GM Guide

This guide is built with a wide range of playstyles and experience levels in mind. Not to talk down to you or walk through the basics of running a game. Instead, think of it as a flexible toolkit for exploring the world of Cycleborne on your own terms.

The setting is layered, both in terms of action and narrative, but not every story needs to dig deep into the background elements. Those pieces are there to provide contrast, maybe even rein in a character that has gone too far chasing power. You're encouraged to focus on the type of Conflict that interests you most, and then use that stage as the foundation for your campaign. That way you always have a blueprint so you won't be caught off guard by player choices.

To help illustrate this approach, here are some example campaigns.

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Quick Campaign

A UEC dropship carrying the players has been shot down en route to a forward operations base in the Americas. Can the team reach extraction before hostile locals find them first? Endure brutal guerilla ambushes and creatures that have been changed from living in proximity to the Genesis Engines. Made for quick games and new players.

Involved Campaign

After exposure to fluids leaking from a Genesis Engine, a powerful corporate magnate begins recruiting mercenaries for a risky job to Port Mariana. Following a tense exchange with the facility's AI, players become entangled in a conflict between a controversial society and their cryptic employer. Layered narrative for experienced players.

Advanced Campaign

Join a rogue science team preparing to land on the Living Ringworld despite clear sanctions against it. Descend into a slow burn story of ancient extinction and terrifying evolution. A complex narrative that rewards sharp wit and long term commitment. Meant for advanced players who enjoy a Lovecraftian experience.

Setup

• Conflict - Global.

• Deviances - Bionic.

• Experience - One-shot style with 3 sessions building towards a climatic end.

• Challenge - Grounded combat and choices that can be improvised on the fly. Introduce situational decisions that impact the battlefield.

• Meta Objective - Teach new players how to play or just blow off steam without getting into complicated stories. Great if you don't want to take the lore too seriously or read too much.

• Meta Concept - Focused around Body, Wounds, and Bionic implants. Intended to mirror our own modern conflicts with themes that anyone can relate without needing a wiki on lore.

• Conflict - System.

• Deviances - Bionic and/or Somnic.

• Experience - Story evolving over 6 sessions that leaves the players thinking.

• Challenge - Not only physical but also mental. Players are encouraged to explore a deeper story behind the surface.

• Meta Objective - Teach players extra layers of the game while also getting experience improvising more when you take their training wheels off. Best of both worlds for players.

• Meta Concept - Focused around Mind, Will, and Somnic abilities. Meant to introduce some of the more theoretical or fantasy elements of the story and challenge the players to adapt to it.

• Conflict - Cosmic.

• Deviances - Bionic, Somnic, and/or Resonant.

• Experience - Surreal Lovecraftian thriller taking up to 9 sessions.

• Challenge - For GMs that truly like to improvise and are good at provoking thought from the players and rolling with their responses.

• Meta Objective - Depart from the source material to dive into your own interpretation of it, allowing you to truly customize the experience for players. Best for tight groups.

• Meta Concept - Focused around Spirit, Will, and Resonant abilities. Now that you have established grounding elements to the world, its time to earn real shock value from introducing things that break all the rules.

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When planning a session, it’s perfectly acceptable to set limits—especially in a world this big. Let your players explore, but give yourself breathing room by placing major choices at the end of a session, not mid-way through. These games naturally throw surprises your way, and quick thinking is part of the job. Still, with thoughtful prep, you can avoid those awkward moments of scrambling through maps or notes just to keep up with player ambition. This is especially important when dealing with Resonant abilities, which can rewrite entire scenes. Avoid offering these too early; save them for the mid to late game, where they’ll feel more earned—and more fun to unleash.

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Part of the testing process along the way has always been having to improvise or be ambiguous about missing systems or rules. How mechanically involved your game is depends on your style. But if your players seem bored or lost, that’s your cue to step back and recalibrate.


In my experience, the most important thing is having a group that’s forgiving and open to learning together. I’ve played with people who make me feel brilliantly dumb—and then they’ll quietly admit they’re struggling with a rule or system too. Don’t be too hard on yourself as a GM. Read the room, trust the vibes. If your best ever doesn't feel good enough, it might just be time to post another LFG!