The World of 2185

Welcome to the World of 2185

All adventures and stories in Carbon 2185 start, as the name suggests, in our very own future: the year 2185.

The Core Rulebook will focus on the sprawling city of San Francisco, the people who live in it, and the megacorporations that control it.

Some of the most important things to know about the world of 2185 are the following:

CYBERNETICS AND AUGMENTATIONS

Everybody has some kind of cybernetic enhancement, more commonly known as an augmentation.

The most common augmentation is a “neurolink,” a type of organic computer wired into the user’s brain. This is installed for free at birth by whichever corporation runs the nearest hospital or medical center, and routinely displays tailored ads directly into your field of vision.

A neurolink allows the user to directly interface with computers and data and is used for everything from online shopping, to ordering food from a menu at a restaurant, to checking your own vital signs.

Other common augmentations include new mechanical limbs for manual laborers, enhanced eyes for surgeons, or even mechanical livers so you can drink as much as you’d like.

POLLUTION

Due to environmental collapse, and the radiation leakage from power cells, the world is heavily polluted.

Many cities have air filters atop buildings that keep the pollution at livable levels, although on bad days even the cleanest of cities have visibility of less than 100ft.

Most of the time the maximum visibility in cities is around 600ft.

The areas outside of cities are heavily polluted, and not somewhere you can spend any extended amount of time without suffering serious health issues.

MEGACORPORATIONS

The world is essentially run by megacorporations, with actual governments serving as little more than figureheads. These megacorporations constantly fight among themselves for more power and control.

LAW ENFORCEMENT

The governments of the world do very little, but one area they still control is law enforcement. The world is more violent than ever, and the law is no exception to this trend.

Most law enforcement officers shoot first and ask questions later. Don’t expect to negotiate with the police.

ECONOMY

The top 0.5% of the world control everything, with the majority of the population in constant and never-ending debt. You are expected to work 10 hours a day, 30 days a month in 2185.

You sign up for a job with a standard five-year contract and get paid at the end of it. Most people run a five-year line of credit during this time, hoping their paycheck is enough at the end of it to clear their debts.

If you do not complete your contract in its entirety, you do not get paid anything.

CURRENCY

The world runs on a secure, decentralized cryptocurrency called wonlongs (₩). This un-hackable currency replaced traditional currencies following the manufactured collapse of the banking sector. Wonlongs can be found on physical credit chips or are transferred directly into your account. Many people opt to have interface chips in their fingers or thumb to allow them to scan their fingerprint to make purchases.