Cybercops: Southowilson SIOD (Campaign and Character Creation)

The Special Investigations and Operations Division (SIOD) is an elite unit within the Southowilson Police Department, composed of the department’s most skilled detectives and MaxTac officers. Candidates are selected for their experience, intelligence, and initiative. Unlike other divisions, SIOD is centrally administered from SWPD Headquarters in Turner Plaza, though its officers are deployed citywide as needed. They answer solely to the division captain.

SIOD is tasked with cases deemed too dangerous, sensitive, complex, or unusual for other divisions to handle. These range from gangs, organized crime, and drug rings to serial killings, corporate malfeasance, and incidents too obscure for routine investigation. If a case is too high-profile or, conversely, too low-profile to be handled through regular channels, SIOD takes it. Such assignments occur more often than most civilians realize.

The division is organized around a central command element and three to four teams, each comprising three to five officers. Every team is led by a detective sergeant, usually the most experienced officer on the team, and is assigned a distinct case. Squads maintain separate office spaces clustered around a shared briefing area near the captain’s office. Although the division’s base is officially located in the Judicial Center (Building 11, Turner Plaza), SIOD officers typically operate in the field or out of local precinct offices while conducting investigations.

Character Creation

Player characters begin at the Veteran rank with 8 Advances (p. 68). Before building your character, establish their background. All police officers automatically receive the following:

• Major Hindrance: Vow (Protect and Serve)
• Edge: Legal Authority (see below)

These are applied before selecting other Hindrances and Edges, and do not count against limits on Edges and Hindrances.

New Edge: Legal Authority 

The character is a duly appointed peace officer empowered to enforce the laws of the campaign’s setting. This grants:

• Recognition and support from the government, with a reasonable expectation of cooperation from law-abiding citizens.
• Authority to summon other officers for backup, who will typically respond quickly.
• Legal right to stop and inspect individuals suspected of committing a crime.
• Power to arrest those who refuse lawful cooperation.
• Authority to pursue suspects onto private or secured property; however, if no crime is in progress, a warrant may be required.

Career Path

1. Novice (Patrol Officer): Early Advances should reflect life on the street as a beat cop—practical skills, survival traits, and day-to-day police experience, as well as those skills and attributes from life outside the force. PCs at this stage need not be native to Southowilson; they may have transferred in from elsewhere.
   
2. Seasoned (Detective or MaxTac): At this point, choose a career track. Detectives should emphasize investigation-focused Edges such as Investigator. MaxTac / SWAT officers should favor combat or leadership Edges appropriate to tactical operations.
3. Veteran (SIOD): Characters at this level are eligible for assignment to the Special Investigations and Operations Division. Backgrounds may vary widely, but all PCs begin the campaign as newly appointed SIOD officers, still learning the division’s unique methods and culture.

Equipment

Standard-issue SIOD gear includes:

• Common civilian vehicle (car, small truck, or motorcycle), with Armor +4/+4 ballistic protection, gas seal, uprated comms and drivetrain (off-road capable, +10% base speed).
• Concealable body armor (Light Reflex Armor +2, full body, +4 Ballistic Protection)
• SWPD Issue 9mm Detective Sidearm (2d6, 12/24/48) and concealable holster
• Medium Assault Carbine* (2d8, 15/30/60) or Shotgun (1-3d6, 12/24/48)
  
• Standard or AP ammo available on request; others require signoff. 

On Person (Duty Gear)

• OC spray (pepper spray).
• Handcuffs (often two sets, with cases).
• Radio with shoulder mic or earpiece.
• Flashlight (compact but high-lumen).
• Personal Agent for field reporting.
• Gloves (for searches, medical, or tactical use).
• Duty knife or multitool (optional but common).
• Keys (handcuffs, vehicle, facility access).

In Car (Patrol Vehicle Gear)

• First aid kit/trauma kit (often includes tourniquet, hemostatic gauze, CPR mask).
• Fire extinguisher.
• Traffic control equipment (cones, flares, barricade tape).
• Evidence collection kit (bags, gloves, markers, camera).
• Spike strips (in some agencies).
• Blankets / emergency supplies (sometimes carried for accident or victim care).
• Binoculars (optional, more rural/suburban).

Any other gear can be selected from the previously published Near Future/Cyberpunk/2300 tech articles on Helping Stick or other sources (GM's discretion). Additional equipment must be formally requested. PCs also begin with $2,000 in personal funds for their own gear of choice. Personal equipment is off the record; supervisors often prefer not to know how officers acquire or use it, ensuring plausible deniability in the field.