Ghost in Virtual Seconds, Pt2
A CBR+PNK Actual Play and GM Prep.
The Widowmaker
Our second session of CBR+PNK ran smoother — that magical space between session one and two is where I always learn the most. After likely mangling some rules in the first outing, seeing the mechanics live on the table helps everything snap into focus. I'm always at this point, ready for a review of the game mechanics.
This heist saw the return of:
Rick Dallas (the verb)
Linnaeus aka Garrison aka Dryer (infiltrator, face, and schemer
…plus newcomer:
Downtown (veteran pilot, all swagger and reflexes)
Returning characters got to use downtime actions — working on projects, improving skills, pushing personal goals. Linnaeus even started a project to infiltrate The Disciples of Pain — owners of the high-profile target Big Barda, a future job. And that project didn’t go well.
There were now two Disciples of Pain clocks: one tracked by the players, one tracked for the Disciples of Pain.
Mission Prep:
The Widowmaker
Vehicle: Tessier-Ashpool Hyper-Sports Car
Owner: Private collector, Freeside elite
Location: SkyHigh Casino, rooftop showcase lounge
Obstacles:
Social AI monitoring guest emotional patterns
Garage defenses: high-frequency acoustic disruptors
Another runner team competing for the same target vehicle (TWIST)
Chromed-up Security Apes disguised as casino staff
Mimi Mak — SkyHigh Casino’s show director (calculating, cruel, merciless)
The Intros
Once downtime was settled, I decided the rival runner team was the Disciples of Pain based on the new clocks from downtime. I opened with a little sting:
“In the small 8-passenger helo, you see your team of four… and in the other group, you spot Pascal from the Disciples.”
Boom. My DoP clock was ticking.
From there:
Rick Dallas charmed the casino’s security crew.
Linnaeus schmoozed the VIP guests.
Downtown chatted up the helo pilots and maneuvered his way to an introduction with Mimi Mak and a tour of the Widowmaker showcase.
But tied to a schedule, Pascal and Sata snatched Mimi into an elevator and put a pistol to Downtown’s face (he was accompanying her to the showroom floor), and that turned into an elevator knife fight!
The Disciples of Pain kept the pressure on:
A shooting at security on the casino floor
Setting off the Halon fire suppression system
The crew responded:
Stabbing Sata in the back — literally!
Driving the Widowmaker (with Mimi onboard) out the 181st floor window
I still miss the engagement roll. CBR+PNK seems fine without it. I may try it out next session for feels. There’s a Reddit post that helps with the Position vs Threat troubles I’ve been stumbling on. And another player session AP post!! This one from Downtown’s player Adam Schwaninger on Don’t Roll A One!
How We Survived
In most Forged in the Dark games, I remind players to use Resistance rolls and Flashbacks — tools I personally often forget when I’m on the player side.
This time, those mechanics saved lives:
Resistance rolls kept Downtown alive through the elevator knife fight and the 181-floor drop
Flashbacks let the crew pre-install a drone in the helo to “catch” the car mid-air
Of course, they miscalculated the helo’s lift capacity — so Downtown, with his heavy augments, bailed midair, while Linnaeus raced to throw down foam catches… only to run into the fifth DoP member waiting in ambush.
Lots of injuries and stress as a cost of success!
Mission success: The Widowmaker secured
New enemies: Disciples of Pain —ready for another round!
Paying the Bills
Low-prep games can be tricky; reincorporation is a valuable skill to develop. In this session of CBR+PNK, I have prepped a rival runner team with no other details. This was the _twist_. When the Disciples of Pain escalated from a bad project roll it was pretty clear to me that they were the rival team. This trumps some team of newly unknowns and is directly tied to actions the players have already taken. If you’re into GM insights, emergent play, and a view into how sessions evolve, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Every bit helps keep the dice rolling! 🎲🔥
and ICYMI… Here’s session one:
Ghost in Virtual Seconds
Last week, I tumbled through my first run and session of CBR+PNK RPG from Cabinet of Curiosities. We're playing in the BAMA — the Boston-Atlanta Metropolitan Axis — the gritty cyber-metropolis from William Gibson’s Sprawl novels. The mission? A remix of
🔄 What’s Next
Mad-Dice: Dogfooding Update
I got Trackables working in Mad-Dice (for clocks and scene trackers), but yep — some bugs showed up. That’s why I'm testing and playing.
Next release:
Reorganize the dice + chat bar
Implement dice-chat macros
Lock down MVP status
There’s one more (third and final) session in this arc before I roll into a 2-run Twitch/Actual Play mini-series.
Let’s ride.