefer a system that put more emphasis on the character’s background/homeworld type, and maybe even some use of game mechanics (“Make a Fellowship Test; if unsuccessful, the relationship ends badly”)…
Edited by Adeptus-B