Subversion is a Kickstarter for a new cyberpunk RPG by Fragging Unicorn Games, set in Neo Babylon.

With just the name of the system, as well as the tagline of “Magic – Technology -Rebellion”, it’s pretty clear what the general themes of the game are. Fighting against authoritarian governments and ruthless megacorporations is pretty much a requirement of cyberpunk works, and I’m sure we’ll find plenty to take down, sabotage, destroy, et cetera in Subversion. As the creators themselves put it, the themes of Subversion are “community, direct action, revolution, hauntings, encroaching technology, relationships, staying true to ideals, speaking truth to power, and hope for the future”.

In the Subversion tabletop roleplaying game, you and your friends play as envoys, representatives of your  communities taking direct action to serve and save the people around you. But there’s a catch. Both your character,  and the community they are a part of, have values that are important to them. Trying to subvert the oppressive  world around you while also holding true to the values you and your community care about, isn’t an easy task. 

Set in an alternate world where magic exists, the ancient Babylonian Empire was the first to utilize it extensively, becoming a global superpower into the modern age. Subversion is a d6 dice pool system, meaning that more skilled characters roll more dice, keeping the 3 highest rolls. Besides the staples of running, gunning, hacking, and magic-ing, Subversion also places a focus on your character’s community and ideals, with a greater impact than simply roleplaying sauce.

The team behind the project, Fragging Unicorns, has some exceptional names included: the founder is O.C. Presley. co-designer of Shadowrun Sixth World and Shadowrun: Anarchy, designer of Gangs of the Undercity, and author of many other Shadowrun extras – sourcebooks, adventures, and fiction. The team also contains authors such as Russel Zimmerman and Clifton Lambert, as well as many others.

In terms of reward tiers, the PDF copy of the sourcebook is $25, with a hardcover physical copy at $60, with additional goodies at higher tiers. The project runs until the 23rd of March and has already rocketed way past the goal in the first hours since launch, reaching the first stretch goal as well. The estimated delivery date for the PDF is November 2023, with the physical copies following in December 2023.

Visit the Subversion Kickstarter page to learn more.