Finally, a few weeks ago, my gaming group was able to play CyberpunkRED (CPRED), which I was really hyped for. Our GM found a fan-written module that we played over two sessions. And yes, it was as much fun as I’d hoped, plus the rules system was easy to pick up. A couple of us made our own PCs, and other used pre-gens written by our GM and another player. All PCs were created using the Complete character rules. Our Edgerunners were:
⦁ DJv0odo0, Netrunner extraodinaire
⦁ Maxx, up and coming local Media
⦁ Rabbit, the Nomad, and Shelby, his tricked-out car with the bunny tail that also gives the finger to all
⦁ Zero, Solo, and his guns Sheila and Stela
⦁ Tag, my Medtech, a pretty ripperdoc apprentice
The game started with what I consider to be the Cyberpunk equivalent of the Star Wars “Everyone’s hanging out in a cantina” trope: “Rent’s almost due and no one has the EBs for their cubbyhole and kibble.” Fortunately, the crew was able to find a gig. A Fixer took a chance on us for a time-sensitive courier mission. We had to get the MacGuffin from Punk A and deliver it to Punk B by X o’clock and he would give us half the pay. Once Punk B confirmed to Fixer that the item arrived on time and wasn’t faked/opened /tampered with, we’d get the rest of the EBs (eurobucks, the Gold Pieces of the Dark Future), and possibly a bonus.
The first session was a wild ride – sometimes literally, in Shelby – especially for one with no combat. (Yes, you read that right. No, I didn’t think that was possible in a Cyberpunk game, either.) How did we manage that? Blame Media Maxx’s crazy tactics and amazing dice luck. As we left Punk A’s place, we noticed we were being watched. Maxx, who had the MacGuffin, insisted we split up, with him walking several blocks in this semi-dubious neighborhood. Meanwhile the rest of us piled into Shelby to lead the tails off and then lose them, a pretty easy task for Rabbit. After that, we picked up Maxx, who was right that no one would think to follow the guy wandering the street alone.
After that it was time to meet Punk B for the handoff at this new, fancy club. The GM had each of us state how we were trying to locate Punk B, a netrunner, since all we had was a handle (street name) and basic description, and make a check based on our action. Methods ranged from looking around to getting down on the dance floor to Tag’s, “I’m trying to find my blind date.” Everyone was entertained by the dance attempt, but my medtech’s ploy got her to Punk B, who even seemed mildly interested in her. I like it when the GM plays along, even if it’s just an in-character line or two.
But right after we passed over the MacGuffin, all of us, I think, were wishing we had been able to use the Conceal/Reveal Object skill to bring in our bigger guns. (No bags or guns allowed in and guns larger than Heavy Pistols can’t be concealed on your person unless installed in a cyberlimb.) The Night City Police Department showed up for something totally unrelated to us – I swear! Ask the GM – and locked the place down. Our contact, no happier than we were at possibly being caught up in NCPD business, offered us more money to get him out of the club and Rabbit promptly agreed. The GM ended the session there.
Next session, the crew was fine with getting Punk B, as well as ourselves out of there. DJv0odo0 opted to jack into the club’s NET Architecture and find some Control Nodes to help our escape. Tag decided to “netrunner sit” (take care of anyone targetting the netrunner). Yes, in Cyberpunk RED, netrunners are still aware of, and able to take actions in, “Meatspace” while jacked in. However, I figured DJv0odo0 could take care of Net business easier and quicker if he didn’t have to worry about anything else. Among other things, he found a map and a route out the back. So we started moving that way.
Tag also got a good a look at a fellow patron and realized he was actually an undercover cop (Great Perception check) keeping NCPD informed of what was happening inside and was able to warn her crew via our Agents (super-duper smartphones). Some other great checks enabled Maxx to distract the undercover agent – while Rabbit “pickpocketed” that cop’s Agent! It wasn’t a good enough result the cop didn’t notice, the GM said – but it was good enough he couldn’t prevent it.
Meanwhile, Zero had arrived outside to learn to his dismay that his crew was inside a club surrounded by NCPD’s finest and set about helping us get out with distractions. (There was some combat this time.) Eventually, the four of us and Punk B, did get out, piled into Shelby, and set out to drop off the contact. Unfortunately, there was a literal roadblock. Set up by some enterprising boostergang to collect tolls. Maxx had another ploy to match last session’s party split. He got out to talk to those, ah, entrepreneurs.
“You look like you could take out the people following us, how about I video and upload that so everyone can see you’re the toughest? Just have to let us through.”
The player decided to add some Luck points to the result– another roll of 10 on a d10 – plus the Luck – for him! (I need dice like this…) The gang thought this was a great idea. There were selfies taken plus the promised video (even though we were wrong about being followed) and Maxx did publicize them.
We finished by getting Punk B to his place and receiving half the pay, plus the bonus he promised for getting him out of the raid. Then it was back to the Fixer for the remainder. They were also impressed by our promptness, as well as our willingness to help the netrunner contact, so gave us another bonus! None of us will lack for kibble or cargo crate this month.
Was it easy to learn? We didn’t have any real problems with the mechanics, even though the system was new to all of us. Only two of us had played at all, and that was just a few one-on-one trial combats and Netruns. There was the occasional difficulty finding where a skill was on someone’s character sheet – there are 66 of them – or recalling the name. (Why did Human Perception get such a long and awkward name?)
During DJv0odo0’s little netrun, the GM wasn’t sure about specifics for some checks, so he said, “We’re doing it this way” and the player agreed. Actually it turned out the GM was very close to the rules. Make a ruling and sort it out afterwards for next time is the way to go. But those were the only rules issues and very minor ones.
And the most important question. Was CPRED fun? Yes. All of us had a good time, and it was easy to work in the one player who wasn’t able to make the first session. I didn’t get the best rolls or do some of the coolest stuff, but I still enjoyed the whole thing. I was maybe a little bummed at not getting to do medtech stuff – but it looks like this might become one of our Backup Plan games.
Finally there’s this. Believe it or not I might be running our next CPRED one-shot! Most of my fellow gamers know I prefer playing to GMing and that when I do run it’s FFG Star Wars. But after playing the game, I feel like I could run Cyberpunk RED. More proof it’s an easy system to pick up – and enjoy.
Artwork: Featured image © 2020 R. Talsorian Games
Linda Whitson
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