BITE THE HAND

Bite the Hand is a lightweight TTRPG system for telling stories of rebellion and vengeance in gritty, dark, future cities, by using Mothership’s Panic Engine to bring a touch of horror to the cyberpunk genre. With over 40 types of cybernetics, over 50 items like weapons and armor, and several pages of GM tools, the Bite the Hand Core Rulebook contains everything you’ll need to experience tense cyberpunk action at your tables. 

The city is harsh and unforgiving. This isn’t a power fantasy where armies of grunts are cut down with ease. No, it is a brutal game where victories will be suspenseful, bloody, and not guaranteed.

The 48-page zine is jam-packed with:

• 4 player classes: Will you be a sneaky rogue, a tough soldier, a clever technician, or a charismatic turncoat?
• A d100 table of signature styles to personalize your PCs
• A total of 44 types of cybernetics, to customize PCs and NPCs
• Dozens of items, weapons, armor types, and vehicles
• A full suite of lightweight rules for stat checks and saving throws, stealth, social manipulation, hacking, environmental hazards, downtime, medical care, and of course high-intensity combat
• A modified version of the Stress and Panic systems you know and love from Mothership, complete with a fully custom Panic table
• A wanted system called Heat, and debt mechanics that feed into each other
• Several pages of Warden advice, helpful to both total newbies and Panic Engine veterans
• Cyberpunk genre guidance, including worldbuilding advice and a list of inspirational media
• A full page of house rules and homebrew advice to help you make Bite the Hand your perfect game
• 13 easily modifiable NPCs for Wardens to populate their worlds and challenge their players
• A built-in one-shot module, featuring an open-ended encounter that's sure to play out differently for each party
• A handy quick-reference “cheat sheet” with the most important rules on the back cover

Will you bite the hand that feeds you?

Will you stay down on your knees?

DOWNLOAD DETAILS

The main download that you receive with your purchase is a a pdf of the core rulebook. 

Additionally, a form-fillable character sheet pdf, a printer friendly version of the one-shot's area map, and a conversion guide for Mothership content are available for free under the "demos" section at the bottom of the page. 

If you are an author interested in making content for use with Bite the Hand (such as adventure modules or supplements), please read the publishing policy also available under "demos".

CONTENT WARNING & CREDITS

Bite the Hand is a dark game for mature players. It contains violence, harsh language, references to sex and drug use, depictions of mental health struggles, and cybernetic body horror that may not be suitable for all audiences. Play with discretion.

Writing, Design, & Layout: Alexander Vigna

Art: Alexander Vigna using Photoshop and Dither Boy to modify stock photos sourced from Pexels, Unsplash, iStock, and Wikimedia Commons

©2025-2026 Alexander Vigna and Spellbook Gaming LLC

AI STATEMENT

No generative AI was used in the creation of any images or text. Bite The Hand's art was made by manipulating stock photos taken by real photographers using manual image editing software. 

V0.9 EARLY ACCESS INFORMATION

This early access version is feature complete, but it lacks professional copy editing and the art may not be finalized. The majority of the money earned from this EA period will go to editing services and other production costs. The V1.0 release WILL NOT require a second purchase; it will simply be an update to this. The price will also increase with the V1.0 update, so consider getting it now while it's cheap. Physical copies will be a separate purchase, details TBD.

Join the SBG community Discord server to find players, ask questions about the rules, be notified about updates and future releases, and chat about your adventures!

Looking for more Panic Engine stuff from me? Check out my Mothership module: Proxy Error