Rules reference
Skills in Cyberpunk RED
Skills overview and how checks typically work. Cyberpunk RED is a tabletop RPG set in Night City in the year 2045, a dystopian future where corporations rule, cyberware is common, and life is cheap. Players take on the roles of Edgerunners: cyberpunks, netrunners, solos, and other denizens of the mean streets trying to survive and thrive in a world of chrome and corruption.
Key points
Skills describe trained competence. Use this page to quickly understand what the skill list covers and how to pick priorities.
- 10 Roles: Netrunner, Solo, Tech, Medtech, Media, Exec, Lawman, Fixer, Nomad, Rockerboy
- d10 system: Roll Stat + Skill + 1d10 against Difficulty Value
- Improvement Points (IP): Used instead of XP for advancement
- Cyberware system: Enhance abilities but cost Humanity
- Role Abilities: Unique powers for each Role
- Combat system: Fast-paced action with armor, weapons, and cyberware
You attempt a hack or a shot: roll Stat + Skill + 1d10 vs DV. Before rolling, agree what success changes (access gained, target down, alarm triggered on failure).
If you can’t hit the DV reliably, change approach: get better positioning, better tools, or reduce risk first.
- Mistake: Rolling without stakes. Fix: Say what success changes and what failure costs before rolling.
- Mistake: Treating failure as ‘nothing happens’. Fix: Fail forward: you still learn something, but pay a cost (time, exposure, resources, harm).